The Neighborhood

On this glorious summer day with unusually comfortable temperatures, (79 degrees...in July...in Knoxville, TN. Come on!! That never happens.) I find myself exceptionally thankful to be living this Downtown life.  So, as I went on a casual stroll this afternoon, I caught myself saying a little prayer of thanks - for the very real reminder that I am blessed far beyond what I deserve.  I can say with pretty reasonable certainty that the place I find myself today is nothing like what I imagined when I moved to Knoxville 5 years ago, but - good grief! - it is way better than whatever the 17-year-old version of myself had in mind.

So, here's to you, Monday, July 29.  You've been a day full of little blessings, and I like you.
-JD

Oh hey there.

Remember me? Yeah, I've been away from the blogging world for a little while. And by "little while" I mean half a year.  A whole lot has happened in that bit of time - some big-time life changes - but there are some resounding truths I have come to know during this time.  Allow me to expand.

1. Change is inevitable. Change is constant. Change is not a bad thing. If you know me at all, you know that my admitting that last statement is true is a big, honkin' deal.
2. Talking to your parents is always a good thing. They're gonna give you a fresh perspective and lots of love.  And if you're blessed with parents like mine, you'll get more encouragement than you deserve along with a healthy dose of hearing what you need to hear - even if you don't like it.  I couldn't be more grateful for Mama and Papa D these days.
3. The Lord speaks through relationships.  I can't tell you how many times a friend, colleague, family member, youth group kiddo, mentor, or random human has been used during the last six months to help me see what the Big Guy was wanting me to understand.
4. Patience is good for the soul. There. I said it. Sometimes it stinks, but good grief - it makes the end result so much sweeter.  I'm not very good at being patient just yet, but I'm working on it.
5. I still love words.  Everything from scripture, to text messages, to You've Got Mail quotes have been used in big ways in my life.  Don't worry - I'll share some of my favorites below.

To make a long story short, I've been blessed beyond measure in 2013.  It hasn't all been easy, but we are not called to live an easy life.  2 Timothy 1:7 says, "for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control."  It boils down to this for me right now - live boldly, listen well, love always. If that is too corny for you, that's alright. It works for me. And uses alliteration...so all is well.

It's good to be back.
-JD

P.S. All images are from Pinterest.