desperate gratitude

It's easier to write in a season of soulful angst. At least for me.
Then what is hard contrasts vividly against the promises and character of God.
When the blessings flow I don't remember as easily that I am still desperate for God.
Thankfullness can be reckless, right?

The season of fasting is over.
The past few weeks, the weekends especially, have been ones of fullness. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. The food and conversation have all been rich. Each moment has weight now. The memories are important as soon as they happen and will be even more so in restrospect through the weeks and months to come. I am aware of the glances between old friends that say more than their words, the studied gaze of new friends learning the landscape of each others faces, the contentment of being together and letting the time flow unnoticed. I take multiple snapshots with my camera and my heart, wanting to make it last as long as possible. Soon everything will change. Several of us are moving. None very far apart, but all to entirely new locations. Classes are starting and stopping. Jobs are changing. We all promise ourselves and make only slightly-veiled threats to each other that we will all stay at the same church and small group, then hold our breath and hope we are right.

These are a few of the faces that represent the souls that enrich my days:

My newest friend, Esther pondering the idiosyncrasies of Amish-land. I'll let her draw her own conclusions.

Kate. Who says her life is like an awkward pool party.

and Jess came for a visit and made me laugh more than I have in weeks.

virtuosity

sweet Maddie with her favorite kitten

Oh, Jona. I love you! (P.S. Thanks for sharing your photos!)

I'm pretty sure this guy is the next Spurgeon or Elliot or Wilkerson. For now he answers to Chad. Chadwick. Chadley. Chadster. Chadderbox. Anything but Chaddy.

This shot has got to be worth money. If not now, someday. If not because his band will be famous then because it's rare to get one of Noah, as just Noah.

We like all his other faces too.

My favorite Leah

Sisters

Daddy love

My ideal man

My view every time I drive away from my sister's home

processional of life

Congratulations my dear, sweet, wonderful friend. It has been an absolute joy to walk through these last two years with you. All the tears, struggles, hopes, joys and fears have made you who you are today....because God was present with you through it all.

His grace is what has made it all possible.

His lovingkindess and mercy are what have kept your feet from slipping. I am so proud of the way you have grown - received teaching, acknowledged your need for help and opened your heart to love. You have become a beautiful woman inside and out. I have been blown away by all that God has done in and through you so far and am excited beyond words to see what He has in store to bless you in the coming months.

Trust Him - He is good...all the time.
Love Him - He gave His life for yours.
Fear Him - He is holy.
Serve Him - He deserves your praise and there are others who need to know how great He is.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life.
I wouldn't be the same without you.
You have been my friend, my sister, my companion.
I love you. Congratulations on a job well done.

pray without ceasing

Every now and then the teen mom I live with will coach her daughter through saying a simple dinner time prayer. She has her repeat each word and at the end, the baby never says the last word (but she always know when it's done) and instead voices a loud and long Aaaaaamen in her sweet baby voice.

Beginning sometime mid-week last week this is what we've been hearing:

mommy: What does a cow say?
baby: mooooo!
mommy: What does a cat say?
baby: meow!
mommy: What does a dog say?
baby: arf arf!
mommy: What does a duck say:
baby: quack, quack!
mommy: What does a horse say?
baby: Aaaaaaamen!
-----------
mommy: Diamond
baby: Diamond
mommy: doesn't
baby: dudent
mommy: hit
baby: hit
mommy: mommy
baby: Aaaaaamen!
-----------
baby: book!!
baby: booooook!!!
me: please
baby: please
me: read
baby: wead
me: my
baby: my
me: book
baby: book
me: to
baby: to
me: me
baby: Aaaaaamen!

how to win undying affection

posting this video may result in winning the guitar used in its production
said guitar would be handed over to my 14 year old nephew
who would then love me forever
more than he already does
enabling me to cash in on all kinds of favors and service in return
for years to come

no I'm not going to give you the link so you can enter for yourself!
you'll just have to work to figure it out

eye luggage

latest conversation:
i'm getting crow's feet
sleep might help
maybe some cucumber slices
they won't stay on
i'm too busy laughing at my favorite mis-pronunciation of all time
gnawfork connecticut
most people spell it norfolk

word of the day: context

plans for tomorrow:
travel mugs of coffee from Guatemala
homemade marmalade muffins
road trip
conversation and music with friend of 11 plus years (i think that's a record)
NYC
staten island ferry
art gallery
and whatever else we dream up
maybe a stop at cafe lalo
photos to follow

realization:
i should sleep
i'm going to launch a germ warfare campaign against the stink bugs that keep invading my loft
flushing them is apparantly not effective
this is my third post today (also a record)
here's to multi-tasking to stay sane during tedious tasks

Mr. Happy

Mr. Happy
by Seth



Mr. Happy was always happy.
His teeth are always white.
His nose was big.
All those things he liked.
The end.

On being an Auntie

I don't have a series of photos for every item on the list like Pioneer Woman (Yes, I'm still reading. I resigned myself to short jaunts out in public every other day), but this past weekend I....

drove a combined total of 3 hours to see eveyone I wanted to
the first person I wanted to see was my sister
(one of these days I'll get a good photo to represent all she is to me.....eh, maybe not just one)
slept till 9 am for the first time in weeks (the favorites shockingly waited to jump on my head until after I was partially awake)
took a grocery shopping adventure with my favorite three year old niece
detoured to buy windshield wipers
stopped to see her mommy at work at Wawa
where we bought a hot dog and pink! milk lunch for her and a vitamin water (yup, the pink one) for me (it was only eleven am)
took the 8 year old stow-away back home
counted all the vrooms (translation: motorcycles) we saw on the way to the store
had 15 minute dialogue with the grandma who stopped to admire her beautiful brown eyes and blonde pigtails at the produce section, and the cereal aisle, and the pasta aisle, and the dairy section
cleaned up her strawberry milk from the chicken aisle (those handy paper towels are good for more than chicken juice)and every item in the cart (ever tried to get all the milk, the pink! milk, out of the twistie-tie area of a package of hamburger buns while perfecting your short-stop catching arm for all the items being flung out of the sticky grocery cart?)
put all the candy bars, gum and tic-tacs back in the display next to the checkout lane
loaded the groceries in the car
took her back inside to go potty (where we also dicussed world politics and interior decorating)
took her home for her nap
played Lord of the Rings Monopoly
threw some chicken in a pot for dinner(I defer to someone else's nifty photos here)
critiqued art from the newest street vendor on Sunset Dr.
listened to the pubescent cracks and whistles from the voicebox of my 14 year old nephew
documented the invasion of a gang of pirates and gypsies








finished cooking dinner with my sister
then ate it heartily with the whole loud 9 of us (yum!)
watched the first half of Australia (I haven't seen the last half yet, so shush)
mingled throughout was delicious conversation about:
God. Love. Art. Memories. Life. Dreams.
fell back into my ever so lumpy yet comfy hide-a-auntie-sofa around midnight

and that was just Saturday

number 6!!

My newest nephew, Isaac Roah Shafer, arrived Saturday the 15th at 6:26 pm. He weighed 8 lbs. 9 oz. and was 21 in long. The first two days were scary as he made a trip to the ER Sunday night and had a high fever all day Monday. It was eye opening for me to watch my sister go from praying for enough love to care for her sixth child to sitting with her through tears asking if after all they have gone through this year, would God ask for this son back so soon. God has been so kind to us in healing his little body from whatever it was. He is gaining "chub" and cuteness every day and there is certainly no shortage of love for him to thrive on. There is so much more to say, and many more pictures to follow. I am loving having my niece's digital camera to play with.