it says on the sign in front of the immanuel baptist church, "joy is not what belongs to you, but to whom you belong." i ran by that sign today for the second time and i repeated it in my head on the way home so i would remember it. i'm happier belonging to Heavenly Father, to my family, with my friends. it's comforting to know you belong to God who knows you, all about you, the goodness in you that others might not see, and the bad that you struggle to shed, and loves you, values you above all else. if you see your worth in his eyes, if you build a relationship with him you always have a shelter, a shield, a refuge, a shoulder and a listening ear. also it is security to know that you have a place in someone's heart and that they belong in yours. love is a healing power.

saturday is my run in the daylight day and i savour it. what a beautiful day it is too. i love this fall. as i ran past the park and down the hill leaves fell off a big tree and drifted outwards on the little breeze. i passed people walking dogs, raking leaves, washing their cars, scrubbing their front steps, putting a rock siding on their house, cycling, running like me, or just walking. i said good morning to all of them except the one lady who looked uncomfy and averted her gaze, and a couple (i just smiled at the girl). i like this type of thing--seeing people out and being active, being friendly. it makes me feel community-ish. it makes me think that things are allright. it's interesting to me that you see a person and you don't know anything about them, but then they just respond to your "good morning" and their voice, they way they respond, whether it's quiet or warm or what have you tells you so much more about them. they become real people somehow... well it's a thought i was having.