Surprise Call

We don't make a big deal of Valentine's Day in our family. And with Jeff away (we had already done our Valentine's thing last weekend), I expected the usual Tuesday. Now my son and I are very close. We talk every day at about the same time, but our routine is to skim over Valentine's Day without much thought. Well, today he surprised me. He called very early this morning to say "Happy Valentine's Day!" It was totally unexpected. It warmed my heart and started my day off with a smile. And that is where I found God today.

Forrest

This is Forrest surrounded by his favorite toys. I can't interact with him like everyone else because of my allergies. But he shows he still loves me by gathering his toys and sitting with me every evening. I found God today in my dog's sweet devotion.

Tea and Raisin

My full name is Venetia (I've shortened it to Tia). My new friend and Healing Teammate's name is Roisin. We've joked about having our names mispronounced our whole lives. Recently, we received an email that included both our names, and in the infinite wisdom of auto-correct we became - drumroll, please - Tea and Raisin!! Yes, the new superhero duo and/or singing sensation "Tea and Raisin". We got such a kick out of it and had such a good time laughing about it today. And it was in that hilarious, joyful laughter that I found God.

Healing Team

I'm fairly new to the Healing Team. We're a group of people with a lot of different opinions about things as evidenced in our discussions. But we have one thing we all share - the desire to pray for others in the hope that we can help to "heal" them through God's grace. In our meeting today, we bowed our heads, held hands, and prayed both individually and as a group; an unbroken circle of prayer with a common cause. And it was in that space between us where I found God today.

Express Lane

Today was an easy one. I found God at the express lane in Food Lion. As we all know, it's a toss-up whether the express lane is actually "express". And especially at Food Lion, even when it's empty, there are many times you have to search for a cashier. Well, today I was in the middle of baking Greek cookies (literally, I had a pan in the oven and several more to go), when I discovered I was out of sesame seeds. Ahhhh!!! So I hopped in the car, ran up the road, grabbed the seeds off the shelf, and lo and behold - the express lane was not only empty, there was a cashier standing there waiting for me! Thank you, Lord!!

The Butterbutt

It was a really cold day, but I found a spot of warmth in a "Butterbutt"! (Also known as a Yellow-rumpled warbler, but that's not nearly as much fun.) My sister-in-law got me interested in birds, and we saw several Butterbutts at the little park off The Woods road when she visited early last year. I got such a kick out of it when she told me what they were called (what little bird knowledge I have has come from her). They're adorable birds, but I hadn't seen one since. Then today, I noticed a little bird flitting around outside, and when he turned... there it was! He flashed the little yellow spot on his tail - his butterbutt. (I just have too much fun saying that!) It was an unexpected joy, and that is where I found God today.

Marsh Grass

When we moved here several years ago it was for the ocean and all the beautiful water in the area. Since then, I have found so many things to love about living here. One of the most surprising to me is the marsh. At first, it did nothing for me. When I think back on that I can't understand how I felt that way. I find such beauty in it now. Today, I had to drive to Manteo for an appointment. Just after I crossed the bridge over the sound I looked over at that huge expanse of marsh grass. It was swaying in the breeze; light brown under a rolling, gray, cloudy sky. Just gorgeous. That's where I found God today.