'Tis the Season!

I can't believe it's already December!

Thanksgiving has come and gone.

It's time to pull out the Christmas decorations.

Cut down the tree.

Hang the stockings.

String up the lights.

It's time to get in the festive, holiday spirit.

Tradition, tradition, tradition.

Cookies become a food group in and of themselves...with hot chocolate, of course.

It's the one time of year that everyone actually wants it to snow...at least on the 25th.

Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman animated classics never get old.

And, of course, it's time to start playing Christmas music 24 hours a day!

So I thought it was the PERFECT time to revisit some awesome Christmas season service openers that North Point Community Church has done.

Last year's iBand!

And in 2009, they collaborated all of their campuses and created a live streaming experience of "The 12 Days of Christmas." North Point Church's East and West Auditoriums, Buckhead Church, and Browns Bridge Church were all singing together and displaying the live streaming video of the other campuses to create a complete song. Notice on the screens the video switches in between campuses. Awesomeness!!  :)

I can't wait to see what they pull off THIS year!

Black Friday

I can't say that I ever remember actually going out and shopping on Black Friday before...well, at least not at some ungodly hour of the morning. I think it takes a special kind of person to actually really enjoy that kind of mayhem. And special, I am not! Well, not that kind of special at least. :o)

So I'm curious...if you are one of the special ones and you actually enjoy the craziness, do you do anything in particular to prepare for your outing? Do you plan exactly where you're going and map out your route? Do you head out in the morning, or do you camp out over night? Have you ever gotten into a fight over the "last one on the shelf"? Do you go by yourself, or is it a group event?

I was thinking that if I ever decide to go out and brave the chaos, I'd need some tips to help me figure out the best course of action. Since we finally have our very own Target that just opened up in town, I found their commercials from last year, and I think I'm all set now. Of course, I can't tell exactly, but I think this lady might be on crack. So now I'm second guessing her suggestions, and I'm not so sure that taking advice from the Crazy Target Lady is really the best idea after all???
But she certainly is special, isn't she?! :o)

Tip #1: Practice Reverse Psychology

Tip #2: Visualize Your Path

Tip #3: Check The Weather

Tip #4: Use A Utility Belt

Tip #5: Draft To The Doorbusters

Tip #6: Make A List & Check It Thrice

Oh my word. Apparently in 2010, they only opened at 4am. But now in 2011, they're opening at 12am!! Absolutely crazy. Hope you're ready!! :o)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for a ton of things. Obviously, there are those big ticket items like my relationship with God, my family, friends, a good job, my home, etc. where God has poured out abundant blessing upon my life. But there are lots of little things too...most of them might even be considered trivial. But I'm still thankful for them none-the-less.

Coke Zero - zero calories with less "diet taste" than diet.

iPhone - I never have to be disconnected...EVER. I think I'm addicted.

Hillsong/Jesus Culture - putting out some of the best worship music out there (I could list several more, but these probably top my list at this particular moment)

christianbook.com - just a click away from an amazing new book, and it's ALWAYS fun to get packages in the mail...even if you've sent them to yourself.  :-)

Lucky Jeans - simply awesome

Cadbury Mini Eggs - why such an amazing form of chocolate is only available for a couple months out of the year, I'll never understand.

College football - Saturdays in the fall are never boring, and I will forever be a Penn State fan...WE ARE!!

Ann Taylor & Banana - the OUTLETS, not the real stores. My closet thanks you!

Pumpkin Spice Lattes - Starbucks, I am eternally grateful.

The iPod jack in my glovebox - it has forever changed my car music experience.

Brooks sneakers - I love you, and I curse you. You have made me able to run pain free, and now I have no more excuses.

The elliptical in my basement - being able to exercise no matter the weather (also affording me no excuses...shoot)

USATF - now I actually know how far I'm running, AND it's fun to map new routes.

Elf - Christmas (and, honestly, the rest of the year) wouldn't be complete without it!

Great blogs - Perry Noble, Pete Wilson, Rick Glass (when he actually writes...ha), Tripp Crosby, Jon Acuff, Carlos Whittaker, Steven Furtick, Plywood People, Leading and Loving It ...and that's just to name a few.

Heated Leather Seats - there's nothing else that needs to be said.

Special K with Red Berries - my dinner staple 75% of the time.

I could go on and on. It was hard to narrow down my list, but I might be most thankful that my Thanksgiving day will NOT be like this... 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

:)

What trivial things are you thankful for??  :)

I Hate Cats

Ideas are being tossed around with my former college roommate about potentially living together again in the future. Sounds great, right?!

I love my college roommate.
My college roommate loves me (or so I like to think...haha).
So far, so good.

My college roommate loves to cook.
I love to eat.
Brilliant arrangement!

My college roommate loves to shop, watch movies, and be cultured.
I love all of the above as well.
This couldn't be more perfect!!

My college roommate loves her cats.
I HATE CATS!
Shoot.
Dilemma.

Yes. I said it.
Yes. I mean it.
I am not a fan of cats whatsoever. I think it's mostly the shedding part, to be completely honest. Ugh...I feel like I'm choking on a hairball just thinking about them. Nice mental image, I know. Ohhhh, I can hear it in my head now too. ;-)

In addition to the shedding and their overtly self-absorbed temperamental attitudes, there are multiple other reasons to dislike cats...as demonstrated by the following:

Cats disturb sleep and mangle your face!

Cats destroy furniture and force feed you insects!

Cats interrupt important TV viewing, and I swear they're trying take over the world!

Cats completely obliterate all your hard work! It's a conspiracy!!

Cats even ruin Christmas!!

And that right there is more than reason enough to hate them! :)

And so, now the question remains:
Which has more clout?? My love for my college roommate or my hatred of cats?? 
Hmmmm... I guess time will tell.  :)

The 21st Century

Yeah, communication and technology have come a LONG way!!

Remember this sound???

What??  You can't even remember the last time you heard that?? Well, up until yesterday, living in the land of dial up, that's the only sound my parents heard when they tried to tap into the world wide web. And here I thought I made some giant technological advance when I upgraded from my old regular cell phone to my smart phone?! Funny thing is that up until yesterday, they wouldn't have been able to even watch that clip because it would have taken too long to load! :)

I'd like to officially welcome my parents to the 21st century. There's a whole new world out there just waiting to be discovered!! I think my dad might be most excited because he can finally watch the Guy On A Buffalo videos whenever he wants now.  haha!

I wonder what's next?? Maybe someday they'll get a webcam. HA!! I can just imagine that it might go a little something like this...

Who knows?! Maybe someday they'll even get cable or satellite tv and actually be able to see more than four channels?!  **gasp** Then again, that's probably pushing it...  :)

Road Trip Drama

You really get to know someone when you're stuck in a car together for 12 hours on a road trip. Granted, most of the time it's always more entertaining and fun to have someone driving with you, but sometimes...well...did I mention that you're STUCK in a car together?!

On my most recent road trip south to Atlanta there was a lot of random silence for some reason. Typically a TON of talking makes time pass quickly, but on the trip down it seemed like we just didn't have much to chat about?? Really weird. (perhaps part of it was that someone was playing angry birds on my iPhone for two hours straight, but nahhhh...it couldn't be that...haha) Let's just say I spent a lot of time listening to music while I drove. If you had asked me at the time, I seriously wouldn't have been able to tell you if I was singing, humming, or whistling with the music along the way or not. I swear I do it unconsciously! It just comes out!

Of course, I learned later in the week that apparently the answer should have been fairly obvious...
The grand culmination: sitting at a stand still waiting to get out of the arena parking lot after our last session of the conference was over. There was a lot to process, so we sat in my car without talking for at least a half hour with Hillsong playing in the background.

Then came the question: Can you ever just listen to music without humming along?

Crap. I'm thinking: Well, if you ask it like that, then I'm guessing it's a pretty rhetorical question, isn't it?

Haha...oh, to be a fly on the wall that day!! Here's how I envision parts of our trip may have looked:

Aaaaahahahahaha!!! Ok, ok...perhaps that's just a touch overly dramatic. Or is it?!  haha! (don't hurt me, Lulu!)

I will say that the trip back north was the exact opposite. It was filled with phenomenal conversation, complete with both crying and laughter. AND there was even exhuberant singing and car dancing with complete participation from all occupants of the vehicle! Now THAT's more like it. And therefore, I have qualified it as one of the GREATEST road trips EVER. :-)

Guy On A Buffalo

So, I was recently introduced to the guy on a buffalo by some new friends from South Carolina.  I must admit, at first I was sitting there with an incredulous look on my face thinking: Really? This is supposed to be funny?

But now I can't help but laugh.  It's so ridiculous, and yet hilarious all at the same time! 

Guy On A Buffalo - Episode 1 (Bears, Indians, & Such)

Guy On A Buffalo - Episode 2 (Orphans, Cougars, & Whatnot)

Guy On A Buffalo - Episode 3: Finale Part 1 (Origins, Villains, & The Like)

Guy On A Buffalo - Episode 4: Finale Part 2 (Rehab, Vengeance, & What Have You)

Hahaha...ok, so if you stuck with it and actually suffered through all four episodes, there's a chance that you still don't think it's funny.  But let it reuminate for a while, and you just might find yourself randomly singing guy on a buffalo without even thinking about it, and that, my friend, is the true joke! :-)

Godz Bodz

Tripp and Tyler do it again!  :-)

Who knew a worship service could be a full fledged workout session?!

I can't even begin to explain how funny I think this is...

Haha!  "Non-denom"!  :-)

Catalyst Craziness

The Catalyst Conference isn't all serious intensity.  There's a ton of random crazy creativity thrown in the mix every year too.  It's one well rounded experience.  And it's awesome! 

Haha...and here are just a few of the crazy stunts that were included in the Catalyst East 2010 experience:

And I think this one was my favorite stunt of all:

Noodling

So here's the story. A month or so ago I was told by an ATL friend: "Don't worry. The Braves will be in the playoffs, and we will beat you guys...mark my words!" That was only one of many audacious statements he made touting the triumph that the Braves would eventually ultimately achieve over the Phillies in the post season. The grand culmination came a few weeks ago when I challenged his empty threats, and it was determined that a wager needed to be set. And that's when I was backed into potentially having to do one of the worst things I can possibly think of! Silly me...here I was thinking along the lines of a free dinner or some kind of royal treatment.

Nope. Not even close...

If the Braves took down the Phillies, I would have to go noodling!

Yes. That's right. I said NOODLING!!! I instantly regretted raising the challenge.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with what noodling entails, just watch. I'm thinking you'll understand my incredulous reaction.

And if that doesn't convince you, try it bare handed!! Are you insane?!?!

So you can imagine that I've been rooting extra hard for the Phillies over the last several weeks!  And, while I know it's neither kind nor becoming to kick someone while they're down, I probably was a touch too exuberant when I rubbed in the Phillies sweep of the Braves to finish off their season. (please count this as my public apology!) BUT, in my defense, I was honestly mostly just ecstatically relieved that I was off the hook for the noodling excursion!!!

And now you might be wondering what amazing prize I will be rewarded as the obvious victor?! Yeah...let's just say that somehow in my flabbergasted state of shock, we never got around to establishing my side of the deal.
Shoot. ;-)

Four Chords

I've never really thought about how many songs are out there that are built off of the exact same chord progression.  Four chords...apparently that's all you need to write a good love song.  And North Point Community Church rocks this medley!!  I love it!!

It's Friday, and I have nothing in depth or profound to expound on with this one. 

This is just awesome.  End of story...

Epic Fail

This clip got passed around the office this week, and I just died laughing...

Don't worry...it's fake.  No one was harmed in the filming of this video.  Therefore, it's ok to laugh at the kid's demise!  :-)

It's crazy though.  You kind of  forget the fact that their tablecloth trick actually worked, because you're left in shock (and laughter) at the epic failure that happens afterwards.  I think life is like that sometimes.  How many times do we try something new and triumph in our success, only to have the world come crashing down around us in the very next second?  How many times do we lose sight of how far God has brought us when we're yet again smacked in the face with that one area of life that just doesn't want to fall into place?  How many times do we forget about the incredible blessings that God has lavished on us when we encounter disappointment, loss, or heartache?

It's in times like this that I'm so very thankful that we have God's Word to run to - to remind us of His love and faithfulness and to give us hope. There is nothing in life...no pain, no crisis, no failure...that is too epic for Him to overcome! 

I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”
I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:17-26 

Back to School

I seriously cannot believe it's that time of year again.  I haven't even had to go "back to school" for over 10 years now, and those three dreaded words still carry a hint of depression in them for me. 

I don't know what it is exactly.  Perhaps it's because it symbolizes the end of freedom.  Perhaps it's because I know it means that the days are getting shorter and cold weather is just around the corner.  Perhaps it's merely because I know there will be more traffic on my way to work in the morning, and those big yellow buses will be slowing me and my red rocket down with their flashing yellow lights and their little stop signs.

I've never quite been able to understand those people who genuinely get some kind of high out of the process of learning.  Don't get me wrong.  I do like to learn new things and expand my horizons, but I'm much more interested in investing my time in diving deeper into areas that I'm passionate about rather than learning random facts that I know will never stick because I have no practical application for them.  My brain hurts just thinking about having to take a test and get graded on my aptitude and seeing potential red marks on my paper!  I'm starting to break into a cold sweat even as I type this!  The funny thing is that despite my aversion for school, I typically have been a pretty good student.  I even graduated high school with the honored salutatorian title and all!  (shhhh...#2 out of 12 students in my graduating class doesn't sound as impressive...haha)  But still, I really wouldn't have classified all that learning as "fun" for the most part.  Except for algebra...I genuinely LOVED algebra.  :-)

So here's to all of you students out there who are starting to head back to school for yet another year of filling your brain with all kinds of wonderful facts and figures.  I do not envy you.  But I will say that while I'm thankful I'm not in your shoes any more, I'm also thankful that I stuck with it and actually put the time and effort into making the most of my schooling.  No pain, no gain...right?

Good luck!!  :-)

(something tells me that I should never be asked to give an encouraging motivational speech to students...ever. haha)

Chia

Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia! 

That seems to be my theme song over the summer months, and I was miserably singing it last weekend with all the humidity in the air.  See, the thing is, I happen to have my very own personal Chia Pet on my head.  Humidity makes it grow in epic proportions.  This mop of curls just loves to suck it all in and go wild.  Seriously...watch the commercial.  Watch how each of them sprout and get full and fuzzy.  It's a totally accurate representation of what my poor hair looked like. 

I've been told so many times how "lucky" I am to have all this curl.  People pay good money to get curls like that!  You should be grateful!  Hahaha...well, then why don't YOU try maintaining it for a day and THEN see what you think.  I guarantee that you, too, will soon be singing...Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia!  (kind of catchy, don't you think?  haha)

Running

Ok, so hate is a strong word.  I get that.  But seriously, I used to HATE running!  Actually, I kind of still do.  I'll never be Forrest Gump, that's for sure!

I like the concept of running.  I like the results that the process of running produces.  I love the euphoria of accomplishment when I'm all done.  And I actually don't even mind all the sweating that occurs, because I'm sweating for a purpose.  There's just something about it though...I just don't know that I'll ever be able to full out love to do it.  But, at the same time, I know I have to do it.  Nothing else quite measures up.

I bought new running shoes in the spring, and it made a ton of difference.  I was consistently getting out, and I was able to run farther and farther every time.  I think I may have even had a few delusional moments when I said I was actually looking forward to getting out to run?!   I don't think I had ever run more than 3 or 4 miles in the past, but I started averaging around 5 or 6, and I was so excited when I pushed through and started doing 8 or 9 miles.  I don't know what alien life form came and took over my body, but I did it!  And then...July came, and...IT. GOT. HOT.  And the running routine got flushed down the toilet.  **sigh** 

Now it's a month later.  I realized that the elliptical just wasn't quite cutting it, and I really wanted to punch Jillian Michaels any time I saw her.  And so, this week, I've sucked it up, endured the heat, and started running again.  Oh yes, and it's official: I still hate running.

There's good news though.  I'm apparently not alone.  There are other Reluctant Runners out there who aren't terribly thrilled about running...but do it anyway.  haha...and I love their introduction video:

Friday

YES!!  It's FRIDAY! 
But I can do one better:  It's a FRIDAY in the SUMMER!! 

Actually, it's been really hard to come to the office on Fridays and stare at my computer and be productive.  Life outside my office window beckons me.  Sunshine tempts me.  Fridays seem sooooooooo long. 

Wait.  What am I saying?!  I haven't worked a full Friday since the beginning of March!  ha!  Half day flex Fridays every other week combined with fully sanctioned PTO the other weeks...it's been grand!  So what was I "complaining" about again??  :-)

I do still have to make it through the morning, of course.  So maybe I'll have to pull some Jim Halpert pranks to pass the time...

Shoot...my boss reads this sometimes.  Well, knowing her, she'll probably join me.  ;-)

Tact

I'll admit it...I'm not always the most tactful person.  My dad has told me many, many, many times that I lack tact.  Perhaps it's because there have been far too many times when he's been on the receiving end of my flippant comments that tend to point out various "flaws" that I happen to see.  I mean, the Bible says an honest answer is like a kiss on the lips, right?  ;-)  Unfortunately, my dad was NEVER asking for my opinion at the times that I've offered it, so I'm not sure that technically applies.  hahaha

I do, indeed, have a filtering system between my brain and my mouth.  Apparently I just tend to forget about using it around people who can't disown me or hate me forever.  :-)
 
Of course, no matter how tactless you are, and no matter who you are around, there are just some things that cross a line.  I don't care if your brain is on vacation.  I don't care if it's flat out true.  I don't care if you have a bad habit of speaking before you think.  I don't care if you adhere to the "it's ok to be mean as long as it's funny" mantra.  Some things should just NEVER be said!! 

If you must speak the truth, do so in love and be tactful in your delivery.  Use your filtering system!!  And whatever you do, do NOT follow Tripp's example...

On the other hand, perhaps the real key is to not ask questions for which you aren't prepared to hear an honest answer.  :-)

Packing

I'm heading up to my parents' place this weekend for an overnight trip.  That mean that I have to pack!!  It's inevitable that I'm going to end up forgetting something.  It always happens.  Sure, it's only for two days (actually, not even that!), but still.  It always happens that I'm about halfway to my destination, and the lightbulb goes on.  SHOOT!!  I forgot _________!

I guarantee you that I will WAY overpack on clothing for the trip, too.  You never know what mood I might be in or if the ocassion might call for a change of outfit.  And yes, even though I will bring too much, I will still forget something.  It never fails.

I wish I had Mrs. Potato Head to pack for me.  While she also seems to have a problem with overpacking, she certainly does think of EVERYTHING!  From an extra pair of shoes...all the way down to monkey chow for the monkeys, of course!!  Always be prepared, right?? haha

Whistling

It has become apparent that I can't stop myself from unconsciously humming while I'm at work...especially when I have my iPod playing.  I seriously just can't help it!  :-)  While my boss somehow ignores me and doesn't seem to mind one bit, another co-worker likes to randomly send me slightly annoyed emails asking if I'm humming again, because I can be heard down the hall.  Whoops. 

A few weeks ago, I had a cold, and I found humming to be a bit more challenging than normal.  So, I think I actually was fairly quiet for once...or at least I thought I was.  One day, I hear this statement being uttered by my boss from next door.  "I can't whistle.  I wish I could whistle.  I've never been able to whistle."  I thought it was odd.  It was seemingly out of the blue.  I thought, "Okay??  And why are you bringing this up randomly??"  And then I realized why.  The music was still being played on my iPod, and I still couldn't hum, but apparently I had found another way to release my inner need to "sing along".  The humming had morphed into whistling.  One way or another, I guess I was bound and determined to create my own personal music.

Yes, I think I have issues.  haha

So in honor of my boss's non-whistling lips, I'd like to offer her Snow White's song as a gift.  So any time she feels the need to compete with my whistling, she can just turn up this song, and she, too, can whistle while she works!!  :-)

And perhaps, since she will be the only person up in the front office area this afternoon, she should take some time to practice trying to whistle along with it!!  Just a thought.

;-)

BEACH!!!

It's officially that time of the year again!!!  BEACH SEASON!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

Every summer for the last several years, I've had the incredible privilege to escape from reality for a few days and head off to the beach somewhere with some wonderful friends.  We tend to try new locations every year just to mix it up a little, and the people in the group sometimes change slightly from year to year, but we always end up having a blast!

This year it's just me and one other friend.  We sadly had to leave behind another friend who would love to be here, but the new baby takes priority...as he should.  BUT...the summer isn't over yet (hint, hint), and there will be many more summers to come.  I've come to dearly love our annual beach outings, and I dearly love my wonderful friends who share these trips with me!

We're back in Cape May this year, and this is our view today!!

It's ok...you can be a little jealous.  I would be too.  :-)

Here's a little celebration of the great times I've had with my awesome friends in past summers:

Cape May, NJ 2007

First sporadic trip with Laura and Laurie

Cape May, NJ 2008

Visiting the lighthouse again, but with Jen, Rachel, and Laurie

There's ALWAYS eating involved on vacations!!

Lewes, DE 2009

See...what did I tell you about eating?!  :-) 
Rachel, Jen, and Laurie two years in a row!

Rachel had to head home a day early, but I had to prove
that we actually DO go to the beach at some point.


 

Chincoteague, VA 2010

Seeeeee...BEACH!
This time Jen and I mixed it up with Linda!



And yes, we are now, of course, preparing to head out to eat...