contest: make me laugh!

You know a cheerful heart is good medicine, right? Well, these days I keep finding myself scouring the internet for some comic relief. Laughing always feels good, but right now it feels like magic.

And it's your turn to provide me a dose of laughter medication.

Head over to the talk to me page and you'll see a new feature I recently added to the Grit. You can easily record and send me a video (or audio) message that comes straight to me. It isn't displayed online; I'm the only one who sees it.

So get your webcam rolling and create a funny video to send me. The person who makes me laugh the hardest will be declared the winner.

Contest rules:

• You can submit as many entries as you'd like.
• Record your video here. If you'd rather film/edit your video some other way and email it to me, that's fine, too.
• Submissions must be received by midnight (EST) on Monday, January 12th 19th.
• Winning video will be displayed on my blog.
• Winner will receive some bucks to spend at two of my favorite places to drop cash: Starbucks and iTunes.

Got it? Let me know if you have any questions!

This is your time to shine. And my time to laugh.

Bring it on!

:::::

**POST UPDATE**

Winner announced!

bunkum: gatvol

Man, it's been ages since we've played a game here at the Grit. I think it's time to resume the weekly ritual. Here goes:

• Post a definition for the made-up word above your comment, or use the word in a sentence.
• Then leave a made-up word for the next person.
• Have fun!

Starter word: gatvol (thanks, Anti!)

twenty-six: hot butts

It's sad, but true. Twenty-six people have found the Grit by searching for "hot butts".

I said they found the Grit that way. Not me!

I need to work on that. I'm a little behind. (Ha!)

twenty-four: on the list

This is number twenty-four on my Christmas wish list:

That makes me laugh probably more than it should.

What's something you don't want for Christmas?

twenty-one: snapshots

My heart could use some African love right now... I guess I'll have to settle for just looking at a snapshot---or twenty-one. These beautiful kids make my heart feel a little stronger.

Describe a snapshot of what your life looks like right now.

seventeen: minutes later

I just wasted seven minutes---or was it seventeen!?---on this:

Where are your favorite places to kill lose waste spend time online?

twelve: days of christmas

Have you ever stopped to think about The Twelve Days of Christmas song? Seriously, does anyone want their true love to give them so many birds? Between the partridge, turtle doves, French hens, calling birds, laying geese, and swimming swans, I’d say you’d really just end up with a whole lotta crap to clean up.

And I can’t help but think of a horrible musical with all those milking maids, dancing ladies, leaping lords, piping pipers, and drumming drummers. Cue mental image of men in tights wielding musical instruments and frolicking about with large-chested women. No thanks.

The only thing in the song my true love is even allowed to give me is (white) gold rings. But, in all honesty, who needs five? Certainly not me.

Is there a Christmas song you either totally love or totally hate? (Make sure you tell us why!)

eleven: o'clock dreams

Our flight from South Africa was long and eventful, and we were so glad to touch down on American soil when we finally landed in Washington, DC yesterday morning.

As we went through customs, there were signs that read "Welcome to the United States" and a monotone voice declared the same greeting over the PA system. But nothing made me feel like I was home as when we walked through the final set of doors into the terminal and I saw St. Arbucks.

My venti non-fat, extra-hot chai in a glorious red cup of happiness was worth every penny.

We settled in at the house, ate some food, and called it an early night.

ten: Qs and As

Time for some Q&A. My Qs, your As. Wait a minute...??? Never mind. Moving right along. Here are ten questions. Feel free to answer one or all of them. Don't think too hard---just write the first thing that pops into your brain. And you can give short answers or long, it's entirely up to you.

Ready?

1. Breakfast for dinner---yay or nay?
2. What's your favorite Christmas tradition?
3. Do you prefer Starbucks or no-frills coffee shops?
4. What's your biggest hope for 2009?
5. What's your least favorite noise?
6. What song best describes you today?
7. What's the oddest thing in view, right now, wherever you are?
8. What are you praying most for yourself these days?
9. What's your favorite nickname (your own or someone else's)?
10. What's one blog I should read that you don't think I already am?

six: days and then rest... or death?

All too often I work on the Sabbath. And apparently, that means I should be long dead by now. For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.

Thank the Lord for grace. I'm just sayin'.

I wanna hear from you:

What does Sabbath mean to you? How diligent are you at keeping a day of Sabbath each week? Got any tips for keeping one day "holy to the Lord"?

Talk amongst yourselves.

five: euro for condoms

Did you know there are condom vending machines in Italy? There are. Right along the busy streets, next to Louis Vuitton and a myriad of lingerie stores. Every time we saw one of the condom-dispensing machines, we joked about buying some. We finally went for it. In went five Euro. Out came a pack of six condoms.

Definitely worth the money spent. (That's what she said.)

pulling the cord

Sometimes the hardest part---of pretty much anything---is simply pulling the cord.

(Disclaimer: Niel shot this on his cellphone, so it's not the greatest quality...)

wall of thanks

My favorite part of Thanksgiving...

What would you add to the wall?

totally worth it

Driving for 16 hours---as the one actually behind the wheel, which I'm only clarifying because any of my passengers could justifiably say the same phrase---Anyway... Let me start over. Driving for 16 hours was totally worth it. Especially each time we laughed long and loud over goofy shenanigans in our car. And when we came up over that hill and there before us was the most exquisite vineyard-laced valley. And when we emerged from the long tunnel to see our first glimpse of Cape Town. And when we drove by Table Mountain, blanketed by a huge cloud.

Yeah, driving for 16 hours was totally worth it. Especially when the interns opened their hearts to us---and each other---in our first debriefing session this morning. And when they were still discussing Nehemiah 6:3 later in the day. And when we walked along the pier that juts into the white-capped ocean this afternoon.

Driving for 16 hours was totally worth it. Especially when Niel and I went out to dinner with some older missionary friends this evening and he had to explain his God-awful haircut. That was worth the price of admission right there!

christmas cards

So I'm trying to decide on a Christmas card picture. What do you think?

Option #1

Option #2

Yep. That means the interns raised their money! (Wanna see more? You can!)

THE shirt

Crystal's wearing "THE shirt". It makes an appearance once a year here at Thrive Africa.

It all started in 2005 with the arrival of our interns. One of them stepped off the airplane to start his year with us wearing THE shirt. He'd had it made just for the occasion. We laughed; we cringed; we told him he wasn't allowed to wear it off the mission base.

The next year, smack in the middle of our summer internship program, THE shirt surfaced again. At the end of a Family Night gathering at our house, one of our summer interns took off his sweatshirt and there it was! THE shirt! It was an incredibly fun surprise, and the rest of the night was filled with a lot of laughter.

Last year one of our interns did something similar. At the end of Thrive Church, she unzipped her fleece and revealed THE shirt! It caught us totally off-guard---once again!---and solidified its spot as a Thrive family tradition.

Two weeks ago at a staff meeting, we went around the room sharing testimonies, same as always. When it was Crystal's turn to share, she started off by saying how hot it was in the room. She dramatically pulled her sweatshirt over her head, revealing THE shirt underneath. Niel and I couldn't stop laughing.

So, in case you hadn't heard, this is THE shirt to wear this season!

four-minute friday: pablo

Go. Last week at Hope House (the orphanage we work at each Friday) the interns told the story of Paul's conversion. Matt narrated and Shannon played a very dramatic Paul. (You've gotta overcompensate when you're the wrong gender for the part...)

After explaining how God got Paul's attention and asked him to "work for Him", Matt asked the kids how they thought Paul responded.

One girl raised her hand. "He said, 'Yes'."

"That's right," Matt replied. "And what do you think God said next?"

There was a long pause. A little boy stood up to answer. "He said, 'Thank you.'"

Classic.

Done.

captionating

[INSERT CAPTION HERE]

this is how it all began

I was 18, spending yet another summer in Africa. Bonnie and I were tent mates---a Georgia Peach and a Long Islander, sharing the tight confines of a two-man tent. Amid the cramped quarters and rough conditions of rural Botswana, we became fast friends.

Our sleeping bags and suitcases pretty much filled the tent. Rice Krispie Treats, Fruit by the Foot, and M&M's abounded. (I am the queen of snacks!) Laughter hovered like a thick cloud, filling every small bit of space that remained. Bonnie makes the funniest faces and, even now, just thinking of her impersonation of a wide-mouth frog makes me laugh. Many, many good times were shared together in and out of our humble abode.

"So what's Bonnie short for?" I asked one day as we sat in our snack-filled tent.

"What do you mean?"

"I've never met someone named Bonnie before, so I have no clue what your full name might be."

She stated to laugh. "It's not short for anything. My name's just Bonnie."

"Really?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes! What would it be short for?" she challenged.

"I don't know..." I sat and pondered a moment. "Bonilda?!"

Bonnie doubled over laughing, tears streaming out of her eyes. I shrugged and laughed with her.

And to me, she's been Bonilda ever since.

forrest gumping

Niel and I basically Forrest Gumped our way around Sicily, literally stumbling into some amazing things that we probably wouldn't have discovered had we even tried.

: :

• Like an incredible restaurant for our anniversary dinner. With a Dustin Hoffman lookalike as the manager, excellent service, and the best cannoli Niel's ever tasted, this was hands-down our favorite place to eat.

• Like ancient ruins in the middle of a vineyard. We couldn't resist exploring the old abandoned buildings, surrounded on all sides by row after row of grape vines.

• Like one of the best wineries in Sicily. We managed to get in on a tour and tasting, even though they're not open for walk-ins!

• Like amazing pizza at a podunk bakery in a tiny village that we really only stopped at because my bladder was screaming profanities.

• Like a restaurant that's been around since 1890. They serve the best homemade ravioli---we went back another night just to eat it again!

• Like an outdoor market festival in the village closest to Europe's largest active volcano. The market was abuzz with locals buying and selling crafts, honey, jam, etc. At one of the meat and cheese stalls, Niel sampled a gelatenous cow tongue concoction that wobbled like an overgrown Jell-o Jiggler gone bad.

• Like a small trattoria where Niel told the chef, "Surprise me!" He ended up with a whole fish (head, tail, and all!), several large prawns, and a stomach ache!

• Like a wine shop where you bring your own empty bottle (of any variety) and they fill it with wine from an oak barrel (using a glorified gas pump nozzle).

: :

I love that we saw and experienced the less-touristy side of Sicily. Which goes to show, there are real benefits to not having a clue where you're going or what you're doing!