My Luggage Arrived!

PRAISE THE LORD! Say it with me...PTL!

I Needed To Hear That

About a month ago I was with a friend and I was ranting and raving in the car about how I felt church was full of fake people and full of politics and full of things that I don't think point people to Jesus. I mean that's the purpose of church, right? To point people to the cross--to the one and only who has something eternal to offer.

And then he reminded me, "Becky, the church is made up of people...and people are sinful. There will never be a perfect church, just like people will never be perfect."

I needed to hear that. I needed to be reminded of that by someone completely on the outside of my past and present church experiences.

I don't think I ever told you thank you, but thank you for reminding me that Jesus is bigger then the sins and imperfections of His people. And He continues to pursue us...relentlessly.

It Aint Easy, But It's Good

I posted last week about this new book I ordered from Amazon. So far it has been good--really good.

As I was reading, this stuck out to me:

"Americans are good at forming clubs and gathering crowds. But clubs and crowds, even when-especially when-they are religious clubs and crowds, are not communities. The formation of community is the intricate, patient, painful work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot buy or make community; we can only offer ourselves to become community."

As I read this, I was reminded that relationships that go beyond the surface take time and energy and vulnerability and those things surley are not always easy. I think about people who I've formed deep "beyond surface level" relationships with, and those relationships are ones that have been forming over the past 10 years. And these relationships (that I believe we all desire) don't form over night--but when they do form and God blesses us with incredibly special people in our lives, it is then when you realize it's all worth it. One of the chapters in this book is entitled "For God's Sake, Don't Expect It to Be Easy". I love that title.

Relationships are not easy--but we want them to be. And that's where I believe this duality between wanting things to be easy and wanting things to be good comes into play--though too often the good things in life aren't the easy things.

For anyone who has found themselves angry at "The Church" in one way or another, I strongly recommend this book. I thought the book would be kind of idealistic and cheesy, but it's quite the opposite. It offers a realistic approach to following Christ and walking that road with others who love Him and love you--regardless of what skeletons are in your closet. Lord knows I have my share of them.

"You want chips and pop with that?"

I went to Subway tonight to get dinner (I know what you're thinking...of all places, Subway? Really Becky? But hey I was super hungry and didn't want to get super lost and it was the first thing I came across.

So I ordered my sandwich and the lady behind the counter says, "You want chips and pop with that?" I stood there, smiled and yes, "Yes, please I would like chips and pop ."

There's no soda here in Minnesota, only pop.

And the accents here are great. I love listening to people enunciate the last letter of the words they say. Minn-e-sot-a...that's how they say it.

Land of 10,000 Lakes

Minnesota... "Land of Ten Thousand Lakes" is where I'm at right now. Today was a whirlwind with a few unexpected things thrown my way, but at least it keeps me on my toes.

Slept about two hours last night, went to bed at 2:00am and got up at 4:00 to leave the house at 4:45 to go to the airport and catch my 6:00am flight to Minnesota (via one layover in Denver).

Flights were good--went by quick. I listened to a few sermons I had been saving on my ipod so that was good.

All went well, and went to pick up my luggage and it wasn't there. No one knew where it was. It wasn't on the flight I went on. Oh and that's a whole other story, but after a long morning and afternoon of traveling I was exhausted and being told my luggage was lost, didn't help anything.
Got a rental car. Actually a rental SUV. Having a new to drive makes me want one. I LOVE the smell of new cars.

Checked into my hotel--all went well there. And it's only about a mile away from the Mall of America.

Rested for about a hour and then hit the mall. It is 4 stories, including a roller coaster inside of it. It has every store you can pretty much think of. For you Fresnans, combine Fashion Fair Mall, Fig Garden, Riverpark and add in some more speciality and luxury stores (Bloomindales, Nordstroms, ETC) and you have Mall of America.

But it's huge. I was there for 5 hours and only got through one of the four stories. And I was exhausted. I bought a pair of jeans and a shirt to wear tomorrow, since I have no clothes at the moment. Boo for lost luggage. Double boo.

Got Subway for dinner. Took it back to the hotel.

Took a bath. Ate some ice cream. Watched Food Network and am still waiting for my luggage to arrive. Fingers are crossed and prayers have been sent up.

Listen Up...

This made me think. It's obvious, at times, I am not a very good listener...

"Listening is a rare happening among human beings. You cannot listen to the word another is speaking if you are preoccupied with your appearance or impressing the other, or if you are trying to decide what you are going to say when the other stops talking, or if you are debating about whether the word being spoken is true or relevant or agreeable. Such matters may have their place, but only after listening to the word as the word is being uttered. Listening, in other words, is a primitive act of love, in which a person gives self to another's word, making self accessible and vulnerable to that word." -William Stringfellow

Tonight

My apartment was filled with...

Good Friends (Em, Art and Jon)

Good (home cooked) dinner (cheese raviolis, garlic bread, salad, and brownies) This dinner was Art's baby and he took good care of it!

Good conversation

Good TV (American Idol). We started watching The Bacheolor but it was making me nauseous, so we choose Idol instead.

Good singing (Jon and Emily along with Toby Mac :)

GREAT domination of the guys in Catch Phrase

I love having people over for dinner to eat, enjoy company of friends and just relax. A very enjoyable evening AND there are still brownies left... :)

"The Safest Place On Earth"

Just received this book in the mail that I ordered from Amazon. I haven't started reading it yet, but I'm looking forward to sitting down at Uncle Harry's this week and having time to sit, read and enjoy. The best part about it...this book only cost me $3 (okay, $5.99 with shipping) but still a good deal in my eyes.

I Kid You Not...

Tonight after a bridal shower for my dear friend Kristin, I decided to go shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding I'm attending tomorrow for my friends, Kimi and Chris. The bridal shower was over about 6:30pm and I set out shopping. Please note the time of this post, because I JUST got home. I walked through my apartment door at 10:07pm.

I went to SIX different stores and tried on a total of FOURTEEN dresses. Now, if you're a guy and you're reading this post, you may want to stop reading now, because most likely only girls will be able to relate with all this. Sorry fellas.

My shopping took me to (in this order):

Ross
Marshals
Mervyns
Sears
Gottchalks
Kohls

I can't say it was an enjoyable evening--because it wasn't. Not to mention I was wearing three inch heels the whole night (actually since 11am this morning) and my feet were feeling the pain.

I did finally find a dress at Kohls--and to make things a little better it was on sale.

Note to self: NEVER go shopping the night before for a dress to wear the next day. Way too much pressure and really not fun.

All you women who understand me throw your hands up at me...or rather, just let me know so I don't feel all alone.

Bust Out the Sparkling Cider!

Within the course of 5 days I will have gone to:

One Funeral
One Bachelorette Party
One Bridal Shower
One Wedding
One Rehearsal Dinner (for a completely different wedding that I'm not attending)
One Afternoon Luncheon (with my mom)
One Graduation Party

It's a lot, but I have been able to see so many people who I love and who make my heart smile. So many celebrations to share in.

Thank you Jesus for putting people in my life who love me, know me, challenge me and walk along side me. And thank you for allowing me to share in so many of these special celebrations--I am blessed.

I Should Have Worn Waterproof Mascara...

Today I attended a funeral for a dear friend's grandmother. This dear friend, Jamie, is a tad older than me, as she is in her 50's, but is she honestly one of the most beautiful and God fearing women I have ever met. She and her family have been a HUGE blessing and encouragement to me over the years. This funeral was for her grandmother, who was 94 years old when she left this life to be with Jesus.

A few personal observations from the funeral:

1. Jamie's grandmother, Hazel, knew how to love. She was married to the same man, John, for 76 years. That's longer than some people even live. They married when they were just 18 and were serious when they took the vow "till death do us part". She had 3 children, 10 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren--all whom know and love the Lord.

2. Funerals can be very sad--but this one was truly a celebration of life. She loved deeply, gave lots of hugs and kisses and was faithful to her family and the Lord--and could cook some amazing Italian food. I met Hazel a number of times, and every time I saw her she would always give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her daughter and the four of her granddaugthers that I know radiate the love and beauty she possesed.

3. Inner beauty will always outweigh outer beauty. Even though her daughter and granddaughters and great-granddaughters are GORGEOUS, they posses something much deeper that shines through them and exemplifies the love of Jesus. It was a beautiful (and much needed) reminder for me.

4. It is one of life's greatest blessings to have people who know you--and love you. This family knows me and Jen and loves us. Many of them can speak into my life in ways that very few can. Today at the funeral, I was talking to the 7th of the 9 grandchildren, Jenifer, who watched me and Jen grow up at church, and she spoke into my life in such a powerful way--clearly she had words form the Lord that I needed to hear. She, like her three sisters amaze me with their love for people and joy in the Lord.

5. I am blessed to know women who truly know and love Christ and desire to follow him. I want to be mothers and wives like them when that season of my life comes about. What a blessing to have that example in my life now while I am young.

Thank you, Jesus.

This family makes me want to have a big family--lots of hugs and love to go around for everyone. This whole family is Italian, so of course there was wine at each table at the reception. So good and so pure.

Hazel is with the Lord now, and although she physically left her home on earth, the impact she had on her family and so many others will be remembered and felt forever.

Today was surley a day I should have worn water-proof mascara.

And in all things we are reminded:
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and the heart of man cannot imagine what God has prepared for those who love Him."

--1 Corinthians 2:9--

Good Podcasts

For those of you who enjoy listening to sermons online, or on your ipod or in the car, I came across this blog that is a good resource for a lot of different online podcasts. Just thought I'd share my findings. As we say in my office, I like to be a "TP" (Team Player).

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Yet Another Good Laugh From My Mom....

Here we go again...

Mom: Have you seen the ribbon I just had in my hand?

Becky: Is it in your pocket?

Mom: No, but I just found my penny from heaven in my pocket.

Becky: What? Your penny from where?

Mom: From heaven. I found it on the ground today at church. When you find a penny on the ground, it's from heaven.

Becky: What if you find a quarter? Is that from heaven too?

Mom: Nope, that means someone just dropped it and didn't realize it.

Becky: Oh, right...of course.

And people wonder where I get my little quirks...

What's A Girl To Do?

I was REALLY hungry when I came home from the gym tonight. So what's a girl to do? Yep, you probably guessed it...make some Jiffy cornbread muffins. Mmmmmm...yum. The best $0.33 I've spent in a LONG time. I won't say how many I ate...but I will say they were darn good.

I LOVE this commerical...and laugh everytime

Never Again...

do I want to eat Mexican food. Not because I don't like it, I actually REALLY like it, but after eating it for dinner last night, my stomach hurt bad. Really bad.

So if you're my friend and you're reading this--please hold me accountable and don't let me eat Mexican food. I will probably say, "Oh, I can eat it I'll be fine"...but please don't let me!

My stomach hurt for about four hours last night and I even turned down cookies and ice cream--McDonald's ice cream--and you know something is wrong if I'm turning down a McDonalds soft serve ice cream cone!

Here Comes The Bride...And The Gifts...!

Within the past week (and in the next week to come) I will have bought 2 wedding gifts, 3 bridal shower gifts and 2 bachlorette party gifts. And I just bought shoes for one of the weddings I am a part of and I need to buy a dress for a wedding this weekend.

Note to self: budget extra money for wedding stuff from May-October.

Good Stuff From Donald Miller

I read the following from DonaldMillerWords.com and found it to be so interesting--and so true. After reading this I was reminded of the fact that we live in a fallen world and we (yes, you and I) are sinful people. Knowing this, as followers of Christ I think it's crucial to remember that everyday life is ministry. We live, work and interact with people everyday who don't know Jesus--and we have to be mindful of that.

Our actions will always speak louder than our words. Always.

I know it looks a bit long, but for those of you who do read it, I hope you enjoy.

Thirteen Paradigm Shifts we encountered doing Christian ministry in a pagan environment…

1. Other People Exist: Simply coming to the understanding that the world does not revolve around “me” but that everybody is having an experience, created by God, loved by God, and that we needed to repent of showing partiality…

2. Nobody will listen to you unless they know you like them: We began to understand that people, subconsciously, merit a religious or philosophical idea not on logical conclusions, but on whether or not the idea creates a “good person”…the definition of a good person being whether or not a person is kind to them, tolerant and understanding, able to listen without arguing and so on.

3. Nobody will listen to God unless they know God loves them: We came to believe there was usually a hidden pain behind hostility, that many people have been hurt by the church, or people or perspectives they believed to represent God. Many times its as simple as an interview they saw on CNN, but an apology and kindness went a long way in helping people understand God was loving.

4. Other people have morality and values: We came to understand that Christians do not own morality, that everybody lives by a moral code, not always informed by an ancient text, and yet it is there. Calling people or even thinking of them as immoral was, then, inappropriate. In fact, we often found that people who did not know Christ lived a morality close to his heart in many areas we had ignored, ie; community, tolerance, social justice, fairness and equality, freedom, beauty and so on and so on.

5. Find common ground: Often the morality of others overlapped Christian morality, and we came to understand that in these cases, we would focus on the overlapping issues. We came to see this as kindness, just as though we were on a date or making friends, we did not focus on what we didn’t have in common, but rather on mutual feelings about life. We would not say or do anything to combat people unless they knew we loved them, and this takes a great deal of time.

6. Define terms in their language: We were careful about Christian sayings and phrases that might be offensive: Crusade, sin, immorality….we came to understand that concepts were more sacred than terms…

7. Telling somebody about the gospel is about them, not us: We were careful not to try to “build our organization” and respected peoples freedom and space. Sharing the gospel became an exercise in friendship, rather than an attempt to grow a machine. Often, people feel used if they feel they are being recruited. The gospel, we learned, is really about them, their feelings about God and truth, about sin, about life

8. Don’t let spreading the gospel feel any different than telling somebody about a love in your life, about your children or a great memory: We realized that in telling somebody about Jesus, we were telling them about somebody we have come to love and need, and about something that had happened to us, an encounter. This keeps us from sounding preachy, and allows us to share part of ourselves in a friendship.

9. Include lost People in Your Community: Our organization was not exclusive. We invited non-believers into the community if they wanted to be invited. We were careful not to not be ourselves with them, but they were certainly invited and enjoyed being a part of the group. We explained terms that we used, what we believed, but other than that, continued as normal.

10. Apologize for what you represent: We discovered that many people have been offended or hurt by what they perceive Christianity to be. We allowed ourselves to stand in the place of “Christianity” and apologize whenever necessary.

11. Be authentic: We discovered the need to be as honest about our lives as possible. We did not feel the need to sale Jesus, as much as share what He has done in our broken lives. We had no problem sharing our doubts and fears about faith, along with our commitment and appreciation for what God had done.

12. Pray for the Salvation of others: We discovered the need to pray for others. This would insure God was working in peoples lives, as we asked Him to. We discovered the work of evangelism is something God lets us watch, but very little of it is what we manipulate. We repented of not believing evangelism was a spiritual exchange between a lost person and God, rather than believing it was a series of ideas we were supposed to convince others of.

13. Ask people if they would like to know Christ: We decided to initiate, whenever the relationship called for it. We were not afraid to ask people if they would like to know God.

When Was The Last Time I Ate There?

It's been at least a year since I've eaten at any of the following places:

--Wienerschnitzel* (they have ice cream now!!)

--Tacos Tijiuana*

--McDonalds (though I have partaken in ice cream cones from here)

--Del Taco*

--El Pollo Loco*

--The Chicken Pot Pie Shop (in tower)*

--Red Lobster*

--Carls Jr

--Togos

--Burger King

These are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. The ones with stars by them are places I think I would actually like to eat at sometime soon...

You wanna join me?

I'm Gonna Miss These Ladies...

They were a blessing to work with over this past school year. Some are returning and others are moving on. Thank you Jesus for allowing me to walk along side each of them this past year. I pray they walk away from this experience knowing more about themself, continuing to ask challenging questions and continuing to learn and discover new things about the Lord.

Thanks for a great first year ladies!

I Finally Loaded Pictures On My Computer...

So I didn't have any pictures from 2007. I had them on CD I just hadn't put them on my computer yet. So I finally loaded them all tonight. Below are just a few.

Side Note: J.lo when was the last time we took a picture together? Seriously...I don't have ANY from this year, and I think the last one I have is from my birthday...?

Here are a few random ones from various things: Mexico Trip, Random Applebee's photo shoot, Mavs vs. Warriors playoff game, End of the year RA pictures, even a few from New Years (yeah...5 months ago...) And maybe a few others... Enjoy!

This One Is For You J.lo...

The other night I went over to my grandma and grandpa's house to visit with them. As I was leaving, my grandpa walked me out to my car (as he always does) and I gave him a kiss and a hug bye and as I was getting into my car he says:

"Tell Ms. Jennifer we said hello when you see her."

So in light of that, my g-units say hello to you J.lo :)

You're really just a part of the fam! We won't even get into how you and my mom gang up on me...and how you tattle on me to Debbie Kruse...

143.

I get a stomach ache...

when I watch "The Bachelor". I can't imagine what it would be like to date a guy and know that he was dating (and making out with) multiple other girls. My stomach hurts thinking about it. I can only watch about 20 minutes of the show...usually the last 20 minutes, otherwise, my stomach can't handle it.

My heart goes out to those girls whose hearts will be broken when they aren't chosen. But I know, they knew going into it what they were in for.

That's one show I would NEVER be on!

It's back on! I need to take some Tums.

A week later...

And I'm back to blogging. Sorry for the lack of posts this last week. I wish I could say it was because I didn't have anything to post about, but that's not the case. I have actually been thinking about a lot of different things to post about, but for some reason just haven't sat down to do it.

Granted things have been a tad busier at work with the school year coming to a close and students checking out of the dorms and moving back home for summer.

Side note: I can't believe it's summer time again (or getting really close to it!

But tonight I'll be back to blogging and will try my best to not dissapoint my readers...all four of you :)