psalm 8

Psalm 8

O Yahweh, Yahweh, our Yahweh—your beauty and honor fill all time and space!

The weight of your presence is greater than both the heights and depths.
Mere babes speak your story—you put it in their hearts from birth.
Your foes have no words to explain this.
Your opponents cannot stand against you.
Yahweh, when I gaze at the dark sky and know you spread it out…
the sparkling, twinkling perfect lights you placed with precision…
who are we? 
Simple, tiny specks.
And yet—you know us!  You delight in us!
You cared for our eternal position—near to you—
and blessed our lives.
You gave us purpose and hope.
You let us work with the wonders of your creation—
cows and sheep,
badgers and baboons,
pelicans and piranhas,
shrimp and great white sharks.

Oh, Yahweh, Yahweh, our Yahweh—your beauty and honor fill all time and space!

i remember that swagger...

hey.  it's your negligent friend, holly.  let me just blow the dust off this blog here...

uh, you should back up if you have asthma or allergies...

ah, that's better.

so, a quick life update.

location: indianapolis, indiana
more specifically: travis and kelli's house

why i love it: well, to start, travis and kelli are there!  duh.  living with them is fun and awesome.  there's lots of good food, movie quoting, hugging, and jeopardy watching.  i am only an hour from marion, so i can get up there a couple times a month to meet with students and spend time in that heart community.  i am close to my family while not living in a room that is full of boxes that have been packed since last april.  when it's warmer out, i have quick access to a pool.  and i have a rad prayer closet in my room.  and it's only ten minutes from work.

wait, what?

yeah, i got a job.  no, it's not specifically using my degrees (and i still wouldn't trade them for anything).  but it is using the sum total of knowledge and skills i have accumulated in thirty years.  i work for capital analysts of the midwest.  i am pretty much a glorified receptionist.  but they want to turn the position into more.  cause of all my sweet aforementioned skills.  ;)  it's a wealth advising/management company.  what they do is pretty cool, actually...helping people steward their money, etc.  i really enjoy the environment there.

reminds me of interning at bridgeway: there is a lot of randomness to my job, and i work for a ton of different people/personalities.

reminds me of managing finish line: there's a money focus (but kind of the opposite of the one there) and a helping people focus.

reminds me of being a financial specialist for rec sports: i get to use excel so much!  i work with checks and help take care of lots of details for many people.

reminds me of grad school stuff: i am interrupted a bunch, get to organize and create helpful systems, and get to make up parts of my job as i go.

reminds me of powernine: i listen to people speak a language i don't understand, i think everything makes more sense in spreadsheets, i direct emails, and i wear t shirts and sweats (ok, that last part is a lie.  i have to wear nicer clothes.)

i guess if you want more, you'll have to ask.  but i like it.  i am in a settled season, which is a nice change for me.

i really am going to try harder about blogging (at least during my nors), so if you have writing challenges you would like to throw at me, i am open.  i may even consider creating a goals list.  so let me know if you have any of those, too.

ragged pursuit

Oh!
My intimate,
most precious love!
How you have yearned for
and eagerly sought after me!
I have felt the heat of your affections,
the weight of your hungry love.
I have offered fickle
and half-hearted love in return.
I have been foolish
and unfaithful.
I have tried to earn the gift
you desired to give freely.
But oh!
My sweet and gentle love!
Your pursuit, even unto death,
is the greatest love story ever told.
And you have captivated me,
body and soul.
My beauty is found
in the glory
of your love.

Holly Willman 12/31/12

psalm 7

Psalm 7

I run to your safe arms, my Yahweh.
Protect me from my enemies—be my champion!
Without you, I will be ripped to shreds,
a piece of meat in the mouths of dogs.
Yahweh, you know my sins--
you know if I have hurt others,
if I have acted unfairly,
or been merciless to my friends or enemies.
And if I have?
Well, I will take the punishment. 
Let them abuse and destroy my name and my life.

Get up, Yahweh—let your fierce fury roll out.
Get right in the face of my accusers.
Don’t sleep while I need your vindication!
Circle up the troops;
command them.
You, Yahweh, are the mighty judge,
and I know you will clear my name.
Find a quick finish for these evil people,
and champion the cause of your holy ones.
I know you see the deep motives of our hearts very clearly,
Yahweh—my just and holy God.

Yahweh is my very near defender,
the protector of the pure and righteous.
Yahweh makes fair and true decisions
and hates the ways of evil men.

If sinners don’t change their ways,
Yahweh will skewer them;
he will string them up.
Yahweh will end them forcefully
and shock them violently.

Evil men constantly scheme;
they fill their minds with wickedness
and produce deceit all the time.
They try to trick and imprison others,
but they become snared in their own traps.
The evil they plan for others is their own downfall.
Their anger and hate comes back to them.

I am full of gratitude, Yahweh the just,
and I will glorify your name, my King.

sing like never before, oh my soul

i am coming into a new season...and i just don't know what to expect.

i am excited to be in community again.  excited to be near students again.

but i don't have a job.  i have a place to live, but i am not sure i am staying there long.  so my life might remain packed in boxes, as it has since may.

bless the Lord, oh my soul.......oh my soul.

i alternate between fear of change and delight at what might be coming.  it's a scary kind of pendulum swing for this heart that tries to stay somewhere in the balanced middle.

psalm 6

Psalm 6

Oh, Yahweh, don’t scold me; I know you are outraged.
Don’t punish me—despite your fury.
Take pity on this poor soul, Yahweh, for I am a weak human.
Bring relief; bring a cure!  My body falls apart,
and my heart is simply broken.
Oh, Yahweh, when will you put my pieces together?
Come back, Yahweh, and be the hero of my heart.
I know your love is steadfast; you will rescue me.
Corpses don’t know you,
and they can’t worship you where they lie.
My tears have wrecked me.
My pillow is soaked from crying out in desperation all night.
I can’t see straight because of the sorrow;
my foes ruin everything at which I look.
Get out of here, sinners and wicked ones!
Yahweh hears my every cry!
He listens to my mourning,
and He will respond.
My foes don’t stand a chance.
They will be scorned and humiliated, driven far away.

psalm 5

Psalm  5

Oh, Yahweh, can you hear me?
My heart is aching,
and I need to hear from you.
Master, ruler, lover,
you are the only one who can rescue me.
Draw near to me as the sun rises, Yahweh.
My sorrows and needs are before you;
I will wait hopefully, for you are a God who delivers.

Yahweh, there is no joy when we sin;
it breaks your heart to see how evil people act.
That’s why the haughty are brought low before you--
you abhor wickedness.
You will bring liars to ruin,
and you cannot tolerate the hatred and evil that abounds.

But your presence, goodness, and love allow me to come near to you;
I will never get over the gift of being allowed to praise you.
Guide me, Yahweh,
or I am sure to falter.
Give me greater insight into your direction for my life.

My foes lie constantly.
All they do is hate and kill.
Disease and death pour out of their mouths.
They try to sweet talk others,
but you see through it, Yahweh.  Pass judgment on them.
I want them to be trapped and humiliated in their lies.
Get them out of here--
they do not honor you at all!

But everyone who knows you is safe and can dance with delight;
we will start a chorus of blessing, and it will last forever.
Protect your people, Yahweh,
so everyone who knows and loves you can rejoice constantly.
You bless your beloved people, Yahweh,
and you wrap your strong arms around us--
it is because you love us well.