snow is magic

eager it falls
freed
from heavy clouds

lightly it dances
on a journey
towards
earth

softly it carpets
windshields
streets and sidewalks

saying rest, wait, hope
let's
start afresh
let go
and fall
into dreams

Before Jesus Came

Before Jesus came to earth, God wasn't man. His grace didn't cover sin. The Holy Spirit wasn't in us. Before Jesus came, the word was not flesh. God's love was not known. When Jesus came to earth, a Savior was born. This Christmas season, I'm going to practice the art of resting. Cherishing the gift we have in Christ. I'm going to unplug from technology, and hold onto the loved ones He has given. It will take putting aside pride, to say what's on my heart. Peace, Love, Joy, Patience, Kindness can only come from one source. I know that the fear Mary and Joseph felt bringing a baby to a troubled world isn't different from the fears we experience today. We wonder if we're strong enough, if we have the faith it takes to pursue Him in the places we are. We don't want to fall short of the expectations of those we care about most. Yet, the God who gives Joy and Hope has no bounds. And He is capable of meeting us in our circumstance and filling our hearts with more of who He is. If we stop to gaze on the majesty of a baby born in a manger, how will He move in our lives this Christmas?

The River of Life

Moss has found it's home between the boards of the deck. Raindrops cascade from the ivy which lines the fence. A mist fills the air. There is a current of water falling from the roof of the shed as the trees sway with life. I feel very still inside this silent house with the storm outside. A siren calls in the distance, the wind howls, and the leaves crackle. I find myself at Madison Street. Despite our insistence on it's persistence, home changes over time. Two cats are welcome where a feline has never tread. My brother's room is now my father's office. Our backyard has become a jungle of native plants. The Television, which was once only a conduit of video cassettes, has full cable streaming. The photos, which once contained only cousins and aunts and uncles, now have neices and nephews. The rain falls harder outside and I'm reminded that this life isn't a moment in time, but a flowing river, moving from one event to the next. When life is sweet, we hold onto the moments and make memories. Each remembrance is the hope that time will stop and honor the joy we have found. My grandma turns 80 tomorrow. She is now the steward of a lifetime of memories. I remember as a child, winding up a piano jewlery case that sang the song from "Cats" and Mimi would belt out the lyrics. As a dairy farmer's youngest daughter, a Navy stenographer in Pearl Harbor, and a elementary-school teacher, she has many stories to tell. We had a sing along with friends and family, to celebrate her life, and found the words we needed in the lyrics of "Moon River" and "As Time Goes By". As the stream of life flows on, I hope that I can bring the peace, joy, patience, and love which she brought to this world.

Headlands Haze

So I am sitting in our dorm at 8:33 on a summer's eve and there is a redish haze on the tops of the hillsides out the window. It is peering through the pine tree which shades our abode. The hanging windows remind me of a schoolhouse in a country town, white squares framing our view. There is a heater duct that roars to life which runs from the kitchen through our common room and down towards the bedrooms. When I walk in to the kitchen, our stainless steel sinks and giant rod-iron gas stove transport me to an industrial cafeteria. Earlier this week, Eric asked if Kevin and I would be interested in helping with the two high school interns who are going to be joining us shortly on surveys and I offered to pick them up from the bus stop on the other side of the golden gate bridge. I even suggested I can drop by in my "shaggin minivan wagon"! It was one of those moments where my brain decides to rhyme for no reason at all. Yet of course, Kevin, my coworker, has brought it up a few times since and is now convinced that I drop by high school cafeteria's on the prowl. Somehow, these jokes/verbal confrontations always come up while I'm driving or in another moment of weakness. I think humor is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we don't want to take ourselves too seriously and on the other we do! haha. It takes humor sometimes to realistically confront our faults and weaknesses. So I guess I'm learning to not take life quite so seriously. As the day winds to a close, the redish haze has faded to a purple fog outlining the landscape and the twinges of twilight appear. For some reason, I feel more accomplished this saturday than normal. After a great beach trip, phone call with bro, running errands in Sausalito, and making some buttermilk cheese the day feels most certainly done and this jalepeno cheese popcorn is hitting the spot. Goodnight moon.

Oh, how much you love us

I am redeemed
I am restored
I am bought
I am found

You are Redeemer
You are Restorer
Christ is the one who paid my price
You found me

We are the body
We are whole
Working as one church
We see who you are

You are the Bread of Life
You are our Restorer
Working through one church
You reveal the greatest mystery of all

Oh, how much you love us