sara groves

If you have never listened to Sara Groves before, now would be a good time to start! Emily, my bff, has loved Sara Groves for probably as long as I have loved Bebo Norman. Whenever I visit Em I know Sara Groves is going to be in at least one CD player. Last night a group of us went to a concert and it was AMAZING. Her music and style are really good but its her lyrics that get ya. It's as if she has made sense of all the things I cannot seem to express.
As of last of last night my favorite song is Maybe There's a Loving God. Check out the lyrics here: http://saragroves.com/lyrics/allrighthere/maybetheresalovinggod
Another joy of the concert was being introduced to Melody Olson. She's been singing back up vocals for Sara and just this month released a CD of her own. I listened to the last song on the disc on repeat for a good long while on my way back to Indiana. Here it is...
Remember the Way You Love
Melody Olson
like a girl in a crowd, lookin around, strangers eyes in the middle of the night, you've got the truth and lies swimmin in my mind, and i am wondering whose got a skeleton to hide
keep me close, keep me calm, cloak my soul with magnificent hope, I'll remember the way you love
see the girl in the crowd, and the light pours down, and the summer breaks through the darkest cloud, the orphan and widow cry, and you say that I, can look for you there and I'll find you every time
keep me close to your heart and i will soar on the wings of the dawn, I'll remember the way you love,
you gave your only son to be the one the saving one, you gave your only son to be the one, the saving one, keep me close to your heart and I will soar on the wings of the dawn, I'll remember the way you love, I'll remember the way you love, I'll remember, I'll remember

Meet Mac

So getting Oreo was pretty stinkin exciting for me...but this is AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL!!!! Bebo(my old chevy) served me well for the last seven years. He needed to retire a long time ago but I just couldn't get something new until I had a little stability. With some temporary help from mis padres I was able to score a 2009 CRV yesterday. Crazy, right? I have been coming up with every excuse possible to drive him in the last 24 hours. I feel like I have waited forever for such a nice vehicle though in the grand scheme of things I haven't hardly waited at all. Regardless, I am so excited that for a good while I won't be wondering if I am actually going to make it to my destination when I get in the car. Not only will Mac make it but it will be a comfortable journey along the way. YEAH!!!!! Oh, and yes HE has a name...which is Mac. This one didn't fall out of my mouth like Bebo and Norman but I think it suits him and corny as it may sound Grma Brough's maiden name was MacDougal. She'd like it too:)

fall festivals

There is one thing that I never did while I lived in Ligonier. Anyone familiar with Fort Days may gasp at this...I never went to the Fort Days parade. I was always working at camp(and honestly I didn't mind). I know it was/is a big deal and I know it would have been fun with all the kids and all the staff who came back for reuinions but eh. My favorite part about it was the lawn chairs literally lining the street the day before so people could lay claim to their spots. I wish I had a picture. This statement is on the Chamber of Commerce website "PLEASE, for safety reasons, do not place any chairs along the parade route before 6pm on Friday." Mind you the parade does not start until 11am on Saturday.
This weekend in Martinsville was the Fall Foliage Festival. I knew there would be a parade this afternoon because my girls from gymnastics were walking in it. Ironically I was working so I couldn't be in it with them or go. But this morning as I drove to church I noticed lawn chairs along the road in various places. Now, it wasn't quite as dramatic as good ole' Liggy, but it certainly took me back to my favorite little town. One of these years I will make it to a fall parade. We'll just have to wait and see what state that happens in!

"life giving"

I had an interview today...as the interview-er for a change:) It was a good interview. I hope she ends up coming. Something she said really left an imprint on me though I honestly don't even remember the context of exactly why she said it. It was the phrase "life-giving." Which probably doesn't sound revolutionary in itself but man it really hit me.
A friend/co-worker and I often talk about vision and how stress and politics muddy the once clear waters of why we do what we do. Listening to this young woman talk kind of cleared the waters for me again. She shared about being very interpersonal and how exciting it is to hear/watch participants have those 'ah-ha' moments. As I listened, I distinctly remembered writing my cover letter for the Woods. I wrote about my desire and passion to be a part of growth in others whether that be through adventure education, coaching gymnastics, teaching, a/o mentoring. Today I have been remembering how being a part of that growth in others is life-giving to me and how I need to look wide-eyed so I can recognize when it's happening no matter how small.
I have to admit it was a rough night at gymnastics, LOADS of energy spilling out everywhere BUT they actually trust me now. Three months ago they didn't want me to spot them, now they are nervous without me close by. Honestly it does my heart good to feel needed and well, wanted. The best part of the whole thing is this great cycle of giving life. In enabling/challenging others to grow, I am encouraged, rejuvenated, and also given the opportunitiy to grow. What goes around certainly comes around!

So what is it that is 'life-giving' to you?

Oreo

Meet Oreo...the bunny formerly known as Jadzia. For some reason I finally got motivated to get a rabbit. I had done some research about rescuing a rabbit a while back but it seemed complicated. Last weekend I decided it was time for a little more digging. I found an animal shelter online about half an hour away with a couple rabbits. When I called Tuesday evening they still had the one I wanted and there was just enough time for me to get there and fill out the paperwork. But by the time I arrived he had been adopted! Booooo! The lady at the shelter let me play with the 4 other rabbits in need of a home and a short 30 minutes later I was walking out the door with Oreo! She's a Giant Lop, so she doesn't quite fit in the cage the way Izzy did. I tried to give her a small area to be free in but she doesn't really like to be barricaded so now she's just free in my room. She's pretty spunky and docile at the same time. She runs around the room, jumps up on anything she can, and then takes a load off behind my futton. She's not exactly a cuddler but she'll get there:) Here she decided to burrow in some yarn. At one point all I could see was her rump sticking out:)

in one moment

I spend a lot of time thinking. I think about where I am and where I want to be, who I am and who I want to be. My thoughts often end in defeat--either by falling asleep or the conclusion that I have no idea what I need to do to get where I want to be geographically and on the inside. Last night I was catching up with a friend and we got into that very conversation. In one fleeting moment she said she didn't want to do youth ministry again it's time for something else. In that moment I realized, neither do I. Whoa! Did I really think that? I am still a little bit in shock of this realization.
Since I graduated from high school (ten whopping years ago), until I moved to Indiana, I have been doing youth ministry. And up until last night I had every intention of getting involved with the youth ministry in my church here. I heart teenageers, there's no question about that, but I am weary. Weary and defeated because more of the time than not I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. And so as a step in the right direction I am going to find something for me to do...for me. I don't know what it's going to be, let's hope it's something good.

it can be done

Over the last few weeks, I have spent a lot of time working. It's almost been like working at summer camp again because the days run into each other and I never seem to get out of the stack I am under. Maybe it's purely because I'm female...but there have been many ups and downs...really downs that cause the ups. I am continuing to learn about the people I work with and well frankly how we can be a team under pressure. We had a REALLY big program last week, big in numbers and big in significance. This program caused a lot of anxiety and frankly conflict. I have been overjoyed to know that all our hard work paid off. Rumor has it we "hit it out of the ball park".