what is dawn?

I found this tonight while wandering on wikipedia. I really didn't know the actual definition of dawn before...this is amazing!!

Wikipedia yourself and leave a comment to let me know what you find out.

Dawn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dawn or civil dawn is the time at which the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon in the morning. Civil dawn is defined as that time at which there is enough light for objects to be distinguishable and that outdoor activities can commence.
Nautical dawn is the time at which the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon in the morning. Nautical dawn is defined as that time at which there is just enough sunlight for objects to be distinguishable.
Astronomical dawn is the time at which the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon in the morning. Astronomical dawn is that point in time at which the sun starts lightening the sky. Prior to this time, the sky is completely dark.
Dawn should not be confused with sunrise, which is the moment when the leading edge of the sun itself appears above the horizon.
In Western folkloristic tradition it is believed that evil spirits, demons, trolls, and even Satan are obliged to disappear at dawn, for being they creatures of Darkness they hate light, especially that of the sun. Pre-Christian Celts also shared this belief.
Traditionally dawn is the point at which a white thread can be distinguished from a black thread.

Things I'm thinking about right now...

1. The Porpoise Diving Life made the Emergent/C newsletter. That happened so fast. I just saw the site myself for the first time in like February. But I guess that's when it was launched.

2. Things happen so fastly and so slowly.

3. My life is very compartmentalized right now. Is this good or bad for me? I feel unknown in so many ways and lost in a few. But only a few, so that's not as bad as usual.

4. Karen and my brother had their same birthday last week, on May 16th. Jill and I are going to visit Karen on Tuesday. That seems like a good day to go visiting: Tuesday.

5. I thought today in judgment of someone else: I don't really have enough friends to be alienating the ones that care about me. Then I thought: sometimes I alienate the ones that want my friendship because their care of me is not how I want or need to be cared for. I guess everyone has to decide for themselves. But in general, I don't want to be someone who abandons my friends at the first sign of trouble. I want to be longsuffering, and I want my friends to longsuffer me. I know it's hard for them sometimes because I am difficult and annoying. I feel bad about this every once in a while, but not that much because I can't change it.

6. My fingernails and toenails are purple. A lovely glossy fuchsia purple. I love it.

7. I slept in weird funky patterns all weekend. I slept in the daytime at odd hours and had insomnia at night. I have to fix this.

8. I started writing in my new journal today. It's lovely; it has pink roses on it and artsy silver French lettering. It has nice quotes on every fourth page, and none of them are cheesy Christian sayings. They're Shakespearean and deep. I once got lost in an entire neighborhood with only Shakespearean street names like Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. I called it Shakespeare hell and it was funny but it took a long time to get out because all the streets were circular and there was only one entrance to the tract of homes.

9. I am original and people have stolen many of my good quotes. I don't mind because I know the truth. The quote book holds the truth.

10. I am considering co-leading a recovery small group. I am trying not to overcommit myself like I always do, but I can't help loving being with messy people. I feel at home there. I am messy, just ask Jill or Alice what I look like after going to Rockharbor services. (I have learnned not to wear mascara to church. It's not worth it.)

What are you thinking about? Leave a comment cause I stink at responding to emails.

95.9 The Fish

So, I got my fishtank today. The Nano-cube to be exact. Basically, I have no originality because I got the one that Chris has, cause it's so cool lookin' and I wouldn't really know how to pick out a fish tank. But I like it. It's dark gray and it's self-contained. I guess this means I won't be moving as soon as I thought. It's quite a purchase. Without the rocks and the actual fish, which will probably be another $100, I've already spent $400. Well, if I'm going to be in debt, it might as well be for something fun, instead of a sucky grad program where I couldn't eat meat or drink coffee. All I have to say is...

Nemo and a Grande Iced Caramel Macchiato with Percent Milk are totally worth it.
(I promise I will not be eating Nemo. This is symbolic hyperbole people.)

Ah, the focus

Yes, this is an ode to the Focus. I love the Focus. It's got character, personality and its perfect love casts out all fear. I don't mind at all that the Focus is missing a right-hand mirror. It just makes it more beautiful. And tonight, the Focus helped put my life in focus. Thank you, Focus, I love you.

They say cars are like their owners. And if that is so, then the Focus' owner must be lovely.

The Glories of Fish

That's right. I have finally found a pet I can stand. And it will live on a stand. In an aquarium. I am getting a fish, the world's most wonderful pet because it doesn't get hair on anything, it's not messy and it doesn't make any noise.

Glory, glory, hallelujah...

It's Never Too Late

I finally found myself a good strong, sinewy argument to make against the concept of "quiet times." This morning I woke up rested, greeted the day with hope and in the cool gray I sped off to work. After being at work a while, I decided to go to the restroom, where I did some good thinking. (If you can't admit doing some good thinking in the restroom, you're repressed and you need to build a bridge and get over it. I can admit it, and my stock doesn't go down because of it.) So, while in the restroom, the negative church ladies in my head started shaking their fingers at me and saying, "You rushed off toward your day, without a second to pray." (I think this may be some schmaltzy awful Christian saying I heard once. I think I'm quoting it wrong.) It's not that anything was particularly wrong, I just all of a sudden started to feel this certain guilt that nothing would go right because I hadn't prayed. And let's check the scoreboard here:

# of times I have done a "quiet time" in the morning EVER: zero
# of times I can directly relate this to the disasters that occurred in the course of the day: also zero

And in the midst of the church ladies beginning to argue with each other about why and when I should pray next (why? to ask for forgiveness for not praying before work. when? I should leave work, drive directly to a monastery and get on my knees on top of some thick gravel and stay there for at least 3 hours. ) So in the midst of their arguing, the still small voice of Jesus came through and said, "Wait, it's never too late." "You can pray right now, right here in the bathroom. I don't need your hour when you wake up anymore than I want you in the bathroom. In the oddest and most difficult times, that's where I am. When you are freaking out, when your head is pounding in pain, when you want to cry. That's when I want you to call to me. We are in love, and what is our love if you won't tell me what's wrong and let me kiss it and make it better. It's never too late because I am in the bathroom. I am with you and thinking of you wherever you go. And you're a little pipsqueak human, so you can't think of me all the time, you just don't have that capacity, but I am always thinking of you. My attention is so fully on you all the time. And all I want is for you to look up once in a while and tell me in your own words what's going on. So I will know that you know that I am here listening and watching. I listen and watch with love, all the time."

"No matter how long it's been, I've been watching and listening the whole time. And it's never too late to talk to me. I'm here. Now and forever."

Really. He said all that. In the bathroom. At like 9:42am or something. Our God really is awesome.