One Ticket for Crazy Train

"It's very easy to think that 'someone else' is driving the crazy train...
NO! I am driving the crazy train." - Shauna Niequist



Can I just be very honest and say I got a tad creepy fan weird when I met
Shauna Niequist last month? I mean she lives one suburb over, so every day now
I'm on "Shauna WATCH"... at the grocery store, library, intersections.
I don't even know what I'd say to her. Probably just, "Hi, remember me?"
*Shauna reaches into pocket, pulls out cell, calls 911*

One day I'll get up enough guts to e-mail her and ask her to be my Yoda,
my mentor. Show me all the ways, oh wise and wonderful woman. Until then...

For those of you who don't know, *GASP* she's an author and speaker.
Bread and Wine, Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet... ring a bell?

After I heard her speak last month, I went up and got all emotional as I gave her
a big 'ole hug and told her that she changed my life. The drama level is embarrassing.

Besides all the obvious things that she is known for encouraging,
(community, bringing people around the table, doing YOUR thing well,
finding deep pleasure in being YOURSELF, etc.)
she also was shouting: "GET OFF THE CRAZY TRAIN."

She challenged: "What can I GIVE UP in order to bring the most fruit?"
Too much, too loud changes the quality of life and may actually inhibit one
from achieving their deepest, most cherished dreams.

You guys, I am the conductor of the crazy train.
I keep busy so that I HAVE AN EXCUSE not to do what I REALLY feel called to do.
I fill my days with lots of GOOD, FUN, and sometimes even HOLY activities
so that when God comes knocking, I have a pretty, little itinerary to
wave in His face. "Nope, got plans. Big plans. Not YOUR plans. MY plans."

I'm letting this be my burning bush. My sign.
The crazy train called and they hired a new conductor.
I'm saying "no" to more good things so that I can say "yes" to the
great things that God has put on my heart.

Thanks for ruining my life, Shauna.
I hope that through this recap she has ruined your life too.
Let's all eat ice cream and cry together now...
so that we can step off the crazy train and go change the world.

The Little Letters

Journals and notebooks are to be found scattered throughout my house - hiding on bookshelvesor tucked away for safe keeping. And by "safe keeping" I mean... I've been keeping a journalsince I was 10 years old - some stuff is just not meant for the public eye! But my heart is on those pages. So I dub them sacred.


I love the written word - the beautiful lyrics of humanity.


I love it that my history is penned in bound books between parallel lines.Simple words. Nothing ever too fancy - just the raw emotions, memories,and glory days called my life.


My newest collection of writings are ones that I know will be my favoritewhen my hair has turned to silver and my days are consumed with rocking grandbabies to sleep.That is... the letters to my children.

I began writing shortly after we found out we were expecting our first. My journey. Our journey.My "littles" are my life now. My wishes, hopes, dreams, fears, notes, and prayers - along withlittle mementos that mean something to me...
as a wife who is married to a man... who with God conceived and bore two beautifulchildren... children that now make me a mother forever... they are forever in my heart...this heart of a woman who is living out a little piece of heaven on earth...in embracing this holy and awesome vocation her Father has chosen for her.
Yes, it all means something to me. To them. Paradise is playing out before my eyes and I cannothelp but lovingly pen down the whole account. I want to re-live these moments forthe rest of my life.
I write to my little ones. For them. For me. I want them to know and see throughtheir sweet history of existence that nothing happens by chance, miracles still occur,and that there is a God who loves them infinitely more than their earthly father or mothercould ever dream of loving them.
This is part of the legacy I am leaving my children.A legacy of letters from momma.

_________________________________________Don't forget to enter for a chance to win a beautiful book oncelebrating the faith with your family before you go!!!You won't want to miss this! XO