Great Aunt Vi and Graciousness

This past weekend, I (Julie) had the privilege of meeting Brandon's great aunt Vi. Even though I only was with her for about a half hour total, I was struck with the graciousness she extended to me from the very beginning. I was greeted with a welcoming hug and immediately invited in to see family pictures; of course, I don't remember who was in all of them, but to me it meant that she wanted me to feel at home, like I should know who all these people were smiling at me. Our visit mostly centered around what each of us had done that day, sharing the way our family shares at the supper table. As we prepared to leave, I felt like I had been there for much longer than a half hour, like in that little window of time, we had passed by the trivial small talk and enjoyed each other's company. Such graciousness as this is a true picture of the acceptance we can find as children of God. Vi did not put me through a rigorous test to find out if I was worthy of her time, she did not ask to see my credentials, she did not demand anything of me. By believing in the blood of Jesus, we are welcomed into the Father's arms by no merit of our own. I pray that I can show others in my life this same graciousness.

Spring Break!

My (Amy's) Spring Break starts this Saturday. On Sunday, my grandparents are flying my cousin Thom and I down to Arizona to stay with them for a week. I can't wait! Unfortunately, some of my professors decided Spring Break would be a great time to load on the homework. Oh, well! Hopefully doing that homework out in the sunshine surrounded by mountains and wildlife will give me some inspiration and I'll be able to get it done fast :-). My goal is to get outside as much as possible and get lots of exercise! I'm also hoping to get some reading done on the plane. That hasn't really happened in the past, though, so I'm not getting my hopes up. I enjoy people-watching too much to really focus on books in airplanes, I think. Right now, I'm reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan for the Bible Study I'm in. If you haven't read it yet, I'd encourage you to check out a copy. I probably won't be blogging until after I get back, but maybe I can talk Julie into posting something. Happy March everyone!