Light

The sun was so brilliant today, it made even the most ordinary things sparkle.

The Good List 3-30-11

10. Drew Carey rockin' a purple bowtie on The Price is Right. (Grace watched about 17 episodes last week while she was sick.)

9. Sundried Tomato and Basil Wheat Thins. Yum!

8. Back to the Future. Jared and I watched it last weekend. (Who knows what that brings the total views count up to--I'm sure it's in the hundreds.) That movie makes it impossible not to love Michael J. Fox.

7. When Macy and Grace play with my hair.

6. This scene from How to Train Your Dragon. Such a great movie.

5. Gettin' the heck OUT of Tennessee before the cicada plague struck again. The last really bad one was in 1998 or 1999 if I recall correctly. It was like living in a horror movie for about 6 weeks. Sounds like it's about to strike again. YUCK! Just one more reason I'm glad we moved when we did. Love y'all, Nashville peeps, but NOT JEALOUS!

4. The dainty little ballerina that Grace made me out of a seemingly worthless wad of wire that was headed for the trash. (Mr. Jeff would be proud ;-)

3. Macy's heart for little ones. She will be the best babysitter ever pretty soon. ;-)

2. Stephen Wiltshire. This is astonishing.

1. Simplicity. It's severely underrated.

Random Thoughts

--I can't believe no one has invented a quicker way to dry hair by now. I mean, we can "cook" an entire meal in 5 minutes these days, but it still takes me 30 minutes to dry my mop. Crazy.

--Howcome there is no Monsters, Inc. 2 by now? The first one was SO GOOD, and the ending set it up perfectly for a sequel. Someone should get on that.

--I'm really glad God made snow white instead of black or gray or puke green. Or red. Oh man. Red snow--wouldn't that be creepy?

--I realized a couple days ago that I haven't had a dishwasher in almost a year. Surprisingly, I really haven't missed it. I'm sure it helps tremendously that I love the view from my kitchen window. :-D

--I absolutely LOVE to cook, but I have discovered that there are certain things that taste better when someone else makes them for me. Coffee, salad, and a "loaded" sandwich (all the veggies) are among those things.

--When is So You Think You Can Dance coming back? I miss it.

--If more adults would pretend to be kids every now and then instead of so many kids pretending to be adults all the time, I'm pretty sure the world would improve instantly.

Heaven Is The Face

To be able to write this song after the death of his precious little daughter is nothing short of a miracle. So God. Such grace. Words fail. I'm undone.

The Good List 3-23-11

10. Colorful Sharpies. What is it about those things? They're like little vibrantly hued containers of fun-ness.

9. The sound of horses running. There's something about it that feels good in my ears. Is that weird?

8. Jason Bateman. He's adorable, and I bet he would be really fun to hang out with.

7. Sunsets in the mountains. One of my very most favorite scenes.

6. My tulips are coming up! (Thanks, Joy! These are the bulbs you gave us last fall.)

5. Serving up Jambalaya to a kitchen full of friends earlier this week. Representin' the South up in the 802! :-D

4. A clean, organized kitchen. Although ironically it makes me want to get in there and cook a bunch of stuff and make a big ol' mess.

3. Watching a chipmunk scamper across the snow in our back yard. Y'all know I loved winter, but I sure don't mind the signs of spring.

2. The way the moon gorgeously positions itself right in the corner of the window above my kitchen sink while I'm washing the dinner dishes. Awesome.

1. Laying my head on Macy or Grace's chest and hearing her heart beat healthy and strong.

Prayer Time 3-22-11

I've missed this for a week or two. We have had a couple of incredibly busy weeks (including lots of last-minute unexpected stuff), and it picks back up again tomorrow. But I'm grateful to be able to slow down a bit today and pray. We are surrounded by so many needs, and our family certainly still needs prayer as well. As always, feel free to add your requests in the comments field. The comments on this post will not be published publicly for those concerned with privacy.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." --Jeremiah 29:13

My Own Little World --by Macy and Grace Wilson

So this is Macy and Grace's first original co-written song. And I'm so proud I could burst. My little singer/songwriters. :-D

Macy and Grace's Song from Jared Wilson on Vimeo.

The Good List 3-16-11

10. The word "conundrum." It might be the best example in the English language of a word that sounds exactly like its definition. Right?

9. Kale chips. So apparently kale has recently been elevated to super food status. It has almost every vitamin a body needs plus fiber, calcium, etc., etc. It's an anti-inflammatory and supposedly helps prevent several kinds of cancer as well as heart disease. All of that with only 36 calories per serving. And if you roast it in the oven with just a little olive oil, vinegar and salt, it's YUMMY!

8. Albert Brooks. I forget how funny he is when I haven't seen him in awhile.

7. The yogurt "fluff" we've been enjoying at our house when we need a quick and easy dessert. Just mix one tub of cool whip with one single serving size container of any flavor yogurt. You can enjoy it just like that kinda like pudding or spoon it over berries or angel food cake. Super simple and delightfully delicious! You're welcome. ;-)

6. Word clouds. I mean, I suppose it depends on the subject matter, but generally speaking, I like the concept. Pretty fun.

5. Serving dessert in stemware. It adds a little magic to even the simplest of yummy treats. (Like yogurt fluff!)

4. The Ukrainian eggs our fabulous friend Anne Miserocchi taught us how to make last weekend. So fun and beautiful! (Disclaimer: We only made the 3 individual ones pictured below. The ones in the baskets belong to Anne and were made by all different people throughout the years. I wanted to share the pics because they're so beautiful, but didn't want to take credit. ;-)

3. The energetic discussion we had at our Ladies' Bible study yesterday. All about the Gospel. Pastor would be proud. :-D A bunch of lovely ladies learning more about Scripture and the Gospel together--I'm pretty sure there is no better use of a Tuesday morning.

2. Making my kids laugh. Especially when it comes from way down deep in their bellies. Those are my rock star moments. I don't need much else.

1. Seeing hope in someone's eyes (or hearing it in their voice) for what you know is the first time in a very long time. Beautifully special.

Don't Live Like You're Dying if You're Not

I'm sure just about everyone has heard songs or seen movies that talk about "living like you're dying." And I'll even confess that I'm typically one of the sappy dorks who becomes weepy and emotional each time I experience something along those lines (at least until the radio stations make me completely immune to the songs by playing them 17 times an hour, but that is a topic for a different day.)

In general, this is probably an ok concept--a pretty good way to get people to embrace a new perspective and either redefine their priorities or just refocus on the priorities that they somehow let slide. That seems like a pretty good thing to do in theory. But for some reason this idea has been troubling me lately, and I'm not sure I know *exactly* why, but I have a few thoughts. Maybe someone smarter than me can expound on these notions and bring some wise perspective into the conversation. Or maybe I'm way out in left field and should just stop talking. That's entirely possible too. ;-)

Here is my biggest problem with this scenario. What if you're not dying? Like ever? Shouldn't that pretty much change everything? And if so, why don't more people talk about living like they'll never die? 'Cause doesn't that mean something COMPLETELY different than living like you're dying? I think so. I sure hope so.

Most of the time, the "live like you're dying" songs and movies and books, etc. tend to focus on some sort of list of things you have to do or say or experience before you die. And there is of course a sense of urgency. I mean--you know--the idea is to hurry and fit in as much as possible in a short amount of time. Before you *run out* of time. And that's ok, I guess. It makes sense--sorta. But first of all--doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose a little? I mean, isn't that what most of the world struggles against every day whether they know they're dying or not? This idea of fitting too much activity into too little time and not really experiencing--certainly not savoring--any of it. It's a rush to some sort of worldly finish line. The *end*. Before I get to the *end*, I want to own ______, do ______, see ______, hear ______, etc. etc. etc. as though these are the things that will complete life. And ok, I get it. There's nothing wrong with wanting to experience all sorts of amazing things while we're on the earth. After all, God did create it for our enjoyment.

But secondly--this idea assumes you're running out of time. So if you're not running out of time. . . . . . ever. . . . . Hmm. This begs the question-- How many of us truly know and believe with our whole hearts that we will never die? That there is no *end* for us. And how many of us celebrate that with every fiber of our being in a way that shows everyone around us that we know it? How many of us realize that death is not the end at all for a life that is bound to Christ? It is, in fact, the beginning of the greatest, fullest, awesomest, most joy-filled adventure we will ever know. Nothing on our "bucket lists" will compare. NOTHING. No--not even skydiving. Or having the $1000 ice cream sundae at Serendipity. I promise. So if that is true, shouldn't it impact our behavior just as significantly as (but much differently than) if we knew we were dying?

Like--rather than rushing to force tons of activities into a short amount of time because we know all the fun is coming to an end, wouldn't living forever encourage us to savor every single second of any kind of enjoyment as practice for the ultimate enjoyment we know will be eternally in our future? And wouldn't "rushing" in general pretty much cease to exist if we truly understood that we have ETERNITY to live, laugh and love (ok, maybe that last part's a little cheesy, but I mean, isn't that the sum of what most people want in life)?

And rather than frantically trying to tell or show each of our family members and friends how much we love them before we can't tell them anymore, wouldn't living forever cause us to want to use every moment of our lives (not just the final ones) to teach them how to live forever too? Wouldn't we want to be fully present in every millisecond in a way that demonstrates our love for them because of our love for Christ, therefore drawing them to Christ?

And what about this? Rather than shaping our list of priorities in such a self-focused way that includes a list of things we want to do/see/hear/taste, etc., wouldn't living forever make us realize it's really not even about us? At all. Wouldn't that make us so much more outwardly focused and so much less self-absorbed? I mean, if we know we're living forever, it's because we know Christ, right? And if we know Christ, we know that real life is about being bound to him for all eternity. So shouldn't that make all of the stuff that earth has to offer seem so much less "shiny" and so much less like something we need before we die?

I hope this is coming across the right way. I really don't have any problem whatsoever with someone going sky-diving as a dying wish because it was something they always wanted to experience. I say go for it. Really. Please do. And enjoy it. Savor it.

My concern is just this. We're all dying in our earthly bodies. Every single one of us. Some sooner than others. Some know when (at least approximately), and some don't have a clue. BUT some of us are living forever. AND WE ALREADY KNOW THIS. For sure. We don't have to wait for a doctor to tell us when it will start. It shouldn't matter. What matters is that we know it will happen. So all I'm saying is--if knowing that you're dying affects the way you live, shouldn't knowing that you'll never die do the same? And since we already know, shouldn't we go ahead and start living like we know? That's all I'm saying.

The Good List 3-9-11

10. That show "Storage Wars." It's hit or miss, but sometimes the stuff they find in those lockers is really interesting.

9. Frozen grapes. The kids love finding them in their lunchboxes. It's like having a bunch of mini-popsicles in there! Also--weird little tip--they're great for easing pregnancy nausea if you suck on them. I won't pretend to understand the science behind it, but something about the way your body slowly absorbs the nutrients. . . I don't know. I suppose it could be an old wive's tale, but it seemed to work for me. ;-)

8. Sharing recipes with people and finding out that they love them as much as I do. This makes me a weird degree of happy. I'm not sure what that says about me.

7. Getting a really good workout 5 days a week so that I can guiltlessly NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT the other 2 days.

6. Fiona Apple. Love her voice! Tiny little white girl has more soul than the whole list of people my friend Tyrone helped us celebrate in February. :-D

5. Hand-written cards and letters.

4. Those rare (but thankfully not as rare as they used to be for my family) days when we never have to change out of our pajamas. Macy and Grace love these days too!

3. The feeling I get just before loading a new batch of pictures onto my computer. It's like opening gifts on Christmas morning. What will I find? So exciting! (I know--I'm SUCH a nerd!!!)

2. Watching an a-ha moment spread across Macy and Grace's faces when they learn something new. So much fun!!!

1. The perfectly lovely day Jared planned for me last Friday. He was out of town on my birthday, so he made Friday extra special instead. First he took me to Quechee to feed my addiction and let me take pictures ;-), then a nice lunch, and eventually the day ended with a netflix movie and chocolate truffles. Pretty much perfect!

Prayer Time 3-8-11

Needs are great today. My list is quite long already, but I am looking forward to a long afternoon of prayer, so there is certainly room for more. Please let me know what I can add to my list on your behalf. Comments on this post will not be published publicly for the sake of those concerned with privacy.

May God come close to you today in a way you've never experienced before.

Quechee

I love this place. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the little field trip Jared and I took last week (for my friends who aren't on facebook and haven't already seen them there.)

The Good List 3-2-11

10. Ginger Ale poured over frozen mixed berries instead of ice. Refreshing and delightful!

9. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. So weird and random, but you can't help but giggle.

8. When it's so windy outside you can barely stay on your feet. It's a great excuse to have wild woman hair all day and not care.

7. Nigella Lawson. Love her recipes, LOVE her accent, love her sense of humor and the fact that she doesn't take herself too seriously. Pretty much want to hang out with her for extended periods of time.

6. The mysterious and spooky fog up in the mountains just beyond our back yard on Monday evening. So cool-looking.

5. The Jesus Storybook Bible. I have probably listed this before, but it certainly deserves multiple mentions. I will probably list it again, so go ahead and emotionally prepare yourself. ;-) It might be the best kids book ever written. Ever.

4. The sweet way that Gracie adores her big sister. She thinks she is the smartest, funniest, most talented person she knows. And also that she has the best ideas. ;-) It's pretty precious and special.

3. The song Carried to the Table by Leeland which was part of the worship set at Forge last Saturday night. That song slays me every time I hear/sing it.

2. David and Sarah are having a BOY!!!!! I can't wait to meet Jack McLemore. How can someone with that name NOT be awesome?

1. The GREAT news my Mom got from her doctor last Friday. She was supposed to have a biopsy, but by the time she arrived for her appointment, the "mass" in question had shrunk so much they didn't even do the biopsy. Told her to come back in 3 months to make sure it hasn't grown again, but it appears to be nothing. PRAISE GOD!!!