The Bride’s Just in Case Box poem

Editor’s Note: My very best friend April got married this past weekend and I was the maid of honor. The morning of the wedding I gave her a survival kit of sorts that included a bunch of stuff she might need during the day. I also wrote this poem to go with the box:

Dear April,

Here is a Just In Case box made especially for you.
I’m hoping it will help get you through the “I do’s”

It has random things that I think you might need
Like a couple of band-aids just in case you ever bleed.

As far as First Aid goes, there’s also some pills.
But don’t get too excited, because they’re just basic Advil.

And, even though your hair will be perfectly set,
You will also find bobby pins and hairspray so you don’t have to fret.

In addition, I included some hand sanitizer gel.
So you can make it to the honeymoon feeling quite well.

In case you start crying there’s plenty of tissue
And safety pins too, so your garter belt won’t be an issue.

And don’t worry about your dress, not even one bit
Because there’s plenty to fix it in the Singer sewing kit.

Plus even if you spill some red wine on your veil,
There’s a Tide to-go mini that will help you prevail.

I also got you some contact solution
So that if you scratch your eye, there is no confusion.

And there’s Chaptsick to help you maintain sexy lips
As well as deordarnt, so you can have sexy pits.

But what would a Just in Case box be without food?
Handing you one without that would be rude.

There’s a Godiva chocolate bar, some trail mix and gum.
And there’s even some mints so you can give Shannon some tongue.

Lest that’s not enough, there’s some Crest mouthwash as well.
And I won’t even ask you to kiss and then tell.

And last but not least is one thing that’s for Shannon too
It’s Ky Warming Jelly for the second you’re both out of view.

I pray that you both will be blessed to end.
And that you’re always know you’re my very best friend.

Love,
Crystal

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Denver Mission Trip Video

If you need proof that God is real, just watch this video, because without Him, there is no way I would have been able to create this.

It’s a video about our mission trip to Denver, and it’s kind of awesome and when I watch it I tear up.

I especially like the scene that starts at the 4 Min. mark. We had been playing a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors and everyone started with a pair, and then when you lost, you had to go around and cheer for the person you lost to, until everyone in the group was cheering for one of two people. Trust me, it’s kind of awesome.

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Sermon: The First Commandment

Editor’s note: The following is the text from the sermon I delivered at my church, Crossroads of Faith UMC, in Bolingbrook, Il, on Sunday, Aug. 5. You can also listen to the audio from the sermon on my church website, if you scroll down to sermon archives and click, “The First Commandment.”

The thing about the first commandment is that it’s so easy to think it’s a freebie.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Check and check!

I don’t pray to Baal, I don’t worship Zeus and I don’t sing any songs about Buddha. I’m good. No other gods here folks. Moving right along.

Except. Well. You know.

There’s a reason God said that commandment first — it’s so important and we keep screwing it up.

Sure, sure, we may say we worship God, and we probably do. But we also worship a whole bunch of other stuff. Pride, money, status, people, ourselves. And sometimes, we even worship religion.

The good news is, we’re not alone. People have been choosing other gods for thousands of years. Like in today’s scripture.

What fascinates me about this text is that even though it was written thousands of years ago, it still so accurately describes human nature.

The story is basically the sequel to the Moses story. You know Moses, the guy who went through and hell and back to get his people out of Egypt, and then went through and hell and back again to get them through the desert to the promised land, which doesn’t even get to enter because he was so frustrated that the people had so quickly denied God at one point on their journey that he smashed the 10 commandment tablets. Ya. That guy.

Well, he dies. And then Joshua kind of takes over the cause. He is appointed as the new leader of the Israelites by God himself. And Gods all, “Be courageous.” And then, like a verse later, he’s all, “Be courageous.” And then seriously, a couple verses later, God tell him again, “Be courageous.”

And he is. And he gets through a ton of stuff, and everyone is all, “YAY GOD!! WEEE!! WE HEART GOD SO MUCH!!”

Read more “Sermon: The First Commandment”

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