This will be my final entry using the account bele_nus. I realized that it was ludicrous to partition my life among three different journals based on whether or not I felt the subject matter would be appropriate for certain readers. My new journal, although not really new at all, is theseasons, which was originally used for random musings about religion and ( Read more... )

Hello from Pasadena, MD ( Read more... )

Off to Baltimore until September 2, have a delightful week everyone, you know how to reach me!

This past weekend was very surreal. When I drove to Emily's we decided to hike up to the top of a nearby mountain, and it was an amazing view from the top. That night we had a very classy wine and cheese party, smoked the hookah, and just talked about pretty much everything. I ended up driving home to Connecticut on Sunday to see my family and to ( Read more... )

When Jordan and I stepped outside this morning something was very different in the air. I was already in a really bad place emotionally because we were on our way to the airport, but the energy outside snapped me out of it for a while. The way the sun was shining, the smell of the air, and the chilly breeze were all reminiscent of the fall. I ( Read more... )

It's absolutely impossible to get any work done with so many convenient distractions!

Here is an amazing poem by the Sufi Master Hafiz.

It Felt Love

How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart

And give to this world
All its
Beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being,

Otherwise,
We all remain

Too

Frightened.
That poem is from a ( Read more... )

What weather is this,
that shakes and stirs
my heart and soul?

What tempest of love comes
with gusts of wind so strong
that I shall be overcome?

And after having been overcome,
what force dares disturb
my descent into stormy ecstasy?
Several months ago I was lamenting over the fact that I've spent so much time investing myself in just about ( Read more... )

My experience translating Christian hymns and other rites has opened my eyes to the disparity between the original Latin texts and their respective English translations. While I understand the desire to maintain the integrity of the piece with respect to its meter and rhythm, I can't help but feel like the universally accepted English translations ( Read more... )

So instead of working this morning like I told myself I would, I decided that I would design the tattoo that I wanted instead. This involved making my camera take a decent picture of my back and lots of hunting around for images and playing with GIMP for two straight hours. Talk about a waste of time! The image I've created is very nice though, ( Read more... )

God sometimes you just don't come through ( Read more... )