Tap tap tap...anyone there? This thing on?

[crickets chirping]

Uh huh...well, I may have lost some of you over the course of the last 9 days. How can I assign blame? I leave you for 9 days with a post about mowing the lawn and expect you to be perked up on the edge of your seat waiting for what comes next? The audacity.

But you....you....you're good, you. You've stuck with me and for that I am truly grateful. I hope the chains don't hurt too much.

So I had a super duper follow-up to the lawn-mowing post....it was all about watching my socks dry. It was going to be a good one. However, I decided to keep that one to myself. I sense your grief - counseling will be available.

Instead, I decided to account for my absence over the last nine days - in hopes that you will forgive me and welcome me back into your good graces.

As most of you know, I work part time at the USA branch of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ). I can't really say exactly what I do there...alot of different things. Some technical, some graphical, some db admining, some reporting, some this, some that. I even unload the dishwasher sometimes (shhhh....don't tell Mike - he is still under the impression that I don't know how to do it). After 10 years of Corporate America and 10 years of consulting to the business industry (uh oh...I just really made myself feel old), I think working in ministry is a nice change of pace. I feel like I can use my skills for a cause that is Kingdom focused - and, I get to work with cool peeps. Of course, they made me sit at the kitchen table for 6 months, but I won't hold that against them!

Here is a little advert that will give you a taste of what our ministry is about:




Please, PLEASE, PLEASE visit our webiste and find out more about this ministry to Israel and the Jewish people. As a side note, I respect your right to hold a differing opinion on the issues our ministry addresses. However, I would still encourage you to check out some of the resources and listen to the arguments being made for our causes. You may be surprised what you find.

On to business. This weekend, the ICEJ partnered up with a large local church here in town to put on a 3 day conference entitled, "Israel, the Church and the Nations". We featured 2 incredible (and when I say incredible, you don't really understand what I mean....I mean....INCREDIBLE) speakers who challenged me - major big time. My brain hurts and I need a massage. And I'm having nightmares about hundreds of trays of sandwiches from Jason's deli attacking me. There's a very large foil tray of pickles in my refrigerator. It's a problem. Ok, we need to move on.

So I have been a little on the busy side helping to prepare for this conference. Not that I did so much, but I did work more than I normally do (40 hours in the last week, 26 of those hours were in the last 3 days). When you put that on top of my other life responsibilities...well, the apple cart get's a little spun out. You people out there that do the whole "working full time" thing? I am so giving you props right now. There was a time during my Corp. America days when I did my share of 60 hour weeks but those days are WAAAAAYYYYYY over (not to mention I'm WAAAYYYYYY older). Anyway - much respect to the workforce of America.....(just so you can get the visual that goes along with that last sentence, I'm doing that whole Sammy Sousa thing with the kissing of the fist and the peace sign on the heart and the what not all).

Man. I need to move on. I'm going nowhere fast. I'm thinking of falling back on my sock drying post...this is a train wreck. Sorry.

Busy. Yeah, I've been busy....too busy to blog. TB squared.

But I did want to say that my 3 day weekend was extremely rewarding. I served. I learned. I talked. I engaged. I worshiped. I laughed. I heard truth spoken. I heard an 80 year old British man say a naughty word in church. I was challenged. I was exhausted. I was blessed. I found strength and energy where there wasn't any. I found something out about myself that I didn't know. I ate alot of Jason's Deli. I spoke a bit of Spanish to some Latino Pastors. I was hugged by 2 Nigerian Pastors. I missed being hugged by my family. I saw my friends give of themselves. I saw people I barely knew give of themselves. I touched the arm of a master theologian. I saw people's eyes being opened to truth. I bought a really big book. I gave my feet a reason for a pedicure.

Now I'm back. Back to the regularly scheduled Club Amaro programing. Back to mowing lawns and drying socks. I love my life - and don't think that you heard one SHRED of sarcasm in that statement. I do love my life...my family, my God. Not necessarily in that order. Also, I love my readers!! Thanks for sticking with me, guys...you are the BEST!

lotsa love,
k

PS: Gotta get a shout out to the sis-in-law, J to the M.I.Chizy-lis. In honor of your bday, I have a special clip for you. Hope it brings back a fun memory. ENJOY!