3 little words

"You've Got Mail" That has got to be my all time favorite movie. Yes, I'm a silly girl, but there is something quaint about the movie. The romanticism of their love via letters (or the modern day e-mail) gets me everytime. I loved it in the origional, The Shop Around the Corner, starring Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart, and then again in our wonderful remake as You've Got Mail, with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. I don't know. They're lives just seem so simple. As I was watching this movie, as it was on tbs tonight, I got to thinking about life. There is one point where Meg Ryan's character, Kathlene Kelly, says to her enemy, Joe Fox (F-O-X), "No one will ever remember you, Joe Fox. And maybe no one will remember me, but plenty of people remember my mother, and they think she was fine. And they think her store was something. But you, Joe Fox, are just a suit." Ouch. She sent him home with something to think about. He spent his whole life working, and following in the footsteps of his disfunctional father and grandfather. From that moment on, his life began to slowly change. He didn't dedicate his life to deworming orphans in Somalia or anything like that, but he began to look for the joys in this life. He began to cherish what really matters in life (except for God, because heaven forbid they mention God as the reason for life in any romantic comedy). I really don't know if any of this makes sense, because I feel it is quite late. Well, not that late, but sure late enough for all my thoughts to be jumbled. Anyway, I guess all I'm trying to say is that I think life can be way more simple than people make it...than I make it. We, as Americans, run through life, always trying to get from one place to another. Can't we take time to breath, so we can know really what we should do? Hmmm. I'll stop rambling on. Anyway, Dial up will never be forgotten (in fact it may even be joked about in the same way we poke fun at 8 tracks). Breath.

Puzzled

Feel free to call me corny and to go write another self-help book for women that will be bought for it's amazing cover, and never touched after that by most women. Can I just say that if those annoying redundant books touch one soul, they were worth writing. So with that I'm going to share my little thought that I gathered while putting together a puzzle of Times Square New York, NY. Puzzles are something that I never thought I liked to do, but yesterday I sat down to our dining room table to take a stab at the action. It was a really difficult puzzle. You know, the kind where, out of the 500 pieces, at least 46 of them are all black, and all kind of fit in certain spots. So when I was putting this picture together, I would shove pieces in places where they fit, but I could feel there was some type of resistance. Luckily I was able to catch my mistakes and replace those pieces with the pieces that were designed to go in those designated spots. And I got to thinking: that's what it's like with us as Christians, or humans for that matter. We are each a piece that goes together to make a beautiful, detailed picture. However, if we don't do our job and fill in our spots, the puzzle cannot be fulfilled. Sure someone else (or another piece) can go in our spot, but they wouldn't get the job done the same way we could have. And we must know that we can't do it on our own, but that's why we have the church; to support eachother. So I guess that's why it's so important for us to search for where we belong. It's not always an easy journey to find where God wants us, but in the end we will be able to see how we impacted the big picture.

"Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church."
~I Corinthians 12:4-7

It's raining men

Who would ever think to write that song? Rip off the roof and stay in bed? Honestly, what is that? Everything about that song is so wrong, yet I absolutely love it. Maybe because I feel like it gives more power to women due to the fact that it completely belittles men to nothing more than a sex object, or maybe because it just feels great to dance to. I guess it is safe to conclude that I have no idea why I like it. Anyway, today I was listening to a mix my mom's friend Tammy made for my mom. The CD didn't work in any of our CD players except my car CD player, so my mom gave it to me. I put it in to listen to as I drove out to the Rock tonight. So as I pull out of my driveway, I began to listen to the wonderful You're So Vain, then that led to You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman, followed by Anticipation which was trailed by about 3 more songs before it started Raining Men. By this time I was in Uptown looking for a parking spot, which I must say was a stressful situation for someone like me who hasn't parallel parked since my second drivers test. So I finally found a spot on Hennipen Avenue which I thought was legal, but wasn't completely positive, but I parked there anyway. It wasn't a spot where I had to parallel park, but it still took me a few times to back up and pull forward to get close enough to the curb. So while I'm going through this tedious process, I realized that I had my music on almost as loud as it can be. This isn't always a bad thing, but when your in uptown sticking out like a sore thumb because you have no clue how to park on the street and are listening to It's Raining Men, it can be quite embarrassing. And embarrassing it was. So I turned my car off and went into church where Mark Bowen gave a fabulous message on greed, which I suggest everyone must download off of www.Rockthechurch.com because chances are you are greedy. No offence, but being an American you are. Sorry about my mini sermon, so on with the story. After church, the lovely Ruth Bowen and I drove together to Mikey's house for a fun little birthday gathering for him. Ruth and I got in the car, I turned the ignition, and what comes blaring through my low-quality speakers? It's Raining Men. I quickly turned it down and apologized. Then, to my surprise, Ruth replies with, "No I love that song." So we turned it up and sang at the top of our lungs. Well maybe not at the top of our lungs, but we did sing along. Then when the song was over we turned it down and had some solid girl talk time. Aaah. Nothing brings the whole world together like music. Except for sports movies like Rudy or Remember the Titans or Waterboy (ok totally joking about waterboy). But that's for a whole different post.

Sweet home Minnesota

Well I just spent like a half hour writing out all I wanted to say about my trip to Ohio to move out, and I accidentally erased it. Maybe that was the Lord telling me that I said too much. So here's what I'll share:
It was sad to leave Cedarville. I didn't realize how many true friends I had until it was time to go. I love Cedarville and all the wonderful people there, but I know Bethel is where the Lord wants me to be, and I have a total peace about it all. He's got the whole world in his hands.

I'm still writing 2005 on my checks

I come home and suddenly I become too cool for blogging. Well, maybe too cool isn't the issue. How about too busy? or too preoccupied? That sounds more like it. It's crazy how busy life gets. So I'm home in Minnesota! I love the beautiful cold. Let me explain. Ohio (where I have spent the last 4 months) is cold, not as cold as Minnesota, but cold nonetheless. However, in Ohio, the sun never shines, and it always rains...except for when it snows. When it snows, the snow melts then turns straight to ice. That leaves us with icy sidewalks, brown grass, a non-frozen Cedar Lake, and a grey sky. Though Ohio weather is miserable, it really allows me to appreciate Minnesota's lovely winters.

I feel like I have so much I want to share, but I'm afraid that if I write too much no one will be willing to read what I had to share. Well, I don't think I'm going to let that hold me back. I suppose I could talk about my days at Bare Escentuals where I spent eight hours a day swirling, tapping and buffing mineral make-up, but honestly, that would be worthless chatter. We had a fantastic Christmas with family then with the Sims, our adoptive family who is finally home (well most of them) from the far away land of Belgium. A few days after Christmas my mother, Joe and I headed of to the third annual Faithwalkers Conference in Missouri. And that's where this story really begins...

My mom and I have been to Faithwalkers every year, and it's been different every year. The first year I can honestly say changed my life. The main thing I took from the 2003 faithwalkers conference was to read my Bible daily, and I did for a long while, but then after 6 or 7 months I forgot my priorities. The 2004 faithwalkers could have been a lot better had I not focussed on mingling with my great friends. It was a blast, but I didn't really put anything to practice, but this year was different. Holy smokes! God is so good. Can I just say that I am so thankful for the men and women of Great Commission Ministries who have paved the path for us fellow faithwalkers? This year I took home a lot. It all boils down to me needing to die to myself so that I may be fruitful! I spent the week with my mother and the beautiful Terri Erhardt. I love them both dearly, and I am so thankful they were there to help me grow. I hope to take my gift of faith and someday do missions. Really I just want to follow the Lord where ever he may take me. He's a good God. I just wish everyone could know him the way we know him, because he saves lives, changes lives, heals lives, and loves those who live their lives with his purpose in mind.

"The truth is, a kernel of wheat must be planted in the soil. Unless it dies it will be alone -- a single seed. But its death will produce many new kernels -- a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them."
~John 12: 24-26

Chew on that for a while, and see if it changes your life.

And now it's 2006! I hate writing 6's, but I guess this is the year to perfect it. I hope I have my 6's down by June, because then I'll have to write 6-something-06. For now I'll just worry about January, and take each month as it comes.