Who Put Up With You?

Today, I met up with a good bud of mine, Christy. She's married to Brett, another good bud of mine. Brett, Christy and I hung out in college. Brett and Christy were very good; I was very bad. Brett and Christy would invite me to church; sometimes I'd go; sometimes I'd go then hit the clubs; and sometimes I'd say no & hit the clubs altogether. But they always invited me. Brett and Christy would drive me when I drank too much. They would talk TO me, never AT me. I'm sure they prayed for me....when I was with them and when I wasn't. I look back over those crappy years and know Brett and Christy loved me regardless. Do you have someone who put up with you...when you didn't necessarily deserve it? You should thank them! Brett & Christy...thanks. I am who I am because you put up with who I was; & loved me in spite of myself.

Kooza, Willowcreek & Guess-the-Face

We have a busy Sunday! This morning, we are going to Willowcreek, the McHenry County satellite campus. Then, my ma, my cuz Suzanne, and I are off to the Windy City to see Kooza, a Cirque de Soleil production. Then, we head to my grandparent's to party and pig out. Hey, who is this? Leave a comment with your guess.

Four Family Ties

1. Ma intro'ed me to her fav local bakery where I ate my first Farfulah sandwich. Far-what?!
2. We bonded in her kitchen as she made her family-secret recipe for potato salad. I learned how to make it too.
3. Tonight, the whole Funky Bunch came over for a cookout. It seemed extremely nostalgic as we chowed on burgers, potato salad & homemade strawberry shortcake; while fascinating my 80 yr. old grandparents with the amazing technology of an iPhone; while the kids ran around outside catching fireflies. It was nice. It was peaceful. It was needed.
4. The day ended with an endearing moment that almost seemed like a Norman Rockwell painting: DJ and Andy climbed up into Grandpa's lap for a classic bedtime story.

The Legacy

For 35 years, before going to bed, my Dad lays out his bible, his pencil & his glasses for his quiet time the next morning. It is all he knows. It is all I know. This is called a legacy. And this one in particular is of eternal proportions. Can you imagine? Waking up for 35 years with God joining you at the kitchen table? My Dad can. Last night, I took this picture. And as I looked thru the lens, I was moved, as I thought, "For 35 years, Dad, you've given the first part of your day to your Father. And because of you, for the last 5 years, so have I."

Viva La Vida en Chicago!

I'm a Chicago girl. And today we landed here. Ahh...the sweet smell of a beautiful metropolis! One of the biggest highlights from today occurred simply at the airport. As soon as we deboarded, we walked merely yards and there it was...like a beacon in the night...a REAL Chicago dog stand. Caring less what anyone else in my family wanted for lunch; oblivious to the fact that Andy hadn't pee'ed in hours....I hypnotically followed the aroma. Truly, the Chicago dog was beckoning me...
And so, my friends, Raul stood in horror as he watched his bride devour (with man-hands and drooling) one and a half REAL Chicago-style dogs with all the fixin's. If you've never tasted this succulent delicacy, you are deprived. Leave a comment, I've gotta find a way to help you!

Which is Worse?

...PASTOR RAUL getting a speeding ticket on his way home from a church event....

...or ME, Andy's mom, neglecting Andy's desperate need for a haircut?

I (Don't) Heart Computer Upgrades

Imap, POP, Gmail, Server, SMTP, C3PO, R2D2, 911....When it comes to changes, upgrades or improvements on my computer, I get sooooooooooooo frustrated. Oh my gosh...I spent THREE hours trying to get some account thing synced up with some Google thing with some Gmail thing to my iPhone thing. Toward the end, I wanted to throw ALL these things in the honkin' canal. Ya know, Hats-Off to the computer geniuses I get to work with like Jeff Campen, Stacie, Arturo. For every bit frustrated and clueless I am, they are every bit gifted and patient. Our computers are practically appendages on our bodies; that when broken, need tending from only their experts. I could never be a computer person; but after tonight, I'm so grateful for those who are.

Preparation H...

This morning, when I got out of my car, I just happened to peer into the car beside me. A bright yellow box caught my eye. Taking another look, I noticed it was a box of Preparation H. Taking yet another look (this time with my camera) I snapped a picture for you:
This was very interesting to me. Preparation H is a rather personal product. Keeping it in the front console of one's car seems rather bold.
Ya know, all my life I've been like this unashamed Preparation H box in the front console. Out there for the world to see, I have worn my feelings on my sleeve and unashamedly proclaimed, "Deal with it, it's the way I am!" The last few years, God has put folk in my life who have helped me balance this. These days (in keeping with the analogy) I feel that although I don't need to ashamedly "hide the Preparation H box" with my feelings....I also don't need to always put them out there for the world to see.

A Saturday Sayin'

"The best way out is always through."

Robert Frost

Slideshow Review from Rm 4127

A 1000 Thank You's

Thank you...
Ian, MeeGee, and Phillippi - for hangin' out with a old, coughing chic like me. Little Ian--thank you for bringing playstation!

Mom - for making it feel like you are here even though you are thousands of miles away.

Rigan - for coming out in bad weather with two little ones just to hook me up with java-love from Starbux!

Kelli, Mo, and Elsa - for popcorn, laughs, cries and standing in the "battle" with me.

Mo and Steph - for your willingness to stay late and talk life. Two great nights with two great people!!

Pris and Rick - for your hands of prayer, your voices of worship & your delivery of Chipotle!

Allen & Sharon - for texting, calling, visiting & "Shamomile" tea--all in the name of love.

Jeff & Janet - for quenching my thirst and for fixing my crazy tech crisis....at 9:30 at night!!

M. Kahn & P. Link - for holding me up by holding up my family at home.

Raul - My flesh wants to fill with guilt for all the trouble I cause you. But my heart won't let it 'cause it's full of gratefulness for you. As sick as I get of this....you always stay positive and hopeful. Thank you.

GOD - thank you for being with Troy and Steph and being here with me. I will never comprehend your omnipresence, but I speechlessly bow before you because of it.

Giving "Probably" the Boot

Today on the news, they said that the remaining levees in the Midwest are probably gonna break (what a way to be optimistic). Today, in the ER, my diagnosis was double pneumonia, probably in 2 new spots (but tonight's diagnosis was pneumonia in the right lung, same spot). One time I told Raul, "our marriage probably won't make it," (it has...for 9 years).

You know what I think "probably" has become? A way to say "a sucky thing is possible?"
You know what I think "probably" has done? SHUT GOD OUT.

I'm curious, has God ever said "probably?" (as far as I can recollect, I don't think He has). God speaks the truth and when there's silence it's because His truth IS His silence & He didn't need to add "probably" to it. And I wanna be more like that!

Psst...For Guys Only!

As promised, this one's for the guys!
1. POTTY - Many of you read when you potty. I'd like to recommend a good read for such times. It's a biblezine (magazine + bible) & it's more fulfilling than Sports Illustrated. Check it out here!
2. PROMISES - You are so incredibly blessed! God's chosen YOU to rule! But with high privilege comes high expectation. That said...if you break a promise at work, a deal busts; but if you break a promise at home, a heart breaks.
3. PORN - Don't, period. "But I made an agreement with my eyes not to look with desire at a girl." Job 31:1
4. PRETTY - The Axe product line is great stuff...threefold! 1. it prevents stinky 2. it's cheap but smells expensive 3. you can keep your sweetie guessing by mixing and matching the different scents in their line.
5. PALACIOS - I asked Raul for one piece of advice to his peeps. He said, "Live below your means!" (but I'll bet that was his way of subliminally reminding me)

Psst...For Girls Only!

Girls, this one's for you!
1. THINK - the old adage that men think & women feel is, well...old. God created you with a brain to think. And like a body & a heart, it needs to work out. Are you reading? Critically assessing something? Doing puzzles? Remember: your brain is SO special and unique because it comes from the ONLY one of you!
2. LOVE U - we gotta love ourselves. The 2nd GREATEST commandment is to love your neighbor AS yourself. Often, we only apply the 1st part of that verse. But we really can't if we don't apply the 2nd part to love ourselves. Is that vain? Not at all! God said He made us in His image. And He (the Creator of us) hurts when we (His masterpiece) don't love who He created.
3. SEXY BACK - Wives, did you leave sexy back at the hotel of your honeymoon?!?! Well get it back! There is NO reason why you can't work it w/ your man. If you have NO clue how to get sexy back, email me, let's talk about it.
4. STAND - One time, I heard a preacher explain it like this: God didn't make Eve from Adam's foot, where she came from beneath him. God didn't make Eve from Adam's head, where she came from the top of him. God made Eve from Adam's rib, where she came from his side. When I heard that, I unequivocally understood my place with Raul. He's the leader of our home, but together we go thru life, side by side.

PS - stay tuned, tomorrow's gonna be for the guys only : )

WALL STREET JOURNAL/FLAMINGO ROAD CHURCH COLLIDE!

Hot off the presses! Alexandra, a cool journalist/reporter with the Wall Street Journal, spent weeks crafting an article about Flamingo Road Church. What an honor! Holy Smokes! Extra! Extra! Read all about it, here!!

God is like a Sweet Potato

I love plain, baked sweet potatoes. Nuke one, stick a fork in it, and I'm good to go! They taste so good in their simple state and the bonus is they're chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and minerals. God's like a sweet potato. He doesn’t add anything to Himself, and He doesn’t need you to add anything to Him. He is purely, simply, uninhibitedly, assuredly, beneficially God. Whatever you need, God is all you need. And like me and my sweet potato, all we have to do is receive Him just the way He came. A relationship with Him is organic: optimum in its purest form. My mouth has to be open to receive this potato's goodness; our hearts have to open to recieve His. But if our hearts are....there is nothing sweeter!

Remembering Wilma

Hurricane Wilma had a big impact on me: it was my first hurricane; Raul was out of town; I had a toddler and an 8 month old; and we were not hurricane-prepared. I have very sour memories of this hurricane, but because of it, I've become one crazy Hurricane-Prayer-Gladiator! For the last 3 years, as soon as they announce hurricane season, I start praying for God's protection over our vulnerable Sunshine State. I can't predict the weather & can't protect the fam from it. But He can, that's why I pray to Him for both.

No More Baggin' in China

Awhile back, I blogged about my "green" bags for grocery shopping. Now I'm even more propelled to use them! Tonight, in an NBC Nightly News report, I learned that China is outlawing the use of the ultra-thin plastic bags. Why? Get a load of this:

3,000,000,000 - the number of plastic bags China uses everyday!

200 - the number of years ONE plastic bag takes to degrade!

37,000,000 - the number of crude-oil barrels required EVERY year to make plastic bags for China!

These days, I spend half my life at plastic-bag places (Walmart, Publix, CVS, etc). After hearing these stats, I really want to find other ways to tote my purchases!

When I Didn't Make It

The second time I tried out for cheerleading, I didn't make it. It's a crappy feeling when you're in a room with your peers and the coach reads "the list." As she rattles off the names, you get more and more flushed in the face that she hasn't read yours. Well, for me, at least they read the list at the end of the school day. When I got home, to our driveway, I saw my mom waiting for me in the doorway. I ran to get to her, and cried as she hugged me. That day, there was the heaviest weight of rejection in my backpack. Thankfully my mom was there to help with it. Did you ever not make it? I think rejection in our past is what God uses (thru us) to love the rejected in our present. (BTW - my mom didn't make cheerleading when she was a young girl either).

Monday Laughs

On Thursday, with messed up lungs again, I got a fever, so it looked like the hospital was gonna be my weekend. But with a big dose of prayer & a little dose of drugs, it was thankfully fought & beat! So with that good news + the kickoff of "Moods" (a new church series) + Pastor Troy & Steph's welcome back--I just HAD to dress for the "mood!!" So I visited a local costume store and this is how I attended our Flamingo Road Church service last night:

But the "mood" didnt stop there! My "Foxy Brown" wig made its way into these pix too!! (doesn't DJ look like Slash from Guns N'Roses?!)

Son, You Can Trust Me.

I wasn't here when this photo was taken; thankfully, a friend's excellent photographer was. But when I saw this, I knew what Raul said seconds before it was taken, "Son, you can trust me." And as you can see, Andy did. This picture symbolizes our reality if we've trusted Christ. He died and rose for us, so we can jump and soar to Him. And when we do, we will never miss the eternal Kodak moments of our lives. "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt. 28:20

Flamingo Road Church Gets in the Mood

This weekend, we kick off a new series called, "Moods." A series basted in the 70s...far out, dude! To get IN the mood FOR Moods, here's some trivia ON moods:

1. The Moody Blues were a psychedelic British rock band in the 70s with big hit, "Nights in White Satin."

2. In the bible, Saul struggled with moodiness, "...and he [Saul] would feel better as the moodiness lifted."
3. As a moody kid, I read: "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"
4. As a moody adult, I should reread: "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible No Good, Very Bad Day!"
5. A recent poll on the mood of our country revealed that 70% of Americans think things are going bad.
6. A big fad in the 70s was the Mood Ring , it changed color, and is said by some, to indicate the emotion of the wearer.
7. Fill in the blank: At this very moment, my mood ring would say I'm ____.

Count My Blessings, I Wasn't in the Holocaust

"Hitler began with rounding up European Jews and imprisoning them...in death factories. He also slaughtered Slavs, Gypsies, homosexuals, the disabled, and anyone who didn't agree with him. Nazi racism led to the MURDER of more than 11 million people." As my eyes caught these words, my heart sank. Though I'm enamored with history & read alot of it, this time, I was awakened to a part of history I've "shelved" so many times before. Those who Hitler rejected are PRECISELY the PEOPLE who JESUS would have DRAWN to HIMSELF! And so should we; and so should our churches. I am grateful that I'm part of a church who runs after & loves on ALL people. And now more than ever, my heart yearns to love the world like Jesus did.

Publix, Starbucks & 15 Balloons

It is Monday and I am SO tired. So when I remembered that DJs class was celebrating his birthday today, I got grouchy. I didn't feel like dragging my butt to Publix to get 15 balloons. It just seemed so daunting. But that's parenting! It's sacrificing: doing what we don't want to do and doing it anyway 'cause we love! So I thought I'd at least humor myself by photo'ing this clumsy & irritating sequence of events. Here's my relentless pursuit of getting balloons while balancing hot coffee. (the last pic made it all worth it!)
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