It's a blessing, baby!

Miracle League last night rocked my face off. I loved the job I was given... "the jersey putter outter" is the technical name. It's all about timing though and doing 3 things at once and pretty much that's what I love to do. And while some may be grossed out by the sweaty jerseys, I think it's so great that they are getting so much energy out and loving it.

On the way home I needed to stop at Walgreens for a couple essentials; TP and cream soda. A man who seemed homeless called out to me and wanted to chat. I was polite but kept walking confidently past. The rain started to come down and this man pushed his cart after me. He was finally making so much noise I paused to let him catch up to me. He tried handing me an umbrella and at first I refused. Then he shouted, "I got 12 of them in my cart, you see them? It's a blessing baby, take it!" So I did. It was the nastiest thing I have ever touched, but it kept me and my TP dry on the way home.

It was a blessing and I was certainly humbled by this man's generosity.

MEGA

From dictionary.com:

mega-
prefix, often meaning "large, great," but in precise scientific language "one million" ( megaton, megawatt, etc.), from Gk. megas "great, large, mighty" (fem. megale ), from PIE *meg- "great"

Medical Dictionary

mega- pref.
Large: megacephaly.
One million (10 6 ): megahertz.

Science Dictionary
mega-
A prefix that means:
Large, as in megadose, a large dose.
One million, as in megahertz, one million hertz.

Slang Dictionary
mega definition [ˈmɛgə]
mod. large; serious. : Some mega beast boogied down to the front of the auditorium and started screaming.

No matter what dictionary you use, it means REAL LARGE. Large amount of power, large dose of meds, a whole lotta beast; it makes no difference, these are all correct. Well, under this definition, I'd like to add this picture and story of my experience on the MEGA BUS. Admittedly, I have taken the bus before and so I was not ignorant of the events that would take place, but the consistency is pretty amazing.

1. LARGE AMOUNT OF POWER: This bus is not one I would ever want to be hit by (not that I can think of another bus I WOULD want to be hit by, but if I had to be hit by one, I would especially prefer it is not this one!) Even beside it's raw size, it metaphorically has a power of messing with your plans.

We were a pathetic group of about 100 people waiting in the hot sun for a mega bus- no matter the destination. There was an older couple who was riding the megabus for the first time, appalled at the lack of station or information. Suddenly the Amtrak was getting rave reviews from them. :) 45 minutes late and we were pulling out into Friday rush hour traffic. AWESOME, PARTY BUS!

2. LARGE DOSE OF MEDS: Thankfully I got my own seat on the upper deck (and by that I mean the seat next to me as well). :) That certainly kept the whole thing in the funny stage. In general, I'd recommend a large dose of whatever kind of pain killers, muscles relaxers and numbing agents you can get your hands on. The upper deck is where all the action is at:

There was a cell phone version of "dueling banjos" between 2 gals discussing their professional careers and how they told off their male co-workers. There was a diligent cheerful working woman who kept her lights on the whole trip and pounded away at her keyboard. There was a fearful little woman who kept calling her boyfriend with the latest town sign she had seen. There was a man behind me reading the latest edition of Men's Health and the smell of his dinner was an Indian/Asian combo with a little bit of hot sauce. mmmm. :)

The air conditioning ran on high blast the majority of the trip, which for me was great. I would always rather be cold on long journeys than hot- especially when strong smells are involved. bleh. At the dinner break someone must have mentioned to the bus driver that it was a little chilly. Naturally the bus only has 2 settings high and off, so the last couple hours of the trip there was a sauna on the upperdeck.

Speaking of the dinner break... (FAVORITE PART!) It was significantly shortened due to our late start. No complaints from me about this; I would much rather be at my destination than a truck stop. It was entertaining to see people's response to this 20 minute break though. Some people about my age were striding confidently across the parking lot and street to a McDonald's knowing it would take a little bit. Those passengers about my parents age however were in a full out RUN! The married couples were holding hands and shouting instructions at each other about a bathroom rotation and food order. These people are the ones who are accustomed to travelling with children and were falling into their natural rhythm. I am happy to report we all made it back to the bus. :)

3. A WHOLE LOTTA BEAST: During this final portion of the trip; the lights were off (besides above the working woman), the humidity was creeping in from outside and it was quiet ... ALMOST. In front of me there was a huge beast of a man, with the hood of his zip up sweater over his face and his rap music blaring. It had not bothered me earlier in the trip- I like rap music, or so I thought. I realized after the bus was quiet and I could hear his lyrics, that I like Christian rap or the mild hip hop stuff they play on the radio. What he was listening to was explicit and horrible-complete with gun shot sound effects and screaming women. I figured that his seat mate or the working woman in front of him would be bothered by the music and ask him to stop. a half hour later, I realized my hope was in vain and I geared myself up to ask him to turn it down. I practiced in my head- I didn't want to sound snotty or like a goodie two shoes. Admittedly, I also was afraid that I would make him mad enough to act out one of the songs on me... no thank you. There was a part of me that wanted to lecture him about what he was listening to in the presence of women, but I'm not old enough to pull that off yet. "Umm, excuse me sir. Would you mind turning that down just a little bit? Thanks!" He never said a word to me- just pulled his hood back slightly, glared and touched a button on his music device that silenced it as far as I could tell.

We arrived only 45 minutes late- impressive! And I made sure that Tupac left before me...just in case he was angry.

Gypsy Woman

Memorial day weekend.... is a great 3 day weekend for grilling, attending parades and wearing patriotic colors. Also, a good time for MOVING. :)

There wasn't too much stuff left in the florist shop apartment, just a few suitcases and random other things (that are now in my office. hahaha). There was a whole lotta cleaning to do though. :) So thankful for Alli and her help keeping my sanity that weekend. We basically ate delicious food every time it was available. Pockets, Tastee Freeze, Jamba, A cute little Italian bakery I don't recall the name of.... so much goodness and dessert! We also got our nails done and went shopping at Old Navy. Pretty much we are the champions of coping with change...there's no anxiety that can stand up to the comfort of a friend with a fro-co. :) BOOM BABY!

2 weeks ago my family came from Michigan and helped me move the majority of my things to the garage of my new apartment. I have been living out of a suitcase since then- on the floor of the little florist shop apartment and now in the guest room of a friend.

The friend's place where I am staying is actually the same place I stayed 2 years ago after graduation. It seems fitting that this would be a stop along the way to my new place. Places are very significant to me and I am thankful for the reminder of God's faithfulness in this particular place.



Moving is such an exhausting undertaking and stressful too. The moving and cleaning and many details to coordinate. It seems that I have been in the moving process for over a month now- from when I first started packing; and the more time passes, the more I find myself tired of it. The thought of moving from the garage to the house (though only 30 feet) and then unpacking seems a little overwhelming. Living out of suitcases certainly reminds you of exactly what are the "essentials." Maybe I will just join a Bedouin community instead... hmmm.



I wanted to post a song here at the end- that matched the title. Alas, I fear I was singing the wrong lyrics.... Lenny Kravitz is still working on this one I guess.

Where have all the Cowboys gone?

Pastors Conference at Moody Bible Institute........... (breathe deeply) It has come to be one of my favorite things about working here over the summer. All the khaki's and cheesy jokes the world can contain, are RIGHT HERE this week.

I ate lunch in the Commons everyday this week hoping to spot my future husband but the way registration is set up this year; they just don't make it that easy. Registering by last name... tsk! That is so 2009. I propose that next year's registration be something more like this: "Single pastor's under 40 who think Arrested Development is funny" here and "Everyone Else" here. Maybe they could also have a speed dating event... hahahaa. OK, now my imagination has officially gone wild. Reigning in the horses. :)

So in all this "Pastor Watching" I have noticed a few specific types of Pastors.
#1. Hipster for Jesus
Cargo pants, tousled hair, track jacket and square rim glasses. This pastor tanned and in his 50's is easy to spot with an ambitious youth pastor right on his heels and a book about the emerging church under his arm.

#2. Biker for Jesus
These are the guys in jean and leather; usually a little hairier than the others and real heavy duty work shoes. The ones who come with a cooler of food, 3 cubes of soda and 2 cases of Dinty Moore soup. mmmmmmm... Beefy!

#3. ALUMNI for Jesus
I laugh at these guys, but I know that someday all too soon it will be me. So I laugh still, but with humility! :) They ask everyone if they attended MBI trying to make connections and be able to legitimize their time here by knowing someone that another pastor knows who went here. They are the ones who give private tours of campus of all their favorite spots and begin far too many sentences with "When I was here...". They start laughing for apparently no reason while walking through the plaza because they had a memory of their flag poling or some such thing that only "Moodies" would understand. They pretend they are lost while secretly visiting their old room and pause in reverence at the back of Torrey Gray every time they enter.

#4. Farm Fresh for Jesus
These are a great majority of the men here this week. The ones who come from a small town in the Midwest who are so excited to be a part of DL Moody's legacy and will tell their grandchildren about this week for years to come. They are ordinary men who only drink their coffee black and like their breakfast big.

#5. Joggers for Jesus
This type is tricky because sometimes the "Farm Fresh" Pastors try to pose in this role. They get out their swishy athletic pants that they usually wear to a game and go for a run in the city instead. On the way back they breathe more deeply and sweat more heavily and stop for an Egg McMuffin to celebrate their accomplishment.

The real Jogger type though is the social elite of the Pastors group. You know them... the popular kids from High School you love to hate. The ones you now can't hate because they are Pastors... the ones who eat Kashi and sip beverages. The ones who run marathons on Saturdays and preach on Sundays and carry a briefcase every other day. The ones who only use Macs and are looking for a coffee bar in the auditorium. You know the ones.

OK, I know I am making terrible fun of these men, but I really do love them! I love that they serve God so faithfully. I love that they put in so many hours for others. I love that they put their family life on display for everyone's critique and sacrifice for them anyway. I love that they smell so wonderfully of sweat and cologne. I love that they preach the truth to each other. I love that they get to come here and rest awhile. I love that they have fresh material to take home to their churches- Bible truth and jokes! I love that they cherish this place and the speakers and their gift bags so much. I just love them!

I did find one cowboy this week... there is a new street performer on Michigan Avenue these days. His cowboy outfit is complete with chaps and spurs. He lassos his rope and hollers "Giddy up!" It's good to know there is at least one still out there!

HUZZAH!

I thought this was a Hebrew expression and as a result thought that I was so impressive and Bible college savvy(nerdy) for knowing it was Hebrew. The only problem is that it's not actually anything remotely close to Hebrew. The internet assures me it is more than likely PRUSSIAN! So really huzzah is merely a cool enough word to be mistaken for Hebrew.

Whatever the true origin of this word- we have been having a whole lot of them lately; a week of them in fact. Every day this past week Kaitlyn and I spent some time together doing "last" things in the city before she moved away to her summer internship. We went to Berry Chill, had dinner with church friends, ate dessert at Ghirardelli's, went to the Container Store, packed, listened (some more reluctantly than others) to country music, enjoyed dinner at the Kerryman, played massive amounts of banannagrams, got slurpees, sang along to Wicked, hung out with little B, laughed, cried, etc.

Our little apartment is filled with boxes now-though it still looks homey with furniture and decor. Kaitlyn left on Thursday to go home and then on to her internship. The emotion of it all has yet to hit me, though I know the weeping is coming.

Kaitlyn has become such a great friend over the past year and a half of living together. She is a deeply caring person who always puts other people before herself. She freely shares her time and stuff with anyone that needs it. She is patient and a good listener. She is always up for a party and is a pretty great popcorn maker. I'm thankful for our time together above LaSalle Florist and grateful she will be returning to the city in 3 months. We have both grown up so much since September 2008! HUZZAH!

Delilah, if you are reading this... please dedicate a real sappy song to the end of our roommate era.

Celebrations

The list of causes to celebrate has been many as of late. Thanks for caring about these things and celebrating them with me!

North Lawndale will have a new resident in just about a month now. I committed to a 2 bedroom apartment that is being rehabbed by friends of mine. It is a beautiful place with a shared yard, back porch and decent sized shower (everything I was looking for in a place! haha) The only thing that was missing was a roommate... which in faith I trusted the Lord would provide.

Admittedly, I put a sorry amount of effort into finding a roommate. I asked people I knew, but I just kept asking myself, "Seriously? Who am I gonna find that wants to move to North Lawndale?" I am pleased to report that despite my lack of effort in faith, the Lord remains faithful to me. Through a friend of a friend and rap concert, the Lord crossed Jen's path with mine. She was already looking for a place in the neighborhood and was asking the same question. So thankful for her and excited to get to know her more in this next location and phase of life.

Because of the houses' condition at the time my friends bought it, there are some additional hoops they will have to jump through in order for the City of Chicago to grant them a certificate of occupancy. In other words, I am moving back into Houghton for a couple weeks of June. Moving back to the exact same spot I was 2 years ago after graduation- the H2 RS apartment guest room. hahahaha. I love that life is this ironic and would not have it any other way! This time around though, no storage locker. Hallelujah; I can move my stuff!

I cannot seem to keep the same job at Moody for longer than a year- though this year is the closest by far. Recently I was given a promotion within Residence Life. As of July 1, my title will be the Residence Life Housing and Administrative Coordinator. In many ways, my role will remain the same, particularly in regards to the online housing software we continue to set up for future use. In other ways my job will morph into one with more decision making responsibility in regards to our undergrad housing procedures, so that is an exciting challenge.

Numb Hope

Pretty much what I am thinking is encapsulated in that title. I feel fussy and want you to just know what that means, but I guess that's asking too much.

You know that feeling when you wanna listen to Alanis Morisette and Meredith Brooks back to back? That feeling when you wanna eat until you throw up (not because you need to eat, just because you want to feel something)? That feeling of dropping mac and cheese on your "shelf" at lunch, having a 9 year old point it out to you and walking around the mall hoping no one will notice? That feeling of buying a bathing suit only to get it home and wonder if your grandma may have bought the same one (in a smaller size though of course?)That feeling of knowing you have so many things to be thankful for and still feeling pitiful anyway which only makes you feel guilty? That feeling of knowing how many people would love to have your "problems" which makes you feel even more guilty? That feeling of staring at the flowers you bought yourself with pride at being an independent woman who doesn't need a man to buy flowers for her knowing they did not do the trick? That feeling of being the only unmarried lady at church today and totally unrelateable? That feeling of having watched a lousy movie this evening instead of doing something more worthwhile like 9th grade algebra homework? That feeling of realizing how you are exposing yourself on your blog and wanting to delete it, but hating all the thought you have put into it already so you probably won't? Yeah, all of the above are me right now.

I know there is hope. just not feeling so much of it right now. I know that I am loved. just not feeling so much of that right now either. Instead. feeling like a "big fat rat... GLORIA!" (James Garner from The Thrill of it All) So glad that I get to start over in the morning. May it arrive soon!