what's up y'all? your spirit? your blood pressure? your attitude? your weight? i am up like the Lord is up and i feel my life on the rise. gold star for you if you know from what source i just quoted. choose from these options: 1) you have everything--you are UP; 2) you have nothing--you are UP; 3) you have a combo plate--you are UP, 4) you have everything--you are DOWN; 5) you have nothing--you are DOWN; 6) you have a combo plate--you are DOWN; 7) you have everything--you are a combo plate; 8) you have nothing--you are a combo plate; 9) you have a combo plate--you are a combo plate. all of that was to make you think and reveal this oh-so-profound profundity about myself...i am number nine, my life is number nine, and if most of us were honest, we would admit to the number nine syndrome. as of this moment, the "have" and "are" pendulums have swung wildly to the downside, the place where stuff like this comes to your head---the sista in humble circumstances should take pride in her high position--that's a tina-paraphrase Scripture in James by the way. but in this winter of my discontent, it's a learning time, discovering what my faith in Christ is really all about, and what really really constitutes thriving in joy. "thriving" and "joy" are two words that get tossed around carelessly way too often. so far, as i put my life in the garage and bid the breeze adieu, here's what i'm slowly learning: UP is overrated, DOWN is underrated, the words "everything" and "nothing" have lost their power and meaning and have become warped and defined by shallow societal godlessness, and the true joy...drum roll please...the true joy of life comes from THE COMBO PLATE. Yes, folks, that's life, and more importantly, that's life in Christ, paradox and swirl. i'm grateful that to this party, God invites the tina girl...and all of us who are willing to re-investigate, re-invigorate, re-negotiate, and re-navigate our life together in Christ. i used the singular on purpose. because together we are one great big combo plate, in need of the same truth, the same joy, the same Savior. A mantra is mine at present is "grief is good". lots of loss needs lots of grief to heal us and prevent the total death of joy. guess what, my faith is changing AND staying the same, and the more i see myself and others and situations and this whole wide wacky weird wild world as the combo plates we all are...simply put, i THRIVE in JOY! happy number nine syndrome to us all, and i wish you a combo plate life that is truly thriving in joy.