more ways to get your grace on (eventually)

sunlight + clover, sunrise on the south shore, 2009

I must admit: I no longer have this book (a tiny disclaimer while I attempt to reference it).  I also must admit that the last time I read this book was in 2007 (before this blog even existed).  What prompted this post, though, was a recent entry by Anne Lamott on her facebook page.  I can't find it now (the particular post that inspired me).  That's not the point anyway.  The point is that in over 16 years (this is how long I have been reading her books), I never tire of Anne Lamott's ability to tell it like it is.  She is always such a breath of fresh air.  She hangs everything out on the line - all the good and all the challenges - mostly challenges - and reminds me that I am not alone (everyday).  She practices gratitude and takes delight in the simple things.  She reminds me how to stay grounded.  Anne Lamott also resides in Petaluma, CA (a place I am quite familiar with).  Her references to places in Northern California are always soothing to my soul.

So here are some excerpts (it was so hard to narrow it down) and my reflections from Anne Lamott's book, Grace (Eventually): Further Thoughts on Faith

“I wish grace and healing were more abracadabra kind of things. Also, that delicate silver bells would ring to announce grace's arrival. But no, it's clog and slog and scootch, on the floor, in the silence, in the dark.”   I am still under the impression that grace is the description of an angelic being responsible for angelic acts.  It's no wonder I need to keep reading about grace lately.  There is always some inner growth that needs to take place inside myself.  It appears as if this will be my next attempt.  Grace can be clumsy according to Anne here.  Thank goodness.  I am a clumsy one myself...

“When I was a child, I thought grown-ups and teachers knew the truth, because they told me they did. It took years for me to discover that the first step in finding out the truth is to begin unlearning almost everything adults had taught me, and to start doing all the things they'd told me NOT to do. Their main pitch was that achievement equaled happiness...”   Here I go again: back to the concept of grace.  Somewhere along the lines I learned a definition of grace that I would never be able to achieve.  Here's to more unlearning.   In my opinion learning is inspiring.  It's the unlearning that is terribly challenging, lonely and dark (at times).  But I have also learned that in order to fill my cup, I must empty it first.  Here's to more emptying.

"I've found that when you give up on using your mind to solve a problem - which your mind is holding onto like a dog with a chew toy - writing it down helps turn off the terrible alertness."  Seriously, this excerpt makes me laugh - every time.  I love wrestling problems to the ground and rolling around with them.  This is one of my biggest faults.  If only I could let go of that chew toy before I was starving (to death - ha!) for something to swallow.  Needless to say, I have found that writing it down works every time.

“Joy is the best makeup.”   Seriously, I hope you have experienced this and if you haven't, this is my one wish for you today.  There is nothing better than joy radiating from the inside out.  Joy brings out the beauty in every soul.  Here's to wearing less makeup and wearing more joy.  I am in.  Are you?

What books or quotes from Anne Lamott inspire you?  Let's have an Anne Lamott love fest.  
Wanna play?

Oh, and as a side note, lo and behold, I just put two and two together.  I must really be needing me some grace (and some more and some more) because I just realized it was short of two weeks ago that I posted another book report on the same subject.  Read that here.

Yeah, evidently, I didn't get my fill of book reports in elementary school.  Peruse a list of all my book reports here.