A Fat Black Beetle and My Glorious Wedding

     Photo Credit: Jon Acuff

     After a fun filled weekend of discovery, I came home and plopped down on my bed and tried to begin to process all the emotions that filled my heart after re-connecting with my alumni theatre group. Over the course of the weekend, I screamed, I hollered, I hugged the mess out of these people--which are by the way, some of my favorite people on the entire planet. Not only did I laugh, but I cried. I haven't felt so charged with this type of inspiration in years.

     In that atmosphere, I truly felt  as if anything and everything was possible. I began to remember who I had been and how I had grown--or not grown. I remembered the tender and powerful moments of breakthrough and how good news is always better shared.

     Honestly, I'm a bit scared to process the events of this weekend. Because I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will discover something that will challenge me to a new adventure. And I'm not one to back down from an adventure.

     And am I ready? I do believe that I am.

     Last night I had a series of kuh-razie dreams. Wait. But first, let's rewind back to my laying down in bed, trying to process this last weekend.

     Out of the blue, my mother knocks on my door, doesn't really wait for a response and comes into my room. "Did you meet him?!"

     I look at her like I had just woken up from an 8 hour nap. "Wha?"

     "Did you meet him??" She persists. "I had this dream. And I had to rush to get everything ready. It was all white, I knew where I was. It was for you. It was your wedding."

     "This is the dream you already told me about last week." I look at her with apathy.

     "No." She says. "This was a different dream. And you didn't give me much time!"

     "Okay." I tried to comfort her. I would hate for 2012 to simply leave the imprint of a dream and not the reality of its fruit. And I know better to reject good news, even it does seem impossible. And I gently bring our conversation to a close by saying, "...We'll see..."

     With weight like that in the atmosphere it was a wonder I could sleep last night. But sleep I did, for about 12 good hours. Yes. You heard right. 12 hours.

     And yes, as you know already, I'm an avid nighttime dreamer. I have crazy dreams that often foreshadow events that I'm about to embark on. It happens time and time again. And this has happened over the course of my entire life.

     But one of the many dreams I had last night stood out to me. I was in a house that I am quite familiar with, but when I walked in, it was noticeably disheveled as if someone had broken in or had a party. None of the original home owners were there and some items in the house, seem to move on their own. I knew something was up.

     Then I discover a stranger in their home. Well, he wasn't actually a stranger, but someone we all used to know years and years ago. When I discovered this guy in the home, he panicked a bit and started saying, "Yeah, I've been going through things and I needed to come here to get away, etc..."

     But it all felt off and suspect to me.

     And then a side door opens, and one of the home owners steps in. And when he sees me, he panics a bit, as if he was caught doing something dirty. And as soon as he walks into the home, a gigantic black beetle (With some distinct red markings, possibly words on its back), about the size of my entire hand, flies into the house. I knew this black beetle had the ability to bite and was somehow poisonous. I remember screaming in the dream and running around in the house, in attempt to not get attacked by this gross beetle.

     I somehow avoided the beetle and made it towards the front door. My hope was that I could open the front door and fake out the beetle so that it would fly back outside to wherever it came from. In my attempt to close the front door to trap the beetle outside, it tried to come back in, but I slammed the door on it, practically killing it.

     And somehow I instinctively knew that I needed to kill this beetle all the way. I was about to grab a pottery piece from the house, but I didn't want to mess up these folks' furniture. But somehow out of the blue, a friend of mine appeared with a knife and handed it to me.

     I then took the knife and walked right outside the door to where this black beetle was. I then chopped it in half. And it split, but in the most bizarre way. There was no blood. No liquid. It was as if the beetle had been made of air and paper...and not guts at all.

     I felt as if I had faced and defeated a spirit of fear and intimidation, linked to the fear of disappointment.

     When there is the possibility of beautiful impossibility springing forth in your life, it's amazing to me how quickly opposition tries to choke out the seed. But don't freeze. Yes, you might scream and run like I did. But trust and know that God is purposefully positioning things for your good, beyond your own ability to control a situation or beyond your ability to be the expert in it.

     But what I learned last night is that, there may be a huge buzzing black zombie beetle out to kill you (In the form of circumstances or people), but the glorious wedding will still happen.

     Don't forget in the darkness what God has spoken to you in the light.



Wisdom's Knocking:

Remember: Impossible things are happening everyday.



Selfish

   Photo Credit: Christina Sees 

     I realized that I half heartedly wanted you to like me to validate me in some way. And here I was thinking I had passed junior high. But not quite. Humility is my friend once again, and she gently points her finger towards the open air of freedom. I see the shimmering mist of clouds of courage. And I weep.

     I wept for minutes. I allowed myself to feel the sting of my selfishness. And it stung. And yet, You paid the price for me.

     I wish everyday could be filled with such revelation. I saw the monstrous part of my appetite and I shook my head in disbelief. I had almost, ALMOST, fooled myself. There's more at stake than just my games and just my disbelief.

    And what if you were to say yes? Could I hold your precious heart in my hands. Not for show, but truly for keeps.

     I'm almost ready. To not be selfish. But I will weep once more for those things that were lost and reposition my heart and soul to take you in. You've done nothing but protect me and I am aware of that because of love.

     Thank you for changing my life, in a way that you have yet to know in me.

     Love is powerful and I recognize that more today than ever before. It's not about me. It's about You.



Wisdom's Knocking:

The depths of love are experienced in the breath of life.


Tussle

     Photo Credit: Jennifer Glasgow

     My voice was a bit more shaky than usual. Why? Maybe it was just the adrenaline.

     But I could feel fire rising up in me. I still have a little thug left in me. And I realized that today when I had to voice a complaint to customer service over the phone.

     I can take it (And by "Take it", I mean "Go and cry afterwards") when someone is rude to me. But if you are rude to my family or friends, I might just cut you. So was the case today with customer service. Someone from the "Company" was talking to my father like he was a stone cold criminal and as if he hadn't spent his life taking care of me, loving me, honoring me,  providing for me, and encouraging me. My father gently hangs up with the "Company".

     And I called the "Company" right back.

     Today was a reminder that I still need the peace of Jesus to invade my life in a real way.

     Just when you think, "I got this. Truly anger and all thugness has been purged from my life." Then comes the call from Customer Service.



Wisdom's Knocking:

There's a lot more fight left in us than we think.



A Touch of Crazy

 Photo Credit: Ashley Johnson    

     Things are beginning to shine and shimmer and settle. I actually feel really good about this year. At first (Like Dec. 31st) I was a bit indifferent towards 2012. I was afraid to really believe that anything could be different this year. I mean, how many times can you muster up great expectations? Well, in my case, with the breath of the Holy Spirit, my expectations have seemed to grow and expand with each passing year.

     Now this doesn't mean that I haven't cried this year already, or looked suspiciously around a corner for a man to hit me upside the head with a "Homey D. Clown" sock. But I feel a new sense of steadiness in my spirit and it feels right to expect good, good things.

     In "99 Problems", I shared my joy and pain in pursuing my dreams as a writer, teacher, freelancer, and overall artist. One of my main weaknesses (Like many creative folks) was the proper stewardship of the business end of my heart's pursuits. About a month after I wrote that particular blog post, I came across a familiar name in finance, and decided to take the plunge in committing myself to a rigid financial overhaul with this particular financial guru.

     Early in the process,  I realized, I wasn't so "afraid" of money, but more so indifferent towards it--which still prevented me from stewarding my blessings properly. In November 2011, For the first time in my adult life, I wrote the vision down regarding my finances. A.K.A. Writing out my entire cashflow budget, debts, debt snowball plan, savings plan (ie: Emergency Fund, etc.), and learned how to delay gratification (ie. Trips, restaurants, etc.) in a much more strategic way.

     I cannot even tell you the burden that was lifted, once I started writing down my entire budget. Yes, at first it was a bit weird, then depressing, then shocking to see how much I spent certain things and neglected other areas. Mostly, being intentional is a powerful thing...and freeing.

     In that first month of intentional budgeting, I realized why I had been so stresseed out most of 2011 regarding my finances. I never quite knew why my money was short at the end of the month. I never kept detailed track of my funds. But alas, after doing my budget I realized, I wasn't making enough to cover all my expenses.

     Well that could be a problem.

     But a funny thing happened. After being intentional about stewarding my finances, even though my income was short of what I needed to pay all my expenses, I somehow made it through that month with flying colors. Individuals who had no idea of my fresh financial start and subsequent financial need, began to randomly bless me with money. What.

     Yes.

     And so it continues in 2012.

     April is going to be an interesting month for me. One job ends, and I have no idea what the next gig will be. Perhaps my local movie theater art house? Or a paid writing gig? Or a talent coordinator position...Or....

     I'm not even quite sure how I ended up telling you about my personal finance on this blog post. I meant to tell you about my Crush progression. Ha.

     Yes. He's still amazing (From what I gather). And very much on my mind. So much so, that I've already had about 10 fake conversations with him-- in my mind. Wait--I'm embarrassed to say, one of those conversations I actually said out loud. But let it be known, that I have been absolutely charming in all 10 of those fake conversations.

     My heart is to truly get to know this person on a friendship basis first. And I don't want to push too hard, or do some weird manipulation thing (You know how I feel about that). I mean, he could be completely psycho. But dang, he would be one fiiiine psycho. Let me stop.

     I wonder if he reads my blog? I mean. I've already cyber-stalked him to the max. So much so, that I'm on a cyber-stalking fast. I'm serious. Images are pretty much my love language. And I'm one of the best internet detectives I know. Which is a blessing and a curse. I often find things that I don't want to about certain individuals. But in this particular detective case regarding my crush, I've found nothing but gold and diamonds with this stud.

     But for the next 2 weeks, I'm going to try to not accidentally find my way to his website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter page. I'm already feeling withdrawals. But this has to be done.

     ---

     All in all, this year is beginning to shine, shimmer, and settle. It takes a little bit of crazy to believe for something so, so good, when all you see around you is the same ol', same ol'.

     But a touch of crazy is just what I've got...




Wisdom's Knocking:

Can you see it differently, or the same? So shall it be.


Manners

     Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Blosser

     I was recently at a birthday bash shin dig. The people were so lovely. As I imagined they all would be. We were all friends of such an amazing person. Okay wait. "The people were so lovely"---except for one.

     One individual, whom we shall name Carrie, was probably one of the rudest people I have met in a long time. And that's saying a lot, since I work around a lot of entertainers and egocentric folks.

     Upon my first interaction with Carrie, I extended my hand towards her to fully introduce myself. She let my hand linger dead in mid air for about 3 seconds as she looked me up and down. She then, reluctantly gave me the weeniest hand shake ever.

     And I thought to myself, "Hmm...maybe she doesn't speak English well and didn't quite know what I was saying or doing." Wrong. As soon as our beloved birthday boy came within earshot, she immediately perked up and tried to think of something witty to say. And by witty, I mean, awkward. I mean, it may have been witty in her head, but when it came out of her mouth it was straight up awkward and a bit painful.

     I thought again to myself, "This lady is beautiful, but her attitude is so stank. This horrible self-ruining PR can only lead to disaster..."

     The final phase of Carrie's tornado of manners, resulted in her "telling" me, not asking me--but "telling me" to "Go and put this plate over there now." with the strongest condescending vibe.  Um, what?  Never mind that all of us partygoers were in the midst of listening to a wonderful speech from the birthday boy himself. Carrie didn't seem to care. Her lack of honor and manners were off the charts.

     So before I was about to go straight "Set It Off" in the middle of that birthday celebration, and in order not to do a crazy WWE move on her, I simply said to myself what I normally say to settle the matter, when I'm confronted with horribly rude people... "You know what, this chick must have Aspergers." And then I calmly put the plate on a nearby table.

     And I left it at that.




Wisdom's Knocking:

Don't let rude people steal your joy.