foolishnotions.net

oops, forgot to post this one…

sunday’s team: (foreground to background: lindsey (intern on media shout), joel (new team member observing), mike c. (sound), kyle (lights), mike e. (sound)

---

sunday morning my team walked in - everyone of them early. there were really no big fixes which was a relief since we had totally disassembled every cord for creation.

when sound check started we had 3 sopranos, one tenor and abbye… soooo, this does not make for a very even mix, right? allison was off so i didn’t have another producer. kyle came to continue learning the new light board, but has only had about an hour on it so far. and i have a new team member observing. so…

what did we do?

• i gave kyle a 10 minute run down on how to get the lighting done with our brand new lighting system;
• told mike and mike to be sure to teach our new observer, joel a thing or two about the sound board;
• gave linds some last minute order of service instructions;
• gathered for prayer where mike e. prayed a prayer that came from the bottom of his heart for the church, for the lost, for our team - - and me;
• told them to watch their transitions because they will not have a producer for worship and then headed for the stage to sing.

as i was walking away they said with all confidence… “we got it”.

and, they did. they rocked it with excellence. kyle didn’t miss a beat on the lights.  linds had a small media shout hiccup but worked through it like a pro.  seriously, ya’ll - - i have the best team of volunteers ever - truly… they are amazing. they always serve with joy, they always give their best, they serve in their positions as if God himself were watching everything they do. they understand the impact of what we do. they are on board with the vision of the rock. to say i am honored and humbled to work with such a team is the understatement of all understatements. i really don’t have other words.

worship was amazing. the only way i can describe the feeling i felt in that room yesterday was… it just felt like family. like a family that had been through a lot and would go through whatever else to remain family. there was an air of purpose… of expectation, excitement and gratitude. it felt strong, solid… unshakable. i mentioned it to pastor norma after service and she sensed it too.

pastor bryan kicked off our iserve series by issuing a challenge to the rock to become a church of contributors and not mere consumers. it hit home as evidence by people who came to him or some other staff member after service asking how they can get involved. i am excited to see how this will build over the next 2 weeks.

thank you, God for these people. and thank you for giving me the best job in the whole world.

it’s here!!!!

step 1: get ernie to understand that we NEED [a-hem] he NEEDS a mac to complete our family ['er-- i mean...] to get his school work done - COMPLETE

step 2: orchestrate adoption process and procure the new family member - COMPLETE

step 3: negotiate a joint custody agreement - IN PROGRESS ( edit: SUCCESS!!! )

it’s beautiful!!!
welcome to the family mac mejia!!!

…for my honey, the student.

[sigh]

i’m so happy for him.

• it has been so long since i have opened my google reader that i had to log in.
• i have so many unread posts it won’t tell me how many - it just says 1000+.  (i’m certain this is it’s way of making it a little easier on me.)
• i have so much stuff running around in my head i think it might explode if i don’t blog soon.
• i’ve had new commenters that i haven’t had a chance to say hey to.  if you are one of them -HEY!  thank you so much for stopping by.
• tonight i will, with great remorse, “mark all as read”.  then, with great joy and a clear head, spend the evening with my man.
• tomorrow i have off and i look forward to finding out what you’ve all been up to and telling you what i’ve been up to.

i guess what i’m trying to say is…
i’ve really missed you guys!
you rock.

the week the lights were being installed i cut my fingers at least a dozen times.  i thought my index finger might come completely off before it was over.  after my 3rd or 4th trip to the first aid kit everyone started joking that i needed to wear thimbles to protect my fingers.

so, it’s tech week.  and jennifer just walked into my office and plopped these down on my desk.

i love these people.

gotta go program lights now!
have you bought your ‘creation’ tickets yet?

he was just born yesterday.

today he measures up to my shoulder.

this november he will be 9.

that’s half way to 18.

how is this happening so fast?

how can i make it slow down?

how can i not squander the next 9 years?

these are my mother’s day thougts.

[sniff]

when the cat is away… the mice shall play.

just another day at the office.

this is what 4000 post-it notes looks like when you put them all side by side.

video by matthew ray…

my favorite chick-fil-a meal
chicken sandwich no pickle:  410cal; 16g fat
1 packet of mayonnaise:   90cal;   9g fat
small waffle fries: 270cal; 13g fat
med. dr. pepper:  150cal;   0g fat
cookies & cream milk shake: 790 cal; 33g fat

grand total for my favorite fast food meal:  1710 cal; 71 g fat - are you serious?!?!?!

keeping it real chick-fil-a meal
grilled chicken sandwich, no pickle:  270cal; 3.5g fat
honey mustard:    40cal;   4g fat
half of the fries:  135cal; 7.5g fat
water or diet dr. pepper: 0

grand total for my keeping it real chick-fil-a meal: 475cal; 15g fat

ok, so 475 calories and 15g of fat used to not look so good to me.  until i realized that that’s 72% less calories and 79% less fat than i was consuming 1-3 times a week before i started paying attention!!!!  shoot, for that matter i can eat all the fries and still come out skinnier at the end of the year.

i’ve decided to do this about my weight…

• i’ve decided to eat things that i want while staying away from the things that will kill me at least 85% of the time.  that’s 6 out of 7 days.
• i’ve decided to arm myself with understanding about what i am eating and basing my choices on that knowledge compared to what i know my body has been able to endure in the past.
• i’ve decided that i don’t have to choose the healthiest thing on the menu to be a success.  i just have to choose something better than i would in my blissful ignorance.
• i’ve decided that if i have a bad day, or week, or month… it doesn’t matter.  no longer will i just quit.  i’ll just start again.

this is my theory.  diets don’t work.  i haven’t found one yet that i’m still on.  but, if i can eat 72% better (how about 50% or even 25% better), 85% of the time…. someday i will be lean and mean.  and i’m finding the more i start doing the math… the harder it is for me to justify putting ridiculous food in my mouth.  i have yet to walk into a restaurant and fail to find an alternative to what i originally wanted that was not waaaay better for me… and it still tasted good!

today i put on a pair of size 8’s.  i started this journey in size 12’s.  now, these 8’s aren’t straight out of the drier or anything.  and i’m sure they are a “big” 8.  but 2 months ago i couldn’t get them on.  and today i am wearing them to work without fear of being sent home.

i choose the slow boat to skinny.  i look forward to waking up one day and wondering who the new girl is and how she got here!  i’ll keep you posted to let you know if my theory works.

alright!  who’s still out there fighting the good fight for
being healthy, looking great and living long???
haven’t heard from you all in a while!
weigh in…

i was pondering the concept of hearing God’s voice today. how exactly do you explain the experience of “hearing” God’s voice to someone who doesn’t know God? after all, it’s not really audible (at least for me). how can we claim to “hear” something that doesn’t actually make a sound?

i cringe every time i feel myself about tell someone, “God told me… xyz”. in fact, rarely do i say it. i just fumble clumsily for a short introductory sentence to explain by what authority can i account for the eminent information. it’s not that i don’t think i actually heard from God. it’s just that i’m keenly aware that saying, “God said…” sounds like total whacko, fruit-loop, voices in your head wierdness… not to mention a little pretentious… “oooo… carolyn, thinks she hears God.” it evokes a reaction of, i really don’t want to hear this.

so, i began to think through my experiences of hearing God’s voice. how do i know when it’s God? how can i explain this to someone who is really trying to understand without freaking them out or sounding like i really don’t know what the fool i’m talking about. this is what i’ve got so far…

there are times when in an instant, i have an answer that i understand as thoroughly as if someone stood right in front of me and spelled it out. i didn’t hear any voices, but none the less, i inexplicably have the information… and i get it. sometimes it happens when i’m searching for it. sometimes it comes completely out of left field. it can come as a result of something i see, read, dream, hear…. or, it can come as a result of seemingly nothing at all.

i think sometimes these moments are just epiphanies. other times i think it is God’s “voice”. and i’m certain many times they are epiphanies imparted by God just to help me get along.

for me, the difference in the two is this…

• an epiphany i understand clearly in my head. it’s good practical information i can use to get things done. some of these i think are from God. some i think are just ideas i cooked up all by my creative self… because God made humans creative that way.
• God’s “voice” resonates as truth in my soul. it’s a deep and comprehensive understanding dropped in an instant into my heart. i draw from it confidence, wisdom and the tools i need to walk out my destiny. and because it’s truth to me and not mere information, it becomes a part of who i am. typically, these truths keep “coming up”… like in one week i’ll read something in my bible, see something on tv, hear a story, or witness some other practical application of a truth that started stirring in my heart during prayer one day.

so, there you go. that’s my current explanation on the subject of hearing God. seems easy enough.  it’s still too long to replace, “God told me…” i guess i’ll work on the short version now.  i think there are a lot more explanations i need to rework in my career christian mind before i can more effectively communicate them to someone else.  when i don’t, it just comes out… weird.

am i alone?
does anyone else have to hash this stuff out in their brains?

ok… i can’t help it. this is still a family-friendly site. just hang on a minute.

i’ve known millie since she was a teenager bitten by the shutterbug, feverishly taking pictures of anything or anyone who would step in front of her camera. over the years and during a time where everyone is a photographer, millie has emerged as a truly astounding artist and a remarkable business woman; pushing the envelope daily and rising as a true leader in her field of wedding, engagement and family photography. and… she gives all the credit to her Creator. and so, millie holloman of millie holloman photography is my next foolishnotions.net featured artist, redeeming excellence in art for God’s glory.

i knew as soon as i saw this shot that it was one of my favorite “millies” ever! this picture alone makes me want to save all of my money and go let her capture my family. why?

1. first and foremost…. i love the fact that she even did it. expensive cameras and torrential downpours typically don’t mix in most photographer’s worlds!!! but one of my favorite things about millie’s style is that she often takes risks and creates brilliance out of the unexpected.
2. i love how she framed the shot from behind the bushes for privacy. anyone can take a picture of a couple kissing. but only an artist can trick you into thinking that no one was there to take the shot.
3. it’s black and white - on purpose. not every shot has to be color. not every shot has to be black and white. and the really great artists know why.
4. i love the rain. i just love it. i love that it’s not all about the amount of makeup and choosing clothes that won’t go out of style in 10 years - it’s a timeless moment. who the flip cares about the hairstyles? let it rain!!!
5. millie has such an innate ability to make people feel absolutely comfortable around her. as a photographer i would say that’s 90% of the battle. but if you met millie you would instantly know why. her whit, her laughter, her love for life is immediately disarming. when you meet her you instantly feel as if you you’ve known her forever. it is truly a remarkable gift.

now. you’ve heard my 2 cents on this shot.
go here to read millie’s commentary on this image.

check out her site.

subscribe to her blog.

give her your money.

you’ll be glad you did.