Where did the month go?

Beside the fact that the passing of time freaks me out to the bone ... I know my months are filled with wonderful things, even if I can't bring them all to mind. So in an effort to remember, I'm going to reflect on this month. I'm excited to see what I remember most and what I don't.

- November began with our anniversary. (On our way home, I saw Milwaukee for the first time.)
- Pumpkin bread pudding entered my life this month. No pretty picture on a plate, we ate it straight out of the pan.
- John and Glenna hosted a "tamale tuesday."
- There were plenty of invigorating retreats, meetings and formations for work, which got my mind swirling.
- We were in Michigan twice. The first to see Brian in his musical (breathtaking) and the second time for - Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday of all).
- It took us twice the time it usually takes to drive to Michigan for the holiday.
- We spent plenty of time with grandma and grandpa.
- We dined high-class with friends downtown.
- Food poisoning hit Jake hard and we almost went to the hospital (no photos).
- Grandpa and a few friends did go to the hospital. Prayers abound.
- And November saw many lovely landscapes.

Farewell, November.

And thanks.

Intangible  T  h  a  n  k  s  .

#4. Grace.

I believe and know that Jesus paid the price of my human faults.
I believe Jesus is all I need, He is my way to eternity with God.
I know, as much as life sanctifies me, I will never be perfect.
I am so thankful God knows that, too.
I am thankful that I don't have to do anything or be anything, in order to be with my God. Our God extended His grace to forgive us, because He knew it was the only way.
Jesus paid it all.

"Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It's not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. 

No, you're already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. ...

When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets."

Colossians 2:11-15, The Message Bible

Intangible  T  h  a  n  k  s  .

#3. Access.


I am a white, middle-class, educated, citizen of the USA*. Some of that is due to hard work, some due to genetics and some due to the fact that I have access to resources.

I am only beginning to learn about what it means to be these things in our country, especially a city. There is a lot more to discover. Today, I know I am privileged, I have access to the world, and for that I am thankful.

I know that because of my demographics, I have a stronger voice than many others and I plan to use that voice to advocate. I don't wish I had more voice and access. But because this is the way things are, my gift of access is in debt to my brothers and sisters.

Cultural and ethnic natures are a rich contribution to our human family. I am so thankful for the things I learn from people who are different than me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

* I don't call anything that is specific to our nation American, because I feel like I'm excluding Canada and Latin America. It does slip out sometimes. And of course I don't judge those who use this phrase. It's a personal choice.

Intangible  T  h  a  n  k  s  .

#2. Encouragement to experiment and make mistakes with my job.


I work with an organization that leans heavy on learning, trying new things, discovering our talents (not deciding on them) and it's all lead by the Spirit.

Clearly, when they hired me, they were taking a chance and trusting God. And everyone continues to support me while I find my footing in ministry.

 These are very freeing things for me to experience. I tend to think there is one road, straight and narrow, and I darn well better find it, otherwise I'm lost and of no use to anyone. It's rather intimidating, and wrong.
So I am incredibly thankful to work with people who trust each other, pray for each other and encourage each other to try new things.

It also helps that InterVarsity employs the most fascinating, loving, talented people in the world. I really enjoy my time with them, while working or not:

Intangible  T  h  a  n  k  s  .

Seasonably, I'd like to celebrate some gratitude this week. And while it would be easy for me to list a multitude of tangible things I am thankful for (family, friends, my bed, my shoes, shampoo) I want to stretch myself a little. I'm going to reflect on the the invisible blessings in my life. Beginning with numero uno.

#1. When people trust me with their secrets.


My entire life I've been entrusted with secrets. I'm not sure how people come to trust me, but they do, and I am so thankful. Sometimes I feel like a walking safe--a world exists inside my knowledge that nobody else has a hint about.

Sure, it feels good to be the one people trust. I'm just glad when anyone has someone.
And the really best part is when my friends are done sharing their story, they pause and look at me and ask me to keep this, I smile and nod of course and a little wave relaxes over their face. For a few seconds right there, something wonderful is spinning slowly and security is gentle.

One secret, finding its hiding place where it can rest and breathe, that is the sign of something good.

I really like these photos from the little hike we took on our anniversary. 

The natural light is quite splendid.

Dear 16-year-old Taylor, on this day in 2005:

You are cute and smart. I'm so glad you know yourself, and you can look forward to an even deeper knowing as the years come. Keep exploring your soul.

Don't be afraid to be too sweet--people will learn that you are not naive, your sass will not prove it to them.

In five years, your favorite bands will still be Radiohead, the Pixies, Interpol, Coldplay, and whatever new indie folk band is currently stellar.

In four years you will be married!
(This will be abundantly clear to you in only 2 years.)

Taylor, things might be incredibly hard. You know a darkness--some that all youngsters go through, and some that nobody in the world should go through. Have hope. Everything you are facing has a significant impact on your life, it is shaping you. God will use your hurts to break your heart for others, and it is good.

Make friendship with others and friendship with Jesus your priority.
And please, please, please, Taylor, this time in two years, avoid the tamales in your dorm cafeteria!

Peace and grace,
Taylor

This fine young man is currently staring in a musical at Western Michigan University. It's high time we see his show and spend the night with family. Could life get any better?

*Updated Sunday evening to add these breath-taking photos.* 

I am so stinkin' proud!

The breakfast part.

Our wonderful little anniversary trip was to a rural bed and breakfast.

Sometimes I really don't want to post all of my pictures (privacy? labor?) of our comings and goings.

But after my computer was stolen this summer and then Jake's computer crashed ... photos saved on this little blog were all I had left! So now if you'll allow me, I'd like to share about that breakfast part of our lodgings.

My groom.

Apple fritters!

 Key to our room.

Darling surprise, because they knew it was our anniversary.

And in case you're wondering, I believe this photo perfectly captures how Jake feels about my profuse documenting:

Hah! I get a kick out of that.

I hope your weekend was divine.

One year ago today ...

I said "I do" to the absolute most wonderful man on the planet.

We both agree that it feels like we've been married our whole lives. 

In the good kind of way.

Jake planned a special little getaway for us this weekend and I am so thankful.

Thankful for much-needed relaxing time to just be alone, together.

Thankful that we love each other more today than we did a year ago.

Thankful for all we've learned, thankful that we're still in this together.

Last weekend we played dress-up to take anniversary pictures & that picture of my wedding shoes means so much to me. They really show their wear and tear from being one year old. Marriage is hard. But oh so worth it. We are a team, fighting for the good in life and reveling in it when it comes. It is a joy to be on the same team as my Jake.


[Fabulous photos by our dear, dear friend Oriana.]

A collection of mountain themes in my journaling and life.



Let's begin in my blue journal from 2008.

[9.8.08] 

The mountain road is hard and the cliffs are steep. Thank you for the humble road, thank you for the view.

[9.27.08] 

In response to Psalm 42: Let me be on the mountain so that I am drawn to you, mountain and mission.

I prayed, pleaded, begged that the Lord of Life would bring my path through mountains, so that every day would bring me to my knees. And He delivered.

I wrote this post somewhere in the middle of realizing my journey. Then this one, when I thought I was nearing the end of hardship.


More recently, I've been reading and finished the Biblical book of Joshua.

It was recommended to me by a co-worker, and it was fabulous (save for those confusing parts about land alloted inheritances that I don't know how to understand let alone appropriate.) It's a beautiful story and just what I needed.

I'm still reflecting on the book as a whole, but the themes go something like this:

- God has mighty plans to accomplish and He'll use anyone He pleases to do so.

- If we are invited to join His mission, we are called to be very brave and very courageous.

- God has an inheritance, a guaranteed good thing, set aside for us. In order to get to it, we must follow Him and be faithful when the going gets rough and we loose hope.

- Two defined ways to stay faithful are obedience and reverence for God's Law.

- God's mission will be accomplished no matter what.

- He wants us on that journey and He desires to give us our inheritance.

In the middle of the book, in one of those sections about land allotment, a man named Caleb asks for the hill country to be his inheritance. He asks for the land that will be the most difficult. While reading, I remembered how my biggest fear used to be straying from God and in response I prayed, pleaded, begged that the Lord of Life would bring my path through mountains, so that every day would bring me to my knees. And He delivered.


[9.27.08]
"Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it." ... "Thou my inheritance now and always."

To top it all off, Psalm 42 was even a devotion reading for this week's liturgy.

Isn't it something?
To be on a path for quite a while and then
be granted the vantage to see where you've been?
And isn't it something to see
answered prayers,
years in the making?

If it's okay with you I'd like to keep the autumnal recipes coming!

Because I've made some stellar dishes this month and I'd like to share.

Recently, one Sunday night, I hosted a little shin dig. It was one of those first evenings when the sun sets far too early and if I'm not careful, I'll go to bed at 8 'o clock all gloomy feeling.

Thankfully, this little ditty stepped into my life just then. I heard about it on Playing Grown-Up. Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart.

I followed the recipe to a "t." However, next time I would not add the melted chocolate on top of the crust (step 2). That layer was really hard to cut through and it was difficult to make slices without ruining the very soft top pumpkin layer. But that's my only complaint because     this     was     delicious!

Now go make yours!

So it was Halloween.
Can you tell who we were?

Ah, such a last-minute project (Jake is wearing our curtain) but worth it. We always say "next year we are going to plan ahead of time." And somehow it just doesn't happen. Anyway, if you still can't tell, we were the Flintstones.

Now that Halloween has passed, and it was a great one, and we are into November, I really can't wait for Advent!

I did not grow up celebrating Advent. Christmas was a one day deal. And anything before December 25 was purely commercial infiltration. This will be my fourth real Advent season, and it really is my favorite. I was so excited when I realized Advent is only a few weeks away.

In advent, we are offered the chance to look at our world and mourn its brokenness. We long for a Saviour. And of course we can be certain we have one, but we appreciate Him so much more on that Christmas morn when we've reflected on our brokenness for a good long while.

I'll stop there, because it's not time just yet. We've still got All Souls Day, Thanksgiving, and Christ the King Sunday.
But on the chance you begin to see those Christmas decorations, let your heart celebrate our Savior in light of the fact that we need Him so much. Whenever you come across all of the truly lovely, reflective, glittery, festive parts of the season, think on this:

"We might even suggest, as a part of a Christian aesthetic, that the world is beautiful not just because it hauntingly reminds us of its creator but also because it is pointing forward: it is designed to be filled, flooded, drenched in God." N.T. Wright