Because I'm Thankful

So, I usually save my thanksgiving posts for well Thanksgiving, but it just so happens that I'm feeling uber thankful right here at the beginning of August.  Shoot me.

• I am thankful that there are some ridiculously godly women in my life who are stinking fun to know.
• I am grateful that the a/c in my apartment works well.
• I am thankful that my pastor tells the lawnmower salesman about Jesus.
• I am grateful to work for an organization that provides for me to attend the Willow Creek Leadership Summit every summer.  I can hardly sleep I'm so excited about the next two days!
• I am thankful that there was a pool where I've been housesitting during this insane heat spell!
• I am thankful that God accepts my most honest prayers, especially when I'm sure I'm not saying it right.
• I am glad that when I feel absolutely crazy, He speaks peace.  
• I am thankful for my family and how they love each other and how they love me.  Wow.
• I am thankful that Walgreen's sells jugs of tea for times when I'm a little scatterbrained and forgetful.
• I am grateful that the Gospel is for Christians.
• I am thankful that I know God doesn't allow pain without purpose.
• I am glad there's a skip button for times when I don't like the song that just came on.
• I am thankful there are options for "mainstream" people who don't like "whiny" music.
• I am glad I have a blog where I can say what's running through my mind late on a Wednesday night and know that nobody has to read it.  

Summer Reading List Recommendations

This summer has afforded me the luxury of doing a lot of reading, and I've got some books I'd like to recommend.  There's no particular order to this madness, just a list of what I've read so far.

1.  This Just In by Bob Schieffer ... I picked this one up on the clearance shelf at Half-Price Books, and it's been a delightful read.  I didn't know much about Bob Schieffer or his career, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he is a Fort Worth native.  Many of his stories center around places very near and dear to my heart!
2.  Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers ... So so good.  I'm super late to the party on this series.  I can't even explain why I put it off for so long, but I cannot say the last time a fictional work had such a profound impact on my spiritual thought life.  Remarkable.
3.  The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield... I'm not done with this one yet, but I'm enjoying it enough that I figure it's okay to tell you about it.  This is the story of the Guinness family of brewers from Ireland and how their faith has impacted their family and so many others over whom they've had influence.  Fascinating.
4.  The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin ... Charles Martin is by far and away my favorite fiction writer. He weaves a story and paints a picture with such captivating detail.   A friend suggested his writing to me a little over a year ago.  I read the first book, then went out and bought everything else he'd written.  This latest story did not disappoint in any way.  Beautiful.
5.  The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns ... Wow.  This was the surprise of the summer.  I downloaded an audio version of this book for free from www.christianaudio.com, and had it saved on my computer for several months before deciding to give it a try.  I am so thankful I did.  Richard Stearns is the US President of World Vision, and the first section of this book is the story of his own unlikely arrival at that position.  He has such a gift for blending story and scripture and statistics and history into a challenge for believers.  I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.
6.  Radical by David Platt ... I hate a band wagon.  Since everyone I knew was talking about this book, I almost didn't pick it up at all.  Besides, I'd heard that if I'd already read Francis Chan's Crazy Love, then I didn't have to read Platt.  However, I do love books on cd, so when Mardel ran this one on sale half-price, I picked it up and put it in my car.  I'm now wishing everyone I know would read/listen to this book.
7. The O'Malley Series by Dee Henderson ... putting this on my list is kind of like admitting there's some Miley Cyrus on my summer playlist.  It's pure, unadulterated fun.  This series of stories about a family of orphans who decided to share a last name and form a bond that carries them long into adulthood was a wonderful escape.  I can't say it challenged me spiritually or taught me anything about life in general, but it did help me appreciate my friend-family and make me smile a lot.

Adventures in Volunteer Direction

At the very top of the application we have all new volunteers fill out, there are three blanks:

Date of Application: ___________ Orientation: ________________ Tour: ___________________

To be fair, most people don't know what to put in those second two categories, so they generally leave them blank.  (They are places for me to mark the date and initials of the person who provides the volunteer orientation and tour.)

Occasionally, though, some over-achiever decides to think really hard and make their best guess at what goes in those blanks.  Generally, I get a "yes" or "no" next to the tour line, and more often than you'd imagine I get the word "straight" next to orientation.  Today, however, I picked up an application with the word "black" next to orientation.

Seriously?  A) I don't think it's remotely appropriate or necessary for me to know someone's race or ethnicity in order for them to volunteer for us.  B)  If I were going to ask for that information in an application, would I really put it on the very top line of the form?  And refer to it as "orientation"?  Really???

And I was worried my job wouldn't be as interesting working with volunteers rather than clients ...

Checklist for a Best Weekend Ever

Surprise visit from an active duty soldier - check!
Pool time - check!
Dinner on the patio at Joe T's with some of my favorite people - check!
Sunday brunch at Yogi's - check!
Sunday stroll through Central Market, Farmers Market, and Target - check!
Pool time - check!
Starbucks - check!
Prince of Persia and chips and queso at West 7th Movie Tavern with the girls - check!
One-hour massage - check!
Facelogic Facial - check!
Pool time - check!
Monday afternoon nap - check!
No alarm clock three mornings in a row - check!

Seriously.  Best. Weekend. Ever!

I Might Be Deaf

When I was in college, I worked with a guy who had a very good ear for music, but sometimes, I felt sad for him. His ability to hear and pick out all of the finer aspects of a performance also kept him from being able to really enjoy anything less than perfection.  Most of the time, I was blissfully unaware of many of the musical mistakes that often drove him right over the edge.

In recent years, I've truly tried to get better, purposefully adding variety to my musical collection, asking friends for suggestions, and trying to listen to the actual music behind the lyrics.  But, alas, today I realized I might be deaf.

You see, two months ago, my car battery died and had to be replaced.  I noticed immediately that my preset radio stations had to be reset, and fixed them accordingly.  However, it was not until today, two months later, that I realized my bass and treble settings were also off.  And, I only realized this because the thug next to me at a stop light was annoying me, and I decided to see if I could drown him out.  I hit the button to adjust my settings and realized both the bass and treble were set to "0".  Oops.

It was incredible how much better my radio sounded on the second half of my drive to work this morning!  Amazing.

Angie

Today is Angela Lewis Hinkelman's birthday.  And, for me, that's something wonderful to celebrate.

I get to call her Angie.  That's because I fell asleep once in a van on the way back to Abilene from a Rangers' game and slobbered on her leg.  We decided that very night that we either had to cease being friends or plan on being friends for life.  I think we made a good decision.

For you Grey's Anatomy people out there, Angela is my person.  She's who I need to tell first when good things or bad things happen in order to make them real.  I literally have laughed and cried harder with her than with any other person - and for those of you who've heard me laugh till I wheeze or seen my ugly cry face, you know that's something.  I call her my "appendage friend" because, truly, she is more than just my friend or my sister, she is part of me.  She knows everything.  She gets me.  She lets me be me without making me feel stupid like nobody else in my entire life has ever fully done.  Sometimes, she knows me better than I know myself -- at least, she figures out the conclusions I'm going to draw and decisions I'm going to make before I do, anyway.  It's kind of annoying, frankly.  ;-)

There are lots of reasons you should wish Angela was your best friend, too.  She's fiercely loyal.  Ridiculously and embarrassingly so some of the time.  I know that sometimes she's defensive of me even when I don't deserve it, but I've decided that everyone needs someone in their corner, even when they're wrong. Angela is also incredibly accepting.  For someone who struggles to accept herself and not to judge others, finding this trait in a best friend has been priceless.  Angela's unwavering acceptance of me, the very best right along with the very worst, is a gift that truly amazes me all the more as time goes on.  Angela is also smart, driven, successful, intelligent, likes football, and she's very funny.  (Liking football and being funny are really my only requirements in a best friend, all the rest is just bonus.)  And, she's a little pushy.  She pushes.  She pushes me when I'm ready to be done.  She pushes me to do the right things and the best things and the things I'd never try if nobody was there to push me.  She also used to push me to skip class and lay out by the pool, but that's a different tale. :-D

Angie, I think I could write for days and never come up with enough ways to tell you just how thankful I am for all that you are to me.  In the most uncliche, cheeseless way I can possibly say it, you've been helped me see Jesus in more ways than you may ever know.  Thank you.

PS -- Did I mention she also likes football?

I Might Be In a Good Mood If ...

1.  I'm drinking cold water from my purple water bottle.
2.  I'm drinking hot, black coffee from my pink Starbucks travel mug.
3.  I'm listening to country music (by choice).
4.  I'm driving with the windows down.
5.  I take the time to curl or straighten my hair.
6.  I blog about nothing.
7.  I more or less skip/hop (bounce?) from place to place rather than my usual "woman on a mission" march.
8.  I order anything other than water at a restaurant, particularly Diet Coke or Flavored Iced Tea.
9.  I'm writing in purple ink.
10. There's a tiara on my head.

Is There Anything Better Than March in Texas?

I took the day off today.  Not for any particular reason.  I'd worked some extra hours the last couple of weeks and knew I had a busy weekend coming up with the Grand Opening of the Cornerstone Resale Shop @ 3500 Noble Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76111 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (hint! hint!), so I decided to clear my calendar and spend a day away from the office.  It was much harder than I thought it would be not to check my email or call in, but I think I'll be better for it tomorrow.  
Several people asked me what I did with my day off.  And, the real answer is, "not much."  I enjoyed the novelty of sleeping until I woke up (sans alarm clock).  I caught up on laundry and did some light housekeeping, spent extra time with Jesus and planned meals for the rest of the week, worked out, visited friends, rocked a baby to sleep on my shoulder, and browsed the church library for some new fiction.
Why in the world am I telling you about my day?  I have no idea.  It was gloriously ordinary.  It rained briefly this morning, then the sun came out and shone brilliantly, and the open windows and patio door allowed the scent of Spring to fill my tiny apartment.  And, every so often I had to just pause and inhale deeply and exhale slowly and relish it.  The first days of Spring in Texas fill me with so much delight.  I just feel giddy inside.  Those scents instantly take me to some of my favorite places. Skipping afternoon classes, sitting on the patio at HSU after pledging my freshman year, feet propped up, enjoying the fact that I didn't have to greet anyone I didn't feel like saying "hello" to but suddenly feeling like saying "hello" to everyone who walked by.  Lazy walks around campus at dusk, talking about everything and nothing just because it felt great to be alive.  Senior year, laying out by the apartment pool or frequenting a local ice cream parlor instead of learning more Spanish grammar.  Seminary afternoons, reading by the pond or laying on a blanket in my own backyard.  Using every minute of break during Monday night classes to get outside, walk across campus, and breathe deeply.  
Everything seems possible when the days are this magnificent.  And, I think I cherish them because they pass so quickly.  Heat strikes early in Texas and stays much longer than necessary in my opinion.  But, for these precious few weeks, I pretend like it's not coming.  I walk slowly to and from my car, enjoy any excuse to step outside during the day, and look for reasons to be there just a minute longer.  I leave my screen-covered windows open just a crack, so that wonderful scent drifts in.  I drive with the windows down and don't worry so much about what happens to my hair.  And, I blog about absolutely nothing because my heart is full and it seems like I should tell someone.

Why I Love 6 Year Olds

30 seconds after I walked into Kimbo's house last night, Creth was singing me a song about monkeys in a tree complete with swinging hip motions and a giant snapping alligator clapping motion -- all five verses!

Sitting down to dinner a few minutes later, this conversation begins ...

Creth:  Miss Christine?
Me:  Yes, Crethy?
Creth:  What's your name?
Me:  Kristen
Creth:  Oh yeah! ... Miss Christine, you know how we're 'posed to give something up for um ... uh ... till Easter?
Me: Yes
Creth:  Wull, um, (dancing beside my chair throughout the entire exchange), I'm giving up my friend Berkely across the street 'cause she's mean!

This was said with a decisive nod of his head.  I did my dead level best to keep a straight face, but failed miserably.  Kimbo finally put me out of my misery and told me it was okay to laugh.  I cracked up, and Creth stood there beside my chair smiling proudly at his own cleverness.  Then, the conversation continued:

Me:  Creth, how long has it been since you've seen Berkley?
Creth:  Uh, I don't know, a few days?
Me:  Didn't Lent start last week?
Creth: Yeah, but last week I gave up spankings.

My eyes immediate swing back to Kimbo for confirmation.  She says, "Yeah, it worked great until he got in trouble.  He was sitting in the chair waiting for his dad to come get him, screaming, 'BUT I GAVE UP SPANKINGS!!!" at the top of his lungs."  Guess, he didn't realize mom and dad hadn't given them up!

I love this kid!

52 Songs for 52 Weeks of 2009

In play count order, these are the songs that have carried me through this year.


52. Sweet Morning Light/This Pathway by Greg Ferguson ... I will trust through the darkest night what I knew to be true when I last saw daylight
51. All I Can Say by David Crowder Band ... I didn't notice You were standing here, I didn't know that was You holding me, I didn't notice You were cryin', too, I didn't know that was you washing my feet
50. Live by Nichole Nordeman ... You came to shake us and to wake us up to something more than we'd always settled for and you make me want to live
49. None But Jesus by Christy Nockles ... In the moment of my weakness You give me grace to do Your will
48.  I Run To You by Lady Antebellum ... When lies become the truth that's when I run to you
47. What do I know of Holy by Addison Road ... I guess I thought that I had figured You out I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about How You were mighty to save Those were only empty words on a page Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees
46. I Am by Bradley Knight ... I am your future, so leave your past behind
45. The Valley of Vision by Sovereign Grace ...In the daytime there are stars in the heavens, but they only shine at night, and the deeper that I go into the darkness, the more I see their radiant light
44. Say by John Mayer ... You better know that in the end, it's better to say too much than never to say what you need to say again
43. Unashamed Love by Ten Shekel Shirt ... Worthy, You are worthy, of my childlike faith and of my honest praise, and of my unashamed love
42. Garden by Needtobreathe ... Let the notes I choose be Your favorite tune
41. I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin ... There's a day that's drawing near when this darkness breaks to light and the shadows disappear and my faith shall be my eyes
40. On The Third Day by Michael Olson ... On the third day behold the King, on the third day death has no sting, on the third day we're forgiven and reconciled!
39. Love Story by Taylor Swift ... It's a love story, baby, just say "yes!"
38. The Way I Feel by Matt Wertz
37. Whatever You're Doing by Sanctus Real ... Whatever You're doing inside of me, it feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace; it's hard to surrender to what I can't see, but I'm giving in to something heavenly
36. I'm Yours by Jason Mraz ... I guess what I'm be saying is there ain't no better reason to rid yourself of vanity and just go with the season
35. Carolina by Matt Wertz ... I'm careless sometimes I'm sure that you'll find, but that's not how I want to live my life, I wanna be sure, but I don't know how to, how hard I try!
34.  Desert Song by Hillsong ... All of my life, in every season, I have a reason to worship, I have a reason to sing!
33.  Jesus Paid It All by Kristian Stanfill ... Oh, praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!
32. Stepping Stone by Duffy  ... I will never be your stepping stone, take it all or leave me alone, I will never be alone, I'm standing upright on my own
31. The One Who Loves You the Most by Brett Dennen
30. I'm Singing by Kari Jobe ... Only one King has an anthem that goes on and on and on
29. Hurricane by Jimmy Needham ... And if You are the war, let me be your casualty till I'm only Yours now
28. Brave by Nichole Nordeman ... The way it always was is no longer good enough, You make me wanna be brave
27. Beg by Shane and Shane ... I'm haunted by my God who has the right to ask me what by the nature of my rebellion I cannot give
26. Faithful to Me by Jennifer Knapp ... through another day, another trial, another chance to reconcile to One who sees past all I see, I'm reaching out my weary hand, and I pray that You'd understand, you're the only one who's faithful to me
25. Laugh So You Don't Cry by Andy Davis ... The only tears you should cry, cry laughing. I think it's about time that you get yourself out of hiding
24. Counting on God by Desperation Band ... Joy unspeakable that won't go away and just enough faith to live for today, so I never have to worry what tomorrow will bring 'cause my faith is on solid rock, I am counting on God
23. O Praise Him by David Crowder
22. Alpha and Omega by Gaither Vocal Band ... He that sat upon the throne said behold I make all things new. He said unto me, write these words, for they are faithful and true and it is done, it is done, it is done, it is done!
21. Fringes by Shane and Shane
20. Blessed by Brett Dennen ... blessed is this life, and I'm gonna celebrate being alive
19. You Are My Treasure by Chris Tomlin ... bought with a price, I'm not my own
18. Rock n Roll by Eric Hutchinson
17. You Don't Have To Believe Me by Eric Hutchinson ... you don't have to believe me when we're dancing out on the floor, but you sure better believe me when I say you are worth much more!
16.  Crazyboutya by Dave Barnes ... all the girls in the papers and the movies and the covers of the dirty magazines they got nothing on your beauty, pretty baby, cause you're everything they wish they could be
17. I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
16. Reasons to Love You by Meiko ... Give me a reason to fall in love, take my hand and let's dance. Give me a reason to smile, 'cause I think I forgot how
15. Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas ... I'm so 3008; you're so 2000 and late!
14. Something Beautiful by Newsboys ... When we laugh so hard that we cry, it's the love between you and I, something beautiful
13. Then by Brad Paisley
12. Loving You Loving Me by Dave Barnes ... What I say out loud is only half of what's in my head
11. Single Ladies by Beyonce ... If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it!
10. All Because of Jesus by Fee ... It's all because of Jesus I'm alive, all because the blood of Jesus Christ
9. Wedding Dress by Derek Webb ... I am so easily satisfied by the call of lovers so less wild
8. How Can I Keep from Singing by Chris Tomlin ... I know I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing
7. Sleepy Tigers by Her Space Holiday ... I like you so very much so much in fact I gotta call you up, it's not that I have news to bring, I just wanna make your telephone ring

6. Psalm 62 by Shane and Shane ... Even in your fear, oh, your God is here to lean on, He won't move!
5. Glory by Selah ... One day voices that lie will all be silenced, one day all that's divided will be whole again, one day death will retreat and wave its white flag, one day love will defeat the strongest enemy, so we wait for that one day, come quickly!
4. From the Inside Out by Hillsong United ... everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
3. How He Loves Us by Kim Walker ... I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way that He loves us
2. I Have to Believe by Rita Springer ... If He can move my mountain, He can move your mountain, too
1. Mended by Watermark ... You give us your best for what we thought was better

Confessions of a People Pleaser

Today, it is snowing outside.  I dressed warmly, wearing a layered turtleneck, sweater, and scarf.  Then, as I walked out the door, I grabbed my heaviest coat and threw it over my arm and carried it outside to my car.  When I got to work, I grabbed my lunch, my folders, and then threw my coat over my arm once again for the walk from my car across the street to the office building.  And, here's what I realized.  I literally carry a coat (over my arm) on the coldest day of the year just to keep potential "moms" from getting onto me for not having one.  I hate coats.  I rarely put one on unless I KNOW I'm going to be outside for more than 10 minutes. (This is also how I feel about umbrellas by the way.)  Still, I feel compelled to carry one to please people who MIGHT feel compelled to get onto me.

Seriously?!

So, this morning, I walked into a male coworker's office just as he was picking a package of feminine products out of a box of random items someone had left for a client.  "What's this?" he says.  "Uh, pads," I say awkwardly.  He drops them quickly into the box and turns to answer my question.  I laughed and walked back to my own desk across the hall.  


Fast forward to this afternoon.  He's sitting at his desk working on reports.  I'm sitting at my desk across the hall, working.  "Kristen, remember that package I picked up this morning?"  (I'm feeling very wary of where this is going.)  "Yes?" I say.  "Well, I was just wondering ... why are there so many different kinds of those?  Why are there different thicknesses?  Does it depend on the person?"  


At this point, I'm shaking my head, staring directly at my computer, and wondering why in the world this conversation is happening here and now.  Oh the dangers of working in an office where coworkers feel more like family!


"Well, no" I say, "it's more about the day than the person."  "Oh," he says completely unphased or undaunted in his curiosity, "so, are they labeled 'day one, day two, etc.?'"  "Um, no.  That's actually more about the person," I say, still shaking my head and trying to pretend this isn't happening.  "Huh," he says, "well, there sure are a lot of different kinds.  They could probably have their own specialty store just for that."  At this point, I've got nothing else that's remotely appropriate to say at work about this conversation. 


The fact that the conversation happened at all was making me shake my head.  The fact that it happened with a coworker inside the office truly floored me.  But, the very best part, it was spoken ACROSS the hallway!


LOL.  I love my life.

My Favorite Phone Call

Me:  Hello, may I please speak to Blessing?
He: (yelling to someone else) Hey, they wanna talk to Blessing!
-- loud shuffling noise --
He: BLESSING!
She: Who is it?
He: I don't know, sounds like a white woman, though.