Our Lovely Visit to the Duluth Food Truck

Our summer is well underway in our corner of Downtown Atlanta.  I've been busy at work (hence the inconsistency here on the blog), the weather's been hot and humid (except for our current lovely and breezy 80 degrees), and we've been eating a lot of BBQ (Caleb recently picked up my dad's old grill).  Even though the blog hasn't been seeing much new content lately, I do still post on Instagram and Twitter often, and I wanted to share one of my favorite evenings of the summer so far.

Your Repsonse to Tragedy

Last night, in a historic Charleston church, nine people were murdered in cold blood.  A small group praying in church.  A stranger joins them then opens fire.  The murderer is white.  The victims were black.

image from Emmanuel AME Church

Last November, I attended Renovation Church's panel discussion on racial tensions in America.  I took copious notes on what the panelists had to say, but there was one topic that is particularly relevant today.  When asked what she wants most from her white sisters, panelist Pamela Stringfield said this.

LeCrae said our society has lost the art of lamenting. We read the stories and hear the news and move on to argue about it. At the end of he say, I don't care how right you are. I want people to care about what's going on, to share thoughts and questions, to say this isn't how it's supposed to be, and to actually cry. I grieve that we are pitted against each other because this is not how it was supposed to be.

When the Only One Holding You Back is You

You know those stories of folks who've made it through difficult adversity?  The stories that make people famous, or at least greatly respected?  The story usually mentions or even centers on the person's undying resolve to prove themselves or to prove others wrong.  Maybe there's no other way out or they've invested so much, they're at the point of do or die.

I've never been in a situation like that before.

I've traveled all over the world.  I was highly involved in both high school and college.  At times I pushed my work loads and extra curriculars until everything else became a haze, but I've never felt that extreme pressure, that heat from the crucible, until now.

photo by Black Richard Verdoorn, via Unsplash

Rushing Forward, Head Over Heels

I just want to take a moment to #1 confirm that I do, in fact, still exist/write/live and #2 shout out that even though my days have been crazy busy/packed/exhausting, I am moving forward with a tired smile on my face.  I'm so thankful to be a part of what I'm a part of:

my marriage

The Iron Yard

my family

the part of humanity that loves to eat and create good food

...and I'm so thankful that when some parts of life overwhelm the others that my passions for these things keep me moving forward.  Bonus: even when I'm extra overwhelmed, there's this incessant need to check things off my list and get things done and, so far, that little personality quirk has helped my body keep on even when my mind has checked out.

When things get hectic, it's helpful to me to remember some of the other deeper parts of living among all the humans beside me.  To remember what's important.

via banksy's Twitter account, since removed

It's going to be okay, friends!  It's going to be okay.

Recommended with the Best Scrambled Eggs

Caleb recently discovered Gordon Ramsey's recipe for scrambled eggs.  He tried it out for the first time last Saturday and brought me the most delicious breakfast in bed, and then we've made these eggs two more times in the last 7 days.  If you follow the recipe, they turn out so light and fluffy and creamy.  In a word, perfect.

Now for the links I recommend with scrambled eggs...

(It's hard to believe it's been such a long time since I've done one of these collections!)

A fascinating collection of postcards from Google Earth

Even more fascinating: these stills from Google Street View

These doggy fetch fails remind me of my own pup.

An open-ended write up of some positive strategies for coping with stress

Have you seen everyone making a big deal of Becca the Badass?  I'm a fan.

Skateboard cat!

If I didn't share a bedroom with a boy, I'm pretty sure my room would look like this.

Seriously, What Would Happen?

 No matter your creed, we all understand forgiveness to be a powerful thing.  We see stories about a woman forgiving and even building a relationship with her son's murder, and we are in awe.  Forgiveness like this takes great courage and an extraordinary selflessness love.  I believe we can all accept that this kind of forgiveness as straight up unnatural.

photo by Jason Ortega via Unsplash

A couple months ago, my church went over 6 different things we wish Jesus had never said.  It was an attention grabbing series, and it spawned a lot of discussion in my small group.  One of the questions brought up was how might forgiveness and love for one's enemies change the culture around us?

Waste Not, Want Not: Wardrobe Edition

While browsing through Pinterest last night, I came across this Waste Less in April challenge.  Check out the task for this weekend: "Donate what you don't want | Reduce waste!"

image by Jeff Sheldon via Unsplash

It hit me like a bucket of water.

Holding onto clothes I don't wear anymore or don't need, it doesn't just keep clutter in my house (which I care about).  It keeps others from having something they might need (which I should care about).

If we were to keep only what we really use, then even pare those possessions down to what we really need, donating the rest offers others a chance to have what they really need.