Proverbs 4:23

I was doing a little bit of reading this morning, something that I admit escapes me more often than not due to my love of sleeping in. Let's be honest: I'm not nearly as diligent as I need to be. 

BUT, this morning, I managed to get my Bible open before the work notebook, and realized that in spite of its worn-out spine, pages rubbed thin by my flipping them over the years and the overall appearance of a book, this thing... could never be fully absorbed. 

Here's the deal: I'm heading out this weekend with Becky for a mini retreat; we'll be in a treehouse reflecting on the road behind us and re-calibrating ourselves for the road of 2015. So much of what that will demand of me requires me to do one simple thing: 

Guard. My. Heart. 

guest blog : marianne! 

As with every worthwhile objective, it's easier said than done. It's a huge undertaking in and of itself; applying it to the daily drudge can be daunting if we don't know how to do it. I had that spark of inspiration to get in and do some writing of my own. That's kind of my thing whenever I feel compelled to translate the mess in my head into strings of words. 

And then.... I remembered that my awesome friend Marianne is currently overseas embedded in the field of missions and giving of herself to the field. There was a post of hers from December that is wholly applicable both then, now and really at any point. 

I give all the credit for this entry to her, and am thankful that she took the time to sit down and organize those thoughts into something we can all follow and reference. 

So if you're ready to really examine the question of why it's mandatory that we guard our hearts and minds [or what that even means??], then click HERE. 

If for some reason you can't click that, then just follow this link: 

http://isaiahsixeight.tumblr.com/post/105042431882/between-the-cappuccinos-and-the-gospel

Powerful stuff, am I right?!
Except seriously, I'm insanely proud of that girl & I'm grateful to have her as an added source of encouragement. Love you, Mare!

If you're interested in what she's doing over in Italy, check it out HERE.

prov 4:23

xo | cmd

Italian Skypes!

I had a Skype date with [The REAL] Slim Shady tonight! 

marianne!!!! 

Hey, she said it, not me. haha. Seriously though, if you didn't know, that's MARIANNE! And she's in Italy! And..... it's like 4am her time, and we just finished up talking.

For a Wednesday, I didn't have any extravagant things to report, but to say that I'm grateful for the conversation with Marianne today is a fair - and more than adequate - thing to be celebrating today.

If you've any interest in checking out her journey right now in Italy [and if you like being inspired!], check it out HERE. I really recommend that you do.

Oh, and while you're at it, maybe add in a prayer or two for that girl, for the mission she's on and for her safe return home in just a few short weeks. Love you, Mare!

xo | cmd 

#WCW : Go, Mare, GO!

Whoever actually reads these blog entries of mine knows of this girl named Marianne.

Well, Marianne is currently in Italy, living out her calling to love people in the missions field. She happens to be the first person I've ever identified with on a level that says it's okay to get matching tattoos, spur of the moment. She's genuine, bold, brash, hilarious and honest. She's an incredible friend, and an imperfectly evolving human being, transparent about the roads she's traveled and the unchecked boxes on her life's to-do list.

On my way to work today, I started praying for my pending commitment to the missions arena in Panama, and my mind fell on some of the people in my life who have recently - or in this case, currently - serving out their purposes in missions. I thought of and prayed for Becky, whose Habitat trip last year to Nepal brought her back with a whole new set of experiences, and then Marianne, who is now in Italy.

As I drove and prayed, I started to turn the page in my mind from Mare to the next person, when I looked up from my position at a stop light, and saw a street sign with her last name.

marianne on 11/4 when she left the u.s.
& today, this random street sign.. 

So here's to you, on this #WCW, Mare! While I clearly don't mean that in a creepy or inappropriate way, I absolutely DO salute your commitment, your courage and above all, your journey. You're an incredible human and an even better friend.

Here's to you, and the rest of our mission force: LOVE you, friend!

[Sorry, I'd stay and elaborate more, but fortunately for all of you blogbots, it's time to head out for dinner with Rob's work family... steakhouse time!]

Love & Honor, friends,

xo | cmd