Thankful.

High point today?
Finding another pair of pants in the closet that fit below the belly.
Low point?
Getting mustard all over said pants.

Actually, those were neither my highest nor lowest points today- true as they were.

My actual highest point was doing an early morning walk in Rancho San Antonio with the fam- totally breathtaking. (God needs a name that praises Him for being an early bird- Morning Glory?).

I am also thankful for my amazing husband, hilarious kids, great family, rest, the crazy movements of New Baby, an inspiring worship service tonight, good friends, Wonderfully Made, heat, Diet Hansen's, health, peppermint tea, my well-loved (read: "falling apart but I'm not emotionally ready for another one") Bible, this Mac, good music, and fabulous socks.

And who needs to revisit a lowest point with so much blessing smacking me in the face?

Be still, my heart.
God is near.
And He is very, very good.


(Photo by Ed Batista)

Traversing the blog miles together.

Blogging some at the wonderful WM SCU site now- Have a look if you have the time, some really great conversation happening there!

Mall culture.

It's not hard to find us on Sunday mornings. We're drinking coffee, getting little people dressed, and off to church at a fairly predictable hour. And needless to say, I don't typically know what a lot of the world is doing during that same time frame on Sunday mornings.

But I'm pretty sure I can account for 87% of Bay area folks today.

Elle seemed a little sniffly so I opted out of church and decided to hit Old Navy with a last day coupon. I am so ignorant about Sunday morning shopping that I arrived and parked maybe a quarter to 10, naively (and happily) strolling Elle around until the certain open a few minutes later. But that opening never happened. Old Navy's, along with everyone else's gates, stayed shut. We had another hour to kill.

So we got some exercise in, checked out the fountain, and so forth; but the shocking thing was that the mall was PACKED well before any of its stores were open (save for Starbucks, Cinnabon, & Jollibee). People were doing homework, looking at their laptops, hanging around in the pay massage chairs, all of them waiting for an 11 am opening. This is Nov. 15! Nov. 15, I say. I think the economy is safe.

I talked with a woman about her husband being in Afghanistan for over a year, the short helicopter flights from one walking point to another because of potential bombs in the road. (Maybe you'll say a prayer for David Miller?). And if I'd tried, I probably could have had meaningful conversations with a number of other people doing the same thing, all in the same boat of waiting. Of waiting for something interesting beyond the numerous gates.

How would Jesus love on people at The Great Mall? He'd show up, for one thing. He'd pick up the tab here and there, He'd love on the totally stressed out cashiers without embarrassment. He wouldn't care if His line went 5 times slower than the other three lines. He'd ask people in line how they were doing. He'd smile, reach out in truth, love, and generosity. Those are my guesses, anyway.

May your mall culture this season be full of interesting opportunities to spread hope beyond the temporary gates and into the realm of the priceless.

Love this!

"You will never have a beauty secret with more visible results than the study of God's Word."
-Beth Moore

Goggles (II). So much more than a pool accessory.

So I guess I've got just a little see-it-to-believe-it in me.
(Kevin's brain is finally rubbing off- YESSS!).

I had some serious onion chopping to do today, so I decided to give it a go.

I did.
I sported them.
I even had to have a stern mama talk while wearing them.
And here is my assessment:
Wearing swimming goggles to chop onions is AWESOME.
Honestly, I can't believe this kind of gimmicky apparel isn't hanging from grocery store produce aisles everywhere.
The goggles did fog up, but I managed to keep all of my digits in tact nevertheless.

Four stars to the new method!

Psalm 116:8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. (Thanks to Kim for finding this very fitting verse! :))

Goggles. The gateway to knowing.

So my four-year-old sported some swim goggles to a church party tonight, and lots of people laughed and asked questions about this curiously. I even learned something fascinating in goggle-related conversation. Did you know that wearing goggles can keep your eyes from tearing up while chopping onions? (So many reasons to read this blog, I tell you).

Anyway, the goggles thing seemed to be a pretty entertaining novelty to people outside of our family. But for those of us on the inside of the clan, it was rather simply Keefe being Keefe: loveably unpredictable, tender-hearted, optimistic, innocent, curious about the entire world, and eager to participate in its most wonderful offerings (like goggles).

We laughed too, of course, but in a different kind of way. Keefe is not a novelty to us. His antics run 24/7. We know that he sneaks goggles into the bathtub, that he is obsessed with divers, that he will pair goggles with any costume, and that he probably doesn't really know the difference between goggles and sunglasses in terms of "normal" day to day wear.

We know that he didn't think anything extraordinary of wearing goggles to the party tonight.
And we know that we are mighty blessed to know him this well; to be privy to such an affinity.

Do you believe that God loves knowing you this well?
That He loves being privy to your affinities, quirks, and tenderly innocent social maneuvers in this life? (I know a guy who once tried to impress a girl by dumping spaghetti on another guy's head. It didn't go so well. Not well at all, actually. But I think that if he ever wanted to, he could share that story with God and they could reminisce and really have a laugh together).

I think it's easy to focus heavily on the reasons that God would be displeased with us; to focus on our shortcomings and weaknesses. And we do have to sit with those things at times, to figure out where we're getting a little too independent, a little too prideful; to see where our decisions are not lining up with God's superior intentions.

But any parent will tell you the same thing.
Real relationship is so amazing because of the knowing, the precious knowing that breeds life together.

Get to know God intimately and delight in Him.
Give Him your life and He will delight in you.
Honestly.
Fervently.
Goggles and all!

Prov. 24:3,4 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.