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"Harry Potter, Jesus, and Me"

I recently stumbled across this article on twitter a few days ago: Harry Potter, Jesus and Me. It was after midnight when I found it, but I couldn't stop reading until almost 1 AM. I love this "staged" letter to JK Rowling that Andrew Peterson wrote regarding the emotions evoked in him while reading the Harry Potter series. I wouldn't mind writing the same letter to her.


Dear Ms. Rowling,

I think it’s remarkable what you’ve done. I love your imagination. I love your characterization and your sense of humor. I love that you’re telling a story about choosing the right thing, even when it’s hard. I love that you’re telling a story that is full of wisdom, a story that reminds me how evil Evil is. Most of all, I love that your story reminds me that light is stronger than darkness, that the best way to love is to lay your life down, and that Death will not have the final say. By the way, I’m a follower of Christ, and I see him in your story. I don’t know if that’s intentional or not, but you should know that he’s in there. In fact, it wouldn’t be a huge stretch to say that reading your books has helped me to praise him even more for his courage, his sacrifice, and his strength to conquer the hosts of hell to save us.

good reminder



"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  Micah 6:8
























[on the sidewalk in my neighborhood]

peace, joy & a reason to celebrate


"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'"

Luke 2: 12-14, NIV

May you have peace and joy on this wonderful Christmas day and rejoice in the real reason to celebrate. Wishing you a Merry Christmas to you and yours!

visions of sugar plums


...are dancing in my head this Christmas Eve night as I remember all the wonderful memories during the Christmas season of the past month. I hope you're celebrating in a most memorable way and savoring the fun of the season. Now I'm off to bed in hopes that Santa won't pass by this house! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

magic garden

Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven in parables so that it will become more real to us and we can grasp it in our own terms: how we see beauty, wonder, splendor, and treasures since that is what Heaven will be. [Here are a few examples: Matthew 13:31, Matthew 13:44, Matthew 20:1] This is what I think heaven will look like for me:





The Magic Garden is an outdoor garden-like-house-structure with tunnels and grottos that is completely covered in mosaics. Walls, ceilings, floors- all mosaics with beautiful glass, tiles, bottles and other pieces of recycled material. Isaiah Zagar began this as an art project in a vacant lot in 1994. He completed it after 14 years of working on the installation, where it is now a beautiful work of art for residents of the neighborhood and visitors to enjoy. In 2002, when the lot was supposed to be sold to construct a parking garage, the residents of the community raised $300,000 to buy the lot and preserve the beautiful art! I'm glad they did.

reunion @ boat basin

When I moved to New York City for the first time four summers ago in May 2007, I didn't know anyone. And when I say I didn't know anyone, I do mean I didn't know a single soul amongst the 8 million people living here. I had been introduced to one girl, LeeAnne (who is more commonly referred to as LA on this blog), who also went to Auburn, was an interior design student, and was doing an internship in the city with an architecture & design firm, but we didn't really know each other. Then through a serendipitous turn of events, I met Pamela and Katherine in Central Park one Sunday afternoon. They invited me to church at Redeemer to hear Tim Keller (who, at the time, I'd actually never heard of...gasp!). I thought they were being nice and friendly southerners who I'd probably never hear from again until I received a phone call later that afternoon with a voice on the other end saying "Hey! It's Katherine from Central Park! Where should we meet for church?" We, along with LA, all became fast friends (and one other, AmyJ, who LeeAnne and I met at the meet&greet portion of a church service the next week) and joined a start-up fellowship group the next week. Katherine and Pamela had met Aaron at a citilights event who was just starting a group with a few friends he'd met at a Redeemer Retreat earlier in the spring. We all became great friends and a very unique fellowship group from many different stages and walks of life. Since then, the original fellowship group has grown and changed and multiplied into at least 5 different sister groups. Aaron has a gift for bringing people in, teaching them, and then sending them back out to form new groups and bring more into the circle. Then we all get together and talk about the good ole days when the group was in its infancy and the five southerners were only referred to as "the interns". Things have changed a lot, but some things never will. Getting together, catching up and looking at how far God has brought the group in only three short years sure is fun, and especially when the venue is Boat Basin!


I love this picture of Pamela... not sure what I'm thinking about though.


Pamela, me and LA. (And Katherine will finally be rejoining us in the city in August!)

The "interns" (minus Katherine and Amy) with the grandfather leader, Aaron.

a wise little girl

I agree, Grace is a wise little girl. And watching this makes me tear up...but there's no surprise there.


thanks, Mom for telling me about this clip!

NJ 2 days in a row

My sweet friend Daniela was baptized and became a member at Redeemer today. In celebration, we were able to join her and family for a lunch in her honor at The Manor Restaurant in West Orange, NJ.


It was my first time on the George Washington Bridge. And look how beautiful of a view it is coming back into the city! Home Sweet Home.

the park forum turns 1

The Park Forum celebrated its first birthday last night!! The event was a huge success and allowed more people to become familiar with the goals and visions of the organization and the great work it has already produced in such a short period.

Check out today's Morning Walk (I wrote it!) that relates The Park Forum and how its significance and meaning correspond to the scripture reading today (Proverbs 26 & 1 Thessalonians 5) according to M'Cheyne's 1-year Bible reading plan.