MMC lives on

Tonight was unexpected. After running some early evening errands for work and making dinner I found myself with nothing to do. LIFE Group was last night, so I didn't have a lesson to worry about until next week. The bills are paid...even my checkbook is balanced. My room could be cleaner, but that's normal.

Somehow I decided to visit YouTube and do a search on the Mickey Mouse Club (MMC). When I was in elementary and middle school this show was my absolute favorite. Nothing else even came close. To this day, I don't think I've ever been such a fan of any other show, musician or movie. Here are just a few examples of the obsession I had with this show:

1.) We had the Disney Channel just so I could watch the show.

2.) I used to record just about every episode. (Uh, no, I don't have those tapes anymore and I never watch them.)

3.) I made mixed tapes of the songs they sang on the show. I would use my dad's stereo and put the mic up to the TV speakers. In some of the recordings you can hear my bird chirping and me saying, "Shhhh" to my dad.

4.) In 6th grade my parents announced that we would be going to the Disney/MGM studios, where they filmed the show, for Mother's Day. Two things made me very excited: there was a possibility that we'd get to see a taping of the show and I knew that there would be plenty of MMC merchandise for me to purchase. Unfortunately, the show was on hiatus when we were there so I only got to see the set and have my picture taken with the lifesize cut-outs they had of some of the cast members. I had also saved up all of my money from my birthday, Christmas and anywhere else I could get it in order to maximize my shopping experience. I don't remember exactly how much I had saved, but I know it was over $100. I walked out of that theme park broke, but with two bags full of MMC stuff. Whatever they had, I bought...even a MMC fanny pack! My mom became concerned that my dad would get upset with me for spending all of my money so she covered for me and carried one of the bags so it looked like she'd done some shopping, too. I still don't think my dad knows about that.

Anyway, back to my search at YouTube. I searched "Mickey Mouse Club" and to my great delight, several videos came up. The first one I watched was the opening credits from either the second or third season of the show. I got a smile out of that.

I continued on and decided I should try searching the names of some of the cast members that I liked a lot. Britney Spears and some of the guys from nsync were on the show, but they weren't my favorites. My favorites have gone on to do some notable things, but aren't as big as the others. I thought Ryan was cool and he's done some big movies like The Notebook and he's got a film coming out this fall called Half Nelson that is getting a lot of buzz. As for the girls, in the first seasons of the show, I thought Tiffini was the greatest. But then they introduced Keri Russell and I had a new girl. She has since been on a show called Felicity and is going to be in the new Mission:Impossible movie. I also read she's going to be doing some make-up ads.

So I did a search on "Keri Russell," and found some of the most hysterical videos. The one for "Live and Learn" really had me rolling. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. These videos are so cheesy that I couldn't help but enjoy watching them. I used to think the kids on that show were so cool. And I wanted to be like them so much.

It was so great to watch these videos and get all nostalgic about the show, good memories from those times and simply laugh at myself. And while I never did get on MMC, my mom and dad did eventually buy me the jacket that they had on the show. And if you think I ever wore that jacket to school and told random people that I had been on the show, then you might be onto something.

easter

I was at camp for Easter last weekend and got to go to part of the sunrise service at Bok Tower Gardens. It is probably what Lake Wales is most famous for. Bok Tower is also the home of the highest point in Florida. Anyway, here are a few pictures from the service.

community

In high school and in the beginning of my college years, I was a big fan of The Real World and Road Rules. Of the two shows, I was a bigger fan of Road Rules. Although I have to confess I did have a crush on Jacinda from the London edition of Real World. Whenever they had those all day marathons of either show on a Saturday, I was there. The idea of taking an extended road trip in a Winnebago and going on various adventures in unfamiliar territory is still appealing to me today.

When I was a freshman at UCF my roommate (a buddy from high school named Vadin who is easily one of the funniest people I have ever known) and I even made audition tapes for those two shows. I remember getting a rejection letter saying I didn't make the cut. I don't think we seriously thought we had a shot of being chosen, so I thought it was great to even get just the rejection letter.

What appealed to me the most about those shows, though, was the sense of community I thought they experienced. They would all be crying at the end no matter how many people had been voted out of the house or how many times they made the wrong turn while on the road and I would think, "I want to have that kind of experience with people!" I wanted to have people caring for me and I wanted to be caring for them. I was longing for it.

Flash forward to March when I was visiting my friends in North Carolina. I love these people. To the left are Kim, Ru and their son Jacob. Unfortunately I have no pics of James from this trip, but I've got plenty video of him channeling his inner Rachel Green.

I had a great time on this trip. Good chili, St. Patty's day parade and a psycho bowling tournament, just to name a few of the highlights. On the Sunday night of my visit I got to attend Grace Community Church, which is the church that Ru planted a few years back. It came time for communion and I had a pleasant surprise. When they serve communion at Grace, it is served to you by an elder and he prays for you right there. I was slightly intimidated by this at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. It was so personal. The elder asked for my name and prayed for me on the spot. Without even knowing anything about me. All he cared about at that moment was that I was celebrating Christ with him. I came home wishing the church I attend here could so the same thing.

Then tonight I went to a Maundy Thursday service at UPC and my wish came true. Mike O. announced we would be coming up to the table and the elders would serve the Lord's Supper to us and then pray for us. I loved hearing Mike call me "brother" when I took the bread. I loved seeing the elders put their arms around people as they prayed for them. What got me even more was seeing a couple or family go and be served together. What an awesome thing.

And then it dawned on me on my way home. That is community. Coming before the Lord together as a family. What better way to do it?

surprises

I have been in a funk lately. But I love how God surprises me with the most unexpected things when I am in a funk. I have had a couple of those lately.

Last week I had Monday and Tuesday off from work, so I was not in the mood to be there on Wednesday morning. But I got a call from Debbie, who is one of my favorite people. She handles our bookkeeping, payroll and other things I don't understand and called to say she was giving Diana and me increases in our gas allowances. Awesome! It completely caught me off guard. She thought we deserved more, so she told one of the owners and made it happen.

A second surprise occurred when I called my dad earlier today to catch up. I asked him to specifically pray for me about something. For some reason, I usually don't call my dad with specific prayer requests, so I felt a little embarrassed to ask him. But God surprised me. My dad's response was, "I always pray for you." That made me feel so good and so loved. And I really needed that. I guess I just expected him to say, "Okay, no problem," but his response exceeded my expectations.

I also had LIFE Group with my 8th graders tonight and it didn't go as well as I would have liked. Distractions came up and I didn't handle them well. They were frustrating me and it was one of those nights where you wonder why you even bother. So I got home and signed on to iChat and up popped a window that says someone is trying to do a video chat with me. "Video chat?" I thought. I accepted it and all of a sudden I'm looking at Ben Seidman, one of my favorite campers from Circle F. (That's us on the left in 2003.) It was unexpected and just plain cool. It was like he was sitting in my room hanging out. (I totally want to buy a webcam now.) And it was great to hear from him. It also reminded me of a line from Patch Adams that Linc shared with us once during a ULife meeting and that I shared with the youth group last time I spoke. At one point in the film Robin Williams says, "When I took on the problems of the people around me, my own problems began to disappear." That's what happened when I talked to Ben. I sat down in front of my computer frustrated with my baggage and then he started talking about things he's dealing with as a sophomore in high school. Suddenly I forgot all about my problems.

All of this reminds me of a verse from Ephesians 3:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

I'm so thankful that God loves us enough to surprise us with things that we don't even think are possibilities.

race

Yesterday I saw something really simple, but I loved it. I was walking around the Waterford Lakes Town Center heading over to Old Navy when I heard some commotion. I looked behind me and saw that a family (a dad, mom and little girl) was racing to their car with these big smiles on their faces. The mom won and cheered when she tagged the car first. It was so great. It immediately made me think how great it will be when/if I have a family of my own and can do things like that.

I also realized that that was probably the best part of that family's day. Whatever they bought at Waterford couldn't compare to the joy I'm sure they felt in that moment. It reminds me how we are created for relationships. I had spent the day unsuccessfully shopping for new furniture (conclusion: I don't like shopping) and decided that the coolest looking living room ever wouldn't really make me happy. What I want and truly need are valuable relationships. And the relationship I'll experience the most joy from is the one I have with God. What strikes me as crazy is that I was willing to drive all over Orlando looking for a couch, but have a hard time spending 10 minutes in prayer talking to God.

wow

Today at work I have been trying to find a replacement sneezeguard panel for our salad bar. We've done it before and it's been easy, but it appears the part we need may be discontinued. I decided to google the manufacturer of the salad bar, Carlisle FoodService Products, and this is the desciption I got:

"Business to business marketer and manufacturer offering products for the foodservice industry, serving restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and even prisons."

That's the angle your marketing team decided would be the best? Really? I love it.

furniture

I am getting ready to kick things up a notch at my apartment, so if you or anyone else you know in the central Florida area needs a loveseat and chair let me know. They have been in my family since I was in 3rd grade and they are still in good condition. I'll be replacing them in early April.

funny

This is Travis, one of the 8th graders in the LIFE Group I lead. I challenge you to find another middle schooler, guy or girl, who thinks they dress as well as Travis thinks he does. Not surprisingly, it took very little to convince him that it was a good idea for him to squeeze into this shopping cart. I would be lying, though, if I said I didn't become slightly concerned when he had trouble getting out of the seat. What would I have told his parents? "Well, Mrs. Crowley, I'm glad you asked why Travis now has a limp."

His willingness to pose for a picture like the one here is one of the reasons I love middle schoolers.

NC trek

I love pictures. Photographs to be more specific. I do not have a great appreciation for paintings, but photos are another story. The screensaver on my computer often captivates my attention. It’s nothing fancy: just the screensaver that displays a different picture every couple of seconds, but I am so content watching those shots go by. I don’t yet have a digital camera, so the last time I was at my dad’s car lot, I scanned a bunch of pictures I only have hard copies of just so that I could have them on my computer and be able to watch them on my screensaver.

My appreciation of photos has expanded to include a greater appreciation of picture frames. I went through a phase around a year ago when I bought frames that I liked even though I didn’t have a particular picture to put in them. I would even walk around in Target or Bed Bath and Beyond (wow, I’m starting to sound like a girl) just to see if they had any cool picture frames I wanted to buy. I also have some photo coasters that are stored away in my closet patiently waiting for the day I get a coffee table.

I’d not thought much lately about the pleasure photos bring me until last week when I took a trip to North Carolina to visit friends from college. I drove there and decided it would be cool to get my picture taken with the welcome sign of each state I drove through. I knew it would only be 4 pictures, but I still thought it would be a fun way to document my excursion.

At first I wanted to take a picture with the welcome sign that was at each state border. My first (and only) attempt failed miserably. The “Welcome to North Carolina” sign is on a small bridge and is not an ideal spot for picture taking. I should have known when I stepped onto the bridge and felt it shaking that this idea was not one of my best. Besides the fact that cars were flying past me, each time I propped my camera on the roof of my car a gust of wind would take hold of the camera, turn it around and ruin my photo opp.

So I settled on taking pictures at each state’s welcome center. What I loved was the response I received whenever I asked a stranger to help me out. Each encounter went something like this:

Me: “Excuse me. Could you help me out?”

Stranger: look of panic

Me: “I was wondering if you could take a picture of me with the welcome sign.”

Stranger: The look of panic diminished, he smiled and gave a resounding, “Sure!”

I know they were initially just happy I wasn’t asking for money, but it also reminded me how much almost everyone likes pictures. Plenty of people turn down invitations to be in pictures (I have some painful memories of those pictures you took every year at school), but I can’t think of a time when someone has refused to take a picture.

In North Carolina the gentleman who took my picture was named Ferd. After he took the first shot, he totally got into it and when I said thank you and started walking away from the sign, he exclaimed, “Wait! Let’s try it from another angle. You never know how it’s going to turn out.” This is the 2nd shot, which did turn out better. Turns out Ferd's got a good eye.



In Georgia, I saw a lady smile as she walked past the guy who was headed to Fort Myers take this picture of me.




The guy who took my picture when I made it back home to Florida was on his way to Pensacola with his family. The picture he took came out blurry, but that's alright.

My portrait with the "Welcome to South Carolina" sign didn't happen because I was on a state highway and I didn't realize I was in South Carolina until I drove past the small sign. I did, however, get to drive past the world's largest strawberry and grab this shot as I drove out of SC.

It is amazing to me how a camera can capture a moment. How can that little tiny thing suck in that second of life and freeze frame it? Even after taking a photography class in high school I still don’t get it. I don’t think I ever will. I'm just thankful someone did get it.

highlights

This week has been pretty good and here are some of the things that have made me smile, laugh or just plain happy.

1.) Travis wearing a pink shirt with tie

2.) the word "bee-otch"

3.) my dad channeling his inner Stevie Wonder and leaving me a voicemail saying, "I just called to say I love you."

4.) the staff at Firehouse Subs shouting, "Thank you!" whenever a customer left

5.) the ladies who work in the office across from mine coming over to talk about 24

6.) thinking about seeing my friends Ru, Kim and James this weekend in NC

7.) getting $11 knocked off of rent

8.) watching Scrubs

9.) awesome worship on Wednesday night

10.) getting HP & the Goblet of Fire on DVD

11.) riding my bike to Matt and Anna's and Evie being shy

when in gainesville

The past 24 hours have been a lot of fun. I went up to UF in Gainesville with Diana, the director at camp, for a summer camp job fair. We go every year to recruit students to be counselors with us during the summer. I've gone on this trip four times and this was by far my favorite visit.

While we were in Gatortown, we stayed at a Holiday Inn and upon our arrival we were served cookies warm from the oven. Our hotel also had free wireless internet, and as someone who recently received his first laptop, I was pretty excited. We also met up with seven of our old counselors for dinner. I'd not seen some of them since the last time we were at UF so it was good to catch up with them. The other perk was that I got a free dinner at Chili's thanks to Circle F.

The highlight of the trip was spending time with my friend Grace. Last Christmas my friend Andy had his annual party for all of us who went to high school together and I found out that Grace & another friend of mine, Julia, live together and go to grad school at UF. I told them I would give them a call when I was in Gainesville for this job fair. I procrastinated calling them until I was on my way to our dinner at Chili's to see if they wanted to meet up when I finished my Chicken Crispers. Part of me wasn't sure if I should call because I thought maybe it would be awkward since we only usually see each other once a year, but I could not have been more wrong.

Julia was not able to make it, but Grace was and I was so happy to visit with her. We reminisced about my spring break trip to visit her and our other friend Martha when they were attending Boston University. On my first night there, they decided I would enjoy an authentic Boston clubbing experience. Being the clubbing fiend that I am, they were surprised to learn that all of my best clubbing gear was left in Orlando. This excuse did not deter them, though, as they called all of their guy friends until they found an outfit they deemed appropriate.

Grace also gave me an update on a guy we went to high school with named Bryan Edwards. I catch up with Bryan at Andy's parties, but don't keep in touch with him otherwise. I knew he'd been pursuing a country music career and that he was this close to being on "Nashville Star," but Grace had exciting news to tell. She informed me that not only is he now selling his cds on his website (I just ordered them!), but he opened for Keith Urban at a concert in St. Pete this past week. I'm not an avid country music fan, but I do know who this guy is because he's been mentioned in Entertainment Weekly and he's a big deal in that world right now.

I love hearing these stories about the different paths people end up on. It makes me wonder if there are other people I went to high school with sitting around asking each other, "Do you know whatever happened to that Jason Vargas kid? Remember when we had to sit through that lame senior class video he made? I wonder what he's up to now."

It also reminds me that God often puts us on paths that we never expected to be on. The tricky part is trusting that He knows what He's doing when He puts us on those paths.

car wash

After spending about 15 minutes talking my dad through how you send an email with an attachment, I received the early 1980s newspaper clipping pictured above. The thing I find pretty cool is that just last week I went to visit my dad for his birthday and while I was there we washed my car. And this time he was on hose duty while I scrubbed my car clean. Another good thing is that my hair is no longer shaped like a bowl.

weekend revelations

Here are some things that either 1.) became clear to me or 2.) were confirmed for me over the weekend:

1.) I am seriously lacking skills in the balance department. I was playing a game at youth group on Sunday night with various people where you stand face to face looking at another person and you try to knock each other over just by pushing the palms of your hands against the palms of your opponent's hands. No matter who I played against, I pretty much lost my balance after the first attack. I finally began to hold my own against Travis, until he miscalculated a move and stuck a thumb in each of my eyeballs.

2.) I have a lot of emotional ties to restaurants. On my way home from youth group I made a stop at the drive-thru at Long John Silver's. I have always been a fan of their chicken planks (and consequently, their grease) since the days of going there with my mom. So every now and then I swing by for the nostalgic feel of it. Other places and the people they make me think of: Chick-fil-A (my buddy Danny, the LIFE Group, mine and Anna's realization that food in Heaven would be even better than their original chicken sandwich), Bubbalou's (good times with ULife people), Burger King (sharing chicken sandwiches with my dad when I was little), and Starbucks at Barnes & Noble (Carla and I meet there to catch up when I'm in Tampa).

3.) I miss Cam. He was one of my campers during my first session ever at Circle F. I was at the ranch this past weekend with a church from Windermere, which is where Cam lives, and I found myself hoping he would show up with that church because 1.) it would mean he's hearing the Gospel and 2.) I'd get to see him. Cam and I did not get along at all when we first met. I vividly remember him telling me I was no fun and I thought this kid was going to be a thorn in my side for the rest of that 3 week session. But at some point, things changed and we clicked. I don't remember what the turning point was, but I guess he realized that my being overbearing was really me just caring about them. After that rocky start, seeing Cam walk into the Round Up on opening days became something I anticipated greatly. We got to hang out at camp for 3 additional summers and there were some times when we did not see eye-to-eye, but he has always been one of my favorite campers and one of the ones that made camp worth it for me. I don't really hear from him, but I think he's 16 or 17 and a junior in high school now. The first picture below is from 1999. I'm on the left, he's in the middle and my co-counselor C.J. is on the right.
This picture is from his last summer at camp in 2003. He's on the left and the other guy is Jordan, who was also one of my first campers. Cam and Jordan were inseparable at camp.
4.) I like Sunday afternoon naps a lot.

my 4 things

ande tagged me on this, so here it is:

4 jobs you have had in your life:

1.) After school program counselor - During my junior year at UCF I worked at this place called Kids R Kids from 3-7 every weekday. I didn't think I was going to last when I first got the job, but I ended up loving it and was sad to leave at the end of the school year.

2.) Indoor advertising intern - This was a paid internship I had shortly after I declared Ad/PR to be my major. I got 100 bucks a week for driving all over Orlando and maintaining the ads that my boss had placed in bathrooms at various restaurants and gyms. I never realized how disgusting of a job it was until I had some time away from it.

3.) Helper person for a high school guidance counselor - Somehow I agreed to help my high school's college counselor move all her stuff from her old home to her new one. What started out as a week-long project of packing and moving boxes ended up being a job that lasted almost the entire summer. I even dug up this lady's plants and replanted them at her new place. I'm such a sucker.

4.) Camp counselor at Circle F Dude Ranch - I got this job 3 weeks before their camp season started and it has since turned into a full-time job. I always get a kick out of running into people I was a counselor with and telling them I'm still at Circle F.

4 goals you've set for this year:

1.) increase my good cholesterol level
2.) pray regularly
3.) not eat out as much
4.) not eat as many cookies (I'm failing miserably at this one)

4 movies you could watch over and over:

1.) Adventures in Babysitting - I remember begging my dad to take me to this movie when I was 6 or 7. I know it's absolutely ridiculous, but it never gets old and I love it more each time I see it. "I've got the babysitting blues!"
2.) Billy Elliot - Jamie Bell is awesome. I bought this movie on DVD after only seeing the preview.
3.) While You Were Sleeping - Oh, Sandy B.
4.) Jerry Maguire - It rocks.

4 places you have lived:

1.) Tampa, FL - my hometown
2.) Orlando, FL - where I went to college and currently live
3.) Dayton, OH - lived here for 2 months with family while my mom was getting treatment for breast cancer
4.) Lake Wales, FL - my home away from home during the summer and on most weekends

4 TV shows you love to watch:

1.) Alias - JJ Abrams scores
2.) Lost - JJ Abrams scores again
3.) Scrubs - so over the top you've gotta love it
4.) 24 - so addictive

4 places you have been on vacation:

1.) Guatemala - This is where my dad is originally from. I've lost count how many times I've been, but each visit is better than the last.
2.) Johnstown, PA - I used to spend my summer vacations here with my cousins going to lots of theme parks, making lots of embarrassing home videos and playing even more Super Mario Kart.
3.) Nashville, TN - I went there 2 times within a year: once for my cousin Jeremy's wedding and the 2nd time to hang out with him, his new wife Kierstin and their dog and cat. Both times rocked. Too many good memories to list, many involving good food, but seeing Amy G. at the Pancake Pantry ranks pretty high.
4.) Baltimore, MD/Washington, DC - I visited DC for the first time last August. It was a pit stop on my way to my cousin Jon's wedding in MD. You can always count on a good time whenever any of my cousins are involved.

4 websites you visit daily:

1.) Entertainment Weekly - lots of movie and TV news
2.) All my road before me... - Jeremy's blog
3.) a net for catching days... - Kierstin's blog (this cousin-in-law of mine is such a great story-teller)
4.) Holding Out for Grace - great thoughts from my friend Ande

4 albums I am listening to right now:

1.) any Lifehouse cd
2.) Tenth Avenue North - Speaking of Silence
3.) U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
4.) The Message: Psalms

4 people I'm tagging to do this, should you choose to accept this mission:

1.) Josh
2.) Jeremy
3.) Kierstin
4.) you, the reader

camp pics

I spent this past weekend at camp and it went well. But it reminded me how quickly the summer is coming and how hectic things are going to become. That's why it's good to look at pictures like the ones below that remind me how much fun summer camp is.

Two of Circle F's finest: Logan & Afton - and they're coming all summer!

This shot always cracks me up. Zan at his most entertaining.

Voted cutest couple at camp: Bo & Lexi

My favorite rock waller, Beau, getting a little tong crazy.

This pic has to be one of my all-time favorites. Her face says it all.

In unrelated news, Sawyer made it into EW's tv quotes of the week: "You even made Locke take a swing at you. Hell, that's like getting Gandhi to beat his kids."

mid winter 06

I cheated on Circle F this past weekend and went to another camp. For the 3rd year, I went on the Mid Winter retreat with just under 50 of the middle school kids from church and a handful of leaders. I always look forward to this weekend. One of the reasons is because I get to be a camper for a few days and not be the one worried about everything going just right. It's also great to spend a significant amount of time with the kids and form better relationships with them.

The worship band was particularly great this year. (Check out Tenth Avenue North for more info on that group.) Middle schoolers know how to have a good time worshipping in song and I think we can learn a lot from them. I am not much of a clapper when it comes to singing during a regular church worship service, but when it's a group of 300+ middle schoolers and their leaders, my clapping is pretty much on cruise control. Because those guys have fun with it and just get into it. I wish praising God in song was always that enjoyable. But for some reason I find myself more self-conscious about "getting into it" at church.

In between the singing and games involving squirt guns filled with mouthwash, we had some good lessons. A lot of it was stuff I'd heard before, but I can always use a reminder. The idea that stuck with me the most was the fact that we are all part of a big story - God's story. What an amazing thought it is to me that we get to play supporting roles in His story. God loves me enough to use me? Really? Me?

Another story I am a big fan of is the Harry Potter series. I thoroughly enjoyed the most recently published 6th book, but the last lines of it are my favorite:

"We'll be there, Harry," said Ron.

"What?"

"At your aunt and uncle's house," said Ron. "And then we'll go with you wherever you're going."

"No-" said Harry quickly; he had not counted on this, he had meant them to understand that he was undertaking this most dangerous journey alone.

"You said to us once before," said Hermione quietly, "that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we?"

"We're with you whatever happens," said Ron.

When I read that closing I remember thinking, "I'll be there, too, Harry, and I can't wait! What a great story this author has written!" It was then that I realized these books speak to a part of us all. We all want to be part of a big adventure. That same day I wrote in my journal:

We want to be part of something big, something epic, something that matters. And then I think about what it means to be a Christian and realize that if you are truly living as a Christian, then you are doing all of these things. And that's something to be so pumped about.

We, I especially, love to read and watch these stories about people risking their lives for the things that matter most to them. So why is it so hard for me to take non life-threatening risks for what matters to me? That's what hit me this weekend. That I don't put enough trust in the freedom God has given us. I can screw up and He's not going to love me any less for it. I know He's given this freedom to us, but I guess part of me just hasn't completely accepted it. How can I take for granted that we get to be a part of this mind-blowing story?! After this weekend I do feel more confident in it. And my prayer is that I'll be more excited to trust in Christ and take risks for Him than I will be to pick up the next Harry Potter book.

my dad the singer

The older I get, the more I appreciate my dad. Earlier today I was reminded of an embarrassing moment I experienced as a kid courtesy of my pops. My memory of this event is a little foggy, but I was probably 7 or 8 and we had company over at the house. My dad decided that our guests would love nothing more than for me to perform a song for them. I declined, but my dad insisted. So I proceeded to sing "La Bamba" in front of my adoring fans while my dad cheered me on and urged me to swing my hips and "to get into it." I'm sure my audience gave me a big round of applause, but I couldn't have been more embarrassed.

Well, I never did "get into" singing even though I was in chorus for a few years. My dad, however, has always loved singing and music, and it shows when you enter our house in Tampa. In the living room reside several speakers that are bigger than some of the middle schoolers I work with. They are huge and they are loud. My dad used to buy karaoke tapes of old Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson and Ritchie Valens (I have him to thank for my "La Bamba" incident) songs and practiced singing these songs on a regular basis.

Once he and my mom went out with my mom's nephew, Greg, and his wife, Donna, to karaoke night at a local Holiday Inn. Everyone had such a great time listening to my dad sing and whenever Donna was around my dad was guaranteed to sing the song "Donna." They came home that night with a tape of my dad singing that song and they couldn't have been happier.

My mom was, of course, my dad's biggest fan. She always loved sitting on the couch as he serenaded her. Even when he sang songs in Spanish and she didn't understand a word that was coming out of his mouth, she sat there and smiled.

When I was in high school my dad's love for belting out those tunes did not diminish. And those speakers were happy to continue their mission of blasting my dad's voice for anyone near Sandcroft Court to hear. I remember talking on the phone extra loud sometimes when he was singing so that my friends could hear me. Other times I'd pull up in the driveway and could hear his voice before I even got to the front door.

During one Christmas break when I was in college and my dad was in Guatemala, a bunch of my friends came over and were in awe of the speakers. When they asked why we had them I shared with them my dad's love for singing. So what happened next? We did what would have made my dad proud: we sang our hearts out. And we had the best time. This past Christmas I saw a bunch of those same friends and when one of them saw me, one of the first things he asked me was, "Hey, do you remember when we sang all those songs on your dad's speakers?! Does he still have those things?"

I never realized how much enjoyment those speakers provided. Who would've thought that 10 years after those things shook my bedroom walls as I did homework, they'd make me laugh and smile with so many rich memories?

the nickname king

Warning: If you watch Lost and aren't caught up with the 2nd season, this entry contains spoilers.

Monday nights are good. I meet with my LIFE Group of fellow youth group leaders and we share the concerns and successes we experience with the kids we work with. When Paul mentioned to me that we were going to start this group I thought it was a great idea, but what I thought made it an even better idea was his suggestion that we watch Lost together on a weekly basis. Because the group that prays together and attempts to figure out the mysteries of the island stays together. And cookies, cheesecake or any other dessert item only makes it better.

Last night we gathered around Paul's laptop (we're a dedicated bunch) to watch the further adventures of our favorite castaways. The two episodes that we watched were really good. We got our first real look at the island monster, witnessed what EW dubbed a "little Jungle U.N. Summitt," and were the fortunate recipients of several quality one-liners from Sawyer. I'm not sure whether or not I would really like someone like Sawyer if I were stuck on an island with him, but I love his character. Calling Locke Mr. Clean and telling him that all he was missing was the mop and earring? Classic.

But my favorite line of the episode took place when Jack, Locke and Sawyer were tracking Michael's trail into the jungle. The dialogue went something like this:

Locke:"Does any of this look familiar to you?"
Sawyer: "Oh, yeah, there's my favorite leaf right there!"

At that moment I couldn't have been happier to have Sawyer back in the game after being stuck in a bed for several episodes.

Lost has quickly become one of my favorite shows. I have been a fan of all things J.J. Abrams (one of the show's creators), even before Lost came around. I remember when it hit big and suddenly he became the go-to guy for lots of productions. He was approached for the new Superman movie, but has ended up directing the new Mission:Impossible that comes out in May. I felt like people were finally figuring out what I had known since Alias (another show he created) started. I proudly own every season of that show and am even a fan of his old WB show Felicity. Okay, I have that show on DVD, too. Yeah, I know, it's a bit of a girly show, but there are great characters on that show, just like Lost. (It also doesn't hurt that Keri Russell is in it.) That's what this guy does best. He creates great characters and puts them in fascinating situations. And I am happy to go along for the ride.

brokeback to the future

I love a good parody. Entertainment Weekly has a blog that I read regularly. They recently posted a link to a Brokeback Mountain parody called Brokeback to the Future that is really funny. I've not seen Brokeback Mountain, but since BTTF is my favorite trilogy, I thought it was worth a look.

baby huff!

Exciting stuff today! I open my email and waiting for me is the picture you see to the left: the first photo of Baby Huff. Clint and Steph, two of my favorite people from Circle F, are having a baby! I'm so excited for them. They already have one child in their boxer, Cailin, and here's hoping this newest addition to the Huff family doesn't have the same licking problem as Cailin.