Invisible Octopus

Holy Moment

I had a holy moment today. And it was just me. And God. And me.

I'm not alone very often. After you get married, you just aren't alone very often. And that's a wonderful thing. But it makes those moments that I am alone even more special.

Today I was alone for a little while. I was able to just shut up for a little while and open my senses to life around me. I feel humbled and awed by both the beauty and the pain in life.

I am losing my words. Let me use someone else's.



I was in Rwanda a few years ago, and a group of us went hiking in the slums of Kigali with a woman named Pauline. Pauline spends her free time caring for people who are about to die of HIV/AIDS. She agreed to take us to visit one of her friends who had only hours to live. We hiked through this slum for what seemed like miles, and as we got farther in, the shacks became smaller and smaller until all we had to walk on were narrow trails with sewage crisscrossing in streams that ran beside, and sometimes under, the shacks.

Eventually we ended up in a dirt-floored, one-room shack about six-by-six feet. A woman was lying under so many blankets that all we could see was her mouth and eyes. Her name was Jacqueline. Pauline had become her friend and had been visiting her consistently for the past few months. As I knelt down beside her on the floor, I watched Pauline, standing in the corner, weeping. Her friend was going to die soon. What overwhelmed me wasn't the death or despair or poverty. What overwhelmed me was the compassion. In this dark place Pauline's love and compassion were simply...bigger. More. It is as if the smallest amount of light is infinitely more powerful than massive amounts of dark. The ground was holy.
I'm sure you have had similar experiences. In the strangest of settings, maybe with people you barely know, you become aware that the ground beneath your feet is holy. It is sacred. There's something else, something more, going on here.

I went to a funeral several years ago and walked into the lobby of the chapel and immediately thought I was the first one there. Then I realized I wasn't the first one; the husband of the woman who had died was there, standing over the open casket. I walked over to him as he stood over her body, put my arm around him, and didn't say anything. Just the two of us in this big open room, looking down at his wife's body. He just kept saying over and over, "She was such a good woman; she was such a good woman." And we stood there together for a while with my arm around his shoulder, and I listened to him repeat, "She was such a good women." The ground was holy.

A young woman in our church gave birth last week to a two-pound baby who died the day after being born. My friend Matt went to the hospital to visit them. When he entered the room, he realized the baby was still there. And the couple was sitting in shock, stunned that this had happened and happened to them. Matt walked in, greeted the couple, and then took the baby in his arms and kissed it.

I wasn't even there, and I can feel the moment. The pain, the anguish, the sense that something else was going on in that room that we only get glimpses of from time to time.

Because it isn't just concerts and surfing and the high points, and it isn't just those beautiful moments int he midst of everyday and mundane, it is also in the tragic and the gut-wrenching moments when we cannot escape the simple fact that there is way more going on around us than we realize.

Rob Bell
Velvet Elvis

Only because I need visuals for the way I feel...

Today 3-16-2007

http://www.shannonsauction.com/auct_g/imgs/orpen%208.jpg

Today was a good day.

But there are people I care about who are hurting.

Remember them.

I do not believe this is the end.

May your days be blessed even when you are broken.

At least you are not alone:
My face is red with weeping,
deep shadows ring my eyes;

yet my hands have been free of violence
and my prayer is pure.

My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;

on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as a man pleads for his friend.
-Job 16: 16-17, 20-21

P.S. I don't think there are words for these moments in life.
"And all these lines fall short of what I had in mind - a failed attempt to capsulize a feeling."
I hope at the very least my heart is shown in that I sincerely love you & am praying for you & your family.
Times like this leave many unanswered questions.
I pray that you find peace.

AUGH!!!!!!!!!! THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!

We have a contract!!! If all goes well, this house will be ours on April 27!!!!!!!!!


I could pee my pants right now I'm so excited!!!!!!!!

FYI: It is in Nicholasville behind the Blockbuster in those townhouses! Yay!

Subsidized Story Time

Our office is expanding right now, taking over more properties, hiring more people. This is what happened in an interview today. (I wasn't in the room, but I wish I was!!)

Supervisor: "Well everything looks great! We will have to get your information for a background check and you will have to pass a drug test."
Applicant: "I'm probably not going to pass that drug test. I've been taking some medication to make my penis bigger." (HE WAS TOTALLY SERIOUS)

Awesome! Hope that works out for you, man.


Someone called today to talk with a supervisor. Lewis had to get their name and number to have the supervisor call them back. This was what the person said when Lewis asked for their name.

"Cherry as in cat."

What??

HOUSE UPDATE!!

We are making an offer on a house tonight!!

This house:

Wish us luck!!!!

The 95 Theses

The 95 Theses

My husband was in a band. And their purpose and ministry and passion for a long time was to reach "the unreachable" in a way that most were afraid to do. Some people see certain types of music and certain types of clothing or hairstyles to be representative of something "wrong" inside the person. This attitude and mindset is simply not acceptable any longer in our modern culture and world. I have said many times that it is time for the church to have another reformation. We need to get back to Christ. Stop looking at the outside, whatever that may be, and start looking at the heart of the person and the heart of the issue.

I'm reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell right now. I love it. He has such an honest perspective on the church and where it should be. The message doesn't change with time and culture, but the methods do change. He quoted something about Martin Luther and the 95 theses in Germany, which sparked the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It just got me thinking about why the band did what it did and about what I saw in people who interacted, sometimes for the first time, with a group of people who were Christians, but didn't expect nor force anything upon the people they encountered. It's strange how people were sometimes shocked by that, because that is how Jesus meant for it to be.

I'm rambling and I don't think I'm making sense. Here's a quote from Rob Bell:

Around 500 years ago, a man named Martin Luther raised a whole series of questions about the painting the church was presenting to the world. He insisted that God's grace could not be purchased with money or good deeds. He wanted everyone to have their own copy of the Bible in a language they could read. He argued that everyone had a divine calling on their lives to serve God, not just priests who had jobs in churches. This concept was revolutionary for the world at that time. He was articulating earth-shattering ideas for his listeners. And they heard him. And something big, something historic, happened. Things changed. Thousands of people connected with God in ways they hadn't before.

The 95 Theses

Favorite Friend Quote of the Day

"My man's got $12! He's gonna take me out for some shrimp and a nice steak!"

(We were talking about a girl who is pretty much obsessed with her:)

Me: "Maybe I can just pawn her off on you."
Emily: "Yeah, she'll start smelling my hair."

Both of these were by Emily Johnson

Fun Facts for the Day

1. Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

2. Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a belly button.

3. A pack-a-day smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 years.

4. People do not get sick from cold weather; it's from being indoors a lot more.

5. When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop, even your heart!

6. Only 7% of the population are lefties.

7. Forty people are sent to the hospital for dog bites every minute.

8. Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until they are 2-6 years old.

9. The average person over 50 will have spent 5 years waiting in lines.

10. The toothbrush was invented in 1498.

11. The average housefly lives for one month.

12. 40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year.

13. A coat hanger is 44 inches long when straightened.

14. The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute.

15. Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than any other time of day.

16. Most of us have eaten a spider in our sleep.

17. The REAL reason ostriches stick their head in the sand is to search for water.

18. The only two animals that can see behind themselves without turning their heads are the rabbit and the parrot.

19 John Travolta turned down the starring roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Tootsie."

20. Michael Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina State Anthem.

21. In most television commercials advertising milk, a mixture of white paint and a little thinner is used in place of the milk.

22. Prince Charles and Prince William NEVER travel on the same airplane, just in case there is a crash.

23. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato can for a carburetor.

24. Most hospitals make money by selling the umbilical cords cut from women who give birth. They are used in vein transplant surgery.

25. Humphrey Bogart was related to Princess Diana. They were 7th cousins.

26. If coloring weren't added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.

Houses!!!

We are in the process of looking for a house to buy. We've looked several places already and since it is Spring Break this week, we're going to look at several more this week while I have time!!

It is stressful!!!!!!!

But here are the ones I like so far:



(This is the inside of that gray one)




Yay!!

Computer Games

I'm a total dork and I'm about to play this video game until I have to go to bed.

And you have no idea how excited I am about it!

Postsecret 3-11-2007

So this week they kinda made me go, "wow!"

WOW!!! Any one of those would be pretty shocking.

I am thankful for screwed up friends, too!! Haha! Because we all totally are and it's comforting knowing you're not alone!

And this one is one that someone posted as a comment to a postsecret. For some reason I think it is beautiful and deserves to be posted here.

More on Sparta

Even Perez Hilton thinks 300 rocks his face off.

So you should really go see it!

More Eco-Friendly Ideas!

Check out Levi Jeans new Eco Line! They're organic!

Go to Idealbite.com to sign up for a daily green tip! They also have other cool stuff on their site!

For a list of hybrid cars, go to fueleconomy.gov

Use products from places like Aveda who have an environmental outlook on their development and sales of products.

Join the virtual march against global warming at stopglobalwarming.org

Buy from environmentally-conscious Edun

Check out mysoldius.com for a solar-powered charger for your cell phone, PDA or ipod.

To find eco-friendly restaurants, go to eatwellguide.org

For recycling stations near you, go to earth911.org

Find out about more eco-friendly products at greenpeople.org

100,031,719 more reasons to be green:
10 times as much energy is wasted when you run a computer screen saver instead of using sleep mode.
14 plastic grocery bags contain enough petroleum to fuel a car for a mile.
20 gallons of water go down the drain when you have a dripping faucet. Call the plumber!
75 percent of energy used to power electronic items is consumed while they're plugged in but not in use.
31,600 planes could be built with the amount of soda cans and other aluminum stuff thrown away every year.
100,000,000 trees are made into junk mail every single year. And no, that is not a typo.

Pick up the April 2007 issue of Glamour Magazine for more tips and interesting reading!

Top 10 To Help the Planet

From the April 2007 issue of Glamour Magazine
(Some of it is directly quoted - Article written by Lori Bongiorno)

1: Change a Bulb
Compact fluorescent light bulbs use about 65% less energy than regular ones. They cost about 30% more, but last up to 10 times longer. Buy a "warm white" kind and the light should look the same as usual.

2: Drive a Fuel-efficient Car
Hybrids run on fuel and electricity. Batteries are automatically recharged when you step on the brakes. They look the same as any car, but can get 40 to 80% more miles to the gallon and typically don't cost any more to maintain. They'll generally cost you $3,000 extra, but you could make that up in gas savings within 5 years and you could claim a tax deduction (go to irs.gov and search for "hybrid deduction").
Make any car greener by keeping the tires properly inflated and getting oil changes; it'll eat up less gas and reduce pollution. Also, don't speed! Going 65 instead of 75 can slash fuel consumption by 25%!!

3: Even Better: Bike or Take Public Transportation
And best of all: Walk! It's good for you and the environment.

4: Recycle!!!
Recycle plastic, glass, paper & cans. It keeps them from piling up in landfills and saves trees and energy. There are other things to recycle, too! You can recycle "e-waste" - electronic goods like phones and laptops (for info, see rethink.ebay.com). You can also recycle shampoo and lotion bottles; look for the triangular recycling label.

5: Clean Green
Ordinary household cleaners tend to have potentially toxic chemicals; pour them down the drain and they can make their way into groundwater. There are lots of effective eco-versions out there, like Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer's.

6: Eat Local or Organic
Getting vegetables from a farmers' market saves fuel, because produce isn't transported long distances. And organic farming keeps chemicals out of the soul and you.

7: Buy Energy-Saving Things
Look for the "Energy Star" label on everything from computers to air conditioners.

8: Conserve Water
It's in more limited supply around the world - including in the western U.S. - due to increasing pollution and drought. Fix your leaks and also, try shorter showers!

9: Adjust Your Thermostat
Move it down a degree in winter and up a degree in summer, and you'll spare the air 500 pounds of carbon dioxide - and save up to 15% on energy bills.

10: Speak Up!
Send an e-postcard to your congressional rep at nrdc.org/action asking him or her to back legislation on global warming. Mention energy saving tips to your friends.



But whatever you do, don't get paralyzed by the enormity of the problem. "It's not about doing everything," says Laurie David, author if Stop Global Warming: The Solution is You! "It's about everyone doing something."

Get ready for Summer!

This is a 6 week weight loss / tone up plan to get you ready for vacation. I found it in a magazine last year and me & Courtney did it before we went to Florida and it really worked!! You build each week, so the week before you leave, you'll be doing everything. It's not too difficult and it really does work, so try it!!


6 weeks before you leave:

10,000 steps a day

at least 8 glasses of water a day



5 weeks before you leave:

3 to 5 servings of green vegetables a day

modify portion sizes

strength training twice a week



4 weeks before you leave:

stop eating out at restaurants

carry healthy snacks, like apples

do toning workouts (pilates)



3 weeks before you leave:

no dessert!

Eat more protein, grilled chicken breasts

Carry weights while you walk



2 weeks before you leave:

do strength training 3 to 4 times a week

cut portion sizes

eat 5 small meals a day



1 week before you leave:

increase cardio workouts to twice a day

drink dandelion tea to reduce excess water

Spartans

And if you go see 300, these are the people that play these guys in the movie (I think it's crazy how different they look):

The guy on the left (the King):

His name is Gerard Butler and he was also in Phantom of the Opera and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life

The guy on the right (Xerxes):His name is Rodrigo Santoro and he is on Lost!! And he was in Love Actually and Charlies Angels: Full Throttle.

Sparta!!!

Um, so I want to be a Spartan.

Go see it.

Seriously.

JANINE!!!

Janine is an aunt!!!!!!

Yay!

Haynnah is cute

This is just the cutest thing ever! Have fun in Texas!!!!