Haven't updated lately, so here's some random-ness

This is a list I just composed for a Facebook thing going around called 25 Random Things. I suppose it will help

1. I HATE maintaining my hair. I've never been big on "product", and recently threw away my hairdryer.

2. I am (probably unhealthily) preoccupied with murder ala CSI, Law & Order, Agatha Christie, and at one point in my life I really, really wanted to be an FBI profiler.

3. I love writing, but have never been a consistent journaler.

4. I never realized that I was funny until after college.

5. My most serious romantic relationship was 20 months long, only 14 weeks of which we spent together.

6. I am a champion spider killer. Just ask Lexie and Teresa.

7. Every triumphant sports moment in my life happened by accident, but made me look awesome.

8. When people ask me what I'm thinking about, and I don't want to say, I say peanut butter.

9. I don't like it when recent acquaintances call me "Leish" instead of Leisha.

10. I'd rather run on a treadmill than outside.

11. I can say thank you in French, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Swahili, Juba Arabic, and Kuku.

12. I am such an inherent multi-tasker that I find it difficult to focus on just doing one thing at a time.

13. I've served in children's and young people's ministries working with every age group from birth through college.

14. My family lived in three different houses within a half mile of each other.

15. If there's ever a movie made about my life, I want either Katie Holmes or Evangeline Lilly to play me.

16. When I get depressed or stressed, I believe in making my bed and/or buying a new pair of underpants to cheer me right up.

17. The first boy I remember having a crush on was called Brian Shaw. I liked him until I saw him in his P.E. clothes, and realized he had super hairy legs. That ended it for me.

18. If I got a chance to be on The Amazing Race, I think the best partner for me would be my brother.

19. I have been called on to give relational advice to half a dozen guys in the past eight years, and all those who took my advice are now engaged or married to the girl.

20. I shook Dick Cheney's hand. There was photographic evidence until his black soul destroyed the photographic negatives. (I kid, of course...I just lost the photo somewhere.)

21. I perpetually get called "honey", "darling", or "sweetie" by bank tellers, waiters, and my insurance clients.

22. I can't help adopting the regional accents of people I'm speaking to. It can sound pretentious, but I don't mean it to.

23. I'm not a tidy person, but I can't work in an untidy space, so I have to spend the first few minutes of every work day tidying my desk.

24. When I move to East Africa, I'm taking a Costco sized tub of taco spice.

25. If I could have any superpower, it would be the ability to teleport, like Nightcrawler.

Coming to a city near you!

I just bought my airline tickets, and when I say bought, I mean cashed in a bunch of frequent flier miles. That's right, I am flying from Portland to Houston to Atlanta back to Portland for $10. Whoo-hoo!

For anyone in those neighborhoods, here are my dates:
Houston, TX from February 17th to February 24th
(side trip to Beaumont, TX at some point)

Atlanta, GA from February 24th to March 4th
(side trip to Sewanee, TN at some point)

If you are in any of these communities, or within reasonable driving distance, let me know. I'd love to talk to people about the work in East Africa or, y'know, the Twilight books.

Somehow it's just easier this way...

I had lunch with a good friend today, someone who's been a good friend since college. I was trying to explain how I'm feeling about being back in Portland. My stream-of-consciousness explanation went something like this:

"Home is a very fluid concept for me right now. (props to the movie Hitch for that "very fluid" bit) Every time I go to Africa I get closer and closer to those people, and they become more and more like family to me. At the same time I'm realizing how much my life is becoming oriented in a pretty permanent way toward East Africa, so I'm only really putting energy into maintaining the really important relationships here at home. Basically, I kind of resent new people moving into my comfort zone because I don't expect them to be very important to me and they just require energy."

What I said has been haunting me for the past two hours. I've never thought of myself as someone who struggles with the concept of community, but, as is clear from the above sentiment, I do. Friday night at our Lahash volunteer appreciation dinner one of the board members shared about the importance of the pronoun "us" in Scripture. One of the core values of my church, Imago Dei Community, is that we share our lives with one another in Authentic Community. Yet here I am, complaining about being forced to share my life with other people who I'm convinced will only be transient influences on my life.

Leaving aside the whole concept of God using me in someone else's life, I am so foolish and arrogant to believe that I am not in need of the wisdom and insight and encouragement that those dreaded "new" people might offer to me.

Sure it's easier to sit at home in front of my computer watching movies or working long hours as an excuse to be alone. I don't have to try...at anything. It's the supreme selfishness of thinking that I am an island, completely self-sufficient, and that what happens on my island is far more important than what is happening on anyone else's island.

My arrogance is appalling. Please invade my island and rescue me from myself!