What I'm Listening to Now

Naeem Fazel used to be the young adult pastor at The Annex at Seacoast. Awesome speaker...

Last year he started a church in Charlotte that has already hit mega church proportions. He aside four weeks of his church's weekly sermons to talk about sex.

Christmas Cheer

The deacons normally decorate the church every year for Christmas. This time, one of them invited the aXcess planning team to come and help. Jaimie & I ended up going and Patricia came along, as well.

It was such a good moment to get to know some of the "adults" a bit better. Also, when I'm sitting there in church on Sunday morning looking at that 20 ft. tree, I don't have to wonder how in the world they got the star all the way up there!

Two Degrees of Separation

Scott, the guy who started this, was on Mercy Ships with Kim. When I was in NYC, we ran into the Water Exhibit & Scott in Union Square. I got more excited about taking pictures of the exhibit that I forgot to take a picture of he and the team! For those of you faithful NYC readers who elect not to comment but I know you are still out there, he is having the Charity Ball on Dec. 18th.

Flea Market

I spent this morning at the flea market in Raleigh with my old roommate, Jenny.

It was SO great to get to spend time with her and between the two of us we found two pairs of earrings, a too cute dress from the 1950s (all Jenny), and a these great wooden buckets from a dairy.

Rrrrreally Thankful

One of my favorite bellas from UNC InterVarsity days, Kristen, gave me the letter R to list at least 10 things I am thankful for that begin with R.

RED
there is NO better color in all the world! LOVE it!
Rants
from my brother, John, on any and every topic. HILARIOUS & INSIGHTFUL.
Romance
serious natural high.
Rational Thinking Men
because they are the exact opposite of me and have the same effect of a string on a kite. Thanks, John, Dad, and a select few of my friends!
Random Conversations
there is nothing more exciting than discovering what comes out of a few of these!
Reading
It opens my world in so many areas.
Reassuring Friends
for the times I am afraid to step out or the times I jumped into the fray but can't tell how I'm doing.
Redemption
It is what makes everything else possible.
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
will be the return address on my Christmas Cards this year! PRAISE THE LORD! PRAISE THE LORD! It is GOOD to be home.
Racial Reconciliation
Again, it is good to be home.

Look fun? Leave a comment and I'll give you a letter!
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I FORGOT THE SECOND BIGGEST ONE (next to REDEMPTION). I had to come back and add just one more...

RELATIONSHIPS!
I love them. They are what makes life truly worth living for and why I get up every morning!

Abrigado

We ended celebrating Thanksgiving at "Brasa" in Brier Creek. John's flight back to Cincinnati was delayed by two hours and that was the ONLY restaurant open in the entire shopping center. On the BIGGEST poultry eating day of the year, MY family ate beef...lots and lots of beef! (Of course, we did have Thanksgiving turkey a day early.) Chuamas in Brightleaf Square is still my favorite Brazilian Restaurant in the Triangle but this was still good.

Feast or Famine

My job took me to the Grove Park Inn & Spa Resort in Asheville, NC this week. It is one of the most famous hotels in the South.

I spent the night in the old part of the hotel. So, now I can say that I've been there. I'm sure it would be a wonderful place to vacation. However, at the end of the work day, a hotel is still not your own bed. And "quaint" can actually be down right annoying when you are traveling on business.

When I've got 10 minutes to get to a business meeting, running in 4 inch stillettos, and I'm still 8 minutes away from the ballroom, that unexpected extra ten minutes is unwelcomed while I wait for the antique elevator to come slowly down complete with the elevator operator who has to slide open the door, get out, and let you in.

Also, when traveling for business, I DO NOT want to valet park my car. They don't give you receipts so you can't expense it, the bell hops take TOO LONG, and when you are there with a conference, after the meeting dismisses you have hundreds of people headed to the valet stand. Talk about long lines. Give me my keys, I'll go find my own car!

I was REALLY looking forward to sitting in front of the 14 ft tall fireplace in the lobby on Monday night, drinking coffee and reading. Apparently, 150 other people from my group had the same idea and another 70 were attracted to the bar in the same area so it turned into another big mixer after the foodshow that night. So, I pushed my way through the crowd (kind of saw some occasional flickers of firelight through all the bodies) and found an empty seat beside Chad at the bar so I could at least order my espresso. People were literally standing 15 deep at the bar so I was walled in for awhile and I got to talk to everybody. I also got a lot of this, "Hey, tell the bartender I want another seven and seven!"..."MERLOT! HEY, I NEED A MERLOT! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? CHAD, TELL HIM WHO I AM!....WHAT??!! HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO I AM?? WELL, TELL HIM WHO YOU ARE...I NEED A MERLOT FOR THIS CUSTOMER."...."Speaking of things I can't get...where are my turkeys this year? Why is there a shortage?"

Weekend Highlights

The bonfire went SO well.

We had around 40 people show up!





After a bella bow tying party at the church (we are selling bows at the Church Christmas tree lot), I got to see Sandra's super fabulous new house and taste her yummy cooking!

After all that girl stuff, it was great to watch UFC with the boys. I forgot how fun it really is to watch all the fights!
Jaimie & I discovered the Nordstrom Cafe while shopping upstairs. It is SO wonderful and I've never even peeked inside after five years of shopping there. I just always thought it was another coffee bar like the one downstairs.

We had a great time hanging out there and it isn't loud bc not many people know it exists!

Also, Nordstrom is the only store that refuses to put up their Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. I LOVE IT! One more reason to shop there. Now, if only their prices were slightly lower...

Pilates?

My day is a bit backwards, today.

I have a work presentation to give in the Northern part of the state at 7pm. I don't actually start talking until 7:40pm!! So, I feel like I should be doing all the stuff I'd normally do at night during the morning.

That seems to be the logical thing to do...

But, it really isn't because I still have a lot of work to get done before I ever get to the sales meeting tonight. So, I decided to compromise and go to the gym first and then start on work.

A Pilates class is offered at the gym during the day that I can never do so I decided to give it a try. Sunghee & my first experience with yoga was hilarious due to an INCREDIBLY spacey instructor so I am expecting great stories from this one.

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UPDATE:

Oh my goodness, are you kidding me!?!?

THIS CLASS IS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! I spent half the time thinking, "What in the world is she talking about?" and the other half thinking, "Ouch, breathe, ouch, inhale, exhale, inhale, can't hold this position much longer... I forgot, am I inhaling now or exhaling..."

However, I am strangely hooked. I suddenly care about my core...whatever that is...

Family Life Junkie

I'll admit it, I am interested in a life stage that is not my own. I have been since I was WAY YOUNG. I've been listening faithfully to Dr. Dobson's radio broadcasts for eleven years now. There are certain ideas that are now almost innate in me: stay at home moms, bring up boys to be men, etc, etc, etc. However...

Enter Shirin Taber's new book, Wanting All the Right Things. I read the first chapter online and now I definitely want to read the whole thing. She deals with the question of Feminism vs. Traditionalism and actually presents an argument that neither side wins. She BLENDS them...heresy!?

Read it! Let me know what you think...The idea of women being unsatisfied with life because of the cultural norms is something that is being explored more and more in books and articles lately. Plus, Lance is always telling me, "Nothing will satisfy you, will it?" I rolled my eyes but then realized he may actually be more cutting edge than any of us actually realized...I'm not sure I think that is true about myself but he seems to have hit on a trend.

Celebration!

My "soul sister" got engaged! She is marrying a real live US Marshal (who also just happens to be a really wonderful guy). The following is what happens when you post pictures online and your friends are excited for you...











This might be my favorite picture of them all. Visit http://www.jenglass.blogspot.com/ for her hilarious comments.











Looks like she said, "Yes!"










She'll be wearing the ring her grandmother wore for 63 years! What an awesome thing to be able to wear a family heirloom!!! SO SPECIAL and SWEET!

Danny & Dannie

I'm headed to Charleston this weekend to be a bridesmaid in Daniel & Danielle's wedding. It is such a blessing that the Lord gave me friends at Seacoast that I would grow that close to in less than a year. I'm looking forward to going "home" to Mt. Pleasant. I have been away long enough to be glad to return!

You Are Holy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfYGlfNXueU

Go, Gamecocks!

"There were some reports of problems in voting yesterday, including reports of long lines, voting machine malfunctions and court disputes over ballot procedures. In South Carolina, Republican Governor Mark Sanford was turned away at his polling place by election officials who told him he had insufficient identification, CNN reported."

You can't get much more sparkling than that!

Sarah's Cats

"Nothing says aXcess like..."

Mountains

Currently Reading:

I'm back to reading Dave Roberson's The Walk of Spirit the Walk of Power. I have already dedicated a post to it on my old blog but it is such a good book to remind yourself of the benefit of praying in tongues.



Another Classic that has been recommended 50 times over to me by people.