Conversations in Hair Nets and Aprons

Saturday a group of girls all decided to go and volunteer at the Nashville Rescue Mission, serving meals to anyone who wanted one. After looking at the selection they would be getting that day, we almost felt like sitting down and having a feast ourselves! The quality of the food donated there is unbelievable. Sandwiches from Bread and Co., desserts from Panera and other local bakeries, hot foods from various local restaurants - it all looked delicious!

After washing up and getting ready to start work, we realized the Mission was actually overstaffed that day, meaning we weren't the ones serving the food. We would be the group that bussed all the tables. This put us in the public eye and allowed us the time to get to know a few of the gentlemen dining there that day. I'm sure we made quite a picture in our hair nets, huge plastic aprons and gloves. Picture little lunch room ladies from your high school days - that was us.

The staff mentioned that we could mix and mingle, so we all took the opportunity to greet people as we cleaned up around them. They were more than eager to talk, and we soon found ourselves in meaningful, and sometimes heated, topics of conversation. Many of the men were eager to talk religion with us, and a few of them were ready to debate about the subject also. One thing I learned was that I have a long way to go; a lot to learn. Leaving there that day and heading to a restaurant with everyone, I rubbed my temples and knew a migraine was on the way.

I thought of John 14:26 - that the Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance what Christ has told you through his Word. But I knew that if I didn't put enough in my head, the Spirit wouldn't have much to work with and help me remember! Now I know just how important having a solid knowledge of the Word really is - not just for my own spiritual well-being, but for others. If I have nothing to tell them, a great opportunity to impact someone may be lost.

This House Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us

Sometimes there comes a point in someone's life when they have to step up and be an adult. Right now I'm the one at that pinnacle. I'm looking over the ledge, taking in just how far down the drop is if I fall, and really nervous about jumping...after all, when I do who's going to be on the other side to catch me?

Lately it's been a recurring theme though. It's time to step up and take care of my own messes. No one can do it for me this time because I know I have to learn. After making such a big deal about it, you're probably reading this thinking that I have a major life decision that I need to make, right? Actually no, this all just boils down to a friend staying at my teeny, tiny house free of charge. Have I mentioned the house is insanely small? That they happen to be living in the living room? That their dirty clothes were found strung on my couch this morning? No, I probably failed to bring that up.

But I made the jump and I'm proud to say I've landed on my own two feet, no help necessary. I was practically pushed off that ledge though, when the friend mentioned bringing in some visitors to the house for a few days. But it was a necessary push, and in this particular case, the grass really does appear to be greener on the other side!

Solving the World's Problems Over Sushi

Last night a friend and I decided to go for Japanese after work. Her husband was out of town, I didn't want to head to the mayhem that is my apartment right now - it all added up to a good night to have some sushi. We headed over to Ginza in the Green Hills area of Nashville. As usual the place was less than crowded. Actually I would say closer to dead than anything, which was perfect since we both had a lot of catching up to do. We launched into a wide variety of topics the moment we sat in our comfy corner booth.

After complaining about my "worst day I've ever had" kind of day, I asked about hers. Out of nowhere and completely unexpected, she said hers was good; that she's reached the point where she's content with life. WOW. Not only did I feel a tad bit jealous, but I also felt ashamed for having gone on about the petty things that made for a lousy job. After digging into the details of her new-found peace, we both discovered that life just isn't meant for us to sweat the small stuff, so to speak.

While I'm not saying you shouldn't care about your job - people shouldn't be lazy and expect things for nothing - but we began seeing how things at work can cause most everyone to carry those resentments and frustrations into the rest of their lives. I know I did that day! Coming into work I had listened to some worship music and walked in genuinely happy and ready to start the day. Leaving that evening though, I felt as though I had strapped a backpack onto my back, crammed full of the entire company's problems - it was heavy and didn't even contain any food for the trip!

She also felt that if we could be content with the place that God put us in the here and now, He would honor that in the future. Today has been spent with lots of prayers and caffeine, and maybe even a little sugar thrown in for good measure!

Some Things Never Get Old

Canceling my cable service was a tough decision. Like a band aid though, I thought it would be best to pull the plug quickly and not suffer longer than necessary. Of course the television is still sitting silent in the living room though, which unfortunately isn't its normal state. Because of this, when people come over it's awkward and the need for noise/distraction/entertainment is painfully obvious. We've reached the point in our lives where I guess each other's company isn't really enough. Maybe just putting on some music would suffice, but right now I'm working on refining that lost art of communication. Face to face, that is.

My solution for now? Movies. I've purchased about 10 in the last week, all classics that most everyone can agree on. I bought them used from a great website that only charges around $5 per title. They just came in yesterday and I'm very excited to sit down and watch You've Got Mail and It's a Wonderful Life until I have them memorized even more than I do at this point. My roommates will be happy to know that I bought their favorites as well. My Brother and Kappel gave me a list of their top movies, and after selecting my favorites among them, we've started a nice little library for ourselves. While the term "classic" might not be able to apply to the Big Lebowski or Goodfellas, they've proven to be crowd pleasers anyway.

Waking the Dead

Is there anything more therapeutic than a trip to the beach? The only thing more enjoyable that comes to mind would be having a good book while on that trip to the beach. That's exactly what I had this past week. It was a much needed pause from the humdrum of everyday life that I should probably take once a month at the very least. While I doubt my wallet would agree, my mind and body feel much better on this Monday afternoon.

Sitting in the sand and soaking up the sun, I finished Waking the Dead, a book I had been trying to read but had not been making much progress on because of prior obligations. Finding the time to get away and really get into it, I discovered a book that while not new to bookstore shelves, was a fresh take for me on life. John Eldredge describes life today as an epic journey we're all taking, whether or not we wake up to this reality or not. It also discussed something near and dear to my heart...my heart. He makes the true, but often debated point that the heart is GOOD; not essentially bad as most have come to believe. We have been ransomed and just need to find the way to live life that way.

Noting several of my favorite books and movies, including the CS Lewis' Narnia series and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, he makes some very profound parallels that got me thinking while also capturing my attention. I loved it. Simple as that. I'll probably read it again just to get a better sense of the battle we're all facing; hopefully so that I can put on the full armor properly!

The Woman at the Well

Seeing that this event in history is what inspired me to create a blog letting the world (or at least those few people that find my site) know my thoughts and views on anything and everything, I wanted to give a few accounts of my own related to this fascinating lady.

Running early one morning before work, I came around a corner and suddenly had the sensation I should go into the garden of a church I was coming up on. Not wanting to be late for work, and needing to shower and prepare for the day, I was hesitant. The feeling persisted though, with increasing urgency, so I changed my route and headed up the brick stairs and towards the sound of a fountain. Reaching the garden, I stretched for a few moments, wondering why God would have prompted me into the small haven. I looked around for something to hold onto while doing another set of stretches and spotted a pole near some bushes in the corner. As I made my way towards it, I happened to glance at a shaded spot hidden from site to a casual passerby. The sudden view was incredible. There, larger than life, stood a marble woman holding a jar while gazing at Jesus sitting near the well.

I could only laugh at the way God speaks and the ways in which he wants to communicate. This woman has been a recurring figure in my walk with God; one who in many ways I think we all can relate to.