Malibu Moments

So this past week, our family was separated. Vince was in Charleston for training, the girls were with grandparents and I was in Malibu! We were blessed by some wonderful people through the use of their condo (on top of the mountain on Pepperdine Univ.) and the use of their car. This was the first time I have ever had this much time away from my kids...and it was a nice break. We would have fresh fruit, yogurt and granola every morning out on their porch, go hiking through the mountains that were right outside their garage. There was a vineyard and avocado tree farm filled with animals on our hike. We went to the beach, with no luck of seeing Matthew McConahey (sp), but we did see some interesting swim attire and beautiful views. It was truly a gift from God. While there, I read a good, convicting book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Khan. Then in church today, it just really hit hard with what the book was saying...lots of things to think about. For example- Am I radical in my love for Jesus? Has his gift to me made such an impact, that when people see me, they see a Christ-follower? Do I blend in with the culture and is life pretty much all about me and my comfort, or do I put myself out there for people, even if it is hard and painful and might cost me time, energy and resources? It is a lot to chew on. A really cool thing happened when I was laying outside on the porch alone late one night...I was trying to memorize what the stars looked like in the sky and I prayed that God would show me a shooting star (since I had NEVER seen one). Well, He showed me one and so I prayed that he would show me another one and He showed me two more. It was beautiful. Here are some pictures. I miss Malibu already!