hello, friends. i know i have been quiet around here lately. my last few posts have been an unusual string, redirecting you to places that have inspired me, be it a blog or an interview or a piece of beautiful music. i have done this rather than sharing my own heart with you here, and it has not escaped my notice.

this is unusual behavior for me in this space, and you are not alone in noticing and even feeling the change. and perhaps you are concerned. i would not be surprised if you were wondering if i'm okay, since i've walked through seasons of wordlessness on this blog before, and they have usually been fraught with so much pain and confusion.

that is not the case this time. i am thankful that i can say this, as i believe it is the first time i have ever been able to say that my quietness on this blog has nothing to do with confusion or pain or turmoil or my usual incarnation of wordlessness.

i wish i could say that i am back, that words will flow like liquid from me now. but i can't promise that. there is much going on in this world of mine over here, and my heart is full and overflows with adoration of our God for all of it. he has been faithful and good to me, faithful to hear my heart's cry for many things over many years, now responding in ways that are surreal and surprising and so personal.

i will be sharing more of these experiences with you soon, as the stories ready themselves to be pieced into words meant just for you. but in the meantime, know that i am well and that i am thinking of you and that i continue to love all of you in this beautiful blogging community.

and, because i can't resist passing along something that touches me deeply, i hope you will be blessed by the following article that expresses so much of my own heart for wounded people sitting in broken places. the piece is written by jon acuff of "stuff christians like," and it is called #195: believing bad times equals bad us (the cocaine testimony).

be blessed and a blessing.

oh, and p.s.: kirk and i just got home from seeing michael w. smith perform live in concert to a packed house at our church. did you know that guy's been recording and performing music for 25 years? did you listen to "go west, young man" and "friends are friends forever" when you were in junior high like i did? you better believe he performed "secret ambition" tonight . . . and those of us who were old enough to remember that song felt like we'd flashed back fifteen years. but it was a blessed night of worship, arms and voices raised to our God in unity, and i felt like we'd gotten a tiny glimpse of heaven.