Monday, July 23, 2012

the convergence of family

today was a great day.

I don’t know if the title of this post makes sense, but when I told Mika what I was going to write about, I dramatically (in my deepest theological sounding voice), waved my hands in the air and said, “the convergence…of family.”

so whether or not that really captures the subject, the point is – tonight my heart is full because today I saw numerous pieces of my family intersect.  and…converge.  ha.  there ya go.  the convergence of family.  totally legit title!

I just had coffee.  yes, consider yourself warned.

it started out with sound check/run-thru with our worship team at church.  our worship team is part of my family.  we share meals together.  we study the Word together.  we pray together.  and make music together.  and we laugh a lot…together.  :)  family.

then during the sound check/run-thru, 6 friends from our Costa Rica missions team family came in – our church’s team that went on the Costa Rica trip shared today at church and our friends from the Cheyenne church came to support us!  and we got to introduce them to some of our church family.  convergence of family. :)

my family is in town for a couple weeks and today they got to come to our church for the first time!  it was so cool to look out and see them out there and to introduce them to some of my church family afterwards.  it was so cool to see my parents talking with my pastor and his wife, long time family friends who knew my grandparents very well.  of course, Claire and Ben needed to test out the drums before we left.  ;)  convergence of family.

after church, my family and Paul & Cristine’s family went out to lunch together.  OK so it’s not completely a foreign convergence of family instance because Paul & Cristine really are family…like legit, Cristine’s my cousin.  :)  but it was a new feeling, a very sweet feeling – after living with Paul & Cristine for a year now and getting to really know them, it was different from when our family would come out West to visit and we would see our aunts, uncles, and cousins that we saw an average of…once a year.  here I was, sharing a meal with 2 parts of my legit, blood-related families, whom I know and love so so much.  I just wanted to give everyone a ginormous hug.  a sweet convergence of family.  :)

now here I sit, out at our family’s ranch.  4 of my cousins are here, along with my 2 nieces and 1 nephew.  we’re having one big, cousinly sleep over tonight.  :)  just 1 more beautiful convergence of family today.

(covering the driveway with sidewalk chalk creations)IMG_4042

God has blessed me with so many different families.  I love seeing Him intertwine different parts of those families.  He is all about relationships.  He created us for relationship, first & foremost with Him, and then with others.

my heart is full tonight :)

Sunday, July 15, 2012

6 weeks of WOW

for all of you who check my blog daily for updates (HA – j/k), you may’ve noticed I haven’t updated for a month now.  I would love to give you a detailed update on all that God has been teaching me over the last month.  but I am so tired right now that I don’t think I could form that many coherent sentences in 1 go-around. :)

a quick recap of the amazing opportunities God’s given me over the last month:

week 1: cabin leader at senior high camp
week 2: day trip to cheyenne, overnight trip to Casper to see one of my bestest friends Marissa and her family whom I love so much!!  immediately followed by a trip to CO to hike my first 14-er (Mt. Antero) with some friends, followed by a Beth Moore conference in CO Springs
week 3: worship team at jr high camp
week 4: missions trip to Costa Rica

over the past month, I have slept in my bed a grand total of 3 nights.

needless to say, I have had no time to blog.  :(

and the excitement’s not over!  I am home today and tomorrow and then tuesday my family comes from the Keys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  for 2 whole weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!  aunt jen is completely and 135% stoked out of her mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  we are going to spend more of the 2 weeks out our family’s ranch.  I cannot wait.

I hope to write a more detailed blog tomorrow about my time in Costa Rica.

my eyes are closing…

buenos noches.