I've Got Friends in Southern Places

This past week, we headed to Nashville for our denomination's (Presbyterian Church in America, otherwise known as PCA) annual meeting, General Assembly (GA). I have been involved in the PCA since we got married in 2003, but this was the first time I have been able to attend GA. There was no way I was missing out on this one because first of all, I was able to go (not working full-time), and second, it was in Nashville, a city I love very much. And an added bonus was that it was in driving distance from our house. Not a short drive, but driveable, nonetheless.

we packed the caliber to the brim!



















I'm not sure what I was most excited about as we were planning this trip and as the time approached. I really love our denomination (for many reasons) and I was eager to see it "operate" on the national level rather than just locally/regionally. I am always impressed with the orderly fashion in which most business is operated, paired with the love & passion these men (our pastors & elders) have for serving God. There were great seminars, luncheons, and women's events I wanted to attend. I was even eager to sit in on the business/parliament meetings! Plus, as I mentioned, I wanted to experience Nashville again... live music, great food, honky tonks, the opry, shopping...

But certainly I was most excited about seeing friends from seminary!

I really wish I would have done a day-by-day post while we were there rather than cramming it all into one (or two) because now I have to rely on memory. and while I know it was just a few days ago, it was quite an overwhelming (good) experience and I'm afraid I won't remember everything. thank goodness for twitter & the ease of making daily updates there!

We got to GA a day or so earlier than most folks because Bobby was on a committee, so since I knew most of my friends weren't at the assembly hall, I stayed in the hotel that first morning (monday.) I had hoped to use the indoor/outdoor pool for a couple hours, but it was closed because some stupid guest broke some of the bricks on the edge of the pool, so they had to close it to repair and inspect before opening. (it was never reopened during our 8 day stay. ugh!) so instead, I worked out for awhile in the fitness room, unpacked & settled in, and did some reading & studying until I got ready and went and picked up bobby downtown in the afternoon. (we stayed out by the airport, 10 miles away) we walked around for a bit, then grabbed dinner at wendy's and ate in our hotel room. we knew the next day (tuesday) was going to be a busy one.

tuesday morning did not go as planned. bobby had to be downtown at 8 and I woke up with a terrible migraine. I couldn't drive him and he didn't have time to park, so we called him a shuttle/cab. we were not planning on paying $18 that morning, but we had no choice. while he was off committee'ing or commissioner'ing, I was miserable back in the hotel room, but thankful for a cool dark room. Fortunately after "sleeping" and medication, I felt better by lunchtime, so drove downtown and we got to eat lunch with Erik (our next door neighbor from seminary)! that afternoon, bobby was in the assembly (or not, can't remember) so I walked around looking for familiar faces, and found a bunch. I think we also went to a seminar that afternoon. Dinner was at San Antonio Taco Company with Amy & Andy Wood, also from seminary (and our seminary church.) What is a seminary church? ha! I fell in love with SATCo's cheese sauce. YUM!

wednesday was a big day because we left the hotel at 7 am and didn't return til almost midnight. but we got to do some really fun stuff! I meant to go to some seminars in the morning, but my watch battery was dying and it was slow, so I missed them. oh well. I talked to people instead. for lunch, we got to attend the MNA (mission to north america) luncheon and the food was gooooood! but specifically, the chocolate cake was to die for! wow. mark my words, the next time I make a chocolate cake, I will serve it with a raspberry sauce. lesson #1 learned at GA. after lunch, all the women were at an event that I neglected to sign up for, which disappointed me at first, but then I found out that Joy (erik's wife, my next door neighbor) was up at her hotel room with her boys, so I walked 12 blocks (only because I didn't know where I was going) to visit her. It was such a great time to catch up with her! we ate dinner that night with some people from pittsburgh at ... wait for it ... san antonio taco company! haha.

after dinner, we had some special guests & friends of the PCA arrive from pennsylvania. And they got there just in time to go see the Indelible Grace concert at the historic Ryman Auditorium! Bobby and I (and 2000 other people) were so excited for this event. Other than seeing friends, this may have been the REAL reason we came to GA. I'm kidding. sort of.

here we are, waiting for the concert/hymn sing to begin:



















My pictures did not come out very well during the concert, but here are a couple.

The stage:



















There are many members of the Indelible Grace project/family so we weren't sure who all would be there that night. But we were hoping for two special guests... and they were both there: Derek Webb & Sandra McCracken. Derek is singing lead for this song, and Sandra is backup.



















And now it's reversed, Sandra is leading & Derek on backup vocals.



















Did you know they are married?

The hymn sing was amazing. Indelible Grace music has ministered to me so much over the past few years, and I'm so excited that Matthew Smith and IG will be coming to Norman in the fall for a concert! hooray!!

We had to leave the concert before it was over, unfortunately, because the garage where we parked our car closed at 11 so we had to get it out. Had we known the concert would have gone that long, we would have moved it, but we never imagined that since it started at 830, it would go past 11! we are so sad we missed the end, but we needed our car. AND, my parents accidentally parked in a "cab lane" and they had a notice that a tow truck was on their way to get their car. for that reason alone, we are glad we had to leave early. oh my!

I think it's time for a part 2, so click here.

Springy Bedroom Makeover (and a garden update)

I can't believe I am calling this makeover "springy" since Oklahoma apparently skipped over spring and went straight to summer. dang, it's hot! well, I guess after our two bursts of snow, winter was sort of spring-like, so it makes sense that spring feels like summer. did I mention that it's hot here? my pennsylvania people have been asking me, "so what exactly is HOT to you?" my answer is, "how about 98 degrees during the day and 92 degrees at 9:00 at night?" yeah, it's hot.

One last thing before I show you our "new" bedroom, I wanted to show you our little garden. Here is a picture right after we planted the tomatoes & peppers. date: March 26, 2010.





































Here is what it looked like about a month ago:





































And today!


















kind of jungle-y looking, isn't it?! we have been having the hardest time keeping everything staked and tied. just when we think everything is secure, the plants have another growth spurt.


















aren't those cute little tomatoes?

I was going to show you a picture of our first harvested item, a luscious jalapeno, but someone (not me) ate it already.

Ok, enough outside stuff. Moving indoors, where the a/c runs constantly these days.

You may think that getting a bedroom makeover is frivolous since we just moved in less than a year ago, but let me explain. First, the comforter set we have been using is the one we got for our wedding, seven years ago. We love it still (thankfully) but it is multi-color plaid and sort of dark. And while that is great for winter/fall, and cats, that room really needed a pick-me-up for these sunny (oh, so sunny) days. I searched high and low, and the one I really loved was at walmart. thank you, walmart! It is just what I was looking for, white background, with greens (my new obsession) and some red, so I could keep using our curtains we've had for 7 years. No, those haven't been made-over yet. (they will be going to the dry cleaners later this week) And finally, the makeover ends with the blinds. The ones that came with the house were the standard metal mini blinds and they were broken. In order to put them up, I had to tie hair bands around the bottom. and to tilt them open & closed, was a chore, so it never happened. They made the room dreary. So thanks to my parents giving us a Lowe's gift card, I got custom-sized 2" faux wood plantation blinds to match the rest of the house.

I have no before picture, but here is the after:


















hooray for bright & cheery! The colors are off just a bit in this photo, but I think you still get the idea. like it? Now for the room to be complete, we just need to finish painting the trim white, get new baseboards, replace the ceiling fan/light, buy two new lamps, hang some things on the walls, and new carpeting. That's all.

And because I don't think I have ever post a picture of the guest room before, here is what it looks like:
























At any given moment, there could be 6 or 12 pillows on that bed. I like to change it up all the time. Also, I usually have a green blanket folded at the foot of the bed, but I think our last house guest put it under the comforter. And yes, those blinds do cover the entire window, but they are in a perpetual state of partially open because the kitties like to look out. Normally this is Bunny's room, but we switched things up a bit when my mom came, and put Bunny (in her cage) in the office for awhile. So now the cats have taken over this room. They love it. (I think we need a 4 bedroom house...) And finally, no guest room of ours would be complete without this guy watching you sleep.

More Promises. And a Prostitute!

After a week off, we resumed our Joshua study with Lesson 2 this morning, which coincidentally focused on Chapter 2. Joshua 2 tells of the account of Rahab and the spies. At the end of chapter 1, Joshua receives his charge, and in chapter 2, he begins to "take charge." (that clever sentence was stolen from the ESV study bible notes.) His first action is to send two spies into Jericho to do some recognizance in the land of which they are about to take possession. And where do these spies go first? To the house of a prostitute. huh? To us, the readers, this seems strange, but clearly this was quite a strategic move. According to scholars, Rahab's house must have been located in a logical place to gather information, and most likely because of her profession, she was "in the know." She knew the area & the people of Jericho, and in turn, she was well known because the king even knew her.

Being a fairly new student of covenant theology, this story amazes me. This was not random (a word I love, but use a little too much) encounter, the spies didn't just happen to stumble upon Rahab's house and think, "hey, let's stay at the prostitute's house. that'll be fun." They went because it is part of the bigger picture. The BIG picture, in fact. The chapter continues and Rahab tells the spies that she knows why they are there, she knows what God has done, and that the land she is living in is the land he has promised to the Israelites. So she knows that God is powerful and vengeful, and the inhabitants of her land are melting away and will all soon die. But she also knows that God is merciful, so she asks the spies that if she helps them, will they help her. She risks her life to help the spies because she believes in the Lord. In return, her life is spared when Jericho falls.

She was an unbelieving prostitute in an unbelieving land, but was given a heart of faith in the one true God.

But wait, there's more!

In the New Testament, she is listed as one of the ancestors of Christ (Matthew 1:5) and for her good works (James 2:25). A prostitute! Clearly, God is gracious and will save all who come to a genuine faith.

Another neat observation that you may or may not have ever noticed is that the symbol she put in her window to alert the soldiers to preserve her household was a scarlet cord (2:18). This is very similar to the procedure in the first Passover (Exodus 12:22). Interesting, isn't it?

At the end of each lesson, the last day is usually self-reflecting. This week we were asked to write down ways in which God's steadfast love and mercy extend to you (much like how in Rahab's story, we see God extending his mercy to the nations, even as he promised) using the following verses:

Ephesians 2:1-10

Titus 3:3-7

1 Peter 2:9-10

I encourage you to click on each of those verses, read them, and prayerfully consider how God's promises reach all the way down to us.

what a weekend!

This Memorial Day weekend was the most event-filled one we have had since the one when we moved from St Louis to Pennsylvania. That was a busy weekend. This one was a little more relaxing. But what isn't relaxing compared to driving 624 miles in a U-Haul? My mom arrived in OKC Thursday morning and our first stop was the gigantic walmart on the southside. I was so overwhelmed the first time I went there; I had no idea stores could be that large. I mean it is BIG, even for a walmart. Then we came home to start getting things ready for our small group cookout that evening. One thing that has to be mentioned is the weather, because it was hot. The entire time my mom was here, it was h-o-t, and s-u-n-n-y. I was a little concerned because I had planned on the cookout being outdoors, since we were going to be grilling "outdoors," and we were excited to really use our backyard for the first time. but the heat! so I gave my guests the option of going out or staying in, and most chose the combination. it was perfect.

The inside crew: (bobby, collin, catherine, & ryan)



















The outside gang: (chris, meghan, rachel, & ed)



















I think their picture looks a little smokey because of the tiki torches.

The wii players: (luke, nathan, & allie)



















My mom (poor lady has no friends!)



















and of course, our little friend, drue!



















In case you're trying to figure it all out, meghan, collin, & drue all belong together, luke & nathan go with ryan & catherine, rachel & ed are a pair, and I claim bobby & my mom. there were a few other people in attendance, but they left before I got my camera out.

Friday, my mom and I decided to brave the hotness and do a little shopping on campus corner. it was good because the stores were very chilled, it was not crowded because school is out, and there was a passionberri there! :) it is my new summer obsession. I love it. That evening we ate dinner at pepe delgados, and went to the sam noble museum of natural history because it was a free admission night and they opened their chocolate exhibit. AND gave away some free chocolate. win win win!

a pic of the museum goers:


















and a wall of chocolate!



















I cant remember what we did Saturday other than eat pancakes, swim a little at the norman pool, do a little shopping, and watch paisley climb a couple trees.





































Sunday morning, we got to hear bobby preach & lead worship at church. always a blessing. then we went to a wedding! I love weddings and this was a fun one. Two youngins' tying the knot. so precious. I have no pictures of the bride & groom, or anyone involved with the wedding, but I do have a picture of bobby and I. and his red pants.
























That night I asked my mom where she wanted to go to get some ice cream/fro yo, and she chose passionberri. yay!



















And then Monday... we had the pleasure of participating in the celebration of little drue's first birthday party. She was such a charmer and really knew how to work the crowd. She had on the most beautiful red dress with a giant bow & headband, but unfortunately I didn't take any pictures until the end of the party when she was in her real birthday suit. We both look a little rough in this pic because I was getting pretty hot (and not in a good way!) and she had a stained face from the punch I gave her. :) but she was still adorable and the party was so much fun!



















we did a little more shopping that afternoon and then chilled for the rest of my mom's visit.

in fact, I am still chillin' and she is flying all over the country, going on standby, changing flights, and getting vouchers for free tickets. way to go, mom!

Not really a blog-worthy recipe, but...

...I wanted to share it with you anyway.

I read all these amazing cooking related blogs and am so impressed. And while I will never even strive to be 10% the cooks that they/you all are, I still want to share a recipe every so often. I am sharing this one because of its pure simplicity.

As a lover of chicken pot pies, I am constantly searching for and trying out recipes that are both easy & good. And I finally found one.

Now, you cooking type people, don't laugh. I warned you that this was basic.

As with most online recipes, I found this one on allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (I used great value, deep dish pie crusts)
  
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, boiled
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup (I substituted cream of chicken)
  
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a 9 inch pie dish with pastry.
2. Blanch frozen mixed vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
3. Dice chicken and place in a large bowl. Add vegetables, thyme, celery soup and potato soup. Stir together.
4. Pour filling into pastry lined pie dish. Arrange top layer of pie crust, seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in the top of the crust to allow for steam to escape.
5. Place pie on cookie sheet. Put aluminum foil around the pie crust edges. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes and then serve.

I wish I would have taken a picture. It was so yummy! The best part, besides the crust, was that the "inside" wasn't runny. I hate a watery, runny inside. haha

garage sale - round 2 - success?

After last week's weather failure, we decided to do the garage sale again. Remembering that last Friday we had 3 customers all day, I would say that one week makes a big difference because we had 3 customers within the first 15 minutes yesterday. And I made twice as much yesterday than I did all weekend of round 1. Sure, it was still only $67, but still... So what really made the difference? We decided to do a newspaper ad this time and the weather was absolutely perfect yesterday, which was much better compared to last Friday's torrential rain & frigid temperatures.

Today is Saturday and we have reached desperation levels. We want this stuff gone. You should see the deals I am making with people today. I'm a regular old Monty Hall!

Promises

In my attempt to become a better blogger, I realize I need to post more often. And so I'm just going to do it. I am not going to think so much about what might make a great blog post, I'm just going to type whatever I am doing at that moment, or whatever I am thinking about, etc. So here goes.

I started attending a new bible study today and the topic is Joshua. This is actually one of the few books of the bible I've read through many times because it is only the 6th book, and nearly every year I start a read-thru-the-bible reading program, and although I never make it very far, I always get through Joshua. But I've never done a study on it. Until now.

I wasn't sure I was going to participate in this study or not, so I didn't do my homework prior to today, which is a no-no. I'm kidding. Fortunately we have a really good teacher/facilitator and she doesn't slap our hands if we aren't prepared. It is really helpful when everyone is, so I promise I will next week. and you can keep me accountable.

Today, being the first day, was mostly an intro of the book. We delved into some background info beginning in Genesis with the call of Abram (12:1-7) and God's covenant with Abram (15:1-16), Exodus 3:7-8, and God's command to go in & take possession of the promised land in Deuteronomy 1:6-8. In all these verses and especially Deuteronomy 34:4, God is repeating over and over again, his promise of the land. Why does he repeat this over and over again? Because we are human. We need constant reminders in all areas of life (grocery lists, birthday parties, paying bills), but especially for the big stuff. And so hearing & reading the historical perspective of these events, reminds us of God's promises, and most importantly the fulfillment of them.

So I am excited to study Joshua to hear the story of God bringing his redeemed people into the land he promised to them. If you want to join in, we are using "Joshua: All God's Good Promises" by Kathleen Buswell Nielson.

One last thing, teacher Sandy asked us all to talk about how God has prepared us for where we are in life right now. whoa! thought-provoking, isn't it? Usually I am really dumbfounded to come up with a good answer, but today something came to me quickly. My marriage. I think that God has really prepared me/us well for this new venture of church planting by giving us a strong marriage. No, it hasn't always been super easy and fun, but we are really blessed to never have had any major (marital) problems. We just simply work well together. Yes, we have communication issues and little tiffs here and there, but we have never had a major fight or trust issues or anything big. And we know this is nothing other than a miracle, a gift from God, because left to ourselves, we would completely fail, and probably kill each other. I'm kidding! (about the killing part.) So I think God has prepared us for a lot of rough times we may face in life by giving our marriage a strong foundation. I mean, we've already been through some really hard times through infertility, and so far, our marriage has stayed very solid. I honestly believe that if it wasn't strong before we began this trial, it probably would have fallen apart. I thank God everyday for my husband.

Ok, so that had nothing to do with Joshua, but I wanted to throw it in there anyway!

Garage Sale

I attempted my first garage sale this past weekend. It was a failure.

I could just leave it at that, but I know you all want more. So I'll start at the beginning.

Eight months ago we moved to Norman, Oklahoma. We found out that we have a lot of stuff. Way too much stuff. So I began to purge. Our recliner came in a gigantic box, so I set that up in the garage and everything I decided we didn't need went in there. Soon, the box was overflowing. I began talking to some friends and we decided to have a joint sale. You know, so we could put "multi-family" in our advertisement. We picked May 14 & 15 to be the dates and began sorting & pricing. Our garage was the dumping zone, and the plan was to start really early Friday morning to pull it all out into the garage and set it up. Well... it stormed all during the night Thursday into Friday. and it never stopped raining until Friday evening. We had to keep everything in the garage, so to say that it was crowded is an understatement. and our three customers did not have much room to walk around.

Did I mention that we only had THREE customers? All day.

We had fun though and laughed about it, hoping Saturday would be MUCH better. well, it doesn't take much to improve on three customers. but it still wasn't great. It didn't rain, but it was cold & cloudy. some friends from church came, so it looked like we had customers. and a couple of our neighbors came over, so that was really great to meet/get to know them!

I did the final calculations Saturday evening and after the permit, cost of signs, etc, I officially made $31. pathetic. My one friend make $32. and the third friend made -$10. yes, negative ten dollars! We have no idea how this happened. She didn't really buy much from us (maybe $2 or $3 worth) and she paid for part of the permit ($3), but I saw her sell some stuff. So where did the money go?!?! no one will ever know... haha!!

Here are a couple pics of our junk, I mean, wares:



















I wasn't kidding when I said we were crowded.





































And a pic of two of the saleswomen. I am in garage sale clothes & lack of make-up, and Liz is all dressed up because she was on her way to graduate from OU! Our third friend, Janna, kept running from the camera.



















I think we may try again this weekend. If so, wish us luck. we need it!

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