It's payback. Literally.

We've all been there. With a group of friends, talking, laughing, telling funny stories and getting a kick out of each other's lives......when all of the sudden *duhduhduhhhhhhhhh* the focus is on you and your closest friends are publicly telling everyone you know about that time you started drooling at the hardware store because the cashier was so dreamy you couldn't focus on typing in your debit card pin number. ***

Three words:

UNDER. THE. BUS.

It's not that we're malicious people. Or that we don't care about our friend's feelings. It's just that sometimes, the stories we know about our closest friends are so funny we can't keep them to ourselves. These stories are simply told out of a mutual desire to laugh out loud and draw closer together in friendship and fellowship.

You shouldn't be able to get away with it at no personal cost, though. Thus, the idea of the 'under the bus' jar was born. It's payback. Literally.

Rules, disclaimers, and the importance of Proverbs 17:17:

• Person thrown under the bus shall decide amount of money owed (within reason and limited college student budget). Probably anywhere from $00.01 - $5.00.
• Bus thrower underer shall have approximately 24 hours to place cash amount owed into jar.
• If the story is NOT funny or, more importantly, if the person the story is about doesn't find it the least bit funny, you should definitely NOT throw them under the bus.
• Bus thrower underer shall not be liable for the possible chain reaction of friends that embellish, exaggerate, or pass on information expressed in the original story
• Remember, "a friend loves at all times". If you get thrown, or you're the one throwing, know that all is said out of "love and friendship". In other words, if you're willing to throw someone else under the bus, don't throw a hissy fit when they call you out or throw you under an equally embarrassing/funny bus. Love and friendship, love and friendship, love and friendship.

When this jar is full of money ------ we'll probably use it to pay our electric bill? I really don't know. If you have any suggestions, we would love to hear 'em. Other possible options we've thought of include: chocolate, board games, or new shoes.

under the bus jar - for when your friends throw you under the bus

In other news, this awesome looking jar was created using a technique found on Pinterest! Take clean glass vase or jar, mix acrylic paint with a tidge of water and pour in glass vase! Roll it around inside until inside surface is completely covered. Voilà! Beautifully custom colored vase!

***not based on true events AT ALL.

Those who say cleanliness is next to Godliness....

have obviously never lived in our house.

When our house is at it's messiest - dishes overflowing from the sink, stuff ALL over the living room floor, cups and empty food packaging strewn all over the end tables, etc. - it's *usually because we just had people over.

This is a blog about hospitality. 

It's good. 

It's Biblical. 

It can also be messy.

The most basic definition of hospitality is to simply be friendly to guests. I think it's fair to say that when anyone invites friends over, they're most likely going to be friendly to them. The challenge of hospitality, or the greater task at hand, is being friendly to everyone..... those you know AND those you don't. Martha Stewart has endless suggestions on how to entertain, feed, prepare for, clean for, and decorate for guests at parties or gatherings of any kind. Seriously, this woman (or the people who work for her) have tons of ideas. Throwing the perfect baby shower? Want to grow a garden and eat it too? Martha knows how, and I'm sure she is a wonderful hostess.......but Biblical hospitality is way more than successfully hosting an event.

There are families and homes I have visited that remain vivid in my memory even years later. Homes that make me feel like I never want to leave. People who make you the center of their attention, but not at the expense of your comfort. Families that seem to care about you even though they know nothing about you. Godly hospitality doesn't end with a cushiony chair and an icy glass of lemonade. Hospitality means showing love, deeply and truly, without expectations or assumptions. When I leave the presence of these hospitable people, I think to myself, "they didn't even know me, but it seems like they genuinely cared about me." How awesome is that?! And I say 'genuinely', because we all know the feeling of an insincere, polite welcoming. I've experienced it. And I'm guilty of it too.....not so awesome.

"Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality." Romans 12:9-13

God's word says that this is how people will know we are Christ's disciples! By our love! By how we treat one another, stranger or longtime friend (John 13:34-35). We should love just as He has loved us. Our hospitality should be the overflowing of God's hand in our lives into the lives of others. Even when our house is a mess, at the end of the day, we should be able to look back and know that we presented pure hearts before the Lord, seeking His will, and speaking His love into the lives of those we meet.

My prayer is that when we invite people into our home, they would feel at peace, cared for, loved, accepted. My hope is that when people leave, they would notice something different. That there would be a physical and spiritual reality within our home that guests can recognize as the presence of the Lord.  I pray that my roommates and I would strive to seek how God wants to work in and through us with every person who enters into our home. Even if the kitchen's a disaster, spilled millk, etc...........may our eyes be Kingdom focused, no matter how big the mess gets.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:8-11

LOVE DEEPLY
Use our gifts to serve - our mouths to speak the very word of God.
As we serve, may we do it with the strength God has provided, so that HE may be praised and glorified.

Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Hebrews 13:1-2

*I say "usually" as a much needed disclaimer. Sometimes our house is just a mess. When you have 4 women going to school / working 2 jobs each / participating in a thousand different activities / and maintaining a social life............well, messes happen.

The night we flew kites...

and couldn't get them out of the sky.

Flying a kite in Kansas can be difficult thing to master. We don't generally have light breezes in Kansas, just 60 mph winds. On the chance you do have a still day, or a light breeze flowing over the plains, you're probably going to be running that kite up and down the field all day to keep it in the air. Some say I'm a 'negative Nancy', 'sensible Suzy', you name it. I'm not a believer in kite flying success.

Until now.

extreme kite flying

I arrived home one Sunday evening, from an exhausting weekend of driving all over the great state of Kansas, to find my roommates blowing bubbles in the driveway. I'd just driven 200 miles in the craziest wind ever, working the entire time just to keep my little Vibe on the road, and the first thing the girls were yelling in my face when I got out of my car? "We're going to go fly kites! AHHHHHH!"

After telling Allie, Katherine, and Jed that the venture would ultimately be a complete failure, they convinced me to join them and we all piled in the car, picked up Weston on the way, and drove over to the park. They'd purchased several $3 kites from the dollar store, and after about 25 seconds of putting them together, we threw them up in the sky. Instantly, the kites took flight and we began to see how high they would go........which ended up being almost as high as the string was long.

And it wasn't just that the kites flew really well, it was that they flew SO well we had to hang on tightly just so we wouldn't lose them! We didn't even have to run with them to keep them in the air. Basically, if you held the kite above your head, the wind would catch it up into the sky. I have NEVER had a better kite flying experience in my life. I don't know if it was the style of the kites, the extreme levels of wind speed, or some miraculously divine act of God, but when you can't get the kites to come down out of the sky, you know you've reached a higher level of kite flying.

I remember the moment, after the sun set and we were all just standing there in the dark trying to pick our kites out of the night sky by dim street lamps and moonlight, when we couldn't see them at all, but we could feel them tugging in our hands. It was such a crazy feeling, surreal almost, to be pulling a thin little string as hard as you could, knowing it was attached to a kite somewhere in the sky, trusting the string wouldn't break or come loose from the flimsy plastic and stick contraption called a kite.

I try really hard not to be a pessimistic person. Oftentimes my 'sensible Suzy' nature shines through, but I refuse to say that's a bad thing. Believe me, the ability to think things through is a gift from GOD. At the same time, it's always when I realize I'm not in control that God chooses to reveal Himself in the biggest ways to me. Like, there's no way kite flying would be a success on the windiest day of my life --- annnnnnnd it turns out to be perfect kite flying weather. Or I can't get a job and I'm wondering how I'll pay rent next month --- annnnnnd God blesses me with the perfect job, better than I could have asked for. Or how can God possibly think that this heartbreaking event will help my friend see how amazing God is --- annnnnnd it's exactly what that person needed to walk through to grow closer to the Lord. Or (any experience in my life) --- annnnnnd (how much more perfect God's idea about life is than my own).

It can be difficult to trust Him. The way the world makes sense of things can seem much more rational (when you live in the world) than believing that God can make all things work together. The Bible speaks of God's character, beginning with creation, and throughout all of history we read of who He is. His big picture story. If we trust His word to be true, and we can look at our personal pasts and see how He has been faithful, how can we not look at our own futures through the same lens.

I don't want to live a past tense, hindsight focused, life of faith. I want to live a life of faith in what God IS doing, what He WILL do, what He promises to ALWAYS do. I want to ask in faith for healings, salvations, miracles, and abundant provision. To give God glory for his eternal faithfulness, not just for what he has already done and what my blind eyes and human mind have seen and comprehended. Don't get me wrong, it is a very right thing to look back at situations, recognize what God has done, and glorify Him for it. Never stop doing that! But personally, I want to live a life that looks for what God is doing along the way, and to expect and experience it in its fullness.

We serve a God who can make kites fly. He can reunite families. He can bring peace to the most troubled hearts. He can gather the nations of the world in the palm of His hand and bless His people who face persecution and heartache. He can heal wounds buried deep inside of you, when nothing else of this world could ever cure your pain.

May you come to expect Him to work in your life. May you learn to lift everything up to Him, and allow His Holy Spirit to guide, correct, and form your life to His perfect and holy will.

Why would you want to smell like a skunk?

Right. You probably wouldn't. Skunks do stink. "Stink" though, is just an interpretation of a really strong smell. In fact, the very definition of "stink" is that something is offensive in odor. So offensive that it lingers....for weeks. People try to wash it off, dogs roll around in the dirt to mask the smell; nothing can take strong stench of skunk away.

And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2

Basically, we want to smell. Katherine, Allie, and I have each made a lifelong commitment to SMELL. We want to smell like God. Just like Christ loves us, we want to love others. The way we choose to live in our home as roommates and women who love the Lord is the way we choose to show Christ's love to others. I'm not saying we are perfect, EVER. Sometimes people don't wash dishes, sometimes people push jokes a little far, we are sometimes always human by nature. But, we are also redeemed and saved by grace, which are both very beautiful scents indeed.


I read a great book when I was in high school, and, even though it is written for teens, I still really love the way Steven James describes the smell that the three of us desire to have:

"The fragrance of their lives was different from the stench of the world. You could tell when you were with them. Their attitudes and priorities and lifestyles were different. They smelled like they didn't belong on this planet, like they were made for a better place. It was the fragrance of heaven. Strong. Powerful. Life-changing." Steven James - How to Smell Like God

Just think about all of the smells you've experienced in life! Fajitas at a mexican restaurant, smoke from birthday candles after they've been wished on, the fresh air after a sunshine rain, banana bread baking in the oven......You can recognize each of these smells from your life experiences. If someone placed a pot of coffee in front of your nose after blindfolding you, you would most likely recognize the scent immediately, maybe even the specific Starbucks blend! God created us to recognize different smells; He gave us different senses so that we could distinguish the differences we experience in the world. How crazy is that!?!?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 

God asks us to spread our smell around, to spread "the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere". I want to be a pleasing aroma to God! I want to smell good before my Lord! And I want others to smell me and say, "WHAT in the WORLD are you wearing, girl?! It smells gooooooood!". Not only do I want to smell like Christ, but I love the promise that other's will recognize us by our smell. Scripture tells us that others will know we follow Christ's example by our love. By our LOVE!

May you experience the fragrance of Christ in a new way today. May you never forget to use your sense of smell. May you never be able to wash the scent of Christ's love out of your life. And may you smell so strongly of the Lord's presence in your life, that people you encounter can't help but wonder why you smell so good.

Sometimes we make a big deal...

out of things that are a BIG DEAL!

About a month ago, a BIG thing happened in our little Kansas town.

Dillons, the local grocery store, moved to a new location this spring. To celebrate the grand opening, we decided to host a formal affair. This wasn't a spur of the moment event. In fact, we've been planning the black tie formal since they began construction several months ago. In anticipation of the big day, we weekly asked the cashiers at the old Dillons location across the parking lot when the new store would be revealed to the public. Finally, in the middle of April, we put on our formal wear, grabbed our shopping lists, and caravanned on over to the new Dillons to celebrate the splendor of a brand spanking new place to buy our groceries. Only one person wore a black tie, but we were all pretty spiffed up.

Following the grocery shopping extraveganza, we heated up some Totino's pizza rolls and popped in a RedBox flick. Really classy...

Weston in his formal wear.

Don't worry, they have maps to help us find our treasure!

The whole group with all of our groceries!

If we don't make a big deal out of the small joys in life, who else is going to? 

Some people say we're a handful........

others say "look at those extremely blessed individuals!!!!!!"

8 month old balloon stuffed with a skunk toy and Ben's breath.
One of those things is preserving this balloon........we don't want to know which.

Inside of this balloon lives the tail end of a stuffed skunk dog toy. Last fall, 4 friends (Katherine, Allie, Katie, and Jed) spent an entire Sunday afternoon and evening filling over 500 balloons with air and stuffing them in giant trash bags. The next day, while a certain someone (Paul) worked a long shift at his perfectly respectable job, these friends filled this someone's bedroom with balloons. They may have also strategically placed video cameras throughout the room to record his reaction to the surprise.

Our home filled with balloons.....4 chick flicks later.

Let's just say that moving 25+ bags of balloons across town in the Kansas wind
is kind of like herding cats in a tornado.  Also, this took about 4 trips in 4 cars.

Stuffing Paul's room full of balloons.

Paul's room - FULL OF BALLOONS!
(Note the sneaky camer a in the window on the right.)

Paul gets home....

the balloons spill out.....

fill the living room.....

and Paul takes balloon pictures.

Unfortunately, I don't have the video footage of Paul's reaction to share with you, but let me sum it up: disappointing. Maybe not so much disappointing, I suppose, but rather not at all what we expected.

If Allie, Katherine, Kang, and I had come home to one of our rooms full of balloons, it would have sounded like this: "AHHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! No freaking way! What?!?!?!?! Who did...?!?!?! No way, guys, really!?!??! THIS IS AWESOME! AHHHHH!" Basically, a ton of screaming, laughing, and "I'm gonna pee my pants!" kind of reactions.

Paul was all like: "Oh....wow. Look what you guys did........huh.......yep..........those are balloons........oh, yep.....loook.........a camera.......Funny, guys, really funny."

Needless to say, not the reaction we were expecting.

I think we were mostly expecting more because of the amount of excitement, time, and energy that went in to pulling this thing off. I think it's a lot like the plans that God has been making for our lives. Since the very beginning, God has been laying out a plan, setting things in motion for our walk with Him. When he threw those stars in the sky, he was thinking of the joy it would bring you, of how we would look up at the night sky with wonder and marvel at His awesome creation. The specific plans that he has for YOU. And then I can't help but think about His holy anticipation for your reaction. Just like we wanted Paul to react a certain way with the balloons, how does the Lord want us to react to the hiccups, surprises, and winding roads of life?

Scripture tells us to lean not on our own understanding of life, but to trust God with everything and He will make our paths straight. We should be "transformed by the renewing of our minds" so that we may "attest and approve God's good, pleasing, and perfect will" Romans 12:2. He guides us in truth, and leads us through His perfect will! How awesome is that? I'm not comparing God's will for our life to a silly prank, but I am saying that the way we react to what God is walking with us through is SO IMPORTANT.

I want to glorify God for the great things that happen, and the devastating ones. In heart break or when my heart is overflowing with JOY I want to praise Him. I want to seek His understanding with all of my life, that I might see even a glimpse of His master plan. I desire that my reactions to how God is working in my life would bring others closer to an understanding of His character.

May the next prank you pull be out of extreme love and friendship. May you begin to recognize how God is moving in your life. May you glorify the Lord for His plans, and may your reactions to those plans be pleasing to the Father who loves you more than you can imagine.

We ALWAYS have a reason to celebrate.......

At our house, there is always a reason to celebrate. We celebrate birthdays, tornado watches, Tuesdays, and happy endings. In the month of April, we celebrated 4 birthdays and then ended the month with an epic birthday celebration weekend. The Friday night birthday party was a surprise, the Saturday night birthday party was pre-planned many months in advance, and the joyful Sunday celebration just came naturally. An entire weekend of unicorns, toddlers, dance moves, and tons of delicious foods! The birthday celebration was for Allie (22 y/o), Ezra (23 y/o), Wesley (23 y/o), and Sichaya (24 y/o). Take those ages into account as you absorb the photographic splendor that follows.

Yeah, that's right. You'll notice the Candy Mountain birthday cake and the homemade unicorn piñata. Our mothers think we have too much free time, our schoolwork is lacking, and our dance skills are rapidly increasing in awesome.