shouts of joy

A poster I saw at Pike's Place this weekend. I'm SO ready to fly there.  Carpe Diem "Be happy, happy, happy,  And seize the day of pleasure" - Robert Frost I was talking with my friend Eric, whom I co-direct programming with for MiVoden, this weekend on our trip to Seattle. He was talking about looking at everything for the first time, really living in the present. He challenged me to go outside and look at nature without thinking about what I've known or been taught about it from the past, or what I think for the future, but to look at it for what I see now. I love that. So, today I went for a bike ride and looked at everything for the first time. The only problem is that there are too many things, so to prevent any possible anxiety I quickly looked at the Blue Jay flying past me. I wondered why God created him with such a long tail, why his colors were a mix of white, blue and black, or how many feathers did he have. Just really looking at him. There's ...

The pictures have been forced to stop. This brings terrible news not only for you, but myself as well. For I have lost my memory card. If you would have asked me at the beginning of this 7 day picture trial, I could have predicted that this would happen. It's such a small piece, of course I can't keep track of something that small if it's not tightly secured. Yikes, I wouldn't trust me with anything like that. But someday I will have to, someday when I have students that depend on me to keep track of their homework assignments, loose buttons or fallen teeth, then I will have to be trusted. Sometimes I feel incredibly undeserving of the things I am given, this week especially. "Oh, Lord that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness." -Shakespeare

Game night. Every night. Well, almost. 

6 am: Yoga. Meditation. Peaceful. Abigail-Tina-Meagan-Jacqueline

Zach and Loki . Best buddies.

I was talking with my friend  Jacqueline  yesterday over a cup of coffee and we decided we need to capture more of these young memories before they pass us by. So, one picture a day for 1 week, here's to picture number 1 of 7.  My favorite small group that meets once a week. Young women engaging in LIFE . Quality.

Sunrise on the beaches of Pondicherry.  There was a girl that lived on an island. For the most part, it's a most jovial island. She's explored some parts very thoroughly, other parts she's only raced through, and there are more places, up in the hills, that she hasn't had time yet to climb. There's a harbor on the shoreline of the island where she spends most of her time. Somedays she waits for hours, over-looking the harbor from her perch on a high rock, waiting. Other days she's too busy digging around in the lush forests to care what might come to the harbor. As a young girl, when white sails would come into view, she would run and hide for fear of an attack. But now she balances from her place on the rock and looks out across the stretch of royal blue sea. She waits for the sails to make their way to her harbor, no longer is she afraid. After all, this is her island and nobody will trespass here. If they place a single foot on her beach, whoa-ho-ho... a...

I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. -Mary Oliver Photo: Visiting the girls in Amy's House at Sweet Home orphanage, India.