tuesdays!

For well over a year now, I've spent each Tuesday afternoon with the most wonderful three kids imaginable. They're fun, they're smart, they're energetic, they make me laugh, and they have made Tuesday afternoons one of the best parts of my week.

When we're not playing board games or running around outside or reading books, or building forts, we've taken to playing around with my computer.

You gotta love Macs, if only for Photo Booth:


Aren't they great?!?!?


Fun?!?!?


Adorable?!?!?

They've especially enjoyed playing with the PhotoBooth effects. May I present:

Caleb Bi-head:


Jake the somber superhero:


And Sad, Sad, Happy Luke:


Truth be told, I have fun with it, too:

taking notes in church

On any given Sunday, my friends and I reveal our diligence as Christians and as students by taking out carefully chosen notebooks that reflect our personalities and taking notes of all the poignant, deep, and insightful things our pastor tells us.

A few weeks ago, I was feeling rebellious. So rebellious, in fact, that I left my pretty sermon-and-Bible-study-and-prayer notebook at home. Yes, it's true. I went to church without my notebook. In fact, I think I even went to church without my Bible. Oh, the rebelly rebel-full rebellious rebellion.

But then I heard something I wanted to write down.

It wasn't even something my pastor said. I don't think I even listened to the pastor that morning, as I was determined not to learn anything at all.

But the guy telling the children's story told a tale that captivated me despite my best efforts to stay aloof and hard-hearted. A found myself itching for my notebook. I reached for a pen. I scrambled for some paper. I scribbled on the first blank page I found.

Except it wasn't blank.

*happy sigh*

True confession: I've been a Christian for more than a decade, and I'm not very good about daily Bible reading and "time with God." I pray a lot, I praise a lot. I really enjoy studying the Bible, be it in a group with discussion or inductively on my own. But I don't do it every day.

Until now. :-)

I finally figured out how to get myself actively reading and meditating on the Bible every day. Instead of trying to schedule time apart from 'the usual,' I'm adding it to 'the usual' by subscribing to an RSS feed. Now, along with my daily readings of Stuff Christians Like and Pioneer Woman, my Google homepage feeds me a link to a blog-like version of the ESV, divvied up into daily readings. (Check out daily readings and other RSS devotionals here, courtesy of the ESV people.)

It's simple. It's elegant. It's a reminder to breathe and eat the Word. And rather than feeling guilty that I didn't escape to my prayer closet for some heart to heart with the One I owe my everything to, I have this positive reminder to take a deep breath and drink up some Life.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
(Psalm 4:8)

And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.
(Job 42:12)

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
(Acts 16: 25-34)

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1)

Ahhhhh... There is just no way to get enough of this...