Won't You Be My Neighbor?

On Saturday Ryan and I walked around our apartment complex to meet all our neighbors with our friends and fellow life-groupers, Jana & Bennett. We handed out light bulbs to everybody we met and introduced ourselves. It was a wonderful experience and we are all excited to have met the neighbors and to have a better idea of how we might serve them & share truth with them.

Although I really enjoy meeting people for the first time, I was a little nervous to just knock on doors and introduce myself, light bulb in hand (well Ryan's hand). But it was good, really good. Several people we met commented that most people don't know their neighbors and they were glad we met. Others were excited also, and told us about family and roommates that weren't there, but they wanted us to meet them too.

Closing Thoughts
I think people want to be known. At least I do. I want to feel like somebody would recognize if I didn't come home on time, or if I didn't show up to work. I am very blessed to have those people in my life and I think that everybody wants that on some level. That's why I think people liked meeting us on Saturday (and why we liked meeting them).

The Conference, Ted Turner & iTunes

It is good to be home and to be back in the office today. The conference went well; I only had about 100 e-mails to respond to this a.m., our press conference was postponed until tomorrow, and we have some fun project ideas that we are "borrowing" from other organizations.

Last Week I Would Have Posted About. . .
#1 The 1 Billionth iTunes Downloader
Last week Apple enticed iTunes addicts with a shot at becoming the lucky one-billionth purchaser of iTunes music. As the ticker approached within seconds of the 1 billion mark, more than a million purchases were made. The big opportunity to win a new iMac, 10 iPods and the much-desired $10,000 iTunes gift card sailed away to suburban Detroit, where a Coldplay fan scored the one-billionth song --“Speed of Sound.” The winning buy occurred around 1 a.m. CST on Feb. 23. Click here to see a list of the winner and those who just missed out. . .

#2 Ted Turner Says 'Peace Out' to AOL TIMEWarner
On the heels of a sale of its regional Turner South network to Fox Cable Networks, Turner South founder, Ted Turner, said he would step down from the Time Warner board of directors. Mr. Turner has been a critic of Time Warner since it merged with AOL. He stepped down as vice chairman in May 2003 and will officially leave the board in May 2006. Maybe this monoploy of a broadcasting corporation is preparing to be three or four sepearate companies. . .

#3 Mommy-Wars
'Self' Magazine hosted a lunch and panel discussion Feb. 13 to celebrate the Random House publication of 'Mommy Wars: Stay-at-Home and Career Moms Face Off on Their Choices, Their Lives, Their Families.' PLEASE, I love that people can happily gather at a cocktail party to discuss this ever-so-pressing issue. . .humans are crazy creatures some times.

Fun Closing Thoughts
Ryan and I saw The General, a 1927 silent film by Buster Keaton, at Bass Hall Friday night after I got home. I had never seen a silent film before and I absolutely loved the atmosphere of watching a film with a live orchestra! One element of the film that struck both Ryan and I was the appearance of the actors. Although they were not ugly people, I highly doubt they would have been as successful in film today as they were in the early 20th century. It was very entertaining and enjoyable to watch people perform who obviously had a natural talent in performing arts. I would highly reccomend the experience of watching a silent film with live orchestration!

Peace Out for a Few Days

This will be my final post until next week. . .I am heading out of town for work this week. Conference, speakers, sharing hotel room with boss. . . should be interesting :-)

Not Every Girl Can be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader

The official cheerleaders of the Winter Games just can't seem to help it. They're not exceptionally good. Ranging in age from 15 to 26, these Italians were hired to entertain audiences at each Olympic venue. They practiced for four-and-a-half months. It just doesn't look like it.

They have a lot of heart, but not much rhythm.

They also don't yell cheers. In fact, they don't say a word. In glaring orange skirts and shirts, waving one orange pompom and one of gold, they dance a few unsynchronized steps and jump up and down.

In the true Olympic spirit of competition, they rejoice when anyone scores, in the same contest. Sometimes they misinterpret the proceedings and cheer over a disputed medal, or a penalty in a hockey game.

And during Canada's 16-0 victory over Italy, the biggest rout in Olympic women's hockey history, the Italian cheerleaders popped up from their seats on the stadium steps and rejoiced against their countrywomen in the opening competition of the Winter Games.

Divided into three groups of 20, they perform during breaks in competition. At enclosed venues, they line the stairs in the stands. Their routines, to disco music that includes the theme to "Flashdance," do include some classic high-school squad maneuvers such as cartwheels and round-offs — which they can pull off without a hitch. Not so with more sophisticated dance moves such as a scissors leap.

They're not like the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders — they're fully clothed.

Maybe the Olympic Committee needs better crowd energizing methods than their cheerleaders. . .

Scottish TV Presenter/Journalist Considers Crucifixion

I ran across this article today and found it to be very interesting. . .

The Scottish TV presenter and journalist Dominik Diamond is considering undergoing physical crucifixion as part of a controversial television documentary about Christianity.

Diamond, once a committed Christian, will try to rediscover his faith in a journey from Scotland, via the Vatican and Italy, to the Philippines, where Christians celebrate Easter by re-enacting Christ's ordeal on the Cross.

Diamond said; "I'm in my mid-30s, I've got three kids and it's about time I did something that didn't involve cheap gags. You might as well aim high so I thought I'd try to find God."
The documentary, Crucify Me, is being made for the Five channel by Ginger TV, part of the Glasgow-based Scottish Media Group.

Interesting Factors

Clearly interesting, equally as insane, I think there is a solid lesson for people in Dominik Diamond's faith journey. I believe that humans have a need to connect with their Creator. Many of us find far less serious ways to self explore/destruct than to experience physical crucifixion. I hope and pray that God would reveal himself to this man.

taken from

The Ratings Game

Adverstising Agencies have long taken it on faith that certain programming was popular on college campuses, but now Nielsen Media Research, the largest media/marketing researcher in the U.S., will give them data to confirm their hunch. Nielsen says they will start to include out-of-home viewing at college dorms starting in 2007.

Why Care?

Nielsen's move to the dorm room further confirms the importance of the 16-28 demographic that has increasingly been driving the markets of TV, clothing and music since MTV and co. gave a voice to this demographic with the launch of their programming in the early 90's. The youth obsessed culture of the U.S. places an even greater importance on what products teens and 20-somethings are wearing, watching and listening to on their iPods. Over the past couple of years advertisers have turned to stealth marketing tactics to reach this younger group of consumers. Companies have been pouring millions in to precise and caculated product placement in movies, TV shows and on the backs of celebrities, without knowing whether or not their efforts were really making a difference. Nielsen is going to capitalize on tracking this niche market of buyers.

The Next Marketing Challenge

Now that Nielsen is going to be tracking collegiates , their next big task is to conquer the TiVo. How can advertisers know whether or not you are hitting fast forward on your TiVo and ignoring all of the wonderful products they have to show you? Good question. Local broadcast stations depend on advertising support, and without valid research to back up viewer information, advertisers may lower the price they are willing to pay on local stations. I'm not suggesting that advertisers are going to stop utilizing local TV as a platform for their products, but the development of a tracking system that synced up with TiVo and other DVR's would provide invaluable, more accurate information to advertisers that would instill a greater confidence in the effectiveness of the non-cable, local broadcast.

Closing Thoughts

While some people view advertising as a sleazy form of communication, understanding consumers and target audiences is an invaluable and powerful tool for any organization to hold.

Our New Toys

I usually don't post personal updates on my blog, but I am so excited about this that I have to share.

Last month I had mentioned to Ryan that I thought it would be fun if we had bikes to go for rides on. We enjoy walking most nice evenings/days along the river trails and in the neighborhoods around us, but riding a bike seemed like another fun way for us to get around. Well yesterday Ryan surprised me with new matching bikes for us! They're both Schwinn Bikes; mine is purple and his is blue. I love our new bikes! We took them out for a spin yesterday evening before dark and we had a blast. I cannot wait to go for a long ride during on a nice afternoon. I have the sweetest, most creative husband in the world.

Coffee You Need to Try

This morning I got in my car and found some sweet Valentine's Day treats from my wonderful and thoughtful husband, Ryan. One of these fantastic treats was a Self-heating, Rich Mocha Latte made by Wolfgang Puck. I took Ryan's advice and waited until I got to work to try this fun beverage out.

Why You Must Buy/Try One
* It tastes sooooo YUMMY

* You can't get any more convenient than this

* Cheaper than Starbucks

* Each 10 oz can only has 100 calories and 8g of sugar

* Only 2.5 weight watchers points per can

* Only 9 carbs per can

* You get to be part if starting the chemical reaction that makes this fun drink heat up! I felt like my own little barista. . .Pull back the lid on the bottom, push down on a button until the "green water" disappears, wait 10 sec., shake, let it warm up for about 5 min. and drink away!

Didn't You know, Kayne was Moses' Homeboy

Cocky rap star Kayne West is calling for a revised edition of The Bible, because he thinks he should be a character in it.

The Jesus Walks hitmaker, who picked up three Grammy Awards last week, feels sure he'd be "a griot" (West African storyteller) in a modern Bible.

He says, "I bring up historical subjects in a way that makes kids want to learn about them. I'm an inspirational speaker.

"I changed the sound of music more than one time... for all those reasons, I'd be a part of the Bible. I'm definitely in the history books already."

Wow. No doubt that Sunday School cirriclums around the world are adjusting to make room for Kayne's personage being added to the Bible. Anybody have the early release Kayne felt cut-outs for the kiddos? I hear that Kayne & Jamie Foxx warned Moses about gold-diggers in the Promised Land while the Red Sea parted. . .

Blogging and the SBC/IMB

I just finished reading this post regarding some current controversy within the SBC/IMB and how the ever-expanding blogosphere has impacted some issues within this church convention.

I felt extremely disappointed in the SBC after reading all of this, and frankly very glad that our church participates only minimally with the convention. Perhaps focusing on the church depicted in the Bible would help these gentlemen realign their motives and decisions regarding international missions/house churches to that which their convention controversially deems inherent.

The controversial Cartoon Row

The Offense

By now most of you have heard about the controversy surrounding the infamous Danish cartoons that are being blamed for setting off riots around the world. The cartoons, depicting the Prophet Mohammad wearing a turban shaped like a bomb, were originally printed by a Danish newspaper in September. They have sparked protests and boycotts across the Muslim world.

The View from the Upset

"Any insult to the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) is an insult to more than 1 billion Muslims and an act like this must never be allowed to be repeated," Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a statement

Journalist/Press View

"We must defend freedom of expression and if I had to chose, I prefer the excess of caricature over the excess of censure," Nicolas Sarkozy, France's Interior Minister, said. "There is no reason to make an exception for one religion over another."

In order to better understand this issue, I am going to upack the ethical issues involved in this case.

Values/ Principles
Right to Privacy
Truth-telling
Need-to-Know
Fairness and Balance
Credibility
Conflict of Interest
Minimizing Harm

Values/Principles in Conflict

Minimizing Harm vs. Need-to-Know
Minimizing Harm vs. Fairness and Balance
Minimizing Harm vs. Credibility

Statement of Ethical Issue
In September 2005, Danish newspapers published a series of cartoons, depicting the Prophet Mohammad wearing a turban shaped like a bomb. Five months after the row of cartoons had originally been distributed in newspapers around Europe, Asia and Africa, some European Muslims began protesting the cartoon the first week of February 2006. After saying press freedom was more important than the protests, newspapers in France, Germany and Spain reprinted the Danish cartoons. Currently U.S. papers are refusing to print the cartoon row. The ethical issue in question is whether or not the moral agents, U.S. newspaper editors, should publish the cartoon; is it more harmful to publish or not publish the cartoon row?

Analysis
Minimizing Harm vs. Need-to-Know
According to Reauters UK, Many people in Afghanistan are not aware of the row over the cartoons. Additionally, the cartoons have been in circulation for five months and this is the first controversy being found over the drawings. Mohammad is not the first religious symbol to be defamed in a publication. Less than 2 weeks ago singer Kayne West was depicted as Jesus Christ on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The press did not hesitate to cover this story. Need-to-Know wins out.

Minimizing Harm vs. Fairness and Balance

Again, the press has never hesitated to publish defaming photos or drawings of other religious leaders and symbols, so why would Mohammad be any different? Fairness and Balance wins out.

Minimizing Harm vs. Credibility
If the U.S. news media does not publish these cartoons in an attempt to be 'politically correct' they will jeopardize their credibility to be a reliable source of information.


External Factors
Code of Ethics: The Society of Professional Journalists has a code of ethics that encourages "Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know."

Competition: International papers have printed the cartoons. In terms of competition the U.S. media is falling behind daily.

Company Policy: N/A

Audience: Yes, Muslim readers and supporters might be upset

Legal Constraint: None.

Precedence: Precedence has shown that any religion/religious symbol/religious person is free game for being photographed and drawn. While Mohammad is not living, his personage is a public figure who has less right-to-privacy and criticism than a non-public figure.


Duties/ Loyalties
Individual Conscience: Yes
Institution: Yes
Objects of Decision: No
Professional Colleagues: Yes
Financial Supporters: Yes
Society: Yes

Moral Theories
Duty: Need-to-Know, Credibility, Newsworthiness, Truth and Accuracy
Consequence: Minimizing Harm,
Golden Mean: Reprint the cartoons with a clarified statement from the editor. Publish due response to the print.

Final Decision
Run it.

Closing Thoughts

While this particular cartoon row has caused political and religious uproar in the past week, the U.S. publication of the drawings would not have made our already volitle Middle Eastern relations any worse off. I think that the U.S. media made a poor ethical decision in not running the cartoon row, and at this point it would be a little odd for them to publish the drawings.

I would love to hear your thoughts on why this cartoon row is just now causing political and religious uproar, five months after their initial publication. Has the U.S. made the right decision in not publishing the cartoon row? Why?

The Price to Count YOU

The U.S. Census Bureau has started the hunt for advertising and PR agencies to help with its next once-a-decade survey of the American public. While the census doesn't take place for another four years -- the research will begin April 2010 -- the Census Bureau is already gearing up for the 2010 Census -- it spent $100 million on advertising and publicity for the 2000 survey.

The cost of no response
Census return rates are important because when mailed forms aren't sent back, enumerators are sent door to door to collect information from missing households. Those enumerators are expensive. In 2000, the Bureau estimated it cost an additional $30 million every time return rates dropped by just 1%.

It's all about the money honey
Unlike most government ad contracts, which call for advertising over a long period, the bureau spends a lot of money in a short time. A team of agencies led by WPP Group's Young & Rubicam executed the campaign for the previous survey.

Why you want your AD/PR agency to win the bid
The bureau hasn't said how much they will spend on the 2010 marketing push, but there are hints that there will be plenty of cash being spread around. They hope to reduce the costs of doing the census from the $12.3 billion that would be required to repeat what happened in 2000. One way to hold down costs: Get more households to submit their questionnaires. Who knew that you were that expensive to count. . .

Concluding Irony
One of the purposes of the census is to provide the government with information that helps determine the budget of social welfare programs. Who are the individuals not returning their census information? . . .the same people who live off of social welfare. Hum. . .we spend excess money to count the people who need to receive government assistance money to live. . .the irony. . .

'Frosty' Sales Year for Wendy's

Following its first yearly same-store sales loss in 18 years, Wendy's International is developing up to 60 new products -- including a test of breakfast items -- for its menu. It will also pump up advertising by some $25 million in hopes of improving sales and margins.

Some of those items that will make their debut this year are the long-awaited Frescata gourmet deli sandwiches; four new Garden Sensations salads; a 10-piece Chicken Nugget Combo; and two kids' meal deli sandwiches. Other tests include a Double Melt cheeseburger, a 99-cent chicken sandwich, new beverages, a vanilla Frosty and three-tier combo sizing options.

Closing Thoughts
Hum. . .maybe the overwhelming popularity of fast-food chains during the 90s is starting to slow down these days. Nahhh. Wendy's can probably relax. Even after McDonalds faced some of the worst international coverage ever (the documentary Supersize Me), the fast food giant is still kicking hard in the restaurant market. Wendy's will do the same with or without their 60 new products. . .

The "P" Word

The Misunderstood Phrase that needs to die. . .
Postmodernism. I became sick of this term somewhere between taking courses in Literary Theory and Post Colonial Writers during my undergraduate work at TCU.

This term has crept into the world of theology slowly over the past 5 years or so (although this change in thinking has been happening for a good 30 years or so). Some how the church is perpetually playing catch up with secular thinkers and society. But that is for another posting. . .

The folks at Desiring God Ministries, John Piper's gig, are hosting their national workshop titled, "The Supremecy of Christ in a Postmodern World."

The Line Up Includes:
David Wells: "The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World"
D.A. Carson: "The Supremacy of Christ and Love in a Postmodern World"
Timothy Keller: "The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in a Postmodern World"
Mark Driscoll: "The Supremacy of Christ and the Church in a Postmodern World"
Voddie Baucham: "The Supremacy of Christ and Truth in a Postmodern World"
John Piper: "The Supremacy of Christ and Joy in a Postmodern World"
Promotional Trailer

I love Piper, especially his passion for God's word and living his life for the glory of God. I'm sure the conference will be top rate, but why didn't they have this conference years ago? What are your thoughts?

Related Reading
Check this out

A Bad Sign. . .

99.9% of church signs should be illegal. . .

"If lovin' the Lord is wrong, then I don't wanna be right!"

- Coming to America

Good Stuff

If you’re interested in culturally engaging, intelligent and entertaining blogs, you must bookmark Barbara Nicolosi’s Church of the Masses. Nicolosi is the Executive Director of Act One, a non-profit Christian program designed to train screenwriters to write for Hollywood.

I recently stumbled upon this site and have found Nicolosi's blog and the links within it to be very fascinating. I love finding out about ministries that are taking the Gospel of Christ to the people. Amen.

Super Ad's

Redemption from the '05 Ads
I really enjoyed some of the commercials from this year's Super Bowl. Unlike last year's ads, some agencies decided to step out beyond a 'sex-appeal' (some still used it) strategy (which is typically more effective in print ads) and what we got were some experiments that went well and a few that didn't.

Cheers to Sprint & TBWA/Chiat-Day (NYC)
The scene: 2 men in the club house/locker room comparing their cell phones. Finally, one of the men claims that his phone has a built-in theft deterrent system; he proceeds to demonstrate this theft deterrent system by throwing his phone and nailing the other guy in the face with it. Sprint presented an honest ad that basically said that a cell phone is not a cell phone at Sprint; with them you get a little extra 'punch. . . ' pun totally intended. . . TBWA/Chiat-Day produces yet another quality piece of advertising.

Jeers to Burger King & Crispin Porter & Bogusky (Miami) & Mick Jagger
The Whopperettes, dancers dressed as hamburger ingredients. . . the only thing this spot did for me was gross me out! This spot was almost as unattractive as seeing Mick Jagger's 60-something year-old arms after he took off his jacket, while jirating his hips and flaunting his belly shirt. . . Mick's saving grace was when he said, "And here's I Can't Get No (Satisfaction); a song we could have performed at Super Bowl I when it was topping the charts." Enough said.

Quick Fact
Average cost of a 30 second commercial this year: $2,400,000 (www.adage.com)
* I will note that Mick does get props for being able to move like that at his age. The Stones put on a good show, I just didn't need to see quite as much of him.

There's No Place like Your Hometown

I'm not in Kansas Anymore
I just got some pictures back from Thanksgiving & Christmas. The last roll of our non-digital camera. I really enjoyed looking at a few that we took while in the metropolis of Wamego, Kansas. With a grand population of around 4,500 including pets and livestock, my quaint little hometown along the yellowbrick road is just awesome! I have really come to value various aspects of my hometown since I moved away for college 5 years ago.

What's So Great about Wamego?
1. The Old Dutch Mill. A Dutch immigrant to W-town bought this mill in the 1880's to be a symbol of his home countryland. The mill produced stone-ground whole wheat flour until around 2000.
* Side note The first time Ryan impressed me: The first time I met him, Ryan asked me where I was from. I replied, "Wamego, Kansas. . .you've never heard of it." And he said, "Yes I have, home of the famous Dutch Mill!" Wow. . .I should have known that he was the one then :-)

2. The Columbian Theatre The story of The Columbian began over 100 years ago when J. C. Rogers, a Wamego banker, visited the Chicago World's Fair, otherwise known as the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

At the close of the Fair, Rogers brought paintings and other artifacts back to Wamego to adorn his new music hall. It was a venue for vaudeville, drama, masque balls, concerts and community events.

In 1950 The Columbian closed and was dark for 40 years. The only thing that saved it from destruction was that a furniture store remained open on the ground floor, motivating the owners to keep the roof in good repair. In the late 1980's my grandfather spearheaded the $1.8 million renovation that has restored the building to it's original splendor. The Columbian also provided me with an income when I was in high school and worked as a hostess & accompanist.

The Oz Museum I think the name speaks for itself. They have everything Oz; from the ruby red slippers to any memorabilia made about the move, and my personal favorite: the dress worn by Diana Ross in the movie "The Wiz."

Closing Thoughts
There really is no place like "home." I love visiting Wamego when we get a chance. The people and community will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope you have enjoyed this trip to the land of "Ahs."

The Best Jobs in 2006

In my most recent Fast Company e-mail, they listed out the top 25 jobs to have based on those occupations that will be in high demand, offer excellent potential salaries, and typically require some level of higher education. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they narrowed the field to careers that would appeal most to their readers--business and professional occupations or those in creative fields. Then, to find positions increasingly in demand, they used projected job-growth data through 2014 and ranked the occupations to find those with the greatest growth.

Aspects of my job are listed here, woo-hoo. . .

Top Jobs 2006 List
Lawyer
Personal financial advisor
Sales manager
Management analyst
Computer and information systems manager
Financial manager
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agent
Marketing manager
Computer software engineer
Chiropractor
Postsecondary education administrator
Medical scientist
Market research analyst
Dentist
Medical and health services manager
Producers and directors
Financial analyst
Wholesale and manufacturing sales representative
Engineering manager
Advertising and promotions manager
Compensation and benefits manager
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologist
Real estate sales agent
Training and development manager
Public relations manager

"No, I do not know what happened on Lost. . ."

What? No TV. . .
That's right; Ryan and I do not watch TV. People always forget this and regularly ask me what I thought of Lost. I mean, maybe I wouldn't even like Lost, even if I did see it. Who knows. . .

We own a TV, in fact we just bought a new one just about 3 weeks ago, but we don't watch television shows on it. Since we have been married the only reason we own or use a TV is to watch movies (we watch 1 or 2 each week). TV is not off-limits for us, we just don't have cable or an antenna hooked up. As I said in my previous post, we watch Survivor with friends (and have since college) and if there is a sports game we want to see, we are generally invited over somewhere or we can go to Fox & Hound or any other sports bar with a TV.

Why?
There is really no particular reason we don't hook up cable to watch shows, we really just not very interested. For myself, I hardly ever watched TV once I got to college. Occasionally I would watch TLC in the mornings between classes and take in the likes of the "Personal Story," "A Dating Story," "A Wedding Story," and "The Baby Story." Quality TV, I know.

Disadvantages to no TV
There really haven't been many. The only thing I can think of is that I have no idea what my co-workers are talking about when they talk about Lost, Gray's Anatomy, The Bachelor, etc. . .
Not watching TV shows has not negatively impacted my life in any way I can think of.

Cool Reasons I've Found not to Watch
Since we have not had TV ever in our home, I find so much more time to get other things done that I want to do; having rich conversation with Ryan and friends, reading, cooking/baking, picking up; just to name a few. I love that our schedule is free from feeling like we need to watch something on TV. When I was in high school Dawson's Creek was a really popular show, and I was totally obsessed. I would finagle my schedule around so I could watch it or tape it and watch as soon as humanly possible. I guess you do not miss what you do not know, and for me I don't know Lost from Gray's Anatomy and I feel no loss in my life. Surprisingly , we're not the only people not watching regularly. Check this article out!

Survivor & Spring Time

Survivor Panama: Exile Island woah, intense new title. . .
A group of our friends get together at Jon & Grete's house on Thursdays to watch Survivor. Ryan has challenged us to pick who we think will win before the premiere episode tonight. After reviewing the bios of each contestant, my picks for top 3 are: Courtney, a meditating, cultural embracing princess; Bruce, a karate master who teaches art to high schoolers; and Terry, a retired Navy officer. I think that it will be a close call between these 3 people, but I think that Courtney's feminine charms and love of everything and everyone might help her pull ahead of the men. . .http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor12/

Any suggestions on that?

In The Air
I know that spring time in North Texas is already here. You're wondering how I know that, and the answer is quite simply because my nose is experiencing extreme itching discomfort since I walked outside this morning. But maybe a more accurate statement would be to say that summer never really ended. . .it is unseasonably warm around DFW this year. My friend, Allison, and I even noticed blossoms on the trees the other night on a walk near where we live.

One Reason Why Spring is WONDERFUL
Spring always welcomes the new; a fresh start and new beginnings. Last spring I was getting ready for ours & friend's weddings. I am super excited because this Spring marks an anticipation of my sister-in-law's, Erin, wedding to Steve! They're getting married on July 22, just 1 day shy of our 1st Anniversary. We can't think of a better way to celebrate our marriage than knowing that God has brought the two of them together in marriage!