The Basics of Ran

MarilynAndreaPlane, originally uploaded by andrea.moranbrown.

When I was in about 2nd grade we sang a song in concert for parents, and it's been happily playing around and around in my head this morning:

"Happiness is (pause) two scoops of ice cream..." And I can't recall the rest. But I don't care, because I feel happy. I am fond of life, in fact, fond!

The trees are all orangey and red now, and it really feels like fall (despite being pretty warm all week...in the 70s). Some things that have made me smile and feel thankful today:

a. a very good friend shared that today she has been completely weed free for a year!

b. Wednesday my friend, Al, got a new job!

c. Elliott was suddenly hyped up just a minute ago and ran away super fast from me. (I love seein' him on the move like that!) He wanted to play. I chased him around a bit, and then he jumped up the cat tower and wanted to play the earthquake game. I love my boys!

d. Miercoles was lounging in the sun in the "cat window" and looked so beautiful.

e. I just read an amazing article about a dog and cat rescuing their owners. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21595558/?GT1=10547

I just LOVE animals!

f. I talked with Luke last night and felt happy that he's living life the way he wants to. He was at a friend's place with a bunch of other pals, and they were going to film a movie.

I was happy, because this seems like what he needs/wants. Also, I realized that I am very glad for where I am in life. I don't go to friend's places to do creative movie stuff, but my life finally doesn't feel like complete chaos, and I love my honey and our home and schedule and life.

g. Feeling truly thankful just feels good.

Oh, this is a feel-good blog for sure!

When I said the conference I went to was about missions that wasn't really correct. The conference was done by two great speakers, one of which is Steve Arterburn who recently wrote Reframe Your Life: Transforming Your Pain into Purpose (and in the past wrote Every Man's Battle).

He had me about rolling down the aisle laughing. One thing he said that just got me was

"You could be out in the middle of the ocean, and a cow can fall from the sky."

This truly happened-- A steer got loose in an airport (I'd like to know how that happened), and somehow pilots of a Russian plane got the steer to come on board some cargo plane.

When they were over the ocean, somehow the steer got lose and started trying to ram things. They were afraid it might puncture the plane walls, so they opened the cargo gate and let the steer drop into the ocean. (Poor guy.)

Unfortunately, the steer fell right onto a fishing ship, and because of his weight and the height from which he fell, the steer was like a bomb. He blew threw the ship completely, causing the ship to sink!!

What the?

Anyway, I'd actually say that the conference was about dreaming amazing things with God and realizing our painful experiences don't disqualify us in anyway...rather, our painful experiences qualify us to be there for/guide other people who are going through similar things.

It sounds obvious but impacted me in some profound ways.

Above is one more picture of Marilyn and me on the plane to North Carolina. We got the earphones to watch Evan Almighty.

Elaborate Hugs to All!