What odd weather we have here! I drove home tonight after the gym in some strange downpour of slushy snowiness. Although it was actually a comfortable temperature outside. This place is so weird! Montana's weather was simple, it got cold and snowed in the winter, it rained in the spring/fall, and was nice and warm and sunny in the summer. It was also sunny during the winter, but still cold. New Mexico's weather was kind of normal as well. It was hot in the summer, rained heavy in the spring/fall, was cooler in the winter and had the occasional freak snow storm that wouldn't last very long and be melted as quick as it came.
Here's a recap from Friday evening after work: Ran an errand. Picked up a bday card for my cousin. Tried to get a prescription (for the second time), sat in the drive-thru line for 15 minutes and then went inside to sit for another 30 minutes to end up not getting the prescription at all. Drove home and cried. Came home and tearfully told Barb and Mark about the pharmacy experience. Went to use my bathroom to discover the toilet was plugged. Used Barb's bathroom and the button on my 6 month-old pair of jeans (I really like) flew off. I think I may have cried again. Hugged Mark. Went with Barb and Mark to a bday dinner for my cousin. The rest of the evening was uneventful and enjoyable.
Saturday I had the privilege of going to a conference at George Fox called Kaleo. It was on mentoring students. There were probably about 400ish people who appeared to be youth leaders of some sort (we have a "look" about us). Although I'm sure many of them were also GFU students. My friend Raychel went with me. We had a great time! Of course, one of the highlights for me was that Donald Miller was speaking during the two main sessions. I LOVED almost all of the things he talked about. Some were from his book I'm reading and others were new insights. It was food for my soul. Normally I don't do it, but I had the book with me, so stood in line for a few minutes and had him sign it. Although I'm normally not without words, I didn't really know what to say.
Here's a recap from Friday evening after work: Ran an errand. Picked up a bday card for my cousin. Tried to get a prescription (for the second time), sat in the drive-thru line for 15 minutes and then went inside to sit for another 30 minutes to end up not getting the prescription at all. Drove home and cried. Came home and tearfully told Barb and Mark about the pharmacy experience. Went to use my bathroom to discover the toilet was plugged. Used Barb's bathroom and the button on my 6 month-old pair of jeans (I really like) flew off. I think I may have cried again. Hugged Mark. Went with Barb and Mark to a bday dinner for my cousin. The rest of the evening was uneventful and enjoyable.
Saturday I had the privilege of going to a conference at George Fox called Kaleo. It was on mentoring students. There were probably about 400ish people who appeared to be youth leaders of some sort (we have a "look" about us). Although I'm sure many of them were also GFU students. My friend Raychel went with me. We had a great time! Of course, one of the highlights for me was that Donald Miller was speaking during the two main sessions. I LOVED almost all of the things he talked about. Some were from his book I'm reading and others were new insights. It was food for my soul. Normally I don't do it, but I had the book with me, so stood in line for a few minutes and had him sign it. Although I'm normally not without words, I didn't really know what to say.
I love conferences. That might be strange, especially for someone my age, but I just love them. They are great. And since they are kind of familiar environments for me to learn in, I always get a ton out of the sessions and speakers and experience. I also loved the God topic and even skipped a session so I could spend time with Jesus. It was a wonderful day!
So, my favorite thing from what Miller talked about was pretty much in like the last 15 minutes of his last talk. He shared about how he's studying story and... I can't remember everything he said. But he shared an example of a 14 year old girl who was looking for a better story (but didn't actually know that's what she was looking for) and chose it in the form of dating a guy that wasn't the best person for her to invest her time in. This idea totally struck me!
I have been doing this, looking for a better story! I've been looking to spice up my story with my trip to Europe, my constant desire to change something, pursue crazy ideas, and whatever. What I have really been looking for is a better story. I finally accepted and have learned to love the story I grew up with (some of which felt boring to me). And now I'm at a place where there is a slow point in my story and I want it to be a little more fast paced. Realizing that it's a more adventurous story I'm seeking actually made me feel like my slow point is okay. God is the one who writes my story. As one of the verses I memorized in Psalm 139 says, "...every day of my life was recorded in your book, every moment laid out before a single day had passed." I'm learning to trust him with other areas of my life and I know this chapter of my story will end soon and the next one will start and it might be more adventurous then I ever dreamed. Or it may be another slow one. But it's the story HE made for me. It might not be the story someone is living, but it's the story perfectly tailored for me. That's a neat thought!
Today I had my follow-up dentist appointment. Whenever I sit there in the chair with the little tool digging into my gums (I don't think the hygienist realizes how rough she is), I wonder if this was God's intention for our lives. Did he really intent for dentists to exist?
3 comments:
Donald Miller is awesome. His book "To Own a Dragon" is about not knowing what it is like to have a father in the traditional sense of the word, and how that results in either not knowing what "God the Father" means, or thinking you know what it means, and hating the idea of it. Very good book for any man to read.
Hey Carro, I love reading your thoughts. It always causes me to pause and reflect on my own life.
15 more days!
I am so glad that you are sharing your 'story' on-line!
You seem to have event planning/conferences in your genentic make-up, both setting them up and attending!
As per the trip to the dentist: I have horrible teeth - always have. However, the dentist that we go to is head and shoulders above any that we have done business with before (that would be MANY!). His hygienist's work is actually So soothing; it is more like a gum massage. I did not know that could even be possible, until finding this doctor and technicians! He even donates his time and expertise occasionally to the NW Medical Team! Need a recommendation?
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