On Ready Feet

Casey, the one and the only. There was never a better sister for me. So much about her to celebrate, isn't she absolutely great? She's incredibly amazing,  an unparelleld delight. She fights for those she loves,  with all of her might. Seriously, a more caring being  you never will find. She's stunning  and modest  and brilliant, to boot. She's insanely talented and undeniably loyal - it's true! I adore her, and I know if you know her, you do, too. --- Here's a few snapshots of us enjoying sisterhood: When I'm with her I'm NEVER bored. A picture speaks a thousands words. Except...  ...when there are no words. Fake laughter ALWAYS turns into real laughter.  Normal isn't a word in our vocabulary. Adulting is overrated. If you don't have a sister, I recommend you get one.

My most deepest, most sincerest apologies for the lapse in writing and posting. I've not got a genuinely adequate excuse for ignoring this blog, BUT if you will graciously hear me out, I can try to give my reasoning. The British Bake-Off There, I admit it. I'm hooked, lined and sinkered. This is a show I take incredibly seriously, as did the rest of the world when it first came to Netflix a few years ago. Slightly behind, I thick it my responsibility to see what the fuss is all about. Wow. When it comes to this show, I'm gobsmacked that it makes me so chuffed. There are competitions all over television these days, but nothing has ever enticed me so very much as this brilliantly (to borrow Mary Berry's famous word) "scrummy" show. It's three-quarters charming and one fourth incredibly, unbelievably intense. Not at all the Americanized intensity that defines The Bachelor or Survivor. Oh no. This is the sort of intensity that entails staring for hours ...

Memorial Day:  A federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces.  ---- I recently got a text from a dear friend that reminded me that we all fight and serve a kingdom much more than the U.S.  Let me illuminate what I mean.  We humans live and die for a cause that is so much more than fighting in other countries for freedom.  We humans live and die for a cause that is so much more than our own peace and prosperity .  We humans life and die to bring about God's kingdom. Now, we may or may not be warring against physical forces,  but we all face and must fight against spiritual forces in our daily lives.  There are those of us who have lost loved ones in that cause,  or even know beloved friends and family on the front lines of this ongoing war.   I haven't lost a brother in the armed forces fighting for the United States of Ame...

It's been 3 years and 1 month And we're doing okay. Sometimes, though, brother, I forget that we've lost you We talk about you, and laugh about you, and tell stories. But, you're barely there. I don't want you to fade away I want to hold onto you. I try, but it's hard. I forget your deep tenor voice, your kwerky smile, your engineer-minded projects. Your passion for all things Subaru was contagious And your passion for life was just as much so. It's as if you were a brightly lit flame for only such a time Now, all I see is what one sees when they close their eyes after turning off bright lights. Dots and sparkles in my vision of where you once were. I know this is the way it will be until I see you again, but barely there is better than not at all.

I wonder what life would have been like if I'd been born one year later or one year earlier than I was. I wonder what life would have been like if I'd been born somewhere else or with different parents or if I had been born without my innate personality traits or my natural tendencies or a different name. I wonder if I had chosen to remain home-schooled through high-school or attend a different university or try a different career path or date another person or even eat that sushi last night.  Would I be somewhere else right now? Would I even be writing this nonsensical blog post? Would I be working an eighty hour work week as a marine biologist in Washington? Would I be writing my second novel about superheroes at a Starbucks in Manhattan? Would I be holding a child I'd adopted from India and pruning my homegrown herb garden? If I were to go back in time, would I change anything to be somewhere different than I am? --- I can't answer that. --...

Before Every day was an expectation, trying to imagine the promises fulfilled. Hanging on to hope, barely trusting God, running to comforts and idols, anything. Reading and re-reading the Scriptures anticipating, waiting, watching,  for any sign of the One. He was meant to come soon but how long must they wait? Hundreds of years of silence  stretching into forever? He would arise and save them from their state of sin but when? After He arose!  From the grave, defeating Death He, the Son of God, had come! Rejoice, all the Earth! Sing out his praises! The Promised One  The Sacrificial Lamb  The Lord Jesus Christ For He vanquished sin Raise your voices in jubilee! He lived a miracle-filled life, a Scripture-fulfilling life,  and then He, our Beloved Savior, died. On a tree, alone, forsaken. Three days, of waiting, His children left to hope once more, until He conquered the grave, asce...