Colors of a Cowboy's Cliche

I was driving home today and I had one of those moments. One of those moments when for a split second it feels like it's just me and the world and everything is absolutely perfect. It was one of those times when I wished I had a camera with me to capture the sunset and the scenery although I don't think that even a camera would have captured how perfect this moment was. At times like that the John Mayer song "3x5" always runs through my mind..."Didn't have a camera by my side this time...hoping I would see the world with both my eyes..." (Yeah, yeah, yeah...give me a hard time because I like John Mayer). Anyhow, it was just perfect...

Didn't have a camera by my side this time
Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes
Maybe I will tell you all about it when
I'm in the mood to lose my way with words

Today skies are painted colors of a cowboy's cliche'
And strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky
Are next to mountains anyway

--John Mayer "3x5"

And for some reason, it made me start to think of all the things I want to do or learn. And I've decided that I need to start a list so I don't forget anything. And apparently I like to start sentences with the word "And" even though my English teachers in school always told me not to. They also told me not to end a sentence with a preposition like I just did. Obiviously I didn't listen very well. But I digress. (I don't think you're supposed to start a sentence with "but" either...ai yi yi...this post is quickly turning into an English lesson...I've never really been one to focus easily...)

So here you have it. The start of Kristi's List. I'm sure many things will be added to it with time.

1. Learn to play golf
2. Go black water rafting
3. Go rock climbing (Like real rock climbing...not a fake wall)
4. Complete a triathalon (not an ironman...I'm not that crazy)
5. Learn to play the guitar
6. Write my own song (complete with lyrics)
7. Write a book (I don't know about what...I'll find something, I'm sure)
8. Travel to every continent...except Antartica (For some reason I just don't find Antartica appealing--and this item alone contains so many sub-items--like I want to travel down the Amazon River, visit the Eiffel Tower, ride an Elephant in Thailand, eat Sushi in Japan, walk along the Great Wall of China, zip line in Costa Rica, kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland, take a gondola down the canals in Venice, traverse the countryside of Tuscany, explore Christian roots in Israel...and oh sooooo much more. I should probably do a single list on this alone).
9. Ride in a hot air balloon
10. Go on a missions trip to Africa (help with Clean Water Initiatives)
11. Build a house that is made from environmentally friendly products
12. Own a hybrid car
13. Learn a second language (I'd like to learn either French or Spanish)
14. Re-learn American Sign Language and become fluent
15. Go white water rafting
16. Plant my own garden of vegetables
17. Teach a college course

Okay, that's a good start. I ended on lucky number 17...what? Never heard 17 being lucky? Well, it is now. Anyhow, if you have suggestions for me to add to my list, I'd be more than happy to oblige. I really just need to find a job that pays a lot and gives a lot of vacation so I can fit all of this in. When Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel quits her job, I'm totally ready to take over for her. Or the crazy Disney girl...I can be the crazy Disney girl.

National Day of Prayer

Thursday, May 1st, is the National Day of Prayer. In a world full of so much conflict, we need prayer now more than ever. With the war, the elections and politics, human rights issues here and abroad and so much more, we have plenty to be praying about.

We spoke recently at small group about what kind of fingerprints we're leaving. While we continue to think about how we can ensure that the fingerprints we are leaving our positive ones, we can also be praying for our nation that we as as a nation can leave positive fingerprints on the world. We're a nation with so much influence on the rest of the world and we have the power to decide what kind of influence we're going to have. In this way, it's important that we pray for God's grace and guidance over our nation that we may be given the clarity to make decisions that honor Him and pray that He would provide the leadership and the resources we need to be a great nation in his eyes.

So I encourage you to find what events are going on in your community for the National Day of Prayer. If there aren't any, gather a group of friends and family and pray. Check the National Day of Prayer website for more information.

Catching up

Tonight was really good. I spent the evening catching up with a couple of friends. Greg and I met up for dinner at DTD. I haven't gotten to really talk to Greg in a good long while, so it was nice to catch up on each other's lives. Funniest part of the night might have been this:

Me: I have to go to the bathroom.
Greg: There's one over here.
(We walk towards the bathroom)
Greg: I'll wait out here.
Me: Okay...haha...That's probably a good idea.
Greg: Yeah I thought so!

Hahaha. Funny kid.

Then I finally got to catch up with Dan. It usually takes us a good couple of days...weeks...okay sometimes even a month or so to get time on the phone because our schedules are so crazy. Little background...Dan and I dated in high school and have just kept in touch through college and now post-college. I like talking to Dan because he's very logical and intelligent. Seriously, he may be one of the smartest people I know. He's never been the type to just accept what someone tells him as the truth, rather he investigates and researches and forms his own opinions on things. It's always interesting to hear what he has to say because I know that he's put a lot of thought into it. Dan's really good about helping me put things into perspective and I truly value his opinion on things I'm dealing with. I'm thankful that God placed Dan in my life during high school and that Dan and I have been able to continue to stay in contact and support each other as we cross new endeavors.

Anyhow, it was a good night of catching up with people I care about.

P.S.--For all of you who were desperately concerned about my iPod, for now, it is better. I was able to listen to some good tunes at work today, so all is well.

Sick...

My iPod is sick...this is not a happy way to start a Monday. I'm attempting to cure him. Oy vey.

Let's Recap

The evening started with dancing and ended with dancing...Let's recap.

The first round of World's for Dance were tonight at Epcot. Erika talked me into going with her and we went and watched some crazy ridiculously good hip-hip performances. Erika and I got really good at picking out the girls that couldn't stay on beat, but there were some groups that totally knew their stuff.

Afterwards, Erika dropped me off at home and Hilary and I headed out to the movies. We went to see Baby Mama and it was seriously the funniest movie I've seen to-date. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are amazing. Seriously, this movie was like an extended version of SNL at its absolute finest. I will own this movie when it comes out on video. And to be honest, I may even see it again in the theaters. It was THAT funny that I may just pay another 9 dollars to see it...Call me crazy.

The movie got out around 11:30 and Hilary and I decided that was perfect timing to head to PI. Best decision of our lives. I don't know what was funnier--the movie or the dancing. Upon walking into Motion we spotted an older Italian man who had conquered the front corner of the dance floor. He was shakin' his thang like he just didn't care. And his white booty shorts were oh so hot (sense my sarcasm?). Hilary and I then decided to go check out the other side of the dance floor where we came across 2 middle aged couples. One couple was super preppy and totally getting into the dancing. It was like mom and dad finally got a night away from the kids and were reliving their college glory days. They were cute (although I don't know if "cute" is necessarily what you're going for at a dance club). Hilary spotted the second couple. The lady was trying to grind on the guy, but was more just bumping her butt around as they guy stood there pretending to dance. It was very awkward. Right on cue, the Cha-Cha slide came on at midnight and we totally hit the dance floor. We then found some of Hilary's friends who can hip-hop and break dance crazy awesome. And not much later I found out that my roommate's got moves too! Hilary was busting it out and even caught the attention of a couple of the guys. I think our favorite part of the night was when Mr. Moneypants came out to dance. Mr. Moneypants started by wearing one of those eye covers that you wear when you sleep and dancing with it on. We're still not sure why we should be impressed by this. He then just started pulling money out of his pants and throwing it around while continuing to grab his crotch region. I may not be the world's hip-hop expert, but I believe I know enough to say that this definitely doesn't qualify as dancing...unless you're Michael Jackson (according to Hilary). It seriously was like watching a car accident...you want to look away, but you just can't! Anyhow, Hilary got in a few dance offs with her friend and another kid we met. All along, I mocked some of the people I saw dancing for good laughs and then broke out a few moves myself...I know I know...you're all impressed. Hahaha. We decided it was time to head out when 2 semi-strange guys tried to cut in when Hilary and I were dancing and we had to ask her friend to save us....Thanks Hilary's friend.

It was a good night. Hilary and I both decided we're old though--me more than her, probably--as I'm complaining about my hip and knee hurting afterwards. Hahaha...darn arthritis.

Oh, yeah, I forgot one of the best parts. While walking through the parking lot after the movie before we went dancing (I needed to drop stuff off in my car), Hilary was leading the way while I was on my phone texting. She couldn't find my car so I looked up to find it. Right after I found my car and we were walking towards it, I looked back down for a second and then ran right into a car. Yeah, we were 110% sober...I'm just that much of a klutz. At least I made my roommate laugh :)

Now I need to go work on my dance moves in front of the mirror...

The Mocha Club & Ginny Owens

Being part of change is so easy. My favorite cause that makes it easy to make a difference is The Mocha Club. For just 7 dollars a month (the equivilant of giving up your Starbucks or coffee shop run twice a month), you can aid Africa by supporting projects such as child mothers, education, HIV/AIDS relief, job creation, orphan care, Sudan regrowth and more. The Mocha Club sponsers mission trips on occasion as well so you can have the opportunity to firsthand see where your money is going and the influence it is having on an entire continent.

What I think is really cool about The Mocha Club is that it's supported and promoted by musicians all across the nation. I first heard of The Mocha Club at a Matt Wertz concert. The next time I saw Matt Wertz in concert (with Dave Barnes), I felt really convicted that this was something so simple that I could do that was going to have such a huge impact. No matter what my income is, I can give 7 dollars a month. To a culture of seemingly forgotten people, 7 dollars reminds them that they aren't forgotten. They are loved by God and they will be restored. What an amazing movement and something that I believe God is calling all of us to. No longer can we live in the bubble of our American lives complaining that we don't have this or that when there are people all over the world who have gone without their entire lives. Just 7 dollars. That's all it takes.

Even more exciting for me, I now have the opportunity to give back again. I received an email from The Mocha Club yesterday asking for volunteers to help run their table at concerts for Matt Wertz, Dave Barnes, and Ginny Owens. Ginny's concert just so happens to fall on a Friday night not far from where I live, so I jumped at the opportunity. I want everyone to know about The Mocha Club and how easy it is for them to be the change and an extra bonus, I get to hear Ginny sing! I'm not super familiar with all of Ginny's music, but I've heard a few songs before and she is truly a phenomenal artist. Her story in itself is amazing. Ginny Owens is a blind musician who hasn't let anything stand in the way of her dreams and her mission to fulfill her purpose. My favorite song of hers is "Free." Check it out.

Turnin' molehills into mountains,
Makin' big deals out of small ones,
Bearing gifts as if they're burdens,
This is how it's been.

Fear of coming out of my shell,
Too many things I can't do too well,
afraid I'll try real hard, and I'll fail--
This is how it's been.

Till the day
You pounded on my heart's door,
And You shouted joyfully,
"You're not a slave anymore!"

"You're free to dance-
Forget about your two left feet
And you're free to sing-
even joyful noise is music to Me
You're free to love,
'Cause I've given you My love,
and it's made you free

My mind finds hard to believe
That You became humanity
and changed the course of history,
Because You loved me so.

And my heart cannot understand
Why You'd accept me as I am,
But You say You've always had a plan,
And that's all I need to know.

So when I am consumed by what the world will say,
it's Then You're singing to me, as You remove my chains

And this is how it went...

I was talking to Phil last night and we were discussing one of the soccer teams he coaches. He was telling me about a player on his team who is really good. The conversation went something like this...

Phil: Yeah this kid is really good. He's probably better than I was at his age.
Me: So you're saying that someday you may be taking lessons from him?
Phil: Maybe. But you never know what's going to happen. He could get burnt out and not like it anymore. Or he could get into drugs...or girls...
Me: HAHA. Hold up. Did you really just compare girls to drugs?!?
Phil: Yeah, you know, they're a distraction...
Me: Yeah, but I hardly think that girls are at the same level as drugs!
Phil: Well, just take it as a compliment that you all have that affect on guys...
Me: Oh boy...

What would I do without him? Seriously. Never a dull moment. Never.

Race Review--IOA 5k

It's that time again. Kristi's race review. I know, I know. You've all been in suspense waiting anxiously for my next review. Okay, maybe not. Humor me. 'k thanks.

The IOA 5k is put on by the Insurance Office of America (I think? I'm really just too lazy to go Google it, so we'll go with Insurance Office of America). Anyhow, it's a corporate 5k meaning that you have to sign up as a team from your company. Disney has always had quite a few people participate, but it's typically a bunch of teams from a variety of departments. This year, however, Disney paid for entry fees so we could have one giant team. There were over 1600 runners representing Disney at the IOA 5k.

The course itself was pretty good. It was flat and fast. However, the organization of the race was not so fun. Unlike most races in Central Florida, there were no time chips, therefore, no official timing. That also meant that the clock time is your time, and for me, the clock time was 55 seconds slower than my real time (translation for you non-runners: it took me 55 seconds to cross the start line b/c there were so many people). It was incredibly crowded (which is typical of most road races), but there wasn't any pace seperation/identification at the start, so there were ultra slow walkers at the front and faster runners in the back (yes, this is a HUGE pet peeve of mine...if you're gonna walk or if you're slow--GET TO THE BACK...ai yi yi).

The weather conditions were not so ideal. Lately in Central Florida the weather has been pretty mild, but tonight it was pretty warm. At least it was just a 5k and not a longer race.

After the race, Disney gave all of it's runners a free meal and it was good, so I can't complain! There was also free beer available, but for some reason, beer just doesn't seem all that appealing after I've finished running. I'll take a bottle of water, thanks.

So there you have it. I'm glad I didn't pay for the race, but it was really cool to see a bunch of other Cast Members out there running. I saw a ton of people I knew so it was cool to catch up with them.

Now you can all wait in suspense until my next edition of Race Review. The Minnie Marathon is quickly approaching. And I'm very much looking forward to it...9.3 miles! :)

Happy Running!

Wikipedia...according to Ryan

According to Ryan (coworker and unfortunately, a Gator fan...blech) this is what Wikipedia has to say about Ohio Dominican University:

Ohio Dominican University is a coed, four-year private Roman Catholic liberal arts university in Columbus, Ohio, USA, that was made up by Kristi Kratzer.

HA HA. I have yet to check Wikipedia myself, but I believe this may be slightly inaccurate compared to what Wikipedia really says. I do know, though, that Wikipedia says:

THE Ohio State University Buckeyes. A million times better than the gross University of Florida Gators.

Haha...or maybe not.

An Ohio Vacation!

It's official. Approval for time off work--check. Place to stay (aka Koebel's house)--check. Plane ticket--check. I'M GOING TO OHIO!!! I'm super, mega, totally, ultra, ridiculously STOKED. I'll be there for 5 days!! That's like, a long time!! And yes, I did buy a round trip ticket, so I will be coming back. Anyhow, I'll be in Columbus from July 2-July 8 (early morning), so let's start making plans!!

P.S.--I know, I know, I know. While most people go on exotic vacations to the Bahamas or the Beach or Hawaii, I choose to spend my vacation time in Ohio. My parents always told me I was special :)

Never a better time for a run

I have a new lunchtime addiction. Nope, it's not the new lunch special at Chili's (although, I do recommend the soup and salad combo!). My new Tuesday lunchtime ritual is running. Yeah, I'm becoming one of "those" people. Those people that go to the gym on their lunch break. And to tell you the truth. I love it. Tuesdays are soooo much better now. Normally, my Tuesdays are pretty low key. I rarely have any meetings, so I end up working at my desk all day. I get antsy really really easily, so I decided last week to give running on my lunch break a try. And no joke, I could concentrate so much better that afternoon. I did it again today (mostly because I slept in this morning and had stuff going on tonight so it was the only time I could run), but once again, my Tuesday afternoon was a million times better. So next Tuesday, if you're looking for me between 12:15ish and 1:15ish, I'll be on the treadmill logging miles.

Healthy Addiction, right?

So I have an addiction. There. I admitted it. That's the first step in the 12 step process, right? I have an addiction to music, and therefore, concerts. In the last 20 minutes I've purchased concert tickets for OneRepublic with Dave Barnes and Matt Wertz as well as 2 albums on iTunes. That's reasonable, right??? Lucky for me (not so lucky for my wallet) I have some friends that love music and concerts even more than I do, so finding someone to go to a concert I want to go to isn't very difficult. Even better, my friends have very similar tastes in music so they're usually the ones telling me what concerts are happening in the area. I couldn't ask for anything better. So, in less than a month, I will be seeing 2 of my absolute favorite singer/songwriters at House of Blues. Dave and Matt, I cannot wait until I see you again.

As for the 2 albums I purchased. One was OneRepublic and I'm going to see them in concert, so that is totally justifiable. The other was Tristan Prettyman. One of her songs, "Madly" was the free download of the week on iTunes and I loved it, so I purchased the whole album. It was only $5.99!! How could I pass that up?!? And iTunes, I have to give it to you. You really do have a pretty good taste in music most of the time. The free download of the week has introduced me to some pretty amazing artists. I believe it's where I first heard of Sara Bareilles waaaay before she hit it big...like almost a year ago. So props to you iTunes for continually taking money from me.

Now the debate is, do I want to go to the Augustana concert...I think I do...I need to go look between the couch cushions for loose change to feed this addiction. I'm also accepting donations. You can make your check directly out to me if you'd like to help support my music addiction ;)

P.S.--The Indelible Grace concert Sunday night was phenomenal. Matthew Smith and all of the artists who are part of the Indelible Grace project are truly talented individuals. And someday I will learn how to play the pedal steel guitar....right after I master the Kazoo.

Did you feel the Earth tremble?

Rainstorms, windstorms, hail, snow, sleet, flooding, lightening, tornadoes. These are all weather occurances that one typically expects to experience at some point when living in the midwest. Now, you can throw into that mix, earthquakes. Apparently early Friday morning an earthquake occured near the Illinois/Indiana state line and the quake was felt all the way in Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. I lived in Ohio for nearly 22 years and never once felt an earthquake. I'm not gonna lie, I'm slightly disappointed that I missed out on this occurance (granted, I'm not saying that I want to experience a full-fledge California-like Earthquake). No one in my family apparently felt the earthquake, but I've heard from others who claim they have. All in all, I'm just really amazed by it all. Here are some links to news stories about it:

WBNS 10Tv News
CNN
Columbus Dispatch

Need a Shoeshine?

So here's my pondering after traveling this weekend.

Why are there so many places to get your shoes shined in an airport?

Sure. I get it--to an extent. If you're traveling on business, you want your shoes to look good when you step off the plane in Idaho to make that crucial sale to the potato farmer (yeah, I have no idea where that came from). But what about the salesmen/women who don't travel. Where do they go to get their shoes shined? I mean, you don't find shoeshine benches inside the local mall. But ya know what? Come to think of it, I never actually see anyone working at those shoeshine places. So I suppose that leads me to another question...are shoeshine places part of architectural requirements for airports?

I don't really believe anyone actually uses these places (even if they did have someone working at them!). So, if you do, I'd like to know.

Happy Graduation!

Nothing beats celebrating your high school Graduation...at the Magic Kingdom...at Disney...5 years after you've graduated. Yep. It's that time of year again. It's time for thousands of hormone raging high school seniors to fill the Magic Kingdom until a ridiculous hour of the night (or should I say morning). And of course, Melissa and I went to check it out. These were the highlights of our adventure:

-Watching fireworks from the top of Casey's Corner
-Passing The Last Goodnight in the Tunnels
-Having high school seniors make comments about how I'm not old to be a chaperone or work at Disney (apparently I look like I'm 16. Meh. Whatever.)
-Going to Cinderella's Royal Table, having Ne-Yo walk in and seeing the roomful of high school girls go absolutely crazy. Seriously. I heard one girl freak out because "He touched my back!" Oh. My.
-Riding behind a hilarious guy on Space Mountain who kept making the funniest noise every time the ride turned or dropped. I wish I could have recorded the sound. Funny man.
-Seeing two sets of Doublemints (as coined by Melissa; definition- n. twins who are wearing the exact same outfit). We saw male Doublemints and female Doublemints. And yes. We were tempted to introduce them to each other. They could have then gone on a double date (riding bikes together like in the commercial, of course).
-Meeting a chaperone who went to OSU, telling him I went to a small school near OSU and then having him tell me this story once he heard where I went to school: "Oh yeah! I totally know where that's at. When I first arrived in Columbus, my mom and I ended up at ODU's campus and I thought 'Uh...this seems a bit small to be OSU and there's a church on the campus.' Then I realized I was at ODU and not OSU." HAHAHAHA. I proceeded to ask him if all the nuns walking around tipped him off too. Then we bonded in true Buckeye form and shared a brief second of our love for Scarlet and Gray. It was good.

Anyhow, this year's Grad Nite is the last to be at the Magic Kingdom. Next year it makes its debut apperance at Disney's Hollywood Studios. So Congratulations Class of 2008. You graduated high school. I was worried you wouldn't make it.

Dreamer

We talked about being a Dreamer recently at church and it's just really been on my mind a lot lately. I've always been a Dreamer. I catch myself with my head in the clouds throughout the day. I've had aspirations for as long as I can remember. I can remember back to when I was a child dreaming about what was in store for the future--dreaming about my place in the Great Plan. So often, I think society tells us that as we get older we need to get our head out of the clouds and we need to be logical and reasonable. We need to make safe choices--don't take chances. How completely wrong that is. Greatness comes from dreams--the dreams for a better future, the dreams for achieving new goals, the dreams to become all that you were made to be. I love the feeling of reaching a dream and opening that door to a whole new world of dreams and opportunities.

Now, as I continue to transition into this new phase of my life, I refuse to let go of my dreams. I refuse to accept that there is only one correct path. I refuse to believe that being an adult means that you can't still be a kid. So many dreams left to achieve. So many dreams left to dream.

As we live in this place that God is still creating, we must keep dreaming. Only through dreaming can we actively participate in the creation. I dream for change. I dream for peace. I dream for love. I dream for salvation and redemption for all of God's people.

Just keep dreaming...

Love woke me up this morning
With a memory
Love came and whispered a story
That awakened a dream

Imagine a beautiful castle
And a beautiful king
He left the comfort of his throne
To fight for victory

I am a dreamer
Take me higher
Open the sky up
Start a fire
I believe
Even if it's just a dream

Love woke me up this morning
And I ran to see
The king in the winners' circle
On the horse he won for me

Only a king would do anything
To protect the kingdom

Brilliant

Seriously. "Stuff Christians Like" is the funniest blog I've ever read (followed closely by Sara's blog, from whom I learned about "Stuff Christians Like"). I'm sure you've probably had similar thoughts/responses as this blog author has had. Anyhow, read it. Laugh at it. And then share it. Because it's funny stuff.

Sex God--Part 2

And these are my concluding thoughts on an overly amazing book.

By far the chapter that resonated with me the most was Chapter 5: She Ran Into the Girls' Bathroom. The chapter is about risking love, taking a chance, and sometimes facing rejection--experiencing heartache.

Rob Bell references Genesis 6:6 "Then YHWH (God) was sorry that he had made humankind on earth, and it pained his heart." God gave us the right to choose, and from the beginning we rejected Him. We rejected his law, we rejected his will and ultimately we rejected--and continue to reject--his love. To quote Bell "God takes this giant risk in creating and loving people, and in the process God's heart is broken." (pg 97). What we can learn from this is that if our Creator can take the risk of allowing all mankind to reject him for eternity, we can take the chance to love--not only in the sense of a romantic relationship, but also our enemies, our neighbors, our coworkers, our family, etc.--and risk being rejected. Because honestly, we will be rejected. It's unrealistic to think that our love will be reciprocated 100% of the time. We live in a broken world and because of this we face imperfect love.

Further quoting Bell, "Love is handing your heart to someone and taking the risk that they will hand it back because they don't want it. That's why it's such a crushing ache on the inside. We gave away a part of ourselves and it wasn't wanted." (pg 98) All I have to say to that is--wow.

So then Bell goes on to explain how we can risk loving others:

Contrast this [bullying others to appear strong] with people who appear weak but are actually quite strong. It's when someone says something mean or cutting about us and everything within us wants to one-up them with an even nastier comment in return, thus winning the exchange, but we hold our tongue. We "lose" the round, but what we did took tremendous strength And it would take even more strength to forgive them and then maybe even love them. It would all appear quite weak to the observer, unless they understood that what they were witnessing was actually strength in action. (pg 103)

How incredible counter-cultural is that?!? To turn the other cheek? To hold your tongue? To not defend yourself? How incredibly hard is that. Try it! And then...try LOVING the person that you're trying so hard not to talk bad about.

And now the part that really resonates with me:

This can transform our experience of heartbreak. Instead of being something that distances us from God, causing us to question, "Where are you?" every poem by a lover spurned, every song sung with an ache, every movie with a gut-wrenching scene, every late-night conversation and empty box of Kleenex are glimpses into the life of God. (pg 106)

Our healing begins when we participate in the suffering of God. When we don't avoid it but enter into it, and in the process enter into the life of God. Wen we see our pain not as separating us from but connecting us to our maker. (pg 107)

So wait, hold up here. Is he? Could he be? What Bell's suggesting is that we experience broken hearts in our lifetime so that, maybe, we can gain a slight understanding of the broken heart God is constantly feeling when mankind continually rejects His love. When I think about the heartbreak I've experienced, I realize that surely it must be nothing in comparison to how badly it must hurt to have mankind reject you...generations upon generations rejecting your law, refusing to trust that your way truly is THE way. What pain that must be. So maybe, I can gain a slight understanding of the sadness God felt when the world rejected his Son and sent him to the cross.

And the last one from this chapter, "Our greatest wounds rarely come from strangers." (pg 108). How true that is. The sting of strangers' rejection lasts mere seconds...but the people we really care about...when they choose to reject us or hurt us...that pain lingers and is the hardest to overcome, to forgive, and to love through.

There really is so much more in this book that is truly astounding. Go read the book. Go. And when you're done, let's discuss. I like theological discussions. True story. :)

Caalifooornia....Here I come!!!

I just returned on Friday from California. It was amazing. I now want to go back and visit and spend a ton of time there. I was out there for business so I spent a majority of my time in conferences and meetings, but loved, loved, loved it while I was there. The conference was fantastic! (I'll have to write more about it later...lots of interesting stuff). And of course, I am a crazy tourist and took far too many pictures. Anyhow, here are a few of my favs from the trip:

The view from my Balcony...minus the smog, isn't it beautiful?

I just really liked this picture of the palm tree. :)

The Hollywood Sign...Seriously. It's there. Look close. Squint your eyes. Use your imagination.

Disney's California Adventure

Disneyland Dream Suite

Sleeping Beauty Castle...It's small, and in this case, blurry.

The doors to the Grand Californian. Don't mock me for taking pictures of doors. I thought they were cool. The end.

I really didn't take many pictures, so those are the coolest ones. I'll write more about the conference later. Just a little snippet...My favorite keynote was Emmanuel Brown, Director of Digital Marketing and Content Development, Nike's Jordan Brand. Nike's Jordan Brand is doing some mega cool things. Check out their Breakfast Club. Basically you can develop a fitness plan and download it to your iPod among many other cool features. And Brown was a crazy awesome speaker.

You've Got Mail

Don't you love when you turn on the tv and one of your favorite movies is on??? I think it's one of those little pleasures in life that make me really happy. I turned on the tv this afternoon and was so excited to see that You've Got Mail (the movie with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks) was on. What makes it even more of a pleasure for me is that I don't own the movie, so it really is like a special treat. And yes, I know what you're thinking, "Gosh, that is succcch a chick flick." I know, I know. But C'mon, it's a good movie!! And these are some of my favorite quotes. Enjoy.

"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino." - Joe Fox

"Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void." - Kathleen Kelly

"The Godfather answers all of life's questions. What should I pack for my summer vacation? "Leave the gun, take the cannoli." " - Joe Fox

"I like to start my letters off to you as if we're already in the middle of a conversation. I pretend that we are the oldest and dearest of friends as oppose to which we actually are, people who don't know eachothers names and met in a chatroom which we both claimed we'd never been to before. What will NY152 say today I wonder. I turn on my computer, I sign on, I wait impatiently as it connects and my chest catches my breath as I hear three little words. 'You've Got Mail' I hear nothing, not a sound on the city streets just the beat of my own heart. I have mail-- from you." - Kathleen Kelly

P.S.--I saw Juno on my plane ride home from California. Absolutely. A-MAZING movie. Like seriously, brilliant. And here are my favorite quotes from that movie :)


Vanessa: Your parents are probably wondering where you are.
Juno MacGuff: Nah... I mean, I'm already pregnant, so what other kind of shenanigans could I get into?

Leah: Yo Yo Yiggady Yo.
Juno: I'm at suicide risk.
Leah: Juno?
Juno: No, it's Morgan Freeman. Do you have any bones that need collecting?
Leah: Only the one in my pants...
Juno: I'm pregnant.
Leah: What? Honest to blog?
Juno: Yeah. Yeah, it's Bleekers.
Leah: It's probably just a food baby. Did you have a big lunch?
Juno: No, this is not a food baby all right? I've taken like three pregnancy tests, and I'm forshizz up the spout.
Leah: How did you even generate enough pee for three pregnancy tests? That's amazing...
Juno: I don't know, I drank like, ten tons of Sunny D... Anyway dude, I'm telling you I'm pregnant and you're acting shockingly cavalier

Juno: You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.

Rollo: You better pay for that pee-stick when you're done with it. Don't think it's yours just because you marked it with your urine!

Mac: Liberty Bell, if you put one more Baco on that potato, I'm gonna kick your little monkey butt.

Juno: Your little girlfriend gave me the stinkeye in art class yesterday.
Paulie Bleeker: Katrina's not my girlfriend alright? And I doubt she gave you the stinkeye that's just how her face looks, you know? That's just her face.

Mmmk. Hope ya'll enjoyed this :)

In a New York Minute

I went to New York. Three months ago. Don't judge me for taking so long to blog about it and post pictures. (And let's be honest, the only reason I finally got the pictures off my camera is because I'm leaving for California TODAY and needed room on my camera! :)

Rockefeller Center


Museum of Natural History. Lots of Bones. And Rocks. And more bones.


World of Disney NYC, of course!


Central Park and 5th Ave. Don't I look like a New Yorker? Ha!


I heart rocks.



Okay, I have more, but that's all there's time for today. Besides, that large rock is a lot to handle. I know, I was pretty amazed, too! And Liz, well, she could barely contain her excitement over rocks :)

Sex God

So did that get your attention? I thought so.

I've been reading a book by Rob Bell called Sex God. Bell's claim is that sexuality and spirituality are endlessly connected. And through reading his book and thinking through a lot of his teachings, I see his point. In fact, in the first chapter he explains the purpose of the book pretty clearly:

Sex. God. They're connected. And they can't be
separated. Where the one is, you will always find the other. This s a book
about how sexuality is the "this" and spirituality is the "that." To make sense of
the one, we have to explore the other.

And that is what this book is about.

I'm only about halfway through the book so far, but let me provide you all with some of the points from the book that have really been weighing on my heart and mind lately.

• "When Jesus talks about heaven and hell, they are first and foremost present realities that have serious implications for the future. Either can be invited to earth, right now, through our actions. It's possible for heaven to invade earth. And it's possible for hell to invade earth." (pg 22)--So my thoughts are: What kind of impact am I making? Am I introducing heaven here on earth to people? What kind of witness am I being?
• "Moments when all of the ways that we divide ourselves and rank each other and convince ourselves of how different, better, and unalike we are disappear and we are faced with the fact that first and foremost, we are humans. In this together. And not that much different from each other." (pg 26) Thoughts: How judgemental and insensitive can I be to a person's situation? How often do I fail to place myself in the shoes of others? And how many times do I feel inadequate compared to someone else? How unappreciative have I been of the life that God has given me?
• "We were born into a world, into a condition of disconnection. Things were created to be a certain way, and they're not that way, and we feel it in every fiber of our being...we're severed and cut off and disconnected in a thousand ways, and we know it, we feel it, and we're aware of it every day. It's an ache in our bones that won't go away...Our sexuality, then, has two dimensions. First, our sexuality is our awareness of how profoundly we're severed and cut off and disconnected. Second, our sexuality is all of the ways we go about trying to reconnect."(pg 40) Thoughts: I mean, think about it, how many times do you hear in movies or see on tv something along the lines of 2 individuals talking about how they feel closest when they're having sex. And how much of media is based on sexuality? We're just trying to connect. Because of the broken condition of humanity, we look for connections everywhere besides where we find the one true connection--God. And so undoubtedly, we are left unfulfilled and longing for something more when we fill the desire for connections with meaningless relationships, defining careers, a nonstop social life and more.
• "...we aren't angels and we aren't animals" (pg 64) Thoughts: When we allow ourselves to blame our actions on our animalistic nature, we discredit the order in which God created us. We discredit our ability to think, to reason, to feel, to love, to have any sort of emotion. We discredit our ability to have any say in our actions. But when we allow ourselves to believe we are angels, we are setting ourselves up for failure. For we have humanistic natures and we live in a world of sin. Bell talks about how, as humans, we were created after angels and after animals. As God created the world, he brought it more and more out of chaos. So for us to think we are angels or animals, we are going back towards chaos when we should be moving forward--continuing the creation.
• "Lust promises what it can't deliver...Lust comes from a deep lack of satisfaction with life. This is why we have to slow down and reflect on our lies before we'll ever begin to sort out the significance of this. Lust often starts with a thought somewhere in our head or heart: 'If I had that/him/her/it, then I'd be...' Lust is always built on a lie...Think about the head space we give to things and people we want. it's easy for our thoughts to be dominated by a craving. We're in a meeting, we're taking a walk, were studying, we're doing jobs around the house, and the whole tie our brain is miles away, trying to figure out how to get it...Lust is slavery...But freedom isn't being able to have whatever we crave. Freedom is going without whatever we crave and being fine with it." (pgs 73-75) Thoughts: Oh so many thoughts on this section. It's about so much more than sexual lust. By lusting for anything, whether it be a relationship, a job, a lifestyle, a body type, material goods, etc., we are telling God that what He has given us is not good enough. We are telling him that his plan which is Perfect is not good enough for us. Who are we to tell God it's not good enough??? And by living in lust, we are not allowing ourselves to live fully content lives of purpose. We are distracted from the task at hand by this thing that lurks in the back of our minds. It's a vicious cycle spurred on by our sinful nature, our broken condition, our culture, etc. Our only option to break this cycle, to gain freedom, is to be prayerful in asking God to help us be content and satisfied with what we have--asking for help in overcoming those urges and cravings for something more. Find "something more" in God.

So that's about where I'm at right now. The book has so much to say that I have to continuously go back and skim over sections. And so, go buy the book, start reading, and then start conversing with me about your learnings. Sex. God. Two words you never thought would be connected...until now.

New Music!

Dave Barnes' new CD came out this past week. Believe me, this guy is good. He's got a fabulous voice and intriguing lyrics. In concert he's incredibly entertaining--a great performer and absolutely, flat-out hilarious! I saw him a few months ago at The Social (Probably my favorite concert venue...intimate feeling, up and coming acts, cheap tickets) with Matt Wertz, another particular favorite of mine. Wertz and Barnes are friends and tour together from time to time. I was a little skeptical as to how good the concert was going to be...but it was incredible! They performed each other's songs together and cracked hilarious jokes throughout the night. Anyhow, iTunes is selling Dave Barnes new CD, "Me and You and The World" for just $5.99 for a limited time. You can't beat that deal. Great music for a great price. Go check it out. Like, I'm not joking. Seriously. Go download it. (And then write me precious little notes about my fabulous taste in music. It'll be good for you. And me. Thanks.)

Now if only those boys would come back and sing in Florida....

PS--Be sure to check out a really great cause that the Wertz and Barnes both support. The Mocha Club brings awareness to issues plaguing 3rd World countries. You can support the Mocha Club by giving just $7 a month (Just give up Starbucks twice a month and voila! There you have $7 to donate). Your money supports Widow and Orphans, Clean Water Initiatives, Educational Initiatives and so much more. Plus, the Mocha Club organizes mission trips, so you can give your time, too, and see these issues firsthand.

Indelible Grace

I feel the great need to spread the word about the most amazing music movement. Indelible Grace is a group of people who are on a mission to put old hymn lyrics to new music. Contributors to the project include Matthew Smith, Sandra McCracken, and Derek Webb. The movement is somewhat tied with the Reformed University Fellowship so therefore also tied to the Reformed Church movement (think Presbyterian Church in America, Reformed Church, etc). I'm not really in the state of mind to debate the Reformed Movement vs. the Evangelical Movement vs. the XYZyadayadayada Movement (But I'd love to discuss it over coffee with you...just let me know). All I know is that these individuals are incredibly talented at making God's word relevant. I find connection with their music because it has a sort of indie/singer-songerwriter/alternative country feel to it--something I enjoy in any type of music. I've always loved the lyrics in hymns. Here's an excerpt from Indelible Grace's "About Us" section:

But actually, this is not really a "new" movement at all! Up until the beginning of the 20th century, it was common for people to compose new music for each generation for many of the hymns that they loved. There is no rule that says each hymn can only have one musical setting, and in fact, hymnals are designed for you to be able to mix and match words and music -- that's why they have a metrical index. But unfortunately, we lost this tradition and got stuck in a more modern traditionalism of associating one particular tune with one particular hymn.

We believe that the words of a hymn actually have more emotional nuance
than one piece of music can adequately capture. Thus singing even familiar hymns
with different music can bring out shades of meaning that had remained
unnoticed. For instance, while the traditional music for Toplady's "Rock of
Ages" conveys the power and strength of the words, James Ward's more recent tune
brings out the sweetness and tenderness that is also part of the emotion in the
lyric...

We want to be a voice calling our generation back to something rich and solid and beyond the fluff and the trendy. We want to remind God's people that thinking and worship are not mutually exclusive, and that not everything worth knowing happened in the last three years. We want to invite the Church to appreciate her heritage without idolizing it. We want to open up a world of passion and truth and make it more that just an archaic curiosity for the religiously sentimental. We believe worship is formative, and that it does matter what we think. So, we hope this site will prove helpful in encouraging and nurturing a growing movement.

They couldn't say it better (go read the rest of their "About Us" section. If nothing more, it's educational). I truly believe it's important for the church (as in every church) to incorporate hymns somewhere in their worship. It reminds us that we are not the first to struggle, we are not the first to cry out, we are not the first to be broken, we are not the first to rejoice, we are not the first to love. Simply put: we are not the first. Our forefathers and mothers went through so many of these experiences and wrote beautiful and eloquent words that fully capture these emotions. Now it's our turn to interpret them and put them to music we connect with.

In any case, check out Indelible Grace. Check out Derek Webb. Check out Sandra McCracken. Check out Matthew Smith. The work these inviduals are doing for the church is truly stunning.

http://www.igracemusic.com/