weekly gratitude, memorial day edition

thank you Brinks for keeping my toes warm while I took your picture

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John Mark had a proposition for us yesterday morning:

Ride your bike to church, get prime seating right up front, no matter how late you are (not that you're ever late).

There was only one stipulation:

"Please - go easy on the spandex."

And then I dissolved into a silent giggle fit and made the people around me nervous.

BUT - and this is the impressive part - I did not spill my coffee!

Boom.

A successful Sunday morning.

Can I say the same for the coffee I drank in the car on the way to work this morning?

Not quite.

But I wore my leather skirt today so the coffee rolled right off like water on a duck's back.

So... still BOOM.

Meanwhile, Happy Memorial Day to everyone! And with that...

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1. Thank you to all the troops, the wives, the husbands, the children, the parents, the siblings, the aunts & uncles, the friends and everyone who has sacrificed so much, if not everything, so that I can continue living safely in the country I call home. Words will never be able to touch the incredible gratitude I wish I could express to all of you, whether on the front lines of war or holding down the fort at home. Whether supporting our soldiers with letters & care packages, kissing children goodnight as you remind them how much their mom/dad loves them even from so far away, praying for courage and the safety of people you may not even know, saluting the warriors as they pass by at an airport, or heaving a sigh of relief alongside your brother in arms as you return from another successful mission, one day closer to home... Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

2. Thank you for mail. Of course here I mean that I'm thankful for mail only in that it is the byproduct of friendship because I got a card in the mail from Brigette and it made my day. I love that I found a forever friend that lives by the same verdict that a handwritten note should not be a lost art. Just a simple piece of mail with the return address from "The Little One" that reminds me I'm loved all the way from here to there.

 3. Thank you for fellowship. Sometimes I feel like I'm writing about only slightly varied versions of the same thing every week, or the same people every week, but hey - if I can be grateful for the same things consistently, I figure that in itself is pretty amazing. Anyway, once again I am grateful for time spent exalting God with my dear sweet Mari. We ended up splitting a bottle of rose (again) last night at Red Hills Market and as usual, our conversation drifted into what the Lord's been up to in our lives lately. As we spoke and sipped there just seemed to be a tangible lift in spirits. At one point Mari just smiled and said how much she had needed this, this sweet little fellowship in the corner of our favorite hangout. It always seems to work out that way. And for that I am always grateful.

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So there it is. Short and sweet.

I'm working on a new recipe this week so stay tuned for another installment of "What Will Lauren Do With Cheese + Wine This Week?"

Happy Memorial Day all!