my word, this beat makes me happy.

bernhoft-c'mon talk.

thanks, lana, for finding this and passing it along.
kb.

on tuesday, I will return to "the most magical place on Earth".  

I went to disney world for the first time with my mom, dad, and older brother when I was around seven.  I remember little other than wearing a red poncho the greater part of the week and eating ice cream on a stick in the shape of mickey mouse.  

(sidenote:  I am so thankful for my family who loves acting like kids.  chad and heather (my brother and sister-in-law) went to disney world every year in the early years of their marriage.  they have pictures of the two of them with mickey and minnie dressed in literally every outfit that exists in every "land" within the disney world parks.  I do not exaggerate with this statement.  the photo albums are hilarious, and they look ridiculously happy, arms swung around the two plush characters.  

they were at disney world on sept. 11th and had to be evacuated, actually.  eerie.)

thankfully, the mission of young life is 1. staff-wise, way too big to gather at any other venue other than a place las vegas (and I do not see that ever happening.) and b.  clearly injected with fun at its core.  

next week marks the third venture to the young life all staff conference for me.  I feel blessed to have been invited to attend in what will be three distinctly different divisions...mississippi valley (field staff in arkansas), international north (field staff in london), and now colorado camping (property staff at trail west lodge).  somehow in all my stints on and off staff, I have managed to be ON when one of these massive events rolls around.  

ok, to the fun.  the above photo was snapped by a friend 4 years ago.  clearly, you can see the utter childlike joy that I am in the midst of as I spin ridiculously fast on the tea cups.  yes, the tea cups.  

on the inside, I am 6 years old.  I would so prefer to spin than to drop.  roller coasters?  sometimes.  

I close my eyes the entire time.  I think the drop portion is just a bit too realistic, like turbulence in an airplane.  

how often do you spin like a maniac in real life?  it just makes you dizzy, and you cannot help but laugh.  pure joy.  I also have a special skill for maximizing the spin.  (we all have gifts.)  

much talk in the office this past week about how we feel about the upcoming florida time.  anxiousness hovers over the sheer amount of people who will all be in the same space, roughly 4,000.  excitement ensues about reuniting with old friends.  eagerness and anticipation co-mingle for warm weather and relaxation.  

I feel all of the afore mentioned, to be sure.  not to mention the prospective giddiness involved in more tea cup spinning...

as I ready by packing my luggage this weekend, I strive to unpack my brain, so full of all expectations, hopes, and potentials.  my sweet friend, clare, made a poignant statement in regard to this gathering the other night (thanks to carls for sharing it with us)... 

"what we know we can count on is for God to show up."  

so rooted in truth is that statement.  so my prayer for this next week at our "celebration" is one of expectation to be aware of Presence.  

perhaps, this week will help deepen said awareness in day-to-day life, as well.  

here's to warmth, laughter, being 6 years old, and breathing deep!

cheers,

kb.

today I spend my day off sipping coffee and contemplating/exploring new possibilities.
I find my mind remembering a journal entry I wrote this past november.
the key word of this chronicle...
adventure.

adventure |adˈven ch ər; əd-|

noun

an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity : her recent adventures in Italy.

• daring and exciting activity calling for enterprise and enthusiasm : she traveled the world in search of adventure | a sense of adventure.

the past year and a half, I have been on retreat.  yes, that is the most apt way of describing this time in the mountains, I would think.  retreat in the sense that it has been easy or without hurt, frustration, drama, or lessons?  of course not.  as long as we are breathing, life creeps in, no matter what the locale, number of people in your day to day, or level of noise in your surroundings.
however, for all intents and purposes, I have unplugged from the "typical" hustle and bustle of life that the majority of us are accustomed to with social schedules, classes or work to catch up on, phone calls to return, etc.
firstly, let me say that I am immensely thankful for the quiet I have been gifted with here in my little mountain town.  its slower pace has allowed me to breathe.  I had no idea how long it had been since I just focussed on being in my world of ministry, relationship juggling, and moving.
seasons are on purpose.  "a time for everything..."
even kevin bacon would tell you that...(sidenote:  really?  we needed a re-make?  really?!  no.)
ecclesiastes 3.

I feel a new season approaching, and as the Lord cannot betray his nature, he is being faithful to continue to affirm this leading.  I have no definites yet.  the practicals have not been revealed...yet.
but, I know a change is on the horizon, and I am excited about the next adventure.

I am on the cusp of re-engaging into a space to once again utilize gifts that I have known needed to be dormant for a time.
my head feels clear, which is no small feat as those of you who know me well can testify. (God is big.  God is intimate.)
I cannot remember leaving a place/job being in a healthy state (in my adult life).  exhaustion and absolute necessity have been my indicators in the past...a sense of desperation for change.
I do not feel desperate.
I feel ready, eager, and excited.

I do realize that I am being quite vague, but as I research, explore, wait, and pray for the pieces to fit together, I feel compelled to stay active in keeping record of the continuing movement.  also, for those of you who still take the time to read this blog after so many years of my journey here and abroad, it blesses me to know you are walking alongside me in some way, cheering me onward.

I adore this word above.  holds within it such empowerment, confidence, and ability.  

may your tuesday be filled with moments of personal victory.  

cheers,

kb.

my word, I am laughing just thinking about these two videos of ridiculousness...
click on the two links below.
firstly, jimmy fallon and kristin wiig, does it get any better?  truly.

1920's Holiday Party
don't make me sing...don't make me dance!

secondly, I must preface this by saying that I have decided to learn a new language.  I have a fair aptitude and retention for language, in general, so I thought I would try my hand in the new year.  (when I lived overseas, I decided I wanted to learn EVERY language of EVERY country I visited.  ridiculous, as I visited places like turkey and bulgaria.  yep, there is a huge opportunity to keep those up in my day-to-day life.  well, what can I say... I get excited about learning, new cultures, and further ability to relate to people.)  ultimately, I decided on french. as I foresee most of my future travel being european, I thought I might just have a shot at retaining a bit of what I learn.  I ordered rosetta stone.  I have talked about doing so for ages, so I have now taken action.    so far, I love it!  not a lot going on in my sleepy colorado town this time of year, so I have plenty of time to work on it.  I also sort of love school.  I know.  I have just gotten really real and vulnerable by acknowledging that publicly, but it happens to be true.  (perhaps I am getting back into the groove for events to come... hmmm... stay tuned...)
when I told my friend, cat, that I was on this quest, she sent me this link.
for anyone who has learned a language, you will relate to the obscurity of the random phrases you learn.
I love that it has all the "lyrics" written below.
flight of the conchords...random and hilarious.

foux da fa fa...

hope you laugh...like to the point that someone from the next room cannot help but come in and ask what is so funny.  :)
kb.

intimacy with others is difficult, humbling, and often emotional.
however, interwoven with these challenging characteristics, resides a richness beyond description.

the truth will set you free...john 8.32.
amen.

oftentimes, allowing people into the places of my being that are beyond my control, namely where emotions surface as I begin to speak, fills me with nervousness.  though the Lord continues to shape me into a braver soul in this area of heart revealing, my nature is to attempt to appear strong, confident, informed, and well-spoken.

a greater inability to "appear altogether" is one of the giant changes in my person since having lived overseas.  when I was in england, my day-to-day life held so much unknown that little by little I lost the capacity to fake self-confidence in so many ways.  I was humbled at every turn, especially in the beginning.  I needed to ask questions, get lost, look silly, and be bold to survive essentially.
also, when I moved from london, I feared that I would be moving "back" to the States...that I would be somehow regressing in growth, as I re-entered so much familiar.
oh how gracious the Lord is to shake his head lovingly in His all-knowing essence and patiently reveal to me that going "back" is not an option.
the changes He makes in our lives are significant, deep, and beyond our explanation.
He has revealed (and continues to make very evident) to me that He is the one who led me away from the UK and desired for me to re-enter the States.  I did not leave Him in england.  and england is not a magical place.  it was the place for me for the time He had me there.  it was the setting He used to teach me lessons He needed me to learn there.
now I am in colorado discovering new truths, remembering who I am in Him and learning who I am becoming each day with His hand lovingly leading in this setting.
no locale is more special or important than another.
where He is and desires us to be is the holiest, life-changing "home".

today I truly felt the deeper breathing that arrives when transparency resides in friendship.  keeping those around you "in the loop" allows for support, insight, affirmation, and perspective...

I am thankful for such sweet friends who cheer for me with such steadfast spirits.
I am thankful for friends who lead me by living a life striving to be obedient, daring to take risks.
for an impressionable emulator like myself, being surrounded by people of such character blesses me to my core.  

happy new year!
cheers,
kb.