Really wild

One night at a friend's movie premier guess who showed up? Can y'all believe this? She's a good fit, eh?

Other stuff...

These are some other pics from my LA weekend. This Benz is what I drove while there (it looks like a Saturn)...I roll in style.
The other one is from Manhattan beach. Like McDonald's...I'm lovin' it!!

10 Million + Me = Crazy

LA? A bit overwhelmed. I got into LA a week ago and finally for the first time felt nervous. As I approached the city at night the lights filled the windows of the airplane. My stomach dropped and I felt more insignificant than ever before. All the sudden it seemed real that in a few months this flight would be bringing me home. For just a minute I thought about how much easier it would be to stay in Charlotte. I thought about how easy it would be to keep doing ministry there, keep my friends and simply stay. But I was fairly instantly met with a feeling that to stay in Charlotte after all my dreaming would simply be to settle. Championed by “No Mediocrity,” and “No Regrets,” I pushed forward and exited the plane.
There were many things I take away from this trip. I know I will change when I move to L.A. There is something different about life out there and thus the people are different. There is not really any one thing to point to that is different but a bunch of subtle differences acting as many minor ingredients in the make up of the majority of those out West. I will be walking into a culture that is vastly different from anything I have known.
I come back from the week excited about living there. The style, the weather, the energy are all so dynamic and vibrant. I love that I will be minutes from the beach. I could chill at the beach and snow ski all in one day—that rocks! I have some really great contacts and it seems that God is up to some cool things in Hollywood.
Will it be difficult? Yes. This will be the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Will it be worth it? Absolutely. I simply can’t wait.

The City of Angels

Folks, I'm off for a week to LA to meet with some friends and industry people. I'm very excited to be there and to meet some of these people. Pray for a great time and safety. And check back for updates and pictures.

Life's a beach...

There comes a time in everyone's life when he (in the societal plural sense) is faced with making the monumental decision regarding their affinity toward either the beach or the mountains. Even as a wee-little lass I remember loving the beach. It has always been more than just a vacation destination. It has been that, to be sure, but so much more. The beach has oft been a place to reset, a place to just be. From my younger days of all day snorkeling to more recently being content walking the beach by myself simply praying and thinking, I love the beach.
When you take the beach and add friends to the mix you can have a knock-out weekend. That was the case last weekend in Oak Island (the OI) in North Carolina. Nearly 30 Young Life leaders and staff road tripped to the Coast and had a fantastic weekend. There were deep conversations that will have ripples through the lives of me and my friends; there were also mindless games of dice-slap and stories of lost appendages (ask Meg Holden). The picture of volleyball, skim boarding, Frisbee, bocce ball and reading Lucky magazines is only a sliver of the veritable cornucopia of ways we spent our time.
I loved every second of it. Thanks, friends.
(****more beach photos can be seen by clicking on the flickr badge on the right***)

Uno, dos, tres, quatro

Grateful. Thankful. Lucky. Blessed.

These are all words I used to describe this past weekend with George Brown, Derek Griz and Chris Jessen. A pair of married guys (to women), a soon-to-be married guy and me; quite the combination.
It was a weekend beyond words. Between a few hikes, sleeping in, sarcastic banter and a pizza large enough to make Pavarotti scream we had a full weekend.
We hiked one day on a trail we found on the side of the road and followed it till it dropped us off on an open rock top to what appeared to be about a 25,000-ft drop. These are a few pics from that hike where I'm showcasing both acrobatic ability and abilty to reason that doing a handstand merely inches from certain death made sense.
I won't bore you--my faithful--with stories but sufice to say the weekend was fantastic and I leave feeling blessed to have friends like this.

(You can check out the flickr badge on the right to see more pictures from sunset and the rock)

Oscars party 06'

Well it was a night to remember for many, many reasons. We had ballots, we had wine, we had fingerfoods with the proverbial pigs in a blanket and (insert Ron Burgundy voice) we had fun. The night began as guests, donning top of the line fabrics and designer outfits, practically floated across the red carpet and entered into the Official Charlotte Oscars Party. There were big-time, high-profile celebrities present such as these two gentlemen. Ballots were cast and millions of dollars were on the line. As the night unfurled and the countdown toward movie of the year began, tensions mounted and hearts raced. When Jack spoke the oh so glorious words that "Crash," was indeed the movie of the year (agreeing with what I said about 6 months ago) a glorious roar filled the homestead. I still have faith in the Academy. I breathe deeper and rest better. I'd like to thank...

(**for more photos, please click on the flickr badge on the right and find the "oscars 06" photo set**)