i have a dream...

In light of Martin Luther King, Jr. day, my sweet niece Myli had to write her "I have a dream..."

As she is just learning how to write, anything kids write at that time is so stinkin' cute.

I talked to my sister a couple weeks ago, and she told me about this project that Myli had to do, and she saw it in the hallway at Myli's school.  My sister, Alison, didn't know that Myli had to do this project, or what she wrote.

Much to her surprise, and mine, this is what Myli wrote:

"I have a dream that I can sped mor tim with my Anee"

Talk about filling and breaking an Auntie's heart at the same time!!!
I miss her!

beach time.

going to the beach is like going to the lake.
that's the norm in Minnesota...you grab what you can, throw it in a bag, and head to the lake for the afternoon to relax.

now the beach on the pacific ocean is my new lake.
the closest beach to T-city is like a 20 minute ride in a micro costing S./2 roundtrip (equaling less than a $1).  it's not the prettiest beach the locals say, they actually call it out ride gross and ugly.
but to me it's the BEACH by the OCEAN!!

I went on my 1 day off at the end of February, and I went on my afternoon free this last weekend.  I have 2 days off this week, so I will probably try to find a friend to go with this week too.
I actually swam in the water this past weekend, so fun!
the waves were pretty strong, and the beach is mostly rocks, so it's not super swimmer friendly, but it was still fun to get wet with my girlfriends!

Cynthia's niece Brittany making her sand castle

My dear friend Cinthia and me

Beach by Sunset with Catrina, Kati and Lokilinda :)

50 in 40. join me?

Lent season is underway.
I'm not usually a "Lenter" - I forget that it's coming, and by the time Fat Tuesday is here, I cannot think of anything to give up except for Chocolate, and that seems impossible, haha.  I guess that might be the point... but I've always wanted to participate and really be able to put my sight of the day that we will be celebrating 40 days from Ash Wednesday.

Lent can be abused and done for personal achievement; I want and desire to stay far away from that.
I, again, this year scrambled to figure out something to "give up" or "do" for Lent on Fat Tuesday -- I wanted to participate to really prepare my heart and put my vision on Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate Jesus' great conquer over the grave - He conquered DEATH that we may LIVE!!!!

I did not bring very many books with me to T-City... they weigh too much.  One book I did bring was Piper's "50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die."  They are 50 short blurbs about just why Jesus DID have to come to DIE for YOU and for ME.  It was no small act, no small sacrifice - it was most necessary for the HOPE of life beyond death.

I love Desiring God and how they offer FREE PDF books online.
One book, just our luck, is this book I am mentioning, read it &/or download it HERE.
Join me?
We are almost 2 weeks into Lent.  I read 1 or 2 chapters a day.
Even if you read just 1, you will be blessed.

Let us fix our eyes on Christ,
he who came as a MAN,
was CRUCIFIED, DIED,
and CONQUERED the grave.

Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV):
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


Join me...
in being amazed, humbled, and blessed by Jesus' obedience to death.
One man died that many may live.

AMAZING love.

i lift my eyes up...

One afternoon I just needed to be filled.

NOT by man, not by man's words (phone, internet, in my house).

Where should I go?

Where should I turn?

I battled within, reluctant to go to the roof.

My spirit was SO willing, yet flesh so weak.

I marched up those 14 stairs to the rooftop to meet with my Lord.

Sitting down at the table, opening His Word, just then...

I looked out (NorthEast) and it HIT me.

My EYES could not behold the glory that was screaming from the mountains.

I cried.

He met me, He filled me, and He blessed me.

{note: the pictures cannot exactly capture the majestic beauty I saw in these "mountains"...

but trust me, they were, and still are, beautiful!}

On normal days, these mountains are not visible... and I've never seen them like this - purple mountains majesty!!

Soaking up the word under the canopy with clothes on the line :)

I lift my eyes up, unto the mountains, Where does my help come from?
My help comes from You, maker of heaven
Creator of the earth
Oh how I need you Lord, You are my only hope
You're my only prayer
So I will wait for You
To come and rescue me, To come and give me life