Sunday was an AMAZING day.

Zoë sleeps in, ever so slightly, making herself just 5 minutes late for church. Zoë is driving to the said church, when the God whose church she had been driving to interrupted her morning.

“Hey… Zoë… do you want to go to Starbucks with Me?”

“Mm, I don’t know God, I kind of wanted to go to church today”

“Mm, well, I kind of want to go to Starbucks. I’m going to Starbucks. Are you coming?”

“Mm, okay!”

So Zoë makes a fully legal U-turn and enters Starbucks. God and Zoë have a wonderful time planning their summer, drinking a latte (and plenty of free samples), planning and dreaming for next year. After an hour or so of this blissful church-skipping morning, a rather unexpected (but equally welcome) thing happens.

A man sits down across the patio. By now, Zoë is reading her Bible. (Psalm 107 to be exact.) The man sits for a while, sipping his coffee, while Zoë enjoys green tea frapp sample and the aforementioned Psalm 107.

“Is that a good book? What are you reading?” Zoë hears a voice from across the patio. She looks up.

“The Bible. None better!”

“What part are you reading?”

“Psalm 107”

“What’s it about?”

And so the conversation expanded, I moved to the other side of the patio and we conversed for many minutes.

My favourite part of the escapade (apart from having meaningful conversation with a random stranger) is that he wasn’t so random at all. Because when God invited me to Starbucks, it wasn’t just for me to have time with Him, but it was for Rick, too.

Rick is a Christian; but in the most extraordinary way, I could feel God working trough me, in Rick’s heart as I shared with him about my relationship with Jesus. We talked about walking in the power of God every day, and walking in His grace, and in His holiness, so that your destiny will be fulfilled by His power, not by our own insufficient strength. We talked about overcoming habitual sin, and how you need to in order to be released into your calling. We talked about friendship with God. We talked about the Lordship of Jesus in our lives, and the fragrance of Christ that intensifies as his Lordship is increased in us by how we submit to him.

So God worked through me, *note* after I had been alone with Jesus, being friends with him. And I liked it.

Later, we (we being our cell) were playing soccer at a park, when this elderly Afghani gentleman whirred over to us in his scooter and ask if he could coach us. As the world turns, he had been a serious soccer player for many years, but had injured himself playing, and is now handicapped. He has a Masters degree in engineering and three kids. He coached us soccer and made us run under the hot hot sun.

He talked to us like he cared: he exhorted us to be healthy (No more McDonalds, run in the park by the trees not on the street by the cars, don’t smoke) to work hard and be all that we can be, to dream. He told us we are young, with energy and drive, with potential and talent and a future. He exhorted us to make something of our lives, to practice soccer hard, but to make sure we have fun doing it.

The guy is literally a genius. He told us stories of his days in the park, about the other kids who smoke pot and can’t tell him the first thing about the chemicals they’re inhaling. He would have kindly explained it all to them had they not told him to go away (with expletives). Weiners.

He thought I was 26. He offered to coach us anytime we want in the park. He taught us about defense and offence, how to follow and score and save and steal and keep.

He told us old stories from Afghanistan one woman with courage who changed the course of an entire war, about a saying they have there: “the one who rocks the cradle rocks the world”. He encouraged us as women to see our worth to have an effect on the world.

He is a man who changes the world every where he goes. I believe he has an invisible legacy; one that God can see, but man cannot. He leaves a print of influence on many lives, but has no title or fame and so is not recognized as a leader.

And I learned some sweet new tricks. And I painted a painting today. And I'm listening to advice. And Charlie & The Chocolate Factory is THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN. I literally laughed with joy ALL THE WAY THROUGH. I was shocked at how good it was.

good bye.

Things I Noticed Today

+ Heat coming off the new brick wall
+ The ladies in front of me dropping a card, and actually creating disillusionment
+ God truly is AMAZING
+ God IS as big as he says he is
+ Nothing is too far gone for God to reach it, and even to transform it
+ Nothing I get myself into is too complicated, or precarious, or dangerous for him to contain it within his HUGE arms
+ God’s grace is detailed
+ I like sundried tomatoes. They don’t taste like tomatoes. But they feel very exotic.
+ Fundamentals are never too elementary to be absolutely useful

It's a Counting Day

One car! Two car! Three yellow car! Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah! Four car! Five yellow car!

The Count was in my head today.

+one mullet
+two times tripping (on nothing in particular)
+five yellow cars and truck
+one embarrassing moment*
+three jet streams
+two-and-a-half times through one CD
+three extra keyboards
+five minutes late this morning
+three days in a row
+one time thanking God for not letting me fall down the stairs
+countless other times thanking God that same thank!
+two times it smelled like Christmas
+one best friend
+two verses to make my day

Humour found in human: “I have to attend the opening of my garage door.” – Rod
Humour found on food: “Ingredients: Dried potatoes (May contain mono- …)”
Humour in action: I took apart a keyboard today because i wanted to see what was inside. I now have the interesting pieces stashed in my purse.
Amusement in stress: I love traffic jams. They give me time to reflect on humanity. (That is until I get honked, or yelled at.)

Today, I was in and out of a pathetic state… listening to lies, but not being able to identify the antidotal truth. Being in a bad mood but knowing I had no reason for it.

On the way to Wal-Mart (one of the most unpleasant places I can think of, particularly when I’m in a bad mood) I decided I was being lame and that I didn’t have to be under the influence of anything but God’s truth and power. So I decided to overcome.

And upon walking out of Wal-Mart, I realized that everything was suddenly making me laugh… the funk had left, and at my fingertips was faith, love and peace.


Sometimes, you just want to feel pretty, no?


*Rod (the antagonist) and I (the prey) were unpacking our shiney new laminator machine. Naturally there was a long, plastic bag (the inspiration), whose circumfrence is strangely simlar to my head's. Naturally, The Antagonist seizes his opportunity and coerces The Prey to stick the bag on her head. The bag is just starting to feel somewhat snug and comfortable, and I start to venture out into anther room. As I step out of the door frame, my eye catches a tall navy blue figure with a white. purple and orange package. I swiftly, gracefully swing around back from whence I came and slip the bag off my culprited head. But alas, 'twas too late for mercy! FedEx had seen. "Party time in here, is it?" inquiring minds wanted to know. I was red. Not that I was really that embarrassed to have the bag on my head, but because I tried to hide it and got caught. Ach.

GOOD NIGHT!
*to be said in an exasperated tone*