This has been quite the week. Whoa to the oa.

NEWS ALERT: We’re taking the week off from Radical. If you’re lagging behind, WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH UP. Have your Chapter 6 posts ready for 10-26 (and thanks in advance for understanding).

I had a feeling October might be a bit much. Five speaking engagements, lots of playdates and get-togethers, reading buddies and outreaches and big events. My 35th birthday. And we’re barely past the halfway mark of the month. Whew.

I haven’t read all your Radical posts from last week, I have spin-off posts simmering in my brain, I’m speaking to high-schoolers on s-e-x Thursday (PRAYERS PLEASE) and some sweet ladies on Saturday, so lots of prep time (and prayer) to squeeze in.

I experienced the most amazing blessing Saturday and have a story to share about it (which involves a pastor in footie pajamas and a woman with more children than I have fingers).

My poor, tired husband left the house at 4:45 a.m. today to shoot 2100 pictures of the Columbus Marathon, got home mid-afternoon, then left to shoot for 3+ more hours at a Secret Keeper Girl event (not to be a Darla Downer, but I’m reeeeeally glad our tickets were free, because it just wasn’t our thing).

We have eaten more fast food in the past week than I thought was even possible. Our poor wallets, our poor waist lines, our poor general overall health.

So I LEAVE you (pun! pun!) with some pics from last week of a little hike we took at a local Metro Park.

Have a great week!!

I have no idea what Kevin Bacon has to do with six degrees of separation or what it really even means. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with being able to link yourself to pretty much any other person on the planet through six other people where one knows the other who knows the other…

Um, okay, so it’s 1:00 a.m. and I have no idea what I’m saying.

Grinning about a little Twitter “conversation” Gabe and I had with ex-football great (and apparently Dancing With The Stars contestant–I had no idea) Kurt Warner just now. In other words, Twitter = a bypass of the whole six degrees thing.

I got home at 11:00 pm after talking to an AMAZING (and huge) group of women about loving on their husbands. Sometime after midnight, Gabe and I were both on our computers when he says something about Kurt Warner tweeting some football player who’s on Gabe’s fantasy team. Confused? Of course you are.

Gabe sends a tweet to Kurt:
@kurt13warner Glad to see you’re on Twitter. One of a few athletes I’ll actually be looking forward to following. Appreciate your faith!

Then he says, “Hey! Kurt Warner just replied to me!”

Kurt Warner
@GabeTaviano Thanks, hope u enjoy following! Glad u are aboard!

Hey! I want a tweet from Kurt Warner! So I write:
@kurt13warner My husband is sitting at his computer 6 feet from me, and you just replied to him. Me too?? Pretty please??

“He replied to you!” Gabe says.

Kurt Warner
@marlataviano You got it… can’t have any jealousy or envy in the house! Now go give him a kiss, so no hard feelings!

Marla Taviano
@kurt13warner I just did! We are CRACKING UP! Thanks so much, Kurt. We’re big fans and are so inspired by your outspoken faith!

“He replied to you again!” Gabe says.

Kurt Warner
@marlataviano OK, you get 2! Now go make it up to your husband somehow… not saying how, but sure he will have a good idea!

So I tell him:
@kurt13warner Funny you should say that. Just got back from a Moms2Moms group where I spoke on this spicy topic: http://bit.ly/ci9vTP

Kurt Warner:
@marlataviano OK, not ALL, but yes ALOT!

Kurt Warner:
@marlataviano Just trying to help a brother out! He owes me one or like 30 votes for DWTS next week, LOL!

Oh my goodness, this is hard work searching back through tweets and copying and pasting them in here. WHY AM I EVEN STILL UP?!

The rest of the conversation pretty much went like this: We told him we’d watch DWTS (we just watched some on Hulu–wow, I’m not a very good TV watcher) and that I’d send Brenda (his wife) a copy of ITAHTA.

And now it’s 1:35 a.m. and Gabe had to help me with the post because all the tweets I copied kept messing up the format of everything and I have tears in my eyes and am trying not to cry because I’m so exhausted.

And that’s that. I’m going to hate myself in the morning.

Have a great weekend! May you tweet with someone famous! (or not)

I meant to write a Radical Chapter 5 Spin-Off Post tonight, but I think I want to catch up with all of your posts first. And besides, when I logged in to WordPress just now and saw the 143 spam comments that needed deleted (20 at a time–boo), I decided to tackle that first.

And then I got to chuckling over some of the things these robots (or whoever they are) have written and decided to share. I almost wish some of these were “real” people because they lay on the compliments pretty thick. Here’s a sampling of some clean ones:

Good blog! I actually love how it is easy on my eyes and also the information are well written.

Whoah! brilliant, thanks so much for this gem of information it certainly has made a big paradigm shift in my knowledge.

After reading this I thought it was incredibly enlightening. I value you bothering and energy to put this post together.

While I see where you’re coming from with your post, I think it’s worth bringing up that Apple has once again made an attempt to block Spotify.

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Hi buddy, your blog’s design is simple and clean and i like it.

I try again and again writing about this subject but I fail, I’m just blocked, from where do you get your insperation?

this post is higher than my intelligence i must say

Love to read such things, they always interest me and usually I have a question: why?

I usually have that question too.

I always thought I’d like to get into the greeting card writing market somehow. Seems like an easy (cheesy) gig. But clearly, the times are a’changin’. I should start writing spam content and see if I can sell it to whoever these people are who leave ridiculous comments all over my site.

On a serious note, Mary and Rickya, two Jehovah’s Witnesses I met last month, are coming over for a chat this morning (Wednesday) at 10:30 a.m. I would love it if you’d join me in praying that the Holy Spirit gives me the perfect words to speak right to their hearts. Thank you!!

That my hand-me-down Dell Inspiron 9200 laptop has been giving me FITS the past few days, and I’m not about to write a big ol’ blog post and then lose it.

No worries about the Chapter 5 Radical post though. I’ll write it on Gabe’s computer if I need to.

Two quick things:

1. I’m collecting nice, clean winter clothing (all sizes) for a Warm Clothing Drive in my neighborhood Saturday, October 16. If you live close and have some stuff to donate, let me know, and I’ll figure out a way to get it from you. Thanks!

2. The Jehovah’s Witnesses who came to my door a few weeks ago have requested another chat on Wednesday at 10:30am. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would fill me with all kinds of wise, appropriate and biblical things to say. (Anyone want to join me for our little meeting??)

Happy Monday! See you tomorrow for Radical Chapter 5!

I’ll be back Monday. Have a great weekend!