Snotty church services

I'm mad at my pastor.

Not for the normal reasons like heresy, preaching politics or neglecting to fully recognize the adorableness that is my son.

No, no. It's worse than that.

She made me cry in church. Which I hate to do.

It all started fine. This was her first Sunday back after maternity leave and I was just stoked to have her back. It's always a little sketchy when you have guest preachers. They don't know you; you don't know them. You don't know if they're going to say something off-color or talk for hours. But Beth is predictable. First, you know she's going to speak the word of the Lord without sugar-coating it. She's engaging and sometimes funny, but not in that stand-up club type way. And she never drones on and on.

She was talking about being prepared for Jesus, but not just in that "Jesus is coming tomorrow and he better find you on your knees" way. She talked about being ready to see Him and see Him work daily and about being prepared to be guided by His spirit. So at the end of the sermon, she showed a video. It begins with an elevenish old girl tell her name and saying that her daddy is in Iraq. Then it shows this same girl sitting in school with her very best I'm-paying-attention look on her face. Then you see confusion. Then unabashed joy as she jumps up from her seat and runs screaming into the arms of a bulking G.I. Joe type.

And the tears started to flow.

But it doesn't end there. Oh, no. This video torture goes on for near five minutes with all kinds of unexpected reunions. Husbands, wives, moms, dads, kids. Everyone. Luckily I had Karen sitting behind me and she offered me a Kleenex. I would have been a hot mess otherwise.

The point of the video as it relates to Beth's sermon, aside from making a whole congregation a blubbering mess, was to show that we don't know when our Father will show up. We just need to be ready.

But I saw something else too. There was one scene that particularly turned on the faucets. It was around Christmas and a little tiny girl is sitting on Santa's lap. She can't be more than two or three. I've already figured out the theme to the video and I think to myself, "She's not going to know him. She won't remember that he's her dad."

But then she turns. Her eyes get big and she whispers, "Daddy?" He scoops her up and you hear her mumble through the bear hug, "I missed you."

She knew her dad. She really knew him. Even though she probably hadn't seen him in a long time. Which means that we'll know Him too. Even if we think we haven't seen Him in a long time. Even if we think we haven't see Him move in our lives and use us in a long time.

It was beautiful. And messy and snotty and I still kind of want to smack Beth for showing it with no warning. I mean, really? No warning?

But, wow.

Food Choices

Last weekend was Jack's 2nd birthday and my mom brought up some yummy frosted cookies my friend Glenna makes. They're sugar cookies in adorable shapes and all decorated in fun colors. So cute and so yummy. If you want to check them out you should look up www.cookiesbytasteofheaven.com. Commercial over.

At dinner last night we were trying to get Jack to eat something decent but he had cookies on his mind and he knows where they are. He was repeatedly asking for one and we were suggesting other things he could eat before he had a cookie. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Do you want some strawberries?

Jack: Cookie.

Me: Yogurt?

Jack: Cookie

Me: How 'bout some peas?

Jack: BIG cookie!

As if to say my suggestion of peas was so ridiculous that it warranted an even more substantial reply. Eventually, he got what he wanted.

New Obsession

Many of you know that looking at houses with great design is something I love. In fact, I just like looking at houses in general. I can often be found looking at real estate websites just to see what's for sale. It's like snooping in other people's houses with permission. I love to see the layout, the decor, the view and to make fun of ugly carpet and curtains. Seriously, what are some people thinking?

So it's no surprise that I picked up a home design magazine that's based out of Seattle. I love houses and I love local things so this was perfect. To be quite honest, the magazine was less than thrilling, but there was an ad in the back for a local pre-fab company.

Many of you (by this, I mean my mom) might think that pre-fabs are hokey and cheap and you'd be right some of the time. But the ones made by Stillwater Dwellings are beautiful. They're quite environmentally friendly, by that I mean the materials, appliances, heating and cooling methods, etc. They have a very modern look, so if this is your thing, you should definitely take a peek. Be warned, however. There are all sorts of floor plans to look at, as well as the option to choose different living sections, bedroom sections and connectors to create your own layout. Addicting. I'm already coveting a few floor plans. Luckily for Nate, we can't afford it.

The best part may be that there are three style options, which means that people with great taste and a knack for design have put together all the cosmetic stuff that looks good together to take all the guess work out of building a new house. I think it would be so overwhelming to figure out all the fixtures and flooring and tile and trim in and actually make it look cohesive. Of course, some people may hate this because they don't have much choice. I, personally, love it.

So, if you've got some time, mosey on over to www.stillwaterdwellings.com. It's just so lovely.

"Sick" Day

I'm home today with Jack because he's sick and it just might be the best sick day there has ever been. Here's why:

1. It's sunny and over 50 degrees with hardly any wind. March doesn't get any better around here.
2. He has pink eye, which means he's not feeling yucky at all. He's actually in a great mood. It's just that he's so contagious he can't go to daycare.
3. Today was a "no kid" day at school because we had reading and math meetings all day. This means I didn't have to write sub plans, nor did I have to wake up early in order to do so. Sub plans are the worst.

I only have one more sick day left, thanks to my darling child. So I'm glad I could make this one count.