stepping into leadership...

As i prepare to leave TMP and the comfort of my role there, i was determined to finish Mark Batterson's 'in a pit with a lion on a snowy day' ...and i'm glad i did!!

..there in the middle of ch.8 entitled the importance of looking foolish, i came across a concept i've never heard of before... my new favorite word... neoteny!

neoteny is "the retention of youthful qualities by adults."

it gets better...

"Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas identify neoteny as an indispensable quality of leadership in their book Geeks and Geezers.

Neoteny is more than retaining a youthful appearance... ..it is the retention of those wonderful qualities that we associate with youth: curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, warmth, energy...

Unlike those defeated by time and age... [neotonists are] open, willing to take risks, hungry for knowledge and experience, courageous, eager to see what the new day brings." -(batterson, p.154)

Batterson's point was to encourage us, as Jesus did, to "become like little children."

Now here is what you need to understand. Neoteny isn't just a nice concept about people who age well or lead well. Neoteny is at the very heart of what the kingdom of God is all about.

I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. -(Matthew 18:3)

there's something freeing and wonderful to me that the gospel message includes childlikeness!!! ..as adults we can become so stuffy and puffed up, over-concerned about work and duties and looking like we have it all together.. I've been caught there too many times myself.

We internalize limits. We grow up and grow old. What is worse, we become small people with a small God.

I think part of Neos is regaining the limitlessness of youth. Regaining the idea that we have been created by a limitless God to have limitless dreams and imaginations! (batterson, p. 155)

what limits are you listening to?

catching up.. (sun.1.25.09)

j. & his daily reading.. & mac jr.

yes, the pictures-of-the-day are alive and well.. i've just been too busy to slow down and post them... i've also decided to give each their own post (mostly for organization-sake).. so if you're a subscriber, don't be wary of the 15 new posts.. they'll be as short and sweet as possible :)

(hope you enjoy the photos.. i sure have enjoyed taking them...)


... ..the past three sundays (this was the last of three) we have sort of camped out on the north end to save from driving all the way home and back for our class at church..

this sunday our spot was the ABC in N.MB...
i was reading the photography magazine steph gave me for christmas and thought i'd try out a couple of settings they suggested! (thankfully jeremy and claire were great sports! :)

first cake.. (sat.1.24.09)

more sweetness that is christopher.

with his first birthday cake.. even better that we got to share the occasion with my brother and his wife at their house with their friends and other family... pure goodness.

two weeks notice..(fri.1.23.09)

first farewell at tmp..

(i had just told jessica about the new position at barnes and that i officially have two weeks left!)

i imagine this is just the beginning of such farewells... as ready as i am to step out and move on, it will be hard/sad to say goodbye to a place and people i have spent the past three years with!

the stories and memories and experiences from this special place are forever ingrained in who i am and who i will become..

frosty... (thurs.1.22.09)

me and the sunrise reflected in my icy car window.

i was trying to capture just how cold it was.
love the snowflakey frost! :)

delayed start... (wed.1.21.09)

on the way to school.

it actually snowed the day before, but because it was still so cold and could have potentially snowed some more, the schools called a two hour delay... thankfully i was available and got to transport this precious cargo..

....my favorite things about this photo...

1. no booster seat (the first time in my car -even though she's probably been big enough for a while now :)

2. the whispy/chunk from the ponytail.. it was a must.

3. the leopard print furry coat. just kayla's taste. :)

4. and the dangly cherry earrings.. her favorites. also a must, whether they match or not, they remain first pick!

mmhmm..(tues.1.20.09)

avacado and rice.

..an unexpectedly tasty treat!

(steph, you must at least try it before you say "gross!" ..i think you'll be surprised with this one!)

link up... (mon.1.19.09)

MLK Day with kayla and anna.

...also just so happened to be anna's birthday and the day of dad's latest doctor's appt... so the girls and i went to the mall to play a little...

i told them how my bff's mom used to always have us 'link up' before we crossed the street and therefore they must do the same.. :)

morning creativity.. (sun.1.18.09)

travel mug.

a definite fav.. this was just one of those moments of attempted creativity.. i was sitting downstairs before church, talking with dad and watching mom and kayla bustle around getting ready for church.. a very nice moment.

sweetness.. (sat.1.17.09)

nephew christopher.

what a sweetie.. and a joy to have around.. this was the second weekend in a row we got to keep him... overnight even :)

good news!!

'talk to the doghnut...' (haha)

soo, dad had another heart-doctor appointment today and this time the news was GOOD! ..they're going to go for stints.. (i don't know if that means one or more than one) but at least they're willing to do SOMEthing!

thanks for lovin my dad with your prayers! <3
(appt. scheduled for feb.3rd.. i'll surely keep you posted!)



example of a heart stint... (image source)

..still a risky/"aggressive" move, but better than nothing!!

tgif! (fri. 1.16.09)

2nd graders <3 twister!

...holiday weekends mean no school and at TMP that often means we keep the kiddos allllll day long, which was the case this time!! ..this is just one of the many ways we passed the time friday! :)

..a long day/week it was!!

certainly makes the weekend all the sweeter! <3

new additions... (thurs. 1.15.09)

connor and lillian.

we haven't had an official girls' night since i don't know when (sept. when meg got engaged??) ...and now we have a few new members!! ...yay!!
(meg took the picture while shannon and i held the little ones!:)

...this also commemorates the first boy ever allowed at girls' night! ;)

happy stroll.. (wed. 1.14.09)

jk at marketcommon.

we were on our way to PF Chang's to CELEBRATE...
j's company, coalesce, got a nice big account they've been going for!!!

space for thought.. (tues. 1.13.09)

the blog.

i almost forgot to take a picture today... it was a busy weekend + monday = really no downtime, so i stayed up and wrote a blog and vegged for a while..

this little light... (mon. 1.12.09)

tmp group.

every monday at tmp we now have a church come and host music & bible study with our kids.. first time i've ever heard the new-and-improved version of 'this little light of mine'..

new beginnings.. (sun. 1.11.09)

'beginnings' class at church..

this was the first of three sunday night meetings... tim asked jeremy to lead a little worship. karen -my favorite pastor's wife- sat across from me, and my dear friend claire was to my right.. truly a sweet time with the 'church body'... <3

scavengers.. (sat. 1.10.09)

scavenger hunt with the mangerchines..
(girls against boys... for one of the items, we all had to have french fries up our noses (ouch!) ..this wasn't the final shot, but our expressions in this one were the best.. esp. shannon.. 'whoops! almost lost it!' ;)

family fun.. (fri. 1.9.09)

dad and kayla.

this was the scene during a yahtzee game with the fam..

smallness..

photo by jeremy a.. gallery at brookgreen, 7/08

jeremy just gave me the best gift: his photo library!!
(meaning pics from the summer including trips to huntington, brookgreen gardens and NY when we went to visit my family)...

it's getting late and i need to get some rest, but my mind is still kind of reeling and i felt the need to write...

i picked this picture because i like her.. somehow i identify with this little sculpture girl.. a little girl in a big world.. small and insignificant in many ways, but despite the smallness and seemingly insignificance, there's importance and urgency and meaning and purpose all around and even within her.. (for my little pet statue the meaning and purpose came from her formation -her artist, and actually, i guess we have that in common too)...

the world seems awful big some days... i long to press on and savor the moments and find the good -in people and moments and the world in general.. (i'd like to capture it with a camera too if possible :)..

i hope to make a difference, an impact, and leave things -any things- better than i found them..




...still praying for dad. he's been pretty productive since receiving the news.. tying up odds and ends and pushing unfinished projects like it's the fourth quarter.. wise i guess, but terribly sad.

hopefully we have more time than the doctors dare report.. hopefully we get the blessing of this urgency -and remembering what's important and spending time and appreciating each moment-- preparing to let go, but then not actually have to for years to come..

i get selfish when i think of letting go of dad.. he's been a rock and a sweet father. he's been a dad i can turn to and call on and look up to and follow. he's taught me how to love abundantly, even when it hurts, and to give generously, and to be thankful...

off the main road.. (Thurs.1.8.09)

yesterday our staff took a ride around the back streets of PI where many of our students live.. although i've been on several bus-routes to drop students off, it was a heavy reminder of the challenges they face and motivation to continue striving to love and help them rise above and beyond such obstacles..

window seat.. (Wed.1.7.09)

studying at barnes... this was my sweet rainy-day view.. <3

matters..

"Some things don't matter much. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart--now, that matters. The whole problem with people is ... they know what matters, but they don't choose it... The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters." -the secret life of bees

pretty much sums up the attitude of the day..

...dad had some heart tests done earlier this week. (he's always had issues with blocked arteries; always being as long as i can remember)

...today we learned that even by-pass surgery would not help. nor would stints. (he's had both: quad-bypass in '97 and stints just a few years ago)... the doctor said his heart is strong but his arteries are not. he said he could last five more minutes or a week or a month... obviously no one knows...

of course there's hope. ..we're still waiting to see what the doctor from MUSC has to say.. (thankfully mom will not accept 'there's nothing we can do'..)

i was looking through my past blogs, for what i don't know, just looking, and a quote from in a pit with a lion.. caught my attention.. "impossible odds set the stage for amazing miracles. that is how God reveals his glory..." (p. 22)... that is certainly my prayer for this seemingly impossible situation..

i came home from work when i heard the news and sat on the porch with him for awhile... all he could say was, 'man, it's so sunny and nice. bummer. listen to those birds. what a bummer.'

beans and rice, rice and beans... (Tues.1.6.09)

yes, this is a bean, rice, & salsa parfait! ;)
..i was hungry for lunch and it was time to go!!

when it rains it pours...

..i'm still processing what a busy morning/first few days of january it's been!!

...within the past few days several NEW 'opportunities' have presented themselves...

1. working with a homeschool-mom to help teach two of her children 2 days a week for a couple of hours!!
(good extra money to fill-in-the-blanks while i'm still at tmp!)

2. a long-term sub offer for a high school science class...
(a little scary to say the least, but very exciting to consider!!)

..and there's one more but i think it's a little too early to explain in detail, however it involves an opening full-time/salary position with benefits and vacation-time!! (whoa!)

if you're a pray-er and you wanna send one up for me, i'd be obliged (placed under a debt of gratitude for [the] favor/service:)!

...i could definitely use some wisdom and discernment and certainly some perseverance and diligence to follow through with what's best!

life is like.. (fav 1.4.09)

..a box of ornaments.

..time to put them away for another year.. sad but good! <3

(this ornament-box was one of my buys this year at target's day-after-christmas-sale... i've avoided buying such a modern convenience for several years now; i figured it was time to let go of the original boxes and maximize some storage space.. :)

close to home..

i just found out today that richie lawhon who i went to high school with.. killed his bride, hannah jarvis lawhon, and himself this past saturday...(here's the local news report). what a tragedy....

i pray the Lord's presence would be with all that knew them and loved with them..

here's an updated news report i found...

little ones.. (fav.1.3.09)

kayla and christopher.

i am ever amazed at the love in my heart for these little people. words cannot express the way my heart loves them.

i just realized it's going to be really hard for me to post just ONE picture per day... but, for now, that's still the goal..

favorite space.. (fav.1.2.09)

claire and i met up for a little girl-time at one of our favorite places...

we called this our first anniversary date because new year's day 2008 was the first time she came over and we hung out outside of BSF.. :)

even though i took a picture of the building and not us (because i forgot), it's what it represents that's important, right? .....(right, claire?) ;)

ping pong new year (fav.1.1.09)

jeremy and randy new year's day.

2009 is officially off to a great start!

this picture represents so many things...years of friendship, laughter, and brotherhood... the joy of spending holidays with friends that feel like family... and hope for the years to come... to name a few..

365 favorites... [the intro]

so i had this idea for 2009... a photo a day for 365 days...

i started to make a whole 'nother blog-page for it, but we'll see if i can't find a way to incorporate it here... better to keep it simple! :)

...about the photo... i got a tripod for Christmas (#10 of 29 before thirty), and i've been using it quite a bit already, but last night i just wanted to play with it some more, so i was my own muse for a while!! .....(a little sad maybe, but very entertaining at least! :)

green dad..

i just couldn't resist sharing this commercial-style announcement my dad has been making for the past week or more...



...he has found a most-interesting way to reduce, reuse, and recycle old paper towels.. i think you'll be impressed (and maybe even a little appalled! :)

..i love that guy and i'm so glad he's green... it's most definitely the foundation for my green tendencies! :)