Hi Friends,

Shawn and I are back from Mexico, and we are grateful for so many things… the time away, the sunshine, and my amazing parents who dazzled the Blanc boys for a week with crafts and world famous Sloppy Joe’s.

(After a childhood’s worth of guesses, I’d say the secret ingredient is oregano, but you can’t ever be too sure…)

Something we loved about Puerto Vallarta was watching the intermingling of tourists and local residents.

It seemed like a lot of locals would get off work and come down to the beach in the late afternoons. Some older couples would set up well-worn chairs and pull out a picnic dinner. Children played in the water, their shrieks comprehendible in any language.

I was looking down at the beach from the balcony of our room late one afternoon and saw someone flying the largest kite I’ve ever seen. Its colors caught the wind as the man on the ground struggled to control it.

I watched him and was touched by the thought of all the joys the Lord has tucked into the hearts of mankind. 8 billion of us walking around, each with particular pursuits, so unique. These hobbies and ambitions, hopes and occupations — they’re no small thing. They’re the very stuff of God.

The thought came to me again as Shawn and I took four flights to get to and from Mexico. I was thinking of our friend who just made an about-face in life. Time to go back to school and realize his dream of flying planes for a living. So cool. (And hi, Erik, if you’re reading these words today! 👋)

God is a God of adventure. So many dreams of His heart spilled over the edges as He made all of creation. They spilled over and pooled in the hearts of men and women made in His image.

We each carry specific, individual fascinations and desires. So different from one another. So unique. Alike only in the ways they reflect the beauty of the One who made us each.

I looked out on the ocean a lot this past week, thinking about how Isaiah 40:12 describes Him as “measuring the waters in the hollow of His hand”. So big. So vast.

Yes, He holds all things in His hands. Breathes life and adventure into all four corners of what He’s made. I can only imagine the joy that wells up in Him when He sees us letting that same sense of adventure spill over into our early mornings and sunny weekday afternoons.

Maybe flying a kite. Maybe taking a test so we can get a little closer to flying that plane. Maybe a picnic on the beach after work is through.

What a gift to be us. What a gift to be His.

– Anna

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