Savor. 651-700

651. Nickel Creek's "Doubting Thomas" & remembering all the stories & youth connected to it

652. Finding a 7-11 in Kanab, UT - which means a yummy Slushie.

653. Buying way too many bags of Trolli egg gummies.

654. Realizing that our hotel in Kanab is right next to the Escalante Staircase Visitor Center

655. Driving down a road just far enough to see if we could catch the sunset

656. Seeing at least 20 deer cross the road and chase their friends

657. Belgium waffles at hotel breakfasts.

658. Walking next door to the visitor center to register for the Wave

659. The fact that they only let 20 people hike the wave every day - to keep that land protected

660. Being the number four in the lottery for The Wave

661. Speaking German with a French/German couple

662. Not winning a permit for the Wave on Saturday

663. Driving three hours north east to the Hole in the Rock dirt road. 

664. Only getting to mile 16 out of the 26 miles on the dirt road.

665. Exploring the 25 mile Wash.

666. Stepping into mud or quicksand and being able to laugh about it and get my boots out

667. Climbing a cottonwood tree

668. Getting off the Hole in the Rock road before it rained on us. Didnt' want to get stuck in the mud.

669. The beautiful scenery that changes before your eyes

670. A second morning eating Belgium waffles - I really like them! So yummy!

671. Watching a couple from Japan celebrate because they got a permit for the Wave 

672. Driving over to Arizona for the day.

673. Finding a Sonic & drinking a Route 44 Cherry Limeaid

674. Sitting at the edge of Horseshoe Bend, AZ

675. New adventures

676. Experiencing Red Mountain Resort with Michelle

677. Yummy and healthy food

678. Access to a variety of hot tea all day long

679. Early morning hikes in the Red Rocks

680.  Trying new workouts back to back

681. Riding bikes to have coffee in a neighboring village

682. Laughing. A lot.

683. Trying to open wine without a wine opener

684. Sabbath by lying in a hammock for the afternoon

685. Walking the labyrinth by myself surrounded by red mountains

686. Meeting Deedre and Kim on one of the morning hikes

687. Running into Abby while getting my haircut with Merrill! I love small reunions!

688. Experiencing The Summit Youth Ministry conference for the second time.

689. Catching up,with Anne at dinner in Atlanta

690. Lunch with my YMCP guys

691. Meeting & listening to the guy behind the Kid President share how God is using them

692. Listening to speakers and feeling so thankful that I do what do & how we do it

693. Sonny's barbecue

694. A slice of pizza from the best pizza place ever in Atlanta

695. Love when friends come into town

696. Wine tasting with Candis at Arrington Vineyards

697. Talking about guys with Candis and her friends

698. Yard Sales. Don't like them but thankful for the people who give and the people who buy so my youth can raise money

699. Laughter with my youth after an entire today together at the yard sale

700. Face timing with my dad and Grace

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." - W.T. Purkiser

Savor. 551-600

551. An afternoon with Mary Arthur in Nashville. 

552. Finding a masseuse at Massage Envy who helps me be ready for the marathon.

553. My community. All of my friends who cheered me on through text, fb and in person during my 20 mile training run.

554. Falling asleep on the couch with Nathan while waiting for Brenda's flight to get here.

555. Life changing conversations with Brenda.

556. House sitting with Toly and Yana.

557. Long conversations about life and faith and brokenness with Yana.

558. Building a little trust with both of them.

559. The invitation to sing at the church for the first time.

560. Learning a new song in two days.

561. The congregations sweet response when they realize that I can sing.

562. Driving down I-65 with Brenda & Ingrid with Mumford and Sons playing loudly.

563. Rereading "Love Does" by Bob Goff.

564. Giving Susie my copy of "Love Does". 

565. Celebrating Susie's birthday in a small way by decorating her hotel room in gator colors.

566. The gift of a free flight to Pensacola with Gene.

567. Feeling I was coming home when we got to Pensacola.

568. Trying to see many of the people I love while in town.

569. But also giving myself permission to not see everyone so I could rest well.

570. Meeting Clay and having a new friend in ministry with him.

571. Getting to share what I love about all of the amazing youth he works with. 

572. Meeting Lisa's new boyfriend.

573. Candis was in Pensacola at the same time I am!

574. Meeting Heidi and Denise to run at Bagelheads on Wednesday morning.

575. Laughter with them. 

576. The fact that they mocked me for forgetting my running shorts  and I wore a skort instead. And they though I was just wearing a khaki skirt and no underwear. Ha.

577. Play and laughter with Cora. And Stacy and Ben. 

578. Pedicures, songs,friends and good food in honor of Susie.

579. The fresh, cool breeze when I got off of the plane in Nashville. 

580. Getting back to Nashville in time to spend a couple hours with Nathan before he went on a retreat for the weekend. 

581. Meeting Becky and Emily E. to run twelve miles on the greenway.

582. Experiencing Shari's Run - one of Lebanon local 5k's with church members.

583. Gorgeous weather to run in. 

584. Freedom to leave work early to get my haircut.

585. Catching up with Merrill.

586. Spending an evening exploring live music on Broadway with Nathan.

587. Stories about our families and experiences that shape us into who we are right now.

588. Inviting middle schoolers to be open to a life of faith filled with adventure at Winfree Bryant Middle School FCA.

589. Spontaneous photo of all the middle schoolers from the stage.

590. Short nap on the middle of the afternoon.

591. Listening to suicide survivors tell their stories at the "Never Alone" rally.

592. Being asked to do the opening prayer at the rally.

593. Getting to take care of Nathan after he injured his knees at Ultimate frisbee.

594. A weekend in Black Mountain, NC.

595. Having sweet and wise friends to sit with when my world is turned upside down.

596. The risk of opening my heart to someone else.

597. Bubbles in the mountains.

598. Roasted broccoli with parm and lemon.

599. Local Carolina brews.

600. Friends who are family.

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Photo by Susie Schmidt at the Knob.

Year Four. Day 35.

Great friends & yummy food!!!! Happy Birthday, Susie!!!

Year Four. Day 34.

Playground with my favorite 2 year old!!! 

Year Four. Day 32.

Yay! Mumford and Sons... And my pretty incredible friends!

Year Four. Day 30.

Grape stomping at the Italian Lights Festival with Brenda & Nathan!! 

Year Four. Day 26.

What a blessing to see this sweet friend. Thanks for making time for me!!

Year Four. Day 23.

"Celebrate"

Spent a gorgeous day on the lake!

Year Four. Day 13.

"Light"

Friends, family and lots of laughter...very thankful. 

Year Four. Day 9.

"Simplicity"

Fresh peaches!!!! 

Savorings...451-500

451. Finding some Ale 8 one's to share with the youth

452. Confrontation Point ministries

453. CP's willingness to be a ministry that teaches truth & hard situations so that we can grow in our relationships with God, selves & others

454. This youth groups willingness to sing together 

455. Coming home to an empty house for about 4 days

456. Taking the risk to ask for help(again) in finding a new place to live

457. That community includes people I haven't even met

458. Pedicure/manicure with Michelle after the mission trip

459. Being invited out on to the boat by Michele G and getting to go

460. Spending time on a lake

461. Cheap flights to Ohio

462. Watching my sister as an amazing mom to Grace

463. Almost skipping the 4th of July Race with dad

464. Deciding to run it even if it rains

465. Going to 3 different fast food places with dad after the race

466. Watching more episodes of Big Bang Theory

467. Mom falling asleep while we watch tv 

468. Listening to mom get excited about the Tour De France 

469. Playing games with the middle schoolers

470. Choices of objects to represent Gods love in our lives

471. Hard & good conversations with Mo during VBS

472. Watching crazy rainstorms

473. Chris Crowell & Gregg Key eating dinner & taking their time

474. Deciding to leave for Memphis at 8:30 pm

475. Laughing with Stacy & Candis

476. Yummy shaved ice from Jerry's in Memphis

477. The beautiful weather during our 20 mile bike ride

478. Trying local beers

479. Listening to Cora ask questions & tell stories

480. PULSE moved to Painturo's for rest of summer

481. Reconnecting with Courtney

482. Asking a few youth to volunteer for Project Transformation & they said yes

483. Watching the youth interact with the children at Project Transformation

484. Inside jokes and lunch with the youth at Which Wich

485. The fact my mom, Julia & Grace drove with me to Pittsburgh for the day

486. Gracie's first road trip

487. Getting to see and communicate with Lorene

488. Seeing Mandi & Will in the hospital too

489. Meeting up with Rachel Warren at Chipotle - & see Chuck & Charles

490. Lazy Saturdays with Ingrid

491. Watching the youth jump in & play with our church family at the pool party

492. Tuesday night runs with the Mt Juliet Flyers

493. Completely falling apart on my 8 mile run - 

494. Going to Summer Sizzler with my youth

495. Watching some of the youth laugh & play on the seesaw

496. Worship at Vesper Point with Paul leading

497. Moving to a new house!!!!!!!!

498. House sitting at Michelle's

499. Time by the pool with Sophia & Ingrid

500. Breathing - really breathing again

“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” - Johannes A Gaertner

     Summer Sizzler 2013

Savorings...401-450

401. Slip-n-Slide

402. Seeing deer on my run at Long Hunter State Park

403. New experiences with my youth

404. The youth and adults willing to try PULSE at a new location

405. Watching youth softball games

406. Meeting Emily & Becky on a 4- mile run

407. A running groups acceptance & care for individuals

408. Sandi's gift to REI - and my hammock!!

409. Getting to stand alongside Bev & Scott on their sweet day

410. Rain clouds that pass just in time for their picnic & ceremony

411. Lunch with Clint at Prince's Hot Chicken

412. The Wonder Women & their flexibility & willingness to serve as needed

413. Moving my furniture from Pensacola to Lebanon.

414. After my wallet was stolen - Susie's clarity about my drivers license 

415. Having everything I needed to replace my license in a couple hours

416. American Express overnighting a new card to me.

417. Susie helping me pay for my moving truck

418. Friends who I can just be with even when I'm hurting

419. Movies with Lisa & Tim

420. Watching Gene back the truck into his backyard

421. All of the youth & friends who came at the last minute to help me load up

422. Testosterones song at Sandie & Joe's wedding.

423. Sharing stories after the wedding

424. Susie's food that I get for my drive back

425.  Driving with the windows down in a 24 foot diesel truck because the air went out...but the air was cool enough that I actually enjoyed it

426. The youth and friends who helped me unload my furniture into storage in Lebanon

427. Free storage from a stranger

428. Breakfast at the pancake pantry with Karla, Helen, Lauren & Paige

429. Following the Pensacola FUMC youth & adults on their choir tour

430. My friend who let me stay at her house for sabbath when my home wasn't

431. Realizing that Lorene may not make it & then hearing that she might get new lungs

432. Staying up late on June 20 to wait for the results of Lorene's double lung transplant 

433. The relief & joy I felt (& still feel) when Steve let us know she came through surgery well

434. Reconnecting with high school friends because of sharing in Lorene's story

435. Celebrating her recovery processs

436.  Running on the greenway from Kohls

437. Teaching youth to put tents up

438. Camping in a state park for the week

439. Eating spaghetti in the rain win my youth after our first day doing home repair

440. Watching my youth take risk and succeed

441. Closing worship - speaking a kindness to the person on our right

442. Watching the fog lift during morning devotion at Devil's Pass, Big South Fork National Park

443. Getting to know our home owners

444. Watching every one of the youth & adults climb the tower

445. Getting to each one of these youth better

446. The loud, loud bird that kept every one up at night

447. The bear frog

448. Taking Annie to the ER and her bloodwork was ok

449. Learning how to back-up a trailer

450. Jake's humor and ability to speak truth

Prayer is sitting in the silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful, and praising God until we ourselves are an act of praise. –Richard Rohr.

This beautiful child is full of life!!  Spring 2013

Savorings...351-400

351. The feel of an actual book

352. A drink outside with a new friend

353. Partnering with new people in ministry

354. Uncertainty and eagerness of middle schoolers

355. When a teenager checks on her mom through text

356. So many people stopping me to make sure I know that they are glad that I am here

357. Parent meeting

358. Questions that invite teenagers to tell some of their story

359. Parents wanting to get involved in a new way with the youth meeting

360. Seeing parents experience hope

361. Homemade Ginger and lemon cookies - yum

362. Telling Pam that the teenagers like having her around & they want her to help more

363. The look on her face after I told her

364. That the Winfrees came to serve at Joseph's Storehouse on Saturday

365. Sunday afternoon naps

366. Fresh smell of clean laundry warming in the sun

367. Texts from Michelle, Shari and Gregg - checking on the parent meeting

368. Mom's hard recipes that taste so good

369. Family on Memorial Day

370. Warm blankets to curl up under

371. Cheering on runners with strangers

372. Watching my sister with her daughter

373. Hugs that fit just right

374. Friends who drive me back & forth to the airport

375. Birthday cards from youth and parents

376. Lulu lemon gift card

377. Grandpa's birthday bonds for the majority of my life

378. Hand written cards

379. Setting a personal record of 27:45 at the Memorial 5k!!! 

380. My dad taking care of my mom

381. Mom trying to help in the kitchen even though she's in a wheelchair for now.

382. Laughter with mom & dad in the kitchen

383. The way Grace's smile happens so quickly 

384. Holding Grace and breathing her in

385. When she nuzzles into my neck

386. Telling my aunt that I'm proud of her - 

387. That she's taking a risk by making some hard life decisions

388. Dad taking me to Rita's ice tonight

389. Spending the day with Grace and my mom

390. I love watching Grace see things

391. Birthday dinner of steak and crab legs

392. Grandpa brought Wendy's salads over for lunch cause that's his new routine with mom

393. Singing old Raffi songs with mom & Grace

394. All the birthday wishes from so many people that I've known over my life through calls, texts and facebook

395. Kissing my mom on the head

396. Homemade steak sauce

397. Talking to Sandi about Blue Like Jazz today

398. My mom's pantry always stocked for anything

399.  Mom's voice

400. Falling asleep as dad plays his classical guitar

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that's given us." ~ JR Tolkien

Centennial Trail, South Dakota 2005

Savorings... 301-350

301. Meeting up with the Schmidts at the concert

302. Sleeping in

303. Travel with no agenda 

304. Time to tell stories and eat good food

305. New bathroom stuff from IKEA

306. That the bathroom stuff makes my space feel a little more like home

307. Trip Advisor app and finding amazing restaurants

308. Yummy, yummy, yummy pizza

309. Free birthday Rita's Ice in Atlanta 

310. Finding a new friend &prayer partner in a youth ministry parent

311. New confirmands and that I  got to give them their Bibles

312. Invited into people's lives, stories and secrets

313. Lunch with Mandy and Aiden

314. Graduation dinner traditions

315. Painting as an activity for the graduates

316. Watching them choose a word to represent their story with the cross painting

317. Having an extra one - so I could paint as well

318. That my painting isn't a failure

319. Choosing "risk" as my word

320. Monday morning boot camp with a new leader

321. Leaving work early to meet a friend for dinner in Nashville

322. Catching up with Laura Paulk

323. Strawberries on sushi

324. Weather that continues to be gorgeous

325. Sitting outside for dinner

326. Having time to sit with Ingrid on her porch for a couple hours that night

327. The staff singing happy birthday to me

328. Pizza birthday lunch

329. Watching hail come down and being dry and safe inside

330. Dinner with the Wildes

331. Telling hiking stories 

332. Meeting with the youth council

333. 7 mile run from my apartment to Don Fox Park

334. Parents who sacrifice over and over again for this youth ministry

335. Being able to say thank you

336. Writing notes to the 7th graders

337. Finding my rhythm with plans for summer activities

338. Dinner with the Cowells

339. The gift of free range eggs 

340. Plans for a parents meeting

341. Intentionality

342. The ache after leg day

343. A drive down back roads at sunset

344. The smell of honeysuckle

345. Loneliness... But in a good way

346. Working with 100 other people to make a difference in Wilson county

347. Praying with strangers

348. Gods word creating clarity

349. Teaching moments with teenagers

350. An email of encouragement from Marko

"We see God face to face every hour, and know the savor of Nature." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Savorings...251-300

251. Cooking with mom

252. Running with my dad in the Homerun for the Homeless - in a snow storm

253. Sitting on the back porch watching the sun slowly go down

254. My parents always have crab and lobster for me when I go home

255. Taking a bath at Grandma Carolyn's with her Calgon

256. Sleeping in my day's bed at grandma Helen's

257. Snow with honey

258. Cinnamon Certs at grandma Helen's

259. Latch hook at grandma Carolyn's

260. Grandpa Dean measuring how tall I was on his back porch

261. German Christkindl markt

262. Brat wurst

263. The smell of my mom's laundry - mine never smells as good

264. Real candles on real Christmas trees

265. Mumford and Sons last year with Susie, gene, Ingrid, Brenda, Abe & Cameron

266.  Getting home from wilderness trail after the big bus broke down

267. Moving every other year or so of my childhood

268. Honeysuckle

269. Pomegranate seeds and mud pies

270. Learning how to roller skate in plastic skates

271. My tree house in New Mexico

272. Having a sister

273. Building forts at the Wombles

274. Listening to Barbra Streisand with mom

275. Learning to crochet in 3rd grade

276. Laura Ingalls Wilder books

277. My aunt Daun's creative gifts 

278. Walking to school in the snow

279. My favorite pair of jeans

280. My too many pairs of chaco's

281. Osprey backpacks and their customer service

282. A good massage from a boyfriend

283. Cooking dinner with friends

284. Dad's pancake faces or words on Saturday mornings

285. That dad always forgets how Julia and I like our waffles and there is still a note over his stove to remind him

286. Running to explore north of Lebanon.

287. Driving up and down roads to find Don Fox Park  and other places that people talk about all the time.

288. Lectio Devina

289. Honest conversation with Pulse

290. Long days at work 

291. Middle school plays that are short and funny

292. A new friend willing to be spontaneous

293. Good coffee

294. Yummy grilled cheese

295. Lunch outside in sweet Roswell

296. A great deal for a hotel

297. Outdoor concerts

298. Running into Chris and Josh

299. Youth ministry interns who are now dear friends and peers

300. The gift of a free shirt

"We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoffer

Neuburg an der Donau, October 2011