Date Night

Just went to the movies with Ryan tonight.

I love going to movies.

It's one of my favorite things.

I like movies, for one.  But I also love our mandatory treat of buttered popcorn, Jr. Mints and a large Mountain Dew.  It makes a movie date official.


We started seeing more movies lately.  The past few years it's been pretty sparse.

Back before kiddos, we went to the movies every Friday afternoon.  That's right.  You heard me.  Every Friday afternoon.  It was a long-standing movie date. And it was awesome.


Tonight we saw Bourne Legacy.

It was also awesome.

The Bourne movies are ranked as some of my all-time favorites.

This one did not disappoint.


I was nervous the whole time.  But good, exciting, suspenseful nervous.  Not the annoying kind.


I ate popcorn.

I ate cold Jr. Mints.

I sipped Mountain Dew.


And it was good.

Falling into Chaos

Finally --

I'm beginning to realize that humans naturally fall into a state of chaos.

At least I do.

Chaos is so easy.  It's just what happens.  

          Piles pile up.  Things clutter.  Hands and faces and toilets get messy.  If not kept up, houses and barns collapse upon themselves.

     In nature too . . . weeds grow.  Vines tangle.  Trees fall.  Predatory animals leave their bloody carcasses to rot.

We are sinful by nature.  Our natural state is against God's will.  It is easy to fall into hate and jealousy, laziness and indifference, selfishness and pride.  Easy.

To follow God's voice . . . that is hard work. . . to love people we don't want to love . . . to forgive people we can't imagine forgiving . . . to help and serve instead of ignore . . . to feed and clothe and visit and care for . . .

                                to get up and do it . . . 

                                                      to put things back in order. 

That's tough.

But that is what we're called to do.

And now to apply some theology to my kitchen cupboards:

Remember what this looked like yesterday, Mom?

Nothing short of chaos.

And this?

You can actually see the counter!

Fabulous.

Chaos is so easy.

Order takes a lot of work.

So that is why I am learning that I can organize one kitchen cupboard and then . . . go along with the rest of my day.

It doesn't have to be perfect. 

It doesn't have to be complete.

Because that's life --

               an imperfect, incomplete, messy ride through chaos . . . 

    . . . but once splashed with God's waters of grace . . .

a ride of beauty beyond compare.

Enjoy the view.

Ladybug Tent

You know that space of 35 minutes between when you put the chicken in the oven and you get ready to eat?

Yeah.  

Me too.

Today Finley and I ventured into the basement and pulled up Ladybug Tent.

It was a huge hit.

It got a little rough . . . 

          but there was lots of laughter

                        and minimal tears.

Nothing beats a tent in the middle of your living room.

Except maybe a Ladybug tent.

That's pretty fly.

Baptismal Banners

Three and a half years ago, I started making baptismal banners for those who are baptized at our church.  I think it's such a beautiful and welcoming idea.

For the first time in my ministry career, two high school youth asked to be baptized.  

At Holden Village.

In May.

Everything worked out -- it was such a holy and blessed event.

Today I finally finished their baptismal banners.

I created a waterfall symbol to remind the girls of their Holy Spirit bath -- and to remind them of Holden, where they were baptized.

The banners hang in the back of our church for one year.  On their first baptismal birthday, they get to take them home and hang them up -- a daily reminder of being splashed in God's waters.

A reminder that they Walk Wet every day.

Oopsadaisy

Finley's new word:

                   Oopsadaisy.

Drop a shoe?

                   "Oopsadaisy!"

Spill milk all over your dress?

                   "Oopsadaisy!"

Foot slip while climbing a rock wall?

                   "Oopsadaisy!"

Tear out a page in a book?

                   "Oopsadaisy!"

Trip on a G.I. Joe guy?

                   "Oopsadaisy!"

Hearing that sweet sing-song voice?

                   Priceless.

No Girls Allowed

"Can I come?"

                        Blazer excitedly asked when he observed all the fun, fabulous games I am planning for my sister-in-law's baby shower next weekend.

"Sorry" I said, "baby showers are just for girls."

Thirty minutes later . . .

"What's this?" I asked.

"No girls allowed in the G.I. Joe circle."

"Where did this come from?"

"Well . . . when you said baby showers were only for girls, I thought about playing G.I. Joe without girls.  Except the toy girls -- the G.I. Joe girls."

Huh.

Well that makes sense.

        

It's August

So that means . . .

     Sunday school

                 and Christmas program

                                    planning.

Yah Hoo!

I love this stuff.

Sunset Walks

We've been going on sunset walks.

That's my favorite time of the day.

Especially to walk.

Today marks fourteen days in a row we've been walking in the evening.

           Which, I recently learned from reading a Jane Austen book, is a fortnight.

We've also been stopping at the park to play G.I. Joe Adventures for a fortnight too.

I said, "Let's do this every night for a whole year."

Blazer added, "Let's do it every night for forever."

Deal.