.Loved Relentlessly.

Just rambling today, and wanted to share... There is something so glorious about a heart being given full permission to jump headlong into its God-breathed passions. In the last few weeks of my life I have felt that permission more than ever before. Whether it's tending to my very own garden, or starting to once again play piano on a daily basis, or teaching music classes, or being part of an "organized" worship group...my heart is waking up in so many ways. One of my favorite songwriters, Jonathan David Helser, used these words in one of his songs - I will live out the dreams You have placed in me / shout down the walls of fear! There is something so powerful in standing up to the enemy and saying, "I am doing this because God created me to do it - and by golly, there's no stopping me now!" Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. - Prov 13:12

There are times in ones life when your heart is at an absolute loss. It's not that you can't find the words to express your feelings - but there are truly no words . If you are in a supporting role during those times, then you know the feeling. Anything that could be said - "I'm so sorry" - "God loves you" - "God is in control" - "It will all be ok " - it all sounds so trite. And then...if you are the one in the middle of that gray field of pain...then you know that smothering, flailing feeling of simply not comprehending how it all got to this point. How did time pass so quickly? Why do things have to change? Why has everything that was once so alive and breathing come to an abrupt halt? It is in those moments - when we are face to face with loss, or change, or pain - that we wonder...is this reality? Am I really here, still breathing? Or am I just a spectator of some play on some stage? Is this not reality? No. No, it's not. I k...

Memorial Day weekend and the first week of June have come and gone. Over the last few weeks we have stayed busy, and the days have flown past. On Tuesday after Memorial Day we took a spontaneous camping trip to Defeated Creek campground, on Cordell Hull. Dan had to work most of the weekend before, so we thoroughly enjoyed a little change of pace...even if it was less than 24 hours. We pitched our tent, sat in our camping chairs on our "porch" (the hill overlooking the lake), and made friends with the cicadas. Wednesday morning we got up, ate a yummy camping breakfast, and spent a couple of hours in our kayaks out on the lake. We are finding that in the midst of so much transition these past several months, we are having to be intentional about getting away from the projects and stuff, to just spend time together and with the Lord. And when we do...it's always worth it. Sunset on Cordell Hull... On our camping trip we were dive-bombed several times by these little critter...