Monday Smiles

This is perhaps my new favorite picture of myself. My roommate, L., took it at the end of the day yesterday. That is "my" spot that I'm standing in. The spot in the park where I've gone time and time again over the last year, and particularly over the last several months to meet with Jesus. To pray, to listen, to think, to act things out, to simply be.

Friday was absolutely a terrible day. Saturday and Sunday were deep and beautiful, and better.

I'm mostly managing to smile this morning, sitting here at my desk, but find myself needing reminders of reasons to keep wearing that smile - to continue to be an aficionado of wonder - to live a full, deep, rich life, and find beauty in the simplest of things.

So, this is my Monday morning edition of "Things that are Making Me Smile"

• a cup of passion tea
• pork buns from the Chinese bakery I visited in China town on Saturday
• flip-flop weather
• that we once again (for sure this time) have a place to live
• curly hair
• a long drive through my favorite parts of the mountains yesterday
• Downy "White Lilac and Aloe" scented fabric softener
• a twirling skirt with bells on the hem
• a favorite necklace
• a collection of beautiful photos from the last two days, including a bunch that I feel actually capture "me" on film
• a few deeply special friends
• a Sunday school lesson on the crucifixion, that may or may not have challenged my students, but grabbed my heart in deep ways
• string cheese direct from wisconsin
• that, in spite of everything that's gone on these last months, I can still say "I'm not depressed" and be speaking truth
• Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
• a couple of songs that have been speaking to my heart lately
• two friends who listened and spoke peace to my heart yesterday morning after catching me just after I'd woken out of one of the more disturbing dreams I'd had of late
• kit kat bars
• hershey kisses with almonds
• a tiny blue sticker on an orange, confirming a word God spoke quite some time ago
• butterflies