Libby.

I got a new dog and I really really love her. I mean, look at that face, how can you NOT love it?

The Ministry of Presence

"More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them."
- Henri Nouwen

Picture of Ellison and McKenna

Ellison is on the left, McKenna on the right. I love these girls and the way they show me Jesus.

Use Your Words

My friend, Amy, has two BEAUTIFUL little girls. McKenna Grace and Ellison Faith. They are precious. When McKenna was learning to talk, she used sign language to communicate things like "water" and "more"... And Amy would always say, "McKenna, use your words" to encourage her to talk with words, not just sign language.

God talks with sign language and with words. I saw His sign language in a LITERALLY breath-taking sunset when I turned down my street the other night. I hear His words when I'm finally quiet enough to listen...when I read His Word...when my friends tell me about Him.

Whoever is secretly reading my blog, I pray that the words of the Father who loves you beyond imagination will be real in your life. I pray that His words will flood your hearts and your lives. And I pray that my words and all the words of the world would keep quiet so that you can hear His.

Our Young Life Fundraising Banquet is tomorrow night. And while I'm excited to share with 500+ people the ways which we see Christ work through the ministry of Young Life, I'm feeling like Henri Nouwen did when he wrote this:

"More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people,enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be knowas someone who wants to live with them. It is a privelage to have the timeto practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simpleas it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, orto be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken upby meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me fromwalking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organizepeople around an urgent cause, and not feel that you are working directly forsocial progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn'tbe to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to theirstories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but you truly love them."

I can't wait for heaven when I read this... because we won't be bound by the context of time, and we won't be tempted to prove ourselves by what we do because we will be perfectly one with the One who makes us who we are--who breathed life into us and sustains our lives--eternally.

I also can't wait for heaven to meet Henri Nouwen. And C.S. Lewis. And Mrs. Audrey Wetherell Johnson. And Mrs. Henrietta Mears. And Pam Young Lippert. --all people whom I've never known, but whose lives have changed mine radically.

So throw progress out the window today--I will too, even as we plan the last minute details of this banquet--and spend some time sharing loving words, drinking milkshakes together, hugging the brokenhearted, and drinking in the blessing of the ministry of presence.

Veritas or Vera Bradley?

"If you look for truth, you might find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get comfort OR truth--only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair." -C.S. Lewis

My mom gave me a year-long C.S. Lewis book and I love it because I can handle Lewis in small bits, but can't read a whole book of his to save my life.

I love this quote--and am so encouraged by all of my friends and family who seek TRUTH in their lives even more than they seek comfort. It is true, isn't it? When we just want comfort, we can be let down so easily. But when we change our hearts and we seek TRUTH--the comfort is a natural result.

Comfort is so many things, and I'm the worst and thinking comfort is Vera Bradley or Starbucks or "if I could just sleep in"... and certainly, there is some comfort in those things. :) But the LASTING comfort that I know is in Truth. Jesus.

His love is my comfort and a truth I want to claim every day.