the view from here...

It's absolutely gorgeous outside today, so I'm sitting on my back patio in my lonely pink lawnchair looking at my backyard. Just thought you should see it too. :) Unfortunately, my sister took these pics when the pretty flowers were fresh and new in the baskets, but either the sunshine, the flood, or my lack of green thumb kind of destroyed them. Slowly a few of them are coming back, but I'm not very good at taking care of them. Oops :)

I love that I have a little bit of a garden though. I have fresh basil in there that I have yet to make use of more than once, and yesterday at the farmer's market I bought a stevia plant that I look very forward to using. I'm not sure where it's going to go yet, but I'm excited about it! For those of you who don't know, stevia is a natural sweetener. Apparently you can just put the leaves into your coffee or tea, or you can dry them and crush up the dried leaves. If you've seen Truvia in the stores, that's exactly what it is--dried leaves crumbled up. Except it's white and powdery, and I'm curious to see if that's what it will look like when I dry and crumble mine? Doubt it.

Anyway, that's my backyard. I'll post more pics of the apartment sometime soon. I'm still hanging pictures and rearranging a little bit.

I kinda wish I was Julie Powell...

In the midst of scarfing down buttery, salty popcorn, which is all that is opposite of gourmet cooking, I just watched Julie & Julia with one of my best friends. And I am thoroughly inspired to cook and bake from all those cookbooks still sitting in a box in my apartment yet to be unpacked. I just need to find a place for them...

It's been awhile since I've actually tried a new recipe or even enjoyed cooking. For some time in Lincoln it was really something that I experimented with and truly enjoyed--probably somewhat to occupy my time in a small town with nothing else to do. Now that I'm inspired and living in a city that could occupy plenty of time, I'm not sure how I'm going to accomplish any real cooking. Baking, however, I'm sure I'll find time for. First on the list? A pie. Because I've found that the famous Louisville Homemade Pie & Ice Cream Kitchen's peach pie is way too sweet for my liking and much too rich in comparison with my own. I'll stick to baking my own.

It's taking everything in me to not want to try and write like Julie Powell did on her experimental blog that turned out to be a box-office hit movie years later. However, I'm not that talented, driven, or gifted in the kitchen or at writing, so I'll just stick to my once-in-a-while meals and blogs and just try to kick it up a notch. Sound good?

I'd like to make it a goal to cook one new thing a week, but that might even be a little too lofty for me at this point. I might be lucky to make one thing each month with all of these great restaurants beckoning me from less than a mile away. But if anyone has any great recipe ideas, please do share! I'd love to try something new!

so much to say, so much to say, so much to say, so much to say...

I have a whole lot I really want/need to write about, but my couch is calling my name tonight. I took a killer hard hip hop class today that's going to make me sore for days. And I barely even did anything in the class, because it was mostly a bunch of flips, slides, and jumps I'm not quite daring enough to risk. Next time I'm sticking with the beginner/intermediate class for sure.

I've been extremely late on posting a review for Mark Driscoll's new upcoming book, Religion Saves (+ Nine Other Misconceptions). I was supposed to post one on August 4th, but I haven't had much time to read the book, let alone process it and write about it. Finally this weekend I'm catching up a bit and I've read about 5 of the 9 chapters, but tonight I got caught up on the Predestination chapter. I think I actually got kind of tense reading it, mostly because I don't understand Calvinism and I don't agree with it, but I suppose there is room for second thoughts. I'm just not having any anytime soon about it. However, more on the book to come. Once I get a chance to process a little more I'll review. Right now, the predestination part is too fresh on my mind for me to give a fair assessment of the book in its entirety.

On another note I still need to post pictures of my apartment. I promise I'll get around to that. However, if you want to see it that badly, you can just come visit me instead. :)

I'm still loving Louisville. I didn't get swept away by the Flood of 2009 that hit us this past week, but it did take out the basement of the house I live in, and thus our water heater. So, that means I'm stuck with cold showers until the landlord gets it fixed...and the timing of this is yet to be determined.

I'm meeting some people, slowly but surely, but hopefully will soon get to know some more friends I can really live life with, go to dinner with, go see a movie with, etc. Love that I get to see my BFF Amanda on a daily basis. And really looking forward to having visitors soon--Shannon next weekend, Chels the weekend after!

And that's all...I feel like I'm always pushing off writing. I'll get around to it someday. Probably once it's cold outside and I won't want to wander around anymore. :) It could be awhile.

Now? On to my couch and my DVR...

all things new

In the past 2-3 months I've been overwhelmed with new things. Beginning with a new car on Memorial Day, the ball of newness just keeps on rolling. New car. Then a new cell phone, which may seem like a small thing, but when it's something you use every day, it's kind of a big change. Then the big ones...

New job.
New city.
New apartment (with which came many other new things inside of it that were needed: washer, dryer, TV, creative ways to store what my former 2 bedroom apartment held, etc.).

My life seems like an entirely new one these days. Even in a message from a friend in Lincoln, I read the comment "Have fun in your new life!" I was a little caught off guard by it, because it makes me feel so removed from the past. Yet is new life such a bad thing?

I lived in Lincoln for 9 years, if you count my college years, and it was a little too long for me. Don't get me wrong, my time there was filled with incredible experiences that I wouldn't have had elsewhere. But it was time for a change, even as scary as change seemed to be.

This is certainly not the end times, but it is the end of a chapter of my life and the beginning of a new one. The words God spoke in Revelation 21 keep resounding in my mind: "I am making everything new!" My life wasn't a life completely of tears and pain before, and my "new" life in Louisville certainly isn't going to be without them. But I do know that God is making all things new for me, and He isn't just doing so with material possessions like a phone, a TV, or a washer and dryer. It's not even with a new city or apartment or job.

I hope that He is renewing my spirit entirely. With new things come a door that is wide open to possibility. I have no idea what the future holds here in Louisville, but I know that God is opening my eyes and my heart to see and experience hope and joy in possibility itself. Already I have found a peace with where I'm at that I longed for in Lincoln for about 3 years.

Just last night I went to Iroquois Park, in the southern part of the city, where 3 local churches (Southeast Christian, Sojourn Community, and Northside Christian) gathered together some of their young adults for worship and prayer for the city of Louisville. It was such a gorgeous night to begin with, but to spend it in praying for my new community was humbling and wonderful. They had planned the event to bring unity among the churches and to reach out to the community together and to clean up the park today, and the slide on the screen was themed "Re:Create."

Re:Create reminded me that I have the opportunity to recreate a life here. I can let go of the frustrations, hurts, and fears I had before, and I'm now looking forward to a life of joy, hope, and hopefully pouring myself into the people here in Louisville and southern Indiana that don't know Jesus. I'm pretty stoked to find out how God wants to use me here.


In a different light, I have to make note that the music I'm listening to right now is completely aligning with everything I'm writing. It's really quite strange how the words keep trailing along with my thoughts. I just downloaded the album "Before The Throne" by Sojourn. (Sojourn Community Church is a church here in Louisville...one that I love, actually...) Check it out. If you like music like Caedmon's Call, Derek Webb, or Sandra McCracken, or similar styles, you'll love it. They have incredibly talented people there making music.

Also, I have to make note that I'm sitting in a local coffee shop (Heine Bros.) that is less than 2 blocks from my apartment. That it is so close to my home and open late hours and filled with people at all times is, in and of itself, a wonderful thing. I'm loving that I will have this place so close to home. The location of my apartment is even better than I thought before I got here...I cannot overstate how much I love where I live. :)

I heart Louisville.
And that's all for now.

I'm loving this new life.

an Inconvenient Truth, indeed...

Oh, Al Gore, I hate to say it, but you were right. It is an inconvenient truth what this world is coming to. I'm not all "green" per se, but I try to be whenever it's possible. I've been trying to recycle my plastic and paper boxes whenever I can. And as I'm moving out of my apartment, I'm sure I could be recycling things a lot more. Some I'm taking downstairs to the thrift store which is below my apartment (very convenient), but other things are going in the trash.

One thing I've avoided throwing in the trash is a collection of empty wine bottles from my wine rack. I've tried to figure out a place to take them to, but I've had no luck. Just now I called the Logan County Solid Waste department, and I found that Lincoln only accepts glass to be recycled the 2nd Saturday of the month at a station in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Huh? So you're telling me you'll allow us to recycle one day out of the month, but there is nowhere to take them the rest of the time? It's the truth.

I'm unsure now what to do with about 17 empty wine bottles that really shouldn't go into the trash.

Any ideas? And no, I'm not breaking them up to make some cool collage or anything, though that would be a fun project any other time. In the midst of a move, I'm ready to just get rid of these things.

Happy International Justice Day!

Today is International Justice Day. Bet you've never heard of that holiday, right?

Join me today in the knowledge that no one should stand alone in this world--not one person, not one family, not one village, not one entire country. Life is meant to be lived in community, and where there are both joys and suffering, they are meant to be shared and carried together. There is so much suffering in the world that goes unnoticed, or once it is noticed is quickly forgotten. I'm guilty of that forgetfulness.

Just for today, let's not forget.

Stand up for what's right. Stand up for love.

Stand up for justice.

Check out the Mocha Club's new website and watch the International Justice Day video.

You can check out the video by clicking on the picture above.

Preston James Clark

So remember how 2 days ago I updated and said that I was sad to be moving on the date one of my best friends was due to have her baby boy? Well, little baby Clark heard his aunt Mandy and his aunt Chelsea too, and God heard our prayers, and he arrived yesterday morning! :)

Preston James was born to Matt & Lindsey Clark yesterday morning. He was 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 20 inches long. He and momma are doing well, and they're both healthy. I'll leave it up to mommy & daddy to show pictures. :) But he is precious!

I'm a proud "aunt" to little Preston!

update

Goo, I am bad at updating and writing lately! And because I've given myself exactly 5 more minutes before I'm forcing myself to close the laptop and go to bed, this will have to be short. I've had too many late nights and early mornings lately, and too many of those leave me pretty much worthless throughout the day. I need my sleep. On top of that, I ran for the first time in weeks yesterday and my body is feeling it today...

Now, onto my big update: For those who don't know, I AM MOVING! In 20 days, I'm moving to Louisville, KY to be the Discipleship/Student Ministries Secretary at Southeast Christian Church's southern IN campus in Jeffersonville, IN. (quite a mouthful, really, to explain...) Yep, some of you are probably thinking "FINALLY! It's about time she gets out of Lincoln!" and others are thinking "Why? Kentucky? Really?"

The truth is, I've been in Lincoln working for 5 years now, and including my college years here, I've been in this town for 9 years of my life. That's a big chunk of time. I'm 26 and single, and I've got a little bit of the city life in me that I have yet to get out. I'm certainly not getting it out living in downtown Lincoln. I'm excited to move to another city, and I'm excited about the opportunities that come along with this job.

Let me clearly say this: I never imagined myself working at a church, much less Southeast Christian Church (the mega of megachurches...). Let me also clear this up: I, in no way, am in love with Southeast Christian Church or even the idea that it is such a large church that may bring along some idea of "Christian celebrity." Some have that idea, but I'm honestly not phased by it at all. I'm just excited to begin feeling like I'm a regular, real, serving, participating member of a church body again.

Also, I get to work with one of the best teams of people, including one of my best friends since Junior High. :) I get to go from working with one best friend, Lindsey, to working with another, Amanda. (I just wish I wasn't leaving on the day that Lindsey's baby is due...) The rest of the team consists of people I'd totally hang out with outside of work, which is always a sign of a great team! So far, it appears to be a really healthy staff of 8 people who communicate well with each other, and I'm pretty sure they're ready to pass off some of the details and stuff to their new secretary, yours truly.

I have a new apartment already as well. I found one last week and it somewhat reminds me of mine in Lincoln, which is a great thing since this apartment is one I'll miss like crazy! However, it's past my time limit, and I am going to practice discipline and make myself go to sleep. So, I'll write about it another time.

For now, pray for me as I begin this transition in my life...by myself...5 hours from family and friends, but minutes away from many other friends in Louisville...

And if anyone wants to help me move...I'm taking names! :)

guilty as charged

I'm sad for the Gosselin family. And I'm just as guilty as the next person for being interested in their personal lives, which is possibly one of the contributing factors to their failed marriage. It breaks my heart that with them, you see the effects of the media on family relationships and marriages. The media can be a good thing, but obviously in some cases it highlights the worst of people's lives and forces them to relive it a thousand times over, making it become even more painful than necessary.

Jon & Kate's marriage isn't only caused from the media, as Kate said; the same thing may have happened without the show. Whether or not the media contributed to their separation, it's heartbreaking, and I'm guilty as charged for talking about the lives of people I don't know personally. And so instead of writing on and on about it, I'm just going to pray for their family. They are real people. As are all others in the spotlight of the media who also need our prayers.

Thanks to Jon Weece's encouragement to Southland Christian Church in Lexington, KY to write letters of encouragement to Britney Spears a few years back, I've recently recognized the problem with "celebrity." Though their lives are lived in front of a camera, they are real people with real problems, just like you and me. And I'll pray for them just like I'll pray for my own friends and family. I'd love to place my opinions on this situation, and to throw blanket statements over marriage and the media and whatever else, but instead I'm just going to pray for some peace and love to reign, even in the midst of tragedy, for the Gosselin family. Would you join me?

Who knows...maybe the fact that they have the TV show could be a blessing in disguise. It's creating a way for millions of prayers to be said for them.

the Enneagram

So after reading Shauna Niequist's blog recently about the Enneagram test, I was immediately intrigued and paid my $10 to take the online test tonight. I absolutely love personality tests and continuing to figure out more about who God made me to be, so I'm encouraging you to do the same!

I'll tell you now that I'm a 4...most certainly. Then I'm a 9, 6, and 2.

Go here and take the test for yourself and then let's chat! I'm very curious and am looking forward to learning more about it! So far, my description has been RIGHT ON in terms of accuracy...moreso than any other test I've ever taken. I promise you, this could be one of the most helpful tools in understanding who you are and then who others are and how to interrelate with one another.

music finds

I have a love for music that just might teeter on the border of crazy and obsessive. I can do just about anything I might otherwise hate if I have music in my ears. I used to hate running (in fact, I still do), but I will do it if and only if I'm listening to music. Tonight i ironed about half of my wardrobe for about 2.5 hours (which was very monotonous and annoying) only accomplished with the help of good music in the background. Cleaning? You got it. I need tunes.

I particularly love finding artists that are lesser known, or at least ones that I have never heard of. I'm also partial to songs I can sing along with, especially if there is a harmony part that I can find. If a song doesn't have good vocals, I probably won't listen. Also, the lyrics are usually a make or break for me. I love lyrics that I can relate with.

Lately I've discovered a few artists/songs that I can't stop listening to. It's likely that many other people already have heard them, but if you haven't before now, I'd recommend taking a listen. (I will link their myspace sites where you can listen to several of their songs in full for free. If you like them, you can find them on iTunes I'm sure.) Here's my list:

• Jordan Anderson - www.myspace.com/jandersonmusic (He and his wife, Jessa, play together but write separately. They performed at a work conference I attended at Cedarville University last week, and I can't stop listening to his songs Popular Tree, Silly Masquerade, and Black and White.)
• Jessa Anderson - www.myspace.com/jessaanderson (Again, wife of Jordan Anderson. Her voice was flawless and smooth in person. Melodies are a little cornier to some songs, but I really like Fundamentally Broken, None But You, and What Are You Looking For)
• Eric Hutchinson - www.myspace.com/erichutchinson (He's been around, but somehow I missed the boat on this one. I looked up the lyrics to his song Breakdown More after hearing it on the auditions for So You Think You Can Dance and that's how I found him, and the rest is history. I'm going to see him tomorrow night in Madison, WI. I'm telling you, when I like what I hear, I'm an instant fan.)
• Kings of Leon - www.myspace.com/kingsofleon (Again, not new at all, but suddenly they're everywhere. I'm in love with the song Use Somebody. Beautiful music.)
• Matt White - www.myspace.com/mattwhitemusic (Not sure where I first heard it, but I think just, you know, around... ??? His song Love was on the movie Because I Said So, which I love, so I think I may have heard him first on there. That song and Best Days are the 2 I keep listening to.)
• Meiko - www.myspace.com/meiko (I just looked her up solely because she's opening for Eric Hutchinson tomorrow night in Madison. Piano Song, Under My Bed, and Boys with Girlfriends are my faves of her songs.)
• Nathan Angelo - www.myspace.com/nathanangelo (Actually I've been a fan of his for about 2 years now I think? The odd thing is, only one person I know, Mike Sheagren, also owns his CD, and when I found that out, I was overly happy. I think Mike thought I was weird, but I was just shocked and glad someone else appreciated Nathan's goodness. All of his songs are great, but the 2 not on his album that I just found are Born to Love You and I Need a Woman. If you like Gavin Degraw, you will LOVE him. And sidenote: Andy Davis is helping produce some of his new stuff, so in case you like Andy...there you go.)
• Rosi Golan - www.myspace.com/rosigolan (I actually blogged about her song Been a Long Day awhile back, but she writes and sings beautifully. I go through spurts where I listen to Been a Long Day and Come Around repeatedly. Gorgeous.)
• Steve Means - www.myspace.com/stevemeans (I think I linked to him from Nathan Angelo's page, which is how I find tons of great music. LOVE his song You & Me. Makes me feel like summer.)
• Anuhea - www.myspace.com/anuheajams (Thanks to the iTunes weekly free songs, I downloaded her song Right Love, Wrong Time and went on an instant mental vacation. Since she's Hawaiian, she has a similar beachy sound to Colbie Caillat, but I'm thinking a few songs sound redundant in melody. But I do love Right Love, Wrong Time.)

I think that's enough for now...I just like sharing good music that I find. If you know of anything else I should be listening to, pass it along! Finding music that I really like is probably my favorite thing in the world.

on hope and painting

It's been awhile...so I'll try to capture a bit of what's been on my mind these days. I haven't been in the writing rhythm lately, so it may be a little muddled and incoherent. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get better at sitting down to write one of these days...

Do you ever just get to that point where there's so much going on that you're just overwhelmed and don't know where to begin? That's a little bit of where I'm at, so I'm choosing to just focus in on one thing I've been thinking about lately: hope.

I've found suddenly that I have an obsession with hope. (That's not such a bad thing, right?) It may have all started with a greeting card. About 2 years ago, a friend lost his grandpa, and I went to buy a sympathy card to send. I'm one of those people who can spend hours in the Hallmark store or in the greeting card aisles at the store, laughing out loud or tearing up at the "perfect" cards. I was trying to choose just the right sympathy card, because if you don't already know this--those are the type of cards where the words really do matter. You know, birthday cards or wedding cards can simply say "Happy birthday" or "Congratulations" and be sufficient, but a sympathy card has to be chosen specifically for each situation. Having lost my dad about 6 months prior, I was still a little sensitive to finding a card with just the right words. And then I found one that has stuck in my mind ever since. Based on I Thessalonians 4, it said on the inside:

"Thankful that we do not grieve as those who have no hope."

For some reason, it took that greeting card to remind me of that verse, and even more, the idea that we have hope. Grieving is a much different process when you know the one you loved and lost is in heaven. I've said it before that I'm not sure how others grieve those who did not know Jesus in their lives on earth. Hope is what brings forth joy even in times of tragedy.

Since then, the word 'hope' has been one of my favorite words.

And recently, I found this painting on Etsy.com that I just loved immediately. I've been on a streak of painting some canvases to hang in my living room based on cute things or other pictures I find on Etsy, so I've become fairly decent at re-creating them myself. I wouldn't ever claim the artwork as my own, since I basically copied the ideas from someone else's creativity. So thank you, artists who have contributed on Etsy, for inspiring me to be more creative. (The best part? I enjoy it, and if I mess up, I get to keep on trying. And if I don't like it in a month, I'll just paint over it again!)

So, I re-created the 'hope' painting twice--in 2 color schemes: one is blue and red, and the other is yellow, orange, and green with letters in white. I'm not crazy about the colors as of now, so I may be changing it. It's sitting on a shelf in my living room until I decide how I feel about it. (I may try to post pics soon...)

Anyhow, 'hope' has been one of the things on my mind, so I spent some time the other night going through scripture and was reminded of this verse in Lamentations that I just love:

"I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail."

The Lord's great love? His unfailing compassion? His Son? We have no better reason to have hope than this.

lately...

I'll be honest. Somehow simultaneously I've got very little to say and yet so much to say. I'm processing a lot these days, but nothing is at the surface. I've logged into blogger several times, started to create a post, and have just sat and stared at a blank screen.

I'm not sure where to begin.

My heart is heavy these days, and it's burdened and weighed down by more things than I can even count or begin to write about.

But tonight I read my blogger friend Kate's words, and I'm reminded of so much more than my own burdens. So instead of me writing, I'll just direct you there so you can read her beautifully crafted words for all they're worth. And to me, tonight, they're worth a lot. So, thanks for sharing, Kate.

Observations

One of my favorite things in the world is to watch people. It seems I write about it here often; whenever I seem to sit in a coffee shop or Panera (my current location) or the like, I end up documenting my interesting observations. Tonight for some reason, my senses are just heightened by the scenes around me and I'm enamored by the beautiful, tangled, delicate world around me.

Here are some of the things I've witnessed tonight:

• "The Catbed Crew" - I'm naming the group of ladies sitting to my right "The Catbed Crew." I still have no idea what kind of organization or business they represented, but these middle-aged women were planning some sort of big event. I overheard them saying they needed to get home to feed the animals. And on the table next to the 6-8 of them, there sat 3 of those fuzzy beds that cats can lay in. No cats, just the catbeds. One leopard print, one tiger print, and one cheetah print. I wanted to ask, but I thought the mystery of it all would be more entertaining.
• I'm also witnessing something that I think is absolutely beautiful: an entire familiy or group of people in conversation with each other, engaged in community with one another...in silence. They're speaking in sign language. They have two small children who don't appear to be deaf (because I can hear them), and I find it beautiful. I love thinking about their lives, wondering how their family functions and operates at home on a dailiy basis. It's a beautiful thing to witness other languages, including sign language.
• To my left, a mother sat eating with her two daughters who were also doing homework and taking turns on the phone speaking to their father. It was almost obvious from the conversations I overheard that the girls' parents were divorced, and this weekend they were going to spend with their dad. Mom seemed hurried, rushed, and a little frustrated. She thought it was time to get going and even said "You're going to see him tomorrow" to quickly end their conversation. I felt sad for the girls, the mom, the dad. I wondered what kind of situation occurred, how the girls' lives were affected, and if the mom was unhappy. Thankfully, I never came from a home of split or divorced parents, and I can't imagine the difficulty and stress it incurs on the parties involved.
• In front of me, a mother sat with her teenage daughter and elementary-school-aged son who was practicing his spelling. They were having a really good time giving him words to spell, and the teenage daughter was making him spell a funny sentence. I loved their laughter, but even more, I loved how it reminded me of my own childhood and how I used to make everyone give me words to spell. FYI: I was quite a spelling champ. I placed 6th in our county in 6th grade. Unfortunately I got out on the word "mandatory" (yes, a word partially based on my own name...I replaced the second 'a' with an 'i'). I distinctly remember sitting in my Grandma Mary & Grandpa Don's little kitchen asking for difficult words to spell. My favorite word to spell was antidisestablishmentarianism. I still like spelling it out. :)
• My other observation has nothing to do with people, but yet everything: the weather. All day today, it was beautiful outside in Lincoln-80 degrees and sunny, and I was in the office all day. (Insert your pity here...) Upon leaving work, I decided to drive to Springfield to drop some clothes off at a consignment shop and get out of Lincoln for the evening. I knew the weatherman was predicting severe thunderstorms for tonight, but I'm fearless and continued on. So what happened? Not twenty minutes down the road, I had to pull off of the interstate due to crazy hail. (I laughed; I always end up driving in a snowstorm, thunderstorm, etc.) About ten minutes later, it passed and was suddenly sunny and I was wearing my sunglasses again.

Whether it be the weather's temperamental nature from sunny to storming or witnessing a family in stressful circumstances next to a family laughing about spelling words, I've observed the world at two extremes in a matter of hours. A family who may have once struggled with the inability to speak and hear audibly overcame with a genuine, warmhearted sense of conversation and community. Even the women planning an event for their animals and cats in beds all brought different personalities and characteristics to the table.

There is such an art in the intricacies of humanity. People's lives are colorful, creating such a beautiful painting that might sometimes appear to be like cans of paint splattered carelessly onto a canvas. This world really is a colorful world. I love that my observations help me see the bigger picture.

Invisible Children

I know that after time, some things or people or ideas can become a bit redundant or superfluous. For example, the song "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga is quickly becoming one of these things. Another example? The swine flu. I'm tired of hearing about it. Maybe redundant or superfluous aren't the right words. Maybe just plain overkill is what I should say.

It's because our society is so accustomed to things being overdone, and we'll avoid overkill at all costs, that we become slightly desensitized to hearing something that's true over and over again. For example, the Gospel. That's more important than what I'm writing this about, but that's not what I'm writing about right now.

You may have already heard about Invisible Children. You've seen them on Oprah in the past, you may have been to a film screening from their first film, or you may have attended a conference at which the organization and purpose was promoted. Child soldiers and abduction may seem like old news to you. I hadn't thought much about it for awhile until I remembered that their worldwide rescue initiative grabbed the attention of Oprah on Friday, and I just got around to watching this clip (highlight from Oprah) about their recent efforts to stop child abduction and child soldiers in Africa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAENDkB8FSU

I realize Oprah isn't everyone's favorite person, but I really appreciate her. I think she holds a lot of power, but I think she chooses to use it to make the world better by bringing attention to things that need to be given light. Friday morning, she didn't have to give the people from Invisible Children who were standing in the street and sleeping in the streets for 6 days the time of day, but she chose to give them about five minutes of airtime that day--on a show that is planned out and programmed months in advance, I'm sure. That's pretty awesome.

So, in light of our proneness to become desensitized to all things overdone--including Lady Gaga, the Swine Flu, and Oprah--just give Invisible Children a second, third, or fourth look. They're raising worldwide awareness to something that's actually making a difference. And they're bringing it to the attention of our government in June. Be praying for open ears on Capitol Hill.

Go to www.invisiblechildren.com

I'm baaaack!

"I'm baaack!"

Isn't there a little girl saying that in a famous movie? Like Poltergeist? Or was it just that she said "They're heeere..." I'm not sure. Either way, I just thought of her and how my family used to say that I looked like her when I was little. I really did.

Here's her picture:

Now if I had a childhood picture of myself nearby, I'd scan and upload it for you, but I don't. So just take my word for it: I looked exactly like the above photo throughout a large portion of my childhood. Spooky? Maybe.

Anyway, the past month of my life has been quite a whirlwind, but it has mostly been a good one. Hopefully you were able to follow up on my travels to Romania through our group blog: http://www.lccinromania.blogspot.com/ and if not, you'll have to go there to read about it. I had absolutely the best group of students I could have ever asked for. They were incredibly servant-hearted, and it was such a joy to work alongside them for a week. As we were there, and even going into it, we realized that none of what we did might benefit us personally nor would it produce direct or immediate Kingdom results that we could see. The work we did there, however, would somehow have a long-term effect as a small part of the greater Body of Christ. It would assist Rachel in her ministry. Though we couldn't be there long-term to see results, we were able to help plant seeds and cultivate parts of Rachel's ministry. By painting fences and apartments and teaching a few small Bible lessons here and there and playing hand-clapping games with kids in the village, we somehow helped her ministry to advance the Kingdom.

Returning was difficult, but it was exciting knowing that just a few days later I'd find myself laying by a pool or on the beach in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. If you know me, you know that I love warm weather and will do just about anything to lay in the sunshine. Again, I'm not sure how I was born in Illinois...

Family vacation to Florida was great, even if not as relaxing as planned. Evan, my 2-year-old nephew, bless his heart, had a double ear infection and enjoyed two trips to the local pediatrician's office in NSB (which was wonderful, by the way, at taking care of families like ours on vacation). His poor little ears were hurting which led to very little sleep for him as well as the rest of us several nights. Despite that small problem, it was still a great time with the family enjoying "Treats on the Beach" bubble gum ice cream daily (sometimes twice a day...) and fresh seafood (especially yummy crab legs...my favorite these days!). And of course, the sunshine was amazing...and I brought home a nice tan as a souvenir. Don't be jealous.

It's taken me awhile to catch up, but I think I'm finally there. At least now my blog is somewhat caught up, and hopefully someday soon I'll have something other than my travels to write about. For now, I'm off to do some other writing of my own...

back and gone again...

So I didn't have a chance to write since I returned from Romania (3 days ago), and I'm heading out early tomorrow morning for family vacation to Florida. I'm not taking my computer in effort to truly vacate, otherwise I'd promise to recap and write while there.

For things to read about the Romania trip, head over to http://www.lccinromania.blogspot.com

I'll write more when I get back from Florida! :-) I'm looking forward to playing on the beach and by the pool with my almost-6-year-old niece and almost-2-year-old nephew, mom, sis, and bro-in-law. It's definitely my nephew's first time to the beach and only Maddy's second (she was really little the first time, though...) so it should be fun to introduce them to the ocean and sand!

pause

In the midst of about a billion things going on today and me feeling like I'm in Jesse Spano mode, I'm taking a brief pause to write.

In case I haven't updated everyone, I'm leaving tomorrow on my third adventure to Oradea, Romania. I'm taking a group of 10 students + 2 friends+ me (13 of us total) to a place that has somehow become near and dear to my heart over the past 3-4 years. We leave campus in approximately 19 hours and fly out of Chicago in 25.5 hours. About 9 hours later, we'll land in Zurich, Switzerland, and then several hours later fly out toward Budapest, Hungary, ride in a van for 3 hours and arrive at our final destination: Caminul Felix in Oradea, Romania.

While the place where we stay, Caminul Felix, is a ministry organization itself, we'll be working primarily with Rachel Ross--a friend and alum of Lincoln Christian College as well. Rachel followed the burden God put on her heart for abandoned children in Romania and went there years ago to work with abandoned babies in the hospitals. Since then, she began building relationships and sharing Jesus with gypsy families in the village of Tinca. Out of that grew a ministry she began called Forget Me Not Ministries, and God has been working by providing support and opportunities for this ministry to grow. You can read more about what she's doing at http://www.fmnministries.org/.

Why Romania? Why gypsies?

* Romania has a population of 22,303,052 in an area that is roughly the size of Oregon
* The average income = $100/month
* Poverty is widespread, and umemployment has risen while living standards have fallen.
* There are 5,000 children abandoned every year.
* 31.8% of the babies left at hospitals have no identity papers, so are considered "invisible."
* There are currently 29,000 children currently in institutions.
* 15% of Romania's population is Roma (Gypsies), who are greatly discriminated against.
* 80% of the abandoned children in institutions and hospitals are Roma (Gypsies).
* 1.4 to 2.5 million of the population consists of Roma (Gypsies).

These statistics are just one thing, but when you come face-to-face with the reality that these people (gypsies) are not even considered human by the rest of culture, the statistics come to life. And when you meet some of the children who have beautiful smiles on their faces, despite the fact that they were locked in a cellar or left under a bridge or were not held for the first year of their lives, the statistics don't even mean much anymore. Each little smile and each precious life becomes more important than any number.

The kids have stolen little pieces of my heart every time I have been (this will be my third trip), and I'm sure I'll return in 10 days with a little more of it there.

But somehow, each time a little piece of my heart is stolen by them, my heart becomes more whole.

These words of Bethany Dillon's song "Beggar's Heart" have been resounding in my heart:

Hands reaching through barred windows

Falling asleep on the sidewalk

You say You draw near to the low

Now I'm here, I know I'm not low enough

Because all the things I know

Suddenly seem so small

When You build, it feels like You tear me apart

When you heal, it always leaves a scar

And even when You fill, You leave me with a beggar's heart

I pray that each of us will return with a beggar's heart. I'm excited to see what God is going to do in the next 2 weeks. Please feel free to follow our blog at http://www.lccinromania.blogspot.com/. Each of us will hopefully be posting on there throughout the trip.

Thanks for your prayers!

decision made.

So, I've made my decision. (As though the world has been waiting and watching to see what I'm going to do...)

I'm gonna stick with blogger. I feel as though switching to Wordpress would be a fun change, but I'd rather simplify my life and stick with blogger. I realized I could customize my header photo on here, so I might as well stay here.

Thanks Christine for your one vote. :) I considered it...hehe.

For now, here I am.

And I created a blog for my Romania group to journal on throughout our trip in 9 days, so I'll introduce you to that in the near future...stay tuned.

quick update

#1: First things first, I'm writing in orange for my BFF Bruce Weber and the Illini. Let's hope they can pull off a win tonight... (By the way, did I mention I flew with Brucey a few weeks ago when I went to Florida with my mom and friends Lindsey and Chelsea? Yep. Hung out w/ him in the airport. OK, sat by him as we waited to board. OK, just sat right behind where he was and snuck cell phone pics of him and let him have his space...there you have it. But we flew w/ him from Bloomington to Atlanta.)

#2: I'm a sucker for March Madness. I don't pay any attention to basketball the rest of the year (except for Illinois) because there's too many teams to follow and keep up with. But March Madness? I'm all in.

#3: I'm strongly considering moving my blog to Wordpress. You can check out http://www.mandarin21.wordpress.com/ and see what you think. I just think it's better, and I like being able to create my own header. I'm bored with blogger. Any opinions?

#4: The other day I saw Abe Lincoln. On a bicycle. Looking at something in the dumpster behind my apartment. For real. He looked just like Abe. I said hi, but I didn't know if he was a nice Abe or not, so I sorta hurried up the stairs. It made my day though.

#5: I've been thinking about customer service lately, because I've had some really rude people make my burritos or take my clothes at the consignment shop or check me out at stores. I take that back. Not all were rude, but some were just plain ignorant of the fact that I was the customer and they were the worker. I hope I never treat people like that. I'm glad I'm aware. I suppose partially because it's a huge part of my job, and partially because I was educated in Business well enough to know that it's vital. And it's just common sense, isn't it?

#6: I really need to start writing more. I have all of these things in my head that need to get out, so this is an attempt to get my fingers writing again. I promise, more substance in the future... For now, you get my crazy thoughts.

#7: I'm hungry, so I'm done. Just letting the 3 of you who read this know that I'm still alive, and saving you from having to read my thoughts on The Bachelor at the top of the page yet again.