truck-or-treat

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! In a tribute to the most fattening holiday ever, we started the day off right with the breakfast of champions: kit-kats! We spent most of the morning in our jammies. Presley invited us into her room for a sing along/dance party. Holly busted out the video camera and we got some priceless footage of the singer/songwriter herself!

Jason & Kevin worked outside moving things, mowing (Kevin LOVES to mow with a riding lawn mower!), giving tractor rides. I appreciate this part of MN. The beauty of the fall still surrounds us. Walking through the leaves in my burnt yellow fall jacket, going on adventures through the grove with Presley, last minute tricks on the trampoline before it gets stored away for the winter, and a trip up to the hay loft with a door that opens to expose the acreage from a whole new vantage point. Home is a beautiful place to be.

The girls were looking extra adorable in their Halloween shirts, so we grabbed a cute leaf covered chair and got the best picture of the two of them yet! SUIT UP! It’s time to go truck-or-treating! No, that’s not a typo. Presley says truck instead of trick. It’s too cute to correct her. We woke up as Presley, Madison, Auntie, and Kevin, but ended the night as Super Cheerleader, Minnie Mouse, Kelly Kapowski, & Zack Morris (from Saved by the Bell, for you old timers). Cheek cheers were a must, so we got out some eyeliner & stick on earrings and drew them on. Presley was excited she got to wear some of mommy’s makeup. We drove to Worthington to begin the fun. A stop a Grandma Norma’s was a must. She lives in an apartment complex, so all the residents move into one room, pile all their candy together, and enjoy seeing ALL the kids. What a wonderful idea. Then Kevin and I made a quick treat stop at Mike & Patty Traphagen’s house. We were their first trick-or-treaters. Not surprising though considering it was 5:00!

My mom invited the troops over for homemade pizza & ice cream cake. Eric and I busted out our letter jackets so we could be as cool as Kevin. Of course, we had to stop and get a photo of the cuteness. We hit up a few houses around Grandma Sue's house and loaded up on candy. Well, Presley did, the rest of us went along for moral support. I think she enjoyed handing out candy to the kids more than actually getting some for herself. What an adorable little one! Thank you, God, for a beautiful evening, for family and for kind neighbors.

super auntie!

No time to sleep in. Kevin, Madison and I got to take Presley to preschool for the costume party at her school. She was so proud to give us directions in the car, show us where to go in at, and bring us in the classroom. I was so proud to see her listening, singing, and learning so happily. She wasn’t distracted one bit by our presence. We got to help with the games, pass out treats, and visit with other young moms/aunties/grandmas who were there to see their kids too. Presley picked Taco John’s for our lunch date, so we went to Grandma Sue’s work to eat it with her. Then we made a trip to Grandma’s to take some pictures outside, and then drove home. We were all pretty exhausted by this point. The girls had fallen asleep in the car, so we carried them in to their beds, and all took a nap. Holly came home and made us chicken & broccoli braid (my favorite thing she makes), so we ate fast and cleared the table for the fun fest: PUMPKIN CARVING!

We spent the evening playing in the living room with the new drawing board Kevin brought Presley. She was doing portraits of all of us; she has some mad talent! Madison is boldly walking behind toys, so I did what any loving auntie would do, and TOOK IT FROM HER! :) She ended up taking 4 steps on her own! It was Thursday evening that I heard the phrase that I (unbelievably) missed so much. Presley ran to the bathroom and yelled, “I’M DONE!” Holly yells back, “Who do you want to wipe you?” “AUNTIE!” She hadn’t forgotten me!

home sweet home!

zzz…not enough sleep! 4:00 a.m. came WAY too early this morning. I only slept for 4 hours. Amy Luhmann was raring to go at 5:00 to bring me to the airport. It only took us about 30 minutes to get to Bob Hopeless airport in Burbank (no free wi-fi). I sat there and finished up a few necklaces I was making for the girls, and got ready to board the plane. I walked through a door that I thought would take me to the jetway, but it took me to the blacktop. We had to CLIMB up stairs to get on the plane. This was a first for me. I was tempted to stop at the top of the stairs and pretend to be President Amber!

I got lucky enough to have the most amazing seat neighbor on the plane. A fellow 25 year old woman named Julie Jacobson sat down next to me and delighted me with her presence the entire way. We got to talk about everything, from work & families, to boyfriends and future pregnancy. She rocked. She’s from Alaska, and was flying into Salt Lake City, UT to see her boyfriend of 6 months whom she hadn’t seen in a year! She was nervous. So, my stomach started to hurt for her! I offered to beat her down to baggage claim and get the whole reunion documented with my camera, but she said she was nervous enough. I’ve always wanted that moment for myself—I couldn’t imagine someone else wouldn’t want the footage of that to look back on and laugh at! Different strokes! It was such a positive affirmation of the amazing work that God does through other people—people EVERYWHERE! I’m sure we’d be best buddies if we lived in the same area. Either way, we exchanged facebook names and are sure to keep up on there! Thank you God for a normal airplane buddy.

I’m writing this entry from gate B1 at the SLC airport. Unfortunately, I have a 3.5 hour layover here before I fly to Minneapolis. My tummy is growling, and I’m resisting the urge to go grab a Cinnabon roll or a big fat donut from Krispy Kreme. People watching is too entertaining. I brought loads of work to do, but because I can hardly keep my eyes open, I don’t want to do a pitiful job on important stuff. I’m gonna go grab a snack and then find a clear patch of carpet for a quick nap. Only a few hours to go!

I waited for Kevin outside the MSP airport, when all of a sudden I saw a white Chevy Malibu pulling up—one arm sticking out with a dozen roses hoisted high in the air! What a guy! We hopped in the car and began our journey to Worthington. We stopped in Mankato to see my dad and dear friend Karishma. We grabbed a quick bite to eat, exchanged lots of hugs, and then we got back on the road. The last 5 miles were the worst…I could hardly sit still. I wanted to cry, scream, cheer, all of the above. I could cry right now just thinking about how awesome it was to see Holly, Presley & Madison cheering and jumping with excitement. The welcome signs, tears, and screams were the best ever! We stayed up for a while to play “lions,” and of course try on our Halloween costumes for fun! YAY for family!

dolphins, sea lions, & birds...oh my!

Are you sitting down? I hope so! Today was the best surfing day of them all! I rode the biggest wave yet, and rocked it all the way to the shore. This was the first time I really sat on the top of the wave and dropped into it. I'll never forget it. To make matters better, it was like a wildlife safari out there! I saw a whole family of dolphins splashing and playing around. They were jumping out of the water far enough that I could see their eyes and mouths. A sea lion got pretty close again...swimming around with his head poked out of the water, and the pelicans continued to dive bomb into the water in an attempt to catch fish. It's quite a scene out there. For whatever reason, I feel safer now with a full suit and booties. I guess I figure it's more material for the sea lions to sink their teeth through, so I'm not so scared. It's amazing to walk out into 3 foot deep ocean water, and not even feel the cold water. Of course it seeps through eventually, but man, full suits + booties = pretty awesome!

I began packing my bags this afternoon. I'm pretty sure I can check one bag for free this time home, and with all the different photo shoots we have to do, including my Halloween costume, it's a good thing I can! Less than 24 hours!

I had a wonderful supper tonight with 4 other young women from GS. Laura #1, Kelly, Karly, & Laura #2. Laura #1 is getting married in two weeks in FLORIDA, so we wanted to celebrate and treat her to supper at a fabulous Italian restaurant just blocks from the church. Karly just got engaged on Monday, so it was also a chance to celebrate with her! I'm so thankful for the young people here who have so graciously welcomed me into their lives. It'd be much harder to be here if they hadn't.

Well, it's time for my last meeting before my big day of travel tomorrow. The Intern Task Force strikes again! :)

what's her secret?

I can't believe I did it. The one thing I swore I'd never do, I did today. I am feeling guilty about it, even at this moment. I went to Victoria's Secret this morning and bought a bra for $35!! That's A LOT of money! I went to the mall in a last minute attempt to find a red shirt for our family Christmas photos, and walked out with NO shirt, and the most expensive undergarment I've ever purchased! What's wrong with this picture?

Then, I spent 5.5 hours in meetings today. I have a list about 20 items long that I need to get done by tomorrow evening. I can't check things off my list if I'm in a meeting! AHH! This blog is going to be mighty short because of it. Holly sent me a blog update today that showed a photo of Madison walking! HOLD ON BABY! I'll be home in two days to see it for myself! 48 hours to go!

I've had this song on my heart for the last couple of days. I heard it sung live at the NYWC in Sacramento, and I constantly find myself humming the sweet melody.

Belonging- by Kendall Payne

I believe in something;

it's been a long time coming.

It may not mean that much to you,

but it means all the world to me.

I'm belonging somewhere;

it took time to get here.

And now that I've become part of you,

I never want to leave.

It would've worked as a sermon illustration this week for the Calling of Levi. It works for me too. Each day changes me. I fight it at times, because the things I see are not what I want to become. It's definitely been a long time coming. I got the chance to huddle with some young adults tonight, and was struck by the fact that I found myself talking about vision. Planning, strategizing, setting goals: not any of my strong points. Some of the ideas I have (which lend to my apostolic ways) are ones I feel have been a long time coming, and they do mean so much to me. The ideas for the young adult community play into that sense of belonging. I hope down the road that it'll be a place of love that when it's time to go home, I'll never want to leave.

a bunch of characters

Whew! Is this day over yet? It’s been a crazy one, to say the least!

My alarm went off at 5:45 a.m. And, sadly it wasn’t a surfing alarm. I gave my second sermon this morning at the 8:00 worship service. Dana Barker (my good friend who just had brain surgery and is doing well—thank you, God), met me at the door with a gift and a cute little card. It had a picture of naked babies sitting in flower pots. The inside of the card said, “8:00 folks aren’t so bad. Just picture them naked…in pots!” Thanks for the tip, Dana!

Honestly, I’m walking away from this one saying, “Well, eventually one is going to suck.” Despite the fact that I practiced it tons of times, it still just didn’t feel right. Of course, it didn’t help that the whole intro to the sermon was ruined because of a microphone glitch: we had just gotten done watching a video clip about the first planes to break the sound barrier, I hopped up to speak, and in and out it went. Lea came up to switch mics with me, and someone jokingly yelled out, “You broke the sound barrier!” Too funny. But unfortunately, I had a hard time getting back into the groove after the unexpected frazzle. There were times I looked out at the congregation—one dude was sleeping—and I thought, “God, are you sure you can use me in this ministry?” 8:00 is a tougher crowd, that’s for sure. I still heard gobs of praise after the service, but you know how it is when you’re not convinced it was all that great. This photo was taken I believe when I was saying, "Is it just me, or does this alb do nothing for my figure?" Not to mention the fact that I was sweating profusely by the end of the service! Albs = boo! One small victory: 8:00 worship got out ON TIME! I tried really hard to stick to the time chart, and did it! Baby steps!

I went back to my office in between services and found a HUGE cinnamon muffin sitting on my desk! Someone figured out my love language! GIFTS (of food!). I still don’t know who left it there…I’ll play detective tomorrow and see if the culprit comes forward to receive the thanks due to them! Kelly Luhmann brought over her cheerleading uniform from high school, so good news! I get to be a cheerleader for Halloween (just like Presley). The uniform even has Kelly’s name embroidered on it, so I’m thinking Kevin and I can go as Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski (from Saved by the Bell!) He’s probably dusting off his old letter jacket as we speak! I’m going to be home in exactly 3 days!

If any of you back home are concerned I’m turning into a different person while living in CA, rest assured, I’m not. Here’s proof of it. I said about 4 lines today that were off the wall inappropriate for worship. I said the while my mic was on, while standing in front of the congregation. Read on if you want a good laugh:

“Good Golly, I’m done. Stand up and let’s sing our praises to God.”
“If you’re a visitor today, we’re just so stinkin’ glad you’re here.”
“It’s actually ok that my microphone isn’t working, I don’t like Star Trek and didn’t have anything good to say about that clip anyway!”

I catch flak for all this jargon, but it’s reassuring to me, that I’m being exactly who God made me to be. If worship can’t make my speech better, I don’t know what will!

Kelly and I finished getting the backdrop set up for tonight, and practiced our "pretty faces" as we tested the light. Here are a few funny ones to share:

Finally, after months of preparation, the costume carnival was underway! Over 300 kids came to the festivities. I saw more spiderman, batman, and princess Jasmine costumes than I care to think about! Every character under the sun! I took hundreds of photos, acted like a complete fool, but got some incredible pictures because of it. Not surprisingly, the printers that we tried using to print the photos started freezing up and being slow. Luckily, folks were understanding and waited for them. This gave me a few minutes to pause and evangelize to these visitors. Better yet, for those who didn't want to wait around for their photo: this gives them an excuse to come on campus again to pick them up! Sneaky, right? :) The whole thing is put on by student ministries youth and staff. I loved seeing young people leading games, interacting with kids, and talking to strangers! What an incredible outreach event it has become.

At the end of the night, I had to run over to our 7:00 worship service and didn’t have time to change my outfit. So, Amber the pirate showed up to do the thematic intro. It got a few laughs, that’s for sure. Then, I ran back to the carnival and took a group photo of all the volunteers. Man, it’s been a great day. Thanks be to God for all the children and their families who stepped foot on our campus this day.

finito!

Well, my sermon is complete. It's been a long day of writing, practicing, and powerpointing, but it's complete. There's only so much prep I can do. I realized yesterday that Kevin and I (even with the time difference) will be preaching at the same time! How exciting!

I got to take a break this afternoon and help get the photo station set up for the Costume Carnival. Stephanie and I tried carting huge hay bales around, and eventually got covered in it! I'll put some finishing touches on it after worship tomorrow, and wait for the kids to come around 4:30. Last year, there were over 300 kids there...so I better get in 'goofy mode' to make the pictures quick and fun for all of us!

Kelly Luhmann and I walked over to Rascals tonight for a chicken teriyaki bowl...mmm...Amy Luhmann (ah, sisters) works at Rascals, so I hoped to get a cute picture of her behind the counter. She was off work by the time we got there, so Kelly graciously posed with me for a picture to document the fun! Then, we went back to her house and ate with the whole fam! My first supper (YES, supper, not dinner) at someone else's home since I got here. It's fun to see where different people live and spend time with them in the comfort of their own home. I hope to do more of this while I'm here. HINT HINT! Invite me over folks! If I don't get invited, I'm going to start doing what Jesus did to Zacchaeus and say, "Hey, I'm coming to your house today!" There, you've all been warned! :)

I need to pick out my outfit for church tomorrow, and get my booty to bed. For whatever reason, I've got the Billy Joel song 'Lyllabye' stuck in my head. I'll leave you with that tonight:

Goodnight, my angel

Time to close your eyes

And save these questions for another day

I think I know what you've been asking me

I think you know what I've been trying to say

I promised I would never leave you

And you should always know

Wherever you may go

No matter where you are

I never will be far away.

Goodnight, my angel

Now it's time to sleep

And still so many things I want to say

Remember all the songs you sang for me

When we went sailing on an emerald bay

And like a boat out on the ocean

I'm rocking you to sleep

The water's dark and deep inside this ancient heart

You'll always be a part of me.

Goodnight, my angel

Now it's time to dream

And dream how wonderful your life will be

Someday your child may cry

And if you sing this lullabye

Then in your heart

There will always be a part of me

Someday we'll all be gone

But lullabyes go on and on...

They never die

That's how you

And I

Will be.

one two three...break!

Since I am kicking some major butt on this sermon of mine, I am stopping to fill you in on a few exciting things:

1. I am going home in 5 days!

2. Presley doesn't like pirates, so I may be stuck wearing that silly Super woman costume. :(

3. I bought a plane ticket home for Christmas! $350. That's the lowest it's been in a long while, so I went for it. Watch, tomorrow it'll drop to $200. I am flying the red-eye on Christmas Day. Kevin gets to pick me up at 6:00 a.m. Lucky duck! 9 days of MN winter! YIPPEE!

4. My room managed to stay clean today!

5. I ate the last Lean Cuisine meal today, and am getting some different healthy food at the store tomorrow. (It's never a good idea to buy 10 frozen meals at once--no matter how good the deal is.)

6. Holly informed me that I'm taking Presley to preschool on the day of their Halloween carnival, so I get to stay and play with the kids if I want to.

7. Both my family and the Bergesons are pumped about taking new family photos while I'm home. So, another mission before my flight on Wednesday: find a sweet/festive red shirt.

8. My sermon is going way better this time than last! SUCCESS!

Alright, back to business. Love you all!

working from rest

That's how God wants it to be. We're not supposed to rest from our work. We work from our rest. It seems, in America, we've got this whole thing backwards!

Last night, I took some time to rest, and because I did, today I am much more capable of working. I've only written one paragraph of my sermon so far, but feel confident that because I taught Jacob's Well this week (a Bible Study on the preaching text), I am further along than I think. Bill and Jane cooked steak and potatoes last night and invited me to join them. This is only the second time we've had a meal together. We're all too busy to even think about eating. I also got a chance to catch up with Hannah, my fellow intern in AZ. Ah, how I miss the days of Nanner and Ming-Ming.

5:50 a.m. alarm. Bob read the surf report last night and saw that the waves were going to be chest to head high today. I was nervous the whole way to the beach. That's high for me. As we rounded the corner to pull into the beach parking lot, a huge sigh of relief came over me. The forecast was wrong. They were only waist high! YES! I got out my brand new wetsuit and even wore my booties just for fun. What a difference! I could've stayed out there for hours, and would've been plenty warm. The only problem: I think my wetsuit might be too big. Water was making its way in and sloshing around a little. Unfortunately, you cannot return them once you've worn them in the water, so I guess I'll just have to make due! I stood up on a few waves. Definitely starting to get the hang of it. Because I got sick on Sunday, this was my first time surfing in over a week. I could tell. My arms got tired pretty quickly, and I had forgotten all the safe/smart surfing tips that I was unconsciously doing. Today was a reality check! I got tossed, pulled, thrown around like no other day. I know Holly loves it when I share stories like this: my leash got tangled around my feet at one point (like I was tied up), and because the wave was so big, I was literally upside down under the water, and couldn't get turned around. I eventually got right side up, but by that time, another wave came, and prevented me from surfacing. It's hard to say how long I was actually under. Maybe 8 seconds, but dang, when you're down there, it feels like a couple of minutes. There always has to be a near death experience to keep the thrill there.

Oh, speaking of near death experiences: Bob almost had one today. BECAUSE OF ME! We were all riding in on a final wave. Bob was right in front of me. For fun, I decided to try to catch the white water in. It worked. I got up on my board, but Bob was still right in front of me. Luckily, I had enough board sense to hop off, grab it, and prevent it from ramming him. He hopped up to avoid me, and rode his board into the shore until it rammed into the sand. He couldn't see that I had it all under control. Not my laughing, but the board.

Time to get working on my sermon, but before I do, I need your help. I can't decide which costume to wear. Please vote on your favorite by commenting below. They're all pretty hysterical if you ask me!

cleansing the soul

Meetings are starting to bug me. They take HOURS. I wonder if churches realize how much outreach could happen during that time! :) I say: stop planning, start doing. It's during staff meetings that I notice my lack of voice. I'm new...so I try to just listen, and add input when I feel compelled to. Today was one of those days. I work in close quarters with many of the office people as my office has no door, no privacy, no earplugs. Because I have gotten to know these office folks well, and because they so freely express their care for me, I tend to try to express my care for them by backing them up in meetings. This isn't working so well. I'm reminded that we're all grown-ups, and need to take care of ourselves. Lesson learned.

After a quick lunch, Cindi, Gloria and I set out down the street to hand out more Costume Carnival flyers. There were tons of kids and parents running around, and amazingly, no one refused the postcard. I'm an evangelist, shoot, it wouldn't bother me either way. But, really, who would refuse a postcard with info about a FREE carnival? Free candy, Free games, and a chance to have your photo taken by yours truly! :) There were a number of parents sitting in their cars waiting for their children to be dismissed, so I went up to them and handed the card through the window. My favorite line of the day, "You're giving them cards in their cars?" This came from Cindi. Bless her heart. I walked around the corner and saw my fellow evangelist (Gloria) doing the same thing--her arm stretched in a car window! This is a huge outreach opportunity for the church. We order 3,000 postcards, and they need to get out. I keep a stack handy at all times so I can accidently leave them at random places! :)

I left work early today to find myself on my hands and knees in my bathroom. My room/bathroom looked like a bomb went off, so there I was, scrubbing the floor and killing about 10 spiders that seemed to find their way into my room (eventhough I keep my door and windows closed at all times!). There's something so satisfying about cleaning. I rearranged a few things in my room: got rid of a table I never used, moved all the shower building supplies into the shower, and moved my desk. My bedding is in the wash, as well as 3 weeks worth of laundry. Everything comes out in the wash. I feel better now.

As I was unpacking my luggage from NYWC (I know, that was 2 weeks ago-that's how crazy it's been here), I pulled out a free bandana that I was given given. It's brown with a light blue design on the front--blue doves (which is funny, Kevin calls me "dove"). On the reverse side, the word FREEDOM is printed with multiple scripture passages to back it up. I'm reminded of the freedom that comes from letting go. I'm also reminded of the growth that happens when my grip is loosened. Last night at Catch the Fire (a Holy Spirit driven worship service), I got this incredible image of home. Minnesota in the fall. Of the trees and the leaves that need to let go. Some of them hold on until it's too cold, and the tree doesn't grow in good time come spring. Those who submit are the ones that achieve immense strength and growth months later. I can relate to the leaves. I'm ready to bond with them next week.

smoothie anyone?

Would someone please shut off the blender? I've been stuck in it for the last month and a half, and could really use a few moments to just chill out. Seriously, it's one thing after another around here. I haven't had a day to take care of ME in over two weeks. After spending two weekends in a row working with no day off, I'm about as far on empty as humanly possible. But there's nothing I can do about it. Thanks be to God, Jacob's Well was a success (eventhough I talk a mile a minute, and need to figure out how to slow down), I got to be in on the "Reel Story" interview today, and that was a lot of fun, but now it's on to the next thing: my sermon for Sunday. I have a pile of things to do that reaches up to my neck! SAVE ME!

Luckily, there have been some joys lately that have kept me sane. As you can see, my book shelf behind my desk has gained LOTS of color. The thanks for that goes to Holly and Kevin for the many cards they send to me. I get one a week from my sister. Thank goodness she knows how to speak my love language. Also, Dena Bricker, a GS member, brought over a huge box of Halloween costumes for me to choose from: a pirate, some Star Wars character (not voting for this one), superwoman, Dorothy, & the Devil. She is so thoughtful. Now it's just a matter of choosing which one it'll be. Any thoughts?

This afternoon, I drove down to the YMCA to check it out and to look into a membership. I keep forgetting that it doesn't get cold here, so if all I plan to do is swim and run, I can do that for free outside, or for a few bucks at the plunge. We'll see what happens. I really went down there to secretly drop off some flyers for our costume carnival this Sunday. There were hundreds of kids and their parents running around for lessons, in the pool, climbing the rock wall, I mean, seriously, this is an evangelists dream come true. Then, I made a quick trip to the Salvation Army, and found a few cute shirts for cheap. This was my attempt at self-care for the day. Then, I ran back home, ate fast, was 15 minutes late for a worship service that I thought started at 7:30, left early because I was frustrated, and now here I am...in bed...legs aching from a long day, and ready to throw in the towel. One week until rest!

sermon alert!

For those of you who have been waiting to hear my first sermon online, it's now available on the LCGS website. Just scroll down to the "Light-Bringer" sermon. This is the first of 5 sermons which make reference to the Ephesians 4: 7 & 11 text: "But to each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers."

Warning: I did the whole first part without a manuscript, therefore, my use of the word "like" got a little out of control! I've been praying that God removes this word from my vocabulary by this Sunday! Southern California has not been positively influencing my vocab! But, I have become a little more extemporaneous, so that's a plus! Enjoy!