transition. i'm ready for this one to be over! the past week has been up and down - i'm so excited and confident about moving to columbus, but i'm also grieving the loss of cincinnati...last night the brown house church sent me out with lots of love - so much love that i wanted to stay! but the landing place is doing a good job of welcoming me with open arms, and i can't wait to make these new people my family. the brown house really did a great job of blessing me last night. i was in the "hot seat," which meant anyone could ask me any question, and then everyone prayed over daniel (who surprised me by taking the trip for the evening!) and i. then we had the richest chocolate cake i've had in a long time before daniel and i went over to steve and becky's with kenny for a little cocktail hour. i love these people! you'll love them, too, when you make the trip to cincinnati on good friday for this which should be a pretty incredible time. be there! i think i have a temporary solution to my computer issue. since my screen is the only thing not working, i should be able to just hook it up to the television, like when i watch a dvd, right? i can't wait to get home and try it! about 30 minutes left before i walk out of the brighton center and go home. it kind of feels like a weekend, and my body fully expects to walk back in on monday morning... i will finish packing now.

yay - i got a job today! after stressing out for the past few weeks, i got the job that i really wanted. now it's just the details of setting up paperwork time with the human resources lady. i should be able to start next week. i can't even begin to tell you how relieved i'm feeling. not only did i really like the people i interviewed with at this place, but it's also doing a job i've done before and know that i enjoy and will find to be a challenge (in a good way). also, i'll be making more money than i ever have, which will be good for ridding myself of debt and building a bit more stability....i'll be working for the buckeye ranch doing ongoing case management for franklin county as a contracted worker. that means i'll get to keep doing home visits (which i love), go to court a lot (which i love) and collaborate with other professionals a lot (which i love). whew. i will also be able to afford groceries. in other news, i dropped my laptop last night, and apparently broke the backlight. aargh. how much does it cost to replace an ibook screen?

for the locals this sunday night at 6pm, i will be hosting my final sunday hmoemade chai night (with perhaps a bit of the simpsons thrown in). if you are lucky, i'll make samosas, too! bring cold drinks if you want, and maybe a snack. or just your so-lovely selves! if you need directions, e-mail me (amyjoy@cheerful.com) or call me.

feeling nostalgic i've been thinking about munice, indiana, this afternoon. these people changed my life when i was in college, and they're still part of what is community to me. when i was a junior, i started attending muncie alliance, which had about 75 members at the time. if i missed a sunday, everyone noticed. now, there are two full services every week in a new sanctuary that seats 600. no, it doesn't really fit into the "house church movement," but i have to say it still feels a bit like home when i get to visit. if you're ever in indiana, stop by - they'll be sure to give you a free latte! (tell them amy smiley sent you.)

it was an interesting morning in the news during my commute. the stoic NPR news reporter apparently isn't a basketball fan, as she referred to "the NAACP tournament," instead of the NCAA. i'm not really a jock, either, but that made me laugh. the cincinnati contemporary arts center got a mention as well, since zaha hadid became the first woman to win the pritzker architectural prize this week. i haven't actually been to the CAC yet, but i used to walk by the building on a daily basis when i worked downtown, and it's stunning when you stop to pay attention to it. (there's even a kaldi's in the lobby! i think i am going to embark on a big secret writing project...hmm... but back to architecture...being in love with a gifted designer has really opened up my awareness of how design impacts people. i still have a lot to learn. but i love being around someone who sees the world so visually. (just one of the many things i'm learning from him on a regular basis.) if you're interested in learning more about design and the mind, give this "talk of the nation" feature a listen. now i am going to work.

so i did a google image search on "amy joy" and this is what came up. i love it!

it's a winter wonderland again. all of the trees in my neighborhood are covered with snow, giving that really cool, mystical kind of bright light to the streets, with all of the branches outlined. there were at least two inches of snow covering my car! there was also a six-car accident on the highway. yikes. i need to go to the doctor this afternoon for my yearly physical (before i move and have a lapse in health insurance.) dr. colon is great! yes, colon. except he's puerto rican, so it's pronounced more like "cologne"...he's the most holistic doctor i've ever had, and i would be willing to drive the two hours from columbus to keep seeing him. but that would be silly, so today is probably my last visit. hmm...what deep question can i ask today? in your opinion, does the government have responsibility to provide social services to meet the needs of the poor? if not, who does have responsibility? go at it!

happy monday morning! yikes - i'm hearing the weather forecast right now, and it's all about "snow, sleet, freezing rain, snow!" i kept hoping spring was here... but it is a beautiful day, after a good weekend of nesting in columbus with daniel. it was one of those weekends that seemed made for snuggling up with good movies (spellbound and intolerable cruelty), playing lots of chess and mancala (and getting soundly beat repeatedly by my brilliant boyfriend and his dizzying intellect), and the occasional dinner and morning chat with the bells and random landing place friends who dropped by. (and cat, who was visiting from cincinnati.) so i've been realizing how much the amount of time i invest in spending with God really does affect the rest of my life. (duh.) i grew up in a culture that emphasized the importance of "quiet time" and "devotions," and sometimes it made me pretty cynical. but the truth is, when i'm not being intentional about listening and talking to Christ, then my ability to listen and talk to and love others begins to deteriorate. i start to see everyone through my own eyes, instead of the eyes of the holy spirit. i start to become self-absorbed, and more concerned about defending myself than about understanding others. i get caught up in thoughts of how much i need a new wardrobe for my new job instead of how can i develop my spiritual gifts... now. i know that a number of my favorite friends who read this are a bit wary of words like "learning to live in the holy spirit..." but this is what i find to be true in my life, constantly throughout the years no matter how much i indulge my cynicism, this is what i come back to. the fact is that i am most fully myself when i am actively dying to myself... a new blogger of note: kendra barrow back to work again. (only 2 1/2 weeks left!)

happy friday, dear ones! happy belated birthday to chelsea!, happy 30th birthday to mike g.! people like quizzes. people get passionate about politics. if only we were as passionate about loving each other. i am starting to move some of my things to columbus this weekend, which makes it all seem more official. actually, the fact that daniel and i are building an actual life together becomes more and more real all the time. the concept of "leaving and cleaving" is one that requires a shift in thinking. for the first time in my life i'm realizing what it means to make my relationship with this man the one human relationship that i must protect and nurture above all of my other human relationships. that's a hard one for me, because i like to please people and love as many people as i can all at once. the thing is, this relationship empowers me to love others more. but it is also the one that takes ultimate priority. crazy stuff. refining stuff. very cool stuff. in other cool stuff...i had an interview at the buckeye ranch in columbus yesterday that seemed to go well. now it's just the waiting process for both agencies to get my references cleared... i am going to go pack now.

What Famous Leader Are You?.

What Classic Movie Are You?.

this is a great glimpse of life in mumbai, my other home town.

the next few weeks appear to be shaping up to be pretty slow, at least in terms of my work days. so i'll probably be writing lots of little notes to all of you. just for the record - i'm not trying to stir up lots of political controversy. i'm just trying to throw a few things out there to learn what my friends and community think about life and issues. transition - that's such a big word when it's happening to you. i've been feelign the effects of lots of transition in my self and my relationships lately. transition has a way of straining the closest relationships. and it has a way of making me become pretty self-absorbed, neglecting the people i love the most. i'm sorry. but i was reminded this weekend that the strain of transition lasts only for a season. there is a light at the end of the tunnel! and there is a bright light called columbus at the end of my tunnel. ;-) things continue to fall into place. i'm just waiting for my references to be completed before getting a job offer from the ohio youth advocate program, and have an interview this week with the buckeye ranch. interestingly, both positions are the exact same thing. in franklin county, ongoing case management for children's services is contracted out to the two agencies interested in hiring me. so, i would basically be doing the same thing i did for three years at children's services in hamilton county, but for an outside agency. yes, that was the job that burned me out - but that was more due to my depression and situation at the time. overall, i really enjoyed my first two years doing the job. i'm actually really excited at the prospect of doing it in columbus - i'm good at it, and i would be able to do all kinds of fun things-like go to court on a regular basis and hang out with my teenage foster kids, etc. so. if you are a pray-er, please pray that i would have wisdom and clarity in making career decisions in the next few weeks. i want to be in the space that God has designed for me to fill. i want to enjoy my job. i want to make the decision that is the best for daniel and i. more later, i'm sure!

hello again, dear ones! here is a letter that was sent to me by one of my coworkers. regardless of what you believe about gay marriage, i thought she brought up some really good points. i love this woman, and although we definitely have our share of differences, i wanted to share her thoughts... ********************************************************* Dear Folks. This is one of those letters I'm sending to nearly everyone in my address book. At my age and stage of life, I do not find or look for many "hills to die on." That is, I eschew conflicts whenever I can honorably do so. And this message to each of you will probably be my only "public" statement on this. George Bush, President of the United States, wants to add an amendment to the Federal constitution which was make marriage between same sex couples against the law. I have two issues with this. 1. The Federal constitution is a work of supreme insight and intelligence. It paints, in broad brush strokes, the founding principles of this government. It is rarely amended and the process to do so is rigorous. That amendment process was set up to be rigorous for a reason. If we, as a nation, lose sight of the spirit of the law and get down to picking at the letter of the law -- we will have lost the essence of one of the finest codes in the world. It is intended, by its content, to be a document which will "bend" with the earnest needs of this nation. Debate is intended. Interpretation is intended. The federal constitution was not intended to be loaded up with statutes which cover such things as marriage (or birthdays or religious holidays, for that matter). Within the parameters of its broad brush strokes, it has been amended in the past. Thus, "The government shall make no laws regarding the freedom of religion, of speech, or of the right of the people to peaceably assemble." The 1st amendment. Or the amendments giving the right of casting a vote to women; interpreted from those broad strokes to grant equal rights. Or the amendment banning discrimination on the bases of race. Or gender. Or the right to privacy for our citizens. These amendments grew out of the UMBRELLA of the large spirit of the constitution. This is the absolute beauty of this document and of the structure of this government. It is big, broad, and flexible. Unlike state constitutions, which often contain things such as: cannot spit on the sidewalks. If you back this movement to amend the constitution, you will be doing harm to your own governing document. 2. The "subject" of the political storm. I am gay. I understand the hardships of living in a "married relationship" without the sanction of marriage, itself. I understand the position of being a 2nd class citizen. I understand the cultural & "religious"castigation. I understand the fear of loss of family, friends, jobs, and housing. Believe me, I understand these things. I also understand what it's like to be a hardworking, taxpaying citizen who watches heterosexual marriages. In my profession, I've seen them "up close and personal." Not to put too fine a point on it: would you tell me that any half-witted, bigoted, child abusing, drug taking, adulterous human has a "right" to a sanctioned marriage and that these unions are ipso facto "holy" while I am not permitted to marry the person I love? How about the straight folks who are married 3,4,5 or 6 times? What in the name of God is "holy" about that? Why is it okay for me, as a citizen, to "support" these unions while accepting that my own is not worthy? That somehow my marrying would "bring down" the standards of my culture? We used to have laws preventing inter-racial marriages. Or how about laws that say Catholics cannot marry Protestants? Or Jews can't marry gentiles? Commitment is sacred. Marriage is the public announcement of a sacred vow. I view marriage as sacred. Not to be entered into lightly, nor dissolved for any but an egregious breaking of the covenant. I am able to do that, folks. Being gay does not stop me from doing that. Gay or straight -- the problem is NOT the gender of the spouses but the somehow accepted belief that if I'm not "happy," I'm outta here! So that I can go search for the next "holy union" of marital bliss. The timing of this "battle," the shifting of the national focus to this issue, the posturing behind it is a cheap political trick. Now every news interviewer will try to pin every guest to the mat with "yes" or "no" answers. And the politicians will squirm. "State's rights?" Baloney. That was the garment that covered a multitude of racial sins for over 100 years. Did the Catholics, Jews, Irish, Italians, African-Americans get their civil rights by vote of the people. NO! Do I want to leave MY civil rights up to the vote of the masses of people? NO! As someone most of you call "friend," and as someone most of you have known for many years, as a gay woman -- I am asking you to think about this. As an American citizen and a student of history -- I am asking you to soundly defeat this call for an amendment of our federal constitution. Sincerely, Joyce

good morning, dear ones! so the quiz below is interesting. they also have a "what book are you?" quiz. the first time i took it, i was "one hundred years of solitude." (i liked that.) then i retook it, changing my answer to the question "do you like oprah wnifrey?" and i was the book "lolita"...(kinda creepy) anyway. the weekend turned out to be quite lovely. daniel was here, and some good time spent soaking up the wisdom of tracy and kevin proved to be a huge blessing and reassurance of the fact that even though marriage and commitment can be difficult (as everyone keeps warning and warning us), it's also a lot of fun! kevin and tracy are a really encouraging, living example of a husband and wife who simply enjoy each other every day, for eleven years and counting. our time with them was short, but really shifted my thinking a bit, and allowed me to take some pressure off of myself. hooplah! love is a true joy! (especially when you're blessed enough to love a man like daniel fox!) oh yes, kevin and tracy are also very generous, and i'm having a lot of fun driving their jeep around today while my car is getting finished. thanks, rains family! (and it made me really happy to find bob dylan in the cd player when i turned it on.) another highlight of the weekend was having delicious black beans and rice with shaina and douglas. the horners are two people who make it very easy to be authentic and real and just say how you feel. shaina also prays with authority and the Spirit, and that's just cool! we saw "the fog of war" on saturday night. it was informative - i feel like i learned a lot about a significant era in contemporary history. the interesting thing to me is how open robert s. mcnamara appeared to be until he was really pushed to answer the hard questions that required a moral statement, or how the war affected him personally... back to work now!

You're Spain!
You like rain on the plain, as well as interesting architecture and a diverse number of races and religions.  You like to explore a lot, but sailing, especially in large groups, never really seems to work out for you.  Beware of pirates and dictators bearing bombs.  And for heavens' sake, stop running around bulls!  It's just not safe!
Take the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid

it's the wee hours of the night, and i should be asleep. but i wanted to write a little something. there are mostly good details to report - i now have a place to live in columbus - candy and richie are making room for me AND blaze(!) in their basement. i'm actually pretty excited. i just met candy on thursday, and i like her very much! (i already liked richie, and i love adopting little brothers...) also on thursday, i had a job interview that went well, and was told that i'll get a formal offer as soon as my references clear. it's a job i think i'll like, and would also be the best-paying job i've ever had. (that's for mom and dad's benefit.) in other news....politics can get heated! i am currently refraining from adding too much to the comments that people have been leaving. (too sleepy to be coherent, and i really am not sure what i think about voting. i do lean towards the idea that it's good to be involved in political issues at the local level, like schools, etc.) i have, however, been thinking about whether or not gay marriage should be legal. i think it should. don't get too worked up, though, if you're one of my more conservative friends. i'm not sure that i can say i believe same-sex couples can be married in the eyes of God. i do think they should be able to be married in the eyes of the state, for the sake of civil rights...oh dear. i'm just going to get in trouble on both ends, aren't i? thoughts, anyone? i must sleep now.

yay! there's some fun stuff going on in the voting comments...chris references resist 2004 in his comment, but it has some good resources, so i'm linking it for everyone. more work to do.

just a note - i have deleted a few people from the sidebar. it's not personal, just people who seem to have stopped writing. so if you don't see your name, and you start blogging on a regular basis again, just let me know.

i officially turned in my letter of resignation to the brighton center today. let the adventure begin! this week and next will still be relatively busy and stressful at work, but then i'll be gliding for the last two weeks in march as i close out my remaining cases. that will give me time to look for a job. i do have an interview this thursday in columbus for a case managment position that looks like it would fit me pretty well. prayers are appreciated. hmm...it's been awhile since i've asked a question that has caused a flurry of comments....let's see. i know that if i ask something provocative, at least ang and jeni will have something to say! so, here's the big question of the day: what do you feel is the believer's role in politics? should christians vote, since we are "citizens of the heavenly kingdom" and not the earthly?

it was a motivating weekend in columbus. i am feeling more and more ready to make the big move. it's funny how a place can so quickly start to feel like home, especially after the years that it took me to reconcile the fact that cincinnati has become home. but this weekend showed me a new side of columbus as daniel and i drove around exploring neighborhoods three days in a row, discovering our own world. it was really actually thrilling to see a columbus that didn't feel suburban, academic, or campusy. finding old towne east and the surrounding area really excited me in the same way that northiside excites me - incredible architecture and streets where my children can play with neighbor kids who aren't all white, and who come from different economic backgrounds. it's also been really exciting to see how God is unifying daniel's and my vision for the kind of place we want to live. now, if only we can convince other landing place people to move to the east side with us! sunday night, i finally went to a service at joshua house, at "the big vineyard." (does every city have one of those, or just cincinnati and columbus?) daniel played on the worship team, led by mike gallaugher. i love house churches, but it was good to be able to sing out as loud as i wanted to, with hundreds of other people. it was also cool to meet mike - he's another one of those random people from columbus who went to taylor for a season. it's a small world. i must work more now. peace.

this is going to be a full, intensely busy week. so i'm going to point you in the direction of some other good stuff... anne lamott on children being raised by the church... it is raining in cincinnati today. that's good weather for getting a lot done. i'm still a bit sleepy from the weekend in columbus. daniel and i spent a lot of time driving around, discovering new parts of the city - like old towne east, a neighborhood that makes me very happy. we found a marvelous mansion that looks like a castle. it is falling apart, but would be a great place to have community... i must work now.