I wish I had pictures of every square inch of this place, but I was taking them DURING a wedding.

No one noticed.

There was a crying baby.

The parents would NOT take the baby out. She yelped, she howled, she tried to escape. The parents just kept staying in their seat, trying to pacify her.

It didn’t work.

I think that might be the very worst~ a crying baby who won’t quit…during a wedding. It’s not like church, where you can muffle it with loud worshiping.

In a wedding, you are cringing because you know the couple’s lifelong memories are going to have a Baby Wailing Soundtrack in the video.

Anyway…look at this place! I wanted to just stay there…take a book, go lie on the floor and look up at the ceiling, sleep there, play under the pews…it was heavenly.
The entire church was dome-shaped. The walls were mosaic tiles and rich woodwork. And beautiful stain glass windows everywhere…
Just wanted you to enjoy a little glimpse of the Little Chapel of Heaven. Doesn’t it just make you feel good to see such beauty?

When I’m excited for something~ say, an event, a vacation, someone coming to visit~ I can’t wait. I prepare, I think about it, I count the days…I even dream about it sometimes.

Have you ever known a man to show that kind of excitement?

Seriously.

An upcoming World Series does NOT count.

What is it in our make-up that causes women to feel such emotion and show it? I like to think, Aw, they feel (insert emotion here)…but the truth is, a lot of the time, I don’t think it even crosses their minds.

What bliss to be so nonchalant.

I also think they’re missing a lot though. To me, it’s so much fun to make things exciting and to have things to look forward to. Sometimes, I don’t want to think about the practical side of life and need a little something to distract me.

My husband has always said that he doesn’t get excited so that he won’t be disappointed. I just don’t see how it is possible to do that, but it does seem a lot easier on the brain.

I think there is something to it though…when I’ve built up a holiday or made such a big to-do about a birthday, it seems like when the actual holiday gets there, the kids are overwhelmed with all the hoopla. It sort of backfires.

I’m going to try to think like a man and see how that might work.

The next time I know I am going to win a million dollars and people ask if I’m excited, I’ll do a semi-shrug and say, “Sure, you know…”

This will be fun.

I will be one cool, calm, and collected CAT…for all of about 5 minutes.

Then, I will dance a jig around the house, take it outdoors, and maybe even do a cartwheel…

This is just one of the MANY ways men and women are so different. We’re only scratching the surface with this topic.

I’m in a creative spurt right now. It comes and goes for me. Sometimes it’s a long, DRY spell of nothing and then other times, I want to do everything that I am even halfway decent at doing.

Now is the latter…

I wish I’d had this going on about a month ago when I wasn’t feeling great and didn’t have much on my calendar. I suppose that would have defeated the purpose of taking it easy…but now, when I am making up for being out of commission for a while, all I can think about is finishing my projects.

I love these times and dread them a little too. Creativity (for me, anyway) means less sleep, scattered thoughts, and clutter.

Here’s a little look into my brain…today.

Indigo wakes up at the crack of crack. I try to go back to sleep and instead have dreams of new ideas for wire that could go on so many things.

I got up and checked on the beads Greyley and I made last night. They feel nice and hard, but some of the holes didn’t go all the way through. Poke new holes in them and smile at the bright colors.

Take Greyley to piano lesson.

Write a song on the way there and back.

While I wait, study a new book I got on wiring technique (Thanks to my friend, Savita, for the gift certificate!!!) and as soon as I get home, I practice a few.

Lunch with my friend, Jodi…so good to see her. We browse around a couple of shops too. I see necklaces that I can totally make~ some are similar to ones I have made~ priced from $40-$75. Hmmm.

Come home and work on wire techniques again.

Make a bracelet with my colorful beads.

Smash some metal for a little bevel. That rhymed. Holla. It later falls through the cracks in my deck.

Make jumprings.

Work on another bracelet, but realize I don’t have crimp beads. Oh, yes, I do have a couple. Finish it and realize it’s bigger than I thought after adding the crimp beads.

Work with a wire bracelet, but don’t have everything I need to finish.

Get frustrated with wire and lack of technique…but did learn how to do a nice consistent swirly S-loop.

Straighten the kitchen. Supper. Greyley & Indigo’s friends (ours too!), Maxwell and Marissa come and play with the kids. Clean the kitchen.

Wonder if I’ve actually accomplished anything in this day or just visualized what I WANTED to accomplish.

Find old broken pieces of various things that will be great for this windchime project I’m thinking about.

Hash out new song on piano. Nate comes along with guitar and we work on a couple.

Make a necklace~ using my favorite things~ antique buttons. Sorry, Stace.

Realize I’m having company in the morning and I still have buttons, drill, wire, ETC., strewn around my kitchen.

Also realize I have no blog started for the next day.

Seeing this in print makes me wonder how I could be anything BUT scattered! Tomorrow I hope to be productive, focused, but still creative~ the combination that is the difference between dreaming and doing.

Well, after all the hem-hawin’, The Bachelorette finally made the right decision.

That’s all I’m going to say, just in case you haven’t seen it yet. Don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

Or am I the only one watching?

OK, in that case…

Jillian picked Ed.

Woohoo! Mr. Clean Cut Nice Sweet Smart Guy.

But in true Bachelorette fashion, they kept you wondering throughout the entire show. I was so worried throughout her dates with Kypton…it seemed she was thoroughly smitten with him.

And then Reid shows back up! What in the world? It really messed her up too. I liked Reid a lot and felt sad for him when she had to let him down gently…for the second time.

That girl went through a whole lot of drama to get to the finale. When she finally saw Ed at the end of two breakups, her whole face was glowing. Partly because it was really, really hot there.

Dare I say it? I think this one might actually last. It could happen, right?

There was a lovely proposal…a lovely ring…a lovely run with Ed carrying Jillian on his back.

Happy ever we shall see.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

I’ve heard this Scripture many times in my life, but I saw it again the other day and it hit me like I was seeing it for the first time.

I don’t know about you, but I get nervous talking to strangers. I’m a friendly person and I like people, but my insides are usually shaking (sometimes the outside, too) and I have to MAKE myself be outgoing.

For those of you who only know me through this blog, I’m sure you find that hard to believe…I’m pretty much an open book, right? No. It’s way easier for me to write than it is for me to speak…comfort-wise.

My parents have told me that before I could even talk, if anyone spoke to me, I’d be so shy that I would just start intently playing with my fingers…unable to even look up.

It’s been a lifelong quest to get over some of that shyness.

I wonder how many opportunities I’ve missed to entertain an angel.

It’s hard in the world we live in now, especially as women…unless you’re super buff like Jillian Michaels…(I’m afraid of her~ I think she could take me down in a millisecond) to be comfortable with people we don’t know. There are stories every day of horrible things happening and while I think it’s smart to be cautious, I’m extremely saddened to think of the change in our culture.

I was raised that when someone spoke to you~ at church, in the store, wherever~ you were friendly and sweet back to that person. (Once I could speak, there was no playing with fingers~ that would have been rude.) Now I see adults trying to make conversation with kids and the kids just completely ignore the adult because they’ve had it drilled in them to not speak to strangers.

This is such a shame. It’s taken the innocence out of us and caused us to think the worst in people.There’s a fine line between giving our children instruction on how to be careful, telling them of the dangers and how to be safe…and teaching them to be kind to others, giving, and able to help a person in need…even someone we don’t know.

I don’t really have a perfect solution to this…I’m just kind of throwing it out there to discuss. How do we equip our children with the things they need, physically and emotionally, while teaching them how to build their character?

I know that if I got the chance to entertain or bless an angel, I would jump at the chance. I wouldn’t want my children to ever miss that opportunity either. Trouble is, you just never know what that angel might look like, smell like, talk like…

I’m guessing it wouldn’t be a shining figure with wings. And perhaps someone not very attractive or easy to help…otherwise, why would God have reminded us to do so? I’m also thinking that most likely, it would be something done quietly~ no glory, no recognition. Maybe something you really don’t want to do, but just know you must.

Consequently, I think we must be kind to everyone we encounter.

OK, OK, maybe even LWSC. Do I have to?

Luke 6:31
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Sigh. Doggone.

What do you think? (Um, not about the Hancock Lady, but the other part…)

I feel like I have been spoiled all weekend with blessings pouring out from heaven. It’s been an exceptional couple of days.

We sang at an outdoor event yesterday. It was in a rough neighborhood in downtown Minneapolis…a block party, if you will. There was a crowd of people there from the time it started until the time it ended. There was free barbecue for everyone and fabulous music going throughout the day. Each artist/group took about an hour and just sang their hearts out.

It was so much fun.

People came off the street who have never set foot in the door of a church and stayed the whole day, enjoying the food and music about God…complete with worshipin’ and gettin’ with it…

A little 92-year-old lady walked down. She said she had been afraid to walk in her neighborhood for years, but heard the music and wanted to see what felt so good.

I met a little boy named Seven. While I was waiting in line to get food, I asked him what he was going to eat.

“Whatever they’ll let me have,” he said.

In the line, he asked me if it was OK if he took 2 pickles. I wanted to weep when I saw how grateful he was for the food.

We had to rush to leave the event to go to a wedding. Our sweet friends, Matt & Corrie got married in the evening. It was simply beautiful.

You know those weddings where it feels like the couple did exactly what they wanted…without all the fluff, but just completely “them”…with little intimate details that make it unique to the couple…that’s what this wedding was like.

I’ll give you a few examples…

It was in a phenomenal chapel. I can’t even describe how beautiful…on the grounds of a cemetery.

The groom walked the bride down the aisle, following the parents…she was wearing a soft green dress, he had dreadlocks past his bum.

After the two ministers said a little prayer, a djembe (pronounced jim-bay, it’s a percussion instrument~ a drum) started a rhythm and a girl with a cello began to play and sing a song about 1 Corinthians 13.

The evening continued on in this fashion~ start to finish. All of it, heartfelt and meaningful.

Instead of a guest book, they had a stack of crazy/fun/cute postcards in a basket. You could pick which one you wanted, write them a message on the back, and put it in a nice little binder. Isn’t that sweet?

Memorable events, all of them…all squeezed into a 24 hour period.

I didn’t even get into all the glorious food we had. So much food; so little time.

I went to bed a happy girly.

Last night, we were privileged to sing at a MORE Conference with the Youth Choir. It was an incredible night. We shared the stage with some amazing artists…it was just too much fun. City Prayz, Jason Gray, ABCYC, Bethany Dillon, and Shane & Shane. Each of us did our own set and then all came together at the end for a grand finale.

I want to share these artists with you in case you haven’t heard them…I’ve already shown you the choir…so let me tell you about the others. Make sure you click on their names too, it takes you to their myspace pages and plays their recordings.

Jason Gray~ we’ve been friends with Jason for a long time. Nate produced a couple of his CDs over the years. He’s a great guy and amazing singer/songwriter. It’s always a treat to hang out with him and his family. He is a hoot.

This video isn’t the greatest, but you can tell he’s awesome.

Bethany Dillon~ I had never heard Bethany Dillon in person. I had only heard a few things on the radio and liked it, but never got a CD. Now, I’m a huge fan. She was great and so very sweet.

This is Bethany from the soundtrack Dreamer…

Shane & Shane. Oh. My. Word. I think I might have been in the minority of people who didn’t know who they were. They. Are. Amazing. I cannot say enough great things about them. Their harmonies were incredible. I loved their voices and songs. I bought 2 of their CDs and am so glad I did. I listened to one all the way home. Their heart comes through in their music.

Like Jason’s video above, I’m sure there are better videos of these guys, but I just love this version. Beautiful.

My heart is full. It was an incredible night.

Today the choir is singing at an outdoor event in downtown Minneapolis. Say a prayer for us around 12:30 if you think about it. And if you’re in the area of 36th and Penn, come on over and have a rompin’ stompin’ time.

Pet Peeve:

When it’s late and I go to bed exhausted and find a huge mountain of laundry on top of the bed…or worse, no sheets…or even more horrific, the sheets are still in the washing machine.

Just had to get that off my chest…it has nothing to do with the rest of this post…at least I don’t think it does.

Dun, Dun, Dunnn (dramatic organ music)

Recently I read a fascinating article in Writers’ Digest. It was an interview between Stephen King (author of books such as Carrie and The Green Mile) and Jerry B. Jenkins (Left Behind series). Intriguing, right? Two writers who have more in common than you’d think…they reiterated something I’ve always found so interesting as a writer, particularly when writing fiction, but also at times in writing this blog: The writing takes you places you didn’t necessarily plan to go. For instance, in writing a fictional story, there have been times that horrible things have happened to the characters I’m writing about; things I do NOT want to happen, but it just does and it can’t be changed…because that’s just what IS.

You think, But why CAN’T you change it? You’re the one writing it. Why kill off that character?

Oftentimes, it is as much a surprise to the writer as it is to the reader and just cannot be changed.

Isn’t that crazy?

It happens to me all the time with this blog. For some reason, I CANNOT do anything but be completely honest and bare with this thing…and whether I want to forget about something or put on the happy face…the truth just eventually shows through, despite my best efforts. I can start out talking about one thing and not realize until after it’s written, that I needed to get something else out entirely.

We’re complex creatures. God created us that way…but my desire these days is to not be smacked in the face by a surprise twist in my story…I’m not so sure how NOT to be at times. Life throws some pretty crazy twists, doesn’t it? But as I get older and more crotchety and wiser…I want to have my eyes wide open and to be prepared for the inevitable topsy turvy-ness of this wonderful adventure I’m living.

So, put in every-day terms, housewife style…

When I get to bed and there is a mountain of laundry covering it…I will calmly put it in the laundry basket to fold later.

Or better yet…meet it head-on and fold it WAY back, hours ago, when it first came out of the dryer…so I won’t be surprised later.

And if I have to kill a character off along the way, so be it.

See? Who knew I was going there?

Did y’all go into major prayer mode for me on Sunday or what?

It seems practically the moment I confessed I was blue, I found myself feeling better! Not just a little better, but a LOT better.

If this is your first time to read this blog, I was bitten by a tick sometime at the beginning of summer and got Lyme Disease. It sent me for a loop.

I’ll let you in on something…if any of you have asked me how I was in the last five or six weeks and I said, “Fine,” or “Good,” or any of those positive variations…I was lying.

I know, I know, I’m not supposed to lie. I was just trying to think good thoughts, folks.

Anyway…felt rotten Sunday morning, went to church, had a great lunch (Khan’s Mongolian, yum!), came home and took a long nap…all the while still feeling punky.

Well, I woke up and just knew that I felt better!

I’m not kidding. I kind of couldn’t believe it~ it was that drastic. And it has continued. I’m still feeling good.

And I’m not even fibbing.

So, thank you~ for any prayers, wishes, and good thoughts you sent up for me. I appreciate it more than I can say. I’m extremely relieved to be feeling more myself.

While we’re on a roll here, could you pray that I’ll be healed of asthma as well? Had a depressing visit with my doctor yesterday about it. He was very concerned, blah-de-blah-de-blah. I got two hugs and many pats, if that tells you anything. I was hoping we would be cutting back on some meds~ I’m on three different puffers at high dosages, too many times a day. He upped it. Boo.

It’s not going to get me down, I promise.

But while good things are happening, I want to get ALL the benefits.

Maybe we should all pray for money to rain down from heaven too, while we’re at it.

I’ll pray for you; you pray for me, K?

I have a new movie to pull out when I need a good laugh.

I’ve already seen it a couple of times and I could watch it again right now. It strikes me that funny.

Ricky Gervais is a hysterical man. I haven’t even watched The Office (British version), but I have seen enough of him to know that he is TRULY funny. After seeing this movie, I want to see everything he’s ever done. The Office series on DVD is somewhere on my rental horizon.

I have enjoyed Greg Kinnear since back in his Talk Soup days and he’s great in this movie. It’s the right role for him.

I actually like everyone in this movie.

But the very best scene to me is one with Ricky Gervais and Kristen Wiig. She is his surgeon and there is this scene with the two of them where they can’t stop interrupting each other.

If you haven’t seen this, you have to go rent it just for this one scene. The whole movie is funny, but I could watch the one scene over and over and laugh until I hurt every time.

What is your favorite movie scene that makes you laugh no matter how many times you’ve seen it?