The best conjunction of all time.

My single, all time favorite word in the entire Bible is "but".

I swear, it gets me every time. There are huge sections of scripture that are honestly just sad and whiny and pathetic and BLEGH! Like Psalm 13:

"How loooong, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?? I have sorrow! Answer me! Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death" (my very loose paraphrase, of course). And then right when it seems like there's really no hope. No answer, no resolution, or relief.

BUT!!! But, but, but, but, BUT! ...and my heart sings because I know what's coming!!!!

"BUT I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will SING to the Lord, because he has dealt with me bountifully."

And then there is the Ultimate 'But' Passage: Ephesians 2.

Oh, my glory. Take all of the scriptures from me, but please don't take my Ephesians 2 (it's also in Titus 3, so don't take that one either... or Psalm 9... or 5.......)

"...you were dead in your sins, following the prince of the power of the air...we were children of wrath ... BUT GOD! being RICH in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our sins made us ALIVE together with Christ..."

Oh, oh, OH! I love it. I love that we can mount up all this ick and sin and sorrow. Just keep piling it up. C'mon, throw a little more death in there, a little more pain. Give it all you've got. A little more stress and disappointment. It doesn't matter because, "... He had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of the people." (Heb 2:17)

Jesus died THROUGH all that mess and lived again on the other side. So we can rejoice our brains out because of that one little, seemingly insignificant conjunction, 'but'.

Whew!! And I plan on doing just that for all of eternity.

Read This!!

Here's an awesome article about the awesomeness of reading.

My Whirlwind of Happiness

This past week has been insane in the membrane. (Oh yes. I just said that.)

Literally, every single day on my calendar this week had at least one activity. That doesn't sound like a lot, I know. But some days there were more than two and when one has to organize feedings and naps and know that some of those will have to be rearranged and then in turn plan for the imminent backlash... it can get a little hairy.

But, Oh. Such wonderful activities they were! An extra tutoring session (a little extra dough, yay!), families crashing at our house for the wedding this weekend, a date at the park with friends, family coming to squeeze and love our sweet boy, dinner downtown with my love... it all added up to a din that made my pulse race a bit and my heart expand. In a good way.

Rushing this way and that is not a good routine to get into. But this week, ushering in the beeeautiful spring weather, I feel like I'm singing right along with these crazy birds - in a ecstatic burst of madness and gratefulness that the long winter is OVER!

Meditate, day and night.

I want this kid's love for God's Word.

Yes, I said 'kid'.

This is so cool... think about it.

Read in a comment box as I checked up on 22 Words this morning:

... Dreams, to me, help me grasp infinity.

How else could my brain have an hour-long dream that culminates in a plot point involving a noise that ends up being my alarm clock, the little device that is ringing after I hit snooze nine minutes ago?

How can an hour in my brain fit into nine minutes of "real time"? - reader, Rob Hulson

Handsome Boy

How can I love him SO much? And how is it that my love for him keeps growing??

James, Our Beauty Queen

He's such a pro at waving, that he just does it ALL THE TIME. Also, check out the clapping and the *sort of* pulling up!