Blog

I am not a morning person. If left to my own devices, I would arise but stay in utter quiet until 11:00. I do live in a culture that requires social interaction, and social skills demand you speak to people in cheerful, civil tones in the workplace….before 11:00 a.m.. I work with a staff of Olympian morning people! I am always the last person to arrive at work, getting there on time literally by the minute, and I never cease to be amazed at the chirpy chatter and smiling faces that greet me. With a bell in her voice, Tammie always says hello! I nod. I proceed down my hall and the morning ritual of greetings start. I am still amazed every morning. Matthew inherited my genetic predisposition and neither of us even have “happy morning tone” in our voice repertoire.
I am at the peak of my day, feeling energized and productive at 5:00 p.m., and you would think the rapture took place if you were in the church offices at 5:01. Those morning people are DONE!

Life seems to be inconvenient some times. Like when you’re laying in bed and the earth around you starts to shake and then all of a sudden what used to be your house looks more like your tomb. Life can be inconvenient. Like when your wife comes to you and says, “I really feel like I can help those people who just had their lives inconvenienced by an earth quake. I know it’s not safe...I know it isn’t practical, but I know I can help.” Or, like when two weeks leading up to the most stressful week of your life (or what in your mind is going to be stressful) all anyone wants to talk about is what lies ahead in the coming week. Life is inconvenient.

So the idea of bashing forearms with someone till you can’t possibly do it any longer because it hurts too bad is crazy right? Well that’s exactly what one of my exercises is for karate. The first time my teacher told me to do it I couldn’t help thinking, “What are you crazy? What is making my arms all black and blue helping me do at all?” But, then he explained to me that it’s to make nerves in your arms less sensitive and your bones stronger, making it easier to do the blocks and moves necessary to really know the karate.

So, I ate Taco Bell for lunch today. Let’s say...it was less than satisfactory. My favorite is when you look at all those pretty, delicious, knock off Mexican cuisine’s on the menu and then receive your bag from the drive through window. My quesadilla today looked like somebody had already eaten it and then put it back in the bag to serve to me. It tasted ok, but...then the thought hit me. There are places in this world that somebody would shoot me to have that food. Not because they are necessarily criminal...but because they are that hungry...that much in need.

Ok...so going places where you wear a backless gown is not on the top of my favorite places to be. I know that may be the fad of all the prom dresses these days but I am not a high school girl and I have never wore a dress....so this whole experience is new to me. I had a few tests run today to see what I can do about some health problems that I have been experiencing and there I stood...backless gown...feeling totally exposed. I know it’s a doctors office...but there is still the whole vulnerability thing.

I have recently bound myself by blood to get through the entire Bible from front to back. Well, not really by blood, but I have to do something drastic or by the time I get to the book of Numbers, I will be ready to be done with this quest. It’s not that I think the Bible was meant to be read this way...but I am not sure I have ever read some books of the Bible, or the entirety of some books of the Bible. I mean, I don’t generally frequent the book of Lamentations or Ezekiel, Song of Solomon or Leviticus. I am actually pretty excited to see what kind of spiritual McNuggets I can pull out of some of the more obscure books.

“Boken, boken, booookkkeeenn!” That’s my two year olds way of saying, “Dad, my toy won’t work.” Ironically enough, it’s a toy that Daddy didn’t mind being “boken.” Usually, if it takes batteries, it’s one of those toys that we want to stay “boken,” due to it’s excessive noise levels. But when it’s one of her favorite toys and her little world is in shambles because her Fridge DJ won’t play, Daddy fixes it.

In my life, I have truly been blessed to do some things others won’t ever have the opportunity to do. One such opportunity was to raise and shelter kangaroos and wallabies for almost 15 years. My husband Larry and I started the International Kangaroo Society as a shelter for kangaroos from all across the country and as a source for information about them.

Generally, at youth, I get the privilege of closing the night out. I usually recap the message and give the kids a funny or witty way of remembering the message. Usually is the key word here. Sometimes I do as the kids say...epic fail. The last couple weeks after I had finished, that’s what I was feeling...total epic fail! But God has really been showing me something. Two weeks ago, after I felt like I bombed...a youth came up to me and said, “you know what you said really hit home with me.