Thursday Three

Thursday Three is back! Last week didn't happen because...Easter. But we're back this week!

1. I love Easter. Yes, I put in some extra hours, and there's much to do at a church to get ready for the day, but it's the best reason in the world to celebrate. This year Easter was everything it should be: constant reminders of redeeming grace, relaxed time with family, singing "Up from the Grave He Arose," little ones in bright, new clothes, gorgeous weather that convinced me winter is actually gone, and these little treasures.

All time favorite Easter candy...it just can't be helped.

2. I love how some of the best things in life can't be planned. This week we planned a midweek date to try out a downtown restaurant. We ended up walking through a road race celebration only to find that the restaurant was located directly at the race's starting line. We didn't plan that. We couldn't have planned that. We watched several thousand people start their one-mile race from our table, and on our walk back to the car, we watched a U.S. Silver Medalist win the men's championship race. Even though we are very much not runners, we were speechless. Unless laughing counts as speaking...then we had a lot to say.

Our faces on the car ride home. Hilarious!

3. I love big questions. Last night my high schoolers were asking some big questions. The ones that we don't have a feel-good answer for. The ones that I have legitimately say, "I don't know." I've always loved knowing the right answer. But I also love that my Jesus doesn't let me know everything. And I love watching my girls wrestle with their faith.

Thursday Three

I'm still working toward getting posts completed between Thursdays, but until then...here we go!

1. I love my job, but sometimes working at a church is hard. Admitting this in a public space feels strange, but that's been the kind of week it's been. It's an honor to help prepare everything for Easter, but like every job, it has its stressors. This week has had a few. Tonight I'm thinking about one of my favorite Easter lessons: Friday is brutal, and Saturday is dark, but Sunday always comes. Thank you, Jesus!

2. Vitamin D + a little sweat = Ahhhh... This week may have stressful, but spring is finally showing off! After work the sun was still shining, and the warm breeze cheered us on as we went for a little jog to clear our heads. How is it that I so easily forget how simple things can make the biggest difference? (Hitting up Chick-fil-A after the run was also a great way to celebrate the end of the week. Ha!)

3. My brothers are the best! It's National Sibling Day! I've sung their praises here before, but seriously, they're amazing. This week has reminded me of just how lucky I am to count both Nathan and Andrew among my best friends. While growing up they made sure to inform me of the many, many reasons I was lucky to be the youngest. They just didn't realize that the best part of being the baby is getting to call them my big brothers.

I tend to be laughing in all of our pictures together.

See what I mean?

That's all for this week, everyone! Have a great weekend.

Thursday Three

My brilliant friend Samantha has been writing her Thursday Three for quite a while as a way to share a little glimpse of her week and celebrate the imminent weekend without getting too bogged down by the Friday Five and the pressure to make every week look amazing. I think she's on to something pretty great here, so I asked if I could tag along. All that to say, here's my first Thursday Three! (Check out Samantha's writing, as well. You won't be disappointed.)

1. Hosting strangers is intriguing, and I love it. Last year Nate and I took this class, and it completely rocked our world. This year we volunteered on the Coordinating Team and hosted half a dozen class instructors over the last few months. Washing the sheets that often and keeping the house clean and tidy is sometimes less than convenient, but the conversations that come from sharing space are a special treasure. Plus, anyone comfortable to start messing with our decor after a few nights with us is pretty awesome in my opinion!

Best Fez is far more inspiration than the original message, don't you agree?

2. High schoolers have stolen my heart. I help lead a small group of junior girls, and as much as they drive me crazy, they also light up my life. Last weekend I had the privilege of being on a panel of women answering questions from high school girls. The vulnerability of both the students and the women on the panel once again stirred my passion for this generation. I can't wait to see what God has in store for these ladies!

3. My niece is the most honest and accurate person I know. Lydia got a good dose of dominant DNA from my side of the family, so the poor girl is destined for years of comparison to my childhood photos.

My cousin Aimee and I are showing off the best of 1990 on the left. Lydia's grin is on the right.

Lydia also inherited a lot of the way my brother and I think, as well. While she's more tactful than most adults I know, she's brutally honest. I talked with her on the phone today, and after we had gone through the many subjects relevant to a 3-year-old, she announced, "Dad, I'm tired from talking with Aunt Anne." Conversation over. But I totally agree, little one, small talk can be exhausting.