Signs of adulthood

1. Asking your mom to turn your room at home into a guest room.
2. Subscribing to a daily newspaper (paper copy, no less).
3. Requesting socks for Christmas--and actually wanting them.

In case you are wondering, all of those points passed through my mind today. I guess I am growing up. And I love it.

Check one thing off the list!

From L to R: Emily, Josh, Joel and me

This busy, busy weekend I got together with two people from my small group (Emily and Joel) and one of their friends (Josh) to ring bells for the Salvation Army at the Norman Walmart on I-35. As you can see from the picture, we also provided musical entertainment.

We had some great trombone solos, plus our group rendition of "Feliz Navidad" was a musical masterpiece. People would actually stop in the parking lot to listen to us. It was pretty cool to spread a little Christmas joy this weekend.

My Christmas bucket list

Sometimes the holiday season seems to rush by me, so this year I am trying to focus on things that will make it feel special and meaningful. I really don't care about getting gifts that much, but I do love buying thoughtful gifts for people and even more so, spending a lot of festive time with friends and family. So this year I am making a "bucket list" of things that are important for me to do this Christmas.

1. Buy local for Christmas. Did you know that if you shop local 70 percent of your dollars stay in the town where you shopped? With corporations, the number drops to around 40 percent. (statistic here) So this year I want to make sure my dollars are invested the wonderful community that I call home. 
2. Go to a Christmas Eve service. Last year it was at the Catholic church in Idabel, and I loved it. A new Christmas tradition for me.
3. Go ice skating.
4. Read A Christmas Carol. 
5. Make a Gingerbread house.
6. Volunteer as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army.
7. Pay for a stranger's meal without being noticed.
8. Watch all my favorite Christmas movies without multitasking or being online. Because I don't really get to enjoy it if I am distracted. 
9. Bake cookies and candy for presents.
10. Go caroling.
11. Hang mistletoe somewhere.
12. Choose one book to read every year at Christmas. It doesn't have to be Christmas themed, just something I will want to read every year. 

thankful, thankful, thankful

I can't believe that it is already Thanksgiving. In the spirit of the season, I've decided to list a few things that I am thankful for this year.

1. Jesus. Not to get all religious on you, but He's the reason for all of this list. He's not just in my life, He is my life.
2. My family, of course. I love my parents so much, and can't imagine what live would be like without them. So thankful!
3. My friends. How could I have better friends? I know I could count on them for anything. 
4. Coffee. It gets me through the day.
5. My new job. I love what I do and who I work with. It's teaching me that it is possible to love going to work every day.
6. The fact that Starbucks is open on Thanksgiving (see number three).
7. Living in Norman. I love the spirit of this place. Boomer Sooner!
8. My puppies Crosby and Hope.
9. Writing. It makes me so happy to do what I love, even if it's in the form of press releases. :)

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you have a lovely day filled with the people you love and of course, turkey. 

The answer is in the journey

In an effort to mend by divorce from reading fiction over the past few years, I recently picked up a copy of The Chronicles of Narnia and started reading this childhood classic. Somehow, I missed out on reading these when I was a kid. I guess I was too into Nancy Drew and solving mysteries, so C.S. Lewis and his vivid characters are very fresh for me. And even though these tales are aimed at children, the truths found in the tale are so powerful for where I am in life, in a season where nothing seems to make sense. Here is one concept that really jumped out to me from the first book.

In The Magician's Nephew, the main character Diggory asks Aslan to heal his mother, who was terminally ill. Instead of doing so, Aslan sends Diggory on a journey to retrieve fruit from the tree of life. Diggory obeys, of course, but does so thinking that his request to Aslan was just going to be ignored. He thinks that Aslan said, "no" to the most important and pressing question on his mind.

But he obeys anyway.

He obeys even though he anticipates that the most important person in his life would be lost--due, in part, to his obedience to Aslan.

While he is on the journey, Jadis (a.k.a. the White Witch) pounces on his doubts and reveals that the fruit he retrieved could, in fact, heal his mother. But (after some internal debate) Diggory still takes the fruit back to Aslan, and he is able to plant the tree that protects Narnia from Jadis for many years.

Now here is where the story gets interesting. The tree immediately takes root, sprouts and produces fruit. And Aslan tells Diggory that he can take some of the fruit to his mother to save her.

I think C.S. Lewis is making a powerful observation about how God answers prayers and how He works in lives. When I ask for something, God is far more likely to give us a mission to complete. Maybe it's large, or maybe it's small, but it is all for the Kingdom. It is out of that mission that I find the answer or the solution or the wisdom that I wanted all along.

The answers I need are rarely handed to me on a silver platter, and they wouldn't do any good even if they were. It's through the experiences of life that I learn the most, and in turn, can share my story with others. The answer is in the journey. And I am okay with that.

Unexpected

If I had to choose one word to describe 2011 so far, one overarching theme that has weaved its way through all of my circumstances, it would be "unexpected".  I don't mean it in a negative OR a positive way. Just a neutral description of the many crazy turns that my life took in the past 10 months. Professionally, relationally, even spiritually, I have encountered surprising circumstances that I could have never predicted.

Unfortunately, dealing with the unexpected is one of my least favorite aspects of life. Maybe that is true of everyone, but I can only speak from my personal experience. I like to know what I am up against. Being able to think about the future with a plan is comforting, but when those plans don't exist, or I am in uncharted territory, I have the tendency to clam up and hide from reality. Healthy, right?

That must be the reason that this year has consisted of unexpected twists and turns. Or maybe it is the natural progression of moving into an "adult" world after college. Either way, the amount of personal growth I have experienced in 2011 is at least equivalent to the maturity I gained my first year in college. Life is full of unexpected moments, and now that I am in a world where there is no concrete next step (i.e., graduate from high school, then college, and then get a job), I think learning to roll with the punches is the best kind of education I could receive. I'm thankful for that.

Song obsessions

Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes

The combination of the harmonies and the instruments gives this song such an earthy, bluegrass feel. I love it. Fleet Foxes is my favorite band, especially in the fall. They make me want to go on long walks down a country road, or something.

The Call by Regina Spektor

I've been reading Chronicles of Narnia lately and this song always reminds me of the second movie. 

Stay Young, Go Dancing by Death Cab for Cutie

This song is already sweet, with a great sound and wonderful lyrics. But the video adds even more charm. People who have been in love their whole life + frolicking in fields + outdoor dinner parties + cute children = perfection. 

We Are Young by Fun. feat. Janelle Monae

My friend Deborah shared this song with me as she was passing through Oklahoma City last week. It's just really catchy. 

Christmas Lights by Coldplay

I am a bit ashamed to admit this last one, because it is still October. But this is the only Christmas song I'll allow myself to listen to, I promise! And I figure it doesn't really count because the message is all sad and melancholy at first. It's more about the promise of Christmas than Christmas itself. So I am good, right? RIGHT??