The making of a memory – in which we attempt to recite John 1:1-14

Ever have one of those “This is a great idea!” moments?

On April 8, I envisioned our family memorizing John 1:1-14 as a team, sweetly rehearsing the verses together each evening.

The seven weeks would culminate in a beautiful and meaningful recitation video, an encouragement to other families to also memorize together.

You know how those moments usually end.

The nightly rehearsals lasted about...a night. And the “meaningful” video, well, we still haven’t made it.

But we did make this one!

If error-filled recall can give you hope to try this with your family, if seeing we sorta-kinda memorized a chunk of scripture together can encourage you, if understanding we did make a memory as we memorized can convince you it’s worthwhile, then you, too, can dream a “This is a great idea!” moment of your own.

* * *

We’re breaking from new chapters for the summer and are reviewing instead. Visit our Facebook page to encourage and be encouraged in your own memorizations.

Check back mid-August for a new challenge!

You’re not good enough

Grace stealers

It’s good to be good. I get that. God calls us to do good things so he can be glorified (Matthew 5:16).

But do we carry it too far?

Not in doing good things (let’s always want that!), but by incorrectly thinking that doing good things makes us good.

Immediately after Paul told the Philippians to fill up on joy (Philippians 3:1), he gave them a very stern warning:

“Look out for the dogs!
Look out for the evildoers!
Look out for those who mutilate the flesh!” (Philippians 3:2)

Who were those dogs? They were joy thieves. Grace stealers. They were Jews who were trying to pull the fresh Christians away from grace. And back into law.

The voices say...

They were the voices we still hear today, whispering, and sometimes shouting:

• You’re not doing enough.
• You’re not good enough!
• Is that the best you can do???

But Paul gave them a confident and reassuring answer that we need to listen to.

He said we don’t have to be good enough.

And he should know. If anybody had a beefy spiritual resume, it was Paul (Philippians 3:4). He had credentials. His Benjamite blood line was pure, traceable all the way back to Jacob, as far as a Jew could go.

He was a Pharisee on fire for obeying the law, far more zealous than any Sadducee. But...

Was it enough? Could his credentials earn his salvation?

Pumping the pride

Can yours? What do you take pride in?

• Maybe you have a stellar record of church attendance
• Or you teach a Bible class or two
• Or you make great sacrifices to homeschool your kids

Ah, great items for the resume, yes?
No.

While those may be good things, they’re still zemia compared to knowing Christ. Zemia is the Greek word Paul used for “loss” in Philippians 3:8. As in detriment. Disadvantage.

If we rely on our own credentials to build our joy, we’re at a disadvantage. We waste energy trying to be perfect on our own.

Instead, concentrate on better knowing the one who already is perfect, who is enough. Hang out with him. Let his blood rub off on us.

His perfection is enough for all of us. 

It’s who you know

When we try to be right by our own goodness, we’re wrong.

But when we accept the righteousness from God that depends on faith (Philippians 3:9), we go all the way through suffering to the other side of resurrection.

It’s painful to try to be perfect on our own.
And it’s unnecessary. Christ has already done it for us.

So let’s heed Paul’s warnings and do as he did:

1. Rejoice in the Lord
2. Beware of grace stealers
3. Put no confidence in our own works
4. Know Christ and build faith in him

Because it’s not what we do for him, it’s that we know him.
And even though we will never be good enough, he is. For us.

And that is more than enough.

*  * *

Do you struggle trying to be perfect? Is it hard to accept that you will never be good enough?

originally posted at Do Not Depart
revised here for the archives

Don’t forget these women

Who were these women?

• What was the first thing they thought about when they awoke each morning?
• Where did they eat their meals and wash their clothes?
• Who did they love at the end of the day and who loved them back?

We started our walk of remembrance at Skye Lake on a brilliant Sunday morning.

We’d spent five months with these women, one Sunday at a time. We’d learned many things about them. Things we didn’t want to forget.

Although they each were different, the single most important similarity they all shared was this: a remarkable encounter of grace with Jesus.

It’s often the only thing recorded about them, and usually without even mentioning their name.

Yet we know them, these women. They left a trail of their own. A legacy not to be forgotten, found in our Bibles.

As we women—teenaged and otherwise—walked the hiking trail on Green Mountain, we followed the footsteps of these women who lived two thousands years before us.

We stopped at each rock to remember the lesson they left behind for us.

Lessons like these:

• God can use anybody in his plans
• I’m blessed when I believe his promises
• Remember to be amazed
• Come to the edge 
• To love more, understand grace more
• Run to the tomb
• Take advantage of your giving style 
• Drop the rock

At the end of the trail, we were given our final rock, the one specifically for us—women who may sometimes feel forgotten, but who never are. It was the rock of Mercy. (It carried with it a story of its own.)

The common denominator of all our rocks, all our stories, is Mercy. Grace. Love.

We know him better by his common name: Jesus.

To understand him, we look at the stories about him.

And to understand him even more, we look at the stories with him.

Our stories. Collectively and individually.

The trail ended for us at the chapel, where a feast awaited. A feast not only of food, but also song, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer.

We left the trail more full than we came. In every way.

Because we had remembered. The women’s stories from the Bible. And the women’s stories by our side. We filled up on memories. Reliving the old. Making the new. 

Encounters of grace with Jesus.
Theirs.
And ours.

May we never forget.

* * *

Although our teen girls’ class ended on Sunday, the stories will continue on.

Which woman of the Bible do you most relate to?

RELATED:

• Give Him the old
• The Story Guide: Jesus and Women
• Who’s this adventure for?
  

Sharing with l.l. at Seedlings in Stone
Laura at The Wellspring
Michelle at Hear It on Sunday
Jen and the Soli Deo Gloria gang

Links I like (5/27/12)

Odds and ends I found interesting on the web this week:

You’ll never be finished. Make peace with that.

Phillip Phillips won American Idol, and showed us all what humility looks like. Great post and embedded video from Emily Freeman. 

Does Facebook wreck marriages? Well, Facebook doesn’t, but the people who are on it (I’m one) should stay alert to temptations there.

If you ever have to leave a church, here’s some excellent advice on how to do it with grace.

How to thrive in college: from Desiring God
     1) Own your faith, don’t just maintain
     2) Walk with the wise; intentionally cultivate Christ-centered relationships
     3) Train to make a difference; fine-tune skills for your calling

Maintenance for your windows PC: when you’re not sure if you should be doing more (or less) to keep your computer running well, here’s a quick list from Lifehacker I remind myself of periodically.

* * *

5 things you learn at graduation

(from a parent’s perspective)

Jenna graduated from high school last Saturday. The ceremony was meaningful and spiritual.

But as the parent, you hear and see from a different perspective than the graduate.

1. It’s still a big deal
Many students will continue on to earn bachelor degrees from universities and possibly doctorates and professional certifications.

But receiving a high school diploma is still huge. Completing thirteen years of schooling when kids are so young and inexperienced and raw is an accomplishment deserving to be celebrated.

Many kids do understand this, but parents should even more. We know having or not having a diploma can make a big difference in what they can do next.

So when they get it, applaud.

2. Parents see double
An almost-adult body may stand before you in cap and gown, but parents are seeing a baby with a wet diaper or the little girl singing in the back seat of the car or a child in the awkward middle-school years so recently outgrown.

Memories past flood over moments present. And we know there’s more to come. We see it all. That’s a good thing.

3. The rate of time is changing

You think four years of high school go by fast? Four years of college fly even quicker. As a parent of a college graduate as well as a high school one, I know how time picks up speed after high school. And hasn’t slowed down yet (all adults know this).

Freeze the milestone moments when you can, then buckle up because the next trip through time is even faster.

4. The message makes sense
I remember nothing from my high school commencement’s speaker (was it former Alabama congressman Bob Jones?). But I listened closely to my daughter’s speaker. I wanted to know what advice he was giving her, make sure it would be beneficial. And I hope I’ll remember his words, even though Jenna probably won’t.

He advised them not to go out to change the world (that’s a bit lofty, yes?), but to glorify God in what they do in their corner of the world. Because the world will be watching them. Live well, love well, where you are. I’m old enough to understand how hard that message can be, but how valuable it is to try it.

5. The kids’ candy was also for the parents

Really? I didn’t know until it was too late. The chocolate kisses and Skittles and goldfish weren’t hidden backstage just for the seniors, but for us, too?

Some lessons you learn too late. You realize you messed up as a parent over the past eighteen years. Apologize, adjust what you can, then let it go. Let it be a reminder to pay even closer attention in the years to come.

Then the next time you bump into a candy table, enjoy!

* * *

Have you attended a graduation ceremony this month? Learn anything?

What’s on your nightstand? May ‘12

What books I recommend—and don’t—from my nightstand this month.

Just started

Selections from One Thousand Gifts
by Ann Voskamp

Duh. Of course I love this book! My blogging and now IRL friend Lori gave it to me when we met in person last month (as soon as I can put it into words, I’ll write a blog post about it. It’s a God story.) I loved One Thousand Gifts, so I’m slowing way down to reflect on the selections here from the original.

The Gospel of Yes
by Mike Glenn

I’m liking this one, too. What we believe about God affects what we believe about everything else. If we properly discern 2 Corinthians 1:20—“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory”, we can more fully open our hearts to trusting God and his promises.

Coach Wooden
by Pat Williams, James Denney

This book outlines the seven life principles John Wooden’s father, Joshua Wooden, gave John to live by. Coach Wooden, in turn, passed them along to his basketball players, friends, and family throughout his life. The author shares anecdotes from a variety of people who knew Coach.

10 People Every Christian Should Know
by Warren W. Wiersbe

Can you guess which ten people made the list? I’ll give you the first five: Matthew Henry (1662-1712), Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), John Henry Newman (1801-1890), J. B. Lightfoot (1828-1889), and J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905). It’s a relatively short e-book (the full book is 50 People Every Christian Should Know), so there’s not much in-depth material on each person, but it’s enough to give a glimpse how these lives influenced so many.

The Myth of the Garage
by Chip Heath, Dan Heath

Because these brothers wrote one of my all-time favorite books (Made to Stick—and Switch is excellent too), I’m reading this freebie e-book. It’s a collection of 16 previously published articles about the contemporary business world. Interesting little insights in each section.

The Transforming Power of the Gospel
by Jerry Bridges

Not only can I not get enough gospel and grace, I can’t get enough Jerry Bridges either; they’re intricately linked. So far this book is excellent about what grace is, how Jesus set it into motion, and how it applies to the believer’s life in a way that transforms us. I’m taking this one slowly.

Still reading

Holiness Day by Day: Transformational thoughts for your spiritual journey
by Jerry Bridges

It’s a daily devotional, five days a week and one on the weekend. It’s so good and so grace-saturated. Read it as your time allows. You won’t regret it.

Finished

The Stranger
by Albert Camus

I read this with the Gospel Coalition’s “Commending the Classics” series, but I didn’t like it. I’m sure it has great literary value, but the main character just seemed weird and shallow to me so I never could get into it. Fortunately it wasn’t very long. Definitely won’t be a re-read for me.

Quit Going to Church
by Bob Hostetler

I recommend this one. It makes you rethink why you’re doing many of the spiritual practices you may have been doing your entire life. I like to think about these things anyway, so not everything caught me off-guard, but I still appreciated Hostetler’s slant.

Write Good or Die: Survival Tips for the 21st Century
edited by Scott Nicholson

I’m glad it was free. It had some good tips, but it won’t change your life. A collection of articles from a variety of authors on a variety of topics, so you’re bound to get some that hit home, but many that do not.

What’s Next?: Navigating transitions to make the rest of your life count
by H. Norman Wright

Because I’m not sure, I wanted to read What’s Next? It’s oriented more toward those in my stage of life (second half, not first), so I could appreciate most of Wright’s examples, although I’m not ready for all of them yet. It’s a worthy read.

Spirit Rising: Tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit
by Jim Cymbala

I’ve been reading and listening more lately about the Holy Spirit, so this was timely. Cymbala writes using clear stories and with such joy that his books are a pleasure to read. And because he’s such a firm believer in the power of prayer, you get a great dose of prayer encouragement regardless of what the book’s focus is.

The Pilgrim’s Progress 
by John Bunyan

I read it with the Reading Classics Together at Challies so I made it through (otherwise I might not have). I read it in an old English version, which added an interesting literary challenge as well. I don’t always agree with Bunyan’s allegories, but overall they are inspiring ones. This book is a classic for a reason.

Challies next reading group starts May 31 – The Hidden Life of Prayer by David MacIntyre (1913). I’ve got a copy on my Kindle ready to go.

Searching for God Knows What  
by Donald Miller

This is so good. A little off the beaten path, but that’s Donald Miller. Funny, insightful, and relational. I have a review here.

 

Stumbling into Grace
by Lisa Harper

I love listening to her in person, but in writing? Not so much. Her stories are funny but a little long for my taste, with too many irrelevant details (I like authors that cut to the chase). However, her message is good, about finding grace in different areas of her life in relation to stories about Jesus, so if you’re a more patient reader than I am, you might enjoy it.

Catching Fire
by Suzanne Collins

Book 2 of The Hunger Games. I waited for weeks for a free loaner from my public library. It was worth the wait. However, as soon as I finished it, I couldn’t wait another few weeks for the next book because this one doesn’t really end—it just pushes you forward into Book 3.

Mockingjay
by Suzanne Collins

So I bought Book 3 of The Hunger Games on my Kindle within 24 hours of finishing Catching Fire. I couldn’t help myself. I read it slower, though, because I didn’t want it to end. (Who can explain the psyche of a book reader?) The whole series was so much fun to read. I even look forward to more movies.

How to Sleep like a Baby, A Meditation on Psalm 3
by Bob Saffrin. Free e-book

Sunday night when I couldn’t sleep, I opened up this e-book and read it from beginning to end (it’s only 15 pages). Here’s the premise: 1. Meditate on verses about who God is. 2. Meditate on verses of what God does. 3. Meditate on verses on how God is there for us. It’s beneficial. Although I still didn’t go to sleep right away, at least I had peaceful thoughts in my head.

* * *

What books are you reading this month?

We’re sharing reading lists here.

Sticky note advice

We’re a sticky note family.

So when each family was told they’d have two minutes at graduation last Saturday to present their child’s diploma and say a few words, Jeff thought of our sticky notes.

Because how can you sum up thirteen years of homeschooling in two minutes?

You can’t.

So we look forward.

And tacked three sticky notes of advice for the future on Jenna’s diploma. 

1. Prioritize your relationship with Jesus above all else.

2. Learn well so you can love others well.

3. Call Mom and Dad! :-) We love you!

…One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

* * *

Any sticky notes on your mirrors too?

Sharing with l.l. at seedlings in stone
Michelle at graceful
Jen at Finding Heaven
and Laura at the wellspring

“Searching for God Knows What”

It makes you wonder if guys like John the Evangelist and Paul and Moses wouldn’t look at our systematic theology charts, our lists and mathematical formulas, and scratch their heads to say, Well, it’s technically true; it just isn’t meaningful.

...I think ideas have to sink very deeply into a person’s soul, into their being, before they can effect change, and lists rarely sink deeply into a person’s soul.
     - DONALD MILLER

If you like your religion outside the box, you’d probably like Donald Miller’s books. Blue like Jazz. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

And this one, Searching for God Knows What. It’s been out for 8 years (reprinted and revised in 2010), but I just read it this year (thanks for the loan, sis).

Miller believes God wants a relationship with us, not have us follow a list of rules or live by a formula. He asks hard questions and doesn’t give easy answers in this book, but he gives real ones, through his stories and his own wonderings and wanderings.

Here are some highlights:

* ...what if we stopped looking at the rules and lists and formulas and rather looked through them at the larger and more obvious message? What if the motive behind our theology was relational?

* Becoming a Christian might look more like falling in love than baking cookies.

* Few places in Scripture speak to the Christian conversion experience through any method other than relational metaphor.

* There is moral law, to be sure, but moral law is not our path to heaven; our duty involves knowing and being known by Christ.

* The hijacking of the concept of morality began, of course, when we reduced Scripture to formula and a love story to theology, and finally morality to rules.
   It is a very different thing to break a rule than it is to cheat on a lover. A person’s mind can do all sorts of things his heart would never let him do.
   If we think of God’s grace as a technicality, a theological precept, we can disobey without the slightest feeling of guilt, but if we think of God’s grace as a relational invitation, an outreach of love, we are pretty much jerks for belittling the gesture.

* * *

Every life—and death—teaches

I thought I’d see him again.
On this side of heaven.

I was wrong.

Instead, I saw only pictures of Charley yesterday at his memorial service.

He was only 26. But age is irrelevant in car wrecks. Charley (that’s his real name, not “Bobby”) died Saturday in one.

Who knew he’d be gone so soon?

Less than a year ago, Charley was getting ready to move out of The Way and into his own apartment. He was excited about his home, his job, his independence. And for the most part, he did well with it all. He had a setback or two (who doesn’t?), but he kept working hard to stay clean. To repay debts. To make a difference.

Now his setbacks are over. His temptations are gone.

And his work has ended. Well, maybe.

Tom, the director of The Way, said Charley had dreams of returning one day to teach there. He won’t make it back in person. But he will teach there. And many other places.

He already is.

His old roommate told us yesterday that he’s been learning much from Charley even in the past two days since he’s been gone. 

Because when a friend dies, the friendship doesn’t. The lessons continue on. The message of their life still speaks.

Charley’s life still speaks to mine. Even though I feel I haven’t earned the right to grieve him like his friends who knew him so well.

But I grieve the piece of him that I did know. The piece that tugged on my heart every Wednesday night for months as we sat across from each other in metal folding chairs in a small classroom and talked about Jesus.

I so wanted Charley to do well. To be well. And now he is.

He taught me when he was here.
Keep teaching me now that you’re gone.
I have so much yet to learn...

* * *

Sorry, Floyd, that I didn’t give Charley your message. But maybe he got it anyway.

To all who left comments and lifted up prayers for Charley from my blog post in February, may you feel comforted knowing they were heard, not just by me, but by Him.

Quit going to church

That’s what he says.

What author Bob Hostetler wants you to do is start being the church.

I need to quit “going to church” and start following Jesus.

I need to quit “going to church” and seek the kingdom of God.

I need to quit going to church and devote myself to the Word of God, to living in community with God’s people, to worshipping him wholeheartedly, to drawing close to him in prayer, and to going public, reaching out and sharing it all with the world around me.

And while you’re quitting, here are a few more habits he suggests you drop.

• Quit saying your prayers...and start keeping company with God.
• Quit fellowshipping...and learn how to really party instead. 
• Quit trying to be good...and instead focus on dwelling daily in Jesus’ presence.

There’s more. Quit tithing. Quit volunteering. Quit helping the poor. I couldn’t always see where Hostetler was going at first, but he always made it clear in the end.

Quit reading your Bible
Surely not. But what if instead of reading, you listened for God’s voice in every line, every word? Let the Bible be an instrument for relationship.

Moses said, “Teach me your ways.”

Why? So I can be entertained? So I can escape from my problems? So I can get information? Instruction? Inspiration?

No. He said, “Teach me your ways so I may know you.”

Quit sharing your faith
Share your life instead.

Jesus wants us to be like him. He wants us to risk our reputations. He wants us to earn criticism from religious folk. He wants us to eat and drink with tax collectors and “sinners.”

He wants us to get out of our tidy Christian ghetto and hang out with people who are far from God...not to judge them, not to demand some Christian standard of behavior from them, not to look down our noses at them, but to actually and really be their friends, accepting them, relating to them, expressing genuine interest in what they think and what they enjoy, and not trying to squeeze them into our mold, but sharing our lives with them.

Quit being nice
Yep.

I believe Jesus calls us to conform to his image, not to our pseudo-Christian portraits of him.

He does not call us to be nice.
He calls us to be real.

It started when Adam and Eve sinned, and tried to hide this major relationship problem with God. Because they were scared.

And we’ve been hiding ever since. That is the main reason we are so “nice.” We are afraid. Of all kinds of things. ...We fear exposure. ...We fear rejection. ...We fear being overlooked.

Instead, we can learn to be honest about who we are, and learn to love from that center, as Jesus did.

So don’t let the title Quit Going to Church mislead you. Yes, Hostetler has a lot to say about quitting in this book, but he has more to say about living and loving like Jesus.

And if that means quitting the status quo, then quit.
Now. 
And start something better instead.

* * *

Is there something you need to quit doing and start something else?

My thanks to ACU Press & Leafwood Publishers
for the review copy of this book

Indeed. I’m free.

For freedom Christ has set us free;
stand firm therefore,
and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

It’s a fresh Sunday morning in a different town. 
I’m sitting by a now in-real-life blogging friend.
We begin to sing. 

One word in the song gets me.
Every time.
When it appears on the screen, sandwiched in between other lyrics, I choke up.

The word?
     Free.

I don’t just say it. I don’t just sing it.
I feel it. I know it. It is seeping deeper into my bones.

The song ends. The sermon begins. On the Holy Spirit. Again.

He is dogging me.
Not to harass me, but to breathe harder, heavier, into my own unholy-transforming-into-holy spirit.
To prod me to celebrate his empowering.

     To revel in my freedom from slavery.

When breath is hard to come by, you know the one thing you need to do, the one thing you must do—race outside and gulp in your healing.
Fresh air.
Holy air.
Holy Spirit.

You breathe deep. Hard and heavy. Until the chest starts to loosen. And your lungs fill again.
With hope. With grace. With Jesus.
Unfiltered Jesus.

He is freedom. The Spirit of freedom. Surrender your slavery.

Breath by breath, freedom expands.
Surely.
Profoundly.

     And you wonder how you breathed before.

The service is ending.
The pastor prays. I wipe away drying tears. 
This purging of old self and receiving of new Spirit. Amen and amen.

I swap snippets of life histories with my friend in the brief minutes we have. She mentions a word from her past: suffocation. I nod yes. We share smiles of knowing, of breathing deeply now, of Spirit who energizes and refreshes.

And frees. Absolutely.
And frees. Most certainly.
And frees. Positively.

     Indeed.
     I’m free.

               So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
               John 8:36

* * *

No perfect Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all my friends who love and mother children wherever they are, wherever they come from.

It’s not about fruit from your womb; it’s about nurturing the young and the vulnerable around you, regardless of who birthed them first.

No Mother’s Day is perfect.
Some miss mothers they had or wished they could have had.
Some miss children they had or wished they could have had.

And even those who are happily sandwiched in between both,
perfection is still on the loose
because no one has been, is, or will be a perfect mother or a perfect child.

But thank God for his grace that fills in the cracks
...between our imperfections and our imaginations,
...between our deficiencies and our dreams.

Because of grace, we can honor the mothers we did have,
and be respected as mothers we wished we were,
to children we birthed or to children we simply loved on.

Who needs perfect?
Grace covers.
Love fulfills. 

* * *

RELATED:

• Letters from my mom
• Refined through relationship
• Supermom?

A May day

Outside my window...a new potted verbena from Jenna for Mother’s Day

I am remembering...planting a flowerbed each spring for my mom; missing her still

I am wondering...what triggered Jeff’s vertigo to return so soon

I am thankful...for a great ENT doctor who is not only smart but also funny (who doesn’t need to laugh more, especially in a doctor’s office?)

In the kitchen...less salt—doc suggested it might help with Jeff’s inner ear troubles so we he is trying it

I am memorizing...John 1:9-10 this week

In the learning rooms...nothing but a mess to be cleaned up; no more lesson plans to create EVER

I am resolving...to have all schoolbooks gone, scrapbooks made, and papers trashed or stored by the end of May (that is, May 2013)

I am thinking...about rocks I don’t want to waste at the altar of grace

I am studying...gospel and grace and grace and gospel

I am pondering these words... 
     If it is true that the more we grow, the more sin we see in our lives, what will keep us from becoming discouraged?
     The answer is the realization that both our eternal salvation and our day-to-day standing with God are based not on our own performance but upon the sinless life and sin-bearing death of Jesus.
     -Jerry Bridges, The Transforming Power of the Gospel

I am grateful...my car battery died at home on Wednesday instead of somewhere else, even though it kept me from going to my ladies’ Bible study

I am wearing...a new summer haircut

Around the house...a visit with my beautiful nephew Alexander (who loves books! Win!)

I am creating...another VBS script to get translated into Spanish

I am reading...Catching Fire at last (and a few other books)

I am going...to visit my daughter and s-i-l this weekend!

I am praying...that Jenna and her new roommate will have a great first meeting on Saturday

I am looking forward to...Jenna’s graduation next weekend (well, trying to; it’s bittersweet)

I am appreciating...friends who assume the best instead of the worst

I am realizing...you can’t accurately predict who will surprise you and who won’t (surprise!)

I am discovering...that leaving behind the old is rarely as simple as you’d like

One of my favorite things...learning new songs of praise (i.e., Matt Redman’s 10,000 Reasons)

I am hearing...some great lessons from Patrick Mead via podcasts

A plan for the weekend...meeting and worshiping with a bloggy friend IRL at her church!

A picture for thought...me and my “baby” after her last chorus concert (so many lasts this month; looking forward to firsts in the fall!)

* * *

What are you doing today?

the simple woman's daybook
...where every day is a blank page

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