We visited my mom's church this morning. It's a sweet small congregation up the hill from her house (we actually walked there). There were gentle old men with toothy grins and a smile for Danny. There were devoted old women who hung on their husband's arm as though they'd been doing so for 50 years. And I'm sure some of them have been. There were tired and glowing (somehow at the same time) mamas of young children and proud daddies looking after them. There was a pair of the cutest four year old bouncy blonde pig tails you've ever seen in your life. And everything in between. But most of all there were welcoming smiles and genuine eyes and a love for Jesus that overflowed out of the choir pews, through the wood-decorated sanctuary, into the foyer and out the front doors.
Oh and there was iced Starbucks coffee too. Which just means there was an extra measure of the Holy Spirit. ...Just kidding.
I even ran into an old college class-mate. What a great way to begin our Sunday!
Then I met my sister for a lunch and a coffee date at The Living Room, our favorite coffee house. Memories of college study sessions, dates with Alejandro, late night snacks after swing dancing for hours and really good coffee come flooding back whenever I think of The Living Room. It has also been the most enormous blessing to find a new best friend in my sister. We talked about all things important and not and sipped on rasberry mocha somethings while we gabbed. It was splendid.
Then I headed back towards my mom's but took a wrong turn and ended up driving down the street where my old junior high school is. I turned into the parking lot and glanced in at the lunch court yard while memories came flooding back: Passing notes in 7th grade math class. The days which blurred between childhood and adolescence. The beginning of pimples and boys and way-too-early first kisses. And the beginning of the dating scene. Boy am I glad to be past that stage!
Then back through the Mission Valley where I stopped in at the ring store where Alejandro found my wedding ring. While they inspected and cleaned my ring, I took a trip to the ladies' room where I relieved myself after way too much coffee. On the way out I was met with this:
All I have to say is that sign should be required in all public restrooms. I love it.
The day continued with a low-key afternoon and dinner and then it ended with a Mary Kay facial party with an old high school friend of mine and her roommates. I hadn't seen her in fourteen years, so we had fun reminiscing about English papers, Rococo paintings and high school friends.
So now I have a super shiny ring,
a worn off caffeine high, a new thankfulness that I'm not just starting in the dating scene but rather that I'm done with it, a fully tummy, hurting cheeks from lots of smiles, tired feet, and a happy heart.
How did you all spending your Sundays?
