Poor Sam

Jason was at it again with the razors and Sam has been shaved again. He looks so ridiculous I honestly cannot even post a picture of him. It does help with the hair being everywhere...and Sam doesn't mind being shaved, but if he only knew what he looked like. Jason says with practice he'll get better and eventually he won't look as ridiculous. I will say though, there is a reason why God made cats have fur...they not quite as cuddleable or cute shaved. Love you Sam, thanks for letting Jason make you look silly.

Cheerios!

I've never been a fan of cereal. When I lived in the sorority house, most of the girls would spend a lot of time in the basement because we had tons of different cereals and to them, this was heaven, but I've never been a fan. Since I've been spending my Wednesday mornings at the nursery, I've been giving the kids lots of Cheerios. Every 5 seconds, you hear, "More Cheerios!" How could they taste good? They don't smell good, they don't look good!

So, I was at Dominicks a couple weeks ago and walked past a box of honey nut cheerios and for some reason decided I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Pretty bold of a move considering A. I don't like, cheerios. B. I don't like nuts. And C. I am not a huge fan of honey...so why I felt like I would want Honey-Nut Cheerios is beyond me! But I love them! I have been having them sometimes for breakfast and sometimes for dinner or even as a snack! Who'd have thought it's take 31 years to discover such a random new favorite!

Downsized...then Upsized!

I have always carried a big purse. I got into the habit when I was living downtown because when you're not driving everywhere you really need to carry a lot of things with you. So I was out purse shopping the other night to replace the one I was using that was literally ripped on the side and had everything imaginable spilled in it at least once. I decided that since I was technically back in the burbs, I was going to downsize and picked out a cute one that still had long enough straps to put over my shoulder.



It was only 2 weeks later that I decided I was no matter how badly I wanted it, I'd never be a small purse kinda girl again. Jason and I were out shopping for ideas of what the guys will be wearing as groomsmen and I happened to pass a purse that I loved. I stopped long enough to touch it but then kept walking since I obviously just bought a purse and don't "need" another. But after we got into the car and drove away, I said to Jason, "Man, I really loved that purse, I should have bought it..I have gift cards in my wallet, so it really would only cost $9.00." And before I knew it, he was driving me back to the store. (I wonder if I had done this in the past and complained a lot or something that he decided to immediately drive me back??) I used my gift cards and some birthday money and am so excited to have my big purse back! I can fit everything and anything into it...my water bottle, wallet, lip gloss, lotion, change purse, journal, my gym lock, whatever book or magazine I may be reading, headphones, I even had a bra in there from one time when I was changing after the gym! (TMI?? ;) There is no limit to what that purse can carry, I can only imagine what I'll be carrying when I have kids and need a diaper bag if my purse is already this big! (and I wonder why I have knee problems!)

Catching Up!

I've been out and about all week and have so much to write about but haven't had time! So I am hoping to catch up today and this weekend! Happy Reading! And as always, if you ever read any posts, please post a comment to let me know!! (or shoot me an email if you can't comment!)

Powerful Song

In 2005, I had been living downtown for about 5 months and one of my co-workers from Bath & Body Works invited me to her church. I was very interested in finding a permanent church to join once I had moved downtown so I agreed and met her at the corner of Aldine and Broadway where we grabbed a cab and headed to church one Sunday morning. Though I never saw that girl again (I call her my angel), that day was the first of many Sundays to come and Park Community Church became my church home.

The vision of Park was:

"To be a biblical community where the Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms lives, renews the city, and impacts the world. As part of seeing the city renewed, we believe God has called Park to see 1% of the city of Chicago (29,000 people) walk across the line of faith and become assimilated into biblical communities."

That vision made quite an impression on me since I grew up in a suburban church and also didn't understand what it meant to "walk across the line of faith." I was so excited to be living in the city, it excited me even more that I was part of a church's vision was about renewing the city and wanting to see 1% of Chicago walk across the line of faith. After about 2 years of attending Park, they introduced a new song during worship, "God of this City." It was one of the most powerful songs I had ever heard. It really applied to what Park believed!

In June 2008, after 20 years in the making, the new building for Park had finally been built, so though I was now attending Willow Creek with Jason every week, I wanted to attend Parks first service in their new building since I felt like I had been a very very small part of that journey. At the service they played worship songs and had their sermon but nothing really stood out like when the worship team played it's final song, "God of this City." As they began the song, they opened the curtains to the outside...which faces the east, viewing Cabrini Green with the projects up close and the high rises of the Gold Coast in the distance. What a powerful song! And what a powerful God we have!

I have since seen Chris Tomlin in concert who explained the history of this song which was originally written by the Irish band, Blue Tree. This is how Aaron Boyd from Blue Tree explains the history:

“There’s a couple from Carrickfergus, Ian and Leslie, and they moved out to Thailand to a place called Pattaya. We got asked to go and be part of an event called Pattaya Praise. Pattaya is a seaside town/resort place, and physically, it looks to be like the darkest place you’ll ever go to. And spiritually, it is THE darkest place we have ever been to. You just feel the evil. You just feel the enemy all over that place. It’s a very small place. . . But in that small area in Thailand, there are 30,000 prostitutes and that figure excludes kids and excludes anything that’s outside of the range of, say 18-30, and who are female. . .

Part of what we were asked to do was to go out and be part of an event which runs for four or five days. It had things like 24/7 worship and prayer and social action going on helping the people who clean the streets every morning. We played in a school and ministered in an orphanage and tried to get a heart for that city. As a band we were getting cold feet because we had four days in Bangkok to start, and in those four days it was great. We’d be quite hyperactive, and it was flat-out, four days; not an hour was lost to sleep in those four days. On the Sunday we managed to play in one church and it was brilliant, but we wanted more. And then when we got to Pattaya . . . we said, ‘If you can get us anywhere else to play, anywhere, we want to play. We just want to do what we do in the middle of somewhere and just go head-on into it.”

“There was a bar called The Climax Bar – on a street that’s about 10 metres wide, it’s a kilometre long and it’s filled with everything you can physically imagine. And I promise you, as a red-blooded male, to keep your head in the right place you’ve got to look down at the ground and walk down that street and pray because it is just so in your face. People hit you with menus about everything, flashing lights, just everything you can imagine goes on in that place. You see kids as young as eight, nine, 10, just selling themselves, you know?! You see 60-year-old guys walking down the street with two 13 or 14-year-old girls. Forget about the Christian thing, you just get raging! You properly get raging when you see that happening, you know?!”

. . . We got the chance to play in this bar, a two-hour worship set in this bar. I don’t think the people in the bar spoke a word of English but we basically got to go in. The deal was that we play and we bring a following of people with us; so we’re there, set up, really good gear! So we all set up and there was like 20 Christians all standing in front of us, and the deal was we play, they buy lots of drinks, alright? I don’t think the place has ever sold so much Coke in its whole life in one night!

And we got to play for two hours. And just the way the band set up, we like using loops, and at one point I just started singing out. I started singing “Greater Things”, something along those lines, almost prophesying over the city. And without going into the band dynamics, slowly this groove emerged from this thing. And long story short; we walked out of that Climax Bar with pretty much a nailed song, as strange as that sounds. Then we were on the way home.

We were all. . .it was that tumbleweed silence, you know? It was like, ‘What actually just happened in that time?!’ It was one of the most powerful worship experiences we’ve ever had. I actually remember looking out, and you’re looking down a wee alleyway, into the street, and it was just 50 or 60 probably British tourists and they’re just sitting there listening going, ‘What is this all about?’ Coming from The Climax Bar which is pretty much a strip club. Just, here we are singing about Jesus in the middle of this. . . It was one of the most random experiences but it was a God thing, God was there.” (click here for more)

Wow, right? I have heard this song so many times since the first time I learned the song. I have it on my running playlist and heard it today as I was walking after a run and decided to just listen to the words and worship God as I walked. I looked to my left and there was a very small cross above a church so I snapped a picture to remember that moment. Sadly, I can't see the cross but I know every time I walk by that cross will stand out more than any others! This song charges me up and excites me to see what God has in mind for the city which I love so much!

If you haven't heard this song, click here, close your eyes and listen.

I LOVE THIS CITY!!

Walking home from the bus after picking up my packet for this weekend's Shamrock Shuffle, I looked to my right and saw
How beautiful!!!

Back to School

I have officially been accepted to National-Louis University will begin grad school on April 5 at to obtain my Masters of Arts in Teaching Special Education. AHHHH! I met with the Special Ed adviser up in Wheeling today and will be taking the part-time guaranteed sequence out at the Lisle campus. I am not required to stay in the part-time sequence or at the Lisle campus but if I decide to stick with part-time I have the guarantee to be done with classes in 24 months. (I can only go part-time now with my unemployment benefits, so this will likely change if I can get a job or am no longer receiving unemployment) Though I feel like I have been talking about this forever and spent a lot of time taking the required tests and submitting the million transcripts of all the schools I've attended, I also cannot believe I will be starting in a just less than 3 weeks.

Little did I know that when I was laid off last year that this would be where my life would take me! I am pretty nervous about going back to school and even more nervous about what this will do to my financial situation but I am confident that this is what I am supposed to be doing. Starbucks and Argo Tea, it's been a while but here I come to spend many, many, many hours with you!

6 Months From Today...

...I marry Jason! I cannot wait! But I am trying to be patient. It's so hard though because I am so excited to start my life with him!

Oh, and 6 months from today I'll be in the sun, on the beach with my closest friends and family too. How sweet is that!?

Prayer Partner - Katherine Grace

This post is over a month late but is still definitely sharing. Susan and Michael (Andrew's parents) asked me another one of Kate and Andrew's babysitter, Jen, to be Kate's "Prayer Partner." For the non-denominational church, babies are dedicated and not baptised and rather than God parent's, the babies have Prayer Partners who promise to pray every day for a year (or longer.) Jen and I both attended the service that precious Kate was dedicated at and were able to pray for her with her family. It was a very special time for Kate. I am very excited to see what God has in mind for her as she grows!

*In Kate's situation, she was also baptized as a Lutheran and has God parents as well. :)
**I got some really cute pictures from that day but cannot get them off Kodak Gallery, so just use your imagination. :)

Ready? Probably Not

I have a little over a week before the Shamrock Shuffle. I haven't run it in a couple years but both years I ran it, I ran all 5 miles and didn't have a hard time, think I did it under 50 minutes too. This year, it's a different story. I haven't been running outside at all, and though I've been running on the treadmill, my knees tell me it's not the same. The temperature reached 63 degrees today so I went for a run outside. I loved every second of it, until my knees (more specifically, my right knee) told me it was sick of the concrete. It wasn't your typical "runners knee" pain, this was "Stop. Running. Now." pain. I think I had made it about 2.75-3 miles before I stopped, but the Shamrock Shuffle is 5 miles! How will I ever be ready in time? I'm not sure, but I don't really have a choice! Good luck to me!

I love daffoldils

I love daffodils, love them. Seriously they are so inexpensive and the most spring-like flower. Just place them in some water and within 24 hours they've "popped" into beautiful flowers shouting "Spring is Here!" (or almost!)

Every year I am a pre-sales coordinator for Daffodil Days, which is a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. Basically they have all sorts of daffodil packages you can choose from and then flowers get delivered by yours truly around this time in March. It's a great program and I love supporting such a great cause while also making people happy when they receive their beautiful flowers. My favorite choice is that you can purchase a "gift of hope" which delivers a bunch of daffodils to someone who is receiving cancer treatments. What a neat way to brighten someones day! However, this year I completely forgot and no one from ACS called to remind me, so I never got to sell or buy my daffodils! The other night I saw them at Dominicks, grabbed some and popped them into water. The next day they were blooming and bright yellow! And guess what? Today is supposed to reach 60 degrees! I think Spring really is here! Wishful thinking, right? Oh well for today, me and my daffodils can pretend and enjoy the weather while it's here!

Wedding Details Update

Its been a lot of fun planning our wedding! There are limited resources for planning a destination wedding and most articles, websites and books that you'll find are so broad as the destination could range anywhere in the states, to Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Italy, England, etc. So there's not much guidance out there for our Puerto Vallarta, Mexico wedding!

So far, I've picked out my dress, ordered the bridesmaid dresses and Katie's flowergirl dress, we've registered (so fun!), decided on what the guys will be wearing (that was quite the challenge!), and decided the menu, cake and flowers. We're working on some final details and logistics for the ceremony and reception. It's been interesting to try to write back and forth to our wedding coordinator in Mexico. There's always a day or 2 (sometimes much longer) turnaround and many emails will go back and forth before we finally get the answer we originally asked. Nothing is free, so when they say, "oh yes, sure you can have that!" we find out later it comes with a hefty cost...so we need to be careful. We still have a lot of planning to do for our local reception but I'm sure it will fall into place soon enough.

It's been so much fun planning with Jason! I cannot wait to marry him and spend the rest of our lives together! Just 193 Days!

Don't think I've posted our wedding website on here yet...click here and then please sign the guestbook if you haven't already! :)

Trader Joes

I am not sure which I like better, Trader Joes or Target. Both stores I can find amazing deals and spend a good amount of time in. Friday I was out picking up just a few things, just as I do when I go to Target but then end up getting twice as much. I got all of this:

for less than $25. Yes, I finally caved and bought one of the cloth grocery bags...now if I could just remember to bring it in each time! Beat those prices local grocery stores!! Oh and it's worth mentioning that the staff are a riot, they love their jobs!!

Yoga -- The Day After

So yesterday was yoga and I was bored but today I am so sore! My abs, butt and legs hurt! Love it. Will be trying another class soon. And after the amount of popcorn I had at the movies tonight, I may be hitting up yoga and pilates tomorrow!

Yoga...Again.

I tried yoga today for the second time in about 5 years. Last time I tried, I was bored...and I had just about the same experience this time. It doesn't hold my attention. I will say that I am a little sore tonight...but I am not really sure that I am supposed t be sore from yoga, I thought it was more of a mind thing? I may give it another shot but as for now if I am going to spend an hour at the gym...I would much rather it be on the treadmill or lifting. I found myself looking at the clock about 17 times. I really want to try Hot Yoga but was told to make sure I have all the moves down for yoga first or else I could injure myself and now that I've tried yoga, I believe it! Some of those positions are not positions I believe the human body should be in!