Yesterday, after returning from a long, stressful, yet good day of work, Electric Emily was waiting in my driveway behind the house, walking a red mountain bike.
"She did it again," was my initial response driving up, living as the resident recipient of her generosity many times over, including a recent fast Fuji road bike via Craigslist a few weeks ago.
In the wake of my mountain bike being mangled after falling off a car rack at 70 mph last month (no injuries), I was bike less. Now, one month later, I have two. I've paid $0 for both bikes.
"You have a mountain bike!" she said, excitedly (of course), as I look at her confused (of course).
"It's from someone anonymous," she added.
"Who?" I say, of course, over and over.
"I promised I wouldn't tell," she says, not budging. "But I've been praying for it, and here it is."
With a quick spin around the driveway, I noticed new features missing from my mountain bike (even before the accident): working breaks, working gears, light weight!
With the busyness of reentry into GR life since California, I haven't really processed this episode of grace, but I'm thankful, awestruck, dumbfounded and humbled when this stuff happens.
It'll be especially useful when Justin and Kelsey move to Grand Rapids next month. (Justin is my brother, and my sister-in-law Kelsey accepted a year-long term with Americorp downtown. We're excited about that development).
Thanks, friend, whoever and whenever you are.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
life update
My beautiful bride-to-be Emily booked a trip for us to California that we're now enjoying. We're in the vicinity of Santa Cruz, recovering from a wild week leading up to the trip, and prepared for the adventures ahead.
Today we're heading on a hike to Big Sur, driving down Highway 1 with the top down.
On Sunday night we're off to Yosemite for a couple days of hiking and camping (and no cell phones or email). I've avoided looking at photos, so I can experience it firsthand myself.
On the wedding planning side, Emily and her family have been collective saints, taking care of the details and putting everything in its right place. Invitations are out, the ceremony is taking shape, and the honeymoon is booked in Cabo!
Life is good, work is difficult but promising, Emily is excited for her new Young Life job to begin after the wedding, and we're still keeping our eyes open for a house. CNN recently reported that GR is the fourth most affordable city in the nation, on top of the tax incentives and market realities, now is a good time to buy in the mitten state.
(For more spiritual reading, check out my mentor and friend Jeremy's blog. They recently moved to St. Louis, where their car was stolen, and he had some interesting and mature thoughts on the experience.)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
new story and songs
Click here for a new feature story about studios in GR. It mentions Courier and has some cool photos of our studio.
On Courier's MySpace, we uploaded new songs "Ego Falling" and "Stay Strong." They're recent recordings, and the first songs I've written that have been recorded as a full band. To clarify, Dan is our lead singer, I'm doing a bit of back-up, and no, we're not blood-related.
On Courier's MySpace, we uploaded new songs "Ego Falling" and "Stay Strong." They're recent recordings, and the first songs I've written that have been recorded as a full band. To clarify, Dan is our lead singer, I'm doing a bit of back-up, and no, we're not blood-related.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
electric
I'm learning Electric Emily doesn't do small surprises. Last night, she took me for a birthday dinner to the steak house Louis Benton in downtown Grand Rapids, where the '98 Saturn received its first valet treatment.
(Props to the valet guy for starting it).
The steak was the best I've ever had. I even licked the plate. (Standard).
On the drive home, deciding on her place or mine, she said, "Let's stop at my house." At the front door, I was greeted by envelope #1, which led me to the upstairs attic room, where envelope #2 revealed new sandals ("The Cadillac of all sandals) and Creo green board shorts.
Envelope #2 led me to a "dark and dreary" place where I'd find something "cheery."
Turning the corner in the basement, I look up and see a white surf board.
Me? A Lake Michigan surfer?
Wow. This is where the words start running out.
Then, envelope #3 leads me back to her room, where "X marks the spot." I take forever finding it, searching the closet, under the bed, everywhere, until I go back under the bed and make a smart comment about her Dell laptop. Then I pull it out, and there's an "X" on it.
(Smooth, Aaron...cooler than a polar bear's toenail...)
She fires it up, and after it's rolling, Coldplay starts playing, and she turns around her PowerPoint presentation, which reveals our destination at the end of May: California.
Yes, California. My fiance booked a vacation for us to California.
We'll see the Redwoods, surf and bike in Santa Cruz, hike and camp in Yosemite, and eat "the best burritos north of the border." That's when the shock set in and the words ultimately stopped.
I'm blessed by her. Simply blessed.
Thanks Em, you are the best.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
won't turn back (song)
Just sitting down on Sunday
With a hangover of art
Hearing all the voices saying
“Son, now get a job”
“Cause the music and the words and film”
Will never be enough”
“And you’re going be a Dad someday,
Son, now get a job”
But I won’t turn back
Cause I feel this burning in my head
But I won’t turn back
Cause I feel this beating in my chest
Now your lady’s coming faster than
You ever thought she would
But she’s living on a shoestring
And, God, I think that’s good
That she won’t demand a million dollars
To give of all her love
And we’ll give each other riches that
We never dreamed we could
And we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this burning in our heads
But we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this beating in our chests
And the bills will keep on coming
But I know that we’ll survive
Cause we’re following the narrow path
We’ve jumped the great divide
And the blessings whether rich or poor
Til’ death will do us fine
And you’ll share with me your life, my girl
And I will give you mine
And we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this stirring in our heads
But we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this beating in our chests
And we know, what it’s like to be alone
And we know, what it’s like to made whole
What it’s like to live with nothing
What it’s like to live with gold
What it’s like to live in isolation
What it’s like to live in love
And we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this stirring in our heads
But we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this beating in our chests
With a hangover of art
Hearing all the voices saying
“Son, now get a job”
“Cause the music and the words and film”
Will never be enough”
“And you’re going be a Dad someday,
Son, now get a job”
But I won’t turn back
Cause I feel this burning in my head
But I won’t turn back
Cause I feel this beating in my chest
Now your lady’s coming faster than
You ever thought she would
But she’s living on a shoestring
And, God, I think that’s good
That she won’t demand a million dollars
To give of all her love
And we’ll give each other riches that
We never dreamed we could
And we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this burning in our heads
But we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this beating in our chests
And the bills will keep on coming
But I know that we’ll survive
Cause we’re following the narrow path
We’ve jumped the great divide
And the blessings whether rich or poor
Til’ death will do us fine
And you’ll share with me your life, my girl
And I will give you mine
And we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this stirring in our heads
But we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this beating in our chests
And we know, what it’s like to be alone
And we know, what it’s like to made whole
What it’s like to live with nothing
What it’s like to live with gold
What it’s like to live in isolation
What it’s like to live in love
And we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this stirring in our heads
But we won’t turn back
Cause we feel this beating in our chests
Friday, April 17, 2009
Follow Us for 24 Hours
At 9 p.m. tonight, The Compass Academy 24 Hour Film Festival begins.
We'll have 24 hours to write, shoot, edit and score a 5-minute film, using four elements drawn from a hat: prop, line, location and theme. Everything's original, turned in by Saturday at 9 p.m.
I'm blogging the process throughout the weekend (at the business blog), not only for my own sleep-deprived sanity, but also for the enjoyment of others. We've got great people lined up, including a talented crew, Courier for music, fresh actors (and a lot of coffee).
If you can't follow along live, check the blog next week to see how it went, or attend the top ten showing next Thursday, April 23rd at 8 p.m. at Celebration North.
It's going to be fun.
P.S. Watch Spish, our top ten entry from 2008.
Spish from Creo Productions on Vimeo.
We'll have 24 hours to write, shoot, edit and score a 5-minute film, using four elements drawn from a hat: prop, line, location and theme. Everything's original, turned in by Saturday at 9 p.m.
I'm blogging the process throughout the weekend (at the business blog), not only for my own sleep-deprived sanity, but also for the enjoyment of others. We've got great people lined up, including a talented crew, Courier for music, fresh actors (and a lot of coffee).
If you can't follow along live, check the blog next week to see how it went, or attend the top ten showing next Thursday, April 23rd at 8 p.m. at Celebration North.
It's going to be fun.
P.S. Watch Spish, our top ten entry from 2008.
Spish from Creo Productions on Vimeo.
Monday, April 13, 2009
lost
On Saturday I stopped by work to pick up my mountain bike and change clothes in the office.
As I was leaving, my mother called, and we began to talk about wedding planning. I load the bike into the car and drive to the gas station 15 minutes away to fill my bike tires up, still talking to my mother.
Then I realize my wallet is missing.
Internally and externally cursing, my mom is wondering what's going on, and probably where her son learned some of those words.
Back seat? No. Trunk? No. "No. No. No."
I must have left it on the curb. So I tell her, "I've gotta go," and floor it back downtown. (In no way am I blaming this on my mom). My own anger and cursing turns to prayer.
Then I start thinking about how God bailed us out when we accidentally left the side door of the office unlocked for two hours and returned to find the GR police sitting there and nothing missing. Surely mercy for carelessness has run its course, I reason.
So I think of how I'm going to cancel the debit/credit cards and get a new driver's license and how I can buy food for the weekend and if there's honest people left on earth.
(When I left for Europe in 2006, I tagged all my electronics with a note that read: "If lost/stolen, please email aaroncarriere@...")
As many of you know, our office is located in a strip where homelessness and panhandling are prevalent. I drive up and see nothing. Frustration sets in. Then get out of the car, look near the garbage and see my pants and shoes. I'd left them there in a plastic bag with my water bottle; the bag and Nalgene were missing.
But the pants and shoes. Still there. "There's no way the wallet is there," I whisper. Then I pick it up and feel a rectangle. "No way," unbelief still ravaging inside my head. I take out the wallet and rip open the contents, counting cards and blessings.
Upon closer investigation I find the water bottle in the trash can, but whoever found the pants missed the gold. God is good.
I called my mom and told her the news and how I'm wondering how many lives I've got left. As I'm writing and remembering these events, my thought process reminds me of doubting Thomas.
And I've put my hands into the side of the risen Christ.
As I was leaving, my mother called, and we began to talk about wedding planning. I load the bike into the car and drive to the gas station 15 minutes away to fill my bike tires up, still talking to my mother.
Then I realize my wallet is missing.
Internally and externally cursing, my mom is wondering what's going on, and probably where her son learned some of those words.
Back seat? No. Trunk? No. "No. No. No."
I must have left it on the curb. So I tell her, "I've gotta go," and floor it back downtown. (In no way am I blaming this on my mom). My own anger and cursing turns to prayer.
Then I start thinking about how God bailed us out when we accidentally left the side door of the office unlocked for two hours and returned to find the GR police sitting there and nothing missing. Surely mercy for carelessness has run its course, I reason.
So I think of how I'm going to cancel the debit/credit cards and get a new driver's license and how I can buy food for the weekend and if there's honest people left on earth.
(When I left for Europe in 2006, I tagged all my electronics with a note that read: "If lost/stolen, please email aaroncarriere@...")
As many of you know, our office is located in a strip where homelessness and panhandling are prevalent. I drive up and see nothing. Frustration sets in. Then get out of the car, look near the garbage and see my pants and shoes. I'd left them there in a plastic bag with my water bottle; the bag and Nalgene were missing.
But the pants and shoes. Still there. "There's no way the wallet is there," I whisper. Then I pick it up and feel a rectangle. "No way," unbelief still ravaging inside my head. I take out the wallet and rip open the contents, counting cards and blessings.
Upon closer investigation I find the water bottle in the trash can, but whoever found the pants missed the gold. God is good.
I called my mom and told her the news and how I'm wondering how many lives I've got left. As I'm writing and remembering these events, my thought process reminds me of doubting Thomas.
And I've put my hands into the side of the risen Christ.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
easter sunday song
Rolled Away
by Aaron
And ‘round the table
Where Judas stood
They all did eat and drink
His flesh and blood
And in the garden there
Where tears turned to blood
“Father, take this cup”
“Take this cup”
With lights of fire
The crowds did come
To take away the Lord
The willing One
To the death they did look
For a crime in His eyes
“Are you the Christ, the One
That’s been prophesied?”
“Oh You will see”
And the times they will come
On the right hand I will sit
with the Mighty One”
Before them He stood
As they made their whips
A crown of thorn and purple robe
And silence from His lips
The brought the Lord
To the place of the skull
Crucified the Lord
And gambled for his clothes
He said, “Oh my God”
“My God, will you forget?”
He said, “Oh my God”
“My God, will you forget?”
As He took His last
The curtain split
The earth it did shake
While the women wept
And when He rolled
The stone away
The angels stood
While Heaven sang
He’s alive
He is risen
He’s alive
He is risen
-Sunday, April 12, 2009
by Aaron
And ‘round the table
Where Judas stood
They all did eat and drink
His flesh and blood
And in the garden there
Where tears turned to blood
“Father, take this cup”
“Take this cup”
With lights of fire
The crowds did come
To take away the Lord
The willing One
To the death they did look
For a crime in His eyes
“Are you the Christ, the One
That’s been prophesied?”
“Oh You will see”
And the times they will come
On the right hand I will sit
with the Mighty One”
Before them He stood
As they made their whips
A crown of thorn and purple robe
And silence from His lips
The brought the Lord
To the place of the skull
Crucified the Lord
And gambled for his clothes
He said, “Oh my God”
“My God, will you forget?”
He said, “Oh my God”
“My God, will you forget?”
As He took His last
The curtain split
The earth it did shake
While the women wept
And when He rolled
The stone away
The angels stood
While Heaven sang
He’s alive
He is risen
He’s alive
He is risen
-Sunday, April 12, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
missing her
Emily arranged for her roommate Katie to send me an email with a video message from Emily (recorded prior to going to Zim). I'm a lucky dude, crazy in love, missing her.
After speaking to Em on the phone yesterday prior to the youth conference that the team was safe inside the country, I received word from Craig through Simon this afternoon that Emily gave an amazing talk last night ("Hope in a Godly Marriage") to the Zim youth by candlelight. Keep on praying.
This morning's song:
And in my arms
I will greet you
When you come back down
And in your arms
You will greet me
When you come back down
But I want you to fly
I want you to burn with all your light
Love I want you to fly
I want you to shine with all your light
For your soul’s a garden
Love a river
Spirit running wild
And your laugh’s an angel
Singing for me
Love is here tonight
After speaking to Em on the phone yesterday prior to the youth conference that the team was safe inside the country, I received word from Craig through Simon this afternoon that Emily gave an amazing talk last night ("Hope in a Godly Marriage") to the Zim youth by candlelight. Keep on praying.
This morning's song:
And in my arms
I will greet you
When you come back down
And in your arms
You will greet me
When you come back down
But I want you to fly
I want you to burn with all your light
Love I want you to fly
I want you to shine with all your light
For your soul’s a garden
Love a river
Spirit running wild
And your laugh’s an angel
Singing for me
Love is here tonight
Thursday, April 02, 2009
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