::this week::

listening:  All Sons and Daughters

cooking:  lots of new recipes!  falafel, Asian steak marinade, rosemary and sea salt soft pretzels with rosemary cheddar dipping sauce, red velvet brownies, peanut butter banana bread, pizza, sesame noodles, coconut braised chickpeas and spinach

praying:  for the Lord to give Jeremy and I the desires of our hearts, and to provide the resources for a certain dream of ours to come true.  for wisdom and guidance along with that.  that I would be so filled with the perfect, always patient, always kind, always faithful love of God that I would pour it out to my family, the kids that I have care over, and everyone else I encounter.  for the requests of many friends, in this state and others.

praising:  a sweet season with the Lord.  one in which His Word is so alive to me. 

creating:  still working on putting all new velcro on Noah's diapers.  some decorations for a baby shower in July.  planning to slightly re-do my gallery wall and add some 20 year old pictures of our families into the mix.

contemplating: 1) Jeremiah 17:7-8 and having deep roots like this tree... not being anxious in the year of drought, and still bearing fruit.  So often I feel like I'm in a dry and fruitless season with the Lord.  This verse is teaching me that dryness does not have to mean fruitless.  That deep roots will still produce fruit despite the season or conditions.  2) The faith of Abraham in Genesis 12... leaving his home, walking by faith, one step at a time, to go to the land that the Lord would show him.  This is so meaningful to me in this season. 3) that although God had promised a child to Abraham and Sarah they both lacked faith on multiple occasions... yet this did not change God's plan and promise... He is so faithful, despite our fickleness, and still did just exactly as He said He would, but in His own timing, that did not make sense by human standards.

reading:  Genesis, What the Bible is All About

enjoying:  1) many sweet phone calls with friends out of state who have been such an encouragement to me.  praising God that I have had the privilege of knowing and walking along side such amazing women.  2) hosted friends for dinner on Monday, hosting community group Wednesday, tea and walk dates with other friends.  I love having a constant flow of people in and out of our home.  Praying this place would be filled so thickly with the presence of God that all who enter would encounter Him, receive the ministry that they need, and be so refreshed and encouraged that they would be overflowing with His perfect love and joy with everyone else they go out and encounter.