Lessons I Learned from my Deck

My Memorial Day weekend project was to rebuild the deck on the back of my house. When I say "my" project, I really mean my Dad's project. :) Since my Dad's a home builder, he's definitely the expert, but other family members (me and my sister, primarily) aided him as best we could. We didn't get finished, but there was some definite progress made.

There were two concrete steps off the back of my house that provided a considerable amount of work to remove. We rented a jack hammer for a couple of hours and (again, my Dad) chipped away at the steps. I used the jack hammer briefly, but that was mainly "for the experience" (according to my Dad) and "for a good photo opp" (according to me). But, as I was sitting back watching my Dad hammer away, I was saddened just a bit. The deck was pretty much unusable as it was, but even so, those steps have been my friends for the past three years that I've owned my house. I was reminded of the times I sat on that back stoop talking on the phone or just contemplating life. So, though I was excited about the new deck, it was a bit difficult to leave behind those stoops.

It made me think about life a bit... how it's comfortable to hold on to the past, even when I know it keeps me from moving forward. But, sometimes you have to remove the old before the new can take hold.

"God, let me be a person who bravely lets go of those things that keep me from experiencing the newness of your grace and mercy."

The Miseducation of Krista

Isn't it funny the things God uses to teach us? If you've read my post from April 29th, I've been working on not worrying as much. I've had several situations this past month or so that could have caused me a lot of stress and anxiety, but I've chosen not to get worried or stressed out about them.

One of those is one of the teams I sort of lead at church. It's called "The Crew." Late last month, right after preparing our May schedule, I had three people call and tell me that they were going to be able to help with it any more. Three may not sound like many, but we were already running a fairly tight ship with only about 10 helpers. So, three people, each serving twice a month had a pretty significant impact on the team. That's something I usually would have been really worried about... until I had a chance to find enough helpers and rebuild a schedule for May. However, I decided to trust God to take care of it. And, I knew that (no matter how few helpers we had) week-to-week things would still get done somehow... whether I worried about it or not. So, last week I was telling someone about the three new helpers we've had in May... one new person each week, and it dawned on me that I DID NOT HAVE TO TRACK ANY OF THEM DOWN! I really thought to rebuild the team, I'd have to spend some time on the phone begging for help. But, instead, each of these people either contact me out of the blue or just happened to mention to me that they were looking for additional ways to help out around the church!

What an incredible blessing! All it took was letting go of it and leaving it in God's hands! You thought I would have learned that by now!

"Thank you, Papa!"

Don't get on my "bed" side!

I drove home tonight after work and lifted my garage door like I always do. Instead of finding the empty garage, I found my bed... perfectly assembled and made up. Hrmmm... that's unusual. I normally sleep in my bedroom. (head scratch) It didn't take me long to realize that my roommate is a traitor and assisted my "friend," Chris, in moving my bed out to the garage. He was in the office this afternoon. When he mentioned that he was going to stop by Blockbuster to rent a movie I owned, I naturally told him I would loan him my copy. (Big mistake.) Truth be told, had my roommate not been home, I probably would have had a temporary lapse of judgement and given him my key. Fortunately she WAS home, so the disruption was limited to the bed.

The whole reason that happened is because several weeks ago I had help moving his scooter into a 20' box truck. That would have merely been funny had not his scooter been stolen before in the past. (I had that piece of information but, personally, still thought it was funny.)

Of course, that was egged on by him hiding my keys in my kitchen cabinets the last time he was over for small group.

And that was retribution for something I can't even remember, though I'm sure whatever that was was retaliation for when he took all of my light bulbs from out of my light fixtures and hid them around my house (everywhere from my sugar canister to my underwear drawer).

I'm sure there are more stories to tell, but... you get the idea. :)

Mango-induced rash

A bit of explanation on the last post... I've had a bit of a problem with mango salsa since last summer, though I assumed it was related to the jalapeno or cilantro. Well, after a bit of extensive research this weekend, I think I've linked it back to the mango. That's incredibly disappointing, but I love mango!

But, after eating a whole mango Sunday night, I've developed a poison ivy type rash. I did a bit of research on-line and discovered others with similar experiences...

I loved you once...

What a sweet affair... once or twice a year, you and I would share some heavenly moments. I can hardly believe it's over. It's been only 24-hours since you last touched my lips, but I think I shall never forget you. I loved you once, but it's not meant to be. I'm sure I'll see you around, at dinner parties and in the homes of friends. I'll catch a glimpse of you from across the room and remember all that has passed between us. A tear will invade my eye, and I'll be forced to look away. But, I must leave you forever. My health depends on it. Thank you, mango salsa, for the good times. I shall never forget you.

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

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Things to say...

Wow... I've been working for my church for a year now. It doesn't seem like that could be possible. "Happy Anniversary, Me!"

I bought a pair of pants this week in a size smaller than I ever remember wearing!! I'm sure I passed quickly through the size once pre-puberty, but that memory has long escaped my awareness. Regardless, it feels fairly exhilarating. :)

I've been reading "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning. Great book! I'll have to share more thoughts/quotes from the book at a later time.

I took advantage of Tulsa's public transportation for the first time last Saturday. There's a Tulsa Transit bus stop two blocks from my house. Who knew?! It was an enlightening experience. I've only really used public transportation in populated US cities and foreign countries, so it brought a more urban-feel right to my doorstep (or at least as close as two blocks away). I encourage you all to check it out!

I don't know what else to tell you, other than... I'm going to bed here shortly. So, goodnight, friends!

Funny...

... I ran across this quote by Groucho Marx tonight...

"It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy."