Pluviophile

This picture above is of Anna skipping in the rain in Nashville a few years ago. 

Today, in Anacortes, Jason and I went for a run, but let's just say that we would not have wanted to be barefoot in the rain skipping down the street as it was 46 degrees outside. 

But, it was a delightful run and it felt good to get outside.  

I was reminded of this word below: 

And this simply led me to pray for you to be find joy on this rainy day and to able to choose joy in school and with your friendships and with your family.  

Fully Known/ Deeply Loved

Today, I ran from Jason's parents' house up to the top of Mt. Erie for my annual run around new year's. The forecast for the rest of the week looks rainy and I saw a few sun breaks this morning so I decided to head up the mountain today.  

But as I was running up the road to the top of the mountain, the fog started rolling in. 

And then, I was literally in the cloud at the top. 

Below is the picture in the same spot last year 

so you can see the view that is behind the clouds: 

Looked like a cloud forest up on top of Mt. Erie today 

around Heart Lake on my way home

As I was running through the cloud, I was listening to Tauren Wells in honor of you as I know you love his music, and then I put on a podcast called "Finding Fred" about Fred Rogers that I have been listening to as well.  The theme going through both of these turned into my prayer for you today that you would know how deeply you are loved just the way you are. 

Known 

Tauren Wells 

It's so unusual it's frightening

You see right through the mess inside me

And you call me out to pull me in

You tell me I can start again

And I don't need to keep on hiding

I'm fully known and loved by You

You won't let go no matter what I do

And it's not one or the other

It's hard truth and ridiculous grace

To be known fully known and loved by You

I'm fully known and loved by You

It's so like You to keep pursuing

It's so like me to go astray, ooh

But You guard my heart with Your truth

The kind of love that's bullet proof

And I surrender to Your kindness, oh

I'm fully known and loved by You

You won't let go no matter what I do

And it's not one or the other

It's hard truth and ridiculous grace

To be known fully known and loved by You

I'm fully known and loved by You

How real, how wide

How rich, how high is Your heart

I cannot find the reasons why

You give me so much

How real, how wide

How rich, how high is Your heart

Now, I cannot find the reasons why

You give me so much

I'm fully known (fully known) and loved by You

You won't let go (no you won't let go) no matter what I do

And it's not one or the other

It's hard truth and ridiculous grace

To be known fully known and loved by You

I'm fully known and loved by You

It's so unusual it's frightening

I'm fully known and loved by You

I Like You As You Are

Lyrics by Josie Carey | Music by Fred Rogers

I like you as you are

Exactly and precisely

I think you turned out nicely

And I like you as you are

I like you as you are

Without a doubt or question

Or even a suggestion

Cause I like you as you are

I like your disposition

Your facial composition

And with your kind permission

I'll shout it to a star

I like you as you are

I wouldn't want to change you

Or even rearrange you

Not by far

I like you

I-L-I-K-E-Y-O-U

I like you, yes I do

I like you, Y-O-U

I like you, like you as you are

Run

Mt. Baker was showing off when I went running with my sister-in-law Tracey this morning. 

sunshine in Anacortes 

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. 

Luke 2:16

I read the following passage this morning from a book called Preparing for Jesus by Walt Wangerin, and it was the perfect prompting to pray for you today: 

"We are the shepherds who run: from the fields to the stable, from the night to the morning, from our labors to the Lord. We are the ones who run this year, too, as in every year past: 

From toil and our daily chores, we run to the comfort of Bethlehem. 

From our obligations and responsibilities, we run to the strength of Emmanuel: God's strong arm among us. 

From our fears of loss and instability, from the anguish of troubled finances, from poverty we run to the treasure that will not tarnish nor ever diminish, the baby's eyes like coins in our purse, the baby's eyes eternal. 

From our obscurity; from the darkness in which we live our lives, unacknowledged, inglorious; from our truer condition as 'no one, people that are not" we run to the Son of God who knows each of our names, and who will call us by our names, and whose very call will empower us to follow. 

From sorrow, we run to joy. 

From hatred, we run to love. 

From antagonisms, we run to peace. 

From sickness, we run to the healer. 

From sin we run to the Savior. 

From death we run to life." 

Hannah, may you run to God today with everything you've got.... 

Inclusion

We got home late last night and finally went to bed around midnight. It was great to sleep in my own bed and sleep in a bit. When I woke up, I wasn't sure if I was going to go for a run as we had to unpack from our trip to Nashville and repack for our trip to Anacortes, but I shot a quick text to Elizabeth to find out if she had a running plan. 

As you can see from the screenshot of the texts above, she already had a running date with another friend named Liz, but they were so kind and let me crash their party.  We had a great run together, and it was really fun to have the time with them both.  

As I was praying for you today on the run, the word "inclusive" came to mind as I was so grateful for them including me this morning.  I was so grateful thinking of you and the way you help others feel included as well.  This is so much a part of who you are, and I love this about you. 

In looking for prayers about inclusion, I ran across this and thought you would appreciate it: 

Creator God, we are your people.
We look to the future with optimism and with faith in you,
as we pursue our call to provide justice and fullness of life for all people.

 We pray that every man, woman and child
may develop their potential and meet you
in themselves and in one another.
May we enjoy a totally welcoming community,
with you as our center, joined hand in hand with our sisters and brothers.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Roots

Today, I drove my brother and his wife to the airport and then went to our old neighborhood in Nashville to go for a run with my good friend Rachel.

We ran on one of my favorite streets and ran by this armadillo mailbox that Anna and Taylor loved when they were little. 

Seeing it made me nostalgic about our roots in Nashville as I was running back in our old stomping ground, and it also reminded me of you with your roots in Austin, Texas. 

Praying today for your roots to go deep into the soil of God's marvelous love... 

Christmas creed

Hannah, 

I ran across this Christmas creed and loved it, and so I'm offering it as my prayer for you today on the day after Christmas. 

I believe in Jesus Christ and in the beauty of the gospel begun in Bethlehem.

I believe in the one whose spirit glorified a little town;

and whose spirit still brings music to persons all over the world,

in towns both large and small.

I believe in the one for whom the crowded inn could find no room,

and I confess that my heart still sometimes wants to exclude Christ from my life today.

I believe in the one whom the rulers of the earth ignored

and the proud could never understand;

whose life was among common people,

whose welcome came from persons of hungry hearts.

I believe in the one who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible:

I believe in the one whose cradle was a mother’s arms,

whose modest home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth,

who looked at persons and made them see what God’s love saw in them,

who by love brought sinners back to purity,

and lifted human weakness up to meet the strength of God.

I confess my ever-lasting need of God:

The need of forgiveness for our selfishness and greed,

the need of new life for empty souls, the need of love for hearts grown cold.

I believe in God who gives us the best of himself.

I believe in Jesus, the son of the living

God, born in Bethlehem this night, for me and for the world.

True Gifts

Today, after we opened presents, Anna and I went for a run together and we were relishing the 68 degree weather!  I told her that Jason and I used to have a tradition of going on a walk on Christmas and praying for gifts for others.  So with that in mind, I proposed to Anna that we just take time to name people (like we do in small group when we pray for others) who have been gifts in our lives. It was really special to take time to give thanks for the community God has given us.  Know that I am thanking God for YOU today and for the true gift that you are.

I had my Santa sparkly headband on along with my jingle bell earrings that Anna gave me last year for Christmas -- it was a festive run indeed! 

After all the wrappings and fun today that I imagine you all had together as a family, may God remind you of the true gifts of this season... 

Celebrate!

Today in Nashville, it is beautiful-- blue skies and over 60 degrees! When Jason and I ran through the park today on another favorite road, we spotted this tree that someone had decorated for the birds to wish them a merry Christmas and to give them some holiday treats too! 

Below are some ornaments that my mom has put in a tree 

by a field near their house that she keeps up all year round. 

It reminded me of you and how you love to celebrate- adding a little sparkle wherever you go. 

May God continue to bless you with JOY as you celebrate the life you've been given and as you celebrate those you love.  

Perspective

Today, Jason and I ran to the top of my favorite stairs in Nashville in Percy Warner Park. 

Here's the view from the top: 

It's a beautiful view of this part of town and

 it provides a prospective you can't see from the road below. 

My prayer for you today is that you would have the gift of perspective this week and that God would awaken your heart to the gift of Christmas beyond the wrappings and glitter and festivities. 

Here's a poem I read the other morning that helps me think about making room for God's presence: 

Yet if his majesty our sovereign lord

Should of his own accord

Friendly himself invite,

And say "I'll be your guest to-morrow night."

How should we stir ourselves, call and command

All hands to work! "Let no man idle stand.

Set me fine Spanish tables in the hall,

See they be fitted all;

Let there be room to eat,

And order taken that there want no meat.

See every sconce and candlestick made bright,

That without tapers they may give a light.

Look to the presence: are the carpets spread,

The dazie o'er the head,

The cushions in the chairs,

And all the candles lighted on the stairs?

Perfume the chambers, and in any case

Let each man give attendance in his place."

Thus if the king were coming would we do,

And 'twere good reason too;

For 'tis a duteous thing

To show all honour to an earthly king,

And after all our travail and our cost,

So he be pleas'd, to think no labour lost.

But at the coming of the King of Heaven

All's set at six and seven:

We wallow in our sin,

Christ cannot find a chamber in the inn.

We entertain him always like a stranger,

And as at first still lodge him in the manger.
-Thomas Ford 

Oh- and one more-- because you know I love quotes! 

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

-Christina Rossetti 

Day One - setting an intention

Hannah, 
Today marks 2 months until the half marathon on Whidbey Island that I signed up for to run in your honor and just 2 months and 5 days until your 13th birthday. I figured this was a good day to officially begin training.  

Over the last few years, I’ve felt nudges from the Spirit to use my training as prayer time for specific people and circumstances. And I’m pretty sure these nudges came because God knew that I could use some help in this area. Listening in prayer is a definite growth edge for me as I’m one of those people with a bunch of plates spinning simultaneously. In short, I don’t slow down very much, and yet, with running, I already have this training space carved out for me. God has been gracious to help me learn to make space for him through these times.  

This quote below is a favorite of mine: 
"My favorite part of my yoga class is when my teacher asks us to ‘set an intention’ at the beginning of class….At the end, she often asks us to check back in with that intention that we set at the beginning of class.  I like that part; it means something to me. I have begun to incorporate this idea into other areas of my life. I try to set an intention before I run, work out, write, meet up with a friend, make a speech, eat a meal, discipline my children, state my opinion, or say yes or no to a request.  The more I set intentions, the more I realize how many opportunities I have to do so in the span of a week, a day, or even an hour.  I realize how often in the past I have not checked in with my intention or even made one to begin with.  How easy it is to waste time, get off track, or miss the moment when I forget where my heart is?"  -Kristin Armstrong Mile Markers

My intention in the next two months is to keep you in mind when I run and to ask God to help me know what I can be praying for you.  Today as I started the day with a short run, I just lifted you up in prayer and lifted up the next 9 weeks as an offering, and this song came to mind: 

For the life that You have given

For the love of Christ made known

With these fruits of time and labor

With these gifts that are your own

Here we offer, Lord, our praises

Heart and mind and strength we bring

Give us grace to love and serve you

Living what we pray and sing. 

I'm looking forward to the next 9 weeks to have you as part of my inspiration and purpose for the coming miles.  You'll be with me in spirit each day, and my prayer is that God will use this in a small way to bring you some encouragement along the way for your special 13th birthday!