Addictions

Hello, my name is Lauren and I am an addict.

Here are the things I am addicted to:
Moe's (The guys in the office could tell you that)
Dr. Pepper
Blog stalking (Nicaragua anyone??)
Looking at Craigslist pet ads

I know we all have addictions/obsessions, but I somehow feel like mine are weirder than the average person's. However, I did just feed Jason and Jerry's Dancing with the Stars addiction by asking for a recap of last night's show....They are addicted to that show, bad. Haha.

The reason I bring this up is because I have realized I have certain things that get in the way of my life/work, such as having to check Craigslist routinely or having a Dr. Pepper ("only on Mondays"....wait, I'm drinking one and it's Wednesday), or eating at Moe's on Fridays. Furthermore, I also always have to check this one blog to see if I can yet figure out what is going on! People: Please post "About Me's" so I can stop stalking you to find out how you're related to the person you're sharing a bed with!! Anyways....

So, I am a freelancer now! I did an article for BP this morning (if it an be called that. It was only about 4 graphs long...) The catch is that it was an interview done in Spanish....I am SO rusty! I could tell it was going to be bad b/c he didn't understand me ask what the name of the church was! Haha. We'll see what comes out of it, but I told the BP editor to use me again in the future. I am going to start doing some stuff with the Hispanic/ESL ministry at Summit, where I've been going to church. That should help with my skill level and at least get it back to where it ought to be after so many classes!

Update on my Halloween costume: There won't be one :( We're not dressing up anymore, just dinner. Dangit, and I had 2 good ideas!

Happy Halloween/Reformation Day!

Halloween Ideas?

We're going out for dinner for Halloween tomorrow...I want some easy, creative ideas. When I say creative, I'm not talking "black eyed Ps" and stuff like that...I like really interesting things, like dressing as a tornado, God's gift to men, taking balloons and going as a ghost family....stuff like that.

Comment quickly if you have any ideas! Thanks

Glorious weekends....

I love weekends.

I thought I loved them in college, but being in the working world, and not having to do homework on the weekends makes me appreciate them SO much more! I did have to work a bit Saturday morning, going to the tail-end of the CS Lewis Conference. Just as I suspected, I often felt like an idiot there. During dinner on Friday night, I sat with 2 people who presented papers, and they kept up a steady stream of intelligent chatter I understood little of. There were also 2 guys who were grad. students, one of which I knew, so I talked to him and didn't feel totally dumb.

The whole dinner, CS Lewis' theories on ???? were discussed. Way over my head. The two paper-presenters discussed misogyny, Lewis' views on purgatory, his liturgical influences on his faith, and other topics of which I am as equally unversed. Thankfully, the speaker, Walter Hooper (the literary executor of the CS Lewis estate) was fantastic, down-to-earth and a pleasure to listen to. He spoke about what it was like to know, live with, and spend quality time with CS Lewis, "Jack" and how conversing with him was just like his books. I also thoroughly enjoyed my steak dinner. :)

Saturday, after the conference I did some laundry, watched a movie, ate a bagel and checked my Facebook. I took Ben to the dog park for a few minutes before meeting Stacie, the potential adopter. I really liked her, her home, her dogs and her kittens. Ben seemed to thoroughly enjoy it all, as well. I would happily give him to her, but she has to wait until Delta (the foster dog) is adopted before she'll take Ben. He behaved well all weekend, so I am more willing to keep him until the right home becomes available.

Saturday night Lindsay came over and we watched the Breakup, which was good, and I took in a homeless kitty for the night. He promptly used my nice bath rug as a litter box, thus stinking up my bathroom...I couldn't keep him, so he has been taken to a vet's office to be taken care of.

Ben and I went back to the dog park Sunday for a good long while, then I folded my clothes while watching TV. I went grocery shopping and then went to wePod at Bayleaf last night, which I really liked. I love the Sunday services at Summit, and the idea of helping with the ESL/Hispanic ministry excites me, but I do love the wePod at Bayleaf....I'm praying the Lord will make it clear where I should plug in and join!

In exciting news, mom and Brian are coming into town on Friday to spend the weekend with me! Yay! That means golfing and who knows what else? I'm very excited to see them and have B see my place!

That's all the procrastinating I can do for now...I should go write about CS Lewis!

Send up a little prayer....

Ben has a meeting tomorrow with a potential adopter! She sounds great, and exactly the kind of home I'd like to see him in. She has another dog: female, same age, same breed mix. She takes her dog swimming and walking and running alot, and sounds very conscientious about vet stuff - a definite must. There are 2 issues: Another dog she is fostering that she has to find a home for before she can adopt Ben, and 2 kittens. Pray that if this is the right home for Ben, which I think it sounds like it could be, hat it would work out and I would have a peace about it!

Today I am covering the CS Lewis conference on campus. Some very big names, in the Lewis world, are here, and I get to write about them! I only wish I was more familiar with Lewis and his works. I know the basics, but I'd sure like to feel like a smart kid! Haha.

Tonight, after the conference, I am hoping to go meet up with Laura and her friends and go to a blues club. Laura is someone who I met a couple of weeks ago. Her mom and my mom were good friends in college. They met during a Campus Crusade event, and have stayed in touch ever since. Now Laura lives nearby, and we met, and she's a lot of fun! So, hopefully, I'll be able to do meet up with her and her friends tonight to go to the blues place.

It's a dreary weather day here...chilly and slightly raining. "Pelo do gato" or cat hair rain, as they say in CR. Speaking of CR, I am dying to go somewhere and see and experience a new culture and see how the Lord is working in other places!

Everyone here at Southeastern is so culturally experienced. So many of the people I have met are former Journeymen (a 2-year mission program of the IMB) or have been involved in missions and travel in some form or fashion. It makes me travel experiences seem puny! I feel more and more certain the Lord is calling me to the nations, and I am excited to find out in what capacity. Right now, I am just itching to go somewhere, even for 2 weeks! I have my sights set on Zimbabwe in summer of 08....we'll see what pans out!

Anyways, praise God for the rain, and the onset (finally) of fall weather! Also, praise the Lord for the weekend, which is just about here. Remember to pray for an excellent home for my Benny baby!

A Home for Ben

I have decided, very tearfully, that it would be best for me to find a new home for Ben, where he can play and run around in a yard. I posted some pictures of him, along with a glowing description of him, on Craigslist, and I've gotten 3 responses thus far. I like the sounds of one of the options, as the lady has another dog who is indoor/outdoor. I am also going to post some things on campus, at a local pet store, and at some vet's offices in hopes of finding him a home.

Continue to pray that he finds one, and that it is a GREAT match for him....It makes me so sad to do this, but I think it would be better for us both in the long run.