Welcome Back

An abundance of gratitude for…

Feeling my heart thaw and my soul breathe and my spirit whisper welcome back

In the middle of rock bottom I discovered rock bottom is not where people go to die but where people go to be recreated. Matthew Barnett

Church bells on the hour

Sheep grazing on the mountainside

Exploring a medieval castle

Red wine and Camembert

Feeling hope rise again

Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.  Dallas Willard

The smell of cut grass

The damp shade and the smell of pine while hiking

Dear friends whom I met in two different seasons and countries meeting each other and the sweet photo they sent me to commemorate the event

Fresh milk

Spinach and fresh mushrooms

What matters is not the accomplishments you achieve, what matters is the person you become. Dallas Willard

New friends exploring the possibilities of missions

I really do still love my job

Laughing at a silly low-budget movie with a friend

Easy camaraderie while making dinner together

Sunshine and blue skies, panoramic views from the top

The customer service rep who never switched to English

A straightforward, honest, no drama, mean-what-we-say friendship

Naps

Freely giving and receiving blessings

A stunning flower garden

You must arrange your days so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God.  Dallas Willard

Birdsong

Birds of prey soaring overhead

Fat bumblebees buzzing from one bloom to another

A long sleep after a full weekend

Coffee

Being remembered by people I met two years ago

A prayer of blessing from a pastor who understands

Your face was meant to shine. Glory always shines. Glory was meant to be shared. John Ortberg

Tractors cutting, turning, and baling hay

Open homes, open hearts, encouragement and blessing

A long bike ride, and not being too sore afterward

Snow-capped mountains in the distance

Still light at 10pm

One thing I’ve realized is that being different doesn’t disqualify you from a dynamic life. It prepares you. Matthew Barnett

Worship flowing from English to French and back again

That it doesn’t matter what language we pray in

A sunny patio with chairs and a table

Being able to help change a tire quickly with no drama and no problems

One of the greatest days of my life was the day I decided to die to my dream of being a success and become alive to the dream of being a blessing.  Henry Cloud

Freedom to dream and wonder and hope again

Friends and family across the globe who love me regardless of the monsters I’m manifesting

Surprise blessings, surprise donations, surprise favor that reminds me I’m not in this alone

That’s just how God works with us – he relentlessly pursues us because all he has ever wanted is to be with us.  He reaches out to slaves, people in prison, and people like me doing silly, foolish things and says, “Welcome back”.  John Ortberg

Quotes from John Ortberg and Dallas Willard from the book “Soul Keeping”
Quotes from Mathew Barnett from the book “Misfits Welcome”
Quotes from Henry Cloud from the book “Boundaries”