Leaving for 12 Mile

I’m leaving for 12 Mile Indiana in about 6 hours and I’m super excited about . . .

·         Spending several days with amazing friends – Kyle, Austin, Kim, Rob, Blair, Jenna, and Richard

·         Spending time with family – Deborah, Paul, and Millie

·         Jamming out in the car with Kyle, Kim, and Austin

·         Paul’s AMAZING cooking

·         The 12 Mile Parade and Lawn Mower Races

·         Late night conversation and yoga by the bonfire

·         Canoeing and Swimming at the Lake

·         Shuffleboard at the Fulton Pub

·         Watching Divot live it up like a farm dog

Carriage Ride

I finally crossed off another item on my 30 before 30 list.  During our anniversary getaway to the Whitestone Country Inn we had a morning carriage ride around the property.  It was a little rainy which almost led us to cancel our ride but the rain let up a bit and we decided to go for it.  Even in the rainy weather it was romantic.  We snuggled up on the bench in the carriage and enjoyed the scenery as we rode around the grounds.  It felt like being part of another time where it wasn’t just about getting places but about the experience and the sights along the way.  Even with all the hype in romance novels and movies I still enjoyed my carriage ride experience and the best part was sharing those moments and a new adventure with Kyle.

Whitestone Country Inn

For our anniversary I planned a weekend getaway to the Whitestone Country Inn in TN.  It is a beautiful Inn that is on a large land lot at Watt’s Bar Lake.  We were in the woodpecker suite for the weekend which was a really beautiful room with a balcony.  From the balcony you could see the lake, the stables, the chapel, and the landscaping.  We walked a few of trails, napped in a hammock, went down to the lake, played board games, and just enjoyed one another’s company.  We stay so busy most of the time that it was nice to be at place where time felt like it slowed down.  It was incredibly relaxing and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  We had a wonderful 5 course dinner at the Inn and the food was fantastic.  We ended our stay with a carriage ride, more to come on that.  The Inn Keeper congratulated couples on their anniversaries before dinner started and the other couples there were celebrating anniversaries in the teens, twenties, and thirties.   They smiled and clapped for us when we said 3.  It was nice to see that we were doing the same thing as people who have been married for a lot longer.  I feel so blessed that Kyle and I have been so happy in our marriage and that we are both as committed to continuing to build and grow our relationship.  It definitely takes two and I think I have the best partner for life that anyone could ask for, although I am a little biased!  Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Do BigStuf

Last week was a really amazing week.  I wish I would have had my computer so I could have posted daily but instead I’ll use this post to recap the week at BigStuf in PCB.  Kyle and I, along with 5 other brave adults, loaded up 5 vans full of teenagers and headed down to Florida.  We had a total of 51 people across 5 grade levels (next year’s 9-12 graders and the college bound students).  The speakers did a very good job focusing on how connected the whole world is and now we no longer have the same barriers we used to.  Technology has made connections instant and with that is an immense power to more rapidly change the world.  We had the ability to send and receive letters and pictures from students in Kenya.  It was pretty incredible to have such quick access to people halfway across the world.  The students there are so full of life, love, and hope even though they have very few possessions and a very small chance of completing their education and thriving in their country.  It is always such an eye opening and broadening experience to get to know someone from another culture.  A lot of the kids donated money to help provide water and textbooks for those students in Kenya.  It was such a pleasant change to see them adjust their perspective and put the needs of others first even if only briefly.  It was inspiring to see what the high school students were doing with their limited amount of resources and it challenged my thinking on how I handle giving back. 

Each day there was a breakout session for the leaders.  I found these to be very helpful and interesting.  The main focus this year was on how we need to say less more often so people know what really matters.  The point was that producing high school graduates who are biblically very proficient does not guarantee that they have a strong relational foundation with God.  Reggie talked about how we try and throw too much at students in ministry and how we should narrow our focus to the most important principles and consistently reinforce them in new and creative ways.  I wholeheartedly agree with this concept.  He focused on 3 main areas of emphasis.  The first was “wonder” which is related to being marveled and inspired by God, His creation, and His love for us.  The second is “discovery” which is developing an understanding of yourself and the relationship that God desires to have with you.  The third is “passion” which is about developing a worldview and helping others. 

We had a great time at the beach and during worship with the students and I think God is going to use them in some pretty amazing ways.  I hope the energy level and closeness we all felt at camp continues to burn just as brightly now that we are home.  Here is one of our group pictures from the trip.

Getting Ready for BigStuf 2011

This will be my first post about BigStuf and this is the pre-trip post.  I have been doing a lot of praying for the trip, mainly about them preparing their hearts for camp.  It is only 5 days but BigStuf is a teenage utopia.  The worship and messages are incredible and they are surrounded by thousands of other kids who are believers which is rare in our increasingly skeptical culture.  Even as an adult I learn a lot of things and during camp we always build really strong relationships with the kids.  It is always a lot of fun and it is such a nice break from my very corporate and grown up job.  My three high school graduates from my small group are going so I will get one last trip with them as well as focusing on getting to know my upcoming group of girls.  I can’t wait to tell you all about the trip and share some of things we learn.  I promise to post lots of pictures and probably some videos as well thanks to my awesome flip camera.  Please pray for safe travels for us and that the kids get the most out of the trip!

Aha Moment

At the engagement retreat we attended several years ago they mentioned a concept about “ball of yarn” versus “one room” thinking.  It is based on the concept that most people fall into one of two categories.  One group compartmentalizes and primarily focuses on one segmented idea/ concept/ thought.  The other group moves easily and quickly in between thoughts based on cognitive or emotional connections much like a ball of yarn.  Since then I have found so many instances where understanding this is key to handling a situation.  Understanding our differences in this area has been a huge benefit in our marriage.  Kyle is a one room thinker and I am definitely a ball of yarn thinker.  This is a wonderful concept on its own but I had a huge aha moment the other day that in my opinion takes this to a whole other level.

It is not just the difference in thinking but the impact of that on how a person approaches a situation.  One room thinkers focus primarily on the current situation in decision making.  Ball of yarn thinkers focus on exceptions because specific instances have a stronger cognitive and emotional tie.  Seems simple and not that profound but look at this example.

Example: Running the dryer at night
Dale: What is that noise?
Kyle:  Oh, I turned on the dryer so our clothes will be ready in the morning
Dale: What? Why? Don’t you remember what happened to Rob
Dale: Remember his dryer lint ignited and his apartment caught on fire while he was sleeping
Kyle: I didn’t think of that, we have run our dryer at night tons of time and it has always been fine

Commentary: Kyle is a one room thinker so he thought primarily of the current situation which was I want clean khaki shorts to wear tomorrow.  I am a ball of yarn thinker so I immediately thought of the most memorable experience related to drying clothes at night.  I don’t think one approach is better than the other but it makes a huge difference in decision making.  It also helps you better understand the other person when you understand their train of thought.  Kyle often says my tone is condescending when I ask him about something like this but it because I am flabbergasted that he didn’t automatically take into account the incident that happened over a year but it is because his brain isn’t wired that way.  It also works in reverse when he gets frustrated because he says I overcomplicate things but it isn’t my fault that any topic in my mind is wired to lots of other thoughts and memories.  The more we continue to grow and understand one another and our thought process the easier it gets to change our tone of voice or approach but a lot of the times when we bicker it is a result of a conflict between our two trains of thinking.  Sorry for such a long post but I am absolutely fascinated by these concepts and wanted to share my latest revelation!

My Best Friend is Getting Married

This weekend was a couple’s wedding shower for my best friend and her fiancé.  The past year has flown by and it is only a few short months before her wedding!  The shower was hosted by a wonderful couple who went out of the way to make it a truly wonderful and memorable event.  The shower was at one of our favorite restaurants, TWO Urban Licks.  The food there is incredible and tasty without being pretentious.  The shower games were actually fun and not lame; one involved flinging garters into solo cups which is much more fun than the standard set of shower games.  Alyssa looked gorgeous and extremely happy.  The pressure is on for finalizing the details for the Miami trip for the Bachelorette party but I’m off to a good start.  Here are a few pictures from the shower.  Just over 2 months until Miami and less than 4 months until the wedding, so excited!

Everyone has a Goliath

Yesterday in church we studied in Samuel.  The message was based on the story of David versus the Goliath and contrasted the differences between David and Saul.  The primary focus was showing the difference between facing adversity in our life with fear versus faith.  Our teaching pastor reminded us that Goliaths are so intimidating because they isolate us and marginalize God.  If we simply approach adversity with faith then God is greater than any Goliath we will ever face.  Phil’s best point is that everyone has a Goliath and it is extremely important that we what who/what our personal Goliath is at this point in our lives.  Saul was paralyzed by fear and his selfish instincts to care only about his own livelihood paralyzed himself and a whole army.  David was at a much stronger physical disadvantage but his acknowledgment that he was not facing Goliath on his own but was facing the Philistine with God at his side is why he was able to succeed.  His faith and courage motivated the whole army to act.  We get to choose everyday how we face the challenges in our life.   Phil ended the message by asking each of us who know who/what our personal Goliaths are to come up to the stage and grab a rock.  His challenge was to carry that rock with us for 30 days as a reminder that God is always with us and can use something as simple as a rock to defeat even the most intimidating Goliaths.  He also reminded us to remember all of the lions and bears in our lives.  If we remember all the things we have overcome with God’s help in the past then it gives us the courage needed to tackle whatever adversity we are faced with.  I was so encouraged and inspired by the message and I’m ready to see how much more progress I can make when I quit trying to fix everything myself and instead keep God as the most important part of the equation.

Sisters Red

I am still in disbelief that it is June already.  This year is absolutely flying by.  For my birthday one of my presents was a book called Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce.  This was a great gift because I love reading but also because Jackson Pearce is a girl that I used to dance with when I was in high school.  Her real name is Amy but she uses Jackson as her pen name.  This is her second published book and it was so much fun to read a book by someone that I know.  She did a great job creating the characters and building the story but it was fun to hear pieces of her voice/point of view peek through the characters.  It is wonderful to see people doing what they love especially in an industry as tough as publishing.  It is a very interesting story and even though it is about werewolves it also touches on some really serious topics.  It is a story of two sisters who become werewolf hunters and it follows them as they take on a major challenge and start to find out who they really are, learn the meaning of sacrifice, and find their passion.  I enjoyed it because I saw parts of myself in both of the sisters and it represents some of the struggles I have even within my own life with the varying aspects of my personality.  I would definitely recommend not only because it is a fun read but also to support up and coming authors like my friend!