the here + now

At the beginning of summer I had grand ideas of how I was going to love our neighborhood. They would be simple, little ways. But would be an open door, nonetheless. All the sudden I realized today is July 16th, in a month my babies will be back in school. And I have yet to do any of those things I swore would be so easy to do. So I got the cones and the ice cream. I grabbed a little blue ikea table with my favorite blue folding chair from our garage. (Oh man, that garage is really the thing needing intentional love.) I sent text to a few friends saying "come get ice cream". It was hot and the ice cream was melting so fast. Sticky fingers and chocolate smiles. Kids riding bikes and running in the house to play x-box. I sat with a friend, while we talked with another about parenting and vacations. Then another friend came and we sat and talked and shared until the sun no longer danced in the sky. We got bit countless times by those pesky mosquitoes. Interrupted a

yesterday was 4th of july. independence day. the day of cookouts, swimming, country music and fireworks. but my heart felt heavy. because there are people who aren't living in america. or another well developed country  who just want to live. they want to be in america to watch their babies grow. to survive. to have a way to have a better life than their parents did. the are expecting the rainbows and butterflies. but now they're stuck. without basic human needs. or at least many of the needs i get just because i was born in america. i hate politics so much. somehow because i was born in america and she wasn't that matters. and its a bunch of crap. because i'm a christian. and there seems to be so many different types. but to me and my bleeding heart christianity and politics just don't go together. they're separate things. because i want to love God and all the people He created more than my comfort. more than what i