I had a unique opportunity last Saturday that I just have to share. I met up with my friend Emily, and we had some great conversation and dialogue about life, love, and art. Emily is one of those people who just lights up a room when you walk in. Her passion, love of life, and encouragement is so contagious; I always leave from our get-together times simply fulfilled. Can it get any better than that?

Emily is an artist extraordinaire. By that, I mean that she is sacrificing a lot to pursue her dreams as an artist. She gave up a full-time job and moved out to the country in order to acquire studio space and explore what being an artist means for her life. That's bold. And brave. And beautiful. (I might be slightly jealous.) This is my favorite piece of hers... so far:


One of Emily's artistic focuses centers around creating Listening/Memory pieces. I'll let her explain her process better here so I won't butcher it, but basically, after an interview time, she creates an image based on a provided memory that serves as a reminder to the commissioner of where they've come from in life. Pretty unique.

So I'm working on collecting artwork for our next Mercy Project fundraiser coming up in June. (MUCH more on that later.) I had asked Emily to contribute a piece for the auction, and she decided to interview me about our trip to Ghana last summer as the premise for her piece. I'll be honest, I was a bit skeptical. What would I have to say that could possibly turn into this amazing piece of work? Well, that's when you have to just trust the artist! So on Saturday, Emily and I sat down, and while I talked about the trip, she sketched and 'recorded' my memories in a visual way. It was amazing. I was surprised at the emotion I still felt in talking about the first time to touch down in Africa, teaching art to precious children, and holding the hand of a child in slavery. And then to see that drawn out through another's interpretation – just a really powerful experience.

Emily has recorded a bit more on her site here, as well as posted the original sketch. Go check it out! She'll now take this sketch and turn it into a masterful painting for our auction. I can't wait to see the final; I'm just afraid I'm going to want to keep it for myself!

The last thing I'll say about all of this... is this: I was reminded this weekend of the important task we have as Christians to tell our stories to others. Your story may not include a trip to a remote jungle in Africa, but it no doubt includes moments in which to celebrate, learn from, and share with others. Live a good story today!

I had good intention to document the weekend with exciting pictures, but I flat forgot. I'll work on that; no one wants to read rows and rows of letters all the time. Also, a shout-out to my best pal for starting her blog. Excited to 'reid' of your adventures!

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Dear Weekend,
Wish you could stick around longer, but thank you for giving me restful ammunition with which to enter that which is lovingly referred to as Monday Morning. I am most grateful for card games and tasty cookies, meeting with old friends and discussing art and life, exploring new running trails in Grapevine (next time I'll take a better map), a picnic by the lake with a stellar book, lots of sunshine, a good movie and evening of conversation, quiet time early in the morning, running in 45 degrees, a time of worship, and new music.
Please come again soon,
Me

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I was considering keeping my verse from last week (Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.) for another round as it's been a favorite thus far. Simple and to the point. But I looked up the next one I had written down and decided to go ahead and switch it out. Perhaps 1 Thessalonians will be revisited at a later date. For now, here we go:

Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. (NIV)

The fear of human opinion disables;
trusting in God protects you from that. (Message)

Proverbs 29:25

I heard a sermon preached on this verse not too long ago, and it really struck a cord with me. I've never thought of myself as a "people-pleaser", but I think there are times when I very much feel ensnared with concern of what others think of me, doubtful of the place I'm at in life, longing to win the approval of those I care about. There's a definite fear of failure that lurks around and sometimes rears it's ugly head. It's indeed a disabling feeling that I would dare say is fairly common for a lot of people.

But those moments of gentle confirmation from God? Utterly amazing! And enough for me. Enough for me to try my darndest to remember that my days must be about pleasing my God and no one else. May you start this next week with a glimpse of the safety and weightlessness of trusting in God's approval of who He made you to be.

In light of our camping expedition last weekend and the fact that it's now the perfect season/weather for such, here's a few shots of one of our first camp trips. Granted, the tent was set up in the front yard, but I figure it counts. This little orange pup tent made some serious miles when we were growing up...



If I may ask... what's up with the knee-highs and the little hood? I mean, really?! Eh, I guess I was at least smiling instead of screaming... this time.

Happy Friday!

Well, this is a long time in coming, but a few updates from the week...

Our March Mercy Project Newsletter went out yesterday. You can view it here. Lots of great things coming up: Guinness Flag Football Game in a few weeks, trips to Ghana, Art Auction in June. Excited!

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Amber and I found a great camp spot at Ray Roberts last weekend and enjoyed a short excursion. We've been to the south side quite a bit, but drove on to the north entry to check out a new locale. Let me tell ya, it was fantastic. 8 miles of trail, 3 additional miles of concrete pathway, swim area, playground, great lakeside campsites, picnic areas, and more water spigots than I've ever seen at a state park. We spent our time hiking, exploring, grilling, and reading. The weather was perfect, and the moon was spectacular. These are all Amber's pics, save the last moon shot...


Our spot...


Amber and Callie getting ready to go hiking...


And we're off...


Callie likes to drink out of water bottles...


... but isn't convinced she needs to be in the lake.


Best. S'mores. Ever.


Don't be confused, there was no dainty eating here. This is merely a 'pause for a picture' moment before the demolition...


And the amazingly bright moon. Very cool.


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Verse of the week:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This verse has been a great one for me this week. Just a calming reminder in moments of "I-want-to-pull-my-hair-out"!

Good strawberries are just one of the finer delicacies in life. I went into Sprouts for the first time yesterday and scored a few 'baskets' for $1.29. Hard to beat that. They don't have that ripe flavor just yet, but I still got a little excited. Posting these pics this morning seemed appropriate...

One of the best parts of our summer trips to Colorado was driving the winding roads through the mountains. We could always count on a few sudden exclamations from Mom, "There's some strawberries, pull over, pull over!" Mountain berries are tiny. Tiny. Mom always referred to them as morsels. But boy, were they ever worth it. The taste is unsurpassed by the wanna-be grocery store variety. So here we are, undoubtedly somewhere on the side of the road, with Mom pointing out the best berries. If you look real closely, you can see the few that I picked in my thermos lid in the last picture. Doesn't look like I was too thrilled!




Happy Friday! Get outside this weekend!

To the Two Guys at Crooked Tree This Morning:

Thank you for your kind conversation. (I’m not one to stick my nose into another’s business, but I couldn’t help overhearing as I sat a mere 10 feet away.) I generally try to steer clear of religious debate with people, but I sincerely appreciate your logical arguments and concerns over a current situation circulating this week. It’s refreshing to know that there are people who can sit down and have an intelligent and loving conversation over spiritual issues. I find this to be rare and encouraging. I’m impressed at the way you both respect the opinions of the other, at the way you know how to listen to another’s viewpoint, at the genuine concern you seem to have for those who would claim to be spiritual leaders. Thank you for reminding me that healthy, public dialogue and appropriate questioning of 'faith matters' is not only possible, but certainly necessary, for those of us who would claim to be Jesus-followers.

Sincerely,
The Curly-Headed Girl in the Corner

Need some inspiration for your Wednesday morning? Here ya go:

Ultramarathon Man, Dean Karnazes left Disneyland on February 25 and began the Run Across America. Regis and Kelly are partnering with Dean to raise awareness of childhood obesity alongside Action for Healthy Kids. Dean will cover 40-50 miles a day for about 75 days until he reaches NYC. He has an excellent tour bus, road crew, and support group as he makes his way through the States. One of the neatest things about this amazing endeavor is that Dean stops to run 5K's (additional mileage), speak at schools, and engage people along the way. Check out his journey here.

Apparently 10-time Olympic Medalist Carl Lewis is planning to run his first, and only, marathon at age 50. Check out his comments here. Pretty cool. Rumor has it, he's aiming for Houston 2012.

I was gonna write a nice big post on Lent, but... every time I sit down to do so, I just don't feel like I have much to say.

However, I did come across some writings the other day in which the author records the number of words that pertain to the day of Lent. So 40 words on the 40th day, 39 words on the 39th day, and so on. I know nothing about this person, or their background, but I have been intrigued by the daily words. This one really captured my attention; it sounds depressing, but I think the writer is just referring to those everyday challenges of life that can seem so overwhelming:

i’d like to be in the desert today

away from the clutter of expectations
unsolvable problems
irredeemable situations

i’d like to be where it’s barren
and I’m alone

today i’d like to be thirsty
not drowning

I need to acknowledge that there are days when I feel like I'm drowning.

I need to learn that it's enough to simply be thirsty, and ask God to fill me up.

Last Thursday night, Rachel and I attended a documentary screening called Food Stamped, put on by CitySquare (formerly Central Dallas Ministries). The documentary was about an hour long, an informative and humorous story following a couple in their attempt to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet on a food stamp budget for a week. The "budget" for a food stamp recipient equates to about $1 per meal per person, or $3 a day. The couple also consulted with members of Congress, food justice organizations, nutrition experts, and people living on food stamps to get further opinions on America's food system. More on the film here.

I have to say, it was pretty insightful. At the end of the week, the couple took their menu to a nutritionist for evaluation, to see if they had been healthy in their choices of fare. The result was that while they had done well at hitting the correct percentages in targeted areas (carbs, proteins, etc.), their calorie intake was well below what it should've been. Had they continued on the food stamp diet, they both would've suffered unnecessary weight loss, tiredness, etc.

Sort of a predicament if you're trying to feed your family and must sacrifice eating healthy food for 'getting enough', but this is a harsh reality for the more than 26 million people who are currently using food stamps to purchase food for themselves and their families.

Makes one think.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and
the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters
roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."
Psalm 46:1-3

This week's picture (note: I actually am getting it posted ON Friday) comes with a special dedication to my dear brother, who for some odd reason prefers pie to birthday cake. Can't say that I've ever met anyone else who would choose a piece of pie over pounds of icing, but, to each his own. Here are all the cousins on DM's 18th. Aren't we just the innocent bunch?!


Happy Birthday DonMark... on Monday. Thanks for always letting me play with your Ninja Turtles and Micro Machines. Here's to many more years of chocolate chess pie and sharing life together.

Whew! I just looked across my bookmarks and have a good 8-10 items saved to share on here. Guess I better get moving! First off, a few shots from the weekend in Lubbock/Abilene. Loved spending time with some of my very favorite peeps!

Meet Bowdrie, Katy and Jerm's new GSD. So. Stinkin'. Cute. Just watch out for the little shark teeth!



Party Time! We celebrated Emmerson's 2nd birthday with some fun gifts and another fantastic cake made by Grammy T. These kiddoes LOVE Toy Story.





Next up, a trip to the park. These are some of my favs. Are these not the cutest kids ever?!

One day I will get back in the routine of posting these verses on Sunday... yeah. Here is Week 8:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

The last two days are already proving that this is a perfect verse for me to be praying this week. Sometimes I just get tired and in a rut. More than sometimes, I need to let God handle the burdens I feel and just rest in the fact that 'He's got me'.

Headed to hang out with these folks for the weekend...


Bad news is, we won't be embarking on a mountaintop adventure this time around.

Good news is, there will be birthday party time, quite a few smiles, and I won't be wearing high-water jeans with matching jacket, scarf, AND headband. That you can count on.