Today's Ramblings

It is the 27th day of December. This day may mean many things to many people, but to us here at the Forerunner Bookstore it can only mean Onething.

Allow me to backup. Beofore the days of onething began there was Christmas. Christmas was wonderful. We had Jesse's family over and had a great time. I feel like we cooked for 24 hours, but it was a raging success. After dinner on Christmas Eve the fam played a round of pop culture trivial pursuit where Mama D guessed LL Cool J to win the music piece of the pie and literally everyone was against Jesse and I. Pure jealousy really, they kept trying to skip our turns and block the TV at the all play portion of the pie piece challenges, but in the end, Josh and Steffane won, which was well deserved, even though Mama D told them the answer, they have a newborn so I believe that they pretty much deserve anything. Christmas day was filled with fun and rounded out with a lovely call from my BF, which was lovely. That's our Christmas in a nutshell.

Back to the matter at hand. Onething. Here we go people, here we go. Yesterday went off without a hitch and today is looking like the same will happen. As for the next four days, I'm simply praying that this year the valet at the hotel won't put another 4 dents in my car. I'm thinking I'll take pictures of all sides of it as Jesse hands him the keys. That should do it. Happy onething!!!!

"Claire McCaskill, STOP STARING AT ME!!!"

This post is brought to you by an excessive billboard. We get it. You won. You're our new senator. Please stop looming over the highway.

Word of the week: Overcommitted

You won't be hearing from me very much for the next week or so because my life right now is summed up by one word. Overcommitted. Dictionary.com defines it as this but I feel like a more accurate picture of how I feel is on the same level as the war in Iraq, that's overcommittment.

Onething is soon to be upon us, just a few hours really, but in my overzealoussness to impress my new family I suggested that Jesse and I host Christmas as well. Seemed like a fantastic idea at the time, until this past Monday when someone told me that Christmas Eve was Sunday. It's not that I thought Christmas was after onething, I just thought Christmas was after onething. You know what I mean? My body occassionally goes into a self preservation mode and this was one of those mechanisms the "Don't worry Christmas isn't coming for another 6 months reflex." Jesus help. It's always funny to me around this time of year that literally everything I do is for Jesus. Christmas, onething, literally all for Jesus, but oddly enough I feel the furthest from Him during this time. I want onething redeemed in my heart. For 3 years now it has been nothing but blood, sweat and tears but really 5 years ago it was where the Lord of Hosts marked my heart forever and I have never been the same.

Jesus, for Christmas I want my heart to be alive. I want to fall in love with You at onething, I want to love the conference goers, I want to be alive, I want to feel (something other than the pain in my back and the twitch in my knee) I want an encounter as we work the registers, as we help people, God this is our plea, for the bookstore God, let people meet you in the bookstore, let those of us who are working experience Your heart. God we love You, let us fall in love again.

This year you can catch all the action from onething live right here, or come and check it out for yourself.

Real Thanksgiving

Jesse and I started a tradition last year that we lovingly call "Real Thanksgiving". This began last year when he and I couldn't be together for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday, I love the fellowship, the friends, the family, I love it, I love a full house and good food and craziness, I thrive off of it. So, when Jesse and I couldn't be together for it last year he suggested to me that when we both returned we would have "Real Thanksgiving." For this event we invite our dear friends and family in the KC area and have Thanksgiving again. This year we did it this past Saturday.

My sister Katherine made a ton of cookies with the help of Kirk and Amanda, Jesse and I made the turkey (so Taryn that means three more), sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top, glazed carrots and stuffing. Others brought vats of potatoes, rolls, pie, more cookies and more sweet potatoes. It was beautiful. We had a delightful evening of food, apples to apples and crazy canines. I love having a full house and I love starting new traditions, Real Thanksgiving was a raging success.

Confessions

I'm not hardcore...You have no idea how painful that was to write, but this is my confession people. I cry, often at that, my heart gets hurt probably easier than most people. I am sorry for misleading you as to who I am, but as it turns out when you get married it's really hard to pull off who you aren't because your spouse just so happens to much better compliment who you are, or they should anyway because if you've been fake the whole time, you're in trouble.

Kirk, Brandon, I'm sorry. I don't even think I could tear someone a part any more...although it was a most treasured skill for many years. You maybe wondering to yourself "What has happened to our beloved Char? She did really go soft when she got married." To which I would reply "No no no, it began happening before Love...the name of the game is Desert Streams."

That's right people, I haven't been living watered yet, but I look forward to next fall when I get to join the band of elite who have admitted that they have a problem and are ready to own it, get healed for real and push delete for real. It might take two times through the 9 month program, but hey, well worth the trouble. You should check it out.

"It's a youth movement."

Just something that I need to say every now and then when people look at me really funny after I say "I am the manager."

When it's all coming down

This morning I was reading Revelation and the urgency of the hour struck me so hard that I became instantly alert and said out loud "Jesse, we can't be offended." He didn't hear me, but still, it happened. I thought of end-times scenarios foretold and in the midst of it the issue of offense just kicked me in the face. I don't want to be offended when my friends are being martyred and Marshall Law is the rule of the day. I don't want to be offended when sons betray fathers and mothers turn in daughters. I don't want to be offended when men are crying out for death and can't find it or when a third of the earth is killed, billions, people we're talking billions here.

But, I don't deal very well with my eschatalogical fears. A group of beloved friends and I have taken a humorous approach to the drama of the ages. We have bets on the size of the demonic locust, dioramas depicting our beloved Dale in the tribulation and the one that even I have tried to block out, the infamous inventory of '05 conversation on martyrdom. Why do I find it so difficult to be serious? I don't want to be offended, I don't want to be counted among those with offense in my heart. I find myself often crying out to the Lord in the midst of these scenarios that play out in my head for love and mercy and the grace not to be offended, but for some unclear reason I don't find myself crying out when someone cuts me off in traffic or when my beloved doesn't fold the laundry or when one of my cashiers doesn't do what I ask them, I simply get offended. Now, I feel as though I am prepared not to be offended when everyone is dying but not when my brown towels aren't folded the way I fold towels (oh goodness, I've become my mother)...Why is that? I need Jesus.

Jesus, be with us all today, help us to be among those without offense in the end of days when You again choose to grace humanity with Your tangible presence. We love You, come quickly.

A restful day in love

Today Jesse and I had a day that we've needed for a long time. We did nothing but enjoy eachother. We hung out, watched March of the Penguins and just reveled in the beauty that is the mystery formally known as marriage. Date night is always rockin', but then there is that sweet, beautiful day where you just sit with eachother, laugh, cry and fall more deeply in love. This was a day where we went from being you know, moderately annoyed with life and eachother to being so in love most people wouldn't have wanted to be around us for very long. God is so good, He killed me today with the love of another.

Thank You Jesus for today and tomorrow. We love You and ask that You return soon.