got myself a pair of rollerblades for my birthday.

the ups guy barely made it down the street before i was donning more battle gear than a soldier heading into war. took me 5 minutes to figure out how to get my foot in the blasted things. i thought i’d test out the gear, stretch myself out a little and show my husband just how athletically versatile his wife really is.

on my first try i found myself speeding downhill…

okay, techincally it was a slope in the street and ’speeding’ might be stretch, but on blades it felt every bit of downhill and i’m confident my pace would scare any senior citizen on a walker.

aiming for the curb, i was happy i used my butt as the break rather than my face.

no doubt my neighbors took note of the grace and agility of this 36 year old woman careening down the street screaming to her husband to serve as her break. why use the break on the skate when you can fall into the laughing loving arms of your man?!?

did i hear him say something about supplemental insurance?

something tells me i’ll be dreaming of the aflac duck tonight.

another mom moment gone south… or at least a direction i didn’t plan.

i picked up this flower kit from wal-mart.  came with the hanging basket, soil, and seeds.  my kids and the neighbor friends helped me put together the basket, plant the seeds and water the soon-to-be array of summer flora.

aside from the occassional rain, i think that was the only time it saw water.  (i love the idea of having a green thumb but don’t actually have one. )

now it’s a home for 3 eggs and a very committed dove that hasn’t left her post in weeks.  there she sits, guarding her eggs like a sentry.

we named her Mrs. Fuzz

Anorexia sucks.

Watching a mom deal with a daughter who believes she’s fat.

Size 4, 101 lbs.  Not fat.  But her perception is skewed.  She doesn’t see what others see.

She only sees what she believes.  She believes fat… so she sees fat.

All she sees is the Lie.

Interesting.

I look in the mirror and see an inadequate mom.  I don’t see what others see.

I only see what I believe.  I believe inadequacy… so all I see is inadequacy.

All I see is the Lie.

What’s the truth?

I am God’s Beloved.  I need to see what God sees.

Believe what God says… so that when I look in the mirror all I see is God’s Beloved.

…who wishes I were nobody that was okay with not being somebody.

Brennan Manning is messing me up.

We all want to pray effectively.  What’s the point if we don’t?

Yet I listen to people pray for things that are already promised to us.

“Lord, please be with me during this time in my life.”  “Father, just give this family peace as they walk through this trial.”

As well intentioned as they are… these prayers are redundant.  God has already promised His presence.  He’s already committed to never leave you or forsake you.  He’s promised His peace is everpresent in our time of need.  So, it seems like praying for those things aren’t necessary.

I don’t need to ask God to be with me… I need to ask Him to help me turn my face toward Him.

I don’t need to ask Him to give me peace… I need to ask for His help to rest in that peace.

If I don’t know His promises to me, then I won’t know what to ask Him to help me cling to in my trials.

Oh… and another one… my friend reminded me of this…

“Lord, keep me safe.”

Since when did my own safety take precedence over His Glory in my life?  How about praying for His Glory to take precedence in my life in the midst of whatever path He leads me down?

That’s an effective prayer.

God has a way of stopping me in my tracks. 

Thankfully I’m a little better at listening. 

A little.

It’s been a rough few months in ministry.  And it’s beginning to wear on me.  Much of the stress is surfacing and my ability to fend it off is diminished. 

It’s a road I’ve traveled before and thankfully I recognize the signs.  But it doesn’t change the fact that it’s wearing on me.

Today God stopped me in my tracks.  I had my plans.  My schedule… and it was full.  Full of all the ministry ‘things’ that must be accomplished so that I shine as a ministry leader.  That’s my problem.

Leaving my first appointment of the day, I walk to my car only to find a flat tire. 

“I can do this”, trying to convince myself.

I don’t freak out.  I know how to change a tire.  My dad showed me when I was 16.  (I’m almost 36… it’s been a while) 

But I don’t think the point of the excercise is to freshen up my tire changing skillz.  I think the point is God is asking me to stop and define a few things. Stuff like…

• ministry work vs. ‘busy’ work
• tasks He’s handed me vs. tasks I’ve contrived for myself
• the Holy Spirit prompting me vs. my own concieted, people-pleasing, self-gratifying heart leading me

He has a way of stopping me in my tracks… literally.  Because He knows I won’t hear Him any other way. 

So, I’m listening now, Lord.

there was a time in my life when 55mph felt more like 35mph.

now cruising at 40mph feels just fine.

think i’ve lost my lead foot

Setting:  Working on the computer listening to the kids playing in the backyard.  Laughter turns to yelling.  Door opens… kids pour in the house.

Friend:  “Umm.  Miss Gina, I’m sorry to bother you and I don’t mean to be a tattle-tail, but Josie keeps throwing the baseball at me.”

Josie (pleading her case):  “I was not!  He just keeps standing in the place I want to throw it!”

For the love of all things holy… How would you address this?

Haven’t done one of these in a while…

• Why does my 2-year old insist on pulling the plug-ins out of their cartridge?  I find them lying on the floor with the cartridge still plugged into the wall.
• Read my friend Mandy’s blog today.  Made me laugh.  How do you know you grew up in tornado alley? 

When you hear the tornado sirens go off, you go outside to watch the storm and take pictures.

• Just launched a new format for our elementary experience (Toon Town) last weekend.  Kids were engaged.  Gotta’ ride the wave!  (Round 1)
• Had LifeStock last Sunday night.  Huge event where all metro campuses invaded a local amusement park.  We had the bands rockin’ it out while we baptized people.  A security guard that has worked in the LifeKIDS area every weekend for over a year attended LifeStock, recommitted his life to Jesus and was baptized on the spot.  Dang!  How cool is that?
• Launching a new check in system for LifeKIDS this weekend.  (Round 2)
• Have you heard of OnePrayer yet?  You’ve gotta’ check this out!  We’re headed out into the community for an amazing mission on June 21st.  If you’re in the OKC metro area you don’t want to miss this.  (Round 3)
• LifeKIDS Summer Camp 2008 is coming!  6 weeks and counting (Round 4)
• Ramping up for our big summer series.  At The Movies is always a big hit.  If you don’t have a campus near you… check it out on the Internet Campus.  (Round 5)

Somewhere in between rounds, I’m taking vacation.  Lord knows my kids need to see their mom. 

I’m out.  Got a round of Hulabaloo to play!

 I think I’m going to make bread today.  Why not.

Setting:  Standing in line for a roller coaster at Frontier City…

Kyle:  “Aren’t those the sunglasses we got you for Mother’s Day over a year ago?”

Me:  with smug satisfaction, “Yep.”

Kyle:  “Wow.  That’s a record for you.”

Me:  “And you thought I couldn’t hang on to a pair of sunglasses.”

The sunglasses were left sitting on some random table at Frontier City. 

Isn’t that just how it is?