Sunday, October 12, 2008

Wedding, Surprise Sleep Over, Muse, Thoughts, GKTW, Give a Schmidt, The Brave One, Status,Phew.

Wedding:
Friend Lauren from GMS got married this weekend.  They did an ingenious thing by scheduling the wedding at 6:45 but really start at 7.  Good game.  The wedding was quite nice.  It was outside but at sunset, so not terribly hot.  Ceremony short & sweet.  Very special b.c of their story and to see God's hand of redemption and the way that they are together pursuing God in a real way.
Got to see sweet Bethany.  Such a joy and many laughs to be had.  Her and her great husband, Douglas, got married about a year ago.  I can't believe where the time goes.  They are such a incredible pair and a great example of how God pairs people so perfectly together.
Lauren: Such a beautiful bride.  She looked amazing in her dress and, of course, was glowing from within.
Surprise Sleep Over
I traded cars with John and so it ended up that I couldn't get my house key back.  So fortunately I had Shelby around the corner and headed over here.  She was not there but her roommate Jessica Apt was there.  It was so great to hear her stories of how she bicycled across the USA. Insane.  She did it with 18 other people in 40 days...averaging about 85 miles a day.  I think I could manage about 8.5 miles a day.  They raised money for Blood Water Mission, an organization to build wells in Africa.  If I had the stamina and time I would love to do something like that.  I can't imagine the friendships that you would form. And she had Donald Miller on the trip. I would love to pick his brain.

Muse: Theology
Finally something that means something.  I have been so desperate to go deeper in the meaning of Christ.  Chuck De Groat is a professor at RTS and 1. a great writer and 2. pretty good speaker.  I enjoyed the discussion on some of the things hindering us from knowing and understanding God.  I like the idea that things are not always ok.  Life falls apart sometimes.  If a person is all smiles and cheery all the time there is an errie feeling about that.  It doesn't feel good to say that I don't know what I am doing and that God has to be the one that is in control.  Even when these plans left us in a confusion and more dependant on Him and the hardest part letting those know that we are not in control.  Knowing we have to stumble and fall and literally hold God's hand like a child is quite humbling.

Thoughts
Went to the park afterwards to process some of the content.  One thing that did really stick with me was the answer my question of how to interpret the paradox of an extravagantly gracious and loving God and one the God that allows you to suffer to the point of desperation. His reply was lament.  The importance of feeling your pain, letting God know you feel about it and actually grieving.  I sat in a rose garden for a bit and thought of the beauty of the rose and the pain of the thorn.  Sometimes they just have to come together.  Hindsight is a b*tch.  I am slowly remembering and believing that God has the ultimate and best for me.  So that when times are tragic 1. It won't last forever. 2. Somehow there is a purpose for it.

Give Kids the World
Definitely the highlight of my weekend.  Such a grand experience.  It is a resort like place where kids and their families come that have terminal illness and they get spoiled and have a vacation.  A girl that I know works there as the entertainment coordinator.  We went on a sat afternoon and had a huge celebration birthday party for one of the fictional characters.  We set up all these party things.  It is a bit reminiscent of Disney but not officially affiliated with them.  These kids have some sort of serious illness.  Several kids were in wheelchairs, one girl had a tube sticking out of her throat, a girl with her head shaved bald.  A few times I about teared up. It was so magical to see these kids smile, dance and have fun.  I  volunteered to hand out popsicles.  It was glory & the time went by SO fast.  We were not allowed to take pictures of the kids, but these are the peoples I went with.  I would love to do it again.
Unfortatly the jumpsuit.....was tooo big and so all day and night I was fighting with it.
Give a Schmidt
Our friend Jahred Schmidt got hit by a car on his bike and it was really neither of their fault's. So he didn't go to the hospital.  He also cracked his laptop screen.  Seeing that he is a writer...this is pretty crucial for this to be fixed.  So we, my housechurch, threw a party for him to raise money for him to get his computer fixed.  I think they made $500?  He is just a grand person.  He only wants to know how to love Jesus and people better. Lame...he is leaving soon.
The Brave One
Didn't like it.  The movie just moved along so slow.  Jodie looks so old.  There was a lot of nudity in the movie that was just not necessary.  I didn't like the premise of the movie either.  A women taking the law into her own hands because her fiance was beaten to death.....atrocious for sure.  Jodie is always awkward to me.
Lastly Status community launch was tonight.  I am leading a small group of women.  I kinda wish that I didn't have to open it up to all of status.  I really just want a very small group of girls that I hand pick. But I have to understand that God knows where people need to be and who need to be in this group. oh well. So just letting go of control there. Altogether the weekend was quite grand & busy. God is so gracious and there is NONE like Him.

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