Last weekend Lucy spoke in church. It was her first time and true to Lucy form, she did NOT want any help preparing. She did tell me about some things she was thinking about how she feels God’s love in her life (that was her topic) and I helped her remember a couple ideas but that’s it, door was closed and she told me “I’ve got this, mom.” I figured that was pretty awesome but I have to admit, Dave and I were a little wide-eyed looking at each other before church when she spilled out what she planned on saying because I’ll just say it was a tad bit discombobulated. But oh how proud I was of that girl as she stood up on that stand, confident and articulate as ever, relating a couple great stories and ending with such a beautiful testimony of Christ.

Oh that girl sure is a spitfire but it’s sure going to get her places in life. But her love of God and understanding of His love of her, unconditionally, will get her even more places.

There is SO much going on with Claire and volleyball. Boy this girl is eat, walk, talk, sleeping volleyball these days. And we are all LOVING it (except for the part that means she’s gone all the time!). She’s so fun to watch not only here:

Donna Mundy Photography

But also on the bench. I’ll try to get some good pictures, but she is like a brilliant light just jumping up and down cheering that team on. She got cut when she tried out for cheerleader in junior high, but maybe this kind of cheerleading is a better fit for her anyway. Ha!

These are highlights. And I feel like I should remind readers that right alongside these things that are gleaming and good there are of course, deep worries and concerns. We all have them, big or little, some are life-encompassing and some come and go. Some I can share freely here, and some I cannot. So I love to think about the power of kindness. Because we all need it to get through.

I took a screenshot of this post ages ago and think about often, it is a beautiful thought…

(***post-edit note, just found out the custom in this original post…not sure where it started and how far it’s come to get to this point… isn’t actually factually verified and the picture isn’t actually depicting what it says it is. Darn it, not sure why people do that but I’m still leaving it here because I do so love the thought of how kindness can change us. How awesome if we did this in our families whether it’s true or not?)

I taught my primary class last week about forgiveness. I told them the story based around my screenshot (which I now realize isn’t really factual, but the power of kindness is!). We talked about what can be done if someone does something wrong and related it to real life. We can shun someone who wrongs us or who is mean to us, or we can build them and tell them what we love about them. The later option is what makes us all stronger. That’s the one we should strive to choose.

Because really, isn’t that what life is all about? Learning from the mistakes we make? Oh, we make so many! But those mistakes, even the big ones, have the power to make us stronger. Have the power to connect us more fully to God in our humility. And I think that’s such a beautiful thing to remember.

Happy Friday!

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9 Comments

  1. Just a warning to not believe everything we see on the internet! This picture was taken by a photographer studying football (soccer) in Africa. They have not been able to identify a tribe that practices the described ritual either. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/african-reconnection-ritual/ While the story may have a valuable message, it is fiction and should be understood as such. (Although there is something that bothers me about us using falsehoods about African tribes to teach lessons, as if…. ugh, I can’t figure out how to express it.) Anyway, I always turn to Snopes when I see stuff like this.

    1. Oh goodness, thanks for the information. Dang, why do people do that? I guess to get across a good message with a powerful picture, but still… Maybe that’s part of the reason a picture of Lucy bawling when she was little has circulated and been used over and over to convey different messages through the years. Ha! I’ll have to do a little post-edit on this post. Thank you!

  2. This mistake feels adjacent to the mistake you earnestly apologized for a few weeks earlier about not reading any books by actual Africans while so prayerfully and thoughtfully educating yourself in preparation for your trip to Africa. Are you reconsidering your thinking around “teaching ” and sharing the “inspiration” from Black Africans?

  3. I think Lucy’s testimony is all that much more sincere because she did do it by herself. Sometimes the messy and discombobulated are much more meaningful and beautiful because they are given in truth.

  4. I love how Claire goes “all in” when she decides to do something: gymnastics, soccer volleyball. What an enthusiastic way to live!

    Lucy is just beaming in the photo! Spitfire Lucy….makes me think of Lucy and Snoopy as the Red Barron – LOL.

    Whether the African story is true of not, I needed to hear the reminder to forgive and love people. It is too easy for “hurting people to hurt people” and that just perpetuates a cycle. But sometimes it is so damn hard to find the good and look fast the meanness.

    Sending you love xoxoxo

  5. I am glad for once that something not true in the internet is actually a good message. Yes it is good to know that it is fiction but the message is so good it has made me rethink a lot of things. thank you so much Shawni.xx

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