Anne Marie Miller

Author: Anne Marie Miller

  • Having Trouble.

    I don’t know how many times I have tried to write this post, but it’s in the double digits by now. This is a lot harder than I thought. Sorry for keeping everybody waiting (not that you’re on pins & needles or anything) but I promise, I’ll kick something out by tomorrow.

    It’s been a good couple of days evaluating many things. Lots of reflecting, praying, talking and making tough yet wise decisions. I think that’s what’s making it so difficult to narrow down what to write.

    The learning never stops.

    Thanks for your patience.

  • Snow vs. The Haircut

    It’s cold, windy and all around not fun in the Kansas City metro today. Flurries blowing around in the gusty, frigid wind.

    But not even Jack Frost himself could keep me away from my hair cut.

    And I must say, it was completely worth it.

    I love you, Jerry Jackson. Thanks again for another fabulous hair cut.

    (Go visit his website linked above – He’s not only an incredible hair dresser, but amazing photographer and overall creative genius!)

    [[edit://Per Kristi Fair’s request – a photo of the new do. Pardon the camera phone quality, lack of makeup and overall gooberness of this shot – It’s Friday. The cut’s kind of a shaggy euro bob with pixie bangs. A mosaic of style and creativity I owe all to Jerry.]]

    haircut

  • Texas

    I just got off the phone with my friend Wes at Lake Pointe. Wes, Christina, and all the other media family at Lake Pointe became fast friends with me over the last few weeks. I have appreciated their unconditional love, wisdom, grace & acceptance through the process of interviewing for a position with them.

    It was not an easy call to make. Not a single red flag presented itself. Everything pointed to yes. But something in my spirit kept saying “This is a season for you to be still.” The counsel I sought outside confirmed “Don’t feel like you have to take the job.”

    So, it was with much procrastination that I called Wes today to let him know of my decision not to move in that direction. He only called me a couple bad names after I told him no…(Just kidding, Wes!) He understood completely and lovingly our decision. And now, I have more friends to hang out with when I visit Texas. To all you LP people who have found your way here to my blog – thank you. I enjoyed meeting you so much! I’m blessed to count you friends (and JJ, I know you’re reading this…so quit your lurking and leave a comment! You have been found out!)

    What’s next? I don’t know. Checking into some local possibilities for employment and freelancing to keep the gas bill paid (it’s supposed to be freezing this weekend!).

    Thanks for your prayers and tracking with me. If you’re reading this, I love doing life with you.

  • Never.

    I know it’s been a while since there was something of substance on here. It’s been a busy couple of weeks, and there are a lot of things happening…decisions to be made…feelings to sort through…and some freelance design on top of it all to keep me busy.

    Yesterday I wasn’t feeling too great, so I canceled my appointments and just kind of sat around and talked to God a lot. During that time, I checked my email a zillion times, and in doing that, got some updates on some people I know. I realized something HUGE I’ve got to work through. Here’s my dilemma:

    When there is someone in my life I don’t really care for (you know…sandpaper people) and something bad happens to them…I can’t help but feel a little bit happy. I know, it’s terrible but in a way I feel justified…like, “Yeah, you’re just getting what you deserve, sucker! It’s about time!” Awful, awful, awful. The feelings of “dog’h” arrive shortly after.

    So…new goal for life (or at least for today, and then tomorrow. and the next day) – Try and look at people, especially the people I’m not so fond of, with the eyes of Christ. I think of how it is our crap he died for, bled for, and was beaten to a bloody pulp for, yet he never looks at us when something bad happens and thinks, “Yeah, you deserve it!”

    Never.

  • Update

    Tooth = fixed for now. Drilled down the sharp edge, put some bonding stuff in it.

    Must get a crown later. No biggie.

    Hung around with the awesome staff & volunteers of the Lake Pointe media team. Mucho fun! I’ve never seen a team function like a family the way they do. Truly amazing.

    Met the parents and sibling for dinner. Quite nice. Haven’t seen them in over a year. I love my parents. And my brother.

    About to go to sleep…early morning tomorrow! We’re having a ball though.

  • Business Centers and Teeth

    Just a quick note – free business center in the hotel! We arrived safely on a quick flight down, but not without a little random story.

    So, I pop my gum in my mouth to avoid the imminent ear popping, and I bite down…hear a big “crunch” and feel a very sharp pain on the right side of my face.

    Was it a bone in my gum? A finger? A chicken beak?

    No…it was the back 1/4 of my right, bottom molar! I think I had a filling there but I don’t remember. So at 9am tomorrow, I will be meeting Dr. Nolte (I think that is her last name!) who is a loving member of Lake Pointe (the church we are visiting – Thanks, Christina!) to get that fixed! (Remember how at breakfast, Crystal, I said I thought I was getting a cavity? Turns out my tooth just wanted to break!)

    Anyway, just a quick hello. Thanks for your prayers! Please keep them coming!

  • Weekend Thought…Goodbye for now…

    Tomorrow at 2pm, I will be turning in my laptop. She’s been good the last 2.5 years…has traveled all over the country with me, and has the battle scars to prove it. There is no “0” key…just a little nub of rubber where it was once attached. If you bump the DVD/CD slot just right, the cover falls off.

    I bought another laptop on eBay yesterday. I sooo wanted a Mac, but the software I have is all PC, and I already have 4 or 5 freelance projects lined up for the next couple of weeks (a girl gotta make money somehow!) so I did the responsible thing and got a really juiced up HP notebook. It actually already has the new Adobe CS2 installed (I only have a disc for v.7) and the latest Macromedia 8 (I have MX), plus Office & XP Pro and a huge, 100g hard drive. CD/DVD-R/RW, wireless (of course), and more…it’s juicy.

    Anyway, there is a slight chance it will arrive tomorrow before we leave but more than likely, it will show up after our trip meaning I won’t be able to email or blog for a while (Probably Tuesday). So…

    *Please pray
    *For clarity
    *For the relationships in Texas

    Thanks everyone… Much love.

  • Cats & Abba

    Wicket

    I have two cats. A gray one named The Flop, and an orange one named Wicket. I got Flop around Christmas 2003 and Wicket, Thanksgiving 2004. I remember seeing his picture online at the shelter, after browsing through hundreds of kittens. Something about him stood out…and I knew he was the one. We went to the shelter to “meet” him and make sure we connected, and I’ll never forget how, when the lady opened his cage, he literally jumped right into my arms and started nuzzling my face.

    Yup, he was the one alright. I took him home and he rode the entire way nuzzled up into my neck, purring like there was no tomorrow.

    So, I’ve had Wicket for a little over a year. I don’t let the cats sleep in my room, and every morning without fail, Wicket is waiting for an open the door…just trying to sneak by him and jump on our bed to start his morning affection cuddle. Usually, I’m still asleep but now and then he slips by, barrels across the bedroom and leaps on the bed, motor running and head going straight under my neck.

    So, by now you’re wondering…what the heck does this have to do with God? I mean, you did title your post “Cats & Abba”)…Well, this morning was one of those mornings where he snuck in and leaped over the bed, right on top of me…meowing and purring and doing the little nuzzle thing with his head. It kind of struck me today though, that he has ALWAYS done this…it wasn’t the initial high of getting adopted…it’s every morning.

    I began to wonder why I am not more like my cat with God. He has given me so much…the necessities, but also a few toy balls, and some cat treats to eat too. He has blessed me so abudantly, but typically in the morning I roll out of bed and complain how bright the sun is (I don’t really like the sun) or how 8am is too early to wake up (knowing how good I have it to be able to come in a little later to the office.)

    My cat taught me a lesson today…about gratefulness…and love. Regardless of how many times I’ve shot him with the water gun to stop him from doing something bad…or stepped on his tail (accidentally, of course)…he is always ready to show he loves me at the first possible second in the day.

    See…cats aren’t all bad.

  • When did 17 year olds become so smart?

    I got this in an email from a friend of mine today. Wise words from a someone who’s not old enough to vote. :)

    “The church will continue to lose people from the next generation if the don’t incorporate their visions into worshiping the God of all generations. That doesn’t mean just trying something “slightly edgy” every once in a while. It means grasping the way the young culture worships God, and transforming the picture of what “church” looks like. God is going to stay the same through all of it. It doesn’t matter if we’re worshipping in a new and different way so long as God’s getting the Glory.”