You fill up my senses

Travis sang my song at the Beth Moore conference today! Hello!?!? Is God awesome or what?? Seriously, God comes through in amazing ways. Just hearing that song was like "yep, there you are God. Right here with me." I have been on vacation for the better part of the last month, so I haven't been to my church, and haven't been to small group and other than the occasional prayers here and there, I haven't really been spending time with God. When I got back from the road trip on Wednesday, I wanted to pick up the study I've been doing but I just couldn't do it. So I told God he would have to do something big in my heart because I couldn't seem to jump back into spending time with him.

Then we get to 4:30 pm at work on Thursday. It was my first day back and I had been running around all day to meetings and answering phone calls from all my favorite bankers and just havin a grand ole time. Finally, by a little after 4 things had settled down enough for me to actually sit for a minute at my desk. So in come some of the co-workers to hear about my trip. Then we got to talking about our weekend plans and Kristin mentioned that she was going to this speaker thing tomorrow - someone named Beth Moore and had I ever heard of her?

Can't say as I have.

Umm, Hello!?!?!!!

Little did poor Kristin know that she had just called out the name of one of the few things that will bring out the performer/crazy person in me. After jumping out of my chair and flailing my hands around in classic Beth Moore fashion, and repeating the phrase "Oh my goodness, I love Beth Moore" at least seven times, I calmed down for a second. Then I pulled Get Out of That Pit right out of my purse (it's my current read on the bus book), and proceeded to tell my very dazed and confused co-workers about the 3 ways we might end up in the pit: being thrown in, slipping in, and Kris Kross'll make ya "jump, jump" in. But God is there to deliver us and then we will be singing a new song and Psalm 40 "I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined and heard my cry, he brought me up out of the pit..." U2 anyone?? Are you people following me? All I got were blank stares from Kristin, Ed, Julie and Ken. I actually sang the U2 version for them.

So then I took them to the blog and showed them a picture of Beth and talked about Texas and how all my favorite Christian artists seem to be from there and oh I can get side tracked when I'm excited. So I got back on topic and began quoting my favorite Beth poim about the Subway in NY and oh, just so you know, Beth is flat crazy but you will love her! and dude, I want to go with you! So it was off to the web-site to get a ticket and can I take another day off of work??? ahh! Of course I can! I've been out so much lately, what is one more Friday out of the office going to do?

And oops - it's after 4:45 and I missed my bus but who cares! Beth Moore!!

By this time I had freaked Kristin out just enough to bring her back around to really excited about going. And now I was going too! Praise the Lord Jesus! Hallelujah!

And so, wow! Here I am, back from the conference and it was amazing! My favorite word of the day was Beth quoting Jeremiah 45:5: "Do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them." And then she added: "Seek a great God." This hit me hard because I constantly struggle with seeking after things that I think will be great for me, and will make me happier and comfortable. But if I seek God, all the things he as planned for me will be so much greater than anything I could ever imagine. God is awesome! That's all I have to say.

Well, the car didn't break down...

But I did lock the keys in it! That was definitely a highlight of the trip :) I basically lock my keys in the car every time I'm in a valet/leave your keys in the car garage situation. Since I don't have automatic locks, I'm so used to pushing down the lock as I close the door. And the funny thing is that I'm telling myself in my head "don't lock the door, don't lock the door." Oops. Of course, I did have my other set of keys but they were in my backpack in the trunk.

Anyway, we spent the day on Cape Cod, and took the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard. MV is great! Just being there made me happy. I kept thinking about how fun it would be to come to a place like this sometime in the future with some friends and our families and rent a couple of houses and just hang out and eat at fun restaurants and stroll around the island.

Liz and I decided to take a sightseeing tour around the island which was scheduled to start at 2 and last for 2.5 hours. And it ended right at the dock so we figured we'd hop on the 5 pm ferry and head back to the mainland and then drive to Hyannis for dinner. Well, the 2pm tour did not leave until 2:30 and it lasted 3.5 hours, and left us jumping off the bus in the rain to catch (just barely) the 6pm ferry back. And the tour guide was crazy! But that's another story for another time. And we ran into Josh and Naomi King (Pastor's King's son and DIL) on MV which will drive my sister crazy because I run into people everywhere I go. And she never sees anyone she knows anywhere.

So we made it back to the ferry, which arrived back on Cape Cod around 7. We drove off to Hyannis, and called the restaurant on the way and made an 8:30 reservation. We planned to eat at the Rhodeside Cafe recommended by Rachael Ray in her $40 a day book. I planned to pull into the parking lot and brush my hair and fix myself up a bit since we'd been running around an island all day long and we'd gotten caught in some pretty heavy rain. But when we pulled in the parking lot, the valet boys ran over to the car and start opening the doors for us to hop out. I think I first annoyed them by asking if I could park myself. Of course, they said no, so then I told them I needed to brush my hair so they would have to hold on just a sec. Sorry boys, the hair is important and you may as well learn that lesson now if you are ever married someday. They sort of rolled their eyes, but I just smiled. This is when my brain reminded me not to lock my keys in the car. But 10 seconds later I just threw my brush into the back seat and hopped out and shut the door, then followed that up with an "oh, crap" when I realized Liz had just shut (and locked) her door as well.

Hehe. I thought it was pretty funny, because it's such a me thing. The valet boys were not that amused. The car was sitting almost in the middle of the parking lot, but not in such a way that they couldn't get other cars out around it. So in a small way I did them a favor. But we called AAA and the guy came within 30 minutes. He shimmied this string thing through my door and popped the lock. Then I told him I loved him which I think freaked him out just a bit so he was like "sorry lady, I'm married." But I was just happy that he'd saved the day! And the valet boys were happy to have us out of their way!

By 9pm we were in the restaurant and had a wonderful meal. And when we came out, we didn't have to remind valet boy which car belonged to us. Thankfully, the slightly nicer (and cuter) valet boy was the one that pulled our car around and we gave him a nice fat tip. Hopefully he will remember this night fondly like I will.

The Car Saga

So the new car desire came back in full force this weekend. The background goes something like this: I work in a city where people drive really nice cars. About two years ago, I started seeing these pretty blue BMW’s everywhere I went and really really started wanting one. At the time my car was only about 6 years old (it’s a 99). By early summer last year, I pretty much had made a plan to buy a BMW. I knew I didn’t really need it, but I justified it by thinking I would keep the car for at least the next ten years and I can afford it and I deserve it because I work hard! (the “I deserve it” thought should have stopped me in my tracks, but it didn’t). On top of that, my Dad up and bought a Mercedes, so he could no longer hold me to the “you better drive an American car if you want to be a part of this family” principle. So everything was falling into place. And did I mention that I really wanted a BMW??

So last summer Liz and I planned our road trip and I was secretly hoping that my car would conk out somewhere along the way (just not somewhere scary) and if God wanted to be especially gracious, maybe it would conk out within walking distance of a BMW dealership. Because then circumstances would have thrown the BMW into my lap and what could I have possibly done??

But that didn’t happen, and the car was such a trooper on the road trip that I couldn’t stand to part with it once we got home. So I decided to keep it until it hit 100,000 miles (which would be about 3 more years).

Many months went by and everything was great. Then I went to Alan’s house to drop off a cake. And I saw Dat’s new car. A Toyota Highlander. Oh the cuteness it exudes. A couple of weeks later I hopped into Chris Kim’s (a.k.a. Chris TomKim - the Asian Chris Tomlin) car. Also a Highlander. I was hooked. And what did I begin to see all around me?? Toyota Highlanders. It doesn’t help that I live within 2 inches of a Toyota dealership. So for the past several months visions of Highlander have been dancing through my head. And I made another plan. New England road trip. Not as intense as last summer but enough to give the car a couple thousand miles. And in the back of my head the thought that maybe it will die near a Toyota dealership.

Of course, I’d been praying about this all along, and deep down I could tell God was saying don’t buy a car yet. I didn’t take Crown for nuthin! And I talked to my sister who is ms. sensible about all things financial and she set me straight. Actually she said “getting a new car is dumb.” That was really all I needed to hear. Good – I was back to the 100,000 miles thought. But then, oh you will not believe the wonderful thing that happened…. My car failed inspection!! Just a couple of minor things, but this certainly put me one step closer to the prize.

That brings me to the weekend (if anyone is still reading). Liz and I went to Charlotte (BTW - go to the Billy Graham Library if you are ever there. It is AWESOME!) to visit one of my friends from high school and Liz's God parents. So we pull up in front of Alexa’s house and what is that I see sitting in her driveway?? A brand new dark blue Highlander. I freaked out. I walked into her house, and said “you have a Highlander!” then I said “hi” and all that other not so important stuff that you say to someone you haven't seen in two years!

Alexa let me drive her car all around Charlotte that night and I loved it!! I’m so getting a new car after the road trip. Then (oh there’s more, people) Liz calls from her God parent’s house to talk about plans for meeting up the next day and guess what?? They have a Highlander too! Have you ever read the word Highlander so many times in one post? I bet not :)

That's my story. I think Toyota should give me some kind of deal after all the shout outs I've just given them :)

My new favorite number is 54.

Guess what?? Today I had lunch at Bangkok 54! And guess what else?? Tonight I had dinner at Bangkok 54. I love that place. I already had plans to meet the girls there for dinner, and when Alan suggested it at work today for lunch I was like, heck yes I wanna eat there, Pedro. It was a glorious day! Along with the great food, the Steering Committee meeting has been canceled for this week which means no taking of the minutes for me! Yay! Many of the big wigs are out on vacation this week, and one of our project leaders seems to have gotten himself in a bit of trouble (and I have to say I'm not surprised. This guy has always freaked me out).

From the Washington Post:

Button-Down FDIC?

People who work at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. -- the folks who oversee the nation's financial institutions -- are often, and apparently most unfairly, stereotyped as boring pencil pushers.

They are, it turns out, a fun-loving crowd. And there's an internal investigation now into whether someone was having a bit too much fun at the division of information technology's annual golf outing May 22 at Penderbrook Golf Club in Fairfax County.

The FDIC is looking into reports that a senior official in the 274-employee division asked or offered to pay two women at the outing -- one of whom didn't work in that division -- to take off their blouses, which they did. The incident allegedly was seen by many of the people who attended, though it was unclear whether it occurred in the clubhouse or on one of the greens.
The FDIC's public affairs director, Andrew Gray, in response to our inquiry, issued an official statement.

"The individuals that participated in this off-site event used their own resources and took official leave to attend," Gray's statement said. "However, since the event was publicized internally by staff within the Division of Technology, the FDIC has taken strong action to thoroughly investigate and determine the facts behind the allegations. This investigation may be completed as early as this week, and full disciplinary action will be taken against individuals who are found to have behaved unprofessionally and inappropriately. We expect all FDIC employees to adhere to the highest standards of professionalism."

And, at a minimum, to keep their clothes on.

About Savannah and Miss Paula

So most of you know while I was in Savannah I ate at Paula Deen's restaurant. Of course, I did not see the Lady or the Sons, but it was still a fun experience. I had pretty low expectations since 87% of the reviews I read said the food was awful, the staff was unfriendly and you may as well go to the Golden Corral buffet and get all you can eat for $7.99. Needless to say, I figured fried chicken, potatoes and butter beans can’t be all that bad, and I was willing to pay the $15 for the experience.

So the internet reviews were all bad, but the other thing that struck me was that every employee in the Savannah tourism industry really dislikes Paula Deen. We’re checking into our hotel the night before and the guy behind the desk says “What are y'all planning to do?” I say “Eat at Paula Deen’s!” and he freaked out in all his southern accentedness. “Oh my gracious, do not eat there! That is not southern cookin. She’s got a bunch o’ college kids from up north runnin that place.” And then at the visitor’s center the next morning – the nice middle aged woman behind the counter gives me an “oh dearie, I’m soo sorry for you” look when I tell her we’re going to Paula’s. Then on our trolley tour we drive by Paula’s and the driver points out the restaurant and tells us it’s no good and we should not go there.

So with all the support and encouragement of the people of Savannah behind us, Mom and I got in line outside of Miss Paula’s around 8:45 on Wed. morning. There were about 15 people in front of us in the line. Not nearly as many as I expected, but it was a weekday. The hostess started taking names promptly at 9:30 and we were told to come back at 1 for a 1:15 reservation. So we went off and took our trolley tour, stopped in a few shops, and then headed back to the restaurant. They seated us within 5 minutes of checking in and we were immediately given hoe cakes and cheesey biscuits. The mom wasn’t a fan of the hoe cake but I liked it.

So I thought the buffet was pretty good. The fried chicken was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and I really liked the meatloaf. The mashed potatoes tasted like mashed potatoes and all the green things had a nice bacon-y flavor which makes all vegetables better. All in all, I thought the food was pretty good. I think maybe these internet reviewer peeps out there are expecting something more gourmet? Watch the show people! The woman makes fried chicken. Anyway, I feel sad for Paula that she’s getting such bad press from Savannah’s own. I’m not sure if it is affecting business, but I was surprised that by about 1:30 the restaurant looked like this:
We were out of there a little before 2 and they hadn’t seated anyone else. Maybe they take a break before the dinner shift?? Anywho, I'm still a fan and I'd even go again if I get the chance.

For all you men out there who read this blog.

“I want to breed with you” is not a good pick up line. Just thought I’d point that out in case you were wondering.

The story goes a little something like this:

Mom and I decide to visit the pool at our hotel in Florida. As soon as we get in, Weird Scary Pool Man jumps in and wades over to us.

WSPM (to me): Are you in high school?

Me: No

WSPM: College?

Me: No

WSPM: Well how old are you??

Me: 28.

WSPM: No way!! I want to breed with your family. Get me some of that youth!

Ahhh!!!!!!!

Trip through the summer.

The summer of trips is in full swing. It all started on Memorial Day weekend when I went with the girls to the Stonewall Resort in West VA. The resort (more like a lodge) was great, but the real fun took place on the road to WVA. Our first stop was in Harper’s Ferry where we opted for the 2 mile hike into town in our sandals and flip flops. The park ranger took one look at our outfits and suggested we take the shuttle, but we had none of that.

We walked around, had lunch, checked out some shops, got some rock candy, and a stamp on my passport and headed off to Antietam where I got another stamp. Yay! Post-Antietam is where the fun really began, and by fun I mean Wal-Mart. We went to Wal-Mart twice!!! And look what we got!

Kandi found 4 white sequined tube tops that cost only $1 each!! We couldn’t pass these up so we bought them without hesitation. Within minutes of arriving at the hotel, we were all sporting the tube tops and looking mighty sassy, I must say. And yes, there are pictures but I will not be posting them. All those sequins might burn your eyes. Then Rachel had the brilliant idea that the tube tops could double as mini skirts. We quickly did a switch-a-roo and came out (she in her Barbie and the Rockers t-shirt and me in my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups t-shirt) with the white sequined mini skirts. Again, no posting of the pictures, but man were they great!

I forgot to mention the glorious deliciousness we stumbled upon before we arrived at the hotel. It’s called the Dairy Crème Corner, but I like to refer to it as the Dream Crème Corner because if I could pick something to dream about, it might very well be funnel cakes. We got off the exit to stop at a Wendy’s or some such fast food joint and saw this:

Whoa! Stop the car, do a U-turn and let’s get us some funnel cakes!! But it gets so much better. They had a whole assortment of fried things. The fried Cauliflower was amazing!! We didn't even get any dairy products at the Dairy Crème Corner. Just loaded up on fried greasiness and went on our merry way.

We got even more adventurous the next day and went kayaking. And it was great. Definitely something I would do again and again. I dubbed us the kayak-tresses. I think Lyndsay put it best when she said this pictures resembles what Broadway might look like if they ever did a show in kayaks. Liza with a kayak, anyone??

Well, that about sums up the Memorial Weekend trip. Last week I went to Charleston, Savannah, St. Augustine and Fort Myers. Another good trip which I will post more about later. This weekend Liz and I are headed down to Charlotte and then we're off on the big road trip 07: New England! 3 more states will be crossed off the list. Woohoo!

This is the day that the Lord has made.

I'm rethinking the Pilates for Jesus thing. I don't want to look back twenty years from now and see something like this.

Help! I'm a Deacon's Wife!

This was one of the many great books my small group stumbled upon last night during an outing to the Christian bookstore. Unfortunately, I could not find a picture of the cover of this marvelous book but I will do my best to descibe it. Picture your typical Southern Baptist deacon's wife: shoulder length brown hair, bangs, red shirt with shoulder pads, (or you could picture any of the lovely ladies from the old school videos for the Beth Moore, A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place study) but then slap on some bright pink blush, fuscia lipstick, throw your hands up in the air and put a look of shock on your face and there you have it - the look of a woman who has found herself in a state of despair and confusion because she has no idea how to be a deacon's wife. I dread that I too may one day face this awful situation should I marry a man who God calls to be a deacon in the church. I can only pray that an updated version is published: Help! I'm a 21st Century Deacon's Wife!


On another Christian bookstore note, for those of you who have men in your lives, you may want to pick up one of these:

I have a new favorite movie.

Well let’s be honest. If you know me, you know I use the word “favorite” pretty loosely, and I have about 37 favorite movies, but this movie has certainly made it close to the top of the list. And the movie is…. Drop Dead Gorgeous! Loved it. Why?? Well, it had four of my favorite things: Liza, Jesus, quotes from other random movies, and former SNL cast members.

The Liza references were so great and so unexpected! The best line comes when Brittany Murphy decides to drop of out the pageant and says “Let’s be honest. A family only needs one Liza.” This is so true. I am my family’s Liza.

The random movie quote is “Soylent Green is people.” My Dad loves the movie Soylent Green. Whenever you are eating something and you’re not sure what’s in it, just say, “Soylent Green is people.” :)

The former SNL cast member is Nora Dunn who plays one of the state pageant officials in the movie. She starred in my very favorite series of SNL skits as Liz Sweeney of the Sweeney Sisters. I love the Sweeney Sisters. I wanted to be a Sweeney Sister. I dreamed that Lorne Michaels would call me and ask me to fill in or play the long lost sister. Well, it turns out there was a long lost sister, Audrey, who showed up in one skit and was played by the one and only Mary Tyler Moore. I have that entire Sweeney Sisters’ show memorized and am willing to perform it for anyone who asks.

Jesus is all over this movie, because the people of Mount Rose are good Christian people. When asked, "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?" Becky Ann Leeman replies, “I'd have good strong roots in a town like Mount Rose, a solid Christian trunk, and long, leafy branches to provide shade for handicapped kids on a hot day.” Ok - that's pretty funny, but you just can't beat her performance during the talent portion of the pageant.



And there you have it. I love this movie!!