Not Allowed

Casey is NOT allowed on the furniture- not at all.* If he climbs up on the couch to take a look out the window, I yell at him "Off!" and he dutifully climbs down.

But, today, I sat in the chair, and he climbed up on my lap. It's as if the rule doesn't apply if he's sitting on me rather than the chair. (The chair barely fits me and the 50-lb dog in my lap. He must think he's a smaller lap dog, or that we've been giving him weight loss pills, so now he fits in the chair. Neither is true.)

So, did I yell at him, "Off!" and push him to the ground? I couldn't bring myself to. The cuddles in the chair were too sweet- I couldn't tell him No. I complain about his hair everywhere, but when I get to bury my face in his coat, I don't complain one bit. I love 'im, I really do. I mean, how could you not love this face?

* He's not allowed on the furniture while we're awake. He's figured out he can sleep on the couch at night and not get yelled at. Hence all the hair all over the couch he's not allowed to climb on.

Numbers this morning

Mice caught in traps last night: 1
Mice caught in traps since July 27: 8
Mice caught by Casey last weekend: 1

Cups of tomato sauce made from overripe tomatoes at my house yesterday: 12
Tomatoes still ripening in my kitchen: At least 8
Tomatoes still ripening on the plants: Too many to count
Number of times I wish I had a stainless steel backsplash: 1, this morning while I was using the hand mixer to break up chunks in the tomato sauce, and watching the tomato sauce splatter all over my walls.

Friends writing about their babies: 3 (here, here and here)
Volunteer spots left for the Weekend of Service: Over 2,000 (Why haven't you signed up yet?!)
Dollars saved at Meijer this week: 55
Dollars spent at Meijer this week: 14
Number of tickets I won to the Indy Jazz Fest from WQME: 2
Times my development environment has crashed today: 2

Peek Saves the Day!

My humble little Peek, oh how I underestimated you...

I don't get online much over the weekends. I'm in front of a screen all week, and there's so many off-screen tasks I need to accomplish. I have my phone and my Peek if anyone really needs to get a hold of me.

We were out and about Sunday morning. Right before we left, I hopped on the computer to check email. I had pretty much seen all of it already on my Peek, so I archived it, and we got on our way. In the car, I pulled out my Peek to clear off the already-read emails, and one jumped out at me. "Ebay User ID Reminder". It was definitely from Ebay, and definitely had our Ebay ID in the email- so it wasn't spam. The real mystery was, this email, now sitting on my Peek, never appeared in our email box. At least, it wasn't there a few minutes earlier when I checked before we left the house. Josh didn't request our Ebay user ID and neither did I- we both know what it is.

I get home and hop on the computer. The Ebay message is nowhere to be found in Gmail- not in the inbox, not archived, not in the trash. According to my Peek, it was sent at 10:30 the previous night- when neither of us were on the computer. The only conclusion I could come to was, someone had our email password, requested our Ebay ID, then deleted the resulting email, and deleted it from the trash. I can only assume they wanted to try to see if our Ebay password was the same as our email password, to get them into our Ebay account as well. Obviously I changed our email password, and Josh changed our Ebay password too, just to be safe.

I'm a tad freaked out that someone could get in our email account, but without my Peek, I would have never known the intruder was there. The Ebay User ID request email would have been deleted and out of sight. Our email password would not be changed, and the stranger would still have access. Because ALL my email, regardless of what I do with it in my Gmail box, gets forwarded to my Peek, I don't miss any of it. And, you better believe, I'll be paying attention to it for now on!

Peek FTW!

In Defense of Martha

I "get" Martha.

That's what I admitted to during two of the four services at my church this weekend, in front of hundreds of people. Let me tell you, it's not easy being asked about your struggles with spiritual disciplines and focus on God in front of your faith community. Because I don't have it figured out- not even close.

So back to Martha.

The pastor asked- "So, you sit down, you're ready to start a quiet time with God, you've got your bible, your pen and journal and... Nothing. What is it that would make you experience this?" For me, the answer was easy. I can totally picture myself in that situation... I'm sitting in my living room, Bible on my lap, ready to start reading- when I look around the room. From where I sit, I can see the dishes that need to be done, the floors that need to be cleaned, the dog that's whining at me to play or let him out. I have a visual to-do list around the room, and what am I doing? Sitting still rather than getting up and it all done. Later, my pastor asked, "Like Martha?" I said, "Oh, I totally get Martha." Want to hear the exchange? Josh recorded it for us, and it'll be up on the church website, at the beginning of the podcast for 9/20.

So how can I defend Martha? She's the "bad guy" in the Mary and Martha story, right? The one chastised by Jesus? Well, I'm not sure. Disclaimer: I read into these stories possibly more than I ought. I hate it when people do that. Call me out on it if my assumptions are way-out-there.

Like Martha, I have one younger sister (Nowhere does it say that Martha's older than Mary, but the passage does say they went to Martha's house. Also, Martha acts like an oldest child). I'm task-oriented and fact-oriented and practical to a fault. I love extending hospitality, but when large groups come over, I'm running around trying to multitask and make sure everyone will be comfortable and fed. I'm an introvert, so I show my appreciation for friends and guests by serving them, and less so by visiting (unless there's no one else to entertain them).

All that to say, I understand what Martha's trying to do. I understand why she's "distracted by all the preparations that had to be made". Jesus + 12 disciples + 2 sisters + (probably?) Lazarus, their brother + who knows what other friends or followers = a 16+ person dinner party. Single-handedly, that's a hard event to pull off. So, I also totally understand why Martha asked her sister, who was just sitting around visiting with the guests, to be an extra pair of hands in the kitchen, you know, so they could eat at some point. Always practical. Trying to serve her guests. I get that. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've done the same thing to Josh, while he's sitting still and I'm trying desperately to clean the house and tend whatever's on the stove and in the oven before 13 people show up to our house. I've been there.

My entire picture of Martha is not shaped by this one dinner party story or a second dinner party, where Martha serves (again), and Mary does an outlandish thing and douses Jesus with perfume, in an emotional act of love and gratefulness. She and Mary show up elsewhere, and from the other story, I gained a better understanding of their personalities- and the way God deals with each of us as individuals, reaching us just at our point of need.

Mary and Martha's brother Lazarus dies four days prior, and Jesus was just now getting to Bethany, even though he could have made it to their town before Lazarus died. Both sisters were mourning, but in their own way. Martha hears Jesus is close and goes out to meet him- possibly because she wants to talk to him, as an introvert, one-on-one, and she's overwhelmed by all the people because "many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother"? I know that's how I would feel.

Martha meets Jesus and says "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." She knows he's "Lord." Always-practical Martha had hoped her friend who does miracles would have known to come, to save her brother at the last minute. She has faith- and knows intellectually all is not lost, even though her heart is mourning.

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." - rather than offering nice words, he gives her facts. This may seem odd, but again, I get this. In my biggest struggles with faith, when I come back to basics, the truths I know I can lean on, my faith is strengthened, and I'm able to put some questions to rest, or find answers in the bedrock of my faith. Martha answers with agreement, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Intellectually, she knows this truth. It's probably gotten her through these last few days- knowing she'll be reunited with her brother again in the future.

Again, Jesus asks her to acknowledge her faith, giving her another fact:

Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

Again, she acknowledges the spiritual truth. Jesus knew this is what she needed- an affirmation that God is still in control. She knew this intellectually, but being reminded of it, as seemingly random as it is, is a comfort when the world around her is falling apart. She is fact-oriented and knows this is something she can lean on. The Messiah is here. Everything will be OK. (In both of these "facts," Jesus is alluding to the miracle he's about to do, bringing Lazarus back from the dead, but there's no reason Martha should have picked up on that, and, to be fair, Martha acknowledges a miracle as a possibility in the first thing she says)

So, does Jesus repeat this scene with Mary? Not even close. Martha goes back to the house, and tells Mary Jesus is on his way and asking for her. Mary- who, I'm guessing is more social and emotional based on the previous stories, was followed by the mourners who were in the house with her. She headed to find Jesus, and, when meeting him, said the same thing Martha did. "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her and the others weeping, he cried along with them. Mary did not need what Martha needed- Martha needed a reminder of truth to strengthen her faith as she mourned on her own. Mary needed people to cry with her as her emotions all spilled out. Jesus knew just how to comfort each sister, as different as they are.

I get Martha. Totally and completely. Is she the "bad guy"? I hope not, because I see so much of her in me. Jesus is never harsh with her, but gentle, and meets her where she's at. I'm glad he treats me the same way.

A Million Miles

Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life is different than his previous books. I'm one of the few that liked Searching for God Knows What better than Blue Like Jazz- though both are fabulous. They're just different. If you haven't read anything by Miller before, do start with Blue Like Jazz, because it will put A Million Miles in context.

From what I remember (I read both the books years ago), Blue Like Jazz was seemingly disconnected stories from Miller's life, with some reflections thrown in, and Searching For God Knows What was mostly reflections, with a few stories. A Million Miles is much closer to a narrative- the stories seem to happen in chronological order, they're less random, and they're tied together much better. Reflections on the stories are woven in seamlessly, and the stories are woven together in such a way the reader is pulled into the narrative along with Miller, as he discovers the meaning of Story in his life.

What does he learn about stories both writing a good story and living a good story? He learns that the core of a story is "a character wants something and overcomes conflict to get it," which he keeps coming back to, and he reflects more deeply on how Story plays out in his own life. Here's a few snippets:

"You don't know a story is happening to you when it starts happening. You slide into the flow of it like the current in the ocean; you look back at the beach and can't see your umbrella and your hotel is a quarter-mile back."

"...the story is not about the ending, but about the story itself, about your character getting molded in the hard work of the middle."

"People who live good stories are too busy to write about them."

"The great tragedy of our lives seems to be that we are smart enough to ask the question of meaning but too dumb to really figure it out"

"Lucy [Miller's dog] does not look for a rational explanation for her existence; only humans do that. And I don't think it's something we were designed to do. I think, rather, we were designed to be distracted by life, by story, by naming animals and building huts and loving spouses and giving birth to children, by tending land and fishing streams, by drinking wine and laughing with friends, by enjoying sunset with one another and by fearing snakes and mending cut hands and by enjoying a camaraderie with a God who does not need for us to understand Him, but rather only wanted us to know Him."

That last bit really hit me. I definitely feel like I "get" life, like I'm living a better story and doing more of God's will, when I'm actually living, doing things, rather than striving to figure out (and worry about) minute details about God. Maybe God does want us to fully live life in the story He's put us in, and some of the silly theological arguments and pursuits and unanswered questions are OK to put to rest, trading the academic pursuits for a deeper relationship with Him in all parts of my life.

While learning about what a good story is and what sort of story he ought to be living, Miller actually does start to live an exciting, compelling story- traveling, meeting people, and going on adventures. Instead of vacationing at a Myrtle beach golf course, he climbs a mountain in Peru, bikes across the country, and kayaks with friends. His journey made me look at my own life- what is my story like? Where is it going? What is it I want and what conflict am I overcoming to get it?

The book appears to be (almost) entirely available on Google Books, so check it out there or order it on Amazon. Definitely, definitely worth the read. Possibly his best book yet, seriously. Without a doubt, his best story. Also check out Donald Miller's blog where he posts about being part of God's story, too.

People You Might Find in Chicago

We were in Chicago this weekend for a quick getaway, and to let my sister use our car while we took over her apartment. One of my favorite things to do in Chicago is people-watch- you never know who you'll run into!

Lego people



People in kilts



People dancing



People at a Tea Party



People walking silly-looking dogs



People playing in water


People getting married




People talking about their lute



People waiting to eat pizza



People admiring themselves



And, of course, there's always a chance of meeting a really handsome guy!


That's a round-up of People You Might Find In Chicago- though there are people that are harder to find. Like Waldo.


No, we didn't find him. We were visiting with friends on the north end of the boundary area, and didn't get out to look. Sounded like fun, though.

Ma and Pa Visit the Big City

From chicago09

From the Archives: Remember.

This was first posted September 11, 2006

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I was in Economics class that fateful Tuesday morning, my senior year of high school. We were in a different classroom than usual, because half the school (my sister included) was taking ISTEPs (Indiana graduation exams). A teacher popped her head in and told us to turn on the TV. We were watching when the towers fell. We didn't have class that day. Only my math class actually tried to cover material. No official announcement at school was made until ISTEPs were over for the day- at lunchtime. They didn't want to upset the sophomores and other students trying to concentrate on the test they had to pass to graduate. The school was silent. The day didn't hit me hardest till 3 months later.

12/11/01 was the day I boarded a bus with a group of students and staff, headed for downtown New York City. We were on a dual mission- as ambassadors of our school to a 'sister school' that was located caddy-corner from the WTC complex, and as help for Student Venture, a Campus Crusade ministry that was trying to reach out to students affected by the tragedy in their backyard.

And then there was the night we went to Ground Zero. The dust was still in the air. I saw workers hosing off store awnings, trying to remove the layer of dust, trying to make things look 'normal'. The makeshift memorial we all saw on TV, on the chain link fence alongside Ground Zero, was not just on TV for me anymore, but right there in front of me. Workers went to and from the area of fenced-off debris. While we were there, they were working to take down the last, largest remaining piece of the buildings. Sparks flew. The most poignant moment, however, was when I stood next to a guy from the New York high school- a couple guys we had visited that day had come with us. It was their first time back to Ground Zero since 9/11. He pointed to a spot in the air: "We watched as the second plane hit, right there." (He pointed to a building still standing) "We thought the explosion hit that building too."

Later on, I was standing back from the Indiana group, taking everything in, as the group was up at a fence, down an alley, looking at the destruction. One of the NYC high schoolers was near me, the other was also away from the group, pacing the alley. I somewhat insensitively asked, "What's wrong with him? Is he OK?" His friend said, "His uncle died in those buildings." These were real people, really affected. Kids my age. I wonder where they are today, 5 years later.

I dug around for pictures from the trip. They aren't all mine:

NY Dec 2001

Dec 12, 2001 - 17 Photos

Coupon book winners!

Congrats to Lindsey, Connie, Abby, and Stacy! I'll be emailing you shortly for your addresses, to get you your Discover Indy coupon book. Enjoy! And, thanks for playing, everyone!

Discover Indy Coupon Book Giveaway!

We all know I love to save money.

As I mentioned on my food blog recently, I love to cook, but going out to eat is my vice, and it can get expensive! For the last couple years, we've invested in coupon books to take the edge off of eating at restaurants- usually saving 50% on meals at places we'd want to try anyway!

Locally, the Zoobook was the go-to coupon book for the Indianapolis area. Well, Zoobooks has changed its name to the Discover Indy Savings Book, and it's as good as ever! I got one of these coupon books to leave in my car for when the urge hits to eat out or do something around town, and I'm impressed at the variety of establishments represented. This year, there's even a whole page of free, no-purchase-necessary coupons- Josh used one just last month to grab lunch at Rally's when he forgot the one I packed for him at home. Check out all of the offers, or follow DiscoverIndy on Twitter to get updates on coupons.

All of the Indianapolis area is represented- some of the restaurants and entertainment venues are on my side of town, but I'm looking forward to exploring other areas and new-to-us restaurants too! Even if you're just in Indianapolis occasionally, the book will more than pay for itself after just one or two uses. The 2010 books just went on sale last month, full of coupons that don't expire until December 2010. Buying the book earlier will allow you to get more for your money.

Want to win a Discover Indy Savings Book for your family? I have FOUR books to give away to my readers! How to enter:

1. Leave a comment here letting me know your favorite thing about living in or visiting central Indiana (Required for entry)
2. Tweet about the contest, and include @KeepingFeet and @DiscoverIndy, and leave a comment saying you tweeted (Extra entry)
3. Blog about the giveaway & link back here. Leave a comment with your blog link letting me know where to check your post out. (Extra entry)

I'll draw the FOUR winners next Thursday, September 10th. Make sure I have your email address so that I can contact you if you win! Good luck!

Links for today

• To make up for the not-so-great witness of the Going To Hell booklet I posted about, go and read Curtis' open letter to those who have been burned by the church, and take it more seriously than my last post :)
• We're going camping this weekend (Woohoo!) and will be in Chicago the following weekend (Sept 12/13) Imagine my excitement when I learned there'll be a life-sized Where's Waldo game going on while we're there. I think this might get added to the To-Do list. I'll let you know if I find Waldo. Also, if any of my friends in Chicago *i'mlookingatyoumattandalisse* want to hang out, drop me an email.
• CS Lewis on capitalism and socialism
• Our church has a newly-redesigned website! It's snazzy. Check it out. Alas, the library page is no more. A big thanks goes out to church web guy Kiel and super-designer Brad.