Today I am Loving {307}

When you have the organizing clean-the-heck-up kind of day, and your entire outlook on life magically changes. 

This Month I Was Loving: February Edition

When He reminds you,

of His Faithfulness.
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Psalm 96

Today I am Loving {306}

When He calls you to the Good Hard Work, 

and you wrestle and rumble and roil straight through the middle of it,

until you have the "hold-up!" moment in which you notice--

you are no longer afraid of that of which you were afraid.

Today I am Loving {305}

 When you discover what is sure to be the product of the piano babies, but you do not remove it, since it makes you laugh, every time you walk by.

Today I am Loving {304}

When the weekend begins with early quiet in the strangely warm but growing colder, and your siblings call, one by one, and before you know it, the day heads into the cleaning and the getting done. 

Today I am Loving {303b}

When He says:

Hope.

Today I am Loving {303a}

When you are a writing pilgrim, and the afternoon finds you, in a different spot, productivity churning.

Today I am Loving {303}

When you are a writing pilgrim, 

and the cup of tea buys you a seat

at the out of town place that feels like retreat.

Today I am Loving {302a}

When you sit around a table for the hours on end with women smart, funny, alive, and kind.

Today I am Loving {302}

When the days come fast like wild fire, but with minutes to spare you sit out in the Sun gaze on your sweet porch steps, before the children clamor up them.

Today I am Loving {301}

When you end a long messy day, curled up with the friend, to pray. 

Today I am Loving {300}

When your life includes moments with yet another dearly loved one, who--upon arrival--ceremoniously pulls from her bag the stuffed dog she is sure can "help us" and hands it to you with all the love a girl can carry on her face, and you gather its surprising cuddle-able-ness to yourself, and sit and watch her giggle with delight over what is simply, Learning.

Today I am Loving {299}

When there is the African movement class,

followed by the work with the dearly loved one,

and a walk through the quiet of the evening campus

on your way to the insightfully helpful talk, 

and though it all falls in quick succession, you're grateful, for the moments.

Today I am Loving {298a}

When it is a glorious day,

and your town is sweet,

and you wander, with the friend.

Today I am Loving {298}

When you change the sheets and get the bed all together, and realize there is someone missing, and you look everywhere and you cannot find him, and you begin to think that someone has crept into your home and stolen him, but then you think to look and there he is,

this icon of your childhood, wrapped up tight inside of the laundry basket,

and with a breath of relief, you restore him to his rightful place.

Today I am Loving {297}

When you have a long overdue date with your favorite girl,

during which you try your hands (and mightily fail) at making lollipops, the deepest desire of her heart.

Today I am Loving {296}

When you find that perfect article, the one you were looking for without even knowing it, and it's your writing day, so you read it in your pajamas. 

Today I am Loving {295}

When you just keep thinking, "why is it February?!", and then you come home, to find a little bit of April or May.

Today I am Loving {294a}

When your friend is in Myanmar,

with the girl who still has your heart,
(the one you'd take home in a second,
if it was truly best for her)

and you have the teary video chat,
each of you wiping your eyes.

Today I am Loving {294}

 

When you arrive at your phone after a long day, and discover someone else has gotten there first...

Today I am Loving {293a}

When your home is a bustling hive of boys working out their scale theory,  and they travel back and forth from piano to desk in a hum of activity, and you just wander around, available,  but not even needed, except for that they just like it that you're there with them,  and so they keep you posted on all that they are doing. 

Today I am Loving {293}

 When you have the spontaneous meet up with the dear friend
(whose role in your life cannot be easily summed up, given all of the ways she has spoken into and loved you),

 and she gives you the hand-picked cards,

which cause you to have the smiles and the tears.

Today I am Loving {292}

When you're Seeking, with the fasting, and each day He fills you with daily renew, and each day He speaks the food to eat, the items symbolic of what He wants you to know, what He wants you to remember, and at the heart of it is the rejoinder:

You will delight in the richest of fare. [Is. 55:2]

Today I am Loving {291}

When you have the video call, with your favorites.

Today I am Loving {290}

When it is Saturday.

Today I am Loving {289}

 When there is a man (standing far right) with whom you have had a long musical relationship, interrupted over recent years,

but he planned a festival, and invited you in, to play,

saying, "Do you play the piano or not?"