New layout

[eleneariel]

I don't change my layout often; in the entire five years I've been on LiveJournal, I think I've changed my background picture maybe four times, my layout style twice, and my journal title once. When I get something the way I like it, I'm loathe to change it up without good reason.

So it was surprising when a random song lyric suddenly made me think "That's how I should redesign my journal!" I liked what I had, don't get me wrong. And it did reflect who I am. But this, ah, this spoke of my deepest self. 

So I did.

There are a lot of words for what I'm trying to express. Joy. Sehnsucht. Longing. Joie de vivre. All of them mean something a little different: bind them all together and you come closer to understanding what Joy means to me. In my mind, there is much bound up in the word "joy". It's so much deeper than happiness, deeper than longing, deeper than contentment. It encompasses everything good I am trying to do and to be. It's soul-filling and irrevocably linked to my relationship with Christ. The concept of Joy has gotten me through some of my darkest days and kept me hoping for the promise of light. I can't describe what it is - it goes beyond words.

And that's why I changed my layout. There are still some things I'm playing with, particularly with the colors, but here it is. Get used to it ... it's probably here to stay for the next five years.

Comments

[pansyprincess.livejournal.com]

I like it! The C.S. Lewis quote is lovely (no shocker there), and the colors make me long for autumn, hehe. (The 100 degree temperatures here have nothing to do with that, oh no.)

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Same here ... the brutal temperatures having me longing for October!

[ransomedsea.livejournal.com]

What gorgeous, relaxing colors! It fits perfectly with the words, methinks. :)

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[elvishcalarilme.livejournal.com]

I love it! Is that a Till We Have Faces quote?

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Exactly right. :)

[princess-mia.livejournal.com]

I love the new layout! Very nice.:)

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[mcubedtech.livejournal.com]

I'm totally liking it, although I can't pretend to really understand all of what you just said.

The awesome thing is I'm just finishing up the Lewis lectures you told me about this week so the Lewis quote was oh so cool to see.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

I thrive on being incomprehensible!

Oh, which Lewis lectures are those? The Teaching Company ones? Really, when you go to start quoting about joy, Lewis is the place to look. :)