OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!

Are you ready? For the big news?

I mean really big news!

I mean change my life news.

It's that big.

And it's good news.



I just saved a bunch on my car insurance by switching to Geico.



Oh....

And Ben and I are ENGAGED!

Yeah I flipped out too. But not so much now. We are getting married!

Ben proposed to me at a local park (so pretty) had flowers for me, and pictures of us and we finished the puzzle, and he had music. We told each other we loved each other and we shared our first kiss and it was magical.

So I'm sure I'll blog about more of the details later - but right now, Internet, you just get a gush of happy, emotions. And pictures:

Don't we look so happy? Cuz we are!

Ben picked out the PERFECT ring.

I really wanted an aquamarine stone and it's beautiful.

Ignore the typos... I only have one arm

I am sitting in an Alabama airport waiting for my plane to arrive. One more business trip done. These conferences are exhausting. Glad I only go to 2-3 a year.

Nothing crazy exciting happened on this trip. Well some bartender at a restaurant thought I was 19 (I'm 23) and some other bartender was willing to serve me champagne without any ID. Whatever.

I decided that my stylish laptop case was not made for a 57 lb laptop (It's gotten heavier throughout the week). I think my laptop case was made for a PDA. You could comfortably carry a PDA, notebook, files and pens in it without feeling like it was sawing your arm off. However, with a laptop, wireless card (because I am crazy cool like that) and power cords - the case DOES saw your arm off. The only good solution for carrying my laptop is one of those nerdy backpacks with wheels.

My friend, Jessica, had one of those in High School. She only used it because her mom bought it for her and she felt bad saying no. So since we were all great friends, we would pull the handle up on it as she wore it on her back and then "steer" her down the hallways. She would laugh and yell at us. It was great fun. She doesn't talk to me anymore....

I am taking tomorrow off of work and relaxing and then this weekend Ben and I are going to visit his Grandparents and visit an amusement park. Such fun.

But the cat came back the very next day....*

It's been a long day and it's not quite over. I am traveling for work this week. Tiring stuff. This is the first time I have posted on the road.... because.... drum.... roll.... I got a wireless card. For my 30 pound laptop. Watch out 20th century I am here.

So the other day I almost skinned my cats. Alive. While boiling them in water. Alive.

It started when I showed up at work and my office smelled horrible but for some reason Stephen didn't smell it. I started to get suspicious and think that it might be me when the stank followed me to every meeting. And every building. It was like this aura of stench hung over me but I was only one who could smell it. Which is good because it smelled nasty.

So I figured that my dryer was on the fritz and had blown this stench all over my clothes. Bummer. I asked my mom, who works with me, to bring some Febreeze when she came in. It was 2pm by the time I could use it but since no one seemed to notice the smell it wasn't a big deal. I figured that the Febreeze would get rid of the smell but boy was I wrong. All it did was remove the thin scent of fabric softener from my pants.

And that's when I realized it; my cats had peed on my pants and I had worn them to work. Yes. I know what you are thinking. I did curl up in a ball under my desk and die. But after that changed into some jeans I had in the car. What an embarrassing day.

When I got home my cats died.

*Anyone know what that is in reference to?

Even sleeping is exciting

I live in a one bedroom apartment with Amberly. It's a pretty big apartment - but it's still cozy with two of us here. We managed to shove a queen bed, a twin bed, two dressers and a night stand into the bedroom. Going to bed and getting up requires a spy-like silence since we both have very different schedules. Amberly is still in school and stays up late and sleeps in when she can. I on the other hand am an old fudy-dudy who works and needs to be in bed early and can't sleep in even when I try. With our schedules we rarely see each other awake - but we do get to witness the craziness that happens when one of us is asleep.

A couple of nights ago I couldn't sleep because my legs were dry and oh-my-I-needed-lotion-right-away! We keep lotion on the floor next to our beds for an occasion such as this. I rolled over, grabbed the bottle and began to put on the lotion. But then I fell asleep in the middle of applying the moisturizing goodness; however, my legs still itched and I kept waking up and putting lotion on and falling asleep before I was done. My brain couldn't remember that I had already used the lotion because every time I woke up my brain screamed "PUT THE LOTION ON NOW. YOUR SKIN IS DRYING UP." I must have applied 7 layers of lotion to my right calf because it's crazy soft.

By the time Amberly had come in I was sleeping with the lotion bottle and had lotion all over my bed. As she was trying to see what I was doing my brain kicked into gear and the lotion cycle began all over again. My leg shot in the air, I smothered some lotion on it and then turned to look at Amberly. I this point I realized that I was laying in bed, sticking my leg in the air and I was covered in lotion. I rolled over and thought to myself "Where did that strange girl come from? I bet I look like an idiot."

About a month ago I woke up to Amberly curled up on the edge of my bed. I don't like people touching me and I don't like people touching my bed so this made me angry and I woke her up with "WHAT in the world are you DOING?" She looked at me and mumbled something and then sheepishly headed back to her bed. And since I am such a great person when I am woken up I growled "Move or I'll kick you in your head." And then I went back to sleep.

In the morning I woke up wondering if all that really happened. "Yes. It happened", explained Amberly. "There was an airplane in my bed so I had to sleep in yours," she stated very matter of factually. She continued with, "I was mad at you for making me sleep with the airplane when you had such a huge bed!" I would be mad at me too.

Oh the excitement in this little apartment!

Downtown

I realize that I haven't blogged much about my involvement with inner-city ministry lately. I am still working with the church plant on the East side and things are going well. They are moving slowly - but they are moving.

If you are free this Saturday a bunch of churches on the East side are working together to paint some houses. You are welcome to come and help. (I know! Churches. As in more than one. Working together! And different denominations too! The unity of the Body of Christ is a beautiful thing.)

Things are also starting to move forward with my church getting involved in ministry downtown. I haven't been able to be too involved with that yet - but I hope to be soon.

Tonight we were discussing the possibility of the church plant purchasing a building. The cost is roughly $100,000. We have NO CLUE where that $100,000 is coming from but when you think about it - a building, a large building for a church for $100,000 is a steal. An absolute steal. I was pondering this during our discussions tonight and it made me sad to think that $100k is a struggle for this church. There are so many churches in this area that have spent millions on extravagant buildings. And I had to wonder if our suburban churches were really being good stewards of our resources.

Are we really sharing with everyone as he has need? Or just as it serves our congregation? We know they need money for churches in Africa but do we notice that the churches and ministries in inner-cities also need funds? Could we do without the designer exterior lighting and purchase a new roof for a struggling inner-city church? Are we leveraging the resources God has given us, or will we be just as guilty as the person who never gave a cent to a church in their life? Do our wealthy churches have just as much a responsibility to give as do our wealthy individuals?

To some extent suburban churches do need to use their resources differently. They are reaching different groups of people. But, is it the building that reaches people or is it the people of the church that reach people? I think it is the people. The building can just help facilitate that.

I do think that the leadership in my church understands the responsibility we have for our resources. I think they are being a great example of how a suburban church can leverage their resources to make an impact for the Kingdom. Props to them.

I know this whole post is so vague and more like nothing than something. These are just my thoughts. And if you know of someone who has an extra $100k laying around - I know a small church that is doing amazing work for the Kingdom that could use it.