The Art of a Letter...

My grandmother is a letter QUEEN. Even at almost 89, she still sits and writes letters to family and friends almost every day! You know the kind: envelope, stamp... handwriting.

I fear this is a lost art in my generation.

Don't get me wrong. Some days, I check my Email before my feet hit the floor. My text message notification sound makes me SO happy... and I rush to grab my phone to see what the digital message may say. I use the internet to share pictures, stories, even videos at the click of a button. But sometimes I wonder if all this GREAT stuff is replacing something truly personal and wonderful.

There's nothing like going to the mailbox, sifting through the advertisements and bills, to see your name written in REAL handwriting in a card-sized envelope. It's almost like holding a piece of the sender... for they took time, sat down, and wrote their thoughts and feelings, all the while with your face in mind.

I have done my best to keep up with the writings of my grandmother. I try and reply to all her questions in similar manner. However, as the busyness of life takes over, I find myself sitting down and starting the letter with 'Dear Grandma K, thank you for your letter. However, I was just wondering... WHY DON'T YOU HAVE EMAIL AGAIN??'

Then I stop, ponder the simple life she lives, and wonder if all my technology is really 'better' after all. It certainly is FASTER, but should we sacrifice the art of personalization for speed? I want to make it my goal to be intentional about connecting with people in more personal ways. At the end of the day, relationships are what we all treasure most.

I think I'm going to dust off my stationary, sit down, and write Grandma K a letter. Perhaps in a week or so, I just may find a reply hidden in my mailbox.

NOT 'Just Another Conference'

One of the most intense weekends of my life just passed. Being the second time at the Joyce Meyer Women’s Conference, I should have been prepared for a few days of intense worship, amazing teaching, early mornings, late nights, crazy booktable… but as much as I MENTALLY prepare for something, my body just doesn’t adjust sometimes.

On Saturday morning, however, my heart was enlarged, and my life was changed. Watching Lisa get up and speak to 17,000 women (in the Rams football stadium!), observing the look in their eyes, watched their faces show the heart change they were experiencing… I suddenly remembered why I do what I do. So often, I take for granted the amazing opportunity and privilege I have to serve such an amazing ministry. Watching the tear-stained faces of all those women, gathered together, did something miraculous in MY heart. I felt it enlarge. I no longer am content living life as I have. I want to do more – be more efficient. Be more effective. Live and love more than I am even now or thought possible.

God is so amazing – even when we least expect it, He will come and change our outlook on life in an instant. He can do more in a split second than we can do in years and years on our own. So thank you – to everyone who lays down their life every day for Him. You don’t have to be in full time ministry… you can be a stay at home mom. Or a businessman. Or someone in the secular workplace. But today my prayer for you is your heart would also be enlarged for the people in YOUR sphere of influence.

In closing, here are some of the pic highlights from the weekend:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Phil Wickam! His table was right across from us:

This is what lack of sleep will do to ya...

Darlene Zschech's worship is nothing that can be put into words.

Lisa speaking... I can't tell you how powerful this moment was.

The Trophy Wife... (more trophy, less wife)

I've been dealing with this horrible cough for the past 3 weeks or so. You know the kind... the one which flares at exactly the wrong moments: during emotional prayer times, important phone calls, heart-to-hearts with friends. I'm not one to get sick often, so it's been pretty irritating for me to deal with! So, in hopes of shaking it quickly, I went with my roomie one night to the gym with the sole purpose of sitting in the sauna. I had tried everything else... I thought perhaps sweating it out of my lungs would work!

One of the side effects of this horrible sickness is lack of energy. So, a simple walk out of the house and into the steamy sauna was enough to make me collapse on the floor. My long frame, laying there fully clothed, like a limp rag doll must have been some sight. A few minutes later, through the foggy steam, a man came in and, through the haze, worriedly asked if I was ok. I assured him I was, I just liked my mouth being close to the steam... I needed some major zap to my lungs!

We began chatting about superficial things, and the more we talked, the more uncomfortable I became. He told of his upcoming travels to Austria and Russia, and when I asked him the nature of his visit, his simple reply was 'uhhh... it's complicated.' Now THAT caught my attention. Was he a real-life version of Jason Bourne? A member of the FBI, traveling all around the world ensuring the safety of this country? Thankfully, we were not alone in the room, but regardless, I wanted out. So, at my first opportunity, I made my escape to the women's locker room.

I made the decision then and there to go into the dry sauna, simply to get away from this man. Unbeknownced to me, however, he had gone into the pool, awaiting my arrival back into the area in hopes to continue our conversation. As I closed the dry sauna door, I breathed a sigh of relief to finally be alone, able to relax. That relief was soon short-lived, for I then watched him, through the glass in the door, enter out of the pool, and follow me into the room! As he walked in, he immediately started to pour out his life story, the wife of 25 years leaving him, his desire for a 'good Christian girl' to enter his life and fill an impending void, his experiences with others he had dated... almost like I was the interview-ee, and him the interviewer... but the problem was, there was NO WAY I wanted the position!

Then, came the real reason for his trip overseas: speed dating. It followed the format as we are familiar with, but the difference is... after the 30 seconds of convo, he would choose his bride. His house was large, he informed me, so there was plenty of room for the ones with kids, those who usually were left behind. Through all these words, there was always an underlying hint that I may be able to be the 'good Christian girl' who would be able to save him the time and effort of a long ride on an airplane... and I could be the lucky one to move into his large house and make him happy.

It all sounded very much like an episode of 'Dr. Phil.'

Thankfully, before he had a chance to officially get on one knee, I was relieved to see my roommate through the plated glass, and I hurried out to meet her. With a quick goodbye and goodluck to the man, and a panicked look at Hannah, I pretty much ran out of the pool room.

Moral of the story: even bad coughs are not worth trips into the sauna. Next time, I'll wear my fake wedding ring and act like I speak another language.

The Feel of Fall

I love living in a state where the seasons change. Not being a huge fan of cold, I enjoy the Colorado summer heat (it only lasts a few months out of the year!) and try and soak in as much as possible during this short time, hoping it will get me through the long and cold months which are soon to blow in.

However, this year I've decided to embrace the cold and welcome the change. Instead of being so focused on WHERE I'm going while driving down the road, I've made a conscious effort to watch the leaves change around me. Instead of being bitter that I can no longer go outside in tank tops, I've chosen to embrace the sweaters and boots. After the busyness of summer dies down, a warm cup of coffee, a fuzzy blanket, and amazing friends will follow. And you know what will follow THAT?????

Thanksgiving. Then Christmas. The BEST time of the year. OOOOO I love the holidays!

So I guess the cold isn't half bad. I'll just put on a sweater, go for a walk, and enjoy the feeling of the cool air caressing my cheeks.

Excited to blog!

For the past few months, I've tried my hand at blogging on myspace. Because this social networking site was not designed solely for this task, I soon lost interest and fell short of my 3-times-a-week goal. However, my good friend Carly Barron inspired me to start a 'real' blog... so here I am!

I look forward to beginning this blogging journey. I enjoy the art of journaling, and think this may be a good avenue for me to post my thoughts, even if I'm the only one who sees them! I enjoy to travel, and do it quite frequently, so I will write of my journeys, and post as many pictures as I can (once I figure out how to do so!)

I also very much enjoy READING other peoples blogs... so please, if you are contemplating beginning such a venture, please do not delay! Let's start on this journey together.