Thispastweekend&presentweekthusfar. . .

Ay yi yi!

Where does one begin?

Here is a whirlwind summary:
Friday-Natalie, Charity, Lindsay, Flight of the Conchords.

Saturday-Sidewalk Sale, Burnt Neck, The Works of Leonard Bernstein at Millenium Park,Walk to Navy Pier, Pee in the bushes (first time squatting outside in Chicago!), Pee all over back of skirt, walk behind everyone so they can't see I have peed all over the back of my skirt, Get to Navy Pier, eat nuts, watch fireworks, walk looooonnng way back to Redline, go to bed.

Sunday-Mission Trip Sunday, Lunch at the Onion Roll, Goodbye Natalie & Charity,Blueberry Iced Tea & Raisins, Garage Sale, Six Books for a Dollar, Goodbye Lindsay, The End of the Spear.

Monday-First day of work at Church!!!! 2nd day of no caffeine in the morning (eek), Had to get up at 6:00 a.m. to beat traffic, Turkey Stufing Sandwich Discovery!, Joy of seeing so many kids at VBS and Ready Set Go.

Tuesday-Work at the store, pretty good day for a Tuesday alone.Finished the HBO series CARNIVALE very sad it was ever cancelled :o(.

Wendesday-2nd day of work, OVERHAUL on the His & Her office Nate and I are sharing, Ready Set Go, Peanut Butter & Honey, Lots of Water, Lots of Peeing (in bathrooms).

Thursday. . . still to come!

I suppose my favorite part would be perhaps you have dabbled in drugs!

You Are Surrealism

Dreamy and idealistic, you've created a world that is all your own.It's very likely that you've either dabbled in drugs or are naturally trippy.You are always trying to push beyond the boundaries of your culture and society.You believe that art, love, and freedom can change the world.

When you're having fun. . .

It is always interesting to me how time can really fly by.
Cornerstone was three weeks ago Wednesday.
WHAT?

I'm sure I have said this already in my blog but being an adult just makes time fly by.

So here is the rest of my summer.

July 29th-Entire youth outing at Dana's Parent's Lake House.
August 1st-5th-Babysitting the Chattertons! :o)
August 5th-Nate preaches in Knoxville
August 12th-Nate preaches at RFPres
August 24-26-Praise Retreat
August 31st-Sept. 1st Bree's Wedding

So August is pretty full, but I am glad. We have been gone so much that the Summer hasn't felt utilized very much.

Things I want to do before Summer is over.
-Get to the beach (I plan to do this tomorrow! :o) )
-Get to the Museums
-See a movie in the Park
-Have more fun downtown
-Get to Six Flags
(can you believe Nate and I have never been to an amusement park together? What?!?)
-Get some sort of color on my pastey self, which the beach should help with.
-Go to some more local music things.

Alright I am off to dive into the world of high end retail.

(I never learned how to dive well, and that might explain a lot)

mumbles. . .

So I realize that my last post might have seemed dramatic, which was not its intent. I was just being very honest about how I feel in this moment. And I had written it yesterday, and saved it afraid it was too crazy but I am crazy right now. And Lindsay's admittance of spiritual confusion also gave me courage.

In real world talk, I start at the church soon and then will only be working at the church starting September.

Nate starts school at the beginning of September too so it will be exciting for both of us.

We are also thinking of moving to a different apartment where we can just know or think we know we will be there until School is done. But alas, does one ever really know?

Lately I have been having lots of issues with other people. Why does it seem that as soon as you don't care what other people think, other people just get on your nerves? I have been doing a lot of talking to myself saying "God loves them just as much as you" so far this is working, but I don't know for how long. So pray for strength in regards to that.

I don't know what else to talk about because I am having a lot of trouble dealing with things seeming futile to me.

UGH!

until I think of something else to say. . .

p.s. when is it you need a place to crash Natalie? Because I would love it!

Holding on to the mountain by my fingernails.

I have been groaning a lot lately. Not neccesarily audibly but this deep gutteral groaning that takes over your whole being because you are in mourning.



It is so odd to experience mourning when it isn't attached to anything physical. I am not mourning for a lost pet or the death of a grandparent or something ending.



I am mourning for the life I have lived up until now and the lack of groaning of screaming and crying out to a God who is the only thing that can make me whole.



The world has had me in it's grip for 23.5 years now and I am determined to release myself from its bondage.



Don't get me wrong I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember but I have reached a point that I wasn't even aware I needed to reach.



This may sound like crazy talk, and that is fine.



I would rather be insane with Christ than sane with anyone else.



I am not claiming any spiritual epiphany rather a new awareness of what it means to me to be a Christian and a new journey of figuring out what it entails.



Ok.

Back to some sort of reality.



attempting to stay in grace

mere

MY MIND, HEART & BODY MAY BURST!

Oh.
Man.

Cornerstone=The closest we may ever get to heaven on earth.

I miss everyone desperately. That short term experience of true community was amazing yet has become agonizing because it made me realize what it means to have it, this thing we are called to live in and God calls us to it because of how it fills our souls.

I don't really know how to share any one experience, and it would take hundreds of posts to even come close.

It is sort of like when you feel that there are no words to describe God's love.
So I think I will leave it at that.
A glimpse of heaven.

Besides that, it has never felt so good to be thrown around, shaken up, and slammed against a wall spiritually.

We are not called to comfort as Christians. The only comfort we can receive is through Jesus Christ, and I for one am ready to get uncomfortable for the sake of his name.

Anyone with me?

attempting to stay in grace
mere