I'll be honest and say I'm having an incredibly rough go of it the past three months. I feel as if my heart is being pulled in two opposite directions and I know what I must do, but that doesn't make the doing of it any easier. I want to do the right thing, but at the same time the right thing to do is also my least favorite option. The narrow gate and the narrow road have always been the hardest paths to stay on, and for good reason. God, grant me strength to face this test and when all is over to stand before you still.

Answers

excerpt from Till We Have Faces: "I ended my first book with the words no answer. I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?"

prettiness

No words -none.

They were stolen from my breath

Before my tongue formed them

My hands traced them

My body taught them.

They were small. So small.

And how could they withstand

The weight of silence

Its barreling force crushing in its path

Stolen moments from borrowed days

I could not give them back if I tried.

They were not mine to give or take

But they felt so right in my hands

Shivering with greed.

There were no words.

Broken fragments gathered from

The shattered bottle speak

But this

This is victory of a different kind.

I wish I didn't understand this

I cannot live with You-
It would be Life_
And Life is over there-
Behind the Shelf-

The Sexton keeps the Key to
Putting up
Our Life- His Porcelain_
Like a Cup-

Discarded of the Housewife-
Quaint - or Broke-
A newer Sevres pleases-
Old Ones crack-

I could not die-with You-
For One must wait
To shut the Other's Gaze down-
You- could not-

And I- Could I stand by
And see You -freeze-
Without my Right of Frost-
Death's privilege?

Nor could I rise-with You-
Because Your Face
Would put out Jesus'-
That New Grace

Grow plain-and foreign
On my homesick Eye-
Except that You than He
Shone closer by-

They'd just Us-How-
For You- served Heaven-
You know,
Or sought to-
I could not-

Because You saturated Sight-
And I had no more Eyes
For sordid excellence
As Paradise

And were You lost, I would be-
Though My Name
Rang loudest
On the Heavenly fame-

And were You- saved-
And I- condemned to be
Where You were not-
That self- were Hell to Me-

So We must meet apart-
You there- I - here-
With just the Door ajar
That Oceans are- and Prayer-
And that White Sustenance-
Despair-

Emily D.

covet worthy items II

This first wedding dress I would most definitely wear. I love the Edwardian era and this is a most exquisite piece. The second picture I like, not because I would wear the dress, but because the photographer did an excellent job of capturing another time. There's something about the lighting, the veil, and garden scene that conjures up images of an early 20th century fairy tale. I half expect an old ford automobile to come dashing around the corner and spatter mud everywhere.

covet worthy items

I found this first nightgown on ebay, but it cost too much money to buy. Isn't it absolutely stunning? I know it  might be a little awkward to post on a blog about the beauty of old-fashioned lingerie, but its just so elegant!

The second one is such cute fifties version. I would love to turn it into a dress, but unfortunately it too was much to expensive for me to purchase. 

Here's to wishing and hoping that someday I can come across more affordable versions!