Deep Calls

... that perhaps all the hot air of the political campaign has risen above So.CA and caused the heat wave ... sometimes hindsight isn't "20 - 20", but that people keep looking in the rearview mirror anyway and trying to explain the gridlock ahead

there are events that 'mark' time ~ Alina Agopian was born 9 years ago.... I remember the day when we were chatting online with Alex and he told us that Candy was pregnant; I remember when we went to the hospital and I changed Alina's diaper. And those memories are like a cork in a bottle of memories of those day: the house we lived in, the church we led then, faces and places all tagged with hopes and dreams ~ George Tyree died 3 years ago .... I remember the email telling us he was in the hospital and asking for prayer; I remember the hours of prayer - the church gathered in the gym crying out; I remember the realization that George was fully with Jesus in eternity and . . . no longer here. surreal. those memories are like a bottle carbonated that fuzzes and bubbles and puddles all around the opening:  I remember too that during those days Beth told us she was expecting Seth. And Seth is here and with all the rest he is (and he is so much) one little tingling note w

I saw a pumpkin last night, one of those cute little round ones ~ the kind you use when you really want to make serious pumpkin pie! It was sitting at the checkout at the store. No, lie: my heart skipped a beat. I felt like a kid who gets a party invitation -- so excited and kind of giggly inside. Then I woke up early this morning. Not so much of a surprise except that it is Saturday and Danny is sleeping over at a friends so I could have slept...oh, till the morning was long gone and I had to decide between lunch and dinner as my first meal. My eyes opened and I thought, "Hmmmm ~ coffee" and I snuck out of bed. So glad I did. While the water boiled I went out into the back patio and was greeted by the crisp, misty morning air of real, genuine Autumn! I looked up at my maple tree and saw my very first Autumn leaf. At the edges the summer green had dripped away leaving the most lovely eggplant shade of purple as a lining. Peaking out behind that leaf was a little baby brother

When something happens        ~ a jarring crash, a shocking catastrophe ~ and we see the hand of God reach in and cover, miraculously rescue and protect, then we glimpse,                                          if for only a moment,  the shadow of ten thousands of ten thousands of days all canopied with a shadow of the protective Providential hand of our loving Father  -- his hand holding us --  keeping us from destruction untold. Thank you, Father. Thank you for all the protections and Thank you for all the things ~ all destruction ~ I know nothing of because You hid me in the cleft of the Rock. "...your life is now hidden with Christ in God" Col 3:3

I find that my mind is so full of the "and then I'll..." and "first, I'll..." 's that  when I try to find my mind's writing room   all I can find are blank, drab, dun walls. Translation: writing is hard when "to-do" lists occupy your thinking. I am still trying to get into the swing of this year. My days look something like: get out of be (yeah, I count it, cuz sometimes it requires effort and determination), breakfast, homeschooling (English, Latin, Geography, Logic, Bible, Biology...we are on block schedule, so not everything everyday), dash to the school for 2 hours to tutor a VERY cute, VERY active 4th grade boy who is newnewnewly here from China, come home to make dinner and ... to be honest ... then I sort-of collapse ~ well not literally, but definitely mentally. I have not even read a book for fun -- and TRUST me -- for me that is like skipping vegetables!!! OK, yeah, that all sounds like whining. But ~ well, I guess I feel kind