what happens when your kid meets a local celebrity

So we randomly got to meet Brandon Carter (#76 TTU Offensive Lineman, the one who paints his face up and has an outlandish mohawk and facial piercings) one Saturday...the Saturday he was suspended from a game, to be exact. He was tailgating in the same parking lot as us.

Brandon was very sweet and agreeable to our paparazzi moment. My youngest son was scared of him at first (this guy is GINORMOUS), but after he warmed up

to Brandon, an idea was born. And the idea quickly became an obsession to a little impish 5 year old boy (i.e. it's all we heard about for weeks).

Fast forward to Halloween weekend...

The idea that became an obsession, turned into a reality for Blake

Meet Luke Skywalker and Brandon Carter (I know weird coupling, huh?)

And it was SO worth it... because after we got his hair and makeup done, Blake looked up at me with his big green eyes, and EARNESTLY told me, "This is my dream come true!"

song crush #14

This one brings me to my knees, and it's not even because it's Christy Nockles (my voice crush).

Mended by Watermark

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Mended/5634677

When I came across this song, it was to me, like water to parched land. Reminding me of the love and intimate care of my Healer...

You are our healer

and You know what's broken

we're not a mystery to You

mad, sad, thankful

So I got to work Thursday morning and made my way over to the O.C. (where I office...an outdoor Office Complex) only to find the front door open and blowing in the wind. Long story short, we'd been robbed. All of our computers, and electronics of value had been taken in the night. And the culprits were even crafty enough to dump out all our trash on the floor and use the empty trash cans as handy carrying devices for all their loot. Ingenious, huh?

As we inspected the building, I instantly became tearful. I was very tearful and became ugly cry girl.

Later the police came to check out the "crime scene," and as we re-inspected everything, I became mad. Completely indignant really. Who robs a church!?! It felt so wrong, and wrong at SO many levels. In my anger I became revenge-y...I wanted to find someone and make them pay dearly.

The natural response to what happened is certainly anger. But I must admit that once I got the mad all out of me, I simply became sad. Not teary (ugly cry) sad anymore, but soul-sad. Sad for what we'd lost, b/c a lot of our ministry was on those hard drives. But even more sad, really, that there are people out there in such a desperate situation that they resort to stealing.

And so far, I've stayed in that sad place, and strangely where I've also landed with the whole ordeal is in a posture of complete gratitude. Gratitude for God's grace, because but for His grace, I know I am but a decision or two away from base, vile behavior myself. Gratitude for his patience, and that when I do veer off, He never fails to rein me back in. And gratitude for a life changing Love that He pours into me daily. A Love so strong I am saved from myself and a Love so complete it has captured my devotion...

I am thankful because I fully know it is only because of my Jesus that I'm not the one cramming stuff in a trash can and making off with it in the night.

the 90%

I've been thinking about the year I gave my life to Christ. 17 years old, in a very dark place of loss and loneliness. When I turned my face to him and Who he is clicked in my little brain and heart, I was TRULY saved, rescued, redeemed. And because I was so desperate for the very things that HE is, I found myself unashamedly in love with my Jesus. There wasn't a thing I wouldn't do to know Him more...not a thing I wouldn't give up to be closer still.

So here I am, 18 years later, looking at my life and recognizing how routine, and mundane I can make my relationship with Christ. And I realize that even though I am not in that dark place these days, I am NO LESS desperate for my Jesus than I was those many years ago. Yet I don't live desperate for him. I acknowledge him as a breath of fresh air, rather than as air itself. I love him, but am I in love with him?

A friend of mine once said that 5% of life is the very bad stuff, 5% is the highest of highs, and 90% of life is everything in between. I would say that statement is accurate for what I know life to be thus far, and it is in that 90% that I tend to neglect my Jesus the most. Pathetic but true.

So today, I pray I will live desperate for Him. I pray I will know He is the air I breath. And I pray it won't take the 5% on either end of the spectrum for these things to happen...

top 6 of U2 concert

So after work Monday I hopped a plane, flew to Dallas, and found myself at the U2 concert that night, a bit bleary eyed, and most definitely wide-eyed. The experience was COMPLETE awesomeness, simply because U2 is complete awesomeness in general. But I've also compiled my top 6 other reasons why the night rocked my world(in no particular order):

1) I got to see the inside of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. One word: HUGE. Another word: ginormous. I can now say that I know what 100,000 people in one space, breathing the same air, officially looks like.

2) I bought cool concert T-shirts for me and the hubs. I've never owned one before, and I will probably be too old to rock mine for too much longer...but the coolest part is that I will bequeath mine to my boys someday, and they will have the COOLEST vintage concert tee ever!

3) When buying said concert tees, I watched my friend Jen get shoved out of the way, by a super rude, incorrigible lady. It was one of those seriously? and really? kind of moments. BUT as Jen and I steeped in our indignant righteousness, it's like God quietly reminded me of a quote by Bill Hybels: you'll never lock eyes with someone who doesn't deeply matter to God. And to God, I was all seriously? and really?. And it's like He said, "yep." So I whispered the quote to Jen, and we were both humbled, and then we saw rude, incorrigible lady with new eyes. So there's your proof...God is at rock concerts :)

4) I was one of those girls. Jen and I stood for most of the concert, whilst those behind us sat (until they were forced to stand b/c of those girls, AKA Jen and Mindy.) But seriously, please explain to me how ANYONE sits still when they hear the opening chords of "Where the Streets Have No Name," or "Mysterious Ways," or "Vertigo?" Plus, if you want to sit, go to a movie or a play, and NOT a concert, right?

5) Bono sang "Amazing Grace." And it was a worshipful moment. Certainly didn't expect to feel moved that way in a setting or venue such as that, but I was...

and finally 6) I got to do #1-5 with two of my best friends, who know me well and love me anyway. Thanks Jen and Doug.

And P.S. Doug....loved the way you proudly donned the Bono sunglasses all night. Only you could pull that off!

song crush #13

Barlow Girl...sigh. These sisters are AMAZINGLY talented. I have a total crush on their voices, thus also on every song they come out with. Probably more importantly, I adore their lyrics. I feel like they are REAL people journeying along with a Holy God, just working out their faith, and their lyrics reflect it.

Check out their latest..."Beautiful Ending." This is an acoustic version, which shows their awesomeness. Be sure to listen to the "full" cut too if you can. It's stellar in a whole different way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gadNqdMv-4A&feature=related

I Saw Love

I saw love the other day.

While waiting for my order at Sonic, my eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the car next to me. In it sat an elderly couple, and the woman in the passenger seat had a violent tremor to both of her hands. It was so drastic, she couldn't still them, and in order for her to eat her food and drink her coke, her husband had to feed her.

I tried not to stare as this couple worked together to achieve something we all take for granted, but I felt I was witnessing something sacred and special. I knew I was, for lack of a better description, seeing love.

My mind began to churn out thoughts, while my heart poured out emotions. Anger...at neurological diseases that rob of us the simple things. Humility...at a display of love so pure and unselfish I'll never forget it. Outrage...that this precious lady, whose hands have probably prepared thousands of meals, and bandaged hundreds of "boo boos," now betray her so. And sadness...that she has no choice but to allow her husband to serve her in this way; and I know if it were me in her shoes, that would kill me.

This much I know. I was moved; changed by what I saw. We may hear the word love thrown around everyday, in some form or fashion. But it's not everyday you get to see it fleshed out--living and breathing--the way I did.

I am thankful that a love, that is clearly as much a matter of choice, as it is anything else, exists. I thank God that He let me observe such a tender scene; to let me be a fly on the wall where I had no right to actually be. And I thank Him, that through a husband's devotion to his ailing bride, I got to see a glimpse of God's character, the author of Love himself.

I saw love the other day...