Maize and Blue

I write this knowing it's going to cause some personal pain to my father and mother.  Sorry parents.  Remember this is a bet.

The Wolverines . . . my dad described them as our Big 10 "Big Brother Team."  (My parents attended and went to Penn State . . . JoPa has been bred into my subconscious.) They continually beat up on the Lions with no mercy, taunting them relentlessly.

So, here's my best take at things that are great about the University of Michigan Wolverines . . .

• They are the arch rival of Ohio State.  
• Perhaps they will prove that something good can come out of WVU.
• They got very Crayola-creative in their terminology for their team colors.  You may think it's gold, but no.  It's "maize."
• They have an amazing history of some great quarterbacks that have come out of their school.
• And, so as not to make it all about football, the infamous "time out" call by Chris Webber in the NCAA final has become one of my favorite all-time memories to bring up to my husband when he is taunting me about some sports team.

One more to go.  Gotta work up some emotional strength before that one.

They're Grrrrrrrreat!

Can you guess the team for the day?

Frosted Flakes.  Tony the TIGER.  Yeah, little bit of a reach.  Trying to take up space here . . .

Well clearly the best thing about the Tigers is their manager, Jim Leyland.  Jim was a part of the Pirates' glory days in the early 90s (I still hate the Atlanta Braves) and I've always had a fond place in my heart for him.

The Tigers have been struggling this year living up to their expectations, but they have great raw talent on their team.

Have I mentioned how much I love their team colors?

I'm really happy about the fact that the Tigers aren't the Atlanta Braves.

Yeah, now I'm really reaching.

I've really wanted to go to a Tigers game for the last year and a half.  Maybe then I could identify a little better with the team?  In the meantime, go Jim Leyland.  I think you're grrrrrrreat!

Brave New World

I subscribe to a really interesting daily newsletter called KidScreen Magazine.  I learned about it at a Children's Ministry Conference a few years ago and love the way it keeps me updated on new trends, products, and issues that are affecting kids and teenagers worldwide.

I read some really interesting articles in an issue the other day that gave some great insight to a generation that I'm not that far from in age, but in some ways are light years apart.

This first article talks about how Japan is actually looking at setting legal limits on child cell phone use.  It talks about how much kids are using their phones as mini-computers and how it could be detrimental to their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.  The second took another look at the virtual worlds that are so pervasive suggesting that they can be as normal as hanging out at the mall.  

What are some other thoughts on these trends?  How do you think it impacts church and ministry to these age groups and to ministry in general as they grow up?

How 'Bout Dem Lions

So I'm a little behind on the bet blogging.  Sorry Brad.

For my second choice, I am going to choose to write about the Lions.  It may come as a surprise to some that the Lions would be my second easiest team to write about (being the Steelers' fan that I am), but I've always had a thing for underdogs and I think it's pretty safe to say that the Lions are underdogs.

Here's some things that I think are great about the Lions:

• At the risk of being condemned for being repetitive, I like their team colors.  
• They think outside of the box, keeping people on their toes.  For example, who would've ever thought the Lions would choose Gosder Cherilus for their first round draft pick?  Pretty sure no one.  Crazy Lions.
• Their fans are a dichotomy of intense despair and hope.  They manage to pack out their games despite their previous records and histories.  And yet no matter what, there's still that little glimmer that, "There's always next year."
• They hosted the Super Bowl where the Steelers won.
• Jerome Bettis was probably a fan of the Lions at some time in his life.  

I really do hope the Lions have a good year and bring great joy to the city.  Now if they ever meet with the Steelers, well, I just won't go there in this post.

Ante Up

So, it seems as if the Red Wings have won the Stanley Cup.  They played a great series.  They were tough.  They earned it.

But I'm still sad.  

Contrary to any rumors that I heard about, I was rooting for the Pens, although I have to say I'm thrilled that Detroit gets some good news these days.

As a result of the Penguins' loss, I must uphold my end of the Leach Family wager . . . write 5 different blog posts about how great the different Detroit sports teams are.  Because I'd want Brad to be gracious if he lost (and watch Pride & Prejudice with an open-mind) I'm going to try and do this as honestly as possible.

I'm starting with the easiest for me . . . the Pistons.

I can honestly and quickly pursue being a Pistons fan without any divided loyalties.  And after my first official game, I have to say I'm hooked.  Here are some reasons why:

• I really like their team colors.  Bright blue and red.  Classy.
• They are my husband's favorite and I'm finding it's really great for our marriage when we're cheering for the same team. :-)
• They give you Thundersticks when you go to a game for free.  Who knew how much fun it could be to hit two plastic wands together?
• They have really fun cheers when you are there.  Deeeeee-troit . . . Basket-ball!!!!
• They are good with really passionate fans.  I have great respect for passionate fans.

I could go on, but Brad, is this good enough? :-) The week will only go uphill from here . . . :-)

New Bloggers!

Two new friends of mine have started blogs and I thought I'd pass them along.

Megan Colabrese, one of the bridesmaids in my wedding and one of my oldest and dearest friends, has started a blog called Life Abundant.  Megan is on full-time staff with the Navigators at Penn State University and I've been waiting a long time for her to share her many insights with so many others on the web.

Annie Maines is my sister's, sister-in-law, so we refer to her as my "sister in the family."  Pretty good, huh? :-) She has just recently started a blog called Freeboard and I'm excited to keep up with her many exploits and insights there.

Yay for new bloggers. :-)

I Love It. I Love It Not . . .

This week has been quite a roller coaster ride for me and my new city.

As I'm sure you're aware, our home has been filled with some playful rivalry in the present Stanley Cup playoffs.  I wish I could say that I've been perfectly calm and fun about everything, but honestly I was getting pretty annoyed to live here at the beginning of the week.  I wouldn't read the newspaper until Thursday.  All those cocky articles about their "so great" hockey team . . . and what kind of city has a sadistic game called "Whack a Penguin" on their newspaper's website?!?  And an even better question . . . what kind of person would actually play it?!?

Needless to say, things got a little more fun on Thursday.  This was by far my favorite quote in the Detroit Free Press.  "Red Wings fan Dave Thurman, 49, of Novi said security guards frisked him at the entrance and asked: 'Do you have any octopus?' He didn't. 'But they were serious about it,' Thurman said. 'They searched me.' A Mellon Arena usher, who declined to give his name said he had orders to boot any octopus-thrower out of the arena."  Ahhhhh, Pittsburgh.  

Last night however, was one of my first real connections that I felt with the city as I went to my first NBA game, watching the Pistons in Game 6.  Brad and I went along with his parents and I confess that while I had previously found the NBA to be my least favorite professional sport, it's WAAAAAAAY better in person.  Sadly, there was somewhat of a meltdown in the 4th quarter leaving the Pistons with a loss, but the experience was still a positive one for me.  It's a foundation at least that me and the city can work on.  Now, if only they'll get rid of their sequel game "Chuck a Penguin . . ."

Deal or No Deal

So I'd like to confess one of the guilty pleasures of the Leach family.

Deal or No Deal.

I remember when it first aired and my dad and sister tried to explain the plot for me.  (For those of you that have never experienced the show, here's a summary of the rules on NBC's website.)  Needless to say, when I first heard the explanation I was flabbergasted.  The show requires no skill.  Absolutely nothing can make you better or worse at the game.  It's really all just based on random chance.  What could possibly be intriguing about that?  And yet, it doesn't take too many viewings to get sucked into the black hole of entertainment piloted by the brilliant Howie Mandel.

What I find to be truly fascinating is the way the contestants talk on the show.  They plead with the models to open up a small number (as if the model has ANY control over the outcome).  No matter what the first offer is, they always say, "It's a lot of money . . ." but they never take the deal.  And they always, always KNOW that their suitcase has $1,000,000 in it.  But I've never seen anyone go all the way with their deal.  They always sell their case back to the banker (and in most cases make a good deal).

I guess what really struck me is the discontinuity between what people are saying with their mouths and what they're really believing in their hearts.  They may say they are certain that their case holds $1,000,000 but if they really believed that with 100% certainty, why would they ever settle for anything less?  What they are saying and what they are doing don't add up.

Of course I had to ask myself that same question.  I have been given a suitcase that holds way more worth than $1,000,000.  The case of salvation that God has given to me provides me with innumerable blessings both now and for all of eternity.  I know that.  I say that to other people.  And yet, I can think of some ways that I choose to settle for less, making a deal that just doesn't add up.  I choose to be anxious or stressed or discontent instead of holding on to my case that's a guaranteed fortune.  

I'll probably have to come back and read this blog again sometime in the distant (or more likely not-so-distant) future.  I'm blessed to have family and friends that I brought with me to cheer me on when I might be tempted to compromise.  I need to remind myself that no matter what the other cases that are opened in my life's circumstances my response always needs to be, "No Deal!" as I hold on to the case Christ has bought for me.  I think Howie would be proud.

Kick in the Teeth

So I went back to the gym yesterday.  Sadly to say first time in about 2 weeks.  

I took a pilates class (first one in about 3 weeks) and what was even worse than the "I'm going to throw up feeling" that I felt as my core was being turned inside out, was the lack of that feeling by anyone else in the room.  Seriously, this class was really hard and everyone seemed perfectly okay about the regimen that we were under.

Finally, the lady sitting behind me groaned at the apex of one of the hardest sets we were doing.  She groaned!  I was so happy!  A kindred spirit!  Someone else who understands that this was an unusual form of bodily torture.

I looked at her with a smile and said, "Wow, this class is really hard, isn't it?"

She looked back at me with a similar expression of anguish and said, "Yeah, I just don't have anything left in my legs because I just finished doing the two classes before this one, too."

Bubble of glee quickly deflated to bitter humiliation.  So much for finding camaraderie in the face of trials.

IT'S OFFICIAL

Let's be honest.  Hockey is probably the only sport that I would ever see this happen.

Gotta love those Pirates, but until we see some new management, it's gonna be hard to see them play the Tigers in any World Series.

And the Lions???  Well, do we really need to say anything more?

So how excited am I to see the Pittsburgh Penguins playing the Swedish, I mean Detroit Red Wings?

You can see that Brad has already thrown down the gauntlet on his blog and the Pittsburgh fans are coming out strong!!!  We're trying to come up with a friendly wager on the series.  Any suggestions?

The Little Friendly Restaurant

So we made it to the booming metropolis of Springfield after a drive from Tulsa, OK (cheaper to fly there and rent a car).  My first trip to either of these states (and I thought Detroit was flat!?!).  

Yesterday, while Brad was in class, Aunt Debbie, Jonathan and his friend Heather and I went exploring the city.  Aunt Debbie took us to a restaurant that she said we just HAD to try called Casper's (no little, friendly ghosts that I could see).  I'm not sure that the pictures can do it justice.  

The whole place literally sits maybe 25 people.  25 skinny people.  And it's set up in a facility that looks like an old army barracks, circa 1964.  When you walk inside, however, it's unlike any barracks that has been seen by a soldier.  It reminded me of what I imagined Rainbow Brite's house to look like.  It's comprised of pictures that have been collected throughout the restaurant's 100 year history and is known for a secret chili recipe that has been around that long as well.  

The food was great, cooked by Etta who has probably been working there throughout most of the restaurant's history.  What really impressed me, however, was the make-up of the restaurant's patrons.  There were Lexus-driving, Armani-suit wearing businessmen sitting right beside the Missouri farmer who brought in pictures of the most recent renovations to his barn.  And they all enjoyed the camaraderie.  

It made me really wonder what was it about Casper's that made it so popular and endearing to it's variety of customers.  While the aesthetics and food certainly add to its charm, I really think it's the people that make the difference.  The wait staff and owner treated all their customers the same, rich or poor, fat or skinny, business deals or farm weddings . . . they were all treated with the same attitude of value and respect.  

I think when it comes to ministry, I tend to really think a lot about getting externals right . . . brochures, environment, decorations.  They're definitely important and something to be considered.  Even more, however, I need to be concerned with how I am going to be a part of a person's experience.  Am I going to make them feel valued, loved, and unique as Jesus certainly would or am I too busy getting everything ready that I miss out on the reasons why.  My trip to the "little friendly restaurant" was one that made this Springfield trip something to remember.  

First Trip!

I get to leave today for my first trip to Springfield, MO.  Brad has another week of his grad classes down there and I get to go with him this time!  Yay!

I'm excited to spend some time with some more members of my new family (Uncle John, Aunt Debbie, and cousins Bethany and Jonathan) and to see the city where my husband spent 4 years of college.  Every time I tell people that I'm going they say, "Is this your first trip?" and when I say that it is, they look at me with this knowing look that says, "Wow!  Wait 'til you see it!" 

I'm so intrigued.

Nephew Update

Here are a few recent pics from the world's cutest nephew.  He just turned 6 months old in April and we just had a celebration on Sunday after Betsy and Rob dedicated him in church. (Don't worry.  Uncle Brad was sure to explain the theological implications of dedication to his nephew before the event.) :-)

Dream Final?!?

How great would this be for a Stanley Cup Final?!?  It's hard to keep up with Penguin news here (gotta watch a lot of ESPN for that), but the Red Wings fans are pretty excited and sure care a lot about octopuses (or is it octopi)?  New, local customs here in Detroit . . . Four more wins for each of them and it can happen!

Quick Updates

I have a few things jingling around in my head to write about, but for a quick update on some things . . .

• NFL Draft this weekend.  Big time stuff especially here in Detroit.  Everyone's hopes soar yet again thinking, "This could be the year!!!"  My favorite part has been watching the faces and reading the articles of the many Detroiters as they heard the name of the Lions' top choice.  "Gosder who?!?" seems to be the most common theme.  I hope he revolutionizes the team and shows everyone this is a new time for the Lions.  
• I also managed to catch an interview on ESPN with Mike Tomlin.  It felt like someone just gave me a pitcher of cold water to drink after I'd be wandering around in a desert wasteland for a few months.  Unlike Pittsburgh, Detroit news does not manage to work in some story about the Steelers into every broadcast regardless of what time of the year it is.  Crazy, I know.  How I missed hearing about my Steelers. :-)
• Samantha, my sister, is graduating in a few weeks and had an opportunity to sing in a coffee house at the college as somewhat of a "last hurrah."  My mom uploaded the videos to You Tube and I'm attaching the two links here and here.  She sang 4 songs for a total of about 15 minutes (2 songs on each video) and I just have to say, "Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!!!!"  I'm a bit biased, I know, but they truly are amazing.  I think she does "Dream a Little Dream" better than Mama Cass (sans hambone) and I'm pretty sure Judy Garland turned over in her grave wishing she could have sang "Somewhere over the Rainbow" like Samantha.  If you've got some time, I highly recommend the listen.

Springtime in Michigan is super pretty and really fun.  I love the start of a new season!

Major Life Decisions

So, there's these major decisions that we all must ask ourselves in life.  

1.  What will you do with Jesus?

2.  Who will you marry?

3.  PC or Mac?

Because I've got the first two answered, I thought it was time to tackle the third.  And yesterday, I made my decision.

It's a Mac!  I'm a pretty analytical person, so it will take me a while to make these decisions, but once I do, I'm two feet in.  It's amazing how quickly I've become a Mac girl.  Brad says he no longer feels as cool as me (as if he ever was . . .) :-) 

Regardless, she's really pretty and nice and I think her name is Dayna.  (I tend to anthropomorphize pretty much everything I own.) The only thing I hold against it is that I can't find Spider Solitaire. What a great new friend!

Closed for Remodeling

Right across from Church of the King is a Burger King. I use that term loosely, because here are some pictures of the aforementioned Burger King.

When I passed the Burger King a few weeks ago, I noticed they put this sign up. "Closed for Remodeling." "Oh," I thought. "Burger King is remodeling . . . getting some new paint, tables, chairs. That should be nice. I wonder when they'll open again?"

Later that day I drove by only to see a crane digging into the roof. By the next day, the building was gone. Parking lot torn up. Huge chunks of cement foundation in a large pile. Leveled. The only thing that remained was the Burger King sign that said, "Closed for Remodeling." Remodeling, huh? It's gotta be one of the biggest understatements that would make even that scary BK King chuckle.

As much enjoyment as this sign has brought, God's recently used it as a metaphor of sorts for my life right now. I hesitate even stating that, because the immediate picture that comes to mind is one of terrible destruction and distress and that could not be further from the truth. I'm indescribably happy. I love being married and this new season where God has me. So many things are so much better than I could have ever imagined and the things that I thought would be a big transition (i.e. living together, sharing a tube of toothpaste, etc.) really haven't been a big deal at all. The things that have been bigger lessons are quite surprising to me, mainly because I thought I had already learned them.

Before we got married, Brad and I made a prayerful and conscious choice for me to wait before I jumped into a job or ministry area at church in order to give me time to adjust. It seemed like a brilliant plan. I would spend some time remodeling . . . new city, new name, new role, new church, paint the walls, change the carpet . . . that's what I imagined my renovations to be. It seems like God has wanted to get much more foundational in His renovations, however, reestablishing my identity in Him, simply as His daughter before I am a wife, pastor's wife, daughter, job title, or any thing else I can throw in there. I've been going through the book, The Search for Significance, and while most of the teaching is Truths I've known my whole life, I'm amazed at how quickly I can forget them and how revolutionary they really are.

So, by God's grace, I'm choosing to embrace God's "crane" of sorts, and let Him dig up my foundation and rebuild it once again with the proper blocks of His Truths that I am accepted, loved, forgiven, and pleasing to Him regardless of what I do, what people think, what I've done or anything else I can come up with to try and rock that foundation.

I would like to think that after this, I will have learned this lesson for good and God and I can move on to something else. I'm beginning to think now, however, that this is the lesson. It's so core and crucial to everything else, that I'll probably just keep building upon it the rest of my life. And in the meantime, it's so encouraging to know that unlike Burger King, God can still use me to bless other people and be blessed by others while He is still remodeling. Amazing, isn't it? I'm pretty sure the BK King is jealous.

Chick Flicks!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I had the delightful pleasure of growing up in the chocolate business. A common question that I get when people discover this is, "Wow! Did you just eat chocolate all the time?" My answer is not that surprising if you think about it. Of course we didn't eat it all the time because it was always there. We could have some if we wanted it, but we didn't need to gorge ourselves on it because there was always more to enjoy. A classic case of not recognizing what you had until it was gone. Now when I have chocolate cravings I swear I would pay $20 for a peanut butter meltaway from Geoffrey Boehm Chocolates.

Another blessing that I got to enjoy was growing up in a house full of girls. With closets and jewelry galore, there were always new outfits to be worn and accessories to be shared. And, a basic staple to our house of 4 women was a well-defined collection of chick flicks . . . the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan classics (including the little known, Joe vs. the Volcano, one of my faves) and the full Jane Austen gamut, just to name a few. They are pure bubble-gum movies, adding no real value to my life, but extremely entertaining to indulge in every once in a while.

So, imagine my pure glee when I got a package today with 11 of my favorite chick flick movies sent to me by my amazing mother!!! While I appreciate the wide variety of golf, basketball, and war movies that Brad has gathered, I found myself the other day craving a mindless chick flick to watch while writing thank you notes. Would you believe that Brad didn't have any?!? I felt again the twinge of not appreciating what I had until it was gone. Now I have hours of pure enjoyment right at my fingertips. I'm sure I can't fully express Brad's joy on this subject. :-)

And to top off my glee, it seems as if my mom is going to be able to come out here for a brief 24 hour period to watch them with me while Brad is at a conference in New York. It will be a nice balm to my saddened heart while Brad is away. :-)

Spin-O-Rama

So, one of the many gifts of being Brad's wife is that I now get to join his membership at Lifetime Fitness, what I like to refer to as the Mecca of all gyms. The first time I walked into this place, I just stared with this deer-in-headlights look on my face trying to hide my complete awe-struck feelings and maintain the "I know what I'm doing here" mantra that everyone else seemed to have.

I've discovered over the last few years that I am more of a social-exerciser. While I really admire the people who put on their iPod and run 10 miles in a day, I much prefer to do a workout with a friend, or even a stranger if a friend is not available. That is why I've really enjoyed the Group Fitness Classes. I've tried "Core Strengthening" which made it hurt to even cough 4 days later, and "Strictly Strength" which I'll let your imagination try and guess what that one's about. But yesterday, I thought I'd try the big one . . . Cycle 60.

In case you're not familiar, Cycle 60 is a spinning class. Spinning sounds so happy, doesn't it? Twirling in a field in a pretty dress maybe? My friend Bonnie in Pittsburgh is a big spinner and she does this several times a week. Surely I should be able to give this a try for a mere hour. Bonnie, I have an entirely new found respect for you.

One of the benefits of doing something for the first time is that you're pretty ignorant to what you're getting into. I should have known when the lady helping me set up my bike asked if I was wearing a heart rate monitor (Heart rate monitor?!? Am I going into the ICU? Why do I need to measure my heart rate?) and she kind of laughed when I said I didn't have any water with me. "You'll definitely want to bring that next time," she advised. "This class is pretty hard." And then she proceeded to tell me that she regularly goes on 100 mile bike rides with her husband. This would be the time when most intelligent people would realize they should probably leave. Unfortunately my stubbornness overrode my intelligence yesterday.

They start pedaling their bikes and I think, "Hey, this is fun! A nice bike ride. Good workout. Yeah, I'm feeling pretty worked out right now." Then I looked at the clock and saw that we had been going for 13 minutes and I hear the instructor say, "Ok now, let's get out of the saddle and really kick it up!" Kick it up? Wasn't that what I was already doing? And did I mention how thirsty I am? And how much it hurts to be sitting on this pole that's referred to as a seat?!?

The misery continued for the next forty-five minutes reaching a climax when the instructor said, "I'm feeling that it's now disco time!!!" Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. And as I was pedaling to "It's Raining Men" thinking about my complete torture, I was struck with the thought, "Wait a minute. I chose to do this. Oh no! I actually paid money to do this. What is the matter with me?!?"

I managed to make it through and looked at my bike's calorie counter that read, "65 kcal." The lady next to me assured me it was broken and it made me feel a little better that I didn't do all that work to burn off the apple that I would eat for a snack that afternoon. I'd also like to say that I won't be returning back there anytime soon, but as the wise Proverbs (26.11) have said, "As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." Me and my folly will probably take a spin again sometime soon. :-)

Ministry Preparation

Growing up in the chocolate business was a pretty sweet deal . . . literally. I loved being able to visit my dad at the factory and having really great chocolate any time I wanted it was fantastic, too. One of the only downsides to it, however, was that holidays were never really holidays because they were always the busyiest times of the year (think about when you would usually purchase chocolate for someone . . .). It usually wasn't until after the celebrated holiday that we could all relax and enjoy a little rest.


Maybe God was trying to prepare me for a life in another career choice that also doesn't get vacation during holidays. I've learned over these past 7 years in ministry that Christmas and Easter are some of the craziest times in the year and this past Easter was no exception. The trickiest part of maintaining this schedule, I think, is stopping in the midst of it to really remember what all the busyness is about. Really participating in the Easter service and personally remembering what it's all about in the midst of making sure service details are covered, refreshments are put out for visitors, and the gamut of life in between! I love having the opportunity to be a part of full-time ministry just like I loved being a part of the chocolate business. This is just something I'm continually trying to work out.


Does anyone else feel this tension during holidays as well? What are some practices that you've adopted during these seasons?

Blog Links

I did some updating to the Blog links on the side of my page. I added a lot of my friends who have been blogging for a while and the newest blog from my friend, Jen Ammirati, who just started her own blog, Fine Living. Check them out if you have time. I do quite often. :-)

Post-Shower Syndrome

Back in January, right before we got married, I spent a good 8-10 hours/day for one full week unpacking all our shower gifts and getting things situated in our house. I have to say, it was hard work, but a lot of fun. My favorite room, despite my previous post, was the kitchen. Even though I have miles to go before I can even come close to being a kitchen connoisseur, I have always loved kitchen gadgets and supplies. It was with great delight that I hung my pretty new pans and put away my shiny new silverware and spotless new dishes. What a blessing those showers were!

When I first started my new kitchen adventures, I must confess, however, that there was a tinge of sadness when I went to start using my new cookware. The first time I cut something on the cutting board, it had these nasty cut marks on it afterwards! (I know . . . big surprise.) I actually even considered buying some cheap, alternate cookware that I could use and mess-up so I could still keep my new utensils looking new. Don't worry. I realized how dumb that idea was about 5 seconds after I thought it.

The simple revelation occurred to me that these gifts were given to me so that I would use them. The person who bought me the teapot wanted me to use it to make hot beverages, and if I created some indelible stains (due to burnt milk) in the process, sobeit.

It was one of those brief, "Ah ha!" moments that God used to enlighten a continuing lesson in my heart. He gave me certain gifts to be used. If they're not used perfectly every time, it's okay. He already knew that would be the case when He gave it to me.

A cutting board without any cut marks has never had a chance to do what it was intended to do. I'll make the choice to use gifts however imperfectly, perhaps even getting some scars and stains in the process, but hopefully being a frequently used tool in God's hands.

Lleach????

So I was thinking the other day, "Do I need to change the name of my blog now that I'm married?"

If so, is it pronounced, "Lleach" like a "llama" or does it take a spanish pronunciation and become more like "yeech?"

Maybe I should just stick with Leewards. It's still my first and middle name. :-) Any other suggestions?

LOST in Love

Last week, Brad surprised me with a LOST date night. If I go by the "Love Languages" book, Quality Time is probably my primary love language and I really love creativity and surprises, so planning this night was really top notch.

It started with island-like flowers at 5:30 when he picked me up and I surprised him as I decided to go with the whole theme and I dressed up like Kate . . . tank top, curly hair, and $2.46 cargo khakis from Salvation Army. Then he drove me to a mall where I had not yet been, but will be sure to return soon at Great Lakes Crossing. There, we enjoyed a nice island dinner at the Rainforest Cafe.

The best part, though, was when we got home right before we watched the new episode of LOST. He had me check the messages to see if anyone had called while we were out (very unusual) and behold, there were 7 different messages from people from the island: Sun and Jin, Rose & Bernard, Danielle Rousseau, Desmond, Claire, and even one from the Black Smoke. Seems like they sounded just a little bit like some of my family members and friends. I wish I could upload them because they are truly funny. Truly I was LOST in love. :-)

Food Fundamentals

In my first semester of 9th grade, I had the opportunity to take Food Fundamentals. It was one of my most favorite classes. Mrs. Drier would give us recipes and all the ingredients and our "kitchen" would prepare them, even being allowed to eat them when we were done. I got an A. I thought I was a pretty good cook.

I'm beginning to think that I must've missed some really crucial classes on some days that I was sick. Maybe I should have signed up for "Gourmet on the Run" instead of Honors English. I sure could use a lot more training from a food class right now than my knowledge of Homer and Steinbeck.

In an effort to share my knowledge by experience with others, I would like to present a few things I've learned over these past three weeks:

• If you would like to heat up milk, do not do it in a teapot. If it gets to the "whistle" stage, it will explode over the kitchen.
• If you are using a silicon cutting mat on a ceramic stovetop, waiting to put cut-up broccoli in a boiling pot, and you should accidentally turn on the wrong burner, thereby melting your new silicon cutting board onto the ceramic stovetop . . . it will peel off fairly easily if you let it cool.
• It is not tasty to eat broccoli that has melted silicon on it.
• If you accidentally drop a paper towel into a pot of spaghetti sauce that is being warmed, take the sauce off of the burner before you take off the lid and try and fish it out. Laugh at the irony that you were using the napkin to clean up little drops of spaghetti sauce that might have spilled out while heating. Throw the napkin dramatically on the stove to show the spaghetti sauce that it cannot overcome you. Clean up the tomato sauce from the spaghetti sauce stand-off from your kitchen for the next 3 days.
• "Ceramabrite" is a great cleaner for ceramic stovetops that will remove burn marks from milk, silicon cutting boards, spaghetti sauce, or any number of other things that I can find to burn onto my stovetop. I bought it at Home Depot. Well worth the $6.

Brad has been such a good sport and so patient with my learning curve. Hopefully by the end of this "semester" I'll be a little more ahead of the game. Mrs. Drier would be so proud.

Rubix Revelation

I remember going to my Grandma's house when I was younger and my uncle had this "toy" called a Rubix cube. I was intrigued by the way it turned and all the colors, but was shocked when my he told me that I was supposed to be able to get all the colors on each side the same. I worked so hard to make that happen and I even got one whole side once, only to be so frustrated when I realized I had to mess it all up in order to get the other sides to work. Eventually, I tried peeling off the colored stickers and re-sticking them instead. For future reference, it doesn't work too well.

Saturday marked my third week in Michigan and my sixth week that Brad and I have been married. I've had numerous conversations with people as well as some personal reflection processing the changes and adjustments that this delightful season has brought. In many ways, being married is far more wonderful than I could have imagined. I think we've adjusted to living together and the day-to-day parts of life very quickly. It's hard to remember what things were like before. Weird, huh?

On the other hand, I am surprised at how certain things have not changed. Many times, before I was married, I would think of my future with such uncertainty, wondering where I would end up living, what I would end up doing, who I would end up marrying . . . they were really big decisions and I had no idea what the answers would be. For so long, it really frustrated me, thinking, "If I could just click these pieces into place, the puzzle would be solved!"

Now that God has clicked several of these big pieces into place, I feel as if I delightfully looked at all these colors in one block, only to discover that there are 5 other sides to the cube that have yet to be deciphered. Having those pieces in place certainly has been a good thing, but it doesn't mean that I get to live in any more certainty, clearly knowing all the answers to the puzzle. There are simply new reasons to trust, new questions to ask my Father, and new opportunities to step out without knowing the answer. And based on His past performance, often it's when the squares seem to be the messiest that He manages to click them into place. I've learned that letting him click the pieces works a lot better than trying to peel them off myself. :-)

Michigan Weekend

I had the opportunity to attend a "Women in Ministry" retreat this weekend. It was the first time Brad and I were apart for a night since we were married (*sigh*), but it was a really great opportunity. I really liked meeting a lot of new friends and learning from women who have been involved in ministry a lot longer and shorter than myself. I especially liked watching my mother-in-law in action. She was part of the planning team who coordinated the retreat and I was so proud of the way that she greeted everyone, served the teams, and manages to carry herself in such a manner of dignity and grace. It was evident that she is well respected by so many. Just another reason why I am proud to be part of the Leach family!

Brad and I celebrated the melting snow yesterday by capitalizing on what he called "perfect snowman" weather. It was a great opportunity to meet some neighbors who were out and about. The initial thought was to try and beat his former record, but after we got the base going, we were pretty tired and I suggested we build Berkley's largest Snow Turtle instead. When we put his eyes on, we thought it looked like a SnowSnail even more. So, here are some pics of Berkley's largest SnowSnail.

Bed, Bath, and Beyond Amazing!

To all those readers who may be getting married, or know someone who's getting married, or are ever considering getting married in the future . . .

I have to say that I have been BLOWN AWAY with Bed, Bath, and Beyond and their bridal registry. Truly, they are phenomenal. I can't stop recommending them to people. They have been so easy to work with in choosing items, returning items, using coupons . . . if you need to register, they are the place to go!

Sorry for the little commercial. Back to the regularly scheduled programming . . .

10K Day Again!

Some of you might remember last year around this time when I posted about the happy celebration of my very own, 10,000 day of life. What you may also remember is that my initial inspiration for the day came from my future husband that I hadn't even met at that point! The real fun, however, is that the Toronto Star ran an article yesterday featuring Brad and his 10K Day celebration. It even has a fun surprise ending (that you may already be able to guess). :-) If you're interested, you can read it here.

Rise From the Ashes

Now that I've been a Detroiter for a few weeks, I thought I'd list some of my favorite things about my new city.

1. The city roads are flat and organized as a grid which makes things very convenient if you get lost once (or twice or three times . . . in one day . . . hypothetically speaking, of course). Coming from Pittsburgh, this is a very novel idea.

2. TCBY is here! I have missed this delicacy since it left Pittsburgh many years ago. Several times, I considered driving on the PA turnpike to Breezewood to get some at one of the rest stops. Who knew I should have driven west, not east?

3. The weather reports here are very creative. My first full day in Detroit the weatherman said that the next morning would be "bitter." Then the temperature would drop to "brutal" until it plummetted to "frigid" before we went to bed. I laughed. Then I woke up the next day to find out he wasn't kidding.

Maybe it's just because I'm a nerd, but I wanted to find out some more history about my new city to have a better idea of from where we've come. I was fascinated by what I learned.

The city was originally founded as a fortress by the French during the French and Indian war. They thought it was a great defense as well as a transportation and communication center for their other cities, since they could utilize the Detroit River. The city eventually went to the British and then to America, but in the early part of the 19th century, a terrible fire destroyed nearly all of what was developed. The people decided to rebuild the city and represented the whole situation on their city flag (you can see it on the logo) and their city motto, "We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes."

As we've been praying for our city at church, God has led me to Nehemiah 4 and 12. I couldn't help but see the story as a picture of the spiritual warfare that is going on in my new home. Nehemiah's enemies actually taunted the Israelites rebuilding their wall by saying, "Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” (Neh. 4.2) I feel like that's a lot of the same attack on the hearts of the people of Detroit. Hope is lost. Our good times are behind us. All that is left is remnants of the past.

Granted, I've only lived here two weeks, so I can hardly speak to the heartache and hurt that the people who have lived here all their lives are feeling. I feel a surge of faith and hope, however, when I read the story of Nehemiah. I look at the empty factories and charred stones of the city and I believe, like the city builders nearly 200 years ago that, "We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes." The better things we hope for, however, go far beyond the economy. I desire to see Detroit once again be raised up as a fortress in God's kingdom, a dwelling for His people where He will do a new thing.

Who knows. If this keeps up, maybe I'll even become a Lions fan?!? :-)

Catch-22

Joseph Heller wrote a novel in 1953 entitled Catch-22 describing the paradox that occurred when attempting to escape a situation makes the escape impossible. He was writing about pilots in the US Air Force, but I'm pretty sure if ole' Joe ever had to try and change his name in the state of Michigan, he would have focused on this plot instead.

After several days of traveling to the social security office, the secretary of state (twice), and the post office trying to collect approximately 743 different documents (maybe it was just more like 14, but it felt like more), I am proud to say that I am now the owner of a temporary driver's license for the state of Michigan.

I won.

I say that because it felt like an intense challenge. They really want to make sure that you are who you say you are and that you live in the state of Michigan. A driver's license, a passport, birth certificate, Brad's driver's license, a marriage license (w/ a seal!), mortgage payments, a personal interview with my pediatrician verifying that I was really born, and a retinal eye scan . . . these were all necessary to accomplish my quest. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating on those last two, but I wouldn't have been surprised.

It was all worth it today, though, to sign my name as Leah Edwards Leach. The lady at the center chuckled when she was typing it. Isn't it so much fun? :-)

Happy Heart Family

Well, it's been a little over a week since I've been a Michigan resident and I can now say that in that time I've experienced nearly all forms of weather and/or precipitation. I think sleet and freezing rain felt a little left out, so last night they decided to show up to welcome me to Detroit. Wasn't that nice of them? :-) Good thing I've never minded winter too much.

Whenever we were little, my mom made us a doll house that looked just like our real house. We had these dolls called the Heart Family featuring Mr. and Mrs. Heart, one cute little girl, and a rather effeminate little boy with a very flamboyant hairdo. Ashley and I would play dolls, taking turns who would get to be the cute little girl (actually, I somehow always managed to be the little girl and Ashley had to be the boy/girl) and we would enjoy pretending with the Heart Family.

This last week, I kinda felt like I was playing Heart Family.

Except this time I was Mrs. Heart.

Weird.

Really fun. But weird.

I like playing Mrs. Heart. I like figuring out this new normal. And I love being Mrs. Leach. She has a great husband. :-)

Aloha!

It's Here!

So I thought I'd take a few moments this morning to discuss my feelings about the upcoming Pakistani elections.

Just kidding.

Not to minimize the elections, but I guess my mind is a little otherwise preoccupied. :-)

These past few days have been such a delightful time. In one sense, it's been so surreal. To be finally doing this myself, and stand in the middle of the bridal party line-up . . . wow. Crazy.

On the other hand, it's just felt so comfortable, so right. I truly have such a sense of peace and joy. Crazy, sick, delirious joy. :-)

Last night, driving home from the rehearsal dinner, I finally looked back and thought, "Wow. This went by so quickly." I never thought I'd say that, but now, at the finish line of this engagement season, I feel as if it truly did. And God has been so faithful. This journey of singleness over the past few years was certainly one that I would not have chosen, but I can truly say that I'm so happy that God did. It has changed me into the woman that was to be Brad's wife. And I know I have so much more to learn and continue to grow, but I trust that the Father who brought me thus far will continue to lead us ahead.

It has been such a blessing to be surrounded with so many family and friends who have traveled near and far to be a part of this day. It truly is so overwhelming and I'm trying so soak up every minute of it.

This will be my last post until we say, "Aloha" again!

Paper Chains

When I was little, my sisters and I used to make these construction paper chains that served as a visual countdown to some exciting event. Each link represented a day until Christmas, a birthday, vacation . . . something that we would ask my mom every five minutes, "Is it time yet?" So, to ease her sanity, she had us make these chains and could just refer us back to them telling us, "Count the links!"

The paper chain is now down to seven days. You know it's close when the wedding date is now on the extended forecast on The Weather Channel. (Brad keeps telling me not to look at this yet, but I can't help myself.) :-)

In many ways, this countdown is so different from the rest. In order to get a good sense of my anticipation, you'd have to add up all the birthdays, Christmases, and vacations combined. There's no way I can adequately express my excitement.

It's also really different to realize that it's a countdown to beginnings. When we'd countdown to Christmas, we'd all celebrate, enjoy Christmas, and then go back to "normal" life the day after Christmas (except with a few more toys). When this countdown is over, my "normal" completely transforms. It's not at all a bad realization; it's just very surreal. I try and imagine what "new normal" will be like and find it's quite impossible to do. Makes me even more anxious to just start living it. :-)

And so, this morning, tearing another link off the chain reminds me of how much I miss my bridegroom and I can't wait to see him again. It also overwhelms me with a gratitude and love for my Heavenly Father who is so faithful to all His promises. Seven more sleeps!!!!

Finish Well

A few months ago, when I was visiting Detroit for a wedding, Brad and I got to spend time with some of his extended family at a soccer game. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon laughing and talking and eating a great dinner. As we were getting ready to leave and giving hugs goodbye, Brad's Uncle Jim hugged me and gave me some words of encouragement before we left. They were simply, "Finish well."

I smiled and nodded my head, but he stopped me again and kindly and strongly repeated, "Finish well. Your school, your job . . . finish it all well."

Keep in mind that this was in the beginning of October, two and a half months before I would have been able to begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and three and a half months before our big day. It might as well have been three and a half years to me at that point, because it felt so long and daunting and near impossible to finish. And yet right then, at about mile 10 in my marathon, I had someone give me a big drink of cold water, and cheer me on to keep going in this race.

Over these past few months I confess that there has been more than one time when I have wanted to give up. I knew I couldn't drop out of the race entirely, but many times, I felt like doing enough just to get by. And time after time, God used these words of Uncle Jim's to get me up and start running again. The phrase took me through my last weeks at North Way, my last papers in grad school, and now in my last days of singlehood. Now, more than ever, I can't wait for the finish line of these past few months to come, but I'm recognizing the need to finish this season with the same vigilance and excellence that I sought to do in the other arenas.

"Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (I Cor. 9.26-27)

I can't wait to receive my prize and start a new race with a running partner this time. :-)

Still Alive

I can't believe that it's been several weeks since I last blogged. Somehow I was under this delusion that once I was done with work, things would "calm down." Ha, ha, ha. I'm headed to bed, but I figured I'd blog some quick things that were on my mind.

If I had a tassel to turn, I'd be turning it. I finished all my graduate classwork on Monday and now I'm done! :-) How very happy. I look back on the semester and realize how very true it is that God's strength is so evident in our weakness. There's no way I would have made it through this semester without Him.

I turned in my computer today which means that everything at North Way is also wrapped up. My computer, Atticus, and I have had a rocky relationship over these past few years, but I when I turned him in, it kind of felt like it does when someone is on their deathbed and you forget all those bad times and just dwell on the good ones. I was sad to see him go.

One month from today, I will have finally landed in Hawaii. :-) Crazy madness. I'll blog more on wedding updates later, but it's been really fun watching the countdown clock go under 30 days.

I'm headed to Detroit tomorrow to spend Christmas with my new family. Then we'll return to Pittsburgh a few days later and celebrate with my family as well. It's amazing to reflect on all that God has done over this past year. Beyond all I could ask or imagine seems like an understatement. :-)

Last Day

Today was my last day at North Way. It's funny how one can be so deliriously, sick happy and yet be sad at the same time. I wouldn't have thought it possible. It was very surreal packing up a box of my stuff and going through e-mails and files over the past six years. North Way has been such a special place for me to grow and I'm so thankful for the opportunity that I've had to do life there. It's really crazy for me to think that they hired a 22 year-old college graduate, but I am one grateful girl that they took the risk. I won't allow myself to say, "Good bye," because it sounds too final. "See you later" will work, right?

Vacation Pics

Here are a few pictures from the fun times in Florida. How happy to have Disney World and my whole family together?!? Samantha has a lot more that I didn't get yet, so I'll post more as I get them.

Time with my Grandma Dorothy at her house in Florida. Once we actually found it, we enjoyed a lovely dinner together. :-)

The five "kids" together on a safari ride in the Animal Kingdom. Brad got 10 different groups of people to sing "Happy Birthday" to Ashley throughout the day. She was delighted.

How much happier can you get than Mickey Ice Cream Pops at Disney World??? :-)

Happy Birthday Leewards!

I didn't get to write on the actual birthday of Leewards (November 24), but I guess a 1 year and 2 day celebration is close enough.

It's funny because I never actually intended to start a blog whenever I wrote my first post. It was a part of a school project, a hypothetical webpage that I created for a web design class. I started a blog with the intention of never telling anyone to see if I really liked it and maybe, some time in the distant future, I would actually write in it. Two days later, I was shocked to see that I was a feature blog post of The LaunchPad (Pastor Jeff Leake's blog) and I realized that like it or not, I was going to have to give this blogging thing a shot.

I liked it. I liked it a lot.

And in classic God form, He used that simple little instrument to introduce me to new friends (and new "more than friends") and to capture one of the most unbelievable years of my life thus far.

Last Thanksgiving, I wrote about my deep sadness as all my family left and I felt so alone. It was a really significant moment of me pressing past my feelings and the "reality" of my situation at the time and to choose to believe the Truth of God's promises and the hope He extends through them. This Thanksgiving, my fiance and I joined my family in Florida for an amazing family vacation. Ashley and Nate cooked and Brad's parents even traveled up from St. Pete's Beach to celebrate with us. If someone had told me last Thanksgiving what my next Thanksgiving would look like, I'm pretty sure I would have had the same reaction as Sarah in Genesis and just would have laughed my head off.

I am truly humbled and thankful beyond words for all that God has done, truly more than any one of us could have asked or imagined. My prayer is that God would continue to expand His Kingdom and plans, using my life and story as a testimony of hope of the incredible plans of our Father that He has in store for each one of us.

Little Tease

So, in the spirit of football analogies, I think it an appropriate time to explain my thoughts on the Cleveland Browns.

I don't hate the Browns. I think the Browns are like this little brother of Pittsburgh. The city loves to beat up them, but you kind of feel bad when someone else does. That's why I'm really kind of happy that they've been finding their own success.

That is, until today. Started to get a little nervous. But, again, with the little brother analogy . . . picture this little brother who wants to play with a ball that the big brother is holding just above his head. The little guy is jumping up and giving it everything he has to try and grab it and he thinks he almost has it until . . . the older brother pulls it just out of reach. And snickers with a sinister laugh.

Poor Browns. Great game. I don't hate you. Now the Ravens on the other hand . . .

Sleepytime

I've been reading through the Gospels again over these past few months and the Holy Spirit has so graciously opened my eyes so that I feel like I'm reading it for the first time. Perhaps it's due to my own slightly narcoleptic tendencies, but one of the things that's really stuck out to me this time through are the times that there is mention of sleeping.

The disciples are often sleepy at the times when Jesus asks them to pray. In Luke 9, it says that Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountain to pray. Shortly thereafter, the Transfiguration occurs and the disciples almost miss it because it says they were "very sleepy" (vs. 32). And then there's the time when Jesus is agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane and tells the disciples to "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (Mark 14:38). I wonder if the disciples had spent more time in prayer during that night if it would have changed their response when the ensuing trial came?

The other stark contrast is to see when we have record of Jesus sleeping. When the disciples were panicked on a boat, doing everything in their power to not drown, Jesus was sleeping peacefully in the bottom of the boat (Mark 4.35-41). The reality of each of the situations was far different than it appeared. When it felt like all was lost, the Truth was that their salvation was as close as speaking a word. A quiet, late night in a garden was truly the greatest crisis they'd ever known.

I guess I'm trying to be more sensitive to listening to my Father's voice, letting me know when I need to fight against the weakness of my flesh and pursue the hunger of my Spirit, and when I need to set aside my anxieties and fears and truly rest in Peace. Almost time for bedtime . . . :-)

How 'Bout dem Lions?!?

So, it's about time that I addressed the phenomenon known as the 2007 Detroit Lions. With a 6-2 record, it's certainly creating a buzz even outside the Motor City. A few things to note . . .

• I feel as if I can safely add the Lions to my cheer list, as they are in an entirely different conference as my beloved Steelers. 95% of the time, I can cheer for both. The remaining 5% of the time, my blood still runs black and gold.
• I would like to take personal credit for this year. I think Kitna knew that if a Steelers fan was willing to add them to their repetoire, he needed to kick it up a notch. :-)
• My dad predicted that the Lions would win 10 games before the season ever began. He has a weird sense of knowing with these things . . .
• Brad was introducing me to Detroit sports radio on Monday. The best analogy that I can use to describe what I heard was that the city was like someone who's just come out of a bad relationship and they're afraid to trust anyone again. The callers refused to acknowledge the possibility of "the P-- word," hesitant to raise any hopes and "jinx" what is happening.

It's okay, dear Lions fans. It's a new year. A new season. Dream high.

Merci Beaucoup!

To all my new friends and family at Church of the King, Brad and I can't thank you enough for all the love and generosity that you extended to us this past Sunday. I was truly overwhelmed (in a good way). :-) I can't wait to start using it in T-minus 70 days (and counting). Here are a few pics of the beautiful event.

(Getting ready to play the infamous . . .)

(Why this didn't catch on, I'll never know.)

When asked "What is your husband/almost husband most likely to lose?" See this post for more information. :-)

The Beginning of the End

Remember that old commercial where it had the guy doing a voice over saying,

"This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?"

And then you'd just hear the sizzling of a fried egg as it put up a "Just Say No" campaign sign?

That's the picture I thought of around 4:15 PM today. It was around 4:15 PM that by the grace of God I turned in my comprehensive exam, with 45 minutes to spare, might I add. My brain is fried. I can hear the sizzle.

I had originally planned to travel to Detroit this past weekend to spend time with Brad, but ended up making the tough call to stay at home to finish my paper. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have finished as I get easily distracted when Brad's around. :-) I'm so grateful that I have such an understanding fiance who is so supportive of my dreams. He's prayed for me and encouraged me through these past few weeks that have been especially intense, and I'm sure I couldn't have done it without him.

Even though I still have the remainder of the semester to complete, and my assignments are far from over, for me, for the first time, it feels like the beginning of the end. The end of this season, that is.

And you know what? That feels good. :-)

Hero Update

Thanks so much for your prayers, everyone! Nate's surgery went really well, as they were able to extract the bone marrow that was needed to complete a transplant for the other patient. Nate was home resting the rest of last week, as he's still in some pain and is his energy is pretty low from the loss of blood. We keep praying for the other patient as well, as we know his road to recovery will be even more arduous.

Nate and Ashley . . . my heroes. :-)

Hero

So maybe it was a bad decision, but I've finally caught up on reading my blogs in between my furious writing of my comprehensive exams this week. I needed a break, despite the fact that time is at a premium now, and I thought it was a perfect time to blog about a genuine, modern day hero, one for whom I would covet your prayers.

As you can see from my picture, this post is focusing on my brother-in-law and sister, Nate and Ashley. There are so many things I admire about the two of them: their amazing gift of hospitality, their love of life, their ability to not take themselves too seriously, their commitment to their church and walk with Christ, and their incredibly generous spirit. It's this generous spirit that I've been especially challenged with recently.

Tomorrow morning Nate is undergoing surgery to donate bone marrow from his spinal cord to a total stranger. He donated blood a few years ago and said that he would be considered to be screened for a bone marrow donor if anyone was ever a match. The blood bank called a few weeks ago informing Nate that he was a match to a man who was very sick, whose only chance of survival was a bone marrow transplant. After some prayer and discussion, Ashley and Nate made the decision to go ahead with the surgery, giving this man a chance for life.

Nate is not allowed contact with the man and he will not know how he'll respond to the transplant or any other details. That's why Nate and Ashley are spending so much time intentionally praying for him, asking God to use the whole experience to reach the man wherever he is in his personal relationship with Christ and to draw him closer to Him.

Can you please be praying for Nate's surgery tomorrow (Tuesday) morning and pray for the man who will receive the donation's physical and spiritual health? And I will continue to pray that God would challenge me to grow in my spirit of generosity and selflessness, just like my younger sister and brother. I want to be just like them when I grow up. :-)

Nephew!

First I should give my "I'm sorry for not blogging" message. I've found in seasons of busyness, something that is a priority in my life inevitably gets pushed off my plate for a bit. In the past, that "something" has usually been working out, but with the wedding now 100 days away (but who's counting . . .) I figured I probably shouldn't skimp out on work outs entirely. Therefore, blogging has gotten the short end of the stick. :-(

That being said, I just got back from a few delightful, whirlwind days in Detroit that culminated with the birth of a nephew! What a crazy surprise as Robert William arrived 19 days early! (Which I thought was really gracious of both Betsy (Brad's sister) and Robert to rearrange their schedule to make sure that I could be there when he was born.) :-) And let me just say that Betsy has set an entirely new standard of greatness for me in that I can only hope to be half as calm, gracious, pleasant, and beautiful, before, during, and after just having a baby.

Little Robert (and I do mean little Robert at 5 lbs., 15 oz.) is just precious and it was so incredible to be able to share in the initial moments of celebrating a new life. . . truly miraculous. As we were all standing together drinking in the reality of this baby, I was struck watching the nurses who were also there, bustling about, helping to take care of Betsy and the baby. They were great, very professional, courteous, helpful, and kind, but I realized that they must do this several times a day, 4-5 days a week. For them, this baby was another part of their daily routine. I thought about all the "little" miracles that I experience on a daily basis that I don't even notice any more. Things as simple as a sunset and as profound as watching a six year old pray and praise Jesus in worship. . . things which should be far from routine.

I realize that I'm waxing along the lines of sounding like a trite bumper sticker, but I pray that God would splash cold water on my face as I go through each day, recognizing as C. S. Lewis has said, "That we have never talked to a mere mortal."

Congratulations Rob & Betsy, Grandmas & Grandpas, and Uncle Brad! :-)

One other fun fact . . . My dad reminded me tonight what the Greek word for "Aunt" is. It's "Thea." Yep. That would officially make me Thea Leah. Just when you thought Leah Leach couldn't get any more fun. :-)