I’m at the airport, alone after weeks of people and ideas.

Feeling so full. Yet so empty.

Feeling so blessed. Yet so discontent.

God has done a number on my soul. He’s been gently nudging me, prompting me, telling me that it is time to do something, assuring me that I need to trust His plan and His timing.

I have more questions than answers, more doubt than faith, more fear than courage.

Yet I remain in pursuit, desperate for secure footing as I boldly take my next step.

What is on your heart today? How can I be praying for you?

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
² He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
³ He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.  Psalm 40: 1-3

As an extrovert, I get energized by being on-the-g0, interacting with people, and making connections. As an extrovert, I come to life when I am surrounded by my loved ones. But as an extrovert, I often neglect to take time alone to process and rest.

Coming off a conference, weekend house guests, and a half marathon, I feel full and blessed. But being human, I also feel…well…exhausted and a little overwhelmed.

And I am wondering what REALLY will replenish my soul.

Do I continue to surround myself with invigorating people and activities? Or do I risk loneliness by dwelling in solitude?

These are the challenges of balancing life as an extrovert.

Anyone else struggle with finding the right balance as an extrovert? Do introverts face an opposite problem?

PS – Hopefully people will do the trick since solitude is going to have to wait a few weeks as I am headed out of town tomorrow for another conference and on then to Birmingham for a weekend adventure.

Yesterday I completed the Country Music Half Marathon. To be perfectly honest, I have been ACTIVELY DREADING the race for a couple of weeks. Mostly because I over-committed myself and I was straight-up freaked out about how I was going to feel as I tried to conquer the mountainous (okay, that might be a slight exaggeration) race course. But also because I really didn’t want to leave all the fabulous friends I made in California.

Suprisingly, the race was good. Really good. About mile 3, I lost my running buddies and was aptly reminded that this race was not about distractions, not about who I was running with, not about who was cheering me on…but about me and Him.

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

I didn’t push myself because I was operating on little-to-no sleep, but still I finished the race in under 3 hours (2:56 with a bathroom break to be exact). More importantly, I raised over $1,000 for New Hope Academy. (A special thanks to each of you who contributed.)

Mission Accomplished. Today I will celebrate in those victories. Tomorrow I will start packing for Chicago…

What victories have you celebrated lately?

Decided that today instead of normal “Follow Friday” tweets that I’d hook you up with some of the incredible people I encountered this week so you can get connected with them. Each of these folks played a part in making my time at Catalyst West (#catwest) incredible. Incredible.

@sarahmarkley and @cmarkley -  At the suggestion of a friend, I sought Sarah out at Blissdom. Still a practical stranger I somehow convinced her to bail on the last session and join me and a few friends for dinner. I discovered that I loved her heart. When I decided about a month ago to try to pull off Catalyst West, Sarah direct messaged me and said “you are staying with us, right?” I took them up on their generous offer and I’m so glad I did. I love the Markleys. Love the Markleys. Hard to believe I didn’t know them a couple of months ago and now I consider them great friends.

Sarah’s blog: http://www.sarahmarkley.com

Chad’s blog: http://www.chadmarkley.com

@lvhanson – I started following LV when he ventured to Kenya with the Compassion bloggers earlier this year. I loved his posts and his heart for the children of Africa. And I was just a little envious of how wonderfully he uses his gifts of communication and connection. But it wasn’t until I sat down with LV last night that I realized that he has an uncanny ability to get straight to the core of someone by asking just the right questions. Plus, LV is from Dallas and an alum of the University of Colorado, what’s not to like?

LV’s blog: http://www.catalystspace.com/catablog/

@keelymarie and @flowerdust – Keely and Anne are incredibly gifted artists. Keely’s photography and Anne’s beautiful prose allow me to be transported on all their adventures.  I loved the time I got to spend with them in Orange County. And I love even more that they are permanent fixtures in Tennessee.

Keely’s blog: http://www.keelymariescott.com/

Anne’s blog: http://www.flowerdust.net/

@biancajuarez – Bianca’s smile will light up a room. She is beautiful inside and out. I could tell within minutes of talking with her that she’d rather skip all the pleasantries and get right down to business. My kind of girl.

Bianca’s blog: http://www.inthenameoflove.org/

@kylezimmerman – One of my concerns about going to Catalyst West was that without the Cross Point staff on hand, I wouldn’t have anyone to make fun of me. (And I am the sick kind of person who enjoys being made fun of.) So glad that I met Kyle Zimmerman so he could step right in to the rigorous role of calling attention to the stupid things I say and do. I appreciate more than Kyle’s sense of humor. I appreciate the way he invests in people. I didn’t have to be at Mariner’s long to know that he is well-loved and well-respected.

Kyle’s blog: http://kylezimmerman.net/

@ryanoquinn – Ryan O’Quinn makes me laugh, a lot. Just go here to see why. And I love the work he does for Compassion. Great guy.

Ryan’s blog: http://ryanoquinn.blogspot.com/

@b_rewster – Stephen Brewster is the real deal. He’s one of the best encouragers I’ve met. Over the last few months, he has done several little things to encourage me along the way. I so appreciate that about him. It’s hard to believe that yesterday was the first time we had met in real life, as I already have enormous respect for him.

Stephen’s blog: http://stephenbrewster.me/

@pastormark - Mark Driscoll is the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Yesterday he shared some of the most powerful words I have heard in a long time. He spoke truth with the correct doses of transparency and humor.

Mark’s blog: http://theresurgence.com/md_blog

Who is one person that you have discovered lately that I should be following? What do you find engaging about them?

I am one of those people who has lots of circles of friends. Single girl friends, church friends, work friends, “campus” friends, Powered by Hope friends, blogging friends, twitter friends, high school friends, college friends, Birmingham friends, camp friends…just to name a few.

So naturally I have several friends who have never had the opportunity to meet. Sometimes it is easier to keep the circles separate.

But sometimes it is fun to find a few friends from two different groups and introduce them, to play “matchmaker.”

Now, I am not talking about matchmaking in a romantic way. (Although that can be fun too.) Here’s what I’m talking about:

A few months ago I arranged a happy hour with the sole purpose of introducing my friends Bryan and Suzanne Norman to Matthew and Alyson Costner. I have known “the Normans” for a few years. They are some of my favorite people on the planet. They are passionate. They love good food. And they are great for a deep conversation about anything from faith to politics or for a night out singing karaoke (You should see Bryan do Springsteen’s “Born to Run.”) (more…)

When I asked for questions you’d like to see my answer on my blog, several people wanted to know what my favorite restaurants Nashville restaurants are.

If you know anything about me, you probably know that I love eating out. Seriously love eating out.

I guess it is something about the experience of sitting down with people you love and having the freedom to relax, share, and enjoy some incredible food and drink. Well…it does my heart good.

So without further adeu, my favorite Nashville restuarants:

12 South Tap Room - In my book, “The Tap Room” has the best patio in Nashville. And they have great sandwiches, salads, tacos, and a diverse selection of beers on tap. Something about this spot just feels like Nashville to me. You always count on great people watching with at diverse cross-section of regulars. hipsters and families with small kids alike. 2318 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37204 (615) 463-7552

The City House – Located in German Town, City House is my favorite restaurant in Nashville these days. A former art studio—with exposed brick walls, wood accents and an open and bustling kitchen—features the most incredible pizzas I have eaten this side of the Atlantic. Oh, and don’t forget to explore their cocktail menu – full of interesting and refreshing combinations like “The Bandit.” City House is famous for their “Sunday Supper” which I have never tried but plan to soon.  1222 4th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208-2714 (615) 736-5838 (more…)

Last week I was feeling a little desperate for content and I asked folks what I should blog about.

Here was @jrforasteros’ suggestion:

“How do you recommend a person seek out balance between personal and professional life and circles? Especially when one works for a ‘Christian’ organization, when ministry and vocation can be so closely intertwined.”

It is a great question.

But candidly this is not something I have spent too much thinking about. I guess in this arena of my life, I just do, without a whole lot of thought.

Last year I read Marcus Buckingham’s Find Your Strongest Life and this really resonated:

“Having it all” doesn’t mean having everything, all at once, all the time. “Having it all” means taking yourself seriously. It means knowing yourself well enough to find your purpose in life. It means knowing what needs to change when you sense that you’ve lost that purpose. It means having the faith to believe that change is possible and having the courage to make those changes. It means drawing strength from the relationships in your life, and, if there’s no strength to be drawn, knowing when to cut those relationships out of your life.

It means mastering the skill of using life to fill you up. That is all you can do, and it is everything you need to do.

The conventional image of a successful woman today is that she’s a virtuoso juggler, somehow moving fast enough to keep all the many aspects of her busy life in the air at the same time. Conventional it may be, but it’s also quite sad. The core skill of juggling is throwing, not catching. To keep every object in the air, you have to get rid of each one as quickly as possible, barely allowing it to register on your fingertips before you toss it up and away, preparing for the next object to throw. A strong life is the opposite of juggling. Juggling requires you to keep everything at bay, up in the air, away from you. The secret to living a strong life lies in knowing how to draw a few things in toward you. It asks you to be discriminating, selective, intentional. You can find energizing moments in each aspect of your life, but to do so you must learn how to catch them, hold on to them, feel the pull of their weight, and allow yourself to follow where they lead. (more…)

Last week I was looking for some ideas for blog posts. The following was inspired by Patricia. She asked me a few random questions about my food preferences and then said…

“LOL i know this sounds like slambook questions…but you can tell a lot from a person by what their favorite food is ”

And if I am going to share…so are you. Enjoy my random food favorites. Then cut and post into the comments, so I can learn a lot about YOU.

• What is your favorite food? Mushroom risotto. Yum.
• What is your favorite candy bar? Kinda into Twix Bars right now. There is a candy drawer at the office. It is EVIL.
• Would you rather have ice cream or cake? An ice cream cake. Ice Cream + Icing = The right way to do birthdays.
• What is the craziest thing you’ve eaten? Well, I’ve already told you my “chicken” story. So I guess Rabbit, Frog or Snail? I’m not a super adventurous eater.
• What is your favorite chain restaurant? Houston’s. That place is incredible. Every time. Every location. Every thing on the menu. Incredible.
• What is your favorite fast food restaurant? Have to actually split this into 2 categories: Burger – Milo’s (no I don’t know what is up with their extra chunk of meat) Chicken – Chick-Fil-A (duh).
• What is your favorite international cuisine? Vietnamese. Oh so good. (Important Note: As I am from Texas, Mexican is not considered international cuisine)
• What foods can you simply not eat? Brussel Sprouts and Beets. Ugh.
• What is the most random thing in your refrigerator right now? I don’t have much in my fridge right now. So the most random thing…feta cheese or turkey pepperoni…it’s a toss-up.
• Do you have any weird food quirks? Yes, lots. Here are a handful…A. I love dipping sauces. Ranch, Honey Mustard, Barbeque – you name it I like to dip my fries in it! B. I don’t eat meat off the bones. I can do ribs under duress, but chicken…I will cry. I think is just plain wrong. C. I used to love pancakes. Ate them all the time. After a break-up, I have lost my appetite for them. Now, I am more of a savory breakfast girl.

Starting thinking about what to write (and all your hard-to-answer questions) and decided it was time for another “Blueprints” post. If you have no idea what a “Blueprints” post is, here is a basic overview and links to the first 6 parts.

My “Blueprint” series is essentially a mechanism for me to start thinking through my life goals. And as hard humiliating as it is to admit some of the things I want to achieve in life, I am trying to be painfully honest because (for some crazy reason) I feel like I need to put them “out there.”

Part 1 – I want to get married.

Part 2 – I want to get fit.

Part 3 – I want to get my hands dirty.

Part 4 - I want to cultivate deep and authentic friendships.

Part 5 – I want to have kids.

Part 6 – I want to master the art of living.

I want to be able to differentiate between want and need.

(more…)