Week 4 in Colorado...Like Whoa....

Colorado Update

I’ve now been in Colorado Springs for 4 weeks. 4 weeks that have flown by. I’m also leaving Colorado Springs in 4 weeks. Hopefully they will go by a little bit slower. :-)

I am loving life here.

Even though it’s not even the 4th of July yet, I’ve pretty much voted this the best summer yet of my life. I mean I know I’m only 20, but so far this tops it. Being at the Focus on the Family Institute has simply fostered an incredible community to learn and grow in, professors and staff that have a passion to invest, and tons of incredible things to do, see, and experience.

Alright a little week in review for ya:

Last Friday night a bunch of us girls (the boys had an organized boy bonding time thing) went to Cracker Barrel and to Barnes. Now this might not sound exciting, but for a southern girl to be able to have some sweet tea and grits is simply fabulous. And then the Barnes part was exciting because I could actually go there and not feel the weight of 150 pages of “How Now Shall We Live?” breathing down my neck. Speaking of Barnes….other great Barnes news…..

For those of y’all that know me pretty well, you know that I have a great interest in all things Dave Barnes. He wrote/performs one of my favorite songs, “Nothin’ Fancy ‘Bout the Way I Love You.” I knew God had put Jenny in my life for some great reason but I had no idea it was because she KNOWS DAVE BARNES. Yeah, my friend Jenny Peck totally went to Dave’s high school in East Tennessee. Hello!! And did I mention that as of his 24th birthday (the last time J-Peck checked in ;-) he had NEVER kissed a girl?!?!

Hello, knight inshining armor…I’m chilling in Colorado…come get me…

Saturday was an all day Women’s Retreat at this convent/convention center type thing up in the mountains. I don’t know if the nuns have this zoo-like mentality with the wildlife, but animals such as rabbits and deer were not scurred in the least bit by us humans. Yeah, it felt Garden of Edenish…And also, God taught me some really cool things about wise choices, friendship, and loving people I might not choose to love, while I was there also…this verse really hit me for the first time:

“A tranquil heart is life to the body, but jealousy is rottenness to the bones.” Pro. 14:30

Tranquil heart. That sounds like something I definitely always want to have…

Sunday we sort of changed things up a bit, by instead of going to a church building a few of us got together in an apartment here and did our own little worship service consisting of my guitar, my friend josh’s drum, and an RC Sproul sermon on an ipod. We definitely met with God. Sproul’s sermon was on the holiness of God (which he typically talks about) and his balance between mercy and justice. A lot of times we ask for ‘justice’ but we really don’t want justice, we want mercy. If you’d like me to expound just leave a comment. This is the summary:

To understand what grace is, you must understand what justice is. To understand what justice is, you must understand what holiness is.

Profound.

Sunday night we went to Luke’s (one of the guys here) baseball game. He didn’t play at all though…so we mostly just watched random 40-year old men play baseball…and we were pretty much the only fans there…awkward…

This week in class Dr. Chris Leland discussed a couple more worldviews and then gave us sort of a ‘sending out’ challenge. Tuesday he gave us the run down on postmodernism, which was insanely interesting. Everything he talked about that was typical of a person with a ‘postmodern’ worldview was typical of my friends. Like, my friends have a postmodern view on Christianity or something…it is certainly an interesting topic…well worth it’s own post I think.

So Tuesday my dad hosted ‘Hardball with Chris Matthews’ at my church. The above pictures are from that night. For those of you who haven't met my family, my dad is the one on the far right in the picture on the left. And that's Chris Matthews interviewing Richard Land in the picture on the right. Anyway, I guess it was a special on msnbc where Chris Matthews did a 3 hour show from a church, discussing religion in politics. And can I just brag for two seconds? My dad was a total baller. Unlike other guys who do the whole debate thing, my dad was articulate and purposeful but not obnoxious or rude. Basically God gave a bunch of favor to my dad that day. I think I’ll have a tape of it, so if anyone wants to see it when we get back to school just holler. Anyway, it was quite surreal chilling in the Ogden Lounge on the campus of Focus on the Family watching my dad on national television…but it was cool. :-)

Last night some girls had a camping party…it was really just a party…but with a camping theme…I had a s’more…mmm….kind of reminded me of Charley’s :-) But mostly of bonfires….

In about 15 minutes I’m going to have dinner with some friends at the California Pizza Kitchen…yuuummmmm

Plans for the weekend: A tram ride up to the top of Pike’s Peak, maybe a renaissance festival, 7 Falls, trip to Denver, a dinner/show thing at Casa Bonita, line dancing, bar-b-que by the pool, and fireworks.

Happy Independence Day!

Jenny quickly became the ring leader of the whole fiasco...looks like Amy began to buckle under the pressure... 

We were given tips on the art of freezing underwear...apparently stuffing it into a bowl and then putting water in is the ultimate way...note zebra print...tmi...tmi... 

Let the Pranks Begin

Me, and two 'innocent bystanders' the night of the prank...I was in the middle of writing a note that read:

Dear Rob,
Morning sunshine! Missing something? Check the fridge...
Have a great day!
Love,
???

Colorado Update Part Last

Ok, so Wednesday came and it was the day James D. was rescheduled to meet with us. I was all worried he wasn’t gonna show (and apparently he’s only in Colorado Springs for 5 days all of June and July) but alas he did and it was wonderful. The 78 of us students had the opportunity to spend 45 minutes with him and ask him any question we thought of. Some of the questions were great and some were stupid, yet he still seemed to find great answers for all of them. One girl asked him what he would deem his greatest accomplishment throughout life (which I would liken such a question to, how much money you make…a stupid/inappropriate question). And he turned the question back around and told her that “That is for someone else to say, not me.” He went on to humbly talk about how it would be “foolishness” to take credit for what God has done at Focus. He said that he wishes we could have been there every time there seemed to be a wall, and a door would all of a sudden appear. He was not only inspiring and charismatic, this man is night and day from what I am used to with the leadership at Liberty. (No names of course :-) He was genuinely humble. And that spirit of authenticity trickles down to every person who works at Focus. It is quite an inspiring place to be. Oh and also another cool thing happened…he said “one more question” and I was raising my hand practically to the ceiling and he was like “You there down front” and pointed to this other girl…uber-bummer. On top of that, the question had nothing to do with me or anything that pertained to all of us, so that was sort of irritating…but then boom, cool thing happened. He was like “I like this so much, how bout one more question.” I raised my hand so high I’m sure I looked like a freakin-idiot. But he called on me!!! It was fabulous. My question was, “Dr. Dobson, if you could go back and have a conversation now with your self at 20 years-old what advice would you give yourself?” (A murmure went out throughout the crowd...'oohh, good question'...'i know, i know.') It sounds funny but it makes sense I think…Anyway, he basically said that at 20 he had a head on his shoulders. He was on the right path spiritually, etc. He said that as he got a little bit older and his radio ministry really took off, he focused so much on Christian families, he didn’t realize how many potentially lost people might be listening. He basically said, he wished he had been more evangelistic in the early days. I hope that’s not my regret too…

PS—Another fabulous thing that happened on Wednesday is that my dad was voted First Vice-President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and he was sworn in. How cool! I’m so proud of him and I really wish that I could have been there. The convention is in Greneville, NC next year…which is not so exciting…but I’ll be there. With bells on. Anyway, I’m so proud of my dad and this new opportunity for him. Go dad go! Oh and one other thing happened on Wednesday night…I wrote a song. :-) Yay.

Thursday was a pretty chill day until late…Jenny and I decided to rock some pranks as two of our guy friends Josh and Rob were conveniently out of town. As immature as it is, we stole their underwear and froze it (we didn’t touch it though…so think about that…). It was hilarious. I’ll probably have pictures of that soon…Oh and on a more mature note...:-) I went to an open forum on women in the workplace. It was great. The phrase that stuck with me the most was this piece of advice: Always Be Present. Be present in the present in His presence.
I’m chewing on that one…

Upcoming events: Women’s One Day Retreat, Dad on Hardball with Chris Matthews: MSNBC Tuesday night June 28 at 7pm/eastern time, a possible trip to Aspen next weekend, and Mom and Dad coming to visit in two weeks.

So what have you been up to?

Colorado Update Part Dos.

(Continued from Previous Post)

Sunday was pretty chill. Went to church and such. Sunday night I went with a bunch of the people here to Baskin Robbins and to a lookout (pic on previous post btw and the one right next to this) that had a panoramic view of all of Colorado Springs. It was just go-gous. The whole time we were there I really wanted to burst out into song…but I only knew these cats for 2 weeks…didn’t want to freak em out…Anyway, this song was totally in my head the whole time:

How Great Is Our God
How Great Is Our God
How Great, How Great
Is Our God.

Monday Dr. Dobson was supposed to come do a Q&A with us for 30 minutes but he didn’t show due to “gastrointestinal problems.” Too much info Dr. D…
In class though Mike Haley talked to us about the ‘homosexual agenda’ here in the U.S. What was most eye-opening/what made the most sense of everything he said, was that by far the event that happened in the media that was most damaging to our generation and younger had nothing to do with gay people at all. It was the Britney Spears/Madonna kiss on the MTV awards last year. He pointed out how young girls are beginning to believe that in order to be attractive to the opposite sex they must be bisexual. How sad. Oh how I wish young women knew how much Jesus Christ loves them. Anyway, parents and future parents, this is a topic that definitely needs to be dialogued about…I fear the problem is only going to get worse…
Sidenote, beginning Monday and going through Tuesday or Wednesday I really began working some things out with God regarding trust and what I thought he had planned for my future. I realized that for the last couple years I have been jaded and distrustful because what I thought God would do in my life, He didn’t. It has been such a sweet, purifying time working that out with Him.

Tuesday night I had the privilege, along with my friend Josh, of leading the students, faculty and their families in a time of praise and worship. It was a really sweet and authentic time. I really do hope that I get to consistently keep doing that from time to time throughout my life. Oh btw that’s what the picture is from on the next post…Oh and after that, Amy, Jenny, Walker (Jenny’s out of town friend), Josh and Matt Cleaver (Josh’s out of town friend who we affectionately referred to as K//Klieve) went to Barnes to catch up on reading and ended up in this intense conversation with random guy from Huntsville, AL who is a huge advocate of nouthetic counseling, which is basically counseling that discounts all of psychiatry and uses the Bible as its only source. The conversation was interesting though the dude’s people skills were pretty bad. I felt like I was being preached to rather than interacting in a conversation. This guy totally hasn’t read “how to win friends and influence people”…obviously. In addition, I picked up a book while I was there by a man named Steve Farrar, you may know who he is b/c he’s spoken at some Promise Keepers rallies, and written about 10 books, apparently the big one was “Point Man.” I don’t know much about it, but my dad has read it…anyway, my friend Josh is his son, which is cool. His dad’s whole ministry has to do with teaching guys how to be godly men: sons, fathers, husbands, etc…Super cool. The book was really good too (what I read of it). It’s probably at your barnes and noble too…so you can go look under the ‘inspirational’ section for a book by a guy named Steve Farrar…whoot.

Wow…this is getting insanely long, I’ll try to be more concise about Wednesday and Thursday…

Colorado Update Part 1

Dear Friends,

I feel as if this post is going to be a long one so just brace yourselves. In fact I may break this up into three posts…basically this update will be longer because I learned and experienced massive amounts of great things this week. If last week was a 10 this week was a 100. If last week was a miata this week was a hummer. If last week was a hummingbird, this week was a flamingo.

You get the picture.

I’ll start with last Friday. I guess once a month every one who works (or in our case, attends class) at Focus on the Family gets together for a time of worship and to hear a message. This past Friday we did just that and the guest speaker was Michael Reagan, the oldest son of Ronald Reagan. I kid you not, he was the best public speaker I have ever heard. I was captivated for the entire hour he spoke. Never looked at my watch. Never took a note. Just stayed enraptured in the story he told. I have gone over in my mind the characteristics Michael Reagan had as he spoke that really made him stand out to me: first, he had an amazing story. Imagine being the adopted son of two Hollywood stars, one of which who becomes the President. Although much of his story did not simply deal with that, it was a major aspect. He had an amazing story to tell. In addition, he was very well-spoken and articulate, he used humor at appropriate moments, and conveyed authenticity. Though he talked for an hour, he spoke very purposefully. Never going off on a rabbit trail or dwelling on a thought longer than necessary. He has a biography out I think, that I definitely want to read at some point. I’m sure it tells his story, so you will want to read it too. After he spoke, a White House representative named Tim Goeglien spoke. Apparently my dad knows him, and I can’t quite remember the connection. I just know that I’ve met him before…Anyway, Mr. Goeglien was also extremely articulate (not quite as charismatic, but you can’t ask for too much). He basically gave us a run down of some political things going on in D.C. He told us about how Hillary Clinton wants to run for President. And how she will run for President. And how she really could win. It was a bit of a wake up call for those of us who agree with very little she represents. He told us that if we thought the past few elections were huge, they don’t come close to the next one. He basically told us that Christians and social conservatives need to get serious about this one. Start gearing up. I guess, like…4 years early. Whoa.
So that was the big news from Friday.

Saturday we went to Buena Vista, Colorado and went whitewater rafting all afternoon. It was SOOOO fun. I have a waterproof camera that I used but unfortunately we don’t have a scanner so you’ll have to wait for pics of that…it was super fun though. The guide for my particular raft was a girl (her name is already gone from my head) who is probably one of the coolest girls I’ve ever met. Basically, a couple of weeks ago she was drunk off her butt and broke her ankle doing some stupid stunt outside of a bar’s disco night (that’s not what makes her cool though). The cool part is that she got a cast, wrapped the thing up in a duct tape, and decided to keep on whitewater rafting every day this summer.

WHAT A WOMAN.

She also happens to do rock-climbing and kayaking, and she lives in a tent down by the river all summer. (Not to be confused with a van…) She’s going to dentistry school in the fall in a city so I guess she has to get a lot of this outdoorseyness out of her system now. So anyway, girl that I forgot her name…in the top 5 coolest girls I’ve ever met…probably. Oh other exciting news from the day, I made sure not to fall out of the raft when we went through some rapids but I did happen to fall in once. It was kind of humbling…took me awhile to get back up….geez…Also, before we even got to the river a bunch of the guys were playing football in a park and one dislocated his pinky catching a ball…apparently the bone came through the skin. Which is pretty gross to think about. I didn’t want to go look at it, though a lot of people did. I was pretty sure I’d throw up if I looked at it. I know he has pictures of it online, but I haven’t asked what the link is. If you really need to see the thing (weirdo…) then just leave a comment and I’ll find out…

My Bridesmaid Dress

Today is update day but so far I don't have NEAR enough time to update you on all the things that I've experienced and learned over the past week. Wow, it has been incredible.

So, I' m going to postpone the Colorado update and instead show you the hot dress I'll be sporting at my first bridesmaid gig on September 3, 2005 at the wedding of Jenn McCarron and Josh Philpot: http://www.jasminebridal.com/web1/b2/jasmine-b2-s05detail1.asp?contactid=3%20&imgid=B3307

And yes it will be that color. :-)

Hopefully my expression will be a little happier though...

So you guys know who it is I've been hanging out with...

This was last Tuesday at the park. Every Tuesday we all congregate for a picnic with the faculty, their families and all of the students. Jenna is second from the left standing up. And that is Jenny next to me, my friend from Knoxville. She is a trip...if it's possible, she's even more uninhibited than I am...

This is Josh and Rob...they both happen to be wearing green...Josh is from Dallas and Rob is from Portland. Quality. Though the picture is a little awkward...

This is me and Jenna at the Elephant Bar. Not to be confused with a bar...this was a safari (minus the cheesiness of Rainforest cafe plus good food) style restaurant we all went to on Friday night. Super fun.

This is the complete set of roommates...left to right: Me, Amy, Joy, and Mary. We were on a lookout in Colorado Springs that has a complete panoramic view of the city. Incredible.

Happy Birthday John!

This is me with two of my roommates, Amy and Mary at the Garden of the Gods. That is Pike's Peak in the background. That water didn't last too long...within 15 minutes it was hotter than the temperature outside. Yuck!

In other news...the Colorado Update you were all hoping for... :-)

Hello friends,

So I’ve basically decided that Thursdays will be my “Colorado Update” day. This is a special Thursday though b/c it is John’s birthday! Woohoo! He is currently on the road running sound for Liberty student turned aspiring Christian artist, Meredith Andrews (& band). He’s at a lake house today…must be tough… :-)

As for me, I went on my first Colorado hike today! Ow Ow! We went to the Garden of the Gods. It was beautiful! The Rocky Mountains are seriously so breathtaking. By the time we got to the top of the “Garden” (which is really a mountain and huge rocks) a huge thunderstorm-looking cloud was forming right above us…so we stayed, took a few pictures, and got the heck outta there. But it was great!

In class this week our professor, Dr. Del Tackett, has been discussing the Christian’s role in Social Order. Although his teaching style is not my favorite, the reading each night has been interesting to me. Did you know that Thomas Jefferson had around 7 illegitimate children? The Barnes & Noble within walking distance is quickly becoming an old friend. Though I’m still having trouble digesting 150 pages of content a night, I’m working on it.

The friends situation is shaping up nicely. My roommates are great, (greater than I expected) and I’ve started building relationships with two specific girls, Jenny Peck who goes to UGA and is from Knoxville, and Jenna Smith who’s from Memphis and goes to Samford. Kind of random that we’re all from Tennessee…but yeah, they’re great. And Jenna happens to be in the same sorority as Bonnie (the best friend). She said like, the day I met her, that she could tell that Bonnie and I would be great friends. I liked that. :-)

Tuesday night about 15 or 16 of us decided to be crazy and go to the midnight showing of “Batman Begins.” As a non-fan I wasn’t sure if I’d like it but I thought the whole excursion would be worth it for memory-making and friendship-building. And while that purpose was served, I hated the movie. I even TRIED to fall asleep in it. For a person who’s not too fond of the sound of flapping wings, it was semi-torturous. But, I did have fun hanging out with Mitchell, Amy, and Jenny. Good times despite stupid movies…

Tomorrow morning we have a mandatory chapel service at Focus. Michael Reagan, Ronald Reagan’s son is speaking. I’m looking forward to it. Saturday we’re going white-water rafting a few hours away which I’m pretty excited about. More adventure? Heck yes.

This picture was taken amidst the bliss of a beautiful day, shopping, and chocolate covered strawberries. A happy girl indeed.

My roommate Amy attempted to bake a cake but due to altitude issues it didn't work out so well...so we took one for the team and ate the icing. :)

Yesterday we went to eat at Carraba's. I was famished so I ended up with something kind of expensive...just as I was about to pay, the waitress spilled water in my lap. Wet crotch in exchange for a free meal? I'll take it.

I'm Only Young Once...Gotta Live the Dreams...

I know the idea of me quoting a country song seems a bit wrong...but I was listening to this song in the car with my roommate yesterday as I was staring at these 14 mile high mountains...and it seemed profoundly appropriate for my spot in life right now...

Who doesn't know what I'm talking about
Who's never left home, who's never struck out
To find a dream and a life of their own
A place in the clouds, a foundation of stone

Many precede and many will follow
A young girl's dream no longer hollow
It takes the shape of a place out west
But what it holds for her, she hasn't yet guessed

She needs wide open spaces
Room to make her big mistakes
She needs new faces
She knows the high stakes

She traveled this road as a child
Wide eyed and grinning, she never tired
But now she won't be coming back with the rest
If these are life's lessons, she'll take this test

As her folks drive away, her dad yells, "Check the oil!"
Mom stares out the window and says, "I'm leaving my girl"
She said, "It didn't seem like that long ago"
When she stood there and let her own folks know

She needs wide open spaces
Room to make her big mistakes
She needs new faces
She knows the high stakes

She knows the high stakes

Did you know Focus on the Family has its own zip code?

Colorado Update…

Today marks my being here in Colorado Springs all of one week. In a way my week has flown by, but at the same time it has felt as slow and difficult as molasses. I am sharing an apartment with three girls: Amy from Oklahoma, Mary from Ohio, and Joy from Minnesota. Though these girls are very sweet and generally easy to live with, four girls in a two bedroom apartment does feel a bit tight…

I wish you could see the view from right outside my apartment. The beautiful majestic snow-capped Rocky Mountains. They’re so enormous I feel like they are only a 15 minute walk away…in fact the mountains I see take two hours to reach. The weather is amazing…except for last Saturday when the highs were in 40’s. Most days it gets to be around 72 or 73. It has been mostly sunny here with no clouds in the sky. Apparently we are a mile above sea level, so it is much easier to get sunburned. Yeah…learned that the hard way…but don’t worry Mom, it doesn’t hurt. J

My classes are guh-reat. I’m taking 8 credit hours totaling in 2 classes for the summer. In June I’m taking a worldview class, and in July I’ll be taking a marriage/parenting class. The professors and staff of this Institute continually amaze me. Apparently what time professors lack in the classroom (we only have class Monday-Friday mornings) they make up in one-on-one and small group get togethers outside of class. It is obvious that these people feel passionate about mentoring and investing in the students here. They are all pretty inspiring. We are encouraged hardcore to ask questions and dig deeper than we ever have before. My professor right now is Dr. Chris Leland. He has said multiple times that he doesn’t want us to think he has all the answers. “I’m journeying with you,” he says. He has also made it clear that he doesn’t want to be our “Bible Answer Man.” He related to us today that he takes seriously our questions and inquiries. “I don’t want to give a $5 answer to your $1,000,000 question.”

Man.

So ideas for weekend plans are currently being tossed around…looks like we might go see a movie Friday night, go horseback riding through Garden of the gods, go hiking, and/or shopping. My Sunday is already pretty full: church, worship practice (I’m in charge of 20 sensitive musicians…yikes), a cookout by the pool, and a small group meeting for class.

There is lots more to write about, but 80 more pages of reading is calling my name…hope this gave you a small glimpse into a day in the life of…me...

Self-Evaluation and a True Definition of Love

As written in my journal some months ago...

I have made the mistake of letting one guy’s opinion of me turn me into a looks-obsessed, insecure young woman. It’s not that I don’t have confidence in myself, my personality, or my mind. It’s that I have let this guy’s opinion mold my opinion of beauty. I have let his critical eye, turn my eye critical. It has made me fear sipping my coffee drink, for fear I’ll grow a double chin. Or be worried that if I enjoy a bite of cake, my arms will become overwhelming. There is something very wrong here.

I am worried I have let this guy’s opinions shape my worldview. Have I let his opinions become the most important opinions to me? Where is my self-respect? Where is my self-confidence? Where is my self-love?

I have been me for 20 years, and I have loved it.

Why the sudden second-guessing, the change of heart, the worry that I may not be all I thought I was? No, my worries are not healthy. They are not truth. And they are not right. My duty and obligation is to my Lord (who never mentions in the scriptures, His need for my flat stomach) to my family (who consistently praise my character and beauty) and to myself.

I need to be true to who I know God has fashioned me to be. He gave me curly hair for a reason. He gave me blue eyes for a reason. He purposefully made me 5’4” with a round face. My looks speak volumes of my heritage and the legacy I am carrying on. My curly hair is a reminder of my Jewish heritage, and all the Jews who have been persecuted throughout the centuries. My fair skin and blue eyes remind me of the strong Christian heritage my father passed down to me, though stained with choices both strong and weak, markings of a family of missionaries and alcoholics.

Rather than seeking to disguise the uniqueness God has given me, I should embrace it! There is no one else on earth with my story so I should live it to the fullest, not skipping over even one chapter or page.

I was reminded tonight that love is not conditional. It is not concerned with an image. It is not concerned with a fabulous exterior. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy. Love is not proud or rude. Love is not conceited. Love is not selfish or provoked. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
That’s the kind of love I want. That’s the kind of love I want to show.

Can't Believe I'm Here...

Colorado.

It is my place of residence for the next couple of months.

Craziness...

Today I packed up and left Nashville International Airport around 7 AM...happened to be on the smallest plane I've ever seen (ok...been in....) and among the 7 passengers was...you guessed it...

Bachelor Bob.

Yeah, the guy who was the Bachelor! Not to be confused with any of the suave, hot ones...bachelor Bob got on the show because of his amazing personality and wicked sense of humor.

I liked him. :)

So flight #1 to St. Louise--2 thumbs up!

Flight #2 to Colorado Springs---2 thumbs down :-(

I won't give you a long synopsis of why it got two thumbs down...I shall just say that I have a long miserable history of ear trouble (they don't like going really high or deep under water...go figure) and so that made the flight pretty much suck.
Then I got off the plane, and hurried to get my luggage...and my bag never showed...

Bummer.

It shall appear soon...we are optimistic!!!

Anyway, now I am 25% settled here at the "Grand River Canyon" apartments, where I have semi-plush digs: washer/dryer, internet, dishwasher, gym, pool, hot tub, tanning bed...

And I am leaving in the next 5 or so minutes to go to our first big "Focus on the Family Institute" function. Some schmoozy dinner I think....

Where of course, I GET to wear my nifty "Focus on the Family Institute" long-sleeved, bright red t-shirt....along with 87 other people...

Whoo.

I shall write again soon! Comment if you like. :)