Mall of America

Unbelievable...and I am not really a big shopper...but this place is Amazing! There are over 30 places to eat and over 500 stores on four floors anchored by Sears, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Nordstrom's. In the middle is an amusement park with a ferris wheel and roller coaster...16 movie theaters and believe it or not plenty of parking.

I was in Minneapolis for a conference and after the sessions were over for two nights, while my colleagues were our enjoying the nightlife, the Baylor staff headed over to the Mall of America. We didn't even put a dent in this mall, but it was fun to experience it. For you shoppers out there...this is well worth the trip. I suspect that you could spend days in here and not make it to each store...maybe the ones that interested you.

But one interesting thought I had as I dodged people with packages, teens in their herds, and baby strollers, was ... man, we (America) are the picture of desire...maybe even decadence. It is almost embarrasing that we don't think twice about going to get a new outfit for a special occaison and there are people who are half-naked and starving...yet we leave food on our plate all the time. It hit me that we are enamored with stuff. We are busy, but are we doing things that matter in light of eternity? We are loaded with stuff, but do we possess the character qualities that God cares about? We are geared to strive for more, but there are many with so much less that are far more rich. Now don't get me wrong, I am not condemning shopping, but I think for me I will set a "policy" for myself...for each thing I buy, I must give something away. I will not accumulate more than I already have and I will make the effort to simplify and weed out those thing that are extraneous. Hopefully, someone can benefit in some way from those things I choose to give away. You my friends, please hold me to it.

Blackberries & Cream

Blackberry - This is a brand of "smart phone." It will allows users to enjoy email, mobile phone, text messaging, organizer/calendar, contacts and web browser in an all-in-one mobile solution. I broke down and traded in the regular cell phone for a Blackberry. It synchronizes with my computer and the Baylor server instantaneously. My goal was accomplished this past weekend. I was able to leave for a relaxing weekend with friends, leave the laptop at home, and still not return to a jammed inbox. I don't know who thinks of these things or really how any of them work but I am grateful.


Now for the Cream: you have heard of "Cream of the Crop" and "Cream rises to the top" or "Creme de la Cream." All three phrases allude to the best of the best. This picture is of one of my Creams. Trish and I have been friends for over a decade. We met at Kanakuk on my second tour of duty. We are the same age and yet at very different stages in life. She is the Executive Women's Director at Kanakuk Kamps, Inc. She is a mother of three and wife to John. Her two boys love sports and are 100% active. Trish's daugher, Shayla (pictured here) is one of those athletic dancers who enjoys sports (mostly watching her brothers) and all things girl (thus the purple Princess bedroom). As I experienced this weekend, Trish runs the kind of home that I would want to have if I had teenagers. Her house is the place to be. She stocks her panty and refridgerator with food (as a draw I suppose) and opens her home up to all the boys' friends. While I was there for just over 48 hours, over 12 different kids spent time over at the house. Trish bathes her family in prayer. She also covers her staff with prayer. She runs her own Arbonne business while John runs a fireworks business. Both Trish and John have individual identities as well as the "two become one" unity of a couple.



Back to Cream...rarely have I had the opportunity in my life to find a friend that I respect professionally and admire in their personal life. Trish is one of those people to me. We have never lived in the same town, except for those three month stints I was in Branson for the summers. We developed our friendship the very first summer and since that time we have lived well, laughed hard and loved much.

Proverbs 27:17 says "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
Ecclesiates 4:12 says "...a cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

We have been through alot over the years and it has only served to push us to communicate and become stronger. I am thankful for something as insignificant as a blackberry and moreover, someone as priceless as Trish the Dish...she's the Cream!

Miracle of Life

So many of my friends are deeply involved in the Miracle of Life. From those who are GWC (Great With Child) now, to those who have taken a few turns in that seat, to those who are in the stage of teaching the ABC's or the birds and the bees...all who are parents are involved in the Miracle of Life. Our Great Big God is the Giver and Sustainer of Life. He says in John 11:25 "I am the Resurrection and the Life."

God has been the Creator since the dawn of time. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. In fact, He is infinite and we are finite. We cannot understand how or when or why about birth. That is why we come to Him in faith. There are so many amazing miracle stories of conception through birth among my friends. In fact, several of my friends are presently GWC now, watching that baby grow as each week passes. I am so thankful for their stories of pain and patience, faith and family. Three of my friends are all due within about two weeks of each other: Elizabeth, Hope, and Kristin. October will be a month of celebration for sure. Three other of my friends are parents of toddlers and spend their days chasing little ones around the home teaching all along the way.



I have one friend in particular who has experienced the most recent miracle. Six years ago, Angel finally gave birth to her son Parker. She stayed in the hospital for a cumulative total of three months prior to her C-section. When Parker was born, he spent 2.5 weeks in the hospital. Six years later, after several pregnancies and miscarriages, Angel and Gary decided to pursue adoption. They got a call to visit with a pregnant young woman. Within 2 weeks, she gave birth and they were the new parents of Addison. Less than two weeks later, Angel found out she was GWC. Eight months later, she gave birth to Jackson (see picture). This time around, she had zero complications (except for the time that Addison decided to start crawling at seven months!) and took Jackson home as a healthy, strong baby boy.

All this to agree with the song, "God is Good ~ All the Time ~ ~ ~ All the Time ~ God is Good!"

Easter Sunday Traditions

Easter Sunday 2007...with snow the day before Easter, it was different than any other from the standpoint of weather. However, the Easter Sunday service at First Woodway had several traditions that have always been meaningful to me. As we sang a melody of hymns about the Cross: Crown Him with Many Crowns, We Fall Down, and Crown Him King of Kings, children ages 5-12 walked up and laid a crown at the foot of the cross. The lump in my throat grew so large that I could not sing aloud. As my heart sang the words of these powerful songs, I had two thoughts: 1) I am so thankful that we are teaching our children to approach the foot of the cross and lay things down...an act of worship and submission, and 2) What is it that I need to lay down today? Am I willing?

As I spent the afternoon with my sweet nieces, McKenna and Mia, I found myself thankful to worship a King who came to earth to make a way for all of us to spend eternity with Him. I am also thankful that our King is personal and desires a relationship with us here on earth prior to us spending eternity with Him. He is the King of Glory. He is risen. He is Lord. I hope your Easter was meaningful and memorable.

Easter Snow Bunnies

Unstinkin' Believable!!! Instead of Frosty the Snowman, we are building Floppy the Easter Snow Bunny....I am not sure just yet how long it has been since it snowed in Central Texas in April. I mean really now, we are already enjoying the Bluebonnets and now it snows (1st picture). It started snowing this afternoon at about 12:30 and it is supposed to snow through the night. Who knew that I would be able to build a fire and enjoy the snow in April?


So let's see...this time last week it was flooding, three days ago it was 84 degrees and sunny, and of course today it is snowing...you know what they say: "This is Texas, if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute and it will change."

Here's the proof. What in the Phat World?

Water Water Everywhere

It has rained 10 inches in the past week here in the Heart of Texas. We had been in drought conditions since the summer and officials had already started discussing water rations for next summer. Then the sky opened up and began to rain down....I can't do the math but here are the numbers: 10 inches of rain, the Bosque River rose 22 feet, Lake Waco is up 12 feet (and I am not going to show any pictures of how high the grass and weeds are). Here you can see my driveway (which looks like a river) and the front of our land down by the road...which the water ran over.

Our little Marina on campus was flooded with motor boats sinking, tethered sailboats standing on end, and just down Lake Brazos, our river boat the Brazos Bell went down when their pumps wouldn't work. Thank goodness it was tethered. I felt sorry for the Chi Omegas who were supposed to have their formal on the Brazos Belle on Friday night.



What do I take away from all of this? Besides the green trees and growing grass, I am reminded of Jesus story of the two foundations in Matthew 7:24-27. "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock." How much better we have it who build our house upon the ROCK. He is our firm foundation when the winds of life blow and the trials rain down, and the flood of emotions and consequences come...we know Who we believe and believe that He is able to deliver us.