Vacation Ramblings

I'm currently sitting in a coffee shop in what may or may not be a shady part of Denver (I think it is), waiting for my friend and host Laura to get off work. I have two books (one of which I just bought about an hour ago), but I don't feel like reading quite yet.

Today's thought: If there's one thing that bothers me (well, in reality, there are many things, but just go with it), it's a mean bus driver. College shuttle, hotel shuttle, school bus, city bus, whatever. I'm sorry if you are behind schedule or harried for some other reason, but just be decent to people. Being rude doesn't catch you up to schedule.

I had this conversation today:

Me: Hi. (puts in $1.25 for bus, as I previously read online)
Bus driver: You in high school?
Me: Sorry? (I may look young but not THAT young. Right? Dang it.)
Bus driver: You in high school?
Me: Uh, no. I'm out of college actually.
Bus driver: Then why are you just paying the student fare?
Me: Oh, I'm sorry... I thought it was $1.25.
Bus driver: It's $2.25. (I can't express how disdainfully he said this.)
Me: Sorry. I guess I was misinformed.
Bus driver: What?
Me: (pointedly) I'm from out of town.

He felt bad after that and did apologize briefly. But really. What if I was from here but just had never ridden the bus before? Sorry that I can't see your minuscule fare sign and that your website was wrong.

Whew. Sorry. I try not to rant a lot, but that was just a pretty bad first impression for my venture out alone into the city.

Moral of the story (for myself): As best you can, be kind to everyone.

In other random news:

No matter where you are, a bookstore is always a good way to kill an hour or so.

I wrote this post on the Blogger app on my phone! Cool, right? It's so handy. Although there are a few formatting tools I miss.

Avett Brothers concert tonight!!!

I have not yet caught on fire here in Colorado. Hopefully that state of being will continue.

Oh, and also this. My barista heart identifies.

Idols

Thought for the day, paraphrased from a daily meditation by Richard Rohr:

Idolatry happens when we make the means [of worship] into the end.

It's easy to see idolatry with money or material goods, with fame, with power, with relationships.

But this idolatry of worship can be tricky. It's happened to me in my current job (worship planning and design). You begin to get caught up in details until the details and flow become the end instead of the means.

It's easy to miss that you're doing it, however, until you're reminded in some way that the purpose of all of this is to engender an environment and experience to bring the congregation to a place where they might encounter God.

We can't create an encounter. We can't design it. We can't plan it. Only God can. And to lose sight of that becomes idolatry of the worship experience.

I'm still alive

Hi there. Has it honestly been almost THREE weeks since I've posted on here? Where has June gone?

During the past couple of weeks, we've mostly been traveling. No big grandiose trips...but lots of little fun ones!

A brief explanation:

First, I went to Galveston for three days for the annual meeting of the Texas Conference of the UMC. Experienced great worship, heard some truly inspirational speakers (including our awesome Bishop), and got to see a dear friend get ordained. :)

After a late-night, slightly delirious car ride back to CS with my pastor-boss, I had approximately 36 hours back in town (at least 10 of them being work) before Travis and I headed to Katy, TX, for our friends Katherine and Scott's wedding! We were both in the wedding party, which was a first time for both of us. Everything was beautiful, and we had a great time seeing so many friends.

Us with the bride and groom :)

Next: Back in CS for four days. Since Jeff, our pastor, is in Europe for his twentieth wedding anniversary, my friend Andrew preached this past Sunday. It was a great service, but required a lot of planning from all of us! Finally got everything finished, then the hubs and I headed to East Texas for a 24-hour Father's Day visit...whew. Luckily we can get both families in one trip!

Back on Saturday for the aforemetioned "edgy" service, then worked at the coffeehouse Sunday afternoon (not a normal occurrence). And thus begins my week to preach, since Jeff is still in Europe.

Oh, and during all of this, Travis has class five days a week and lab on three of those days. Plus work.

So you can see why I've been pretty exhausted and only wanting to watch things on Netflix lately.

However! Other events have happened to make all this running around a little easier.

1. WE HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE IN ATLANTA! This was a huuuge weight off our shoulders. We found a condo in a good location with great rent. Super exciting. And it's a downsize...also super exciting (yes, we are weird).

2. I have a new computer! My five-year-old trusty MacBook has been having some issues for about a year now, and we'd been looking at refurbished ones online. It turned out that one of my friends from work was selling his 2010 MacBook Pro, which was still in great condition, and he knocked some money off the price 'cause he knows me. :) So thanks, Logan, for my beautiful new baby computer! (Also, the hope is that if the main issue is fixable, I'll be able to pass on Old Trusty MacBook to a friend in need!)

3. We finally know when we're moving (we think). It's looking like the second weekend of August.

4. Travis and I get to have double dates with two different sets of friends this week. Aw.

5. I get to visit my bestie Laura in Colorado in less than two weeks!!! (Totally a pro at flying by myself now, after those school visits.) I'll get to explore Denver and we'll be seeing the Avett Brothers perform at Red Rocks. Don't be jealous.

(source)

A little jealous is okay, though. ;)

So there's what's happened and there's what's coming up. It's going to be a whirlwind ride til August, folks.

On a totally unrelated note:
I went through and deleted over 100 Facebook friends today. (I guess it goes along with de-cluttering our house...de-cluttering social media?) I just realized that with all this stuff about moving, I don't necessarily want every random person from high school or college to know all my business.

Does anyone else do the periodic "friend" purge?

Fun Five Friday [Songs and Snapshots]

My mom is always quick to bring it to my attention when I neglect a Friday post, so here you go. :)

1. My music for the week:

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros released their new album, Here, this week. Travis and I heard a story/short interview with Alexander, the lead singer, on NPR. They were talking about how he used to be in another band and really fit all the "rock star" stereotypes (drugs, alcohol, etc.)...but then he got out of all that and this band is sort of his anti-rockstar movement. Pretty cool.

(source)

You should go preview the album on Amazon, because it's only 5 dollars this week! 

This is not new, but I also love the Head and the Heart's self-titled album (another Amazon $5 find, albeit a while ago. Seriously, I love Amazon). You should listen to this if you like folksy things.

(source)

I think they were somewhere near me recently and I missed it. So sad.
Although I would prefer it if he wasn't wearing that sheep mask.

Lastly, I could listen to "Timshel" by Mumford and Sons forever, and it would never get old. This is one I got to see them perform live in Austin last year at the Invisible Children event!

Sorry about the weird floating letters...but I wanted the album version.

2. So You Think You Can Dance. I don't follow very many reality shows, but this is a must every summer! It wouldn't be nearly as much fun watching it without my friends Stephanie and Carly, either, since we all used to dance together. (PS, we miss you, Katherine F.)

3. Another goal accomplished. Yes, I finally put pictures in our living room frames (number 21 on my 30 Before 30). It only took me a whole year. To fill two frames. Such a homemaker, obviously.

Sorry for the terrible lighting on all of these. Apparently I tend to blog at night.

There's one on this end table with our bamboo and one of our fish...

...and one on the mantel.

I could post the legit photo files, but that wouldn't be nearly as cool as taking pictures of the pictures...

One of our "vintage" engagement photos.

One of our wedding photos (yes, twas a drizzly day...)

Related: We ordered and received that print I talked about a few weeks ago. Right now we have it on the other side of the mantel leaning against the wall. (Sidenote: Isn't mantel such a weird word? I always want to put mantle. But apparently that refers to a cloak. Or part of the earth.)

 

You can spy one of our tiny gnomes. He is named Gnathan.

Isn't it cute? Ignore my reflection...

4. Working out in the morning. I've been able to do this a couple of mornings this week, and I love the energy it's given me throughout the day.

5. Running errands with my husband. He's done with his Maymester now (four tests and a paper in two weeks!) and into actual summer school, so he has a little more time to hang out with me. :)

What's made your week? Any music I should check out?