Day 243 - Project 365

Another fun mural painted on the side of an old building downtown - here's the article about it!

Day 242 - Project 365

I took a picture but I didn't take a bite!

I had dinner at Applebree's with a group of my friends to celebrate a 40th birthday and one of them ordered this yum dessert afterwards with extra spoons - it looked so delicious! But I'm thankful for a measure of discipline that absolutely had to be heaven sent that helped me say no thank you - and not even with attitude - I was seriously satisfied with the Teriyaki Shrimp Pasta Meal I had just eaten.



Remember this pic from Day 207? I've been faithful in going to work out at Memorial every Tuesday and Thursday and exercising at home in between. I'm also eating healthier and having fun recording it through a free app on my iPhone, My Fitness Pal! So far I've lost almost 11 inches and 8 pounds :-)

Ah, but this weekend the supreme test.......can you say

Shrimp Po'Boys?

Day 241 - Project 365

Life is so full of goodbyes and hellos and I love reunions! So good to see our friends Connie and Kenny who now live in Delaware and are in Chatt for a few days. We miss Kenny alot as a preacher and pastor! A fun dot to dot part of our friendship with them is that they live where our Laura friend is from and I saw them last October when I surprised Laura with a visit. Another connection we have is that our sons are currently roommates!

Day 240 - Project 365

One of the things I love about Chattanooga is its focus on the Arts. Awhile back I noticed this amazing mosaic on the pillars and walls of Battle Academy, a magnet school downtown, but every time I go by it's a busy time of day. On our way home from the Market ( which was amazing today) we stopped by the school and D.A. stayed cool in the car while I snapped away happily! What I neglected to do was take a picture from far away to show how many of the pillars are covered - maybe I can add that later. Anyway....what a fun feast for the eyes!

Day 239 - Project 365

Sometimes my job takes me to some interesting, beautiful places! We had a Welcome Back Lake Day Party at a family's house on Chickamauga Lake today for returning Young Life leaders. Amazing house, yard, and lakefront! I had fun helping with the food for the day and I especially enjoyed hanging out with these wonderful young adults! I just love them so much and I'm so thankful for them!

Day 238 - Project 365

There are worse ways to spend a steamy August afternoon than engaging in a photo shoot with a congenial butterfly and bee. Neither of them seemed to mind my camera lens honing in on their beauty - they were so devoted to the task at hand. How many times have I walked right past a theophany because of inattentiveness and unawareness? So thankful for this daily search for wonder!

Day 237 - Project 365

Dinner with Joe tonight and a chance to see his new truck! And then off to get our new iPhones!! Dale has his through his work and has had it for about a week. He really likes it more than he thought he would. Lots to learn about it but I think I'm going to love it alot! Joe had his figured out by the time we left the Verizon store and he laughed when his dad and I inquired about the iPhone class they offered :-) It's probably going to be filled with baby boomers trying to keep up with "George Jetson" technology!

Day 236 - Project 365

And this is why I carry a purse the size of a diaper bag so the Nikon is always with me......I thought I was going to Linda's Produce to buy a few peaches and all of a sudden I realized that beauty was all around me! The strange looks of the LP employees and customers was a small price to pay for 15 minutes of fun fun fun!

Day 235 - Project 365

It hangs there catching
morning rays and my eye
Just above my workspace
This prayer my friend and I
Are praying for each other
We've decided to do away
With laundry list prayers
For awhile
And pray Ephesians 3 instead
Believing
That if we're praying
These elemental requests
Everything else will
Fall into place and even on days
It doesn't there will be
A little more grace in our hearts
To deal with it
If we're daily grasping just a bit more
How wide and long and high and deep
The love of Christ is.
May I insert your name?

Day 234 - Project 365

It was a day filled with graces and glimpses.....

morning sun on ripening tomatoes,
a brother's love across the miles,
strong, sure hands of the chiropractor,
an angel friend's arrival with a candle and card,
Paul's prayer for the Ephesians personalized,
the morning gloryed mailbox,
a handwritten note from loved ones peeking out amid the bills,
thick towels dryer warm,
red, fine point pens on sale,
a kindred's honest examination of the hard Eucharisteo,
answered prayer of a frantic friend,
and through it all,
through it all,
these words from the weekend
woven and winding
through tomatoes and towels and texts

"Beloved - Don't be afraid - Just believe"

He spoke today

so insistently - so gently

that I open my heart

and dare to believe for another day.

Day 233 - Project 365

Family Camp is one of my favorite weekends of the entire year....even with knowing some of the behind the scenes frustrations and challenges....it's all grace. Really enjoyed worshipping with Ryan Long and I love this pic of this husband and wife singing together this morning. An added serendipity of the weekend was a free concert by the group Selah this evening at a local church. I am tired but my heart is full of eucharisteo!

Day 232 - Project 365

It was so fun to share Family Camp with C & C! They loved it - especially the pool where they went off a diving board for their very first time and then proceeded to do front and back flips :-) They sat right down front at club and made lots of new friends! Lots of fun memories made!

Day 231 - Project 365

I had some time to shoot some pictures of beautiful SharpTop Cove before camper families arrived - driving into this camp always makes my heart sigh happily. Registration went super smooth and it was so fun to greet Dale and Corey and Correll who arrived just in time for dinner!

Day 230 - Project 365

Someone got an iPhone4 today :-)

Day 229 - Project 365

The dogwoods are always the first to hint that Fall is in the wings. Other signs include.....long coffee conversations outside at Rembrandts.....pint-size football players practicing at Camp Jordan.....shared squash showing up at the most random places.....resumed mentoring sessions in the GTCA.....morning air that doesn't feel like you're stepping into a sauna.....After Spring I love Fall the most and I don't plan on missing a minute of its beauty and bounty!

Day 228 - Project 365

Perfect night for a little summer Scrabble high above downtown Chatt with Melissa and Luna!

Day 227 - Project 365

Certain places just delight my heart - duck ponds being one of them!

Day 226 - Project 365

This is my friend, Buddy, and he is the best greeter and bulletin passer outer ever! He's just one of the wonderful aspects of New City!

I think almost every Sunday we're there Psalm 122:1 comes to mind...."I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" I look forward to it all week long and I'm so thankful the story of our life brought us to its doors so many years ago.

Today was filled with the Word powerfully proclaimed, joy-full worship, some unexpected reunions and hugs too numerous to count, and my heart was so full when we were leaving I thought it would burst!

Day 225 - Project 365

I call this one "No Picture of the Day Taken Yet and it's 11:45 PM" :-)

Day 224 - Project 365

The next best thing to hang gliding is watching others do it and we really hit it right at the Flight Park this afternoon! The wind must have been perfect - we saw three takeoffs and several were in the sky already when we got there - some as high as 6,000 feet!! That's crazy high! Really made me want to experience it again - a great reason to look forward to that 60th birthday!

Day 223 - Project 365

Seriously......I take a picture of the morning glories around the mailbox at least three times a week. I just LOVE seeing them first thing on my way to the car when I'm leaving for work. So I thought I'd post this morning's picture. There were bees burrowing down into the depths of them - big buzzing bees - and I am glad to share them. Someone asked me if I thought it annoyed my mail-lady to have the box almost covered up but I like to think she enjoys them as much as I do as she opens the lid and takes my correspondence to places here and there.

"A letter, a note, a card, are simple, effective ways for the fruits of the branches of your life to overhang the fences of others anywhere." (Bob Benson in "See You at the House")

Day 222 - Project 365

Such a fun afternoon/evening! I went with a few friends to see the movie, "The Help", which was excellent and I highly recommend! We went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant near the theater and then stopped by Melissa's apartment to pick up Luna so she could join us in a walk over the bridge to Sweet Ce Ce's for yogurt. Beautiful night out with just a touch of a breeze and not as hot as it has been!

Day 221 - Project 365

"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility."

Ephesians 2: 14