After working full days on Saturday and Sunday, work has slowed down a little, allowing me a chance to pause and think a bit about life as another birthday approaches and breezes by on the road of life.  Time moves so quickly.  My friend Chris reminded me on Sunday night that, on that day, I had been in my house for a year now.  A year.  Wow.  Where does the time go.  Unfortunately, the clutter left here ad there probably makes it look like I’ve lived in it for much longer.  They need vacuums for cow sized objects, with attachments for paper stacks, dishes, lawn aberrations, and a fridge blaster.  That would be great.

Monday night was another great small group meeting, if still yet a little unorthodox for our small group.   One of our members was asked to “step away” from his generous service as a pastor over this last year, and to him and his wife, it felt more like an excommunication.  Thankfully, our campus pastor came to the group, grievances were aired and words seeing understanding were exchanged.  The rest of us in the small group just watched and prayed and added a thought here or there when helpful, just letting the exchange happen.  With issues aired and words exchanged, there is now opportunity for reconciliation.  Everyone in this group wants to walk strongly and uprightly in Christ, so healing will happen. It is great to see people in this fairly new group encourage each other and support one another as we grapple with life.  This group has been a great blessing to me, if only because it is filled with hungry and honest people who all want to grow together. I think that’s how a small group is supposed to be.

Yesterday evening, I met Mom and Dad for a nice diner at the Elephant Bar in the Uptown mall- and it was a very tasty dinner.  I had eaten there once before, but I didn’t remember what I had last time.  This time, I had a teriyaki chicken plate that was very tasty.  We got there fairly early after our original destination, Tucano’s, gave us the boot because they were having a private dinner.  We were in the Elephant Bar by 6, and the bar was busy with what appeared to be largely young professionals.

After dinner, I talked Mom into walking with me over to the Anthropologie store to browse.  I think that’s a woman’s store, but I love the books and knick knacks they have scattered throughout it.  We looked around for probably a half an hour, and Mom bought me a scented candle because I had mentioned to her how my front room smells like sweat.  Yeah- I’m sorry.  I’m a single dude. I do push ups.  I need that vacuum.  We went on back to my folks so I could drop Mom off, and then I visited my sis and her family, and I got a good dose of the Olympics, watching Phelps get his tem relay gold, and the women’s gymnastics team win their team gold.  I love the spirit those ladies displayed, encouraging one another and striving together as a team to do their best.  I’m not a gymnast, but I thought all three of the U.S. gals’ floor routines were incredibly flawless.  But what do I know.

Tomorrow night, I am off to see Kelly Clarkson and the Fray in concert, if only because my sister is so kind to me.  My sister is one of the kindest people you can ever meet.  She always puts herself out to encourage and lift up others.  And she’s a busy woman.  She does that on top of her busy work and family life.  She has a lot of responsibilities, but she still finds space and time to encourage and support a broad range of people in her life- family members, friends, acquaintances, strangers.  She does it because it is part of her nature.  She has an especially large (and open) heart.  Thank you, sis.

And then this weekend, my brother, his daughters and I are going to break away and meetup with some of our friends from our Puerto Rico trip this year.  We spent 10 days with these people doing what we could to support a few churches there through construction, outreach, and study.  We look forward to catching up with our Puerto Rico brothers and sisters.

So the week is turning out to be busy, but in a running around sort of crazy way.

When weeks like this happen, I am glad to be reconnected with people I care about.  But I also easily feel disoriented, and in some ways feel disconnected from myself.  Or God.  Which is why when I am busy I need time in the Word more (whether I take that time in it or not).

For whatever reason, Amy Grant’s song, Love Has A Hold On Me, came to mind this evening as I was writing this.  I haven’t heard it in years- and yet it fits.

I am relearning that I am here for God’s joy and God’s pleasure. And part of His pleasure is to love me. And no matter where I go, or what happens, I just need to remember that fact: His love has a hold on me.