Savorings...401-450

401. Slip-n-Slide

402. Seeing deer on my run at Long Hunter State Park

403. New experiences with my youth

404. The youth and adults willing to try PULSE at a new location

405. Watching youth softball games

406. Meeting Emily & Becky on a 4- mile run

407. A running groups acceptance & care for individuals

408. Sandi's gift to REI - and my hammock!!

409. Getting to stand alongside Bev & Scott on their sweet day

410. Rain clouds that pass just in time for their picnic & ceremony

411. Lunch with Clint at Prince's Hot Chicken

412. The Wonder Women & their flexibility & willingness to serve as needed

413. Moving my furniture from Pensacola to Lebanon.

414. After my wallet was stolen - Susie's clarity about my drivers license 

415. Having everything I needed to replace my license in a couple hours

416. American Express overnighting a new card to me.

417. Susie helping me pay for my moving truck

418. Friends who I can just be with even when I'm hurting

419. Movies with Lisa & Tim

420. Watching Gene back the truck into his backyard

421. All of the youth & friends who came at the last minute to help me load up

422. Testosterones song at Sandie & Joe's wedding.

423. Sharing stories after the wedding

424. Susie's food that I get for my drive back

425.  Driving with the windows down in a 24 foot diesel truck because the air went out...but the air was cool enough that I actually enjoyed it

426. The youth and friends who helped me unload my furniture into storage in Lebanon

427. Free storage from a stranger

428. Breakfast at the pancake pantry with Karla, Helen, Lauren & Paige

429. Following the Pensacola FUMC youth & adults on their choir tour

430. My friend who let me stay at her house for sabbath when my home wasn't

431. Realizing that Lorene may not make it & then hearing that she might get new lungs

432. Staying up late on June 20 to wait for the results of Lorene's double lung transplant 

433. The relief & joy I felt (& still feel) when Steve let us know she came through surgery well

434. Reconnecting with high school friends because of sharing in Lorene's story

435. Celebrating her recovery processs

436.  Running on the greenway from Kohls

437. Teaching youth to put tents up

438. Camping in a state park for the week

439. Eating spaghetti in the rain win my youth after our first day doing home repair

440. Watching my youth take risk and succeed

441. Closing worship - speaking a kindness to the person on our right

442. Watching the fog lift during morning devotion at Devil's Pass, Big South Fork National Park

443. Getting to know our home owners

444. Watching every one of the youth & adults climb the tower

445. Getting to each one of these youth better

446. The loud, loud bird that kept every one up at night

447. The bear frog

448. Taking Annie to the ER and her bloodwork was ok

449. Learning how to back-up a trailer

450. Jake's humor and ability to speak truth

Prayer is sitting in the silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful, and praising God until we ourselves are an act of praise. –Richard Rohr.

This beautiful child is full of life!!  Spring 2013

Savorings... 201-250

201. A window seat to rest in before dinner

202. Tennessee farm houses

203. Dinner with the first family who invited me over

204. Watching Toly open his birthday presents

205. Having an off day

206. Tim checking on me today

207. Praying for my youth this morning

208. Small answered prayer for a hard situation

209. Watching my dad sing to mom & Grace on my iPad

210. Working with a team of people who seem to all love & honor each other

211. Signing up for as many free birthday meals that I can find :)

212. Mom's foot healing well

213. A raining morning off 

214. Time to read 

215. Officially moving to Lebanon

216. Time with Ingrid to catch up

217. Whole foods

218. Breakfast with Laura, Bev, Melissa and Vona

219. Walking around Franklin downtown 

220. Yummy Mexican food at Sopapillas new restaurant in Hendersonville

221. Hart of Dixie season two with Ingrid

222. Making jokes with 7th and 8th graders

223. Taking time to go to 3 different grocery stores for the best prices

224. Preparing meals for the week

225. Playing with chia seed 

226. Getting to a 5:15 am boot camp outside in 38 degrees

227. Loving the boot camp

228. That I speak German

229. The noise my mom's knee makes 

230. That I spent most of my childhood in Germany

231. Reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder collection at least 30 times

232. My mom singing to me when I went to bed

233. Tapes from Grandpa Dean on my childhood birthdays of songs that he wanted me to know about

234. I still have the tape from my 7th birthday

235. I interviewed my Grandma Carolyn when I was in 8th grade and still have the recording

236. My best friend, Bettina, from 2nd grade

237. Bettina's family - I loved spending time with them

238. Lemon and coffee ice in Europe

239. Schnitzel, spaetzel and spezi

240. Clean water to drink any time I want

241. The opportunity to go to Nigeria in 2008 and 2009

242. Listening to my dad play Bach when I was going to bed in high school

243. Making root beer with my grandpa 

244. Music therapy

245. Hiking the Appalachian trail with my sister

246. Recognizing the Hermit Thrush call - and I love it

247. Hiking in New Zealand 

248. Walking up to Mount Rushmore without paying because we were hiking the Centennial Trail

249. Borrowing a car to drive to Rhode Island while staying the night in Connecticut

250. Memories that are popping up through this process

"Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Tongariro Crossing I New Zealand, 2009 

limes and hot tamales...

What is it about meeting new people that makes you doubt who you are. I have been talking to a new friend...a lot. And it's funny cause I have shared a lot of what I believe that God has brought me through and vice versa...but I have a moment every couple of days where I regret everything that I have shared. Why is that? Why is it that when we are vulnerable we are sooooooo afraid that someone will reject us? I actually expect to be rejected. And how pathetic is that? I expect to be rejected but I also know that I have so much to offer to people...but for some reason I don't think people will see who I really am.

I am in Ohio for my birthday cause in 2 days I will celebrate my big 3-0. Yep, I am about to be 30. My best friend - Sandi who I have known since I was 14... so we have been friends longer than the age I was when I met her. Which is amazing. She sent me a "30 reasons why I love Emily" letter...and there is no way to express how much that means to me. She knows who I really am...there are a few of you that really know...my weaknesses and my strengths and my hopes and my fears and you still love me. I guess...I just want to say before I reach 30 years old I want to say thank you for loving me right where I am for the past couple of years...and here is to the another couple of decades.