a hint of thanks

what strange dreams i've had lately - of behemoth wooden ships sinking in the deepest of seas, of hallways lined with lockers, stuffed full of suitcases, of babies and loved ones long gone... these are not my usual nightly visitors.

...

the blur of january into february is my least favorite time of year. everything becomes grey and monotonous, but a couple noteworthy events sprinkle my recent memories, so i'll pause to recollect them here.

the last saturday in january, i had a refreshing all-girls day out. the gathering consisted of ann benson, one of the most vivacious and sincere people i've ever known who now lives in omaha, sweet friends melynda and britta who live in ankeny, and elizabeth who came down from mtown. we ate a delicious lunch at dos rios (i think i could live on guacamole for the rest of my life). then we went bowling, which was a hilarious endeavor on a saturday afternoon. i'm horrible at bowling, but it was great fun to chat and catch up and goof off with girls i can truly be myself around.

david and i participated in the traditional superbowl festivities a week later, inviting elizabeth and craig down and heading over to brent and kari's place. i could care less about football, but i love the community that temporarily evolves as everyone hunkers down around a tv to cheer and celebrate together. and, of course, i'm a sucker for all the finger food and snacky items spread out in the osborne's kitchen. (my husband is my hero, he spent the whole afternoon in our dinky kitchen making some phenomenal won ton appetizers!). my favorite part of the day had to be watching the kids, especially little evitt, one of the cutest one-year-olds around, as he shuffled his feet in a silly new style of walking that he'd acquired as of late. it was great to have liz and craig around too!

i still need to write about all the crazy things i'm learning in perspectives, but i don't even know how to begin to break it all down. suffice it to say, i'm in awe of the Kingdom of God and what it all means, and i'm coming to realize that my motives for mission needed a serious shift. it's been so refreshing for david and i to take this course together, and to explore what it could all mean for us as a couple in the future. maybe i'll tackle it all in more detail in a future post, but it has been such a blessing on monday nights, and we're only 4 weeks in.