Fabric and Books

Seeing that Josh and I were on the road for our 2nd anniversary AND packed only necessities into the butt of our hatchback- we decided to wait on getting anniversary gifts until after we arrived in Seattle.  Call me old fashioned but I like following the "traditional wedding gift" ideas you find online.  The first year's theme is something paper- which we both did without realizing that was the traditional first year gift.  The second year is cotton.  We decided to adapt that a little bit to be fabric/cloth/cotton.  Shortly after we got here Josh picked a Seattle Mariners hat which he now proudly wears.  Me being me decided to shop around a little bit before making a decision.  After we saw all the Sounders fans in Pioneer Square that one day and really digging the logo- I decided on a Sounders scarf.  Apparently scarfs are a BIG thing with soccer teams.  All the fans have them and they are many different styles.  Personally, I think I picked the best one!  Can't wait until winter when I can wear it on a regular basis- but for now is displayed across our couch :)  

  

  

Within the past week I finished the 3 books I was reading.  Yes, I have the bad habit of reading too many books at once- can I get a witness on that?!?!  I think I have mentioned them before in previous blogs but will give you the brief low down.

  

Deep Like Me: This book we picked up at the Northwest Ministry Conference we attended right when we got here to Seattle.  We met the author at a BBQ and he is a pastor in Hawaii, originally from Cali- hang loose man.  You can tell he is very laid back in his writing and not looking to ruffle any feathers but desires to share some things from his life.  Each chapter is an independent story- so it is an easy one to pick up, read a chapter and put down for a few days or weeks before reading again.  They all are stories from his life that either share a truth or give you something to chew on.  Here is a little excerpt from the last chapter that I found to oddly summarize the whole book, 

The question each of us needs to ask ourselves at the end of the day is not, "Did I achieve something great today?" or "How far did I get in my spiritual journey?" but rather, "Did I go forward or backward?"  Did I inch toward Jesus in my thoughts and actions?  Have I responded to the people God has put in my life in such a way that God is pleased? 

The Circle Maker: Josh and I bought this book after the author, Mark Batterson, spoke at River Valley Church.  It is exactly as the sub title reads of a book on praying circles around your dreams and fears.  It is really an encouraging book that makes you re-think your prayer "posture".  He puts action to prayer and urges you to never stop praying/praising but waiting expectantly.  He also has a great chapter on goal setting that got me really excited to set some of my own!  He constantly reminds the reader the God is FOR you.  He also presented an idea I had never thought about,

Our prayers exit our own reality of space and time.  They have no time or space restrictions because the God who answers them exists outside of the space and time He created...Our prayers don't dissipate over time; our prayers accumulate through eternity.  

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey:  This is the second book in the series of three.  It runs along the same lines as Lemony Snicket in that it is not fantasy, but it is fantastical.  There is not magic in these books, but definitely situations and characteristics that would not be seen in real life.  This series is also about 4 orphans that each have a unique "gift".  They are all very intelligent children and therefore are sought after by Mr. Benedict to help "save the world" from the evil Mr. Curtain.  A great before bed read :)   

My map quiz mentioned in a previous post.

Docrtine

It is strange to think that the students at Oak Ridge are just wrapping up the same school year when I taught.  It seems like so long ago that I was teaching my lessons to all the squirrely children at my alma mater.  Just thinking about it being June and the end of the year at an elementary school makes me want to go back and partake in the festivities.  The last week of school is always so exciting I would like to experience it as a teacher.      

Speaking of learning- Josh and I went through an intensive, past paced doctrine course with Mars Hill this past weekend.  To become a member of their church they go through Pastor Mark’s book called “Doctrine”.  We were there Friday night 5:30-9, and Saturday 9-5:30- yeah it was A LOT.  I had never been through a membership class before with a church.  Granted this was packing an 8-week class in 2 days it was more overwhelming than I expected.  At times I felt like a seventh grade student wishing my teacher would use more visuals so I could understand better.  But pairing visuals with doctrine is not so common!  I will say it was a definite challenge and has brought a lot to light of things I need to personally investigate in the bible and answer the question, "What do I believe?"  

Josh and I did rent "Tintin" the other night and were surprised on how much we enjoyed the animated adventure.  So I would recommend it :)

Here are some pics from our time with Bean!  Speaking of visits from back home, my parents will be here this thursday! AHHHHH SO EXCITED!!!!  :)

Troll under Fremont Bridge

Cities

Ladies and Gentleman it is official.  Josh and I finally saw “The Avengers”.  One thing we quickly learned out here with movies is that there is not a cheap matinee time.  So (as some of you have read from earlier know) we opted for renting “Captain American” and “Thor” to satisfy our Avengers craving.  Through some Internet searching, Josh was able to find a good deal through Amazon on movie tickets and this past Saturday we joined everyone and their mother on seeing Marvels ultimate.

On Sunday Pastor Mark continued with “The Seven” series (about the 7 letters to the 7 churches in Revelations) with an amazing message on tolerance.  It was great because it has been a topic of conversation for Josh and I the past few months and it shed some great truth on our questions and thoughts.  I would highly encourage every Christian to take some time and listen to this message because it is VERY relevant for today- and Pastor Mark has some very funny moments! 

"The Seven" Progressive in Thyatira: More Tolerant Than God

Sunday afternoon Josh gave me a map test.  He grabbed a blank piece of computer paper and wrote in the bottom corner things that I needed to identify and had me draw my own map of Seattle.  I must say I did NOT have a good attitude about this- my sense of direction is horrible and was in no mood to be tested on it!  After much whining I did complete it and realized I know more about this city than I realized.  Ultimately I am very grateful for my husband and the ways that he challenges me so that I would grow.  He wants to make sure I have a good understanding of the city we now live in. 

One thing I have been thinking about a lot lately is significant cities in my life.  I came up with three cities and what they “represent” in my life:

Minneapolis/St. Paul: my home cities.  I very much have a sense of pride for being Minnesotan and love the state.  This city represents where I am from.

Chicago: I love Chicago.  When I think about that city I always get those warm fuzzy feelings and can’t wait to go there again.  So many great things have happened in Chicago.  Went there with youth group, visited Josh at college, got engaged by the giant bean, attended Legacy Conference…it is the one city I have visited the most.  This city represents good times and part of my relationship with Josh. 

Seattle:  while this is a great city- it has been my city of challenges.  Josh and I first came here for our honeymoon, which was great but a challenge.  We can out here for a job position where everything seemed to be in place but turned out to lead us in a new direction (challenge) and finally we have moved our here pursuing urban ministry (challenge).  This city represents challenges in my life, good ones, but still (stretching/growth) challenges.

This past Memorial Day we had the great pleasure of spending it with our good friend Brittany Bean.  She was in the area with work friends and extended her trip a day to spend with us.  It was pretty awesome to have someone from back home here in Seattle.  We went around to some of our favorites stops downtown, checked out the troll under the bridge and had delicious ice cream from Molly Moon’s.  It was sad to drop here off so soon at the airport but grateful for the time we had! (Pictures to come)

   

Thankful for: Britts visit and my parent's visit soon approaching!  

time to go make dinner and chill out for the evening!

a fun find

I saw this in a very old baby name book at the family I nanny for...thought it was pretty cool :)

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover

The past few days have been a great reflection of the age-old saying, “you can’t judge a book by its cover”.  Monday nights are our Community Group nights (basically small group) and this past Monday the men had a “man’s night” at church meaning that only the women would be attending CG.  Our leader decided it would be cool if we just took the evening for everyone to share her story so we could get to know one another better.  Seeing that everyone we have been in contact with the past few months has been new, it is easy to start judging the book by its cover.  I admit I had already developed “backgrounds” for a handful of people in our community group based solely on looks and a number of interactions.  But this past Monday night I was seriously holding back tears the entire time everyone was sharing.  I “devalued” these women based on my own preconceived notions.  I was humbled by their stories and in awe of the power of Christ.  I know these women will be real with me, challenge me and love me.  Being in community is knowing where you came from and where you are going, I’m glad I didn’t miss that with our group.  How can you best pray, support and challenge each other if you don’t KNOW significant moments about them?        

Tuesday nights are youth group and the leaders have a meeting prior to the night starting.  It was during this meeting that we learned even more about some of the students’ backgrounds.  My soul is uneasy with what a lot of these teenagers are involved in and dealing with.  It is so easy to get frustrated with them by the attitudes we experience on Tuesday nights, but knowing their story helps shed some light.  There is no excuse for sin, but knowing their story tends to lend itself to us being more compassionate. 

So I say all this to remind us (including myself) that you can’t judge a book by its cover.  You have no idea what sin people are dealing with in their lives- whether it’s their own or the effect of another’s.  We all have sin, we all have a story, we all are human. 

On a way different side note:  Phillip Phillips won American Idol!!!!!  So cool to watch his reaction to winning!

Thankful for: a chill night with the husband watching the Idol finale J

Sleep well friends!        

still here!

I realized that it has been a "long" time since I have blogged!  I just wanted to touch base with you and say I'm still here!  Life has picked up with my temporary nanny job and it is good to be working.  Just got back from youth group and would like continued prayer on connecting and supporting these teenagers.

Short and sweet because its time for bed...more to come on a later (but not too much later!) date!  :) 

Tacoma

I had every intention on blogging yesterday- but by the time evening rolled around I was exhausted…so here are a few things from yesterday and today.

Yesterday:  Josh picked me up from work and we made the quick jaunt over to downtown Bellevue.  Since I am pursuing nanny positions I got the Tdap vaccine- (

not as bad as I was anticipating).  We had not heard of it until we got here- but apparently MN is experiencing the whooping cough as well- who knew!?  Seeing that trying to get back to Seattle from Bellevue on a Friday at 5pm is RIDICULOUS- we opted to walk around the mall area we had seen the week prior.  We stopped in an Irish pub to get some of their 3-6pm Happy Hour deals.  It really was a fun way to end the week- we sat at the bar, ate good food, listened to actual Irish music and both bar tenders were authentically Irish.  There were a few moments as I was watching the bar tender pour a Guinness that I felt like I was actually in Ireland- sigh. 

Today:  Once Josh got off of work at 11am we packed a lunch and headed out to Tacoma.  Our destination was the Point of Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.  My MN Zoo pass expires the end of May- but until then I can get into other zoos around the country for half off- sweet!  Once we got to the zoo we spent 30 minutes driving around trying to get a parking spot- no fun.  We did however really enjoy our afternoon at the Zoo.  We even liked it better than Woodland (but in my book MN is still my favorite).  Some of our favorites were: the aquarium (sharks, tropical fish), tiger, polar bears, puffins and the walruses.  The zoo is located in a larger park area that includes a 5-mile drive.  It was really pretty driving through dense green forest and every mile or so coming to a viewpoint of the water.

After the zoo we went to the Chihuly bridge located right next to the Museum of Glass (we did not go into the museum…yet).  His glass work is so beautiful- never gets old.  Our last stop of the day was a sweet unplanned find- a little bakery called “hello, cupcake”!!!  We shared a delicious carrot cupcake with cream cheese frosting- yum!  Made me want to work in a cupcake shop…for realz. 

Thankful for: my wonderful husband who wanted to completely serve me yesterday by grocery shopping on his day off and buying me a Sprite because I had to get a shot! He’s so sweet!

Well our pizza is in the oven and we are beat- so in light of our adventures today- we are going to watch Finding Nemo, eat pizza and hit the hay!        

so on the way to the zoo we saw this in a neighborhood and turned around so we could take a picture- we laughed really hard!

the nemo gang

one of the most amazing zoo moments ever- the tiger walking out of the bush to sit and look at the people- wow.

the size of an adult male polar bear- 11ft tall

a friend on the 5 mile drive

Chihuly bridge- literally cases of his work

yummy

me and my boy waiting for our ride!