On a light note - I’ve tried Super Suppers (www.supersuppers.com)… a business that plans your meals for you and you just have to come in and put it together… but I’ve just gotten word of another cool place - The Dinner A’Fare (www.dinnerafare.com) - that is much like it.  You take one afternoon, grab a bunch of friends, and put together meals for the next couple of weeks.  There are options of how many servings you get, but they do the grocery shopping, they set it out with the recipes, and they do the dishes!  What could be better?!  Plus, they keep health as a top priority!  Make it, freeze it, pull it out for a quick fix.  Just wanted to pass along a good idea.  I haven’t tried it out yet, but if it’s anything like Super Suppers, I’m sure I’ll love it.

And now, I’m off to work in the yard.  A new experience for a new homeowner.  Don’t get me wrong, my parents kept my brother and me in the yard growing up… helping mow, plant, weed, prune, trim bushes, pick up sticks, etc.  It’s never been a favorite of mine to get dirty and sweat, but I enjoy being outside and definitely enjoy flowers.  So, we’ll see how my own yard work goes!  It’s a beautiful day, I just hope the rain holds off a while longer.

Man!  God is so good!  There are so many times that I just have to stop and say, “Thanks.”  Like this morning… I got to get in my car parked in the garage to avoid getting wet on this rainy morning… or on nice, sunny days that I get to ride with the windows down and sunroof open… days I get to sleep late… so often when I hang out with my fantastic friends or family… when see fields of flowers or get to take walks along the beach… when I hear someone laugh uncontrollably and can’t contain my own smile… when I don’t have to wait in a huge line at the bank or a fast food drive through… when someone picks up my check or sends flowers for no reason… when everything just seems to be “in place”… and then there are those times that I feel so close to our Father that I wonder why there are days I ignore what He’s doing.  I’m so thankful that I have a God who loves me with an unending, infinite love (Ephesians 3:18-19) that’s better than life (Psalm 63:3).  A God who offers strength when I’m weak (2 Corinthians 12:9) and has the power to overcome any trial, hurt, temptation, or stronghold (John 16:33).  A God who IS and is able to DO immeasurably more than even what I could possibly ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  And a God who forgives (Psalm 130:2-3), and forgives (Ephesians 1:7-8), and forgives(Colpssians 1:14).  Thanks, God.  I’m head over heels for You.

I had someone ask me this question several weeks ago… and for whatever reason thought about it again this morning while getting ready for work.  I remember when I was a senior in high school… I had learned HOW to be a good Christian.  I knew what one should look like, talk like, sign up for (retreats, Bible studies, leadership seminars, etc.) and could put on a good face.  One of my best friends called me late one night and played for me Scott Kryppane’s No More Pretending.  I couldn’t remember any other lyrics to the song except that one, so I decided to look them up. 

I can look good when I want to
I know the right things to say
I cover up what I don’t want you to see
But you see it anyway
Maybe I think I can fool you
Maybe I’m fooling myself
I want to change but I don’t know how
And I need your help

Another friend told me once that he believed that as a result of all my dance and performance training, I learned how to be fake:  how to put on a believable smile and make people believe what I wanted them to.  I don’t know that I want dance and theatre to get a bad rep… I think we all learn through different means how to put up a believable front… how to be whoever anyone wants us to be in order to keep up.  And what a hard thing it is to be REAL… real with yourself, with others, and most especially with God.  I think it’s a continual process and goal for me to keep my faith, actions, and words AUTHENTIC.  And really, the more honest I am about everything, the more comfortable I am in my own skin.  No Christian is perfect.  We all have weaknesses, hurts, needs and fears.  The more we try to pretend to be great, the less we allow God to be great.  The more we try to pretend to have it all together, the less we get to learn, grow, and mature.  The more we try to pretend to not have worries and shortcomings, the less we get to experience of the rich, abuntant, and full life God has for us!  So next time you feel like you need to put on a good face and be more perfect than you really are, take a deep breath and sit down with a good friend to pray through whatever you may be facing.  And I will promise to do the same.