Surprise!

The first thing I want to do after a sedentary day at the office is to run. Today was going to be adventurous: I was going to explore an unknown, new-to-me route at Garden of the Gods. Crazy, I know. About ten yards in I discovered my legs felt more like a Clydesdale’s than my own. After 43 minutes of running and stopping and backtracking and cutting through hillsides of baby cacti and shrubs, I found the trail I needed and walked the last mile back to the Taurus. 

At the same moment I was blindfolded by a cobweb, I was asking myself a question. Why are certain character traits so much more revolting to me than others? Am I afraid that the one trait I despise most in other people is in fact true of me?  

Take self-centeredness and self-promotion, for example. I get sarcastic and roll my eyes when I see it. Is it because I am more self-centered than I’d like to be? I rarely update my facebook status. I often consider it one of the biggest "who cares?" on the internet. Last week I posted a link to my blog on my facebook page, at the suggestion of one of my friends. After he posted his blog on facebook and told me how many people had visited five minutes later, I put on my pretend look of shock and told him it was shameless self-promotion. And then I did it and felt queasy about it. I might do it again today. 

Here’s the catch: I think we all possess those traits we dislike in a style more pleasing to us. With self-centeredness, it’s not that I don’t want to be noticed; I do. We all do. But I prefer to be stumbled upon than force everyone within the sound of my voice to notice. Same with my blog: I’d rather it be found by accident and enjoyed as a pleasant surprise than to see that you visited because I told you it would be a pleasant surprise. See the difference? It’s not a surprise when I tell you it’s going to  be a surprise. I think the moral of this story just became my love for surprises. 

The End.

The Blob

The 20-somethings of the world are establishing a trend. Instead of dating, they're blobbing. The older generation, happily married 25+ years, can't understand it. Grandparents certainly can't understand it. I don't even think 20-somethings understand it, but they surrender to it anyway.

The blob is a mass of people that intend to remain "just friends" until death do we part. Almost every one of those people, if cornered, would admit to wanting love and marriage {note: this does not make them desperate}. I call it 'the blob' because it follows you and sucks you in until you disappear inside it and make it just a bit bigger and more powerful than it was before.

It seems to me that most people want to be married but feel strange admitting it outright. Instead, we go in secret to the privacy of our computers and become one of 20 million people per month that try online dating in hopes of finding that special someone. After a date with Chainmail Guy and the dude in metallic spandex, Comb-over Man arrives wearing chinos and a tucked-in polo...only to reveal he's been in college for 12 years and lives with Mom. With no luck in love, we return to the blob so we can at the very least enjoy our weekends once more.

blob.

The blob is fun and easy. It requires very little of us, and everyone gets a half-hearted version of what they truly want. I guess that's worth it. Guys don't have to commit or risk rejection, and girls get companionship...sort of.

I promised myself I would not tell this story to anyone, but as it turns out, I've already told 342 people so I might as well make it available on the world wide web. It's a story about a gutsy guy who made me swoon in less than nine seconds. Why? Because he knew what he wanted and went and got it. That makes a woman out of a girl.

I had just finished working the registration table for an event we were holding in Washington DC. I was a bit frazzled and standing in between two of our Directors. Both men. This strapping young lad left the reception, walked right up to me and after looking at my nametag, asked if that was my real name. I was not in the mood for whatever this was. Of course it was my real name, and I told him so. Then he told me that he asked because he simply had to know my name. Call it cheesy, but how many of you fellas would actually have the guts to do it? Needless to say, my mood changed -- for the rest of the week. The following details are irrelevant to the topic, but whether or not I see him again, he will always remain an icon of sorts.

Now I know that men are capable of this. I'm quite certain I didn't dream that up. I was beginning to wonder if what everyone said was true: if I didn't give a guy googly eyes, bake him cookies twice a week and offer him my heart and soul on a silver platter, I'd be lucky to receive a nod in my general direction.

This post was not to draw any conclusions; it was simply to stir the pot. And to the dear friends in my own blob, I love each of you and can't wait to encourage every one of you to make your move.

Beastly Incline

Colorado summers are some of the most spectacular summers in the world and also happen to be a large part of why I continue to live in Colorado Springs. That said, I'm thrilled that summer finally decided to show up. With summer comes outdoor adventure, prolonged daylight, warmth and open windows. It means breaking up with the treadmill for a few months and taking to the trail. It also means hoisting oneself up the Incline.

I wrote about the Incline last January, so I'll spare some of the details this time around. I climbed it Monday for the first time this season, and to my bewilderment, the Incline has become a wildly popular activity. A crossfit group from Denver drove over an hour -- on a holiday -- just to do the Incline. I suppose I should be happy for this, because it means people are challenging themselves to the point of excruciating pain instead of lazying around the pool. Does the word 'masochist' come to mind?

I don't truly hate many things. I hate the Incline. To be fair, I only hate a small section that is between the halfway point and the top. It's that part where you've exhausted your legs and your lungs, and it's just as painful to stop and rest as it is to keep going. Didn't know that was possible. It's irritating because on either side of the railroad ties is thick forest, loose gravel and an impossibly steep slope. No pleasant rest stop with a Gatorade stand. You look up and see railroad ties, you look down and see railroad ties, and that's when you make the decision: you're either going to sit down right there until you die, or you're going to put one foot in front of the other and keep climbing because you know you can. And that's the fun part. The sick, sick, fun part.

After the last step, I turn around and look at what I've just climbed and can almost only see the bottom where the cars are. It's that steep. Then I look around for someone to kiss and celebrate with. No I don't. To get back down, you have two options: back down the Incline, or four miles down Barr Trail. I usually take Barr Trail. It is so exhilarating that I often think my heart will burst if I don't jump off the side of the mountain and sprout wings.

About halfway up when asking myself why we do this to ourselves, the lesson from this video came to mind. This motivational speaker is so motivational that you have to watch to the end to learn the lesson in whole. {warning: i was laughing out loud to myself the entire day following my first viewing}. Inspiration at its finest.

You Can Do Anything

Lost? Never.

Where would you go if you knew you could never get lost?

That question has run laps in my head all week. I wrote a bit about this a couple weeks ago, but it's gaining momentum in my life and there is a sense of urgency even as I write this. Psalm 139 speaks so plainly about God's guidance. He's leading me. Period. If Jesus Christ dictates my every step, I will absolutely not get lost. I won't fall through the cracks. I won't take a wrong turn, and neither will anyone else committed to following Him. 

I will be led by still waters. I will be led through dark valleys. I will watch the sunrise. I will be led through fire. And I will be led home. He will lead, and I will follow. 

Where would you go if you knew you could never get lost? 

Would you move to the city? To the country? The burbs? Would you switch jobs? Would you ask her out? Would you stay put? Would you save or spend? Would you submit that article? Would you say you're sorry? Would you ...? 

Goodness. When life surpasses the limits of my understanding, I am so comforted to know that nothing extends beyond God, for He has no boundaries. There is nowhere that He is not. Crazy. 

Run for Their Lives

Blonde Curly
Big Blue
Roly Poly
Sassy Red
Brilliant
Beautiful
Freckles
Average Joe
Chatterbox
Adventurer
Bookworm


These words describe children that have not yet taken their first breath -- and may never take their first breath. We can help them at least make it to that first moment. Life Network is doing everything they can to educate and equip mothers-to-be, and they've given all of us the privilege to help out! This organization is hosting a 5K fundraiser on June 5th to support the efforts of Life Network, and I need your help. In order to run, I need to raise $150 minimum. I've already raised $105, so I only have $45 to go!!

For every $150 raised, LN can provide services for three moms and their babies. These services include ultrasound appointments, housing, medical services, mentoring, counseling and too many more to list here.

With your help, I can run 3 miles and help 3 mothers choose life. I can't wait to run for these little boys and girls! Want to help? Click here to visit my sponsor page: 2010 Walk for Life

Thank you, thank you, thank you in advance for your heart and for your participation in this!

p.s. My co-worker is also in the race. He's going to beat me...maybe lap me. I want to win the only thing I have a shot at: the fundraiser!  :)

An Old Melody

An old tune was reintroduced to my little head recently. It was a simple melody with astonishing clarity...the kind that gets stuck in your head and follows you no matter how far you run, and no matter how many other songs you try to sing in its place.

I heard it in DC, faintly, as if it came from another room. I was learning the words when I returned home, and now I sing it every day. It's the song of Faith that isn't really a song at all, but it brings music to the soul anyway. It was time to be reminded to live by faith, not by sight. It's ironic that I become restless at the same moment I am reminded of faith. To follow Christ is to die to self, to surrender to His will. So...where do I go? What do I do? When? How? Who? I work into a mental tizzy and then remember who puts air in my lungs and who allows my pupils to see color, depth and movement. {I find it fascinating that when I wake up in the morning, my eyes open and I can see out of the two spheres planted in my head.}

The same Jesus who calmed the wind and waves is the same Jesus who called me and promises to guide me whether I ascend to the highest heavens or dive to the uttermost depths of the sea. If I'm in His boat, I'm safe. If I follow Him, He won't lead me astray. I hear about this everywhere I go, see it in everything I read,  think about it in my spare time. I want to get this. When life gets claustrophobic because I'm so focused on ME, the only way to get out and see the big blue sky again is to realize who this God is and open myself to His way. His is the good way, and it's the only way that will get me home.

The chorus of my tune is this: faith equals action. I have to move! I have to step forward and follow. I have to be up for the ride. But really, when we know where we're going and who's driving, we can enjoy the crazy adventure for all it is...and bid our farewells to the boring life. I'm in.

The Good East

I've learned not to plaster my forehead against airplane windows because you can always tell when someone does. The grease smear makes me lose my appetite and get real friendly with whoever shares my armrest. So I admired Washington DC through the window, not on the window. The view from the air prepared me for life on the ground. The stately lawns, aged trees and manicured drives all suggested established intelligence. In the fading sun, the monuments and government buildings seemed to sparkle. It was all over for me before I even hit the runway.

photo credit: playing in traffic

When I stepped into thick, warm air and saw boat shoes and driving moccasins everywhere I looked, I knew it would be a good week. Is it crazy to you that people live amongst so much history? The trail by the Potomac River was swarming with joggers and bikers, as though it was no big deal that the Jefferson Memorial was right there. I thought about moving just so I could run there. I was caught off guard that entire week. It was, after all, a work trip. Who would've thought it would change my life?

I arrived on a Sunday evening. Monday morning came, I set to work at 8:00 a.m. and didn't look up until Thursday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. Our events flew by and from all I could see, were fairly seamless. The week began with a dinner cruise on the Potomac River and ended with a morning meeting in the Cannon House Office Building. I met some incredible people, and after months of emails and phone chats, was finally able to put a face with a voice. There's something different about people who genuinely love the Lord, and there's an unforgettable dynamic when they get together in a big group.

To end the week, I spent Friday with JT doing all her favorite things. She's a film editor in DC, lives in a charming old house in Arlington and drives a zippy little city car. And she has an incredible soul. Yep, the whole kit and kaboodle, right in one spot. We ate sushi, explored old book stores, drank coffee and tea, and saw the Givers l-i-v-e at the Black Cat.

Some things I discovered:

Mussels are not for me. They feel more like I'm eating a tongue made of flab rather than muscle.

A hammock, even for 15 minutes, can almost be enough to cure all ails.

If I ever moved to DC, it would be to Georgetown. I need to start saving. Yesterday.

I'm still capable of being undone in one fell swoop.

God sometimes answers prayer in the most unexpected ways.

I like boats!

I hope to visit again. Soon.