Buttercups in Bloom

When I was a freshman in high school I purchased a brand new pair of Chuck Taylor peach high tops.  I loved them. I rolled down the edges and folded over the 'tongue' of the shoe.  I loved wearing my 'chucks' with my favorite jeans and my button down shirts that were left untucked (which my parents hated).  The reality was that there were not very many kids at my high school wearing jeans and Chuck Taylors back in the day and unfortunately that ended up making a difference for me. I am confident in a lot of things but my sense of style is not one of them.   I was very consequence of my height from the time I was in the 5th grade because it was then that I had  growth spirt and became the tallest girl in the class.  Actually I was very close to the height I am now when I was in the 5th grade. While the world caught up with me over the years that sense of standing out stuck with me.  As a freshman I ate lunch with sophomores and juniors and I...

     Today we spent time in East Nashville at the Annual Tomato Festival. We started going several years ago but unfortunately we haven't been able to go in the past couple of years. Today was one of those days that remind you of what it means to be a community. Community comes in a variety of forms to which we often miss.  This morning the first community began as we walked through KidsFest at East End UMC. It's a truly a community church that welcomes families of all forms.  There was something powerful and magical to see all the strollers literally lined up on the iron fence (I wish I had thought to take a picture of the beauty of all the strollers together).  It was as if the empty/unattended strollers lined along the way sidewalk represented a deep love and joy.  Parents and children playing together and a community embracing them with a love so pure that it couldn't be missed. Local artist bottle caps There was a community of loca...