my octoberfest
I declared last week my own personal Octoberfest. It was a crazy-busy week that left me exhausted, but heartfull. (That should be a word.)
Some highlights:
My sweet friend Tracee spent the week with me. We did a whole lot of everything and nothing. Just the way we like it.
My Nashville friends Kimberly and Shawn took us with them to see U2. You guys know I love me some music, and seeing U2 live was absolutely incredible. Better still was my friends’ connections: We ate pop-tarts on one of the band’s tour buses, stood on stage, and had the best seats in the house—on top of tech cases with no one between us and the stage runway! Un-be-frickin-lievable.
I finally posted some pics last night. Here’s an appetizer…
I walked right by Michael W. Smith at the U2 concert. I had to chuckle at the irony, since I just blogged about taking him off my iPod! And my Sweet Friend was all chuckles that I recognized him!
I rubbed shoulders with some blog-stars at the Bloggers Meet-Up. Like Jon Acuff, Michael Hyatt, Anne Jackson, and Los Whittaker. But I was more excited to finally meet some of my online friends. Like Brad Ruggles, Lisa Ruggles, and Pete Wilson.
I also met some great people who’ve already been added to my reading list. Like Tripp, Tyler, and The Davises. And I got to see a guy who did our summer internship 7 years ago. But more on Greg Darley another time…
I showed up at Catalyst with high expectations, and I didn’t leave disappointed. It’s gonna take me a while to process everything I soaked in—shoot, it’s gonna take me a while just to sort through all the books, cds, and materials I came home with! (I love free!) But a few initial thoughts on my catalytic week—
- I loved worshiping alongside 13,000 other Christian leaders.
- You know I don’t do favorites, but I really enjoyed hearing from Andy Stanley, Matt Chandler, Louie Giglio, Priscilla Shirer, and Chuck Swindoll. Chuck surprised me the most. Especially when he shouted “Shut up!”
- Francis Chan led us in communion. What a beautiful moment with so many thousands of Believers together in worshipful gratefulness…
- I watched a grown man in a leotard belly-flop into a kiddie pool from 3 stories up. I kid you not. See for yourself.
- Guys in skinny jeans. Everywhere. ‘Nuff said.
So… tell me something about you!
i smiled all through this post.
@gritandglory says:
i smiled as i was writing it!
so….
if you remember when we had coffee
I had told you I really wanted a mentor
no joke, the next day, I had such a good conversation with a woman from my best friends’ church- a woman that I’ve met before and someone who always stood out to me as someone I really wanted to know…and so I asked her to be my mentor
long story short
she was very instrumental in my moving to TN
and I’m currently at her house watching her dogs while they’re out of town
so good :)
@gritandglory says:
God is so faithful!
I’m seeing U2 on the 25th and I CANNOT freaking wait. If you know anyone with hook-ups (and clearly you do) help a sister out :)
@gritandglory says:
oh i wish i had magic strings to pull! where are you seeing them?
LA, and the Black Eyed Peas are opening, so it’s gonna be sweet!
SO GLAD IT WAS SUCH AN AWESOME WEEK…..MAY THERE BE MANY MORE. GOD KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED, AND WHEN WE NEED IT. BIG HUG, LOVE YOU BUNCHES…WEEZER
@moweezle says:
wow! Now that is a great week!
Great to read about what a wonderful time you shared with your friends. I love all your pictures, so many smiling faces.
I got to meet two of my favorite friends last week,, Jim (Papa), who has the Choices R Mine blog, and his wife Judy (Mama). We meet at the West Haven beach, Ct, just across Long Island Sound from your families home. Being just a tad older we did not go belly-flop into the Sound. We do favour jeans, but they are no longer skinny.
@gritandglory says:
i am SO SO glad you got to meet papa and mama — that is so special!
and can i just say i’m glad you don’t wear skinny jeans! (don’t worry — i’m glad i don’t wear them either!)
I LOVE YOU and this blog made my heart happy.
oh mammmabird, you make me smile,
Ha ha, great summary Alece! I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to have gone from the U2 concert to Catalyst back-to-back. I think my head would have exploded.
It was so awesome getting to finally meet you too. So glad you could make it.
@gritandglory says:
i wish you could’ve made it to the show, though. lisa told me how bummed you were….
and i really loved getting to see you guys. sorry you were feeling so chachy at the end!
Oh, and my jeans were sufficiently “loose.” I can pinch a good 2-3″ of denim on my thigh. Am I still good?
@gritandglory says:
you’re good. no worries.
Yeah … a fun time and lots of time with Jesus and having friends love on you and laughter and meeting exciting new people who love the Lord. A.W.E.S.O.M.E!
What kind of poptarts? I love the strawberry without icing toasted and slathed with butter. And how fun to meet Jon Acuff and Pete Wilson and have communion led by Francis Chan (love his book!) and then hear Priscilla Shirer and Louis Giglio … two of my faves. Wow!
And then a U2 concert with connections. Saaah-weeeet!
Love you my friend! Glad you had fun …
Something about me … well, I emailed about our trip. That was something! Excited and anticipating what God will manifest next in the earthly realm.
@gritandglory says:
the pop-tarts were blueberry. which are now my fav. if i can actually have a fav. since i probably won’t digest pop-tarts for another decade…
got your email! i’ll write soon. i’d appreciate your extra prayers this week…
P.S. Love the new photo’s on the carousel!
@gritandglory says:
oh thank you!
It was great to finally meet you. Love what God is doing through you. Can’t wait to see you again real soon.
@mandythompson says:
Skinny jeans + deep voices = oxymoron
@gritandglory says:
haha! well-said, friend!
Oldest kid came down w/ flu on my 39th bday, youngest kid came down w/ flu two weeks later, got my blog facelift and am now shopping publishers.
You know, same o, same o.
@gritandglory says:
“shopping publishers”.
awesome!