Breaking the silence

First day of summer break.
Morning snuggles.
Whole grain waffles.
Godtime with boys.
Half-block walk.
Swing by church.
Playdate with friends.
Drive-thru lunch date.
Home-owners again.
Housewarming gift.
Laughter with a friend.
Chat with a sister.
Reading to the littlest.
Floor covered with toys.
Happy playing and resting.
Celebratory entertaining dinner.
Exterior paint samples.
Quiet. Rest.

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good. ~ Psalm 52:8-9

A day at college

Recently, the subject of "college" has come up around the dinner table and in the van. We've talked about all the people that we know that are going to college ... some are young, some are old. The boys heard our "college" story of me and Doug becoming friends, then deciding to marry and live together forever. So, today, we went to "college". University of New Orleans is their Mimie's alma mater and is a significant piece in Gentilly. Sunday's baptism gathering was held at the UNO Aquatic Center, but I had never been on the rest of the campus. The boys and I pulled up in front of the University Center, took a peek in dining hall (ChickFilA in Gentilly?!), and meandered through the Privateer Bookstore. (Later Doug explained what a privateer was. I sure didn't know. )We found a book about the mascot of LSU, which seemed an appropriate addition to our family library in light of our secret connection to Mike the Tiger. And just as we were leaving, a former youth group friend now in his first year at UNO greeted us and offered to show us his dorm room. Sweet. The boys' eyes were wide the whole time. Tonight they were dreaming about who they would room with at college one day. It's so fun that UNO is part of Gentilly's landscape. Before we left for the other side of the river, we landed at the Gentilly Branch of the NOPL, then enjoyed some slammin' goodies at Daddy's Donuts complete with the story behind its name, followed by errands to the post office and the bank. It felt good to be in Gentilly doing our thing ... it would be really nice if we could live there too. Wink. 

Our church planting team

God has created an amazing leadership team for our new church in Gentilly. I can't wait to see who else He brings to our launch team to reach the unique needs of the community. Alf Nelson, one of our co-pastors, was interviewed by WWL recently while rebuilding his house (gutted at purchase). You can watch read and watch the "Spirit of Recovery" as it relates to Gentilly and Lakeview. Doug also blogged about his relationship with Alf since they were teenagers, so you'll want to check that out on plantandrun.com too. This piece of this journey is purely confirmation of God's plans for our two families to minister together.