Hold My Calls.

** sidenote . . . this was "scheduled" to post about five days ago. Oops. Shows my in depth and undying knowledge of what I'm actually doing on this thing . . . right? Right. I am currently pooped however (vacation is TOUGH), so this will have to do until I can shake the sand out of my camera bag and create a new post. Until then, enjoy. **

The hubs and I are off to celebrate FIVE years of marriage - FIVE people. This is big. Sure, our anniversary isn't actually until July, but we figured we'll be knee deep in rice and squatty potties by then, so why not celebrate early?

If you need us, we'll be here.



Possibly doing this.



And without question this.



All to celebrate this.



Life is insanely good. See ya on the flip side.

My Ode to Callie.

Some of you may know this lady. Some of you may not. So let me introduce Miss Callie Dunaway. (the blonde on the left, wait . . . you're right, my left if you were me in the photo, I think).


She's pretty fantastic in many, many ways. Her shoe and fine jewelry collection is unbelievable, as long as I've known her she's had roughly 3 feet of the most gorgeous hair you've ever seen, and she is perhaps one of the funniest, most loyal people you will ever meet. Callie was one of my first friends at our beloved Samford, and I have fond memories of IM-ing (I included a link in case you forgot what that was) one another to meet and go to the Caf promptly at 5:30, and standing on the lawn of Vail (the freshman girls dorm) on move out day hugging one another and just weeping because freshman year was over. Yes, it was that fun. Callie and I also were roommates in the ZTA house . . . and the insanely hilarious moments are too many too count. Let's just say I will never look at a green towel wrap or scissors in the shower the same way EVER again.

I had the privilege of spending time with this dear friend this past weekend at the gorgeous wedding of this stunning . . . nay . . . EXQUISITE bride.


(And yes, we made her pose like that for solo shots - she was just that fabulous looking.) Perhaps the things I love the most about Callie, are the things you would never know about her by just meeting her. Callie is currently giving a potentially life-threatening illness a whoopin' like you wouldn't believe, but that journey is hers to tell. And careful if you click on that link, you might just pee your pants from laughing too hard.

What I love about Callie, is that despite whatever might be going on in her body right now, she is still every bit of fabulous Callie. Ruthless, fun-loving, hysterical Callie. This invader in her body cannot define her . . . victim, survivor, whatever words you might typically associate with this wretched disease aren't enough to describe Callie. She is, was and will be Callie - a woman who is only defined by who God made her to be. That and her fabulous Mississippi accent.

After our time together I left thinking about not the "what if's" or "can you believe its" about her situation, but truly in awe of how she is exactly the same, despite the curve balls life has thrown her in the past year. It would be so easy to let these type of things change or embitter you, but no m'am . . . not Callie.

To me, that is a powerful marker of her character. Regardless of any diagnosis, dark days or doubts, who she is and the God she believes in has not changed. I have no question that she would be the first to tell you honestly (and hilariously) about her struggles along this journey, as I know that any of us would also experience if we were in her oh-so-sassy shoes. But what I love about Callie is how her tenacious nature hasn't just accepted a diagnosis, she has fought it and made it dance to her tune.

Seriously, this girl figures if these are the cards she's dealt - she's going to make them work in her favor. So you better believe homegirl made a list of people she thought should call her so that she could beat the thing. Now I'm not just talking about "Jordan so-and-so from high school who I always thought was cute", I'm talking musicians, political leaders, sports figures - this girl made a list and these people CALLED her. That's how Callie rolls . . . life isn't just about making lemonade - its about making sangria!!

While I know that Callie is still in the thick middle of all this madness, I couldn't help but reflect on my admiration for her faith, courage, and absolute charisma in the midst of it all. So Callie, thank you for being my hero. Thank you for knowing so clearly who you are and holding so tightly to who God is, that nothing could shake you. Thank you for letting every bit of your sassiness shine even brighter on dark days, you are such a beautiful soul. I am grateful that in the midst of spending hours and days on your bath mat, we could meet you in this journey, and know Jesus better because of who He is in you. I love you sweet friend - go get 'em!!

. . .

Well, I'm happy to report this week was relatively uneventful. Now don't get me wrong, uneventful rarely is equated to unoccupied, but these days - uneventful is a treat.

No realtors to meet with, no totes to send over the ocean, no seminars to give to MOPS . . . just me, Triple B, and the opportunity to enjoy friends. While thinking about what to blog this week, I realized there just wasn't much of note - and how nice that was. I feel like I'm relatively well adjusted to the insane pace of our lives these days, but man, it was nice to have nothing "major" we had to accomplish this week.

I realized how much I need the time and space to make my life about other people. I have realized that I am the most richly filled when I am able to give of myself and time to others - its in this giving that I am the most truly content. I kinda think God made it to work that way. And yes, supposedly our lives are about other people - but if we evaluate our day to day schedules . . . for the most part, my schedule is about . . . well, me. My job, my plans for the day, my dinner, you know how it goes.


I thought you might appreciate a photo of me in case its been a while since we've seen one another. And yes, I did use Apple photobooth - and no, I don't think that ever gets old.


Ok, I promise I'm done. I just get a kick out of those every time. The freakishly tall blonde is Mom. Hi Mom.

During this week of slight non-busyness, I had the opportunity to cook dinner for and spend an evening laughing with friends, go see a friend and her new baby, have other friends over for coffee and dessert, and go on a walk every day with my husband and hear all about how his bracket is doing. It's these type of things that I need (ok, maybe not the bracket monologues. my love and devotion to my dear one can only last one collegiate sports season).

I so earnestly believe that in all of our doing and going, we miss the simplicity of being. Being present . . . being available . . . being still. The sunshine this week has made it that much easier to just stop and revel in beauty of the day, and has reminded me how such pauses need to be habitual rather than simply seasonal.

So, that's it. That's me this week. Nothing earth shattering or remarkable, and for right now - that's enough.

Highjacked Race Photo of the Week

Well, we did it. Another race come and gone. Despite the EARLY wake up call (4:30 AM old time - OUCH), it was a wonderful day. My dad "slowed down" to run with me, and we (ok, I) were able to get a new PR of 1:51:42. Note: this was a half marathon. I am neither super fast (if you're assuming I ran a full), nor super slow (if you're assuming this was a 5k). I was pretty happy with my time, although I was less than thrilled with all the zig-zags around the Cotton Bowl at the end. People can't really hear you when you mutter under your breath, right?

As I've mentioned before, I love the race day energy at these events. Way too many people up way too early to wait in line way too long for a porta potty . . .but somehow I can't get enough. I did momentarily question my sanity when I found myself lingering in the porta potties and over grates in the sidewalk just to stay warm. The energy and pump up music at the start line is especially great. However, I wasn't quite sure how these ladies fit into the whole start line scene . . .


I guess nothing says go get 'em like daisy dukes and cowgirl boots, right? Sadly Dad and I left ours at home, so I guess we weren't really all that pumped for the race.

The photo I jacked off the web I happen to love . . .and just ignore that whole copyright part across the bottom.

Nothing like running 13.1 with your old man and ending it with a fist pound. Sadly, not long after crossing the finish line we encountered this, which has both of our hearts quite heavy today. It was such a painfully shocking reminder that we truly aren't promised anything, and that each moment is an undeserved and precious gift. So Dad, I love you - thank you for teaching me how to love things that are hard, and showing me that they truly make me better. Mom - thank you for being someone who loves in such abundance, you never cease to overwhelm me with your generous heart.

Whew, ok, I gotta stop there. I am still processing what we saw, so my emotions are just below (or all over) the surface. Please just pray for this precious family, as I cannot even begin to imagine what they're going through.

My Favorite Night of the Week.

Every Tuesday Baxter and I drive our cars from their respective different directions, and meet at the church to teach ESL. Being that each of us drive 15-20 miles from our different work places/cities, by the time we get there, we are tired. Working late and dinner on the run is never fun . . . but thankfully there are precious faces, hilarious explanations, and of course snack time to look forward to.


Two falls ago, I signed up with a friend to teach an ESL class. Now I don't have a teaching OR English degree, but I figured hey - I speak English every day, so surely I could teach this right? What i didn't realize was how this experience would open my eyes to an entirely other world that I supposedly lived "in". I am a self-professed news junkie, so while I didn't know all the ins and outs of immigration issues, I for the most part consider myself to be pretty aware. WRONG. Our community is the highest grossing dairy community in the state of Texas, and subsequently has a very high immigrant population. As these people became my students and friends, it no longer became issues or policy, but the reality of those who I know and love. Public policy aside, I was and am astounded by the intricacies of living and learning in another culture (timely, right?).


This year Baxter joined me as my partner, and let me tell you - without question, every Tuesday evening I leave full of joy and gratitude for our time there. Sure, last week I had to talk about underwear to explain the difference in the prepositions "under" and "below" . . . and I may or may not have taught my class words such as "booger" and "gold-digger". These are important things to know, right?


This is Ramon . . . and don't be fooled. This little Honduran firecracker is a RIOT. It's a guaranteed party when this guy is around, and let's just say that he's the one I'm trying to teach the importance of identifying gold diggers.


This is Jose Luis and his son David. David likes to bring his "muchillo" for when he comes to "la escuela", and we are always glad to have David in class. Even if he rolls cars all over dad during the lesson. Jose Luis and his wife Cecelia (who makes a MEAN tamale) are expecting a baby girl in June, and I think we're all waiting to see how David adjusts.

These friends deeply challenge me every week. They work, live, learn and love with a tenacity I can only hope to mirror in the coming months.

Because it's good.

While the butternut squash/spinach/polenta lasagna I mentioned last week is in fact delish . . . I felt it was moving a bit fast. To take anything from 0-60 is rarely a good thing, so I decided I'd work up to that recipe. For now I'm enjoying my "no really, it can be that good in less than 30 minutes and not be from a box" sharing of recipes. This one is no exception. While the combination of ingredients might seem a bit odd, I promise it totally works. The coriander especially is good in juxtaposition (+500 pts for Katie) with the cumin, so if you don't have it, you might want to grab some. It's especially good for Indian cooking.

Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans (and we do half this for just the two of us)

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
1. After washing prick sweet potatoes with a fork in several places. Microwave on High until tender all the way to the center, 12 to 15 minutes. (I do them for 10 minutes and flip half way through cooking)
2. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan, combine beans, tomatoes, oil, cumin, coriander and salt; microwave on High until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. When just cool enough to handle, slash each sweet potato lengthwise, press open to make a well in the center and spoon the bean mixture into the well. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

I mean honestly, does it get any easier?

Thankful.

This past weekend several girlfriends and I went with our church to the annual Ladies Retreat. Now I love puppies and bubble baths as much as the next girl, but I guess watching Fried Green Tomatoes as a teenager kind of instilled a fear in me about "ladies only" type events. Thankfully our women's ministry is led by wonderfully fun and godly women, and no mirrors or cries of "TAWANDAAAAA!!!" emerged. (WHEW!)

I was so encouraged by the worship and time of preaching/teaching (depending on your theological bent), but what I really enjoyed was just time to be with women I enjoy and respect. I have been blessed to find "heart-friends" in the places we've lived, but it had been a while since I'd had one of those "stay up past 1:00 am bustin' a gut laughing and pillow talking" weekends with girlfriends. I did find it interesting how conversation has evolved, as I'm sure it always will. From the days of "does anyone have a clue how to cook?!" and "how come no one told us life past college isn't immediately awesome?" conversations, our talks in the room involved the deeper issues of emerging wrinkles and grey hairs, and what it looks like to really risk as you pursue a new life direction. It is always so rich to find friends who share your heart and life season, can assure you that your wrinkles aren't that bad, and at the same time challenge you to think about the Lord and life in a new way. For those of you who shared your hearts and time with me this past weekend - THANK YOU, I am better for the time with you!

I find myself growing increasingly sentimental at all the wonderful things we're able to be a part of right now. Because of the impending "move", we find ourselves doing A LOT, not wanting to miss a second of time or opportunity to be with those we love. So this coming weekend finds me feeding my addiction and deep love for my family by participating in this:


I know, I know . . . I have a problem. This should be my last big race before the move, but you never know. I think my dad is trying to swindle me into running a full in OKC in April, but we'll see if that happens. He's agreed to "slow down" (my words, not his) and run this one with me, which considering his previous splits of 7-8 minute miles, is a big deal. Dad and I always seem to solve the problems of at least our worlds when we run, and I always treasure the time to be together and share an experience we both love. For those of you who don't know my family, I'm sorry. They are cool, really cool. My mom always seems to "magically" have boo-koos of our favorite foods available when we visit, which might explain my heavier high school years. And for the record . . . I have the absolute cutest niece in the WORLD, and her parents are some of the funniest/sweetest people I know. (Big brother = funniest, SIL = sweetest, just to clarify). But Nate, yes, you are a sugar plum too.

But, it is only Monday. I find myself increasingly thinking about the next thing, primarily because time seems to be passing so quickly! Dreaming about our Mexico trip did NOT help either last night . . . and that's still a few weeks away! I never want to miss the "magic of the mundane" that fills in the Monday-Friday, and thankfully working at a pregnancy care center reminds me of the needs and opportunities that are immediately in front of me. [Note: I still work at the boutique one day a week, hence the typical Monday blog posts. Have no fear - there is no troubled teen sitting lonely in the lobby while I write this]. I also appreciate the gems that I work with that make each day full of fun and laughter. (Theens - you're my girl!)

One of my professors at Truett described Sundays to a minister as telephone polls whizzing by from a car window, each week they seem to fly by faster and faster. At this particular point in my life I absolutely identify with that analogy. While I daily have mounting excitement and nervousness about where this journey is heading, I don't for a second want to miss the beauty of the scenery around me. I am so grateful for times like this past weekend, that allow me to just pause and truly celebrate who God is, what He has done and is doing, and where He's taking me. The encouragement and reminder of His presence in all things is perhaps the most beautiful scenery of all - thanks be to God!

Things I'm Loving These Days.

Well, I feel I'm at a bit of an impass. After the previous two posts, I felt pressure to follow up with continued meaningful pontifications about what it means to move around the world. And then I considered copping out and posting a recipe, but felt like that was an easy way out. And then I realized I'm the one writing this thing, so I can write about whatever I feel like. So BOO-YA!

While I do have lots of thoughts about the many, many things going on in our lives right now . . . there are sometimes when things just need to marinate a bit. And to be honest, last week was a tinge intense around our house. Not only were we packing totes, sending support letters, prepping for M.O.P.S. conventions, we both were having a bit of an "off" week. Like I confessed previously, I wasn't at my shiny best, but thankfully, this is a new week. We're rested, re-cooped, and relaxed, and yes, by "we", I do primarily mean "me". So, here's a few things that are making me really happy, and besides, I just like posting pictures.

Sigh. I love cereal . . . like REALLY love cereal. I honestly lay in bed at night excited to go to sleep so I can wake up and eat cereal. I don't really like eating out for breakfast because all I want in the morning is . . . cereal. It is perhaps something I am already mourning even the possibility of it being hard to come by in the future. Kashi is the prime rib of cereal to me, and they have outdone themselves with this new cereal. While I am a huge fan of the Heart to Heart Blueberry and Oat clusters, this new one gives the rest a run for its money.


Ahhhh . . . the SUN. The glorious SUN has finally decided to shed its light on the 'Ville. I feel like this flower, and find myself just wanting to lay in the grass and and bask in its delicious light. It's springtime . . . maybe. I'm not entirely convinced yet, but the tease of the sun is enough to raise my hopes.

I got this workout DVD from my sweet mother-in-law for Christmas, and it is fantastic! Some friends of mine from college recently opened a franchise of Pure Barre in Birmingham, and I asked for this DVD as a round about way of supporting their new business. It's a great combination of dance technique and toning, and I love a workout that leaves you feeling both toned and refreshed!

So, there you have it. A few things I'm loving. And there have been some delicious eats in our house this past week (I think cooking has become a stress reliever for me), so I'll oblige the masses and post something tasty eventually. Last night? Polenta Butternut squash lasagna = KILLER. So don't feel too bad for us. We may be busy and in the midst of major life change, but don't you worry. We Bentley's eat GOOD.

And so it begins.

Well, as you can imagine, a significant portion of our time and thoughts these days are devoted to "The Big Move". This past week was particularly focused on "The Big Move" as we printed, sorted, stuffed and stamped support letters, and as we attempted to pack some totes to send across the pond. A group from our church will be travelling there this next week, and offered to take some totes of our stuff with them, in hopes of lightening our load later this summer. (We go to church with SAINTS I tell ya!) I had a lot going on with work last week (which deserves an entirely separate post of its own - just imagine yours truly leading a seminar on how to have "THE TALK" with your kids at a MOPS convention), so my dear boy offered to begin packing the totes earlier in the week.

Now, as I have previously mentioned, I have a slight fixation with wanting to do the "best" thing. (And like I have also mentioned, me and Jesus are working on it.) But you can imagine the mental angst the whole idea of these totes was causing me. What is so important you need it to move around the world with you, but not so important you can't live without it for 3-4 months? I would find myself meandering around the house at all hours of the night and day last week with a slotted spatula in one hand and a box of Christmas ornaments in the other . . . just hoping for a divine revelation as to what should fill these mysterious totes. So last night, as I finally had time to devote fully to this project, I wander into the office to see what Baxter has deemed "worthy". This is what I find.

Ok, I get it. Books. Sure, very important. As a reader and holder of my own degrees as well, I absolutely affirm the value of being lifelong learners. Well done babe, well done. But this . . . really? THIS?!

Seriously people, I kid you not. A Hebrew lexicon was at the bottom of this tote (CoggDogg - I knew you would love this), and have no fear, was also accompanied by our Greek lexicon. These two items alone no doubt totaled about 10-15 lbs!! And when you're limited to 40 lbs per tote, let's just say these two gems hadn't quite crossed my mind as vitally important. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore the fact that I married a smart cookie who loves to sharpen his mind in all forms and at all points in life - but let's just say this was a far cry from what I deemed as "tote worthy". As if cultural and language acquisition isn't going to be enough of a challenge - why not parse some Hebrew verbs while we're at it? It was just SO super fun during our seminary years, why not keep it going?! Good after dinner entertainment with friends, right?

After some good laughs at my precious little nerd, we both took a deep breath and re-evaluated. I decided that slotted spatulas just might be universal, and Baxter agreed that the Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew lexicon wasn't immediately necessary for our health and well being. In the end, here's what our office looked like:

While it was entirely weird to begin packing up a small part of our life to send it around the world, it was actually kind of freeing as well. I think somewhere along the way I had developed this idea that everything that went into these totes had to be discerned through prayer and fasting and maybe even a divining rod or two, and that were I to mis-pack, our health and ministry just might be doomed. (Note: Katie on lots of stress and little sleep isn't the most rational . . . i'm just sayin'.)

But as we sat amidst our piles of books, fleeces and Christmas decorations, we were able to assess what it is about our stuff that makes us, "us". And thankfully, we have been raised and surrounded by people who never have put signficant value on "stuff", so I don't feel like we're having to purge the very core of who we are to make our lives in this new context work. Rather we were able to evaluate the things around us that make us smile, that bring back a memory, or that we just plain enjoy. I have no doubt that we will get there and there will be some stuff that seems so insanely peripheral I will question my own sanity in including, and other things that I know I will equally question my sanity for leaving it.

But after we locked the last tote and got in bed last night, I laid in the dark thankful for a newfound freedom from the weight of worry over packing the "best" things. As we are engaging the Lord in this new and inevitably challenging phase of our lives - I find peace in knowing that He knew every bit of what He was getting when He called us to this. For all of my worry and perfectionism, I realized I was missing the joy that Lord would love and teach little 'ol crazy me in such a way, even through the angst of deciding what to take.

As we step towards all of this occasionally overwhelming new-ness, I have realized that it isn't my weight to carry alone, or even my journey to mess up. But in each phase, I have a precious husband, a loving community, and gracious God who are with me every step of the way; teaching and encouraging me even in my fear and doubt. So even if I do send boxes and boxes of the "wrong" stuff around the world, I choose to believe that the Lord just might use me and all my junk as well. If Jesus could use a little boys' offering of fish and loaves, I like to think that He just maybe could use my Christmas ornaments and slotted spatulas too.