dates are good. yes, dates are fun.

FIRST! please head over to my dear friend allison's blog. i did a guest post about a day with amos. it's full of dinos, thrifting, and if you keep scrolling you can peer into ali's beautiful life of a mom of 3 boys. she exemplifies the joy and grace of motherhood so beautifully!!!!

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i have the amazing blessing of having close family that LOVES to hang out with my son. this gives ricky and i tons of opportunities for dates - or during the week, time for me to do graphic design and make some extra cash. it's such a great feeling to leave your child with people you know love him as much as you do. 

this weekend ricky, who finished a crazy, crazy work week (speeches, leading meetings, training new staff, school, LA trip, etc.) had a little reprieve before his spring semester starts today. we decided to grab some dinner and then head over to our church's conference they were hosting.

we talked a lot about a message i had heard from max lucado on the friday night session about our individual roles in the church. 

max highlighted these scriptures, along with pentecost in acts 2. 

"we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us..." romans 12:6 or as he worded it, "God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well."

and 

"He fashions their heart individually..." psalm 33:15

and he began to ask the question about who we were created by God to be. uniquely us. what language, of what culture, were we appointed to speak. 

and so we talked over these questions:

when were you the most alive and the most happy? what were you doing? where were you? who were you with? what was the environment like?

when did the clock move too quickly? what were you doing that you didn't want to stop, that you felt like you could do forever?

what are your natural strengths? what topic do you get the most passionate to talk about/discuss? what skills come easily to you?

i think that these things are always good to think through. i think about Amos and the things he loves to do, that it seems he was MADE to do. he is very, very verbal and loves telling stories and asking questions. he loves exploring nature. he LOVES reading books. and as his mother i love to watch him do what he was made to do. rather that be play imaginatively as a 2 year old, or play with dinosaurs like a little boy. to see him be who he is intended to be, to be what brings him joy, what is natural - brings me joy. and that is how the Father is.

and that is always good to evaluate. that the will of God isn't hard, it isn't burdensome, it isn't some enigma that takes difficulty to discover. it is to glorify the Father in all we do, in who we are. whether we eat or drink, do it all for His glory. rather we sing, or draw, or mother, or clean, or lead, or make money - do it to the glory of His name. point to His beauty, His majesty, His glory - in the most basic activities of our day. 

and be fully alive. and to be alive is to function as we were created to function. 

it was a liberating message, and a very liberating discussion. dreaming with ricky about what it is we want to do. where we want to go. what lies within us that we want to draw out and make more time for. 

these are the sweetest moments of marriage. calling out the greatness, the beauty of Christ within each other.

i'm so in love.

oh and i'd love a vote from you today!