Curled Up...

I wish you could see my house through my eyes tonight.

The tracklights that light our living room are dimmed, and there are candles lit on my coffee table - 6 tea lights and two pillars.

The tracklights are casting just the right glow on the photos of Paris hanging on the main wall of our living room.

My favorite throw blanket is strewn across the couch, where I can easily curl up in it.


On my tv, the movie "The Holiday" is playing. A feel-good, love story, Christmassy movie.

My kitchen smells great, because my roommate made brownies this afternoon, and I am cooking a favorite dinner - potatoes and sausages. The sausages are "turkey mango" homemade by a local butcher and purchased at the farmer's market last weekend, and they taste fantastic.

There are some books within arms reach of the spot on the couch where I am curled up (while not in the kitchen cooking).

I can hear the dryer tumbling in the background. I'll have warm, clean smelling pj's to crawl into later tonight.

My Bible is nearby, because I want to spend some time with it and a journal later, talking with Jesus about the upcoming week.

I'm planning for a long, hot bath later.

My Christmas tree is lit.

I wish you could see it all through my eyes, because I see home, and peace, and rest, and joy and deep beauty in all of these simple things.

Africa Wounded

I read a beautiful blog post, by a woman who seems to have spent much of her adult life as a missionary in Africa today. I've stolen her title, and I'll telling you that you need to go here and read her post.

Survived!

This is me, looking oddly puzzled about my topic for some reason, talking in church this morning. I gave my camera to one of my youth kids, and asked him to take a bunch of photos. I wanted proof that I actually got up there and did this!

Gathering my nerve

I'm speaking for a few minutes at church this morning.

Sharing a bit about my upcoming trip to Malta.

Trying to figure out how to share the things on my heart with these people, many of whom have known me since I was an infant.

Figuring out how to be the person I am, and speak from that place, instead of being the person they expect me to be, and speaking from that place.

I'm frightened, I'll admit it. But I'm going anyway.

I didn't sleep much last night, and what sleep I got was tense. I can barely move my neck from that tenseness this morning. I nearly passed out in the shower from light-headedness. But I'm going to do this. (And I think I'm going to be all right.)

I have a pretty good idea of what I want to say, just hoping it comes out of my mouth in a way that the understanding in my head is clearly communicated.

I'm gathering my nerve.