Come Along

The Shack

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 01:30:00 +0000

**This post was originally written when I first read through The Shack back in 2008. I was wandering down memory lane through some of my written but unpublished blog posts, and not sure why I was reticent to post this one. Maybe I wasn't ready to be quite so transparent about my childhood, or thought the tone was overly negative concerning that time in my life. Coming upon this post years later, a little bit more removed from the rawness of my first reading of The Shack, I see this post as being a straight-forward portrayal of how God is continually refining me and molding my thoughts to be more in line with His.**

Warning: Emotionally raw material to follow

Don't you just love it, someone reads a book and extols it's virtues and says everyone needs to read it...and so you grab a copy and dig in - and it is a great book, but for you (or more appropriately - me) it's a MUCH different journey. Oh, there's the revelations and the freedom, and even lots of lessons that you thought you'd already learned or waded through the process with them only to find out that recently you've reverted back to old thinking. Argh...such is the experience I've been having reading through The Shack (by William P. Young). For those of you who haven't read it yet, it is definitely worth slogging through - and it is slogging through it if you've had a childhood or life thus far where you've picked up some "survivor" skills that were necessary then but they tend to hinder and stunt your relationship with God now.

I love my parents, and I believe they did the best they knew how with what they had available to them. Neither of them grew up in households where they were loved, cherished, or doted upon, and so their deficiencies in those areas were passed on to my sister and I. I don't remember growing up with any sort of feeling of security, even though all of our physical needs were more than taken care of. We always lived in a nice home, in a good neighborhood; we didn't want for anything of subsequence. We didn't even have to walk to school or take the bus, our mom drove us or we were part of a carpool. As far as being physically provided for, we wanted for nothing. Emotionally and spiritually...ummmm, yeah that is another story.

Like I said, I don't remember feeling secure growing up. Memories of my childhood are often pervaded by a sense of not being good enough. My mom could barely keep her head above water concerning her own internal turmoil much less handle two children on top of that. She often ended up frustrated and angry with us, which would erupt in a shrill screaming rage followed by the requisite spankings. Whatever it was we had done wrong was rarely explained, and thus what we should do right to avoid such punishment was even less evident. However, part of this was due to the fact that something small might be considered small one day, and the next day it could be considered a heinous crime. It just depended on how frayed her nerves were each day. To hear her speak of our childhood, we were quite brilliantly mischievous as we apparently plotted ways to frustrate her at every turn. Yet, she will also tell you that she liked us better when we were two years old.

As for my father, he was often absent. "Family" dinners were typically mom, my sister, and I gathered around the kitchen table in front of a small TV. Dad's only interjection into this time was in the event we needed to be disciplined because we refused to eat something or were smacking as we chewed. Otherwise, he could be found in his recliner in the living room watching TV with a beer or vodka and coke. After dinner, depending on the level of complexity of the homework, he might be called upon to help us with it...although that would also lead to frustration on both ends and so I would typically muddle through it on my own rather than ask for help unless I was absolutely desperate. Once we were in bed, he would have his dinner at the coffee table in the living room in front of the TV. Sometimes, with us both being night owls, I could engage him in lengthy conversations after he'd had his dinner, but other than that communication within our family was fairly stunted.

Arguments were typically conducted with emotions running high - reasoning and rational thought were far from present unless my father was involved. Resolution was rarely reached, instead everyone went their separate ways to their separate corners of the house until a sufficient amount of time had passed, and afterward no one would bring up the argument again until it needed to be used as fuel in a similar argument.

In essence, the messages and lies I received growing up were that I wasn't good enough, wasn't worthy of being cherished, wasn't worth keeping promises for, wasn't really worth communicating with and certainly wasn't worth listening to, which doesn't make it a far leap to think if one's own family doesn't think you're worth any of that - then why should anyone else? much less God? Plus, how can I trust God who would allow those experiences and take my father from me?

Ahhhh, there's part of the rub of this book, The Shack (I know that was a really long set-up to get back to how this book has affected me) - reminding me that God didn't take my father from me, but it was a consequence of his independent choices and living in a fallen world. Also, reminding me that His love for me is more than all I ever hoped or imagined from my own parents. The rub for me lies in resting in His love and living life as someone who is loved.

September Adventures cont'd...

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:18:00 +0000

The September fun continues! This past weekend some of my girl friends and I were invited to go down to Lake Livingston while my uncle house-sat for his cousin. Several of us had made this trip in June when he last house-sat, so we were looking forward to a reunion of fun times and relaxation. We met up at around 7pm and headed out in a two car caravan to Livingston, comprised of my Honda CR-V with myself, Rachael and my dog, and Courtney's Honda CR-V with herself, Tiffany and Beth. Traffic was fine until we exited onto the Woodall Rogers Freeway, where we were met with a sea of brake lights in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Up to this point, Rachael and I had been commiserating about our shared introvert nature - so we weren't paying as much attention to the status of my usually reliable Honda. It was at this point that a truck pulling a flatbed trailer cut me off, and I thought I smelled smoke of some sort. I looked at the rude truck/trailer in front of me to see if maybe I was smelling their exhaust, but suddenly noticed that it appeared that my own vehicle was smoking or steaming as it turned out. That's when my eyes darted to my dashboard gauges to notice that my car was indeed overheating - a lot! Thankfully, we were already in the right-hand lane, so Rachael smartly turned on the heater to full blast, and we opened the windows to pull the heat away from the engine. Then she called the girls in the other car and let them know we were pulling over to the shoulder because traffic was barely moving, and I was not sure whether my car would even make it to the exit that appeared close but so very far away at the snail's pace we were traveling. Once we had pulled over onto the shoulder, I turned off the car and immediately called AAA. The operator that I got was barely competent. Considering that she was likely equipped with computer and internet at her disposal, while I only had the very "smartphone" that I was speaking to her on as my reference guide - you would have thought she could have NOT asked me fifty million stupid questions. Pretty much, she scheduled the tow-truck for me - and that was it, as she asked me questions about the place where I wanted it towed and even the places that she suggested, she was unsure about...for the love. Only by the grace of God did I remain relatively calm throughout our interchange. I don't think I even got terse with her at any point - although Rachael would be the one to verify if that is true or not. Obviously, we knew it would be a while before a tow truck would be able to get to us, so we patiently waited, while I continued to furiously search with my "smartphone" and look into places nearby where I could take my car - as my AAA membership only covers me up to 3 miles of towing, after that you're charged $7/mile. Well, that obviously means I would not be towing it back up to my area of town - so I was looking to see what garages in the area would be good, which was kind of stressful since I'm not familiar with that part of town much less know of a reputable garage there.

Beth's snapshot of my car and the bumper-to-bumper traffic beside us.

After waiting an hour in that spot, we noticed that traffic which had been crawling beside us suddenly got much faster and then disappeared altogether. It was then the light bulb went off in my mind, as we were in an area under construction - they've closed down the freeway behind us! Taking a chance on my car having cooled off completely, I started it while Rachael called the girls behind us to let them know we were taking our chances with driving to the garage where the tow truck would have taken us. Heater blowing furiously, windows wide open, Rachael with her iPhone GPS - we wound our way three miles over to a Kwik Kar on Lemmon. We arrived to an obviously closed facility with a roped off parking lot thus no place for me to leave my car, much less a drop box for my keys. From this point, I decided to take my chances on a chain of garages that has a location near my apartment, but also has another location open on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, we arrived to that facility which I knew would be closed - but also did not have a drop box for my keys...We then drove over to the garage near my apartment, which unsurprisingly also did not have a drop box, so I made the decision to drop my car off at my apartment. Rachael offered to be our second driver - so after dropping off my car and transferring my dog and our bags from my car, we all took off for Livingston....mind you it was 11pm by this time...ugh.

We made our normal stop at the Buc-ees in Madisonville, at which point we made the decision to put off our late night Walmart grocery trip until after we got a good night's rest (was about to say until the following morning - but really it was morning when we arrived at Buc-ees...about 2am). Thus, I snagged us some Buc-ees cinnamon rolls for our nutritious morning breakfast. We arrived at the lake house at around 3am. My aunt and uncle had waited up for us to make sure we arrived safe and sound (as I'd kept them apprised of the fun car drama). After a happy, but brief welcome - we all got ready for bed and gladly snoozed the rest of the "night" away.

Saturday, was a gloriously stress-free, relaxing day. We ate a leisurely breakfast, made a quick jaunt over to the Livingston Walmart for our lunch and dinner ingredients. Lunch was a simple, make your own sandwich buffet followed by decadent chocolate malts prepared by my uncle. After that a few ladies decided to float in the lake...now, the lake was not quite what it had been earlier in the summer. With the drought, the area where the boathouse resides was now a beach with a bit of lake lapping up against the sand. Obviously, there would be no boat action that weekend, but Tiffany, Courtney, Beth and my uncle waded out into the water for a relaxing float. Rachael enjoyed the hammock looking out at the lake, and I took up residence on the deck's covered swing where I caught a few more zzzzz's. As the sun drifted lower on the horizon, my aunt served us each a glass of sangria - and one by one we made our way into the not-so-hot tube. Relaxing jets, sangria in hand, and plenty of laughs filled the early evening air. After we were all nice and pruny, it was time to make dinner! Enchiladas, fresh guacamole, salad, and margaritas were on the menu. Dinner was followed with watching The Adjustment Bureau on the big screen TV.

Collage of Saturday's fun! (as photo-documented by Beth)

Sunday morning Courtney, Tiffany and Beth left out at 6am; while Rachael and I left around 9am. The drive back to Dallas was gratefully much less dramatic. Later Sunday evening, I called up my friend Russell - and he kindly and patiently talked me through what needed to be done on my car - in layman's terms. Tiffany chauffeured me around to gather the required coolant and cooling fan relay switch. Ended up that I didn't need the relay switch, but instead needed to replace a fuse (thankfully there was a replacement fuse available in my car's fuse box). At this point my car was fixed! :-) However, it did end up blowing through the replacement fuse on Monday :-( Thus, there is some sort of electrical issue with the cooling fan. Russell can help me fix it when he comes into town in November. Until then, I must keep a watchful eye on my gauges, on my radiator fluid, and avoid stop and go traffic like the plague! Considering my impatient tendency to avoid brake light traffic, the latter shouldn't be too much of a problem - just have to be diligent about doing the former part as well by paying attention to my gauges and radiator fluid.

Praise Jesus for His timing and surrounding me with some pretty fabulous friends and family! I am completely thankful that I was surrounded by an abundance of helpful friends when my car overheated rather than having been on the road alone. And to have a friend that is knowledgeable about the inner-workings of cars and able to guide me over the phone in fixing my vehicle. Yet, I also wouldn't mind if this is the end of the crazy adventures for a while ;-)

Introvert - Yep, that's me!

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:55:00 +0000

I've found that a good portion of my friends do not understand my NEED for solitude. So, I thought I might post about some of the differences between extroverts and introverts.

I am most definitely an introvert, no question, hands down, definitely an introvert. Although, I wouldn't say that I'm at the extreme end of the scale of introversion because I do enjoy being with my friends quite a bit, and regularly spend copious amounts of time with them even following a full day of interaction at work. However, when it comes to where I get my energy to be "on" when I'm with my friends - that definitely comes from having some alone time. Like right now, I am starving for time alone - and not just a few minutes here or there - a full day of being alone. I've been around people nearly every night this week, after a full weekend and a stressful week the week before. I am desperately looking forward to tomorrow, as I will continue to put off errands that need to be handled (eventually), in order to revel in a full day of no interaction with people (as much as that can be helped when walking my dog). See, that is where I get re-energized. A lot of people get energized by being around other people; they feed off it and cannot wait to be surrounded by people and interact with them - and most of these types of people would be considered extroverts. For myself, it can often take a good deal of inner dialogue to get psyched up enough to go out and interact with people. Granted, I more than likely will have a great time once I finally get out the door - but it can still take a considerable amount of energy and neurotic self-talk to go out into a social environment.

Introverts are people whose energy tends to expand during reflection and dwindle during interaction, whereas extroverts tend to be energized when around other people and prone to boredom when they are by themselves. Too much stimulation from social gatherings can tend to overwhelm an introvert as he/she is usually more analytical before speaking and likes to observe social situations before participating. I find these aspects to be particularly true of myself. I'm much more of a "slow-to-warm-up" type of person in social situations. In fact, it may take a few outings with the same group of people before I'll feel comfortable interacting openly with them. I definitely tend to over-analyze what I say before I speak especially in new social situations, which oftentimes means that I may not end up speaking at all because the subject changes more quickly than I'm able to process all the variables around me. And while an extrovert might be frustrated by that, I'm typically okay with not adding to the conversation at the spur of the moment because I haven't completely formulated my opinion yet. This also means that in the case of group studies, like Bible studies, if I do not feel fully prepared regarding the topic - as a participant, I'm not likely to add to discussion because I require more time for reflection to spontaneous questions...which is probably why I'm more comfortable leading/facilitating a discussion. If I'm singled out as a participant in a discussion, I'm more likely to pass on the opportunity to speak. Reflection is very key to how I function; I spend a lot of time ruminating over things as I figure out where I stand on issues and how I want to respond in a multitude of situations.

In American culture and even in evangelical church culture, extrovert characteristics are typically more prized than those of introverts. As such I look forward to delving into this book sometime soon (as I saw this on another blog I frequent):

Check out the excerpt on Amazon.com - looks like it should be a helpful read for those who are introverts and those who know introverts.

A Week FULL of Adventures - not really the fun kind though...

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:44:00 +0000

Adventure #1: Things have been topsy-turvy in my world since last Friday evening. That's when the incessant beeping of my apartment alarm pad began at 7pm - a consistent beep every 10 seconds. After trying everything under the sun to fix it myself - pressing the (*), using a default code 0000, flipping the switches on the circuit breaker, and trying to remove the plastic cover to see if a battery needed to be replaced - no luck - and pressing the buttons on the keypad only worked for random time periods ranging from 5 minutes to 2 hours. By the time Saturday morning rolled around, (after minimal sleep the night before), I called the maintenance line at 8am. And recognizing that this is not an "emergency" issue like a water leak or a broken A/C, I patiently waited until 3pm to call the maintenance line again. However, by this time I was a little peeved, and let them know that I need this fixed today or I'm going to rip it out of the wall - and yes you can quote me with that on the work order, thank you! Two more hours pass, and at 5pm I marched down to the office to make sure they had received my work order and that the maintenance person would come to fix it that day. By the time I went to girls' night at 7:30pm that evening, no maintenance worker had shown up, and when I got home later that evening - the beeping was still there! So I endured another night of beeping...went by the office again after church on Sunday, and complained to the same lady as before and she called the maintenance man right there as I fed her all of the ways in which I'd tried to take care of this myself (as he was apparently making those suggestions to her - I've already tried those, thank you!) The maintenance man finally came around 5pm on Sunday and completely disconnected the alarm pad from the electrical wires, so it should not make any noise EVER again while I'm there - woohoo!

Adventure #2: On Wednesday of this week (yesterday), I took my car to a dealership near the office for a recall repair. I set up the appointment last week online for 7am, and they have a shuttle service - so I figured I'd still get to work at least close to my 7:30am start time. I got to the dealership on time - only to find out from my service advisor that the techs don't actually come in until 7:30am/8am, and the shuttle service doesn't start until 8am. However, I could put my name down and be first on the list. Shuttle didn't leave until 8:20am, and I didn't get into the office until 8:45am. Then the pick-up shuttle didn't come til 5:30pm (an hour after I'd requested), so I didn't get home until 6:30pm - and considering I left at 6:30am - it was a LONG day...awesome. Does sound ridiculous to anyone else, that you would be allowed to make a 7am appointment, but they're not actually going to have people there to do anything at that time? I mean, there is an option to drop-off your car and keys, but I didn't choose that option - so if the 7am appointment time isn't going to actually be an "appointment" for anything and the shuttle service isn't going to be available until 8am - then why not just have the first appointment start at 8am or 7:45am at the earliest!

Adventure #3: This morning I took my dog for a walk per usual. It's early so I was basically in my pj's and just had my keys on me. I always take her on a quick little walk to do her business before getting ready for work, usually takes no more than five minutes. One of my neighbors who also has a dog was chatting with me, and as I was raising my hand to say good-bye and cross the street, my keys fly off my finger, hit the cement and slide into the storm drain - it was like watching a bad movie happen in slow motion....my neighbor lets me use his phone to call maintenance, who acknowledge that this is an emergency and say they'll send the on-call person. (But as you can tell from my earlier story - I don't have a LOT of faith in the maintenance line or the people themselves). This is at about 6:15am. My neighbor has to leave to go drive the school bus at 6:30am, so then I go sit on my apartment stoop and wait. I make a couple of trips down to the maintenance office to see if maybe one of the regular maintenance guys have come. As I watch all my neighbors leave for work, and the sun is out now, I get fed up. I know that my balcony window is unlocked, so I kick off my flip-flops and use my bottom neighbor's wrought iron fence around her patio to boost myself up to climb up to my balcony like a monkey. I remove the cheap screen and enter my apartment via my unlocked window like a burglar, and then go back down to get my dog (who I'd tied up to my stairwell railing). At this point, it is now 7:30am. I have a copy of all my keys except my mailbox key and my office key, so I'm in fairly good shape in that realm (praise Jesus!) I quickly change, feed my dog, and road rage it to the office. Oh, but still got into work earlier than yesterday - came squeaking in at 8:15am today.

Side note: One of my new neighbors totally saw me climbing up to my apartment as he took his dogs out for a walk. And then I saw a maintenance guy as I was driving out of my apartment complex at 7:45am. I let him know that I'd put in a request to have someone open my apartment for me, but that I didn't need it anymore since I'd climbed up to my balcony and let myself in. Not sure that he really understood what I was saying, since his English wasn't so great - but he confusedly told me the other maintenance people would be there at 8am. And around 9:30am, I got an automated email saying my work order was complete....awesome, no response to either of my work orders over the weekend about the obnoxious, infernal alarm, but to this one where they did NOTHING - they let me know it's complete.

As you can see, it's been a lovely week in my world. Definitely an adventure - that's for sure!

Lesson learned - always keep my keys in my pocket when walking Suzie, as well as my cell phone. And find a new place to live because the maintenance line at my place is ridiculous.

Pretty sure, stuff like this only happens to me ;-) And gotta say a little nervous about driving out of town this weekend after all of this!

Letting go

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:30:00 +0000

I was looking back through some of my old blog posts trying to get inspired to write something and ended up reading my Singleness post. It was good to remind myself of the standards that I hold to regarding my singleness. Lately, I've been experiencing a bit of grieving regarding my hopes and desires for the future. When I wrote that post, I was 28 and in the midst of an adventure that moved me out of state and encountering all sorts of new people, and the possibilities seemed to stretch out before me. And while the possibilities that lie before me are still as endless as they used to be, there is a timer ticking in the background reminding me that not ALL of the possibilities will be around forever. I'm inching closer to 32 and recognizing that the time available to me to bear children is creeping closed more and more with each day, month, and year that passes. Now granted, there are people having children well into their 40s with the help of fertility drugs, and logically I can acknowledge the truth that the Lord's timing and power outrank our minute human minds and bodies and can accomplish far beyond anything we imagine or dream, just look at Sarah (in Genesis) or Elizabeth (in Matthew). Yet, the doubting Thomas side of me also notices with each passing year that the window of opportunity narrows in which I will be blessed with a spouse while still of age to have children. Thus, leading to the occasional moments of grieving - letting go of the hopes, dreams, and plans of my own imaginings and trying to re-fix my eyes on my ultimate Lover. It's not easy, and at times hard to watch those around me enjoying, celebrating, and even struggling through stages of life that I might never encounter - which drive me all that much more into the arms of the only One who can comfort me.

Now don't get me wrong, I also know that much joy can come from adoption - and I fervently look forward to the possibility of adopting as well. My dreams of a future family include both biological and adopted children. I recognize that the possibility of a raising children is not altogether closed to me, but that doesn't necessarily assuage the ache of longing to experience the wonders and struggles of pregnancy in the midst of a Christ-centered marriage. And I also recognize that even if I were married, the ability to bear children is not a given - as I know of many friends who struggle with infertility, too.

In truth, I began this post back in May - and after reading a friend's Facebook status yesterday - felt it applies to how I must re-frame my outlook going forward: "Sometimes you must let go of past dreams in order to recognize today's blessings." How true! I am blessed in so many ways - especially with an abundance of encouraging, Truth-loving friends and family. So when those nagging feelings of grief and depression about fading past dreams try to overtake my thoughts, I shall lean into Him even more and remind myself of today's blessings!

Tuesday's Tips

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:25:00 +0000

As I get back into this whole blogging thing, I'm realizing that part of why I dropped off is that I didn't have a sense of structure or format for my blog. Thus, I'm going to try my hand at having some regular entries like...Tuesday's Tips. Yes, I know, not the most clever or creative title for a weekly blog entry - but I'm on my lunch break with an allergy clogged head - maybe I'll come up with something better down the road, just trying this out for now in an attempt to create a blogging rhythm. Heck, I'll even take suggestions if you have a clever title/writing idea for me to replace it. This week the tips are a couple of my favorite products of late:

This Tuesday's Tips...

1. Amy's Kitchen frozen foods

If you have not been exposed to these, you must give them a try. I'm not much of a frozen dinner person, although I will admit that in recent years it seems the big brands such as Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice are formulating more interesting menu options with "natural" or organic ingredients. However, Amy's Kitchen triumphs over the other competitors in my opinion. Their frozen offerings cover Mexican, Italian, Indian, Asian, and comfort foods - with bowls, complete dinners, desserts, and snacks - and its all vegetarian made with organic ingredients! And they taste great without being pumped full of sodium, sugar, or other preservatives. Now, I will qualify that I am only mentioning Amy's frozen dinners because I'm not as impressed by the soups I've tried (they all basically tasted the same), nor have I tried each and every frozen option - but of the many I have tasted, I have yet to be disappointed. As far as price point is concerned, these options as most organic products, are typically more expensive than the other frozen food giants - but even Walmart has started stocking some of the Amy's Kitchen line, so you'll likely be able to find it discounted the most there.

2.

For those of you like me, who are trying to become more budget conscious and steer away from paying for outrageous cable and/or DVR fees - you might look into giving Hulu Plus a try. Considering I found myself watching most of my TV shows via my DVR anyways, this has been a good alternative to cable for me because with Hulu Plus most shows are available to view the day after they air. Now in order for it to play on your TV - you'll need to have a Blu-ray device or something like this Roku, that connects to your internet router and TV.

There are some downfalls to Hulu Plus, such as the CBS shows are not available to watch via Hulu - those you have to go directly to the network's website or watch them live. Also, there are some shows for NBC and cable networks that are only available to view via Hulu's website and cannot be viewed via the TV or mobile device option. However, for less than $10 a month - this is still better for me than cable since I'm not paying a monthly equipment fee or an exorbitant rate for cable TV access on top of my cable internet fee. Also, Hulu Plus has other TV series that you may not have seen in their first run and can now watch all of those episodes whenever you want - such as Trauma, Angel or Pretender.

Crazy Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:31:00 +0000

This morning got off to quite an interesting start...I was on my way to work, and realizing that I'm pretty low on gas - so I have this inner debate with whether I have time to stop for gas before work or if I should just wait until lunch or after work to get it. I finally decide to pull over at a Quick Trip to fill up my tank and reach into my jumbled purse to fumble around for my wallet - oh wait, it's not there! I'm yanking everything out of my purse just to make sure - yep, it's not in there - stink! So, I pull out of the gas station and mentally start thinking of what in the world I'm going to do - pretty sure I can't make it home without getting gas, yet have NO money, no credit cards, no driver's license (so I'm also suddenly the most cautious driver ever too) - hmmmm. Ah-ha! My amazing new friend Kristie has recently volunteered to walk Suzie during the day a few times a week since I'm not able to go home at lunch any more...well she is going to be at my place after lunch, so I frantically call her once I'm at the office and leave a rambling message begging her if there is any way she might possibly be able to bring my wallet to the office. And guess what? She can - woohoo! God's timing is everything - even when I'm silly and forget my wallet at home, He allows it to be on a day when the amazing Kristie is already scheduled to make a trip to my apartment - and because she's super awesome - she's willing to drive all the way over to my work to bring it to me.

Junkie

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:00:00 +0000

If you know me at all or have even briefly perused this blog, there is no denying - I am a TV and movie JUNKIE. Many people talk about how they don't watch much TV because it's trash - especially network television....but to them I say, "bah-humbug!" I enjoy TV - especially network TV - because I'm cheap and unwilling to continue shelling out money to pay for cable. At the same time, I love Netflix because it allows me to rediscover TV shows that were brilliant but only lasted for one season. Two such shows are Freaks & Geeks and Wonderfalls.

Paul Feig created Freaks & Geeks, but the now well-known Judd Apatow was also a preeminent writer, director, and producer on the show - you may recognize his name from such not-fit-for-network-television movies like "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up." Those movies may not recommend the viewing of Freaks & Geeks, but considering this show had to be tame enough to air on network television back in 1999 it is definitely worth watching. Freaks and Geeks puts the spotlight on what high school was like for those of us who didn't run with the popular crowd and probably encountered more embarrassing moments than we care to recall. It's also set in the early 80s, and who doesn't love the 80s? Especially notable is the main freshman character, Sam Weir, played by John Francis Daley - a name you probably don't recognize, but if you happen to be a fan of the current TV show Bones - you would know him as the FBI psychologist Sweets. Oh yes, that is right - if you watch Freaks & Geeks you get to see a pre-pubescent Sweets navigate his way through his torturous freshman year of high school, while his academically over-achieving sister has a crisis of identity after her grandfather's death and attempts to slide into the "freaks" stoner crowd. This show was also Seth Rogan's first foray into the acting realm in the US before he became Apatow's rated R comedy muse. You also get to see Jason Segel as a drum playing stoner well before he made his mark as the goofy Marshall on How I Met Your Mother, as well as James Franco before he became the worst Academy Awards host to date. This is just a kookie, hilarious, and sometimes poignant show that I definitely recommend watching.

As for my other one season only favorite, Wonderfalls is a quirky look at a college graduate who is not quite sure what she wants to do as her next step in life other than she's tired of trying to live up to everyone else's expectations. She's earned a prestigious degree from Brown University, but finds herself back home living in motor home and working at a souvenir shop in Niagara Falls. As she's pondering her life's choices, she starts having these "episodes" where inanimate objects (mostly the nicknacks from the store) begin talking to her and giving her seemingly obscure assignments to carry out. Of course, in the end all of these crazy tasks amount to helping someone unknowingly. This show is by the same creators of the critically acclaimed show Pushing Daisies (another favorite of mine - which lasted at least two seasons), but Wonderfalls is our first introduction in the US to actress Caroline Dhavernas, who is now on Off the Map, as well as our first chance to see the greatness of Lee Pace (who was the male lead on Pushing Daisies). If you haven't had a chance to see this show, or probably haven't even heard of it - you should definitely Netflix it, or if you're one of my friends in the DFW area, you can borrow my copy :-)

Wonderful God

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Wow, it has been nearly two years since I last posted a blog! The past few years have been difficult, and when things get difficult - I hide. Or attempt to hide. It's not even as though there has been one particular event that has caused me to go into hiding - it's just been a struggle, and continues to be a struggle as I follow after the path He has for me. For most of it, I felt like I was being led with a bag over my head - swiped at occasionally by branches that are in the way, and stumbling and scraping my knees on rocks that seem to materialize from nowhere - but all the while trying to keep up with the One who is leading the way. While I realize this sounds like I'm being led away by a kidnapper, lately the Lord has helped me reframe this feeling so that it's not me feeling lost and led to my doom - which was kind of how the career aspect of my life felt these past couple of years...but now He's helped provide me with a new view - where it's more about awaiting a big surprise. I like surprises - happy surprises at least. So now the journey is more about the different surprises He has for me along the way. I can't see the whole picture, but eagerly await the surprise of each new day. And part of the surprise has been how quickly He orchestrated me getting my new job! In a matter of less than two weeks, I was offered my new position. Saw the posting for the job on a Friday, submitted my resume the following Monday, received a call on Thursday to go in for screening on Saturday, ended up interviewing on Saturday, and was offered the position the following Monday - and there was no networking involved! He is the One who ordained each step - and I am very thankful :-)

So the past two years...work was mostly filled with trudging and treading water to make it work - a means to an end financially. But outside of work, the Lord filled my life with MANY new friends - a whole new group of people that make up my DFW family. Such as my lovely Life Group ladies that I got to go to a Rangers game with last week:

Yep, our group has grown so much that we had to multiply and become two groups - but we still love it when we can all get together, too!

And I got to take a pretty awesome road trip with this group of godly ladies:

Apparently I didn't get the memo that we were supposed to wear a black jacket that day ;-) We explored two Nashvilles (Tennessee & Indiana), and I got to show off a little bit of Louisville. But really the majority of the trip was about us eating our way through the states ;-) It was a very yummy Spring Break! I may write a more extended blog about the spring break trip...we shall see, as I get back into the blogging groove.

But basically in the midst of the struggle - I have definitely been blessed with a fabulous support system!

So this is me - dipping my toe back into the blogging world! It is my goal to update you more than every two years - so hold me to it :-)

Pet Peeve

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:08:00 +0000

I think everyone is fairly aware that the job I'm in right now is not my dream job; it is just a transitional position until I can get my alternative teaching certificate. Even so, I do this job to the absolute BEST of my ability - which has in turn gotten me promoted when I had not even been there six months - promoted before I even had benefits. I'm not saying this to gloat - but to help prove my point about one of my completely unmotivated co-workers. Before some of my office co-workers gave him the nickname "monkey," my personal, only in my head, nickname for this individual was Eeyore. He walks around like Eeyore - slowly lumbering through the office - with his down-turned face - and no one likes me attitude...well in truth not many people do like him because of his utter LACK of work ethic. Now, to be fair when I first started working there this guy was initially friendly - and I in turn was friendly until I kept getting burned by his complete disregard for paying attention to his work. His job is to sort records - not a fun job by far, but not a complicated job either. He sorts them in chronological order, scans them, and either mails or emails them to the assigned physician - all of which I give him explicit directions to accomplish because this guy is incapable of taking any sort of initiative or using a silly little thing like intuition to figure out how to solve a problem - and no he is not a learning disabled individual. So, when he invariably manages to screw up like shipping the wrong records to the wrong doctor - rather than handling his mistake like a responsible human being - he comes to my office to see if I will clean up his mess. And his "mistakes" (read unparalleled laziness) typically end up making me look bad since everyone is looking to me to get these peers out on time in order for us to get the reports back by the deadline. Thus, I feel that Eeyore is pretty good label for this whiny, lazy worker.

Just checked my work e-mail to access a link that a friend sent me while at work - a link that I didn't look at while at work because it goes against work policy, and silly girl that I am I also decided to open an actual work e-mail from my boss to find that yet again - I've probably been burned by this very same lazy co-worker. I am not sure why this person continues to have a job after ALL of the "mistakes" that he continually makes in a job that should be quite simple and does not really require any real responsibility or stress on his part. And of course tomorrow, if these records that should have been printed off by him last Thursday end up "missing" it will fall to me because on top of all the other stuff that I am now supposed to be monitoring on top of all the new things that I am learning and doing - I have to make sure that he actually does his freaking job. I DO NOT have TIME to sit around and babysit this lazy worker and get my own job done, and make sure that my team is meeting their responsibilities - he's not even part of my team but his lack of pride in his work directly affects how me and my team are able to do our jobs. When this kind of stuff happens with him, I want to BEAT HIM.

Deep breaths...deep breaths...must find my happy place now

It's a Reality Summer

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:15:00 +0000

There's not much to watch in the way of scripted television this summer, and granted I could be more studious and choose to read rather than watch TV. However, after working HARD at a job that is - well - just a job, not exactly my favorite thing to do - and a little bit stressful with this crazy economy...when I get home the last thing I want to do is read, even for escapism. I'm much too lazy for that. Thus, I have turned to reality TV, not my favorite but it does fulfill my natural voyeristic tendencies. Having majored in psychology, I enjoy people-watching, seeing how people interact with one another and present themselves.

The first of my summer reality shows - yes, I confess - I am watching another season of The Bachelorette. After watching Deanna pick the wrong guy a year ago...and then watching Jason become super jerk...I am now watching Gillian be blinded by the singing and southern charm (gag) of Wes (who unfortunately is from my home state, TX - so disappointing). And tonight she sent home three other Texans - one who is a great guy, Jake; one who is a great guy but a little too young and aimless, Robby; and one who is probably a great guy, but is overshadowed by his annoying foot fetish, Tanner P. But she kept Wes...ugh...I want to punch this guy in the face, kick him in the shins, tar and feather him and tie him up by his ankles. Can you tell that I don't like this guy? He is solely on the show to further his lame music career - and let's be honest - he's not that good, there's a reason he hasn't produced an album yet. And the show only plays one line of this song he's supposedly written "for Gillian" - pretty sure it's for any woman who will buy his schtick. As for the other guys she has left to choose from, they all seem fairly okay - it'll be interesting to see how the home dates go and get a glimpse into the families of these guys - although it looks like song-boy Wes introduces her to - surprise - his band as opposed to his family...ugh...cannot stand this jerk.

I'll introduce you to my next reality addiction tomorrow...sleepy time now

And so the adventure continues...

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:40:00 +0000

Having been back to Houston for Memorial Day weekend and being thoroughly chastised for not having updated my blog since adopting Suzie, here is my update:

Work: Thanks to my wonderful, long-time friend Robin - I interviewed for a position with the Dallas branch of the company she works for in December and began working in January. I am now entrenched in the thrilling world of insurance adjusters and attorneys as I schedule and assign doctors to review medical records for work comp and auto liability claims...yes, that is sarcasm - however, I am absolutely grateful to have a job in this crazy economy and while this is not my favorite thing to do, apparently my boss is appreciative of my work ethic and is already looking to promote me to a team leader position. Do not be afraid - this will not deter me from my overall goal - to quote Jim from "The Office": "Because right now, this is a job. If I advance any higher, this would be my career. And if this were my career, I'd have to throw myself in front of a train." There you have it...thus my next topic...

Alternative Teaching Certification: This process is going to take a bit longer than I had originally hoped, but I am not giving up. The summer session that I wanted to take ended up being a week long intensive from 9am - 4pm each day - which considering I do not have any vacation days (just a few "personal" days that accrue each month), I can't really take off a week from work to go to the classes. Also, Texas changed part of their alternative certification requirements at the beginning of this year where the applicants have to complete all 30 of their observation hours prior to beginning teaching. Thus, on top of still needing to take the courses and obtaining the observation hours - in all likelihood I will not begin my teaching career until the fall of 2010. Which, that's really not too bad. Right now I'm in the process of getting my college transcript sent to the Texas Teachers program and studying for the exam, so that I may begin the classes this fall. Also, I should receive some vacation time at the beginning of next year which will more easily allow me to obtain some of my observation hours. Observing a classroom for a full day equals 8 hours, as well as opportunities to tutor, the hours should add up fairly quickly.

Church: I visited two churches, which I realize is not exactly an array to choose from but it's still more than the one I visited and attended when I moved to Kentucky - this time I at least gave myself an option...I visited The Village with the Altendorf sisters. Many may know this as the church where Matt Chandler is the pastor. It is a rather large church with five services and full of many people in my age group; it is missional and truth centered - but I wasn't quite feeling it. All those people around my age - well it felt a tiny bit like a meat market for the pretty people. Granted, I didn't really attempt to get involved, and only visited one home group - which I actually liked because it was an all-girls group - it just was not for me. At the same time I was visiting that church on Sunday evenings - I would visit 121 Community Church on Sunday mornings. 121 almost immediately felt like home - that's pretty much what sold me. It was hard that first Sunday to get up and go there all by myself (at The Village, I could at least attend with one or both of the Altendorf sisters), but I have gotten to the point where I miss 121 on the Sundays I am unable to attend. I have visited one LifeGroup so far, full of older single women who have been precious to me as they are almost all teachers - and have been an amazing help as I continue on towards my goal of teaching. Knowing that I also need to engage with other people in my age group, I intend to visit another LifeGroup that meets on another evening and is a mixed group. That is one of many things I like about this church, the LifeGroups are organized by women's, men's, mixed, and couples. There are not any "singles" groups, so we are mixed in with people of all ages for the most part - couples and singles alike. Also, this church has a very distinct missions approach with missions in our community, in the US, and abroad. I am looking into a way to get involved in the local missions by helping out with the middle school girls with 121's La Communidad group on Monday evenings. I just have one more step to go in the process of becoming a member of 121 - which I feel very comfortable with calling my new church home.

That is pretty much all the "news" I have up to this point. I promise to regale you with stories of my current job soon...I have a co-worker who I often want to beat up because of his utter laziness and lack of attention to detail, or really just his lack of attention to his actual job - so pray for me!

Introducing: Suzie Q!

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:40:00 +0000

I love dogs. Grown up with dogs my whole life. Dog-sat for co-workers at each of my previous jobs. I love dogs. However, I have not had a dog of my very own. Granted my little Grace was as close to being my own dog as any up to this point, but still she has to live with mom. This past weekend, I adopted my very own dog. She's a sweetheart. Only 4 years old, potty-trained (praise Jesus), past the chewing up furniture (and baseboards) stage, super cuddly, loves to go on her walks, doesn't really bark or lick...she's pretty great. She's got a pretty intense case of separation anxiety, but considering she's lived in at least two other households before mine and she's only 4 years old - can't really blame her. Hopefully, as we get into a routine that will begin to fade a bit. And right now she's not terribly interested in playing with her toys, but again as she grows more comfortable in her new setting, she will likely begin to loosen up and play with the toys. Oh, and I bet you're dying to see a pic of her - so here ya go!

New Apartment (again)

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:24:00 +0000

For those eager to see my new digs (...uh, that would be you miss Becca)...here is a picture collage:

I'm really enjoying the faux wood floors - that and the fireplace seem to give it a very homey feeling. Plus, love my brand new kitchen appliances...as you can tell by the kitchen pics, I love to cook but not quite as good at keeping up with the clean up afterward. The bedroom is enormous with a every woman's favorite walk-in closet, which is one of many closets in this apartment...there's an entry closet near the front door, a hall closet between my bedroom and bathroom, a linen closet in the bathroom, and a storage closet out on the balcony...yep my sister is quite envious of all my storage. And did you notice the built in book shelves right as you enter the apartment?! love it! And my sister would like you to know that she was the creative guru who decorated that whole bookshelf.

Overdue

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Update, update, update...

I'm still not in the writing mood, but I also know that an update is LONG overdue - especially considering my last post was made when I was still living in Kentucky! Yikes...

For those who may be a little confused, I moved from Kentucky back to Texas, although this time it was destination Dallas. After a year of not quite being able to figure out my role at City on a Hill, it was time for me to take a deeper look at what I wanted out of a job. It became obvious that for most of my adult life I had stuck with jobs that I knew I could do and did not create much of a challenge for me. Up to this point, I did not think I had much room to try anything new in regards to a career because I felt more concerned with just being able to get by in supporting myself financially. As I faced the reality that just because I could do a job well did not mean that I enjoyed doing that job, God used this past year to help me figure out what career might be something that I would actually enjoy doing as well as be a challenge for me. As I conversed with Him on about what this might be, teaching kept coming to the forefront on my mind. For many years I have loved working with students in the youth group. Having led several small groups for middle and high school girls, I have glimpsed at the impact a teacher can have in a student's life. Yet, even in these small groups, I was more of a discussion leader than an actual teacher, which poses part of the challenge that would be in store for me as a teacher. Public speaking has never been my forte and somewhat terrifies me at times, but sharing with students something that I am passionate about doesn't seem quite so daunting. In the next few months, it is my goal to begin working on my alternative teaching certificate which is mostly why I made the move back to Texas. In Texas, there are MANY programs available to those who have already earned a Bachelor's degree to pursue an alternative teaching certification without having to earn a Master's degree.

Why did I choose Dallas over moving back to Houston? For one thing, Houston's allergy quotient does not agree with my sinus cavities. Two, as much as I love my mom - it would not be good for me to be that close to her geographically - physical distance is a boundary that must be in place for our relationship to continue in a healthy direction. I know that sounds odd and contradictory, but in my dysfunctional family's case it is very true. Three, I have family here that I am just now getting the opportunity to connect with - including the great-aunt who allowed me to live with her when I first moved here. Plus, my little sis lives just an hour and a half away, and my Corpus relatives make plenty of trips up here to visit my aunt's in-laws. All-around, Dallas is a great place for me to be geographically and relationally with my family.

That's about all the update I've got in me this evening...oh, wait one more thing - I absolutely LOVE my new apartment in Dallas. I am in this super cute complex that is older, but the interior of the units have been renovated with faux wood floors in all the rooms except the bedroom, ceiling fans in the living room and bedroom with lights (which is big because my apartment in Louisville did not have that feature), and brand new kitchen appliances (which is huge because I love cooking up a storm in the kitchen - and it is a storm because there are typically dirty dishes always in my sink...and on the counter....and probably on the stove top too). After moving here, I've felt a bit like Goldilocks with my previous apartments. The first one was really nice, but a little cramped in my bedroom for my bed and desk and night tables. The apartment in Louisville was a great deal, but ultimately I didn't have need for a two bedroom and was obviously too large. This one is just right for all of my furniture and decorations. Everything seems to have adopted it's place immediately in my new apartment - and it was the quickest I've ever gotten unpacked. In about a week and a half everything was out of boxes and ready for visitors...(hint, hint.....should anyone decide they need to come check it out for themselves - hotel Kristy is open for business :-) ) Granted, I did have some help from my sis, but even she was impressed with how much I had done the week before she arrived to help.

I'm feeling a bit better about being back in the blogging world now......and I know Miss Becca will keep on me (as I asked her) to make sure I keep updating this little 'ole blog with ponderings and just all around general updates like this one.....picks of the fabulous apartment to come, but now I am off to dreamland!

Extras

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:24:00 +0000

For those who are unaware, The Office was originally a BBC series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Extras was their second joint venture into sitcom comedic television. At the urging of my friend, Stacey, I finally checked out this second series. It explores the life of Andy Millman - a guy who quit his steady, well-paying job to pursue his dream of becoming a proper actor. Of course, he obviously starts off just getting non-speaking "extras" work - but that's been dragging on for five years now due to the incompetency of his agent. The audience gets to see behind-the-scenes into the world of extras through the lens of Ricky Gervais' pessimistically, dry humor. Cameos galore of major movie stars pop-up throughout the series. Take a look at a clip of Ben Stiller's spot on the show:

Fringe

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:07:00 +0000

The fall season of television has started and with it comes a few new programs. Tonight is the series premiere of Fringe on Fox. Fringe, yet another high concept show from creative genius J.J. Abrams - but as entertaining as this show is, it has me wondering why he's recycling aspects from his previous series - most notably LOST.

Fringe begins with a plane, which is highly reminiscent of LOST - you think J.J.'s got a thing for planes?? Plenty of crazy things happened on planes in Alias, too, as Jennifer Garner's character took down nefarious people all around the globe. On this particular plane, we've got what appears to be a terrorist attack with a disgusting, fast acting, flesh melting biological agent (yes, that's right melting - as opposed to flesh eating). Not only that, as we come to find out later the perpetrator of the biological agent was an unwitting pawn as his insulin injection was laced with the mysterious substance. Don't freak out - I haven't revealed anything that will take away from what J.J. is best at - those masterfully creative twists and turns. He still maintains his grasp of the unexpected plot divergence, as well as recruiting a familiar face from...LOST, of course. Although, it also seems as though he's imported the music from LOST, too. I understand this is supposed to be an ominous sci-fi series, but does the music have to be as heavy-handed as it is in LOST - and sound nearly identical?

One of the most fun aspects of the show: Joshua Jackson (of Dawson's Creek fame) is one of the main characters - this makes me very happy. In the midst of all the weird, pseudo-science, government/corporate spy shenanigans - Joshua Jackson excels at his specialty - snarky, sarcastic, quick-witted humor...sigh...it's so good to have him back in prime time again.

Even though this premiere episode proves to be as quick to reel me in as LOST, I dream of a day when J.J. will create another angst driven show like "Felicity" that is void of the sci-fi conspiracy antics and CGI.

Latest Message from Wendy

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Just got this via Facebook from Wendy:

Ok so i got internet access again so i thought i would send yall a quick note but I have to copy and paste again cause stinky facebook only allows you to put so many people on message... LAME! Since the last time I wrote it has been crazy, half of our team got a stomach virus so we connected by being sick in the cho (aka the hole in the ground we call a bathroom). I was one of the lucky team members that got sick but we all got through it and God taught us to trust in Him because we luckily got sick before the kids came. We just finished our first week of camp and it was amazing. We had orphans as our first week of campers and it broke my heart to see them leave today, if only I were in a place to adopt there were definetely a couple I would love to adopt. The week was filled with games and bible study. BK and I are roomies and we had the youngest campers and half of them were bed wetters... which was interesting... pray the pee smell will air out soon. The cutest was, BK and I left the room to get ready and came back to see them draging their mattresses outside. Every day these kids start by washing their clothes in buckets with bars of soap so we would stand outside amazed at these kids scrubbing away while we stood watching in the same clothes we have worn for three days... sigh I have become disgusting and dirty, but a cold shower is just torture and no one showers here. These kids were amazing in the knowledge they already have in the Lord so we were stretched in trying to challenge them even more. Also these kids had pretty hard shells when they first got here due to constantly having people come in and out of their lives, so it was a bit of a battle to break through, but by the end of the week they were all hugging on us and sharing their lives with us. Please be in prayer for next week we have our regular campers but they do not know english as well, so we will be even more dependent on our translators.
All but one of the action packers was found, the baby supplies was located... YAY! the action packer that is lost does not have necessay supplies.
AHHH I have to go cause everyone is yelling at me cause we all have to share the computer.
I love you all!!!!
Wendy

Another Message from Wendy in Africa

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:14:00 +0000

I know it is kinda lame that I haven't actually written a post in a while, but I assure you that you will soon get your fix of more of my amazing wit and wisdom soon.....but in the meantime here is another message that my sister sent about her trip to Africa (actually she sent it on the same day as the last message - I'm just slow in posting it).

So my first message was ridiculous because i was in such a hurry and could not get myself to calm down and think so let me try this again. Oh and facebook restricts how many people you can send stuff too that is silly. Anyway we are at a girl's school and the girls there are fabulous and just so happy to have us there. They ask us all sorts of questions and love teaching us the language and teaching us to dance. We went to church on sunday and the girls sang to us and it was the most beauticul song I have ever heard. I did not know the words but just to praise God with them was such an amazing blessing. The girls will only be there a few more days and I wish that we were putting on camp for them so we could get to know them better. They love getting their picture taken and want to see themselves because there are no mirrors so many of them have not seen themselves for a very long time. We played volleyball with them and they completely killed us we rematched four times and only won one game. And they are amazing at scrabble and yes we were using english words and they put down words i never would have thought of. Oh and they have such a love for the Lord that I pray I could have that much faith. Today we went to the market and bought way too much stuff but then again I do have a shopping problem. The people there are very aggressive and you have to be careful becuase they will put things on you and then you have to pay for it or somehow get it back into their hands and everything is up for negotiation. The craziest was when we were buying out of the top of our van. Oh the vans we are in are for safaris so the tops pop up so right before our safari we were buying more stuff. I made the mistake of getting out of the van to get my sunglasses from our other van and got completely mobbed and had to be rescued. I thought i was fine but Lucas, one of my teammates got a little worried due to my face issues (aka i don't like my face touched as you all know). As i said before we are at a resort right now so we got hot showers and got to get cleaned. It was the first time since we got here that i got to see myself in a full lenght mirror and it was not a pretty sight, but then again when you haven't showered in four days that is to be expected. This place is just amazing, and beautiful and the people we are working along side with are just so filled with God's love and teaching me so much about loving people well. The team we have is definetly hand picked by God and so far we have such amazing unity and bonding, I pray that continues once we have been together for a couple of weeks and know each others annoyances. I have so much to say. I have so many thoughts going through my head my hands just can't type fast enough 15 min is not enough time!!!! I love this place so much and want to tell you everything. Mainly how amazing these kids are I want to adopt on so bad and bring it home with me. Don't worry Mom, GG, Val and Barbara I am not going to do it, i just want to, they are precious. Plus kenya law doesn't allow me to. You think the airlines would notice if i brought a little boy with me on the plane he could be my personal item. Anyways, Please be in prayer as we continue planning for next week. The kids are finally coming!!!! Also the airport lost a lot of luggage 6 bags and 4 of our action packers and Tiffany's bag and 2 action packer are still missing. Tiffany is the one here with her 9 month old so her bag is vital or we have to get supplies quickly shipped from the states. Also please pray for continued unity as the honeymoon phase ends with this group. oh I have to go because this silly faceboook message thing won't let me send this to everyone. ...(blah blah blah - personal shout-outs to her peeps)...Thank you all for your prayers and I will see if i can find a computer later, but Lances died once we got here. There have been many little blips so i am sure God is going to move in a might way. Ahhh time is almost up!!! I miss and love EVERYONE.

Message from Wendy in Kenya!

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:01:00 +0000

My sister left a week ago with a group from Sky Ranch for Kenya. She will be there for a full month! Those of you who know Wendy, also know that she can be quite the princess ;-) Yet, she has dreamed of going to Kenya and ministering to the kiddos over there for several years - and now she's finally doing it! Here is a note that she just sent via Facebook about her experience so far in Kenya:

Ok so it is completely ridiculous that i am in Kenya and on facebook but it was the quickest way to get in contact with all the people I love and who could copy and email this out to everyone else who is not on facebook. This country is BEAUTIFUL and I LOVE it!!!! We don't have campers just yet but we are visiting schools were our campers go. They rush to the cars and just want to touch us, like we are famous and it is one of the most humbling expericences I have ever encountered, because I am so unworthy of this attention. They all love to touch my hair as well and it is completely dirty due to not showering in 4 days. Yes that is right I didn't shower for 4 days but neither did anyone else because it is a cold bucket of water. Oh and yes i have gone to the bathroom in a hole in the ground and it really isn't all that bad, your legs get really strong as well. The food is actually wonderful. But by far my favorite part is the children and i can not wait until camp begins. I just want to take them all home. the first week of camp is orphans from the two orphanages in the area. Oh my goodness i am almost out of time on this computer and I have so much more to say. I am at a resort right now yeah i knwo it is a mission trip but we went on a safari and we saw lots of animails in their natural habitats and it was awesome. Sorry for the awful writing i am typing as fast as i can and the connectino is really slow. I didn't get everyone on this message due to it loading so slow so please pass this on to everyone and let them know i love them - BYE

Stupid freaking internet

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:29:00 +0000

If I had a poetic bent, I would write an ode to the crap-tastic internet that we have at the CHP offices. It would be called An Ode to Crap-tastic Internet, and it would rhyme and be pithy and witty with an excellent tempo....it would even be in iambic pentameter! Okay, maybe not iambic pentameter - I mean, I'm not Shakespeare....who am I kidding? I'm not even actually writing a poem, just dreaming about writing a poem and how great it would be at describing how stinking frustrating this internet connection (or lack there of) is. The upload speed is about .000000002 kilobytes per second (kb/s) - or at least that's what it seems like more often than not. And the download speed is marginally better. You might be thinking...for a media ministry isn't it imperative to have a decent internet connection? Yep, it pretty much is but there aren't a lot of choices for us regarding the monopolistic internet providers in Louisville. And have fun trying to create and send out a web-based e-newsletter when the internet connection is sketchier than a televangelist selling prayer scarves.

If I perchance come to mind throughout your day/week/month, send up a prayer for us here at CHP as we slowly make our way through the work day with our stupid piece of trash internet. (Sorry I am not more grateful in this post...I like to be thankful, but this internet is just too ridiculous for me).

Prince Caspian

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:14:00 +0000

Several weeks ago, I watched Prince Caspian with my friend Cassie, her husband Tyler, and Tyler's little bro Matthew. First of all, some of you may have noticed this particular film wasn't on my "must-see" list for the summer. This is partially due to the fact that I didn't grow up in a Christ-centered home, and thus never read the Chronicles of Narnia series (nor have I taken the time to read them yet as an adult). I think I had a teacher who read the first novel to our class somewhere along the way in elementary school and had also seen one of the earlier film versions of it. And while I enjoyed the most recent film incarnation of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, I wasn't eagerly anticipating the release of this second film in the series. Yet, as I go back and see that the last film was released in 2005 - I understand a bit more as to why it did not resonate within me as much as this film did. I was only just starting on this journey that has influenced how I relate to God as Father and as Lover. When I saw Prince Caspian, the character Aslan evoked a much different response in me than the tepid one I'd experienced when watching The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. My favorite part of this film happens towards the end (so if you haven't read the book or watched the film - SPOILER ALERT).

Lucy is racing through the forest to find Aslan (who C.S. Lewis has created as an incredible picture of God) because they have finally realized that they cannot defeat the Telmarines without him. As she gets closer to finding him, she is being chased by one of the Telmarines. She finally happens upon Aslan, and he looks as if he might pounce on her as he roars, to which her expression shows the slightest bit of fear mixed in with her unyielding trust. Of course, Aslan is ferocious because he is about to pounce on her attacker - but that wildness and intensity - those are some of the qualities that cause my heart to flutter with yearning for my fierce Lover. In the next moment, he playfully rolls around with Lucy in the grass. The dichotomy of His ferocity and tenderness continues to set me off balance and yet draws me that much closer to Him. That desire grew even more when Aslan and Lucy marched onto the bridge to face off against the Telmarines, and Aslan's guttural roar called up the river waters to dispose of those treacherous people. With that vision of the water towering overhead, raised out of its peaceful rest to come barreling down on those who threaten his beloved - I became overwhelmed with love for this God who is gentle and sweet yet untamed, jealous, and protective. I am in love with a God who woos me with His power and His sweet gifts of sunlight, perfect stormy naps, mild summer days, and evocative writers like C.S. Lewis.

Laugh!

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:59:00 +0000

I LOVE to laugh. Which makes another one of my television watching guilty pleasures, so fitting....Last Comic Standing! And since they have to be tame enough for network television, the comedy is fairly clean (not entirely clean, but better than it would be on cable!) This is also one of the few shows that they do not post full episodes for online (which totally sucks - it's lame I tell ya! LAME!) If you're gonna get sucked into it, you have to be willing to catch it on Thursday nights, or be one of those technically savvy people with TiVo or DVR (which I'm not). Here is a montage of the 32 finalists:

So next week, pop yourself some popcorn, grab a Coke, and get ready to laugh at Last Comic Standing! If you become addicted, we'll just all blame my friend Bonnie because she's the one who got me hooked on it ;)

NKOTB

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:02:00 +0000

Now, who is not excited about the return of the New Kids on the Block? Come on, now...granted they're not exactly - uh - "new" any more...kinda old, really - but still it's fun to have them back. I remember having a huge poster of Jordan hanging over the desk in my bedroom right across from the bed so I could see his beautiful face each morning. My sister and I had all of their albums on cassette tape, even the Christmas one. We had T-shirts, sweaters, and even an afghan blanket sporting our NKOTB pride. However, our crowning glory of NKOTB fan-dome was that we each had our own NKOTB ken doll...for my sister it was Donnie, and for me Jordan (of course). So as we celebrate their return to pop music, reminisce with me a bit and enjoy one of their former music videos: Step by Step

Step by step, ooh, baby
Gonna get to you girl
Step by step

Step by step, ooh, baby
Gonna get to you girl
Step by step, ooh, baby
Really want you in my world

Step, hey, girl in your eyes
I see a picture of me all the time
Step, and girl when you smile
You got to know that you drive me wild

Step by step, ooh, baby
You're always on my mind
Step by step, ooh, girl
Really think it's just a matter of time

Step by step, ooh, baby
Gonna get to you girl
Step by step, ooh, baby
Really want you in my world

Step, hey, girl can't you see?
I've got to have you all just for me
Step, and girl yes it's true
No one else will ever do

Step by step, ooh, baby
You're always on my mind
Step by step, ooh, girl
Really think it's just a matter of time

Step by step, ooh, baby
Gonna get to you girl
Step by step, ooh, baby
Really want you in my world

Step, step
Step, step by step

Step one, we can have lots of fun
Step two, there's so much we can do
Step three, it's just you and me
Step four, I can give you more
Step five, don't you know that the time has arrived
Huh!

Step by step
Don't you know I need you?
Step by step
Yes, I do, girl

Step by step, ooh, baby
You're always on my mind
Step by step, ooh, girl
Really think it's just a matter of time

Step by step, ooh, baby
Gonna get to you girl
Step by step, ooh, baby
Really want you in my world

Step by step, you girl
Step by step, oh girl
Really want you in my world
Step by step, ooh, baby
Gonna get to you girl

The Bachelorette

noreply@blogger.com (kd_rundle) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:52:00 +0000

Okay, I must confess - I have gotten sucked into (see I'm going to make this seem as though I'm a victim) watching this season of The Bachelorette. I'm not usually a watcher of reality TV. I like Last Comic Standing, but was really only turned on to that show last season. I've caught a couple of seasons of The Bachelor only because it's a favorite of my mom and grandma, and when I would have dinner with either of them on a Monday - that is what they wanted to watch. Of course, it also seems they'd like me to be one of the "lucky" contestants on The Bachelor - but no thanks. That's part of what this particular blog is about. I know this will sound "sexist" or whatever to some, but I am diametrically opposed to The Bachelor. Twenty-five women competing and desperately chasing after the attention of one man (while it is a dream come true for those lazy men out there) makes everything in me well-up with a big, "NO - that is so wrong! You should not have to pursue him!" Yet, (and this is where I'm sure many men will declare that I am sexist - and well tough luck, I'm right and you're wrong)...The Bachelorette is less offensive to me because I believe that men should be the ones chasing and competing for the attention of a woman. And what I find somewhat amusing and also disheartening about this season of The Bachelorette is that many of the men on this show are behaving just as badly (if not worse) than the women on The Bachelor. They are whining like a bunch of gossipy girls! Are you kidding me???!!! Several of the men don't think this Bachelorette is doing enough to find out about them or to talk to them....HELLO! Why don't you stop whining to the group of guys you're hanging out with and go grab some time with her yourself? And not only are they whining that she's not making enough effort to seek them out (which is not her responsibility in the first place - they are the ones competing for her affections) but then they're also whining about the few guys who are making the effort to be aggressive and seek out her attention. Um, don't whine about the guys who are making head-way when you're not willing to step up to the plate. Bunch of whiny-babies...

My prediction for this season of The Bachelorette is that (barring any horribly missteps) Jeremy and Jason will be in the final 3 if not the final 2. I think Jesse also has a chance of being in the final 3. Jeremy is definitely up for the challenge of pursing DeAnna and making his intentions known to her. Jason also seems up for the task. Jesse is just adorable and continues to show progress in being vulnerable before her. The rest of them appear to be in varying stages of whiny-ness. If the guys are as "into her" and think as highly of her as they claim to be, then they better step up soon and take a risk to win her heart. What is up with men taking the easy route? Is it because more women are stepping up and doing the hard work and asking men out? I refuse to do that. Even the secular book, "He's Just Not That Into You" reminds women that they are the ones who should be pursued. Women will do whatever it takes to manipulate, catch, and hold onto a man....but in the end if he's not that into you, he' ll use you for the time being and move onto someone he is actually motivated to pursue all on his own. I'm hoping this Bachelorette picks-off these remaining guys for those who are willing to make the effort and those who aren't.