The mountains, they changed my life. I want to go back.
Olympic National Park.
No, I didn't wear that hiking. That's my little secret . . .

When your heart says "hallelujah," and you have that moment where Something Greater eclipses you.
My pastor has been doing a sermon series on The Ten Commandments.
Yesterday's sermon was on Exodus 20:13, simply, "do not murder."
From the pew, I looked at Jacob and whispered, "How in the world does one preach a sermon on this?"
That one is clear, cut and dry, obvious, a no-brainer. Why does it need an hour of study? People who don't know God know that this act is reprehensible, punishable by death in some states. In my closed mind I think that it's unforgivable, as life is precious and sovereign because He breathed into our dust and made us alive. His story for us was etched into His book long before we stretched our arms into earthly air.

God's thoughts, as usual, are higher than my thoughts, and the spectrum of His grace is wider, farther, deeper, and higher than I could ever, ever, ever, ever imagine.
Our pastor asked, "Name three men, who, in the Bible, have had the most impact in the world."
I lean over to Jacob again. Easy. Moses, David, Paul.
Wait . . .
It clicks.
All three: leaders, poets, scholars, fierce warriors, eloquent speakers, men responsible for what we know about God's Story today.
They're surely not . . . murderers.
But, yes.
Yes. All three: murderers.
Killed a man in cold blood by hand or by word.
How but by the grace of God are these men redeemed and used to bring His love to people generations after they breathed on earth.
He is capable and more than able to transform anyone, surely. He is capable and able to forgive any mistake, misdeed, ANYTHING.
The cobwebs of guilt, gathered in my heart for years and years, cleared and the great accuser, scorning and mocking, was defeated for the day.
Hallelujah.

Reflecting on His goodness on a mountain hike to Crabtree Falls:
This was an impromptu trip with my friends, and on this trip I learned that leaving your comfort zone of electricity and technology and fluffy pillows is not necessarily bad.
Despite the tick bite, the poison-ivy-dodging, the rain-in-tent, the sleeping on a rock, the strenuous climb upward, the tugging at my heart thinking about Jake and my kitties, the fear of danger, and the slippery mountain paths, we discussed how God is infinitely good and wants to protect us as a father protects His child-- despite difficult circumstances endured. Everything is a part of His perfect plan that we cannot see with our limited-earthly eyes. His tapestry woven piece by piece; we don't see the answers until it is finished, until He says "Well done" and we can step back, no longer seeing through the glass dimly. Our job on earth is to trust and obey the One whose purposes are for good, not intending us harm.
Now,back to the hike: it was hard, muscles aching and swear pouring, but once we reached the summit, the grandeur of what we worked for was revealed to us in a perfect mountain-masterpiece-- as the fog lingered over the tree-carpeted hills and the endorphins crept throughout my fatigued body, I thought to myself: God is surely real, and He is surely full-of-grace to have provided me with this view, these friends, and this precious moment to reflect on His power, provision, and protection.

My name is Anne, and, since I was thinking in syllogisms, I present to you this:
All cat ladies are single,
Anne is not single,
Therefore Anne cannot be a cat lady.

But I do love my kitties, and I would adopt 20 more if I could.

I don't think that Jacob would object ...

Personal: California

In California,

I jumped off a plane, welcomed the

seals that slip into shady seas;

the sun that set orange and amber from atop a roof;

waves that splash against a rocky shore;

mountains that rise tall from golden hills;

dolphins that leap high from their turquoise dwelling;

whales that smile wide through the glass;

Sadly, I got back on the plane

a band of rainbow hugging sky,

Sun sank below the cloud garden,

And now I am home again:).  

When did life become such a pilgrimage to joy? 

For too many moments, it hasn't been because I haven't paid attention-- I've been too choked by world-weariness and the ugliness of stress-- I've been rooted in my own agenda of self-importance.

Since summer, I've slipped into Scripture, sipped blueberries by peaceful bay, and finally felt that feeling: the one that transcends others because it stems from holiness: joy.
In moments insignificant, God makes joy transparent:
Joy in grating zucchinis for bread, joy in cinnamon scent, joy in cat's sandpaper kisses, joy knee-deep in salt water aswaves weave through hair, joy in understanding love's different forms-- gentle & tough-- joy in tiny cobalt-lavender petals and joy in long-needed realizations, joy coming from finding purpose in past-pain, joy in sky's flashes of goldfinch feathers, joy in tending friendships-- ones new & ones years-deep.
Joy unfathomable and unbridled in submission to the One Who loves and nourishes our hungry souls.

Ellie-Belle enjoying freshly-cut hydrangeas & summer's sunlight.

Today I asked my students what the greatest gift they ever received was.
The Greatest Gift I ever Received:
Watching Whales Leap Through Washington Water.