Last night was our first night of "normalcy" in a while. Mandy whipped up a wonderful dinner (pot roast, macaroni and cheese, green beans). It was a great meal enjoyed by all four of us and Trevor (who always cleans up Tori's messes beneath her high chair).

After dinner, the girls and I went down to Johnson Park for some fun and to give mommy a breather. We played. We ran. We chased ducks back into the water. And we made new friends...which was wonderful.

You see, last night at Johnson Park, Trae, Tori and I were the only Caucasian people in the park during our play stay. Everyone else that we saw -- from the picknickers to the playground players -- was notably hispanic.

I couldn't help but think what a great experience that was for my girls (and for their father). We have lived the past seven years in a place where everyone looked and spoke just like us. Last night, we heard the Spanish language as parents and children communicated with one another. We saw first-hand that, although our backgrounds might differ, our life experiences form a mutual bond in the vast family of humanity.

I'm thankful God allowed us such an experience last night. I hope more and more experiences like that will cause us all to see our missional calling across all artificial barriers. I hope my girls grow to see and to personally experience the available love of Jesus for every person; to know that whether "red or yellow, black or white" everyone is precious in Jesus's sight!