thoughts from the deep recesses

Coffee pot. Crumbs on counter. Travel mug washed and still on counter from my intern meeting on Monday morning. (Evidence that I am the only person who puts hand washed items away and I've had a busy week.) Outside my front window. It's frosty today, but really, quite warm for January. Our highs have been about 10 degrees above normal all month. It's garbage day. Someone needs to pick up pinecones. E. watching tv. Thursday is the only morning I allow this, since it's late start at school. They have to hang the clean shirts up while they're watching. Savannah also watching - surrounded by shirts that need to be taken to their respective closets. Doesn't she just look bored out of her gourd? The sun is shining. Hallelujah! This has been such a fabulous winter - especially after the ALL the snow we had last year. The closet door is open, as it is almost every morning. Somehow the kids have no problem opening it to get their backpacks out, but they never seem to g...

I'm completely overwhelmed by the pain and suffering in Haiti. It's difficult to simply go about my day, doing laundry and running kids around town when I know a part of the world is so devastated... I simply cannot imagine how they will ever recover. Here I am worried about my kids' grades and whether to buy the French Vanilla or the Hazelnut creamer for my coffee and there are hundreds of thousands of people without basic necessities. Water. Shelter. Food. I'll be taking the dog in this afternoon to get her shots - spending $50 on my pet - while children are searching for their parents, living with the realization that the world just shook them into orphan status, and struggling just to find something to eat. I wish I could go. I wish I could hold hands. Show compassion. Comfort. Love. Feed. I don't know how God loves us all so much... how He carries the sorrow of seeing our fallen world... how He sees our suffering and doesn't just implode with the weight of ...

We had the opportunity on Monday evening to go to a ceremony for some friends... the husband surprised his wife on their 13th anniversary and had arranged for them to renew their vows - complete with the obligatory maids of honor (their daughters,) ring bearer (their youngest son,) and proud giver of the bride (their oldest son.) There was even a slide show and a new ring involved. It was lovely and romantic and made us all teary eyed. It's always an amazing thing to ponder how two people are made one. And how that union brings about other little people who make the world more complete. For those of us who have only known Russ and Shannon as a married couple, it seemed strange to see photos of them before . Because now they are so together . Do you know what I mean? Tonight I was talking with a young man Asia mentors... he and I have never really had an opportunity to talk without Asia around. But tonight Asia had to go pick up the kids from youth group and so we talked. He wanted ...

I spent some time last night reflecting on 2009... I'm a big fan of Simple Moms blog - and used these questions to walk through the process... As I answered the questions, I was fascinated to see how God continues to work... 2009 was a great year. 2008 was a year of incredible growth and opportunity as I walked through the privilege and challenge of caring for Tejan and going to Sierra Leone. I felt as though I was stretched to within an inch of my life as God pulled my heart all the way around the world. I don't think I walked into 2009 expecting much... I just needed to rest. And I did. While I started 2009 with a crazy busy schedule, which really peaked in April and May when I was working at Apropos and Weight Watchers, blogging for Memory Box and trying to manage our home, I ended it with complete peace and serenity... I now work only for Weight Watchers. I LOVE my job there and am so honored to walk with people on their journey to good health. (I resigned from the Memor...