Things I Love, June Edition

food I didn't make, board games, rivers, whispers

May was memorable in so many ways. Randy and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, and there have been moments when I have felt the kindness and love of God in ways that brought me to tears. Sharing some of the great and small beauties in today’s letter.

Things I Love:

Food I Didn’t Make. Why is it that food that someone else makes tastes so much better??? About 1/3 of my life revolves around food. Thinking about what we are going to eat, shopping for the food, putting up the food, cooking the food, cleaning up the food, trying to talk people into eating the food… When someone makes food for me, it is like a mini-vacation. And it always tastes so good. On our anniversary trip, a friend of mine (who happens to be the probable best cook in the world) packed us a glorious picnic, complete with thermoses of hot water and an assortment of teas which we enjoyed by the river (picture me crying like a baby…). She also made us a gourmet Italian dinner that was oven ready for our night away, and welcomed us home with a taco feast for our whole family of 10. I know some people will think I’m crazy to say it, but I felt the love of God in that food.

The River. I have known for some time that I am drawn to the ocean, but I am realizing that I also have a strong love for the river. Something about the moving waters, the sound, the rush. Randy and I got to stay overnight at a house on the river, and I was as happy as a little kid sitting on the big rock with my feet in.

Board Games. Randy and I especially like Scrabble (We have a variation of the game where we have to make up sentences using the words that we put down. Randy cracks me up when we do this…), and we have also been enjoying Quiddler, another word game using a deck of cards. Any other good word game recommendations for word nerds like us?

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. Rereading this book again for the third or fourth time, and I really do think it is my favorite book. I struggle to describe it, because when you say that it is a work of fiction where people, who are really ghosts, take a bus ride into heaven, it doesn’t really sound like the kind of writing that it is. But it is an incredible story, and the way that Lewis uses the ghosts to personify qualities that are hard to imagine—love, unforgiveness, bitterness, surrender, vanity, etc. is a remarkable glimpse into both human nature and the willingness of God to redeem it. I highly recommend this book.

Growing Things! My garden is soooooo small, and I barely know what I am doing, but seeing those little seeds burst through the ground fills me up with wonder. I’ve planted zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, basil, cilantro, cantaloupes, nasturtiums, and arugula. I am so hopeful that all of it will continue to grow.

Starting a New Journal. I love the feeling of opening a brand new journal and starting in on the first page. It always feels like starting a new season, getting a fresh start. I got my new journals in the mail this week with the drawing of Rosie and Paloma on the beach. I really love the way they turned out! (You can buy them on amazon or directly from me on my shop page.)

Whispers. I want to hear the voice of God speaking to me. I know that there is way too much that I do not know or understand, and if I look too far ahead, I will get overwhelmed with all that is coming. And if I look too far behind, my tendency is to be trapped in a sort of sad nostalgia or regret. But if I press in, and listen for God’s voice, I find that he does whisper. Not audibly, but he speaks to me, words that are only for me, in my ear, an intimate conversation that shapes and reshapes my life. This is what I want more than anything—to hear his voice, to listen and obey. I talk more about this on this week’s podcast.

Thanks for reading this week’s letter. What are some things you are loving right now?

Love,

Mackenzie

From the Podcast:

More about our anniversary trip and how we have been listening for God’s voice in this week’s podcast.

From the Family Archive:

Randy is standing in the river, playing his bangituar (his made-up word for that contraption). I love this song.

Umbrellas Journal Now Available!

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