L is for Love (it's okay, you can throw up a little)

These are the lovely roses my dear husband had delivered to my office yesterday. It was a big surprise - we don't usually make much of a deal out of Valentine's Day. It's always fun to get things at work, though - everyone's either jealous (the other ladies), or intimidated (the men who think "I should have done that for my wife"). They're kind of blocking my view of my other monitor, but I don't care. I'd rather look at pretty red roses anyway.

Busy day today - this morning I got up early and put an apple pie in the oven (we have a Valentine's potluck at work today), after work I have to run to the credit union and pick up our loan check, drive to the dealer, get the whole car thing straight (I'm a little nervous to do all this without a wingman - Mark can't join me today). And last night I didn't get to sleep until almost 12:30. I'll probably go home and take a nap (although I want to get a little workout in if I can) when it's all said and done. Aside from flowers and a new car, we don't have big plans for V-Day.
Wishing you joy and love this day - may you (and I) remember our Savior, whose love for us cannot be surpassed.

coming attractions...

Tomorrow I'll put up a picture of the gorgeous red roses that are adorning my desk (that's my hubby!!).

Thursday I'll be posting a picture of my new car! :)

You'll just have to manage to hang in there until then!

learning things

I've always liked learning things, enjoyed using my brain for things, always been kind of a bookish, school-nerdy type of gal. Fifteen or twenty years ago, you'd probably find me checking out 8 library books per week, or wandering around my yard, lost in some complicated imaginary game/role play I'd made up (along with my sister and my friend Anne). And while I love physical activity, and using my hands - my brain is the one muscle (ok I know it's not actually a muscle) in my body that never shuts down.

It's still true today that I love to read, love to think about things, love to learn... but it seems that the things I am learning are much tougher than they used to be. I thought trigonometry was tricky, I didn't really care much for physics, and learning all the capitals of all the states was a downright pain. But that's nothing compared to learning that I am not in control of my life, learning to hand over the reins to God, learning what it means to live a life that is tied to God's word. There are moments (minutes, hours, days...) I catch myself thinking, "I'd gladly dissect a frog, find the acceleration of a tennis ball as it's launched across the room, or conjugate German verbs... gladly do any of those things, rather than learn this particular lesson."

But what I realized is that I used to be learning information. It was knowledge - it's concrete, and factual. It's good, it's valuable, and I still like it. But today's lessons focus on wisdom. I can't read someone else's wisdom and have it take root in my heart. I have to live, learn, pray, wrestle, pray more, talk, make mistakes, try again... The really cool thing is that I can feel the roots growing deep. I may not remember the atomic numbers of the elements, or where exactly the Euphrates River is on a map... but the wisdom I'm growing these days is imprinted on my heart. There's not much of it yet, but it's slo-o-owly increasing... and it's permanent. Praise God for the way He grows us into His plans for us - for tough lessons, for love that passes all understanding. And for the fact that a proud, selfish, naive, short-sighted, impatient gal like me can walk along a narrow path toward wisdom - only because she is holding tight to the hand of her almighty Creator.

my weekend

I had quite an adventurous weekend - the windchill was about 20 below zero, the snow was knee-high in many places, and I was responsible for a cabin of 15 8th grade girls. It was incredible. The sheer exhaustion and the near-frostbite I experienced paled in comparison to the joy of spending my days and nights with these ladies. They are funny, warm-hearted, mature, silly, serious and spontaneous all at the same time.

There were many moments that left me speechless - more than one that moved me to tears - and uncountable ones that are tattooed on my
heart. Praise God!

This is the whole group we took from Greater Lansing - over 80 kids!






My sumo friends, Christy and Sara!







Our cabin after less than 24 hours at camp...







Most of the girls, hanging out before dinner!

The 'Seller

For those of you who aren't intimately familiar with Mason, MI (the county seat of Ingham County) - we're almost 8,000 strong, our mascot is the Bulldogs, and there is an achingly quaint town square in the center of town, surrounding the courthouse. The square is lined with all the appropriate businesses - a fabric store, lawyers, hairdresser, ice cream parlor, drug store, and (one of my Personal Favorites) a small bookstore/coffee shop called Bestseller's. Up until a few months ago, Bestseller's was not open on Sundays, and they still close at 7:00pm most nights. But it has fabulous small-town charm, free wi-fi, and really cute glasses to serve their signature coffee drinks (Mason Mocha, anyone?).

Yesterday afternoon, I pulled up in front of Mason Middle School a little before 2:30pm - joined the endless line of minivans and station wagons with moms at the wheel. My friends Christy, Huntar and Natalee jumped in the car, and we were off to the 'Seller. We had yummy drinks, cookies and muffins, we took a quiz from GL magazine "Are You Too Nice?" We played with the wooden train set in the children's book section and read out loud to each other. It was amazing. I've known these girls since they were in 6th grade - and to watch them today... my heart was overwhelmed. They're funny, they're observant, they're warm-hearted - and they're turning into such delightful, impressive young women. I'm so honored to be their friend.

didn't you want to know?

Things that are on my mind RIGHT NOW

- My car does pretty well in the snow... except for when I accelerate, brake, and turn.
- I have a zit coming in that makes it feel (and look) a little like I'm growing a second chin.
- I forgot to eat breakfast this morning. :(
- We have a lot of great friends that have moved away that I miss dearly. Good people.
- I wish I was wearing sweatpants.
- January is almost over - which means we're almost 8.5% of the way through 2007. Creepy.

That's it for now, folks.

good times, good times

This weekend was really fun - just as busy as predicted, but it went really well. I'm easily put off by busy weekends (especially when they're sandwiched between busy weeks, and followed by another busy weekend...), and so I did my best this weekend to enjoy the time and tasks that the Lord put in front of me. Didn't come through it perfectly, but better than usual.
-Jerry Seinfeld was SO funny - my face and tummy hurt from laughing so hard
-Mark's HOSA conference went really well - it was a good day work-wise, and a good day hanging out with our little family
-Abbey (Brooks's future wife) joined us Saturday night and we played a fun board game
-Mark and I enjoyed Dale and Cheryl's company for the FFA Alumni Spaghetti Fundraiser on Sunday
-We visited with Mark's whole family (15 total - 16 including our niece/nephew who is still in Stephanie's belly)last night - ate pizza, placed bets on whether the new baby would be a boy or girl, what color hair it would have (if it would have hair), etc.
Mostly - it was a good time to laugh and enjoy the company. I wasn't as lazy/relaxed as I would have liked to be - but I did a LOT of living.

fun stuff

I found this yesterday, sent it to Mark, and bookmarked it on my computer at work. Seriously... I can't help but start cracking up - the third time the cameraman (I'm assuming a dad-type person) makes that "bing!" noise, I just lose it. SO FUNNY. What a great site to have - I think it will come in handy for those stressful moments that can pop up.

For any who are interested - Mark and I loved Freedom Writers - it was a cheesy, uplifting movie - but without the cheese. In a sense, you know that things are going to end up well, but there are some awfully intense moments along the way - really powerfully done. And I like that kind of movie anyway (even the cheesy ones). $16.00 well spent.

Got a busy weekend - we're going to see Jerry Seinfeld at the Wharton Center on campus tonight, heading toward Detroit tomorrow for a HOSA conference (Brooks and I have been recruited to help with some as-yet-unnamed tasks... it should be fun. I always like doing these). Saturday night is church and hanging out with Brooks and Abbey, Sunday is a fund-raiser spaghetti lunch thing, and then visiting with Mark's brother and SIL, and sister and BIL and nephews. Should be fun. I'm excited, but afraid I'll burn out by Sunday night (which is poor timing for a burn-out). However, I feel like that may be a self-fulfilling prophecy - so I've decided it's going to be fun and energizing to see so many people, be able to serve and hang out and play games and connect. Bring it on!!

it's the small things

It was so nice to spend last night at home - we had BBQ meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner, I did get to workout (10 tough minutes of pilates counts, right?), I wore my sweatpants all night long... it was definitely much needed. I find that it usually just doesn't take much for me, you know?

Tonight, Mark and I have our weekly "date" - I think we'll go to dinner and then go see Freedom Writers. Brooks gave us "dinner & a movie" for Christmas, so I'm excited to use that. Here's the trailer for Freedom Writers:

a whole night!

This afternoon I will leave my office at 4:30, drive home... and STAY there! :) This doesn't happen very often, so I get excited when it does. I'll probably do really exciting things like lay around in my sweatpants, read a book, workout (I hope I hope), cook dinner, and watch Scrubs with Mark and Brooks. Generally, I really like to be busy - but I can only go non-stop for so long without, well, stopping. (guess it's not really nonstop then, huh?)

Tomorrow - I work until 11:30am, then I'm having lunch at P.F. Chang's with Jane, then it's off to coffee with Mere at Beaner's. At 4:00, I'm getting a free facial - one hour of fun pampering - I won a drawing that I entered at Main Dish Kitchen, woohoo! And then it's date night with my hubby. Sounds like I've got a good couple of days coming up here.

In all my busy-ness, I'm finding that there are lots of things I value, things I want to be central to my everyday life, that I'm neglecting. That's not good. A couple of years ago, I was trying to work on my discipline with things like working out, reading scripture, drinking enough water, etc. I created a system where I set goals, and gave myself little rewards when I met them for a week/month/whatever. I think I may need to do that again. I like rewards... so do cute puppies!

a little of this...

My little sister is coming to visit this weekend (Mark is out of town with friends) - I'm excited! I love having her come - we laugh a lot, eat good food, watch movies, and generally revert back to a version of ourselves from 1996. It's awesome.

I VERY much enjoyed my afternoon off - I got to have lunch with my friend Meredith, and go to Starbucks with Nat, Huntar and Christy (friends of mine from Mason Middle School). I laughed a lot, and was really blessed by the company and the love I experienced with those ladies. It's so cool to see God glorified through seemingly silly things - like lattes and lunchtime.

On a completely unrelated note - my eyes hurt. I think I spend too much time at my computer (although there's no good way around that at work). By the afternoon, they feel like they're about to fall out of my head. I need to bring some eyedrops in to the office...

almost there!

I've adopted a new work schedule - longer hours on M,T,Th, F - and every Wednesday afternoon OFF! So far, the long hours are wearing me out a little bit, but I'm excited about having the afternoon off work - and hoping that it totally makes up for getting up a half hour earlier every day. I'll keep you posted. But it's nice to be almost done with work for the day at 11:30am!! I could get used to this.

treachery

I detest driving in the wintertime. I only live about 11 miles from work, but I was physically exhausted by the time I got here (which was 7:00am - an exhausting time to show up even on a warm and sunny day). Right now, the roads have a layer of ice, then one of snow, and now another one of ice. It's absolutely delightful. At least I'm here, and I'm not leaving again for another 8 hours.

An update on my trust post - In true "God fashion", I've been treated to an interesting array of wake-up calls on my heart and attitude, and His character. Since I don't really like leaving everyone with the mopey-ness of the last blog, I'll share a little of what He's been showing me.

1. I'm a chosen, beloved daughter of the Creator of the universe. The hairs on my head are numbered, and He loves me, delights in me, and finds joy in me. This one is extremely hard for me to believe at times - but it's really true.
2. God sent His only son Jesus to die for me, His daughter, in order that I might be rescued from my sin. God went to ultimate lengths to repair our relationship.
3. When I look at those two truths - it seems so childish for me to question what He has in store for me. How can I not believe I will be provided for? Not that God's amazing love for me means He will give me everything I want, and a wonderfully easy life - but I can know with absolute certainty that my life is not haphazard. His eye is on the sparrow - how much more so is it on me?

So, while I'm still struggling with the fact that I want (I want I want I want) things to go a certain way, and there is no one who can tell me if they will or not... I know that One who is much smarter than I am is in control. And that's OK. Not easy - but it's not supposed to be easy.

trust

I've been thinking a lot about trust lately. Not in a "you-look-kinda-sketchy-I-don't-know-if-I-can-trust-you" way, but in a "what-does-it-really-look-like-to-trust-God's-design-for-me" sense. Unfortunately for my wishing-to-be-lazy self, it looks as though the answer isn't easy. At least not in the beginning. I enjoy planning things, I prefer to know what's coming, and I like to feel prepared for what lies ahead. I feel as though I'm standing on the edge of something, and I know exactly what I want the journey to look like - timing, results... all of it. But right now, all I can see is where I'm standing, and maybe one step ahead. Beyond that - pitch black. It terrifies me. I have no doubt that I will move forward - there's no question in my mind that I will walk into the blackness. I'd just like to know the path, how long it will take, and other *minor* details like that.
I know that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
I know that He will make my paths straight.
I know that He gives peace that passes understanding.
I know that He knows the desires of my heart, and that He has plans to prosper me and not harm me, to give me a hope and a future.
It's just so hard to live that. To really lay back in pure, trusting obedience and accept that God knows and loves my heart, and knows better than I do what is good for me. I need to stop wishing I could control this, and find a way to take joy in His awesome power and purpose.
Any ideas for a woman who loves to plan, and wants desperately to know what is coming?

the family at 422

Here are the two men who live in my house - duking it out over the football game on Monday night (which actually, sadly, turned out to not be much of a battle). Despite the intensity of the picture, no one in our house had very strong feelings about the game (Brooks's fiancee is from Columbus, OH, and Mark just happened to have a Florida sweatshirt) - we turned it off to watch 2 episodes of Scrubs together, then went to bed by 11:00pm. Didn't know how the game ended until Tuesday morning. Die hard fans, we are not. That's good, though - because no fistfights actually break out because of something silly like football - but the smile-y pictures (while handsome, of course) are just not as funny.

Here's a picture of the three of us at the New Year's Eve party - we needed a least one of our little "family" before the holidays ended. It's a lot of fun (for all of us) to have Brooks living with us. By the time he gets married in July, he'll have been at our house for almost a full year. It'll be strange to not have him around anymore after that (but ultimately, probably much better for his marriage to not have to share a house with us.)

only 7 days overdue...

Here's a couple pictures of the mini-crowd (about 30 people) we had at our house for our NYE party this year. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we did it up "007 - Style" and people seemed to have a lot of fun. Hosting parties used to be semi-stressful for me, but I had a really good time with this one (and I like that my house gets a pretty good cleaning once in awhile!!)

whew

Today was really fun. I saw 21 students throughout the day - between Orientation and walk-in advising. I have to tell you - there's something awfully rewarding when you're able to sit down, connect with someone, make them laugh, and answer their questions. It doesn't sound like a hard job, and it's really not (as much as we like to pretend it is sometimes). It can be emotionally draining at times - but it's also really uplifting and encouraging. And I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating.

It's so humbling to realize how LITTLE it takes to make a difference to someone else. I have no excuses not to do it more often. Minimal (but genuine and well-meant) effort = all the difference in the world to (fill in the blank as it applies to your life).

I'm going to go home and put my feet up now. They hurt a little. But my heart feels great!

too funny not to post...

Your New Year's Resolutions

1) Get a pet rooster 2) Eat more Cheetos 3) Travel to India 4) Study magic 5) Get in shape with stripping classes

What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be?

my mouth tastes funny

I had a chicken enchilada & rice for lunch (hooray for Lean Cuisines!) - and now my mouth tastes funny. I'm sure that brushing or chewing some gum would solve this problem. Ought to get around to that before my office is flooded with students for Orientation Advising (yep, it's that time of year - AGAIN). I really like Orientation - it's fast, you get to see a lot of students, and I like the challenge of leaving students feeling heard and valued. It's going to be a busy afternoon in our office!
(warning - complete change of subject with zero transition)
I'm one of those people that really isn't friends with anyone from high school anymore - we all kinda lost track of each other (actually - I don't know if that's true. I lost track of everyone). I exchange Christmas cards every year from my friend Cory - and I love getting her cards - she always includes a picture of her daughters (she has four now!) and a note. This year, I was home for Christmas and ran into my friend Susan at church on Christmas Eve. It's so strange to have a long history with someone, but feel like total strangers at the same time. I've decided I want to try to get back in touch (at least with Cory and Susan - I'm not even sure how to find some of my other old friends) with some people from high school. Any advice on breaking back into our friendships?

grr

Blogger still won't let me put up pictures - so I'll try to keep this short (nothing's more intimidating than a huge block of words with absolutely no pictures!) :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! To jump feet first into sounding cliche - I can't believe it's 2007!! We had a blast at our New Year's party - we had about 30 people over at our house for a 007/James Bond theme party (and a few people confessed to not catching the 2007 - 007 theme tie-in... they thought we just really liked James Bond...) It was good to have people over - Mark and I have historically spent some very quiet, low-key NYEs - that's not bad, but last year we sat at home by ourselves. This was better.

Back to work for real now - lots of things to catch up on and handle, so that should be fun. I love time off, but I tend to be kinda lazy - and it's nice to get things done.

Any New Year's resolutions this time around? I'm having some trouble coming up with one... I have lots of goals floating around my head all the time, but there seems to be a level of seriousness attached to declaring something a "resolution." I'll keep you posted.