Happy Halloween!

Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title. ~From Scooby-Doo

Have you?

I have to admit that I'm about one of the least politically-minded people out there. I mean, I know enough about the political realm to have some idea of what's going, and yes, I did attend Bush's inauguration in 2001 (I happened to be in D.C. and decided it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity), but that's about as far as it goes. Right or wrong, I'm probably more interested in watching The American President than, well...the American president.

But I still think it's important to vote.

I went to an early voting location on Thursday and completed my civic duty. And, you know what? I felt really good about it. Not because I'm campaigning for anyone in particular or because I love the candidates that I voted for, but because I know that I did my part.

And that's cooler than any movie could be...

A Beautiful Day

An intimate portrait
Originally uploaded by merth2erth

There are three things that last: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.
- I Corinthians 13:13

Tommy and Leanna's wedding was absolutely beautiful this past weekend. Dave and I were thrilled and honored to be a part of their special day. Leanna was positively radiant, and I've never seen Tommy look so happy in my life!

Congratulations!

(Check out my flickr page for more pics from the wedding...)

The Mina Project

One of the things that Dave and I like about the church we go to is their commitment to "Global Hope" -- helping people beyond the four walls of our church. The church has monthly food drives, opens the doors as an overnight shelter during cold winter nights, and sends teams all over the world to help those who are physically, emotionally, and spiritually in need.

In my opinion, however, one of the coolest things that Hope has done is The Mina Project. Based on Jesus' parable of the mina (John 19), the project began last fall when the church passed out $35,000 to its members. In sealed envelopes that were passed out during service one weekend, members of the church were given varying amounts and told to multiply it and disperse it as they saw fit to those in need. In total, the $35,000 produced about $200,000 in gifts around the community and the world.

About a month ago, Hope decided to try the project again. This time, they gave out $50,000 with instructions to multiply the mina and return the money in late October. The ultimate goal is to raise enough money to build a hospital in Haiti (working through the Hope4Haiti Foundation), with the remaining funds going to various organizations and ministries in the Triangle.

For my mina project, I am partnering with a friend of mine to sell Hope for Haiti note cards. My friend is a fantastic artist, and she designed three unique card fronts for the packs. We are selling them for $6 for a pack of 3 cards (1 of each design) until Friday, Oct. 24. Let me know if you're interested in checking them out!

I Heart Stormy

Summer is over, and hockey begins tonight. Let's go 'Canes!

(And just for the record, Stormy is... THE. BEST. MASCOT. EVER!)

Team Spirit

"Sports are the reason I am out of shape. I watch them all on TV." - Thomas Sowell

It seems like everyone has that one type of show or a certain channel that they watch the most. My dad has joked before that our family is like that. He and my mom watch a lot of HGTV, my brother and sister-in-law watch the Food Network, and Dave and I...well, we watch a lot of sports.

I know some girls (and even some guys) who would run screaming from that prospect, but I actually don't mind. (Although I will say that I'm thankful Dave isn't interested in watching EVERY game of EVERY sport that's shown on TV!)

I learned a long time ago that one of the best ways to spend time with my dad was to curl up on the couch on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and watch the game with him. I learned quite a bit from watching sports with him, and I'm glad that I did. I may not be able to give you a solid description of how an "offside" in football is different from an "offside" in hockey, but at least I have some idea of what I'm watching!

Like my dad, Dave enjoys having someone to watch with, and I'm glad he considers me a worthy companion. Go team!