San Diego

Today has been full of thanksgiving! It was an early morning, yet again, with an amazing sunrise on the way to San Diego. This trip served two big purposes. The first was to meet with my Navy recruiters and have a big interview. The second was to spend time with one of my favorite families from northern Virginia! It has been a spectacular day!

When I pulled up to the pizza restaurant for lunch and four beautiful kids came running up, I was completely filled with joy and gratitude. I love the Hogan Family so much and they made today perfect! We went to the beach, raced to the ocean and chased sea gulls! We ate ice cream, watched the waves and searched for bathrooms! There were magic tricks and fun stories. There was catching up and lots of laughter. Ah! Could it have been a more perfect day with wonderful people? I really don't think so!

Ah yes, life is good, God is great, and I am so thankful for a day full of love in beautiful San Diego!

Early Morning & Smart Cars

Friday was a crazy traveling day. When arriving at the airport and seeing that my 7:00am flight was delayed four hours, I was tempted to cancel the trip and stay home! However, I persevered and went on with the day. After arriving in Dallas (instead of Denver), only to see my next flight delayed, I began to laugh, as it was truly turning into somewhat of a comedy! The kicker came in the Nashville airport. My ride had left several hours earlier, and to make it to the conference, I needed a rental car. No big deal, right? I simply asked for something small and cheap! (Mental note: Never do that again!) I walked to spot #76 in the garage, and this is what I found... A blue and silver smart car. Have you ever seen something so small in your life?! And I would be driving this in the dark, on the interstate, and then on a gravel road in the woods? Being the adventuresome one that I am, I met the challenge... Three hours later, I arrived at my destination with only slightly frayed nerves and thankful to be out of the small car!

Today began when the alarm went off at 2:00am. After a quick jump in the shower, packing up the bags, and loading that very small smart car, I was on the road by 2:30am to get to the Nashville airport for a 5:45am flight home. Driving a smart car, especially when you're used to a Xterra, is quite the "treat". It drives more like a box on wheels. It does provide much time for prayer, as you are constantly praying to God that you will not die on the highway! Thankfully at 2:30am, there is not much traffic.

Above all, I am thankful to be back home with my husband. With the early morning and the time zone differential, I was on my couch in my PJs by 10:30am...just in time to catch Duke basketball loss! Between that and the UNC win yesterday, and the impending excitement of the road trip to San Diego tomorrow, I can barely contain myself!

Grace & peace!

A rocking chair + a porch + sunshine + a good friend = a perfect afternoon

Saturday, January 29

In the middle of Tennessee with no cell phone coverage or internet connection, this was written in long hand...

Picture this... It's the afternoon on a bright sunny day. There is a crispness in the air, but the sun warms your face. The trees break open to show a labyrinth carved into the ground with a small creek running past it. On the porch are three rocking chairs. Sitting amongst God's creation brings a sense of quiet communion in the middle of a chaotic day of meetings.

The only thing better than this is to share the time with a good friend, rocking in the chairs, and not feeling the need to say words. Right after lunch, I was able to sit out for a time with a fellow Living Waters instructor. We barely said two words, but instead enjoyed the quiet and stillness of nature. Later in the afternoon, I was able to share time with my best pal, Tim, and his wife, Teresa, on that same porch and those same rocking chairs.

If the weekend only held these two events of sitting in rocking chairs and relaxing on a porch in awe of God, then the weekend was well worth the time away from home. I am thankful for God's peace and a comfortable rocking chair!

Airports

I'm sitting in the Las Vegas airport this morning, waiting on a flight that I have been rebooked to, due to my original flight being delayed four hours. They've re-routed me through Dallas, as opposed to Denver, and I still hopeful to make it to Nashville at some point today! I am thankful for a husband and others who have kept me company through text messages and phone calls. And I am thankful for peace and quiet in a slow terminal. The people watching has been minimal, but there should be plenty of that in Dallas, since it is doubtful I will make my connection!

At the end of all of this, I will be thankful to see my Living Waters family and enjoy a time of fellowship with them!

Hopeful and always thankful!

Catching Up...

With the atrocious amount of writing required of my classes, I have fallen behind on the Thanksgiving Project! Many thanks to the beautifully observant Carrie Delisio for pointing this out to me!

Thus... this will be the "yesterday" post, and I will write today's thanksgiving later today.

Many things brought an attitude of gratitude today...

First, I have finally caught up with all of my classes. 500 pages of reading, check. 6 400-word essays written, check. Approval for one research paper and one project, check. I was slightly overwhelmed by the amount of work that so quickly piled up after just a few days in Haiti. Now, I feel caught up, and I am so thankful to have found a routine to balance my studies and other responsibilities.

Second, as you know, I am a huge Tar Heel fan. UNC fell behind by 14 points early on in the Miami game last night. It looked as though we were doomed, as the baby blue boys usually give up. Last night, they fought and clawed their way back to a tied game as halftime sounded. They caught up, and it was beautiful. They came out blazing in the second half and won the game. Between the Florida/Georgia game the night before and the UNC/Miami game, my basketball need has been met!

Third, I am thankful for time with my husband. We were able to catch up and share a bonding moment over my chaplaincy recommendation! (Who knew he would have to write something, too?!)

Finally, I am thankful for the upcoming weekend! Not only will there be a trip to Nashville for a Living Waters Retreat, but upon my return one of my most favorite families will be in San Diego! I plan to hop over to see them....AND meet with the Naval Chaplain Board for my final interview! Oh, it will be a good weekend.

Thus, thank you, Carrie Delisio, for reminding me to be thankful...each and every day! You should have a post dedicated to YOU :)

Wasabi

Can you imagine the face of the person who discovered wasabi for the very first time? He probably took a big bite of the root and made a GREAT face!

Tonight I'm thankful for that wonderful root, wasabi. Have you every tried it in its freshest form? Not the paste you get out of a tube or even the pinch you get on a plate with sushi... I'm talkin' fresh wasabi. It is amazing. On one of our many trips to Inaka Sushi in Las Vegas, our favorite chef Tommy, brought out a spoonful of fresh wasabi for us. After we were convinced that he was not trying to kill us, we tried it! It was delightful, not overpowering. The flavor was clean, not eye-watering. It was a stark contrast to the small pinch of paste on the plate that we are accustomed to. Though a wasabi root costs upward of $30, the chef gave us a small pouch to bring home. He encouraged us to try it on a good steak. Clearly, he's a chef and knows what he's talking about. Tonight, I grilled a couple of NY Strips and served them beside a dollup of fresh wasabi and a side of asparagus. It was a perfect dinner, and the wasabi was a perfect complement to our steak.

So in essence, I am thankful for wasabi, for the hands that prepared it, and for the hospitality from which it was given.

Visitors

In the last two days, I have read over 330 pages about the Intertestamental Period... My eyes are bugging out, and I can barely form two sentences after writing my "responses." Thankfully, the routine of schoolwork is coming back and it's starting to feel comfortable, as opposed to overwhelming. Give it another week, and it may feel enjoyable!

The best thing about living in Las Vegas is the constant revolving door of visitors. We've barely lived here for three months, and already we've had more friends visit than we ever did in Houston or DC. Last Thursday, I met a dear friend for lunch at the Venetian. It was a bit weird going to an extravagant display of wealth and resources after returning from Haiti, but this same friend was with me for a week after March's Haiti trip. I was thankful to have a time of debriefing with him on Thursday, just like I did last March.

I was thankful today for a study break that came in the form of a visitor! It is amazing to me that we lived in the same town for two years and always had great intentions of getting together to talk and share a drink! However, it took me moving across the country to make that intention a reality.

So again, I am thankful for friends, thankful for visitors, and eagerly awaiting the arrival of several more over the next months!

Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend.  ~Plautus