hello monday (big game in the hometown)

I was in the hometown this past weekend for work, and I feel so fortunate to get to see family while I work. There was just enough relaxing down-time to make this Monday harder-than-average to face.

But face it I will, with some friendly hellos.

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Hello, home.

It's the quintessential Athens photo, but I especially loved the lights in this one.

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Hello, big win.

Did you see that game? It was electric.

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Hello, calm before the storm.

Before it was electric on Saturday, it was peaceful on Friday.

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Hello, front door goodness.

It's only "goodness," of course, because it was gifted to me, and I didn't have to wrestle with hot glue or any other art supply that gives me anxiety. Crafty friends are good friends.

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Hello, happy note on a Monday morning.

Even a parking pass in the mail can be cheerful, when you take the time to make it so. Thankful for my friends who do.

Fall's making her entrance, people, so give her a hearty welcome and greet the week!

thankful thursday #149

It is good to be home.

Driving past my old high school, and then slowly through our neighborhood, because deer are always lurking near the roads (three of them, this evening).

Hearing about news around town.Thinking about my friends who never left town, and how the roads we've traveled are so different, and yet equally treasured.

Enjoying a home-cooked meal. Flipping through old photo books for no particular reason. Sleeping in my old room.

It's good to be home with family. And I'm thankful.

What do you love about going home? Go on, be grateful!

for the love of church (plural pronouns)

There is a song we sing at church called "The Lord Our God," and it shows lots of love for plural pronouns. Like this:

The Lord our God is ever faithful,

Never changing through the ages.

From this darkness You will lead us,

And forever we will say:

You're the Lord our God.

Or like in this verse:

Yes, we can know you are good.

Or like in this bridge:

We won't move without You.

You get the idea. It's about God's people, worshipping and responding as one, unified body.

Recently I read in Exodus 24 the story of Moses relating all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments, to the people of Israel. In one accord, with one voice, they answered, "All the words which the Lord has said, we will do" (v. 3).

I can't stop thinking about that verse, because while it may seem like an over-zealous, impossible promise, I can't fathom a more appropriate response, since they'd beheld God's palpable presence at Sinai.

And they responded together. Using a plural pronoun.

Christianity is the only religion in the world where followers experience an intimate, one-on-one relationship with God, and glory, that's a thing of beauty!

But I think sometimes while we're happy to indulge in all the warm fuzzies of a personal relationship with Jesus, we miss the beauty of the Church, and its value as individuals functioning as a unified body. We miss the power that comes from a corporate solidarity, in agreement on God's character and sovereignty, and committed to moving together.

Next time you're struggling to find a love for the church, pray that we'll be using plural pronouns more readily. We will be stronger for it.

for the love of church (legacy)

"God has honored the vision, the effort, and the faithfulness of all those who have come before us in the life of this church..."
-- Valleydale Church, 40th Anniversary Legacy Celebration

I don't know why, but God chose to use imperfect people to accomplish his purposes, and the vehicle through which that happens is the local church. That means the church is serious business, because it's the presence of the kingdom of Christ here on earth.

Today our church celebrated its fortieth anniversary.

Forty years since nine families met in the basement of a man's house, as they practiced obedience to a call on their lives.

Forty years of joys and sorrows; encouraging times and disappointments.

Forty years of bearing witness to the faithfulness of God toward his people, not because everything has been easy, or because his people deserve it, or worked hard enough to earn it.

Just because faithful is who he is.

He was faithful when the church experienced growth, as he was when people left in bitterness. He was faithful during successful capital campaigns, as he was when there wasn't enough money to pay the bills. He was faithful when a full-time pastor was in the pulpit, as he was when there wasn't.

During our celebration today, we heard from former pastors, dating all the way back to the 70s. They spoke of how they were shaped and challenged by their time in service, and how they learned that God is worthy of our trust.

Former members were invited back as a sort of homecoming, and it was powerful to see generations of a church body come together in celebration of a purpose greater than any disagreement or human failing.

It was a sweet time, and I felt humbled to have spent even a portion of those forty years as a part of this community of faith.

Forty years is a blink in the eye of eternity; we know that. And anything good that comes out of the church is only because God has chosen to do that through us; we know that, too.

But what a right and good thing, to honor the legacy of the men and women who sacrificed much, so we could play even a small role in the greatest love story ever told.

thankful thursday #148

When I was little, I spent lots of mornings at tennis courts, while my mom played matches, or practiced with friends.

Sometimes I'd perch in the umpire chair; it was such a grown-up view. Other times I'd venture out to collect tennis balls that had been lost in bushes, under bleachers, behind walls, over who-knows-how-many months. I'd earn a nickel for every ball I found.

Eventually I started hitting with Mom after her matches, and as I got older, played on my own teams, and under coaches that were not my mom. As an adult, I've played sporadically on community teams, and enjoyed some very fun people while doing it.

Tennis courts have held fond memories for me.

I've not played regularly in a few years, but was inspired by a recent birthday gift to hop back onto the courts. So I scheduled a lesson for this week at my gym.

I knew it would not be pretty. I really did.

I was not, however, prepared for the pro to say this to me on a water break:

You don't look very good. Is your hand shaking?

(Yes, yes, it is.)

My heart rate had not seen a number that high, probably since I ran endless suicides on the courts in high school. My muscles are beyond sore; I know this because blow drying my hair is a challenge.

Not. Prepared.

And even still, it was fun to be back on the court, working my strokes again, and getting some instruction. I'm thankful today that I survived that lesson, and for all those memories made at the courts growing up.

What memories are you appreciating this week? Go on, be grateful!

right about now (the one where i'm spinning)

At any given moment, there are random bits of life to share.

Even in seasons of spinning we have something to chat about.

loving: this picture.

I snapped it in Cullman last month, in this store.

reading: these books.

I give the scoop on those here. But as a brief update, Sweet Water has turned a little crazy. Beware.

excited about: a recent clearance find at an office supply store. It's reminiscent of my file tote from a couple of years ago, but it's a little bigger. It was $6, so I happily upgraded to accommodate my growing mess.

missing: some work buddies who flew the coop a couple of months ago. Football season trash talking isn't the same around here.

trying to: do this.

enjoying: this little gem of a bluetooth speaker.

It was a birthday gift that has delivered tunes to my morning routine every day. It makes mornings so much more bearable.

using: this lately.

The Dictionary app is handy for when I'm on the go, but I do enjoy going old-school at my desk sometimes.

wearing: a hair tie like this on my wrist every single day.

Everyone raves about how these don't leave a crease in your hair, post pony-tail. I would disagree and tell you they do leave a crease in my hair, albeit a less-crazy crease. With that said, they don't pinch, and that's good enough for me.

waiting on: season premieres of a couple of TV shows. I wish I weren't looking so forward to them. But I miss the Bravermans, and the Crawleys. Like they're real people. So sue me.

planning: some travel to commence in exactly 224 days. Packing lists can never start too soon.

singing: with Colla Voce again this fall. After a year off, it'll be good to make music again.

needing: a serious kick in the pants to get back to a gym routine. And for this sinus cold to vamoose.

learning: of some (more) dark corners of my heart that the Lord is oh-so-gently bringing into the light. My friends and I typically react to this uncomfortable refining process with a melodramatic Oh, the dross! The DROSS.

listening: to my JJ Heller station on Pandora. I'm so over local radio, and the songs they play over and over again. Pandora must be one of the greatest inventions ever. Do you agree?

wishing: my flight tomorrow morning did not require a 4:45 a.m. wake-up call. It's no secret that I'm not a morning person, but 4:45 is practically the middle of the night. Wrong, I say. Just wrong.

doing: birthday gift planning for the baby bro. I don't know what I'll land on, but it won't be one of these, guaranteed.

praying for: the supernatural strength to "delight in insults," like Paul manages to do in 2 Corinthians. It seems like an uphill battle, if I'm being honest, but I don't think faith is supposed to be easy.

dreaming of: just one, sacred month where I am not required to stroke a check for a home repair. That would be amazing.

These are the goings on in my world, right about now. What's happening in yours?

thankful thursday #147

There are seasons in my life where it feels like all I'm doing is spinning.

Spinning through my daily routines. Spinning the same questions and struggles around in my brain. Just spinning, and wondering how any of it really matters.

And, I'm spinning in a world that doesn't feel like home.

Do you know this feeling?

I'm living one of those seasons these days.

I hope it's not a lengthy season, but one day it will pass, and eventually the spinning will feel less like an endless replay, and more like motion, and progress.

But while I'm spinning, my brain seriously feels like exploding, and there are about two things in the world that seem to help: an ugly-girl laugh, and an ugly-girl cry. The ones with tears and tissues.

One or the other is good. Both in one night is best.

Thankful tonight I got both of those. It was a healthy release. I feel better.

Spinning lately? All the more reason to practice some gratitude. Go on, be grateful!

why sing

"As long as we live, there is never enough singing."
-- Martin Luther

September might drive me over the edge. The edge of what, I don't know, but an edge. Somewhere, an edge.

Research has shown that anxiety and stress are decreased in a person who sings, though, so I should be grateful that a few hours of my week are devoted to singing, yes?

Whether a person sings on key or not (surprising as it may be), they are releasing endorphins, breathing deeply, and increasing blood circulation and oxygen flow.

Psychologically, choral singers in particular are concentrating on music and technique, rather than worldly trappings; learning something new and thereby engaging their brain; and functioning as a team, where commitment and community create a supportive environment.

We know music is powerful. People lose their minds to attend the concert of a beloved band. Some give their lives to work in music therapy. Retirement homes host sing-a-longs for their residents. Songs move hearts in ways that the spoken word can't.

But singing. What was God thinking when he instituted the gift of song?

I have a smart worship pastor who shared these insights on the subject:

In Colossians, the third chapter gives specific rules for holy living. Paul exhorts the church at Colosse to let the word of Christ dwell in [them] richly as [they] teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as [they] sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude to God (v. 16).

In other words, their singing was the outpouring of the Spirit in their hearts.

Ephesians 5 also gives guidelines for living in the light of salvation: And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always ... (v. 18-20).

Again, being filled with the Spirit precedes singing to and for one another, and the Lord.

I've always believed music was a universal language, through which some people communicate even more naturally than their native tongue.

But singing.

Singing is a physical demonstration of a spiritual movement, and one to which believers are commissioned. It's evidence of the Spirit that fills them, it connects the members of the Body, and it's always attached to a thankful heart toward our Creator.

Now that's something to sing about!

thankful thursday #146

Thankful today for an unexpected field trip to squeeze this little guy. (The real guy. Not the stuffed bear.)

And that is all.

What good fortune caught you by surprise this week? Go on, be grateful!

for when naps take priority

August was an underwhelming month for me in the kitchen, with no recipes worthy of sharing.

I had great plans today for cooking something rated anything higher than "easy" by recipe-writer people, thinking perhaps I needed to be more committed. Invest more time and energy, to churn out a winner.

But then there was this afternoon thunderstorm that demanded a nap. So I opted for another novice recipe instead.

That's commitment, people.

This recipe was so fast and easy, in fact, that within one hour, I went to the grocery store, prepped, cooked, and had dinner on my plate.

It's a super-tasty vegetarian option, too, which I personally care nothing about, but for those of you who do, I'd highly recommend it as such.

Black Bean Burritos
Makes 6-8 burritos

1 16-oz. can regular refried beans
1 16-oz. can black refried beans
½ an onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. hot sauce
8 soft taco tortillas
2 c. Colby-Jack cheese, shredded
Sour cream and salsa, for topping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


2. In a large mixing bowl, combine beans, onion, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and hot sauce. (These measurements are just guidelines, so season yours to taste.)


3. On each tortilla, spread about ¼ cup of the shredded cheese, and about ½ cup of the bean mixture. (Again, all estimates here. Go with what makes you happy. And with what fits in your tortillas.)


4. Roll up each tortilla and place on a lined baking sheet, seam side down. Brush each burrito with canola oil.


5. Bake for 15 minutes, and serve with sour cream and salsa.

* I got 8 of these out of the medium-sized soft taco tortillas, but you may prefer to use burrito-sized tortillas, in which case you'd probably end up with 4-6 huge burritos instead. I bet if you used the small fajita-sized tortillas, you could get 10-12, which would be great for kiddos.

* The hot sauce does not make this spicy; it's just for flavor. Don't be scared.

Happy September, folks. May it produce much culinary fruit!