Top 10 Reasons I Love my Job

10. Variety--each day is different.
09. Answering the phones--never know who or what you'll get!
08. Free food--thanks C-Young, Chris, Robert, Tony, K-Lai, Rita, Debby, Britt, Crumpy, Tygre, Jenny, and everyone else I forgot to list.
07. Co-workers--they are pretty cool! But you've got to watch that Chris Goree! : )
06. Random occurances--like today watching Stine try to blow up a balloon an nearly pass out.
05. It keeps me young....I think.
04. Casual dress. Trust me, once you get a "real" job, you'll know why this is such a perk.
03. Getting paid to go on Spring Break.
02. Getting paid to hang out with college students.
01. Hearing, "Holly, I have a question...." a million times a day, and knowing the answer.

Ten Years Later

This post is going to date me. Ten years ago today I was a senior in high school. I didn't have class until second hour, which started around 9:30 or so, if I remember correctly. Back then my dad and I would share the car, so he would come home each morning from work to take me to school.

On April 19, 1995 he came in earlier than normal, so I was still getting ready for school. He turned on the TV and watched as I gathered my stuff. I remember walking into the living room and seeing what was on TV and trying to reconcile in my mind what it meant and what was going on. The bombing had just happened and news crews were just getting on the scene.

We watched until I had to go to school. I remember being captivated by the events and it seemed like time stood still that day. I was the first one at my school that knew what had happened. I went to the office and told them, and the news quickly spread throughout my little school.

My first class was a history class where I was a TA (teacher’s aid). We turned on the TV and watched. The rest of the day we sat in class and watched.

We had some band members in OKC that day--in the Myriad. They heard and felt the blast, but everyone was okay. No one I knew personally was killed on that day, but I remember thinking I was witnessing history. I can’t believe it has been ten years.

In a Pickle

I get on theses "kicks" where I want the same thing all the time. My mom is this way, as is one of my brothers. I guess it is genetic or something. Anyway, my latest kick is dill pickles--especially hamburger style dill pickles (and they MUST also be COLD!). Yummy! My mouth is watering just thinking about them.

I like to salt them too. I know, I know, I always salt everything. But on the dill pickle slices it is a perfect mix. For all you naysayers out there, you should try it before counting it off as weird.

Other so-called "odd" things I salt include apples, oranges, watermelon to name a few. Brian Cllifton, remember at the MT retreat a couple of years ago where I got you to salt your apple? He was one naysayer that was proved wrong.

Thinking about it, I have a lot of "weird" food combinations. For example, I like mayo on my chili-cheese dog. I dip pizza in ranch (not as odd anymore). As a kid, one of my favorite lunches was cold, iceberg luttuce with cream of chicken soup. I haven't made that in years, but it still sounds good. For breakfast, we used to have white rice with butter and sugar on it. I'm sure there are more, but that is all I can think of this morning as examples.

This blog entry may not save the world, but I hope it gives hope to others who have quirky tastes and food combinations.

Quotable Moments

"It's a bad day to be a duck!" --Susanne Scott referring to the ducks on the frozen pond at Glorieta

"Get off the bed! Get off the bed! I need to do something." --Crumpy (I have NO idea what he was talking about!)

"I'm going to steal one of these." --Rita, holding a WWJD bracelet in the Lifeway Bookstore. (That is what I heard, she says she didn't say that!) :)

"I don't have many twenty-dollars." --Debby Adams, referring to the cost of her parking ticket. (See her blog for details.)

"You lost it when I met you." --Tim to me, referring to my personal space.

My Mentor, My Mirror

I love Jen Kelsey. There are people in your life that suck life out of you, and then there are people who breathe life back into you. Jen is one of those life-giving people. She encourages me so much I can get up and try again no matter how many times I fall on my face.

She lets me cry and talk and be honest. She asks me questions, lets me think, pushes me gently in new directions, corrects me, and loves me regardless of what I "do" or "don't do." She will listen; she will offer advice; she makes time for me. I love her, and she has my heart so I will follow her no matter how hard the road is that she asks me to walk down. When she rebukes me, I listen and cry and try again.

Each time I am around her, I am humbled by her love for me. I want to love like that. She has more health problems than anyone else I know, and yet you would never know that talking to her. I want to be selfless like that. Jen is selfless, optimistic, fun, wise, and more like Jesus each day.

She makes me think of 1 John 4:10 which says, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

Jen loved me before I loved her. She wanted me in her life before I wanted her. She loved first, and because of that love, I have grown to love her and "follow" her example. It is because Jen loves me regardless of my behavior that gives me freedom to fail and be forgiven and to keep following and trusting her. What a great living example she is of 1 John 4:10.

Is it just me, or is it hard for anyone else to accept (in your head and heart) that God is the same way (but to perfection)? I know Jen is not perfect and I am not in any way "worshipping" her. But she mirrors this biblical truth so clearly, it helps me believe (in action of heart) 1 John 4:10 better. I see a human with weaknesses loving like that, I think, of course GOD can do that! He does everything perfect!

She is the mirror that reflects 1 John 4:10 to me. I know it is Christ in Jen that I see. It is not Jen in herself who can do that, it is Christ living in her that loves, that is sacrificial, that is forgiving. I look at my life and think, "What am I mirroring? What truth(s) do I display in lifestyle?" I need far more of Jesus and a whole lot less of me.

My challenge to you is tell people in your life what they are mirroring for you. What verse do you see them living out? What biblical truth do they help you believe and act on better? Let's all be life-givers.

"Are you my Husband? Are you my husband" (Girls, you will get this title)

Sometimes I feel like Toula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. You know the opening scene when her father says in his thick, Greek accent, "You look so old! You need to get married!" Yeah, that scene is a chapter out of my life. I have bets with my dad each holiday which of my family members will ask me the dreaded question first. "So, are you dating anyone?"

In college it was kind of cute. Now, it is an annoying reminder that people just don't get me. It is like I am choosing to be "weird" and not marry out of spite or something. Like my dating life is in my control! (I guess if I was "in the world" it might very well be.)

This past week at Glorieta we had an amazing woman named Melody come speak to the girls. She was hi-larous and very much the kind of woman I want to be someday. She too was "single" and has to desire to be married. (By the way, she also said to be truly "single," you need to be at least 25. Check!)

She said something that was somewhat discouraging for us singletons who want to be married, but very true. She said in former years a speaker would probably say to a group like us, "You know MOST of you will be married someday" or "Marriage is what God has in store for MOST of you." Now, however, she doesn't think that is true. Instead, she amended the statement to something like, "MANY of you will be married, and MANY of you will not."

Ouch. It is probably 100% true, and the truth hurts. She also spoke of contentment....and that many times we try to kill any desire to marry so we can say we are "content." Instead of KILLING hope or the desire to be married, she said we have to learn to grieve it. Grieve the loss if getting married by x age, or grieve the loss of having kids, or grieve the loss whatever it is.

Americans say "I do" more than any other industrialized democracy with 9 new marriages for every 1,000 people. Idaho, where 60% of people over 15 are hitched, has the largest percentage of married couples (not moving there). New York, has the fewest marriages, with 50% of the population still single (hmmm).

Luckily, it is normal to marry a bit later in life. Today, the average bride is 25.1 years old with their groom averaging 26.8. At the age of 102, Minnie Monroe became the oldest bride when she married to Dudley Reid, 82. Hope still is alive.

My Tanks are: FULL

I'm tired this morning, but it is a good tired. Yesterday was a good and encouraging day thanks to my many friends.

I had the great HONOR of going out with some of my favorite people in the world. Crumpy, Beck, and Tim (all looking strikingly handsome I might add) picked Allison, Kate and I up for dinner in OKC. We got poems, flowers, and for mucho romantical points, the car seats and floors were covered with rose-pedals! Nice details boys! We went to eat at Zio's and walked around Bricktown afterwards taking pictures and laughing A LOT. It was a wonderful night!

I would give you some of the quotes from the night that we collected for my quote book, but looking at them this morning I decided not to. I think it would give the wrong impression of our night. Ask me about them and I will give you some--all out of context of course. Guys, we felt VERY honored and appreciated, so thank you so much!

I also got the greatest gift from Debby Jean Adams. She made a "Boyfriend in a Box" for me. The boyfriend was Jesus! It came complete with a "profile" of my man, wallet-sized photos, post-it messages that He's left me, five love letters, and a framed picture of me and Jesus. (Yes, there is an actual picture of me with "Jesus." It is stinkin' awesome) It made my day when I opened it. Not only was it super fun it was pure, Biblical encouragement!

I want to share some of my favorite parts: These are from Jesus' profile sheet: "Interests: The souls of men, Holly Kimbrough, teaching, praying, the world. Hobbies: Fishing for men, hangin' with the disciples, healing, walking on water, miracles, raising the dead."

I also received five love letters. As I read them this morning, I was reminded of how new and fresh the Bible is each time I look at it. Each letter contained verses, but as they were written to me, they truly seemed like love letters. How cool it is for me to hear these word in that context. I talked a lot the last couple of blogs about men and women and such. One of the letters I read summed up what I was saying. Jesus truly is the greatest lover and supporter. Here is one of the "love letters" I received:

My dear love, Holly, I will not in any way fail you nor give up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake not let you down or relax My hold on you! Assuredly not! So take comfort and be encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm. I will not fear or dread or be terrified. What can man do to me? Love, The Lover of Your Soul (Hebrews 13:5-6)

That is the perfect love letter. My tanks are full. Thanks Debby, Kevi, Tim, and Beck.