74 degrees

Another beautiful spring day on campus.

restoration

I read a great word from Chuck Colson today, in response to an extremely interesting and revealing dialogue on evangelicalism and politics (found here). "My one prayer would be that Christians would understand better what they really believe — the core of their beliefs, why they matter, why we believe them and how to present them winsomely in a world that is so polarized and divided and alienated. Let's be agents and instruments of reconciliation, which is what the Gospel enables us to do." Amen to that.

round the bend

This week has been the one where you can finally exhale after holding your breath waiting for Spring. The magnolias are starting to peep out and it's been over 60 degrees for more than two days in a row. Ellie had her first picnic out on the front lawn last night - a feast of bread, cheese, cheerios, and baby food.
Ellie now has three teeth - one bottom and her two front ones. After her first birthday (photos here), it's so exciting to see what comes next. She's babbling on and on constantly with almost words... sometimes you can make out ball, book, please, etc. but I wish I could understand the lively play-by-play that she gives about everything around her. Soon, I imagine. She is also almost walking... she's down to that last one-handed grip on my finger to steady her as she toddles along. She hasn't taken her first steps alone yet, but I'm sure she will any day now.
Please pray for our friends the Cobbs. Matt just lost his mom - she was not even sixty years old yet. It's heartbreaking knowing that she won't see her grandson Jackson grow up, but a comfort to know that she is assuredly "absent from the body (and) present with the Lord." (2 Cor. 5:8).