Words and children.

I think I have fallen in love with words. For the first time.
I've always loved reading... but never any of the "classics". Too many lofty or poetic words, and I'm out of there. But this week, thanks to books written for children... I've fallen in love with words.
My mouth feels full of phrases such as - "...and in and out of weeks, and almost over a year..." and "a person's a person no matter how small" and "what one hundred men could do in a week..." and "'I am dancing, yes I'm dancing, I am dancing' Gerald cried". My favorite thing to do every day at work is sit on the tiny blue pleather sofa by the window and read to them. Over and over and over again. For an hour.

I took them to the children's museum on Monday. And I ran through tunnels and pushed tiny shopping carts and made giant bubbles with a baby on my front and a little boy at my side. And everyone overlooked the fact that our skin colors are on opposite ends of the spectrum and called me their mommy. And there was a little part of my heart that jumped, for one day I wish that to be part of my life. I want children that look like me and children that don't. And it gives me hope in humanity that everyone around us just assumed.

Today, I cried at work. It wasn't an angry cry, or an overwhelmed cry... It was a sad cry, but a cry that called out with desperation and hope that I was getting through to him. He's only four years old, and he so needs to be reminded that he's amazing. So we cried together and I felt the heart of God.

And I felt the heart of God last night... Our house church, which I so look forward to every Tuesday. Two sweet friends shared their stories and I am endlessly grateful that they let us into their lives. I felt the presence of God as they told us of God's redeeming love and grace and the way he brings people together. I feel honored to be a part of what's happening here in our house church, and here in Denver.

In the city.

This seems funny, but I changed the name of my blog to "In the city". Because, if I think about it... Everything I do is in the city. I live on next to a busy (and sketch) street that runs through the city. I work two miles from my home - straight down one road towards the center of downtown. I worship a mile from my home (straight down the first busy street), right across from the capitol.

My whole life is within three square miles! I love it - I really do. But I love being reminded of the greater world outside my little life. I love seeing the cloud covered mountains on my short drive to work. I love talking to good friends who are pursuing dreams similar to our own. I am continually inspired by what's to come in our lives... and I'm so thankful that what I'm doing now is helping me prepare for whatever comes next.

PS: 20 days til I see my beloved family.