Happy Everything

Have I ever told you that Wednesdays are my longest day? Oh, wait. I tell you that every single week. It’s still true. So, let’s rejoice that the long day is over, as old Norah Jones would croon.

So, my friends and I are rewatching Lost. It is just the best. Also, I had forgotten that Clair from Modern Family is Jack’s ex-wife. And that Jack is so perfect that he operated on Boone while giving him a blood transfusion. From his own body. Oh, Jack. Even though you’re perfect, I still like Sawyer better.

I got a card from my Grandpa Dale yesterday. It was a cute vintage one and it said “A cute card for a cute girl. Happy Everything. Love, Grandpa.” He is the very bestest.

As was expected, I forgot to do the photo challenge yesterday. But apparently I was supposed to take a picture of “where I ate breakfast.” So, here’s the logo of Lucile’s, which is a Creole restaurant where I had poached eggs and eggplant and grits yesterday. I ate Louisiana cuisine with a Canadian. It was super great.

Yesterday in Aramaic we translated part of the passage where King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and Daniel tells him that he’s going to live like a wild animal for seven years. That would just be some bad news to receive, don’t you think? But it happened so that Nebuchadnezzar would know that God had dominion over everything — even though old Nezzi was a powerful king, Yahweh God was the one in control. At the end of those seven years, Daniel 4 says that Nebuchadnezzar raised his eyes to heaven and blessed the Most High. He recognized God’s dominion, and he was restored.

He is in control, you guys. And he loves us. And has plans for us. He is good and he heals and he restores.

Have the best Thursday, OK?

Friends Are Friends Forever

Hi, Internet!

Don’t you wish weekends were longer? And that you weren’t in grad school so that you didn’t have to do homework over the weekends? And that you got to sleep in more? Yeah, me too.

This was kind of a schoolish weekend. My dad is coming later this week, so I’m trying to get ahead, which means less partying (“partying” is defined as “watching TV with my friends and if we get crazy, maybe having a glass of wine”) and more studying. On Saturday my school formation group came over and we spent time making homemade pizzas, catching up and pondering the passion of Jesus. It was pretty great.

Yesterday I drove down to Colorado Springs to see my mountain. And also to attend Sarena’s baby shower. Sarena is a dear friend — we lived together for six years down in the Springs. We moved out there right after college, so in a lot of ways, we learned how to be adults together. She is having a baby boy in a couple of months, and it was so fun to get to celebrate with her.

In case you can’t tell, Sarena is the pregnant one. She’s just tiny and I apparently love wearing shirts that make me look pregnant.

I also got to catch up with so many friends — some of whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was so fun and it reminded me that the Lord has always been so good to me and provided me with great community no matter where I’ve been. I’ve always had people to talk about The Bachelor with — I mean, what could be better?

Here is a thing I would like you to know — I am looking for cute new boots, especially now that most of them are on sale. I kind of want some like Jenn’s up there on the right. Where can I get some for $1? Let me know.

It is my Grandpa Dale’s birthday today. He is one of my very favorite people ever in the world. He is funny and smart and kind. He is a barber and always has been. My entryway is covered in vintage postcards that he has sent me with sweet notes that say things like, “Denise — I like you and you like me. We’ve got a good thing going.”

The other day my Aunt Faye posted a little poem that my grandpa and his friend wrote when they were young. This is why he is awesome: “The polar bear sleeps in his little bear skin. He sleeps very well I’m told. Last night I slept in my little bare skin, and I got a heck of a cold.” Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

We’re translating chunks of Joshua in my Hebrew class, and I was reading in Joshua 13 the other night. It’s kind of a dull chapter because it’s mostly just about all of the tribes of Israel and all the different parts of the land that they inherited once they entered into it. But what stood out to me was verse 33. It says, “But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance; Yahweh, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He had promised to them.” I love that. For the Levites — the priestly tribe — the Lord was their inheritance. Not land, not houses, not farms, but God Himself. It’s beautiful.

OK, I’m off to go stress about my thesis proposal. Have a great Monday!