Talking to a Stripper

All right, three posts in three days is a bit much for me, but this is a story that I felt needed to be told.
I was at work last night; I work for the school, calling alumni to update their information and ask for donations. I looked over at Brad and saw that he was laughing at an answering machine. I asked him what was so funny after he hung up, and he said, "This must be a wrong number, because that was a strip club." He went on to tell us what the machine had said, and I wanted to listen. How often do you hear a machine for a strip club?
So, he handed me the sheet with the information, and I dialed the number. It rang a few times, and then a woman picked up! I was caught a little off-guard, but I looked at the name on the sheet and said, "May I speak to Paula, please?"
I expected her to say there was no one there by that name, but she said, "Yeah, this is Paula."
"Hi, Paula, this is Betsy, I'm a sophomore at the University of Saint Mary. How are you doing this evening?"
"I'm good."
"Well, I'm calling tonight to update your alumni information and to talk to you about how your donation could impact a student here at the University. Do you have a few minutes to speak with me?"
"Wait, you're calling from where?"
"The University of Saint Mary."
"Oh, no, we don't have anything like that here. This is a strip club." Click.
I'm not really sure what she meant, but I didn't get a chance to clarify. What really got me was how happy she sounded. She was perkier than anyone should be. She almost sounded like the type of girl I'd befriend.
Anyway, that was the highlight of my night.

Another Andrew Peterson Masterpiece

I realized I never posted anything about the new Andrew Peterson album that was released about a month ago, "Resurrection Letters, Volume II." It really is amazing. Andrew never ceases to amaze me.

The first song, "All Things New," is a wonderful song to wake up to. Beautiful hammer dulcimer music, and the first words are "Rise up, oh you sleeper!" It's all about how, no matter what has happened to you or what you have done, Jesus makes all things new. It's so encouraging, which I like better than legalism any day.

"Hosanna" is the second song, but it is totally different than any song I have ever heard with the word "hosanna" in it. It has brought me to tears on more than one occasion (not exactly a good thing when you're driving). I recommend it for all the songs, but check out the lyrics at http://www.andrew-peterson.com/

"All You'll Ever Need" is about the blood of Christ. Pretty self-explanatory. I actually felt a little sad when I thought about how I don't seem to focus enough on the fact that He is all I need. There are also a lot of awesome metaphors in this one.

I think about the fourth song, "Invisible God," a lot when I am wandering around outside. When I hear it, it describes an inner struggle to see God. He is the great, invisible God, but we can see Him everywhere in His creation. I found this a very good song for changing seasons.

The fifth song, "Hosea," is special for anyone who has ever read "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers, or for anyone familiar with the book of Hosea in Old Testament. I am again amazed at how God welcomes us home no matter how many times we run away.

"Love Is a Good Thing." Of course, but what about when it hurts? I absolutely love this song! It talks about how good love is, not in spite of the pain it can cause, but because of that pain and what it does to us. What an amazing perspective!

"Don't Give Up On Me" makes me sad. I know marriage will never be perfect, and it won't always be great. This song is for when marriage is hard. But I love how it's about perseverence. It restores that hope that there are still people, like my parents, who value wedding vows.

"Rocket," the next song on this album, is just plain cute at the beginning. It's a lot more upbeat, too. It takes a serious turn in the last part, though. But it's a happy seriousness.

The ninth (were you keeping track?) song, "Windows in the World," is about how we can see the "goodness getting through." I can't really say any more besides that you should check out the lyrics.

Song ten, "I've Got News," is a song I have heard Andrew sing at two concerts. I was so pleased to finally see it on an album. I feel this way a lot when I talk to people about Christianity. They seem to think we live this easy life because we're perfect or something. Wrong!

The eleventh and final song, "The Good Confession (I Believe)," is a bit biographical, but I like how personal it makes it. The chorus is so wonderful simply to repeat, over and over again.

I definitely recommend this album to anyone. It will will make you remember what it feels like to cry happy, thankful tears, right after crying sorrowful tears. If you have a thing for awesome music, awesome lyrics, or both, check this one out. You will not regret it.

Wow, I sound like an infomercial person...

Jennie, Described by LOLcats

So, I recently learned how to add photos on my blog, so this is just an experiment. But it's also fun...
The photo above reminded me of Jennie because she always lays in front of the heaters during the winter. And she always looks like it's where she is supposed to be. She owns the heat.

This one is only part of how Jennie behaves at Christmas. She also lies under the tree like a present and goes crazy when we unwrap gifts and leave tissue paper out for her.

This is the essence of Jennie. She could eat until forever and be happy. But we do not feed her until forever. Hence her displeasure.

We have to cover our laundry baskets after we take the clothes out of the dryer, or Jennie will lay on the clothes. She will then usually pee on the clothes. I'm not sure why, she's just weird.

So, that's a little glimpse into the world of my kitty.

Playing with photos on blogs is fun.