Normally, I post Quick Takes at the beginning of the weekend rather than the beginning of the week but we were busy celebrating lots of happy stuff the past few days and I'm just now getting to it. Yesterday morning I posted (or re-posted, I should say) a few thoughts for the last Sunday before Lent (Transfiguration Sunday): I don't want to miss the Present God, trying to trap down the Presence of God. Could have let my weekend posts end there, but then I wouldn't be able to tell you about all the other good stuff I'd planned to tell you in the Quick Takes.
For example, our HOECAKE HOEDOWN!
You've heard of Shrove Tuesday (keyword: pancakes)? Well, we're Anglican now so we get to celebrate such delicious feast days. But since we're also Texans now we get to feast on hoecakes instead. At a hoedown, naturally. And on a Friday night instead.
Yes, we danced. A lot.
I'm especially impressed with myself for keeping up with Cotton-Eyed Joe this year. And, just in case you missed it in the nifty collage, I was pretty excited about my Goodwill finds, helping me look as Texan as I could muster.
Next Sunday, Brian and I -- along with our daughter, Kendra -- will be confirmed into the Anglican communion. This is a sentence I never expected to write in my lifetime. If you'd told me this before about ten years ago I'd have laughed out loud. I've been working out some words to share with you about the journey. I'm hoping to post a few of them over the coming weeks.
Also, I made a nifty series title pic...
Kendra helped me figure out how to post a screen shot of one of my all-time favorite facebook conversations.
You need to know that Keith was my brother's betta fish from his bachelor days. Ryan and -- his then girlfriend, now wife -- Macia discovered that underneath Keith's placid, neon surface he was quite an ornery son of a gun. We always looked forward to getting updates on Keith's rowdy behavior. Now he's gone from this earth and we'll miss him -- at least talking about him -- dearly.
You should also know that Trish is not a fish. Keith and Trish broke societal boundaries with their betta-fish, Polly Pocket relationship. First, though, Trish needed to work out some inner demons from her old life washed up on the Wildwood Beach.
We all celebrated her conversion this past Christmas.
As you can see in the comment thread above, we feel she came to Jesus at just the right time in life.
Morning Prayer at Carrying Ballast: During Advent my friend Haley wrote poems to her unborn daughter. Now she's writing prayers for her four children to share throughout the day. Beautiful.
Are you -- like me -- still deciding what to fast for Lent? Here's some good encouragement for us both:
- It's OK to just fast at Homemaking Through the Church Year
- Lenten Rookie Mistakes at Simcha Fisher
I'd love to hear your hopes and plans the spiritual journey of Lent.
Drop me a line, won't you?
Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about the Lenten devotional published by Christ Church this year. I haven't seen a hard copy yet but the online version is gorgeous.
Lenten Daily Devotional, February 13 - March 30 2013
(May I humbly share my own contributions on February 19 and March 5?)
As we enter a season walking with the Christ who suffers until the end of the world, I'm sharing the story of my nephew's classmate Kayla. Our extended family has been praying for her family as they battle horrible, life-robbing cancer. Last week her parents posted Kayla's Thank You slideshow, telling their story so far. Kayla's own voice singing praise to her Jesus broke my heart of stone and led me in worship.
I suspect it'll do the same for you.
A beauty-filled and worship-bowed week for us all, dear ones.
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
