Thursday, February 24, 2011

peace that passes understanding


     "Between the war and the economy, we're receiving a steady stream of reasons to despair.  I don't know the first thing about economics, but for the first time in my life, I find myself saying things like, "What happened to the Dow today?"  I don't even know what the Dow really is, and what exactly it means when something happens to it, but I feel like I should ask. 
     I got a letter recently from our bank.  Enclosed was a lovely little story, possibly written by a child, about rain and umbrellas and waiting out a storm, and essentially, it was a two-page way of saying, hey, don't freak out.  Um, I wasn't, really, til my bank sent me a letter about storms and floods written either for or by a seven-year-old.  
     Deep breath.  We are where we are.  The world is as beautiful and broken as it ever was, and if you're anything like me, it takes some tricks to get back to centered, whole, deep-breathing, faith-filled places.  On the days when, after watching the news or opening a letter from our bank, I'm tempted to lie down on the ground and let the anxiety I feel about our world flatten me like a steamroller, instead I do these things:
     I pray.  I speak to God, sometimes out loud, often in the car, frequently in the shower.  I ask for help about things I don't understand.  I ask for peace, and grace, and the ability to see outside myself.  I pray for people who are at the mercy of these scary headlines--auto workers by the thousands who are losing jobs, children who's parents are unable to provide for them.  And I pray for the people who can solve these problems--politicians both federal and local, pastors, philanthropists.  I pray for a way through, a light at the end of the tunnel."

     "And that's the core of prayer: admitting that just maybe, there's something going on that we can't see.  so when I'm afraid, I pray, and I ask for God's help, that I will be able to see something I wasn't able to see before, or at least trust him to do the seeing.
     Someone asked my dad recently how often we can pray for the very same thing, and he said that we should pray as often as we need to until the anxiety subsides, until, as it says in the Bible, we are filled with the peace that passes human understanding.  That sounds delicious: peace that passes human understand.  That's what I'm starving for, and so I've been praying, sometimes even just the same phrase or sentence over and over again.  I find that's an awful lot of praying for the same thing, but also that the anxiety does eventually subside, and the peace that does indeed come, and it's pretty much the best feeling in the world."
          -written by Shauna Niequist in her book 'bittersweet'


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Clearwater Beach, Florida-2nd Annual

for the month of february, Chris' parents and grandparents rent a house in clearwater beach, florida.  they invite us down for a visit, we gladly accept and enjoy a fabulous long weekend in the sun making memories with family!  here's a glimpse of our trip:

our favorite drink from one of our favorite places:
the Cava-Rita from Clearwater Wine Co.

the new-found candy store! 

Chris with papa and grandma at Shepherd's 

we enjoyed the beautiful sunsets over the gulf of Mexico



another treat of visiting Clearwater/Tampa: spending time
with Chris' cousin Beth and her boyfriend Josh (he's just a LITTLE guy)

another favorite activity is visiting John's Pass, a 
touristy area with shops and resturants

enjoying the BEST tacos and wings in Florida at The Hut


we made a pit-stop at The Pub

papa and Chris fishing

probably the absolute favorite place in Clearwater Beach: FRENCHY'S 
which sits right on the beach overlooking the ocean

watching the sun go down while waiting for our food at Frenchy's

the dolphins swam right up to our dock to catch their breakfast!  
needless to say they ruined the fishing for the rest of the day!



photo shoot in the front yard


a visit to the pier


picture off of the dock in the back yard

papa thoroughly enjoying the fishing from the dock

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Where's Waldo?



while we were in San Antonio, we saw this crazy guy everywhere! 
we never had to wonder Where's Waldo? 

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Isaiah 58:9-12

"Then when you pray, God will answer.  You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.' 
"If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sins.  If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.  I will always show you where to go.  I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places--firm muscles, strong bones.  You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry, you'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past.  You'll be known to those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again."

The Message Bible

what do you need to RESTORE?

Thursday, February 10, 2011

vacaciones a Cabo

a few photos from our Christmas trip to Cabo!






 Cabo Wabo



 the famous arch

i caught a picture of the whale!!!
 snorkeling

 mom and i swam with the dolphins!
a check off my bucket list!

 but first i had to hold the parrot






 family photos