holiday movies

so Tara & I watched While You Were Sleeping last night. love this movie.
it's one of my most favorite holiday movies ever.
in fact, after we watched it, i went to amazon & bought the dvd.
let the holiday movie watching begin.

living among the dead

w2 reminded me that I needed to blog a couple days ago. and i've been meaning to... just haven't been able to get around to it. thanks w2. i think you might be one of my only faithful readers. :)
i have a cold. so annoying. i think i've had it for way too long.
anyway, I've posted a few pictures from our St. Louis & Boston trips below.
i gotta say, Boston wasn't that great. met one lady who i thought was really cool. at first, i thought she was just another typical Bostonian... with her sweater tied around her shoulders. as we approached her, we were walking down the stairs of the Boston Commons. there was a homeless man sitting on the steps, and when he saw her walking by, he said "going to lunch?" and she said "well, i will be. you want me to bring you the salad again?" and she preceded to ask him what he wanted on his salad this time and was there anything else from the menu he wanted? then she told him that she had some errands to run before grabbing lunch but she would be back in about an hour.
wow. this unknown, typical woman taking time out... it was cool. and it made me stop and ask God to forgive me for thinking that she was just another sweater-toting, snotty Bostonian. i'm sorry Boston. i thought you were all the same. but i was wrong. there are living among the dead. and i met one. and she's cool.
what is it about acts of kindness like that... that we find so amazing? when did acts of kindness like that become so rare that they're unusual?

pics from St. Louis & Boston

quick quote

"The minute you settle for less... you get even less than you settled for."
-Maureen Dowd

planning on sharing a little about the recent Boston trip soon...
check back...

on the road again

He has pitched a tent for the sun.

So we went to Colorado and it was AWESOME. I’ve finally posted some pictures below. It was a great time. I can't even tell you how great it was- it was just what i needed. And I always love to visit Ingrid!
Anyway, I went with my family to Kansas City this past weekend for my cousin’s wedding. I’ve posted a few pictures of that blessed event below too. It was beautiful. And Joel & Layna are perfect for each other. It was a lot of fun.

Wondering about that cloud pic above? I snapped that on my way back from Kansas City this weekend… I’ve been seeing a LOT of beautiful clouds lately. Kinda unusual... so I had to throw one up on here.

So I’ve been thinking a lot over the last couple days about how ridiculously self-righteous people are. Who do we think we are? Seriously? All the songs I’ve heard on the radio lately are all about how important you are over everyone else. And that’s simply not true. I am not more important than you. And you should not think that you are more important than anyone else either. What is it with society today? Seriously- the movie stars, the musicians, the writers, the christians, the non-christians, the men, the women, the old, the young, the rich, the poor, the beautiful, the ugly, the married, the single, the child, the parent- it seems that everyone suffers from this disease. It seems like everyone thinks they are "it". Everyone seems to think they're why the world spins ‘round.
I heard someone say one time “There is a God. And you are not Him.”
When we finally figure out that it’s about love and loving others unconditionally (not loving OURSELVES unconditionally) then there might be a world changing shift. If you don’t know the definition of love then find it here.

Leaving for St. Louis tomorrow. Going to a conference about purpose and passion. Do I really need more education about purpose and passion? Really? Ha… I guess I probably do… who doesn’t?
When I get back from St. Louis, I’m headed to Boston for a week! It’s a work thing… but I’m totally expecting it to be TONS of fun. I’ve never been to Boston before and I’m super excited. Which means that I’ll take lots of pictures… which means there will probably be lots of pictures that land on my blog... eventually.
Ciao for now!

Joel & Layna's wedding

finally... pictures from Colorado

Colorado or BUST!

hey! i'm leaving for CO tomorrow morning! whoohoo! going to visit Ingrid!
going to have a blast! and Tara is going with me!
i'll be posting pictures I'm sure!
btw, did i mention this vacation is a full week?! WAO!
and when i return, my friends Steph & Matt will be back from Korea!
i'll blog more when i get back & have some fun pictures to share!

oh, and check out this cool scripture:
Matthew 11:28-30
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Anne and her diary

Photo taken from http://www.annefranktree.com

everyday i get an email that lists things that happened that day in history. i don't always read them... and in fact, i usually delete them before i even open them. but on wednesday i decided to actually read it.

among the many things listed that happened in history on August 1st was:
1944- Thirteen-year-old Anne Frank made the last entry in her diary; days later she and her family were taken to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where she died at age 15.

i read The Diary of a Young Girl when i was younger... but i really didn't remember much about it. since getting this email on wednesday, i've spent a lot of time researching what happened to Anne & her family. there are several different websites with info... including annefrank.org
the story of Anne, her passion, and her courage inspire me. through her writings she's touched so many thousands of people. the diary has been translated into more than sixty-five languages and has sold more than thirty million copies... and she only lived to be 15 years old. 15! can you imagine? and by the way, she received her first diary only 2 years before her death... on her 13th birthday.
the picture above is the view that Anne had from the annex window... where she and her family were in hiding. she wrote of it: "Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs, from my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind. As long as this exists, I thought, and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts I cannot be unhappy."

i've been thinking a lot about passion lately... and when i saw this about Anne... i couldn't help to think about it more. if you have never read her book... you should... i will be re-reading it soon.

"A man without passion is only a latent force, only a possibility, like a stone waiting for the blow from the iron to give forth sparks."
Henri-Frédéric Amiel

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Dr. Howard Thurman

Do what makes you come alive.
Anne once wrote: "I know that I can write..."
what do you know that you can do?
Do it.

some pics from my NYC trip last week...

it will be like Facebook

so i've been on Facebook since May. i love it. i wish everyone on myspace would come on over. it's awesome. anyway, i'm not writing this to talk people into switching... i'm mentioning this only to say i love meeting cool new people & reconnecting with old friends. I have a new friend in Alaska now... it's such a fun little world.

i was listening to an old Rich Mullins song the other day... I miss that guy. Unlike a lot of singers/artists, he wrote most of his own music. He was a seeker. He was different. He was bold and courageous... and he understood God's grace. Anyway, I was listening to If I Stand and as I was listening to it... I started to miss something... I started to feel this strange longing well up inside of me. Does that ever happen to you?
later on that day I was listening to another song by someone else and it said i'm missing someone but i don't know who...
and i got to thinking, i know who and where i miss. i miss home (a place i've never been) and i miss my friends... the ones i know and don't know. it will be like Facebook when i get there... but for real... in person... everyone connected to everyone else... we'll meet new friends... and old ones. and hopefully i'll meet Rich. i can't wait.

tomorrow I'm heading to NYC for a few days of vacation and fun. yes, i will be taking LOTS of pictures. prepare yourselves! ttys!

just a phone salesman

I can't believe I forgot to put this on my blog... a friend of mine sent this the other day... it's amazing... and inspiring.

CHALLENGE:
is there anything in your life that you are holding inside?
STEP OUT and take the chance! Don’t hold yourself back!

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
-George Eliot

time for a blogdown

“The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.” –Ursula K. Le Guin

heard any good music lately? If not, then you’re not listening hard enough. Go find some great music that you love and chill with it. May I suggest Ingrid Michaelson’s Girls & Boys album? Check it out.

One of my closest friends, Steph, has been living in Korea for the past 3 years. Every once in awhile we get Skype and chat together. Sometimes she sends me video messages when we can’t Skype. I love it… and I love technology. BUT today I saw something that kinda bothered me. Steph & her husband Matt have seen some pretty sad things while traveling in Asia… like when they went to parts of Cambodia. So, like I was saying, I love technology and all the things it allows us to do… but… sometimes… our gluttony sickens me.
This is about the iPhone. Look, I’m sure it’s great. And I’m a huge Apple fan… and I love electronic toys… but something about people waiting up to 12 hours and then shelling out large amounts of cash seemed a little ridiculous to me. Reports say that there were 500,000 sold this weekend. That’s over the top. Way over the top. While I was reading about it I just found myself shaking my head and thinking about how much money people in the US waste on the latest and greatest thing…
Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m a new media consultant and I LOVE my iPod & my Mac & would like to have an iPhone one day… but… I don’t know… guess I’m just not into that kind of crazy yet… the kind of crazy that spends 12 hours waiting in line and then spending $600ish on a gadget… even if it is the coolest gadget around.

I moved this weekend. whoohoo! I’m still unpacking… but it went well and is going well. It’s a good thing I like my new roommate or I don’t know if I could share space again… TL and I get along quite well… I think we’ll be cool. :) I have a good feeling about it.
I’m just bummed cause I wasn’t able to say goodbye to my cool neighbor Barney. I’m thinking I’m going to go visit him tonight… or sometime this week.

Has anyone notice that I’m addicted to quotes? here’s another one I thought was worth sharing: “Irritability is immaturity of character. If you are subject to being cross and unpleasant with others for no apparent reason, you need to come face-to-face with the fact that you are thinking too much of yourself. After all, your feelings are not the most important thing in this world.” -Lawrence G. Lovasik

Yes, this is a randomly organized blog.
But what can I say- I’m random.

Hope everyone has a SUPER Independence Day!!

stop

I’ve been doing a lot lately.
And I’m ready for a break.
Ready for a break from everything.
I’m tired of fighting the wars that I’ve been fighting and I’m tired of running the race that I’ve been running… the rat race. I’ve tired of rats.
Rats are selfish, nasty things.
There’s a reason it’s called the “the rat race” and I’m not interested in being a rat. There’s more to life.

Do you really believe there’s more to life? Seriously- do you? Stop and think with me for a minute about what the most important things in your life are right now… what do you spend the most time doing? Priorities? What do you spend the most time thinking about?
Stop. Be quiet. Meditate on God. Spend some time thinking about what God wants you to do. If you think that God doesn’t have anything for you to do… think again… He does.
Stop and take some time to look at the map of your life- where you’ve been- where you want to be- where you don’t want to be- where you’re headed- which direction you need to go.
Stop- check it out- check the Compass- and redirect/remap things if need be.

This week the fish in our office died. Yes, it’s true. He finally kicked the bucket. He was a good little beta fish… and many loved him. Amazing little story actually…
He was on his way out of this life and dying when Nita (our current Administrative Assistant) first came to work with us. He hadn’t had a very good life before Nita… didn’t get much attention… in fact; I think he’d even attempted suicide once or twice. That was about 3 years ago. Nita brought our little fish back to life. He started swimming more and he grew beautiful purple and blue fins… it was a miracle that everyone noticed. Nita spent a few minutes talking to him everyday and… on occasion she required that many of us greet him. It’s amazing what attention and love can do… even to a little fish… sounds ridiculous… and I’m shaking my head and laughing as I write this… but it’s true. Our fish became quite the thriving little fella… and became pretty popular too. Nita brought him back to life and he lived much longer than he would have without her. So, yesterday, he passed away… but he lived a good & happy little life… thanks to Nita. Before she came, most of us just passed by the little fish on the way to another meeting and didn’t stop to talk to him or notice him… but Nita made us stop and pay attention to the little things. If you can’t tell, Nita is someone who I look up to and consider a mentor in my life. (I can write this because I know she doesn’t ever read my blog.) Anyway, I hope you have someone in your life who reminds you to stop and pay attention to the little things. Just in case you don’t, let me be that person… STOP. PAY ATTENTION TO THE LITTLE THINGS. Stop and take a look at the world around you every once in awhile. There really is more to life than the rat race.
When our little fish passed away yesterday, Nita got on the intercom system and announced it to the entire building. And she allowed for a viewing of the body before orchestrating the funeral service. Only a few of us attended the service… but it was a memorable experience… and he was a memorable little fish. Our office will not be the same without him.

Everything is going to be okay.

one of my favorite teachers in highschool was Mr. Cap.
Every day Mr. Cap would say "Everything is going to be OKAY."
Yes, every day. I'm not kidding. Every day.
I remember one particular day where he threw a pop test at us... NOT a quiz... a pop TEST. you know, a biggie, the kind that can really hurt you if you screw up?
Well, everyone started freaking out: "BUT MR. CAP, YOU DIDN'T TELL US ABOUT THIS! WHAT IF WE FAIL?!"
and I remember saying to him: "Are you kidding me?! You could of at least warned us... I'm gonna fail this." To which he said "Like you would have studied anyway? C'mon. Let me tell you something- you're not going to care about this 2 years from now. You're not going to care about this 5 years from now. You're not going to care about this 10 years and especially not 20 years from now... TRUST ME... EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY. Sometimes life throws you things you're not expecting... and that's just too bad... but everything will be okay."
I cannot tell you how much I think of this. Usually at least once a month- but here lately- it's been more like once a week. Kristin, everything is going to be okay.
Just recently my boss lost one of his best buddies in a tragic accident. It was sudden. Unexpected. He was gone. I did not know this man but I've heard wonderful things about him. And then just a week ago, one of the administrators of the highschool I attended passed away after a courageous fight with cancer. Chip Olin was one of the most reliable and kind men I've ever met. He constantly served and encouraged other people... his life was truly about serving others. Chip's memorial service was Monday... it was a great service.
guess who I saw at the service? Mr. Cap.
And what did he say to me?
"Everything is going to be okay."

Sometimes it doesn't feel okay- sometimes when you lose someone you love it doesn't feel like things will EVER feel okay AGAIN. BUT you will be okay. When you feel like things will never change & you'll never get out of the prison you're trapped in-- when you've been betrayed-- when you've been forgotten-- when you've been abused-- when you've hit an unexpected bump in the road-- when you've been misunderstood-- when you've been rejected-- everything will be okay.
How can I be sure?
One of the hymns we sang at Chip's memorial was "In Christ Alone".
you should buy it on iTunes.
The lyrics are powerful.

this weekend one of my closest friends gave birth to a little 7.5 healthy baby boy. Logan is awesome. Mel said that when he was born he heard Brian's voice and immediately looked in his direction... how cool is that? Yup, we had some quality hang time... it's not very often I get to hang out with people who are 5.5 hours old. He was extremely alert... wide-eyed and ready to see what this world is all about. Just 5.5 hours old and already curious about what's going on. He's got his whole life ahead of him... and he's wiggling and ready to start learning, experiencing, living... he even came 2 weeks early so he could get a head start!
You know how newborns can't really visually focus with their eyes at first? I googled about it today and found that newborns can only focus eight to twelve inches. They can't see the distance. Yup, I'm like that. Can't see what's ahead- I can only see the few inches that are right in front of me. I can't see the things that are far away... so i just have to follow the sound of the voice holding me... the sounds of the voices I recognize and trust the most.
Life is an amazing journey. Sunday I'm holding a new-born baby and the next day I'm attending a memorial service... there is a time for everything. Seasons change, the circle of life continues... regardless of how we might try to slow it down or speed it up. It's God's timing... and we just have to get used to trusting that Everything is going to be okay.

Thanks Mr. Cap.

mac vs pc parody vids

today one of my coworkers pointed out some videos to me... the Mac vs PC Parody vids... i think there's 4 of them. anyway, pretty funny... done by Community Christian Church in the Chicago area.
i love it when a church has a sense of humor.
i'm down with the JC.
enjoy.

click here! click on the title!

For those of you who receive this blog via email and have asked why you don't see pics or vids, you just need to click on the title of the blog post... and you'll get the full benefits... pics... videos... everything. you know, like the Rocky vid i posted a couple weeks ago. :) whoo hoo.

i read this quote and thought it great food for thought...

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well." -Theodore Roosevelt

hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday! I'll blog at you more soon.

wii wants to play

what's up.
i've been wanting to write about an experience i had with some 10-year-olds... an experience where they blew my mind via their Nintendo DS system skills. I had asked them what games they were playing… and if they’d show me how to play them. I couldn’t believe it… these game systems have come a LONG way since our “Game Boy” days. I was completely baffled by the kids’ skills on the DS. Unfreakinbelieveable. Did you know that they use touch screens and the buttons and watch 2 screens... all at the same time? And DS is wireless so they can play each other from across the room. Ok, that wi-fi part may not be mind-boggling but the graphics on the games are. And the kids worked together, recognizing each others skill-sets and utilizing them to beat level upon level. I was pretty impressed. i'm thinking i should get a DS... or a PSP... or maybe a Wii. well, anyway, these kids are amazing... they were telling me about their favorite websites and their favorite tv shows... i can't wait to see what their generation does... they're going to do some incredible things... i just know it.

well, i thought i'd share a little something that my friend, Chris Tabberer had emailed along. (Side note: you should check out his podcast.)
anyway, here's the story "Two Wolves"... enjoy...
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

stuff in the basement

ever start writing something and then stop... and just rest your finger on "delete"? yup, that's what i just did.
sometimes wish i could do that with things in life. but then again, who would i be without those things?

i watched ROCKY BALBOA this weekend with my family.
if you've seen the movie, you probably remember when Rock is telling Paulie why he wants to go fight again and says, "There's still some stuff in the basement."
yeah, it may be cheesy... but where would we be without a little cheese life? the point: you should never dismiss what's in your basement. shoot, Sylvester Stallone thought it was so important that he based his entire movie around it. people bought tickets to see this movie... the guy is almost 61 years old... and people bought tickets!
so it's never too late... and if they make a seventh Rocky movie people will still probably buy tickets... because it's about the message... the underdog.
it's about everyone who has stuff left in their basement... in their heart... looking for the chance to bust it out.
it's never too late to clean out the basement... get it out for good.

think you're inferior? you're not. if you're a follower of Christ, the Bible says that your righteousness is in HIM. you don't have to depend on your own strength... you can depend on HIS. if you're the Bible reading type, it will tell you that it's not about keeping a list of rules... it's about trusting Christ and making Him Lord of your life. He's done all the work... it's why He died for you. Read Galatians 2:19-21 and Philippians 3:7-9.
He's ready to make covenant with you. He sees no stain of sin on you... and you can come find rest in Him. God's promise from Jeremiah 31:33-34 was fulfilled through Jesus.
Read Romans 8:31-39.
Keep seeking... God will not let you down. Read Luke 11:1-13.
Lucky for us that He's done this... none of would ever make it. I know I wouldn't.
Don't know why or how I got into this preaching mode... but oh well... every once in awhile it comes out.

okay, i'll stop... here's a little ROCKY BALBOA for you. TTYL.

"It's kinda fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney

have you started reading Chazown yet?
no? well, don't.
it will just make you more uncomfortable than you already are. so... don't bother... really... you don't want to read it. not now anyway. now is the worst possible time... because you don't have any money... or time... and you'd probably just screw it up. you know you're crazy... and there's no way that'd work... no way you'd make it... no way you could succeed. you're no one... and no one cares about what you think you can bring to the table. what do you have? you're nothing... and besides, they'd all laugh at you. you'd be made fun of. so, just stick it out where you're at... you're safe there. stay where you're comfortable... that's where it's at. no one will ever know.... just keep it ALL to yourself... bury it... and that way no one will ever know or be able to laugh at your stupid ideas... and stupid impossible dreams... just keep it all to yourself... keep it to yourself.

or maybe... it's too late.
maybe you've already started reading it... maybe you've already made it to page 83 and you've read: "Please understand one very important point: When God gives you a dream, you will be anything but comfortable. Why? Because God's vision for you is bigger than you can imagine and impossible for you to do on your own."

i have a little black book that i've been writing quotes in.
you know, the kind of quotes that inspire...
the kind that bother you... the sort that make you uncomfortable... kinda like those dang dreams.

anyway, here's a couple from Mr. Mark Twain:
"Every man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds."
and
"It doesn't matter whether you think you can or you can't... you're right."

Walt Disney:
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

Paul of Tarsus:
"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."

so, yeah, i've been writing quotes in this little book for almost a year now.
what can i say? it's been one uncomfortable year... and i think i'm ready for the impossible... how about you?
i've jumped off the edge... wanna join me?
no? well, then just stand there... on the edge...
and listen to the rest of us screaming wildly...
yeah, you don't want to jump with us... we're crazy...
and you're safe just where you are.