I borrowed my parent's digital camera for the trip to Chicago. And I can tell you now for certain that there is nothing like an SLR...I'm not a digital photographer and I'll stick to my print film.

But because of the digital format I can describe to you in pictures the trip to Chicago. Our flight into Chicago was great...aside from the fact that I was sitting next to Napoleon Dynamite. Not so much in looks, but in cadence, dress, and in subject of discussion. I was fortunate(or something) enough to be separated from the rest of the group on the flight. From the moment I was seated, he insisted on conversation. Even as the flight entered into the half hour mark and I took out a book and my iPod...he would tap me to ask me another question about fantasy books and ninjas. Don't ask me the actual content...I've blocked it from memory. And I also submit that I believe that I have an invisible sign on my forehead that only the weirdos of the male species can read that says "APPLY HERE."



Finally, Lake Michigan called to me, signaling that the flight would be over soon.

We made our way to the hotel and then to check into the Children's Ministry conference at Willow Creek Community Church. And there really were willows every where and even a creek...clever naming on that one.



It's an awesome facility. So awesome you can get lost. Their stage design and lighting made me weak in the knees.

Wednesday we were in large sessions all day. We heard a few speakers, one of which was hilarious, but was offset by his numerous and incorrect uses of the "quote hand motion." Curse, my criticizing nature. Why can't I just enjoy things without over-analyzing? But thankfully the most I can remember about that day was the hot guy with the mohawk I saw on my way to the bookstore. God is good.

After that, we headed into the city for our only night downtown.



Hmm...I could have stood there all night. I almost did. But by that point my hands were starting to numb as well as my knee caps. Odd that my feet did not freeze. My knees seemed to decide that they weren't going to wait for the frostbite to work it's way up to them. Overachievers.



Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. at the Navy Pier was our restaurant of choice. Good food, great service and friendly waiters made for a great evening. Michael was then gracious enough to drive around town and slow at command for Pudge and I to take pictures out of the windows of our rental car. Who cares if people cursed our blatant tourism. Hooray for Michael!

The next day it snowed. We were in our individual sessions, which meant that I was at a different site than everyone else. So in my breaks I went outside to the courtyard and played in the snow by myself. I got many strange looks...not sure why. I mean, haven't they ever seen a 23 year-old woman make a snow angel by herself before? Ok, maybe not.



So when the group finally reunited we took to the snow as a group to do nothing else other than a snowball fight.



And then pose for pictures in the snow, because let's face it, we'll probably never see it snow that much in Anderson...ever.





Our last day, we thought we may be snowed in, but our plane simply soared through the clouds and I found myself not only seated by a passenger who had proper plane etiquette, but seeing what it looks like above snow clouds.




Sadly, I turned green about an hour into the flight. I felt like I had been cursed to ride the log flume ride at six flags in repetition for an hour...culminating in a crash onto the runway. It was the roughest flight/landing that I've experienced. Good thing Napoleon wasn't there to see the color rush from my face. Ah, but now I'm home. I'm home. I'm home and I've realized that sometimes our dreams and pride get in the way of God's plan for us and that sometimes God asks us to lay our Isaacs on the altar so He can allow us to see where our hearts are. And here I am. And somewhere in the past 4 days, God allowed me to see where my heart was. And he stripped it back to the basic. I love Him and He loves me. And He has called me to ministry. And to borrow a phrase from Phil Vischer...is that when I look at my future the only place I want to be is in the center of God's will. So what will I be doing 5 years from now? I don't know, but I pray, yearn, and strive that I be where God wants me to be. I don't want to assume what that looks like.

Saturday, March 12, 2005 | 9:05 PM | LINK |