Feliz cumpleanos a mi

Today was my 26th birthday.  It's hard to believe! And as friends were busy, I watched one of my all-time favorite movies, Jane Austen's Persuasion (thanks Gilchrist's for the bday DVD!), and practiced my calligraphy re-writing one of the most epic and beautiful fake letters ever written - Captain Wentworth's letter to Miss Anne Eliot at the end of the novel.  I didn't have a pen or brush I actually liked, but ended up using my old sumi ink (for Japanese/Chinese calligraphy painting) and brushes.  It kind of worked, but was very exhausting for my hand to control...you guys have any other ideas?  I want to write fairly big...maybe just paint?

SCHOOL IS STARTING!!!

((And just cuz this post felt a little wordy and picture-less, here's a link to some of our church's awesome tunage.  Play while reading!))

AHHHH!!!!  School starts TOMORROW!  But I think I'm feeling prepared (possible?) and here's why::

More details to come on the lovely evening I had and the plans God gave me for the year (which was so dear and wonderful of him), but I wanted to jump start everything by detailing the gifts that were oh-so-lovely today:

-I am down to one dog again.  REJOICE.  But Lizzie took one last nap with me on my bed this morning while I read...

-Persuasion.  The book I was reading while the dog was having twitch-provoking dreams...by Jane Austen (of course!) and it was...there's no better word than LOVELY.  It was a morning of REST.  Staying in my pajamas, drinking an Americano, eating tortillas - all on my fluffy, wonderful bed.  It was just such a LOVELY morning.

-The Village.  My church is such an amazing place.  If you've never gone you should - Sunday nights at 5 PM.  Rod's message was awesome, and it makes me think how grateful I am that we can all be our true selves there.  

-The Auld Dubliner. God has been telling me all week to go sit there and spend time with him.  I have been disobedient for the sake of economy.  And he told me tonight that he will take care of me if I spend $15 on a date with him.  So, I went!  It was so encouraging and yet very random (more to come).

Hope your Sabbath, your DAY OF REST, was just as wonderful - realizing yet again how GOOD and GIVING Jesus is...and that you were able to rest in him being GOD and you being HUMAN.