On Saturday night, Robert and Allyson hosted our young married couples’ small group for a picnic at their house. While I very much enjoy the fellowship of this group, I just could not stay out of the backyard and away from the girls! Natalie and Emma played on the slip-n-slide and on the swingset for hours with their friend T.J. I think it’s safe to say that a good time was had by all.
So, if you need a reason (or two or three) to smile on this Monday morning, allow me…
Random musings from yours truly on this, the 25th day of July, year of our Lord 2008:
All good things must come to an end — like this season of “The Deadliest Catch.” The show wrapped up without any assurances that Captain Phil Harris will be back next season. So, from now until April 2009, I am without a weekly dose of Sig, Johnathan, Phil, and, thankfully, Keith.
Some good things are nearing an end — like time spent with Amanda, one of my precious senior high girls from my small group who is headed to college in just three weeks. And time spent with Brenda, my scrapbooking friend who goes to college in northern California, which, if you’re wondering, is pretty stinking far from here.
Some things are just beginning – like the weekend! Hallelujah! The Lorows are looking ahead at two days of fun. A picnic with the Patton girls, a housewarming party for friends, and, hopefully, plenty of lounge-around-and-enjoy-the-summer time!
Beginning is sometimes the hardest part – this week Jeff and I tackled cleaning out our closet and drawers. Once we got started, it was a breeze, but, boy, was it hard to get started! I am now on an organizational binge…so I’m tidying up in the loft too.
Speaking of hard – one of the biggest challenges of my job is helping secular media better understand what type of institution Messiah really is. I get so tired of seeing us classified as ultra-conservative by people who don’t know anything about Messiah and don’t care to take the time to do any research. So, so frustrating.
But, to end on a happy note – it is Friday! Have a great weekend!
Like pretty much every PR person and information geek in America, I subscribe to Google Alerts so that I can monitor how/when/where Messiah College is popping up in the news. Usually, this service alerts me to blogs or news stories I’m already aware of, but every once and awhile, Google is a goldmine! Like today!
I had heard from a very reliable source several weeks ago that a second Compassion Forum was going to take place at Saddleback Church in southern California. In case you’re an evangelical living under a rock, Saddleback is the home of Rick Warren (the incredibly famous author of “The Purpose Driven Life”) and Doug Fields (a youth pastor of the cool-ish variety). Today, the announcement became official.
Both John McCain and Barack Obama will appear at Warren’s “Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion” on August 16, nearly a full month before either candidate is confirmed as their party’s official nominee. They will each spend an hour alone in dialogue with Warren–he will be the only one asking questions–and the handshake photo op will occur in the middle, just as it did at Messiah for Hillary and Barack. And, it seems that Faith in Public Life has a hand in this event as well, although they don’t seem as in the forefront as they were here at Messiah.
Reading this news today has brought back a rush of memories…and questions. When Messiah hosted The Compassion Forum in April, I was privy to many of the behind-the-scenes conversations. I knew how details were unfolding, how campaigns were behaving, and understood some of the challenges Messiah would face. I would love to know how Warren got McCain to commit, whether Obama drug his feet, and if Saddleback is in conversation with a broadcast partner. Are they busy designing a set? Credentialing media? Preparing catering menus? Renting generators? Coordinating volunteers? Shopping for comfortable shoes? Is someone fielding phone calls from angry constituents?
It’s intriguing to watch how people of faith are inserting themselves and their “issues” into this election. While I appreciate hearing the candidates talk about how their personal faith informs their opinions and policies, I find myself frequently questioning their sincerity. Within the faith community we can’t even agree on issues. So, I am unconvinced that a politician will both understand my faith and make policy decisions in keeping with Biblical principles while at the same time trying to appease the majority. I’m not in the majority, and, you know what? I’m fine with that. Really.
So, besides the excitement of a second Compassion Forum…today has been a pretty swell Monday. Lisa made delicious three-layer, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Yum! Plus, tonight will be my first night at home (without company or commitments) in 10 days. I’m looking forward to it. Jeff and I might even do something crazy…like eat dinner together!
Speaking of eating, check this out:
This is my lunch…from IKEA! (Swedish meatball and ligonberry sauce, of course!) Jason, Heather, and Michael took us to IKEA on Saturday for an afternoon of shopping. Michael, who is a mere five months old, was so good that I often forgot he was even there! I loved IKEA — I mean really, what person with frantic organizational tendecies doesn’t love a whole store devoted to inexpensive means of organizing your home?!
(By the way, I did not eat the meatball that catapulted into the ligonberry sauce. Actually, I didn’t eat about five of the meatballs. Too much red meat for this girl…)
Oh my goodness — the coolest thing happened to me this morning! Most of you know that I’m a huge fan of the television show “The Deadliest Catch.” It’s the only show that Jeff and I clear our schedules for, and we (ok, mostly me) have gotten very attached to a few of the captains and their crews, including Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie.
Earlier this week I blogged about all the changes in my life, not the least of which is the impending season finale of “The Deadliest Catch” and the lingering questions about Captain Phil Harris’ health. And, here’s where it gets really exciting: Morgan Howard, son of Cornelia Marie Collins, the primary owner of Phil’s boat, commented on my blog entry! I am a smidge excited; just ask my co-workers or my husband!
Isn’t the blog world crazy? I get to write about things/people that I love, and, sometimes, I even make an unexpected connection with a stranger. Love that.
I’m convinced that today will be far better than yesterday. Besides the blog excitement, my favorite Amandas are meeting me for lunch and it’s the last night of VBS! My VBS kids have been so much fun, and I love seeing the Patton girls every night.
One more thing would add to the fabulous-ness of this day: Sig…Edgar…Johnathan…are you out there?! I would love to hear from you too!
Change is hard. People say that all that time. And, I believe them. I know that the statement is about 90% true for me as well. Change is hard. I like routine and knowing what to expect. More black and white and less gray. So, these past few weeks have been hard.
The Tour de France, which, post-Lance and no-one-who-wins-the-Tour-is-clean, barely holds my attention anymore. What are they thinking this year? No prologue? No traditional Monday rest day? No time bonuses? No Johann Bruyneel at the wheel of a team car? It’s all just borderline ridiculous.
You know what else is changing? “The Deadliest Catch.” Captain Phil Harris has caused me a few gray hairs and much anxiety this season. Coughing up blood is never good, and last night, on “After the Catch,” he confirmed that he may not be able to return as captain of the Cornelia Marie next season; his fishing career may be over. I don’t care for this news one bit. If anyone leaves the fleet, I think it should be Keith. (Can I get an “amen?!”) As a matter of fact, I would like to start a campaign to vote Keith off the Bering Sea. Or at least off my favorite show. (Which ends for the season next week…more change to deal with.)
Speaking of leaving…two of my colleagues are doing just that tomorrow. This is where change hits a little too close to home, and I don’t like it one bit. Scott, graphic designer extraordinaire, has accepted a job at an advertising firm in Lancaster, and his departure leaves me not just with one less colleague, but specifically down a colleague with whom I could talk openly about my love of the Muppets and Coldplay. His departure is disheartening for me, one of his biggest Messiah fans, but I obviously wish him the best as he takes the advertising world by storm!
Then, as if that isn’t enough, my twin, my very own twin, has decided to leave her job as editor so that she spend more time with her new daughter — Clara.
Who can blame her? Not me. But, I will miss her dearly. Cute Becky was one of the first people on the third floor of Old Main that I truly connected with, so her departure is bittersweet both professionally and personally.
So, with all this change, what is staying the same? Good things like God’s faithfulness, Natalie and Emma’s complete adorableness, and the undisputable fact that Jim Henson was a genius. Right, Scott?
It’s good to be back at work after a busy, exhausting Fourth of July weekend. Neither Jeff or I have family in central Pennsylvania (besides our much-loved church family at Immanuel), so we spend many holidays bopping from place to place to see our kin. This holiday weekend was an especially hectic example: Jeff’s parents and siblings were all in New York at Keuka Lake with his extended family, and my brother and his family from California were in Meadville visiting my parents. It made for a bit less than 1,000 miles of driving and much more togetherness than this introvert is used to, let me tell ya!
We left on July 4 for Canisteo, NY for a picnic at Jeff’s aunt Becky’s house. I adore Becky — she is one of the first Lorow relatives that I met, and she always makes me feel so at ease. We had a great time playing redneck golf and hanging out with myriad aunts, uncles, and cousins.
On July 5, Jeff ran a 15-mile trail race, and I went to a flea market with the rest of his family. Best Kettle Korn ever! We spent the rest of the day with another batch of aunts, uncles, and cousins…only this time they were all from his mom’s side of the family. That night, I hung out with two-year-old Hope, a sweet little girl that Joe and Molly adopted from China. She won me over in no time flat, and I had a great time playing with her and teaching her to count the boats on the lake.
On Sunday, we left in the afternoon for my parent’s house. We had see my mom and dad quite a bit over the past two weeks because of my grandfather’s funeral, but I never tire of spending time with them. I was delighted to pull into the driveway and see dad and my brother Dwayne standing at the grill! My parents made so many delicious meals, which we enjoyed eating outside on their fabulous deck.
We did many Meadville-esque things with Dwayne, Barb, and Brandon, including lunch at Eddie’s Footlong Hotdogs, frozen custard at Hank’s, feeding the fish at the spillway in Linesville, and hiking up into the woods to see the beaver dam. We got see the neighbor kids, whom I adore, and even lit a few fireworks, much to Brandon’s delight.
Jeff and I left Tuesday morning so that we could spend a few hours with my grandmother, who was back in the hospital. I had a great visit with her, which was a real gift. Her memory is slipping at a rapid rate, and I feel fortunate for every time that I visit and she knows who I am. This time we laughed and remembered some of our adventures together, just like old times.
And, interestingly, one of my favorite parts of the whole trip took place in my parent’s backyard. There is an abandoned quarry deep in the woods behind my parent’s house. Amazingly, there are fish here.
And, just as we got there, it started to pour, and we all got soaked! But, everybody was in good humor. Both Barb and I caught a fish. Jeff, the fish whisperer, caught like 40, and dad hooked a few too. The Powell kids came with us, and we had a great adventure.
All in all, it was a blessing to see so much family in just a few days.