Just awesome:

1. Joel's sermon last Sunday night, and the excellent discussion that followed, confirmed again my desire to pursue just one thing: Christ himself. It is unspeakably wonderful to know Him, don't you agree?

2. Last week Liana told me about how in Ghana they end each night by recounting the day with thanksgiving and praise of God's faithfulness, and how they begin each day with again recounting the Lord's faithfulness and thanking Him/praying for the day ahead. Just since Sunday I've been trying to do this, and it's been awesome. I'm not much of a morning-quiet-time person, but starting off with that and a song about His faithfulness has made a huge difference in how I've approached my days. (Thanks, Liana! And Jeremy for sharing that morning song!) My last few days have been filled with great joy

3. Sometimes certain things are so close to my heart that I can't form cohesive thoughts with which to pray, let alone get enough objectivity to pray in accordance with God's will. But a friend was able to pray for me with that passion and objectivity yesterday. Just another way this body of Christ amazes me.

4. I've had the incredible privilege of touring the labs of my "science-y friends" this last week. May I just say one more time how amazing God is?? I'm boggled by creation. By mushrooms and bird brains and lipids and cell migration. By the fact that our bodies work, that with just a thought my eyes look around, my fingers move, and without a thought my heart beats and I retract my finger from a burning cold surface. By the fact that God created people that have the intellect and passion to work out the whys and hows of biological life. :-) By the way everything matters. Just...wow. My confession of the day is that I have a little crush on science. I'm not cut out for it, I don't belong in a lab, but part of me wants to spend every moment of every day contemplating, discovering, innovating, analyzing, being frustrated by, and delighting in the workings of the world. (Plus, dude, scientists get to play with some awesome toys.) I've got other thoughts on this, but they'll keep, for now.

5. This has nothing to do with anything, but I just am so excited about it that I have to talk about it and this is the most convenient forum. My dad is coming for a visit next week, and I'm THRILLED ABOUT IT!!! Not only is he driving 12 hours to help me move (woohoo!), he's taking a whole week off work and I get to take him to all his favorite spots from the summer he spent in Bloomington some 20 years ago. I cannot wait to share my wonderful B-town life with the man who, despite some challengers, is still my favorite man currently incarnate on earth. :-D