99 Balloons

My sister-in-law showed me this video yesterday - it's an extremely touching story of a baby not expected to live, and parents who chose not to be sad.

Take the six minutes to watch it.

5:11

Take the 5 minutes and 11 seconds to watch this video.

It will make you stop and think.

I should be...

...cleaning. I skipped the gym to clean. Instead I am blogging. What can I say, I was concerned you all would be worried by my absence. I would hate to put you through that.

I've had many "deep" thoughts to blog about lately - and I will. Eventually. But not today. My brain is not ready for that. So, I give you, random tidbits. (Big surprise...)

• In the winter, I'm always cold. In the summer, in air conditioning, I'm often cold. Hoodies are my best friend. So is my down comforter.
• Last night I spent the night somewhere sans comforter. I had on two layers of clothing and 8 layers of covers. Yes, you read that right. It was difficult to move, but I was warm. I lost two layers of blankets in the middle of the night. Decided next time, comforter will go with.
• Once I find a pen I like, I go a little "pen crazy" - meaning, I return to the store, buy many more, and place them everywhere I use a pen.
  
• The majority of the books I own, I haven't read. And those that I have actually opened, only a small percentage have I read the entire thing. I call it my ADD reading life. While I'm in the middle of one book, a new one appears that grabs my attention. I try reading both, but the new book has hooked me. Good thing I'm not like this with relationships in my life.
• My best friend and I have a Christmas time tradition we both hold dear to our hearts. This year, we aren't able to do it since she lives 3 hrs away and it just won't work out. I'm kind of bummed.
• I wear jeans almost all the time. To work, to church, around town, etc. When I'm not in jeans I'm either in workout pants at the gym, or comfy pajama pants. Occurred to me last night that for Christmas Eve I will be attending another church service besides my own. While jeans aren't necessarily frowned upon, it wouldn't be a good choice with my family for me to show up sporting denim on my bottom half. None of my old dress clothes fit. Made an emergency run to the store for dress pants. Saved by a good sale.
  
• I'm obsessed with pineapple juice. I love pineapple based smoothies. When I was a kid I would make pineapple juice popsicles. When I'm sick, I want pineapple juice. And if there is pineapple juice in the fridge or cupboard, trust me, it doesn't last long. But I wonder why it comes in a metal can. I'm guessing it has some chemical reaction purpose - but it just kind of annoys me when I have to dig through the kitchen drawer to find the tool to actually open the thing.
• I'm obsessed with dry roasted peanuts and craisins mixed together - I eat it all the time. It's seriously amazing. I even can eye the ratio to my exact tastes. I didn't even really like craisins until a month ago when someone forced a baggie of them on me. I came up with the snack out of pure desperation to rid myself of the craisins. Now I know the exact grocery aisle where they live.
• Now I want to eat some craisins and peanuts...bye!
  

Disturbing

You hear and read a lot of disturbing things on the Internet, but this one take the cake for the week.

Oh. My. Word. To understand the full extent of my "Oh. My. Word." read the entire article and look at the pictures.

Canadian Man Builds Himself Robot Girlfriend

Random Thoughts

I'm sick. Or at least borderline close to being sick. I've been sleeping off an on this afternoon, and now I'm bored. Not enough energy to do much, and the book I'm currently reading makes me think too much for amount of power my body has currently allotted for my brain. So, I'm blogging. As I lay here, random thoughts are going through my brain. So I might as well share them with you. If they make absolutely no sense, you know why.

• Why is it when you're sick, carbohydrates seem to be all you eat? Meat makes me nauseous to think about; dairy is never a good choice; who wants vegetables when you're sick; and if you feel moved to eat fruit, that's a carb anyway. Being sick is not good for my balanced eating plan. 
• Canned chicken noodle soup makes me nauseous too. Until today, when I would smell it when I was perfectly healthy, it would make me feel sick. I always assumed I was just associating it with being sick, hence the feeling. I was wrong. Just opened a can to eat for dinner - couldn't handle it. Made me feel worse. So if I'm ever sick, and you decide to be nice and bring me soup - make sure it's not chicken and noodle from a can.
• I've previously talked about this here and here. But here I go again - with a strange occurrence regarding my eating habits of bread. I never eat the last bite (which is normally a corner) of my bread, sandwich or toast (these are all breads that have a crust and do not include ciabatta and such) - when I cut a piece of bread, or sandwich, in half, I always have two pieces left. In my sickness tonight, I ate the last bite of one side of my bread. I found myself shocked when I went to throw away the other and realized I had only one, not two piece left. Apparently I am just screwed up in the head.
• I love pineapple juice. It's my favorite of the juices. It's in my favorite smoothie at Jumpin' Juice and Java, and it's my number one choice when I'm sick. As a kid I always made pineapple juice popsicles. I do however think it's strange that it comes in a big metal can - for a purpose I am sure. By tomorrow the entire thing will be gone, if not before. 
• When I go to the gym I sweat. A lot. I haven't showered before I go - I literally roll outta bed, get dressed, pull my hair up and go (no worries, I do brush my teeth too) - so I completely don't understand when I catch guys checking me out at the gym. I just don't get it. 
• One upside to our economy craziness - I've been able to find amazing deals for Christmas presents every time I look, not just on Black Friday! I have yet to pay full price for a Christmas gift. This makes me very happy.

And with that, I'm done. I'm spent. My energy is gone. Time to take some more drugs and go back to sleep. 

The List

As I'm sitting here waiting for the last few "pieces" of dinner to finish cooking, I've been thinking about what I'm thankful for. It reminds me how blessed I truly am. I was going to journal my list as a prayer of Thanksgiving, but decided to share it with all of you as well. Some are cheesy "classic" things everyone is thankful for but some are not. All of which are close to my heart.
So, with that, I give you my list:

I'm thankful for...

• friends who not only love me exactly where I am at, but love me enough to call me out on my crap.
  
• a loving family. Even when it's hard to not be able to see all of them over the holidays due to the many miles between us, I know they are always there, loving me and understanding the sometimes strange things that have become traditions or jokes of past holidays.
• an amazing team that I get to work with everyday. For the balance they have between being in the world and of the world. For the tasks we are privileged to accomplish everyday and the fun we have in doing so.
• my grandma. There have been a couple of close calls to losing her over the last year and half, and I'm so thankful she is alive and healthy and still making memories with us everyday.
• how far I have come. I've been doing some "looking back" lately and am startled by how God has completely transformed my life and realigned it back to him.
  
• GCC - the place that gave me hope, allowed me to question and doubt, and built the trust that helped me to let God in again.
• the troops that are away from their families over the holidays so that our country can be a safer place.
  
• little surprises that bring so much joy.
• having the freedom to say and believe what I want without the fear of persecution or death.
• those people in my life that when I am struggling, they are there holding me up.
• all the encouragement that has driven my journey to become healthier and lose weight - for the people who knew how badly I wanted to change, and then pushed me to always do more.
• my parents, who I have never had to doubt their love.
• loved ones who have served in Iraq, their safe homecoming, and the faith that if/when they get sent out again, that God will once again protect them.
• the technology that allows me to be more connected to my family and friends.
• my life experiences - those times when you can't fathom that anything good could ever come of your pain, but then God redeems in ways you could never even imagine.
  
• the connections and friendships that grow out of those past life experiences.
• the leadership of GCC - the ones who I get to watch and learn from. How to lead well, how to love your spouse, how to love and support your children and most importantly how to be fully devoted to God in all you do.
  

Glimpses of God

It's all too easy to forget that God doesn't always show up in "big" ways - most of the time he shows up in little glimpses through the people around me. On my drive home tonight I started to think of the glimpses of God I've seen in the past week - and then sat in awe of how many I could list...

• A random phone call from a friend.
• A voicemail from a friend who said exactly what I needed to hear, even though she didn't even realize why she was making the call.
• A childhood tradition I hold dear to my heart continuing for another year.
• A surprise visit at work from someone who I hadn't seen in almost a year.
• A bottle of my favorite creamer left on my desk with a post-it note of kind words.
• A child cuddling up against you.
• Finding my car cleaned off, by someone who knows how much I dislike that part of winter.
  
• The pure joy of a child.
• Words of guidance, speaking directly into your life in a room full of people.
• A song with the exact words I needed to hear, but didn't want to
• Three friends not answering your call when I needed to talk, forcing me to have a conversation with God instead
• A topic of a simple conversation, convicting me.
• Realizing a friend gets where you are coming from, having been there themselves.
• Discovering my fears are not just mine, but shared with others as well.
  

If Today Was Your Last Day

I discovered this song by Nickelback today - it speaks to exactly to what I've been processing lately: would I live my life differently if today was my last day...and if I would, why I am not doing so now...

Letter

Dear guy at the gym who works out in silk boxer shorts,

Please stop.

Sincerely,
Everyone around you

Amazing Ad

Just saw this ad on tv - it was created for Veteran's Day. Thanks Boeing for doing this.

Fear.

Everyone has a few things they struggle with - one of mine is a certain fear. Not one I'm going to go into detail on (at least not today) but one that has recently cropped up again.

In cleaning out massive amounts of "sent" emails today, I found an email I wrote last year on the topic of fear. I would say it's ironic that I found it now, when I needed to be reminded the most - but I now it's not ironic - it's God trying to remind me of what I already know.


Excerpt from email:
Recently Mark Batterson came to speak at a New Community - he wrote the book In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day - a book all about facing your fears, being offensive in dealing with them, chasing a "lion" like Benaiah did, instead of running away. I was reading over my notes tonight and some of his book again, and something he said really stuck out at me. He said Satan often tries to put us on the defensive by using guilt and fear. And we often run away instead of fighting. And it a lot of times has become a conditioned reflex for us. We become formed by the things we are afraid of.

Quick Random Thoughts

I'm tired.

I should just go to bed.

But I decided I needed to blog first. So I give you...random thoughts.

• I'm too anal to rake leaves. I want the ground to be leaf-free - unfortunately the wind does not agree. It bothers me.
• I've been in a cleaning/organizing mode lately. It's strange. I find myself wanting to be home more so I can get more done.
• In cleaning stuff out, I discovered a birthday card from the first person who befriended me at GCC. She passed away 2 1/2 years ago. I'm glad I kept that card.
• It's November already. I'm seeing Christmas decorations and hearing Christmas music. I'm not ready for that.
• I love earrings - they are fun and cute. But they are not practical in the winter. Freezes one's earlobes.
• It's been 14 months (to the day) since I decided to switch to morning workouts. I thought it would be temporary. Then someone challenged me to do it for three weeks. And now I'm grateful for it. I wouldn't give up my morning workouts for the world. AND I am not a morning person.
  

24

I love the show "24" - so this makes me happy :)

'24' Premiere Goes Four Hours Variety
Fox will premiere its season of '24' with two two-hour episodes on Jan. 11 and Jan. 12 before returning to regular programming the following week, Daily Variety reports. The network on Nov. 23 will air the two-hour "24: Redemption," which will bring viewers current after the writers strike-preempted season six, which ended a year and a half ago, the newspaper says.

My Thoughts

I don't often talk politics, and I never blog about anything political. But this time I am...


It seems like during this election process, everyone is looking for a savior. Someone to swoop in and save us all from all the problems in the world - included those that we have self-inflicted. But at some point we have to take responsibility for our own actions and choices. We can't expect the government to fix all our problems. The President of the United States of America is not a savior. And will never be our savior. We already have one. The President is our chosen leader. But not our savior.

The government will never be able to fix all the problems and help all the hurting people. WE are the ones who are called to help those in need. WE'RE supposed to be the change in the world. WE have a job to do. And until we realize that, nothing's going to change.

Painting Woes

Today is painting day.

Just got done priming the ceiling.

Thought I was prepared. Wore a hat pulled down fairly far over my face.

I was wrong.

Just discovered paint on my contacts.

Next coat - safety glasses.

Oh my...

This makes me feel old...

"On a Whim..."

This story gives me hope in society and makes me smile.

A Gentle Reminder

I ran across this quote this morning - I think it's one of those things we tend to forget...

"Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't even have to make your subject and verb agree to serve...You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love." Martin Luther King, Jr.

SNL

Over the years I've had a roller coaster ride of emotion with SNL. There was a season in my life when I couldn't get enough. Then some of my favorite cast members left, and suddenly it wasn't so funny anymore. But the recent stuff with Sarah Palin is nothing short of hilarious. Check it out...

Where You've Been

Something occurred to be last night during a conversation - how one person can vastly alter the direction of your life.

7 years ago I was done with church. I still had a faith, albeit weak, in God but I had no desire to go to church, to have anything to do with the institution of church and I just flat out didn't trust pastors anymore. Having spent my entire life in church, sunday school and church camps, this was foreign territory for my friends and family.

But one friend didn't give up on me. For months she asked me to go to GCC with her - said it was different. I kept saying no and coming up with excuses. She kept asking. She accepted the place I was at, but never gave up on me. I think she knew that my heart was yearning to be able to trust, but was afraid.

One Sunday morning I relented and agreed to get up early again. I realized that first day that something was different about this church - people greeted me and genuinely seemed happy to be there. Everyone seemed happy to be there. And when Mark Beeson spoke, it felt real - it felt authentic - it felt like what my life had been missing.

Looking back it amazes me how far I have come. How much I have changed. How much I have grown. And how much I truly trust and believe in the leadership of Granger Community Church. My life has been forever changed.

All because one person didn't give up on me.

September - what!? It's October?!

I have no idea where September went. One day it was August. I blinked and it was October.

Amazingly easy, healthy and YUMMY dinner!

This was tonight's dinner. And it was phenominal! Easy, healthy and oh-so-good. The great thing about it is that if you likely spicy food (which I am not a fan of) you can use hotter salsa and up the cumin and you're good to go!

Black Bean & Bacon Soup
(From the Twenty-Minute Low-Fat Gourmet)

4 strips turkey bacon
1 medium-sized yellow onion
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups + reduced-sodium chicken broth or regular chicken broth
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 15 or 16 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream or fat-free plain yogurt

Cut bacon crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Cook in a large saucepan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Coarsely chop onion. Add onion and garlic to bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add one can of beans and partially mash with wooden spoon or a potato masher. Add broth, salsa, cumin and, if desired, pepper. Increase heat to high. Stir in other can of beans, cover, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes. (Or you can simmer uncovered for 10 minutes) Stir in cilantro. Serve with sour cream. (We also serve it with baked Scoops tortilla chips)

"Send Me"

Thanks to Mandy for linking to this video

(who by the way got it here - gotta love the power of viral video)

Random Tidbits

• I've discovered I'm a fan of old movies. The humor is so subtle. I think that makes it even funnier.
• I love to bake, but always hated trying to make cookies even and cupcakes or muffins evenly filled (yes I am anal and can't get past it). They invented a spiffy cookie scooper, but I hadn't found anything for cupcakes or muffins. So I use an ice cream scoop. I know it's weird, but it works and it makes me happy. Go with it.
• Cereal tastes better the later in the day it gets.
• Lindsay and I get Starbucks every morning. I'm completely addicted.
• Recently discovered lattes made with soy. I may never go back. How did I not know how delicious it was???
• I love evenings in the late summer. When the sun is beginning to go down, and the temperature is perfect. It's such a beautiful, peaceful time.
• When it comes to my hair, I am always up for a change. But I ALWAYS freak out right after I chop it off. I've never not liked it after a few days, but I still always wonder "What have I done??"
• My niece and nephew have my tied around their little fingers. I would do anything for them - even sacrifice my arm to get a ball out of a rosebush.
• I love sushi, but hate when the ends are not evenly cut.
  
• I am a social person, but still enjoy quiet time by myself. I can't handle noise all the time. I need a little quiet to recharge.
• When I really like a book or movie, I will reread or watch it over and over again.
• I love "tasting" cookie dough in all the stages of making it. And I truly believe it tastes better when eaten with fingers than spoons.
  

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is a very important person's birthday - Kem Meyer.

Some may be asking, who is this Kem Meyer you speak of? Should I know her? Yea, you should.

Kem is an amazing woman, leader, wife, mom, friend and boss. Yep, I said boss. Normally the term "boss" is viewed negatively - but I am blessed to have some of the best. So, here are some of the reasons I think you should get to know Kem...

• When I first met Kem, it was in an interview for an IT position. I left with the feeling two things. One, that I would really like to work with Kem. Two, that I didn't think I was qualified to do the job well. And I would never want GCC to have anyone less than the best. As it turns out, God had different plans, and I was later hired for a different position in Kem's department. Kem is an amazing person because she saw me for who I was - she saw my heart. Not many people even bother trying.
• Kem is one of the most authentic people I know, who is always willing to shoot it straight - even if it's not the easiest choice.
• She is easily distracted - which if you know me at all, I can totally relate with.
• When Kem is excited, she shows it. No guessing. I love that!
• Kem's life has not always been easy or full of roses. She can relate to people in all kinds of life circumstances. She chooses to use her past pain to help others. She never lets an experience go to waste, she always finds a purpose or a lesson.
• Kem cheers her team on. We always know Kem is there to have our backs, cheer us on, and encourage us to always do better.
• Kem prays for us. And then she'll tell us. And that is even more encouraging.

The list could go on. Let's just say, I'm thankful Kem and Daryl hired me onto the Communications Team. It's more than just a job and co-workers. It's more than anything I could have ever asked for or imagined.

Happy 40th Kem!

Great Commercial

I saw this for the first time yesterday - genius!

Looking back and Looking forward

Tonight was spent with a great friend. It started out as a spontaneous trip for ice cream. It ended three hours later. And I needed it.

Have you ever been looking forward in your life for so long, that you forget to look back? That you forget to stop, turn around, and see how far you have come? How much you have changed? The person you used to be?

A lot of my past was revisited in our conversations tonight. And I realized something. It doesn't hurt anymore. I can talk about my past, reference certain turning points, and see how God was at work the entire time. I find myself stopping and thinking about how my experiences relate to those in the Bible. How there is only one person in the Bible who never screwed up. How David murdered an innocent man to cover his mistake - but yet God still loves him and chose to use him as an example of a Godly man.

All too often we read about grace in the Bible, but forget that these were real people, with real problems and real faults. We read the stories and see in a few words God extending grace, but it's so hard to imagine it works the same for all of us. We are no different. We are all children of God and grace is in the reach of each and every one of us. We just need to ask for it.

Looking back tonight reminded me of how far I've come, but more importantly, it reminded me of all the grace I've been given. And how long it took me to accept it. I pray for my friends to realize what an amazing gift the grace of God truly is, and will choose to accept it. God has great things in store for his children - we just need to stop getting in the way.

The Last Lecture

On my vacation in May, I took the time to read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It was a short, but powerful read. Sadly, I just learned Randy lost his battle with pancreatic cancer this morning. His story is a powerful one. If you haven't seen his lecture on youtube, or read his book, I recommend it. Makes you stop and think about if your life had a time limit.

Speechless. And in awe.

Take the few minutes to watch these. It's worth it.

Thoughts

I subscribe to a lot of blogs and news sites. I read some daily, some weekly, some monthly and some I just peruse as I feel the need.

With a quiet house and time on my hands, I've been going through my blog reader. Here's a few random things that caught my eye...

• This is genius - Troops becoming their own batteries. Great idea, as long as they don't get electrocuted.
• This is either really smart or really stupid - Man outsmarts cops with marker
• This frustrates me - A very public divorce, husband acting like he really wants the kids, turns out he wanted money more
  
• This makes me chuckle - After working at a library for 9 years, stupid things people try to get away with make me laugh
• This has been a long time coming - Glad to know 911 may actually catch up to twitter.
• This doesn't surprise me - Read it, you'll agree
• This gives me the heebeegeebees - Why oh why are young girls so stupid
• This is good...I think? - One upside to high gas prices
• This makes me laugh - Yep, I get to work with these crazy people every day. And I love it!
• This made me laugh out loud - Good thing I hadn't drank anything recently. I found this hysterical.
  

Rockers

Since I read this blog I'm always hearing amazing stories of rockers who discover the amazing love, power and grace of Jesus Christ. For those people who write off people in the entertainment industry, this is a story you'll want to hear:

Backstage with Poison!

Yep, I'm obsessed.

I absolutely love to watch the show "So You Think You Can Dance" - especially after it get narrows down. There is something absolutely beautiful about dance, and when performers can make you feel connected and emotionally invested, you know there's something special there. After searching YouTube I have found two of my favorite performances this season. And yes, I have watched them over and over again. And I'll probably continue to watch them over and over again the future to. Hey, don't judge.

The actual dance starts around 2:50 into the video.

The Other Side

I workout in the mornings before work, and since I don't think my co-workers would appreciate the smell, I utilize the shower at the gym.

A few months ago though, there was a problem.

The shower curtain.

It would "fly" in at you while you were using the shower - and when the stall is small - it gets real annoying real fast. But more importantly, two of the rings of the inside curtain were ripped, causing it to hang partially down and increase the attack on your legs. All of us in the locker room would complain about it to each other, wondering when the gym would fix the problem. Then one day something occurred to me...what if they don't even know it's a problem? How would they even know if no one has bothered to tell them?

That day I scribbled down a quick note in the communication log. The next day there was a new shower curtain. One that you didn't have to constantly ward off while you were trying to rid yourself of the stink and sweat. The gym staff wasn't aware of the problem. They needed someone on the other side of the curtain.

And that got me thinking...we all need people on the other side of the curtain.

In my job I'm constantly trying to put myself "on the other side" - to be a person using our website for the first time, or the 20th time, instead of a person who is a creator of it. I can remember what it was like to be on the other side of that shower curtain, but I'm not there anymore. And I can't go back. I will always have a slightly biased opinion. We constantly strive to improve our website, but we couldn't accomplish it without having people on the other side.

But even in our personal lives we need those people to keep us grounded. To be outside of our situations to call us to the truth we are too close to see for ourselves. Someone to let us know when the curtain is ripped and attacking innocent people.

Do you have people on the other side of the curtain? If not, find someone you can trust to be truthful. Sometimes it hurts to hear what they have to say, but in the end, the balance it brings and the person you become makes it worth it.

No one wants to be that ripped curtain.

Got me

This got to me - I saw it on this guy's twitter, which linked to this guy's blog. It's worth a few minutes to watch - trust me.

My Latest Kick

I often go through "phases" - I call these kicks. Especially involving food and my eating habits.

Two years ago I went through a zucchini kick. I couldn't eat enough of the stuff. I ate it prepared all different ways, all the time. That kick lasted a few months.

I've gone through a Raspberry Ice Crystal Light kick when I drank pitchers of it a day.

Most often I experience chocolate kicks. Although this may just be more of who I am than an actual kick.

My most recent though is my cereal kick. This has been going on for at least two weeks. When I go to the grocery store, I always have to check out the cereal aisle. Normally leaving with at least one box. When I browse the fridge or cupboards for something to eat, I choose cereal. Breakfast, Dinner, Snack - doesn't matter when. Doesn't matter the type. It varies depending on my mood.

I've had it twice today. Three times yesterday.

Anyone share in my cereal fixation?

I completely agree.

Every once and a while I get reminded that there truly are people in the world that care more about others than themselves. That's why when I saw this article in our local newspaper online, it made me smile. I agree full heartedly with what they are choosing to do.

Military personnel move to front of airport lines

Uniformed military personnel will now be able to shorten wait times during security screening at the South Bend Regional Airport, with a new policy that allows them to go to the front of the lines.

John Schalliol, executive director of the airport, has announced that signs will be placed at the entrances to both security checkpoints to allow military personnel on active duty and in uniform to go to the head of the lines.

Here is the text displayed on the new signs:

All military personnel on active duty and in uniform shall go to the head of the security checkpoint line. Thank you for your sacrifices on our behalf. This is the least we can do.

— The Michiana Traveling Public"

"We discussed this with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and they thought it was a great idea," Schalliol said in a press release. "We are confident that our patrons will share in our appreciation for the sacrifices our military makes for us every day by supporting this gesture"

This cracks me up.

Can't Turn It Off

I work with basic html coding on a daily basis. So when I saw this widget on the sidebar of Daryl's blog, immediately all I can notice is that something has gone wrong with their coding. Generally you aren't supposed to see the <> marks and the code that goes inside of it.

Something Bigger

I love that I get to be part of something bigger than myself. The latest example is a new website created for the conference we hold every year to help encourage, train and empower church leaders around the world. While I only played a small part, the fact that I get to work with such a talented team of people, all to help others, makes me smile.

Why I Love Twitter

After the drama that was my return trip home from Dallas, I got to the South Bend Airport Friday morning only to discover my luggage had yet to make it there (even though it was 12 hours after it was supposed to have arrived there.) I insisted the person behind the desk give me a phone number to call to check in to see if my luggage had arrived. The following occured that afternoon...

• 1:24 p.m. - Phone call to airport. Confirm luggage has arrived. Decline delivery, no longer trust the airline to deliver.
• 1:26 p.m. - Update Twitter status "My luggage has finally been accounted for!! WOOHOO!"
• 1:30 p.m. - Cell phone rings.
• Jami - "Hey, where are you?"
• Me - "I'm at work, why?"
• Jami - "Kem just saw your twitter update and we were wondering if you were at the airport. Our flight just got in."
• Me - laughing
• Jami - "Do you want us to try to get your luggage?"
• Me - "Sure, if they'll let you." Give her the name of the carrier.
• 1:33 p.m. - Jami calls back. "They gave it to me. They only asked your name. Kem will bring it by work on her way home."

Twitter time - 3 seconds
Worth - 30+ minutes and the price of gas

A Day at the Dallas Airport

Today has been a very interesting day - and finally I am starting to find the humor in it. You gotta hear this...

• Can't sleep in - awake every 10 minutes starting at 6 am until finally get up at 640.
• Finish packing the head to the airport
• Get checked in by 945 for 1115 flight
• Go through security - passed :)
• Purchase a bottle of water for the flightIn plane, on runaway - suddenly pilots hit the brakes and the plane screeches to a stop. Plane does a uturn and stops
• Pilot comes on and says the computer is malfunctioning but they are working on it
• Few minutes later pilot comes back on and explains a mechanic will need to try restarting it and we must return to terminal
• Quick clock check makes me realize if we are back in the air within an hour, should have no problem catching connection in Cinnicinati to get me home by 5
• Few phone calls made to family as well as text and twitter updatesPilot says they are hoping it will only take a few minutes - there are no other planes for us to switch to because of the holiday weekend. No extra planes and no extra seats on any flights to cinncinati. Still feeling positive
• Approx. 45 minutes later pilot comes on, has us de-plane. Says it should take around 1/2 hour to fix but wanted us to be able to get comfortable
• More phone calls and text updates
• Time passes - still not fixed, missed the cut off for making connection, the book me on the next one to SB from Cinncinati. Starting to waiver on the positive attitude
• HOURS pass - same thing, trying to fix the plane, calling family to update them
• Time passes where any chance of making connecting flight is gone. Almost at breaking point emotionally.Delta guy comes on and says they need a part, so it will be at least three hours until the flight leaves. Anyone heading to cinnicinati will still take this flight, anyone with a connection will miss it. Instruct us to head to Delta Ticket Desk for better assistance
• Go outside secure area to go to ticket counter
• No seats on any flights. Have to fly standby on overbooked flight for 400 to get to Atlanta, have definite seat from Atlanta to SB. If I don't get on the flight, my luggage must go on without me. I take the risk. Second flight to Atlanta at 515 I can also fly standby on
• Head to security, must throw away my fairly full bottle of water. Go back through security.
• More phone calls to family. Breakdown and cry at every conversation. Just want to go home.
• Wait and pray for a miracle to make it on the flight. 27 people flying standby, I'm number 9. Discover flight is overbooked by 20 people.
• Buy another bottle of water for flight and a book to try to distract me. Distraction didn't work.
• No one on standby makes it onto the flight
• Move to the next gate. Still number 9 on standby. Pray for a miracle.
• Flight takes off without me on it.
• Tear up again.
• Call Dad and Stepmom to pick me back up
• Head to Delta ticket desk again
• This agent explores other options on other airlines. Finds a late night flight to Indianapolis. Call my sister to see if shes willing to pick me up at 1135 in Indy, a three hour drive there and then back.
• Tear up again. Sister willingly agrees as I am a wreck on the phone.
• Booked on flight. Given food voucher and directions how to get to other terminal where the flight would be in 2 1/2 hours.
• Call Dad and stepmom back to tell them they don't need to come, and about flight to Indy. Have been at the airport over 7 1/2 hours.
• Next 20 minutes spent on the phone with various family members driving me crazy with what to do! No longer need advice, plans have been made. Know they are doing it because they love me but still overwhelming. Family gives me a headache.
• Realize again that I must throw away my just opened water to go back through security. Chug some of it.
• Head through third security check of the day. Get flagged to be patted down and stuff searched. Laughed at the irony - figure if I had anything to hide, I would have been caught by now.
• Decide I should eat something, go to pay with food voucher. Not accepted in this terminal, even though specifically told it could be. Get frustrated again.
• Waiting for time to board - finally find humor in the situation. Don't want to travel again for a long time.

Just Be

Most of the time when I see my dad or stepmom our time is filled to overflowing. Living many states apart, and only seeing each other two to three times a year, leads to jam packed visits that often fall over holidays.

This time was different. After attending DC08 (see previous posts if you really want to know what that is...) I was able to take some vacation time and stay in Dallas with them as they just recently moved to a neighboring city. Having five days left us in no hurry. We got to just "be". Sometimes I think we take for granted time to just be together. Not necessarily making plans, or going anywhere, but cooking together, eating dinner together, watching tv, chatting about trivial things, sharing funny emails. I think society often bombards us with the idea that we have to always be "doing" something. I can say this, because I too have the urge to always do something. It took me two days to realize that it's okay to not have to - and came to appreciate the fact that we were just together.

And those are the memories that make me love my family even more.

Oh yea!

Quick Thought -

It's always kind of cool when you go to a conference and actually learn something that IMMEDIATELY applies to your life. In this case it's my work life, but they kinda blend together. It's also really cool when you get answers to the questions you know that someone will be asking you later.

I'm pumped.

Way to go DC08!

The Wonders of a Maid...

Yesterday morning when I returned to my room, housekeeping was here cleaning up. I said hello and quickly picked up what I needed - I was slightly surprised to see her vacuuming around me. But that's besides the point.



Later in the day when I returned to my room I headed into the bathroom only to find it different from the way I left it. I had hurried out for breakfast (hello, totally didn't want to miss the free continental breakfast!) and didn't have time to clean up the mess of getting ready. I came back to this:

While a part of me can thoroughly appreciate the strategic placing of the items, it freaks me out. I'm completely not used to someone picking up, moving and reorganizing my things.

Apparently I am not "wired up" to be a rich person where random people do such things.

Livin in Style...

A few of my coworkers and I are in Dallas getting ready to attend the Dynamic Church Conference for the next few days. Three of us are presenting at a breakout session tomorrow as well. We chose to stay in the hotel that is attached to the conference center, an Embassy Suites. I had recently glanced at their website, but had no idea how amazing the hotel room (or should I say suite) would be! (Oh, and it worked out that since I am way outnumbered by males, I got a room all my own...)


Being that I work at a place that constantly tries for the "WOW" factor, I'm always on the look out. This place has wow-ed me. I even took pictures to prove it :)

I didn't take this picture, I took it off their site - pretty sweet digs, huh!?

Inside of hotel - I'm on the 9th floor

Fancy sculpture thing

This is whoat my towels look like on the bath tub - this was a big WOW for me!

I thought this was very inventive...

This is my living room

Other side of the living room - nice little desk/office space

You know it's a fancy place when the tissues are strategically arranged. It made me afraid to use one - I didn't want to mess it up!

Which bed do I want to sleep in...this one??

Or this one?? (I chose this one, if you were curious)

Kitchenette

Fancy bathroom display. I really liked this...small but impactful to my opinion of the hotel

View of the bathroom - love the mirror too - it has style

Red Letters

Recently at GCC Trace and Seth performed the song Red Letters by DC Talk. I had heard a clip of the song as a preview on itunes and it didn't thrill me, so needless to say I went into the service expecting not to be impressed.

Instead I was completely blown away.

Play by Play

• 5:50 a.m. - alarm goes off, vaguely remember hitting snooze
• 5:58 a.m. - second alarm goes off, vaguely remember hitting snooze
• 6:20 a.m. - many snoozes later, decide headache and tiredness wins over gym for today
• 8:45 a.m. - get in deep spiritual conversation at work, good stuff
  
• 10:00 a.m. - asked to be "fake" bridesmaid in setup for wedding
• 10:13 a.m. - trip stepping onto platform, fall down awkwardly, feel pain, try to be tough
• 10:14 a.m. - notice big toe is bleeding, still trying to be tough
• 10:14:30 a.m. - notice toe is really bleeding, realize must stop bleeding
  
• 10:15 a.m. - make it to bathroom, start cleaning wound and assessing damage. Split second concern over how bad, hoping no stitches are needed
• 10:15:30 a.m. - realize toes just bleed alot, no stitches needed, but nasty, big slice on the pad of toe = not good
• 10:16 a.m. - start to realize what injury means, no treadmill at the gym for a while, sadness sets in
  
• 10:21 a.m. - toe bandaged up, throbbing starts, thankful for computer tower to prop foot up on
• 11:01 a.m. - realize gas and brake pedals pushed by toes - must drive differently, feel like 16 year old learning to drive
• 2:42 p.m. - working from home while awaiting Sears to deliver new washing machine
• 3:05 p.m. - suddenly realize work project isn't as easy as expected, minor panic sets in - big project + vacation next week = Eek!
• 3:05:30 p.m. - scour house for chocolate, always helps to think clearer and refocus
• 3:07 p.m. - no chocolate to be found! Perplexed. Settle for Apple Jacks out of box, not the same
• 3:32 p.m. - Sears arrives
• 3:40 p.m. - Sears leaves, amazed at service and speed!
• 3:40:30 p.m. - contemplate returning to project, decide to play with new washer instead
• 3:50 p.m. - can not procrastinate any longer, sit down, focus and get determined. Stubborn side kicks in - can not allow program to outsmart me
• 4:45 p.m. - getting so close to accomplishment can barely hold in excitement
• 5:20 p.m. - first draft of project finished! Ready for feedback.
• 5:23 p.m. - more laundry, thankful for washing machine; running out of clean clothes, those nearby should be thankful too
  
• 8:32 p.m. - sit down to work on next project with upcoming due date, decide to blog instead
  

How will you respond?

I recently saw this video on Kem's blog, which she originally got from Church Marketing Sucks. This is an amazing story of how Kinetic Church chose to react to losing 75% of the equipment they used to run their "portable" services. You gotta see this...

Thoughts

• I may possibly have finally figured out a solution to a problem I have been working on for a few weeks. It's looking very good so far. After a few more test runs, there may be a spur of the moment celebration of jumping around.
• Have you noticed that all law office commercials are the same? Same look, same feel, same type of branding. If I ever got "injured in a car accident", I would go to the first company that decided to be original. What can I say, I like people who think outside of the box.
• Are some types of dried fruit more important that others? Take raisins. Raisins are dried grapes, but does anyone call them dried grapes? Nope. They got a name of their own. Prunes. Prunes are dried plums, but does anyone call them dried plums? Nope. What about the other dried fruits - the apricots, the mangoes, the bananas, the apples, the cherries and all the many types in existence. Why are these fruits not as important? Why isn't all fruit treated alike?
• I drink a Gatorade every morning at the gym (it keeps me from feeling light headed and woozy, so needless to say it's kind of important...) and I workout seven days a week. The Gatorade comes in an eight pack. I had been making a trip to Walmart every 8 days to by another pack of Gatorade. Only today did I realize I could actually purchase more than one at a time. Don't ask me how long this has been going on for - I won't tell you.

Rise Above This

I saw this video on Corey's blog this morning, and something about it is so real, so powerful, I had to share it as well. (and if you were wondering, yes, I did immediately head to itunes and purchased it)

Mulberry Bushes

This weekend we did some "spring cleaning" around our yard. You know, some of the basics - raking the leftover leaves, picking up sticks, getting frustrated by the acorn shell remnants from winter. And through this spring cleaning we discovered something in our backyard...

We have the beginnings of mulberry bushes growing up around our big evergreen trees, some even growing underneath the branches. I've never thought as mulberry bushes as a threat - they were always the bushes from the cute song my grandma taught me as a child. It's sometimes those things that don't appear to be threats that cause the most damage... Apparently mulberry plants can overtake everything nearby and choke out other plants and trees. They start off small and innocent looking, but in actually are very hard to get rid of.

It got me thinking - how many things in our lives do we let go because they seem small and innocent enough - not really expecting them to cause any real damage? And if we choose to ignore something that is small and only mildly dangerous, eventually it becomes large, out of control, extremely dangerous and incredibly hard to get rid of. It kind of reminds me of the small blood thirsty plant from the 1986 movie Little Shop of Horrors. It started off small and easy enough to please, and eventually became a man eating plant that controlled its owner, instead of the other way around.

There are specific times in my life I can look back to, and see those little things planting seeds around me - and I let them. I thought I could control them - they were small, why wouldn't I be able to? But it never works that way. They all ended up as mulberry bushes and man eating plants.

My spring cleaning served more than just a aesthetic purpose, it served as a reminder that sometimes you just need to be a little more careful what you let into your life. Otherwise, you may have a really hard time getting rid of it later.

A Matter of Perspective

Everyday we make assumptions and judgements with the information we have. Even if we don't mean to, it happens. And it happens to the best of us. But what I've come to realize is how important it is to think about perspectives. There is always more to the story and there is always another side.

As most of you know, I have recently become addicted to LOST. When people ask me what it is about the show that keeps me coming back, my answer is simple - the complexity of the characters and what a difference perspective makes. There is always more to the story. A character is never just as they seem. And that, to me, makes them more "real". We have all been judged by what we "seem" to be, and we have all judged others the same. I've come to learn that there is always more to the story than what you initially see - especially in every day life.

On Easter Sunday I was driving to church when I noticed a police car sitting beside a four way stop behind my church. My initial reaction was outrage. How dare he try to pull people over for speeding on Easter Sunday while trying to get to, or leave church! What kind of person does that!? I couldn't think of a single other reason why that cop would be sitting there on Easter morning. Imagine how horrible I felt when I left church later that morning only to discover traffic actually wasn't backed up - because the police officer, along with two others, were directing traffic at that four way stop. They were helping others - they were helping me - they were sacrificing their time.

And I realized there is always another perspective.

The '80s

As most people know, I heart '80s music. Yep, I know, it's not something alot of people will admit. But I do.

So you can imagine my excitement when GCC dedicated an entire series to the '80s. All '80s music, all weekend for four weekends. Here's one of my favorites:

*Whack*

Tonight was a slap in the face for me.

There's a worship song we often sing that reminds me of India. Every time I hear it I can see the people's faces. It causes moisture to build up in my eyes. It makes my hurt stir. But tonight was different.

When I started singing the words something else happened. A realization. And it wasn't pretty.

August 2006 I went on a missions trip to India. When we were there, I promised people I would pray for them. I made a commitment to myself to pray for the women church planters there - the women I love.

I broke that promise. And what makes it worse is that I didn't even realize it until now.

How often do we have the best of intentions - our heart is in the right place, and there is no doubt that this time will be different. And how many of those times do we actually follow through?

I've made a conscious effort over the last year that when people ask me to pray for them, or something going on in their lives, I pray right then - before I get a chance to get distracted or forget. With diligence, I have improved. But it never once occurred to me to think about the people in the past that I have made a commitment to pray for.

Tonight, one simple song reminded me of all the people and things I've always meant to pray for - that I have added to some "mental list" - but never did.

Maybe it's time to put my new habits to use to make good on my old commitments...

Quality

Unfortunately, when you utilize YouTube, you lose quality. It's a great tool, and I personally am a huge fan of YouTube. It's easy to pass on, anyone can watch it, it's great. But there is that one downfall. The quality.

So if you caught GCC Plays Simon (from my last post) on YouTube, check it out on our Media Player. The difference is astounding. (Plus you can make it bigger by selecting 2X or FS)

Watch it and tell me you can't see how much cooler it is :)

GCC Does Simon

Curious how GCC celebrates Easter? Check it out here. OR catch a small glimpse on YouTube of GCC playing our own version of the 80's game SIMON. What can I say, who doesn't love glowsticks?! (I gotta say though, YouTube just doesn't do it justice...)

Randomness

I've been "blog-silent" for a few weeks now (who knew!?!) because life has been overwhelming. It's not for lack of ideas - I've had plenty spinning through my head - unfortunately life has gotten in the way of my blogging.


So today, I give you, randomness.

Friday I had on flip-flops. Today I got pelted in the face by sleet. It hurt.

Why is it that when you have a diabetic staying at your house that suddenly all you want is a donut?

There's a new Walmart. It's only two miles away. I've been there twice in six days. It still has that "new store" look.

I started experiencing stress headaches last week. They suck. I don't recommend them.

I'm so addicted to LOST I ended up burning 1,000 calories at the gym yesterday so I could get farther in my show.

I've been watching a lot of old movies lately. I love their subtle humor.

Microsoft Outlook has ruined my typing - it automatically fixes all my errors. I've had to use the backspace a lot already in this post.

Soon after I posted this - I was eating toast at work while talking to a co-worker. She started laughing. When I asked why, she told me because I threw away my last bite. I didn't even realize I did it.

I tried forcing myself to eat toast differently - outside in - it didn't taste as good. I'm back to my old, strange ways. Hey - don't judge.

Not on my wish list:

Love this

When you least expect it...

Two full days last week were spent in a conference room talking about data structure. A few of us from our team got together with a bonafide "data guru" (not his official title, but hey, that's what he was!) I know; sounds boring, sounds tedious, sounds tiring. And it could have been. But more than anything it was insightful, it was refreshing, it was encouraging. I came away with a lighter heart...and a brain packed so full of information I couldn't even begin to process. (Of course I was sick at the same time, so that could have been why as well...)

Today I started really thinking about last week. About what I learned. And it suddenly occured to me. I learned a lot more than data structure, than the best way to use our system. I learned some things about life too. Guess you just never know when or how God might teach you something...or remind you of things you already knew.

Maybe sometimes your instincts are right, and you just need to dig a little further. Sometimes you just need to trust yourself.

Don't be afraid of the unknown.

If you think there must be an easier way, there just might be.

Ask the right questions.

Don't assume anything.

Just because something has always been done one way, doesn't mean it's right.

Sometimes you know more than you realize.

Some changes aren't as big as you may think.

Others are.

Sometimes you just need to ask for help. You don't have to do everything on your own.

A little extra work now, may save you time later. Sometimes you need to think ahead before moving forward.

While it may be possible to do something, and be seemingly effectively, that doesn't mean it's right. You never know how one thing may effect another.

Everyone has a story.

God has a plan bigger than all of us.

Star Wars...kinda...

This made me smile today.

Two weeks in a nutshell

Brief overview of the last two weeks:

• Two weeks ago - Big projects at work + deadline = a lot of hours worked
• One week ago - Wake up with scratchy throat. Scared of the possibility of getting sick. Two important days of meetings coming. Can't miss either.
• One week ago minus one day - The cold/flu sets in. Not as bad as could be - but still not good
• Go through a box of puffs in record time.
• Manage to make it through the extra hours and meetings. Body completely rundown. No gym for me.
• No gym means no LOST. Sad.
• Couldn't get a good nights sleep all week. Not happy. Details later.
• Take the weekend to relax and recover. Finally get sleep. *signal the chorus of angels*
• Make a few easy attempts at the gym - only walk. No incline. No speed. Very little calorie burn. UG.

Present Day:

• Very few tissues needed a day - good sign
• Return to the gym. Not "normal" workout but incline was utilitized. Step in the right direction
• Afternoon off - napped, watched LOST, good day
• Surprise phone call - smiled.

Snippets

I've had an extremely busy week so far. It's been one of those weeks where you can't remember exactly what all you've done or where you've been when. Keep that in mind as you read the following snippets floating around my little brain tonight.

• You know you're tired when you forget to pack jeans to wear for the day in your gym bag.
• Sad thing is I thought my bag was awfully light and wasn't coherent enough to question why. Tonight I made a list of everything I must have - hopefully I'll remember to look at it.
• Habits and accountability. Two amazing things when done correctly.
• How much lotion can one person go through in the winter?! I could probably sit in a vat of it for hours and STILL get dry skin an hour later.
• I posted a few weeks ago about the strange types of pizza I like. Apparently I'm not alone. YAY!
• One of the new treadmills at the gym doesn't work to play tv shows off my ipod. I stopped my workout and switched machines. Screw my heart rate, I wanted to watch LOST :)
• Being able to cross things off my to-do list makes me happy.
• Although the to-do list never stops growing.
• I love that my co-workers and I can laugh with each other about the dumb things we do.
• The Writer's Strike is over and many of my tv shows will be back on the air soon! Too bad I have to wait until next spring for 24. I hear good things come to those who wait - but that's a lot of waiting.
• Speaking of patience - I heard once that maybe God puts us in situations to help us learn patience instead of just giving it to us. Thoughts?
• I think of the above question a lot. In my life, it seems to be true. Wonder if it's just me.

It's Time...

The senior pastor of GCC has finally entered the blogging world - Welcome Mark Beeson!

This is definitely a blog you will want to follow. I've learned many things from him over the years and I have never met someone so on fire for God.

Let me tell you, I'm pumped!

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love My Ipod

• I love music. And an ipod holds tons of it. 'Nough said.
• When I need to do stats for my job, putting my headphones in helps me focus and whip it out in now time.
• I can be impulsive - and when I decide I want something, I often want it now. The itunes store rocks in that circumstance.
• My workouts would cease to exist without fast paced tunage to get me going.
• I can block out the world when I need some "me" time.
• It connects to the treadmills at my gym so I can watch tv shows from my ipod on the bigger screen in front of me. The time I spent doing cardio doubled. In less than two weeks people were noticing.
• Suddenly shoveling is a little less tedious when there are tunes to accompany it.
• It introduced me to Dexter - one of my new favorite tv shows - and I will forever be grateful. Dexter + ipod = obsession with the gym!
• Um, hello, podcasts. When I struggle with digging into the bible, I can tune into a thought provoking podcast that gets me motivated again.
• I'm a random person. The shuffle feature plus all the many songs available at my fingertips fits me quite well.

And one reason why I don't love my ipod - it can be really easy to forget no one else can hear the music but you.

Brilliant Idea!

This is one of the most inventive, yet simple solutions I have seen yet for the water problem in third world countries. After going to India and seeing where their water comes from, this makes me happy. And hopeful.

How many trips to the kitchen does it take to get a spoon for yogurt?

Apparently, in my world, it takes three.

Or at least it did this morning.

Randomness

Due to my lack of ability to compose a deep thought right now, or in the last few days for that matter, I give you...randomness.

• Today felt as if I live in a tundra. I don't. I live in northern Indiana. Something is wrong with this picture.
• Having your nose hairs freeze on a quick walk into a building is whacked.
• I've successful gone to the gym for 12 days in a row including twice on Monday. It feels great to get back in the everyday habit.
• The gym has some new machines I love. The squat and glute machines have me walking like an aching old woman. But that just makes me want to use them even more.
• Some big changes with a family member - more details later
• A few weeks ago I decided to get a down comforter. Long story short, I got a great deal on one and on a micro-suede duvet cover. After I had that I figured I deserved some comfy sheets too (I already had a new down-alternative pillow that I love and take everywhere with me!) Thanks to Christmas returns and gift cards, my bed is one of my favorite places. Only downfall is that I don't want to get out of it in the morning!
• Okay, a second note on my down comforter - I used to sleep with a sheet, blanket, comforter and electric blanket (with the occasional throw on top) - yes, I know, that sounds like a lot. It was. I could barely move, but that was the only way I was warm! Now all I have is a sheet and my comforter. Life is good. Plus I can move now.
• The new treadmills at the gym has an amazing feature - you plug your ipod and headphones into the machine, and you can watch your videos on a hdtv attached to the treadmill. I love doing cardio now! Although my wallet may not like it. My new tv show of choice is Dexter. One episode and I'm addicted. I can't wait to hit the gym in the morning!
• I wasn't feeling good last night. I fell asleep at 645. So I was walking like an old person and sleeping like an old person. Sad I know.

Need a laugh?

I think this must be one of the funniest news clips I have seen!

How I Feel Today...

What I experience every Thursday night...

Odd?

Does anyone else ever get the urge to eat cereal out of a tupperware bowl?

After the gym cereal sounded really good. Cereal in regular bowl didn't sound appealing - just in tupperware.

I have no idea why.

Strange things

While waiting for my pancakes to bubble this morning I found my mind wandering. There are a lot of things that just seem normal to me, but in reality may actually be kind of strange. I know you are probably curious right now so I won't hold you in suspense. I present to you, quirky things about Jeanna:

• I never eat the last bite of crust on a piece of toast or sandwich. I have no problems eating the crust any other time, but once you get to the end it's almost all crust. In school I always had little pieces of sandwichs left.
• I always try the batter or dough of things I'm cooking. And it always perplexes me when the batter may be gross, but the cooked product is good and vice versa. The pancakes I made this morning were amazing in both stages.
• I love books, love to read books, own many books, but most of which I haven't read or finished. Yet I always buy more books. I get easily distracted by new books.
• I always cry at the end of Apollo 13. Always. And I've seen it 20+ times. Doesn't matter how hard I try not to.
• I have two favorite types of pizza that no one ever lets me order when they ask what I want. Green pepper and black olive - yum! - or just pineapple. Last night I made my own mini-pizzas and it was great to have exactly what I wanted on them.

Downtime

I am a fairly busy person. And I like it that way. I love being around people. I love having things to do. I love being random.

But I've found that I also need some downtime.

Before the holidays I had a groove that was working pretty well for me. I switched my workouts to the morning, which left free time after my work day, and at least two evenings a week I tried to just "be" - no plans, no schedule, no "have to's"

Last week was an insanely crazy week at work. This week was an emotionally draining week. And I knew what I desperately needed more than anything - downtime. Quiet time. Me time. So I made an executive decision - to stay home on a Friday night. All by myself; eating what I wanted, watching what I wanted, doing whatever I wanted.

It was glorious.

It was what I needed.

How often do we get caught up in the pace of life that we forget how to slow down and just "be"? Why has society made time alone such a taboo thing for anyone under 60? Does anyone else find themselves struggling to take a sabbath? Sometimes I find myself forgetting that commandment or convincing myself that it somehow isn't that important.

Then I have a night like tonight, and I just know. I know why I feel so much better after relaxing - because that's how God made me. That's how I'm wired. It's just one more step in keeping myself in alignment with God.

Note to Self

No matter how tired you are, don't ever let yourself take a nap at 7 p.m.

Especially a two hour nap.

Bad idea.

The Experience

I help work on two websites. That's part of my job and I love it. There is a downside to it though--it becomes increasingly difficult to surf the Internet. Confused? Thinking that makes no sense? Oh just wait. Hear me out...

Before my days as a "web girl" there were always sites that bothered me. Ones that I would shy away from. Ones that took too long to find what I wanted. In this world where Google is one click away, why would you want to stay on a site that makes life more difficult. There's always another site waiting to give you the information you so long for. My time is precious and I have a goal in mind when I surf the Internet (well, except for nights when you can't sleep but you aren't fully awake enough to do anything of value, so you mindlessly click and scroll the minutes by...but that's another blog.)

Yesterday I saw an ad in a store promoting their new website. It looked sleek, it looked simple, it looked friendly. It caught my attention. I was hooked and decided the first chance I got I had to check it out. Let's just say I was left disappointed. The top few inches of the site were amazing. I loved it. Then I started scrolling. There was so much to look at I didn't hardly know what to do next. I was so overwhelmed I felt like a two year old at their first Christmas. I didn't stick around.

Tonight on my way home I heard a radio ad pushing a different website. The focus of the entire commercial was driving people to the web. It worked. I got curious about what the hype was about. Oddly enough, it's the same website this company has had for a while now and it is still not improved. I felt gilted somehow. And it made my head hurt. Four elements of a homepage moving or flashing at me. Too much for someone who is easily distracted. I could have overlooked all the "glitz and glamour" going on if the site was easy to navigate, easy to find what I was looking for. Sadly, it wasn't. Once again I left the web disappointed.

Our lives are busy enough - the last thing we need is to waste our precious time combing through a website, desperately searching for what we seek, only to leave frustrated. In the words of Kem Meyer, I want Less Clutter, Less Noise.

Please.

A Glorious Phone Call

Today was a cleaning day. Things needed to be done and I decided that today would be the day I would self-impose it.

About two hours into my cleaning mode my phone rings. I answer to my amazing co-worker and friend telling me I must get to Old Navy. Now. There is a huge sale with amazing prices. Two problems I see. One - I'm cleaning. I put it on myself, I made the commitment, I must follow through. Two - I haven't showered yet. It's cleaning day. I'm not about to leave this house looking as I do.

I decided my only option was to be good and continue cleaning - possibly swinging by Old Navy later before church. Only then I called one of my friends to share the wonderful knowledge of a sale. I expected to fill her in on the excitement and continue on my cleaning way. It was her reaction I was not prepared for. "Well, I'm at (cross section of streets close to my house) soooo...if you want to meet me there..."

Now I'm tempted. And my sale-minded brain starts spinning and processing. "If I wait a few hours, there isn't going to be as much to choose from. And I was just thinking I needed some more hoodies or clothes to layer..."

So what do I do?

I throw on some jeans and a hat (no worries, I already had on other clothes...just didn't want to venture into Old Navy in pajama pants), brush my teeth add some shoes and I'm out the door in less than two minutes.

And I have no regrets! That hour at Old Navy was GLORIOUS! I have never found such amazing deals! An extra 50% off of items already marked down 50%! And not just odd sized stuff - all sizes and styles and colors!

$38 dollars later I walk out of Old Navy with two bags of clothes worth $162. So what does that look like you may ask...it looks like one heavy cute pull-over hoodie, one fuzzy-on-the-inside warm-on-the-outside button down vest, one trendy cute soft hoodie, one adorable scarf to go with the vest, one new pair of slippers to replace the ones just recently put out of commission, one adorable sweatshirt coat for my baby niece, one GRRRRR! cute shirt for my nephew and two pairs of little bittie baby pants for a friend who is always on the lookout for daycare clothes.

Or, if you're more of a visual person, it looks like this:



Oh, and by the way...BONUS - as I was finishing up shopping, knowing I really needed some clothes but wondering if I should when I still have a week til payday, I get a phone call I believe was sent from heaven - directly from God to bless this woman in Northern Indiana, asking me if I was free to babysit tonight. And the angels sang...

Note to those budget conscience people - I was good and put many things back. Although the temptation is still there to return...

Is God too busy?

"And I know in the big picture
I'm just a speck of sand
and God's got better things to do
than look out for one man.
I know he's heard my prayers
cause he hears everything,
he just ain't answered back
or he'd bring you back to me.
God must be busy."

(lyrics from God Must Be Busy

by Brooks and Dunn)

How often do these very lyrics hit close to home? How often do we feel that God might just be too busy for us? When you are experiencing a pain that seems almost unbearable, and you wonder "why?" When you feel completely alone and broken, and as if God is absent. When life seems to be too much, and you find yourself asking when will it end.

I've experienced seasons of my life when the pain and suffering was so intense I wondered why God would let this happen to me. Why God would let us go through seasons of such excrutiating pain. If God truly cared, why isn't He stepping in and helping.

Sometimes it's hard to see past the pain--to realize that the journey is what builds us; makes us stronger. That God truly is walking beside us through the lowest points of our lives, but allows us to make it on our own. I liken it to a child learning to ride a bike. Eventually, you just have to let them go. You never really leave them, you're just running behind them. Even if they don't realize you are still there, you are. And by being allowed to ride, and fall, on their, they become a stronger person. There is a much more important reason for being allowed to experience the freedom and the pain.

There have been a few pivotal points in my life where I could have let the pain destroy me. I chose to not give up. I pushed through the pain - through the suffering. And it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I never realized just how God could use my past pain until a few nights ago.

A friend of mine opened up to me about the deep pain she has been holding inside. The sadness was evident. And the odd thing was that the pain I triumphed over, the pain that grew me into the person I am today, is the same pain she is currently living through.

Because of my past suffering, I can encourage her in a way few others probably can. I had been there. I understood.

I don't believe God ignores us.

I don't believe God doesn't love us.

And I don't believe God is ever too busy.

I just believe God is letting go of the bike.

Three things

This makes me shake my head.

This makes me excited...and envious.

This makes my heart hurt. (From Post Secret)

Out of the loop

The last week or so I have been completely out of the blogging loop. On occasion I have had time to jump onto my trusty Google Reader and check out a few blogs, but overall, I feel out of touch. And overloaded.

Many blogs to come...even though I haven't been blogging, I have been doing a lot of thinking.

Scary thought, I know.