Back from the Central Time Zone, and the Appreciation of Family

Photo of the outside of the Fallout Art Co-op on 2nd Street & 26th in Minneapolis where some of the 24-7 Gatherings were held. There are some cool paintings on the inside. A brick wall with evidence of having been plastered... very artsy looking, but significant because Dave Konkel (a leader for Campus America) tied that into a picture saying our prayers need to be free of facade (like the bare brick) instead of keeping up appearances, being showy (what was left of the plaster seemed silly).

My beloved sister Erin & I outside the Guthrie Theatre standing in front of a huge portrait of Tennessee Williams (I think). I love this picture! It's even symmetrical!

This, oh, this is a huge mural puzzle piece painting that was done Friday night of the conference. There were twenty-six huge puzzle pieces made of somthing like particle board with black lines on them & Erin & I received instructions to paint whatever we liked on ours, except to leave the black lines. With the pieces together, you get a beautiful, prophetic picture of Minneapolis & ministry going on there. The piece Erin & I did together is on the bottom right, part of the second & third houses on the right.

This picture was taken inside the Black Sheep, a coffee house in St. Paul. This is the latte Tom ordered; isn't it lovely? His face is in the background. Gotta love a brother with good taste in coffee...mmhmm.

Eating makes up some of the most important times of vacations, ever notice that? Here, Liz, Ian, Nina, Andrew & I were at Noodles & Company for lunch. Oh, the niece & nephew are so cute! After this we went to the park & Liz & I felt like paparazzi as we tried to capture AJ & Ian playing on the playground. It was such a fun day!

Family was the focus of this trip, in more ways than one. Of course there was the time with Erin & Liz, Tom, & the kids. It was so good to stay with Erin during the conference, a mere number of blocks away from North Central University where the conference was held. In a way I didn't expect, the word "community" was invalidated in describing what God desires the Church to be, and the word "family" became the way to describe it. The spirit of adoption is what God has for us & it is awesome. I saw this demonstrated at the 24-7 Gathering. It was SUCH a HUGE PRIVILEDGE to be there. This is something I've dreamed of being a part of for at least four years & it was sobering & humbling to be there. I felt so unworthy, yet GRATEFUL that God set it all up for Andrew & I to be there. I'm not perfect at having these new friendships I gained, treating them as family...to be honest, I justified my shyness there by thinking, "Oh, I'm a newlywed & there aren't as many married couples here; it's okay to mainly hang out with Andrew." (I've pulled that card too much, I think, when it comes to doing hard stuff these past months.)

I'm challenged to love this new family I've gained, and after spending a week amongst my biological family, I'm challenged to love them better, too. My family is so incredible and I'd be crazy not to love them more. It was so hard to leave Minnesota & I definately cried. Erin's right; it's harder leaving when there are kids involved because they grow so much inbetween our visits. Ian is three years old, almost four, and his age is so fun! I had a blast giggling with him & playing "I'm-a-gonna-get-you" & "pillow, pillow, pillow" (this means I'd grab him, throw him gently on the couch & cover him up with pillows...).

My sisters are amazing too. I'm so grateful to have them as my friends, glad to be stuck with them.

Thanks 24-7 Prayer Crew in Kansas City, thanks Erin, Tom, & Liz for your hospitality. Erin, for your understanding with the crazy conference schedule, the walks & the amazing restaurant picks. Tom, for the late night movies (Andrew explained the "Matrix" to me, I'm getting it) & French press. Liz for the book recommendations (I checked one of them out at the library today) & your exemplary life as a wife & mom.

I'm full of love for family.

Off to Minnesooota

Tomorrow my darling & I embark upon the next "fun-filled adventure" away from our stomping grounds. We're going to Minnesooota. (Try to think of a Norwegian saying that, and you'll get the sound I mean.)

We're off to see sisters, brother-in-law, nephew & niece, & also to attend a prayer event/Gathering with people across the U.S. which I expect to be amazing, growing, challenging, and nourishing. I'm hoping to catch traces of a Minnesota accent in my very chatty young nephew! I've already caught both my sisters speaking with elongated o's. Maybe I'll pick up the charming accent myself while I'm there.

Please pray for safe travels, an incredible time with others who love Jesus & people, and most of all, for amazing & fun time with family.

"Here we go, rocketing into a fun-filled adventure!"

impressed with Charlotte

This morning I finished reading "The Life of Charlotte Bronte" about the author of "Jane Eyre" and "Villete" (the only of her works I've read, the former being her most well-known & also, I hear, the namesake for my Aunt Jane, lovely). It was written by Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell, who knew Charlotte personally. I like that. I like it because this biography by someone who personally spent time with & corresponded with Charlotte. The time period is 1820s-1850s.
Going into this book, what I knew was that Charlotte was the oldest of three author sisters (the other two being Emily Bronte, author of "Wuthering Heights" and Anne Bronte, author of "Agnes Grey" & "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall"), and that she & her sisters died before they reached old age. I seemed to remember that Charlotte had been married too, but didn't know whether it was a happy marriage or not...it was, but... hold of, Rachel...
I could give a whole summary, I'm trying to resist doing that, since my days of writing essays are done for now. Suffice it to say, I so admire the exceptional redemption that is revealed in the life of Charlotte, also her sister Anne, but mostly Charlotte (since this is her biography), especially in light of the pain, the pain, the PAIN, experienced in their lives. In her later years, Charlotte wrote to a friend that she tried not to hope for happiness so she wouldn't be disappointed, she felt resignation & patience were virtues for her to cultivate.
Charlotte Bronte married a man named Arthur Nicholls, & there's not much mentioned about their marriage in the book. As far as is revealed, the marriage was very happy, & there was mutual affection on both sides. Charlotte called her husband the best & kindest of husbands. It makes me so glad that a woman who'd suffered such loss & didn't expect any happiness would be blessed with a beautiful & happy marriage during the last months of her life.
Then a heart-wrenching twist: Charlotte died, only having been married for nine months, and then it was her turn to go home.
It seems cruel, a happy marriage cut short, but I can't help but see the beautiful story in it...the true story that it is. It is gratifying to me that Charlotte knew love before she died, that she was still in the blossom of newlywed love when she surrendered her spirit. I didn't get this before, but this "Life of Charlotte Bronte" is a prime example of the name of this blog... "braving the Beauty." (Lowercase "b" for braving, capital "B" for Beauty.) The road to Beauty is really hard sometimes, & bravery is hard sometimes...
The Beauty is worth the cost, I think. Beauty, make me braver.

Wit from Trader Joe

We get the "Fearless Flyer" in our mailbox, an advertisement from Trader Joe's. I appreciate the creative ways the products are described & the titles they're given, especially the humor inserted into the ads.
You see, my sisters say I have a corny sense of humor (a blend of my mom & dad's, mostly mom) but all of my sisters laugh at my jokes, so wouldn't that mean what they think is funny is the same as what I think is funny? So, really, we're all corny... :)
Here are four highlights from May's "Fearless Flyer" that I found to be a bit amusing:
~"Without my morning coffee I'm just like a dried up piece of roast goat." -Johann Sebastian Bach
~In a twist on an old adage, life gave us strawberries, so we made lemonade. (for Strawberry Lemonade ad)
~"What's that? You want a snack that's crunchy and satisfying with no added guilt? You're desirous of a dippable delight that is decidedly cabable of holding its own? Surely such a thing cannot exist in the known universe. First, don't call us Shirley... (that's where I loose it...ad for Honey Whole Wheat Pretzel Sticks)
~Some things just go together naturally. Gilbert & Sullivan. Lennon & McCartney. Sonney & Cher. Rice & Beans. Mmmm, rice & beans. (ad for Rice & Bean Chips)
~Top Ten Reasons to Shop at Trader Joe's...
10) Our Legendary Parking Lots
9) We Feature Trend-Setting Hawiian Fashions
8) Free Use of a Shopping Cart
7) Our produce sections are excellent alternatives to Internet dating services
6) We have a Captain, but no Tenille
5) You can eat on the cheap, but tell your friends you're practicing "frugal chic"
4) All Trader Joe's are climate controlled for your comfort
3) No flat screens anywhere in sight
2) Our doors slide open automatically
1) What other grocery store makes you Top Ten Lists?

eight signs i'm becoming like my mom

It's Mother's Day & in honor of the beautiful, creative, gentle, & spunky lady who is my mom, here are eight signs I'm becoming like her (which I consider to be a very good thing):

1) I find myself flipping through Home & Garden books/magazines

2) I find myself flipping through Do-It-Yourself/Craft books magazines 3) Thrift stores are a draw for me

4) Yard sales catch my eye

5) I try follow a recipe & end up adding my own touches

6) I like to listen to sermons & audio books while I'm working on projects

7) Phrases like "I love you more than all the tea in China!" and "it'll grow hair on your chest" and "Here we go, rocketing into a fun-filled adventure!" come out of my mouth

8) When I'm in a worship service, a similar intensity of expression is on my face & my singing comes out in a full-sounding way, like my mom's :)

(This picture is one I found while I was working, researching Pentecost. Some jobs give you benefits like insurance & stock market shares, but I have a unique job benefit; I get a working knowledge of the liturgical church calendar & find jewels like this. This quilt is depicting Pentecost. Isn't it creative & beautiful? I thought Mama Ruth, Sue & Jess would appreciate it too.)

Happy Mother's Day!

I love you, Mama Ruth. More than all the tea in China!

My friend Mrs. P tagged me on her blog to do the following. Hope you enjoy my musings here...

8 things I’m looking forward to:
1. Minneapolis this month
2. living in Oxford, England someday
3. being a part of Andrew's small group tomorrow (I'm usually at work when they meet, but they're meeting on my day off this week)
4. seeing family as soon as we can
5. going to the ocean again
6. having at least five children & noticing their quirks & wondering at God who designs people to love Him
7. growing old with Andrew
8. 2010 & Campus America (www.campusamerica.org) oh YES!

8 things I did yesterday:
1. walked to & from work
2. had a cleaning frenzy at 10:30 pm & a passionate desire to vacuum our apartment
3. made fajitas
4. began reading "The Alchemist" for Book Club #1 called The Frugal Chariot
5. decided it's time to be artistic again
6. marveled at Andrew doing the dishes for me
7. worked on saying encouraging things
8. skimmed through RELEVANT magazine

8 things I wish I could do:
1. live near family
2. send Andrew on a shopping spree in Guitar Center
3. be set loose in Borders & buy anything I like!
4. attend a roaring 20's party without the bootlegging & gross stuff...think "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
5. graphic design
6. sew very well
7. speak many languages
8. kill debt monsters (be a philanthropist, too)

I'm going to tag Rachel from the blog "Life or Something Like It." Start mulling it over!

Happy birthday, AJ!

We spent the day of his birthday thus: quick coffee run, present time @ home, thrills of listening to the music of Thrice's Alchemy Index Volumes I & II (a present he received), making sourdough pancakes as my husband reads Thrice's wonderful lyrics to me, AJ receiving a ukelele from two friends, eating sourdough pancakes with said friends, going to see the latest X-Man movie about Wolverine, dressing up for dinner with friends, coming home to birthday cake & a glass of sparkling cider, and ending the day praying blessing over the man who turned 23. So thankful for his life, and his birthday, a celebration of this life. So, cheers, darling! You are so loved.