Ew!

This is a photo of the disturbing-looking bruises I mentioned a few days ago. Don't worry - they don't hurt. The color has faded a little bit, but they are still pretty dark and highly noticeable. I have a bit of a complex now when I go out in public because I'm afraid people are going to think I'm abused or something. I have had a couple of folks behave rather awkwardly around me.

If that's not enough to gross you out, then let me tell you about the large, leprous-looking spot on my arm! Doug thinks it's a spider bite, which I really don't want to discuss. It started out as a very small red bump that iched like CRAZY. I generally try to keep myself from scratching insect bites (and other itchy things) because I know that only makes it worse. This was so bad, though, that I was scratching it in my sleep!

I'll spare you the details of how it evolved, but I now have a dime-sized, bumpy, weeping, red, raised area that is surrounded by a light red area the size, and roughly the shape, of a newborn's foot. The whole thing is tender and still itches now and then. I don't know at what point I should call my doctor's office, but I'm thinking it's going to be soon. Unless I see some improvement, of course.

Yuck!

On a much more holy note, here is another journal entry from the Women's Retreat. This was from the session on Beauty...

You being convinced you're beautiful is not going to change your life. The church has to stop being like the world. We are known by the most beautiful person in the universe. When you envy, you want to destroy. John Dunn - Holy Sonnet 14. If Jesus Christ doesn't enthrall me, I will never be free. We were created by Him, for Him, and He delights in you. Is Jesus enough for me? Is He enough no matter what I look like or what others think of me? Is He enough in the depth of my soul? Don't gaze upon yourself, but upon Jesus. I can't love well when I'm worrying about who's going to love me. [Note to self:] (I want to be ravished by Jesus.) [Note to you: ravish = to seize and carry away]