Putting Others First

I know a lot of people don't like to make New Year's Resolutions but I'm not one of them.  I {heart} resolutions.  Or goals, or intentions or whatever you choose to call them - I {heart} them all!  I like taking time to reflect on (what I can remember of) the past year and seeking God's will for me in the year to come.

Over the past several weeks God has been leading me to put others first.  You see, over the years I have become very good at making sure my needs are met.  I have plenty of down time, I indulge occasionally, I forgive myself when I fall short, I spend most of my time doing things I enjoy with people I love.  I have essentially designed my life with my comfort in mind, surrounding myself with people, experiences and things that encourage me, support me and bring me joy.  It's an admittedly selfish way of life and one that I think most people should embrace for a season of their life.  However, while making it all about me is good and well for a time, God has made it clear to me that the time has come to move on and start focusing more of my energy outward - on the needs and desires of others. 

To put it plainly - this will not be easy for me.  In all honesty, putting others first goes against my nature.  It sounds terrible but it's true.  I'm not saying I am incapable of, or even dislike, caring for and helping others.  It's just that usually when I do so there is something in it for me.  I'm not going out of my way or sacrificing anything of myself to achieve the result.  I don't know what it looks like to be intentional about putting others first in a life full of personal responsibility and obligations that I can't easily walk away from.  Putting others first is a much more abstract resolution than I am used to.  There is no easy way to measure my progress or success.  I don't imagine it will be something I master in 366 days (2012 is a leap year) and move on from in 2013.  It just doesn't fit nicely in a resolution box.  But it is where God has brought me and I will do my best to listen, follow and obey Him as he continues to lead.   

I am blessed to be exiting a season of selfishness as I enter this season of selflessness.  I am full of peace, love, confidence and all other measures of joy.  I am open to giving freely and generously from what I've been given and I know that, as with all things, there needs to be balance.  Finding the balance may just be the most difficult - and important - aspect of this journey. 

A Day in the Life - Black Friday - Cyber Monday

Where were we?  Oh yes!  We had just snuggled up into bed after a fabulously fun day celebrating Thanksgiving on our own - remember?  As I noted previously we had tossed around the idea of going to Macy's at midnight on Black Friday but we decided to get a bit of rest and leave the door busting to the pros. 

Black Friday
After a quick breakfast we took a short walk (1.5 blocks to be precise) to the Light Rail station.  We hopped on and rode to the end of the line (or maybe it's the beginning) which just happens to be the Mall of America (go BIG or go home!).  After picking up the mandatory Starbucks we made a bee-line for the American Girl store.  A very special almost-but-not-quite 2 year old will be getting a very special doll this Christmas!  Her auntie might be more excited about this than she is - we'll see.  The mall was busy but not overly crowded (though I hear it got worse as the day went on - record breaking attendance).  We shopped for a while and then hopped back on the train and made our way back to the hotel.  We enjoyed a bit of downtime and then made our way to Manny's Steakhouse (just a few short blocks from our hotel) for dinner.  Manny's is known for their steaks, seafood and GIGANTIC portions.  You can actually order a 3 lb+ piece of meat - the "Bludgeon of Beef" but they also have some more reasonably sized options.  We both opted for the smallest (8oz) filet - Best.Steak.Ever.  I'm not kidding - this was the best steak I have ever eaten - nothing fancy, just a really good cut of meat prepared really well.  Yummm!  Of course there were drinks and salads and sides and desserts that were also fabulous but really - if you're going to Manny's it's all about the steak.  Chris and I have found a new favorite restaurant for special occasion dining - we will definitely be back!

Saturday
Saturday was a restful day.  We hung out downtown and explored the ins and outs of the skyway system.  We walked through the Macy's Christmas display (bonus - MUCH lighter crowds during the day - virtually no line), had lunch and shopped a bit more.  At night we took a short walk (.5 blocks) to Nicollet Mall and watched the Holidazzle Parade before heading out to meet our nephew (visiting from California) and his mom & dad for dinner at Buster's on 28th.  This was the only time during our entire stay that we had our car pulled from the parking ramp.  Buster's is a bit of a hole in the wall.  They are known for their large assortment of beer (99 bottles and many on tap) but they also have a great food menu.  It was nice to spend time with our nephew and to hear stories of the Perzel family Thanksgiving celebration (that we normally attend). 

Sunday/Monday
We packed up our bags and checked out of our room.  We both enjoyed our little retreat immensely but we were also both ready to be home again.  We eagerly drove to pick up our Little Black Angel from the kennel.  We had missed him fiercely and could hardly wait to smother him with hugs and kisses.  It was all I could do to not squeeze the stuffing out of him when they returned him to us.  Oh how I love that little dog. 

And then we were home.   And there were bills to pay, and laundry to be washed, and groceries to be ordered, and...  It's amazing how quickly life piles up when you check out for a few days.  Monday would bring us back to work - something we are never really prepared for but that comes as even more of a shock after an extended time away in a bit of a fantasy world where the food is always perfect, everything is just a few short blocks from where you are and someone sneaks in and cleans your room for you while you are out.

I hope you enjoyed tagging along for our little getaway.  The telling was a longer journey than I had intended but we made it to the end - together.  Only time will tell if this new tradition will stand - just between you and me- I hope it does!

A Day in the Life - Thanksgiving Day

As you remember from the end of my last post, my sweetie and I had just collapsed into a heavenly bed at the Westin in Minneapolis.  Here's a peek at our room.

Our Heavenly Bed:

We woke early on Thanksgiving morning - about 6:00 AM - and went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast.  I sipped coffee and ate a light breakfast of yogurt, fruit and honey (I'm not much of a breakfast eater and I really don't like to run on a full stomach) while Chris ordered and ate to his heart's content.  After breakfast we went back to the room to get ready for the Turkey Day 5K - I would be running while Chris cheered on the crowds stood waiting for me at our designated meeting spot. 

The race venue was only a few blocks from our hotel.  It was a beautiful day - sun shining, no wind, and "mild" temperatures - but we are in Minnesota so it was still quite cold especially for the spectators.  Thankfully, the hot chocolate was flowing freely when we arrived.  The Turkey Day 5K is is a very popular race - I would estimate about 20,000 were in attendance and many people brought their dogs which was nice as by this time Chris and I were missing our little black angel quite a bit.  Here's a pre-race photo.

The race itself went well.  It really is a fun run in all senses of the term.  The course winds through downtown Minneapolis passing many of the sites that make Minneapolis such a fun place to be.  I actually managed to maintain a pretty good pace despite the crowds.  In true Thanksgiving style I ran a 5K "with gravy" (3.25 miles) as a result of weaving back and forth in an attempt to keep running in a crowd of 20,000.  I found Chris quickly after I finished the race and we headed back to the hotel to rest a bit before dinner.

Chris and I haven't had television service for a couple of years so having access to live TV is a huge perk.  When we got back to the hotel we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!  This was seriously one of the highlights of my day.

Yep - that's the big guy (Santa)!  And yes, I am so cool I actually take pictures of events on TV.  Lest you think my husband shared my level of excitement I believe his exact words as I took this picture were "I never thought I would be sitting in a hotel room with you taking pictures of the TV."

Next it was time for Thanksgiving dinner.  We enjoyed a bountiful buffet at Windows on Minnesota on the 50th floor of the IDS Center conveniently located just a couple of blocks from our hotel.  The IDS Center was beautifully decorated for the holidays.  Here's the tree that greeted us as we entered the building.

We were seated at a table by the window and had a great view of the city.  We had fun trying to identify different landmarks throughout the metro area.  My sense of direction is crazy-bad so I just nodded my head and trusted Chris as he pointed out the various landmarks and points of interest.

After a leisurely meal we went back to the hotel.  Chris had watched the movie Bridesmaids with his mom the week before and insisted that we watch it after dinner.  He was so certain I would love it I couldn't say no and I have to say, he was right - it is a FUNNY movie.  After the movie we went down to the bar in the hotel and had a couple of drinks (they have the BEST mojitos!) before ultimately returning to our room and ordering room service.  We had toyed with the idea of going to Macy's (just a couple of blocks from our hotel) at midnight but not being die-hard Black Friday shoppers we ended up calling it a night and sleeping through the 12:00 AM opening.

Chris and I had a beautiful Thanksgiving but our trip wasn't over yet.  Stay tuned for the details on the rest of our trip from Black Friday - Cyber Monday.