48 Hours In Crescent City

Week 2 at Big Break ended and I celebrated by going to a walk-in clinic to get antibiotics to treat a recurring ear infection. :/ It was actually an easy process and I'm so thankful for the relief! It was Friday, and the first day we had rain our entire time in Florida. Not bad! It was a day of rest before heading out on our next adventure: New Orleans!

Since we travel a lot for our job, I like to tack little adventures onto trips that take us to parts of the country we wouldn't normally go to. Last year we went to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, and the year prior we stopped for dinner & walked down Broadway St. in Nashville. This year, we wanted to do something a little more exciting. And what could be more exciting than New Orleans? Seriously-I didn't know how much fun it would be.

The only plan we made was a minibus tour I found through a Groupon deal. It started the minute we pulled into town and lasted three hours. It gave us a great overview of the city's districts and what's still happening to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We learned that a few stars had homes in both the French Quarter and the Garden District, so we got to snap a few shots of those. We visited City Park, which is twice the size of Central Park in NYC. The rest was spontaneous and totally unplanned. We went to the French Market, and were fortunate to be there during the Roadfood Festival that comes once a year. Shrimp Creole, baked Alaskan with chocolate sauce (which I didn't realize was a dessert), Jambalya, Red Beans & Rice, Crawfish-We tried it all! I couldn't resist buying a cheap Mardi Gras mask from the market.

After dinner at Pat O'Brien's and a walk down Bourban Street we walked to our hotel just outside the French Quarter. It was a treat in and of itself. Having booked it over the phone without seeing it or being able to know if it would be close enough to the Quarter, I was a little nervous. But it was just the right distance away-in fact we are glad we didn't stay in the Quarter in the midst of the craziness. The hotel, the Holiday Inn Superdome, was modernly decorated, very clean & comfortable, and had an awesome rooftop pool. We couldn't have found anything better for the price.

It was a perfect vacation. We tried a lot of great food (Biegnets at Cafe Du Monde, boiled crab and seafood pizza at Deanie's, daiquiris at one of the many daiquiri shops), walked really fun streets in the Garden District & French Quarter, took hundreds of pictures on our new camera, slept in at a hotel we were in no hurry to get out of, and just enjoyed being together in a new city.
And-I didn't even mention our Favre-themed stops that flanked our NOLA trip. On the way there, we stopped in Kiln, MS where he was born and raised. On the way out, we hit up The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS where he played college football. This was an unplanned treat that we happened upon. Literally, we saw a sign, learned it was just 4 miles from the interstate, and drove right into the stadium parking lot. The field was unsecured and open for anyone to walk on. Ben was like a kid in a candy shop. Yes, we did find a foam finger at the bookstore across from campus :)

A French Quarter street's hitching posts (a rest stop for horses).

Recognize the house? It'sthe old folks home from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." We also saw Sandra Bullock, Sean Penn, Bradgelina's and Lenny Kravitz's places among others.

We happened upon these street performers on our way to Cafe Du Monde for beignets. I love this kind of thing, where people use their strength and skill to entertain pedestrians. It was a blast!








The beignets were delicious! Check out that powdered sugar falling off!

March Madness: Week 1

Over the next few days I'll be writing about the road trips and conferences Ben and I have experienced throughout the month of March. We've traveled over 2,500 miles and seen a lot of new sights along the way! On the 9th we took off for Panama City Beach, FL in our faithful Saturn, along with our friend and co-worker Jonny. The ride was surprisingly quick-probably because it was so fun (and I didn't have to drive much. Thanks guys!) The weather in PCB was the nicest yet during any Big Break conference I have been to in previous years. This was my fourth-at least-I can't remember if I went twice as a student.

Marquette and UW-Parkside students arrived eagerly and a bit anxious for the week of being taught from featured speakers and sharing their faith on the beach. We had a LOT of students come who had never ever shared their faith before, let alone been to Big Break. It was a great week of seeing these students step out and trust God to use them to love on people and listen to them. In particular, Ben and I are excited to see the momentum back on campus at UWP, as one of the girls said she wants to have a weekly time where people gather to go and initiate spiritual conversations with other students on campus. They saw God work through them during this week and want to make it a lifestyle, as we are called to do as followers of Christ.

The week was filled with bonding, and we especially loved getting to live life with students off campus, which is hard for us since we live out of town. Below, Kat and Halima learn to use Soularium, a tool that uses pictures to ask people about their life experiences and view of God.
This group of students left Saturday morning, and just hours later we greeted the UWM group to do the whole thing over. I prayed that God would help me to hear the speakers and experience this week with fresh perspective, not thinking that since I was there the week before that I could just check out mentally. It proved to be a bit of a struggle through the week, and I needed to pull away at times to think and process experiences & what I was learning-but God answered that prayer and taught me what it really means to walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Girls share about a fruitful conversation they had on the beach one afternoon.


Over 100 students attended an optional morning seminar that taught them about apologetics and the importance of understanding a variety of worldviews.

Resourcing on a Whim

I hate wasting things, and I love being resourceful. So tonight, as I was packing up from the villa in Florida Ben and I have been living in for the past two weeks, I decided to put together some sort of a snack for our weekend vacation to New Orleans. With a fridge of half-used condiments and various ingredients, it was pretty easy to decide on chocolate chip cookies. I actually had baking soda and vanilla on hand, but no eggs or butter. After almost 15 minutes browsing the web to find a recipe I could make without either, I finally decided to implement some things I found. I could sub a banana for the butter, and mayo for the eggs. (I know, gross, right?) The dough was pretty dry, so I added some Canola oil, and after it was still dry, I mixed in some peanut butter. In the end, they turned out to be pretty delicious! And I didn't have to worry about consuming raw eggs while eating the batter :)

Not bad looking, right?

Words To Live By

Writer and blogger Ann Voskamp states on her blog, "The only words that really matter are the ones I live."

On any given day I am using words to communicate something-writing, reading, teaching, praying. Writing in my journal to process thoughts I have about something I learned, or recording events from the day. Reading the Bible, which I believe are the very words of God. By doing this I better know his heart and character. Teaching younger women to understand God's word and apply His truths to their lives. Praying that I can be faithful to follow Christ every day, and asking God for the ability to show him off through the way I live.

Once I have prayed, studied, taught, and written everything down-Am I able to act in a way that reflects what I am trying to communicate? What I believe in my soul to be most important? It is one thing to say a statement, but it is another to live out its meaning. I have to ask myself this question, "Am I truly following Christ, or just talking about following him?"

Happiness Project

Every month I get an issue of Good Housekeeping magazine delivered to my door. This is the magazine I enjoy more than others in my stash because it has a good variety of tasty recipes, household advice and tips, and I actually like to read the articles. An added bonus is that I get it for free, thanks to Coke rewards points :) (So if you're a Coke drinker-save your caps and rip off the code from your 12-pack. You can actually get some decent items with them)

Last night I was reading a section from their newest columnist, who has been working on something called the Happiness Project. Each month she shares ideas she has tried or is working on to keep her mindset positive and enjoy the little things in life. In this month's issue she talks about her one-sentence journal. This a place to write down highlights from the day, and a way to remember funny conversations and moments you think you could never forget, but inevitably probably will. At least I probably would, because my memory seems to be doing down the drain.

So I picked up one of the many little journals I've acquired over the years from conferences or as gifts, and I started my own one-sentence journal. I'm excited to look back on it in the years ahead and reminisce about the every day pleasures I enjoy, and the unique things that stand out in my mind. I journal several times a week already, but this will serve as more of a scrapbook that will be easy to look at and share with others.

Last night's entry: 2nd week of Tuesday night girls' dinner at Parkside. 2 guys came, but it was fun to meet 3 new people and just hang out! They asked questions about Cru and got to "know someone who truly follows Christ." Joe gave his first talk at our weekly meeting, on the Lordship of Christ, and it was wonderful! It was a good night on campus.

She is giving away 25 journals, which you can enter to win here. (I didn't enter because I like mine so much.)

Isn't it cute?!

New Year's Reflection

Tonight I was reflecting on how times of crisis or tragedy seem to bring people to share their true feelings. Words are said that might possibly never have been said before. People say “I love you” more easily than ever. At the realization that life is short, and every moment is sacred, people come out of their shells and suddenly become vulnerable. It’s as if there is no longer anything to risk.

But why not live every day like this? Unafraid of feeling insecure at the possibility that our affections might not be returned. Or that we would sound silly as we verbalize how much a loved one means to us.

Tonight is New Year’s Eve, and as my in-laws and I were sitting by the fire reflecting on the final days of my mother in law’s life, I realized something beautiful about this family. They have no worries about anything being left unsaid to their mother or wife. There was a point when one of the nurses told us it would be a good time to get anything out in the open that we might have neglected over the years, like apologizing for taking her lipstick that one time when she told you not to. Something that was true for each family member is that nothing had gone unsaid. They live really open lives with each other, and take the opportunity to say “I love you” or whatever else is on their mind. In the moments alone that each child had taken with their mom in the hospital room the day she passed, no one had any regrets. They just got to enjoy being with her and taking in those final hours being by her side. This is a truly admirable way to live.

A passage of scripture that I find especially wise and helpful when I contemplate certain decisions in life is Ephesians 5: 15. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Relationally, I want to make the best use of my time, because I don't know how long I have, and even if I had 100 more years on this earth, why wouldn't I want each day to be rich and full of depth-having the ones I love not left wondering how I feel about them?

As 2011 comes to an end and 2012 awaits-untainted and full of mystery and adventure, I am thankful for being a part of a family that has shown me how to love with abandon, cherish every moment, and speak my heart to those I love. I love you Newtons! May 2012 be a wonderful year for us and those we love.

Blessed Mourning

One of Jesus' teachings to a large crowd is recorded in Matthew 5. Verse 4 reads, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." I don't think I have really mourned a thing in my life before this week; at least not in a significant way.

Today is Christmas, and four days ago my mother-in-law passed away in an ICU hospital room after fighting a disease called Graft vs. Host. After being diagnosed with Leukemia in March of last year, she started chemo. right away and was even able to get a bone marrow/stem cell transplant in July. She did great through all of this and it seemed like things were going in a good direction. It was a long road, but we were hopeful of her recovery. If you want to learn more and be blessed by reading of her faith and character through this process you can visit her Caring Bridge site here.

We discovered just weeks ago that the transplant she received was not successful, as only 2-5% of her cells belonged to the donor. This was difficult news to take in. We didn't know what it would mean, but we were told we could get through the holidays and pursue next steps in January. This changed when Chris was admitted to the ICU upon check in for a visit with a pulmonary specialist on Wednesday the 14th.

That Friday Ben and I met his siblings in IL to drive into the city for the international-themed weekend his parents planned for us. Originally, they planned a trip to Europe, but this was cancelled after Chris was diagnosed. Instead, we would to go the German Christmas Markets in Chicago (very authentic to the ones we would have visited in Nuremberg, Germany), sleep and dine at the Intercontinental Hotel, and have lunch at a Swedish restaurant on Saturday. The hospital she was in was just blocks from the hotel. This allowed us to still do some of the planned activities and visit her afterwards. It was hard to be there without her, but we knew she would want us to enjoy ourselves. It was a very surreal experience, going from enjoying activities to seeing her in the hospital in such a weakened state and wanting her to join us.

The day we planned to leave, it seemed like her health was getting worse. We all came back the next day, not realizing it would be one of the last times we would be able to talk with her. Her breathing was short so she was required to be on an oxygen mask that prevented her from communicating verbally with us. My parents came to be with me and to see her. Her parents and some of her brothers came. We were there every day and I barely thought about anything else all week. I drove to my parents' house not far from the city to spend the night. Ben joined me one of those times, never wanting to leave the hospital room.

When Chris passed away on Wednesday, a week after being admitted to the ICU, we had already been grieving for days. My heart was sad just to see her state, and it broke for Ben and his family as they helplessly watched their mom and wife look less and less like the vibrant, classy woman that she was. I couldn't understand how things had progressed so quickly. It didn't seem to make sense at all. The past few days have been a combination of feeling sadness and missing her, yet remembering that she is in heaven now, and there is no better place than the presence of Christ.

Right now this side of my family is learning how to mourn, and it is not easy. Sometimes we just want to cry...a lot. Other times we feel like we should be crying more. There was joy in celebrating Christmas together today, but her presence was missed, and this causes sadness. In our sadness we have cried together, lifted one another up, and acted as a team. Through this bonding and true love displayed, I have been blessed.

Christine Newton was an amazing woman, admired for her godly and authentic character, and I could not have asked for a better mother-in-law. I am so sad not to have years ahead to share with her, but I can't wait to see her in heaven and celebrate with her there!

Here are some pictures from this weekend, that were possible because of she and Bud's generosity and love for life.