Four In A Row

1. I'm awesome. I posted four in a row. That makes me awesome. I am a big believer in self-encouragement.
2. Jesus is awesome. (That's not there for any particular reason, just that I can't really say I'm awesome without saying He's awesome...okay I'm not awesome, I'm just exceptional...okay I suck.)
3. You must, yes must check out the following link. Disclaimer: those of you who are Stuff Christians Like fans may have already seen this - it's from early June. Still, I laughed outloud...probably because I was forced to spend a whole summer watching Dora the Explorer...anyway, enough rambling. Here it is:

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2008/06/280-true-love-waits.html

They're Engaged!

Today, my friends Janna & Kirk got engaged! They came over to show off the ring and get lots of hugs and high pitched screams of excitement.




I am so excited for them and can't wait to see Janna in a wedding dress! Did I mention her last name is going to be Weatherbee? How cute is that!

Well, signing off now. Three posts in one day - I am on fire!

More Soccer Pics

Soccer is the world's favorite sport! Sadly, I had a pulled muscle (or something seriously wrong with my leg) and so I couldn't play long. But I got some good pics during the down time. Enjoy...



Ride the bull!



Please notice Tim's awesome pre-kick form

Contagious Joy

I work with an amazing woman named Cheryl. She is a recent addition to the Westside Church staff. She is also a recent (ish) widow and a very smiley person. I hadn't really been able to connect much with her or hear her story...until last week.

Once a quarter, the discipleship team (which I am on) gets together to talk and pray and share about our ministries and our lives. When it was Cheryl's turn my whole day changed. She started out by saying how happy she was to be working at the church, that everyday she woke up excited to come to work, excited to be working for the Kingdom. She shared about her neighbor that she's been praying for - that he's seen God's work in her life and wants to talk more about it. She shared how God had blessed her with great friends and neighbors. Everything she said was just dripping with enthusiasm...and I started to feel a little sheepish. I have had a pretty stressful couple of weeks with work and relationships and just life. And I'll admit, I didn't wake up every morning excited to drive to work. And then there's Cheryl - a woman who could be in despair. She's lost her husband and lives alone, supports herself. I'm sure she has many burdens I couldn't begin to understand, and yet I have never seen her frown. In that moment I felt the Holy Spirit gather up some of the joy surrounding her, and breathe it on me. It was like a cool breeze on a scorching day - it makes you thankful, it makes you remember to slow down, to "stop and smell the roses."

Now, whenever I see Cheryl I am reminded of how good God is, how trivial the stuff I tend to freak out about is, and how refreshing joy really is.

Cheryl, I know you probably will never read this blog, but today I am thankful for you!

Why I Am In Pain

One word: SOCCER.

Some of our friends decided to make this the summer of soccer (well, it always has to be the summer of something. Last year it was tennis.) Anyway, I wasn't able to play the last two times, but I definitely got to hear their complaining about how sore they were even three days after. And I'll admit, I kind of thought they were a little wimpy. But, I repent...for I have learned that soccer is death to all muscles. Especially when it is preceded by a 3 mile walk in the worst shoes in the world!

Despite the fact that I was nearly incapacitated yesterday, it was so much fun! And my team won! It's great exercise and really fun. I'm so excited to play again! Here are some pics...not really of the game because we were all playing. But here they are nonetheless:

Bigfoot

I went on an adventure to Goodwill yesterday, looking for planters for my new herbs (more posts to come on that!). While I was there I had to stop by the shoes. Now, I have pretty big feet - but nothing like this!

Volcano

On Friday, a volcano that has been dormant in Chile for a suspected 9000 years erupted causing the evacuation of more than 4000 people. It caught everyone by surprise, but somebody grabbed a camara. Here's what Chileans were looking at:



It's a crazy time in the world with natural disasters adding up. In case you don't know what's going on in the world, check out the earthquake in China and the cyclone in Myanmar. If ever there was a time to pray for the nations, it is now!

The Secret Joys Of Elevators

So my office is on the second floor of the church which requires one, yes only one flight of stairs to reach. However every time I'm headed downstairs (or upstairs) I spot that beautiful, beckoning, steel masterpiece calling my name.

Yes - the elevator. I try to be good and take the stairs, but here's the deal: I wear heels a lot and wouldn't want to injure myself! Truth be told I make up lots of excuses for using the elevator...but that's not actually the point of this post.

The point of this post comes from the fact that while I was in said elevator this week, I found myself busting a move (and the move was not at all cool)! I was seriously into it, and suddenly I stopped and laughed at myself and thought of the ridiculous things I do (or other people do) when in the elevator.

Really, it's just 10 seconds out of my day that I can be completely insane and nobody can see me! So, with that being said, here's a list I've compiled (and by compiled I mean totally made up) of funny things people do while in elevators:

• Dance
• Do a quick clothes adjust (did someone say wedgie?)
• Dance ridiculously
• Employ the face (or gesture) they wanted to use when having a "difficult" conversation with their coworker
• Sing (this one is funny because the elevator is NOT sound proof)
• Sniff check (for those of you who don't know this one, that would be head to the right, arm above head, sniff)
• Handstands (really Kenz?)
• Stretches
• DANCE OUTRAGEOUSLY

So the next time you're in the elevator I hope you think of this post. And I hope it makes you laugh. And I hope you do one of the things on that list. And speaking of the list, did I forget anything?