Five things friday

Yes, I am still alive. I spent the past two days hanging out with some people as we listened to David Fitch talk about his book Reckoning With Power (among other things ... ... a lot of things; which I'll hopefully get to later). So, here's five things on my mind right now:

1. After having something to do for two days in a row - and I had to be there at 9am yesterday - I was just about wiped out. I swear I think I'd still be asleep if Jane hadn't been able to pry my eyes open when she left for work at 7:30 this morning (which is a couple hours after I normally wake up). I slept really good last night... for a change.
2. Speaking of which... I often sleep better sitting up on the couch (with my legs outstretched on the footstool) than I do laying in bed. Sometimes my heart rate elevates when I lay down, and it actually slows down while sitting up. Plus the cat likes when I sleep sitting up on the couch so she can nuzzle beside my leg.
3. When I was finally able to drag my butt off the couch this morning I made my usual pre-run breakfast of peanut butter & jelly on toast and finally got in 11 miles before the heat cranked up too high. Then I decided to mow since I was already sweaty. So now I need a shower and maybe something else to eat.
4. I think the next book I'm going to read is Ken Shigematsu's Now I Become Myself: How Deep Grace Heals Our Shame and Restores Our True Self. I'm looking forward to it, as it's been sitting here staring at me for months now. However, after getting a sneak peak at one chapter from Brian McLaren's new book Life After Doom I'm looking forward to that one of these days.
5. “Of the twenty-two civilizations that have appeared in history, nineteen of them collapsed when they reached the moral state the United States is in now.” - Arnold Toynbee

I normally like to end these with a more hopeful & positive quote, but that one just really got to me. We gotta wake the f*ck up, people! However, for some good news... yesterday my grand-daughter finished second in the 100m hurdles in the middle school city track meet, and last night I got to see ultrasound pics of our soon-to-be newest grandson! Which, you know, is all the more reason I don't wanna let the world go to hell in a hand basket. Hand baskets are no place for worlds!