Leanne Shawler, Artist

I haven't seen Ann post yet, but I'm putting up my list anyway. This past week, my cold came back but for a briefer duration although I haven't shaken the post-nasal drip from either one yet. My Lenten discipline of meditation for 15 minutes every day (except feast days) is also not going well. I think 3/6 so far. Hopefully this week will be better, but I've been struggling to make this a discipline for two years now, I think. The whole point of Lent, I am finally coming around to understanding, is not giving something up or taking something on, but pausing in the headlong rush of our days to make time for God, the one who is supposed to be our number one priority but so often gets relegated to "after I check Facebook" or "after I do X productive thing" or "I'd rather watch television." (These are all me.) It's not an obligation but a remembering of the gift that each of us has through being in relationship with God. It's ...

view from our hotel of the Matterhorn Last week, my hubby and I were finally both well enough to make an overnight trip to Disneyland. The first day was at California Adventure. The weather was gorgeous so the park was busy. Not as busy as it is in the summer, otherwise we wouldn't have gotten on all the rides we wanted to go on, but busy enough that we only went on a ride once instead of the usual numerous times. For the first time, we stayed late at the park to enjoy the night time entertainment, the World of Color. Oh my gosh. We got FastPasses so we'd get a good position and we did -- right in the front by the water. Then this announcement comes over that those standing by the water will get wet. This kid next to me made a noise, so I asked him if he'd been there before, he said yes. Would we really get wet? Oh yes, he says, but it's worth it. Indeed it was. It was an achingly beautiful display of color, light and water, and that doesn't include the...

OK, so I live in Southern California and it isn't anywhere near as cold as it is in the North-East, but still, it's cold here. And for most of this week, I had/was getting over a cold, that thankfully wasn't the flu. Didn't quite make three gifts a day every day, but put down at least two. 104. art journals 105. snot 106. hot tea 107. floppy ears 108. energy back 109. fresh air 110. Violet Crumble 111. rain 112. soggy tortillas (in a casserole, I feel the need to add) 113. Megan Hilty's amazing passionate voice (and finally getting to watch "Smash") 114. dogs dancing in the bedroom, getting ever closer to our bed, hoping we'll get up. (They're not allowed in our bedroom. This is working out well. Ahem.) 115. waiting for paint to dry 116. being able to sing (mostly) in choir 117. Girl Scout cookies Joining in Ann Voskamp's:

Sometimes I feel like a fake Christian. There, I said it.  Do you? I am a Christ-follower when I count God's gifts, finding even the simplest gift on the darkest of days, sing God's praises on a Sunday and mean it, even coming to tears as I sing or pray. I am a Christ-follower when I brainstorm ways to share the sure knowledge that God is love, and God loves you/me no matter what. And then I forget God is even there, let alone good, let alone loves. I curse, slam doors hard, burst into tears, and wonder Why? Why! What is the point of my existence? What makes me cry out? Nights of broken sleep, cleaning up dog pee from the kitchen floor again , retrieving more paper towels from the garage, a fire extinguisher falling and landing on my toe… okay that last one is enough to make anyone cry out. But get angry? I say, 'Sorry, God, I cannot pray to you today. I cannot shout with joy,' and crawl into bed ... I apologize to God for bei...

I  had an epic post sorted. But I have a cold and that's not the best head-space for posting something. So, there's just a list today. 82. flock of crows 83. white puffs of cloud 84. staring up at the stars 85. really bright moon 86. nutella 87. energetic buzz 88. velvet-blue twilight 89. smell of boot black 90. purple biodegradable spoon (and the cinnamon roll yogurt was pretty good too!) 91. small world 92. barely visible rising moon 93. wattle in bloom 94. choir practice giggles 95. fire extinguisher drops on foot 96. hot tea 97. amazing parcel from Denmark (thanks, Tina!) 98. marvelous play 99. backwards sneeze 100. meeting ended close to time 101. might have a cold 102. Aussie care package 103. pencils Joining in Ann Voskamp's: