A Saturday Morning List

Well good morning, friendlies. This morning I am sipping tea in a pair of cozy sweats while birds sing happily in the sunshine outside my window. It's the perfect morning for compiling a list of randoms:

1. It's finally fall here in the sunny southwest, now that we're in the heart of January. The trees are showcasing vibrant colors, and we're all showcasing them on our Instagram feeds. Hey, better late than never, Jack.

This is my cousin Kamden's photo. She is lovely and funny and smart and I love her, amen. She also has a beautiful food blog you should check out here.


2. Last night I had a dream that 1/4 of Orange County's trees were covered in snow; 1/4 were in full bloom; 1/4 displayed dazzling fall colors; and 1/4 sported feathery green leaves. "Living in Orange County is very seasonally confusing," I mused to the friend who was driving through OC with me.

The night before that I had a dream that Tim Tebow and I were set up. We went on a date that involved a lake, jet skis, and dinner on the dock, but in the end, the romance just wasn't there so we went our separate ways.

Dreamland never ceases to bore me, that's for sure.


3. Last week was a week of firsts for me. I ordered take-out for the first time, and I made popcorn on the stove top for the first time.

When I was a kid, my mom made popcorn with an air popper. Growing up on air popper-popped popcorn (say that five times fast) makes it nearly impossible to really enjoy microwave popcorn, sort of like eating German chocolate  makes it nearly impossible to enjoy Hershey's. But the stove top popped corn? It's just as good as the stuff from my childhood.


4. It's also been a week of seconds. This week we started our second annual Jackson book club. The last two Christmases my parents have gotten each of us kids a book by Timothy Keller. In the several weeks after Christmas my mom has spearheaded a weekly Google chat book club discussion.

Last year we read and discussed Every Good Endeavor (which was excellent, by the way), and this year we're reading and discussing Keller's newest book, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God. We're also reading the biography of George Muller, a preacher and founder of orphanages, who prayed with great expectation and experienced glorious, jaw-dropping answers to his prayers. I'm enjoying reading the biography alongside Keller's book, as Keller's book gives us principles about prayer, and Mueller's biography gives us pictures illustrating the principles.

Thanks, mom, for making this book club happen. It's becoming one of my winter highlights. 


5. It rained here last weekend, which made for spectacular cloud-streaked sunsets when the rain finally stopped.

Glory hallelujah.


6. Oh my heavens. This is itty bitty monkey is just the cute.est (click here to be redirected to the video if it's not showing up on your mobile device):

And so is this baby panda's first snow day (click here to be redirected to the video):

7. I just told a friend I was praying that the Holy Spirit would gladden her heart with reminders of the God the Father's goodness, the Son's sacrifice, and the Spirit's loyalty. It's a prayer I'll be praying for myself and you all this morning, too.


Signing off, over and out, peace to you all,

Sarah



© by scj