1. The people with whom you have nothing in common often become your very best friends.

2. When your neighborhood is destroyed by a tornado, it will likely only take 1-2 episodes before everything is cleaned up and back to normal.

3. Don’t hit an electrical pole when it’s raining and then get out of your car.

4. Every December, you can expect a tragedy to occur mid-month. It might be a tornado or a plane crash landing in your cul de sac, but something’s going to happen. And it won’t get resolved until the mid-season premiere in January, so hang in there.

5. When a new neighbor moves in at the beginning of the season, he/she/they have a secret and all hell will break loose before May Sweeps.

6. Each person’s story matters. If you look back, you can often find meaningful ways that people you have encountered have stories that intersect with yours and with your neighbors. Maybe it was Eli the handyman or Robin the former exotic dancer…

7. If you accidentally almost on purpose set your neighbor’s house on fire, make sure you don’t leave anything behind that could be used to blackmail you later.

8. With the right equipment, you can fake an entire pregnancy and none of your best friends and neighbors will ever know.

9. If you are a main character in your neighborhood, you can almost always survive being  hit violently by a car.

10. Secrets are hard to keep. It’s much better to trust your friends to accept you and love you no matter what.

Yes, already!

Every year for the last decade, I pray and consider carefully during the winter what I might do during Lent. Lent’s tricky for me. I love the church calendar and the seasons and I love setting it apart as a holy (or holier) time of the year, but I’m too aware of the temptation to use Lent as a diet plan or give something up but not really observe the season as a whole.

I don’t want to do that. I want to be intentional during Lent. When I give something up, I want it to serve a greater purpose and make me more mindful. In the past couple of years, I’ve given up coffee, given up sugar, and given up all beverages but water and sent money to the Blood:Water mission. Those were each meaningful in their own way.

This year, I’m giving up something I’m not sure I can live without in the hopes that I’ll learn that I can.

I’m giving up multi-tasking. Multi-tasking is something I think I’m really good at. I have a feeling the opposite is actually true.

Instances of multi-tasking:

• Eating while I watch TV or read
• Facebooking while I do…well, a lot of things
• Talking on the phone and walking
• Watching a show on Netflix and having about 75 other tabs open
• Writing while I listen to music
• Working out while I listen to music
• Thinking through the day ahead while I shower
• Drinking coffee while I do…again, a lot of things
• Checking my phone while I talk to someone
• Making copies while I create fliers while I listen to music while I check Tweetdeck while I clean up my desk

And what I have discovered as I go about my day watching for instances of multi-tasking in preparation for Lent is that the list is much bigger than that.

What could I accomplish if I only focus on one thing at a time? What if when I eating, I’m just eating? What will happen if I can only have one tab open on my computer? What if when I’m talking to you, I’m just talking to you?

Yes, this Lent will be a season of single-tasking in the hopes that I’ll become more focused and more productive and more attentive in my relationships and tasks.

But in considering all of this, I’ve decided that there will be necessary exceptions, and I’m a big believer in the spirit vs. the letter of the law:

• I’m obviously not going to stop thinking while I do things. Thinking will not be considered a “task” in this journey.
• I will avoid multi-tasking with music in most cases, but I have a hard time driving in a silent car. Maybe I’ll keep it off when I have a passenger who might prefer conversation. I will try working out without music and make a decision about that based on how it affects motivation and endurance.
• Because I say so, drinking coffee or water does not count as a task. I could justify that, but I’m not going to. Deal with it.
• If my family or my loved ones are participating in an event that requires multi-tasking, I will participate. Relationships always trump anything else during my Lenten journey.

I will be focusing on how I multi-task with my electronic devices, how I mindlessly eat while I do other things and how I have a hard time just letting my mind settle into one thing at a time. I’ll be seeking to glorify Jesus in deeper relationships and richer time studying and preparing for the ministry I’m called to do.

Pray for me. This is going to be tough.

I’m interested to know if you observe Lent and if so, how will you observe it?

Katie and I got together after school today to cook dinner for both of our families!

On the menu?

Lasagna

Buttered Bread

Green Beans

Cookies

We had a fun time cooking and baking together.

We made two of everything so that we could each take it home to our families.

I called Katie and asked her how dinner tasted. She said the best part was the cheese. We did use a LOT of cheese!

The reader who knows me probably already guessed that the cookies were break ‘n bake and veggies were the kind you just microwave in the bag. But we slaved over the rest of the meal for sure!

The master of the pick-up line: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Welcome to a special Valentine’s Day Edition of the Tuesday Ten!

Proceed with caution. It is not advisable to try these on real people.

1. It’s a good thing I have a library card because I’m totally checking you out!

2. Maybe you can help me fix my phone? (What’s wrong with it?)  Your number’s not in it!

3. Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?

4. If I received a nickel for every time I saw someone as beautiful as you, I’d have five cents!

5. If you were a booger, I would pick you first.

6. Kiss me if I’m wrong, but isn’t your name John?

7. Do you have a bandaid? Because I just scraped my knee falling for you.

8. I should give you a ticket. You have FINE written all over you.

9. Smoking is bad for your heart…and baby? You’re killing me!

10. Were you a Boy Scout? Because you sure have tied my heart in a knot!

What’s the worst pick-up line you’ve ever heard?

I’ve only known Jonas for the last 11 years and 5 months, so I haven’t earned his teenager-hood as a parent technically–but many would attest that I’ve earned it emotionally! Jonas is exactly what parents have been promising me in a pre-teen/teen since I entered youth ministry and started dispensing advice to parents of 12 year-old boys. There are days he makes me laugh harder than I have in ages and days when he makes me cry more than I did after that one horrible break-up during my freshman year of college.

I still remember with vivid clarity the days when he said “mok” instead of “milk” and responded to “I’m sleepy!” with “My sleepy too” in the most pitiful, tired tone he could manage. I remember embarrassing tantrums and grocery store aisle melt-downs. I remember long late-evening drives in the car with him in his car-seat refusing to give it up and fall asleep. I remember his toddler and pre-school theories about life and God and family and friends. I remember a lot of stories I’ll avoid telling because he would be so embarrassed if he knew I had.

“Why did you name me Jonas!” He yelled at me one time in a fit of eight year-old rage.

Avoiding laughter, I responded kindly, “Honey, that’s one thing you can’t blame me for!”

Realizing his mistake, he couldn’t help but laugh.

About helping raise a child to this point as a stepmother, I’ll say this: it’s been the greatest joy and the greatest heartbreak I’ve ever experienced. When he’s sweet, he’s the sweetest kid ever. When he’s funny, he’s hilarious. When he’s angry…stay out of his way.

He’s so much like his father sometimes, in manner, in words, in appearance–but I know he doesn’t want to hear that.

Jonas is smart. He’s witty. He’s a good dancer. He’s a fast runner. He’s a good listener.

Right now, he thinks he’s not good at anything and that God didn’t give him any special gifts or talents. But he’s wrong. I’m hopeful that one day he’ll be able to see that for himself.

Sometimes I overhear him having a conversation with an older church member or with one of our parents or with one of his friends and I think: “Did he come up with that idea on his own? Did he think of that story and share it without prompting? Did he think to ask that insightful question all by himself? Did he understand what that person was saying without our help?” Yes, most of the time he did. And I shouldn’t be surprised, but sometimes I still am.

In 18 months, he’ll start high school, but let’s not rush it!

Happy Birthday, kid! I love you. May you know God’s blessings that fill your life and God’s love for you today and always.

1. The storms are raging on the rolling sea and on the highway of regret; the winds of change are blowing wild and free–you ain’t seen nothing like me yet. (“To Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan)

2. There’s a river in my mind that’s never still; swirling, soothing all the time gives me a thrill, swimming in the notes that go oh oh oh oh oh oh. (“Melody” by Kate Earl)

3. Freedom can be freezing, take a picture from the pretty side, mind your manners wave your banners, what a wonderful world that this angle can see. (“Sleep Through The Static” by Jack Johnson)

4. Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise. (“Blackbird” by The Beatles)

5. Give me your arms for the brokenhearted, the ones that are far beyond my reach. Give me your heart for the ones forgotten, give me your eyes so I can see. (“Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath)

6. Well I’ve been afraid of changing ’cause I’ve built my life around you. But time makes you bolder, children get older. I’m getting older too. (“Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac)

7. As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat, this wind is blowin’ my mind. I see the kids on the street with not enough to eat. Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their needs? (“Man In The Mirror” by Michael Jackson)

8. That where I am, you may also be up where the truth, the truth will set you free. In this world you will have trouble, but I’ll give you my peace that where I am, there you will also be. (“That Where I am, There You Will Also Be” by Rich Mullins…and Jesus.)

9. Every night I say a prayer in the hope that there’s a heaven. And every day I’m more confused as the saints turn into sinners. All the heroes and legends I knew as a child have turned into idols of clay, and I feel this empty place inside so afraid that I’ve lost my faith. (“Show Me The Way” by Styx)

10. Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang. Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang! (“The Witchdoctor” by The Chipmunks)