a very special weekend

I have returned from Canada. It was a wonderful weekend...everything I was hoping for it to be. I am amazed at the richness of friendship, so rich that time can't damage it. Being together again was a gift that encourages me. I love them all.
Here are some pictures from the wedding festivities...


Joel and Magda, June 9, 2007 Yay!



These are my life-long friends....





They made their own wine for the wedding. It was great. I know this picture is a little blurry, but the labels are from the artist Chagall. They were really cool!




Here's a fine picture of Danny. He was an Usher.



3 Dear friends, Kevin, Danny, Joel. This was on the way to the wedding. Kevin is carrying a delicious apple tart.




Garrett and Danny.



Joel and Kevin dancing. It was a little pre-wedding excitement.




Danny and me.



Garrett and me.



I have the best friends in the world.

finally!!!

Well Folks, the word is out. Stacey and Dustin are "thinking" about starting a blog.
I vote yes!!!!

What do you think? Cast your vote in the comment section please!

Seriously, the blogging world is lacking without them. I mean...they have so much to talk about...like mullets, and walmart, and marriage, and med school, and coffee, and stuff....come on everyone! Cast those votes!

another wedding :-)

In the winter of 2005, two people fell in love....

These are my friends Joel and Magda. This picture was taken at L'Abri, 2 years ago. This was taken during a time when we were only allowed to take 2 showers a week, when nobody really cared what you looked like...a place that makes people beautiful in so many ways!!!

These are my friends that I love.
...and they are getting married!!!!!!!

This afternoon I am going to Canada to be a part of this wonderful event.
And next week, I'll post updated pictures :-)


In the words of Five Iron Frenzy.....

"Lets go to Cananda, let's leave today!

Canada oh Canada, i s'il vouse plait.

They've got trees and mooses and sled dogs,

lots of lumber and lumberjacks and logs,

we all think that it's kind of a drag

that you have to go there to get milk in a bag..."

thank you

I'm going to be vague because vagueness is required.

Lately I feel like my family is blessed to be loved by some of the most amazing people. I feel so at peace knowing that we are supported and cared for in any time of need.

This post is to say thank you, THANK YOU....all of you who have been an encouragement and all of you have given your time and help to our family. I find peace because of you. Thank you.

Any person who is reading this post, remember to take care of the people in your life. Take care of the people that you love. Serve the people around you. Give your heart. You never know when you might need that same service in return.

Thanks.

my day in pictures

I have been so tired and achy. I slept on a few couches last weekend, I was on the go go go, I took a Power-Flex weight lifting class and my body was screaming, I was up past mid-night for too many nights in a row....all of these things resulting in emotional and energy decay.

Yesterday at work I had 4 different people pull me aside to ask "Are you doing alright? You're not looking so great." Haha, thanks!

So I decided that I needed some "ME time". Below is a picture story of my day yesterday. Today I feel splendid.....or maybe even SPLENDERTACULAR!!!



(...a long day at work wishing it was Friday)



(After work I met up with Amy for our favorite work-out evening...yay for Thursdays.)



(Liz led an awesome class. I think it was my favorite ever. It was tough! She taught us a few new steps and I felt very challenged. Liz is trying to convince Amy and I to start teaching our own classes. Hmm...possibly?!!)

(I was starving and decided that my "ME day" needed to include a Palermos Primo Cheese Pizza. Yum.)

(There are moments when wine is a necessity. This is my favorite red wine...yes I know it's not high class or anything, but whatever...I like what I like. Mom and Judi and I shared a bottle of this wine every night we were in Italy.)

(Not just one glass....but 2. It's the perfect way to relax your muscles to guarantee a restful relaxed night of sleep.)

(Moose tracks...not my favorite, but probably on my top 10 list.)

(Season 1, disc 3, side B, episode 4.)

(...and then I fell asleep, relaxed and perfect!)

the family is all together again.

I'm at home with the folks.

Stacey and Dustin are driving in from Missouri.

This weekend we are celebrating my mom's graduation from college. My mother is an inspiring woman!

My car is sick--transmission. I barely made it home tonight, I really thought I was going to be stranded on the side of the highway. I feel sad for my dad. He works so hard to keep all of our cars running and it seems like there's no end.

I laugh at myself trying to describe the car's issues. I'm such a girl! I was trying to make car noises to my dad over the phone, trying to help him understand what might be wrong as if my noises will help him diagnose things. I think he finds it somewhat humorous. Girl's really can't do car noises very well.

I'm thinking a lot about God lately. I wonder what it means to be forgiven. I find myself being stupid, and then being too ashamed to ask God for help. I know that I don't EVER deserve God's help, even when I'm being good. Why is it easier to face him in my better moments then? I would imagine that God's truest beauty is exposed when I am face to face with a holiness that is in such striking contrast to my weakness. But doesn't Paul say something about that? He says "What then? Shall we sin more so that grace can abound more? By no means!" Well, I am human, and always human, no matter how super-human I try to be. I don't have to try very hard to look for God's grace, it's just there...all the time...because I am human.

So how does forgiveness influence my humanity?

If I'm in a good mood and if I remember, I will take some pictures of our graduation celebration bash tomorrow. I hope you all enjoy your long Memorial Day weekend. I sure will!

Love to you.

at home with the homeless

This life is not long enough for all of the things I want to do. I care...I just care so much!

This past week I was caught up in a conversation about the evolution of ethics and morality and how our society reflects the changes we make. It was a riveting discussion. As we were talking I was also thinking about some of the things I want to do with my life. I have a great many dreams and these dreams are very closely tied to my identity.

Then, as if I was just slugged in the gut, I was hit with a very heavy truth; I keep talking about all the things things I want to do in my life to help people and serve people, but what am I doing right here, right now, today? The answer to that question is, well, nothing!

Do I have an excuse?

That very night I was lying in bed with my laptop (like I am right now) stealing a wifi signal (like I am right now) and I googled some local volunteer opportunities. I settled on my truest heart-tugging interest which is homelessness.

Tonight I spent some time at The Guest House here in Milwaukee. I helped with some administrative projects and I was able to take a tour and learn about their programs and services. It was incredible and I want to share my experience with you.

I left work at 4:30 with plans to head straight over to The Guest House. I was dressed all nice in my professional business clothes. It was a long day of work stuff, training the new girl, working on more projects, and taking care of a bazillion needs. I work with some of the wealthiest people around. I pay $85.00/month just to have the privilege of parking my car in the garage every day. The rugs in the lobby by my desk are worth more than a years tuition at my Bible College (which is about $22,000). I left the glamorous world that seems so normal to me and I drove 4 minutes down the road to an area where I had to lock my doors and watch my back. I parked on the street in front of the shelter and I walked up to the door which was bolted shut. There was already a line of worn down rough looking men waiting for a hot shower, a good meal, and a soft place to sleep. I stopped for a second in front of one man who was sitting down smoking his cigarette. I smiled. I said hello. He smiled back.

Inside the building everyone seemed so eager to meet me. It was really cool. They showed me around and explained how everything works. I learned about the beginnings of the shelter nearly 25 years ago. Most importantly I learned of the many different ways I can help!

After a little while I went upstairs and helped in the office doing some administrative projects.

While I was there a Volunteer Group came to deliver dinner. They brought pizzas for the 80 men who were staying the night. They didn't bring enough, so many of the guys had to skip another meal. That made my heart really sad. I was really hungry too, and knowing that a bunch of starving guys downstairs were watching other people dine on warm cheesy pizza slices made me feel a little more able to survive.

I worked for about 4 hours on some huge projects. It was really cool to be there. But I learned something about service. When I think of doing service projects I guess I sort of think of it as being a big deal. I mean, seriously...I'm sacrificing MY time to go and help other people. Why wouldn't that be a big deal? Tonight I realized that I was just one in hundreds of volunteers who continuously flow through this shelter. Anything I did was appreciated, but at the same time it was no more special than a day of work. Shelters survive because of volunteer work. It's not a big deal, I guess it's sort of expected. Of course they are thankful, they were wonderfully thankful...but it was work that needed to be done and I did it. End of story, nothing fancy.

It's really interesting once you think about it. Service is humbling, not just because you end up doing things that are hard or boring or gross. Service is humbling because you realize that it's mundane and normal and somewhat unrecognized. If I stand in a line and hand out toiletries and bed sheets to a bunch of tired guys, I'm just a body doing service. No one will remember me. No one will notice me. I'm just a body. That's all.

Being there tonight was so beautiful. I couldn't help but to smile at those men because they had come to a place where people truly cared. It was an entirely different world than my daily money driven successful law firm environment. It was a wonderful contrast.

Next week I'm going over to a place called The Hope House. I'm anticipating an entirely different experience since it is a Women/Children shelter. Between both places I feel that I can really keep my hands working.

In this moment I keep thinking that my service to the people in the shelters will never come close to the measure of understanding and teaching I will receive from them. We are all people, people who make choices, and people who need love.

Thanks for listening. I encourage you to get involved in your community.

my sister

So...I have been thinking today about how much I love my sister. She's practically the most wonderful girl that I know. She's the girl that supports me even when she doesn't understand. She believes in me when I feel afraid. She lives a life that is to be admired. She reminds me to smile.
These pictures are old, but they are full of awesome memories of two girls wandering the streets of Italy. Two girls filled with gelato and espresso, and two girls fighting off kisses from Italian men, two girls who know how to have a lot of fun. She's a great sister.

She's also really great at taking terrible terrible disgusting photos of me when I'm not expecting it. I came across a few tonight so I thought I'd share them with you. Let me just say that train rides can get long and boring at times. Stacey had no problem entertaining herself though!

(a girl can't even sleep in peace. nope, the big sister has to be a pest!)

(oh, now here's a dandy one. i don't know what in the world i was doing with my face.)

(do not be deceived. just because i am looking at the camera does NOT mean i was aware that she was taking the picture.)

the donut story

Yesterday I had a major craving for a donut. It was the middle of the afternoon, I was in need of a mid-day energy booster and I had this gloriously rich donut pictured in my mind. Yum....

So I went upstairs to the Catering Department because they always have a display which we call "the bakery". They had 5 donuts left in the box and they were all the same kind...the kind that I DON'T like. They were the frosting filled kind. I hate the frosting filled ones because they give me a toothache. I like the custard kind, but not the frosting ones. But I REALLY REALLY wanted a donut. What a dilemma.

I decided to go with it. I figured I could just eat the edges and the topping. The topping had peanuts and glaze. So good. I took the donut and brought it down to my desk and prepared myself to eat it.

And then I was sort of annoyed again. I mean...I knew that I didn't like the frosting kind, and it really is lame to eat something (especially something so rich and fattening) when you don't even really like it. I thought about just throwing it away and settling with the jar of Peanut M&M's on my desk. I thought about it... and then I changed my mind again and took a bite.

And you know what?

It wasn't frosting filled. It had a lovely cinnamon swirl inside of it. What a treat! It was so delightful!


The moral of the story is...

happy mother's day!

I have the coolest mom in the whole world.

think about your world...make a difference

On a more thought provoking note...

On a more thought provoking note, the past few weeks I feel as if this same message has been hitting me from many different directions. Different situations, but the same message.

The message is: You shouldn't necessarily disown something just because you've had a bad experience with it.

Now, this message isn't an absolute or any sort of science. But it's very easy to avoid things that make you frustrated, angry, hurt, or just leave a bad taste in your mouth. You might avoid a certain person because (as my mother says) "They could annoy the warts off of a toad". You might avoid a restaurant because the service was really crappy. You might avoid church because you've seen/experienced a horrible representation of Jesus Christ. You might avoid certain aspects of Christianity because you don't quite understand them. You might avoid marriage because you are depressed by the horrible picture of marriage that is in our culture. You might avoid dating because it is complicating and awkward.

These are all little snapshots of my world. These are all some of the things that urk me, and make me run away. But over the past few weeks I have had to face some of these things and I've been dealing with some major self/soul improvement. We human beings are pretty good at messing things up once in a while. We are pretty good at abusing privileges, misinterpreting things, and acting in ways that are contrary to our ideals.
When we are confronted by our frustration, no matter what it is, it is usually a lot easier to just walk way. Isn't it?

For me, I get frustrated with the church. I believe in a church that is bigger and better than what we see in the world around us today. I believe that there is a church that really does care for people, that really does take care of the sick and the poor, and that really does involve itself in the world. I believe that there is a church that doesn't shove religious ideals down anyone's throat, but instead gets on hands and knees and humbly serves ALL people regardless of religious standards. I believe in a church that is aware of their world rather than blinded to current politics and events. I believe in a church of grace and creativity.
Where is this church? Well, I'm trying to find it. But I can't (or shouldn't) walk way from the church of today just because I'm frustrated or offended by it. Why shouldn't I walk away? Because I can't base my opinion from a false truth. I can't base my opinion of the church on the sick-mutations that I see.

This concept came up in my weekly discussion group as well. We were talking about marriage. It is amazing how many people avoid the idea of marriage because of the disfunctional marriages they have experienced in their world. It IS depressing! I myself have often wondered if I really want to get myself involved in a marriage when all around me I hear women crabbing about their husbands, divorces happening daily, fighting, disrespect, and boredom. But I can't blind myself to the many many healthy marriages around me. I can't avoid the opportunity to learn from people who are displaying the healthy version of marriage. There's a lot to learn.

Yes...there is a lot to learn. Ultimately, when we walk away, we are not only avoiding that thing, but we are avoiding the opportunity to learn. We are avoiding a person that might need our love, or might be able to teach us something. We are refusing to figure things out. We are allowing ourselves to believe that the misrepresentations are true.
We have a sense of discernment for a reason...we should be responsible to follow through with it.

i'm finally feeling rested

This past weekend I moved into a new apartment. Somehow I convinced myself that this time it was going to be easier and less stressful. What was I thinking?! It takes a lot of energy and creativity to move all of your stuff into a new place! I'm still trying to make things functional.
Although I am exhausted, it was a smooth move thanks to the GENEROUS help of Mom, Dad, and Nick. I'm glad I have big strong men in my life and a mother who knows how to get things done!

Soon, probably after the weekend I will post some pictures of the new place. It's starting to look great and hopefully soon it will start to look cute.
I LOVE having a roommate. Katie is wonderful. I couldn't ask for it to be better. It is so nice to have good company and good conversation.

the real mouse, mouse.

From time to time, people share things with me that are very blog-worthy. Today I'm sharing something that comes from my sister. The Real Mouse, Mouse.

Enjoy taxidermy? Yeah, me too. This project is the sick, sick work of Instructables member canida and company. It is a real mouse, gutted and fitted with parts from one of those small laptop mice. PETA members may want to look away, or go jump off a bridge, but I'm sure the mouse died from natural causes.

can you do THESE fish lips?

I take no credit for these pictures. I don't even know who these people are. (although I'd really like to know!!!) These pictures found their way to me through the chain of email fowarding. I thought I'd share them with you all. Again....NOT my artwork. NO credit to me.

imperfectly perfect

Tonight at Socrates Cafe I made this statement: I want to be a woman of integrity.
How do I become a woman of integrity? If I tell the truth, if I am loving, kind, humble, patient, generous etc., does that make me a person of integrity? Or am I a "good person" (for lack of better word choice) because of who I am at the core?
Do I find my integrity apart from my actions? Do I draw my confidence from my action, or do I need to draw that from somewhere else?

I think this is an important question for various reasons. I think it is fairly simple for a person to create a lifestyle that looks a certain way. If I choose that I want to be an organized person, it is fairly simple to construct my environment to seem organized. If I want to feel peaceful, it is fairly simple to move myself into an environment of simplicity and peace. If I want to be a moral person, I suppose it is fairly simple to make moral choices.

But do these actions really solve my request? Am I then organized, at peace, or moral?

Does this seem like an elementary question? Let me take it a little further.

I don't really need to mention (although I will) that we often live like this in the church. I am a Christian. Why? I am a Christian because I go to church every Sunday. I pray. I give money to the poor. I read my Bible. I try to be humble, etc. While our actions can be effective in demonstrating our faith (Faith w/o works is dead) these actions alone do not make me a Christian. On the flip side, just because I fail in these actions---that doesn't mean I'm no longer a Christian.

You might be saying "Well duh April" but don't mock me. This is the way that many people think and if we can't interact with this prevalent mindset then we are never going to connect with our culture.

Let's stray away from religion for a minute. In all different areas of life we live by standards. We have rules or standards for our careers, for our roles as people (children, parents, friends, citizens). We have standards for health, for habits, for finances... and we are also constantly falling short of these standards, and often times we really beat ourselves up about it.
Sometimes we fall so short of our standards that we end up in great emotional stress and we feel like we just generally suck as people. Well, at least I feel this way sometimes.

I really think that we place a lot of meaning on our actions/inactions. I think we judge ourselves by our actions, and I think we judge other people by their actions.
And furthermore, I think that we often try to fix people's problems or needs with methods or recommendations of new actions. We try to share healthy habits with people. Healthy habits are highly important, but I think there's more. Is there more? Am I making any sense at all? I'm having a really hard time drawing my thoughts together.


Here's the thing. I need God in my life. I need God to help me BE a woman of integrity which is something that happens underneath my skin. BEING a person of integrity has to be more than just actions. In the same way, we are Christians because of who we are underneath our skin, which is far more than our daily Bible reading, or restraint from "sins" and/or the ways in which we live our lives. I become a peaceful person underneath my skin, which is more than just a peaceful environment.

Also in the same way, we MUST react to people (our culture) in a way that treats them underneath the skin.

If I say that I am a Christian, then I darn better live in a way that makes me look like a Christian. But I MUST not forget that ultimately I am a Christian because of the God I serve and not because of the person that I look like.

I am a woman of integrity because Christ lives in me and when I mess up, or when I act like a jerk, or when I am frustrated or depressed....Jesus Christ still lives through me and redeems my actions or emotions and makes them meaningful. I really feel like my humanity (constantly being redeemed) is dripping with integrity. I call it my imperfect perfect human self. I am perfectly imperfect.

I'm going to stop my thoughts here. It's late and I'm starting to notice that I'm rambling. Please comment if you wish. Please correct me or critique me if you wish. I hope I have made sense.

Love to you.

still thinking

Wow thanks for the responses to my question about character.

I have some more to think about. I still haven't been able to fully process my thoughts, or at least enough to put anything coherent here on this blog. But I have been reading a book called The Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll. He makes this statement that intrigues me a little.

First, to change a culture, we must change the people within that culture. The question that arises is whether people do what they are, or if they are what they do.

The answer is imperative, because if we are what we do, then all we need to do is train people to act differently, and they will change themselves. But if we do what we are, then we do bad because we are bad, and we cannot do good until we become good, the very thing which bad people cannot do, no matter how many dollars are spent and organizations are founded to help them.


I think he has a strong point relating not only to the way we see the people around us, but also the way that I evaluate myself.


Like I said, I'm still thinking about all of this. But Jasie...I smiled when you played the "both/and" card...smiles of formal meal memories.


I'll post again soon.

i have a question, do you have an answer?

Here is a question that I've been toying with all day.

Is my character defined by my actions?

Or are my actions defined by my character?


Think about this for a minute. The implications are pretty deep. Ask yourself this question and if you find an answer that you like, ask yourself these questions:

What are the results of my conclusion?

What would the results be for the opposite conclusion?


I have some thoughts, and I fully intend to post them, but not today. Besides, I'm really curious to know what you think. So for all of you people who just casually stop by my blog without interacting...here's your chance. Stop and write down your thoughts in the comment box, or send me an email and let me know what you think.

Thanks!

a book club! yay! anyone interested?

If you are interested, my friend Jasie is starting an online book club. We are starting with the book A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren. Jasie will post on a chapter weekly or bi-weekly and then we can all share some discussion, thoughts, ideas, and questions. We are starting on May 1st. I'm really excited about this. I will also post some thoughts as we work through the chapters. I am definitely looking forward to some new ideas, and new perspectives.

Let me know if you want to join in!

moving on...

I'm moving again! You know me, I can't stay in one place for too long, I start to feel trapped!
So here are a few pictures of the new place. I LOVE it! This is what it looks like now, but we will be painting and moving in over the next two weeks.


No, the kitchen isn't yellow. It's white, but we're going to change that.


Notice the antique ceramic sink. So cool.

Another Milwaukee adventure begins...

quotables

I love the moments when my friends truly make me laugh.

So I wast talking with my friend today about kindness. I said, "You are such a kind person. I have such a hard time with certain uptight and unrealistic and church-ruining people...but you have such a grace in loving them."

He said, "Well, my name is [kept confidential] and it means KIND. It's who I am."

Ha ha, and then he said, "Your name is April. April means "F&@# YOU". Ha ha....sometimes that's really how I feel. I admit it.

OF COURSE that's not the Jesus in me. OF COURSE I work really hard to keep my heart and attitude in check...and OF COURSE I'm not even very proud of the fact that I am a jerk sometimes....but he surely called it! And I laughed!

Thanks friend!

ha ha, i LOVE news reports like this!

Man loses leg trying to swipe cash machine
Suspect's prosthetic leg falls off during bungled theft attempt


POMONA, Calif. - A man accused of using a chain and pickup truck to yank a 1,500-pound ATM from a market failed to escape police when his prosthetic leg fell off during the getaway.

Gregory Daniels, 48, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of burglary for the attempted heist from Pomona Ranch Market, police said.

Authorities say Daniels and another man drove up to the market about 3 a.m., smashed a window, wrapped a chain around the ATM and used the pickup to rip it from the floor. After loading the cash machine into the truck, the pair drove off.

Officers chased the truck into a residential neighborhood, where the men drove into a dead-end street. Daniels' alleged accomplice fled, but police said Daniels wasn't able to escape.

"Daniels was on the ground near the vehicle in an attempt to flee from officers." Sgt. E. Vazquez said. "However, he was unsuccessful, as his prosthetic leg fell off."

snow is nice and god made it!

It's snowing. We are in the middle of a 24 hour winter storm warning. Looking out the window you can't quite see across the street.

While I find it bizarre that we are re-living winter...I secretly love it. Why secretly? Well...here at work I hear one complaint after another. People are NOT happy. If I were to stand up and say "Yay snow!" I might get attacked and...well....if you know me at all....you know that I hit like a little girl! I should probably work on some defense tactics eh?

So here I sit, secretly admiring the snow, secretly smiling as I have to scrape the ice off of my windshield, and secretly hoping I can wear my big rubber cherry boots again tomorrow.

I was feeling a bit annoyed at people's sour attitudes this morning. I just want to say "Oh stop your whining" to everyone that voices a complaint. It is what it is right? Then I was reading my friend Bethany's blog and I was comforted to know that I am not the only person who is singing snowy songs in my heart. I will quote her here:


it's snowing here. again. and the part of me that likes to fit in wishes i could hate it, but the part of me that loves magical weather is rather appreciating the cloak of white.

"to argue with the weather is to be a maladjusted alien" - i can't remember who said this

Thank you and good day.

Listening To Your Life-April 5th--Frederick Buechner

I read Frederick Buechner every day. This is what I read on April 5th. This is exactly how I feel like.......ALL THE TIME!

I have always loved fairy tales and to this day read E. Nesbit and the Oz books, Andrew Lang and the Narnia books and Tolkien with more intensity than I read almost anything else. And I believe in magic or want to. I want flying saucers to be true, and i want life to exist on Mars, and I dream of a heaven where old friends meet and old enemies embrace one another and weep. And just at dawn in an eighteenth-century castle built of rose-colored stone in Dumfriesshire, I have reason to think I saw a ghost. All of which to say I am a congenital believer, a helpless hungerer after the marvelous as solace and adventure and escape. I am also a fabricator, and I am willing to believe that the whole business of God in my life may be something I have fabricated out of my need for solace and adventure if not for escape because religion has never seemed escape to me. Escape would be for me to get out of religion--with all its demands and promises--rather than to get into religion. Maybe it is all just a dream. Maybe none of it is true except in some wispy sense true for me...But I did get mixed up with it and by it still, and as I stand here in the kitchen waiting for the water to boil, waiting for the time to wake up the children, I must speak of this. Such faith as I have, where did it come from and why?

april's thinking about jesus again...

So last Sunday was Palm Sunday. That's the day where we remember Jesus as he entered into the city on the donkey and all the people waved palm branches, made a path on the ground with their cloaks, and shouted HOSANNA! As much as I have grown up in the church, I guess I've just never really explored the Easter Holiday any more than understanding what it symbolizes or celebrates. And of course we enjoy our traditional Easter baskets from mom and a good family dinner.

So Tommy was preaching on the significance of Jesus' entry on the donkey and I was fascinated! I've always been taught that the donkey was a symbol of Christ's humility. The donkey is a lowly animal, common, and small. The donkey was a reminder that Christ was humble and human. And the people were shouting Hosanna! because they realized that Jesus was a King. (or did they?) But that's another set of thoughts.

So here's a bit of history for you. In ancient times, whenever a Kingdom was at battle against other nations the King would ride a stallion into battle. That striking horse was a symbol that the King was powerful, that their nation was at war, and that the King was fighting for victory. And when the war was over and the King had conquered, he would find a donkey and he would enter the gates of his kingdom on that donkey to bring a message that their kingdom was now at peace.

And do you know what "Hosanna!" means? It is a term that means "Bring salvation now!"

Jesus was entering into that city, being recognized as their King, and he was riding on a donkey. He was basically SCREAMING a message of peace to all the people. The message of Palm Sunday is a huge one and there are likely many points to emphasize. But ultimately it is a message that God is a King of Peace and that his reign is a victorious one. And I know that sounds churchy but it's a message that I overlook so easily. Day after day I live as a Christian and I mingle with people and it's not hard to recognize that I am a Christian. But WHY am I a Christian? Why do I live this way? Why have I chosen to keep this faith?

Tommy(our Pastor) was talking a little more about Christ as the King of Peace. He said that there was this guy he knew who was at a place in his life where he was evaluating Christianity and trying to decide if he wanted to become a Christian. So he went around and asked his Christian friends, "Why did you choose Christianity?" People gave him all sorts of elaborate answers. People gave him bullet pointed lists of theological proofs and all of those answers just overwhelmed him. And then he went to another friend and asked the same question. I think Tommy said the guy was a big influential person who had a lot of brains and respect. And the guy's answer was "I needed peace, and Jesus Christ brought me peace."

This week as I am thinking about Easter and what it means to be a Christian, and the reality of grace and grace and more grace in my life....I can't help but smile when I realize that the donkey was showing me more than Christ's humility and humanity, but it is showing me that true peace comes from the King who is my God.

Happy Easter! --compliments of my mother

Ha ha, Jasie posts Easter Prayers...I post half-eaten crude-mouthed chocolate bunnies. Maybe I need to question my spirituality? :-)

funny apartment listing

Although Katie and I have decided on a new apartment, I still enjoy perusing through Craigslist.com. It's so addicting! So I was browsing through apartments and I came across one that made me laugh a little.

I am offering my basement for rent which is a small one bedroom apartment....
Do not miss this opportunity..... The house is located in the Petworth area...
Most of neighbors are young marrigments or old people, and always you can find a parking spot on the street.
Love Perseus.
Marijuana lovers stay away( Smokers in general ).


Who signs their advertisements with love?!! "Hey, I'm renting my apartment...Love April." So weird, and the name Perseus really makes it sound great!
You can read the full post here.

update!

My car is back!!!

Yesterday Kevin gave me a ride home from work. As we were driving down the street to my apartment I noticed my car parked right out front. The thief stole the car, and then returned it. Who does that?!

There was no damage. They didn't rummage around, they didn't steal anything at all. They just needed to borrow it I guess. They returned it to the street, right where they got it, and they even locked the doors again for me. How nice! I'm concerned because I think they have a key that works with my car.

It was comical trying to explain everything to the Police Officer again. It all just seems so bizarre, maybe a little fishy.

I'm very VERY thankful that my car was returned safely. But I'm also a little worried that they might borrow it again.

So dear friends...send me your ideas! What kind of person do you think borrowed my car? What story should I believe?

my car was stolen

My car was stolen yesterday.

Whilst baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies, some ugly stupid bandit took my car. It was 1:00 in the afternoon, right in front of my apartment, kids playing in the schoolyard next door, my neighbor pulling weeds out of his garden, traffic rushing both ways....and somehow the brave and mean person made off with my car. Not cool!

So after the inconvenient hassle of calling 911, waiting more than an hour for the police to arrive at my apartment, and then calming myself down, I reminded myself that while I nervously wonder if I'll ever see or drive my car again...there's really nothing I can do about it. I just have to wait. I just have to deal with whatever happens. The only thing I CAN do is check my emotions.

In an effort to keep myself in a cheerful mood I have been imagining possible scenarios for the thief. My friends have been helping me.

Possibility Number 1: (creatively constructed by Kenton)
Susie just got word that her mother is in the hospital after a tragic accident. She needs to get to the other side of the state as quickly as possible so that she can see her mother in her last moments of life. How will she ever make it in time? The bus isn't going to come for another 20 minutes! Oh wait!!! There's a fine looking car right there! She always wanted to know what it was like to drive a Ford Taurus Station Wagon! And just the other day her big brother Bobby taught her how to hotwire an engine. While stealing is wrong, my loss may have helped a young girl see her mother for the last time.


Possibility Number 2: (creatively constructed by Chris)
The thief is actually the most nationally WANTED sex predator Bruno Thunder. The dumb guy took MY CAR! And when the police find him, Oprah is going to find out about my heroic loss! It will be because of MY CAR that this predator will be caught. And then I'm going to be on TV and Oprah is going to give me brand spankin new car and probably some money too like $100,000.000! Wow, I'm so lucky!


Possibility Number 3:
(you fill in the blank--send me your ideas)


On a serious note, this has made me stop and think again about "stuff" and how easy it is to become dependant upon my possessions. I started to think about what my reaction would have been if something else would have happened. What if my house was burglarized? What if my cat was harmed? What if my laptop was stolen? The things we accumulate in our lives can be very valuable. I am thankful for the privilege to have a car, or to be able to live on my own or to have a good job in a great city. But when I took the bus to the coffee shop to vent my frustrations, and when I had to depend on some friends to give me a ride home, I was reminded again how beautiful this gift of community and family and love can be. God provides for our needs even when we feel like things are being taken away from us. Well....even when things ARE taken away from us. It is okay that I am annoyed. It is okay that I feel inconvenienced. It would even be okay if I needed to cry, or if I was mad. But it's okay BECAUSE I know that God will provide. And if I didn't believe in God...I'd still find a way to be comforted. I could calm myself down by refocusing or by the encouragement of other people. But it is exciting to me to watch my life move forward and around, and to know that there's a bigger picture.

Okay, well I'm rambling. For those of you who believe in God, and if you believe that God answers prayers, please pray....


....for my Dad. It's really HIS car. Pray that he can feel at peace until we figure out the damage, and still at peace if there's more damage than we expect.

.... for the person/people who stole the car. Pray that they would learn that stealing is wrong.

....for me, so that I will feel safe.

...for my car :-) Please pray that we find it soon.

visual DNA

Hey, this is really cool! It's amazing how much visual icons can express your personality!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

This describes me very accurately!

As for music, it's the soundtrack to your world. It gives you focus and concentration.

Your choice of drink reflects your love of the stability and comfort of routine.

almost perfectly beautiful

Well, I already told this story to a few people so forgive me if this post is lacking in my usual original and exciting flair :-)

So last week I had the great honor of participating in a women's conference held here in Milwaukee. It was a conference for business women, organized by our firm, and hosted by many amazingly successful women. There was a cocktail party at first where over 300 women gathered together, and then everyone split off into many different groups for dinner and discussion on various topics like Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Science, Government etc. My job...."registration and coat check". Yes, I'm living quite the prestigious life!

So after I had everyone registered and directed to their dinner I was invited to join the Women in Government discussion. It was incredible! We sat around the dinner table in a beautiful lakeview condo and listened as current and former Wisconsin Women Senator's gave their input into women in governmental leadership. It was so fascinating and inspiring!!! The food we ate was so gourmet that I don't even know what it was! I'll just call it "yum!".

So after a riveting discussion, and maybe a little too much wine, we broke for dessert. I stood up and started to head towards the desert buffet and I was cornered by a woman who acted as if she had been drinking wine since breakfast time.
She said, "Darling...you are gorgeous!!!". I smiled and said, "Well...thank you!"
And then she said, "But I'd like to give you some fashion advice."
So proceeded to tell me that my skirt was too long. It made me look short and frumpy. And my suit jacket should be a brighter color (instead of black). And I should show some cleavage because after all....flaunt what you have! And my eyebrows need a good waxing, and high heels would compliment my very very sexy legs.
I could hardly keep from laughing. I just commented in agreement as if she were a wise older mentor.
And then she said, "I watch this show every week on TLC, it's called What Not To Wear". At that, about 5 other women gathered around me to continue commenting on my fashion (or lack thereof) and how my outfit would totally serve as a great example for the show.

I was very amused! Of course I can always use some good fashion help, and if I had an appropriate budget I would thoroughly enjoy a day with a personal shopper. But how funny it was to be singled out by a group of highly successful drunken women! It was an evening to remember forever!

After a long days work, some fascinating discussion, an amazing meal, fine wine, and a little social entertainment...I slept very very well that night!

pictures

This is proof that April went running.

Actually, it's really a picture I took of myself to try to be cool.


Dude, what's up with my hair?


This picture was taken facing West.




This picture was taken from the same place facing East.



The ice is breaking up in the water. It looked pretty cool.

Lake Michigan is a great comfort to me.

running is stupid anyway

Today after church I had this great desire to go running. Those of you who know me well, know that I HATE running. I think it is terrible torture, and extremely boring.
But for some reason, today seemed like a good running day.

So I went down to the lake, and took off running down the path.
That lasted about 5 minutes. Whew...what a workout!

No, really, my feet were in so much pain I almost cried. My running turned into walking, which turned into me finally coming to terms with the fact that I will probably never be able to run any distance w/o pain. I hate admitting there is something that I cannot do, but maybe I just need to find more joy in the things I CAN do....like power walking.

Today was a gorgeous day to be outside. I walked for over an hour through the park. Spring is in the air! The ice on lake Michigan is melting into mini glaciers. There were families out walking. There were puppies everywhere. There were little kids riding their bikes with training wheels. There were people flying kites. I even saw a caterpillar! And then I stepped in a huge pile of animal crap. That wasn't so lovely.

I am so thankful for fresh air, for the privilege of living here in a city that is beautiful. I am thankful for the ability to walk (instead of jogging) and for a great Sunday afternoon of free-time.

Tomorrow I will post pictures that I took throughout my afternoon.

Happy Sunday, Happy Spring!

more thoughts on sacramental living

....and I'm back! I'm drugged up on DayQuil, but I'm here! :-)

I am still thinking about sacramental living. I am fascinated by moments that bring me closer to something inside of myself. Are those moments bringing me closer to God? For my earlier thoughts, please see my post from a few days ago.

My friend Jasie posted some thoughts on sacramental living.Please read her entry, it's very very good!

I received a letter from a dear friend yesterday. It was a letter full of humble honesty. My friend said, "I hesitate to share this, in fear that you will think less of me..." and I had to stop reading. I just sat there. I wasn't afraid of what I would read. I wasn't afraid of being disappointed. I thought, "How could I think less of you?" The letter continued to speak something more profound than words could utter. The letter was beautiful.

That connection, that sharing, that honesty is sacred to me. Those are the moments I live for. Those are the moments where I am reminded of what it means to be human, and to seek after my God. Those are moments when I am reminded that I am not alone in my humanity. Those are moments when we human beings sparkle with holiness.

Why do we fear that our honesty will cause rejection? Why do we fear that this pure connection will make us feel stained? It doesn't matter if our confessions are right or wrong or justified or embarrassing or huge or dark or mediocre. Friend to friend, soul to soul, heart to heart, seeker to seeker....we come together with this one huge thing in common--We have the ability to be real, to be plainly human. Let us not forsake this great gift. As we make room for these sacramental moments, we truly truly catch a glimpse of who God is, and who he created us to be.

Thanks for listening.

entertainment

Yes....I'm still sick, but I don't have any more stupid stories. yet.

Meanwhile, when I'm not sleeping, I'm entertaining myself with my new favorite website.

Guaranteed laughs await you.

www.askaninja.com
Enjoy! And when I'm feeling better, I'll write some more substantial stuff.

being sick makes me air-headed

I am really sick this week. YUCK! My head is so clogged up, I think it's also preventing my brain from functioning properly.
I thought I would entertain you with some of my actions these past few days.


-Yesterday morning, my sister wrote me an email and asked how my day was going. I replied to her with this long, drawn out, whiney, and gross email about my head being full of sickness slime, my voice sounding like a young boy going through puberty, and how I just wanted to go home and sleep but I can't breathe therefore I can't sleep....blah blah blah. And then instead of sending the email to her, I accidentally sent it out to all of my coworkers. So the catering department, the concierge service, all the other receptionists....they got my lovely nasty email. I was so embarassed! I was quite relieved that I didn't say anything totally inappropriate, because it wouldn't have surprised me.

-I have been walking around carrying my hot water bottle like a new born infant. I know you aren't supposed to fill it with boiling water, but I do. Last night I took it to bed with me and accidentally fell asleep with my leg on top of it. I have a huge burn blister on my leg now. Nice!

-Yesterday when I got home from work and I stood at my apartment door for a good 10 minutes trying to get the damn door open. Seriously, for some reason my key would NOT work!!! After a long time I realized I was trying to open the door with my car key. Oops.

-Last night I was hungry and the only thing that sounded appetizing was a bowl of cereal and some toast. So I poured my bowl of cereal and when my toast was done I took it out so I could butter it. And then for some reason I put the butter in my cereal instead.

Today is a new day!


Oh, and this morning I decided that I am changing my New Year's Resolution from:

"Make my bed every day"
to "Make my bed more often".

I like that better!

Happy Friday to you all! Best wishes to you for good health and smartness!