good fences make good roommates?

Height Order

I'm not sure why this is so hillarious to me, but here we are, in height order, looking extra cool. Happy Monday.

Nice Ride

Have you seen these yet?

It's a new program in Minneapolis, called "Nice Ride."

They've recently opened a station right by our house.

Evidently you pay a daily, monthly, or yearl subscription fee, plus an hourly rate to use the bikes, but like the Hennepin County library system you can return your bike at any station.

I have my own gorgeous bike, that over the last 2 weeks with a flooded out car has been getting me everywhere I need to go. I've heard it said that Minneapolis/St. Paul is the second most bikeable urban area in the US (after Portland, OR). When my friends Aimee and Chris were here last week they were amazed by how many bikers there were. Now visitors and those who don't have thier own bikes can join in on the fun.

How to Build Community - Ask A Question

This is my dear friend Leah. Leah asks good questions. She's also the most community minded person I know.

Leah used to work for Dinomights and so I used to see her a few times each week at work. Back in those days we were asked more than once if we were sisters, (being tannish white women with brown hair)

Today, we look more like pretend twins. Look at our coordinated, unplanned grey-purple ensembles. We met up this afternoon and then walked to the MIA, we walked, and talked, and enjoyed the airconditioning of the Museum (you know seeing billions of dollars worth of art is ok, but free air conditioning is brilliant).

Our time at the MIA was filled with great conversations, and great questions. The questions Leah asked me today were an almost immediate answer to prayer. So I'm thanking God today that Leah is a part of my community and that she asks questions.

Each Day Has Enough Trouble of Its Own

Multiple transitions at work, a flooded car, a mysterious ongoing allergic reaction to something that both my doctors and I can't figure out and my natural instinct is to worry.

This week, I took my prayer/camera walk at Wolfe Park, I needed to run some errands and I could bike to Excelsior and Grand/Miracle Mile, so it was back St. Louis Park, to see what God had for me. I took these pictures, and then laughed at how well they illustrate Jesus' command not to worry in Matthew 6. Look:


Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Double Reunion Day

I met up with a few college friends yesterday for lunch. It was so great to see Aimee and her husband Chris, who I haven't seen for about four years. They live near Dallas and stopped at my house on their way to Deer River to see her family. Jessi, another college friend who just returned from Iraq, and Lisa another friend, who though she works less than a mile from my house I've only seen 3 times this year. All came over and got Vietnamese sandwiches with me. We enjoyed an awesome day in the sun, played with Aimee and Chris' dog and caught up a little bit. These are women who I know would have my back if I ever needed rescuing. We all lived on the 7th floor of Lake Superior Hall our freshman year. *cue the music* "memories." We forgot to snap a picture before Lisa left, so here's me, Aimee and Jessi.

After my college buddies left I developed some sort of allergic reaction, so I was off to the doctor, the doctor gave me a strong antihistamine that made me super drowsy, so when Richard drove me home I was groggy, but so happy because . . . . .

BETHANY IS HOME!!!!!!!

I'm groggily drugged up on allergy meds in this picture, and B's crying, but look at how ridiculously happy we are in the midst of that!!!!

Yay!