snow boots

Yesterday we woke up to a pretty half-inch of snow.  I was surprised when Bo looked out the window and said, "Snow!"  

He was really pumped about his snow boots.  At first he didn't realize snow was for playing in; he was content just to wear his snow boots and sit by the window, looking at the snow.  

But I figured this snow wouldn't last all day so we suited up over his PJs for a few minutes outside:

Charlie Brown in the snow:

It was a cooooold morning and Bo liked trying to see his breath. 

I know people talk about the south and their aversion to snow all the time but I was shocked to see that school was canceled for a literal half inch of snow.  As you can see in the pics above, it didn't stick to the sidewalks or roads.  Certainly the bridges could've been icy... but the snow was totally gone by 11am.  Certainly a change from New York when it would snow a foot and I was terrified to drive but life proceeded as normal.  Bo loved those snow boots and insisted on wearing them all he live long day.

This morning we woke to a treat of a heavier snow that did stick to the roads . . . perfect for a Saturday morning.

By 9am we were sledding with the cousins.  Bo wasn't loving the thrill of flying down the hill but his daredevil cousins will help him get over that I'm sure.  

love stories

Once I get started reading I don't like to stop, and I really like to have another one lined up for the next read.  So if you're out of options, here are four that I've had the privilege of reading.  They are, I guess, sort of like romance novels because they are all about love.  Not fairy tale love. . . but the nitty gritty love of cleaning the filthy, housing the homeless, comforting the grieving, and bringing justice to the oppressed.

These books, well, they weren't easy to digest.  They made me question the things I hold dear.  They unsettled and uprooted me.  They spoke the truths of scripture through the lives of their authors.  

First up was Kisses from Katie.  I knew the gist of her tale - young American girl ends up adopting a bunch of Ugandan girls.  What I didn't know was the why or the how, and I was curious.  How did this girl get to where she is right now?  Wasn't she scared?  Isn't she overwhelmed? 

What I read was a sweet, unassuming story of a girl down the block . . . literally from a neighboring suburb of Nashville, who felt God directing her to Africa.  Her parents didn't necessarily agree or approve, but they reluctantly let her go after high school and she hasn't come back.  This girl has few resources but just meets needs.  In her youth and naiveté she believed she could and should help the least, and it turns out that her small actions meant a great deal to the children she touched.  Her book made me wonder how our resources could be used to further God's kingdom instead of our own.  

Enter 7, by Jen Hatmaker.  This is a book I've read about for over a year but was too scared to read. The premise just sounded weird and over the top and uncomfortable.  This lady spends 7 months whittling her life down to the bare minimum.  For one month she only eats 7 foods, the next she only wears 7 items of clothing, then she gets rid of 7 items a day . . . I mean, come on, dramatic.  But after Katie's book, my heart was primed for this read.  

It's true that Hatmaker does write about her experiences each month but not in a preachy or pretentious way.  She is quirky and humble.  She sought to refocus on the things that God loves.  From her mutiny against excess I learned . . . that just because I can doesn't mean I should.  That I am not entitled to any of these earthly blessings.  That Creation is still ours to steward.  That God loves people and people need our love - especially the weak, the marginalized, the poor.  

And though I can sweep it under the rug with talk about this season or chapter or whatever convenient phrase eases my conscience . . . it is becoming undeniable that my focus extended hardly any bigger than the circle of myself and our small family.

A friend lent me this next book, which is not normally one I'd choose.  I knew the tragedy that this family faced of losing a child and I did not want to know their pain.  

Trusting God through the loss of their daughter is the heart of this book, but it also tells the story of ordinary people who dreamed of bigger things.  They love their family and their God and championed the case of the orphan.  They long for heaven but have not lost sight of their work on earth.

Finally, this last one was a real joy to read.  

Bob Goff is a pretty amazing guy.  I found myself laughing out loud at some of his adventures.  I'm still trying to process the many things he he said 'yes' to that led to beautiful change.  I want to love in tangible ways.  I want to stop planning and take action.  

These books have started a small fire under us in 2013.  Each of these authors was just writing from their vantage point in God's story, loving His Scriptures and bringing them to life by loving people.