simple significant short sweet sacred

• the God we serve is ALIVE
• zoe in the laundry basket and time by shelley's pool
• easter leftovers
• quirkle and chick-fil-a with the callows (all 3 of them!)

• yaya's kindness
• rob's hospitality
• conversation with the gal in new york who is interested in mercy ships.  she asked excellent questions!  
• refreshment for the porch swing

• "because we're on vacation" song
• time away. naps. good books to read. snacks. connected hotel rooms.
• breakfast by the pool
• happy emma 

• tasty muffins
• caroline's enjoyment of this trip
• nick knows exactly how i like my pizza
• blythe's willingness to feed cats, clean the cottage and take care of all the things (and how excellent she is at all of it :))

thanks be to God.

• easy answers/solutions to situations
• 2 broken umbrellas and a shattered outdoor table is not (are not?!) the end of the world
• testing at the cash academy for gifted youngsters is done

• eli's cake and icing from scratch
• prayer week (ish) at CCC
• driving to crawford for barbque with my family (easy, fun, candy-filled, movie watching car ride)(and peaceful, enjoyable, tasty-food, good time with my family)

• MaMa's kindness in making Zoe a tag blanket
• nick's care/maintenance of the yard and cars
• sweet discovery of funny quotes from our CPR/first aid class...zoom in for random entertainment

• time with amazing families 
• simply shadows. nothing more. 
• excellent use of smokestack space ("just be nice")(yes, please) 

• having aletha in town for a few days
• sacred sharing from shea
• quotes that resound in my soul  

• postcard from carey
• memories of ship easters
• the lawnmower sold so fast 

five minutes on the word of the week: dream

Dream

"Hope you have sweet dreams if you dream."  That's one of the last things I say to my kiddos as we're saying goodnight.

And often one of the first questions I ask in the morning is, "Did you have any good dreams last night?"  Most of the time they share that they didn't dream...but every now and again there will be a fun dream shared.  AND every every now and again there will be something shared that sounds like God speaking to them in their dreams -- and why wouldn't He, that's what we ask Him to do!  I wholeheartedly believe that God still speaks to us through dreams...and if anything is going on in my brain or my loved ones' brains while we're sleeping, I'd love for it to be from Him!

The present tense of that question is a good one, too.  "Do you have any good dreams right now?"  What are we dreaming about?  Dreaming for?  Do we even dream?  What's the immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine that we're asking God for? (cause that sounds like dreaming to me!)

I dream of never comparing myself to another human ever again. 
I dream of always celebrating others and their achievements rather than feeling envious or "less".
I dream of always having the right word and tone at the right time (especially with my children).
I dream of a trip to the Keys with my best friend in honor of our anniversary.
I dream of Jeannie.  Not really.  Just what popped into my head.
I dream of walking in 1000000000% security, identity, freedom and joy as His Beloved.
I dream of Cafe 2:42 being up and running as a coffee shop again.

What are you dreaming of?  Dreaming for?  Have you dreamed with God lately? 

May He give you sweet dreams...(and challenging dreams and lovely dreams and dreams that only He can make happen).

expressing the deep gratitude

• velocity retreat
• van load of fabulous middle school students
• accidentally stolen reminder of an afternoon well spent with a faithful friend

• how listening to the last of the mohicans soundtrack makes everything epic (even laundry and cleaning up my closet)
• dinner with the river staff
• capp blast from my twin baby mama peace sign throwing friend

zoe's sweet smiles from her crib

how the cottage keeps filling up 

how beautiful and refreshing the middle of nowhere is (and the friend that lives there)

• how easy it is to be around christal
• the discussion of romans 12 around the table at community group 
• romans 12:3

• nick's preaching
• empowered to connect conference/simulcast (and the snacks!)
• dr. tyler's awesome extraction skillz (and caroline's attitude with it all)

five minutes on the word of the week: retreat

Retreat

She chose retreat for me to write about...because that's where 1 of her kids and 2 of mine are right now (and a roomful of dozens of other sons and daughters) - the Velocity Retreat.  I am so excited for them and for the 24 hours they are spending with incredible leaders who love Jesus and who are willing to pour their lives out for our kids.

God, please do something miraculous on this retreat!  May each student, each of the ETAGS, each staff person, each employee at the retreat center experience YOU.  May they encounter You and Your Love and Your Truth.  May they hear Your voice loud and clear telling them WHO THEY ARE.  They are YOURS.  They are loved and wanted and accepted and valuable and worth the price You paid to be in relationship with them.  May the enemy's lousy stinking no good blankity blank (fill in with your favorite curse words if you'd like) lies be silenced in the STRONG AND MIGHTY AND AWESOME name of Jesus.  No more depression.  No more anxiety.  No more low self-worth.  No more sexual confusion and pornography addiction.  No more eating disorders.  No more bullying.  No more of all the things that trip our students up.

That seems impossible.  An impossible prayer.  But my shotgun riding friend reminded me that nothing is impossible with our God.  nothing.  And I think you want these things removed from our childrens' lives even more than we do.  God may these things be far from our children....but (and this feels a little dangerous to pray) may they be close to others who are experiencing these things so that they can share the love and light and freedom and security that can be found in You.  Only in You.  May they depend on You.  May they listen to You.  May they walk with You.  And may they help others do the same.

My heart is overwhelmed with how much You love them.  Thank you for loving our children so much more than we do.  Perfectly.  Thank you for sharing them with us...for trusting us with them...thank you for retreats like this one that WILL DRAW them closer to You.  They are drawing near to You tonite, we know You are drawing near to them.

Thank you, God. 

thankful thuuuursday

• grill master josh and coffee making katie came for a visit 
• games with the callows (and the kitty on the table)

• visiting with the giles
• brooklyn 99 with nick
• giggling on the trampoline (it's been a while)

• birthday captain has been called up for duty
• everybody's help with brinner
• fresh take on a familiar verse (and how God brings gladness and joy and fills our hearts with glee even if we don't get what we think we want on a particular day of the Lord's making!)

 

• april's thoughtfulness with the red shirt
• wonderful time at the escape room and at country's!

• origins with amy
• fellowshiping at the cook's...sitting on the porch together, eating good food, beautiful setting

• when i get to hear that someone i love is having a good day (in this case, my lovely sister)
• serving in kingdom kids with emma and caroline (though we may definitely need to implement mandatory cape wearing for all kids)

• the quietest and calmest 2 year olds that i've ever experienced (i think they were blown away by my father abraham skillz and in awe of emma's bubble making and mesmerized by caroline's story telling) 
• sunday that felt like sabbath
• sprinkles is home!!!!!!

• celebratory gift of a can of cat food (and the thoughful giver...ribbons included!)
• dollar store mugs (and a home it's good to be in)

• time at treadstone with molly
• encouraging and challenging quotes

• WD's life - his smile, his service, his love for Jesus
• beautiful trees/plants