Wild Goose Chase - This month's MUST read

A little while ago I was told about a book called Wild Goose Chase. It is a book all about reclaiming the adventure of pursuing God. Now being one who doesn't regularly seek adventure the idea was a little bit scary yet felt "controllable" since I would just be reading a story. Well I'll be honest, it has taken me right at a year to get the story read, in fact even after purchasing the book I found that it still sat beside the bed. Was I that afraid of adventure that I was even afraid of reading the book?  I don't know if that was it or I convinced myself that I didn't have the time.....so I bought the audio. I spend a fair amount of time driving and there are only so many times you can hear the same 5 songs on Top 40 radio. Needless to say, I am now about half way through the book and there have been few others that have hit me in the same way. I don't want this to be a book report so I will just tell you a few things about the book, thus far.

In Wild Goose Chase, Mark identifies six cages inverted Christians can get locked inside: responsibility, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure, and fear by examining the lives and ministry of Nehemiah, Abraham, Moses, Peter, Paul and Jonathon. It's not a book of theology but more of a challenge for you to look at your life, your passion and the things that you have allowed to become a normal part of your thought processes. The book almost dares you to live a life more radical in every way.  If you are finding yourself at a crossroads, professionally or personally or if you just need a end of summer reading option I would DEFINITELY pick it up.

Unsure if you want to try it? Sample chapter for free. Chase the Wild Goose - Sample Chapter

I Love Gifts!

A little known fact about myself. I Love Gifts! Now before you dismiss me as greedy, I should elaborate. I love GIVING gifts. It most definitely is my love language. As I have been in this time of limited resources I am reminded daily how much I enjoy this. I actually don't even enjoy giving gifts on "expected" occasions like birthday's or Christmas, but would much rather surprise my friends on a random Tuesday. I don't know why, I haven't fully analyzed what it means about me, but I thought I would share.

FINALS

I am in the midst of finals and just had to say that this is the absolute WORST way to determine what students actually know. I have been going off of three or four hours of sleep for the past few days and trying to cram everything it has taken these experts 4 months to teach. Then within two hours they expect me to be able to put it all in the right order on endless lines and bubbles. I know I am not the first person to realize this but I wish that someone would make it all end.

Exhausted

Wow! This has been a crazy year. (Not 2011, but the last 12 months) I have successfully completed another year of school which leaves me with 3 semesters. But that has only been part of it. Between school, my family, my finances, my jobs and my friends I find myself feeling like this statue more than I would like to admit.

Honestly I have found myself more lost and yet certain of where I am supposed to be then ever before. At the end of my rope and completely out of control but this is more restful then anything else. When there are very few options and you can't see a lot of light in any direction you start to get used to the darkness. Now before you start to dial that suicide hot-line or call me a good life counselor I should share that there have been a lot of good things. I have begun to understand and experience a relationship with God like never before. A more loving and accepting God rather then a schoolmarm with a ruler and a poster size 10 commandments. I have learned that I am a lot smarter and capable of doing things I never thought I could handle. Also, I have found myself with more boldness in situations that I would typically be timid and then timid in situations I would have been more bold. Maybe my personality is changing or maybe that's what happens when you get worn down.

So as we head in to the summer I have made some new decisions. First, I can't do everything on my own. I am learning to be more transparent with those that God has placed in my life, even when it seems most embarrassing. Cutting myself a break far more often. I try really hard at everything that I do, I mean REALLY hard and I'm going to accept that that has to be enough. I am going to be taking some time off school, just the summer, but a break none the less. That ever expanding brain or mine is tired and in desperate need of a break, as is my ever shrinking wallet, so I will be working as much as I can.

I pray that these three months will give me time to laugh, dream of what's to come and find myself in a lot more of a peaceful place. Let's see how it goes.

The illogical in the world of a very logical girl

I am a very logical person, and I have always been. For better or worse I have never been able to escape that voice in the back of my mind telling me that one option was safer than the other, and for me the safe one was the only one that really made sense. For most of my life that has served me well and has been of great comfort. For many reasons over the last few years nothing has seemed to be as cut and dry anymore. While that should seem disconcerting to a non-risk taker as myself, I have really learned that my analytical way of approaching things was only really ever in my head. The times when I thought I had control, in fact I never really did.

Lately this has been a very comical experience as my life has been in a state of change and it has really revealed what I actually believe about the nature of God, not my belief in God, but my awareness of who He is. When viewed in the context of a loving Father, the impossible is absolutely possible. And it makes me wonder, do we limit God and the power that he has in our life by applying our small-mindedness or is our understanding just limited. I don't want to live with those limitations any more. No limitations as I try to fulfill the checklist I have made for myself or those made for me. There is such an overwhelming of freedom that washes over me, even as I type those words. It's exhilarating to think about what can happen in and through my life as I try to step out of the way of myself. The best part is that even if nothing in my life changes, from this point on, I have learned to love it as is. Without hesitation or regret.

Maybe this is what comes from turning 30, the wisdom of this silly age, or maybe it's just another major change in my life and mind and God continues to show off. We will have to see...

A break from all seriousness - Best Pranks I ever pulled

So when I tried to pull together the finalists for my favorite pranks ever it became a little tricky. Partially because I think I am forgetting some of them (which is epically sad) and secondly because I just can't choose between them all so we will go through the top two that I can remember, which we can add to with your memories.

1- Chelsea's 13th Birthday: A yard full of 13 flamingo's. Slightly tacky, but definitely the embarrassing surprise to the teenage world that I was going for and a guarantee that she never again looks at a flamingo the same way again.

2 - Okay, another would be a workplace prank. While working at an un-named music company,we had a group of people that had become a little too comfortable working together. So one night a group of girls just thought that we would TP, that's toilet paper to those of us in the "Biz", but when we got down there and got working on it we were inspired. We replaced their pens with tampons, disconnected their keyboards, changed their computer passwords only after putting annoying children's music on repeat. Filled their coffee cups full of marshmallows and probably a dozen more things that I can't think of now. Their offices were a wreak, nothing was damaged mind you, just altered.....redecorated if you will.  For good measure we also trailed a roll of toilet paper out of the office and down the hall.

There are SO many more and I will probably add more posts along these lines, but these were the two that popped in my head. What are your best pranks? I want some fresh ideas.

wandering

I am up at 3am pondering what's next for my life. I am sitting, pencil and paper in hand, and trying to make plans for the future and I have a sensation I haven't experienced in many years. I can clearly remember a particular elevator ride at my first job, about 10 years ago. The doors closed, I took a deep breath and said to myself, "I feel so grown up, I hope that they don't figure out that I don't belong here". That job taught me what I would LOVE to do. It made me feel completely alive. Everything seemed to come together and click. As I write down different options for my future I am thrilled to be experiencing a similar sensation and its energizing. While I can't see the whole path before me and there are still a LOT of questions, everything just feels right. I know that God does provide, and my life is a perfect example of that. So I will continue to put one foot in front of another. Who knows, the path MAY end up going exactly like the paper says that it will. Here's a very hopeful heart believing.