• (Today’s opening image features the morning birds at the Maul-Hall feeder…)

Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 6:23-24

IMAGES: Thanks, everyone, for the amazing response to yesterday’s post – “Portrait of a Community at Worship.” I’ve never seen so much activity at my blog site!

I understand, of course, that the photographs were a huge draw. Consequently – and not for the first time – people have said, “But I thought you were a writer? Shouldn’t people come to your blog for the writing?”

Point taken. But the raison d’être of this blog is to be a vehicle for sharing the good news that life is a beautiful gift, and to encourage my readers along their journey. More than a writer, I’m a cheerleader for life, and an advocate for the principle of living like we mean it.

More than a writer, I’m a cheerleader for life, and an advocate for the principle of living like we mean it.

Writing is just one of the tools that I bring to the task. Seriously, if I could communicate my message via standing on my head, while juggling puppies, then I’d do that. The point is the story, and this is a story that never gets old.

FOODIE TIME: If you’re wondering what happened to my regular foodie-post, here’s just a small nod to this week’s new recipe. Rebekah picked the Pollo Alla Cacciatora; it was a good call!

I won’t detail the process, but if you’re interested you can follow some of the steps in the picture gallery (below).

Again, the key to “yum” was to follow the recipe instructions exactly, to push the edges of my standard cooking techniques, and to allow new ideas and creativity to challenge my boundaries and enrich our food experience as a family.

I served the cacciatora with white rice, mixed (fresh) vegetables, sourdough rolls, and a Cabernet blend.

LIVE FORWARD: This morning’s final random thought comes via the other philosopher at Maul-Hall, Scout Labradoodle. This is not a great photo; but – as we were walking – Scout’s demeanor seemed to capture some of the joie de vivre we could all learn to embrace more fully.

Scout is getting to be middle-aged; she creaks sometimes when she moves after she’s been still too long; she’s not as fast as she used to be; she’d rather lie down in front of the fire than actually volunteer for a walk; she has some chronic health issues… But, in the moment (any moment), Scout is so grateful to be alive and living in our home and with the people she loves, that she overflows with enthusiasm and affirmation and joy.

So here we are. It is today. There is no other time that matters quite so much as now. Consider the birds at our feeder; consider the community where we live; consider the fun of sharing a creative meal together; consider the philosopher, Scout Labradoodle…

And… Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 6:23-24