Saturday, February 27, 2010

----

"I know God loves the sound of our voices when we sing songs of praise. It's music to his ears.
But you know what God loves even more?
God loves the smell of your sweat...
God loves it when we break a sweat serving his purposes.
Our energy turns into beautiful melodies."
(Mark Batterson)

Friday, February 26, 2010

Off to Denver

78 courts
600 teams
9 matches to coach
3 days of competition

I think it's going to be a good weekend.


Monday, February 22, 2010

Are ya feeling lucky?

Do you remember our reusable, adoption-promoting, fund-raising, grocery bags that were the brainchild of my brilliant husband?

So far, we've sold about 70 bags and they have been getting rave reviews.
In fact, my sister-in-law loves hers so much that - when she forgot to take hers into the grocery store the other day - she made the cashier wait while she ran out to the car to retrieve them.

Would you like to win a bag (or 5) for yourself?

You would?

Well then, let me tell you how!
You see, we have another big bill coming due within the next 30 days, and we need your help to promote these shopping bags and help us get that bill paid.

In return, we're going to give you a chance to win 5 of these bags for your own personal shopping enjoyment.
Here's how you win.

1) Post a link to our original post about the bags on your blog, facebook, and/or twitter.
2) Leave me a comment telling me where and when you posted the link.
3) Each of your posts earns you an entry into the drawing. (For example, if you post on both your facebook and your blog, that's two entries for you!)
4) On the evening of Monday, March 1st, I'll draw a winner.

So in review, find our original post here, re-post it using the internet communication method of your choice, leave me a comment, and check back on the evening of March 1st to see if you've won. It's that simple.

You have one week.

Happy posting!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

----

"If anonymity was the price you would have to pay for significance,
would it be too great a price?"
(Erwin McManus)

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Hooked Again

Look. The Kyles made a bed in their living room.
That can only mean one thing.
Yep. The Olympics are on.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Robel Teklemariam - representing Ethiopia in the Vancouver Winter Olympics


The only athlete representing Ethiopia in these Winter Olympic Games, Robel finished 93rd in yesterday's Men's 15KM Cross Country competition. He finished the race in 45:18.9 - a 2 minute, 18 second improvement over his time in the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, where he was the first athlete in history to represent Ethiopia in a Winter Olympics.

Monday, February 15, 2010

[hop]ie Valentine's Day

Mark and I celebrated Valentine's Day (a day late) with a FREE tour of the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO. If you've never toured a brewery, we highly recommend that you try it.
It's a great time, every time.
Mark mentioned something about working quality control for Coors. He thinks this may be his next career move. (Okay, he didn't say that, but seriously, who wouldn't want that job?)
Of course, like all good brewery tours, this one ended with free samples.
Great BIG free samples.
Oh wait, that's not the free sample.
That's a beer bottle I pulled off the wall.
Would have made for a killer sample though.

Here are the free samples.
Yum.
In preparation for our future, we discovered that YES, KIDS CAN TOUR THE BREWERY.
They just don't get any samples.
Good to know.
CHEERS!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Sweet Sixteen

Occasionally, I get the opportunity to spend a day substitute teaching at one of our local junior high or high schools. Contrary to what you may believe about substitute teachers, I actually really enjoy these days.

On Friday, I substitute-taught five classes of junior English at a high school near my house.

JUNIOR English. Juniorswhoaresixteenandshouldbeexcitedaboutbasketballgamespromanddrivingtheirfirstcars.

During first period, a student in the front row smoked an electronic cigarette while I called roll. As I butchered my way through a long list of Shaneequahs, Taneekahs, and Lashauns, I thought to myself, Should I stop him? It's not tobacco.

He proudly explained to me that he has a habit that he just can't break.

A student to my right offered to teach me how to play Black Jack. I told him I already knew how. He begged me to play a couple of hands with him.

I felt compelled to decline.

A couple of the students seated near the teacher's desk refused to work on the day's assignment and instead they talked with me me about their favorite music (M&M and Korn) and about the babies that they are expecting this spring.

Babies.

"D" is expecting his girlfriend to give birth within the next two weeks. It's a girl. They have yet to agree on a name.

"J's" girlfriend is expecting twins in June. He is very excited and really hopes that at least one of them is a girl. He swears that he will not let his daughter spend hours in front of the mirror when she grows up.

A girl in the back-row with a clearly visible cleavage tattoo told me that I looked, "Young and fresh."

I'm guessing that's because, compared to these students, I really am. Next to them, I am inexperienced and naive.

High tech nicotine, black jack, babies, and chest tattoos are far cries from the high school experience that I had.

I listened to these students and thought about what hard lives they have in front of them. But they don't think any of this is hard or unusual. This is their reality and they are experiencing things that are normal and expected within their families and amongst their friends.

To them, being sixteen means being grown and ready for all kinds of responsibilities.

For their sake, I really hope they are.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

----

At the end of the day, God isn't going to say, "Well said, good and faithful servant."
There is only one commendation when everything is said and done,
"Well done, good and faithful servant."
God does not reward what we know. He doesn't reward what we say.
He rewards the expenditure of energy.
(Mark Batterson)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

volleyball and cupcakes

I love Valentine's Day
and I love my volleyball team
and I love cupcakes.

Last night, they all came together in one place at our valentine's-day-cupcake-baking-game-video-watching-volleyball-practice.

The girls did the baking.

Well, one of them did the baking while the other caught up on her text-messaging.
We had a moment where the amount of water for the batter was doubled.
Add more flour. Move on.

They also made sure that not a drop of batter was left untouched in the bowl, of course keeping their cell phones visible at all times. Wouldn't want to fall behind on those text messages.


By the end of the night, each girl had declared her hatred for all things valentine.
I think I'm the only one who put hearts on my cupcake.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

---

This is a must read.

Must.

Must.

Must.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Thursday, February 4, 2010

More from campus

I'm having a great time with the students at Colorado College and my photography skills are being stretched as I learn to deal with a WIDE variety of lighting situations and settings.
I'm sad to say that tomorrow is our last day of shooting.
I'm about half-way through with the editing and have already posted a few favorites from this project over on the photo blog. Check 'em out!

Monday, February 1, 2010