Mother’s Day is coming up.

There’s a line in a Gilmore Girl’s episode where sixteen-year-old Rory says,

“I need you, I need you here, I need you now, I cannot do this alone, I need my mommy and damn it, I don’t care who knows it!”

I second that.

I, um…yeah.

Lately, I am a hermit.

Lots of changes in my life. Some painful. Some exhilarating. And the energy I can usually use to be a “hanger-outer”, well, it is sucked into the “trying to stay alive” part of me.

I quit my job 2 weeks ago. I needed a change. And Thursday afternoon, when I walked out of there, I was devastated. I love my job. But 5 years….5 years is a long time, and I knew, and I know in my heart, it was time for me to move on. I am still excited about things going on at RidgePoint. Changes are being made for the better, and I wish I could still be there day to day to see them all come to fruition.

I’ll still be around. I’m singing Sunday morning, for the first time in ages. I am very excited to be on stage with Gabe and Rebecca, and all the other amazingly talented musicians we have. I’m excited that my volunteers are so incredible. I’m excited about the opportunities they have now, to step up and really show what they’re made of. I hope soon they’ll call me, and I’ll get to volunteer for them.

Anyway, that’s me, and that’s why I’ve been so quiet lately.

Oh yeah, my new job. Well, it’s retail. It’s crazy, but I’ve always wanted to do it. I love the challenge of it, the people, the routines, the measurables. I love managing talented teams, and I can’t believe I get that opportunity again. I get to go back out, leave church world, and hopefully show some people that Christians aren’t weird. Well, yeah ok ok I hear you laughing. Yes, I am still weird. I’m still me after all. I’m just excited about the possibility of having some influence in people’s lives. People who aren’t in church every week.

So soon I should have some good stories. Maybe I’ll spruce up the blog.

Wish me luck.

5 days

…since I last blogged.

And people are telling me I’ve been quiet lately. It’s cause I know things I can’t say, and I feel things I can’t say. So to keep from blowing it I just keep quiet.

I am reading an amazing book, Tribes by Seth Godin. Makes me want to write a letter to the people I lead, promising them that I get it now and I can do better.

Speaking of my peeps…I love them so much. Seriously. I wish I had more hours to hang out with them.

It’s loud at the office.

I am up to 2.3 miles running. I am exhausted after running it, but I feel amazing. I seriously think I could kill someone when I get done running, I feel so invincible. Also, I didn’t think it was possible to laugh so hard while exercising, but my coach sure makes it fun. The scale says I’ve lost 15 pounds, but I’m not sure that’s entirely possible. I had someone check it to make sure, and they said it’s right. Go figure.

Mike got accepted to smashing magazine again…I am so proud!

Anyway, that’s what I’ve got. Hope you guys are enjoying December as it whizzes by.

yeah i have a list too

What am I thankful for this year?

• raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. or maybe just musicals in general. maybe just music in general
• my husband
• cold weather
• puma the sweet dog
• best friends
• playing cards
• laptops
• little kids
• family
• my blankie
• how Christmas lights look like stars if you stare at them and squint your eye lashes together
• clean water
• my grandfather’s piano. i guess it’s mine now. and it lives with me now.
• coffee
• high 5’s
• books
• running shoes
• s’mores
• The Message
• reuniting with old friends
• clean laundry

There you have it.
Happy Thanksgiving

Would you please speak to me

Healer heal me
Savior save me
Maker change me
Lover love me

Cuz I’m so tired of living for
The kind of love
That only lasts for a while
The pain, the shame
Tear me up inside

So I fall on my knees
To get back on my feet again
And I cry out for You
Would You please speak to me

Healer heal me
Savior save me
Maker change me
Lover love me

Cuz I’m so tired of living for
The kind of love
That only comes and goes
But Your love
Your love lasts forever

So I fall on my knees
To get back on my feet again
And I cry out for You
To hear you speak to me

Yes I fall on my knees
To get back on my feet again
And I run hard for You
To enter Your rest

home improvement

We laid wood floors in our bedroom. Jaydub and Travis came over to help.

Before:

After:

Featured models in the above photos include Puma and Blankie.

Um, I know this was like, a while ago, but for my friends who don’t get to come to my house a lot I figured I’d post the pics.

Also, how weird is it that now you all know what my bedroom looks like? Stalkers!

Catalyst 08

I am on my way today to the Catalyst Conference in Georgia.

I am excited to worship with my peeps from work. Usually, we are all working and we don’t get to worship together.

I am excited about the free stuff.

I am nervous about getting called out. I am nervous about the conviction that I will inevitably experience.  I am sad to leave Mike and Puma.

The excitement is definitely winning out though.

Some of the speakers I’m excited to see are:

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, a book we read together this year. Amazing stuff.

Seth Godin, author of The Dip, Purple Cow, All Marketers are Liars. He’s a marketing genius.

Billy Graham, via video

Tim Sanders, former chief solutions officer at Yahoo!

Plus Craig Groeschel, I’m reading his book IT right now and he is a hilarious author.

So yeah, I’m in Georgia, again, until Friday. Go over and say hi to Mike while I’m gone…let him know you’re thinkin’ about him I know I will be.

I’m back!

Hi there.

I am back from my bloggy hiatus (just in time for my favorite month!), and I have to say it was fun not having all that pressure for a while. The death threats were not as fun though. Some of you really like this blog, and I am glad.

A lot has happened sinces the ides of September.

• We took a vacation (I popped in to blog about that one)
• We did a cool set design at church. I never followed up with a creative chaos post, but I will later this week
• We laid wood floors in our bedroom–Pictures to come
• We had some neat meetings at RPC to determine where we’ve been so we can see where we’re going…kind of like a row boat
• I had my second evaluation as an employee of this guy
• We filmed some funny and poignant videos to use in church
• I put out fall decorations in my house, and began prepping for Halloween
• We had a baby dedication
• I began a journey through 1 Corinthians that is shaping me significantly
• I got to help with an old friend’s wedding
• We started planning for Christmas at RPC…86 days until it’s here

This is my absolute favorite time of year. I’ve been taking long walks with Puma every day just to get out and enjoy the weather, and watch our neighbors decorate their houses for Halloween (2 have so far!). I can’t believe it’s already October, but I plan to enjoy every minute of it.

Psych.

So I thought I would take a few weeks off. I didn’t expect so many cool things to happen last week, but they did.

First: I got a ROOMBA! This is a huge score. HUGE. It’s one of the smart ones that goes back to the home base when the battery gets low. It plays a little happy song too, just so you know it got home OK. Happy.

Second: I got some cowboy boots! I have been looking for cowboy boots for like, 2 years. TWO YEARS. And the only place that had any was Urban Outfitters, but they were expensive. Well in Savannah, there’s this little vintage western wear store and they had a TON of cowboy boots for cheap! Yes they are used. No, I did not sterilize them before I wore them. Judge me.

Third: I got to eat oysters for multiple meals. I don’t get to do that very often anymore, although I got them pretty often growing up. Yes I eat them raw. Yes I know they look disgusting, and I DON’T CARE. Also, the place that had cheap oysters had wings and I kid you not they tasted just like Richies wings in Auburndale (may it rest in peace).

Fourth: I really lucked out on footwear during our vacation. I got 2 new pairs of Reef flip flops both were like 75% off. I really needed them cause my gray pair of reefs had a giant hole in them, and my black flip flops were so worn I would always slip and fall when it rained outside. That is entertainment, but the bruises were getting ridiculous.

Fifthfht: I got to wear dresses and stuff since it was Suhvaynah and as I walked around in my dresses and cowboy boots I felt like I should’ve had a wide brimmed hat and a fan and a servant holding an umbrella.

The icing on the cake: Mike was with me, and we really got to reconnect after a lot of hard work and change this year. Also, he shaved off his beard and lest I forget, he is dead sexy without a beard.

Basically, it was a wonderful vacation.

NOW I will be quiet until October 1st. Maybe.

**Also, could I have had any more typos in this post? I re-read it after I posted it (of course)…oh well. Vacation is probably responsible.

7 days to vacation

I am so excited.

We are going to Savannah for a little bit. We have not had a vacation since May 2007.

So, if you have been to Savannah, tell us what we should do. Restaurants, shops, museums, tours, outlet malls, you name it we’ll try it. Mostly. Or, we’ll just sleep the whole time, which is a good option too.

Anyway, give me your suggestions.