We Are CALLED To Bless

I've been in prayer over the past few weeks on the decision I made to take on a missions trip. I would love to say that I've been given a clear, concise answer as to what it is I'll be doing, exactly where I'll be doing it and exactly when that will happen. Unfortunately, I've not been given any answers, but I'm fine with that, because I know that I'll be placed where I'm supposed to be, at the exact moment that I need to be at that place, for a reason I might not recognize until it is literally right in front of me. That is the beauty of faith.

With everything that's been scheduled for us over the past couple of weeks, it felt like much longer than two Sundays that I'd missed when I walked into SonRise today. Rob was still sick, and opted to stay back, so I ventured out on my own.

I'm glad I did. I walked into church and was immediately greeted by a foyer filled with people, balloons, posterboards and popcorn. It looked a lot like an expo of some sort, because it was an expo - a Ministry Expo.

sonrise ministry expo!

This was perfect.
Since I've moved back to Ohio, I have yet to plant my feet so firmly in a church that I am immersed yet in the ministry projects. That's not a good thing. I've still been experimenting here and there, visiting churches that I've not yet seen, trying to keep an open heart to where I should settle and plant my roots. Honestly, I've never homed myself [in my adult life] in anything other than a Baptist church, so naturally, exploring in and of itself has been something of a new experience as it is.

I have prayed over this often in the last year, especially after visiting a few of the area's Baptist churches and not feeling that connection that isn't decided my me, but rather by the overall atmosphere. I am sure they are wonderful places, but there's been something telling me that I need to explore what has been under my nose this entire time.

And that is SonRise. Yes, it's a community church; some call that non-denominational. I say that I'm less concerned about choosing a specific Christian division than I am about finding a place that coincides doctrinally with what I believe. I'm pretty simple. Love God, Love People. I borrowed that from my church in Illinois [Shout out, Towerview], but it's true and it's easy. Love God, Love People.

I see that at SonRise. I see a thirst to educate the kids and youth on reaching out in their worlds with the values that may, especially in today's society, defy the evolving social standards of their peer groups. I see the adults being guided, not forced, to recognize areas in which they can develop, correct or improve themselves in practical ways to have the impact we're designed to have.

Today, I took copious notes as I followed along with Pastor Jeff, on the calling we all have to use what we're given to bless others. I explored the Ministry Expo set up in the foyer, both before and after the service, and was a little taken back by just how obvious the opportunities to minister locally are for me. That, and how many!

just some of the ministry opportunities.. right.. under my nose.

Call me cliché if you want, but I am a firm believer that I've been the happiest when I'm doing something for the benefit of someone else, and can see the amount of joy that brings them. It didn't always, and still doesn't "come naturally" to me, as some people would suggest of those who love helping other people. No, I'm human. There are days when I want to be selfish, and every so often yes, I indulge those urges and internalize my energy instead of apply that to helping someone else. I'm not gonna pretend that I'm always helpy helperton. I'm human with human nature, and I am proof that dying daily to myself is a PROCESS.

Anyway, back on track, I discovered today that the seemingly murky responses I've felt thus far regarding an all-out missions trip may be due to the fact that I've yet to plant any of my missions efforts here, locally. It only make sense. The more I thought about it today, the more sense it made.I need to be here before I can be anywhere else. It all starts internally, and emanates from there.

I took lots of notes. I always try to capture any sermon with my own notes, so that I can refer back later and recall what stood out the most. Today, it wasn't one singular thing that made a mark, but just the concept of deflecting the focus off of myself and into the efforts of bettering someone else's life, if even for just a few minutes at a time.


must... remember!

And I remembered. I can write. That means that I know how to formulate encouragement to someone who might need it. I can cook. There are people who don't have the time, resources or ability to eat a good meal, let alone create one. I can sing. Music is therapeutic; there's no mood to which some sort of music cannot be paired. I love all those things, and I'm capable of much more that I don't always see. As it stands right now, very few people stand to benefit from any of my talents, mediocre as they may be. I can't share them if I don't apply them.

SO... Here's where I re-direct my prayers of mission. If across the world is where I'm meant to be, then great, that's where I'll be. As of now though, I feel like I need to just open myself to what is here, now. It's a matter of plugging myself into a homefront before I can expect to gain traction anywhere else. So, if you wouldn't mind, keep me in mind when you pray for local missions. This is about as local as it gets for me, but I'm starting to believe this is where I'm meant to be, for now. (:

*****

Speaking of blessings, I ran into an old friend a few weekends back when Jesse was in town visiting us. It's been nearly seven years since Justin and I played soccer together, but it seemed only fitting that since that's where we met, that's where we would start hanging out again, reconnecting after so long. So for the first time in over a year, I laced up the boots and hit the field with an indoor team, serving as a starter since their other girl didn't show up.

a familiar, endearing sight!

Tonight reminded me how greatly different soccer is than just a standard butt-whooping at a gym. It doesn't matter how much you train at the gym, soccer will find a way to target and destroy a completely different set of muscle groups. Haha. I held my own, but I'm already sore and looking forward to getting back into this on a regular basis. Yay, CINCINNATI and your indoor soccer networks!!

 

Back at home after the game, Rob and I decided that all of nothing sounded that great for dinner, so we pigged out like a couple of rabbits on what actually is probably healthier than most things we could've chosen to eat...

yeeeup. healthy hogs. haha..

Poor Rob is juuuuuust about back to 100%, although I think our attempt to find Anchorman 2 funny at all may have just caused a setback. Haha. Seriously, NOT... funny :( Oh well.

 

Tomorrow we're back to the work week; I have a feeling this week is going to be far less hectic than last week [at least I'm hoping for it, anyway].

 

See ya then!

 

xo | cmd

Buchanan's Mudfest 2013

Today = Buchanan's Mudfest 2013

This one's gonna be better in pictures, than in words. It's been really rainy lately, so there was definitely no shortage of mud for today's mudfest. Hello friends... hello, Buchanan MO.

welcome! :)

a little bit of everyone showed up (:

aww.. couples.. haha

these girls... too much fun...
chelsey. cori. halley. ashley

trucks & people... eh - mud's mud!
.. if you're not dirty... you're doing it wrong!

:)

the aftermath.....

Good news: we only got stuck once.
Bad news: that one time ended being a mud fender bender, and now Rob needs a new fender. Or at least some repair. :( It's a pretty big bummer, but other than that... we managed to escape relatively unscathed, compared to some of the others we saw [one truck flipped over... another broke a ball joint and lost a tire all together... yeesh... ]

We're back now. Rob's not feeling well so he's already passed out... and I... I am hungry? Go figure.

I just took the best shower of my life.... haha.. and now I'm gonna hunt down some food and take a nap.

See ya'll laaater :)

xo | cmd

Doodles, Birthdays, & Sunglasses 8-)

Click Me. 

I had fun with that today.

There's a whole bunch of these fun lil' Olympic-themed guys. Haha
Yeeesh. Haha.

*****
Do ya one better though on the daily highlights:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUSTIN!!!

russia & china! haha.. happy birthday!!

^^ Happy birthday, friend!! This is one of Joe's best friends from back home, and he's a riot. Hope today is the best birthday yet - we hope to see you soon, JB!! 

****

swag! LOL... 

Oh, and here's a silly thing from today that made us laugh at the office: Each of us staffing consultants have that handful of "favorite associates," the ones who will snag last minute assignments, grueling labor work, odd hours, and fill-ins. They're reliable, work with great urgency and ethic, and are predictable, in a good way. Today, I landed an interview for a long term position for one of my best associates, and he showed up with a token of gratitude [no fear, this wasn't a bribe, and it was clearly in a non-creepy context]. He lived in Hong Kong for quite some time, and had some knock off numbers - you can't tell by looking at them, and they're not typically in my range of style, but I thought it was pretty thoughtful.. and a reminder of the fact that my job is in fact affecting people's lives :). Pretty funny. 

P.S. - I'm on a whopping day 3 of INSANITY.
Slowly but surely... and sweaty, too. (: 

Happy midweek! 

xo | cmd

Oh To Be.. In OH-IO :)

I feel like I've been awake for a very long time.

That could have something to do with the fact that I have been awake for a while, didn't get to bed until late last night, and then topped with a 6 hour drive back to Ohio. Just sayin'.

Sydni and I pulled out of the driveway at 5am this morning and rolled into our final destination just after 11am EST.  We met Joe there and spent some time catching up as a trio before heading out to Mason to visit Joe's mom at work.


mini admin

As it turns out, Sydni seems to have the blood of an office administrator; she wasted no time in settling in to Sandy's desk, taking the whole process very seriously. We let her finish up her pretend phone calls to everyone she knows [Nana, Pappy, Mamaw, Dawne, LandonBabot, Bootsie, Joe, and myself - they were very short conversations, ha] before toting her off to grab some lunch and head to the park.

the dills ♥

It was hardly crowded at Miami Meadows, which I thought unusual for a Saturday until I remembered it's a holiday weekend. The only real mass of people outlined the soccer fields, where elementary-aged kids swarmed around in a group after the ball. I remember that. So does Joe, and it all gave me a new excitement for when Sydni gets to that point. We took a long walk, stopping every 10 feet or so for Sydni to pluck and splatter blow all the seeds off of those white puffy dandelions. Sorry for the gross repopulation of those things, pretty park; I'm pretty sure they'll quadruple in number from Sydni's efforts alone today.

We decided to head back home, which led to Sydni begging us to ceding point to sit and watch Tangled with her. We've only seen that movie a grand total of abouuuut 74982378048320750217 times now, but I'm pretty certain anyone with small children knows exactly how this feels; if you've got little girls right now, then you also know all the lines and lyrics to this movie, just like we do.

Joe's mom made it home mid-afternoon, and volunteered to watch Sydni so we could meet with Justin and his family for an expedition to the bowling alley. JB & his mom are apparently on the same bowling league, through her work; I would later make the conclusion that everyone who works for this local Toyota dealership is apparently just hairs shy of pro-bowler status. I've never seen so many consecutive strikes in my life, not in person anyway. We were there for 3 games, plenty of time for us to catch up with JB, Dez, and the rest of the Boesherz family, but not before Joe was pulled over for speeding, on the 2 mile stretch between our place and the bowling alley.

are you kidding me?!

Let me just say that I find it a stark injustice at how easily Joe can wiggle out of traffic tickets. For the last two years, he's been pulled over a small handful of times, each one resulting in a WARNING. Seriously? I very clearly recall being right around the 8month mark of my pregnancy and getting a speeding ticket while taking Kalyn home. I remember propping the clipboard up on my quite obvious bump and angrily signing my name away. Not even 10 miles over the speed limit, either, and here my husband has slid right through the grasps of at least 4 speeding tickets in the last year or so, maybe including this one. I'm not really allll that suprised, what with his cunning ability to sell people onto his brainwave; in hindsight now I'm actually more surprised that these officers haven't been paying him to continue on his way when it's all said and done.

Anyway, tomorrow is church with my family and Easter with Joe's family; the annual easter egg hunt is going to be in full effect, and we'll finally get to see Nicki, Joe's sister, who is newly pregnant with their 3rd child. We've got a neice or nephew on the way!

Time to get rested....

xo | cmd

Grandparents | Game Night Pt.2

I was really looking forward to seeing my parents, and Sydni, since we really hadn't seen much of them at all since the Sunday after the wedding. They showed up around 11, and we were quick to get lunch rolling and on the table. Joe's mom and my parents provided all the edibles; altogether it was a chatter-filled, good time.

We headed out to the park with Mom & Dad, to allow Sandy to get some rest before work, and to secretly let Sydni play until she was tuckered out [success!].



hangin' out at uncle jb's

Once we did the customary swapping of carseat, stroller, shoes, clothes, and diapers, Mom & Dad left to head home to Mt. Vernon, and we headed out for another game night at JB's house. Eric met us there for a battle at Trivial Pursuit. In the end, Joe and I came out victorious [not sure how, exactly]. It was well past Sydni's bed time, so home it was.


tired girl!



Tomorrow, we're visiting New Harmony again, and then heading back to Illinois.

Long day.

xo | cmd

Game Night: Cranium

It was difficult to bid farewell to our country abode this morning, so with reluctance we loaded up our gear with destination: Cincinnati, OH.

Here we are.

The good news is, we didn’t have to completely crash off the ‘high’ of a stellar honeymoon; we were greeted by an invitation to join our friends for a game night. We met up with JB and headed out to West Chester to meet up with Eric at Geoff & Sam’s.

We quickly progressed into an ambitious go of Cranium, with the artistic women on Geoff’s team, and Joe, Eric, and JB left to their own creative devices as a trio team.

I’m so thankful for friends like these, for real, soulful laughs like these, and for nights like these.

My parents are coming down tomorrow to visit with us, and to return their little vacationer. We're all doing lunch here with Joe's mom. We’re looking forward to having the family together; right now, it’s time for sleep J

xo | cmd

Renewed, AT LAST!!

renewed | joe & cori
photography: amy hildebrand

T-Minus… ZERO days.

Whoa.

TODAY!!! [& in case you’re wondering, yes, this entry is backdated. Hush.]
p.s. - more wedding photos coming soon. Stay tuned!

The day started [for the gents] with 9 holes of golf. It was colder this morning than yesterday. So yeah. Take that for making fun of us floating around icebergs yesterday. J



preparation is hard work.. :)

The ladies all made their way to the ‘Big House’ [factual term] for a bridesmaid breakfast. Thanks to Maricor for jumping right in on the omelette pan – you’ve got skill, cousin, SKILL. It was so nice seeing all of my bridal party together, informally, just eating and getting to know each other. I am so grateful to have these women in my life, and even more blessed that they were all here because I asked them. Each one of them means the world to me; I am definitely one blessed girl.

Once the ladies headed back to their hotels to spend some time with the dates they’d brought or just to tie up any last minute details, Kalyn and I embarked on our own mission to get all the final finites in order. We all rendezvoused back at the big house to do the hair & make-up prep before tailing over to the manor. We met up with the photographers there for final touches, zip-ups, double checks, bobby pins, and hairspray before lining up in our aisle-marching order. The music trickled in, and we were off.

Show time.

I had a revelation:

During the moments I stood still holding my father’s arm, staring at the husband God created for me, it hit me. As Cynthia finished out singing Look at Me, I had just a moment to breathe deep and realize that everything – all the planning, re-planning, budgeting, phone calls, emails, stressing, and crafting – had not only paid off, but was completely minute compared to the serenity of that moment. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.



top photo | jess. cori. kalyn. brittany. donna
bottom photo | our handsome gentlemen!



To say that we are blessed is a gross understatement. My beautiful niece/bridesmaid Cynthia blessed us by singing, Eric did a reading, my husband and I sang our first public duet, our friends and family were there to see us, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. We had officially had our first real wedding, and it was perfect.

As the night wound down to a close, and our guests started trickling home, we loaded all our gifts into Adam’s car, and we all headed back to the hotel. That brings us to now [still back-dated], which means curing our exhaustion with some sleep.

[The renewed] Mr. & Mrs. Dills are gonna get some Z’s, starting now.

xo | cmd

Ah, HOME!

I woke up this morning and did that whole disoriented haze thing that seems to happen to me every once in a while when I forget that I’m visiting, and not in my own room. It didn’t help that Sydni had realized her ability to shimmy out of the pack-n-play that serves as her bed when we visit Mamaw’s. She was cozied up between Joe and I in the bed, which wouldn’t be a big deal if Sydni didn’t fully sprawl out every time she falls asleep. J

larosa's. ♥



So there we were, HOME. It felt good. I started the day off by running some last minute errands in preparation for the big wedding: getting satin fabric from which the bridesmaid sashes would be fashioned, bobby pins, and of course stopping by with some Halloween Buskins for my [original] beloved Express family. It was amazing to see them all, though I did miss out on catching up with Brandi. Something about her just having a baby, or some jazz… Just kidding. I’m thrilled that her little boy was delivered safely and they’re both healthy and happy. I miss them, and I’m so glad we are still in touch!

Meanwhile, Joe had linked up with JB, and the two of them were tackling a workout at the gym. The three of us and Sydni did dinner at La Rosa’s and thought we’d call it a night. We headed back home; Joe just left to go back to JB’s for a while before he picks his good friend and former Red Rope Aaron up from CVG just before midnight tonight.

Tomorrow morning, it’s canoeing with the girls. We’ll see how this goes!

xo | cmd

Otis :)

After last night, today started a little later than we had planned. We're cool with that.

We headed over to see the Edwards for a bit at their house since it's been quite a while. They have a new addition to their family: Otis! He's an English Mastiff, and he is adorable.

otis

giving puppy kisses!

Not a little guy per say, as he's already 45 lbs his paws are the size of my hands. This tyke is gonna be a big boy one day.

But for now, he's still a manageable size for even Sydni, who enjoyed playing in his crate just as much as he did. It's pretty roomy for her... Ideas for travelling? *Kidding.

He was impressingly docile with little hands, little fingers, and sometimes a not-so-little excited squeal chasing him around the kitchen and the yard. It's a shame we don't still live closer; in a year or so, he'll be pony sized. Haha. I joke.

Joe and I also made a pitstop at our favorite crepe restaurant downtown before I dropped him off at Eric's again and headed home to let him, Eric, and JB have a much-needed guys day to shoot pistols, play cards, and well.. just be guys.

I took that time to head up to Deerfield to BuyBuy Baby with two goals:

1. Get Holly [Joe's cousin] a gift for her baby shower next weekend which I can't attend.

2. Don't buy Sydni a bunch of stuff that Mama wants more than Sydni does.

I accomplished both of those things. Score.

Tomorrow we'll pay a visit to our now former church, New Harmony. I'm excited to see everyone!

xo | cmd

Wuest Wedding!!

The Art of Marriage, by Wilferd Peterson:

the wuests | todd & donna

A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things...

It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once each day.

It is never going to sleep angry.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is speaking words of appreciation and
demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is not only marrying the right partner...
It is being the right partner.

This is what Joe was asked to read during the wedding today. [He did it perfectly, too, for the record!] It was such a gorgeous wedding, even though the sun was both blindig and blistering.



More hilariously, this wedding is one I will never forget.
This is a true story:

Joe started the day with an 18-hole golf session with Todd and some other guys from the bridal party. I'm glad it wasn't me; it was sweltering out there today, and I'm not much of a golfer. They survived with no heat-stroke casualties, though, so that's always a good sign.

JB & his date Jess came by and picked me up around 5:30 and the three of us trekked up to West Chester to meet Eric at his sister's house. I hopped [literally, stupid dress] into his truck with him and we led the way for JB & Jess out to Northbend to the country club.



Did I mention it was h-o-t outside?? Todd & Donna craftily ensured that their wedding programs doubled as fans, but most guys our age don't jump at the option of sitting and, well, fanning. It seemed so unfair, since the boys were all in suits, and the girls... weren't. I did my very best to funnel as much air as I could on to Eric, since the poor guy had sweat dripping off his face by the end of the ceremony. A moment of cool relief finally crept over us when the sun disappeared behind a cloud and we no longer had to squint.

jess | justin | eric | cori | joe

CONGRATULATIONS, TODD & DONNA WUEST!!

The reception was everything a reception should be: food, friends, and plenty of dancing. And not just dancing, oh no, but the older adults dancing. Moms and dads and grandparents always make for the best duos at wedding receptions. Of course that didn't stop any of us from cuttin' up some pretty good rug to a well-constructed soundtrack.

Speaking of which:

Ooooone of us decided to not only cut the rug, but slide on it. I don't blame him, because that floor looked pretty slick. It wasn't. :( Eric attempted to slide across it into the worm [he powered through!], but unfortunately, the floor fought back and Eric ended up splitting his chin open. So, Joe, Justin, Jess and I all loaded up into our respective vehicles and set off in search of the nearest hospital.

First attempt = fail. GPS found Christ Hospital....... medical testing center. Ooops.

Second attempt = lesser degree fail. GPS found us Mercy Western Hills. For lack of a better term, that place is hood. Really.

So here we are, dressed like wedding yuppies [oh, and the wedding colors were bright pink & black; Joe was therefore sporting a bright pink tie and vest] at a hospital in the middle of the night, in the middle of a savory neighborhood. Thumbs up.

Justin tailed Eric back to the fixer-upper room to witness and photograph the stitches, leaving Joe, Jess and I in the waiting room to witness something I'm still unsure I didn't just imagine: 



wedding battle wounds | 8 stitches!



Roughly 45 minutes into our wait, a shirtless man comes waltzing into the hospital. By man, I mean likely some WWE has-been, standing at about 6'5" and impossibly weighing anything less than 300 lbs of sheer muscle. Scarier than his stature was the blood covering the entire left side of his torso. It didn't take us long to spot two holes, one in his chest, right above his heart, and the other parallel to it in his bicep.

Fast forward to when we're no longer freaking out about the bloody man to when we learned he wasn't shot, but he was stabbed. A lady not much smaller than he had accompanied him into the hospital and informed us that we "should see the other guy." No thanks, lady. No thanks.

So we leave, finally, after Eric and his 8 stitches emerge ready to go.
What do you do after an adventure like that?
You go to IHOP.

It's 2AM.

Yep.

Scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and pancakes will cure any crazy evening. Especially when the entire meal is spent reflecting on a journey that began at a country club and ended at IHOP.

I love my friends.

So, all in all, this was the wedding.

Quite the eventful evening.

Congratulations, Todd & Donna. We wish you the best and then some for this new chapter of your lives!

xo | cmd

P.S. - Yeah, I'm cheating on this one and backdating it to the latest possible time that I can so it'll post on the right day ;) Shhhhhh.