Lately: The Highlights

Here's a peek at what's been going on at the Taylors' lately.

My in-laws came to visit!  I've mentioned once or twice how wonderful they are and how I love them like crazy.  Let me say it again:  I LOVE MY IN-LAWS (said in the same way Larry says "I love my lips!" in his silly song).

Yes, this is what it looks like.

Indeed they did spend their spring break taking two days to drive out here and strip wallpaper and wash wallpaper paste and patch walls and paint walls.

They also spent several hours at church helping out.

My mother-in-law's birthday was Friday, so we made her a cake.  We tried to make a beautiful one like the picture in Joy the Baker's cookbook and, well... I think we NAILED IT.

Lately, Tim's been acquiring some new fishies.  We've had one fish living in this 55 gallon fish tank for the past year and, well... let's just say he (or she!) is having to adjust to some new roommates.  So far things are looking good, and no-one's gone belly-up.

Lately we've been spending A LOT of time at church, getting the new sanctuary ready.  And by "we" I mean Tim and (occasionally me).  Friday we spent most of the day there... I ducked out to get a haircut.  I'm too cheap to pay to have it styled, so I came back to church with wet hair that was drying all weird and dirty jeans... people started coming around 5 to write scripture verses on the floor and to move chairs into the sanctuary for Easter.  I was afraid everyone would wonder why I looked like such a mess.  

But then I realized two things:

1) No one really worries what I look like.

2) Everyone else was showing up in grubbies and crawling all over the dirty floor to write scripture, too.

What I'm saying is this: we were all a mess.  And we always are.  That's what the Church is... a bunch of messy people.  The building doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter if the rest of the church building is torn apart.  It doesn't matter if we have to meet by the pool at the Y for two weeks or use the portable sound system in a sanctuary without a ceiling or carpet on Easter Sunday.  What matters is that we are ALL a mess, and we ALL need grace, and Christ offers us grace, and we need to offer grace to others.

I'm not gonna lie... this building project has been getting on my nerves a little bit.  It stresses me out and wears me down.  But just when I think I can't take it any more, something beautiful like our humble Good Friday service happens, and I realize how beautiful it is to be a part of the Body of Christ, and to have fellowship with people of all generations, and to see those people ALL crawling around on a dirty, concrete floor and stage and writing Scripture verses to remember God's faithfulness to us and to tell the generations to come.  When I think I can't take it anymore, something beautiful happens.  Is this what it feels like to be a parent?


Lately the Dogburts thought we needed more stuff to do, so they invited some of their friends over to play Phase 10.

Jynx is quite the card shark, if you didn't know.  It's one of her (many) hidden talents.

 Tico snapped a picture... one of his hidden talents.

I'm glad the dogs decided to have friends over, especially since Sapphire and Leah were in town.  Friends are such a blessing.

Happy Easter, everyone!  He is risen!