10 million miles

For a week, we ooo-ed and ahh-ed as several thousand humans worked to make a magical get-away for millions of guests. Amongst the wonders:

* trash cans that empty into an underground system so that they are never over-flowing and never leaking mysterious syrupy liquid

* music that convinces a person that maybe — just maybe — she is living a musical after-all

* a little plastic “Key to the World” card that takes care of meals, fast passes, park entrances, souvenir purchases…

* chocolate-coated ice cream Mickey Mouse ears on a stick

* fireworks, perfectly pruned shrubs, smiling costumes, vanilla-scented air, and stories that end with “happily ever after” every time.

At first, I was a little suspicious of our choice to spend our glorious anniversary amongst miles of man-made splendor and amusements that, although wonderful, really can’t compare to God’s magnificent creations in nature. These suspicions were validated when Epcot’s most popular ride, Soarin’, swept me up and over gorgeous land- and sea-scapes, puffing citrus and pine scents at just the right time to make the orange groves and pine woods come to life. I thought it a shame that people waited for 75 minutes to board this ride (not us “fast passers,” of course); shouldn’t we have spent the week admiring the real thing instead?? Needless to say, this was my favorite ride.

Then I got to thinkin’ (with considerable help from my airplane book, Radical Hospitality) about the beauty of humans preparing a place for other humans. I thought about how I could learn a great deal from Disney World’s significant effort to relieve a stranger like me of my luggage, hunger, impatience, and adult-sized worries. They did all they could to allow Ryan and me to stroll hand-in-hand down romantically lit streets, to laugh together as 3-D bugs flew at our faces, and to shed a few tears together as Nemo gained admiration for his dad. They were abundantly generous with their colors, scents, tastes, smiles, and creativity.

All of this was divinely timed to illustrate the lessons about hospitality that God has been teaching me for several weeks. Much of His work has been internal, since hospitality is mostly an issue of my heart: He’s been chipping away at my heart’s willingness to receive another person in Jesus’ name. Still, true hospitality also asks me to physically prepare myself and our home as places of acceptance and love. (For my inspiration, I have only to look at the way God has prepared this breath-taking world and the way in which Jesus is preparing a place for us in Heaven.) I learned that when I prepare a table, an outfit, or a celebration for another person, I am really preparing my own heart to love that person better. And I can already see how this is true: for instance, when Vivienne and I have the opportunity to prepare for Ryan’s return from work by straightening the house and making dinner before he bounds up the steps and knocks some rhythmic wonder on our front door, we are actually preparing our inner selves to love him well with smiles and hugs and grateful hearts. The greeting is always far more divine than when we are wrapped up in our own little worlds upon his return.

That’s why you’ll find this lesson amongst my favorite souvenirs.

MY TOP 10 FAVORITE SOUVENIRS (in no particular order):

1. A week of holding Ryan’s hand and kissing his shoulder whenever I wanted to

2. A week of perfectly blue skies and warm air against my skin

3. Laying in a hammock on a beach, watching a refreshingly quiet sunset

4. Breakfast with Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger (all of Vivienne’s favorite Disney-ites!), and Lobster Eggs Benedict

5. The perfect snow-globe for Vivienne (photo coming!)

6. The thrill of fast pass: walking quickly through rows and rows of “line” in order to pop right on a ride

7. People watching (fascinating, as you know)

8. Simple nostalgic boat rides with dancing dolls, Nordic trolls, and pirates as well as “How do they do that?” rides with technologies beyond my comprehension

9. AMAZING three-course meals with my hubby

10. The reminder that it’s good and rewarding to be generous, hospitable, and alive

Some Favorite Pictures

The infamous castle. I really do want one of these (with a fabulous house-cleaning program, of course).

My Personal Pirate… swoon.

Just checkin’ in on this Irish guy…

Ryan works on a creation at Lego Land, a shout-out to his childhood passion

Gettin’ in character for “It’s Tough To Be a Bug”

Wolfgang Puck: I highly recommend the Butternut Squash Soup!

After an outdoor dinner at Tony’s, the setting for the Lady’s and the Tramp’s romantic dinner, too

A boat ride,

A bus ride,

A bat,

And a really cool pumpkin. (We’ll have to see if it “earned its ears” when we take Vivienne and Jingle Bells in six-or-so years… I think it’s gonna make it!)

…in Disney World for the week! So, I probably won’t be posting. Have fun watching the leaves change color… we’ll return just in time to see the splendor (and then to rake it into gigantic piles — the biggest in the neighborhood!).

This week, I have deeply appreciated…

#1: My Homemade Fruit-fly Trap:

+ + = A DEAD

I waited one day too long to exterminate the few pesky fruit-flies that were bouncing around our counter-tops. They propagated. Like bunnies. No, like fruit-flies. Which is even worse. So, I whipped out my all-natural concoction to ruthlessly kill approximately 20 of them. (Shivers.)

The recipe: In a bowl, mix a swig of apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, and a squirt of dish soap. Let the stinky mixture sit on the counter-top overnight. In the morning, you’ll be disgusted (and happy) to dispose of your pests.

#2: Micro-fiber cloths!

Get a streak-free mirror without chemicals! Just spritz a little water on the mirror, wipe the surface with your micro-fiber cloth and you’ll be sparklingly proud of your environmentally friendly investment. Find yours in the cleaning isle of Wal Mart, Target, or other micro-fiber selling locations. AMAZING! (This is the cleaning secret that the chemical companies can’t talk about!)

#3: My “Ruble for Your Thoughts” toe-nails! I know it’s a bit unconventional to post photos of one’s toes online, but I just got a manicure and pedicure and love the sparkly autumn color on my toes. My newest statement of conviction is that I simply *must* get a pedicure every October to slough off my summer feet and ease into the cold weather (which came with vigor today!).

I couldn’t help but notice the opportunity to win a copy of Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God on one of my favorite blogs: Biblical Womanhood. The book looks so good that I decided to figure out the mysterious realm of blog-contests and try to win a copy… Apparently, I have to link to the site from my site… and something… Surely my 1-in-632 chance is a good one, no?

Summer, your last kiss was warm and wet;

Like a dog’s tongue across her knuckles

Not like other last kisses, yours didn’t make her cry

Rather, she ran in the tail of your thunderstorm

And washed her hair in a puddle.

We’ll be seeing you soon, dear Summer.

Q: Who demolishes ugly old doors, installs two pre-hung doors, paints them, attaches door knobs, drills a peep hole, plays the djimbe, sings in church, sends his wife off to a prenatal massage, AND helps her figure out how to upload You Tube videos onto her blog, oh, AND exterminates an invading and creepy moth in ONE WEEKEND?

A: RYAN BOOZ! What a man, what a man…

Good-bye old door!

This week and next, please pray that everything proceeds healthfully while Ryan and I are enjoying Disney World together!  Pray that this is a wonderful experience for each member of our family.

Here’s what the weekly update said: “Your tiny diver has a few new moves, thanks to her buoyancy in amniotic fluid. She can turn, spin, somersault, and jackknife. Her motions are becoming more forceful and coordinated. The connection between her brain and limbs is growing stronger every day.”  They’re not kidding!  This little one has been gaining strength and oomph by the day!  If you were here at just the right time, you could feel some pretty impressive kicks!

1. A song from my college play-list still comes in useful these days (however *feminist* it might be). A certain sentiment in Ani Difranco’s “32 Flavors” still comes to mind every now and then:

” …God help you if you are a Pheonix
and you dare to rise up from the ash
a thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy
while you are just flying past…”

I reckon I’ve both soared and smoldered.

2. This afternoon, I cried over the final pages of Enger’s Peace Like a River, aching over countless gorgeous moments in the story. One that took up residence in my spirit was a scene in which the 11-year old narrator, Reuben, responds to his father’s complete humiliation. Reuben burns with anger as the repulsive superintendent, Mr. Holgren, spits false accusations at the God-fearing janitor (Reuben’s father) in front of all of the students, ultimately firing him. Just when Reuben is sure that his father will raise a hand to slap Mr. Holgren’s disease-infested face, his father instead gently reaches his hand out and heals the man. In front of all of the students, Mr. Holgren’s face is instantly transformed its red, blotchy repulsion into a healthy suntanned glow. Reuben can barely face his father afterwards, wrestling with his father’s choice to love his enemy; not just “forgive” him, but to aid in his betterment. To be the source of his soaring.

3. Then I think about the conclusion of sermons about the prodigal son and his faithful father. You know, the sermons that use the final five minutes to recognize the older brother who whines that his rebel brother is forgiven and blessed so easily. Five minutes doesn’t do justice to a common struggle amongst all of us in God’s family. Too often, we who say we love God and the Church, want the most blessing, the most favor, and the most honor for ourselves; and it’s genuinely difficult to consistently rejoice when our brothers and sisters are rejoicing over blessings… especially when we really don’t *like* them to begin with. Or, especially if we helped them to be reconciled to God but suddenly they’re soaring beyond us. (Do I write as if I have some experience in these matters?) To what do we owe this struggle? A false sense of entitlement? A misunderstanding of unity? An imaginary competition (see Donald Miller’s thoughts about the life-boat phenomenon in Searching for God Knows What)? Perhaps the credit just goes to that pesky sin nature that we are to be constantly putting away from ourselves. Perhaps one of the deepest layers of our sin nature is our jealousy of other Christians. May we continually walk away from its smoldering eyes.

If I am a part of the Bride, why wouldn’t I want all of her to soar? And consequently, to soar, too.

from Galations 5 

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.