A Cubs loss and a dead car

I went into the city today to enjoy a cubs game but unfortunately I watched the cubs loose and when I went to leave the ball park my car was completely dead. Lately, I have been challenged a lot to intentionally find ways to love and help others. Today I saw myself on the reverse side of that. We walked around for a good hour trying to find someone who might help us by giving my car a jump. We heard some of the most pathetic excuses as to why people were NOT going to help us. I think my favorite was an employee at Wrigley who walked right past us and said, "Sorry there is nothing I can do." When we walked two blocks down to ask another gentlemen, the guy told us to go back to the Wrigley employee that walked away because he had the radio to get someone. We called the other two back at the car to chase the employee and when one of the them asked him once again, his response was he didn't have a radio to call anyone. (The radio was clear as day on his belt loop). When Mr. helpful cub worker walked back to where I was and I explained that his co-worker told me to have him call without a response he just walked past me once again. Luckily, at the same time a group of friendly gentlemen came walking by and without hesitation, walked over to my car and got it going. An hour later and about 20 people worth of rejections, I realized just how incredible it feels when someone steps outside their little world and offers a helping hand. I hope that I continue to push myself to be that person for others. In a hurry or not, I pray that my eyes are opened to the lives around me and not just my own little world.

Girls Trip!

I just got back this evening from a great little getaway with some pretty incredible friends. The five of us have been friends since high school but with the busy life of teachers (I know it's summer as I write this but not all months are June, July or Aug), we struggled to hang out like we used to back in the day. A year ago we started a tradition where we schedule a time each month for the five of us to have coffee, dinner, or ice cream together. This month we decided to take it a step further and spend two days in Lake Geneva at one of the girls parents lake house. We all needed a couple days to just get away and laugh like I did. There were a lot of funny moments, funny conversations, and some hysterical memories of old times. Oddly enough, one of my all time highlights was being able to ride in the golf cart everywhere we went within this beach community. There were golf cart trails, under road cart tunnels, and even lined golf cart parking spots within the community. Friendship is a beautiful thing! I pray that as I grow older I always make quality time with friends. No matter what life brings or how busy things get, I pray that every month, the five of us will continue to hang out. I can't wait to be 70 years old and sitting on that golf cart with the same group of girls!

Happy Birthday David

David turns 4 today! Happy Birthday Buddy!

StuCo serve day

Today I spent all day with about 10 of our students working on a habitat for humanity home in Aurora. About three years ago, there was a student who had just graduated from the ministry and was getting ready to be a part of a internship within StuCo so that he can begin leading. At that time, him and his dad talked about the possibility of working together to build a habitat home in Aurora. Kevin's dream was to rally students from StuCo together and his Dad would get people involved from the Community 4:12 ministry to make this happen. Unfortunately, it was during that time that Kevin lost his battle with depression and took his own life. In his honor, his parents have pushed to keep the dream alive. One week from this Sunday, they will dedicated the home to a mother and her twin daughters. There is something about serving that is incredible. If I woke up tomorrow and knew that I would have to do 6 hours of intense landscaping at my own place, I would HATE every last thought if it. Yet when I get the opportunity to serve with a group of people it is so much different. There is something about the laughter, the conversations, the memories that make every sweaty minute of it fun. Then on top of all that, there is something incredible when you get to be a part of seeing the family get a new start on life. When a family is blessed and you get to witness their joy as they take the keys for the first time. Sometimes I even wonder who is blessed more, the family or those of us that got to be a part of the making it happen. It was a fantastic day!

An incredible day!

Today was an absolute great day! We held our first ever StuCo golf outing to raise money for our student ministry. Not only was the weather amazing but everything ran so smoothly! We couldn't have asked for a better experience. We were blessed with an incredible golf course that hosted the event, some wonderful sponsors for the holes, and 72 golfers who joined us in the event. It was a huge success! As a ministry, we never want money to hold a student back from attending any of our events. As a result of today, we are able to reduce the cost to students and hopefully open the door to allowing more students to attend. I can't wait to see how God is going to move within StuCo over the next year! Here is a little video I put together of some of the pictures. If you weren't able to join us this year, please consider coming out next year!

First time in the bleachers!

I have been a cubs fan for a long time and have gone to several games but today was my first opportunity to sit in the bleachers. It was a beautiful day at Wrigley Field! It was fun to experience the game from the outfield. There is nothing quite like the thrill of seeing a ball hit and feeling like it is headed your direction. Although I came how without catching a ball, it was a fantastic day of hanging out with friends, watching baseball and seeing the Cubbies bring home the W!

4th of July

Today as I was driving I spotted my first hot air balloon sighting of the holiday weekend. I am not really sure what it is about the 4th but there is something that I love about the hot air balloon launches that they do in Lisle. Ever since I remember, we would make it a tradition that during the weekend of the 4th we would journey out to see the sunrise balloon launch. It's a really weird thing to get so excited about but there is something so beautiful about seeing so many balloons set sail as the sun is coming up. I love it! Between fireworks and hot air balloons, this holiday has to rank up there as one of my favorite!

Washington DC co-rec vs Naperville Co-rec

Tonight we played softball downtown DC with my brother and sister-in-law's co-rec softball team. Softball is one of the big social networks out here and there are leagues that run fairly often. A couple years ago I started the tradition of flying out to visit during a game weekend so that I could join the team for a game. I decided tonight that Co-Rec in DC just doesn't compare to Co-rec in Naperville. I would like to call tonights game "beer league" softball. In the first inning, with me and third and my brother at short, I witnessed my brother dive for a ball, not to field it cleanly but instead to save his cup of beer that he decided to bring out on the field with him. I may be going out on a limb here but in Naperville, our league is a little different. (or maybe we are a little different) We are pretty extreme when it comes to game day. The championship is like the world series, we keep stats throughout the season, we recruit players to play on the team, and we talk about softball 24/7 when we are in season. We don't have time to carry beer out on the field. It is serious stuff and we HAVE to win each game we play!

Although TWAN (team without a name) pulled out a victory this evening, the game ended pretty brutal. My brother hit a inside the park home run (he is a lot faster than me) and as he was rounding third and coming home, he blew out his knee once again. He had two surgeries on it before and wore a pretty heavy duty brace to prevent it from happening again but tonight it wasn't enough. The brace didn't work tonight. It looks like this is his last game of the season but it was a good thing he had a few beers in him to keep the pain under control.

Taking a little trip

I am in Washington DC for a couple days to visit my brother and his family. My nephew will be 3 in September and it is amazing how much he has changed since I last saw him. There is something about not being close to him as he grows up that is sad for me. With my other brothers kids (who live 30 min from me), when Aunt Debbie arrives they get super excited and and won't leave my side. Kyle isn't quite sure about that. He is still a little hesitant as to whether or not he is a big fan. We hung out at the pool today, played a lot of Thomas and cars, and enjoyed some time watching Sprout. Hopefully I will be here long enough to get him to buy into hanging out with me rather than running to Mom or Dad for everything. Then once I leave and return in another 4-6 months, the game will probably start all over again. Maybe by the time he is 4 or 5 it will be a little easier to remember who I am.... I hope....

Tomorrow night we have the big softball game. My brother plays in a softball league and every summer when I schedule my trip we have to make sure that it falls on a softball night. The team is pretty nice in allowing me to be a part of gang for a night. This will be the first time I put the glove back on since I broke my thumb in October. Let's hope tomorrow's game ends a little different than the last.

Why I love Honda

I have realized that I have formed a crazy sorta love for the Honda automobile. Although I am sure there are other cars that are a little cheaper on the budget, there is something about the customer service that Honda has to offer. Today I am sitting in the service center lobby of the Honda dealership waiting for my car to get an oil change. While I wait, I have the cubs playing on the Plasma screen TV in front of me, my computer picking up the free wireless Internet access, drinking a Starbucks freshly brewed coffee, and sitting with my feet up in a recliner chair. It used to be that we always got the same service guy when I went to the dealership in Lisle. I used to drive 45 minutes to visit Laird (an older gentleman that would know you by name as you walked in the door). Now that Honda switched to making you talk to the service guy that was up next, I moved my business from the Honda in Lisle to the Honda dealership down the street. Although I am sad to not see Laird every oil change, I am pleasantly impressed with the service men I have dealt with. Never once have I am encouraged to get something fixed that I did not need, nor have I gotten any run around with what was wrong with the car. I don't know when I will have to be in the market for a new car but something tells me Honda will win my service.

A Great Week!

Student Community just spent the week in Anderson, IN and it was an incredible week. I am always so amazed at how great the students are. The conference was incredible. It was one of those weeks where I honestly believe God moved in so many ways. I had so many great conversations with students who have made some pretty big steps in their own personal journey. I heard from students who are ready to be baptized, others who are going to be a part of raising awareness of issues around the world, others who are changing some behaviors they have been involved with and other students who have made the decision that they are surrendering their life to following the plan God has for them. On the last night we spent time praying for specific students who shared and I have never heard our students pray quite like they did that night. It was a heart felt prayer of student after student lifting up one another. The things that came out of students mouths was beautiful. I am truly blessed to be given the opportunity to serve in this way. There were times this past year that balancing a full time job and a part time job left me wanting to tear my hair out but this made every sacrifice worth it.

On a personal level, I was reminded of the importance of listening to how God is calling me to move. There are areas of my life that I need to give up and be more willing to trust God and take risks for God. There are areas of my life that I need to stop focusing on my "inabilities" and trust that God will continue to stand in the gap for me and work through me even in the areas that I don't feel qualified. I was reminded of the incredible opportunity that we are blessed with when it comes to being apart of the Jesus Mission.

CIY 2008

I leave tomorrow to take about 85 high school students to CIY (Christ in Youth) - a conference in Indiana. In working through the small group curriculum, I am pretty excited about the theme of this years conference. I can't wait to share more about it.

The countdown begins

2 more days........Today our office officially started singing the lyrics "schools out for the summer!" The environment has quickly gone from stress and tension to this fun laid back summer is here joy! I LOVE being a teacher and I LOVE my job but there is something about the anticipation of summer break that never gets old. June, July and August are fantastic months! Summer break here I come....

He loved people

http://cbs2chicago.com/westsuburbanbureau/kayaker.Craig.Fliege.2.328704.html

It has been two years since Bruce ran into the waters to help save a strangers life and there is something about the example of how he lived his life that will forever be on my heart. He loved God, loved people, and lived a life that showed it.

God I thank you for the life of Bruce. I thank you for the ways that you used him to reach so many people. I thank you his example, his friendship, and the seeds he planted in my own life. I pray for his wife Jill as she continues to grieve the loss of her husband. I pray each day you give me the strength and wisdom to live this verse out in the way that I live my life.

Sometimes you just ask why?

In class and 100% healthy one day and the next day the student is fighting for their life. There are days that as a teacher I never want to have to repeat. Today is one of those days. It leaves me shaking my head and just asking why? Great kid, great student and so young. Why? It just doesn't make sense...

God, I pray that I live a life that makes the most of every minute I am blessed with. There is no guarantee on life and although this doesn't make sense and it seems so wrong, I pray that somehow you show how you can bring some sort of good out of a terrible thing. I pray for my students, the family and a miracle.

Happy First Birthday Julia

Julia celebrated her first birthday yesterday. I love being an Aunt!

Dinner with Cip

Yesterday I got a huge surprise. Cip called me and said that his papers went through and he is finally here (and safe) in Naperville! So tonight Beth and I took Cip out to celebrate! It was a blast. We spent time laughing about some of the memories of when we were in Rwanda. We laughed about the Baboon that chased me while on a Safari, the crazy roads that we had to drive on and the bridges that we thought we were going to die on. We then spent time laughing about some of the crazy questions people have asked Cip since he has been here.

I met Cip over a year ago when I was in Rwanda. He lived there with his wife and their four kids. Because of the constant instability of the government and Cip's safety, he came to the United States to be granted asylum. Cip has an incredible story that he went through during the years of the genocide. He is a man of incredible faith. So many times I find myself frustrated with the petty things in life and seeing Cip reminds me how much I have to be thankful for. Although it is a blessing to see Cip, there is part of my heart that breaks for him. I can't imagine coming to another country without my family. Although Cip is incredibly optimistic and just thankful to be safe, I can see how much he longs for his wife and kids. Please pray for Cip and his family. Please pray that Cip is able to find a job and that his wife and kids will be allowed to come and live with him. Also pray for their safety as they are still back in Rwanda.

I go a new book

Last night I was planning on going to watch a softball game but it got rained out. Although I miss seeing the girls play, it was a nice blessing to have a free night. I headed over to the bookstore and picked up a new book. I spent 2 hours curled up in my bed reading. This book has a blog and a webcast that goes along with it. I am pretty jazzed about it.

Oh David

I got to have my niece and nephew for part of this past weekend. We had a ton of fun. We spent some time watching Alvin and Chipmunks, playing at the park, and just hanging out and being goofy. My nephew (3) is in that stage where there are certain letters that just don't come out the way they are supposed to. One of those challenging combinations for him are the letters "s" and "t." When the two of them are put together, he makes them sound like the letter "d."

When we were playing at the park, David was digging in the sand and came across a bubble container. I was ten feet away playing with his sister on the monkey bars and David was getting a little frustrated because he could not find the stick that is in the container to blow bubbles. My nephew never says anything quietly and began yelling, "Aunt Debbie, I can't find the (st)ick, I can't find the (st)ick. AUNT DEBBIE, where's the (st)ick." The parents of course were looking at me to see how I was going to react and trying not to laugh, I explained that he was saying stick and we are working on his "st" In the end, we all kinda chuckled a little bit but if I had a camera to capture their faces when he first started yelling. Never a dull moment....

Swinging from trees

Today I took 24 students out to a high ropes course for a field trip. I had taken a group of students a couple years ago but decided that since there were an even group of students, I would just stay below and encourage the students while they are up there. (reality was I was too chicken to make a fool out of myself) This year, the other teacher was convinced that we were going up and completing every challenge. Each activity looked so much easier from the ground than it did when I was in the air. Between the wind swaying the trees that we were attached to and the crazy feeling I would get when I looked down, I was pretty pathetic. There were certain points throughout the course that my legs were shaking so fast I literaly could not stop them. I hate heights and even through I knew that I was supported by a rope, there was no comfort in that rope keeping me up. There is so many positive analogies and lessons that can come out of a high ropes experience. I think the thing I enjoyed seeing the most was how much the students supported one another. I have never heard such positive encouragement spoken from high school students to one another and even to us as teachers. I am pretty bruised up today from taking a few nasty spills but it was worth it.