Who Knew?!

I occasionally just sit and drink coffee and read blogs. I mean like real blogs. Blogs by authors and theologians and photographers and other interesting people who actually have interesting things to say. Basically, the exact opposite of this blog.

Anyway, one thing I've noticed when glancing through these real blogs, is that often there are themes. Like certain types of posts that get repeated every so often. For example, photographer Jasmine Star who is brilliant and hilarious and witty, occasionally posts "Kisses and Disses", posts like this about things she loves and hates. And they're totally entertaining!

Again, anyway. This got me thinking that to make my blog a bit more real-ish, I ought to try these themed posts. Yet realistically, I know I'll likely do one and never remember or have time and creativity to return to write a second similar post. So! In a stroke of genius, I've decided to try to accomplish multiple themed posts in one post.

This is officially the first (and almost certainly only) "Who Knew?!" episode of mine.

First, Australia flavored "who knew?!" Inspired, of course, by my return from the past few weeks spent frolicking around Australia.

-White kangaroos... who knew?! I really don't think they are albino. Just white. So neat!

-Aussies HATE when people call Koalas, "Koala bears"... who knew?! Koalas are from the marsupial family and have absolutely nothing to do with bears. This so infuriates our mates down under that we call them koala bears, apparently someone felt motivated to write this song out of rebellion.

-Australia is breathtakingly gorgeous... who knew?! Well, probably a lot of people. But now I'm one of them.

Ok, now on to winter flavored "who knew?!"

-Children's bubbles, the kind you blow with soap and a wand, can freeze in to incredible, magical little frozen bubbles in the winter... who knew?! This is from a photo blog my dad actually tends to follow every now and again. Good find, pops. These are amazing.

-It might actually snow in Wisconsin this winter... who knew?! After the crazy warm weather we've been experiencing, the weather folks are warning us we're finally in for some white stuff. And a few inches of it. So excited!!

Next, a slightly faith flavored "who knew?!" Or a semi-blasphemous "who knew?!"... you be the judge of that.

-I just stumbled across a few Christian jokes that I actually find kind of giggle-worthy... who knew those existed?! To me: hilarity.

Q: Who does a religious mouse pray to? A: CHEESUS!!

Q: How does Moses make his tea? A: Hebrews it.

Finally, a looooooove flavored "who knew?!" No, not that kind of love. Although I could certainly name a few people who would love for me to have something to write about in the "that kind of love" department. But this is a "who knew?!" you could love someone as much as I love...

-My Melissa. One of my dearest and most favorite people, literally in the world, is coming to visit me-- tomorrow! Melissa, who I met while spending a summer at Young Life's Lake Champion as an intern a few years ago, is someone I adore far more than words express.

She is the best listener I know, she always has both kind and truthful things to say. Her laugh is totally contagious. She just gets me in a way pretty much no one else does. She has gorgeous shiny hair :) I love a trillion things about her. And I am SO excited and feel terribly blessed to get to spend the next few days with her. We shall romp around in the coming snow, drink lots of coffee and talk life, and who knows what else.

I like Shawn McDonald

You're Invited!

In John 1, at the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus meets John and two of John's disciples. Walking with his two disciples, John sees Jesus and points to him saying, "Look, the Lamb of God!" Intrigued and curious, the two disciples approach Jesus and ask of him, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" to which Jesus replies:

Come, he replied, and you will see. (John 1:39)

Immediately upon meeting these two, Jesus warmly and gladly welcomes them into his home, into his life, into his ministry. Immediately.

What if in this same way, I invited the preschoolers I work with through Project Grow into my heart? If, in this same way, I accepted and loved the kids I meet and work with at the domestic abuse shelter? If, as Jesus did, I instantly opened my life to high school friends, new and old, that I meet as a SPYL leader? If I even opened my heart and life, in this way, to current friends and family, roommates and teammates?

John 1 goes on to tell the story...

So they went there and saw where he was staying and spent that day with him... Andrew was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah". And he brought him to Jesus.

WHAAAAT?! Gosh, before you even read my reaction to that, have your own. If that hit you as powerfully, as you read it, as it hit me this morning, just soak that in for a second.

Just because of who Jesus is and the way he warmly and wholeheartedly welcomes, people can't help but want to go out and immediately invite others in, too. Andrew, after encountering Jesus, literally wants to do nothing but go grab his brother and say, "Yo Simon, get a load of this!!!"

What if we invited others to this Jesus thang in this same way? With immediacy? Into our hearts and our lives and our homes? And what if our invitations came not tainted with our own wit and charm but were authentically and solely pointing towards Jesus? What if?!

If you are still reading this, I invite you to invite.

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Tis the season!

This year for Christmas, my family and I will actually be in Australia. Rather than sleepily walking downstairs, still in pajamas with my sister on Christmas morning, we will be snorkeling the Great Barrier. Instead of eating, drinking and being merry with a house full of my crazy family, perhaps I will be petting a Koala bear or learning to throw a boomerang.

Either way, while the upcoming vacation is something my family and I are excited about and have been looking forward to for a while, I think the non-traditional-ness of it all has made me feel extra thankful for the very Christmas-feeling things sprinkled through life in these weeks leading up to the awesome and hope-filled celebration of Jesus' birth in Christmas.

The last few afternoons spent with my little girls, we have been pretending we are Christmas elves. Yes, we even all have our own elf names. I've been sworn to secrecy, though, regarding our names and most of our elfish activities. I will, however- lucky you!- share a few of the highlights... we've built adorable little gingerbread houses, have been crafting surprise gifts for family and friends and daily practice a few of our favorite holiday carols.

'Tis also (yay!!) the season for fun Christmasy Young Life events. Monday night was the beloved ugly Christmas sweater club. Here are a few of my favorite shots from that.

Pk and little Abe

Mayhem!

Partridge in a pear tree?

Elf spaghetti (and candy canes and chocolate sauce and syrup) eating contest

Jessie!

I.

Love.

These. Girls.

The team I am so, so blessed to serve alongside.

Christmas! It is sneaking up very, very quickly but I'm still finding Advent joy and hope and anticipation, nonetheless, in all corners of life. Why? Because with the birth of Jesus at Christmas we receive in the world:

"Immanuel- God with us." Matthew 1:23

Hold me

Jonny Diaz this morning gave voice to a lot of the things my heart's been feeling lately.

I need you to hold me,

when the storms begin to rage. 

Because you know me, 

and you know that I'm afraid.

Oh I'd rather go around 

but I'm following now 

so I'll trust that we'll make it through.

Just help me remember,

I'm never alone, 

I'm walking with you.

Bad at Winter

Every afternoon I nanny starts like this: I walk to Ella's elementary school to meet her and her friends as the bell rings. Then, me and my posse of 9-year-old chatterboxes walk to meet Charlotte and the other "littler kids" at their bus stop. From there, Charlotte, Ella and I walk the remaining two blocks home.

This afternoon, when the three of us got back to the house, as I was setting down the art projects and lunch boxes I somehow inevitably end up being bogged down with during our walk, I shuddered and remarked, "Gosh it's cold out! I think this might be a hot cocoa kind of afternoon." To this, Charlotte matter-of-factly said, "You say that almost every day now. You know what, Nicole? I just think you're not very good at winter."

And she's SO right! I am bad at winter. I hate the way Wisconsin winters water down my energy and optimism. I hate the months of grey blah-ness. I get giddy sometimes thinking that this could be my last winter spent so far north. But more than anything, I loved the way this spot-on observation of Charlotte's criticized me.

Christian marriage counselor and now popular author, Gary Chapman, proposes that there are five main "love languages"- ways people express and interpret love. They include words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch.

Undoubtedly, I feel most loved and appreciated by people when they express that they care for me through words of affirmation. I never feel more loved than, whether through a note, on the phone, or just in conversation, I hear specifically what someone might appreciate about me.

So, perhaps because of this (I think it's a logical conclusion, anyway) I've been noticing lately that I also really, honestly appreciate and sometimes crave almost the opposite of verbal affirmation: constructive criticism. And that is what, this afternoon, my sassy little Charlotte provided me.

I think, especially as someone who might seek to serve the Lord and others, it is absolutely crucial that we know what we are good at, and what we are not. That we be conscious of who we are, who the Lord made us to be, and just who we are not. That we are ever being made aware of where our gifts and talents are, and where they are not.

This afternoon, then, as silly as it may seem, served as a reminder to me that I am just not someone who can really appreciate a bitterly cold winter. I really think it bogs me down more than others, I feel less joyful and alive. It just doesn't jive, maybe, with how I am supposed to, from here on out, live. Thanks, Charlotte! But I, through self-criticism and hearing the criticisms of others have also learned other valuable insights about myself. And hope to always continue to grow in that way.

On a lighter, more winter-friendly note, there are certainly some positives to these cold, pre-Christmas days. One such positive: Ben Rector's Christmas EP. You should download it. Only thing better? Listening to Ben Rector serenading me with Christmas cheer while enjoying Trader Joe's Cocoa Drizzled Kettle Corn. Mmmm.