At Sara and Uriah and LUCY'S!! AHHHH

So, the realization that I am really going to be an auntie is hitting me pretty hard. This, on top of the whole graduation thing, has catapulted me into the "ah-ha" of the next stage of life. Sara's baby shower came quickly on the heals of the Master's Project finishing. She is big and round and beautiful. Her shower was exquisite- there was so much wonderful gourmet food and drink (only one veggie option, but that helped with the calorie counting!) and her mom made a cute cake that looked like a hot air balloon with a little baby in it.
The baby's name is Lucy. I am happy because that is the name I voted for. The choice was between Lucy and Emma. Don't get me wrong, I really love the name Emma, but so does everyone else lately, so, of course, I couldn't be like everyone else, and so I voted for Lucy. Wahoo! I won!
I think I should get a prize. Like a T-shirt that says "I picked my neice's name and you didn't. Ha." Maybe that is too rude. I dunno.
I am writing this from their computer - we are off to Napa today to buy some good Pine Ridge Charmstone (you can only get it here) - one of the best varital reds I have ever had for the price (only like 30 bucks!) We just got back from doing a favorite AM activity of mine: walking to a local coffee house, sitting and reading and people watching and talking. Embracing the day... and boy oh boy...Phillipians is doing a number on me.
Yesterday was SHOPPING (duh! I'm with Sara!) and church at my old co-pastors.... that was interesting. I love them so much... I also realized how much I love CHURCH! too and that we are all part of this worldwide faith in Christ. (WARNING: THEOLOGY TALK APPROACHING!!!)
So here we are - in this SUPER fired-up, loud, amazingly excellent music service. We are singing and laughing and some are dancing and kneeling and shouting. I'm thinking, "wow. I miss this." But then I remember my church in Pasadena and I start to cry. I am thinking,"wow. I miss them."
I did not feel removed, I felt apart, but attached. I think I may have actually felt what Paul felt when he told the church in Phillipi "I thank my God everytime I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now."
I was loving the arms of God that held me during that Emeryville service - yet I was missing the feet of God that walk with me in Pasadena.
The beauty was in the connection I felt to the worldwide church. I knew that I was grafted to this huge, cross-cultural, cross-boundaried, diverse, expansive, timeless thing called the kingdom of God. I had, in the truest sense of the word, a catholic moment.
More on that later I suppose....
I am still ruminating.... still marinating....