i cannot believe how well i am doing with this blog thing! of course, it helps when you can open google to check email, and see a blog staring you right in the face. thanks igoogle.
what a wonderful weekend i am coming off. a nice dinner friday night with good friends, saturday was full of holiday celebration, including a tacky sweater party (nevermind it was a bust, i looked great) and Sunday was a big friendship brunch and our church's 1st annual chili cookoff contest. the neighb's and i made pumpkin chili and won the popular vote! (popular meaning we are, and we talked people into giving us money for our collection jar) yes, we were the big winners bringing in $84 for the soupman and giving us the reigning title. for a girl who rarely cooks, this is a once in a lifetime honor. after chili, had a holiday happy hour reunion with some of my cruise friends. it just felt like Christmas, the joy and excitement of talking about family plans and getting ready for a few days of relaxation.
today is a day of getting stuff done (can you tell? this is my creative release mid-day, don't judge). trying to mail out some letters and finalize some phone calls in the office. tomorrow will be the last day of my work year, and i need to get organized for all the january craziness that will be awaiting me when i return. tonight is the 10twelve Christmas party, and i have got to get to packing for home. so, hasta and happy holidays! be back on january 4!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
internal Christmas
my heart is finally registering that Christmas is here. my outsides have been responding to the holidays, by way of parties and baking; shopping and decorating. however, my spirit and heart just haven't been into it.
today things are different. not sure what first led to this; perhaps the "santa like effects" of the day. my landlady Nina, left gifts for the 10Twelve at our house this morning (her lexi-like "sleigh" blocking my driveway out this morning, catching her in the act of an elf :) i came in to work to find a desk full of wrapped packages, cookies and cards on my desk from co-workers and interns.
the prize, and maybe the true reason for my inner Christmas cheer comes by way of a pink Christmas card found on my desk, made for me by Jacqueline. Jacqueline is an elementary student in our program, and possibly the most friendly child alive. She always calls me by name, asks me to move my office downstairs to their site, and gives the biggest and best hugs. i only see her every so often, but she always remembers me. she asked the site coordinator to make sure i got this very special card. it says "happy christmas! and happy new year!" (in all lowers- a girl after my own heart). it's snowing blue stars in her picture, with a snowman and two penguins wearing top hats with dancing canes. her name is signed in perfect cursive, surrounded by a blue cloud. it is, by far, the most special gift i have received this season. it was made with the creativity and love of a child with zero other resources to offer. she believes in happy christmas! happy new year! and thinks it's so great others should, too. it warms my heart more than the set of holiday ramekins from williams-sonoma i received last night ever could.
and so now it's Christmas internally. to make up for lost time, i'm having a party today with myself; with the love and joy that this magical season brings, and the hope and peace that Christ gives to our hearts. thank you Jacqueline, for reminding me that happy christmas! really is possible.
today things are different. not sure what first led to this; perhaps the "santa like effects" of the day. my landlady Nina, left gifts for the 10Twelve at our house this morning (her lexi-like "sleigh" blocking my driveway out this morning, catching her in the act of an elf :) i came in to work to find a desk full of wrapped packages, cookies and cards on my desk from co-workers and interns.
the prize, and maybe the true reason for my inner Christmas cheer comes by way of a pink Christmas card found on my desk, made for me by Jacqueline. Jacqueline is an elementary student in our program, and possibly the most friendly child alive. She always calls me by name, asks me to move my office downstairs to their site, and gives the biggest and best hugs. i only see her every so often, but she always remembers me. she asked the site coordinator to make sure i got this very special card. it says "happy christmas! and happy new year!" (in all lowers- a girl after my own heart). it's snowing blue stars in her picture, with a snowman and two penguins wearing top hats with dancing canes. her name is signed in perfect cursive, surrounded by a blue cloud. it is, by far, the most special gift i have received this season. it was made with the creativity and love of a child with zero other resources to offer. she believes in happy christmas! happy new year! and thinks it's so great others should, too. it warms my heart more than the set of holiday ramekins from williams-sonoma i received last night ever could.
and so now it's Christmas internally. to make up for lost time, i'm having a party today with myself; with the love and joy that this magical season brings, and the hope and peace that Christ gives to our hearts. thank you Jacqueline, for reminding me that happy christmas! really is possible.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
here we go...
well, i guess it's official. i'm a blogger.
never in a million years did i think this could happen to me. why? well, as great as this whole internet communication thing is for some people, it is a burden to me. email is a necessary evil to get things done in offices and yahoo groups. i finally joined facebook last year to the request of my friends (and then the 540 others who followed...), and i tweet to keep up with people i don't know and sprinkles cupcake's latest dallas giveaway. i would rather get together with people and sit face-to-face and have a conversation; see their smile, read their body language, hear their laugh. emotions all lost in email and 40 word postings.
phones are just as bad. i think of myself as the last human being under the age of 35 that actually uses her cell phone to make phone calls. yesterday, i added unlimited text messaging to my cell plan, not because i'm sending so many texts, but because i'm receiving them. from YOU. ones like "hi" and "K" and "sounds good!" i promise i love you, but please don't send me another emoticon that i have to pay 35 cents for. well, i guess you can now, two cell phone bills of $140 later...
but enough about that- you didn't read this blog to hear me rant. i'm here now, and happy to be sharing my thoughts with you. so, what do you think of my blog name? pretty catchy, huh? any guesses on what it stands for? Tennessee? nope. my passion for running that i've slacked on for the past 3 months since it got cold? (translation; cold to kristin = 60 degrees F) nope. more like this: i heard a sermon this summer on Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. ah, prodigal. guy after my own heart. runs off to do his own thing, to then run back into the arms of "dad" when he realizes life is better with him. i can hear him now, rehearsing his famous speech: "father, i have sinned against yo... no, that won't work; *clears throat* Father, i have sinned against heaven and against you.. (yeah...) hire me out to be..." you get the point. the speech is repeated again and again as the son makes his way along the path that leads to the father's house. the landscape changes around him as he repeats the speech and anxiously anticipates the response of the father. his heart races and mind cannot contain all he has to say as he rises over the last hill home. and the Father sees him as he's waiting for him on the porch.
and we all know the rest. i think of myself as that prodigal on a number of occasions. and i've crossed a lot of last hills home. Jesus has waited on that porch for me everytime. i just love the imagery, and i can envision the silhouette of both men against the landscape. one, poor postured, soul searching, nervously fretting the return of what awaits him on the other side of that hill. the other...
when i heard this tagline at first, i thought it would be a great name for a band. well, none of my friends are musical enough to start a band, it's 5 months later, and i'm using it. copywright's in the mail.
so that's me in a blogging nutshell. let the adventure begin! couple of ground rules:
1. my stream of consciousness changes more often than sarah palin's wardrobe. be prepared.
2. the lower case letter use is intentional. if i get to have my own blog, and you choose to read it, do not judge my choice of syntac. start your own blog. love you.
3. i'll update no less than once per week... ok, i'll try to update no less than once per week.
4. there will be no tiger woods jokes posted here. if you like them, take 'em somewhere else, i'm sick of them.
never in a million years did i think this could happen to me. why? well, as great as this whole internet communication thing is for some people, it is a burden to me. email is a necessary evil to get things done in offices and yahoo groups. i finally joined facebook last year to the request of my friends (and then the 540 others who followed...), and i tweet to keep up with people i don't know and sprinkles cupcake's latest dallas giveaway. i would rather get together with people and sit face-to-face and have a conversation; see their smile, read their body language, hear their laugh. emotions all lost in email and 40 word postings.
phones are just as bad. i think of myself as the last human being under the age of 35 that actually uses her cell phone to make phone calls. yesterday, i added unlimited text messaging to my cell plan, not because i'm sending so many texts, but because i'm receiving them. from YOU. ones like "hi" and "K" and "sounds good!" i promise i love you, but please don't send me another emoticon that i have to pay 35 cents for. well, i guess you can now, two cell phone bills of $140 later...
but enough about that- you didn't read this blog to hear me rant. i'm here now, and happy to be sharing my thoughts with you. so, what do you think of my blog name? pretty catchy, huh? any guesses on what it stands for? Tennessee? nope. my passion for running that i've slacked on for the past 3 months since it got cold? (translation; cold to kristin = 60 degrees F) nope. more like this: i heard a sermon this summer on Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. ah, prodigal. guy after my own heart. runs off to do his own thing, to then run back into the arms of "dad" when he realizes life is better with him. i can hear him now, rehearsing his famous speech: "father, i have sinned against yo... no, that won't work; *clears throat* Father, i have sinned against heaven and against you.. (yeah...) hire me out to be..." you get the point. the speech is repeated again and again as the son makes his way along the path that leads to the father's house. the landscape changes around him as he repeats the speech and anxiously anticipates the response of the father. his heart races and mind cannot contain all he has to say as he rises over the last hill home. and the Father sees him as he's waiting for him on the porch.
and we all know the rest. i think of myself as that prodigal on a number of occasions. and i've crossed a lot of last hills home. Jesus has waited on that porch for me everytime. i just love the imagery, and i can envision the silhouette of both men against the landscape. one, poor postured, soul searching, nervously fretting the return of what awaits him on the other side of that hill. the other...
when i heard this tagline at first, i thought it would be a great name for a band. well, none of my friends are musical enough to start a band, it's 5 months later, and i'm using it. copywright's in the mail.
so that's me in a blogging nutshell. let the adventure begin! couple of ground rules:
1. my stream of consciousness changes more often than sarah palin's wardrobe. be prepared.
2. the lower case letter use is intentional. if i get to have my own blog, and you choose to read it, do not judge my choice of syntac. start your own blog. love you.
3. i'll update no less than once per week... ok, i'll try to update no less than once per week.
4. there will be no tiger woods jokes posted here. if you like them, take 'em somewhere else, i'm sick of them.
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