beautiful

This morning I was listening to Phil Wickham's album Singalong and his song Beautiful was playing just as I walked up to the bus stop. There's a verse that goes:

I see your face in every sunrise

The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes

The world awakens in the light of the day

I look up to the sky and say

You're beautiful

Now, there hasn't been sun in Portland since last wednesday afternoon, so there's no sunrise or morning light stretching across the sky. Just dreary clouds. BUT

I looked up and saw that there's a Lutheran church across the street. I don't know how I haven't noticed it yet, or at least not noticed it like I did today.

But today the simple cross at the top just struck me as such a simple and graceful reminder of the beauty of the life and death of our Savior. I've heard a number of times the argument that having a cross as a christian symbol is one of the most gruesome we could choose...much like choosing to put an electric chair or noose on top of our churches. Still, the simple symbol serves to remind me of the Jesus that I serve and who loves me more than I could know.

Then I spent all day running around Portland talking to restaurant owners about our research project and trying to get them to sit down for an interview. It was exhausting, but exhilirating. I have 5 interviews set for the next week and about 9 follow up meetings to plan!

By the end of the day, Mackenzie and I needed a pick me up, so we headed to this great bakery/pastry place Geo's.

And got a chocolate and peanut whoopie pie!

It was Mackenzie's first ever!

And well, I just found it delicious. Delicious enough to awkwardly half pose for a photo.

Tonight we cooked up some pasta, chicken and veggies to make enough for lunches for probably the next week or two for less than 7 bucks! Cooking + organizing a fridge + Dave Matthews = one fantastic evening.