Monday, June 30, 2003  

Wimbledon is awesome this year!!!! I am so happy! All my faves for the most part are still in the running. I am going to be leaving work early tomorrow so i can see Justine play at noon. Well, that is, hopefully, they will show it on TV. For some reason she always gets the shaft and hardly gets on T.V.

Agassi got taken out today but that's ok bc he's not one of my all time faves. Henman is still in it !! And all the womens that i like are still in.

Me and Hector killed MONSTERRRRRRRRRR spider in receiving today. Every summer we get wicked bugs back there... and this one was a dooser. I spotted him first, and then since he was a big one... and we knew he was a fast mover, we plotted for awhile what to do. Just when we thought we had a good plan (and after i stopped screaming bloody murder,) the nasty beast fled out of a hole we didn't see in the chair box he was in!! He was scurrying across the floor and Hector grabbed a box and smashed him with it. OMG. I was so freaked out. I HATE SPIDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But i surivived. I'm training a few people so i'm getting NOTHING DONE but whatever. At least i have a job.

   [ posted  @ 3:57 PM | ]

I love this song.

By, the Newsboys... If you haven't heard it... it rules.

BREAKFAST IN HELL

Hold the milk, put back the sugar
They are powerless to console
We've gathered here to sprinkle ashes
From our late friend's cereal bowl
Breakfast clubbers, say the motto
That he taught us to repeat:
"You will lose it in your gym class
If you wait 'till noon to eat"

Back when the chess club said our eggs were soft
Every morning he'd say grace and hold our juice aloft
Oh, none of us knew his check-out time would come so soon
But before his brain stopped waving, he'd composed this tune:

"When the toast is burned and all the milk has turned
And Captain Crunch is waving farewell
When the big one finds you, may this song remind you
That they don't serve breakfast in hell"

Breakfast clubbers, drop your hankies
Though to some our friend was odd
That day he bought those pine pajamas
His check was good with God

Those here without the Lord, how do you cope?
This morning we don't mourn like those who have no hope
Rise up, Fruit Loop lovers, sing out sweet & low
With spoons held high, we bid our brother 'Cheerio'

When the toast is burned and all the milk has turned
And Captain Crunch is waving farewell
When the big one finds you, may this song remind you
That they don't serve breakfast in hell

   [ posted  @ 3:44 PM | ]

Jesus and His teachings will not seem as strange or repelling to non-Christians as will the Christian sub-culture that we have created. Emerging generations are actually very interested in Jesus, but many times Christians get in the way.

Another in the "I like Jesus but I don't like Christians" series... Something I find interesting bc as many non-believers as I have met in the last three years... this is probably the over-ruling theme of all of them. Even if they never had a bad experience with a so-called Christian, the media more than makes up for it. Today's prophets and scribes are the V-jays, celebrities and movies... what do we have to present the truth in all the noise?

   [ posted  @ 1:29 PM | ]

Article: Leaving Church to Find Jesus

Interesting.

   [ posted  @ 1:08 PM | ]

I was looking thru one of my old Greek study notebooks tonight. I was studying Greek on my own about a year or so ago on my own... that was a lot of fun. I had an interactive teaching CD from Parsons Technology that belongs to my former pastor so i had to give it back when i resigned. But i still remember most of my vocab and how to read the language. I guess it doesn't do me a whole lot of good to know Greek but it is interesting and a fun hobby. I have a few interlinear Greek New Testaments (and one just plain greek NT's) and if you pick someone like John to read it's not that hard. Paul is another story. He has a very vast vocabulary and i don't know all those big words.

I should save up some more money and buy that CD again because that was a good habit and probably better for me than just watching a lot of TV.

haha.

Speaking of TV... Agassi came out ahead at Wimbeldon today. I taped the Henman match and accidently read the headlines on-line and spoiled it for myself bc now i know he won in straight sets. Kind of ruins wanting to watch it now. Dang. I got up early to watch the Philopusis match but it was soooo boring i went back to sleep after trying to watch it for like 40 minutes and slept for 4 more hours.

Justine Henin-Hardenne, the No. 3 seed, defeated Molik 6-4, 6-4 - which is awesome because she's one of my big time favorites but she's never in the spotlight (tho she won the French this year) and i never get to see her play.

   [ posted  @ 11:58 PM | ]

I am not so sick anymore. I slept a lot today (for about 12 hours) and when i was not sleeping i was watching Tennis.

It is early in the morning and we just got done w/ Inventory and it went good but i am 90% sure there's no way we passed. We only get 1.16 margin of error ... last year we did an awesome .66% but that's because i was doing my own system of inventory adjustments thru the year and now it's more controlled by corporate and they of course screw it up. Anyways. I'll let ya know how we did when i find out about a week from now.

I closed another poll that I had for our youth ministry listserv. Kind of interesting to see how it breaks down.

POLL QUESTION: How many paid/volunteer people
(including students) leaders are on
your staff?

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- 1-5, 13 votes, 68.42%
- 6-10, 1 votes, 5.26%
- 11-20, 2 votes, 10.53%
- 21+, 2 votes, 10.53%



POLL QUESTION: What describes your current employment
situation(s).

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Full-time paid ministry, 7 votes, 29.17%
- Full-time paid ministry, 2nd outside job, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Full-time outside job, volunteer minister, 7 votes, 29.17%
- Full-time outside job, part time paid minister, 1 votes, 4.17%
- Part time outside job, part time paid minister, 2 votes, 8.33%
- Student & volunteer minister, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Student only, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Student with outside job - not in ministry currently, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Not in ministry at all, 2 votes, 8.33%
- Looking for a paid ministry position, 1 votes, 4.17%
- I have to raise my own support, but am in full time ministry, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Something else KT didn't think to put on here, 4 votes, 16.67%
- It's just me & Jesus, dude, 1 votes, 5.26%

   [ posted  @ 11:49 PM | ]

It's Wimbeldon week one. It looks as though all my faves are still in the running, unless I missed something. I have a crush on Tim Henman and James Blake (but Blake played awful and is out) but haven't seen Henman play for awhile. I've been able to watch quite a few of the matches even though i'm working a lot. I predict the Williams sisters will come out on top (they are also there as a doubles team, dang they must never sleep!)... but my hope is that Caprioti and Henin-Hardane will make it to the finals. Although i do like Venus and Serena too. It's funny when I talk to my dad, he doesn't like the Williams sisters so he's always glad when they get knocked out! HAHA!

I feel bad that Layton Hewitt got bumped so early, but his girlfriend Kim Clijsters is still in it! And I have good wishes for Andy Roddick to stay in.
And another favorite (German) hottie is still in the running, my boyfriend: Rainer Schuettler Gotta love 'em.

I can't stand gag-me-with-a-spoon-Lindsey Davenport zzz. She bugs me so i hope she loses.

I wish there would be a nice long rain day so they could play some Johnny Mac vs. Jimmy Conners matches from the '80s. Them were the days. I love watching those over and over!

DRAMA!

   [ posted  @ 3:58 PM | ]

I forgot to write about this this week!

Tuesday morning i had to be to work super duper spankin early. (4:30 a.m.) and on my way downstairs i had to dump a bag of garbage down the garbage shoot which is right around the corner from the elevator in my building. I normally take the stairs but you know the garbage so anyways. Keep in mind, it's 4:15 in the MORNING and i'm rounding the corner to go in the garbage shoot room. And i hear a door open and just as i turn the corner, this little old lady is makin' fast out of that shoot room, scurrying like's she's horrified she'll be seen or accosted or something... and i felt so bad bc i think i scared her... but when it's early in the morning like that they turn a lot of the lights in the hallways off, so if i am coming around a corner, i always jingle my keys so if i am going to barrel into someone, they'll know i'm coming...

So when i saw her duck back into her apartment (which is the next one down from the garbage room), i slowed my pace so she would know i was not after her. It really got me thinking. Maybe she's one of those old people who are terrified of the world and never leave their apartment so she even drops off her garbage at early hours so she doesn't run into anyone in the hallway. It was kind of sad.

   [ posted  @ 3:38 PM | ]

Before I forget, here are the Friday Five.

1. How are you planning to spend the summer [winter]?Summer: Working. Saving money. Nothing new here.
Winter: Working. Saving money.

2. What was your first summer job?
Tempering Wheel Operator: Foster Needle Company.

3. If you could go anywhere this summer [winter], where would you go?
Summer: Anywhere??? Somewhere cold maybe? I hate summer, remember. It would be nice to go on an ocean or lake adventure... Maine? Eat lobster... yeah. I am adventurous but have no money to take a trip. I guess i'd like to see New York. Seeing that movie "On the Town" made me want to go there.

4. What was your worst vacation ever?
I don't know... I don't go on vacation much. Maybe when i went to my sister's after Thanksgiving last year and spent two days ralphing from some sudden stomach virus. HAHAHA. I just wanted to die.

5. What was your best vacation ever?
I don't know... I don't go on vacation much. Oh, i already said that. Does a mission trip count for a vacation? No. Ummmm.
I'm not very good at the Friday Five this week. I want to say Cornerstone '95 but it was so wickedly HOT... but i got to see Over the Rhine in concert and it changed my life bc they ROCK THE WORLD... And Supertones did an amazing concert as well as Lost Dogs. But it was terribly hot and we slept on an incline and i got really sunburned and basically i'm too much of a pessimist to see anything good beyond the good concerts. I really wanted to travel somewhat this summer... I would even just go by myself for an adventure but i don't have enough money saved. I do have 2 wks of paid vacation coming this year that i haven't used a lick of... I'm that boring.

Ok now that i've depressed myself, i need to go blow my nose. HAHA.

   [ posted  @ 3:29 PM | ]

OMG. I accidently blocked my mom's email address !! haha! I can't figure out how to fix it so i emailled Earthlink.

I am sick. (this time, i mean physically)...

All congested, drowsy, runny nose... i won't bore you with it but the lack of sleep and stress i've had over work combined with the temperatures i walk in and out of all day... not helping. Back in the receiving cave at Omax, somedays it feels like it's over 80 degrees back there (no joke) and then on the sales floor it's regular air conditioning. Plus the work i've been involved in has been physically and mentally very demanding. I've been moving freight around constantly... today i repacked probably 3 pallets of heavy boxes that are as tall as me, as my nose is running and i'm so exhausted. Gotta love inventory.

The thing i love about when i 'm sick is how my voice sounds and when i sing i can sing lower and it's all raspy. Just like that episode of Friends where Phoebe has "sexy phlegm." haha

So even more than usual, i'm talking to myself bc i like how my voice sounds. Yeah.

   [ posted  @ 3:18 PM | ]

Blogger was down last night so i blogged in another document, and i will cut and paste for ya.

The news on TV... wow what a storm ripped thru MN last night. I saw pictures of Buffalo Lake on TV and even saw Pastor Sharon on there telling about the damage she experienced. It is weird seeing someone you know on the local news. One church, Zion Lutheran, was just ripped apart... the building is still kind of there but the roof is torn off and the arches are still kind of in place. A big building for a congregation of about 150 members. Of course they are saying they will rebuild. The grain elevator was just totaled, and most of the town just hit so hard. It was weird because the post office was mauled, but the mail was somehow saved! Gotta love our government.

Then other parts of the area are plagued by flooding. That part makes me glad i live on floor 3. The other part about being the closest to the roof and therefore the first to go flying thru the friendly skies if a tornado were to suck me up is not fun to think about. However imagine the RUSH! As long as i don't hit my head on a desk or a piece of furniture, it may be a fun way to die. I always have dreams i can fly (the kind of flying after taking a running start, i mean, not like Neo crouching and zooming). A tornado may be the way.

I hate summer. It is so muggy right now. Just wet outside like you are walking thru a cloud even when it is not raining.

The little punks who make skateboarding ramps out of our pallets and Target's broken shopping carts behind OfficeMax may be disappointed. We did some cleaning out there yesterday and dragged the Target cart back over to their alley, and the ramp board has mysteriously vanished. But you should see some of the elaborate things those kids have put together to skateboard. But we do need to get a lock on our dumpster area because most people in Shakopee seem to think our dumpter is public waste dump site and we get things like old carseats and furniture put in there! And then there's no room for me to throw stuff away. Hmm.

I was a total crab at work today. Growling at everyone. Fought with Jim (the other opening manager) literally all day long. Even raised my voice and started flinging my arms around!! HAHA! (If they think they put some mamby pampy doormat girl in charge, they were dead wrong... I can be very fiesty when i'm backed in a corner.) He is so contradictory. I got on his case so bad... Would not let up. No one wanted to be by me bc i kept barking orders. Inventory is a big 3 days away. We are doing OK in prep. But my direct superior, Mike, has mysteriously not shown up to work or called and we are having to pick up the slack and i feel like i am the only one with a plan and i'm working against everyone else. Izzy and i talked for about 5 minutes (he's my store manager) and we think totally alike... but it's getting everyone else on board that is hard. This is a big lesson in communication and being proactive vs. reactive. [The lesson is: listen to KT and no one gets hurt.] I'm going to hit the roof if i find out they won't give me a decent raise... i am working harder than most managers I know. And the sick thing is that i really do care. Sheesh.

   [ posted  @ 3:47 AM | ]

161,000 people are without power in Minneapolis this morning. A tornado ripped thru Buffalo Lake ( a town i visited 2 months ago to interview at a church there ) and pretty much leveled that town of 800. Storms!!

Really makes you wake up with a different view on what is important in life.

I know what is important... i n v e n t o r y .

   [ posted  @ 3:46 AM | ]

I hate Cub Foods. I live in a town of almost 40000 people. Why can't we support more than one grocery store? I usually drive out of town for groceries but i figured it would not be slamming busy in there on a Monday afternoon. I was wrong as usual. The store is laid out so ridiculous, and on top of that you have all these hick loser welfare people shopping on a Monday afternoon that park their carts in the middle of an aisle and block everything so you 're forced to wait. OMG. I HATE SHOPPING THERE. I was chanting in my head the whole time how much i hated the store. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

So much for a day off.

I had to go into work for a "leadership" meeting. How can it be that 4 or 5 managerial people can't be on the same page at all times? I don't understand it. Mike said he was working overnights with Sam this whole week to prepare for inventory - and now it turns out he's only coming in on Thurs. and Friday. What a joke. I was so mad. So now i have to come in at stupid 4:30 in the morning tomorrow with Sam to start busting our butts to get stuff done bc no one planned this right. No one will listen to me that we have so much work to do. Mike just laughed at me today... I was so frustrated. It's one thing for them as managers to say "you need to be coming in earlier than six to get stuff done" but are they the ones who would have to drive in and do it? No. It will be me because it's "my job" and "my position." I would rather have done a week of over nights, and i told them this, but they won't listen to me.

But if i have to QUIT, i am not starting to come back into that stupid store at 5 a.m. on a regular basis like we used to. That will not work, because i want to have time for my internship.

And i will tell Izzy as much.

GRRR.

Ok i'm going to bed now.

   [ posted  @ 4:51 PM | ]

I found this poll extremely interesting... When I made it up, I tried to think of a lot of stuff. I thought it was strange that where the issues of evangelism & discipleship are concerned... we're not doing so hot. Lots of respondants to this, but you could vote for more than one category. I'll have to re-run this one in a few months, huh guys?


POLL QUESTION: What would you like to give Praise to
God for, in the ministry you serve in
right now?

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- I'm not in a ministry right now. :(, 3 votes, 3.09%
- As a leadership team, we're praying together more, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Answered prayers, in general, 6 votes, 6.19%
- My Sr. Pastor rocks!, 8 votes, 8.25%
- Our church secretary deserves a gold medal., 3 votes, 3.09%
- In spite of me, students still show up., 6 votes, 6.19%
- In spite of me, God still shows up., 12 votes, 12.37%
- Our worship times have been amazing!, 2 votes, 2.06%
- Summer mission trip is really coming together!, 2 votes, 2.06%
- Students are finally reading their bibles on their own., 1 votes, 1.03%
- My leadership staff, 4 votes, 4.12%
- Small groups, 3 votes, 3.09%
- My spouse's support, 9 votes, 9.28%
- My family's support, 3 votes, 3.09%
- I can get on the internet at church! Wow!, 2 votes, 2.06%
- Our student facilities, 4 votes, 4.12%
- The church van, 2 votes, 2.06%
- The church bus, 0 votes, 0.00%
- They actually let me preach on Sundays, 2 votes, 2.06%
- I've been here for more than 18 months, isn't that something to praise God for?, 7 votes, 7.22%
- Students are bringing their friends, 5 votes, 5.15%
- We have a voice in the school district here, 3 votes, 3.09%
- Kids are leading other kids to saving knowledge of Jesus, 1 votes, 1.03%
- The fellowship of community, 5 votes, 5.15%
- I'm getting closer to the Flame., 4 votes, 4.12%

   [ posted  @ 7:29 PM | ]

Closed another poll today... I voted for the last choice. I really like making polls. Had this one going for about a month now.

POLL QUESTION: How important is having a Bible or
seminary degree in regards to being a
minister to "this" generation?

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Extremely important, 2 votes, 9.09%
- Very important, 5 votes, 22.73%
- Somewhat important, 4 votes, 18.18%
- Not sure, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Not important, 4 votes, 18.18%
- Gimme a Break. Just love 'em with the love of Jesus., 3 votes, 13.64%
- I want to say "not important," but if given a free-ride scholarship to get that degree, i'd take it in a heartbeat., 4 votes, 18.18%

   [ posted  @ 7:25 PM | ]

Here's another thought. Sometimes i am prone to shun large groups because I focus a lot on the individual. Reading this, this week, helped me.

"How important is one person to you? Can your church put its arms around a visitor's shoulders and say, 'I want to understand you; I want to hear who you are; I want to listen and hear your story, and how God is already working in your life. I want you to change us because you're here.' The Guerilla Marketing Newsletter reports that American Airlines calculated that if they had one more customer on each flight in a given year, the difference in revenue would have been about $114 million. This is how much one customer is worth to American Airlines. How much is one new disciple of Jesus worth to your church?" (p. 306 Soul Tsunami, Len Sweet.)

Not to imply that disciples= more money in the church... but it kind of turns the tables on thinking of what services we can offer guests ... versus what they can do to help us change the face of ministry... And it really takes the pressure off the clergy to come up with some new scheme. When i was at River of Life, I can't tell you how many ridiculous hours we WASTED trying to scheme and plot a way to reach people... being an itty bitty congregation... trying to change our faces and who we are to impress a community who could care less. It all seems worth it, but really it's wasted energy. For every hour we spent at someone's kitchen table drawing diagrams and vision plans, we could have been engaged in intentional relationships... letting others change US. And we never reached one person with a diagram. If we ever did pick up a convert in the 4 years i was there (and the ones that we brought in were mostly youth that i worked with one on one,) it wasn't because they fit our mold. It was because I talked to them on their level and stepped into their world and made it all about THEM.

I look forward to being part of a faith community that integrates the seeker and his opinions along side the sage, scribe and pharisee -- and we all learn together because we all have something to contribute. Jesus is big enough to stand up for himself... He doesn't need us to cram people into our little church mold.

Mold. Ha... good word for it.

   [ posted  @ 7:20 PM | ]

Next time i have to do a team building exercise with a youth group, i'm going to try this (p. 317 Soul Tsunami) "...form a circle and hold hands. Is that the only way you can form a circle? Why do we naturally make circles that look inward rather than outward? Is there a way to make a circle that looks both inward and outward at the same time? What kinds of circles is your church making?"

   [ posted  @ 7:08 PM | ]

This weekend i was the opening manager at OfficeMax. Yeeeah me. I rule.

I did quite good. Even the time i had to get up way up high on this scary ladder and get a 17" monitor box down from the way high. I was sweating yeah. I hate heights but i've come a long way since when i started. I guess i could have made someone else get it but i am still alive. Those suckers are heavy!

The Avril special was great!!! I taped and watched it. I cried at the end, when she sang "Tomorrow" and dedicated the show to her grandpa who had died a few hours before the show. That must have been HARD!

Good concert from the BBC from her early days before huge fame status. (Thanks MOM... must be a closet Avril Fan.)

And this in other news... I got an e-mail back from Pastor Geoff about my internship. He said we'll have to meet the first week of July after inventory and after another camp he's speaking at... but I quote, " I am very interested in what God is doing in this opportunity. I will see you then. You can shoot me some times that will work that week and we will get together. Your servant in JESUS, geoff "

cool!

Quote of my day, "The four words every postmodern mother says before meals are, 'Get in the car.'" - Len Sweet.

   [ posted  @ 7:06 PM | ]

Never fear. I found it.

The Avril Lavigne special "Anything but Ordinary" will air tomorrow June 22 on the Family Channel 4 PM Central timezone. Yeah, you should watch it. OK.

Here is page one of a good article from Macleans.

Here is page two.

Here is page three.

Here is page four.

We've been having a limited sometimes-not-friendly discussion (debate?) this week on our youth pastor listserv regarding secular music and it's role in Chrisitan teen ministry. One of my arguments is that pop music in general right now is at a low point (not an all time low) but rock/pop music is really no good on any of the charts, Christian or not. I do think some music by Christian artists is worth mentioning... however, sometimes i think if you get yourself a really good band like Switchfoot (one of my faves) when they taste fame, they start releasing albums that barely mention anything remotely religious/Christian. And you hear Switchfoot and SuperChick (another fave) on all sorts of hit movie soundtracks right now. (For example, Switchfoot is most of the soundtrack for Walk to Remember, and SuperChick is all over the Legally Blonde movies.) And I give no credit to the so-called Christian music industry because as you may know, most of those companies releasing so-called "Christian" music are owned by the mega companies like Sony or whatever. So there's no real "pure" line for making music anymore... most of it is a slimey business and i wouldn't hold any of them as icons because in order to get the contract and maintain the contract you pretty much have to sell your soul to the devil... That's why artists like the Natalie Merchant & the Eagles are dropping major contracts upon renewal, and starting their own labels. (Check that link for the Rolling Stones article.)

Basically my point is that i don't have a point. It's hard to find music I really like anymore... Besides that Avril's and my birthdates are only two days apart. We both grew up in small towns. Our moms are named Judy! She learned to play guitar at age 12 just like me. She writes her own music (me too.) She grew up in a pentecostal church environment. She likes olives, and hahahaha enough for now.

And when i find something that catches my ear, I am happy.

Now, I am tired. I will go to sleep now.

   [ posted  @ 4:20 PM | ]

Two updates because some people read this and they think, "HUH??!"

Long time ago a few months ago, i mean you know like there was a mama bird attempting the hatch of babies on my porch. No babies were born that i could tell. She's gone. I wrote a blues song about it but - yeah.

I still hate summer (heat) and have solved the problem of the noisy birds outside of the window by closing all doors and windows )gag( and turning on the air conditioner. Doesn't it look weird )duh...( to reverse the parenthesis? I think it would confuse most.

I had to work today but am going back in tonight (something is wrrrrong w/ me) to do the cash office again... call me paranoid... since i have to open the store BY MYSELF for the first time tomorrow morning. OMG. I am trying to learn it better and since they won't schedule me i worked out a deal where i could leave about an hour early or so today and come back in tonight.

Reminder: get yourself a humidifier for your acoustic guitar so it doesn't crack and dry out. OK.

   [ posted  @ 5:22 PM | ]

Another two polls i closed today...

POLL QUESTION: Do you drink alcohol, socially?

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Yes, 7 votes, 31.82%
- No, 9 votes, 40.91%
- Used to, but don't anymore, 4 votes, 18.18%
- Who cares?, 2 votes, 9.09%

POLL QUESTION: Has one of your students ever had a
crush on you?

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Not that i'm aware of, 5 votes, 26.32%
- Yes, it was painfully obvious, 6 votes, 31.58%
- Maybe..., 0 votes, 0.00%
- Of course, with my charm?!, 5 votes, 26.32%
- No way. , 3 votes, 15.79%

   [ posted  @ 2:43 PM | ]

Closed another poll that i had posted on our yahoo Youth Minister's board.

POLL QUESTION: Is a "bigger" youth ministry/ group
better?

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- No way. Bigger means bigger hastles, 4 votes, 25.00%
- Oh yeah, baby, 1 votes, 6.25%
- I'm not sure, 1 votes, 6.25%
- I'd like to think so, but we're certainly not there yet., 2 votes, 12.50%
- Whatever., 8 votes, 50.00%

Keeping in mind there are almost 150 people on this list, it's not really accurate, but i was one who voted in the "whatever" column.

   [ posted  @ 2:42 PM | ]

Oh yeah. The Friday Five. A strangely timely set of questions.

1. Is your hair naturally curly, wavy, or straight? Long or short?
Natrually curly, medium length.

2. How has your hair changed over your lifetime?
It once was lost. Now it is found.

3. How do your normally wear your hair?
Up.

4. If you could change your hair this minute, what would it look like?
Blue spikes. I have no idea. Never cared too much about hair. Let's straighten it and make it thinner.

5. Ever had a hair disaster? What happened?
Every single day. Yup.

   [ posted  @ 2:26 PM | ]

I know that i have to get up in five hours, but i just got done with work.

The boy clan is still there putting freight away and it took me over three hours to do the cash office. I am soooo slow.

I got to talk to my store manager about a raise. He was thinking a lot lower than i proposed, but he said he'd run it by our district manager. I don't know if i could live on what he proposed paying me.

I still hate summer.

   [ posted  @ 9:33 PM | ]

It's my day off.
I slept until past noon.
The water in my building was shut off until 11 today so i figured why get up?
Went to get my hair cut........... funny story! First i like it when ppl cut my hair (I go to Great Clips, which i highly recommend...) and they comment over & over how thick my hair is and how much hair i have. It's funny. Anyways. I asked her what to do, because i had so much hair and wanted to keep the length but lose the bulk, and she said LAYERS. So that's what i did... which worked out grrrrrrrreat and then i made her really thin it out. Everytime i'm seated now, and i stand up, i feel like i've lost 20 lbs because i don't have to HEAVE myeslf up bc i lost a lot of weight on my head!!!
Anyways so i'm checking out and bought some $$$$$hampoo and conditioner, and I caught the eye of one of the other chix who sweeps up the hair, while i'm paying the bill. And she looks at me, looks at the floor with the mass of HAIIIIIIIIR on the floor and then looks at me and her mouth is literally gaping open! HAHAAAA! I laughed to myself but not outloud. I did lose a lot hair in that chopping today. I guess my hair is still big, but luckily it's curley so with the layers i just have to crunch it with some gel, and off i go. It's not like i have to style it. In that way i know i'm very fortunate.

Picked up on a new singer girl today... Chantal Kreviazuk. Not sure how to say it but she's very good. Pop i guess is what you'd call it.

   [ posted  @ 4:53 PM | ]

Dug up an old Five Iron Frenzy CD yesterday. Man that is a fun band. I always need to rotate the cd's i play in my car on my cool Sony XPlod, because i get sick of music real fast. In general, in my car, i only listen to loud upbeat music. It keeps me awake and yeah. Good stuff.

I still hate summer. Period.

Tomorrow is my day off. I can't wait. I am going grocery shopping maybe, and also going to get my hair ... hair... not sure yet. I like the length but can no longer handle the thickness... it's uncontrollable. I will ask if they can thin it so much i'll look like a ... something other than this mop.

I gave my week's notice at Focus that next week will be my last week. I thought it over and decided i should give them a week and it really doesn't matter, but it's more honorable than just one day. And a few extra dollars will not hurt.

Eleven days until inventory. Oh yeaaaaaaaaah.

   [ posted  @ 1:38 PM | ]

Greetings Earthlings.

No Avril special tonight on ABC... I am a dork and didn't notice that it was a link from 2002. Breathe. I will live.

It is hot. I hate summer.

I have to work tonight and tomorrow @ Focus and i think i'm going to call my temp agency and tell them that it's my last day tomorrow. It's too hard to deal with the conflicting schedule i keep now with opening and closing and opening the store, plus the internship. And I'll just have to hope that i get a decent raise @ OfficeMax.

GOD IS GOOD.

   [ posted  @ 1:44 PM | ]

Current artists in rotation on KT's MusicMatch Jukebox...

Of course, Avril. Duh.
Hall and Oates
Alanis Morrisette
Good Charolette
Michael Jackson
Newsboys
Will Smith
Arrested Development
Paul Coleman Trio
AllStar - Smashmouth
Toto- Africa
Jane-Barenaked Ladies
Human League-Don't you want me
Jump 5
Young MC

yeah.

   [ posted  @ 7:02 PM | ]

I'm taking donations for a shot gun...

i want one.

I want one so that i can point it out my window and shoot the living crap out of the gawd-awful annoying birds living in the big tree right by my building. There must be 800 million chirping retarded demonic birds in this stupid tree and they get louder and louder. I think someone a few minutes ago threw a rock out of their window and it shut the birds up for like 10 seconds ... and now they are back at it. Remember that scene in Steel Magnolias where they are shooting up into the tree? You do not understand the pure ecstacy and joy it would bring me to be able to do that, just once, right now.

Maybe i am only noticing it again now because when i'm sitting here i normally have my headphones plugged into my laptop (Dell Inspiron 4150) and music blaring as loud as it will go... so it would naturally drown out the evil birds. DANG! But i was doing some reading and the music makes it hard for me to consentrate when i am this tired.

P.S. Once again the paramedics were here at the building yesterday. It seems they come to pick up one dead body a week. I swear somedays it's like i live in a nursing home. Although the boy who lives next door to me is a hottie.

   [ posted  @ 6:59 PM | ]

Guess what i did in my sleep last night?! I had music coaching from the one and only Avril! I only got to sleep for about 5 hours last night but i think that entire time I was playing music, recording albums, and getting voice lessons from Avril. How funny is that! Right before i went to sleep last night i was working on some music and then watched a few of her videos and one i put together myself. Too funny. Much better than the normal dreams i have about merchandising and counting cash drawers out.

Church was OK. I had to go to the all-senior-citizen-blue-haired-walker-walkin' old people service where they use the big old organ and stuff. I like their rockin' contemporary services so much better. Then the young adults bible study group (only like 10 of us today) went to Caribou Coffee bc we were locked out of the Powerhouse, and that's what Pete wanted and that's where me and Melea parted ways (she stayed at the Extended Campus for an adult bible study). Had a good conversation with everyone there... good group of people. Wish i lived closer but i guess we're from all over. It was me & Heidi and all boys to begin with, and then this girl named Jennifer joined us. She sings in the choir so i got her to tell me all about that and she said she's just learning guitar. We should get together. I'm sure i'll talk to her next time i go there, but that won't be next week bc i have to work on Sunday. Then i went to the Jr. High worship service at 11:15. I would have enjoyed it a lot better but bc of the coffee cooler i drank i had to pee really bad and by the time it was done i was needing to visit the restroom in addition to being hungry since i'd been at church for a looooooong time today. Then of course i hit really bad traffic on southbound 169 bc of stupid Cantebury horse racing today. And even though i went pody after jr. high, i still had to go by the time i got home again, really bad by the time i sat in traffic going zzzzzzzzslow after an hour i made it home. Had me some left over green bean casserole (i make the best) and then called my pops for a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.

   [ posted  @ 3:01 PM | ]

Last night i was up a little too late for the time i had to get up this morning. I was working on some music and got out the old youth praise book I put together at River Of Life. Man i really like some of those songs. Made me kind of wish i was still with a worship band. Someday, ya know.

I'm off to church! Melea is meeting me there ............

   [ posted  @ 5:15 AM | ]

Closed another one of my polls on the yahoo youthministry list...

POLL QUESTION: If you had to choose one area of
ministry that you feel particulary
confident/strong/comfortable in, which
would it be?

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Creating community/fellowship, 8 votes, 40.00%
- Discipleship/faith nurture, 7 votes, 35.00%
- Evangelism/outreach, 2 votes, 10.00%
- Leading others to lead others, 3 votes, 15.00%

   [ posted  @ 5:13 AM | ]

Went out to Harwell's $teakhouse tonight with Justin, Missy, Hector, Anna, Hector's cousin (whose name i didn't get bc it's spanish and they repeated it to me like 10x and i didn't get it and he doesn't speak English, so i just called him DUDE,) and Hector's daughter Katesali, who is my good 8-yr old buddy. Soon to be 9, excuse me. :) Food was very good but i filled up fast and didn't take anything home. I had prime rib. Hector showed up a little blitzed because he was drinking all afternoon i guess, and everyone but me and Justin were drinking (well i should say Katesali only had Sprite too) and it was a fun time. Never saw Hector all jazzed up on alcohol before and it was kind of annoying but then again whatcha gonna do. If Hector gets Katesali a guitar for her birthday, I may trade her guitar lessons (me teach her) for her to teach me Spanish. She couldn't speak any English when they moved here from Mexico last year, and now she is totally fluent. Very smart little kid.

I found some more Avril Lavigne songs today... I thought i had every one she's ever done so far, but i was wrong. The "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" finally came out and i downloaded that, plus a great song called "Falling Down" from the Sweet Home Alabama soundtrack, and a few acoustic knock-offs from her Let Go album. She is absolutely one of my all time favorite artists EVER. There are probably a number of reasons for this. These links I put in this paragraph will take you to some pictures if you don't know already who she is. (That last link has her with a Gibson Les Paul. I used to have one of those, though it was cherry color, and i sold it for an FX processor, but I look at her and think she must be in big time pain because those suckers are HEAVY!!!) And of course i'm counting the hours until the ABC special on Monday night haha. Although she's touted as a wild child by the press, she was raised by devout Christians and I find her story very interesting... When I watch any interviews with her or read her lyrics, I don't see a wild child... I see a planted seed. Plus really admire the way Arista took a chance on her and let her write her own album, even though they didn't sign her as a songwriter when they originally signed her to the label. They wanted to turn her into a bubble gum dance pop star and she demanded to go her own way with and be herself... And I've never heard of a debut album with such a high amount of hits... right off the bat. Every single song on there is worth being in the top 40. And if she doesn't do something stupid and get herself thrown in jail, she'll be around for a long time, I think.

And now, again, I must lament the coming of summer, that which I hate. So, here it is, my summer lament.

I hate summer.
I think it is bad.
I don't like the heat
It makes me sad.
It gets hot and sticky
and gross.
I wish snow would come back
I like snow the most.
I like the cold
and wind
Not this heat,
which should be a sin.

   [ posted  @ 8:08 PM | ]

I am not sure what it is about me... People who would normally considered strangers and inaccessible open up to me out of the blue about their spiritual life/problems/issues questions. Yesterday, I was working with this guy named "Jack" who is the store manager of the OfficeMax in St. Paul, and we were training about loss prevention and associate theft and policies like that. Their receiving god, Ken, is a pastor full time and works Omax like i did when i first started, to earn extra money. Anyway, everyone loves Ken bc he is true blue Christian... kind of a like an older dad or young grampa who is totally full of integrity, gentle, and goes by the book.

"Jack" was talking to me about destroy policies like let's say instead of returning merchandise to the vendor for credit, they credit us but ask us to destroy it. (This is true for furniture, mostly, and some other stuff like cheap electronics items or pens,etc.) Sometimes we are tempted to keep the pens or use the file cabinets in the store if it is a destroy item, even though we are supposed to destroy it. Jack informed me that really that would be a form of stealing, and we just are not allowed to do it. And i must admit, i've kept my share of pens for store use, file folders, whatever, that should have been thrown away but we can use them in the back for stuff. And yeah I guess i knew it was a form of stealing but anyways i don't have much of a conscience when it comes to little stuff like that. Then we also discussed ways to detect if an associate is stealing stuff like soda or candy... and how there are rewards if you as an associate turn in another associate you catch stealing.

Anyways Jack, who tells me he's a "recovering Catholic," said he knows Ken would never steal, not because Ken is a minister, but because Ken is 100% full of integrity and he just knows it would never happen. What a testimony... I was kind of blown away by that. It of course really challenged me, because everyone i work with knows i am a minister but do they see me as a person of 100% integrity who would never do anything shady? Probably not. I've never stolen anything --- and would never steal anything, but if there was ever a question, i'm not sure what ppl would say. I'll take a poll.

And then, Jack goes on to tell me about how 9-11 made him check out this little church in his neighborhood that welcomed him in, and didn't pressure him to come back, but invited him to check out the faith in a safe environment, verses ua church he went to when he was on vacation somewhere in Latin America (or somewhere i can't remember) - a catholic church who would not let his family in the doors because they were wearing shorts. Here was his uppidy up in the company sorting thru his faith with a supervisor in training... Kinda cool. I like it when stuff like that happens.

   [ posted  @ 1:19 PM | ]

It is Saturday and this is the day i typically sleep in, watch MTV, clean my wretched apartment, laundry, clean, and loaf around and probably go shopping and blah blah blog. I do not feel like doing any of those things bc i hate summer and i hate that it is getting warmer out and i don't want to turn on my air conditioner because i grew up in a family where mom loved to have the windows open and i think somehow that STUCK on me and i love having the windows open. Well it's only my balcony door that stays
open. I don't think i've cracked the windows yet this year.

But this place is quite a mess after the week i had in training and it could use a scrub down.

Found out a Tentmakers associate lives up by Crystal Free, and she may come to church tomorrow. That would be fun if we could hang out then. But today as i was going over my schedule for tomorrow i realized that i am going to have to go to the 8:00 church service which is their traditional service and miss out on the good fun celebration services because that is when my other two student groups are meeting that i want to visit. hmm.

Still tired.

   [ posted  @ 9:51 AM | ]

FYI, I closed one of the polls I had going on our ythmin yahoo list. Here are the results. Kind of interesting!

POLL QUESTION: Which of the following are considered
Taboo subjects in your congregation?

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Drinking (either underage or of legal age), 1 votes, 2.13%
- Homosexuality / Bisexuality, 5 votes, 10.64%
- Pre-marital sex, 2 votes, 4.26%
- Trans-gender issues, 6 votes, 12.77%
- The listening-to of secular music, 1 votes, 2.13%
- Courtship/dating, 1 votes, 2.13%
- Watching R-rated movies, 2 votes, 4.26%
- Pastor's kids mis-behaviour, 1 votes, 2.13%
- Infidelity in marriage, 5 votes, 10.64%
- Other denomination's beliefs, 1 votes, 2.13%
- Tatoos, 1 votes, 2.13%
- Pornography, 4 votes, 8.51%
- 'Net addiction, 3 votes, 6.38%
- MTV, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Divorce, 1 votes, 2.13%
- Predestination, 2 votes, 4.26%
- The Rapture, 2 votes, 4.26%
- Benny Hinn, 3 votes, 6.38%
- BRING IT ON! WE'LL DISCUSS 'EM ALL !!, 6 votes, 12.77%

   [ posted  @ 9:45 AM | ]

Went back in to work tonight to do closing stuff so i can learn it, since it was revealed to me today that i'll be closing by myself sooner than i thought, which i think totally sucks bc they are backing out on promises they made me but that is life. I HATE COUNTING MONEY WITH PEOPLE LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER. OK. with that said. Dang!!!

I am totally not confident in the closing duties involving the cash office and drawer reconciliation. I will have to log in some more hours now to learn it and it's too bad for them dudes, if i have to rack up overtime (something we would normally get written up for) because i am brand new and deserve better training. I finally got my pidly pay increase from my 2 year review and now i can ask Izzy for my real raise and they better not disappoint me, since it's obvious i will need to quit my temp job to work these ridiculous hours. I am really not complaining about this... it's just stupid they sent me away for two weeks to train to learn the correct procedures and everyone is doing it wrong with short cuts, cheating and let's not even talk about loss prevention. Grr.

   [ posted  @ 9:09 PM | ]

OK I won't ditch out the Friday Five this week. I know i did last week but whatever. These q's aren't all about falling in love so i can handle it!

1. What's one thing you've always wanted to do, but never have?
Get married. Maybe more important get and stay married for life. :) Gee that was probably a cop-out but whatever. It's my answer & i'm stickin' to it.

2. When someone asks your opinion about a new haircut/outfit/etc, are you always honest?
No way!!!! I don't think i'm ever "always honest" about anything but i think it's more important to see how that person feels about themself and if they feel really great in a new look, i'll encourage it. Just be yourself dudes. Now if it's a really close friend and we're looking thru a magazine or she/he sees someone, points them out and asks me "do you think i'd look good in that ____ ?" I'll be more honest than if they've already gone and done it.

3. Have you ever found out something about a friend and then wished you hadn't? What happened?
Sure - I found out the truth and then i couldn't live a fairy tale and i got hurt. I can't think of a for-instance but i know most of the time i'd rather live in ignorant bliss. (Some would say i'm the definition of that phrase.)

4. If you could live in any fictional world (from a book/movie/game/etc.) which would it be and why?
Probably with the Snorks because i loved that cartoon and love water and wish i could get water in my ears so i could go swimming and live in the water. Gee that was a strange answer. Ok.

5. What's one talent/skill you don't have but always wanted?
The ability to eat whatever i want and not gain an ounce... Yeah. That's some talent! Besides that, I have every talent and skill under the sky. Really, I do. Well maybe i can't draw perfect but i can do some stuff. I'm awesome.

   [ posted  @ 11:25 AM | ]

Before I do the Friday Five in my next entry, I wanted to share some PIX with you who don't live in the Twin Cities area. First of all, not being here, you can't appreciate these views AT ALL but it's better than having no idea. The last two days I had to work at GhettoMax (the Midway OfficeMax in St. Paul) and even though i had to get up at 3:15 a.m. to get ready and be on the road and be there by 5 a.m., i can't say i can complain much because a) i got to be off early and have the rest of the day to kick back and b) i got to see the skyline up close, which is one of my favorite things about living here.

This one is probably closest to what i saw each day coming and going from St. Paul. (I live about 15 miles SW of Minneapolis.)

This one is another coming from the south.

This one is exactly where i had to Exit today, getting on to I-94E, from the air. Whoo hoo!

This one is from across the 3rd Ave Bridge.

If you do an internet search (i recommend Google) for Minneapolis Skyline you can find more, but these are some i found today that capture it the way I see it. There is a view/angle i could not find (though the first i posted matches it somewhat) of when you are driving I35W North coming just over the curve, there is a time when you can't see the skyline at allllllllll and then you go under this by-pass thing and there is a big grove of trees and you co me around the curve and BAM THERE'S THE SKYLINE huge and enormous and looming! So cool! You almost think you took a wrong turn and then it's there to suprise you! I love it!

   [ posted  @ 11:15 AM | ]

Hey cool Bloggedy Blog put me on his blog ! Thanks Andrew!

   [ posted  @ 4:16 PM | ]

Want to hear something freaky? Since I made my posting re: having dreams of driving an orange colored VW Bug, I've seen two of them around. Both times they were parked in parking lots off to my right. One time at a bank, and one time at Dairy Queen. These are not a common car. Weiiiird. I get kinda freaked about stuff like that.

   [ posted  @ 12:30 PM | ]

Wow I must write some good cliff hangers on this blog; either that or ppl really love me & are wishing me well. Thanks for everyone who asked how last night went! I would have written when I got home, but since i needed every minute of sleep i could get, i didn't log on to give the report.

Last night i went to a trial-run thru of Youth Alpha at the PowerHouse (that is Crystal's teen center/youth facility which soooooo cool!). There is a parent volunteer, her name is Cyndi and she is kinda heading up the Alpha thing. They've never done Alpha on a youth level here... In fact they are one of the first in the Twin Cities to be doing it. I won't get into explaining what Alpha is because i know most of you reading this already know, and for those who don't... in a nutshell, it's an intro to Christianity course, designed for the seeker, not for the already-Christian. And in this case, the nice folks at Alpha (originally from the UK,) made a really snappy youth version. It's designed to be tailored to each individual's church beliefs.

Anyways. Every Alpha group starts with a meal together, a talk, and then break up into small groups to discuss the topic of the night (such as is the Bible reliable, why & how should I pray, etc.) Last night was a trial-run for leaders (mostly high school students) who will be facilitating the small groups. There were about 10 high school students there, me, the summer intern, Jonnah, and two adults.

I can't tell you how proud i was to sit in the company of those students. When we were having our small group discussion, several BIG things dawned on me. I'll tell you what those were. What a life-changing process 2003 is for me. Wow.

A. First, probably 99% of these student leaders are from purely Christian upbringing, and are very innocent, and have been raised in a very biblical, solid, energetic mission-minded church, and have kept themselves for God alone... And I also know that the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence, but we are to make the most of every opportunity. I do size up Crystal vs. River of Life (how could I not) but I also match it against ME. Those students really have a firm grasp on spiritual matters, and I still can't get over their willingness to open up, be vulnerable, pray with and for each other in sincerity, and their love for the Word. Here we were having a student-generated discussion where they were asking "But can't we bring our Bibles to Alpha? Are there going to be Bibles available? Are we going to pray before we eat? Why wouldn't we pray as a group before we eat? If I can't bring a normal Bible can I bring one that fits in my pocket?" (It's not that we can't bring Bibles, but we just want to be an environment in the case of Alpha that is non-threatening to the outsider, and all-inclusive and bibles and prayer can set up people against each other instead of welcoming them in, which is what Alpha is designed for). Anyways. That really ministered to me! Back when I led youth at Mt. Zion i guess it was that way to some degree, but the last four years at River of Life, I was working mainly with totally non-Christian kids who if they were saved at all were very new to the faith and had no support at home. So I never reached any maturity level with them like these kids have.

B. It reminded me of the time when I was in high school and I got my ventilation tubes put in my ears after having them out for several years. You get accustomed to not hearing as much. I didn't know it, but I couldn't hear the loudness and crispness of a car door closing, the spinning of my locker dial, the rustling of paper in the back of the class room, the chalk squaking on the black board as the teacher wrote, the shifting of someones jeans against their desk chair, the air kicking on from the furnace, and the clanging noises of the radiator. I remember having the surgery done and going back to school that day mid-way thru the day and everything WAS SO LOUD!!!! I could hear just the air moving thru the room and people's voices were so clear and i could hear the sniffling and breathing.... things I was used to not hearing because of the way my ears were underdeveloped. Now that I've spent even just a little bit of time in the presence of real living breathing Christians who are not self-focused but outward focused, it's kind of like adding another dimension to my faith... It's not that i didn't have all the good stuff, but now i can see what i was MISSING before... And I feel like this internship, even though it's just as a volunteer is going to be so good !!!!!!!!!! (For me and for everyone involved.) There is not one day that has gone by in the last six months since resigning at River of Life that I have not THANKED GOD for bringing me out of it and bringing me through it. I don't have any regrets about my time there (it was the right choice and i'll never change my mind about that,) and I don't have any regrets about saying GOODBYE either. I needed to work there, and I learned a ton and I know that God thru me impacted lives... but I would never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever dream of going back or recommending any one else go there... I'm finally somewhere I can rave about.

C. See. ? haha

Well anyways the hope is that they'll have 35-40 non-christian youth coming in as seekers to this group. I may be able to participate as a small group leader or song leader, though I don't know if having a song time would be appropriate -- it is on their schedule. Hmm.

So, all is cool!

   [ posted  @ 12:29 PM | ]

Avril: Anything But Ordinary
An intimate portrait of the confident and infectious singer and songwriter, follow the 18-year-old Canadian's remarkable rise to fame to achieve music superstardom. This all-access, intimate and up-close look into the artist's life, includes special features and candid personal interviews with Avril, as well as her recent visit to her small hometown of Nappanee, Canada. ABC Sunday Night! Duuuude I'm setting my VCR!

   [ posted  @ 3:06 PM | ]

I love the boys / men i work with! HAHAHA! It seems like every day i've been gone at manager's training from my store, the guys find some reason to call me and ask me Q's because i am known as the ORACLE. Hello can you boost my ego any further? Anyways. Yesterday Hector called and left voice mail when I was still zzzz'ing at like 9:30 A.m., and so i called him back and before we got off the phone he said, by the way, we have a present for you.

And I said, "Oh really? What is it, a bat?"

And he was like "Bad?'

and I was like "No, a bat, like you know, batman and robin? Batgirl?"

And he sounded disappointed, and asked, "Who told you?"

And I just laughed (it's the godvibe) and didn't try to pass it off on God telling me but somehow i just know these things and anyways no one did tell me but it was a wild guess which turned out to BE CORRECT! THEY FOUND A DEAD BABY BAT on the furniture pad and kept it by my computer, hanging upside down for me when i got back today with post-it-note signs pointing to my little bat saying "KT's Vengenance, At last." haha!

They rule.

It was an OK-day at work. Very busy running around now that i'm considered a manager I have a lot more to do and more responsibilities on the sales floor, where as before I could hide out in receiving. So I drank my diet Mt. Dew to keep me smiling and laughing and we had a good day. I made up a game called GROSS MARGIN TRIVIA that we play on our walkie-talkies during dead times now. I will pick an item (let's say it's Office Max Brand envelopes) and everyone gives their guess on what the gross margin for that product is. If anyone is with in let's say 2 % of the correct answer, I'll buy them either the product itself or a candy bar! So far no one won (it would be hard to get within that percentage unless you either had the godvibe, or already knew it.) It's a fun game, and great way to learn our products, because if you didn't know, most electronics and furuniture only bring in maybe a 5% gross margin (very little profit) and consumables or supplies bring in probably 30-60%. Our CopyMax facility brings in at least 70% which is why that is a huge focus for us right now. And it will also help our selling culture. So i'm happy about that. Right now Shakopee is at #5 in the district for Gross Margin so we are doing OK.

Anyways b lah blah.

Plus i had another suprise today which was bitter sweet. My bestest pal Ka-ree (Carrie) showed up out of nowhere for a visit at the store. It was weird to see her there! Because she's supposed to be at work. So we chit chatted like little girls for awhile and then i found out the reason she's in town is bc her Grandma (i named her Gramma Jones) died out of the blue this weekend. Dang! Bad news. I feel bad about all that. :( So it's one of those hey i'm glad to see you but wish it would have been under better circumstances things. (She lives like 2 hours from here, but her family lives here in town.)

Anyways.

Tonight yeeeeeeeeahhhhhhhhh we got Youth Alpha at the PowerHouse, so i'll be there. And then it's waking up at like 3:15 a.m. so i can be in St. Paul by 5 a.m. Dude. Can't wait till this training IS OVER!

P.S. I had to throw the bat away, after giving it a semi-proper burial, because our district Manager will be in on Friday. I would have left him hanging there indefinitely otherwise. Gotta love my life.

   [ posted  @ 1:08 PM | ]

Yo, KT Raps.

Just kidding. OK well did you see the incredibly scary big spider i killed in the bathroom yesterday morning? OMG it was demonic! I was drying my hands and when the towel shook, out shook the scary brown villian. Dang. I hate spiders so much. And he was a fast monster too. So after i panicked and stared at it for awhile, i threw the towel over him and SMASHED the crap out of him. Dang.

Did i mention i hate spiders.

Yesterday i was in little ol' Cottage Grove for Boundless training... which includes the dorky sales leader program and closing procedures. Gotta do the exact same thing again today. So i work like a 1pm-10:30 pm shift. That is odd. Yippee wheel. I am looking forward to being back at church tomorrow night.

On top of hating spiders, i hate summer. I hate the heat, the humidity, the heat, and the heat. It seems rather warm today. Yuck.

Bring back snow. Please.

   [ posted  @ 9:18 AM | ]

Tonight was cool!! I was back at Crystal for their 1st W.O.W. of the summer. WOW stands for "Wonder of Worship" and it's combined praise/worship for 7th grade and up thru college. Very good. I wonder if their worship team had much time to practice... it's hard being so "me." I am fairly critical, eh? But they did great. I must have shook over 100 kids hands today... and introduced myself to practically everyone in that room. And i even remember a lot of the names. For some reason i remember the boy's better than the girls. Most every girl is either an Abby, Kayla, Kaylan, Kaylee, Jennifer, and then you got your off brand names like Brook and whatever that i'll never remember. I'll remember, nevermind. So we just sang and stuff for like an hour. Tonight afterwords there was a bon fire at someone's home but i didn't go bc i don't know why. I should have probably gone but i do have to work tomorrow and am kinda tired! OMG everyone is so incredibly friendly and nice there. And every student i've talked to that has been there awhile really raves about the staff and ministry and i ask Q's and they are very enthusiastic. You can tell they've experienced something together... and really have the Spirit of Christ. Some places i've been there's that "nothingness" and here it's "alive, awake, alert enthusiastic." Besides the students I did talk to a few of the adult volunteers (there aren't that many that came to this.) One guy named Joe & his wife Tracy ( i think that's her name? ) said he'd heard of me and that my reputation preceeds me (precedes?). He said that he heard i was coming and that i was musically inclined. That was cool. Made me feel real welcomed too. But I have made some positive connections with the kids and feel like i really fit in and belong there. I am so excited!

So I'll be back to help them do a run thru of their first Alpha course for teens on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. -- I am looking forward to that. Plus it will be a smaller group so I can really start to get to know some people. That night will be a practice run-thru for the rest of the 10 week course which starts on the 18th.

So since Pastor Geoff asked me to think of where I want to fit and come up w/ a list of my strengths, I'm keeping my eyes open. Oddly enough I would not probably choose the music aspect... it's something i "can" do and although I do enjoy it... it's not my ultimate favorite thing. I like to lead worship, and I know when ever I do it, it is something God blesses, but I am probably one to prefer the personal aspect of discipleship/mentoring - small group leading and stuff like that. I'll have to keep it before God i guess... I'll do whatever, because it's a great group. I'm thinking of how this all came about and how easy it all was. Dang.

At one point tonight when we were sitting on the floor, singing "I surrender All," I put one hand on the carpet and the other hand on top of that hand and just thanked God that i was in that room and that my butt was planted on solid ground for once and that I've found a place to belong. I felt the fibers in the carpet and just claimed them for my ministry there. How cool.

   [ posted  @ 8:33 PM | ]

Well today was my 1st semi-official youth day at Crystal Free Church. I didn't even go to church. (Big church, that is.) Everything is held over at the Extended Campus. So if i wanted to go to regular church i should have gone at 8:15 or when-ever it starts. Anyways... at 9:30 was the young adult group... which is the 24-30 age crowd. So of course that's my group and i think i fit right in. There were suprisingly not that many in the group... I think there was about 10-15 and then Pastor Geoff who led the group. Guess what. He took a look at the group when we were starting and said there wasn't a worship leader there and then he smiled real big at me and i smiled real big back at him, and he says, "We do have a worship leader... Would you mind?" And i was so happy! So he went to get his son's guitar from the other room and guess what... it was THE SAME GUITAR EXACTLY AS I HAVE! Color, model everything! So i freaked out and everyone was laughing. I led three songs (the 3rd was a request...). And It felt very good to be up in front of a group again. I didn't have any songs "prepared" so i just did some off the top of my head and they sang along.

The rest of the time was sharing and a Bible study on 2 Kings 4:1-7. You know the olive oil jars and the widow story with Elisha. Well that was fun. I will enjoy that group a lot, i think.

Then i went to the "commons" area where they have the Jr. High church service at 11:15. I went over by the student who was running the sound. His name is Cole, and i asked him all about what he did. It was his first time running the sound board solo, plus they have big projection screens (2) to display the words of the songs and other stuff on Power Point. Kinda cool! We talked for about 20 minutes and then I met this other sophomore named Landice Beaker (not sure how to spell his first name). He is an aspiring writer and loves to read... so he told me all about his books he's reading and was really talkative.

The worship team is made up entirely of students (Geoff, Pastor Geoff's boy, who is 15 and awesome worship leader!) led it with another guitarist (Geoff plays acoustic and the other guitarist plays electric) and there's a moderately good drummer and two girls that sing back up (one of which is Pastor Geoff's 13-yr old daughter Hannah.) They did great!!!

Pastor Craig led some games and then led the discussion on being proactive vs. reactive and exercising self-control. One thing I really liked about the service was that the kids were encouraged to bring their bibles! I can't stand it when you are leading a group of church kids and none of them bring Bibles. So i was happy to see that is an emphasis. And they really tear up the Word when they're in there so that was COOL.

Then I just hung around after it was over and talked to a few of the volunteers and students and Pastor Craig (Pastor Geoff left for vacation and will be gone for 2 weeks now.) It is a total good fit. I know this already, and I'm sure it will be no problem to work out a place for me there. Everyone is super friendly, and from the seniors that I talked to, I can tell they've come very good families, on top of graduating from a very healthy ministry. Great church!

   [ posted  @ 2:35 PM | ]

How come when I'm driving my car in my dreams, it's always a bright orange Volkswagan Beatle (new style)? Any ideas? I have noticed this for quite some time and this week i had another dream like that and so i'm writing it down so maybe you know. E-mail me.

   [ posted  @ 2:24 PM | ]

Hi. I've been meaning to write this in my blog for awhile but i keep forgetting.

Did you see me on the ROOF of the Khols/Target/Office Max buildling last week?! It was so funny! First of all there is this huge stair way that has scary see-thru steps on it (reminds me of the one in the Truman Show) back in receiving that go up to the roof of our building incase someone needs to fix the A.C. And now that i'm basically a manager, Mike had to show me how to open and lock it because the A.C. man was there fixing something and Mike had to leave, and i was the only one in the building left, who was authorized to lock the sucker.

So me, Hecotr, Justin and Mike all took a field trip to the roof, on top of which you can see quite far like around Scott County cuz we're so high. Now, keep in mind, Justin and I are scared to DEATH of heights... but we braved it anyways. Once you climb that gawd-awful ladder, you're pretty much oK if you can get your wavy legs up on the roof and make the climb over the thing that leads up to the roof part. And we were up there and it's all flat/stones and stuff and it actually would be the most awesome place to have a grill out/dance party USA thing but of course i'm sure that is against code. Some code. Morse code or something. Anyways i'm sure it's illegal. But did you SEE me up there, waving my arms around and dancing!?? I was laughing so hard because if ppl looked up there from HWY 169 they were bound to see me waving and shouting. Don't worry. Everyone i work with already knows i'm retarded so it's OK. When we go to take out the garbage, i always pump my fists in the air like i just made a basketball hoop. (OH yeah and it was cool when we did the truck yesterday bc when i went out to talk to the trucker and unlock the seals on the truck, some little teen punks had built a nice sized skateboard ramp with some of our plywood and pallets!! So i was running and racing up the jump... And you can see all this from the highway. I am a loser. I know!)

But anyways, back to the roof. Then we all had to go back down OMG and i made it! I was scared to climb back onto the stairs part because HELLO you can see right thru them and it's a long climb down to the floor. But there are raillings. It's not like the ladder that goes straight UP to the radio controls above my desk. That is one i am not brave enough to climb. OMG. Your feet hit the floor and you're all shakey and sweaty. Haha.

Just though i'd ask if you saw me up there... my 15 minutes of roof fame.

   [ posted  @ 9:17 PM | ]

I got a call from Donna K today... she's a sister in Christ... someone I look to as a mentor/spiritual guide on my little life's journey. She was returning a phone call from Monday when I left a message about my new internship with Crystal. She presented a new opportunity... a church she knows about is looking for a youth pastor... they have about 15 youth. I am not interested. But she knows Crystal's ministry really well and was very excited about me going there. She took her theater company there to do their Isolation play which deals with violence and teen suicide. And has nothing but great things to say about their student ministries. So she's excited.

I just told her i think I owe this to myself to go back to "servant school" for awhile... and learn under a proven leader... I know I have what it takes to be the "top dog" or whatever, but maybe that's the whole reason why I should not take a full time youth pastor gig right now... I am too full of pride and arrogance and will just fall on my face again. I need to probably unlearn a lot of stuff... before I can go forward. Maybe this is still false pride... I don't know, but at least I can sort it out in the company of those who know I'm sorting it out, instead of sorting it out in front of a congregation who hired me and expects a lot out of me. I'm a huge believer in team work and ministry... and the thought of going to work for another small church just does not interest me. It would be different if I could work at a church where being a seeker is OK... and where the leadership isn't in "pretend-mode" thinking all is well when it's just a floating boat at the dock which won't go on to sail. I'm just not sure there are a lot of churches like that. But then what do I know?

Life is one sucky journey.

Anything But Ordinary - Avril Lavigne

Sometimes I get so weird
I even freak myself out
I laugh myself to sleep
It's my lullaby
Sometimes I drive so fast
Just to feel the danger
I wanna scream
It makes me feel alive

Is it enough to love?
Is it enough to breath?
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
Is it enough to die?
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be anything but ordinary please

To walk within the lines
Would make my life so boring
I want to know that I
Have been to the extreme
So knock me off my feet
Come on now give it to me
Anything to make me feel alive

Is it enough to love?
Is it enough to breath?
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
Is it enough to die?
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be anything but ordinary please
I'd rahter be anything but ordinary please.

Let down your defences
Use no common sense
If you look you will see
that this world is a beautiful
accident turbulent suculent
opulent permanent, no way
I wanna taste it
Don't wanna waste it away

Sometimes I get so weird
I even freak myself out
I laugh my self to sleep
It's my lullaby

Is it enough?
Is it enough?
Is it enough to breath?
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
Is it enough to die?
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be anything but ordinary please

Is it enough?
Is it enough to die?
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be anything but ordinary please
I'd rather be anything but ordinary please.

   [ posted  @ 3:35 PM | ]

I've been contemplating this song by Alanis Morissette... I know she's just a seeker on the path and it's not like I would endorse her worldview (entirely) but as a singer/songwriter... I can't really find too many people making music these days that have the soul-searching honesty she conveys. Check this out. It's kind of a prayer huh? Someone needs to get in her world and introduce her to Jesus, 'cuz all signs point that she's looking for true salvation.

THAT I WOULD BE GOOD

That I would be good
Even if I did nothing
That I would be good
Even if I got the thumbs down

That I would be good
If I got and stayed sick
That I would be good
Even if I gained 10 pounds

That I would be fine
Even if I went bankrupt
That I would be good
If I lost my hair and my youth

That I would be great
If I was no longer queen
That I would be grand
If I was not on a wing

That I would be loved
Even when I'm not myself
That I would be good
Even when I am overwhelmed

That I would be loved
Even when I was fuming
That I would be good
Even if I was clinging

That I would be good
Even if I lost sanity
That I would be good
Whether with or without you

   [ posted  @ 3:16 PM | ]

Well I feel bad for not answering this week's Friday Five. (Sorry men, it's not that I think the questions are stupid, but they just make me all mushy.) I think I'll make up my own.

1. So, did you finally finish that C.S. Lewis book?
Oh, yes as a matter o' fact I finally did, today, in fact! "Suprised by Joy."

2. And how did it turn out, over all?
Well it's one of the blandest semi-auto biographies I ever read... though I know he didn't write it to be an autobiography of his life... he was just weaving one thread of it through the book. It actually reminds me of how I write a book (not that I'm like Clive, but hang in there i'll tell ya why...) because he leads up to this big thing, and answers it in a few pages or less and then bam it's over. Spends 100's of pages leading up to conversion and then BAM it's ovah. And the fact that I don't have a clue of any of the writers he writes about that influenced him blah blah it didn't mean much to me. Basically just made me feel like a dim-wit. But I did underline sum stuff, so you know I must have liked it a little.

3. Do you want to point out a part of the book you liked?
Why, sure. This is actually on the last page... but I liked this analogy...
'But I now know that the experience, considered as a state of my own mind, had never had the kind of importance I once gave it. It was valuable only as a pointer to something other and outer. While that other was in doubt, the pointer naturally loomed large in my thoughts. When we are lost in the woods the sight of a signpost is a great matter. He who first sees it cries, 'Look!' The whole party gathers round and stares. But when we have found the road and are passing signposts every few miles, we shall not stop and stare. They will encourage us and we shall be grateful to the authority that set them up. But we shall not stop and stare, or not much; not on this road, though their pillars are of silver and their lettering of gold. 'We would be at Jerusalem.'"

4. What are some other books ya got in the hopper?
I'm trudging my way thru Len Sweet's "Soul Tsunami." I am still not sure what i think of Len Sweet's writing -- it's a lot of facts and figures that will be out of date in a few more years therefore making most of these books trash. I guess I should delve into the deeper meaning, he's just trying to be a cause agent to make the church leaders wake up, but let's face it. Those who would fork out the cash for Sweet's books (or McClaren or whomever) are already cutting edge and changed enough as it is... You don't have to convince them of anything. It's one of those "preaching to the choir" things... Yes church leaders need to wake up to the postmodern mind shift, but it comes with a lot more than reading a book. Anyways. I could go on and on about that... I'll finish his book. It's one of those books I read a chunk at a time during break at work... if I can be uninterupted (or if i'm not watching the Cornholio episode of Beavis & Butthead that someone left in the VCR in the break room !) I NEED T.P.! ahahhhahahahaha

Besides Soul Tsunami, I do have a few other books in the hopper. I don't read as much as I should. I'll just admit that right now. I am going to get deeper into Mere Christianity now that I'm done with Suprised by Joy... and probably find time to finish Till We Have Faces too.

5. How can we find you on Pal-Talk for a one on one interview?
Well I'm glad you asked that! kt_rocks is my nickname and I'm usually in the WorldWide trivia room or Bible Trivia after 9 p.m. if my nanny let's me stay up that late. And if you're really nice, I'll grab my guitar and sing you a few tunes. But if you see me on line, just PM me and i'll join ya.

   [ posted  @ 3:05 PM | ]

I'm not so sure i like the Friday Five i found for this week! AHHHHHHH! I am reserving my right to not answer them...

Caught the semi-finals for the women for the French Open last night... Henin vs. Serena. I have to admit those are probably my two favorite lady players... and I would root for Henin above Serena and in this case, guess what? She actually won (Henin.) So that is good! I rule!!! Actually Justine rules, but whatever. Now i guess she's married and has a double-last-name thing going on. I really miss playing tennis. I had some time last year to do that with Steph but it just hasn't worked out to go play this year. Every week I ask Israel if he wants to play and we haven't set a date. And of course today it is raining. But back to the French Open, I feel bad that I missed most of it this week. I didn't even know it was on and then when I talked to my dad on the phone on Monday, he reminded me, and then I forgot about it again until yesterday!

Today when I got home from work I tried to stay awake to watch the men's final... but was just too tired so I slept instead because it's my plan to be up late playing Bible Trivia on PalTalk. I did leave early from my CopyMax training in Burnsville because my air-head trainer (who won't look you in the eye, but off to my shoulder which IS SO WEIRD!!!) was a weirdo and wasn't really training me and to avoid overtime, i left early. Which reminds me, I need to call our store and tell them my hours for today so they can punch me in and out !

   [ posted  @ 2:48 PM | ]

Step up. Step up. Step up. Step up. Fall back take a look at me and you'll see i'm for real.....

ok sorry listening to Avril again.

This week i hardly posted! OMG! I've been an Office Max training FREAK and am overall tired and worn out as usual... I've met some pretty cool people (though i'm sure they think i'm a over-talkative-too-many-questions freak head) and learned a lot. I was in Woodbury, Midway (St. Paul) and Burnsville learning stuff for management. Still haven't got a raise. Hmm. Don't let 'em hoodwink ya!

Today I told Justin at work that i'm in love with him and want him to be my secret boyfriend (though Hector heard the whole thing) and that we should get married... but he's already committed to a nice enough girl though no one could match me! And just kidding i'm not really in love with him but we all have a good time unloading that truck (today was my day of the week in Shakopee so i could catch up on corporate recalls and such.) And then we had the obligatory discussion about how now that i'm their supervisor i can't really hit on them anymore and express my undying crushes on them because of sexual harrassment i could get written up or worse fired. And i kinda need the job, so i better play it coo'. It's kinda fun working with all boys...

Also when we were unloading the truck today I told the boys the funny story of my Paltalk Ladyred's Romantic LOVE SONGS experience last night with my mom and sis Amy (Morgan K and gottaloveem, respectively) in this karoke room! OMG! It was funny from my perspective but i think i almost killed my mother. I sang along to Culture Club's Do You Really Want to Hurt Me... but i did it in a very mocking way and well let's just say do you remember the first few rounds of American Idol? I did it that way but i think they thought i was trying to be serious or something............ and then it was funny bc i usually have head phones on when i am listening on my laptop and FORGOT TO UNPLUG THEM HAHAHAHAHa so i'm really singing along to nothing.............. rof! I love myself somedays. But then i was up too late and didn't get enough sleep last night so i was ultra chatty today at work and i think i didn't stop talking the whole day... when i wasn't singing DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME to everyone who came back to receiving... and Justin looked at me at one point and says... "You never stop moving... you're always so full of energy." Well I just told him it was because i read my Bible every morning before work, but he doesn't believe in God i don't think so he just attributes it to caffiene, Herbal Life and GNC vitamins. Well i guess it all works together. I happen to think it's God but then who do i blame on my moody days? The boys just know to stay away from kt. Anyways we discussed that too and had a good laugh over it bc at least when i'm crabby and snapping at everyone, i tell them and give them fair warning!!!!

Let's see what else can i tell ya?

I should make up for not having enough blogs this week. I feel kinda bad. People check in here and think i've gone and died or something.

Oh that reminds me. That's another thing. I have come to the belief that i'm indestructable. Indestructible? How do you spell that word?! OK you know what i mean. I think that it is impossible to kill me bc i have not fulfilled my life's purpose yet and therefore when boxes of furniture or pallets or whatever almost kill me when falling on me in a truck unloading situation, or bad traffic mis-haps... i think you're safe if you're with me bc i'm convinced i can't die yet. Which, gotta admit somedays i wouldn't mind death compared to this trap, but you know what i mean. Or do you? We often discuss this on the truck too, because we're kind of sloppy and i've almost killed Hector at least 3x that i can remember... "RUN! LOOK OUT!" haha and he's not done with his life's purpose yet either. (Hector and I are an on-going affair which everyone knows about but he's sort of married with a kid so shhhh. I originally just "married" him so he could get his U.S. citizenship but now ya never know.)

Well it's almost seven p.m. that means bed time for KT. Big day tomorrow.

   [ posted  @ 4:59 PM | ]

Well I think it's finally happened. I met with Pastor Geoff Safford today from Chrystal Free church and was blown away by their student facilities and the whole "hugeness" of the thing. Though it's not about numbers, we all know it is... Jr. high has about 120 students, Sr. High has about 150. Add to that a volunteer staff of around 70+ leaders and 5 full time paid staff -- you got one fruitful ministry. We had a very good talk. Have a lot in common, and my next step is to come up and spend Sunday with them checking out the different areas of ministry, and after he gets back from vacaction, we'll meet to see what i have for time and where I want to contribute. Then we'll map out a plan for me to help there.

It's all happened so "easily" you just know it has to be God, because somethings just fit, and somethings just don't fit.

We fit !

   [ posted  @ 10:02 AM | ]

Wasssssssuuuuuuupppppp.

Church was nifty keen today. It is going to take me some getting used to this pastor and his preaching style. He is very long winded and has a hard time making a point or getting to it. But what do i know? It seems he's been on Ps. 23:1-2 for the last 3 weeks and really hasn't advanced his thoughts. He may have preached for 45 minutes today and not really made one single point. But it's not that what he said was wrong. It's just a different style than what i learned and use.

One AWESOME part was God's Own Youth Choir led worship... with their student praise band. There must have been a couple hundred teens on that stage. And the students in the praise band too. One of their youth pastors was the leader but it was COOL! Very powerful. I wonder if they do that once a month. I'll find out tomorrow because I am meeting with Pastor Geoff at 8 a.m. to discuss the possibilities of my internship there. They have a seperate "extended campus" where their youth facilities and church offices are housed, a mile or so from the huge church building. I was very amazed by the whole thing. I stopped by the "welcome center" after church let out and got a welcome packet and talked to some lady there for a little bit.

Yesterday i spent part of my afternoon in reflection in the online labyrinth listed on the left-hand column there. Very good experience. I'd encourage you to check it out if you have about 45 minutes to spare. It's a good idea.

And then last night I had a blast because I found my Bible Trivia PalTalk group up and running. It was even some of the same people as the old FireTalk group about a year or so or whenever it was that i was on there. I love it! There was so much i didn't know. But it was girls versus boys (as always) and i was amazed at what i knew, and what i didn't know. And they let me play some of my songs during the breaks. I played that until midnight when they closed the room. I wish i could stay up late like i used to!!

It is going to be weird, if i get this internship, going from a church of 40 to 4,000. I fully believe they got the right idea going on over there though. I have a lot i want to ask and learn about. I don't know where i would even envision myself fitting in. I'd be satisfied if i could just lead a small group or co-lead with someone or something. And I would like to get involved in their singles ministry there too. (Not as a leader but as a participant.) I could use some fellowship!

All this is dependant upon my work schedule and how it pans out. I can only pray Office Max keeps me as mainly an opener and not working on weekends, but that is kind of unlikely. I have to do some training at our store meeting tonight on what creates shrink. Oh yippee.

   [ posted  @ 2:31 PM | ]

[=Links=]

[=Designed By=]