when conversations go well. also photos.

I got in last night from my last work trip until after the baby comes.  woo-hoo!  it was a good, fairly easy trip, and I feel both grateful for how cool everybody up there is and for the break from having to think about scheduling/traveling.  today's to-do list stretches ahead... short 9a session in west hou, 10a dr appointment, short 11:30 session in west hou, 12:30 session near IKEA, 1:30-4:30 reading audiobook not far from there.  then home and done and weekend!  until I have to read more audiobook tomorrow, so I can meet my deadlines so I can go to Surfside beach week after next without stressing.

I had a couple of conversations this work trip that I felt really good about - so much is going on in news/politics that there are lots of opportunities to engage others in trading opinions, to be sure.  I tend to err on the side of not getting into it, and then later wish I'd been able to express myself well as a Christian whose views are not necessarily reflected in those talking into microphones on tv/radio/etc.  One particular conversation I had in the studio with my engineer and director was so positive... I got to confess to them that I often avoid topics for fear of putting more 'Christians against Christians, infighting amongst ourselves' stuff out there... but in doing so, I may come across as either endorsing behavior and ideals put out by some vocal believers that I feel are wrong (or just wrongly expressed) or I totally avoid professing my faith/convictions at all, which makes me feel cowardly.  we ended up talking in particular about the importance of pursuing kindness and civility always, touched on the fundamental Christian belief of our brokenness and total dependence on Christ, even about evangelism and how one shares what they believe.  I know this is going to shock you:  non-Christians don't want our tracts, cold-calls, or impersonal 'have you accepted Jesus as your lord and savior?' mall ambushes... they want to see our faith in action in service and loving others.  they want to see us modeling Jesus, to see attractive evidence of the power of faith in our own lives.  they want conversations that stem naturally from relationship.  long term, boots on the ground kind of stuff.  at least, that's what we talked about, anyway.  it's those kinds of interactions I hope for, the moments when you can organically share who you are with those you know in a way that, you hope, reflects well on Jesus.

for your Friday viewing pleasure, I submit:

A Well-Behaved Child at 5th Sunday Singing night (before she started getting antsy/crazy because, hello, this is when we're usually eating dinner and taking a bath):

water sports

 

a family of Raggedy Anns:

bedtime with mama's big belly

and a cowgirl with a baby.

we're putting together her big-girl 2 year old bed this weekend.  smile and sigh.  and now I hear her, so it's time to get crackin'.

-m.y.