Amy Grant Concert

Yesterday I worked the Amy Grant Concert at Rolling Hills. It was a great show!! And although I'm not Amy's biggest fan (which was confirmed when I met several from the fan club), I did totally feel privileged to work the show and walk down the backstage hall and smile at her when we locked eyes from the open door of her dressing room. I really do think it's a blast to work these shows!! It's a long and tiring day, but SO fun!!

So, I'm the first to admit I get terribly star struck and tongue tied around "the talent". I discovered this when getting my copy of a Donald Miller book signed a couple years ago. I loved his books and they were hugely impacting on my life at that time but as I stood in front of the author I was surprised to stumble over some silly words with a goofy smile on my face and my neck covered with splotches! My friend who was in line with me laughed when we were done. It was quite funny. And earlier this year when I met Shawn McDonald, I blushed and felt quite awkward! I decided I just didn't need to meet the talent. Walking the same halls with them and helping make their shows a success is good enough for me!!

This was the soundcheck "party". I met and escorted the fan club (who had gotten a special invite) to come hear the soundcheck and then meet her afterwards. It was the longest soundcheck I'd ever been to, but the band and Amy Grant were fantastic!!

This was taken during the actual show. It was really fun!! I recognized a lot of the songs (because it was a replica of her "Lead Me On" tour from 20 years ago) and thought they were appropriately updated so really enjoyed it!

Me with Amy Grant. Other than locking eyes and smiling earlier in the day, she had also previously commented on how she liked my hair streaks. That was cool!

I helped manage the meet & greet line after the show and got in on the end of it having her sign my nametag and also getting this picture. Yet again, I fumbled all over myself making some silly comment about "how this is very important to me" when trying (for the second time) to get the picture. I mumbled through something to her about it being a great show and felt bad she had to wade through so many people, but she was very gracious!

And lastly, I drove home with a bouquet of flowers on my passenger seat, that Amy handed to me as she walked out. They weren't exactly for me, but I was in the entry way with several others when she was leaving and asked if any of us wanted the flowers a fan had given her because they didn't travel well. No one spoke up so I said I'd take them.

I like my life!

Friday Floaters

By the way, I like the "floater" reference because it makes me think of something else ;) Hah!

- I'm not feeling 100%. Not sure why... I've been around sick people lately and I hope what I'm feeling doesn't turn into anything.
- My husband is still the best thing in my life!! Seriously! He made me laugh all the way into work and I won't tell you what we laughed about in the car yesterday (lets just say it had something to do with what "floaters" makes me think of ;) We don't feel mature enough to be adults!
- Mark and I are using a gift card for our dinner tonight. I like the goal of trying to keep the purchase no higher than the price of the card. So we only have to pay for the tip!
- Other then not wanting to be unwell, I don't want to be under-the-weather because I have a fun morning/afternoon of scrapbooking at my friend Stacey's tomorrow.
- Yesterday's Sanctus Real concert rocked!! Although staying up until after 1am didn't. I woke up feeling like I was hit by a truck. Is that what getting older feels like?
- I'm having fun trying to tell people about Demarle. But I was recently told I wasn't being aggressive enough... so watch out!!! You better sign up to host a party before I come after you ;)
- Work is fun lately with everyone moving around. I like having my team in my area. Tuesday's are now much more lively!
- Happy Friday!!

French Onion Disaster

I've tried a lot of new recipes over the past year. I would say that 75% of them were home runs, 24% Mark suggested we NOT put on the rotation, but we ate it that one time. And then there's the 1%, French Onion soup.

I haven't been so good about cooking much lately (other than quick/easy type meals that come in a box), but given our budget constraints and tiring of the same type of things, I decided to branch out. I picked about 5 new recipes. One of them was a French Onion soup recipe from a new crockpot cookbook I got from Powell's a while ago. Honestly, I should have looked at the book more closely before I purchased it because I'm not sure I've used anything out of there yet. They are a bit impractical for our life. Any crockpot meal that only requires 7 or less hours of cooking, doesn't work for our schedule. I use the crockpot because I'm not home for long periods of time.

Being in the mood for soup and finding a recipe that let you cook for 8-10 hours, I thought it would work. Not so much! I'm pretty sure I followed the recipe and instructions to the letter, but unless cooking it one hour longer than recommended ruined the entire thing, it was the worst excuse for French Onion soup I could imagine!! The only redeeming part was the bread and cheese, which we used to make grilled cheese sandwiches when the the soup proved inedible!

Now my house (and coat) smell like stinky onions. And it's not a regular onion smell, I love onions, we decided it smelled more like fermented onions. Yuck!!! I didn't even know a small like that existed!

Does anyone have a good french onion soup recipe that's quick/easy??

Don't hate me, but I'm selling...

I know, everyone is always trying to sell you something. And I've just joined the ranks! But I have to say, I'm very excited about it! I feel a bit like an infomercial when I tell people, but it's just fun. So here's why I'm becoming a rep:
- I like to meet people and talk, so it's a good fit!
- I like to eat and doing a party is a chance to share food with others.
- I love the product so appreciate being able to talk about how neat it is.
- I've always wanted to sell something like this and hadn't ever heard of this product until a couple months ago and thought it was rad, so figured now is as good a time as any!
- And of course, being able to earn money to fund my spending habits (but I'm being honest when I say this is more of an added benefit).

Here's what I'm selling. It's called Demarle and it's cool. (And here comes the sales "ask") So if you like what you see on the website and want to hear more about it or want to host a party to earn money towards buying something you like (I won't lie, the stuff's not cheap), then let me know. I can also do what's called a "Show & Go" where I just come and make you something to demonstrate the radness of this stuff. Or if you just like a chance to get your friends together, I'll do all the work!!

Mark turned 30!!

My dear husband turned 30 and in his desire to NOT be the center of attention, I tried to lay fairly low in the celebration of this special occasion. Although his birthday celebration went on for quite a while!! It started with cake the night his parent's came to visit in late September, then moved into a "small" family and close friend party on the 3rd and then his actual birthday on the 9th. Celebrated with Bruce and Barb out at a movie. It all ended with a fancy dinner out with just Mark and I. He'd been asking for an excuse to do a nice steak dinner in Portland so we figured this was as good an occasion as ever. It was very nice and a wonderful end to the birthday festivities!

The Ironman cake our friend Trisha made.

Mark and I at his family party.

I meant to post several more pictures but through wrestling with blogger, I finally gave up!

Purpose

Since my last blog title sounded almost like a confession, I feel like this one should, "I struggle with purpose".

I supposed it is like a confession. I struggle with purpose. I always have. When doing a "nothing" job I wonder what contribution I'm making to the world and when I have a purposeful job, I wonder why I don't feel like I'm making more of an impact.

Working at a church as an admin is difficult in that you aren't as close to the action. I feel like I can see how everyone around me could feel a sense of purpose, but I don't really. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my job (yes, even making copies), there is something rewarding about checking things off my list every day. Right now I have a little bit invested in a lot of things that it doesn't feel like I have one single focus.

But I DO have a single focus... God! I just don't know what that looks like when I wake up in the morning. Last night I didn't have to do anything. In fact, that is how I spent my weekend so last night I didn't feel like just sitting on the couch was the way to go (literally, that is what I did for half of Saturday), so I opted for working on a sewing project. But when you wake up the next morning knowing that you did nothing to contribute to the world the night before, or all weekend, then you wonder... "what the he** is my purpose?"

I don't struggle with purpose all the time and I definitely don't just sit on my couch all the time. Last weekend was a rare slow one and I loved it!! But in the days where purpose seems a far off thing and the dreams you make up that seem like would make your life feel like it has purpose (e.g. "if only I was doing blank, then I'd have purpose"), don't happen... what do you do?

In my peacemaking study (by the way, I don't have an answer to the aforementioned question), they talk about how conflict can reveal idols (a.k.a. good desires gone bad) and I feel like that's what my current struggle for purpose is doing. Something I want, isn't happening, and it makes me frustrated. My frustration examined reveals a desire that I've elevated to a demand, need, etc. My good desire needs to be let go of, brought captive back to God, and my knees back on the floor as I desperately plea with God to help me let go of my idol, desire, and even hope for tangible purpose, and trust that what he says in Psalm 84:11, "no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless". And although my walk is far from blameless, I don't think he withholds something good from me (even though that's what it feels like). Oh why does it always feel like what I want and what God wants are so far off???

I do poorly at everything I just mentioned. I don't trust God. I don't get on my knees. I don't look to him as my purpose. I am not content. I am never satisfied. I get discouraged that I will never be content or satisfied. I am always seeking after something. I always think my new thing will make me happy and solve all my problems. And this is the truth. I am convinced I will never know my purpose. I am convinced that God doesn't intent me too. That his intention (or purpose) is exactly what I'm doing right now. I'm not succeeding, failing, or anything. I'm just living. Granted it's pathetic sometimes and a poor excuse for a Jesus follower. But this is the best I got. And I think that's all he wants.

I like to not feel like I'm failing so I think that if all of that is really true, then I feel better ;)