Two Things to Make This a Much Happier Blog

1. It dawned on Ben today that our laptop has a built-in video camera. I played around with it today while we were lazing around underneath our new umbrella. I can't figure out how to edit, but still. Pretty cool. We'll just have to wave the laptop around in the air whenever Juliette starts doing something cute.


2. I received a wonderful email from my friend Guido this afternoon: "Thanks for sharing your "Inventory." I preached a sermon on the Midwives who feared God more than Pharaoh. I shared that I have a friend who is preaching today because she fears God more than she fears people.

Then I shared she does that because she has a community, a true community that surrounds her, supports her, encourages her, defends her and speaks the truth to her. I shared that community nurtured her to this point as well. I shared some of the responses from folks on your blog. They drew applause."

Thank you, Guido. Thank you all of you who have been such a great community. You made my heart happy this week. I'm going to print out all those applause-worthy responses and tack them up where I can see them. Sometimes people differentiate between "internet" friends and friends "in real life"; well, this is real life, and you're all real friends.