Santa Cruz Sundays

  a ridiculously vibrant peony on a neighborhood walk I read this today and it reminded me of you and what you have been able to do this year  (and are learning to do more and more)....  "The artist Georgia O'Keefe, who became famous for her sensuous paintings of flowers, explained her success by saying, 'In a way, nobody sees a flower, really, it is so small, we haven't time-- and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.' The practice of paying attention really does take time. Most of us move so quickly that our surroundings become no more than the blurred scenery we fly past on our way to somewhere else. We pay attention to the speedometer, the wristwatch, the cell phone, the list of things to do, all of which feed our illusion that life is manageable.  Meanwhile none of them meets the first criterion for reverence, which is to remind us that we are not gods. If anything, these devices sustain the illusion that we might yet be gods-- if only we could ...

Taylor, it's been a bit of a non-stop day as I was in the Methow Valley this weekend for Maegan's birthday and then came back this morning for Marcia's 50th birthday tea and then we hosted small group dinner. So, this is arriving a bit later than intended. And since you might not read this until Monday morning, here's a prayer to start your day and your week with....  HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEK!!!  a blessing for a little boost in the morning Today is new, oh God, The light is gathering and spilling onto everything. The sleeping and the sleepy. The trees brushing the window. Even the unwashed dishes know it’s time. What a gift. Unopened. Lord, you know the obstacle course ahead. The intractability of most of my problems. The irritations I will need to smile through. The forgetfulness that will undo my best efforts. And the fights I will need to pick because someone really should. But bring me back to this moment, God. The gratitude that rises up within me lifts my eyes and set...

  Thank you so much for the Mother's Day call while I am over here in India and thank you for running 10 MILES in my honor today for Mother's Day!!!  As I mentioned in my text to you earlier, I love your sense of adventure, your thoughtfulness, and your kindness, and I loved hearing tonight about you discovering a new tree house and a new running route to the beach today.   I heard a podcast a few months ago when the interviewer asked the guest what three adjectives they would use to describe how a good life should feel. He said, "fully, alive, and delight." He chose the words "fully alive" from the quote below from a saint from Irenaeus. from quite a long time ago in 185 A.D.  What it means to be fully alive is worth pondering.  The other word he chose was delight because he said that that it points to  the possibility for gratitude  and to the wonder and magnificence of being alive and to the posture he hopes he can cultivate in life about recei...

Taylor, as you are in Yosemite this weekend,  my prayer is that you would be awake to so much that place has to teach you.  May you listen and look  and pay attention  and soak in the beauty around you....

Below is a section from the morning prayer out of a book called Every Moment Holy.  It ties in with what I sent you last week. May it be a fresh way to start your day today (and each day this week).  💛💛💛💛💛 Prepare our bodies for the labors of this day. Give us strength and health to complete them. Prepare our minds for the demands of this day. Grant us clarity, creativity, and discernment. Prepare our souls for those sorrows and joys and celebrations and disappointments we will encounter, that every circumstance would serve only to draw us nearer to you. May our words, our choices, and our actions today be offered as true expressions of worship. Now you who are loved of God, step forward into this new day appointed by him, that you might journey through its hours in the peace and grace and the love of your Lord. Lead us this day, Lord Christ that we might walk its paths in the light of the hope of our coming redemption. Amen

This is one of my absolute favorite blog posts,  and I wanted to share it with you as I thought about this again when you called to ask me about your decision you had to make last week about either going rock climbing or going to the fellowship group on campus. Though I read this 6 years ago, I still think about this story a lot (and I've highlighted my favorite parts in case you need to skim it.) May this help you think about all the things you do with a different posture as it can change everything.  And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.  — Nehemiah 8:6 I was a Christian, and I was a dancer. A  ballerina , as I liked to avow with all the solemnity of seventeen. Studying classical ballet three and four days out of the week, showing up early to stretch before class, wrestling against all the opposing forces of aching...