1. “So what do you think of God?” I asked her.

“I just don’t think of him,” she answered.

Another day, and another friend: “Is time your enemy like it is mine?” I asked.

“I just don’t think about it,” she said.

There are endless things to think about that are negative energy drains, and best ignored. If we don’t think about something, it doesn’t take up so much uncomfortable space in our soul. There are, however, eminently important things to think about–God and time being some them.

So here’s to being mindful. To being conscious that today is a gift that I will never see again–the strataed  sunset, the window of free time to eat pizza with friends. To being mindful of a benevolent Creator organizing this life, how His fingerprint is on everything that is good, how the Hound of Heaven pursues–even chases us–can one think about this too much?

2. The experience of living in an Eastern European country is something I treasure. There have been hard, hard things, the hardest of which has been the language. Being a communicator and caged with this barrier seems to take a toll on my soul.

Even so, there is communication and fellowship that goes beyond spoken, stumbling words. The bond of Jesus’ family members knows this reality. And there is also beautiful, unpretentious, real friendship that comes as a grace.  Hence, twice today I invited myself to meals where local friends were hosting other visitors. To enjoy that level of freedom and spontaneity and enjoy it hugely with people whose mother tongue is different from mine, this is a stupendous gift.