Monday, March 28, 2005

Refreshing

Easter always feels refreshing to me. The combination of the promise of new life through Christ's sacrifice and the new life happening outside due to spring is very renewing. Everything feels new.
I am once again brought back to this truth through Nicole Nordeman lyrics. The last verse of "Every Season" says it so well.

"And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
What was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green
So it is with You
And how You make me new
With every season's change
And so it will be
As You are re-creating me
Summer, autumn, winter, spring"

Happy new season.

Thursday, March 24, 2005

Go to Seattle!

The purpose of posting today is simply to say that if you have never been to Seattle, WA, you must plan a trip out there for sometime in your life. It is incredible. There is so much to do and see and eat. Mountains. Puget sound and many lakes. Pike Place Market (you know, the one where they throw fish!). Views of the Space Needle, the skyline, Mt. Olympus, Mt. Ranier. St. Mark's Cathedral. University of Washington. Coffee shops on almost every corner. Tulip and daffodil gardens in Mt. Vernon. Ferry rides to Victoria, BC. So much fun stuff. We took a much-needed vacation of 5 days, but it felt like a week and a half. It was heavenly. And (major bonus), we got out of MN by the skin of our teeth during last Friday's snow storm. Seattle doesn't have snow. Everything is green. Our last three days were mid-50s, not a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately, our trip brought us back to MN last night. But it's always nice to be home. :)
So, big thanks to Matt and Sarah for their hospitality and 1000-mile-an-hour abilities. We loved it!
Visit Seattle.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Waiting Game

So much of life is spent waiting. Longing. Right now I yearn for summer. Impossible seventh graders and snow in the forecast are trying my patience as I dream of warm sun and ice cream.
Sometimes we can be wonderfully surprised while we are waiting. Such has happened with my incredible husband. Slightly unsatisfied with real estate and stressed about finances, he began pursuing other options a few weeks ago. After more than a few assurances of "I'll mention your name" and "I'll give him your resume," he decided that he couldn't do much but be patient. Of course, he was still active in his search, but he was content that things might stay the same for a while.
Yesterday, absolutely out of the blue, Dan received a phone call from a gentleman in training for some company associated with Best Buy. He said he received Dan's resume from someone, liked what he saw, and wanted to interview Dan. When? Today at 11:00 am. Sure. No problem. Dan took the opportunity in stride and accepted the chance to interview with the (still unknown at that point) company. As it turns out, the job would involve quite a bit of travel, especially in the first six months. But he would be training, and that is SO right up his alley. Heck, he even has a degree in it. We don't know anything about salary or other details, but it sounds as though they are looking for a person to start soon and they really liked Dan. So it's worth a little consideration on our part. Who knows. God does work in mysterious ways.
And now we wait.
Prayers and wisdom are more than welcome. :)

Monday, March 07, 2005

You can't make this stuff up

Writing assignment: Write to a fictitious pen pal, telling him or her what happens at our school dances.
ACTUAL seventh grade response:
Dear Mr. Mink,
Hello Mr. Mink, you are of this moment reading this letter in your very small tin foil hat on the rail road tracks.
You needed assistance with your BBQ?
You said you were BBQing on the tracks and the train hit it? OK...
Fix it using imaginary tools by Magico and follow the east to use the instructions.
Hope this helped!
Sincerely,
Jack
(Name has been changed to protect the privacy of this odd child)

I met this boy's father at conferences tonight. What do you say when all you really WANT to say is, "I think your son is pretty strange." ?

Thursday, March 03, 2005

Just keep swimming (in my best Dory voice)

"Trust God to move your mountain, but keep on climbing."
My mom sent this to me today. She reads a devotional called "Daily Bread," and this was the closing quote. I like it because it encourages us to remain active and not get stuck in passivity. We can't just ignore our part. No matter how tired we are, no matter how much homework we have, no matter how people treated us today, no matter how much stress we are under. We can't just sit back and watch our lives unfold. We have to stay right in the middle of it and keep on living.