Friday, March 30, 2007
Hebber n Damie
I need help!! Heather and Jamie are leaving. This Sunday night is their Reception at the church, and I'm putting together a video of photos and things from their time here.
The pictures are not a problem. I have TONS to choose from. I can't find a song though.
It's either too slow, too fast, or just ... not right. So recommend a song.
And I'm NOT using "Friends are Friend Forever". In yo face, MWS!!
The pictures are not a problem. I have TONS to choose from. I can't find a song though.
It's either too slow, too fast, or just ... not right. So recommend a song.
And I'm NOT using "Friends are Friend Forever". In yo face, MWS!!
Labels: Friends
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Making Progress
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Save The Date
Monday, March 26, 2007
A Pictorial Sunday Afternoon
The Afternoon That Turned Moncks Corner Into a Crime Scene
Yesterday was a very quiet day. After a picnic lunch with my family in my parents' backyard, I went home and took a nap. Kyle was at band practice all day, so I had the afternoon to myself. My nap was short. Then I got up and sat in the backyard with the dogs. They ran around and chased each other like crazy while I lazed in the sun with a book. That's one of my favorite things to do: nothing ... with a book! :) (David Sedaris's Me Talk Pretty One Day was the book of choice yesterday. I just finished Dress Your Family ... a few weeks ago. It's better.)
Anyway. A good while later, I pulled myself off the lounge chair and got ready to go. Kyle and I were meeting friends for dinner at their house. So I crated the dogs, freshened up, put on some shoes, and headed out.
About a mile up the street, I rounded a curve to find that there were cop cars, and people, and caution tape, and all brands of emergency vehicles. Because of the number of people, my first thought was that there was a parade. There were people packed onto the sidewalks, police cars with their lights flashing, and cars parked on every available curb. The caution tape tipped me off that something was a little off. So I took a side road a maneuvered my way around traffic, onlookers, and reporters with cameras, and found that traffic in every direction was stalled. A barricade of cop cars served as the end-markers of the area cordoned off by caution tape.
I called my mom to ask her if she'd heard anything about what was going on. This is so highly unusual for this town! When I called her, one of the ladies in her small group answered the phone and told me that someone had been killed and another man was critically injured. And there had been a high speed chase and lots of gunfire.
All this in an area that thinks of deer and ducks when it hears the words "high speed chase".
Anyway. Here's the full story. (And the updated version.)
Anyway. A good while later, I pulled myself off the lounge chair and got ready to go. Kyle and I were meeting friends for dinner at their house. So I crated the dogs, freshened up, put on some shoes, and headed out.
About a mile up the street, I rounded a curve to find that there were cop cars, and people, and caution tape, and all brands of emergency vehicles. Because of the number of people, my first thought was that there was a parade. There were people packed onto the sidewalks, police cars with their lights flashing, and cars parked on every available curb. The caution tape tipped me off that something was a little off. So I took a side road a maneuvered my way around traffic, onlookers, and reporters with cameras, and found that traffic in every direction was stalled. A barricade of cop cars served as the end-markers of the area cordoned off by caution tape.
I called my mom to ask her if she'd heard anything about what was going on. This is so highly unusual for this town! When I called her, one of the ladies in her small group answered the phone and told me that someone had been killed and another man was critically injured. And there had been a high speed chase and lots of gunfire.
All this in an area that thinks of deer and ducks when it hears the words "high speed chase".
Anyway. Here's the full story. (And the updated version.)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Saddest Day of My Life ...
Coming up soon.
Heather and Jamie announced it last night: They're leaving! BOOOO!!! Of three of our best, local, couple friends, this is the second to move. Now a big "hurry up" to Craig & Amy so we can start rebuilding our Couple Buddies. Brothers and their wives count too!
Heather and Jamie announced it last night: They're leaving! BOOOO!!! Of three of our best, local, couple friends, this is the second to move. Now a big "hurry up" to Craig & Amy so we can start rebuilding our Couple Buddies. Brothers and their wives count too!
Labels: family, Friends, Marriage
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Seacoast: It Really IS the Burger King of Churches
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love very little more than I love having my feet rubbed. So imagine my surprise when, upon my most recent visit to Seacoast, I experienced just that.
It wasn't as nice as I make it sound. It was actually quite ... strange.
I attended a service last night with a friend of mine. It is intended, I believe, for young, single adults - but fortunately they weren't checking rings at the door. While enjoying our pizza, my friend and I took a seat on a small futon/couch contraption in the back of the room that became our seating for the evening.
Relevant Tattoo Update: Though it doesn't really hurt that much anymore, it still swells at the end of the day, from just hanging there. But if I can keep it propped up for about 20 minutes, the swelling significantly reduces and I can have a normal foot again.
So when I was sitting on this futon/couch, Forward Thinking Friend found a chair for me to prop my foot on. As the service started, the room filled up pretty quickly. Shortly after the music began, a young guy came in and stood in the back, near where my foot was propped. When people would sit, he would just sorta squat. I offered him my foot-prop chair and he gladly accepted it.
He scooted the chair rightupnextto the end of the futon/couch. I thought it was a little odd, but ... maybe he couldn't see from where the chair originally was. No biggie. Then I noticed that every time the Pastor would pray, this guy - from his chair - would leeeean over my foot - appearing very uncomfortable. I thought, "It looks like he's really investigating my foot ... but the lights are out!" He could probably see the impression of a tattoo on my foot, but there's no way he could see the details it appeared he was looking so closely for. So I just thought, "Well that's how this guy prays. Whatever."
When the music started back up at the end of the service, this guy walked out the back and I thought for a second, "Would it be ok for me to prop my foot again?" But he reappeared pretty quickly, answering that question for me. But then he just sorta walked around in the back - but always came back to the chair.
Finally the lights came back on at the end of the service while the "File Out" music was playing. I was speaking with a couple of my friends and was suddenly distracted by the presence of a kneeling male at my feet.
He spoke very quietly, but I think I made out the words, "I like your tattoo" before he started rubbing my foot. Wha? Fortunately it wasn't hurting anymore but ... could you get any more awkward?!
I joked that Seacoast just likes to make sure it's meeting needs above and beyond expectations, as I was recounting the story for Kyle. He welcomed me - officially - into the Tattoo Club. Apparently admission is only official after you've had the first of many people who feel it's completely ok to touch your tattoo or move shirt sleeves or pants legs out of the way without your permission so they can see your tattoos.
It wasn't as nice as I make it sound. It was actually quite ... strange.
I attended a service last night with a friend of mine. It is intended, I believe, for young, single adults - but fortunately they weren't checking rings at the door. While enjoying our pizza, my friend and I took a seat on a small futon/couch contraption in the back of the room that became our seating for the evening.
Relevant Tattoo Update: Though it doesn't really hurt that much anymore, it still swells at the end of the day, from just hanging there. But if I can keep it propped up for about 20 minutes, the swelling significantly reduces and I can have a normal foot again.
So when I was sitting on this futon/couch, Forward Thinking Friend found a chair for me to prop my foot on. As the service started, the room filled up pretty quickly. Shortly after the music began, a young guy came in and stood in the back, near where my foot was propped. When people would sit, he would just sorta squat. I offered him my foot-prop chair and he gladly accepted it.
He scooted the chair rightupnextto the end of the futon/couch. I thought it was a little odd, but ... maybe he couldn't see from where the chair originally was. No biggie. Then I noticed that every time the Pastor would pray, this guy - from his chair - would leeeean over my foot - appearing very uncomfortable. I thought, "It looks like he's really investigating my foot ... but the lights are out!" He could probably see the impression of a tattoo on my foot, but there's no way he could see the details it appeared he was looking so closely for. So I just thought, "Well that's how this guy prays. Whatever."
When the music started back up at the end of the service, this guy walked out the back and I thought for a second, "Would it be ok for me to prop my foot again?" But he reappeared pretty quickly, answering that question for me. But then he just sorta walked around in the back - but always came back to the chair.
Finally the lights came back on at the end of the service while the "File Out" music was playing. I was speaking with a couple of my friends and was suddenly distracted by the presence of a kneeling male at my feet.
He spoke very quietly, but I think I made out the words, "I like your tattoo" before he started rubbing my foot. Wha? Fortunately it wasn't hurting anymore but ... could you get any more awkward?!
I joked that Seacoast just likes to make sure it's meeting needs above and beyond expectations, as I was recounting the story for Kyle. He welcomed me - officially - into the Tattoo Club. Apparently admission is only official after you've had the first of many people who feel it's completely ok to touch your tattoo or move shirt sleeves or pants legs out of the way without your permission so they can see your tattoos.
Labels: Church Hunt, Good for a laugh
Monday, March 19, 2007
Weekending ...
it's one of my favorite ways to pass the time. When it rolls around at the end of every work week, I'm incredibly thankful for it. And while I do enjoy "doing stuff", at the end of last week -- being out of town for most of the week -- it was nice to crash at home.
Kyle had to work on Saturday and I slept in until - get this - almost 1 PM. Ridiculous, huh? Seriously, I don't think I have slept that late since college! But I felt very refreshed on Saturday. I got up and tackled some of the ever-lingering laundry.
That night we had Poker Night at some friends' house. This has become known, among the Polks, as The Night My Father Disowned Me. He hadn't seen the tattoo yet, and though my mother had "warned" him, nothing was quite as upsetting to him as actually seeing it. Terry - host of the evening - innocently pointed and said, "Well what do you think?" And then my dad didn't talk to me again for the rest of the night.
Fortunately, I invited myself over to my parents' for dinner last night, and he talked to me again. Just not about the tattoo. When my mom asked about it and looked at it, he just sat quietly across the room, waiting on the next subject of conversation.
On Sunday morning, we made the The Trek to Mt. Pleasant for what Kyle has lovingly referred to as the "Balls Out" Seacoast Experience. This seems to be the Burger King of churches in that you really can Have It Your Way: Acoustic church in small chapel, Rockin' church in "The Warehouse", Regular Worship Service in Regular Worship Center, or any choice of satellite churches dispersed over the Southeast. The fact that we had to discuss this on the way down there -- honestly stressed us out. By nature being the most indecisive person ever, my husband really hated having so many options. And having exhausted all of our decision-making efforts on "which church to attend at the Church Mall", it seriously took us an hour to decide where to eat lunch. Which turned out to be good, because by that time, the wait at most restaurants was significantly decreased. (The Yin and the Yang, I suppose.)
We discussed all of our options over [late] lunch yesterday. I really feel like I've been an observer long enough. I would love to settle into a place and just connect. We talked about how much we like Cal Woods - pastor of Pointe North. His teaching style is refreshing and not at all hokey. It's one of the characteristics of the church that we noticed and really appreciated right away.
Anything else I could discuss here would be a frustrating tangent (for me to type and for you to read). I feel like Kyle and I have learned so much about each other and about church during the past few weeks. It's been rejuvenating for us. We definitely are learning the Whys of being involved and really getting plugged in. And I'll be excited when we finally do find the place we're supposed to be and can settle in and find our place. It will be a fun time.
Kyle had to work on Saturday and I slept in until - get this - almost 1 PM. Ridiculous, huh? Seriously, I don't think I have slept that late since college! But I felt very refreshed on Saturday. I got up and tackled some of the ever-lingering laundry.
That night we had Poker Night at some friends' house. This has become known, among the Polks, as The Night My Father Disowned Me. He hadn't seen the tattoo yet, and though my mother had "warned" him, nothing was quite as upsetting to him as actually seeing it. Terry - host of the evening - innocently pointed and said, "Well what do you think?" And then my dad didn't talk to me again for the rest of the night.
Fortunately, I invited myself over to my parents' for dinner last night, and he talked to me again. Just not about the tattoo. When my mom asked about it and looked at it, he just sat quietly across the room, waiting on the next subject of conversation.
On Sunday morning, we made the The Trek to Mt. Pleasant for what Kyle has lovingly referred to as the "Balls Out" Seacoast Experience. This seems to be the Burger King of churches in that you really can Have It Your Way: Acoustic church in small chapel, Rockin' church in "The Warehouse", Regular Worship Service in Regular Worship Center, or any choice of satellite churches dispersed over the Southeast. The fact that we had to discuss this on the way down there -- honestly stressed us out. By nature being the most indecisive person ever, my husband really hated having so many options. And having exhausted all of our decision-making efforts on "which church to attend at the Church Mall", it seriously took us an hour to decide where to eat lunch. Which turned out to be good, because by that time, the wait at most restaurants was significantly decreased. (The Yin and the Yang, I suppose.)
We discussed all of our options over [late] lunch yesterday. I really feel like I've been an observer long enough. I would love to settle into a place and just connect. We talked about how much we like Cal Woods - pastor of Pointe North. His teaching style is refreshing and not at all hokey. It's one of the characteristics of the church that we noticed and really appreciated right away.
Anything else I could discuss here would be a frustrating tangent (for me to type and for you to read). I feel like Kyle and I have learned so much about each other and about church during the past few weeks. It's been rejuvenating for us. We definitely are learning the Whys of being involved and really getting plugged in. And I'll be excited when we finally do find the place we're supposed to be and can settle in and find our place. It will be a fun time.
Friday, March 16, 2007
The Tattoo
If you've seen my other blog, you've seen the other pictures. This one's a little closer, but no less of a bad picture. Good ones coming up soon, I hope! I've really gotta find that camera! The Motorola Razor camera phone just isn't cutting it! The specs: done on Wednesday in Atlanta by Demian at Liberty Tattoo on Ponce. Total sitting time 1.75 hours.
Labels: photo
Friday, March 9, 2007
Church Hunt, Again!
Kyle and I got the chance to talk about stuff last night. (I hadn't seen him since Monday night!) I told him how much I enjoyed Seacoast and how actually going there defied any preconceived notion that I had of it. Sure, it's big and "corporate-ish". I had expected that, but not in as negative of a light as some. (It's working, no?) But I had expected a multitude of people - all representing one generation. I was surprised and pleased to see multiple generations worshipping together by choice. I had expected it to be really loud and really rockin'. It was good and I don't mean that. But it wasn't deafening and it was stylistically a little different than I expected. I had expected a HUUUUGE worship center that was completely packed with people. And it was packed, but it wasn't really any bigger than some Baptist churches I've attended. I think I had in mind that it was just this really HUUUUUGE place where you just wade in a pool of people, straining to see over their heads and simultaneously not get your toes stomped. (Seems a bit ludicrous in hindsight, I suppose but ... oh well.)
And, when walking through the hallway, I happened to look up to see that there was a kid above my head in a big plastic bubble!! The children's area is apparently upstairs and has a big playscape in it. I love that the church leadership is that forward-thinking that they're making the church a place where kids actually want to be! I love that it looks like a mall and has a big cafe styled like a "food court" that teenagers feel comfortable hanging around in. (If history has proven anything, it's that teenagers and malls are an easy combination, no?) Now I'm sure there are issues with "spoiling the spoiled" -- but when they come there, they hear the word, they worship ... they're at church!!
As you can tell, I really enjoyed it. And I'm enjoying it more as I have time to process it. We talked a lot last night about my reaction to everything and how pleasantly surprised I was by all these things.
Oh yes. Another benefit: I really loved the anonymity of Seacoast. Not one single person asked me, "Why aren't you at First Baptist? Why are they cancelling their contemporary service?" Extra bonus points.
Anyway. Does this mean we'll be attending Seacoast this weekend? Probably. Which one? Who knows?
And, when walking through the hallway, I happened to look up to see that there was a kid above my head in a big plastic bubble!! The children's area is apparently upstairs and has a big playscape in it. I love that the church leadership is that forward-thinking that they're making the church a place where kids actually want to be! I love that it looks like a mall and has a big cafe styled like a "food court" that teenagers feel comfortable hanging around in. (If history has proven anything, it's that teenagers and malls are an easy combination, no?) Now I'm sure there are issues with "spoiling the spoiled" -- but when they come there, they hear the word, they worship ... they're at church!!
As you can tell, I really enjoyed it. And I'm enjoying it more as I have time to process it. We talked a lot last night about my reaction to everything and how pleasantly surprised I was by all these things.
Oh yes. Another benefit: I really loved the anonymity of Seacoast. Not one single person asked me, "Why aren't you at First Baptist? Why are they cancelling their contemporary service?" Extra bonus points.
Anyway. Does this mean we'll be attending Seacoast this weekend? Probably. Which one? Who knows?
Labels: Church Hunt
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