He's in the business of GOOD!

As I tried to go to sleep last night I continued pondering Romans 8:28.  (Read Tell Me No Lies to see my previous ponderings.)  The scripture says that God works all things for good for those who love him.  Some versions say, "all things work together for good."  In my blog last night I likened it to fixing a messed up recipe, but it's not that God fixes the messes, instead He makes them good.  I thought about this and became grateful that God doesn't just fix stuff, but He decides to make it good, or make good of it.  To me fixing something is just putting it back together in it's original form.  But what if the original form was broken to begin with?  Then the fix won't hold.

Tell me no lies...

I've been wanting to write a New Year's blog, but not been successful in producing my thoughts about the coming year in a cohesive manner.  It's not that I didn't have anything to say, I actually started a page and a half, but it wasn't right.  It wasn't what I wanted to say.  While getting ready for bed last night I heard God say, "I am not a man that I should lie."  Of course I know God doesn't lie.  I know He doesn't say things he doesn't mean, but somehow this hit me in a new way.

I'm dreaming of Di'Carlo's pizza...

I'm sure everyone who lives away from the town they grew up in has places they must eat at when they visit home.  When I make it home to Wheeling, WV there are at least two must haves on my list - Di Carlo's Pizza and Coleman's Fish Sandwich.  Now to the non-native neither of these may seem all that interesting, nor look all that appetizing, but that's because you aren't from the Ohio Valley!  My Step Dad will eat Coleman's but will not even entertain eating Di Carlo's.  I think he considers it a disgrace to pizza world-wide that it would bare the sacred name.  He is also convinced that there is some sort of illegal substance in it that makes the masses crave it, especially with all you have to go through to get some.  Our Toy Poodle, Dexter, even turned his nose up to it, and he LOVED pizza!  That's okay... that meant more for me!

I Gotta' Feelin! Woo hoo!

September 21st Jermaine emailed me and asked me to go on a top secret mission for him.  See he was, well and still is, dating my roommate Rebecca.  The top secret mission was to find out Rebecca's ring size and what kind of engagement ring she wanted.  Being that I love them both, and I love them together I was more than willing to accept the mission.  It took me a few weeks to find the right time, but eventually, while Jermaine was in Scotland, I found an opportunity to work the critical questions into a conversation with Rebecca.  Ironically we had actually talked about rings before, but I could not for the life of me remember what size she was.

Friends Are Friends Forever

I've heard it a million times - Some people come into our lives for a reason, a season and others a lifetime.  Over almost 30 years of life I've seen a lot of people come and go.  Maybe even more so than the average person since the two places I've lived the longest are typically known for transition.  Six years in Columbus and then going on 11.5 here in Florida have been spent in places with Bible Colleges.  Typically Bible College students aren't supposed to stick around forever.  The intention is for them to come, be trained and then go out!  There are the select few of us that find ourselves becoming more permanent fixtures.  One would think living in this type of environment most of my life would leave me with lots of reasons and seasons, but few lifetimes.  I'm blessed to say that is not the case.

How Do I Get There From Here

Maybe I should start a whole blog just about my view on relationships. A friend said he thinks I should write for a singles magazine. Are there singles magazines? Maybe I'll just write a book. Wait, I've already thought about that.... Anywho... here's another installment of Relationships 101 according to Kara....

What it Takes

There’s something that has been rolling around in my mind for quite sometime – pursuit. By pursuit I mean the art of a man wooing a woman with the intent of winning her heart and marrying her. Unfortunately, thanks to the feminist movement, we don’t see much of this anymore. Girls have become more aggressive and guys passive. No wonder we question so often who wears the pants in a relationship.

You and Me Goin' Fishin' in the Dark....

Okay, so this is a repost of a blog I wrote last year and posted on my Myspace. I was looking for something and found it and decided it is worth reposting. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Catch of the Day
Current mood: contemplative

or "You and me go fishing in the dark..." (It must be the Pastor Dan anointing that I have two titles to this blog.)

I remember as a kid going fishing with my best friend, her dad, and her brother. We would drive way out on route 80, passed Deer Haven where my grandparents lived, to a lake on the property of a friend of her father's. The goal was to catch a bass. Grant it they weren't very big, and I think the biggest one I ever caught was all of four pounds with water still in its lungs. But none the less what we didn't want was a blue gill. These fish, though more colorful than a bass were skinny and would provide no nourishment. They were "caught and released."

Amanda's Surprise Party

It's not the most beautiful cake but it sure did taste good!

Amanda got a taste of the icing.

I'm gonna let it go!

Interesting does not even begin to describe this past week. However, with the exception of the manhunt for a fugitive running around in the woods less than 3 miles from my house, little of the upheaval of this past week has been external.

"Growing up" can mean many things. It can be the physical transformation from child to adult, or the embracing of responsibility. Recently I have found myself "growing up" more by letting go.

We all have situations, circumstances, people who have shaped who we are today. Some of that shaping for the good, some prime material to make something good with. You know, that old cliche, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade!" Around here we like to call them "issues," like belly buttons, everyone has them, but not everyone chooses to clean them!

I've found in my life issues are layered like onions and with the exposing of each new layer comes tears and some stench, but eventually, once I let God deal with them, they will be a beautiful compliment to my life. They will add flavor and spice, and make me more appetizing. (If you don't like onions just play along here....)

This past week has been a time of peeling back the layers. I was amazed at some of the things still hiding on the inside of me. God, in His mercy, decided not to ignore them, but rather to peel, peel and peel some more! Trust me there have been a lot of tears, and I've probably been pretty stinky. Sunday I thought I might die. By Monday I was just numb. Yesterday I started to feel stronger. Today I realize all hope is not lost. I'm still feeling tender and exposed, but as God has continued to pour in His healing "broth" I can tell He's making a splendid dish out of me.

So, I'm letting go of the past, letting go of hurt, letting go of bitterness and holding on to the promises of God. In some ways I feel like Hannah, holding on for dear life to the promises of God, without even words to utter, but knowing that God is faithful and will come through. His word will not return void!

Here's what I'm trying to keep in mind:

Romans 8:26-30 - Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.


I'm letting go, yet holding on. It's complicated, but I know God is working! The layers are being peeled back, but He's creating something magnificent!





"Let It Go" - Tim McGraw

I've been caught sideways out here on the crossroads
Trying to buy back the pieces I lost of my soul
It's hard when the devil won't get off your back
It's like carrying around the past in a hundred pound sack

[Chorus]
Today I'm gonna keep on walking
I'm gonna hold my head up high
I'm gonna leave it all behind
Today I'm gonna stand out in the rain
Let it wash it all away Yeah wash it all away
I'm gonna let it go Oh yeah
I'm gonna let it go Oh yeah

Skeletons and Ghosts are hiding in the shadows
Threatening me with all the things that they know
Choices and mistakes, they all know my name
But I'm through holding in and holding onto all that pain

[Chorus]

I know I know I know I've been forgiven
I know I know I know I'm gonna start living

[Chorus]

Oh yeah

Teaching & Training on the MS Gulf Coast

Kellet... we were both checking FB while everyone else was hard at work.

Remains of Church of the Redeemer

Katrina Memorial

Hurricane Camille Memorial

This survived Katrina.

Just Tan Me!

Slip Slidin' Away....

Happy Independence Day

Celebrating at the campus pool.

Rebecca & I before the broadcast.

We're so cute!

New Hair

Brooke did a fabulous job!

Fixing it myself.

The Greatest Belated Birthday Present

Three weeks ago Candice told me she had purchased my birthday present. While it was about a month after my birthday, I didn't mind. I mean, a present is a present, right?! :) Every couple of days since then she would tell me that my present should be here soon and she couldn't wait! I had no idea what she might be so excited about, but I figured it had to be good.

Last Tuesday she told me my present would be in the next day, and that I should expect her to stop by the office. I told her that was perfect because her gift had come in already as well. I knew she had some other stuff going on on Wednesday so I wasn't too worried about whether or not she would actually make it to the office. I figured, it had been 3 weeks since she ordered it, what was one or two more days.

I had a chiropractor appointment at 4:30pm. At some point I twittered this fact and Candice replied on Facebook wanting to know what time, reminding me she was coming by with my present. She wasn't on FB so I couldn't IM her. I decided I would try and call her, but she did not answer the phone. At one point I was sure she had actually answered and then hung up on me.

A little after 4pm I left for my appointment as scheduled. When I got to the Chiropractor the nurse said whenever she tried to call my cell phone she got a message saying the phone was not in service. I figured she must have had the wrong number because I knew my phone was working. I had received other phone calls throughout the day. She showed me where it was in my file, and sure enough.. it was incorrect so I fixed it.

After my adjustment I went back to the counter to schedule my next appointment when one of the other ladies in the office said, "Your friend called here for you. She said she tried to Twitter you earlier." Though Liz doesn't Twitter I thought maybe she was trying to get a hold of me, they know Liz because she is also a patient and said it wasn't her. I said, "Was it Candice?" The lady couldn't remember and so I told her my phone was in the car and whoever it was had probably tried to call it. With that I left.

In the car I found my phone to not have any missed calls. I again tried to call Candice to no avail. I thought maybe she had stopped by to drop off my present and upon finding me not there tried to find out when I would be back. So I called Liz and asked if Candice was there. The conversation then went something like this:

Me: "Hey, did you try to reach me at the Chiropractor?"
Liz: "No."
Me: "Huh, is Candice there?"
Liz: "Uh, no."
Me: "Oh, well I've been trying to call her and she won't answer her phone."
Liz: "Well, she's coming so just stay put."
Me: "Stay put where? I've already left the chiropractor and am headed home."
Liz: "Okay, well go home and stay there."
Me: "Uh, okay. This is a little strange. Is there some sort of conspiracy going on because I feel conspired against?"
Liz: "No, just go home."
Me: "Uh, okay, I'll talk to you later."

Completely puzzled I got very suspicious and a million thoughts started running through my head. Oh so obediently I went home. I was surprised and confused walking in the house to discover that Sarah had cleaned. The house wasn't just picked up, it was clean - vacuumed, dishes put away, flower vase cleaned out - clean. My suspicions were now even higher and I didn't quite know what to do. It wasn't too long before I heard a car pull up and seconds later there was a knock on the door.

I opened the door to the most wonderful surprise, my Mom! Amazingly enough on my way from the chiropractor the thought crossed through my mind, "Could my Mom be here?" Certainly that was an impossible possibility so I tried to vanish it from my mind. Not to mention I didn't want to get my hopes up for something so completely improbable and then be disappointed by whatever my gift really was. However, when I opened the door I discovered my inclination had been correct.

I was nearly speechless. I then began to hear how this had all been in the works for some time. Candice had called my Mom and asked her, "If I sent you a ticket would you come down?" My Mom said, "Well I would love to, but I have to pray about it because that's what we do." The Lord obviously also thought it was a good idea and the conspiracy began.

Candice worked with Liz to find out when my Mom's visit would work best with our work schedule. Then she recruited Ruth to request time off for me. She got Sarah to clean the house, Danny to pretend to ask me to dog sit and even gave Dean & Lisa a heads up the Sunday before. All of this went on, sometimes literally under my nose, without my having any knowledge of it. I was completely amazed; 1. that Candice got me such an amazing gift and 2. that everyone kept it a secret. Even now I think of incidents that I over looked as the regular randomness of my friends and realize it was all a part of the conspiracy. The most amazing conspiracy!

Candice even called the Chiropractor and asked them to call me and postpone my appointment to 5:15pm. Hence the question about my cell number and the weird conversation before I left about someone trying to call me. They obviously didn't get me before I left for my 4:30pm. My Mom and Candice even stopped by their office on the way to my house, but I had already left.

What started as a typical Wednesday had turned into a visit from my Mom complete with three days off work! My belated birthday present on her birthday weekend! Perfect!

My Mom, the amazing person that she is, said, "This weekend is all about you." She wanted to meet my friends, see what I do, see where I go. She wanted to experience it all, and that's what we did. It was the perfect balance of running around and resting. She got to meet all of the people important to me and even see the behind the scenes stuff I do for our Friday night broadcast. We ate at PF Changs, Jambone, Thai Elephant, Red Robin, Red Brick Pizza, Sonny's, Great Southern Cafe and Panera. We ate ice cream and watched movies. We drove around looking at different neighborhoods and even toured a few open houses. She braved small groups of my friends, large crazy groups, a five year old birthday party and crazy tourist drivers.

This morning at 3:45am I got up to take her to the airport. She called me when she was almost home around 11am (my time) to check-in. Then around 12:30ish she called to ask, "So, what are we doing for lunch?" She said she was already suffering withdraw.

Now at 11:02pm as I sit in amazement that I am still awake (there was no nap today) I hold back a few tears and wish she was still here. Obviously I realize I must return to my normal life, the grown up one where I live hundreds of miles away from my Mommy. But for a few days my "worlds" collided and I had the most important woman in my life here with some of the people that mean the most to me. That was definitely the best birthday present EVER!

Thank you Candice for such an amazing gift! You are an amazing friend, and I'm so thankful to have you!

Mom's 1st Beignet Experience

I couldn't take her to NOLA this trip, but I did give her a taste.