Double Digits

Ten.  A Decade.  10.  

More than half way to eighteen.

Happy Birthday, Rynn!

Feb. 26, 2013

The Year of the Snake

I've been craving a bit of color lately

cultural color

physical color.

  Chicago's Chinatown was the perfect recipe.

This afternoon thousands packed the streets of Wentworth Ave.

to welcome in the Year of the Snake.

The girls and I decided to join them.

Snow Graffiti

Tired of winter?  Try some "snow graffiti" to liven things up.  My girls are keeping it real by making the best of the snow and cold.  Snow boots, snow pants, and mittens required at recess.  Piles of shoveled snow on the playground upon which to climb. No snow days in these parts...

I decided today that as

painted toenails are to Atlanta, 

Chacos are to Chattanooga,

bangs & tattoos are to Portland, 

the long down coat is to the Midwest. 

 For two years I've mocked, shunned, and refused to buy one

 ...until last week when temperatures plunged to single digits.

I now know who the real fool is.

Me.  

There is a reason people in Chicago

like to wear sleeping bags...

Part of the Story

The last couple of nights our girls have been asking for us to read the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis.  At the close of one chapter they beg for us to read more so they might hear again the next twist or turn of events which are around every corner of Joseph's life. My children remind me how God uses story to capture our hearts,  to call us to himself, and to give us a bigger picture of our own lives.

I listened to a sermon this morning while folding our endless mountain of laundry which seems to build faster than the ice on lake Michigan.  In an introduction to the book of Genesis, Rankin Wilbourne speaks about the life of Jacob.

He says this,

"When God tells Jacob 'I will go down with you into Egypt and I will bring you back up'... Jacob could not know what path, what arduous back breaking, heart breaking path to God’s promise being fulfilled that would be before him...

The Lord only gives the promise “I am God, I will be with you, and I will bring you up again.” 

We never get the whole story. If God were to tell us all that our future holds, all the lacerating twists, all of the surprises, we’d be so paralyzed that we couldn’t get out of bed.  Instead God just gives us the same promise, 'This is headed somewhere.  This story is going somewhere, and one day it will all make sense, but until then remember, “I am God.” Do not be afraid. I will be with you.'

Your story is part of THE story which will one day redefine your own, and grace will no longer be a word or experience but a way of seeing what is unseen until you see yourself and the world differently, because the Lord has been your shepherd all the days through."

(Listen to the whole sermon here http://pacificcrossroads.org/teaching-series/genesis-a-baptized-imagination/)

More Photos

A Sunny Saturday+ My Family+ 20 degrees warmer (25 instead of 5)= 

Much Better Pictures of the Lake

Splash!

What Cold Looks Like

 We are deep into our third winter in the Midwest.  

That little blue dip, in the middle of the weather map 

on the back page of the newspaper, is where we call home. 

 It is COLD right now.  

What does cold look like? 

This morning I took these photos 

while standing out on the frozen edge of Lake Michigan.

The view of land (and the Evanston Lighthouse)

The view of the lake ...
the Northwestern students on the left
 give you a little perspective on the sheer amount of ice
that builds on the beach.

Sledding in the Big City

Things are looking quite wintry around these parts this weekend.

The view from our condo is pretty magical.

Snow like this makes us want to run out and play.