Day 212 - Project 365

Always a treat to see our sweet friend, Courtney!

Day 211 - Project 365

Chattanooga Sports Ministry!

It's about soccer ~ but it's about so much more!

Day 210 - Project 365

Such a fun night last night with my friends Emily and Melissa! They are always game for anything literary and I was excited to go see "Beauty and the Beast" up at Signal Mountain Playhouse - a really neat amphitheatre. A couple of folks I know were in the musical which made it even more fun. The girls and I got up there early to wait in line for tickets and then went out to eat at a yum Mexican restaurant - a big treat for me since I'm married to Mr. Meat and Potatoes. It was fun to show them the ginormous Pumpkin Patch Playground which is right behind the restaurant - today's pic is Miss Emily swinging :-)

It was a perfect summer evening for an outdoor event - the cicadas seemed to sing in time with the cast!

Day 209 - Project 365

Date night with D.A. led us to Brea's old stomping grounds, Lee University, where we thought we were going to hear Gold City Quartet but we found ourselves in the middle of the participants of The Steve Hurst School of Music (which we had never heard of!) Turns out that Gold City was the final group in a night of music. We had a great time during all 3 hours of entertainment. One of the best parts was singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and "How Great Thou Art" with all those musically minded folks - we sounded great!! I so seldom sing those old hymns anymore - it was a gift to my heart!

Day 208 - Project 365

In my new found enthusiasm for exercise I decided to take a walk after work along the Riverwalk - pretty sure the heat index was in the triple digits - craziness! But I survived and even had some good hangout time with one of my obsessions, the blue herons :-) I just love the placement of this sculpture by the dam and railroad tracks!

Day 207 - Project 365

After seeing way too many pictures of my XL self lately I decided to follow through on a suggestion of a couple of friends and look into joining the "Heart to Heart Wellness" program at Memorial Hospital. The room above is where I've committed to spending some time every Tuesday and Thursday night for at least the next six months. During the day this room is filled with patients from the Heart Institute who are recovering from heart attacks or heart surgery - two nights a week it's inhabited by ladies trying to avoid that very ailment.

The program is exclusively for women - one of the main things I love about it! It's overseen by a doctor and a trainer who also work with the heart patients. When you arrive you weigh in, you take your heart rate, and they take your blood pressure. All of these stats are meticulously written down as well as the stats from the different exercise machines after you're done using them. Tonight after I exercised I was able to attend a class on Basic Nutrition with a few other ladies. This is also included in the reasonable cost of $34/month as well as group circuit training, Pilates and yoga, and lifestyle modification coaching and more.

So......here we go! They encourage 600 minutes of exercise per month and we have to keep track of what we do when we're not at the gym. Now don't be a hater but I still pull out some vintage Richard Simmons as an option on a hot afternoon :-) I was using that cassette tape when the daycare kids were all lined up on the couch over 30 years ago - classic!

Day 206 - Project 365

Day 205 - Project 365

Such a wonderful wonderful visit with this sweet family! We didn't have much time together but we definitely made the most of every minute we had! And here is a very fun thing that came out of the weekend.....Jerel is going to look into the possiblity of coming here next spring with the youth he works with! Now wouldn't that be something? Thank you, Lord, for this visit, this gift!

Day 204 - Project 365

One of the hardest days ever to just choose one pic as Picture of the Day but this one of Alyssa won out in the end - after a fun day in beautiful Chattanooga we ended it with yum cupcakes from Chattanooga Cupcakes - she's obviously enjoying hers :-) What a gift this visit has been - and it ain't over yet!!

Day 203 - Project 365

Definitely under the "Little Things That Make My Heart Happy" category - a brand new box of 64 Crayola Crayons! I bought them in anticipation of Katie and Jerel's visit and thought I'd take a few pictures of them before they were used. Fun photo shoot :-) They were sitting on the table in the breakfast nook and all of a sudden I noticed the fresh bouquet of flowers in the blue vase right behind it and how all of the colors were reflected - so cool! And, oh, so very Ann Voskampish :-)

Day 202 - Project 365

* a bucket of blooms
* thrift store vases
* homemade zucchini bread
* a day off from work
* a fresh start
* anticipation
* D.A.'s steadfast care
* smell of mown grass
* heritage
* ruby red grapefruit Crystal Light
* James Schaap
* technology
* brotherly love
******************************************

Day 201 - Project 365

I saw an article on FB about this building on Main Street that is scheduled for demolition - but in the meantime they're letting artists paint on it. Stopped by after work and took these shots. Here's the article! I really love the first picture featured in the article and might have to go back and try to capture that corner angle!

Day 200 - Project 365

"It's true I don't see him everywhere these days
but still, well, like this morning,
I was weeding the perennials,
dew-wet in morning glory light,
the wren singing his perky little heart out,
and suddenly, there was God again,
like a rabbit popping out of the strawberry patch,
God, just for a moment,
taking my breath away."

from "The God of Material Things" by David Schelhaas

Day 199 - Project 365

I used to lend out favorite books only to have them take an extended vacation and sometimes not return home at all. Now I have a shelf of extras of my favorites and I will gladly give you one. Giving a book as a gift, now there's a risk. I always smile when I read an inscription in some of the books I find at McKays such as....

Susan,

You are going to love this book. It will change your life! I know that you're not going to be able to put it down from the moment you start to read it! May it bless your heart and impact your reality as much as it has mine! It will be one of your all time favorite reads!!

Love - Your friend - Marilyn

And then I notice that it looks like the book has barely been touched by Susan:-) But bless Marilyn's heart because I do this ALL the time! Give books that have impacted me deeply. Well, I don't write the inscriptions any more because I know there's a good chance my favorite book won't be your favorite book. But still, I might send it, just in case :-) And what fun it is when I hear back from someone who is reading it through like minded eyes. It's o.k. It's all good.

The books on today's picture are some of my favorites, waiting to be wrapped up and shared. I love this quote by John Egan. It really sums up how I feel about certain books.

"Such books are companionship on a mysterious way, friends who meet you at dark intersections and who light up your life, buoyant travelers who call you to step out on the mountain's trail, who give confidence and encouragement and inspiration on the journey. I search for such."

Day 198 - Project 365

It was a five loaves and two fishes kind of lunch :-) Had unexpected but welcome guests! And......we even had leftovers.

Day 197 - Project 365

A few years ago when our ever visionary Pastor Randy presented the idea of having a soccer league for inner city kids I thought he was crazy! I should know by now that he has a direct line to the Father's heart :-) Chattanooga Sports Ministry started with girls only and now for the first year the boys are playing too. I love Saturday morning soccer games! My Anne with an e friend and I are the team moms :-) Corey & Correll are on the same team and their sweet mom and I cheer them on. Chrissciona is a big fan too - she's sporting her new sunglasses in today's pic :-)

The teams are grouped geographically since most of the kids are picked up by one of our ancient church vans so there's quite a spread in size and age on each team as well as diversity - love it! It's been fun to watch the guys as they play more and more like a team every week. Most of the kids have never played soccer in their lives before this. Many of the coaches are Covenant College students and they have to have lots of patience and grace! So thankful for this ministry of New City!

Day 196 - Project 365

What a good thing it is to live a long while and see God's faithfulness play out through the years.....the sweet young lady on the right is the daughter of good friends of ours from Michigan....it has been a joy this week to see her love for Christ displayed in word and deed with the neighborhood kids. Caryn is not afraid to take it to the next level when it comes to redeeming the time, making the most of the minutes she had here. It is not a surprise considering the parents God gifted her with - it is a delight!



It just never gets old for me - seeing UMT's arrive and settle in to love on kids and adults for a week - planting seeds, watering ones planted by others, learning lots about the Lord, themselves, each other. Seeing love conquer geography, race, age. I just love all of that. And you know what else I love? The fact that I don't have to get in a van tomorrow morning and leave Chattanooga - I get to jump in Calmesha the Camry and be a team mom for Chattanooga Sports Ministry and cheer for my 2 favorite players. I really love that fact.




We went to Bible College with the parents of this little girl from Harvest way back when. Who would have thought some day we'd be welcoming and working with their daughter in Tennessee?

The dot to dot picture continues to develop. I trust the Artist implicitly.

Day 195 - Project 365

So thankful for the leaders and kids who come to Chatt for a missions trip and the staff at Hope and New City! Can you imagine all the different personality types that pass through these doors in the course of a summer?! Here's one of the leaders from Harvest being silly with a couple of New City staff guys!

Unfortunately, we got rained out tonight and were unable to do Bible Club. I felt so bad for the team because they were so fired up to do it tonight - by the third night you've learned so much and you can't wait to end well! But the clouds were ominous before we left church and those in charge made the call to drive to the neighborhood and pass out invitations to the picnic tomorrow and then meet back at Hope. That was wise! Hopefully, the picnic won't get rained out tomorrow! Going to check the weather forecast right now!!

Day 194 - Project 365

Tarps come in handy for all sorts of things including covering up during an unexpected rainshower at the end of Bible Club! We almost made it to snack time when the sky opened up! Such a crazy night start to finish.....there was some pretty intense drama going on at a house across the street from the church where we start out at and then the shower that soaked us....bookends to a good night of sharing the love of the Lord to a tarp full of children!

Day 193 - Project 365

It is the Gospel
on a sultry summer night
on a blue tarp
It's "I Got My Feet Shod"
"Jesus Loves Me"
Wheeler Home style
Fingers splay through smooth
blond hair
Hands are held and clapped
and high fived
It's coloring Jonah
and glue sticking a cloud
It's red punch savored and spilled
and seconds on cookies
It's goodbye hugs after an
hour long friendship
With a promise of more
of the same tomorrow night
And through every minute
the Gospel weaves and woos
and unites and breathes
Tonight
I am so grateful for a spot
on this blue tarp sanctuary

Day 192 - Project 365

Harvest OPC's youth group is in Chatt for their annual missions trip and D.A. and I will be helping them with Bible Club at Emma Wheeler Homes. I went canvassing with them this afternoon - our poor northern friends are melting in this crazy heat! They're staying at NCF East Lake since there are so many teams here and the buildings at Hope are filled up. This church plant is doing really well and it was neat to see their building close up.

It brought back such fun memories of when we lived in MI and came down for our missions trip and stayed in the classrooms at NCF in Glenwood - good times!! I must admit I was glad to come home to air conditioning and a real shower after canvassing - very thankful for this group's faithfulness of coming to share the Gospel with kids in our town for the past 10 years!

Day 191 - Project 365

We headed out early this morning to walk the Bridge and watch the swimming leg of the Triathalon on the river. The morning light is so different and I loved the coloring! D.A. picked this one for picture of the day because of the reflection of the Delta Queen in the calm water.

Day 190 - Project 365

Happy 11th Birthday, Corey! Took the boys to their soccer game this morning and got this cute shot of them! Love these guys alot!

Day 189 - Project 365

Big shout out to the women who run Hullco! So thankful for these girls! It was fun to surprise them with yum cupcakes from Chattanooga Cupcakes - D.A.'s idea - what a guy! When we count "One Thousand Gifts" this company and the opportunities and friendships it's brought into our lives is in the top 10!

Day 188 - Project 365

Spontaneous trip to Atlanta today with my fun friend Melissa! We hit IKEA hard - such a great store! Then went to Trader Joes (it's huge!), the Container Store, Acapella (a used bookstore) and Savage Pizza for dinner! Squeezed lots of conversation in between all that shopping as we haven't seen each other all summer!

Day 187 - Project 365

Our last night with the MI V.W.s - we went to Sticky Fingers, rode the Ducks, ordered cupcakes from Chattanooga Cupcakes, went to Clumpies, and rode out to Chickamauga Dam - whew!! Think we covered the highlights of beautiful Chattanooga during their time here! So thankful for their visit!

Day 186 - Project 365

Heather & Amy at Coolidge Park

Day 185 - Project 365

Another fun day in Chattanooga! Dale and Doug went fishing while us girls stayed in our jammies long term and talked. We had brunch waiting for them when they got home and Joe & Tessi came by too. I shared the wonders of McKay's with them and then us girls went to the mall. Mellow Mushroom for dinner and a walk around Ross' Landing to finish the evening. So thankful they made the drive down here - we are having quality/quantity time together - what a gift!!

Day 184 - Project 365

Love this picture of sweet Heather! We had a fun day in beautiful Chattanooga - worship at New City, Chatt Market, free Hunter Museum, and Pops in the Park and fireworks - so fun to share our city with Heather and her parents!

Day 183 - Project 365

Doug, Amy & Heather are here for a few days!

Day 182 - Project 365

Loving my State Fair Zinnias!