quote

"Community incubates imagination, and contemplation sustains it."

~ Chris Heuertz

BYOL

Ended up having to go to a NSP meeting (run by the city of Atlanta) at the last minute on Friday. It was a BYOL (bring your own lunch) meeting. My lunch for the day - Ritz Crackers and Kroger Creamy Peanut Butter. I had just enough time to make it to the meeting, so my originally planned lunch went with me. I know the folks leading the meeting fairly well or else I probably wouldn't have done it. In fact, the guy who was up front shares my exact birthday... and is one I have to communicate with fairly frequently. He jokingly calls me boss. He's a sweet (non-practicing) Jewish man who dotes on his 2 year old daughter. You can see him in the background of the photo.

Callenwalde

Love this old building. Took dark room classes years ago in a little building back behind this old mansion. Went back a month ago to take photos of the Mission Year gala.

Sweet Auburn Curb Market

Lunch date at Sweet Auburn Curb Market with Carrie, Ashley, and Catherine. Love this place.

Apparently Atlanta is picky about their sidewalks.

Community Geography

I am such a community development dork. I've been working on a partnership with two geography professors. They had the one and only community geographer - a professor at Syracuse - flew down for a presentation. So cool! The covenant intern who is coming down in a dual internship with Charis/FCS and these GA professors was able to come down with one of my old professors. So much fun. Looking forward to learning how to create this new tool. Took them to Daddy Dz's for some good bbq after the talk.

Doctor

Doctor thinks I pulled a muscle or ligament or something. Gave me meds to heal and pain meds for comfort. I'm to keep using the therma care heat pads. If I'm not better in a week I'm to return to get an xray.

Found out that apparently my heart races at just sitting in a doctor's office and it's not just when a needle comes out...

skirts

My new addition to my wardrobe this season were 3 Old Navy skirts. Love them. Actually got one in kelly green - never done that before this, but that's b/c there wasn't one in blue. :) I also got a brown one... and a similar and yet slightly different skirt in white.

Also am loving my $40 aviator sunglasses I got at Ross for less than $10. And you can't see... but my new favorite toe nail polish is plum. This probably will be my spring/summer look. Loving the skirts - they fall right below my knee. And EVERYONE loves the black havanas the Shads got me for Christmas.

Random Catch Up

one of my favorite new places in Atlanta

coffee and a good book - love it

took pictures a couple of weeks ago for mission year's gala

Netherland Urban Planning Students - we gave them a tour of our neighborhood

driving in jer's truck

Children's Ministry Conference and Disney World

Need to actually write more here one evening when I have the time, but just wanted to say that I got the opportunity to both go to a children's ministry conference (had you told me that a year ago I would have told ya 'heck no') and Disney World (for Jennifer Duncanson's birthday) this weekend. Road down with 4 amazing women from my church. Lots of laughter and amazing conversations. Fun stories to come. Here are a couple of photos I snapped on my I-Touch. Other photos to come - and they do have me in them.

Allison can find a deal anywhere. She is coupon queen.

Ashley Bynoe got all of us in for FREE... and we got park hopper passes. Amazing experience. And the Magic Kingdom which normally closes at 11 PM closed at 12 AM.

Tree of Life - that is artificially constructed.

My Favorite Ride - got to sit in the very front with Allison. Best place to experience this one.

Laughed to point of tears on this ride. Hilarious experience that just never will be matched.

Great Rental Car. Amazing Conversations.

At the end of the trip Allison finally got her Waffle House steak and grits.

Becoming the Woman God Created Me to Be (a very rough draft)

Independent. Stubborn. Nomadic.

Two years ago I would have told you those were all integral parts of me, but my work as a community developer and my time in Scripture has caused me to question if those characteristics can be a part of the woman God created me to be.

In Genesis 1 God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Our mysterious three persons and yet one God made us in His image.

In the Gospels I see Jesus surrounding Himself with twelve disciples and growing particularly close to three.

I also see Jesus silently enduring abandonment and denial by His beloved disciples, as well as mocking and abuse by His enemies. It is not until He is hanging on the cross that I hear him crying out in agony. The cry arises not from sheer physical torture, but rather from the agony of being forsaken by God – from experiencing the withdraw of the companionship He had known before the beginning of time.

I wonder if my desire and need to be self-sufficient has hindered my ability both to be the woman God created me to be, as well as to be a light in this broken world. And I wonder if living in community is one way we are called to glorify God and to display His image.

Community is a group of interacting people living in a common location. Community at its core involves people coming together and having an effect on each other. I believe God created us to need each other – to need to function and work as a body. We each have our own task, our personalities, but we are stronger when we come together.

The more I work to build community in South Atlanta the more I believe that a functioning healthy community – whether it be amongst a family, church, office or neighborhood – is developed as we each grow in our relationship with the LORD and are daily conformed in His image.

As I grow to understand the depths of God’s patience, love and forgiveness for me, my ability to extend patience, love and forgiveness for others grow.