In my NASB (New American Standard Bible), where it usually says "Be still and know that I am God"--somewhere in the Psalms--it says "Cease striving and know that I am God." I might only like it because I haven't heard it a million times, but I really like it. Until I'm asked to do it, at which point I begin to think maybe it's not so great. I figure every time I can cease striving for even a few minutes, that's something.

I'm signed up for ASP, and probably going to AWP, and I anticipate a lot of saying one when I mean the other. Wasn't going to do AWP until I realized it's the one year I really ought to network. It's late this year, in April, so maybe I'll have a job by then. In that case, I'll just go have fun. ASP (Appalachian Service Project) sounds awful in that beautiful way, with sweat and dirt and probably me crying a lot because I can't hammer right, but somehow those are the times none of us would trade. I love having a lot to look forward to.

One of my friends said she saw a PBS special on Seagrove (not Craft in America, but something old), and I put my hand to my chest and said, "Aww, who did you see?" as if those people are my long-lost friends. Which, in a way, I think they are. Philip said you won't be friends with people you write about after the project is over, but I'm pretty sure I'm still going to be showing up there. Probably less often, but I couldn't stop any time soon. That place is proof that things are basically OK.