Wise words from a cartoon kid.

Charlie Brown:  Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?

Linus: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.

Lights, please.  "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you:  Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Adventures of the Week

So here I am in Boston... it's cold outside, with occasional little misty snowflakes falling. From my hotel window I can see people skating round and round a little ice rink in the middle of Boston Commons. It looks like one of the scenes from the Christmas villages my grandma sets up on her shelves every year. I wish I had more time to explore the city, see the historical sites... but these interview trips are too short and too packed with interviewing. Maybe someday I'll actually hop on a plane to go somewhere on vacation. And I mean real vacation.Working backwards... in the airport, I saw an iPod vending machine. Absurd enough to comment on. Talk about impulsive shopping.

On the plane, I sat next to a man who is running a marathon in every state. Yesterday was his 11th marathon this year. He said "It sounds crazy, but it's actually a lot easier than I thought it would be." Only 19 more states remaining. Way to go, Michael! But, yes, it is crazy.And one of the major highlights of my week was the 3 hours and 34 minutes that I spent running with one of my favorite people, Miss Anna Winter. We have spent endless hours this fall training for the marathon and I am SO thankful for her and her friendship. I couldn't have done the marathon without her. I'm not going to lie, there were parts of the race that didn't feel good... but we were wearing sequin decorated shirts and were accused of being "far too chipper" for the middle of a marathon. I'll take that. I'd rather be far too chipper than far too glum any day. And now we're "Boston Bound"... making plans for April already!

Misleading me home.

Being on the road is tiring. Fun, yes, at times, but tiring. After driving to Nashville, flying to North Carolina and back to Nashville, driving to Louisville, then Indianapolis, and now Cincinnati... yeah... I'm thankful for my iPod that keeps me company in the car, the dramatic decrease in gas prices (I paid 1.75 yesterday!), a cell phone (though the service throughout the large part of NC, KY, and IN disappointed me at best).

On my way from Louisville to Indiana, I was missing home. Driving along that boring highway, I suddenly came upon an enormous green road sign that said " Memphis--- 7 miles". My heart jumped for a second at the thought of being so close to home... but as those 7 miles passed and I neared "Memphis", I could see that it was just a small Indiana farm town.

Who does that? Who names a town after a city in a different state? It's one thing to have Paris and Milan in Tennessee and Cairo in Illinois, at least there's a whole ocean separating the namesake. But Memphis, Indiana? That's like having a Chicago, Alabama, or a Denver, Missouri. I felt so misled. I was so close to home... yet so very far away.

the power of legacy

As I have sat and listened at the feet of Steve Saint (son of missionary to Ecuadorian Indians and visionary, Nate Saint) and Carl Taylor (son of missionary doctor to the people of India, Hudson Taylor), these past few days, I have been overwhelmed by the importance and power of legacy. God has designed the family structure to not only be a place to grow in love, education, and to be nurtured, but also as a means of inspiratory vision.

There's an incredible impact that parents can have upon their children as they live as servants of the Almighty God and teach them by example that living in faithful obedience leads to the most unexpected and exciting adventures we could ever imagine.

the definition of "casual"

"Casual" made my life a little difficult this week. In attempts to pack for the interview trail, I read back over the emails highlighting the events of each interview experience... "dinner out at a nice restaurant, casual attire", "dinner at one of the resident's houses, attire casual". What does casual mean?

For a guy, casual means khakis and a button up. Period. For a girl, casual just means complicated. Can I wear jeans (or is that too casual), can I wear a dress (or is that too overdone)? What if I just show up in sweaty running clothes? Isn't that casual? Good thing I have ten of these interviews scheduled... maybe by the end of this I can properly define the word "casual".

growing up

Today I had my first real job interview. It's overwhelming to be growing up... and it's overwhelming to look back on all of the people and moments and experiences that have encouraged me along the way. I am thankful for those who have stuck with me through good and bad... through my very long distance adventures in Spain, Brazil, and Ecuador... through exam weeks and applications and studying for the boards... I wish there was something I could do to pay back all of the encouragement and love and support that has been given to me.

I praise the Lord for my sisters, for my mom (who has become one of my best friends), for my dad (who is one of my greatest role models of integrity and hard work), for my dear friends (some so far away, some just around the corner)... but ultimately, I praise the Lord because my roots aren't in a place, or in people, or experiences, but in Christ alone.

I know that wherever this next adventure takes me that I should count it all joy and a blessing that my Lord has allowed me to participate in his work... loving and healing and giving glory to Him. I pray that I remember that as I live and work and play.

exercising my right to vote

today i exercised my right to vote. literally. with too much to do and not enough time, and not being willing to give up some of my precious post-call sleep time, i decided to kill 2 birds with one stone. i ran to my polling place and back. i can't say i was the freshest smelling voter today, but i voted, nonetheless.