What a day!

Phew!!! College Freshmen have junk! Seriously! and they think they can squeeze their entire house (including the kitchen sink) into a room that is near 9ft by 5 ft. (ok maybe a bit bigger, but not much!) But they do show some great ingenuity and end up configuring everything to their taste and create a successful living area of their choice!

Today was freshmen move in day. There was such a great buzz on campus. Excitement, stress, anxiousness, independence, anticipation, and maybe some saddness. I had a conversation with a younger brother (yeah! I was doing my job today!!) of a incoming freshmen girl. He was excited for her but said that he is really going to miss his big sister. He said she mentioned she planned on coming home alot...she was going to miss the family. I remember being at a totally different place. I wanted to go home, but wanted to spread my wings of independence.

As this new year begins I'm excited to see who these freshmen become. They will find their place here at AU, and take the next steps into their big new future!

So for the next year, I will let my arms rest. I should probably start working out so that I can be prepared for next year's freshmen and all that their little cars may bring!

Solid Truth

I've been reading. Simple statement, but it has taken a some effort to get as far as I have in this great book.




Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith.

Its been out for a while. I've had it on my bookself for 2 years, if not going on 3. I started it once, but as it goes with most books I start...I get halfway through and stop. Not because it isn't a good book, I most likely got distracted or enticed by another good read. But I'm glad, very glad that I came back to this one. I highly recommend it to everyone no matter where you are in your faith journey. It will definitely help you think.

As I'm nearing the end of the book, one thing resinated enough with me that I wanted to blog it out.

"...if people were taught more about who they are, they wouldn't have to be told what to do. It would come naturally." He goes on to say..."The point isn't sin management. The point is who we are now."

I may have ripped the page I underlined those phrases in such a strong, loud "Amen!!!" fashion. How true is that. If we taught more about who they are...If we spoke truth into the lives of those around us and less negativity, how would we live differently?

If we told children more of the truth...that they are good, that they are whole, that they are loved, that they are valued, that they are here for a specific purpose...how much more would they live up to that. What if we told children other than our own, that they matter, that they are made to do great things, that they were made to choose great things and not do so in a condescending demeanor. Not as if it is an expectation, but that it is a truth about them.  We all know how impressionable they are.  If you tell a young adolescent that they are funny because they did a certain thing, do they not typically try and replicate what they just did over and over and over and over again to get  laugh? 

We need to lay claim to the lives of the youth in our lives. We need to cover them with these truths. We need to believe these truths about them. We need to believe these truths about ourselves too. We ALL are created for greatness. Christ died so we could see our potential and we miss the point (don't get hung up on your shortcomings though, thats missing the point).  

This book so far has been one of those divine appointments. I'm reading it at the right time. A time where I have been questioning where I'm at and really reevaluating what this whole thing called life is really about.

Read the book. I am wanting someone to chew on it and dialogue with me!!!

2012 Olympic Hopeful

Watch out world. I may be entering the Olympics the next time around.

I just found out that Walking is an Olympic sport.....I start training tomorrow, after my foot rub.

The Ultimatum

So I asked my husband for a foot rub tonight. For some reason my dogs are just aching.

Wait let me take you back a few minutes earlier in the conversation. He was sitting down with the computer and was ready to put it away and asked if I needed it. I said no...I'm good for the evening and ready to just relax. He laid it down to join me on the couch and finish up the evening with the Olympics (we just missed Phelp's 7th Gold, we're totally addicted) But he jumped back up to grab the computer for something and I jokingly said "Oh you need to blog tonight?" (He's always blogging!) He said no but YOU need to blog. You haven't blogged in a while. I gave him my typical..."whatever, I've had things to do" response.

As he was sitting next to me I asked him to rub my feet. He replied..."I'll rub your feet if you blog tonight."

So I blogged! (sorry if you were hoping for something more exciting or life changing or deep)

And now I'm off to get my feet rubbed and watching Torres swim to glory!

Recent Obession

So, typically I find a new song, new idea, new webpage, new something or other and I can get quite addicted. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that is like this, so I thought I might share my new obsession with others who share the same obsession or possibly to enlighten others of this great "new" thing that has come my way.

So if you have seen the Movie Mamma Mia....it is a slight bit different than the stage production I'm sure. But I LOVE IT!!! It is a modern day version of the stage production. I have a few friends who have seen it 2 or even 3 times. (I would if I had a better budget!) The music just plays through your head, even a few weeks after seeing it. I had to download the soundtrack the night after I saw the movie....that's not normal for me!!

I love it. I wish I had a soundtrack that played through out my life. On those good days, I think Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves would be playing. Or maybe Cut Loose by Kenny Login's would be playing some days. And there'd be plenty of sweet sappy music playing, maybe some Marvin Gaye too. OH I'd have a great soundtrack to listen to. And maybe just a select few could have this power (kind of like a super hero power). Because honestly, if everyone had this power then it would just be an absolute mess and really annoying.

But until I am granted that great power, dancing and singing in the comfort and privacy of my own home to the sounds of Mamma Mia will just have to do...

Attempted Burglary!

Last night we returned from a trip to see family in the Quad Cities.  As I was sifting through emails, staring out the window I see a band of brothers approaching our house and I knew they were up to no good.  

We had finished unpacking the car and had left the garage door open.  I knew  they were headed straight towards the garage and were going to take whatever they could get their hands on.  So I jumped off the couch and screamed "Shut the GARAGE!!  Jose get the Garage door!!" He has no clue what is going on so his response time was rather slow.  

I get out in the garage just in time to keep them from really entering.  They went running across the street to hide.  At this point Jose finally realizes what I had been screaming about and was very relieved that I had cat like reflexes!

When he went across the street, he saw the band of brothers who were about to rob us of whatever they could....

Here are three of the lovely boys.  Their other two brothers we saw a bit later.   Jose was taking the mug shots of our three friends in the tree when a neighbor couple drove by and were intrigued by our odd behavior at 10pm.  So we were chatting about our attempted burglary when we became under seige once again. 

One more tried for the sneak attack as he was hiding in the bushes next to the garage.  He must have been the look out!    He actually made it all the way to the door that goes into the kitchen.  Have no fear...that door was tightly shut.  Jose managed to scare him out of the garage with a hockey stick.  (No harm was done to Jose or the raccoon) We lost him though.  We knew he wasn't in the garage, but didn't know where he went exactly.  So we just continued talking with the neighbors.  He eventually made a break for the tree's to join his brothers.  

But the last brother was rather tubby.  We affectionately called him Fatboy.  It took him a few tries to make it up the small tree.  

This was the entertainment for the night!  Trying to watch Fatboy make it all the way up the tree and out of sight.  

Eventually, they realized we weren't to much of a threat and they struggled their way down the tree and ran off further off across the street.  Fatboy was the last to make it down the tree and sluggisly run over to the next tree to climb.  

Who knew living in the city would be full of such crazy wildlife!  First it was a dead opossum (Jose did take that poor animals life, but not on purpose).  Now it was an attempted robbery by 5 Raccoons!

What I like..

There are a lot of things that I enjoy in this life, but here are a few I enjoy more than others...

1.  Having a dog.  More importantly, having Izzy around...

2.  I enjoy my Mac.  Once you go Mac, you never go back. (Ok sorry, it has to be cheesy!)

3. I enjoy a good meal.  I enjoy trying new foods and sharing new foods with other people.

3.5  I have become really fond of soy milk and soy yogurt!

4.  I enjoy good friends.  We had some great friends stop through and visit us this week.  You can make new friends, but you definitely can't replace the old ones!

5. I love Youth Ministry!...

The middle of July I was in San Antonio Texas...it was hot.  A very nice city to visit. Save up your money and stay on the

 Riverwalk, enjoy some fine dining.  If you need someone to help you with your way around, look up Darrell at the Rio Rio, he listed "Special Services" on his business card.  All kidding aside, I was down there on a "business" trip. By business I mean I was down representing Anderson University at IYC (International Youth Conference for the Church of God).  5,500 or so youth were there plus their youth leaders and other random people. ( We kept the Riverwalk poppin'! )  We were there to work a booth to represent AU as we are a Church of God College and we recruit many students who are in CHOG (thats church of God for future reference) youth ministries.  

I have been out of ministry for the past 6 months and I forgot how great it is.  I sat in the main sessions of this youth conference, and I was in heaven.  My heaven at least, will be full of youth grasping onto a God who is HUGE. 

 To worship with 5,500 youth literally takes my breath away! It is a good reminder of what I am called to do in this life.  It is to love on kids, let them know the Savior that has redeemed me is right there waiting to redeem them, to make them whole again, to create someone new in them. I was challenged that week by the speakers.  Not only by their messages, but by their passion for the Lord and what he has done in their lives.  I don't think I share it as much as I should and with enough passion.  

So these next few months, as Jose and I embark on a new chapter in our lives and living in a dorm, I am going to be praying.  I am going to remember.  I am going to live out the passion inside of me, rather than keeping it all to myself. I'm going to do what I was called to do! I'm going to love on students.