Favorite Things of the Week

CD in My Car: Hillsong United "All of the Above": My favorite? Brooke Fraser, of course--the best song is "Lead Me to the Cross".

Cool Starbucks Beverage: Tall, tangerine frappuccino juice blend

Favorite Night Out: CLG BBQ at the Stewarts'--where the boys did the cooking and the Peris made me laugh so hard that my eyes teared up. :)

Best Way to Beat the Heat: Wearing skirts and floaty dresses--it's almost like wearing shorts to work (sorry guys - you don't have this option).

Weekend Fun Event: Kelley's Hawaiian Wedding Shower - yay, I get to see the bride-to-be visiting home from Alaska!

Speak Up and Remember

"...As for us, there's no question—we can't keep quiet about what we've seen and heard."
(Acts 4: 20, The Message)

Last night I was reading in Acts when this verse jumped out at me. Peter and John had seen the resurrected Christ, thousands of people saved and miracles right before their eyes.

And religious people had them arrested. They tried to silence Peter and John. They tried to stop a movement from taking place.

But guess what? God can't be stopped. Passion can't be silent. Miracles can't be contained.

Miracles come in different packages
When God does something incredible in my life, in your life, people need to know about it. I think sometimes we forget. We're looking for miracles that come in different packages.

We might talk about a blind person being able to see...but isn't it just as important to celebrate a blind heart being changed and opened up to Christ? We should get excited or passionate about someone breaking an alcohol addiction. We should celebrate a healed marriage. We should tell the world about a positive financial turnaround.

Don't get me wrong--I've seen amazing "instant" miracles. My Dad was healed of cancer for goodness sake! God can do great things at camps, conferences and services where there's expectation. They're great. But aren't "everyday" miracles amazing, too?

Even if a miracle doesn't happen in an instant, it's still worth celebrating. Remember the miracles in your own life. Look for them in unexpected places. And don't stay silent.

Summer Music Faves

It's summer. And time for some fun music. Here are some of my favorite summer CDs (no Beach Boys, I promise!):

John Mayer "Room for Squares" - You have to love "83", "Why Georgia" and all the classics on this CD.






The Afters "I Wish We All Could Win" - "Beautiful Love" is the best summer song. I also like "All that I Am" - a great prayer.





Dave Barnes "Chasing Mississippi" - This one is a little bit country (my mom and dad would be proud!). Best songs? "Everybody But You" and "Butterflies".




Switchfoot "The Beautiful Letdown" - My favorite songs on this CD are "Meant to Live", "More Than Fine" and "On Fire".






Mark Broussard "Carenco" - Gotta love "Rocksteady", "Save Me" and "Where You Are".

The Brave, Bold and Beautiful

Happy Fourth of July!

I am so thankful to live in the best country on the planet. What makes America great? It is a country founded by people who dared to stand for their beliefs and build a place on a dream of what could be possible--with God's help.

America is one of the few places in the world where boldness is celebrated and bravery is honored. It's what makes our country beautiful.

Let's honor the great Americans who came before us and the God who gives freedom to all. Live the dream.

Cool quotes of the day...

• "Inaction, contrary to its reputation for being a refuge, is neither safe nor comfortable."
  - Madeline Kunin

• "There are times when to be reasonable is to be cowardly." - Marie von Ebner Eschenbach

• "When you're frightened, don't sit still, keep on doing something. The act of doing will give you back your courage." - Grace Ogot

The Power of Your Presence

Does everybody have an inner geek? Or is it just me?

Have you ever had one of those moments when someone you thought didn't know you were alive says something nice about you or looks at you in a certain way and all you can do is look around and ask yourself, "Is he talking to me?" "Does she think that about me? Really?"

Let the blushing begin ...
I'm going to share a few of these moments from my life with you just to illustrate the idea that you never know who's watching you or what kind of impact you may be having on them. Some of these examples may sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but know that the inner geek in me is actually blushing a bit to write about them...so here goes:

• Scene One: I'm in the top floor of my company's global headquarters. I've just been surprised with an award for excellence that people at our company are only eligible to win once in their entire careers. I'm 26. I've worked there 4 years. And I'm having lunch with our CEO, my boss, my boss' boss and several other senior executives. One of the top executives at our company (who I didn't think knew I existed), turns and says to me, "I've seen you in the elevator and with clients and there's something different about you...you have this...this....presence."

• Scene Two: I'm totally stressed out (but trying not to show it). I've messed up on a big project at work. And I really hate messing up. I start apologizing and a coworker smiles and says, "Hey, you're Mary Poppins...practically perfect. You're allowed to make a mistake."

• Scene Three: I'm walking through the lobby at church after service and this (non-weird) woman who's my mom's age stops me. "You're beautiful," she says, "I saw you worshipping today and you just radiated with this real, genuine, inside-out beauty. It really blessed me."

Tying it All Together...

"Never underestimate the power of your presence." I don't remember where I heard this quote or who said it, but it's really true. In all three of these situations, I don't know if it was really me these people saw...or if it was God working in and through my life. At least one doesn't know me well enough to know for sure that I'm a Christian, but I think (and I hope) he saw Christ in me.

You might have these stories in your life. But for every story we know about, there are more--people who see our lives, our work, our service--and look to us as examples. Don't underestimate your presence, your words, your work, your smile or your attitude. Be the best you possible--and you'll never know the impact you have on others.

Life Lessons from "Pride and Prejudice"

I have a confession: I will never get tired of Pride and Prejudice.


Not because I'm a Meg Ryan-wannabe circa You've Got Mail. Or because I love the male lead character Mr. Darcy (actually, I don't think a personality like his would work for me). And definitely not because I completely identify with Elizabeth Bennet (sort of...sort of Jane...sort of neither).


I think I love Pride and Prejudice (and always will) because it's timeless. And it's funny. Jane Austen writes about characters that seem strangely like people I've actually met. And the book raises themes and issues that still ring true in 2007. Here are a few examples:

• Family matters. P&P covers a lot of interesting family dynamics--the close bond of sisters Elizabeth and Jane, the domino effects of choices within a family (e.g. Lydia and Kitty's behavior toward military officers, Mrs. Bennet's lack of tact), family expectations (Lady Catherine's hopes for Mr. Darcy's marriage, Caroline Bingley's "protection" of her brother), and more.
  



• (Written) words are powerful. Throughout the book, letters prove to be a significant communication tool that shape peoples' attitudes and reveal their true nature. (I won't give away anything in case you haven't read it yet.) But as a writer myself, it's interesting to think about how careful phrasing is important, how people read (and re-read) written pieces and how much written words can have an impact.
  
  How many of us have read (or re-read) significant notes, cards or letters in our lives? There's something cool about looking at an old high school yearbook, a birthday card from a friend or an encouraging note from a leader ... they can help us remember a moment in our lives and speak to us long after their original delivery.
  


• First impressions are important ... but not always accurate. Throughout the book, first impressions shape "prejudices" and preferences that don't always turn out right. Repeatedly the characters have to overcome their initial impressions of others.
  



• People need an appropriate balance between self-awareness and consideration of others. Mr. Collins never ceases to crack me up ... he's sort of a mix between Michael and Dwight from "The Office". I think it's because of how unaware he is of himself and how people perceive him--and also because of how much he overflatters (and basically, kisses up non-stop) to people undeserving of such admiration. By no means does the book endorse disrespect--but more genuine human respect, grace and kindness for everyone (versus for example, Mr. Collins' favoritism toward those in high society).

Pride and Prejudice is fun, but it also makes me think about these issues (and more) in my own life. And I'm not an expert--but I think the best things in life--the best people in life--are those that are fun and at the same time, challenge me to be better.

Fun New Restaurant: Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse

It's Saturday night. I order a steak and a dessert with absolutely no guilt because of the prices. Hot date? Nope...dinner with my family at a restaurant pre-opening.

For some reason, my family has all these odd connections to random free stuff ... and this was no exception. We were invited to a pre-opening night party for Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse in Federal Way. We could order anything we wanted off the menu and only had to pay for our soft drinks--cool, huh?

"You're supposed to throw stuff on the floor?!?"

Jimmy Mac's is not fancy, but it's fun. The atmosphere is designed to be like a Texas roadhouse--complete with loud country music and peanut shells on the floor. (I swear that my Dad got so into throwing shells on the floor that he once hit a fellow guest! :) My Mom couldn't bring herself to throw her shells on the floor, so the waiter would sweep them off the table for her.)

The food is BBQ style but much better than Famous Dave's (sorry if you're a superfan!). They also have some healthier options that are really good--I tried some salmon and veggies. But the steak is fantastic...even my Dad (a self-proclaimed steak expert) was impressed. And the prices aren't bad either, especially for lunch.

We had a great time--and so I thought I'd give them some free advertising. :) Jimmy Mac's definitely has a cool casual vibe...and CLG hosts, it might be a fun place to go for a fun night out with your group.