informal survey, please respond

my husband has challenged me with the following mission: take an informal survey to determine which is more violent: dracula or fundraising. please leave a comment with your response and in a follow up blog, i'll share why i'm taking this informal survey. i don't want to share that story just yet so as to maintain the integrity of your answers.

PS: my husband's response doesn't count (but Kelly's does :) ).

a picture and a treat

Ahh, this picture was just too good not to share and the story of how John ended up with a tiger on his head is pretty good, too. This will give you a small taste of what St. Louis life is like. Random is the word that comes immediately to mind.

We were sitting in a coffee house called Meshuggah with an old friend (well, a friend of a friend with whom I'd once gone on a tour of a new Mormon temple in the OC but that's an entirely separate story) and his wife and in walks a man who eventually introduced himself to our little crew as Michael Corleone. Michael's the kind of guy who wears ear buds without an iPod, the kind of guy who creates his own tunes and sings them aloud for the coffee house crowd to enjoy. Michael's also the kind of guy who wears tiger hats and likes to share his tiger hat love with others. Enter John. John's the kind of guy who graciously indulges guys like Michael. And that's how John ended up with a tiger hat on his head in Meshuggah's with old new friends.

As if that wasn't treat enough, there's more! We got our photos this weekend and there's an online link. Go to pennybird.com. Click on "client login" then click on "client access." Our password is - columbus.

journey to Bethlehem

hats off to Harvester Christian Church for an amazing effort

two camels + 800 volunteers + 40,000 home-made cookies = Journey to Bethlehem

sure, it felt like i was at an amusement park with the zig-zagging lines leading us to the beginning of our journey and, yes, our friend, Ryan, wondered if the hot cocoa and cookies at the end would instill in young, impressionable minds an association between Jesus and cookies but this was still an impressive re-enactment of the Christmas story. first, we received our "traveling papers" that Roman centurions with impressive spears and helmets examined before we could pass to the next stop. my traveling paper gave me the name "Rebecca" or "Rivkah" in Hebrew. Our rather large "family" (28 kids and adults from our house church) quickly learned to say we were, "from the family of Asher" when quizzed by the imposing centurions. along the way, we met wise men with their gold, frankincense, myrrh, and two camels. we met the shepherds and witnessed the angels greet them to announce the birth of Jesus. while seeking a place to stay in Bethlehem, we came across the stable housing the holy family where we heard the gospel message. we got a rude awakening as we passed by the tax collector's table who attempted to swindle extra taxes from our large family and our next stop, the marketplace, was awash with Israelis trying to sell their wares to cold, weary travelers. after our 45 minute journey, we were greeted (rewarded?) with cocoa and cookies. with 40,000 home-made cookies, we had a very good selection.

a story plus more

in an effort to overcome a three week long cold, i google mapped "drug store." globe drugs popped up in my neighborhood so i decided to give it a try. as i pulled up, the handwritten signs advertising cheap booze seemed a little out of place. actually, back-up. the little girl rolling on the ground in front for the store seemed a little out of place. the handwritten signs just added to the overall effect.

i entered and it was like entering another world. like entering an emerging market, to be exact. globe drugs is st. louis' answer to the village shop where you can buy everything from cough suppressant to Christmas tree stands, from ground coffee to extension cords. boobs on a stick were a personal fav (that would be the top half of a woman, made of solid chocolate, on a stick -- who comes up with these things?). i've since returned twice for our every Christmas need and the diversity of patrons never ceases to amaze me.

check this out for our Wednesday adventure this week. our house church/small group is headed on a group outing to experience the journey to Bethlehem. i'm sure i'll have stories to share of what our friend assures us is "the real deal."

and here's a trailer for a documentary featuring, Justin, a Congolese refugee at our church who has big dreams of reconciliation.