The "I've peaked, and I'm kidding myself" Party

My 10th high school reunion was last night. WHEW!

The planning nearly killed me at times, but last night ended up going really well. We had well over 100 people there, and I think they all had a great time. We had a money shortage, but everyone was AWESOME about throwing cash into the donation basket to help out. We’re still about $150 short, but that’s WAY better than $600.

This was my first reunion, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I feel like I have changed so much since high school, so I guess I assumed a lot of other people would have too. I was so wrong! From what I could tell, everyone is still basically the same. The jerks were jerks. The nerds were nerds. The pretty girls were still pretty…prettier actually. (Am I really the only one who has gained wait since high school??? SERIOUSLY!)

I actually found that I didn’t really fit in with many people anymore. A couple of my band friends were there, and they are good friends I have kept in touch with over the years. Other than those folks, I had a hard time feeling like I was connecting with anyone. People were really nice, appreciative for the planning I had done, and they feigned the expected interest in my life (Married? Kids? Job?). We reminisced about high school (middle school even!), laughed about the stupid things we had seen each other do, etc. I still felt like a stranger. It was weird.

It has been ten years…ten long, life-changing, interesting years.

(Fun blog connection: my classmate’s wife came up to me last night to let me know she reads my blog and even asked about how Buster was doing! Isn’t that funny? If you’re still reading, Melissa: It was great to meet you last night!)

Seeking His Face...

We were in Texas last week with our youth group. We took 14 teenagers to a small town named Carthage (just 2 hours east of Dallas) to do ministry in any way we could. We shoveled rocks in 103 degree heat. We helped host a kids Day Camp at a church in town. We played bingo with people at a nursing home. We painted shelves for a day care. We loved and cared for the people in that town the best way we knew how.

We were hosted by a group called YouthWorks. This group does an AMAZING job at organizing mission trips for groups just like us. If you are wanting to take a group on a mission trip, you should check them out.

At night, after we had worked hard all day, we gathered for "Club" where we thanked God for what he had done in our lives that day, worshipped in song, listened to a lesson, etc. Afterwards we would have time with our church groups for some more discussion, prayer, etc. Each night our group wanted to sing some songs. Thankfully our friend Jeremy brought his guitar, and he was able to lead us in some great songs. One of my favorites we sang last week is this one, "Give Us Clean Hands" by Chris Tomlin...



Thursday night was our last in Texas. At Club time, the YouthWorks staff had arranged a foot washing service. The staff washed the feet of the adult leaders, then we got to turn around and wash the feet of our kids and pray for them individually. Matt and I were washing kids feet, praying for them, etc. when we noticed a commotion going on around us. We turned around to find our kids praying for each other. These kids were gathering around each other (and us), laying hands on each other, praying for each other like we have never seen before. They were all crying, all speaking words of truth to each other...and they knew that Jesus was there. They knew it! It was like a mini-revival just for our group. There they were, seeking God's face, just like we had sung.

That night was such an answer to prayer! This year has not been easy for me and Matt, and there have been times when I have wanted to call it quits. That night made all of that pain and frustration worth it. After everything was coming to an end that night, I just collapsed on Matt's shoulder and sobbed. Thank you Jesus...this is so worth it.

Not If...only WHEN

I got an e-mail from an old SIFAT friend of mine this morning. We had lost touch for a couple years, but we’ve recently reconnected. Here is his e-mail:

"Not if, only WHEN."

The exact words the Lord laid on my heart today when I was praying, words He told me to share with the ones I prayed for.

I know we haven't had much chance to talk yet about a lot of things since we've reconnected, but you should know Karen and I have been praying diligently for you both in the matter of having a child, and today was one of those blessed Holy Spirit moments when God's voice rings crystal clear. Just thought you might want to know. :) Hang in there, both of you...the plan is always His.

Seth

Once again, God has my attention!

We didn’t really talk with Seth about our baby situation. He knows what you all know from reading this blog. He doesn't know that over the past year, I had changed my language from "When we have kids..." to "If we have kids..." because of the hopelessness and doubt I have felt. I have been trying to be intentional about saying "When" lately, because we have received a lot of neat encouragement from God through other people. Dreams are being had, prayers are being said, and hopes are being realized again. I am so blown away that people would even pray for us, but even more so that God would speak to us through these friends of ours.

God's words for us today are an encouraging command to TRUST that He has our family in His hands. It's not up to us to know when this promise will come to fruition. It's only up to us to trust God, place hope and faith in Him, and live in Him as we continue to dream. Our hope is being restored...

Thank you Lord for this awesome word today! It's starting to sink in that we WILL have a family. We WILL be given the opportunity to raise up children in your name. Awesome!

Bye Bye July...

July is ALMOST over! It has been so crazy for us, and I can't believe we've actually survived this madness. For those who missed it, here is a recap:

-My friend Lisa got married (wedding, bachelorette party, etc.)
-Awesome July 4th party with youth group and their parents
-Camping, Kings Island (amusement park) and Christian music festival for four days with youth group
-My friend Courtney got married, but I couldn't go. Extreme guilt sets in.
-Dad turned 57, so we got together to celebrate (read - eat A LOT)
-Family visited from Florida, so we got together to celebrate (read - eat A LOT...again)
-Buster got a urinary tract infection that took us to the emergency room in the middle of the night.
-Buster got a urethral obstruction, has to be at vet (again) for two days.
-We go to Texas with 14 teenagers for a week-long mission trip (post coming soon). Insanity begins.
-Our niece Tayla turns 12, but we are out of town. More guilt sets in.
-We return from Texas, fairly unscathed, but definitely pooped.
-We have our SIXTH wedding anniversary. We celebrate by getting Chinese take-out, and eating in front of the couch. I can feel your jealousy...
-Mom has an emergency appendectomy. Long, boring stays at hospital commence. Work ceases.
-Old friends from SIFAT get in touch to let us know they're coming through Indy, and can they stay at our house? Absolutely - insanity continues.
-Mom is released from the hospital, so I spend a day waiting for discharge papers, shopping for groceries and filling prescriptions.

You may notice that the above list does not contain any of the following:
-House cleaning
-Laundry
-Church Services
-Weekly youth events
-Sleeping
-Daily hygiene

The house is NOT clean, I'm barely keeping up with laundry, sleeping is fitful, hygiene...what's that? I have been brushing my teeth, but it's always while I'm on the toilet and applying deoderant at the same time (I'm mastering this multi-tasking stuff). And church? Does. Not. Stop. EVER.

I have my class reunion this weekend, family visiting from Iowa, Tayla's birthday celebration with us (called "Tayla Day" - we're going for pedicures), and THEN I get my vacation...I think. We are currently planning on going to St. Louis next week for a Cardinal game, Tom Petty concert, sightseeing, SLEEPING, etc. We may end up missing out if Mom isn't feeling well, but her doctor said this morning, "No way in hell would I let some appendectomy keep me from seeing Tom Petty." Well said Dr. Browne.

SO - If I can just get through the next few days, I am set. The good news is that the next few days are full of fun things. I just wish the fun was more spread out.

When I do a post in September about how boring my life is, will you please slap me across the face with this dead fish I'm posting today to WAKE ME UP?

How scatter-brained was this post? Sorry about that...this is a glimpse into my brain right now! :)

Appendectomy...

Below is an e-mail I sent out to family and friends tonight. Thanks for praying for Mom...



Mom went to the emergency room last night because she was having pain in her side. The doctors did a cat scan, and found that Mom had appendicitis. They did an emergency appendectomy this morning. She is doing fairly well, all things considered. We got to the hospital this morning around 9:00, and she has been resting ever since. As long as she doesn't move too much, she isn't feeling much pain. She does feel quite a bit of pain when she takes deep breaths, moves, etc. The doctors are trying to keep her lung capacity up with some breathing exercises. They're also trying to get her moving, sitting up more, etc. She has been drinking plenty of water (always her cure-all when I don't feel well...it's good to see she can actually take a dose of her own medicine!). She isn't eating much, but they are giving her nutrients through an IV.



They are keeping her tonight, and are expecting to send her home tomorrow. We were there with her until about 8:00 this evening, and she seemed to be pretty stable. She's really groggy from her pain meds, so that has been interesting! Please be praying for her. I know this isn't fun at all, and recovering from surgery isn't going to be easy. The last time she was in a hospital was over 22 years ago when she gave birth to my brother! She's probably going to be in pain for a good while, and won't feel up to her normal schedule for some time. I don't know when she'll be going back to work. If anyone would like to put together a meal for Mom, Dad and Robert, I'm sure they would appreciate it. Dad and Robert are practically useless in the kitchen (unless you want a frozen pizza or chili, but I'm sure that will get old fast!). They aren't allergic to anything, and love eating just about anything! :)


I'm going to be with Mom tomorrow to help her get settled at home, but after that I really have to get back to work. If anyone feels like going over to check on her or help her with anything, I'm sure she'd love that too.



Thanks for your prayers. Your love and care means so much to me and to my family!

Katie

Here is a picture of me and Mom on my wedding day...

Free Entertainment...the best Pastor Perk

Being in ministry is hard work - not just for Matt. It's not always fun either. There's not a lot of money to be made, not a lot of recognition that is received, and definitely not a ton of your typical benefits. HOWEVER, there are some really cool perks. Today, when we went to be with Mom at the hospital, Matt got our parking validated. Only clergy get their parking validated (at this hospital anyway)! It saved us about $9.00. Also, tonight we have some free entertainment at our house since we live next door to the church.

Our church (and therefore our house) is just down the street from a huge ampitheater that hosts huge music groups every year. If a big name is coming to the Indianapolis area, it's probably coming to Deer Creek (actually - it hasn't been called "Deer Creek" in years. It's now the "Verizon Wireless Music Center," but I refuse to call it that. I grew up going to "Deer Creek," and I am going to continue to call it that if I want. I digress...).

Because of the location of our church, the local police department frequently sets up a huge sobriety check-point in our parking lot for after big concerts. I swear, every cop in Hamilton County shows up, and they set up the most amazing and elaborate trap I've seen! They "randomly" pull five cars out of the string of cars coming from Deer Creek, and make them turn into the parking lot where they will be injected, inspected, detected, infected,neglected and selected. If you are fit to drive, they let you go, BUT if they want to check you out a bit more, you get pulled to the side. That's where the fun happens! People are put through the usual tests to see if they are drunk or not, and the get hauled away to jail if they are, in fact, inebriated. It's a lot of fun for us to watch, and we usually do so from the comfort of our garage!

Yes, I do feel like a bit of a hillbilly finding all of this entertaining, but I don't really care much. Just know that if you ever go to a show at Deer Creek, and you get pulled over in a church parking lot down the street, you can count on one thing:

Matt and I are watching, and laughing our butts off!

Deep in the Heart of Texas...

Matt and I are leaving in the morning for a week-long trip to Carthage, Texas with our youth group. 14 kids, 5 adults and two 12-passenger vans are heading down there for a mission trip this week. I hope it will be fun, and I hope we get to be Jesus for people for a few days.

That being said, I'm going to be a little out of touch for a week or so. I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited about taking a couple hours Saturday night to catch up on all the blogs I'll miss all week! Pray for our group - that we'll be safe and get along well. Pray for Buster too - he's staying home, and our friend Debbie is going to be taking care of him while we're gone. I hope he doesn't have another raging party while we're gone. Kids...

Love each other!

Buster is Home

Buster came home last night, and really seemed to be feeling much better (thank you Jesus!). We played a lot and snuggled a lot last night. At one point he climbed into a tote I keep on a shelf with some of my scrapbook gear. Isn't he cute?

This morning he was still licking himself, and seemed to have a little difficulty peeing. I hope we don't have to take him back. The vet bill yesterday was just under $500, and thankfully they're working on a payment plan with us. I don't want to have to take him back! Poor guy...

Thanks for praying for him. He's such a sweetie...I hate knowing he's not feeling well!

Time to snap...

I am getting so stressed out that I know I'm going to snap at any time. My to-do list is a MILLION miles long, and the time in which I have to check off my tasks is growing increasingly short. There are work things, home things, church things, class reunion things, and I don't have enough time to get them all done! 4 newsletters to publish, 78 pastor interviews to schedule, church clusters to create, a mission trip to prepare for, a cat who is sick and needs special care, wedding gifts to buy, bills to pay, laundry to do, a house to clean, mailings to send out, Dad's birthday to celebrate, meetings to attend, and OH YEAH, did I mention we're probably getting a dog soon? Yeah. I'm that crazy.

Obstruction

This is Buster Bluth...




















He's our baby...I know that sounds stupid to a lot of you, but it's true. He has been the best cat: playful AND snuggly, and sometimes downright human. We love him so much...

He's not feeling well right now. He had a urinary tract infection a couple weeks ago, and we spent hours in the pet emergency room (and about $150) making him feel better. Since we returned from our Kings Island trip on Sunday, he's been acting funny. He's been peeing outside of his litter box (not normal at all...he never does that) and crying a lot more than usual. He's also gained some weight, and has not been wanting to play very much.

We took him to the vet this morning for observation, and the vet just called to let us know that Buster has a Urethral Obstruction. The doctor is sedating him, and will be putting in a catheter to clear the blockage. I called my mom with the news, and she let me know that she had a cat with that problem many years ago. She ended up having to put her cat down. I. AM. FREAKING. OUT.

First: we don't have the money for this procedure. It will probably cost almost $1000. I know we should have that much (and way more) saved for emergencies, but we don't.

Second: How many more times will this happen? Will we just have to plan for $1000 vet bills every year or more from now on? How much is too much to spend on your pet's life?

Third: We might be getting a dog soon. Will this stress out Buster even more? Yes. Will it be dangerous for Buster to have that stress? Possibly. Will it be good for Buster to have someone to play with? Most definitely. Ugh...the choices. If we had a child, and we're wanting another, we wouldn't NOT have another baby just because our first would be stressed out about it. People grow and learn and deal. Pets are not people...

So there it is - my drama for the day. I had intended to go to Bed Bath and Beyond today and spend lots of money on wedding gifts for the umpteen brides I know this summer. I'm not going to do that now though. They'll just have to wait! (Sorry girls...)

Pray for my Buster. Pray for my vet. Pray for my wallet.

Rhapsody in Silver and Blue

I am getting ready to have my 10 year high school reunion. Yes. TEN. YEARS. Ugh...


Some days it seems like it was just yesterday that I was a high school student. Oh my goodness, I was caught up in drama and boys and girlfriends and BAND...oh how I loved band...and school newspaper and ball games and boys and spring break and the fight song ("Home of the Silver and the Blue! P-M-H-S....THE BEST!"), prom and did I mention boys? I was ALWAYS with my friends, NEVER worried about much and OFTEN thought I was ready to grow up. I walked those blue halls with blue lockers, and dreamed of the day I would be older and carefree.

Other days that life I used to lead seems like it belonged to someone else. Like it's the plot of a book I read and loved years ago. The older I get, the less it feels like ME. Because really, there's no way I was a size twelve or a decent flute player or one of those mouthy girls who walks the mall giggling with her gaggle of girlfriends. That's not who I was, right? I've always been overweight and responsible and tired and out of touch, haven't I? Geez...

Did I mention that I'm planning my reunion? (Yes, I am a glutton for punishment. Why do you ask?) People keep asking me how I got the job of planning this shindig, and I'm honestly not quite sure. I thought I could help plan the event, since we finally lived in the area again. I got in touch with the Alumni Association at my high school, and was told that no one was working on the reunion. WHAT? No one is planning the reunion? We can't NOT have a reunion! "I'll get some people together," I said, and here I am. I'm not the class president (who should be planning this thing). I wasn't even one of the cool kids. I'm just some washed up band geek trying to get a party started.

I hope lots of people show up. We have a minimum food and beverage total we have to reach ($2000 - shouldn't be hard with the cash bar, right?). I hope that I look good. I was too busy planning this thing to get in shape for it. (Okay fine, I haven't been in shape for anything since I graduated...) I know people have Romy and Michelle delusions about what this reunion might look like, and I hope they're not pissed when I disappoint them. Do you know how expensive reunions like that are? Maybe in another decade folks...

So in honor of my impending reunion, I wanted to share something with you. This is the poem my Mom and Dad (probably just Mom with Dad's encouragement) wrote to place in the last issue of the school paper when I graduated. I loved it then, and I still love it today. I think it will be fairly easy to see that we love music in my family...

Princess Katie Diane

From House at Pooh Corner to
Opposites Attract
From Friends in Low Places to
A Boy Like That
From Rockin' in the Free World to
Rhapsody in Blue
From Love Song for a Savior to
OU812

You're our perfect Grievous Angel,
you're our Devil in Disguise
You're either Manic Monday or you're
Almost Paradise
You're such a Groovy Kind of Love, it's true
Do You Want To Know a Secret?
We're so proud of you!

Love, Mom & Dad

I Love the Eighties...

Why would anyone in their right mind leave the house wearing an outfit like this?















Or wearing makeup like this?















Well, for an EIGHTIES NIGHT of course!

As of 5:00 last night, I had no idea what I was going to wear to my friend Lisa's Eighties Night Bachelorette Party. I popped in my "Katie's 80's" mix on the stereo, went to work on my hideous eighties makeup, and the inspiration just flowed.

Matt helped me cut up an old orange shirt I had. The skirt has been in my closet begging to come out for quite some time. I didn't have bike shorts, but my bermudas worked just fine. And the "Like a Virgin" cross necklace? I picked that up in Houston a few years ago, and finally had the occasion to wear it! What you can't see in the picture is that I had two pairs of socks scrunched above my pink and yellow Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Top off this stellar outfit with bright turquoise eyeshadow, pink frosty lip gloss and the thickest black eyeliner this side of a trailer park, and you've got yourself an eighties princess! :)

We went bowling dressed like this. We went out to dinner dressed like this. We went to a bar dressed like this. AND yes, everywhere we went people stared, laughed and pointed, but WHO CARES? We had a great time. We all looked equally stupid, and we loved every minute of it. Who doesn't love a theme party?

I'm thinking of wearing this outfit to Lisa's wedding on Saturday. What do you think?

Runnin' Down a Dream

If you remember this post, you'll remember that I LOVE Tom Petty. Well, my man and his Heartbreakers are in town tonight for a sold out show, and I'm not going. Yeah, I know. We waited a little too long to get our tickets, and they were sold out before I could get them. We're going to see them in St. Louis in a few weeks though, so I won't miss him entirely. I'm just missing him tonight.

Did I mention that I live 3 miles down the street from Deer Creek - the ampitheater where they will be playing - ? Oh, well I do. That means that I not only will be missing the show tonight, but Tom will be 3 MILES AWAY! So close, yet so far.

As I pulled out of my driveway to come to work this morning, a tour bus drove by the house on the way to Deer Creek. It didn't hit me for a few seconds, but once it did I thought of turning the other way and chasing them down the street. That could have been Tom! (Yes, I also know it could have been Steve Winwood - the opener - but this is my fantasy...don't ruin it!) Tom Petty might have driven right past my house this morning. *sigh*

It's raining today - outside and in my heart just a little. "Baby don't it feel like heaven right now?" No. No Tom - it doesn't. I'll keep waiting though...it is the hardest part after all, right?

Here's a little treat for you - a snippet from Tom's DVD "Runnin' Down a Dream" where he talks about the first song I remember calling "favorite" in my life. "The Waiting"

The Great Panty Caper

Matt and I just went to JC Penny after our movie. I needed unmentionables. (I'm not sure why I'm calling them "unmentionables" in this post. I am most definitely going to mention them...)

I usually don't mind buying undies. Come on - everyone wears them. It's no big deal, right? Still, when I have to buy them, I will always buy something else with them (a purse, a pair of shoes, anything) to help divert the attention from the underwear. I don't care if you think it's stupid...

I had a lot of trouble finding something else to buy today. I tried a few handbags, but nothing got me excited. I almost bought a cute sundress, but Matt scrunched his nose just enough to make me think I looked like a cow in it. I tried to get Matt to buy a new dress shirt, but he insisted that he didn't need one. Finally, I put the panties down, and said, "Let's just go." He looked at me and said, "Don't you need those? Isn't that the reason why we came in here in the first place?"

How do I explain my "No panties left alone" purchasing philosophy? I know it's dumb...and I didn't want him to call me out on it, so I sucked it up and bought the panties.

As I walked to the register, I felt that package of undies burning in my palm as if it were a burning coal. I felt like EVERYONE (not exaggerating) in the store was looking at me, and judging me for the panties I was buying. Ugh.

Then we get to the register. There is a sweet looking older woman behind the counter helping someone else. I sighed a little bit. No big deal buying undies from an old lady! I was almost free. Out of NOWHERE this young dude with perfectly coiffed facial hair came to the counter and called me up. NOOOO!!!!! Suddenly I'm 5 years old, at the pool for swimming lessons, being pushed towards the diving board even though I DON'T WANT TO GO!!! I could feel Matt pressing me towards the counter. What could I do? I couldn't run. I couldn't throw a fit (although I really wanted to). I had to do it. I had to buy the panties. And I'm going to be honest people: these were not cute, sexy panties. These were BRIEFS! Full on, nude-colored granny panties. The kind of panties that only come out of the drawer on the three or four days of each month that I DON'T WANT TO BE LOOKED AT (let alone touched). At least they were "French Cut"...whatever that means. Oh - and to top it all off? They were on clearance. Yeah. I know. I wear grannys AND I'm cheap. Sexy, isn't it? (Go on...tell Matt what a lucky guy he is to have a catch like me!)

I am normally really friendly to people at the store (and restaurant, and gas station, etc.), but today I didn't even look this guy in the eye. I just swiped my card, grabbed my bag, and got the heck out of Dodge. I think I'll be shopping for underwear online from now on.

Don't be stupid...Get Smart!

Matt and I have had a really busy, stressful few weeks, so we decided to take some time and just go chill out for a while on our day off. We went to the new theater in Noblesville to see Get Smart. So many of our friends have suggested this movie. We finally caved in to peer pressure (come on, everyone else is doing it!), and I am so glad we did!

It's a great movie. GREAT! Great cast, great plot, great fun. Not too bloody. Not any real nudity to speak of (okay, one really funny butt scene, but it's just too cute to be offended by!). Not much foul language. It's just wonderful! It will definitely be a DVD purchase.

(For my new friend Karen - the Icee's were unavailable at our theater as well. BOO! We settled for Wild Cherry Pepsi..)

You're a handsome devil. What's your name?

Oh how my heart beats for John Cusack. Many years ago a friend made me watch Grosse Pointe Blank, and I was instantly smitten. Not too long after, I fell in love with High Fidelity (Are you kidding me? John Cusack AND great music? To die for...). Then I realized that he was in one of my all time favorite movies - Sixteen Candles. That sealed the deal. I have been loving John ever since. I'll watch a movie just because he's in it. They're not always the best movies, but he's always great!

The other night I was trying to find some sleepiness in front of the TV, when I saw that Better Off Dead was on. Um...yeah. I totally stayed up until 2:00 a.m. just to watch it! About halfway through I found the sleepiness I was desperate for, but John kept me awake way past my bedtime. Now my sleep clock is all funky, but I think it was worth it. :)

Hookers Like Big Macs Too...

I forgot to bring something for lunch today, so I found myself driving to McDonalds today for lunch. McD's isn't my fave, but it's really close, so I deal.

I work in a weird part of Indianapolis. One block south of my building is the ghetto. One block north is the artsy, old, EXPENSIVE neighborhood (read: the governor's mansion is just up the street from me). Although the ghetto is not far, I have never thought to prepare myself to encounter the likes of what I saw today.

Right there at my local McDonalds, standing on the sidewalk near the building was what MUST have been a full-fledged prostitute. She wore what seemed to be a strapless, tight black onesie, a thick gold belt cinched around her waist, and the highest stripper heels I've ever seen. The onesie stopped about halfway down her rear end, so the bottom half of each butt cheek was hanging out the bottom of her outfit. Oh, and would it be too much info to let you know that she had an ATOMIC WEDGIE as well? Ick.

Of course I went back to work with my lunch, and told my co-workers about this encounter. They didn't seem as surprised as I was. (Maybe I spent too many years in Wilmore...is this not shocking to anyone else???) One of the bosses in the office just replied by saying, "Prostitutes need lunch too. You can't live on love!" Oh my...

Shear Genius or Sheer Boredom?

If you know anything about me, you know that I am a HUGE fan of shows like The Office and Ugly Betty. And OH how I dream that Arrested Development was only "brilliant" without "canceled" being tacked on. Summers are always a wonderful time for fun in the sun, but are always a miserable time for television.

In the past few weeks I have found myself getting really excited about the season 2 premier of "Shear Genius," and I can't quite figure out why. What is it about Bravo's "reality" shows that gets me all in a tizzy? I do love Top Chef, but given my culinary interests, I'm not surprised by my affection for this show. I am not a professional hair stylist. I can barely get my hair to look acceptable before rushing out the door in the morning! Why do I love Shear Genius? I just don't understand...

Whatever the reasons, I was glued to the TV last night (thank God for DVR...no commercials necessary!) watching Shear Genius. I'm hoping Daniel (the cute little boy from Dallas) will win. I think he's great. Maybe these stylists will keep my TV on this summer while I wait for The Office to return. Christ knows I am chomping at the bit to find out about Jim and Pam AND the love triangle between Dwight, Angela and Andy. OH - and I would really like to see Michael give Jan the boot she deserves, and date Holly instead.

Facing the Giants

Matt and I watched Facing the Giants yesterday. We’ve been meaning to watch it for months now, and finally got around to it. I was touched by the movie, and here is where I begin to tell you why…

Let me start by saying that Facing the Giants is NOT my favorite movie…nowhere near it. It is your typical Our-team-sucks-but-watch-us-beat-the-odds kinds of movie that is intended to make you feel good and want to try harder in all you do. It’s a Christian movie as well, and in normal Christian movie fashion, the acting stinks. (Why, oh why can’t we have Christian movies with decent dialogue?) We found ourselves successfully predicting plot points, and laughing at the cheesiness of a lot of the scenes.

So why was I in tears at the end of the movie? Why would I take so much time out of my busy schedule to blog about a movie that isn’t really that good? Because Matt and I have some Giants we’re facing right now.

Life is really stressful for the Swishers these days. We are dealing with situations that make us feel angry and victimized and misunderstood. Satan is weaseling his way into our home like the jerk that he is, and we are feeling afraid and hurt and ready to quit. Our confidence is shattered, and we feel like we’re on-edge frequently.

Our hopes for a baby still have not been realized, and at times we are definitely feeling desperate and hopeless. God has been encouraging us lately through this struggle, but we still connected with the movie because of this as well.

As the movie closed, and Matt and I laughed at the cheesy ending, I couldn’t help but think about how many similarities we shared with the couple in the story. One glaring difference was clear though, and that is why I blog to you today. They prayed – we don’t.

We love God. We serve Him with our life and our vocations. We praise Him when things go well. We have never been good about praying together when we have trouble.

I just finished reading “The Shack” (AWESOME book – I’m sure I’ll blog about it soon), and in this book there is a lot of talk about sin and free will and God’s plan for creation. It became clear to me through this book that we sin because we ultimately want independence from God. Isn’t that just like us? Don’t we, as children, decide that we don’t have to listen to our parents, so we do our own thing? Don’t we get ourselves into trouble that way? Oy vey…what a predicament.

God desperately wants to be in relationship with us. He wants us to talk to him about our life, to consult him when there are decisions to be made. He wants to guide us, and he wants to help us become exactly what he intended us to be in the first place – dependent on him.

I don’t know what our future holds. It’s not really my business anyway. We may slay these giants, and we may not. Regardless of the outcome, it sure is nice to know that God is on our side, guiding us through the battle. Thank you Jesus…

The eternal band geek

I'm such a band geek.

I played flute in school, and I LIVED. FOR. BAND. Seriously. Marching band, jazz band, symphonic band, orchestra, pep band, etc. I did it all, and I loved it. For a long time I actually planned on making music my career. In college I played with the Indianapolis Symphonic Band, but once I got engaged to Matt, my music interested waned. Now my flute sits in the closet in my craft room, and only gets played once or twice a year. I'm saddened when I think about all those years I spent practicing, learning, playing...only to have my talent put on a shelf now. I still get out my flute and play now and again, and I always promise that I'm going to pick it up again. Play at church. Join a community band. I have yet to do any of this though...Right now my band days are buried deep in my past.

Although I no longer play, my band geek-dom can't help but rear its pimply head from time to time! Now and again I jump into stories that begin, "This one time at band camp...", and I still enjoy and appreciate great music. Yesterday, I was reminded again of my geeky past when I couldn't resist these at my local Staples store:

I apologize for the blurry picture, but I think you can still make out what the picture is of...

That's right folks - I bought treble clef paper clips! I love them, and I don't care what you think. These little babies make my band geek/office supply-loving heart go pitter-pat. :)

Geeky as I may be, I still do love music, and I will ALWAYS. BE. A. BAND. GEEK.