The Changing of the Guards

I bought my very first car this week, I mean like, paid for my very first car.  Dads are great people!  Anyway, as fun it is to get a new set of wheels (and it is quite exciting!), there is something difficult for me about selling the old one.

I drove my old blue Taurus into the car wash to soap her down one last time (hopefully) before some new owner takes her away.  I thought about all of the memories that happened in and around that car... Three years at college, carting friends around town.  Road trips.  Camping trips.  Great stories.  Hilarious jokes.  She's brought me to and from work many times.  Taken me to camp.  Got a few of my tears in her seats (Don't tell the new owner!). She was lent out to friends and family during my time in Europe.  I've eaten a lot of meals inside.  The cup holder knows my Dr. Pepper can well.  Inspiring sermons. Housed my closet one summer.

Goodness, I'm just so thankful for her!  We've held hands and went through life together for 6 years!

Holding hands with my dear old friend

 And by now, you all are thinking ... Jaime, it's a CAR! Geez!  But part of my life is trapped in that car.  It will be forever.  Those were good times.

I'm still getting to know my new car.  The way it shifts, takes curves, and the cruise.  I know I'm going to love her someday too.  I'm excited at all of the new adventures we'll have, but right now, she's like the new college roommate who you don't know and you can't figure out why your old one had to transfer upstate!  I know we'll be best friends by November though... after I've spilled ketchup on the leather seats a couple times ...

Making the introductions

Here's to more good times...

The Ice Cream Shoppe on the Corner

I've been doing quite a bit of traveling lately, just short trips, weekend trips.  I stood up in two weddings in August, both of which were a pile of fun in their own ways. 

                                         

My Bestie, Amber, at Ann & Lee's Wedding

My Papa and me just before wedding #2!

Both weddings were out of town and so, on top of other random travel (to all parts of the state!), I am ready to stay put, at least for a few days.  Don't get me wrong, I love to connect with friends, see new places, have fun experiences, but there is something about getting back home from a great trip.   Mmmmm.  It's just good. Tradition at my house is to make pancakes for dinner when we arrive home from out lake cabin in northern Minnesota.

It's seems like this summer's welcome home activity is a family trip to the ice cream shop on the corner!  I mean, of course we go there multiple times a week as well, but it's extra delicious right after being away for a day or two.  Yes, we are regulars there at King Cone in Amherst, WI.  Their hand-dipped ice cream in a waffle cone pretty much solves every problem you could ever have!  It would definitely solve world hunger and if it were delivered to peace treaty negotiations, we could achieve world peace rapidly as well!  The smile and greeting from Ben upon arrival means that we are truly home again! 

Do you have a comfort place?  A welcome-home place?

Memorial Day Pictures

** All Photos in this post are taken by Ann Davidson of Ann Davidson Photography. She has a passion for photography.  She is bookable for weddings, portraits, family events, etc.   Let me hear about how talented she is! **

The three of us, ready to pile into Ann's car.

Pewitt's Nest (outside of Baraboo) is worth your time!

And the token "jumping picture" in fields of green.

Memorial. Day. Adventures.

In an attempt to suck up as much "now" as possible and not freak out about the upcoming "now," I pumped myself up for a Memorial Day ride to remember.  It was time for the 2nd Annual Country Drive-While-Avoiding-All-4-Lane-Or-Busy-2-Lane-Roads Road Trip with Lee and Ann!  There is something just magical about not having any place to be, a tank full of gas, a bottle of Coke (without all that high fructose syrup) and a well-used gazetteer... just sitting three to a front seat and enjoying the day!

We drove south from Amherst on Cty A in search of the "secret road." Apparently, 15th Ave is probably known only to people who live on it and those in love with their gazetteer.  It was revelicious!  The trees hung over the road, hills, curves and all = perfect!  People in Dakota love to wave.  We felt welcome, friends!  We made our way to Montello (pronounced: Mon-TAY-yo) and stopped for some stretching (three people in the front seat is both a blessing and a curse, folks!).  Turns out, there is a granite quarry there  that the granite for Grant's tomb was extracted from.  Remember that for Trivial Pursuit: US Presidents Edition! 

Our general goal was to make it to the Baraboo area for some "natural area exploration." I think it's a bit ridiculous that we have to label our "natural areas" so that we don't end up putting a highway or gas station up on accident there!  Anyway, Abelman's Gorge was slightly over-rated, although this may have been fed by our fright in hearing that a bear had been sighted on the trail just last week.  We were all a little behind on our bear handling skill courses!  Pewitt's Nest (Hwy W west out of Baraboo) was just what we were looking for!  It was a gorgeous gorge!  Shady, beautiful river, stunning structures, and some good light hiking (let's not get carried away - it's a holiday, remember!).   It was definitely a place to which I would and will return!

We headed down to Merrimac and with all our hearts, wanted to ride the free river ferry, but the line was too long and unlike what my opening paragraph suggests, we did have a place to be... so we forwent (word?) that adventure.  Merrimac is magical.  We'd like to come back.

At the end of it all: 268 miles. Tons of gorgeous gorges.  Thoughtful conversation. Sweat. A couple of walking sticks.  A few pictures.  Awesome roads. A knowledgeable navigator. A faithful friend. An attentive driver (well, we did almost throw up all over each other toward the end!). Sun.  And all around bliss.  It was all it was cracked up to be!

Pictures may follow... eventually...

Checking Out.

I came out of Iron Man 2 on the mega-screen and found myself looking up at the sky a lot.  On my late-night drive home, I envisioned myself catching a glimpse of Robert Downey Jr whizzing by on his way to save someone.  Or semi-intelligent drones rising up out of the fields to block my path, while trying to create world-wide pandemonium (Isn't Wisconsin the place global chaos would begin?!).  Movies just do that to me... they take me to a place just outside of reality.

Books can do that for me too.  I remember walking down the street on my way to the Bahnhof in Innsbruck, certain that I was being followed by Hadrid.  I thought he was going to kidnap me and I would be swept up into some new adventure at Hogwarts.  That was in the midst of my Harry Potter marathon in anticipation of Book 7 being released.

The point is that, I guess, movies and books are a great little getaway, but it's always scary how easily they work with my mind.  I would hate to come to the end of my life and have only a list of titles and films I'd experienced.  I would rather have experienced my reality.  By "my reality," I don't mean some sort of subjective mumbo-jumbo.  I mean, I hope that I will have experienced True Reality, in the way God made me to experience it.  To do and be what I was created for.  

What does that look like?  I think I'm learning about it every day.  I hope you are too.  Read a book by Karl Marx.  And then one by Glenn Beck.  Make a friend in Sweden or Greece via the internet and find out how daily life is over there instead of listening to the media's depiction of it.  Roll around your yard like a dog and enjoy a beautiful day instead of watching beautiful days made up on television.  Play catch with your kid instead of promising to do it tomorrow.  Throw a party for your wife just because you love her.  Do this because, well, because God has given us this world as our reality to interact with... Don't check out and flip on the movie channel all weekend!  That's not what we were made to do...  we were made to live!

April Fool's Day (Part 2)

This is the first time in awhile that April Fool's Day has fallen during Cody's spring break.  Thus, he was home all day to ponder and plot a revenge against me.  How I wished he'd had school to take his mind off of me.  I was envisioning buckets of goop over my bedroom door or dead spiders in my bed.  I was trying not to be paranoid, just cautious and a bit more aware of my surroundings.

My day was full of engagements (wedding and others) so I did not arrive home until near 11pm.  All evening, I received texts from Cody (via Mom) inquiring as to when I would be home.  I couldn't tell if this way simply a part of his paranoia plan or not.  I had bags and things to lug in from my car.  As I came through the darken garage, a figure jumped at the window.  I didn't scream, but I jumped back a bit.  It was Cody, performing his "Pre-prank-so-she-let's-her-guard-down-prank." Of course, I didn't realize this is what it was until about 2am on April 2nd. 

I am awakened out of my dream to Jason Mraz playing inside my bedroom.  20 seconds, then off.  At first, I am not sure if it was occurring in my waking consciousness or in my sleep.  30 seconds later, more of Jason, then off.  Cody.  He has somehow wired speakers into my room to play off of his iPod. The music continues for 30 minutes like this... on for 20 seconds, off for 30, fast forward, on again, off, new song, rap, hip hop.  I really wanted to wait it out, but I also wanted my sleep.

Finally, I get up to talk with Cody. He played sleep, but then finally fessed up to running the controls.  I congratulated him on a prank well-played, suggested that next time he plan it so that he could sleep through it, and inquired about how much of the carpet he had to pull up to lay the wire.  We chatted for about 10 minutes and then went back to bed at a quarter to 3am.

I will leave you with one question: Does anyone have access to exercise bungee bands (used for resistance)?

April Fool's Day (Part 1)

April Fool’s Day always creeps up on me rather quickly.  I began conniving this past Wednesday for the perfect trick to play on Cody.  I was restricted to the items I owned or was willing to acquire in the next several hours.  No prank at all is better than one ill-executed.  I settled on random cell phone alarms and a simple mid-hallway fish line web.  I collected a few old cell phones that were lying around (I’m so thankful that we haven’t donated those old phones yet!).  I chose the ring style, volume and set the times in 20-30 minute intervals.  The hurdle in getting this part of the prank set up was in the fact that Cody’s door squeaks and rattles as you open it.  There is no sneaking into his room, sometimes no entry at all if he’s locked it.  I tiptoed toward it.  I turned it, nudged it, thought I was home scot-free, when I hear: What are you doing?  Cody was still awake in his bed!

I announced myself more openly as I reeled inside for a plan B.  A story.  Yes, a story is what I needed.  Cody liked a good story! Cody, I haven’t seen you all day!  I’m glad you are still up (DRAT, he’s still up!)… I wanted to tell you a story about my night at camp tonight.  Sitting down next to his bed, I began to spin a tale of woe while wondering two things.  I wondered firstly if he’d even believe my story, or at least be mildly entertained.  Secondly, I wondered if my story could create enough of diversion so that I could slid a few phones to various places underneath his bed.  I began in.

Now, the story wasn’t particularly exciting, except for the suspenseful inflection and various climatic moments.  In reality, the story was about how I was down at Riverside looking for my Starbuck coffee mug that I’d lost there a couple of months ago.  I rehashed every light switch I turned on, every thought, every fright.  Well, he took it all in, gasping and sighing at all of the right spots.  I left his room with my phones planted in the best spots imaginable, all the while dispelling any suspicion that Cody may have had that I was pranking him.  Good night, Cody.

The fish line: My only comment about the fish line is that it’s hard to work with in the dark.  I had to create the illusion that I was in bed (hence, no lights on) so… well, I lost quite a few strands, to be found in the morning.  That said, it was also pretty easy for Cody to see the fish line early on April 1^st.  The alarms wake him up, flashing, vibrating, ringing, dinging.  And I received a text after the last one (a phone that actually had service attached)…  nice Jaime.   And then a bit later, can you please take down the fish line?  

Over breakfast, we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the prank and by the end of our conversation, I’d convinced Cody to walk into the fish line net just for posterity’s sake.  So, for the next few minutes, we walked and got tangled in it. 

I left for work on Thursday in a happy mood.  As I walked out, Cody mischievously asks me – so, when are you going to be home tonight, Jaime?  

I knew I was in for something. 

The Crack Heads

Meeting James and Melanie (and staying at their house) was the runner-up highlight of the trip to Fargo, second only to spending time with Mandy and being a part of her fabulous wedding day!  But a new friendship with the Iversons?!  Well, any friendship that begins with an incredibly embarrassing fart story and a picture of a horrific mustache is bound to last into eternity, right?  

Beyond their generous hospitality and immense hilarity, this couple blinded me by their deep understanding of God’s grace.  Just a few years ago, they were struggling to survive in their AA program.  I like to think of them as “The Crack-Heads.” I’m not sure if they were ever on crack, but, good gravy, they sure used the term a lot!  These sheets are like crack for your body… The scent of that candle is like crack for your nose… and others.  They were so vocal about what God had done for them, His grace in literally changing their appetites from themselves and substance to Him and his love.  

Having been a believer for awhile now, I found these concepts that rendered them speechless somehow “old-hat.” That’s why it was so refreshing to spend time with them!  It renewed my sense of awe at God’s action in human lives.  It also enlivened hope in His Power.  He can change lives.  He can and does act powerfully in unbelieving souls.  He acts mightily in my life.  It was like breathing again.

So thankful.  They didn’t sugar-coat the Christian life.  They faced it head on, struggling through the flesh.  Marriage makes you humble.  Having children reveals your selfishness and need for God. It turned my view of life on its head!  I am not here on this earth to enjoy life, have fun, and try not to face my sin.  Every event in my life has been designed by God to make me holy, to make me humble, to see my sin – and my need for Him.  

James and Mel helped me see that obedient life isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.  It was just what I needed to catapult me out of my annual March slump.  Thanks be to God for you two!  You’re like crack for my soul!

Marathon, we were not impressed. At all.

The most depressing part of the game today was that the teams could not be compared evenly on the same playing field.  The referees did not give Amherst the option of fairly showing their ability.  Every call (save 5) were against us.  The total foul count was Amherst 29, Marathon 5 (on the game).  Now, I understand that a good 10 of those were 4th quarter fouls to stop the clock (a strategy I would implore any team playing Marathon to employ.  They throw up bricks from the line.), but still -- 19-5?!  I have watched a lot of basketball in my day.  I have seen a lot of poorly called games.  It was a new world-record today. These men should never be paid to referee again.  And how can they sleep at night?!  Fifth-graders could have beat us with their calls!

Furthermore, I truly hope that Marahon did not think that they earned this win.  It was handed to them on a silver platter by three men in stripes. Normally, I can see the strengths of the team that beats us, but today, I saw little that should let them advance.  The fundamental measure of a team is whether they can make free throws and I believe they were less than 50% today from the line. Oh, I guess they did rebound pretty well, if it's okay to reach down over the back.  At one point in the first half, the game was tied, but Amherst had 9 fouls called against us while Marathon sat at 0.  They can't be that good, and they are really not!

It's normally thoughtful to cheer for the team that knocked you out to go all of the way so that you can say you'd played the State Champs.  Well, I hope that Marathon gets pummeled into the ground.  I hope every call goes against them next game.  I hope they are frustrated and foul out every senior.  I hope they get smashed (perhaps even with some injury).  They did not deserve this win any more than we did. 

Hold your head up, Amherst Boys, you had TWO opponents today!

On the Road to State

The Amherst boys basketball team has advanced to the third round of the playoffs this season, a game this afternoon against top ranked Marathon.  I have be delighted to watch them play.  There is something, however, about the playoffs - a precarious sense of survival.  It seems to be that one wrong step, pass, shot will send your team to the off season.  Yes, we have been blessed in Amherst to advance several rounds each year at least.  (I cannot imagine following a team that gets out in the first round.  It has just not ever been my experience.) 

And yet, we still see the frustration on the court by our guys when a clutch shot is missed.  The determination when the ball is coming down the court and gosh-dang-it, we need the steal.  This is what these players have prepared for all season!  They've practiced and played together for the past 5 months.  They know each other well.  Some plays are new and delicate while others, we have seen every game, like base-line Lutz or drive and dish Doll. 

I get nervous as a fan.  Perhaps it is because, at one point, I was a sister.  (I still am a sister, but not to varsity basketball players this year).   There is something about watching your own brother out on the court - knowing his strengths and weaknesses - having lived with him and seen his tantrums and triumphs, that brings the game to a heightened level.  You want his hard work to pay off.  You want to see him shine.  Trouble is, all of the players on the other team have families that want the same thing.  So, it is a battle. 

After watching these players all year, I've come to enjoy their teamwork.  The looks of encouragement, the shouts of praise and the helpful suggestions after a cheap foul.  I love seeing the determination in their eyes and the hustle in their bodies as they go for the ball.  There is a passion here.  I hope this passion continues, if not for ball, for something, for life. To live it well and with confidence, the same confidence that they have popping up the 3-ball when they know they are "on." 

Oh yes, can you tell I love high school basketball?  It is a tradition in our family. Going to these games makes me miss the days of high school as Sherf's Little Sister.  It makes me a little sad that I will not be present for the next few seasons of watching my "biggest/youngest" brother play for Jensen.  But for today, I'm going to cheer and enjoy these men and their excitement for a chance at Marathon!

Play the game of your lives!

A Social Experiment.

I stepped back in time for a day at the Berntsen Libray last Thursday.  Well, it was present day - new students, new inside jokes (that i'm outside of!), etc... - but being there brings back so many memories!  Mini-golf behind the circulation desk, scooter races, ridiculous requests from faculty... oh, it was good times.

This time, at the libes, it was a social experiment with Pegs.  It hatched out of a large lunch at the mid-town global market.  We sat in Becky's office with our "food baby bellies" and reminisced about the poems we'd written at the library, the concerned customer letters from deceased alumni, the hilarious proposals to supposedly streamline the circulation process.  And, lo and behold, a new scheme... what would people say to a pregnant woman wandering amongst the stacks of the main collection?  At a smallish private Christian college?! Let's try it. By the way, Peggy will make an adorable pregnant woman someday! (She even had the "waddle" down!)  The original plan was to convince one of our old co-workers of her pregnancy, but we got a lot of other great data in the process.  People stared, smiled, did double takes at Peg as we walked about the library.  I don't recognize that girl... oh look, she's pregnant.

How we all giggled and snickered in the confines of Becky's office after those walks!!  And then, we had good conversations about "judgment" and "disappointment."  Is "being disappointed" in someone's behavior a nice way to say that you are "judging" them?

Retreats. Jobs. Adventures. Life.

Whew. It's just been so full of bustle!  I don't want to bombard you with the details of everything, but I do want to uncover some stories and thoughts about my last couple of weeks.  My next several posts may be to that end.

Just one story tonight and then a preview of the next few to come...

Bowling with frozen poultry.  It was a sight to behold!  The winter retreat at Riverside was in full swing.  I had two "talks" under my belt.  I was half-way through the four I had prepared.  It was going well.  I was surprised that the urgency of what I was sharing came out between the shakes and nerves.  Being a first time speaker, I thought that I would come out dry and unfeeling.  Anyway, the bowling.  It was magnificent.  There is nothing quite like holding a smallish frozen turkey and looking across the ice rink at 10 2-liter bottles set up like pins.  The strategies you come up with to knock down the most pins (on the knees, granny-style, side arm) are just hilarious to watch fail or succeed in their turn.  As I heaved the turkey forward in the first frame for my team, I had visions of getting a strike on my first time and impressing everyone.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I missed completely. Not. A. Pin. Down. 

Thankfully, everyone else was having similar luck.  Half-filled  with water and frozen, those bottles were difficult to totter over.  Getting two or more down brought huge hoots and hollers from your team.  Toward the end of the game, Jake gets a brilliant idea.  He begins running from outside of the rink, on the snow, to gain momentum.  He plans to launch himself on the ice and propel the turkey forward from the line.  Anyone else would have biffed it and broken a bone (as someone did that day).   But Jake's middle names are "gracefully athletic" so, of course, he nails the landing and the release.  He knocked down 6 pins.  This guy is my hero.

And then somehow, potentially by a mathematical error, our team (TEAM STRIKE!) went from last to first in the second half of the game.  We don't ask questions at that point.  We just go crazy bananas on the ice, screaming and slapping backs.  This is what I love about camp.  It's a place where you can tell a person about Jesus and then be utterly silly with that person in the very next moment.  What a lovely mix!

Stay tuned for...

A bit of pregnancy in the library at Northwestern (A social experiment)

Fluent in Flatulence (A look inside a fish-house full of Sherfs)

The New Job (on the effects of growing up with only brothers and then working with only women.)

Infuse. Ignited for Christ

I've been working like a mad woman on a set of talks that I will be presenting this weekend at Riverside's winter retreat for youth.  The theme for the week is Infuse: Ignited for Christ.  After getting over the hump of completely blank thoughts, I have hammered out some thoughts on our lives, God's plan for things, darkness and light and various other topics.  

I've learned so much in my preparation.  By far, the biggest thing is that if this goes off without hitch, it will be because of the Lord.  If this goes off with a hitch or two, the Lord will use it in His way.

Pray that God's purposes might stand.  Pray that all hearts would be open to understand.  Pray that God would let us see Him and ignite our hearts!

Patience.

The topic of our small group's conversation last night was James 5:7-11, where it talks about being patient in suffering, as we wait for God's fruit to be revealed in our lives. I will admit, this is hard for me.

This year, I have been working on various scholarship applications, looking for work, trying to save money and study in preparation for graduate school in the fall.  Currently, I am waiting to hear back from all said scholarship foundations, finishing up a temporary work assignment (i.e. looking for work again), spending money on wedding celebrations that I am honored to be a part of, and getting discouraged in my studies (as well as not finding too much time for it!).  You can see why it's hard for me to be patient and wait for fruit. 


What I've been holding to since our conversation last night is James 1:2-4 which says,

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I know that God is faithful to us, to me.  He has chosen to make me mature and complete through trials that do not make any sense in the moment. I'll be honest, I'm not in love with the methods, but God must have his reasons.  And so, I will look to be joyful as I wait patiently. 

So pray for me.

To Aaron Rodgers

Let me start by saying this is my first year cheering for you and your team because in general, I've found it hard to cheer for a team with a number four on it. I enjoyed this season immensely! I, like many others, was really saddened that we will not get to see you play further into the playoffs. Is your neck okay after that Cardinal yanked on your helmet?

I wanted to tell you that although Brett's shadow is long, you have outshined him this year. You play exceptionally well. Mr. Favre has a knack for getting and sitting in the limelight. I am sorry that you must live in that shadow. Be assured that your name will go further than his if you continue to play and lead well.

Your newest fan,

Jaime Sherf

The Count of Monte Cristo

I downloaded this book on my new iPod for something to read at work, without having to lug a book. I fell in love with its adventure and humor. So, I took myself to the library to pick up the real copy for home reading and WHOA... I found out that I'm reading the unabridged 1,200+ page edition! It's all in my little iPod! Amazing.

The other sweet thing that I found out was that I was already on page 650! whew. It's a great read... thoughtful and funny and informing. I recommend it! Pick up the abridged verison if you are strapped for time!

Also, I love my new iPod!

What are you guys reading?