88/365

"Here we taste how potent, and personal, is fellowship as a means of grace. As partners under God’s word, and in prayer, a brother who knows me as me, and not generic humanity, speaks the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) into my life, and gives me a word “such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29)."
- from "Learn to Fly in the Fellowship," by David Mathis at the Desiring God blog, March 12, 2014

87/365

a field trip, and a reminder that this place that sometimes seems so dry is truly very beautiful.

86/365

a gaming afternoon.
(and didn't someone tell mom never to grocery shop when she is hungry?)

85/365

The plan is to take the tan van, man.

84/365

Another licensed driver!
And perhaps equally as celebration-worthy, a new improved photo on my own license.

83/365

Win-win: a couple of hours with him and carrying home unexpected treats for my girls.

82/365

... a toda criatura.

Marcos 16:15 (RVR 1960)

(taken at Iglesia Principe de Paz, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, MX)

81/365

A new-to-me song that continued playing in my head to bless me through the remainder of the day...

Brothers, let us come together 
Walking in the Spirit, there's much to be done...
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love...

Sisters, we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us...
We will come reaching, with a song of healing...
And they will know us by our love!

The time is now
Come Church arise...
Love with His hands
See with His eyes...
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love...

Children, You are hope for justice,
Stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above
You will be reaching, long after we’re gone,
And they will know you by your love! 

Written by Christy Nockels
© 2009 worshiptogether.com Songs / sixsteps Music (admin. by EMI CMG Publishing) (ASCAP)

80/365

If only.

I had spent the last day and a half listening and learning about the most difficult of issues- human trafficking and addiction and prison ministry and cross-cultural ministry issues and immigration issues and how to help refugees and finding resources and space and volunteers and...

Nothing seems simple or uncomplicated.

In his message to conference attendees, those of us looking for glimpse of hope in the midst of the labors of serving, Pastor Doug Logan of Epiphany Church (PCA) in Camden, New Jersey reminded us that Jesus IS enough. "His efficient, proficient, sufficient ability" again and again supplies more than enough. "He turns our mess into His message," Logan preached, and we respond with a hearty Amen.

And that one thing, an undeserved gift from our God who proves himself merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6), is the most delightfully simple thing of all. 

79/365

When all corners of the world come to your door, what can you do?
Love them well.
Teach them English.
Speak the Word.
Live the Gospel.

(ESL Teacher Training, College Park, MD)

78/365

travel day

76/365

Her name means "white, fair" and according to Nameberry.com, it is trending up this week. Trends aside, all we know is that our Fiona is absolutely beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made, and dearly loved, just as her two brothers before her, just as her mom before that. She entered this world on St. Patrick's day. St. Patrick's breastplate prayer is the same that we pray for our Fiona-

Christ with you, Christ before you, Christ behind you, Christ in you,
Christ beneath you, Christ above you,
Christ on your right, Christ on your left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of you,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of you,
Christ in every eye that sees you,
Christ in every ear that hears you.

(photo credit to Ashley and Tom, Tom I'm guessing. We're grateful for them and for the technology that allows us to see them even when the geograpic distance seems enormous!)

75/365

Heading north but looking south, we stopped to get a photo of the roadside wildflowers, but in the end, it was the clouds that won.

I do love a road trip, even when it means delivering our boy back to school, but this day, I was glad for the trip to be finished. We weren't the only ones leaving the Rio Grande Valley after spring break. Traffic was heavy, and occasionally dangerous. At one point, we went off the road to avoid a car changing lanes and then stopping abruptly in front of us. After much thanks for safety and a few pushes to get out of the soft median dirt, we were back on the road.

I am admittedly becoming a more anxious passenger. I remember my grandma and her shouts of "JIM!" to my grandpa while driving. I try not to watch the traffic.

There are a lot of wildflowers, pink and yellow and red and purple, roadside in south Texas this time of year...

74/365

pizza night

73/365

a night at the Rio Grande Livestock Show and Rodeo-
and plenty more photos to see in a Picasa album.

72/365

Where flowers bloom, so does hope.
- Lady Bird Johnson

71/365

... and then she fell off the wagon.
Thankfully, one was enough.

Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies, gluten-free for those of you who need that- as my Costa Rican friends would say, ¡Que rico!

70/365

You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
- Zig Ziglar

69/365

Spring break for an architecture major...

67/365

But, of course, ceasing to be ‘in love’ need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense — love as distinct from ‘being in love’ — is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be ‘in love’ with someone else. ‘Being in love’ first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. it is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.”

- C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity