pops – ditto! nice to hear from you and see you on facebook, too!

…really appreciate your thoughts and your journey!

i’m curious: do you do anything with the emergant movement and have any thoughts about that phenomenon? your church makes me think of it.

looking forward to your writings in 2009!
best, mihee kim-kort

valerie – welcome! it’s always fun to hear how people find stuff out here! hope you come back

amy – thanks, it has been so great to have your input and thoughts here and i look forward to more in 2009…

tracy – you always have the kindest words to share. thanks. what a year, eh? who knew so many wild and crazy and beautiful things would happen on the journey. i, too, look forward to staying connected out here

tom – thanks for the input. that is my hope, too, and what i want to continue to focus upon because i think it’s so easy to talk theory until we’re blue in the face, but where does the rubber really meet the road? in the incarnation. i have so many stories i wish i could tell but not enough space for it. i appreciate your heart & Jesus journey & look forward to staying connected out here, too.

ryan – i think it’s going to be a fun year…

donna – the “most of which” really made me smile!

mark – thanks for being so faithful to always comment, you know how much each one means…

brother maynard – thanks for the link love

jenn – same to you!

stacy – it’s kind of wild, eh, what can happen? God is crazy and fun sometimes. i am glad you liked the exercise, too, i used it here at a couple of groups and it’s been really helpful for me, too. something about taking time to reflect.

libby – great to hear from you here. yeah, we’ve all got our own carnivals, don’t we? love to you guys from afar.

lisa – my triple gold star participant that was so funny the other night. i am glad that you enjoyed the exercise and i’m just glad that other carpool didn’t work out, hahhaha. i am so glad we’re on this journey together and i do look really forward to all that’s ahead in 2009. another refuge owen meany fan! karl’s the one who kept telling me “you need to read this” and finally found me a copy at a garage sale. jose’s reading it, too.

bethany – thanks for your encouragement. i look forward to more synchroblogs, too, i always like the different perspectives.

david – thanks for letting me know that chart has gotten some mileage!

randy – love to you from across the mountains, my friend.

shelby – thanks for getting in touch, and it would be so fun to make it to montana one of these days. i’ve never been there and yes, i would cherish that conversation. i am glad that i met minnow out here and that she introduced you to the carnival…i am glad, too, that you have been pressing out on your blog, keep writing!

Thanks for your summary of 2008 — especially about how much blogging has unexpectedly blessed and surprised you. I just committed to blogging more regularly (it’s been a slow launch for me at radically authentic), and your words put fuel in my jet pack.

Also, thanks for the tip on Lars and the Real Girl (I knew it was about a guy and a blow-up doll, but that was all I knew until reading your comments.) I just added it to my Netflix.

Sorry to hear that the laptop has stolen away your workout time. If you’re ever in western Montana, swing my Missoula. Minnowspeaks and I would love to take you to lunch. And, I work for a women’s only gym that rocks. Bring your suit and towel. We’ll say we’re going to go work out, but we could just spend hours moving from the silky-warm pool to the steam room, to the sauna, to the hot tub, and back to the pool. Howz that for a 2009 goal?

All my best,

Shelby

The Refuge has definitely been a place of shelter for me, both at the physical location and on-line. I can’t tell you how many afternoons your blog helped me through. Just knowing I had a connection to someone who cared and who wanted to introduce me to others who cared. I’ll never forget our lunch on July 2nd in Lone Tree where I first had an opportunity to talk with you at length. Thanks for making that long drive down to do that with me.

I LOVED this posting. As I was reading your reflections, I mentally made a note that I was going to copy your format and reflect on the same questions over at my blog. I could really relate to your most embarrasing moment of falling @ the movie theatre. In fact, the image of it made me laugh. As a sophmore in High School, after handing in a test to my Geometry teacher at the front of the room, I slipped on the floor and fell on my a**. I was mortified…especially because I couldn’t explain how it had happened. As we would say in group: “Thanks for sharing:)”

Love ya, Lisa