Si, Bailar!!!

Yesterday was no ordinary Jueves.

After Bible study, I put on a swishy black skirt. I pulled my hair up and put on sparkly earrings. I put on my silver heels, which happen to be the tallest heels I own... I think. (And it was okay because the friend I was headed out with is like 6'3 or so.) And I went to get my salsa on.

Not like Mexican cuisine. No, this was Ibiza, a local salsa dancing joint.

It was amazing. So many people there were great dancers! It was slightly intimidating, but I'm infatuated, and I want to be muy bueno at it! We'll see how it goes... I think they give free lessons on Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights... :)

And I made a new friend! Santana. Named after Carlos. He was a fabulous dancer. And he works for WorldVision. And likes switchfoot. Amigos? I think so!

I worked all day today. It was aight.

But at Bible study, I also found out that tomorrow, I get to go school supply shopping, for an unnamed local immigrated *baby who can't afford a proper Trapper Keeper or the 96 Box of Crayolas. I am SO excited. This kind of shopping trip comes in second only to shopping for my annual **Shoebox Baby.

So it's been a good week, I suppose! Hopefully this pattern will continue.
And now, some tiny, random movie reviews.

Pirates 3
While a big part of me loved the ridiculous inconvience of the Swann/Turner nuptials, the ending of this movie is ridiculous. There is no way I'd be cool, chillin out on an island for 10 years, raising a kid by myself, waitin on his Daddy to show back up. And where's little 9 year old Liam gonna go when Daddy gets back?! How do you split one day between the love of your life and the child you've never met?! No thank you. It stresses me out just thinking about it.

The Fountain
If you really, truly, genuinely loved this movie-- I wish you'd tell me why. Really. Especially if it changed your life. I'd like to know how. Because it didn't do anything for me. Not one thing. Sorry. I've heard rave reviews for the soundtrack, and I can get behind that. But the film itself, while sort of pretty at parts, mostly struck me as a forced, despe...(read more)rate, somewhat esoteric attempt to be tragically romantic and intensely meaningful/profound. I can't recommend it. Go watch the sun rise (or set) from the top of a mountain or very large hill... or maybe a lake. It's a better use of your time...

And that is all. For now. :)



*I call nearly everyone a baby who's more than two years my junior. Two years or less, and you're a kid. And I mean it all in the most affectionate way. :)

** Angel Tree Child that you adopt from church or the mall at Christmastime.

And I Didn't Put On Makeup All Day.

Eventful couple of days...

Following my double shift, I partied with, not like, a rockstar... or two. Cary Barlowe's 25th birthday extravaganza was also the perfect excuse for me to try to rock a mohawk, similar to one I'd seen on Shear Genius. I wore a casual/semi-formal black & white dress with black plastic earrings and Chucks. And my hair in a pretendalmost mohawk. It was really fun. :)

Today? I ate cereal. And I mowed the lawn. Sure did. It looked a hot mess. Not to mention we were finally forced to do something about it because-- well, wait, let me back up.

To Clint. Clint (my next door neighbor who I prayed with in the flowerbed) is doing well, all things considered. Remember how I wasn't sure he'd even remember our exchange? Well, he did, and he wrote me a letter from jail, thanking me for encouraging him. It was wonderful. He asked if I'd write to him, so of course, I have. If you want to know more about this, talk to me. But whatever you do, don't worry. I'm not crazy and I know how and when to be careful. :)

But basically through the course of our correspondence, I told him about the epic disaster that was our front lawn, and joked that the Homeowners Assoc. was going to evict us if we didn't get it under control soon.

Thursday morning, the Homeowners Assoc telephoned Holly to tell her that we had till Thursday to get that under control-- or get fined. Yikes. Calling of several lawn companies ensued (some for the second or third time!), but no one could get here as quickly as we needed them. So Kish & I decided that tomorrow, since we're off most of the day, we'd go ask our neighbor Leah (Clint's grandma) to borrow her mower.

Lo and behold, an hour after Kish left for work, Leah shows up at our front door. She thanks me for writing/encouraging Clint and said that if we ever needed to borrow her mower, it was all ours. She also mentioned that it was Clint who told her we were gonna get kicked out if we didn't mow soon, and also he who suggested that she volunteer her mower.

God is so cool. :)

So we (Heather & I, at the time) borrow this pretty incredible "push" mower that turns on with a key and rolls itself. I mowed the front and the back and we chopped up all kinds of weeds and hedges. Our yard is no longer a sordid and unkempt. It actually looks rather fabulous now, if i do say so myself. :)

Not to mention, we got to hang out and talk with Leah for the hour and a half or so that we worked outside. Leah is 65 and beautiful, standing in her yard, watering her grass in her shorts while drinking her glass of white wine. :) Love it. She helped us pull weeds and when we were done, she let me take Mojo for a walk! He was a very good boy, and Leah said I could walk him anytime I wanted. Leah's a sweet woman, very strong too. So interesting, the way God is weaving these various stories together.

Also just wanted to mention that I have not one, but three very fabulous roommates. I just adore them all so much. They're wonderful.

It was a very nice day. :)

Like Accidentally Winning The Lottery. Only Better.

I just want everyone, the whole online world, in fact to have access to this fact:

That I have the best, best friend in the universe.

I didn't do anything to deserve it. In fact, I don't even know quite how it happened, except that God is brilliant and hilarious and made it so. What I do know is that Kish and I are family by choice and that life is amazing with her in it. What a great feeling to be confident that nowhere on Earth is off limits if we go together! I can't think of a better road lizard to have for the rest of my single adult life.

We've often said that our friendship is like a great marriage; total security, blatant honesty, a practically filter-free existence. I mean, have you ever wished there was someone in your life you could bare your soul to? Even about stupid, ridiculous things? Ever wish someone would see through you and call you out on the shit in your life? Ever wish someone could see the real you and still love you enough to walk through life with you on a daily basis?

My best friend does/is all of the above.

My best friend is actually a ton of things—no one who meets her could ever forget her. She was the first person in my world outside my immediate family to love me enough to speak the truth in love to me when I needed it most. She's my brakes when I'm about to do something stupid, like settle for something/one less than God's best for me, or send a toxic email. (Some of you reading this could literally be thanking her right now for being my brakes. ;) )

So yeah, my bff? She's a character, that one. She'd make a great addition to a sitcom or even a reality tv show. She's hilarious. I really don't even think she tries; she just speaks her mind, and the delivery is comedic serendipity. Not to mention, she tells the parrot joke better than anyone else in the world. :) She also knows how to deal with me so well that it's crazy. My future husband would be smart to pull her aside for a debriefing before he pops the question. It'd be enlightening to say the least.

Kish is so many things that I love. She's an aroma junkie who doesn't waste her time hiding her emotions behind a fake smile. She is a passionate cake baker and a terrifying sneezer. She's a PTA Mom in training and a Krispy Kreme donuts' worst nightmare. She can also walk out of the house in a babydoll shirt and formal shorts and cowboy boots and somehow, it's okay. She is the best person to spill your guts to and the best person to laugh your guts out with. She is the best listener, the best relater, the best encourager and the best partner in crime EVER.

(By the way, if you happen to be reading this and you happen to be in love with her, know that you are gonna have to come right and come strong to captivate her heart. Because if you even think about messing with her head or disrespecting her or making her feel like she's too much or not enough or tryin to leave her?! I will box you. I will box you so hard you won't remember your own birthday. M'kay? :) But seriously.)

She is so strong, so respectful and so caring. She is a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. She is protective and loyal and full of grace. She is a delight when she's happy, but to see her brokenhearted for the downtrodden will bless your soul. She has the heart of a servant, a divine amount of patience, and she is so incredibly forgiving. She will be an incredible mom, and she also has a beautiful heart for the elderly. She sure will crack your face in love when you need it, but also be the first one rubbing your back when you're drowning in tears.

She also drives frighteningly close to the steering wheel.

But she's a badass parallel parker. :)

She listens to my crap, any time of day or night, over and over again. And she gets tired of hearing it, but she still listens and gives me the same great advice when I need it most.

She is worth knowing, worth loving, and worth remembering. Why? Because she is a radiant reflection of the perfect beauty of the King. She is a P31Woman, a beautiful Lady In Waiting, and a magnificent, astonishingly lovely bride of the living Christ. She becomes more like Him with every breath she takes.

I've seen a few women grow up alongside me, but I can honestly say there is no one I am more proud of, more blessed by or more delighted to be walking through the adventures and perils of my young adult life with than Kokisha Latrice Knight.

Not that it's a competition.

I'm sure your best friend is wonderful. Really.

But mine's the best. End of story. I just wanted to make sure you knew.



Love you, babe. :)

That Song's Annoying, But Oh, So True.

It blows my mind how small this town is. The whole LOST/Seven Degrees of Separation thing is entirely possible. Especially here.

Let me tell you a very windy story. Bear with me.

The very first time I toyed with the idea of moving to Nashville was after the first time I worked the merch table at a Jeremy Camp concert in Abilene, TX. I made friends with Danny L., the merch guy, and ended up helping him with several shows over the next few years.

Danny L. was my first show, Dayna was my fourth. She was the WorldVision rep at a Nichole Nordeman show. Very sweet girl, passionate about Africa, and at the time, she was about to begin managing a new artist; a friend of hers named Harrison Hudson. She was also a resident of Nashvegas. Everyone I ever spoke to about moving to this place made it seem like the place to be. Talking with Dayna also inspired me to seek out an internship with WorldVision—which would have taken me to Federal Way, Washington rather than Nashville. Nevertheless, I started researching the interview process.

But then there B-Haley. He was my fifth or sixth show… I think. B-Haley is Tobymac's drummer. After hangin out with him and Jesus after WinterWonderSlam in 2005, I was re-convinced I needed to at least visit Tennessee.

So I did. On Spring Break, B-Haley took Kish, Holly & I by the studio—where we met Toby, David Mullen and a new artist named Nate Huss (who's album was later produced by my friend Jamie Moore). After hearing from David two weeks before graduation, I terminated my application with WorldVision to jump in to life at the Co-Op Studio, which is where I ended up spending the vast majority of last summer.

(On that Spring Break trip, at the Flying Saucer, the girls & I met a guy named Steven. He and Kish exchanged numbers and we bumped into him several times after moving here, nearly six months later. Two weeks ago (at a Luna Halo show, where we were out supporting our boy Barlowe), we ran into him again and he was able to get Kisha into the venue even though it was packed AND we were out of cash. Crazy.)

Now that I've been here a year, things have evolved. I've sorta kept up with Danny L. and I ran into him at the Flying Saucer about a month ago; he and Jeremy Camp recently parted ways and Danny L. now does merch for Switchfoot (my favorite!). A guy named Adam, who used to frequent my Starbucks and also used to work at a different Starbucks in town (alongside a friend of mine (Daniel Allen) from the MLBC youth group), is now doing merch for Jeremy Camp.

Adam is also friends with my Aussie mate, Swanny, who hangs out with my girl Stephanie Smith (who is signed with Gotee and sings the song "Superstar" that was on my myspace profile forever). That song was also produced by Jamie Moore, who runs in the same crowd with a guy named Kadar, who I met at a different Luna Halo show.

So last night while I was out with Kish, Holly, Swanny & Stephanie, I ran into Kadar & his friend Danny (NOT Danny L.) at the Flying Saucer, only to find that Kadar is on tour drumming for Nate Huss and Danny is a guitar tech for Relient K (who are also Gotee kids, AND about to go on tour with-- guess who? Switchfoot. Of course. :) ) P.S. Danny also guitar tech-ed for Casting Crowns when they came to ACU with Nichole Nordeman in 2005. I was working the merch table at that show too.

So last night at the Saucer while talking to Kadar and Danny, the conversation turned to my future aspirations. I mentioned my heart for writing, for Spanish and for impoverished children. Mentioned that I almost moved to Washington to work for WorldVision, inspired by a girl I met on the concert circuit in Abilene.

While I was talking to Danny & Kadar, a guy came up and sat down to talk to Kadar. Shortly after, a girl came up to say hi to the guys, and I started thinking-- she looks really familiar. It takes me a minute, but it clicks.

It's Dayna. From WorldVision. And the guy with her, talking to Kadar? Harrison Hudson.

I'd talked to her on myspace since I met her in Abilene, but never consistently. But when I reminded her, she totally remembered and was shocked and gave me a huge hug and introduced me to Harrison.

Unbelievable. :) I love stuff like that!

Not to mention it makes those LOST connections seem a lot more probable. :)

In short:
The world is tiny.
Shows are a great place to network.
And if you spend enough time at the Saucer, you will run into everyone you've ever met.

Kiss The Cook

So I may not have a large immediate family/circle or any blood-related brothers (or sisters),
And I may have never cooked for more than five people in my entire life.
In fact, cooking in and of itself is a brand new thing for me.

But I sure did just finish cooking Sunday lunch for a pack of 18 or so Narrow Gate boys. All by myself. It's all in my fridge, waiting to be taken to church en la manana. It's a hearty conglomeration of potatoes, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, beef and chicken that my House 9 roommates & I affectionately refer to as Man Food. And y'all-- it's good. I'm really pretty proud of myself, and I hope it reheats well in 9 hours or so.

Also, I can I just say that love having male friends who I can call with cooking questions? I now have two fellas in my rolodex who are professional chefs. And I'm not entirely sure what I'd do without them. :)

Mmmm. I haven't slept nearly enough the past few days. It's catching up with me.
So I'm gonna go chase it down. Buenas noches!

"How bout the Big Tippers?"

"I like it!" :)

Remember that "prowling grounds for an untamed tongue" bit? Well, it's not gonna be that bad. But here comes a big ol' sudsy soapbox. Get ready, I haven't been here in awhile.

Okay. You won't find this explicitly in any scripture, but since becoming a waitress, I have recently reached the conclusion that we, as followers of Christ are called to be many things—one of which is good tippers.

That's right. Yes, it depends on the restaurant and the level of service, but as an adult, you know the difference between good service and bad service—and good tips and bad tips. I understand that the amount of the tip should match the quality of service, but there is a bottom line, and as a current "professional server", I'd like to make you aware of it.

I'm not saying you have to be an extravagant tipper, (unless of course you want to be. That's a calling in itself and a tremendous blessing if you are willing and able.) but when you go out, especially to a fine dining establishment, you need to factor in at least a 20% tip when you're deciding how much you can spend.

As believers, I think we have a real opportunity to be blessed and to be a blessing every time we venture out to eat. God calls us to be cheerful givers. Your pastor probably reminds you of that every Sunday. But, it's really true. You might not really think about it, but when you've received gourmet food and quality service, I think the amount on your tip line is directly correlated to your level of common sense AND your level of faith. Clearly, if you're not financially stable, you don't need to throw your dough away (or be blowing it at fine dining establishments). But think about how much money you burn in a week's times on superfluous, impulse buys. God provides you with money for stuff like that. And we all take it for granted. But add that stuff up and divide it by the number of times you eat out at places where you're required to tip in a week? You've got more than a couple of very nice tips. Give or take $5, chances are, you're not even going to miss it.

I'm not saying this so much for me. I always give my best to my customers, and if I have a crappy section, or a bad night, I don't flip out and curse humankind. That's just how the business goes. Regardless of how much I have to tip out the bartenders and the server's assistants (even when it does hurt), I know that God's going to use the people at my tables to provide for my ALL needs. He always has, and I don't believe He's going to stop now.

But unbelievers are a different story. My point is simply this: Beloved, every time you tip, you have an opportunity to be a very tangible blessing and an encouragement. And if you are blatantly Christian (i.e. praying over your food) AND stingy, I can PROMISE you, you are being judged. And the image of Christ is being judged right along with you. The church has a bad enough rep already. As a server who is also a believer, I entreat you to seek to break these stereotypes, encourage unbelievers and, honestly, just brighten someone's day. If you've ever served before, you understand how one unexpected generous tip can turn your whole day around.

Speaking of judging, let me throw out a couple of rather unscientific facts…

Stereotypically, senior citizens, women, teenagers and church goers are the worse tippers. Any career server will tell you that.

With seniors, sometimes you expect it a because they come from a time when things were a lot cheaper and tipping ten percent was the norm. Then again, sometimes, they totally surprise you. (That goes for all these groups, really. There are always exceptions.)

Women often come in (occasionally in larger groups) spending money that their husbands/boyfriends have given them, (i.e. they don't want to spend too much of it and get in trouble) so they skimp on the tip at the end of the meal because they don't think it's that big a deal and somebody else will cover the majority of it because after all, they are just one person and they only had water with lemon and a salad!

Ahem... sorry. This happens most often at lunchtime.

Teenagers sort of have an excuse too. They don't know about money, they don't understand finances, and they generally don't have any bills to pay. Unless they're servers too or they have brothers and sisters who are servers, they'll probably throw soy sauce or ketchup all over the table and they'll ask for 25 lemons and more bread and ranch dressing and extra pickles and then probably leave you $20 on a $18.73 tab. Just like babies throwing food on the floor, it's sort of to be expected. (Which is why we encourage teens to dine in groups and thank the Lord for auto gratuity.

But church goers? We don't have an excuse. It's just pure unadulterated cheapness. It's bad enough that servers have to skip church to work on Sunday morning to make ends meet, but then you leave an 8% tip after we had to clean up your child's urine TWICE?!?! (That was an extreme circumstance that one of my friends had to deal with on a Sunday morning.) That doesn't even make sense. If anything, our servers should know we are Christians by our love, our patience, and our generosity. Granted, your server has a responsibility to be timely, polite and to answer have any questions you may have while you're dining, but there's nothing quite like being monetarily rewarded for your efforts.

However, for the non-church going or non-Christian servers reading, lemme spit a bit of ugly truth atcha; Honestly, the majority of church-goers eating at your table on Sunday afternoons don't tithe either. If they're not cool with giving God 10%, they're probably not gonna leave you 20%.

(Christians: Burn. I know. But it's true. Trust issues, much, people of God? (Myself included!!!) But think about it… has He ever really left you hangin' with nothing? I doubt it. Jesus is definitely faithful enough to be worthy of 10%. And that's a LOT more important than my 20% tip. You might need to pray about that. Not tryin to be funny or judgmental… just sayin'…)


Also, this notice to Nashvillians:

If you work for a Christian record label, or are in anyway affiliated with a Christian artist, or if you are even seriously involved in a relationship (business or pleasure!) with someone who is affiliated with a Christian record label or artist—you are dubbed/assumed to be a Christian. And therefore a representative of Christ. Non-believers in the food service industry look at you and your bad tips and go "Those damn Christian/church-going people are so freaking cheap!" I promise that's what they say. I hear it multiple times a week. And many times, they are entirely validated. (My friend who had to clean up the pee? Twice?! And then got shafted?!? They were "church people". It was Sunday lunch, so it was more obvious. Fortunately, he's a true Christ-follower himself (not to mention a father), which was probably the only reason he dealt with the situation as well as he did.

So I know that's a lot… but keep that in mind, Theophilus? Next time you're fillin' out that tip line. It means more than you think it does. Thanks for listening...

Admitting It

There's a battle raging inside me. Right now. Ignited tonight by the testimonies of friends spread across the world.

I house two sides, both noble causes, destined to be united...

But right now the intensity of the combat is forcing hot droplets out of my eyes.

I want to be away.

One day (God, when in the worlds is that?!), all my finances will be a little more under control and I won't spend all my days serving expensive food and wine to the wealthy inhabitants of Williamson County. One day, I'll--

God, maybe I'll have nothing. But maybe I'll still be considered wealthy in the neighborhood I live in. Maybe I'll just have the clothes on my back, the shoes on my feet and the journal in my hand. Maybe I'll have access to food that I buy from a market, or maybe I'll just have to eat from the tables of my brothers and sisters who are out on the battlefront with me. Maybe I'll wear a scarf in my hair and be surrounded by children who don't have biological parents anymore. Or maybe they won't be orphans. Maybe I'll be teaching their mothers to sew or weave or print-- so they can continue to have a livelihood. Maybe I'll speak another language, and I won't quite fit in-- and it won't matter.

I want that. I want it. I know it would be hard everyday and it would just be me and Jesus-- but that's so attractive to me.

At the same time, the other part of me just-- doesn't want to go it alone. Maybe its because I've been so immersed in community for the past 5 years. Maybe the idea of going off alone sounds unbearable to me. Maybe I know that my parents would worry less if I wasn't alone.

Or maybe it's because I'm not meant to go alone.

I might be wrong about all of this. God may really need to change my heart, and if so-- here's me being vulnerable with my weaknesses.

But I want to build an adventure with someone else. And not just the next person I pass on the street. Someone brave and passionate and compassionate and selfless enough to build an adventure with me. I'm not calling anyone to perfection, any more than I'd challenge myself to it. In fact, that idea of a perfect partner is terrifying.

No, I need another fractured soul, who has been made whole in Christ. Someone like myself with fears-- with trust issues or doubt issues or other sin in their lives. Someone who's strengths line up with my weaknesses and vice versa. Someone who I can encourage and build up and challenge and love and look up to as we chase the path set before us-- even when we can't see it clearly.

Maybe I'm not ready to team up. But God, how I long to be. And the more men and women of God I read about, charging into the darkness, carrying the light and the hope of glory, the more my heart screams to be caught up in that kind of adventure.

The more my soul screams, "Somebody take me away and let's do some good in the world. Please.

Not just any somebody. And don't do it because I asked you to.

Do it because He dared you to move-- and because He's compelled you to take me with you. Forever."