From the Inside Out

After only 3 hours of sleep, I awoke at 6 am for an early morning trip to the airport. Amazingly, it wasn’t too brutal. Vacations are so invigorating! We had first class tickets so the flight was enjoyable, and I got a little nap before we landed in DC. Once we arrived, the fun (and walking) started.

Our hotel is the historic Willard on Pennsylvania Ave by the White House. It was built in 1816 and has hosted every President since Zachary Taylor. It’s where Julia Howe wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and where MLK wrote his “I Have a Dream” speech. We’re on the 11th floor and have a great view of the Washington Monument and other sights…love it!

We walked EVERYWHERE today. Below are a few highlights from our adventure. To see all of the pictures, check out my “Extended Weekend in DC” photo album here.

WWII Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam Memorial

Korean War Memorial

Capital

Ford’s Theatre where Lincoln was shot

At the White House

Washington Monument pointing to the moon

And finally……

the obligatory Laviator’s shot from the 1st class lavatory (couldn’t resist…haha!)

I’m now a member of the new mile high club!

We trekked downtown last night with a few friends for a unique Tuesday treat. Terry Scott Taylor was in town for one night, and he was performing in Deep Ellum. For those who don’t know Terry, he founded the CCM (Christian Contemporary Music) band, Daniel Amos. He was also a member of the Swirling Eddies and the Lost Dogs — all bands from my youth. Their music brings back lots of great memories.

Terry also happens to be an amazing song writer and composer. Many of his songs are limericks, and others “include allusions to and reworkings of material ranging from Elizabethan poets to modern authors.” Some are funny; others are moving — all are enjoyable.

Last night was billed as an “intimate evening with Terry Scott Taylor.” The venue was small, but a good crowd packed in to hear his music. Terry was joined by his son, Andrew, and Steve Hindalong (Lost Dogs’ member, founding member of The Choir, creator and producer of the ‘City on a Hill’ series, and co-writer of ‘God of Wonders’). Armed with a guitar, bass, and small drum set, the three entertained the audience with a collection of songs from years past and from Terry’s more recent solo collection.

Terry offered humorous commentary and insights between songs. He closed with a poignant song called “You Lay Down” which chronicles the final hours of Jess’ life. Here’s an excerpt:

In a garden of thorns
my Rose of Sharon
bleeds till she’s the color
of the moonlight
and though the angels wrap her
in their feathered arms
they cannot conceal her from
the darkest night

And you didn’t say a word
when they accused you
You did not fight back when the whole world used you

When hate was crowned King
your love never diminished
You stood meek as a lamb there
without blemish
and we laughed when you cried out,
“It is finished”

So you lay down
you lay down
and I’ll step upon your back
up high enough
above the fence
to see all the way to glory land

Powerful, huh?

After the concert, Terry stayed around for an open Q&A session, fielding questions from the audience and offering insight into his journey as an artist and song writer. It was a neat ending to a fabulous night of music.

Mondays tend to be ugly days. A Monday is a cold, hard slap of reality after a fun-filled weekend. I’m not a “Monday” person. I’m a “Friday” — or better yet, “Saturday” — kind of gal.

I can think of nothing better to do on a Monday night than a Friday night activity. It’s like tricking yourself into thinking the weekend isn’t quite over yet. So, I met up with one of my dearest friends for a mini girls night out at Studio Movie Grill. We watched “The Ugly Truth” directed by Legally Blonde’s Robert Luketic and starring Katherine Heigl with Gerard Butler.

I was a bit leery of this film because it opened with harsh reviews. However, since romantic comedies aren’t known for their literary (or creative) genius, I decided to be open-minded and hope for the best. After all, the trailors were cute, I like the actors playing the main characters, and I had been looking forward to watching it before I read the reviews.

The movie is a classic “battle of the sexes” story. IMDB.com provides the following summary, “Katherine Heigl stars as a lovelorn television producer who’s made to run a gauntlet of romantic exploits by a pig-headed morning-show host (played by Gerard Butler) as a way to prove whose romantic methods are more accurate.” It’s not a great description, but it’s pretty accurate. This new morning-show host shows up and shakes up Abby’s (Katherine Heigl’s) life — much to her dismay. He’s crude, rude, and a complete jerk, but some of his remarks about male/female relationships have a hint of truth to them, even if it does happen to be the “ugly truth.” Eventually, the two characters embark on an experiment to see whose methods work best. That’s when things start to get funny.

This movie was entertaining from start-to-finish, and it had some genuine “laugh out loud” moments. Once again, I’m glad I didn’t listen to the critics. Yes, some of the humor is crude and maybe a bit shocking at times (rated R for sexual content and language), but I never found it offensive. It’s not a movie for kids, but if you can overlook some of the language and a few crude jokes, you will enjoy it. If not, don’t go.

As for me, I enjoyed it, and I’m not alone.  Viewers on Rotten Tomatoes also disagreed with the critics and gave it a 63% fresh rating.  I’m giving it a solid B+.

It was a long day, but a great day. Since I only got 5 hours of sleep last night, tonight’s blog is a short day-in-review:

• Started the day early with worship team practice at 8 am
• Had two amazing services at ALC today. Jacob Lowery was in town this weekend, and he led the worship. It was awesome! Jeff followed it up with a powerful sermon that wrapped up the “Polarized” series. Great stuff!
• Participated in the “Lifer’s Luncheon”, a casual lunch for all new members at ALC where they meet the staff and learn more about the different ministries at the church.
• Went to Katrina and Greg’s new home for our young married’s discussion group and dinner. We had a good crowd tonight along with interactive discussion and fun fellowship.
• Continued the young married’s group fun by meeting up at Stonebriar to watch Melody play hockey and to cheer for her team. She’s one of only two females on the league team, and she does a fantastic job of holding her own with the men. Love it!

Well, that’s pretty much my day in review. I think I packed in as much as I possibly could. Now I just need to find time to sleep!

Have a great week!

What a great day! Jacob Lowry is back at ALC for the weekend, and we met today to learn a few new songs for service tomorrow morning. I really love one of the songs we’re singing, “Open Up the Sky” by Deluge. The words of the chorus really hit home with me.

All I want is more of Him, and He did not disappoint today. His sprit fell in a powerful way during rehearsal, and it was such a blessing. It just proves that whenever you praise Him with your whole heart, He will be there. You don’t need a crowd — just an open heart. Love it!

This evening, Gary and I went downtown for dinner and a show. We ate at the new Hard Rock Cafe which opened recently in Victory Park. It’s great having a Hard Rock in Dallas again, but this one is more modern than most of the ones we’ve visited. It doesn’t seem to have the same charm (or as much memorabilia) as the others, but the “twisted mac & cheese” is fantastic!

After dinner, it was time for “Legally Blond: The Musical” at Fair Park. If you enjoyed the movie, you’ll love the show. It was filled with fun, perkiness, laughs, and lots of pink. As the ads say, it was “one “Elle” of a show!” My favorite parts included the UPS guy and the courtroom “gay or European?” scenes. The dogs also provided some cute “aww” moments.

If you haven’t seen it yet, buy tickets and go next weekend. You’ll have a great time…and don’t forget to wear pink!