Midwest weekend

Between the new house, hosting guests and other happenings, we realized that we hadn't been able to get out of town at all this year - yikes! So we decided to take advantage of going to our friends' wedding in Indiana and make a weekend out of it.

We headed out Friday morning, stopped for lunch at the oh-so-worth-it Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor and took in a brief visit at the nearby Matthaei Botanical Gardens. (The last couple times we went to Zingerman's we called in our order about 20 minutes before arriving and then we are able to go through the back door and simply pick up the sandwiches and pay while completely bypassing the line snaked around the front of the building!) Then we continued westward, and despite the oil spill just a couple of miles away, we had a nice stay on Friday at the oldest operating inn (and part of the underground railroad) National House Inn in Marshall, MI complete with a dinner at the 100-year-old Schuler's and a walk past the fountain and through the little historic downtown. I overheard a mother talking to her son about the farmer's market and was glad I inquired as our Saturday morning stroll netted us these locally grown veggies and some glassware from a local antique store. I told the hubs that he could add these to the list of things that he would never do as a bachelor :), but I don't think he minds much because he gets to have things like the pictured tomato & onion salad and galette

border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503440062635375250" /> (including Michigan peaches & blueberries previously purchased) that I made for Sunday dinner tonight.
Observation: people in Marshall say "hello" and "good morning" much more readily than they do back home - although everyone I say hello to when walking around our neighborhood generally responds in kind - and also there is a greater tendency at the yoga studio I go to, but I chalk that up to the patchouli :).

Oh, and the wedding on Saturday included a wonderfully intimate Christ-centered ceremony and an absolutely beaming bride and groom - we are so happy for you, congratulations Kelli & Andy! I've already made plans to whisk her away for lunch upon their return to the D to get to know her better and acclimate her to the area. Random fact: during a bout of boredom in the car I was able to make a list of over 50 weddings - and still counting! - that I've been invited to over the last 12-14 years, now that's a lot of "I do's"!

Going west side

Despite getting caught in major accident traffic on I-96 W (causing me to turn around and purposely drive the wrong way on a highway just to escape the deadlock!) my little day trip out to Grand Rapids yesterday resulted in some girly fun that included (not) being quiet at the beautiful library, sweating outside within seconds, uncontrollable [me] laughter at the art museum, delicious eats and cute accessory finds at some resale shops - thanks ladies for such a delightful day in your company! 

Sphere of influence

This morning in church I was listening to Drew in his message remark about how much one's community can affect the things we believe, the activities we do, the places we frequent; and really shape the person we are - for better or for worse, if you think about it.

This reminded me of last week when I was driving in the car and caught a 20-minute segment of the local NPR station airing a Shane Claiborne interview as part of their "Speaking of Faith" program. For those of you who are familiar with him and his way of thinking/living as a self-professed "ordinary radical" Christian, I don't think you have to agree with everything he says or does to find some of his fundamental ideas compelling. He talked about living in community, a popular concept among Christians, but with a perspective twist that challenged me. He was talking about how for him living in community meant surrounding himself with the kind of people he wished he could be like (well it was something generally like that, for what he actually said, go and listen to the interview or excerpts yourself :). And this perspective resonated with me, because in my life there are SO many people who do things or have personal characteristics that I admire - because they are so smart & learned, they are compassionate, they are prayer warriors, they are witty, they are organized, they are great parents/spouses/siblings/friends etc. I was carrying on to a friend recently about some friend's deeds that I greatly admired, and the friend interrupted me and said "and YOU are that person for me", and while I was simultaneously humbled and embarrassed, when I reflected on it later I realized that she was just trying to pay me a compliment, and I'm sure that there is someone in her life who would say the same thing to her, and on and on. The reality is that all our words and actions have the potential of affecting the lives around us, whether it is our family, children, peers, colleagues, friends or enemies. This might be a heady notion to think about our power as individuals, yet it is actually a power that we all possess - so hopefully you are striving to be a better person and as a result we will all benefit!

Lunch and learn

You know the "ladies that lunch" type, rich ladies with plenty of time for yoga classes, shopping and long lunches. My friends and I would make fun of them, except that now I am one these days - clearly minus the rich part! But I can honestly say that I have cherished the many leisurely lunch dates I've had over the past couple of months; taking the time to visit with former colleagues that I'm friends with, building and maintaining some networking contacts, catching up with friends and hearing their stories, and now, the intimacy of inviting people to our new home. The easy salad in the picture was recently served up to some ladies who are moving only a couple of hours away but are taking on a new chapter in their lives, and I wish them luck on their journey, as happiness is always close at hand when you can be content with your current lot in life. So, thanks friends, for your time, and for those of you who I haven't had the pleasure of lunching with yet - let's get something on the calendar! :)

More house pics

Powder room/downstairs bathroom






Family room

Home sweet home

It's been about a week and a half since we moved into the new digs, and we couldn't be happier to finally be surrounded by our own things and not feel like we are living in two spaces. But what has really made it our "home" is that in that short time, we have already had two parties and weekend houseguests (happy/safe travels to Cali, Isaac & Natalie)! We both agree that sharing our home with family and friends has completed the transition for us, and we've worked hard to put our own touches into the house (thank goodness the hubs is okay with my decorating touch being the heavy-handed one:), and we know that we'll work on it together for years to come. Here's a couple shots from around the house, but we'll leave you to guess to which ones are the "before" and which ones are the "after"!

(Turns out I'm going to have to put the pictures in separate posts, because for some reason my Blogger dashboard is doing strange things with them)

Living room



Dining room

Summer bounty

I decided to say summer bounty instead of summer harvest because that might imply that there are herbs growing in our nonexistent garden (hey, we haven't even been in this house a week yet!), instead I clipped them out of the little potted plants residing in my kitchen's garden window. The ones I'm growing from seeds are not exactly hardy yet after a month, but I picked up this little guy from the Royal Oak farmer's market a couple weeks ago, even though I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with orange mint. But inspiration struck after eating the wild rice & orzo salad at J Alexander's while out at lunch with a friend yesterday (great to see you, Jen!) and deciding I wouldmake a cold lentil and brown rice salad to go along with the marinated chicken and grilled pineapple that will constitute dinner via the inaugural use of the new grill for our first meal outside, on our new patio table and chairs. That plus I was giddy to pick up some summer squash and tons of blackberries and nectarines on sale today at the grocery, don't you just love summer eating?? I know I do.

Coming up roses

Our joints are creaking (ok, maybe just mine!) and a happy tiredness greeted us this morning after a long weekend of last minute packing, loading and unloading, and digging through our boxed-up life for our things. But we feel blessed with a beautiful new home that we have and will continue to work on for years to come, and one that we hope to fill with memories that will far outnumber our piles and piles of "stuff". Here's a peek at some of the flowers blooming in some of the corners outside, more photos to come! (I took some initial move-in pics yesterday but am still hunting for the cords so I can transfer them from the camera to the computer!)

Strange sayings

People (of all ages) say the darndest things, don't they?

Yesterday morning I walk into the new location of the yoga studio that I've been going to for a couple of years and want to take in the unknown surroundings yet I'm somewhat thrown in observing the height of the person ahead of me signing in at the reception desk - a younger guy with longish hair pulled back by a bandanna, and a hiker's backpack slung over his shoulder along with his yoga mat - not an uncommon sight at such an establishment. He half turns and says "good morning" and I reciprocated like a good fellow yogi should :). At a smidge over 5'3" I'm not really a great judge of height, but I'd have to guess that this particular gentleman was nearly 7 feet tall - I noticed when he stretched his hands up above his head in class he was mere inches away from the ceiling! And if that weren't enough, because we ended up in class next to each other, I couldn't help but notice that his toenails were painted - the same color as my own! (my color "Wicked" is in the pic, notice the packing materials in the background so yes I did get some house work done too!) The minute class was over he turns to me and says "well, that was lovely", and all I could do was smile demurely (I hope), grab my things and leave the room before I burst into giggles! Thank goodness I wasn't there with a friend or all hope would be lost. That was even better than the young couple at a previous class who felt the need to hold hands during a move called child's pose, seriously folks.

Other random sayings from the last couple of weeks:

-I'm in the checkout line of our local grocery Nino's, and when I hand over the latest weekly edition of Crain's Detroit Business to read over lunch, the young female cashier squeals "Oh, that's a funny magazine!". Say what?!?
-I'm at a meeting for church, and the person leading is going around introducing everyone around the table and he stops at me and says "I'm sorry, every time I look at you I want to say 'aloha'!" Turns out Aloha is the name of another Filipino woman who goes to our church, but from the puzzled looks on a few people's faces it was clear that not everyone knew that, LOL. Just another tidbit to add to all of the mixups and crazy Asian comments that myself, my sister Aimee and our friend Kim (holla cousin Kim Kim!) who all attend there get frequently.
-And my favorite: while volunteering at Central Detroit Christian several weeks ago the kids were practicing their songs and while I'm standing in between two second graders because they were having some challenges behaving (ahem), in the middle of the song one of them is poking my arm and I whisper "Stop it, what is it?" and he says "why do you smell like that?" and I reply "smell like what?" half horrified/half frustrated and he says, looking up at me with no small amount of wonder, "you smell like a banana split!!" Apparently thanks to my application of vanilla/coconut Victoria's Secret spray, I unwittingly unleashed the sugar-spun fantasies of a 7-year-old boy. Not exactly what I was going for, but I have done worse! :)

Christmas in June

We were telling some friends yesterday that over the weekend I spent some time re-opening some wedding gifts that have been hibernating in storage for a year and a half, and one commented that it was like Christmas in June! Indeed. Mostly they were items like platters and various kitchen items that we simply didn't have room for. Actually, in the picture you can see a long thin box sticking out in the background and that contained blinds that I was supposed to be installing (see small stepladder to the left) but I was getting really frustrated so instead I plowed through the gifts :). So thanks for the distraction, the gifts are lovely - again!

Counting down

These days my head is filled with numbers from my scribbles of "house notes" that I've been keeping on hand as I am continually drawn back again and again to our trusty local Lowe's store : 2 bathroom vanities, 4 mirrors, 12 switchplates, 14 light fixtures, 46 outlet covers, etc.   I even keep a mini-tape measure in my purse in case I need to quickly calculate whether new blinds or a refrigerator will fit into a certain space!  I've definitely learned some things through the process as well, like how to force my pen to the paper when writing checks for the plumber, painter, electrician, carpet guy, lumber place and general contractors :).  Trust me when I say that discussing different types of paint, toliet wax ring sizes, sanded vs. non-sanded grout, subtle differences between brands and models of new appliances and sound levels of bathroom exhaust fans are not things I normally chat about, but I have found that even in unfamiliar territory if the choices are fairly limited and explained plainly, I'm able to arrive at decisions pretty quickly (something that the hubs can appreciate about me - for better or worse!).

Our move date is now officially June 12th, a little later than we originally thought but finally on the horizon yet we're still scrambling to get everything organized and packed. I am grateful for the unexpected gift of time I have right now to do these things and coordinate the contractors we've had working on the new place, and soon enough it will be time to get serious about the job hunt.   But in the meantime I am enjoying my current home project manager position, and I promise I will post some before and after pictures of the changes we've made here and there to make the house our own, though of course that will be an ongoing and neverending process!

 

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The Fields I Used To Roam

Today is the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. For most of my life this has meant one thing - watching or listening to the Indianapolis 500. I lived in Indianapolis from the ages of three to thirteen, and returned to Indiana for college. Living in Indy, the 500 was blacked out locally, so we listened to the 500 on the radio. Its hard to describe what the 500 meant for us back then. It was kind of like listening to Ernie Harrwell call the Tigers games on the radio - except that the entire baseball season happened on one Sunday.

I love the tradition of the race - the Purdue All-American marching band, the national anthem, the invocation, Taps, Jim Nabors singing Back Home Again in Indiana (not that I also have that song on my iPod), and a member of the Hulman family saying "Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!"

It's been twelve years since I lived in Indiana, and as the years have passed and after the split of IndyCar and Champ Car, I no longer follow IndyCar racing, and I don't care very much about the actual race. But I still put the race on the DVR, if for no other reason than to watch the pre-race ceremony. I still love some Jim Nabors. I love my life in Detroit - I don't dream about the moonlight on the Wabash nor do I dream about my Indiana home. But I think I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the tradition of that Sunday in May.

Shop at Kroger??

Many of you know that I sit on the board of Judson Center www.judsoncenter.org, a local nonprofit that provides services in the areas of adoption & foster care, autism, mental health counseling, supported employment, family preservation, respite and residential living for children and families in 10 counties in and around metro Detroit.  If you shop at Kroger grocery stores and use a Kroger Plus card, please consider registering your account to provide Judson Center a percentage of Kroger profits from your purchases as a part of their community rewards program (see below for the easy instructions).  Thank you for your support!!

Register an existing card:
-Log into www.krogercommunityrewards.com
-Sign in at the top of the page right under the "welcome" link
-Click on the "my account" link near the top
-Scroll down to "Community Rewards information"
-Click "Edit community rewards information"
-Under "Find your organization" type in Judson Center or enter organization #90406
-Click the button (2) to select Judson Center then click (3) save changes

Register a new card (card must be used once before registering):
-Click on "register" at the top of the www.krogercommunityrewards.com page right under the "welcome" link
-Register your card under "New Online Customer"
-Complete registration and log back in following the directions for existing cardholders.

Lucky me

This is what I was thinking about this weekend, not just because we got possession/keys to our new house 3 weeks earlier than originally expected, but because last night after I had passed out on the couch after dinner simply beat from two days of loading and unloading a Uhaul truck (and that didn't even include anything from the condo, just stuff being stored in our friend Sarah's basement and a storage unit! luckily the movers will do the rest) I discovered that my equally tired husband had unloaded the dishwasher, washed the sheets AND remade the bed - as a bonus I woke up to him watching a Star Wars movie - boy, do I love this man! :) And this picture is from last week one evening when he offered to make the banana bread after I set out the ingredients because I was still feeling sick, this was his second attempt at following my recipe, and it was even better than the last time! Thanks, hon.

Where does the time go?

What has kept me so busy that I haven't posted to the blog lately?  Surprisingly, my schedule during this little rest period has been quite full even without work.  Here's a few things that I've done over the last 2.5 weeks: had a great weekend at our church's womens retreat, attended an awesome Daughtry/Lifehouse concert, did 2 deliveries through the church meals team, took advantage of 2 volunteer opportunities helping with the youth program at Central Detroit Christian, attended 2 meetings for the Judson Center, watched the niece/nephew, attended 2 church meetings, a bible study, had a massage and a manicure and scheduled a pedicure, ordered lumber, went back and forth with our renters/house sellers on their move date, reserved then cancelled our weekend up north for this weekend, had 2 great dinners during Detroit Restaurant Week including a date with the hubby and a dinner out with the girls, went to a baby shower, had 6 lunch dates and 9 workouts.  Oh, and I was sick and had to go to the doctor last Friday - and I haven't gone to the doctor for a cold since, umm, probably never but I couldn't shake the sore throat/cough and it didn't make sense since I was getting plenty of rest.  Boy, other than the sick part, I could get used to this life!  But reality will set in soon enough, and yet I hope that I'll have a better shot at a work/life balance in the future, perhaps it was high time to reevaluate my priorities.  More later when I have time...! :)

New directions

OK, yes, that's a not-so-subtle reference to the fact that I'm a total GLEEk!  It should prove to be an interesting season with lots of twists to the character stories.

But also it's a positive mantra that I'm hoping to be the theme these next few months, between moving and my figuring out what God has in store for me next.  After having been in a work rut for the last year or so, I'm quite excited for the change, despite the unexpected circumstances.

P.S.  Even though I went to bed last night not feeling well, at least I can sit outside this morning in the nice weather and write my emails.  Jealous? :)  Oh, look at that, time for lunch!

Under the influence

I guess I knew that some of my eating habits and food tastes had naturally rubbed off on the hubby over the time we've been together, but I just had to chuckle at his reply when I asked why the coffee he bought the other day seemed a little pricier than normal as I glanced at a crumpled up receipt sitting on the kitchen counter (yes, that is his formal filing system :) - he calls out from the other room "because that was the only light roast/fair trade kind that they had at Whole Foods!".  ??  So I fish the shiny vacuum-packed bag out of the refrigerator and read this description on the front:  "Crisp and light with notes of cocoa and bing cherry".  Oh boy, have I created a foodie companion or what?  How funny :).

Celebrate today

"Mighty to Save" by Hillsong United:

Everyone needs compassion
A love that’s never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever, author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine Your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing
For the glory of the risen King, Jesus
Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing, for the glory of the risen King

Can I get an amen? Happy Easter, indeed!!

get your peep on

For some silly Easter fun, check out this annual feature that the Washington Post does on creative expressions using - what else? - sugary peeps! See some of the cheeky entry photos here. Too cute!

Lucky to have space

This is a fuzzy pic of about 3 feet of jackets & suits heaped onto the guest room bed, and that's just one of the piles.  Shortly after retiring to bed Sunday night after 11pm, we hear this loud crash, and I jump up thinking that it was the neighbors since I just heard them talking outside for a bit after coming home.  Alas, the entire wire shelving system in the guest room's double closet had completely caved in!!  Yup, even buckled in the middle.  Whether it was poorly constructed to begin with (mind you I bought this condo new 6 years ago) or it was stuffed too full with our heavy clothes, I don't think it should have happened. 

 

So last night after dinner we were still pulling things out and I was whining about our lack of space and how I couldn't wait to get into the new house so we could execute our plans to expand the closet in the guest bedroom for me, and the hubby says "there are people in Haiti that don't even have a house anymore, so we can deal without an extra closet for a couple of months".  Riiight.  He was half-joking, but I shut my trap nonetheless :).   

hope springing

Last Saturday a small group of volunteers from church decorated the dining hall of one of the Detroit Rescue Mission buildings.  Thought I'd share a cute pic of how we were able to spruce up the room with some springtime cheer.  (Special thanks to the gals at Carrie's bday party the night before who helped me with the paper flowers -even though you griped about it :), I hope you can see what a big favor that was!)
 
Perhaps it will be a small reminder of the rebirth that we are about to celebrate during the Easter holiday, and at the very least, we hope that the clients there will feel loved and cared for.  The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries provides so many basic needs and social services to substance addicts and the homeless, and they do so with the belief that the "glory of God will always lead us in the right direction" (website quote from their president, Chad Audi).  Amen to that!
 
P.S.  Please read about their awesome new restaurant venture that will help to provide skills-training to their clients in Highland Park  http://www.drmm.org/restaurant.html .
 
 

Swimming upstream

Last night was the first night this week that we were both home for dinner (not counting when we went out Sunday night to recreate our first date 3 years ago! :) so I finally got a chance to cook up some of the salmon we got last week.  Yum. 
 
Then I started thinking about the types of fish that are able to swim upstream, using an internal compass that responds to the earth's magnetic fields to chart their path.  I'd love to think that I have such a singular focus on the things that are important in my life, but the reality is that it's a daily struggle and often I feel (like I do this week) like I'm swimming upstream.  So it's a comfort to know that even the fish have to take their "steps" upstream by leaping!  Is it Friday yet?!? 
 
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."
~Frederick Douglass

Making waves

I'm probably not the first person you'd think would be putting the word out about World Water Day (today), but the founders of 3 for 5 go to our church and gave out information yesterday about their organization.  Regardless of whom you would like to point a finger at, hearing that over 1.5 million children under the age of 5 die every year from preventable illnesses linked to dirty water and poor sanitation is a sad story indeed. 
 
I really admire people who put their ideas into action, instead of just talking about them.  Please take a moment to visit their website www.3for5.org, donate your 5 bucks, and pass it along!  Thank you.

When grace is enough

I can't even remember now what the topic of discussion was on the radio show that I was listening to a couple weeks ago, but one of the sentiments just stuck with me.  The person was saying that there will be times in your life when you're feeling really low, and it can be hard to even believe in God, but don't worry, even in these moments, God still believes in YOU.  Now, you might write this off as one of those sappy things Christians say, but I couldn't get it out of my head.  The idea that God actually believes in little ole' me is just mind-boggling!  I've also been hitting repeat on track #13 of a CD compilation that a friend recently gave to me (thanks Robin! :), and I'm reminded that I need God's grace - every day. 

"Your Grace is Enough" by Chris Tomlin
 
Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise, oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

Great is Your love and justice God
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation
And all Your people sing along

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise, oh God 

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise, oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

Your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me
God I see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your love
Your grace is enough for me
For me

Wide open spaces

Someone who just moved back to Michigan not too long ago commented to me this morning that their family has been so busy these past couple of years that they still haven't navigated too much past their home radius, and here I was just yesterday thinking how I started my work day in Ray Twp (think miles of sod farms) and ended it in Grosse Pointe (waterfront dotted with yachts and multi-million dollar homes) - both places are only about 30 min away from where we live.  I guess these places are a bit like us, in that they are so unlike and yet beautiful in different ways, and are not as far apart as we sometimes think...

Being right

Out of curiousity (okay, maybe it was more like listless conference call syndrome) I Googled this phrase today and it came back with all kinds of random results, ranging from self-help advice, politics and some dude's disturbing Flickr account of the same name.  I was thinking about how the hubby and I had a short exchange about this concept last night (don't worry, it really was brief as it was after 10:00pm and it was very important to me to be able watch The Office episode about Jim & Pam having a baby!), and one of the questions he asked me was "why is it so important for you to always prove your point?".  Well, now, I felt that was a bit like asking a songbird why they always felt the need to sing! :). 
 
But seriously, I've always found it interesting to reflect on different personalities and how they often seem to lead us down the road of familiar tendencies and repeated actions.  While I don't necessarily subscribe to the idea that we are somehow concretely set in our ways due to predetermined personality types, it can certainly be an insightful exercise to figure out our makeup.  Don't you sometimes find yourself thinking that the way you acted or spoke was so unlike your normal ways or that you just can't figure out where it came from?  Interesting indeed. 
 
P.S.  Yes, honey, it was in an email, but maybe you did also tell me and I just don't remember.  Maybe... :) xoxo

Cleaning checklist

Our friend Jodi recently posted on her blog about her work space being a mess, and it made me look around my own office - and wince.  These are the only parts I felt okay about showing you, and even then you can see there are piles in one of my "in" boxes and a couple other boxes sitting on the floor of older files that my co-worker handed off to me.  Yikes.  You can't even see the other piles to the left and behind, and my other plant has not revived to its former self since the beginning of the year!  But I have kept it alive for the last 8 years, thank you very much.   
 
I can admit that I'm in need of a good cleanse in practically every area of my life, so I hope spring comes soon so that my motivation kicks in!

Home is..where?

I've been thinking about this concept a lot in recent months as we've been making plans to move our house location (locally) and dealing with several changes in our work lives.  For me, I know my attitude and perspective can change so much when my environment changes, for better or for worse.  When its the latter, I try to center myself and think happier thoughts.  I can also think about when I feel most at "home": when I'm with the hubby, when we're hanging out with friends, when we're spending time with family, when we're enjoying the community of our church, when we welcome people into our home, when we choose to serve others, when we develop quality relationships at work etc. I hope you also have a good list of places you call home - and thanks for being a part of my home circle, we should have you over sometime soon! ;)

 

A Valentine's to remember

With our newly merged congregation, we now have (and love!) a number of older attendees who have continued to faithfully attend and serve the church.  Yesterday our pastor said that he and his wife would be treating the church's widows to lunch, unless others wanted to invite them, and that's how our little group ended up sharing a meal with two lovely ladies Wanda and Mary Lee.  Now we always manage to have good conversation and laughs over lunch, and this was no exception!  In fact, I might have had some extra laughs listening to Wanda lecture our friend Dave in a loving way (if he blames me I can accept that, but he still deserved it :).  But the opportunity to get to know some new faces, share our stories and ask questions of these longtime members of the former First Baptist of Royal Oak was simply priceless.  What a sweet gift!  

Winter follies

If it has to be cold, at least we can have some fun in the D!  Saturday afternoon we headed downtown to visit with our friend Jodi, take in the activities of the Motown Winterblast around Campus Martius and also stop by the Ice House in Detroit for some pictures.  Good times, indeed!

 

Now that's funny

Eight of us had a grand ole time last night at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak to see the comedian Sugar Sammy.  He even took a shine to my sister "hiiii Aimeeeee, poke me on Facebook!"...hee hee :).  There were 3 other comedians leading up to his headline act, but he was the funniest by far.   Especially amusing to us were his jokes about the Asian-filled city of Troy (where we just happen to live), holla!  What a nice way to end a drab winter week, thanks for the laughs, friends.

Happy birthday, Abe!

No, not my sister-in-law's husband, but the great president himself!  Needless to say I'm a big fan, and the Lincoln Memorial (preferably at night) is my favorite spot in DC.  Oh, and please don't send me any Lincoln-hating emails unless you can also name a president who was perfect :). 
 
Anyway, if you haven't read some of his speeches you're missing out!  Aside from the Gettysburg address, the "House Divided" speech that he gave upon his nomination acceptance by the Illinois Republican Party for U.S. Senator (which he lost)  became one of his best known speeches.  Why doesn't anyone write like this anymore?  While earlier versions of the same scripture referenced exist, his is probably the most quoted.  "A house divided against itself cannot stand" is taken from Matthew 12:25: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."
 
This has so many applications, from political parties, workplaces, churches, groups and even family life.  It certainly doesn't mean that we have to give up our beliefs and differences and always stand completely united in everything we do, but it's a treacherous position to turn against one another with the danger of losing it all.  So in the spirit of love in the shadow of Valentine's Day this weekend (do you like my farfetched transition? :), take a look at your own "house" and be mindful if there are any cracks in the foundation. 

This precious life

No doubt that this has been on many people's minds here at the office, as a former colleague passed away last weekend in an accident.  Tragedy always seems to push all of us to reflect on our own lives, and then the daily grind takes over and we are again consumed with life as we know it.  Just a little reminder to be grateful for this life we've been given, with a hope for something much more rewarding.
 
"..that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you."  1 Peter 1:4

Vote for: Crutch Performance!

My cousin Clarissa and her fiance Everett have joined Crate & Barrel's Ultimate Wedding Contest, please consider voting for this super cute couple! http://www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/entries/25781 

 

We're very happy for them, they were so nice to travel to Michigan from California for our own wedding during the weekend of their 2-year dating anniversary :)

 

In God We Trust

Yesterday I received one of those mass e-mail forwards from a former friend wanting me to go vote in an online poll to show my support for keeping the phrase "In God We Trust" on America's money to show the news organization sponsoring the poll how many Christians there really were in America. This e-mail made me ask several questions.

Does God even care about an online poll? Does he care more about what words we print on our money or does he care about the condition of our hearts? Is he honored more by having the phrase "In God We Trust" on our money or when we trust God with our money - and with our words, or our actions, our futures, and our lives? Are Christians supposed to encourage each other to vote in polls to puff ourselves up, or is the mark of a Christian the encouragement of others to live a more Christ-focused life?

A thirsty soul

So I guess this is more of a book review than a blog post, as I just finished reading Donald Miller's "A Million Miles in A Thousand Years" this morning, essentially it is about how the author lives, writes and edits his own story while living it (for the actual overview of the book, find it here). Quite honestly, it started out a wee bit slow for me, but because I've been so richly rewarded before with his writing, I plodded through, until at last the book poured forth with the poignant, humorous and insightful thoughts that I thoroughly enjoyed and will certainly re-read.

Here's one of my favorite excerpts:

"...I felt the way I hope God feels as he writes the world, sitting over the planets and placing tiny people in tiny wombs. If I have a hope, it's that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me, specifically, into the story, and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as though to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you. I've wondered, though, if one of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don't want to be characters in a story because characters have to move and breathe and face conflict with courage. And if life isn't remarkable, then we don't have to do any of that; we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants."

Like other books he's written, it's a commentary about his experiences, but he confesses that many times he's had to force himself into having an experience, not just the bigger feats like hiking the Inca Trail or cycling across the country, but things like getting off the couch and walking the dog or calling a friend to get together and catch up. I think we can all relate to that on some level, and can certainly agree that the most memorable memories are ones that we create and experience together in a relational way, the way God intended. I'm thankful to each of you for being a part of our "story", and here's to making the best of it!

Oh What A Beautiful City

As my wife said in her last post, we’re looking to move locally in the next few months. Going through this process has highlighted to me how much I truly enjoy living in Southeast Michigan – and that, over the past ten and a half years, I have become a Michigander. I’ve lived in North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Ontario, but I consider Michigan my home.

Being a Michigander means more than drinking a Vernor’s and eating Better Made potato chips (BBQ flavor, of course) while making a Michigan Left on my way to a Tigers game. It means enjoying the four seasons, the changeability of the weather, and sunny summer days without humidity. It means finding beauty in the kind of buildings they don’t make any more while finding regret in the condition of many of those buildings. It means living in a place large enough to have all the advantages of a big city while living in a friendly place - where people will let other drivers cut in and those other drivers wave back in appreciation.

Sure, things aren’t perfect here in Michigan. Our political leaders of all parties have failed the state – how Michigan needs a strong leader like Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels! The city of Detroit is particularly dysfunctional, fed in part by those who use racial divisions for their own gain. And the state of our economy is well documented. But even given that, I don’t want to live anywhere else.

This week I had to drive down to Brownstown Township for work. The drive back to the office up I-75 takes you past the oil refinery and the heavily industrial area at the junction of the Rouge and the Detroit rivers. And then you reach the crest of the Rouge River Bridge, and presented to you from left to right is the skyline of the city of Detroit, culminating in the Renaissance Center on the Detroit River, the Ambassador Bridge, and the city of Windsor.

Last month we went to a performance of “Woodward Wonderland”, a celebration of Detroit’s holiday traditions performed by the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit. The opening song is the Christmas song “Oh What A Beautiful City.” Looking at the city of Detroit presented before me from the Rouge River bridge, I can’t help but think to myself, Oh, what a beautiful city!

Be a neighborly neighbor

The other night we were talking about neighbors and how nice it would be to land somewhere where we got along with the neighbors (we're hoping to make a local move in a few months so we can get into a bigger house),  actually I think I said that I thought it would be great if we could meet the neighbors before we decided to buy a place :).  I also said that I hoped they would be the kind of people that I could borrow a cup of sugar from, and the hubby replies "who even does that anymore when you can just run to Meijer's at any hour??" and I said "me!". 
 
True story, almost two years ago I actually called my neighbor and asked if she could spare the remainder of the sugar that my recipe called for, as I was making a cake for my co-worker's birthday the next day.  It does seem kind of silly in retrospect, but I just needed a little, and I remember it wasn't too late at night (8:30ish?) but because I thought I had all of the ingredients I was literally in the middle of making the cake and simply didn't feel like getting into my car and running to the store.  Also I'm guessing that I was likely in some not-so-stylish version of my home comfies (read: stretchy pants).  My neighbor was probably a little surprised by the request, but was only more than happy to oblige.  That plus I returned her plastic container a couple days later with a teeny little flowering potted plant in it (remind you of the bundt cake scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding?? LOL) and it was a pleasant neighborly interaction all the way around.  When I first moved in I was a single gal and her husband had given me both of their cell phone numbers, in the years past she has watered my flowers when I was out of town, and he once helped fix my garage door. 
 
Also a couple months back one Saturday morning I realized that the car pulling out behind me followed me throughout the short drive to the yoga studio, and after class I introduced myself to the driver who said that he and his wife (who he specifically mentioned was Korean, huh?? :) and daughter had recently moved in across the street from us, and now when we see them out for a walk, it's an easy hello.
 
I'm not going to pretend that I'm always in the mood to engage in neighborly chit-chat, but there's probably no doubt that befriending people in your close environments can make all difference.  In the winter it can be hard to muster up much more than a friendly wave, but as soon as the warm weather hits, I'm going to be sure to introduce myself to our new neighbors!

 

Mid-week funny

This hilarious pic showed up in my inbox this week from my brother-in-law with the subject line "Time to cut these guys off".  Oh, my dear niece & nephew, they are always good for a laugh!  (And no, I have no idea where they were or what they were doing - who cares?!?  It's just darn funny :).

Help for Haiti

As coverage continues on the devastation following the earthquakes in Haiti, many stories of hope have arisen through the tragedy.  I got an email last week from one of my contacts in the Detroit office of the American Red Cross, and she shared the story that a man came in on Friday to donate $100 towards their relief efforts - only unusual in the fact that his coat was duct-taped, his shoes had holes and he took the bus to get to their office!  May our hearts be broken by the same things that break God's heart, and may you feel moved to help your fellow man in need in whatever way you are able, even if just through prayer. 
 
P.S.  You can text "Haiti" to the number 90999, and after you confirm the reply text that is sent, $10 will be added to your next cell phone bill and donated to the International Red Cross for relief efforts in Haiti.

Today is special

We've all heard these kinds of "tips for living", but the reality of it is that some of them are actually things we should follow in our daily lives, despite how hard it can be to live up to them!  No doubt you also received some motivational-type resolution list email forwards from others starting out the new year, but I thought this one was good enough to share. 

HANDBOOK 2010 Health: 1.       Drink plenty of water. 2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar. 3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.. 4.       Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy 5.       Make time to pray. 6.       Play more games. 7.       Read more books than you did in 2009 . 8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day 9.       Sleep for 7 hours. 10.      Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile. Personality: 11.    Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 12.    Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. 13.    Don't over do. Keep your limits. 14.    Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 15.    Don't waste your precious energy on gossip. 16.    Dream more while you are awake 17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.. 18.    Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness. 19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others. 20.    Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. 21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you. 22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. 23.    Smile and laugh more. 24.    You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree... Society: 25.    Call your family often. 26.    Each day give something good to others. 27.    Forgive everyone for everything. 28.    Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of  6. 29.    Try to make at least three people smile each day. 30.    What other people think of you is none of your business. 31.    Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.. stay in touch. Life: 32.    Do the right thing! 33.    Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. 34.    God heals everything. 35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change.. 36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 37.    The best is yet to come. 38.    When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it. From another list I picked out a couple of faves as well:   -Make peace with your past, so it won't screw up the present. -Overprepare, then go with the flow (this is something I personally like to employ at work!) -Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.   And lastly, an excerpt from our biblestudy reading (1 Corinthians 15) that we laughed at this week "Bad friends ruin good habits."  How true, so why are we so reluctant to let go of bad friends?  Well, here's to being good friends this year, folks!

On Unclehood

This weekend, as we were watching our niece and nephew, Kieran told me, "Tito Bart, you pretend to be my uncle." I told him that I was his uncle, and in a brain fart, told him that "Tito means Bart."

Tito means uncle in Tagalog, and I am proud to be Kieran and Tanith's uncle. When I first met them, Tanith was only five months old, and Kieran was two. Kieran turned five this past week. Tanith sits in my lap when I read a book to her, and l beam with pride when Kieran looks out the car window and spells the name of the gas station. My wife met him at McDonalds, and his first question was, "Where's Tito Bart?" I'm so glad that I've become a part of their lives. Happy Birthday, Kieran!

A church - with a steeple!

A belated Happy New Year to all!  It never fails that coming back to work after the holidays is a big drain on the brain, whew.  I'm trying to just be thankful for a job to come back to!
 
On a much more joyous note, on Sunday we had our first service in our official capacity as the occupants of the newly-acquired and first permanent building for our church, Genesis, in the Church on Main formerly known as the First Baptist Church of Royal Oak!  (Pictured is the new sign, the Olive Branch is the still-affiliated daycare that is run in out of one section of the expansive 40,000 sq ft facility.) The short version of the backstory is that we have been a portable church since the beginning and after the pastors cultivated some relationships that seemed to be coincidental (we know now better!) we are now proudly stationed in Royal Oak just north of downtown on Main St in a beautiful brick building - and, yes, it actually has a steeple that you can see from a distance as you approach Royal Oak. 
 
The Barton & I served as greeters at one of the entrances and got to welcome many of the attendees, which included a mix of friends new & old and several folks who joined us from the former First Baptist congregation that we have yet to meet formally.  When we arrived early to pray with the rest of the greeters, worship team and pastoral staff, the energy in the place was palpable.  I personally shed a tear on more than one occasion that day (and got an unsolicited tissue handed to me by our pastor's wife, thanks Carmel :)!  So on top of the usual promise that a new year brings, I'm hopeful that we can capitalize on that energy and all take up the challenges ahead that will come with caring for a new building and continuing to nurture our church body.
 
Thank you, thank you to our God, my faithful Father, your faithfulness never ceases to amaze and humble me...