Blogging

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Wow

I have just spent the morning living vicariously through someone else's mission trip. As if it's not hard enough to learn everyone's names and faces (together, correctly) on your own trip (where you at least already know yourself—kind of)—try to start from scratch on someone else's trip! It's tough. Compassion has sent bloggers to Uganda. They are there seeing the work Compassion does and then sharing it on their blogs. Please join me in following their journey, praying for them and if you can, sponsoring a child. Just reading their blogs, looking at their pictures and watching their videos makes me "homesick" for Africa. I can see the faces, feel the air and smell Africa through their blogs. This is a good thing they're doing. We were challenged at Apex last night by Shane Claiborne to evaluate what we are doing for "the least of these." This is an excellent way to start! Here are Compassion's bloggers:

Carlos Whittaker

Chris Elrod

Doug Van Pelt

Heather Whittaker

Phil Ware

Randy Elrod

Shaun Groves

Sophie "BooMama"

Anne Jackson

Shannon "RocksInMyDryer"

David Kuo

Tom Emmons

Spence Smith

Keely Scott

Brian Seay

Stop in and let them know what a great thing they're doing and that you're praying for them. Better yet, share your Compassion story if you have one.

The Road to the Oscars Part 2

There were so many options for deciding on dresses! I think I WAY overthought this. Should I look for dresses I like? Should I look for unique Oscar dresses? Should I study pictures of what each girl has worn in the past and try to find on in their own style? And the options go on and on. I finally decided for a mixture. Mostly they will be dresses I liked for some reason as well as some "strikinly unique" Oscar-worthy dresses sure to cause discussion for weeks after the fact!




Metallic chic







Chanel





Armani


















Ann Klein









The 80's are back!

The Road to the Oscars Part 1

As mentioned in a previous post, I am going to post pics of Oscar dresses that I think should have/will make it to The Oscars. We're holding out hope that there will be an awards show and not just a teleconference. I will post one part every Friday up until the big night. Today is a preview of the actresses nominated (plus two).


Amy Ryan "Acress in a Supporting Role" for Gone Baby Gone






Cate Blanchett "Actress in a Supporting Role" for I'm Not There AND "Actress in a Leading Role" for Elizabeth:The Golden Age










Ellen Page "Actress in a Leading Role" for Juno






Jennifer Garner (not nomitated, but I love her!) in Juno







Julie Christie "Actress in a Leading Role" for Away From Her






Keira Knightley (not nominated but isn't she beautiful!) in Atonement







Laura Linney "Actress in a Leading Role" for The Savages






Marion Cotillard "Actress in a Leading Role" for La Vie En Rose






Ruby Dee "Actress in a Supporting Role" for American Gangster






Saoirse Ronan "Actress in a Supporting Role" for Atonement







Tilda Swinton "Actress in a Supporting Role" for Michael Clayton







Wow, that's an amazing list of women. What talent in one list! Stay tuned, next week--dresses!!!

The Oscars Are Coming

The Church Being the Church

Our HC is going through Acts right now. We are being reminded that everywhere Paul went they gathered the Church together for encouragement. "Church" isn't a place, a building, a particular body or denomination. The "Church" is all people who believe Jesus is the only name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Today I have "met" one person who needs the Church to be the Church to her and one local body who was the Church to one of their members. Please go meet Kelli and Tony and Britt. BooMama sent me and I am so glad I went. I hope you spend some time praying for these people and if led, helping.

My tears are falling . . .

I just read the most amazing post! This woman, surrounded by her friends, honored the one year anniversary of her son's death by donating to Locks of Love. Seriously, check out the photo slide show. I don't know any of these women but I was in tears! The photographer is amazing!

 

While we're being blown away by amazing women, check out my sister. She amazes and humbles me. What a gorgeous woman of God to be able to share so openly about her own pain! Both of these women teach me so much! I hope they touch your hearts the same way they touch mine.

Blogging missionaries

You all need to check out what Compassion is doing! They are sending 10 bloggers to Uganda on a mission's trip to blog about it! How cool is that! I would love to go on something like that some day. Its two-fold amazing-to see firsthand what Compassion is doing there and to get to write about it. What a blessing and an opportunity. I would love to go back to Africa like that. Bookmark this page and check back in February to keep up on their trip. I can't wait.

Wild West

While driving out to my sister's farm in ND I was confronted with the often schizophrenic dichotomy that is my heart/desires. I love the wide open spaces in northern MN. I love the terrible isolation. I love the quaint, dated hotels and diners, the odd museums and historical sites (e.g. the "Wayside Chapel in Fosston, MN that is roughly the size of an outhouse, the Wild Game Museum near Bagely, MN, etc.). There are these great little towns with populations like 81. It makes me long to live out here (I'd love to be pop 82 and 83). I love the small quaint churches that still use hymnals, organs and pianos. All this from the girl that loves the fact Target, Trader Joes and Meijer are minutes from my house. I love hosting frequent parties and walking to my friends' houses. I love my large vibrant church with our band, young pastoral staff, and all the diverse personalities that come with a large population of people. I love that restaurants stay open past 10 p.m. and that I can get delivery until midnight on the weekends. If it weren't for my husband and the Lord I think my life would look a little bit like my parent's house when they bought it. The previous owner had started and stopped and changed multiple projects in the house. It's like he would see something and completely change the plan for the remodel and never finish anything. So I am now looking to live somewhere West and North with some of the conveniences of the East, not too rural but not too city, near family, near the mountains and a lake, in an old farmhouse with lots of original woodwork but with an open floor plan and it should resemble a log cabin, with lots of privacy and acreage but within walking distance of good friends. There should be good coffee shops and fun, eclectic shopping near-by. The grocery stores need to be stocked with local produce and whatever exotic food the new recipe I'm experimenting with calls for. There should be lots of snow in the winter but excellent snow removal people working 24 hours a day and warm balmy summers with no humidity. My husband is convinced I need therapy. I see nothing extreme in my desires. ;-p

It may be that what I truly desire is heaven and the all-consuming, ever present presence of the Lord satisfying my soul completely with Himself. Sometimes I think my inability to be completely satisfied has more to do with my looking for my heavenly home. This world is a nice place to visit but it's not home. Nothing solidifies that sentiment more deeply in my heart than thinking of all those that I love who have gone on before me. When I read these blogs and think of all they have lost and are going through and will continue to go through, my heart aches for a place with no more tears and no more sorrow. True contentment, I have come to believe, has more to do with longing for the Lord more than we long for anything else. My heart is more satisfied when I long for Him than when I focus on the strange inconsistent desires outlined above. My desire for 2008 is that I will be filled with longing for my Savior and that I will keep my eyes fixed on Him, the Author and Perfector of my faith.