Running Away from Home

I never ran away from home when I was a kid, but it has a great appeal to me now.  I do not know why.  I am pretty happy with my life,  I live alone and do what I want when I want.  And yet, the thought of taking off for a place that is not findable, is appealing.  I love that movie where Julia Roberts fakes her death, runs away and lives in a small midwestern town with a cute theater teacher neighbor and an apple tree.

So, this week when I have 235923432 projects to do and 348 hours to do them in, I am thinking about running away from it all.  So, this club of women with these cute trailers makes me want to hook up and go.  I want to paint a tiny trailer and leave town.

Cute right?

My friend the Queen has one of these, but it just sits in the yard.

Ah, the places I could go..........

Normal Girl

It's Good to be a Girl

Who doesn't love a good twirling dress?  She did this at least 20 times.  None of the other girls could duplicate it, it is her claim to fame!

Twirl on sister!

Normal Girl

Normal Girl's Busy Day

About 23453 guys arrived this morning at 7 to give me a new roof.  I had guys all over the place today.  With Kim, Tim, and Jim onsite, it sometimes was confusing, but they were finished with the new roof and had patched the hole in the ceiling by 4 o'clock.  I can remove the water catching bucket in the bathroom now! They found no other raccoon holes, but they did find termites.  BLECH!  

They made so much noise all day, I could not hear myself think.   Sometimes they house was shaking and I wondered if Tim or Jim would be sitting at the kitchen table with me momentarily. So, I took my Divine Design list and did a little shopping. 

I also called Pastor Paul at the Atlanta Dream Center.  He told me that when he told the girls we would be there in a week, they stood up cheering and clapping.  I said they should reserve cheering and clapping until they see what we do.  I love to kid a kidder, and he is a big tease. Reminds me of my Dad.  They are really excited for us to be there and that ramped up my own  excitement level a notch.

And, it is trash amnesty day here in the big city.  I am waiting to see what broken junk people take off my curb this year.  I wonder what they do with it when they get it home and it is broken.  People are crazy when it comes to anything free.  Someone is going to enjoy the broken chair that pinches their heinie when they sit in it.

Finally, tonight is a Mother/Daughter bead soup party.  It looks like we will have quite a crowd!

Days like this, you blink and it is over,

Normal Girl

Another Scholarly Summer

I am four days into the summer semester and the teacher has yet to show up.  When I graduate, I could use that kind of job.  I am taking The Church in Cyberspace.  This week has been spent on the discussion board role playing. Because of where my my falls alphabetically, I have been assigned to petition for my church to have an online presence with streaming video of the Sunday services.  

It has been creepy.  The people against the church being online sound exactly like the real people at my church who hate the music, dancers, and rags.  I can imagine the same debate when television and the automobile were invented.  The nay-sayers don't want to change their comfortable world, so they call websites evil.  And that's all they have.  The pro-web side lists many beneficial things about having an online presence.  Four days of this.  Really, it has run its course.

So, I am in summer school again.  Next summer, it is possible, I could be writing my thesis.

Educating myself and paying for it,

Normal Girl

WWJD?

Part of the preparation for the mission trip was reading a book together.  We read In His Steps.  It is an old book, written in 1897, I think.  It was redone and updated in the 1970s to current language and culture.  It is the book that started the WWJD movement in the 70s.  It is about a church whose members make a pact to consider what Jesus would do in all of the decisions life presents.  It is fiction, but it is thought provoking and I hope it will make us approach our trip and the work we will do from that view point. I suggested my teammates make a list of things Jesus would do if He was in their places on the mission trip.  I spent some time thinking about it:

What would Jesus do as Normal Girl, leader of the Divine Design mission trip to the Atlanta Dream Center?

1. He would make time each morning and each evening to talk quietly with His Father.

2. This is God's mission trip,  so while keeping in mind His original commitment to fix rooms in the apartment building, He would know His main purpose would be seeking the kingdom of God in every action.  God may give Him other duties and other goals along the way, but in the end, He is a missionary on this trip.

3. The relationships of Jesus to His team members would be loving and he would serve them where possible.

4. He would give God the credit and the glory for all successes.

5. He would use the money people have given Him for the trip in the best, most efficient way possible.

6. He would gladly and warmly welcome unknown volunteers that present themselves. He would be patient, warm, and encouraging.  He would be the best representative of His Father.

7. He would be attentive to His team and their goals, yet be open to any Divine appointments set for Him.

8. He would achieve excellence and joy in the process. 

I don't know if I am even close.  It is hard to put Jesus in my shoes.

Normal Girl

The Old Stained Glass Cross

I think this is my favorite of all of the things I have put on stage.  

This gives you a better idea of the size.  It is 15' tall.  We hung it on a track on rollers. so it rolls the width of the stage. We can adjust it anyplace or put it behind the curtain when we don't want to see it.  Amazing what you can build with styrofoam and tape.

Today we were challenged to sit in a different place in the auditorium.  Funny how different everything looked from a different vantage point.  It even felt like there was less space between pews on the other side.  Of course, that can't be true.  Here is what I learned:

- on the right side, the lights on the stage are way hotter and the people up there wash out

- the right side is under the air conditioning ducts and it is colder over there

- you can see more of the auditorium from the right side, I am not sure why that is, except the shape of the room is not symmetrical...I had a clear view of the balcony...it was very distracting for me

- I have gotten used to the people I normally sit near.  They  feel like my Sunday morning family and I like catching up with them each week.  They pay attention and do not distract me.

- it made me laugh how much whining went on when we were asked to switch seats and also how many people flat refused to do it

Try a different viewpoint today,

Normal GIrl

What Will it Be?

Spent some time working on a new set piece this week.  Even though I had 23430 other things going on, I scheduled it in.  When I am over busy, I like being in the church alone, with the praise music turned up, and singing.  As long as the bats stay in their place and I stay in mine. And I do feel sorry for whoever is watching the surveillance tape of me.  HA!  

It's 15 feet long. So, what will it be?  Show you Sunday.

Normal Girl