Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. – 1 Peter 4:9-10

Yesterday I had something important to share (We are all works in Progress), so my usual “Photo Friday” week in pictures post got skipped. Today, then, I will catch up on a few highlights from the week.

First, and this was special, Thursday’s lunch with our friends Steve and Cindy – along with Cindy’s delightful lifelong bestie Ellen.

Rebekah and I walked up Saint James Street to meet them at On the Square, and along the way we ran into constant reminders of what a cool and hospitable community this is: Pausing to chat with folk on the sidewalk, exchanging news with a friend who literally stopped his car in the middle of a busy intersection to talk, greeting several good people we know and love in the restaurant, making new friends too.

We are so very grateful for the trust people place in us to share their stories. And we are astounded sometimes at how things as simple as a blog post or a sermon or a class can create ripples of blessing, grace that reaches so much farther, and deeper than we could imagine.

Good Food

The past few days have also featured a lot of exceptionally good food. It was one of those weeks with a lot of improvisation and an equal amount of good fortune as to how things came together for me in the kitchen.

I think my “on the fly” cooking has improved because now my foundational skills are better too. Just as in music, great improvisation depends on sound fundamentals, and I feel like I have an increasingly functional set of basic competencies to work from.

My highlight of the week was the night I served pan-fried tilapia with spinach and pasta. I think it was the combination of caramelized onions with the Alfredo sauce and cherry tomatoes that made the flavors combine so well. Regardless, the meal worked.

This summary of the week is very much one of being keenly aware of how good life is. “Good” not to be confused with easy.

Now if I could only get in a round of golf for the first time since June….

Praying that the balance of your weekend is full to overflowing with everything good. And, as First Peter suggests, be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” – DEREK