Last Week

I was working on a post last Sunday, but got a little distracted when this happened:

 

Just a small oven fire. No big deal, right? I was in the midst of baking 8 pans (yes, I said pans) of sweet rolls (find the recipe here). I started out with cinnamon, then got bored with them and made some caramel rolls. Apparently someone neglected to tell me that if the caramel gets hot enough and if the pan is too shallow, caramel will spill over into the bottom of your oven and burn. And burn it did. Luckily, the rolls were salvaged (and real tasty!), so as soon as I took them out of the oven, I locked the door and hit “self clean”. Poor life decision, let me tell you. The caramel in the bottom went up in flames in a matter of minutes. Luckily I caught it early. I turned off the self clean option and watched the flames wither away. The bottom of our oven is now black… but it still works! Now we just have to figure out how to clean it without using the self-clean-burn-it-up technique.

{warning these rolls are jam-packed with calories and not for the faint of heart. they are deadly.}

A couple days after our near-death experience, I came home for lunch to find this guy hanging out on our driveway:

Did someone forget to tell me I actually live in Florida – not the chilly state of Minnesota? I immediately called Jordan and told him to rush home. I was worried this critter would find a way into our house and I just couldn’t deal with the thought of that. He arrived 5 minutes later and chased the little guy around until he picked him up and plopped him into one of our unused flower pots. (Yes, he touched him. Yes, I gagged.)

We did some quick googling and discovered he was a tiger salamander, not completely uncommon in Minnesota. I snapped a few pictures of Jordan and his buddy, then we set him free in the marsh that is the end of our street.

I guess you could say I’ve had a productive, strange, entertaining week. Did I tell you the same day that I found the salamander, there was also a HUGE turtle stranded in the road at the intersection by our house? At first I thought I was seeing things, but then a man turned on his hazard lights and hopped out to take a good look at the turtle. It was real. Weird, I tell you, weird.

Thursday Morning Update

So… a week from today we’ll be in September. I only have one question: Where did AUGUST go?!

I really feel like life has been flying by. I’ve had some great opportunities over the past month, but it made time go even faster. I’ve still been trying to process… I’ll give you a little snapshot into my mind.

Jordan and I left for Castaway Club on August 1st and were planning to stay until the 6th as adult guests (a.k.a. the nicest, most relaxing, and spiritually challenging vacation ever). We spent that week going to various planning meetings, spending time on the beach, reading on the deck that overlooked the lake… just soaking it all in. We also spent time getting to know the staff that was at the camp for the month of August. After making some great connections, I ended up staying through August 12th to work at Castaway for a WyldLife week. (if all of this seems like Greek to you, check out www.yl.org)

[note: please don't hate me after reading this. this is called pure, unfiltered honesty...]
Throughout the first week, Jordan and I were faced with materialism, which forced us to reevaluate our priorities and values. I’m still processing, but it was clear to me that stuff is a barrier in my ability to have freedom in life through Christ. I find myself comparing what I have to what others have and always wanting more. I have a list a mile long of all the things I want – when does it get to the point that that list starts to control the person I am?

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:7-10)

I have a birthday coming up, and my mind naturally drifts toward my wish list of gifts (this is where that “don’t hate me” thing comes into play). I could easily rattle off 20 things I’d love to receive for my birthday… and they’re all material. On Twitter, I follow a great organization called Charity Water and I’ve been seeing their marketing to give up your birthday – meaning to ask for donations to their organization instead of gifts or money. Welcome, conflict. As much as I’d love a heaping pile of gifts and money, I can’t help but remember that there are people all over the world who have much less than I do – even down to suitable drinking water. So I’m stuck in the tension of what I want vs. what other people need. The answer should be clear, but sometimes it seems hard to discern… mostly because I’m human and sometimes the right thing just doesn’t seem as fun for me. I can sit here and justify the reason that I need money (trip to NYC, trip to Vail this winter, we’re “poor” newlyweds, etc., etc.), but I have a pit in my stomach. People don’t have water. I already have two trips planned (that we can afford… any extra $$ would just be for fun spending… of more stuff that I really don’t need). Anyway. Hopefully I’m not the only person who gets stuck in this tension – Jordan even said he thinks it’s a good tension to feel. It means that I’m actually processing the “in this world, not of it” part of being a Christian. Tough stuff.

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. (John 15:19)

 Our Young Life experience was incredible. An amazing vacation – mostly because it combined relaxation with great times of ministry and spiritual growth. We were challenged personally and as a couple, and I’m so thankful that we got to have this experience.

Much more I could write, but this is getting long. I’ll leave you with this fun picture of us parasailing (gotta love the windblown look).

Weekend Update

Happy belated Valentine’s Day! This holiday is one of my favorite to celebrate. I think it’s so great to have a day to remind everyone how much you love them! Married, single, dating, etc… you are loved!

Jordan and I celebrated the day on Friday with dinner at Chino Latino’s and a stay at the Marriott (thanks to the Hoods!). We made a trip to Ikea and the Mall of America, then headed home Saturday afternoon to make it to church. We were interviewed at each service with a couple other married couples to give some feedback on our latest challenges: to put the other person before yourself and to jump into your spouse’s interest box. It was great to share our vast experience from our 4 months of marriage. We sang “Love Real” by Jeremy Erickson together at the end of the service. Singing with Jordan is one of my favorite things we do together.

We spent Sunday at my in-laws with Jordan’s baby cousin, Boden. Rita and Randy are babysitting him while his mommy’s in Mexico on a much deserved vacation, so we went over to give them a break. I think we were the people who benefited because we got free lunch (homemade pot pies) and free dinner (crab cakes… my favorite!). Can’t complain about that!

Hope you had a relaxing weekend. Now back to real life… that’s how I always feel on Monday mornings.