Five on Friday

one. Sometimes it's hard to find quiet time. Even when I'm home alone with hours of nothing before me, I just can't find the quiet in my house. Between the dishes, the laundry, the tv, the laptop.... So the other night I drove myself to Panera. It was later in the evening and it wasn't busy or noisy. I ordered my soup and salad and even picked up a pumpkin cookie. I set myself up in corner booth and read the book of Ruth which was on my mind because my mom and I had been talking about it earlier. I got out my journal to write down some thoughts, which is sometimes the only way to settle my brain. But I realized I didn't have a pen. So instead I made myself sit there quietly and just unwind. And I didn't get on twitter or facebook (yes I instagramed this photo, but that's it) and it was so needed and so refreshing. 

two. After my Panera retreat I drove over to the house of another leader on my Young Life team. Their family has graciously allowed me to sleepover Wednesday nights so that on Thursday mornings I can hang out with some of the kids before school. My Thursdays now involve waking up a lot earlier and driving my young life girl and I to Dunkin Donuts and then heading to bible study with some awesome high school friends. I am so impressed by how alert and tuned in this group of people is between 6-7 am. We are learning some great truths and building each other up to be strong leaders in the high school. I'm so refreshed by how close they are and how they long for their high school to be transformed.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35

I also love the donuts...

three. After dropping some kids off at the high school, feeling like a total soccer mom, I got to see this beautiful sunrise.  Yes... the sun is barely up when school starts. What's the deal with that? Still, it's an awesome sight that most days I sleep through. We also so a heard, yes a heard, of  20 something deer just hanging out in the early morning fog. It's amazing what a different world it is when you get up early to greet it.

five. Thursdays are long days now but they are so sweet. They're also making me extra grateful for Fridays, and weekends, and my usual 7am wake up time all the other days of the week.

Have a happy weekend everyone!
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