HECK YES.

I just ordered dinner online. I love technology.

Turkey Day in Tennessee!

Well, well, well. There is nothing better than the one holiday that celebrates gluttony, lethargy, excessive sleeping, and football. Oh, yeah, and the whole "giving thanks" business.

Welcome to my table. Isn't it pretty? I had to use some of my fancy-dinner-table expertise garnered from working at The Lodge (super-fancy private lodge & restaurant for Ruby Tuesday execs) to set the table. This was the second year Walden, Max and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, it was just Walden, me, Max, and our friend Jimmy, and this year it was the three of us plus Walden's mom and stepdad. After fixing two successful turkey dinners all by myself, I consider myself a heck yes pro. Oh, I said it. Our menu: the Perfect Turkey, Dad's legendary cornbread stuffing, can't-go-wrong green bean casserole, super cheesy and delish hash brown casserole, buttery dinner rolls (of course), red wine gravy, pecan pie, and...drum roll...Mom's amazing, fantastic, mouth-watering, scrumptious apple dumplings. And let me be the first to say...everything was perfect! I just love this kind of thing, cooking, decorating, hosting, entertaining... hopefully next year we can have all our family here for Thanksgiving!

One more picture...my beautiful turkey. Hey. Don't I get bragging rights?!

God bless Sesame Street.

For those of you with kids in your lives (your own or ones you babysit on a pretty regular basis or even your significant others...hah, sorry, couldn't resist), you know the power that that giant yellow bird, that three-year-old red fuzzy monster with a pet goldfish, the wacky pair B & E, and company hold over young minds.

God bless Sesame Street. For an entire hour every single weekday, I can do whatever I need to do to get done. How do I spend this hour today? Instead of packing for our weekend trip to the mountains, finishing the housework, or even paying bills to get ahead of myself, I am blogging. Talk about priorities!

Okay, now for the best part of the day. The Promise I bestowed upon all those who are lucky. I know I have this picture as my Facebook picture, but it's so much better large and in charge, right? We call this picture: Vader's First Tantrum. Fear the Dark Side. I'm so tempted to make a poster of this kid, he is hilarious. He's crying because he hates that hat and I kept pulling his hands away from his head until he finally gave up and just cried. Then, click! Picture taken, memory captured forever. Grown-up Max is going to hate me one day. That kid is so, so funny. I love the pictures we get of him throwing those tantrums. They have so much more character than his "sweet" pictures. It's the real Max. Not that he's a crybaby, but he is a stubborn one. And he knows what he wants and when he wants it. And he'll let you know if he's not happy with your parenting skills. Isn't he great? I wish everyone could meet him. He's such a joy. I can't wait until all my friends start having kids. Are they in for a ride!

Revelations

I have come to two conclusions. The first: no one really reads my blog. You can tell by the overwhelming comment spam I got on that last open-ended question to the blogging world. Sigh. I'm hurt, folks. Or should I say folk? Okay, I'm only semi-serious, but that is a jolt of reality. No, I am not a widely read and circulated online journalist. Rats.

The second conclusion, well, you should buckle down and have a seat, because are you in for a long one (well, maybe, if I can keep my mind on one-track). This is going back to the previous post, based on the statement from the Beth Moore study Living Free. She writes, "Christians can be miserably dissatisfied if they accept Christ's salvation yet reject the fullness of a daily relationship that satisfies." Whew. Is that a chunk of burnin' love or what.

One of the things I have always, repeat: always, struggled with is the threat of mediocrity and ineffectiveness. I really believe that Christians, myself included, myself especially, become bored and dissatisfied with the Christian life because they become satisfied with inactivity, mediocrity. How many times have I caught myself treading water, my head just barely above the surface? Sure, I've got myself covered eternally, but not only am I miserable, but I am truly missing something more.

What I am learning above all from this devotional is that there are layers and layers of what God wants to fulfill in our lives. Salvation is just the foundation and base of what He longs to give us. Salvation ensures our eternity, while the relationship He calls us to fulfills our daily lives now, fulfills our destiny today. This life is not just a waiting room for Heaven, but the first leg of the race, the prologue to a classic story, a mere slice of the whole pie. Like them mixed metaphors, huh?

Nothing can separate us from God's love, and no one (present company included) can snatch you from the Father's hand. A mediocre spiritual life does not get you written off the guest list come Heaven time. God doesn't need me to be Super Christian. He doesn't need my work to ensure His success, He doesn't need my faithfulness for Himself to remain faithful. And He certainly doesn't need my consistency to prove Himself the same. He is and is and is. What He wants for me is to be part of the celebration, He wants me to be part of the work and of the adventure and of the dance.

It's so easy to say, "No, thanks, I don't know this song, I'd rather sit this one out" and slowly, slowly back into the corner, becoming the wallflower we all ourselves feel sorry for. Rather, God is calling us to hang on, and let Him lead the dance. Not for His sake, that is just laughable, to think God needs our help. But for our own sakes, for our enjoyment and satisfaction and fulfillment of our God-given destinies. Isn't that something?

Christ delights in us so profoundly that He longs for us to be part of His work. How dare I be content to just be? I feel like a free-loader. Why do I get such satisfaction in doing nothing? The reason why I struggle with that so much is because I suddenly find myself wonderless. Awe-less. Easily distracted and deceitfully tricked. Every reason in the book to fall into the trap of ineffectiveness, believe me, we'll find. I know I do. And I could even argue that a couple are valid excuses. But face it: we will never be worthy enough to be part of God's agenda. We will never be good enough, smart enough, strong enough, pretty enough, or charming enough to get His work done on our own steam. Our inclusion rests only on His saying so. We are invited, not because of who we are, but because of who we know, He who personally put us on the guest list.

So what is the greater work, this adventure that He excitedly draws us to? It is something that goes past salvation, because the adventure of salvation comes only after this life. I myself am still learning what specifically He calls me to. But for everyone, the number one call is the same...we are all called to first and foremost know Christ. By "know," I mean experience. That goes beyond salvation, because again, salvation cannot be experienced in this lifetime. It is an eternal decision and an eternal consequence.

To know Him, to experience Him.

Another open question. How do you explain that in your life? How do you define knowing and experiencing Christ?

Agree? Disagree?

I want to hear others' thoughts on the following statement:

"Christians can be miserably dissatisfied if they accept Christ's salvation yet reject the fullness of a daily relationship that satisfies."

I'll expound later.

A mountain on fire...

I don't think I'll ever get used to Fall in the Smokies. This is my fifth year living in East Tennessee during fall, and it never ceases to take my breath away. I just got back from an early evening stroll with my kiddo & hubband, and the beauty that people from around the country travel here to see is literally my backyard.

It's amazing the shades of red, orange, auburn, and gold in one place. And our Creator is behind this brilliant tapestry of color...the Mastermind behind this flaming sea of trees is passionate for us. Mindboggling.

Who knew that death could be so glorious? The death of summer, death of leaves, the hibernation of the living...who knew death could be so spectacular? And yet, isn't that the very parallel of our spirituality? Death to self, death nonetheless, but in all its glory, we are painted in colors portraying the Creator. In our deaths to sin and bondage and, frankly, ourselves, a flame of breathtaking beauty is ignited, and in an instant, we become privy to the masterpiece, part of the art our God, so incredibly creative, passionately and intensely -- and continuously -- creates.

And yet while the beauty of Autumn ushers in Winter, the season of bareness and often harshness, we are ushered into a season of Life, as if our seasons work backwards. Instead of Winter, isn't it a little like Summer vacation? A season of rest, adventure, a reason to play. Not that there is no work to be done, because like I've said before, a daily relationship with the Lord is truly work (not unenjoyable, but yes, I said work), but rather work that comes with and from a source of purpose and passion and wonder. Maybe I'm reaching with the whole seasons metaphor, but you get the idea.

Anyway, any non-Tennesseeans out there reading this, I highly recommend one day making it to our little corner of the world during this time of year. You will without a doubt make a memory that just "sparkles."

My name is Schmi.

There he is, my little Darth Vader. And in case you didn't get the title, Schmi Skywalker is Anakin's mom. By the way, I HAD TO LOOK IT UP. Trust me, I am not a Star Wars nerd. (Hah, I just erased a typo -- I had actually written "Star Warts.") I've only seen the new movies. Okay, that's enough of a non-nerd disclaimer (for now...something tells me I might have to prove myself further down the road). I tried to throw together a Schmi-like costume at the last minute, but I didn't have the right things in my closet. So I just wore a "Hello, my name is" tag that said, "Schmi Skywalker." I'm so clever. And Walden thinks he's hot stuff now because, apparently, Anakin's dad was The Force, or something like that. (Again, NOT something I just KNEW, but found out later.)

You can't really tell, but his light saber lights up. And he's trying to pull of his hat. Er, excuse me, helmet. (Helmut? How confusing.) I'll have to show you another picture of Darth's dark side. It'll make your day. Seriously. My kid is that amazingly cute. The best part for Max about trick-or-treating was seeing his favorite characters. He actually chased down a three-year-old dressed as Elmo, yelling, "E-mo! E-mo!" And I discovered my kiddo is addicted to Tootsie Rolls. Can't say I blame him. They were my favorite when I was a kid, too.

Anyway, just wanted to share my escapades with Darth Vader himself. Since Walden and I both weren't home for trick-or-treaters, we left a basket full of candy and a note that said, "Unfortunately, the residents of this place have been taken captive by a dangerous villian named Darth Vader. Lucky for you, you have escaped his wrath...for now... Take what you need for nourishment to thwart the evils of The Dark Side, but be sure to leave sustenance for others seeking refuge from the evils of this galaxy. Be brave, young ones, and may the Force be with you..." Go ahead and say it. I'm brilliant.

Happy November!