30 hours ago I left my house. Went to Kansas City with Steve. Ate at Oklahoma Joe's Bar B Que, one of Anthony Bourdain's 13 places to eat before you die, very delicious.
From there to the Rend Collective, Tenth Avenue North and Chris Tomlin concert. One of the best worship events I've been too.
After the concert was over we drove to Springfield, Mo, stayed the night in a hotel. Searched for donut shops for breakfast and found St. George's Donut Shop where I ate the best twist donut of my life. It would make Patsy's Top 13 places to eat before you die. (I'll work on the other 12).
We then headed to the other side of Branson to the Mark Twain National Forest on Table Rock Lake to see my friend Rebecca. We spent the day with her and her husband and two kids in Branson, after seeing the new home they are building on the lake. We plan to spend more time back there in July. It was a beautiful home in a beautiful location.
After a 5 hour drive home, I understand all the viral videos of road trips, if I had video'd Steve and I singing along to Mike F.M.'s everything 80's weekend radio...well, you all would laugh till you peed.
I still know all the words to Cameo's "Word Up", and Bon Jovi's "Bad Medicine" and Steve belted out Chicago's "Look Away". We enjoyed Milli Vanilli and Flock of Seagulls.
I had to google "Talk, Talk" because I had never heard that one.
I am glad we got to go visit lifelong friends and attend the concert, but I'm so happy to be home tonight.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
The same kind of different as me
For the last 8 months at work I have sat by myself. In a building that makes jet airliner assemblies, in the office area that has over 160 cubicles, there were 16 of us. I had a row, 10 cubes, all to myself. That may sound lonely, but it was not. It was quiet, it was semi-private and I got a lot done.
This week, two of my co-workers moved aisles to consolidate us all to the same area. They now sit one directly facing me in the next desk and one across, facing me catty wampas. I love both these women. It struck me yesterday how different we are.
One is my daughter Kari's age. They went to middle school together. One is 30.
One is in grad school with a cute boyfriend
One is married with 3 little ones, ages 9 months to 8 years old
One travels and goes out of the country several times a year
One can't stay overnight in a hotel because the little one turns in tasmanian devil
One knows all the latest dance moves, is in wedding parties every weekend, and is current with pop culture
One knows all the latest Taylor Swift songs and disney radio, is in school holiday parties and is current with cartoons
Both are liberal, democrats, live and let live people.
And then, there is me
I have the husband, but my kids are grown.
I travel, not as much as the youngster, but way more than the 30 year old
I know all the 80's music, my generation; all the 90's and 2000's, because of my kids; I go to grown up parties, Chris Tomlin concerts, Fleetwood Mac concerts and Professional Bull Riding, whenever I want to.
Daughter of a baptist minister
On the surface, you would never put us together as friends. But we are.
We all have our own attitudes, our own struggles, our differences of opinion, but we definitely find a way to make the work day more fun.
I find myself more and more as I get older celebrating our differences. Not just accepting them, not tolerating them, but appreciating them. Wanting them. Loving the uniqueness in God's creation.
We're all different. We're all special, wonderful, unique, originals. And in that, we all find our sameness.
This week, two of my co-workers moved aisles to consolidate us all to the same area. They now sit one directly facing me in the next desk and one across, facing me catty wampas. I love both these women. It struck me yesterday how different we are.
One is my daughter Kari's age. They went to middle school together. One is 30.
One is in grad school with a cute boyfriend
One is married with 3 little ones, ages 9 months to 8 years old
One travels and goes out of the country several times a year
One can't stay overnight in a hotel because the little one turns in tasmanian devil
One knows all the latest dance moves, is in wedding parties every weekend, and is current with pop culture
One knows all the latest Taylor Swift songs and disney radio, is in school holiday parties and is current with cartoons
Both are liberal, democrats, live and let live people.
And then, there is me
I have the husband, but my kids are grown.
I travel, not as much as the youngster, but way more than the 30 year old
I know all the 80's music, my generation; all the 90's and 2000's, because of my kids; I go to grown up parties, Chris Tomlin concerts, Fleetwood Mac concerts and Professional Bull Riding, whenever I want to.
Daughter of a baptist minister
On the surface, you would never put us together as friends. But we are.
We all have our own attitudes, our own struggles, our differences of opinion, but we definitely find a way to make the work day more fun.
I find myself more and more as I get older celebrating our differences. Not just accepting them, not tolerating them, but appreciating them. Wanting them. Loving the uniqueness in God's creation.
We're all different. We're all special, wonderful, unique, originals. And in that, we all find our sameness.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
In my corner
Here's a few things I've been up to in the last couple months:
Still training with Marquis. Love this guy more all the time.
Celebrating my birthday with Marquis (and Steve, Harpreet and Sheila)
10 mile Turkey Trot 2014. This was my 7th year running the Turkey. The gang - Sheila, Steve, Emily, Whitney, Harpreet & Marquis
With my friend Katrina at the Steve 50 2015
Celebrating Leesa's birthday.
And I turned 7 years worth of race tee shirts that either don't fit right, wrong size, or we have duplicates into this tee shirt.
I am quite pleased with how it turned out.
Still training with Marquis. Love this guy more all the time.
Celebrating my birthday with Marquis (and Steve, Harpreet and Sheila)
10 mile Turkey Trot 2014. This was my 7th year running the Turkey. The gang - Sheila, Steve, Emily, Whitney, Harpreet & Marquis
With my friend Katrina at the Steve 50 2015
Celebrating Leesa's birthday.
And I turned 7 years worth of race tee shirts that either don't fit right, wrong size, or we have duplicates into this tee shirt.
I am quite pleased with how it turned out.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Investing in what matters
Recently Steve and I have started making things we are invited to a priority. And not just invitations of people we know well, but even the facebook invites to birthday parties and work invites to hang out.
I watched a show on television the other day where everyone at work hung out together and were friends. I like my co-workers. But I've always kept a professional distance. Which I think is okay, but on the flip side, I really love a couple of them.
Last weekend Steve hosted the fourth Steve 50 event. This year, he actually had his first 50 mile finisher besides himself. Several of his ultra running friends came out this year, friends from work, and friends that share our trainer. We had 65 participants on one level or another. And one of my co-workers and his wife came out and another co-worker's husband ran.
As I look at the places my life intersects with other people, I am making a conscious effort to invest more in relationships. I have several really good friends that I see on a regular basis, and it makes it easy to keep my distance. However, I don't believe that is the way I'm supposed to be living my life.
I have a lot to give to those I love and a lot to learn and experience and everyone I come in contact can teach me something, can be a benefit to my life. (Even those I don't want to).
I watched a show on television the other day where everyone at work hung out together and were friends. I like my co-workers. But I've always kept a professional distance. Which I think is okay, but on the flip side, I really love a couple of them.
Last weekend Steve hosted the fourth Steve 50 event. This year, he actually had his first 50 mile finisher besides himself. Several of his ultra running friends came out this year, friends from work, and friends that share our trainer. We had 65 participants on one level or another. And one of my co-workers and his wife came out and another co-worker's husband ran.
As I look at the places my life intersects with other people, I am making a conscious effort to invest more in relationships. I have several really good friends that I see on a regular basis, and it makes it easy to keep my distance. However, I don't believe that is the way I'm supposed to be living my life.
I have a lot to give to those I love and a lot to learn and experience and everyone I come in contact can teach me something, can be a benefit to my life. (Even those I don't want to).
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Not all who wander are lost
ALL that is GOLD does not GLITter,
Not ALL those who WANder are LOST;
The OLD that is STRONG does not WITHer,
Deep ROOTS are not REACHED by the FROST.
From the ASHes a FIRE shall be WOken,
A LIGHT from the SHAdows shall SPRING;
ReNEWED shall be BLADE that was BROken,
The CROWNless aGAIN shall be KING
After my post earlier this week about wandering, I'm going to just stay with the same topic.
I have a necklace with this phrase. I love it. I also love this poem by J.R. Tolkien.
Most of my life I have lived letting life happen to me. I know that. It's part of my make up. I never planned on having kids, I didn't plan on not having kids. I got what I got. And I got really good. I always wanted to be a wife and mother, but never made plans for it. I dated, A LOT, but I couldn't figure out how all my friends had met "the one" and I was dating 4 guys at once and didn't want to be exclusive with any of them.
Until it happened. Until I met the guy that I didn't want to leave in the evening. That I wanted to see every morning. That I looked forward to the phone ringing. Even now I love to see that text from him in my phone, the email at work, and seeing him in the evening after work is the highlight of my day.
Even in my career I have just followed where it led. I have a great job. I have done well, and yet, I didn't set out for it. I do like what I do, and I'm good at it.
I've been up and down health wise the last two years. Not anything serious, but stuff that kept me from a work out plan that I want. H pylori. Twice. Knee surgery. Plantar fasciitis. Vertigo.
I'm done letting life happen and knock me down. There are ways to work around these set backs and I'm going to do it.
This year, I ran several races, and had a great time. But I didn't run any as well as I would have liked. January 1, 2014 I struggled through a 5K at the YMCA. June I struggled through a 10k at El Dorado Lake. October I struggled through a marathon at Niagara Falls. In November I KILLED a ten mile race. That's what I want to do every time.
I have spent some time laying out a workout/running plan in great detail. I have a healthy eating plan lined up.
I have a new Bible and a reading plan.
I continue to wander, I continue to let life happen. But where I need to take control, I will. I will wander with a purpose.
Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."
They say that you should share your goals. It will make it easier to stay with.
I don't know if I have any readers left after all the time I've taken off, and I'm okay with that. I will, however, put this out there so it keeps me honest.
Not ALL those who WANder are LOST;
The OLD that is STRONG does not WITHer,
Deep ROOTS are not REACHED by the FROST.
From the ASHes a FIRE shall be WOken,
A LIGHT from the SHAdows shall SPRING;
ReNEWED shall be BLADE that was BROken,
The CROWNless aGAIN shall be KING
After my post earlier this week about wandering, I'm going to just stay with the same topic.
I have a necklace with this phrase. I love it. I also love this poem by J.R. Tolkien.
Most of my life I have lived letting life happen to me. I know that. It's part of my make up. I never planned on having kids, I didn't plan on not having kids. I got what I got. And I got really good. I always wanted to be a wife and mother, but never made plans for it. I dated, A LOT, but I couldn't figure out how all my friends had met "the one" and I was dating 4 guys at once and didn't want to be exclusive with any of them.
Until it happened. Until I met the guy that I didn't want to leave in the evening. That I wanted to see every morning. That I looked forward to the phone ringing. Even now I love to see that text from him in my phone, the email at work, and seeing him in the evening after work is the highlight of my day.
Even in my career I have just followed where it led. I have a great job. I have done well, and yet, I didn't set out for it. I do like what I do, and I'm good at it.
I've been up and down health wise the last two years. Not anything serious, but stuff that kept me from a work out plan that I want. H pylori. Twice. Knee surgery. Plantar fasciitis. Vertigo.
I'm done letting life happen and knock me down. There are ways to work around these set backs and I'm going to do it.
This year, I ran several races, and had a great time. But I didn't run any as well as I would have liked. January 1, 2014 I struggled through a 5K at the YMCA. June I struggled through a 10k at El Dorado Lake. October I struggled through a marathon at Niagara Falls. In November I KILLED a ten mile race. That's what I want to do every time.
I have spent some time laying out a workout/running plan in great detail. I have a healthy eating plan lined up.
I have a new Bible and a reading plan.
I continue to wander, I continue to let life happen. But where I need to take control, I will. I will wander with a purpose.
Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."
They say that you should share your goals. It will make it easier to stay with.
I don't know if I have any readers left after all the time I've taken off, and I'm okay with that. I will, however, put this out there so it keeps me honest.
Monday, March 16, 2015
A Wandering Heart
The last year I have felt like a wanderer more than any other time in my Christian life. Having been a Christian pretty much my entire life, I have a lot of years to compare this to.
This is different than feeling far from God. I haven't felt distant from God, just like I had no direction. Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
I find great comfort that even when I feel like I'm wandering, God hasn't forsaken me or left me. I wasn't looking for God, or his presence in my life, it was their.
But I still feel like there is more that I should be doing, seeing, I'm not really sure. Or maybe I was just pretty full of myself for a lot of years. I am a work in progress, I definitely have much growing and learning yet to do. Maybe the wandering is what I should be feeling.
I'm going to "enjoy the journey" and keep wandering along, doing my best to follow God.
This is different than feeling far from God. I haven't felt distant from God, just like I had no direction. Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
I find great comfort that even when I feel like I'm wandering, God hasn't forsaken me or left me. I wasn't looking for God, or his presence in my life, it was their.
But I still feel like there is more that I should be doing, seeing, I'm not really sure. Or maybe I was just pretty full of myself for a lot of years. I am a work in progress, I definitely have much growing and learning yet to do. Maybe the wandering is what I should be feeling.
I'm going to "enjoy the journey" and keep wandering along, doing my best to follow God.
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