Ninja Warrior

A hundred swirling thoughts and ideas rampage through my mind.  Emerging adults.  Kid's ministry.  Seminary.  Classes.  Workouts. Field trips.  Pennyslvania.  Home.  Calling. Goodbyes. Transition.  New Start. Old life. Job. Family.  God.  Some days, I can think so clearly.  Every topic waits its turn to be mulled over, prayed through, and concluded.  It's like to those movies where the ninjas come at the hero one at a time giving him the time to take each one down in some dastardly super-spy action.  But sometimes, instead of following Hollywood's timing, life hits with a little more reality and all the ninjas come at you all at once.

I sit down to pray but my prayers can't stay on focus.  It's like one prayer reminds me of another one and then I remember I need to hit the grocery store and fill up the car with gas before heading to PA on Friday morning and I can't go tomorrow because I have to work and Luke has small group and I need to make sure that my subs for work are going to be there and then ... oh shoot, gotta get the lesson ready for Thursday night and what's a good craft to go with Joseph so I should probably look that up on Pinterest but WAIT what am I going to serve for dinner to the family and finish the laundry so I can start packing for our trip...

Please tell me you've been there and I'm not the only mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, student, employee, person who goes through these days?  I know that I'm not but sometimes just knowing that someone else has the same experience can help. 

And then, in the middle of all that, it happens.  Your phone makes its most favorite noise and you look down and see a text, from a friend, just saying, "Hey, I could really use some time with you."  For a moment, you think, "There's no possible way."  But in nanoseconds the next thought is, "No, this is exactly what I need."  

We've had a lot of interesting discussions in our home lately because of classes we are both taking that basically asks the question, "How important is 'the church', as in the members of the body of Christ a.k.a. people, in our own Christianity?"  Luke's class has him looking at an international culture in particular that purposely tries not to "look" Christian because they feel it makes it harder for them to "witness" to others in their family/community, so they don't participate in church as we know it.  I've been studying the current youth/college culture and the resistance they are exhibiting to the traditional church structure while at the same time growing in their desire to connect more with the past through liturgy and history.  So where exactly does the church play its role?  We are "members of one body" thus we quite literally NEED each other and it can't just be about "going" to a church building or acting in a certain way.  It is about people, flesh and blood broken people, in community, in relationship, sharing one another's burdens, rejoicing in each other's joys and yes, getting frustrated with each other, forgiving each other, and loving each other in spite of it all.

So when my text lit up with an invitation to be with a person, a fellow believer and a sister in the faith, my perspective suddenly changed.  Sure all the chores and assignments and swirling thoughts were all there, but one thing shut them all down.  Community.  Friendship.  Christ.  My prayers, which I couldn't formulate with my mind, were heard from my heart and God answered with Himself, quite literally.  Once again I remind myself, the bags will get packed, the food will get cooked, the assignments will get done and even if I don't get every workout in this week, life will go on and life will be best when I am with Him.  

And with one karate chop (super-spy style), the ninjas are silenced and I walk away unscathed...to live another day.  I even found time to blog. :)

Post Script - As I re-read this I realized I left something out... if you are trying to go at this whole life thing alone, keeping your problems to yourself and facing them on your own, may I suggest that there is a better way?  God himself said, "It is not good for man to be alone."  He created the church, the people who make up His body on earth, to be a unit, not a separate identity.  Find some messy broken people who have given themselves to a loving holy God and throw yourself in the mix.  Bind yourself to friends and fellow warriors in the community of faith and stop trying to go at it alone.  There's a better way.  The end. 

Carpe Diem the Life out of Life

I've had several messages lately from friends saying, "Hey, how are you?  Are things okay?  You haven't blogged in a while."  The short answer:  Yes, I am fine and thank you so much for asking!  The long answer:  See below

Spring is here!

Spring is always miraculous.  Living in the mountains of PA, it usually came a little late to us, but I loved watching the birds return, the brush start turning green, the trees come back to life and the animals begin their scampering.  It was also muddy, which kinda made me not like spring a whole lot.  Muddy dirty mud that would would be tramped through the house and in the car and on shoes... mud.

Kentucky, and particularly Kalas Village, has its own little spring miracles.  Just like in PA, the brush turns green, the birds start singing and the trees look alive but instead of scampering animals, it's people... neighbors... smiling faces that have been hidden under layers of puffy clothes and knit scarves and woolen hats that suddenly emerge from behind closed doors and into the streets.  White faces soon start turning a sun-kissed red.  Dull eyes start sparkling with life and light.  Hushed voices start yelling, "Hello, how are you?"  Life returns to the village.

The kids in particular find new life, with each other and the world around them.  Suddenly, doors are flung open and children emerge from everywhere.  As one of my neighbors put it, "The winter is over and all these children come out, slightly taller and a little older, and there's a bunch more tiny ones, the babies born over the winter months."  Bikes, scooters, ripstiks, roller skates and every other wheeled object you can think of become modes of transportation for every elementary resident.  Little

Sunset at Kalas on Easter night

gangs of these wheeled posses find their way to gazebos and front porches to concoct games and stories and inventions and craft shows and whatever else their little minds can imagine.  Sprinklers and water guns fill up the warm afternoons and chatter and laughter the mild evenings.  Bedtimes come way too soon and school is an interruption to their lives.

Honestly, its beautiful.  The sounds of life being lived, the day being seized.  It pulls you out and into being.  It makes you want to walk and talk and grow and breathe.  Someone once asked me how our family can "do" so much and I answered as honestly as I could - we carpe diem the life out of life.  We try to "seize the day" with each moment and to live intentionally into each precious second of life.  We truly strive to not let an opportunity to experience life more fully pass us by whether it be going outside on a beautiful day or sharing communion with friends on Easter.  It is a full life, one that yesterday as I tried to sum up in a few words to answer Facebook's unending question "What's on your mind?" left me speechless.  

Kentucky spring is not without its "mud" only it comes in the form of allergies, countless allergens that make you sneeze and snot and tear up and cough and want to nap a lot.  My new friend Claritin makes its rounds daily in the Embree house.  But it hasn't slowed us down too much.  Life is being lived, my friends, and we do not want to miss out.


So, the long answer is, I, or more precisely, we have been busy hiking, biking, running, singing, laughing, talking, working, sneezing, visiting friends, celebrating with family, exploring new places, making more memories, eating fabulous dishes, sharing beautiful days and star-filled nights and enjoying all that spring's new life has to bring.  

Today Luke and I celebrate 13 years of marriage.  He surprised me with a little getaway this weekend to Lexington, just us, no kids.  While we were reflecting over the past 13 years we both agreed that while things have not always been easy or perfect, we've always been in it together and we always do our best to live life to the fullest for God's glory and His kingdom.  We agreed that we'd both be happy if at the end of our lives the legacy we leave behind is "They loved God and lived life to the fullest."  So hey, as spring spreads its life across the country and winter retreats for another year, go out, live life, carpe diem each moment and celebrate the beautiful life God has given you!  Blessings friends!!