Annika

She is one of those that I can sob with and then laugh with in the same hour. She makes my soul grow and rest. She is a treasure.

Annika is an intern at The House in Chattagnoa TN this year. It has been an honor to get tidbits of her year there. She is giving the talk on Tuesday and mostly I desire for her peace in her words. As we talked today she told me about her talk, the ultimate goal and the underlinning message, I was filled with a sense of joy and pride for my friend.

Annika, your name is actually captivating and passionately loved. We call you Annika but I know the Lord has beautiful names written on your heart, a true identity that is beyond beauty, that takes the whole view into consideration.

You are loved and cherished. I wish I could be there to listen to you talk and give you a hug afterwards.

Here are some of my thoughts on the text, not 100% sure it is what you are covering but the text is powerful and thank you for asking wanting to know what my thoughts were.

Jesus told Peter what he is. "You are Peter". Can you imagine how massively your life would change if you heard Christ say "you are Annika." Listen for it, he says it every day, every minute.

Once Jesus says who Peter is, he revealed the plan. Your identity comes first and then the plan. I am such a planner, I want to know everything about the day before it begins but Jesus desires for us to know who we are before we go anywhere.

Peter= build, solid, rock, Church. What words does God use when describing what he will do with you? What words would scare you and what words would you hold onto too tightly?

So once Jesus gives identity he gives out a plan, and that is to go to the cross. Peter's reaction is denial, "Never, Lord!" The psychology side of me kicks in here, denial is the first sign of grief, Peter begins to grieve, he knows what he is loosing. Peter's identity is built and destroyed within a matter or words. Christ tells him who he is but does then goes to tell him the one that created that identity will be destroyed. But wait there is hope! Christ will rise again, death does not destroy. We must remember that the identity Christ gives in us cannot be destroyed, even by death.

Thanks for caring what I think. I love you .

Forever my love

Forever will my soul rest in these frigid salty waters. The ocean is my home, the Puget Sound my living room- I travel on it, I smell it and feel a sense of release. Part of my blood has Puget Sound water running in it.

Have you ever longed for a place so badly you let your soul live there while your body walks somewhere else? I let my soul live on these waters, on this beach. It is not good to let one live apart from another; but if you have met anyone who has let their soul stay on a Sunday night as they get on the ferry, as they crossover; then you will understand it is necessary.

It feels timely to come back here right now, to greet my soul after a long winter.

(I apologize for writing so much about this place, but if you love something so much, you want to share it with everyone you love)

Getting It Done

This is one of my favorite photographs of my dad. It says so much about him to me, his commitment to working hard, his willingness to get a job done and the typical scene around 10 am on a Saturday at the Beach.

I have been craving the Beach lately, craving the simplicity and warmth that the windows let in. This time around I am craving something more than I thought possible. I want to learn. Learning out at the Beach mostly means getting my Carhartts on and following dad around like an eager child. Asking questions about tools, why we do this but not that and how he keeps the hillside from sliding. I want to learn how to own this place.

This also means carefully looking at the hundreds of photographs that line the walls, making sure I know who is who. Learning how to make crab cakes and salmon in a way that would honor all of those who have done it before me. Learn how to mix the drinks and keep them flowing in such a way that any person would feel welcome.

So many memories to be created out there and so many that I have already stored in my heart; all of which help me get through the week, through December and January, through the times when I just need to get it done.