February Twenty-Twenty

February Twenty-Twenty 

some quotes on love to celebrate Valentine's Day and this past month.... 

If our hearts have already been tempted this day to believe anything about ourselves or others that does not take into account your creation, your mercy, your sacrifice, your grace, your forgiveness, your redemption, and your unspeakable love, O God, remind us again of these truths, giving us faith enough to believe and hope enough to choose to embrace them again and again. Shape our thoughts, O Lord, by your truth even as you shape our hearts by your love.

Douglas McKelvey, A Prayer at Midday, Every Moment Holy 

““You are the Beloved,” and I hope that you can hear these words as spoken to you with all the tenderness and force that love can hold… Every time you listen with great attentiveness to the voice that calls you the Beloved, you will discover within yourself a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply. It is like discovering a well in the desert. Once you have touched wet ground, you want to dig deeper.

–Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved

Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.

― Brennan Manning, Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging

How glorious the splendor of a human heart that trusts that it is loved!

― Brennan Manning

Live in the wisdom of accepted tenderness. Tenderness awakens within the security of knowing we are thoroughly and sincerely liked by someone...

Scripture suggests that the essence of the divine nature is compassion and that the heart of God is defined by tenderness.

― Brennan Manning

Today, O Lord, I accept your acceptance of me,

I confess that you are always with me and always for me,

I receive into my spirit your grace, your mercy, your care,

I rest in your love, O Lord,

I rest in your Love.

Amen.

-Richard Foster, (inspired by the Brennan Manning quote above)

We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.
― Brennan Manning

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. -Oprah Winfrey 

The litmus test of our love for God is our love of neighbor.
― Brennan Manning, 

The More You Celebrate....

Our race pictures were posted today of us making our way up a giant hill near the end of the race on Saturday.  We did not know this hill was coming and actually thought we were at the finish line when we got to this big field, but we just had to keep on going after this for over another mile. 

Grateful for this celebratory run! 

Why I love the numbers 13 and 23

One of the things I love about my little tradition of doing something special with Anna on the 13th and with Taylor on the 23rd each month is that it is an excuse to grab a treat or have a few minutes together that we would probably not have if this were not on the radar. 

Taylor and I walked down to the Ave (his happy place) on Monday and I made him take a picture of us on the porch when we got home. (That boy sure is a good sport. :) 

Pure Delight

How is it that a creature so small can bring so much delight to us all? 

 

Elsa and Poppy 

Our friend Laura's daughter- Inga- who could not get enough of Poppy 

Our friends Niko and Owen delighting in Poppy after lunch on Sunday 

many faces

The many faces of Taylor Huff

(Taylor used a setting on my camera and got these hilarious distorted images

 that just made me laugh today...) 

Taylor and friends on Friday night at John's house for dinner 

sugar and spice

Micah and I whipped up an ice cream cake with oreo crust 

AND 13 chocolate chip cookie stacked on top for Hannah last night 

Last weekend, I went over to bake with Liam and we made carrot cake muffins figuring out a recipe based on what they had in their bare cupboard. These were really good even though we were scrounging a bit to find something to make. :) 

Sparkly Dress- Day 2

Hannah sent me this text this afternoon, 

and so I changed my outfit before going to small group.... 

I found my dress and one in the size smaller for Hannah at Target, and I gave her the dress that fit her a few weeks ago as a pre-birthday gift.  The sparkles are too much fun!  Chloe happened to have a sparkly aqua dress that matched us so well so she brought hers to small group tonight too. :) 

birthday surprise 

special birthday prayer blanket 

 

photo bomber 

Fort Ebey Kettles Trail Run- Half Marathon

Today was the Fort Ebey Kettles Half Marathon that I was running in honor of Hannah's 13th birthday that is just around the corner next Friday! Jason and I spent the night in Anacortes at Gene and Bette's house last night and then drove over to Fort Ebey State Park this morning for the start. On the drive over, there was some light rain and we were prepared for a wet and muddy run, but we were pleasantly surprised to have a partly cloudy day with some gorgeous sun breaks.

Before you scroll down to see our race pictures, you have to know that Hannah loves to dress up. Proof is below of a new dress she just got last week at Disneyland. Isn't she adorable?! 

We are definitely kindred spirits in this way and so when I saw this sparkly dress (see below) at Target about a month ago, I snatched it up for the race today (and got Hannah a matching one!) as I knew it would be the perfect way to celebrate her. 

Jason and I ran the race together and had a lot of fun together. I will say that I was the only one on the course with a costume and definitely the only one who ran the half marathon with a crown on the whole way!  A few people asked me what the occasion was, and I was delighted to share that I was running in honor of  Hannah's 13^th birthday.  At the end of the race, one woman took a picture of us coming across the finish line and said that in her book I won the “sparkle award.”  Another runner told me that I should win the “fairy award”, and a spectator told me I was definitely the best dressed.

Hannah has told me that she doesn't want to grow up, and my silly antics in running in a sparkly dress and crown today are proof that in some parts of life she doesn't really have to!

As we ran through a very hilly course, the phrase that kept going through my mind in thinking about Hannah and this next chapter of life for her was “joy in the journey.”  During the race, there were ups and downs, points where we needed to speed up and slow down, times that felt easy and times that felt uncomfortable….but all through the course, I was so grateful for a beautiful day to run and a healthy body to enjoy the miles.  We found so much joy along the way, and that is my prayer for her that she would find joy in the journey God has prepared for her.