random haikus

Beat up the pavement
I'm not the terminator
But I will be back.

Working can be fun
But vacation is funner
Funner ain't a real word.


...and from a guest author:

The sun is out bright
I'd rather have it snowing
I need my flip-flops.

i thought it was just me

I have a habit of talking to myself. Various reasons. Let's not get into the details. The thing I've noticed myself doing recently is actually asking myself questions...almost in a "give myself a good talkin' to" kind of way. The most common question I pose to myself these days is "Don't you remember that you believe in Providence?"

I'd like to take this as a sign of maturity. You know, in that "I already know the truth in my head , but some days I still fight with my heart to believe it and my feet to walk in it...so I have these little talks with myself to save my BFFs from the chore, since I know what they're going to say" kind of way.

SIDEBAR: I want to say it's ironic that I actually find myself lecturing - strike that, counseling - others with this knowledge that I still sometimes struggle to implement in my own life consistently. But I'm sure this is a more a product of the human condition than me being uniquely plagued with some sort of internal disconnections between my head and my heart (and my feet).

BACK TO THE POINT: Turns out I'm not the only one. Phew! I have been sporadic in my reading of Stott as of late, but today's words were a nice bump for my assurance of sanity, at least on this front. If John Stott talks openly about talking to himself, surely it's ok for me to do the same.

John Stott Daily Thought, 15 December 2008
Growing and Continuing (cont’d.)

485. Living the new life
We need to learn to talk to ourselves, and ask ourselves questions: 'Don't you know? Don't you know the meaning of your conversion and baptism? Don't you know that you have been united to Christ in his death and resurrection? Don't you know that you have been enslaved to God and have committed yourself to his obedience? Don't you know these things? Don't you know who you are?' We must go on pressing ourselves with such questions, until we reply to ourselves: 'Yes, I *do* know who I am, a new person in Christ, and by the grace of God I shall live accordingly.'

On 28th May 1972 the Duke of Windsor, the uncrowned King Edward VIII, died in Paris. The same evening a television programme rehearsed the main events of his life. Extracts from earlier films were shown, in which he answered questions about his upbringing, brief reign and abdication. Recalling his boyhood as Prince of Wales, he said: 'My Father [King George V] was a strict disciplinarian. Sometimes when I had done something wrong, he would admonish me saying, "My dear boy, you must always remember who you are."' It is my conviction that our heavenly Father says the same to us every day: 'My dear child, you must always remember who are you.'

--From "The Message of Romans" (The Bible Speaks Today series: Leicester: IVP, 1994), p. 187.

on missing England

I've been back in Houston for about 3 months now, and I am regularly asked what I miss about England. After giving it some time to settle in...I think the things I *still* miss at this point are the things I'll miss for a really long time.

Here we go with the top 6:

1. Walking for transportation. It's highly under-rated. And it's a handy way to keep you from over-spending on shopping sprees. When you know you're going to have to carry it around the rest of the day...you usually only buy things you can't live without. I passed up many would-be purchases for that very reason, and can't think of a single thing I regret not buying. Except this one pair of fabulous shoes at the Selfridges sale.
   
   
2. The "keep calm and carry on" attitude of the British. Long lines at the check-out? Ridiculously bad customer service? Annoying traveller on the train? Grocery out of baked beans? The English just deal with it. Every time. There's clearly a lot to be said for convenience and instant gratification, but it feels like we've taken it to the extreme in a lot of areas.
   
   
3. Trains. Traveling non-walk-able distances by train is fantastic for people like me who hate driving. Traveling by train also allows for a LOT more leisure reading time than I'm doing these days. Also, I hate driving. Yes, twice on the driving thing.
   
   
4. Proximity to Europe. Much harder to get a positive response to this question when posed from Houston: "Fancy a weekend in Barcelona?"
   
   
5. The "rawness" of life. Partly because because neither perfect teeth nor perfect hair occupy first position on the priority list for most and partly because most Londoners walk and/or take public transport for their daily commute, and in spite of the fact that the British are generally fashion forward...they just look more "raw". There's something about this that I find endearing.
   
   
6. Judgement calls. The English don't expect perfection in anyone, and they are pretty consistently good at withholding judgement based on first impressions and measure worth in a person from the ground upward, rather than from a standard of perfection downward.
   

For the record, there is a growing list of "reasons I'm glad to be back in the States", which I will share in due course.

leisure reading

I can't recommend Jonah Goldberg enough.

His recent articles and commentary on the election have been great reading.

Bookmark his archive page. Visit it regularly.

Do you know about MOVEMBER?

From movember.com:

Movember (the month formerly known as November) is a charity event held during November each year - the challenge is to change the face of men's health. (I'm sure all my pun-loving friends will appreciate that one.)

Men lack awareness about the very real health issues they face. Many feel they have to be tough - "a real man" - and are reluctant to see a doctor about an illness or to go for regular medical check ups.

The aim of Movember is to change these attitudes and make men's health fun by putting the Mo back on the face of men everywhere while raising some serious funds for the number one men's health issue, prostate cancer.

A friend in England is growing a "classic rock star mo" to raise money for the prostate cancer charity. Love it!

But this isn't just for the English...it all started here in the good ol' U S of A. Jump in, boys...there's still time to grow a fabulous mo!!

come one, come all...

The Richmond Arms

Ireland v. New Zealand

11:15am

oh happy day

I suspect that I'll be at the Richmond Arms quite a bit in the coming weeks, and this is why.

Many thanks to my good friend Lesley for confirming the rumor that the Arms is THE place to be.

The fall lead-up to the 6 Nations tournament means I don't have to wait for January to watch the game that is everything American Football wishes it was.

So happy. So very happy.

seriously?

My company is interviewing an ex-rugby player (London Irish) for a job in the London office.

Three years. THREE YEARS I was there...and did they hire any ex rugby players during that time? NO. No they didn't.

Does the HR department know about my affinity for rugby (and rugby players)? YES. Were they trying to marry me off the WHOLE TIME I was in that country? YES.

And how long have I been back in the States? Oh, about two months. Fantastic.

For the record...my work permit and visa are still valid. I'm just sayin'.

Man, this whole "believing in providence" thing is tough sometimes.

breakfast time stream of consciousness ramble

Bread in my cupboard (which begins life as soft and chewy) becomes hard and crunchy when it's getting old. This is why I keep my bread in the freezer.

The lovely crackers I got at Central Market over the weekend (which, conversely, began life as hard and crunchy) will become soft and chewy if they last long enough.

How does food know which way it's supposed to go when it's "going bad"?

And if some things are going to end up hard and crunchy (and others soft and chewy), why can't it just be the stuff that started out that way?!

Doesn't my food know a single girl can't go through that many carbs in one week?! I blame the packaging industry...somehow I'm SURE it's their fault. They give me too much in one go.

I want half-sized loaves of bread so I don't have to only ever use the "frozen toast" setting on my toaster...and so I can leave my bread in the pantry and have nice chewy sandwiches like God intended.

See...this is what happens when I think too much before finishing my first travel mug of Lola Savannah Texas Pecan.

enduring ike

Moving back to Houston seemed like a good idea at the time. And then there was Ike. "Hey...glad you're back...have a hurricane!" Some welcome home!

Actually, Ike's biggest impact to me so far has been a lot of inconveniences.

Some people have been without power for a couple of days now. I haven't.

Some people have trees in their roof. I don't.

Some people don't even have a roof (or a house) anymore. I do.

And on, and on...

So, when I'm sitting here in my air conditioning watching the Astros play the Cubbies in Milwaukee (weird!), I really have nothing to complain about. And I'm not. Not on the outside.

In fact, I have wept for people I've seen on the news that have lost everything. And I'm praying for the people around Houston who are growing weary of the heat (without a/c at home) and on, and on...

But on the inside I still have little frustrations about not being able to move into my new apartment this weekend to start settling in properly. Or shop for stuff for my new place. Or start to reconnect with friends. And on and on...

How ugly does pride and selfishness have to get before you do everything it takes to rid yourself of it?

desert life

Here in the desert, at what I've started calling "adult camp" (I can't bear to call it a resort for some reason, and it feels like more than that anyway), when I'm not lounging by the pool, wandering around in a robe, or getting a spa treatment...I've been doing some other things I keep wanting to do but never doing.

Today I spent some time with horses, and will be heading out on a trail ride tomorrow.

I have also taken a couple of very abbreviated photography 101 type classes. My vocabulary now includes the words (and a meager understanding) of such things as ISO setting, aperture, and f-stop. Baby steps...

These are the two best images of the 150ish shots I took. God bless the man who invented digital cameras!


I got this blurry shot during a thunderstorm-laden sunset walk. Apparently it's hard to capture lightening...and I only did it with a blurry shot, but still am happy with the photo.




On a stroll around the resort...this was my attempt at stop-action and short depth of field. Meh...better than what I'd have been able to do before, but still nowhere near fabulous.



Despite the mediocre quality, I had a BLAST.

I think I might have convinced myself that it's worth the first level of investment for a digital SLR. I don't know that I really want to carry one around with me for tourism, but the idea of grabbing my camera and going out to shoot some images for relaxation and a little more creativity in my life is REALLY appealing.

vacation: an under-rated activity

I miss London, but I'm sufficiently distracted for now!

Maybe it's because I don't do it enough...but totally switching off and enjoying more than just a long weekend away is SUCH a refreshing break. I'm not quite halfway through my holiday, and I'm already settled in nicely.

It's going to be really hard to get back to real work again.

last day at the office

wow. that was hard.

the movers

They came...they packed...they loaded up their truck with all my stuff. It took less than 2 hours.

Now it's really official: I *have* to leave...all my stuff is gone!

Tomorrow the cleaners are coming...you're pretty much required to hire professional cleaners before check-out with your landlord...and for what I'm paying them, I'd hope that not even a CSI could find any traces of me or my dirt in this place when they're done!

more lasts and sorting mania

Today was my last:

• full day in the office
• work-out with Jacky (my e-ville trainer)
• night to prepare and eat dinner in my own flat

It's finally all starting to feel real!

Sadly, I didn't get started on all the sorting I need to do tonight quite as early as I'd hoped.

See, I almost forgot to pack up my office (yeah, it's all going away tomorrow as well), so I didn't leave the office until 8:30 (after the aforementioned session with my e-ville trainer).

The movers are coming at 9:00am.

After the commute home and a little dinner, I started sorting out my junk at 9:30pm...less than 12 hours before the movers come to take away everything I own in this country.

However, thanks to a few key executive decisions, I finished all sorting needed tonight by 11:57pm.

I rock.

no surprises here

I've left most of the hard work of packing until the last minute. This will come as no surprise to those who know me well.

The sad part is that I actually don't have to do much packing. For one thing, the movers won't let me pack...because if they don't do it, they won't insure my shipment. No complaints here!

So really all I have to do is SORT. One pile for the movers, one pile for my suitcases, and one pile for the charity shop down the street.

Why is this so hard? Well...a few things conspire against me.

1. I'm very definitely a get-lost-in-the-details sort about this kind of thing. When I clean my flat, I start in one room and make a little progress, but when I pick up the watch I left on the sofa and take it to my bedroom where it belongs, I end up doing some cleaning in there...and eventually I somehow end up getting lost in the gratifying work of cleaning the grout between bathroom tiles with an old toothbrush. And so it goes.
   
   
2. I'm a perfectionist. See note above regarding toothbrushes and bathroom grout. There are countless hours of my life I've dedicated in similar attention to the minutiae that I'll never get back.
   
   
3. I'm the queen of procrastination. If it were an Olympic sport, I'd have multiple gold medals.

So, knowing myself as well as I do...I figure waiting until the last minute may still demonstrate an awful tendency to procrastinate, but at least I won't have spent my last two or three weeks in England thinking about things like whether or not I'm ever going to wear that pink sweater again.

I have enjoyed my last few weeks in the Big Smoke, and I'm confident I'll have PLENTY of down time Stateside to sort out my world.

But I am starting to think I've left it all just a bit TOO late now...!

rollin' out

Today is the first day of all my "lasts". It's my last full Sunday in London. This time next week, I'll be halfway between Heathrow and Houston.

On my way to meet a few friends for lunch and an afternoon of goodbyes, I saw this beast pulling out of the bus stop across the street.

It was one of those moments that made me sad I don't carry my camera with me at all times...this fuzzy one is from my mobile.

The other guy who stopped to take a photo told me it's a city bus that was all over the streets of London until the early 1950s.

So, that was a first for me, but a last as well, I'm sure.

finally sorted

For those of you who have been asking repeatedly only to get a fairly vague response from me...let the record reflect that I have finally booked my flight home. I will be returning to God's country West of the Atlantic (aka Texas) on Sunday, August 17th.

(God's country East of the Atlantic is aka Scotland.)

It still doesn't completely feel like I'm 12 days away from leaving this small island, but I'm not in a mad dash for Heathrow, so that's fine by me.

It's still very bittersweet, but mostly sweet.

winchester

Saturday I took a short little trip south to Winchester. I tried to be sparing with photos, but couldn't resist a few quintessential shots of this quaint but buzzing little English town.

Cathedral? Check.
University? Check.
A river runs through it? Check.
High-profile public boys' school? Check.
Major historical significance? Check.

It's not really a huge list by any account, but somehow it feels like there's lots going on in this little corner of England...

I put a few pictures here, and a little history lesson below.

The history lesson:

• The very large statue in the pictures is of King Alfred. He was all about justice and order, and took a lot of direction from Exodus. Much of the current legal system is based on his foundations.
  
  
• The 'high profile boys' school' (Winchester College) is on par with the likes of Eton (which, interestingly, is modeled after Winchester).
  
  
• Turns out the founder of Winchester College, William Wykeham, also founded New College at Oxford in 1379. Funny name for one of the oldest colleges in Oxford, eh? Apparently, New College's original remit was to receive the boys who passed through Winchester and to support them during their university studies. Handy.
  

Don't feel guilty if you couldn't care less about the history. It's hard to care if you don't experience it...but since I have a friend who went to New College, I had an extra little bit of "oh, that's very interesting" sort of thing going on.

it's all about marketing: example #219

"The Husband Creche"
I'm sure the beer in this pub isn't markedly different or better than the pub 2 doors down, but I'd stop here - even though I don't have a husband to drop off - just because of the sense of humor demonstrated with their sidewalk sign.

And I know plenty of people who would do the same.

Brilliant.

happy birthday daniel jacob!

How can you NOT totally fall in love with this little man?! I can't wait to see him in August! I hope he saved me some cake.

it's a small world after all

This morning, an American in London (yes, that would be me) had Welsh cakes for breakfast with Canadian maple syrup, eaten off a plate made in China (and with a fork made in China).

The weird thing is that I don't actually think this marriage of at least 5 cultures is really all that noteworthy...which is the part that feels noteworthy.

i might need to go to confession

I can't deny it. I'm jealous. A co-worker is marrying a rugby player next year, and because of her fiance's connections with the rugby world, she ends up at events where she often manages to get pictures like this one:

This my friend Clodagh and her "friend" Mike Catt. Mike was on the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning England squad...WORLD CUP, people! And he still plays for the London Irish squad.

I know I have recently pointed people to my friend Tara Leigh's blog, and I really don't want to negate the stuff she's writing there...and I know you're not going to believe me, but honestly it's not that he's beautiful. I mean, I'm not gonna deny that he's not hard on the eyes, but it really isn't about that.

It's that I actually really love the game. It's the only English sport I really fancy at all...and love it (don't panic people) more than baseball, perhaps. And what I wouldn't give to be all buddy-buddy with people in the rugby world, especially when I hear that guys like Mike are actually really nice and down to earth.

Seriously, why am I NEVER the girl who has these kinds of connections? I think it's God's way of reminding me that I care just a little too much. GRR!

warming up for the countdown

The writing has been on the wall for a few months, but I've finally uttered a potential date for finishing my assignment in London with the people who can make it happen.

August will definitely be my last month here, and I'm aiming for a last day in the office during the 2nd or 3rd week of the month. There are a few things I'd really like to see finished by then...but as I'm trying to manage a decent vacation before hitting the ground running in Houston in September, I'll be working hard to keep it to mid-August.

Suddenly I'm tempted to think about things like apartments and neighborhoods I like in Houston...cars, the price of gasoline, the HEAT (oh, the heat.) in Houston, and where in the world I want to go for some R&R before leaving this small island and rejoining the world of baseball lovers and 24-hour everything.

But actually I don't want to think about those things any more than I have to...I want to savor every last drop of England that I have left to enjoy. So as always...I seek to find the balance.

Actually...I seek tension, I think. I need to find a way to happily hold my excitement over going back to my homeland in tension with all that I have to live for right here and right now. Living in the moment and living in the future seem to be two desires that pull in opposite directions. Planning requires you to live in the future a little bit...but oh how easily I let the future consume me...and I forget to hold the line in tension by keeping a good deal of my attention on today.

Here's to tension! It can be good for you sometimes.

i don't get it

The spell check feature in Blogger recognizes the word "blogger" as legitimate (which is handy), but doesn't recognize "bloggers" (which isn't).

in the weeds

I have felt like I've been "in the weeds" at work since the day I landed in the UK. I tend to feel that way about keeping in touch with friends near and far as well. And, as all haphazard bloggers do, I feel the same about keeping this record a current and accurate reflection of record-worthy stuff.

So, in typical "catch-up" fashion, I offer a few bits and pieces:

I have been reminded yet again this week that I have very funny, wise and deep friends...which I count as a huge blessing. Amen.

I miss my best friend tremendously. Grr. And I hate that her little man is almost a year old and I've only seen him twice. Double grr.

Louie made a point of saying "thank you" to me. Honoured.

"Summer" is a relative term.

Dr. Pepper can bring joy that one never knew was possible.

Having a "clean slate" is under-rated. Highly under-rated.

I like church at Hillsong London. They love to celebrate Jesus...and I DO mean celebrate. And they're authentic. And friendly. And helpful. Every time.

I made two successful first-guess identifications of band names for over-head music in public this weekend. This is NOT something I'd list as a skill on a resume for ANY job. Gold star for me.

Someone from my pastorate (read: church community group) at HTB called me today to get the specific words from a quote I used in a little talk I did last week. She said she'd been thinking about some things I said all week. Floored. Thankful. Cheering for God.

That'll do for now.

how did that happen?

Passion:London has come, but it hasn't gone. Thursday was a long day, but it was gone in a blink...all at the same time. I want to have some pithy words to describe it, but I'm at a loss.

I don't know why I'm always amazed at how much we can actually accomplish in just a short space of time. And when you put the 'God fact' on top of that...well...indescribable things happen.

I'm so thankful to have been a part of what God did through a few hours of time in so many lives - not just the students that attended, but the volunteers and hopefully some of the venue staff as well.

I didn't get to interact with many of the students, but the few I did were so fired up to be there. And the volunteers. The volunteers were incredible. I'm so thankful to have been part of it.

But 'it' isn't over. Not by a long shot.

Passion:London - almost there!

It's been years in the making, but the Passion World Tour is now well under way, and has already made stops in Kyiv, Stockholm, Sao Paulo, Kampala and is be lighting up the night in Paris tonight.

On Thursday, Passion:London will come to life.

If you're not already following along, check out the 268 blog to see some pictures and read about the events held so far, or the World Tour site to see where else the tour is headed.

Pray for health and endurance for the volunteers (it's gonna be a LONG day).

Pray for the traveling World Tour team...they've been on a long journey, and our weariness due to one event can't compare to what they're working with.

Pray for the students coming to the Hammersmith Apollo on Thursday, and for a new awakening in the university generation across the UK.

Pray for a full house - not because I'm hung up on numbers, but because I long for ever seat to be filled with a soul that gets exposed to the hope of the Gospel light-years beyond 'fire insurance'.

Pray for the students to fall in love with Jesus in a way they've never imagined.

Pray for dramatically changed lives.

Pray for students to be awakened through the Spirit with a longing to live a life of total abandon for the name and renown of God.

So much hope...so many more prayers...not enough words. If you pray...I don't know what else to ask for...just...go for it.

plug

So, my friend TLC is amazing.

And I don't think she's starving for publicity...but I can't not point you to her blog.

I mean, it's already on my links over there on the right, but that's pretty passive, whereas I am going for a more blatant approach here.

She sings, she's got mad guitar skills, she writes...she's one of the few people I know who is actually really good at actively maintaining long-distance friendships...and so much more.

The reason I'm pointing you to her today is because she's writing some great stuff there these days, and I basically just think anybody I know would benefit from (or at the very least enjoy) reading it, especially (but certainly not ONLY) anyone in a pre-married state.

a sigh of relief?

"The urgent need for the church today is not for more clever people to explain Jesus better, it is not for more attractive people who by their looks and personality will make Christianity suddenly more trendy and appealing. It is not even more committed and disciplined people who will advance the cause of the kingdom of Jesus by grit and hard work. The great need today is for deep and authentic people."

Taken from Wasteland by Mike Pilavachi - quoting the British evangelist David Watson)

time to make the donuts

Everything seems so crazy right now, I'm sure I'm going to meet myself coming in the door one day soon, just like the Dunkin' Donut guy.

Anybody remember him?

hmm...interesting...

As it's been over a month since my last plug for Stott, I thought this little snippet was worth sharing. Much shorter than usual (and certainly much shorter than the novel of an entry from yesterday).

Doing the truth

Everywhere in the New Testament God's truth is something to be *done*, not something only to be believed. It carries with it demands, duties, obligations. The evangelical faith radically transforms those who believe and embrace it.

--From "Make the Truth Known" (Leicester: IVP, 1983), p. 12.
----------------------------------------------------
--Excerpted from "Authentic Christianity", p. 129, by permission of InterVarsity Press.

this is (now) a grumble-free zone

"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life..." Philippians 2:14-16 ESV


Someone from my church Pastorate (read: community group) shared this verse as part of a testimony of her journey to/in faith in Christ, and I was immediately mindful of the fact that I have been doing a LOT of grumbling recently about how much stress I'm enduring at work lately, mostly because:

• I feel 100% personally responsible for the success or failure of a major project that affects every single person in my office
• I have to rely on some people outside the company to hold up their end of the deal, and I have no real bargaining position or recourse for their poor performance
• I'm generally stretched for time due to other equally pressing projects

But everyone is stressed right now. So it's not like I'm the only one waving that flag for whatever reason. And other people aren't holding my feet to the fire anything like to the extent that I am.

So when my friend read these and the surrounding verses, I was captivated. It dawned on me that I used to let all the stress roll right off my back, or let off steam within a 'safe place'. But now, I get a bit defensive and am always at the ready with excuses. And people don't need or want to hear defensiveness and excuses (no matter how valid).

My main problem is that I've been too transparent with people along the way, so the fact that the project completion date keeps getting pushed to the right makes me feel like I look incompetent...whether or not that's actually true. (The phrase "under-promise and over-deliver" comes to mind. This is not the tack I've taken up to this point. Note to self for future projects.)

And thinking through dropping the excuses, etc., I'm having to eat the words which I've uttered many times to many different people: "You have to be willing to be misunderstood." Ouch. And then when you throw that "shine as lights in the world among a crooked and twisted generation" bit in, there's even more consequences (tangible or not) of being a grumbling Christian.

I sense there are two trains of thought running here, actually...but it's all related in my mind.

Regardless, I have a new sense of perspective and am feeling rather chilled about the chaos that ensues around me. Gold star for the readers that powered through to the end of this stream-of-consciousness brainstorm.

musical recommendation

Most of you know that I'm more often on the receiving end of this deal, but I've found, of my own accord, a new musician I'd like to recommend.

Admittedly, when I asked a few of my UK-based friends about Duffy, they all already knew about her. BLAST and DRAT!



However, I'm hoping (with fingers and toes crossed) that some of the rest of you won't have heard of her, and I'll get credit, possibly for the first time in my life, for recommending a new up-and-coming music artist to my home country.

i love christopher walken

So, I'm totally ripping this off (well, the link, anyway) from a friend of a friend, but I can't not...

The best line, as the aforementioned friend of a friend also notes, has *got* to be: "Exit Pig One. Pig Two...same story."

Classic. Beyond classic, actually. Whatever that means.

second brush with fame

Some of you may remember that during my first week in the UK, I came very close to meeting the queen . I maintain it as a real possibility that we may have been invited into Balmoral Castle for tea if I'd just thought quickly enough to bump her car ever so slightly with mine.




Today, as I was walking to the Texas Embassy to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I looked up as people were shouting "Boris! Boris!" to see London's newly elected Mayor ride by on a bicycle. It all happened way too fast to pull out the camera, so you'll just have to believe me on this one.

for michelle

bits and bobs

Today is my cousin Lori's birthday...and she's in Canada, alone. Boo on that, eh?

I went to the store today, twice, and both times, as I was walking back in the door to my flat, I remembered something I forgot to buy...but I couldn't be bothered to go a third time, even though it's only a 2 minute walk down the road.

The one thing I went back for the first time was milk. Just so I could have a cup of tea. Mmm...tasty.

I "made brownies for the office" tonight. Translation: I wanted brownies but want to keep myself from eating the whole pan, so I made them on a non-weekend to be sure others could help keep me from consuming 100% of gooey chocolately goodness.

Yesterday I found out for sure that two good friends are coming to visit me! YAY!!

Some people were not wired to work from home. I'm one of those people.

Today we passed the 1,000 tickets sold milestone for Passion London. The venue capacity is 3,600, so there's still plenty of room, but we're praying for a sell-out. We need more volunteers, so if you want to come and serve...let me know if you're going to be (or be able to be) in the London area on June 5th.

weird folk

I've been reading through Genesis and Exodus in the last couple of weeks.

It's been a long while since I read either of these books comprehensively (rather than for discrete verse references), and I'm finding myself shocked at some of the things Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all of their relatives did "wrong", and yet still found favor with the Lord.

It's a nice reminder that even Biblical heroes were human and sometimes made bad choices...even some which brought life-long consequences...and yet God blessed them immensely.

Why am I surprised at this? Why am I ever surprised when God does things that I don't expect?

happy birthday, mom!

My mom turns 65 today. That's just crazy...because she's not old enough to be a "senior citizen". I wonder if this means she's old enough to drink coffee with her meals yet? I'm not. And now that I'm in my 30s, I think i qualify as a legitimate adult...so the only milestone i can see from here is senior citizenship. I digress...

To many she is known as "Moms", because she claims many kids scattered about the globe. And although she is very good at loving them all, I know I'm her favorite.

And she's my favorite too. I love her in all her quirks, country ways, bizarre sayings and various imperfections. When I was younger, I think I saw my family through rose-colored glasses and completely missed all the imperfections. As I've grown up, the rose colored glasses have come off bit by bit over the years...sometimes not so much to my delight (because we all want the picture-perfect family, don't we?).

However, I've realized that over the years my love for my family has grown into the closest thing I can imagine to true Christ-like love.

Because I love my mom for who she is. Not for what she does for me or what she can give me. I love her despite her imperfections. And although I always want to help her see them and change for the better (sometimes gently sometimes abruptly)...because as I've grown up she's become my friend as well...even though she'll always be my mom first and foremost. But I love her anyway, even if she never changes a bit.

And I love her more than words can express. Which makes me feel silly for even trying. I could write pages and pages and still not quite feel like I've done it justice. But I can't not try.

I love you, mom. I hope you have the best birthday ever!

when you point your finger at someone...

...remember there are three fingers pointing back at you!

I'm sure my mom has said this to me a thousand times...but some things take a new delivery to really sink in, or raise your awareness and actions toward what your ideal image of yourself says you are (behind, of course, what Scripture says about who we are and how we should act).

I just read this short article by Abraham Piper (son of John) on DesiringGod.org and immediately thought of one of my favorite preachers (who has never gotten any air time here before) named Voddie Baucham.

Just after he makes a particularly piercing point, he often says "If you can't say 'Amen!', you ought to say 'Ouch!'..."

I was definitely saying 'OUCH!' just now. But I was also nodding my head in Amen-like agreement.

For audiences that are familiar with Voddie, I think it would be funny (and possibly even more convicting) for him to sometimes say "Let not your 'Amen!' be lessened by the simultaneous inward uttering of a very loud 'OUCH'!"

science v. theology...?

Now here's a surprise...I'm sharing another thought from my beloved Stott (emphasis mine).

Nature and Scripture are both divine revelation ('general and special', 'natural and supernatural', to use the traditional terms), since God has revealed himself both in the world he has made and in Christ and the biblical witness to Christ.

Science is the fallible human interpretation of nature, while theology (or 'tradition', which is theological reflection) is the fallible human interpretation of Scripture.

You and I believe (I think) that in nature and Scripture there are certain given things, *data*...which, if they truly come from God, cannot contradict one another.

The contradictions have not been between nature and Scripture, but between science and theology, that is, between different human interpretations of God's double revelation.

If, therefore, we are to learn lessons from the past, it is neither for conservatives to deny the evidence of nature, nor for liberals to deny the evidence of Scripture, but for all of us to re-examine our interpretations of both.

--From "Essentials", by David L. Edwards and John Stott (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1988), p. 335.

I think what I love about Stott is his gentle manner in bringing out different sides of an issue, acknowledging them all, and dealing with each in equal measures of tact. At the end of the day, it may be clear which side of the fence he falls on in any given debate, but the other side would be hard pressed to feel offended by Stott's approach to the contest.

i'm annoyed with myself

Somehow, posting a spinning shamrock seemed like a good idea at the time. I now feel like I've outed myself as "that girl". You know, the one who sends on every FW: email that she gets and uses cheesy clip-art in PowerPoint presentations.

I'm not her.

I just had a moment...that's all.

I promise.

happy paddy's day

Things I learned in Dublin last weekend:

• One is welcome to refer to today as "St. Patrick's Day" or "Paddy's Day", but NOT "St. Paddy's Day". I failed to clarify why that is the way it is, but I believe it has something at least loosely related to "the Troubles".
  
  
• There are a LOT more Americans who have passports than most people in Europe think, and they were ALL in Ireland over the weekend.

culture clash

As an American living in London...I have become keenly aware of the cultural differences between my home* and my home-home**. These differences seep down into our sub-cultures as well (e.g. into the local church). One would expect this on an intellectual level, but even I am shocked at my own lack of awareness of this on a practical level.

Further to that, armed with my new-found cultural awareness, I'm shocked at the pre-conditioned response I still seem to bring to Scripture. So, today's little dose of Stott was a poignant one for me.

Obedience and understanding

Obedience is a precondition of understanding. We need to repent of the haughty way in which we sometimes stand in judgment upon Scripture and must learn to sit humbly under its judgment instead. If we come to Scripture with our minds made up, expecting to hear from it only an echo of our own thoughts and never the thunderclap of God's, then indeed he will not speak to us and we shall only be confirmed in our own prejudices. We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behaviour.

--From "Culture and the Bible" (Downers Grove: IVP, 1981), p. 33.

Someone once said that upon accepting Jesus as Lord we are positionally justified but that we will also always be going through the process of sanctification (i.e. we are both positionally and progressively holy). I'm really thankful for the term "process" in that context.


*home: the place where one spends most nights and all her currently-used stuff lives.
**home-home: the place one claims to be "from" or where her "roots" are.

washington dc: a short tour

I was in DC a couple of weeks ago on my way back to London. I had a few hours to be a tourist, so I hopped on the Metro...



...where the "Park and Ride" concept has a distant cousin:



I went to the Washington Monument (which I failed to take a picture of), enjoyed the 70-second elevator ride to the top, and took a few snapshots of the view.

Begin tour.

The Lincoln Memorial



The Jefferson Memorial



The Capitol



The White House


End tour.

happy birthday mrs. palazzo!

My second grade teacher's birthday is on February 29. She's the only person I have ever known born on this day. I'm not sure if I'd love it or hate it it were my birthday.

I suspect 'hate it'.

Just because...when do you legitimately get to celebrate, except every 4 years? February 28 is too early...and March 1 isn't even the same month anymore. Boo on that!

However...what better excuse to throw FABULOUS parties every 4 years could there be?!

I bet Mrs. Palazzo is partying it up today! I know I would be.

an inconvenient truth:

Life takes time.

Grr.

ridiculous frivolity

I know it's a total buck-waster but I totally want one of these.

I just can't bring myself to buy one...even if they are on sale 50% off. But I bought some stupidly expensive facial slather at Urban Retreat last week. How weird AM I?! (Speaking of Urban, I have decided I should alter my speech when referring to a certain spa service. I shall no longer say "I love having facials" and will hence forth be saying "I love having had a facial". Why? One word: extractions. Can I get an amen, girls?)

This one appeals to the inner geek of an organizer in me, who knows she could create it on her own, so is unwilling to pay for it, but won't spend the time to do-it-herself at home.

Other ridiculous (but maybe not frivolous) items available from the good folks at wishing fish include this little gem.

Now, I just don't ever see me being the girl who reaches up at the beginning of a flight to attach my Plane Clean Air Filter to create the lauded "Air Curtain". I'll take my chances with the viruses and bacteria, for the sake of what little cool factor I have to hang on to. Seriously, who buys this?

the montage revisited

Almost a year and a half ago, I was on my way into a montage.

I think this season of Lent is proving to be a music montage of sorts, in the sense that this season for me seems to be all about being faithful to today, every day, and just doing the things I know to do...and not worrying about the seemingly big decisions that await me in the near future (because aren't there always big decisions or big events right around the corner in every movie when the music kicks in?).

It feels like there's not much news to report to friends or to God and there's LOADS of things to report - all at the same time.

Although I'm not really listening to much music right now, I think my soundtrack for this season is relatively unchanged. I'm not sure what that says about me or montages in general. Maybe I'm stuck in a music rut, or maybe some of these songs will always be montage songs for me whenever I need them.

• "This is Your Life" - Switchfoot (The Beautiful Letdown)
• "Where Will I Be" - Emmylou Harris (Wrecking Ball)
• "Hope to Carry On" - Caedmon's Call (Caedmon's Call)
• "She Must and Shall Go Free" - Derek Webb (title track)
• "I'm Alright" - Kenny Loggins (various albums)
• "A Foggy Day (In London Town)" - Michael Buble (It's Time)
• "All That You Have is Your Soul" - Tracy Chapman (Crossroads '89)

I think there are more songs to add to the soundtrack that would accurately represent this current montage, but as I'm not listening to music (on purpose) right now, I guess they'll have to be named post-montage. That seems oddly backwards, but it is what it is.

happy valentine's day

heads up boys...

The biggest oxymoron in the floral world, which can prove to be even more deadly on Valentine's day than any other day of the year:

"beautiful carnations"

I'm sure anybody reading this knows that carnations alone aren't going to cut it...but if you're not yet to the "dozen red roses" place with your sweetie and feel compelled to opt for a bouquet of some sort...may I suggest absolute resolve against the presence of the carnation. No...not even for bouquet filler. Not even one.

i am a steward of truth

Today's dose of Stott is short and punchy!

Stewards of truth
All revealed truth is held in stewardship. It is given to be shared, not monopolized. If men cannot keep their scientific discoveries to themselves, how much less should we keep to ourselves the divine disclosures?
----------------------------------------------------
From "The Message of Ephesians" (The Bible Speaks Today series: Leicester: IVP, 1979), p. 120. Excerpted from "Authentic Christianity", pp. 90-91, by permission of InterVarsity Press.

My first thought was: "YEAH!"

My second was: "Why aren't I (we) as vocal as those with scientific discoveries (and the like)?" I have a few thoughts on that one, but will leave the question out there to ruminate.

the littlest man who stole my heart

Man, it's gonna be fun to spoil him!