do you want to be an american idol?

are you sure?

i have been facinated by the try outs for american idol. people just make complete asses out of themselves and then get abused by simon on national television. i am just as big of an ass for watching it. i may be clear that i can't sing and would not subject myself to that abuse but what a vulture to sit and watch it.

aren't we just as guilty as those pitifuls of wanting to be an idol. i want my kids, friends and family to admire me. i want to be famous for something, somewhere. i am not sure what to make of it all but i realized as i was mocking those fools i had a big plank in my own eye!

celebrating

mcdonalds. i know i am reaching this week but those nuggets, fries and the sheer excitment the word stirs in my children are a little gift on those days when i wonder how i will make it through. i celebrate that my job affords me a happy meal and a few hours of diversion.

a true friend

i would be flying solo all next week while michael goes to a pastor's conference if it were not for the true friendship of Susie from Oregon. only a saint would use their vacation time to come help me take on 4 kids for the better part of a week! not only come to minister to me but to actually help! what a gift. that is what i should be celebrating--not freakin mcdonalds!

discernment

truly being available to hear from god. that is my prayer for our family. i so don't want to rely on my own understanding and in all my ways acknowledge him but i am deaf on several subjects right now.

i got lots of esis

it is report card season in kindergarten. i will quote harrison's letter to my parents (and then translate):

to momo and popo

i got lots of esis i (heart) you harrison campbell

to mama and papa i got lots of "s"s i love you hcc

s is satisfactory mastery of the various things they are learning in kindergarten. he would have had all "s"s except he doesn't have mastery of spheres under the shapes category! i am not sure what adults have mastery of spheres much less 5 year olds. he was so proud and couldn't wait to call/write all his grandparents.

my mom is in india on business so we emailed her the letter. the girls did not want to be left out of emailing so they came up with their own ramblings which included:

tati- i did my ballet and i LOVE it.
sasha- I LUB YOU!

when i asked brennan what he wanted to tell mama and papa he said MERRY CHRISTMAS- HO HO HO.

celebrating

milestones- it is a miracle to watch them grow and to know we may actually survive this!

obedience or just dense

i wonder daily which we are? i am a glass is half full gal so i will live under the notion our attempts at obedience will be worth something.

we are continuing to serve with kurt and shannon on building a community of christ followers to reach asheville. we are seeing some amazing things happen which make the journey worth the risks. churches that are dead and dying willing to hand over their building (more than one!), a night club owner meeting us tomorrow with his wife and daughter for their first visit to church (and an offer to meet on sundays at the club), my hairdresser's eyes light up when i share our vision for loving and serving this city as an act of worship and living out of our christianity.

pray for michael and kurt as they continue to pursue how and if to partner together long term.

in need of a vacation

asheville was named one of the top 12 destinations in the world! major boost for tourism in this town and a good plug to let you know we have extra room for visitors. i am getting homesick for my peeps. sue from portland and matt and rebecca from dallas are all checking into the campbell mountain inn so get your reservations before the place really gets discovered!

dark and twisty no more!

well that is how i started this blog back in early december. like my friend merideth (from grey's anatomy) i was tired of being dark and twisty. you notice that was back in early december. in an effort to be authentic, i was waiting until i wasn't really dark and twisty anymore to actually send it. well here we sit in January.....

i have since come to conclude that most of us are dark and twisty- at least some times. a little dark and twisty is just a part of me and these times. i am even thinking it might actually be good. better to quit trying to be something rather just channel it into something productive. so maybe the amount of time i was dark and twisty wasn't productive, but nevertheless i have decided i am not going to worry about being dark and twisty --maybe not so bitter but dark and twisty is cool sometimes....so here i resume the blog....

celebrating

play--i played my mailto:$@ off this holiday season with my kids. i was off work for almost two weeks and i am re-learning how to play. you would think with 4 kids i would have this mastered. i have learned how to appease, not really play. we have done some playing lately at the campbells! just today i learned how to play uno again. i had a blast watching my 5 y/o do an endzone dance when he beat me. we started reading a couple of classic chapter books (charlotte's web for the girls and treasure island for the boys) with no pictures, just having to use our imaginations. we did art, played pirates, choo choos, turned our playroom into a dora and diego village, set up clubhouses etc... playing is cool! i guess that is why they call what i do the rest of the time work--its not play. i really want to play more. give it a try.

kids

after the endless attempts to teach them the real meaning of christmas they can dutifully regurgitate "jesus birthday is why we have christmas, god sent the best gift of all in his son" blah blah blah. just this weekend they told our pastor friend they loved christmas and got lots of toys and couldn't wait for next christmas to get more presents! consumerism at its finest!

please pray for us this week as we set about making decisions about school for Tatiana, Aleksandra and Brennan. i know it sounds trivial but this is not a big city and schools are full and on waiting lists (yes public schools on waiting lists). we know God has given us the task of raising our children and we do this in partnership with the professionals in their schools. we take this decision of sharing this job with them seriously and want to make good choices for each of them individually and us as a family.

short of a mutiny in the pirate room - we are set for Harrison to remain at the school he is in. he is still convinced he can just "fink on his own" but he is doing well and i think will actually make it on to first grade ok.

postmodern ministry

we continue to read, observe, participate in and pray about this changing postmodern world. we have been praying a lot about how and where God would use us and our passions. we are worshipping with a new church plant here in asheville that is just getting started. so we continue to pray and serve them and with them for now.

pray for michael as he seeks to lead our family and serve the kingdom.

just cool things

this is a new section where i will highlight the coolest thing i have seen since my last post.

check out my newest link on the left. this is talent!

you have to check out okgo. they are just cool. i got the dvd and cd for christmas.