2024: week 2.

monday, january 8.

I take a lot of photos of the sky, it turns out. Even though photos never quite capture its beauty.

Maybe it’s because I live in the city, and the sky is the one thing I can see that isn’t manufactured. Like did you know there are rules for how many trees you have to plant around a parking lot? For “beautification.”

Like, I get that God made the trees and they’re still beautiful regardless of who planted them and why. And I appreciate that there are rules around this so that we’re not just eliminating the beauty of nature altogether.

But there’s something about the way we fit the work and beauty of God into our design – and the sky feels like an exception. We can’t touch it. We can’t change it. We can’t move the clouds where we want or decide which colors are put on display.

I didn’t think about all of that on this morning as I was driving back from a 6:30am pilates class. I was just into the cozy, winter vibe. But I have noticed I’ve recently been obsessed with the sky.

tuesday, january 9.

You know, I thought that maybe since I knew I would be doing these posts every week, I would be better about snapping photos throughout my days. But alas, that has not been the case.

The most notable part of my day on Tuesday, which is typically the case for any given Tuesday, was church that night. Mostly just because it is so good to be in the house of God.

wednesday, january 10.

My church had our biweekly prayer night on this night, and I’ll be honest. I wasn’t planning on going. Looking back, I don’t really remember why I felt like that was a fine decision to make, but I do remember being decided about it. Prayer that night just didn’t make the agenda.

And then my friend stopped by for approximately three minutes (for reasons that aren’t relevant here) and happened to ask if I was going. And if it wasn’t for her quick visit and asking that question in passing, I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about it. But I did, and I decided at the last minute to go.

That night, as my pastor was reading scripture and praying through it from stage, she read the parts of Matthew 10 that God has brought me to for the year. She emphasized not just the verse that contains my word for the year but the actual word. Verse 8: Freely you received, freely give.

Freely.

Honestly it just felt like God was reminding me that even when it feels like just an average Wednesday, it’s not. With God, there isn’t an average day – but it’s up to me whether or not I see it that way.

thursday, january 11.

I took a screenshot of the daily email I got from Seth Godin on this day because it was the second time this week that I saw someone post about how strategic leadership is like gardening.

It is.

And also, I’ve been thinking about this recently too – about what our place is, in general. About how we aren’t the ones who make things happen – in spite of what culture leads us to believe. Only God makes things grow. All authority comes from Him.

It’s not that we don’t play a part – it’s that our part isn’t what we think it is.

We aren’t in charge of what happens or doesn’t happen. We are in charge of doing what we can to create optimal conditions. To be good soil. To point people to the living water. To be salt and light.

Just like gardening. Just like leadership. (Also probably like parenting.) At some point, you have to let the thing (or person) be what it’s going to be.

friday, january 12.

This song released on a very rainy Friday morning. It was also very windy, and had been windy all week. And I just feel like all of nature is saying the same thing: God is moving.

saturday, january 13.

I painted my nails a color that is not black (or almost black).

For some reason, I kept feeling like I wanted to paint my nails a bright pink color. Which is so out of character for me. But for weeks, I kept thinking about it. So I went ahead and bought the nail polish.

Then, I listened to this podcast where Banning Liebscher (of Jesus Culture) talked about how to pray into a new year, and how to ask God about what season you’re in. The idea is to have insight into what God is doing so you can partner with Him in it, rather than just creating your own goals or agenda.

I talked to God a lot about this year, but I hadn’t asked Him about my season until after I listened to that podcast.

First of all, I am always surprised at how quickly God responds sometimes. It’s as if He has been waiting for me to slow down long enough to ask and listen. And I always approach it like I hope I get an answer.

Second, I was surprised to hear Him say I’m in a spring season. Spring!

Anyway, maybe I’ll write more on that later because there is so much to say about it. But for now, pink nail polish reminds me of spring. This color is more red than the pink I was going for. But nonetheless, it’s doing its job.

Every time I see it, I’m reminded to look again – that this day is not an average day. Something is being cultivated, planted, watered. Something is growing here.

sunday, january 14.

In 2016–2017 and 2019, I nannied these two boys during the window of time between when they were born and when they went to daycare. Now, I see them every so often for a night of babysitting or for overnights when their parents celebrate their anniversary (which is this weekend).

Recently, their parents pulled out their old Super Nintendo, so I spent a good chunk of my Sunday afternoon being beat by a 7-year-old at Mario Kart.

What a way to end the weekend.