The Shinn Digs

For all those that have encouraged me to post - well - here it is. Some thoughts from on my weekend:

1. Got to share a lot of my memories about my Grandpa (Archie Shinn) with Keaton today. That was a special few moments.
2. Gardening with JP all day Saturday. I was exhausted by the end of the day but it was a great day together. Did I mention it was all day… She is reading this book called Making Room For Life and ‘production hours’ are from 6 am to 6 pm - we were producing like crazy yesterday. Thank goodness for Sunday (Sabbath rest- I love Sundays!)
3. Ben Patterson taught about prayer - fabulous.
4. Friendship Manor: I volunteer some time at this low income retirement community and I took the family out to a BBQ at FM today. We met Emily who turned 101 today! Wow!

OK - enough for today. I’m all out of words - at least until I start talking in my sleep (in about 5 minutes) - maybe I’ll blog about that someday…

Having concern for another person or creature is a lesson we all learn (at least need to learn) in life.  Learning how to love them in such a way that they are (and feel) looked after and cared for.  Kinsley was honored with the “Caring Award” for her classroom at Roosevelt School for living out this characteristic with her peers and teachers.  We are proud of you Kins!

I have been known to be an active sleeper - walking, talking, dressing for work, etc… Last night, I went to bed in my normal attire - a pair of boxer shorts. I woke up with 3 pairs on… I don’t know why, though I do “remember” that it made perfect sense in my dream to get up and put on two extra boxer shorts. Go figure…?

Kristen Dowling is hounding me to begin writing my list of  "101
Things I Want to Do Before I Die." I’ve read hers, and she wants to be
able to read mine and talk about it … fair enough. She promised this
would not take too long, and while I don’t know if I can get it done
all in one sitting, at least I’m starting! This will be a work in
progress (c’mon … it’s Camp season!)

1. Learn to play the djembe (round African drum).
2. Adopt a child.
3. Be a foster parent.
4. Finish a triathlon.
5. Speak at a Taylor University chapel.
6. Own a Vespa.
7. Go to Italy on vacation.
8. Go to the Olympics.
9. Re-landscape our backyard.
10. Take a photography class.
11. Take a gourmet cooking class.
12. Learn to pick on the guitar.
13. Take formal guitar lessons.
14. Get married.
15. Finish my Masters of Theology degree.
16. Teach a college level class.
17. Work for Starbucks.
18. Own Starbucks stock.
19. Retire at 62.
20. Work for Dan Ribbens Contruction and learn everything I can.
21. Ride 50  miles on my bike.
22. Take my Vespa (see #6) on a tour through Northern California.
23. Go on a Disney Cruise.
24. Play the guitar with Jennifer Knapp.
25. Play the guitar with the Indigo Girls.
26. Own a house with a large, gourmet kitchen.
27. Become a great pool shark.
28. Learn Greek.
29. Learn Hebrew.
30. See a World Cup soccer championship.
31. Work with college students alongside my husband (see #14).
32. Have an office someday with floor to ceiling bookshelves for all my books.
33. Continue collecting books.
34. Go on another houseboating vacation with my family.
35. Go on another hosueboating vacation with my college buddies.
36. Visit the north east in the fall during prime color time.
37. Share my new big girl bed with a SMOG (studly man of God). #14 is a pre-requisite.
38. Drive my Pontiac Vibe until it’s time to bury it without crashing it.
39. Spend time every week in a coffee shop reading.
40. Go to the beach more reguarly.
41. See the ball drop at Times Square
42. Have a guy ask me to get dressed up and take me to The Sage and Onion
43. Have a guy ask me to wear shorts and flip flogs and pack a picnic at the beach
44. Ok … just have a guy ask me to do something!
45. Be an elder at SBCC
46. Do a bike tour down the coast of Southern California
47. Do a bike tour through Italy (this is different than #7)
48. Have a "home theater room" … The Blue Room in my current house
49. Own my own Christian Cafe/Coffee shop, featuring live music and hours past midnight (I’ll hire someone else for that shift!)
50. Write a book … topic TBD
51. Visit Val in Boston
52. Always stay friends with Julie Fredeen and Marcy Ripberger (my two closest college buddies … thank you Verizon!)
53. Find a mentor that I can meet with every week or so over some great coffee or tea.
54. Install an attic staircase.
55. In the event of #14, stay sensitive to my single friends (like my friends Paul and Karen are!)
56. Be a really great Homegroup Leader
57. Teach Zak not to go crazy when the door bell rings.
58. Teach Zak to sit like a good boy when the person enters the door.
59. Teach Zak to pick up his toys and put them in his basket.
60. Teach Zak to enjoy the swimming pool and go for a dip with me.
61. Be able to afford to heat the swimming pool so #60 happens.
62. Make my really cool living room furniture from Target last until #14 happens, then pick out new stuff with said person).
63. Bike from Ojai to Ventura to the beach on that super cool bike path.
64. Own one of those amazingly small Sony laptops.
65. Own an Apple computer (just for the Garage Band feature).
66. Learn to play "Peace" by Jennifer Knapp (did I say that already??)
67. Own a VW Camper and take it all kinds of fun places in the US.
68. If #14, #2, or #3 every happen, make camping our regular family vacation … everyone remembers camping trips!
69. Go camping with Julie and Marcy (#52) when it DOESN’T rain.
70. Experience a church in Korea … one of the MEGA churches.
71. Live near the Friesen’s.
72. Be asked to be someone’s God-parent.
73. Have someone throw me a surprise birthday party.
74. Make a regular time each year to hang out with Sal and JB (my how we laugh when we’re together!)
75. Stay active in GWEOT and read some GREAT books (even though it is slow).
76. Have all 7 of my neices and nephews come visit me for a week.
77. Use my bow flex at least 2 times a week (I need a workout partner!)
78. Visit China (might be helpful if Val came along).
79. Have a situation like the Peterson/Ridenour/Ridenour/Popp houses … have good friends live right next door.
80. Complete a 40 day fast.
81. Read through the Bible every year (Check out the current year’s plan on my Blog Friends … I’m reading chronologically in 2007).
82. Have one of those houses that people just KNOW they can relax in and feel totally themselves.
83. Have one of those houses that people always feel like they can stop
    by for a visit, even if I’m not home (like pretty much all the places
    mentioned in #79).
84. Take a sabatical (sounds cool, doesn’t it!)
85. Visit Knotting Hill (is it really a place?)
86. Hold hands in church with someone special.
87. Go to a Women’s Final Four again with Marcy.
88. Learn to dress better.
89. Have my "fat pants" last until I die.
90. Be buried in my "fat pants" (seriously … I want to be buried in those pants. I’ll put it in my will.
91. Find a 2nd pair of pants I love nearly as much as my "fat pants" for under $10 (just in case #89 doesn’t happen).
92. Have Reed Jolley officiate my wedding.
93. Serve In and Out at my wedding reception.
94. Serve Twinkies and juice boxes at my wedding (in lieu of cake and punch … cause it’s about as random, don’t you think!)
95. Have dancing at my wedding, and have everyone feel OK about the fact that I don’t want to dance, but I’ll enjoy watching them.
96. Lead Homegroup with the McLeans for a long time.
97. Visit Coach Yow, Rob, Christy, and Steph in North Carolina.
98. Establish a will (I figure if I’m going to die, this would be an important thing!)
99. "Set my house in order" in such a way that when that time comes, my
    family and friends don’t have to worry and stress over stupid things
    like what songs to play or what color casket to buy. I realize this is
    a bit morbid, but like I said in #98, if I’m thinking about all I want
    to do before I die, this seems appropriate.
100. Be a discipler on an AIA soccer tour along with the Friesens (see Jamie’s list for added confirmaton!)
101. Reach a level of spiritual maturity that I long for the eternal life in Jesus’ presence more than I love this life.
102. Drink 3 Nalgene bottles of water every day.
103. Memorize the book of Deuteronomy.