Good Morning, World!

I've been awake for 2 hours.

Yep.  Since 4:15am.

I've been mad-crazy productive.

I've completed my application for an Indian Visa, to be mailed (to the tune of $200 that I hope to raise through supporters) tomorrow (today, rather, but it doesn't feel like day yet, since, oh, it's dark outside).  I'm going to India--yes, again!--in just 9 weeks.  Just NINE WEEKS!  :D  I'll be traveling for 19 days, the first half at a women's conference in Hyderabad (the same place I went in January, with the same ministry!) and the second half traveling around with Jared, meeting folks that he knows and loves in Bangalore and checking out these cool-looking Kerala houseboats!  Planes, trains, and automobiles--and maybe a auto rickshaw or 2 :)

I've also browsed through an acquaintance's facebook photos, drooling over the cuteness of her baby, and getting excited about the fact that another one, probably equally as cute, is on the way.  Not that I know her well enough to tell her that.

Facebook, by the way, has officially become weird to me.  I just peeked into this baby's bathtime.  Granted, mom took pics and shared on facebook, but I mean, I am just not close enough to this family to actually be a part of that.

But that baby's super precious.

Anyway, I also caught up on the blogs that I follow.  Which is less weird to me for some reason, and I can't quite reconcile that one yet.  I mean, I'm emotionally attached to Dooce's dogs and I feel like I'm part of Ree Drummond's family.  And I've definitely never met them.  Can't even claim "positive acquaintances."  Complete strangers who willingly share their lives with me.

But, I mean, are you and me total toenail-paintin-buddies?

Maybe, considering the fact that I think I've retained all of 3 readers.  Hi, mom, dad, and Jared!

Dad?

Two readers.  And only one of them a toenail-painter.

I digress.  Productivity!  In the wee hours of the morning!  Why??  Why am I even awake?  "Cole," you may be saying, "you never wake up in the middle of the night!"  And you're right, concerned reader who may or may not be my mother!  I don't!

Unless...

Unless I was so tired when I got home--and for no good reason, I might add--that I simply laid myself fully clothed from the day, contacts in, face unwashed, teeth unbrushed, and bedtime story unread, ONTO my bed (not into, you see), and proceeded to grab my soft purple throw blanket (the death knell of bedtime preparation...) and KONK OUT.

So when I woke from my 4 hour nap, because essentially, that's what that was, I felt quite refreshed and ready to continue with my day!  Wait...  Where did my day go?  Which day am I continuing?  Is it breakfast time yet?  [always.]

So I took contacts out, washed face, brushed teeth (I know for a fact that a few of you only just unclenched your nervous stomachs at that, and I don't blame you a bit), and just did not feel like going back to sleep.  I took one glance at my computer and thought, "Yeah... I could do one productive thing and countless other non-productive things on that contraption..."  And I proceeded to do so.

One of those being a blog post.

Good morning :)  I love ya!

Golden Beaver. Beaver Retriever.

It's been far too long, my dear friends.

So, I just wrapped up Kids Kamp at Christ Chapel, where I work and go to church.  I'm glad to have participated, and I enjoyed SO many aspects of it.  I'm a little wary of a few elements involved, but I'm not sure how to properly articulate those at this time, so I'll just say this: read Radical by David Platt.  That's how I'm feeling at the moment, and I'm not sure what to do with it, so I'm in prayer and staying pro-active.  My life goal is to make much of Christ, and I will continually be asking how I can do that best with my days.  But anywho...

There are 4 basic types of personalities as described by the DISC personality assessment.  The personality types are as follows:

• Dominance – relating to control, power and assertiveness
• Influence – relating to social situations and communication
• Steadiness (or submission) – relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness
• Conscientiousness (or caution, or compliance) – relating to structure and organization

These could also be called Lion, Otter, Golden Retriever, and Beaver, respectively (totally stealing from our guest speaker last Sunday, who was amazing, but I can't remember his name right now).

Lions are the ones in charge.  Otters are people people.  Golden Retrievers are harmonizers (they have a hard time saying no).  Beavers are the ones with impeccable planning/organizing abilities.  Each one is energized by their quality.  Social situations don't exhaust otters--they exhilarate them!  Beavers are most giddy when they've just finished a big organization project.  Lions aren't intimidated by being put in a position of control over a group--they're thrilled by responsibility and their role of leader.  Golden Retrievers are most at peace with the world when they are doing something to help others.  Make sense?

Mkay, folks, I'm here to tell you that I'm a Beaver/Golden Retriever with a spot of Lion who feels like she should be an Otter.  And I'm dating an Otter/Golden Retriever.  It's a pretty perfect match.  I think everyone should have a healthy dose of Golden Retriever, personally, but then again, I also think that everyone would benefit from a little Beaver-style organization.  Maybe we all think others should be like us...  Lions?  Do you wish that everybody else had the leadership ability that you have?

It says a lot about my past relationships...  I think I have a more challenging time getting along with Lions, and there are definitely a couple of those in the dating history...  I've historically gravitated to fully Golden Retriever types, and I've noticed that those situations always frustrated me eventually.  I didn't like the lack of leadership.  I don't care to be the leader.  The ideal spot for me is the "right hand lady."  I connect deeply with the playground rhyme "first is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the treasure chest!"  I don't have muscles to carry a treasure chest, but I'm really good with a map, ya know?  I wanna be first mate.  Administrative assistant.  Vice Pres.

If my Lion father is reading this, he is doing so with no small amount of shame in the lack of Lion in his little girl.  But ya know what, daddy?  Lions couldn't operate without Golden Retrievers and Beavers!  It just wouldn't work!  We're the ones with the planners and the cell phone making sure that the Otter/Lion is getting where he/she needs to go!

I'm peacock proud of my Beaver/Golden Retriever self.  And Jared can Otter for me at parties, which is delightful, and then I'll be the one to remember where we parked the car :)

Summer Reading

Books I'm in at the moment:

1. Crazy Love - so far, SO GOOD. Exceeding expectations. Helps me see more of who God really is, because I forget or miss things sometimes and need this reminder.

2. Radical - whoa. Lighting a fire under my soul's tush. Conviction and encouragement... Hurts so good.

3. The Club Dumas - "a beach book for intellectuals" says the cover. Truth. I'm enjoying it! Literary detective novel.

4. A Severe Mercy - reading this gem of a book with Jared. It's beautiful... Truly. Oh it's so good. Beautiful.

5. Before You Go - a daily devotional prepping for the India trip in September! Awesome and specific needed preparation.

Love,

Cole

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The Very Image of Productivity

Hey folks :)

Well, last night I felt UN-PLEASANT.  As in, are you aware of Cole's biggest fear/least favorite thing in the whole wide world?

No?

Mkay.  Don't laugh.

My biggest fear and least favorite thing in the whole wide world is throwing up.

And I felt very ill last night.  I shall spare you details, because I'm a kind blogger.

So I'm working from home today, because I'm still weak and shaky and fearful.  Gotta take it easy, ya know.  So easy I shall take it...



... Ok, I've got to get brain away from thoughts of internal unpleasantness.

I know!  I have 1945735 things to do for work!  I'll knock those out!

So, I'm all "look at me being productive through my fear!  Music on!  Emails sending!  Organizing work schtuff!"  And all of the sudden....

Emails not sending?  Why emails not sending?  Music still playing.  Internet still working.

Just emails not sending.

Emails can't not send.  I have too many of them.  I have no carrier pigeons in my possession.  I don't know anyone who knows how to read smoke signals.  I can't text these folks like we're BFFEOW (best friends forever'n'ever or whatever).

So my productivity came to an unprecedented HALT.

I took that opportunity to say hello :)