much

my husband's pictures brought
papua new guinea
to life on my screen -
it's called paradise for a reason
flowers, palm trees, birds, the blue pacific
but these two caught my breath
and
i want to remember this bible in the mornings
when choosing
facebook or psalms,
blog stats or galatians

and i want to remember these feet

on sunday when i sigh heavy

in my closet

thinking there's nothing to wear to church
and
i want to remember
the much in my life
so i'm

continuing to count his gifts to 1000-

730.  cutting my husband's hair

731.  dinner, all four of us

732.  olympics

733.  students!

734.  time for training my dog, moses
735.  seventy-five degrees
736.  conversations with nieces and nephews

737.  college for my girl, the one i mentor

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, elaine for miss elaine-ous monday, jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

21 words on my new(ish) church

where i least expected blessing
compassions avalanched
and
i am grateful
for
my small group community
that studies the
word
together

how about you? what is your favorite part of church?

linking with -

daniele for 21 words
emily for imperfect prose
jen for god bumps
joy for life:unmasked

a three-tissue cry

dishes put away

ginger cookies gone all but one
brothers and sisters and parents
back at their own homes,
decorating for christmas and
preparing for the week ahead
but i wanted them to stay
dishes put away
ginger cookies gone all but one
but i want to
hang
on
tight
to this thanksgiving
tears came unbidden
during small group
this morning
(three tissues worth)
because
i want to
hang
on
tight
to this thanksgiving
but
the days, they spin on
the nights, they always come
and this thanksgiving is gone
with its dishes and ginger cookies
but the thanking i can't
set
aside

continuing to count his gifts to 1000:
425. packing boxes for operation christmas child with my family (pictured)
426. bonfires
427. s'mores
428. our small group
429. sons who wash dishes without being asked!
430. my husband who holds my hand
431. my girl, the one i mentor, who seeks wisdom
432. my mom who is a rock
433. 12-year-olds who think of others (read the story here)

linking with-

michelle for hear it on sunday, use it on monday

ann for 1000 gifts

l.l. for on, in, and around mondays
richella for grace imparted
laura for playdates with god

jen for soli deo gloria
shanda for on your heart tuesdays

in which i write (seriously) of small group and share an unrelated photo of a mostly-eaten pie

first pie of apple season

we gather in the yellow room
sitting on
old sofas
recliners
blue chairs
the low white table
in the middle too far from
anyone to be of much use
but to hold a purse maybe
and
today it's a little chilly
and
some days it's too hot
but the window units
drown us out
so we keep them off
i always sit on the left side
of the love seat
in front of the mysterious, plastic-wrapped
stained glass window
we laugh
we chat
we pray
we open our word
to romans and speak
questions
grace
truth
they, these people sitting in the
old elementary classroom,
are brothers and sisters
we share a father in heaven
we share power from the holy spirit
small group
bible study
sunday school
call it what you want
i call it
lovely

and for these i am also thankful:

359. the smell of my bible
360. heart change for my girl, the one i mentor
361. bright red sourwood leaves
362. my younger son's youth band debut
363. apples, apple pie, apple butter
364. time with my twin
365. husband home from a short trip
366. my older son's convictions

linking with:

michelle for hear it on sunday, use it on monday

ann for 1000 gifts

l.l. for on, in, and around mondays
richella for grace imparted
laura for playdates with god

jen for soli deo gloria
shanda for on your heart tuesdays

one hour

my husband in the pulpit
speaking of wycliffe and treasure
my girl, the one i mentor,
beside me on the pew
my son, jack,
sharing a hymnal with me
karrie's baby girl, addie,
sleeping on my lap
son, hank, across town
playing lead guitar
at a church plant
and
i am so full
i am close to undone
for where your treasure
is
there your heart
will be
also

and for these i am thankful-

343. rain that kept us home from soccer for a day
344. fun for my students at a block party
345. husband who volunteered to help at the block party
346. hot peppers and new recipes
347. messy kitchen
348. a new writing opportunity for me

linking with:

michelle for hear it on sunday, use it on monday

ann for 1000 gifts
l.l. for on, in, and around mondays
richella for grace imparted
laura for playdates with god

jen for soli deo gloria
shanda for on your heart tuesdays

you're my girl

i mentor a young lady who battles anorexia. she comes to church with me these days, and as the pastor spoke about relationships today, i couldn't help but look to my right. she sat, cross-legged, sketching a tree in her journal. and i wrote for her:

red dress
white polka dots
and
elephant bracelet
you sit beside me
at church
and
i want to hug you
i want to ask you how you are, really
i want to take away your fear
i want to instill in you a hope that perseveres
i want
i want
i want
you're my girl
and
i love you, chick

and for these i am thankful:

336. quiet
337. unbroken by lauren hillenbrand
338. sweet potatoes from the garden
339. yellow flowers in brown bottles
340. husband. he knows me.
341. seeing sisters at soccer games and brother at football
342. pound cake. even if it falls apart.

linking with:

michelle for hear it on sunday, use it on monday

ann for 1000 gifts
l.l. for on, in, and around mondays
richella for grace imparted
laura for playdates with god

jen for soli deo gloria
shanda for on your heart tuesdays

in which i encounter too many words (an irony)

taste of communion
on my tongue
notes scrawled on
hall pass
collection envelope
today's bulletin
bible's margin
it's hot in the car
as chris and i debrief
and
all i can say about church today?
i. am. exhausted.
the torrent of words
battered me -
is this an admission
of some sort of guilt?
does this ever happen to you?
am i weird?
really my favorite
words today
come from psalm 46
and i heard them
on television
before i even left for church -
be still
and
know that i am
god

and for these i am thankful:

328. deer in the early morning
329. soccer and football and boys who play them
330. my husband who washes dishes and takes boys on tractor rides
331. my girl, the one i mentor, who came to see me yesterday
332. my students who are interesting and interested
333. a welcoming body of believers
334. the word of god which is living and active
335. coffee, coffee, coffee

linking with:

michelle for hear it on sunday, use it on monday

ann for 1000 gifts
l.l. for on, in, and around mondays
richella for grace imparted
laura for playdates with god

jen for soli deo gloria
shanda for on your heart tuesdays

contented sigh

my girl,
the one i mentor,
is home!
and she sat
with me for worship
today
the two of us,
the ones
who believed that
thinness was a rescue
emptiness could save,
sang
who, oh lord, could save themselves,
their own soul could heal?
our shame was deeper than the sea
your grace is deeper still
and i'm full
with loving this girl
and i'm full
with thanks for
the true rescue
and i'm full

counting my gifts to 1000:

272. the lone cantaloupe that survived the raccoons
273. cooking for my family
274. my husband who does dishes
275. my children who empty the dish washer
276. growing pigs
277. white water rafting with privette guys
278. hilarious text messages from my brother
279. the couple who helped me find my lost cart in wal-mart
280. chocolate ice cream mixed with nutella
281. being thankful for food (if i liked all-caps, i would use it here)

linking with:

michelle for hear it on sunday, use it on monday

ann for 1000 gifts

jen for soli deo gloria

in the wash

jack washed a load of clothes
last night
(he's 11)
here's what came out of the dryer
when i opened
it this morning
air-soft pellets, 3
duct tape wallet, 1 -  red, containing $11
bits of a styrofoam cup, 7
coins, 1 dime, 1 penny
bracelet, 1
yep. he threw
everything in
and i'm thinking
on faith and glory and everything in....
the faith of the blood root coming up
every spring is like that of 
abraham who believed
god's promise of a child for him and sarah 
during their AARP years
paul said in romans that this faith
brings glory to god
it's what god wants above
all else
and then this song
take my life
take all that i have
with all that i am
i will love you
throwing everything in
is
all 
he's
ever
wanted

and for these i am thankful:

101. a messy car - bermuda grass, water bottles, guitars, gym bags
102. french roast coffee in my aunt's old anchor hocking mug
103. sunshine
104. papers to grade
105. text messaging with my girl, the one i mentor
106. longing for my husband's return

early-week links:

what i said; what He says

the pastor asked
and
i said yes
and
found myself on stage
at church
(what i said)
since then i've listened
to the
hopeless
victorious
frightened
joyful
depressed

my heart
broken
again and again

but God
is a favorite phrase of mine
because what follows is a rescue
it says

this
and
this
and
this
and
this
may have happened...be happening

but God

was
and 
is
and
will be
in the midst

amen

neighbors

We visited a church today - NO we aren't changing again, we were just out of town for a baseball tournament. If we have Sunday games and time allows, as it did today, we just pop in on a local church. In our tournament attire. Kind of adventurous for me. You know, I'm the one who doesn't like change or the unknown. But there are several draws for me:

1. I like checking out the hospitality when I have nothing riding on it. It's okay with me if I'm not liked in a a place I may never visit again. We were at a downtown FIRST Baptist today, and I wondered how people would receive our motley crew. Such a gracious group! All smiles. Introductions all around. It was nice.
2. Not sure if this is kind of me, but I usually analyze the situation. This church, although large in structure, is noticeably small in congregation. My guess was, based on the pastor's youth and energy level, that the they had perhaps suffered some sort of blow and this guy is new. I checked it out on the website when I got home. He's been there six months. I will be praying for the congregants as they rebuild and continue to reach out to their community.
3. Sometimes there is a surprise. Today's? A man, as we were leaving, got my attention and then handed me something. He didn't say a word. Just handed me a ziploc bag. In it? Fresh-baked, homemade rolls. Now what is the story behind that? Did we look terribly poor? I mean I don't think he saw our car that always looks like we're living out of it when we travel....Seriously, it was a nice gesture - and excellent rolls!

So, thank you, First Baptist Thomasville! Your sign says that you exist to love your neighbors, and you loved on us today.  May grace and peace be yours.

multi-media

We stayed home from church today - something we never do. Chris hasn't plowed us out yet, so here we are. Doesn't even feel like Sunday. We watched a podcast sermon from Cornerstone Simi Valley - Francis Chan is the pastor, and he's awesome. Now Hank is regaling me with riffs on his Christmas guitar. Jack joins in with singing every once in a while. What's my part in the show? I uploaded my first youtube video - it's part one of my last reading. Why only part one? I accidently saved over the long video with this five minute portion. Hmmm. Not an expert with the Flip video program. Not an expert at anything, really, but that's a post for another day. Now I will attempt to embed the video. Watch this! Okay, in case you didn't know, just pasting in the url in the body of the blog doesn't work. Gonna try something else now. Watch this! Sigh. Trying something else now. watch this.