Disney
OK, OK, already. My apologies for not writing anything about my trip to Disney. Yes, the moment when I surprised my nephews was great. Screams of "Wha... Wha... What?!?" were followed by smiles, clapping, and some jumping on the bed. It was great. I just love those boys and had a great time trouncing around the parks with them. It makes a girl feel good to have two boys fighting over who gets to ride each ride with you. :)
A Great Haircut
I just had the best haircut I've ever had. It has nothing to do with the actual hair on my head but rather the conversation I had with the stylist. I've been going to her for 4 years and multiple times during the 30-40 times I've seen her I've invited her to church. I've sent invitations to our Christmas services to the salon. I've prayed for her. And so have a handful of my friends who also get their haircut in her chair.
This past Sunday, she went to our Shorewood location.
So today our haircut conversation centered all around her first experience at CCC.
- "I couldn't believe they were playing rock music...stuff I've heard on the radio."
- "I loved that people were wearing jeans and drinking coffee. I love that I could get up in the morning and just come as I am."
- "I felt totally comfortable being there."
- "I was blown away when the Kids' City people told me that miss Melanie, a special education teacher, was there to be a 1-on-1 helper for my special needs daughter."
- "My kids LOVED it. The oldest is still talking about it. On Monday when we visited her therapist she told her all about Kids' City."
As I left I asked her, "So, do you think you'll come back?" She sort of froze with an intentional look and said, "Oh, we'll be there this Sunday."
I think she could have shaved my head today and I might not have noticed.
Top 10
I'm at the end of what has been the busiest 6-week stretch of my year. Why is it the end? Because I leave in 2 days for DisneyWorld. I can't tell you how many times over the past 6 weeks I've thought, "I can keep pushing it because in __ days I'm going to DisneyWorld."
Haven't had much time for posting this week so I thought I would write a post in list form. Here are the top 10 random items from this past week in no particular order...
1. Finished reading
East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Really good book if you like classic literature. The major theme in it is awesome. No matter what our heritage or circumstance, we all have the opportunity to choose. Timshel: "thou mayest."
2. I kicked butt in my Fantasy Football game last week. And that was without my #1 draft pick Steve Smith. I think I have a good team this year. No
Dave Ferguson beating me in the finals this year! Remembering how much I love football season.
3. Been reading through the book of Acts. Can't imagine a more exciting time in the history of the world. Dreaming of that kind of momentum happening again.
4.
Wicked was even better than the hype. I absolutely LOVED it. I'm already scheming how I can go again. The story was clever, entertaining, and even beautiful at times. It's a must-see if you are able.
5. Just taught our church's baptism class. I filled in for a co-worker whose wife just had a baby. It was comedy because I've never taught it before and found out the participants were just a woman from my small group and her husband. So instead of going to church I just went over to their house and we went through the class on their back porch. I may start a new gig...baptism class home delivery.
6. I'm losing some working out momentum. Maybe it's just because in general I've been tired. I've still been going 3-4 times a week but haven't been enjoying it or feeling good during it like I have for the past 3 months. Hopefully vacation will revive this in me as well.
7. Our next campus launches in a week. It's in
Yorkville. I think it will go well. I'm going to be the storyteller for the elementary kids during the first week. The series is 'The Pirates of the Caring Being.' It's on friendship. I have to dress up like a pirate. Not too fond of the costume thing, but I love teaching the kids. No cameras allowed, please.
8. Sensing God moving in a way that is going to call the staff, leaders, and attenders at my church to grow in the simplicity of regular spiritual practices. Prayer. Reading the Bible. Journaling. I think God is saying something to us regarding these things. I'm very excited about this although I don't know what it looks like yet. I just sense God is moving.
9. I ate a whole big box of
Jujifruits this week. I wonder how long it takes my digestive system to process rubber.
10. The moment I'm most looking forward to next week: knocking on the hotel room door and watching my nephew's faces as they discover me in DisneyWorld.
See ya! Have a great week!
Campus Pastors
Just one more reason I love the Campus Pastors at our church...
Party Time!
Sometimes you have stretches where nothing exciting happens. You don't do anything particulary interesting. Just the normal rhythm of life.
Then you have times like my next two weeks...
Tomorrow? Attending an afternoon Cubs game and an evening Indians-White Sox game. Yes, in the same day. It would be better if the Cubs weren't a minor league team right now, but I still think it will be a blast.
Next Thursday? Going to see Wicked. I've wanted to see the show ever since it came to Chicago and I'm finally getting around to it.
A week from Monday? Going to DisneyWorld. Yes, a week in Disney. I'm meeting my sister's family down there. The best part is my nephews don't know I'm coming. I can't wait to see their faces when my sister opens the door to our adjoining rooms and they find me on the other side.
If only I didn't have a million things to get done in between all this stuff. But come to think of it, most of that stuff is pretty fun to me too.
2 Years? Whaaa?
I just realized that I've had this blog for 2 years. Sure I hardly wrote in it for the first 9 months but still...2 years! It's funny because blogging still feels like a new thing to me. But I just had my 2-year blogging anniversary!
So if you are still sticking around reading this...thanks.
And thanks to all of you who have started blogs in the time since. I love reading your thoughts!
And if you are one of those people who got me blogging in the first place but hardly ever posts to your own blog any more (you know who you are!), please get back on the blogging bandwagon! I miss reading you!
One Thing
There really isn't anything else. Just one thing. At times people might try to convince you that there's more. But there really isn't. There are illusions of more. There are excuses of more. At times I think people deny there is only one thing because it's easier to live in a world of multiples. One thing requires focus. One thing requires sacrifice. One thing requires selflessness.
One thing can make you feel odd and alone at times. It can make you wonder if you are too intense. It can make you feel naive.
But then there are those moments when the fuzz clears and clarity confirms that you have it right after all. Like when you listen to
Dave tell the
parable of the talents. And then Vanessa sings the words to this song:
Single minded. Whole hearted. One thing I ask.That I may gaze upon your beauty, O Lord. That I may seek your holy face. That I may know you in an intimate way. And follow after you all of my days.All of life comes down to just one thing and that's to know you, O Jesus, and make you known.There really only is one thing. Don't waste your time, energy, money...your life on anything else.
