living today

So, I missed my post last week. I don't know what happened, but life suddenly is jam packed full every moment! I've been really thankful and enjoying it, though I'm exhausted and need to prioritize rest as well as keep tabs on quieting my heart in the midst of the flurry of activity.

Now this post will cover two weeks. :)

Monday, April 16th.

Kid History is a youtube series phenomenon all the rage in recent weeks. While babysitting the Weaver kids two Mondays ago, I captured several of their re-enactments. Here's one. These kiddos make me smile, and tired too. :)

Tuesday, April 17th.
At the end of Uncle Gene's visit he and my grandparents came to get a tour of our church building. Here they are afterwards looking very tourist-y.

Wednesday, April 18th.
This is so precious to me. My mom gave me a surprise visit at work in the morning and brought lilacs from home. I'm not sure if I've ever had a visit from her at work before, maybe once. It's just not anywhere near our end of town. This was so sweet to me because that morning I was feeling homesick and missing her because I hadn't been able to spend much time at home or with my family recently. One of those moments to tuck away and remember God's goodness.

Thursday, April 19th.
Kurt was on the porch and came in to tell Teresa and I  about a mother fox and her kits who were playing around their den and this tree. We took binoculars out and enjoyed a few moments watching their frolicking. You can't see them well here, but we got a pretty good visual. 

Then when I left work, this groundhog reminded me again of the fact that I work on a "farm." Pretty sure he lives right around there, as I've observed him on my walks to the mail. Loved unexpectedly seeing wildlife that afternoon!

Wednesday April 25th.
Professional Administrative Assistants Day (a.k.a. Secretaries Day).  My bosses/pastors did an excellent job of blessing Teresa and I. I love these flowers at my desk (still there!).

We took a tour of the building progress that afternoon. 

The amphitheater is looking green and lovely right next to the building.

I like this one. It captures just a little bit of the feel of walking through the building on a typical busy afternoon. Something is happening everywhere you look. Reminded me of a Richard Scarry book. :)

Thursday, April 26.
Little Miss Greta drew me a picture and gave it to me when I arrived to babysit.

Friday, April 27th.
I loved running an errand to Central Market to pick up a flower bouquet.  I felt so very feminine and metropolitan as I walked the city streets with a big beautify bouquet on that windy day.

Saturday, April 28th.
We had our Women by Design ladies day event. I really enjoyed helping out administratively during my work week and then coming together with the ladies from church on Saturday. The worship, teaching, fellowship, and food was all very good, and I'm very thankful we had that time.

Pretty bird and branch center pieces at our table.

Women by Design

I am very aware of my need for the grace of God to be a good helper and faith-filled like my name-sake. "And you are [Sarah's] children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening." (1 Peter 3:6) I so often fail in this.

Ultimately I need more than Sarah's example.  I need my Savior's, and the power of his life, death, and resurrection in my life.

Some notes from Pete's Women by Design message on Saturday:

• Jesus was full of grace and truth, not just truth without grace. 
• Ask for a gentle and quiet spirit so you can be a helper. 
• Men don't always recognize the help you are trying to bring. 
• Helping doesn't come through striving, but the Lord gives us grace to help even when we see they are going the wrong way.
• It is in cross-carrying and suffering that glorifies God best. 

"they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. ... but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." (1 Peter 3:1-4)

Being precious in my Father sight, oh what a secure thing to know the intimate care and pleasure of my Lord!

living today

This past week . . . 

Uncle Eugene visiting from Beirut, Lebanon

Sara Bruton's 25th birthday cards glowing.

Glow bowling with some of the Hanna care group for Sara's birthday last Friday.

Holly & Sara. :)

They were "dancing" to the song. It was cute. :)
Happy 25th Sara!

Some frisbee at the Sensenig family Easter this past Sunday.
Grandma and Granddaddy have such a pretty yard.

Some visiting kids placed these rocks on a stump at the church office over a week ago.
The evidence of their presence remains, and made me smile.

A sight I see 5 days a week.

living today

I've decided to start something new on this blog. Each week, probably on Monday, I'll post a photo, video, or snap shot in words of life in the past week. I'm calling these series of posts "living today," borrowing from my blog tag. It's similar to what I like to do with instagram, twitter, or facebook, but this will be more routine. I hope it to be a light and fun addition to my blog, helping to recount the moments, sights, and experiences God places around me each week.

This is the stuff life's made of, the stuff we live in today, the context that living today in light of that day is done in. This is the world we live in, the beautiful and the broken. Life is but a breath, and then comes that Day. "Til the day," here are some moments that have caught my eye in the life God's given me in the here and now.

Sunday April 1.
Aunt Cheryl drove up from Charlotte to spend a week with us over Easter.
She brought her friends Jay & Pamela and their two dogs.

Wednesday April 4.
I was getting over being sick the day before.
Skipped the gym and went on a morning walk instead.
Our road is more scenic & fresh than Planet Fitness by far!

Monday April 9.

Last week to file your taxes.

Lady Liberty dances in downtown Lancaster 

(missed the best parts, but here you go).

The Great Healer Mends Fractures

What a beautiful gospel connection on this Good Friday. I'm thankful for the hope filled insight in Stephen Altrogge's Blazing Center post from yesterday, excerpted below:

There is only one person who can cross the great divide between us and God and only one person who can mend the deep division in our relationships with others.

By his death on Good Friday and his resurrection three days later, Jesus has crossed the divide for us and is bringing us together as his people. Ephesians 2:12-14 highlights this beautifully:

…remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…

Jesus is the great healer. In him, the fracture is being mended. Our brokenness is being healed. Our exclusion is being repaired. I once was far off from God but now I have been brought near. I once was excluded from the people of God but now the dividing wall of hostility has been torn down. I am now a son of God, and heir with Christ, and a member of God’s family.

Easter is a reminder that God has begun to heal the fracture that ripped the world apart. The break is being mended, the division being repaired! Someday, when Jesus returns, we will again be in the immediate presence of God. There will be no sense of exclusion, no sense of alienation. Everything will be made right again. I’m so looking forward to that day.