Musings of a Katydid

Dinner

2012-01-26T17:33:00.000-08:00

I made some cheesy onion potatoes with dinner tonight. They turned out so-so. Next time, I'll add bacon.

Stop Motion. Go.

2012-01-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

This video is kind of adorable. I caught a YouTube surf this evening for a little while, browsing Stop Motion videos in particular. I really would love to find the stop motion videos I made when I was in Junior High school. I once made my room clean itself, and I also made some legos come to life - until the evil one had to be shot.

Writing

2012-01-08T07:00:00.001-08:00

A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest. C. S. Lewis

You are capable of making your goals.

2012-01-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

2012-01-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Wonderstruck

2012-01-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Survived 3 weeks

2011-10-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

I'm writing from my front steps this evening. The colors of the trees as the sun light diminishes is awesome. The moment is only interrupted by the 5 or 6 different variations of bugs that have chosen me as dinner. It's been really wonderful weather here and I'm trying to enjoy each day as it will soon be winter and time for me to bundled up and hide near a heater. Is there anywhere in this world that is both warm AND bug free? I suppose I'll have to wait until Heaven for that.

Guess that's all I really have to say for now. Heading to the broski's house for a flick.

180

2011-09-26T12:57:00.001-07:00

Homeward bound

2011-09-16T08:30:00.001-07:00

We stayed in Des Moines, IA last night and are only 5 hours from my new home. My sister-in-law is out garage sale shopping and will be on the lookout for things I still need. She and my brother have been bringing furniture over this week which is super awesome!

Mav is sooooo tired. He can't relax in the car so he's pretty exhausted when we get to hotels at night. Hopefully he sleeps good tonight.

I'm still a bit overwhelmed myself and could use a vacation :)

Heading to Nebraska

2011-09-15T07:42:00.001-07:00

Made it all the way to Laramie, WY last night. Drove through a rain storm for about an hour which cleaned all the bug carcasses off my car. It also got some water in my rooftop carrier though. The wind here is so icy! I wasn't prepared for that kind of cold.

We are aiming for Omaha tonight. We best get on the road soon!

Trip Tunes for Today

2011-09-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Day One

2011-09-14T01:56:00.000-07:00

Made it through the day. Took a couple hours to get the car loaded properly and had to leave behind several items that will need shipping. I decided I couldn't leave my dog behind, so I took a rental in El Paso, IL that will allow him to come with me. More about that later. We left about an hour and a half behind schedule and reached tonights hotel around 12:30am Mountain Time. Downfall of driving east - time zones work against you. Mav did okay in the car, he's pretty unsure of what's going on. He's wearing himself out with worry. I still wonder if it was the best idea to bring him. But the choice has been made, no looking back, right?

Tomorrow I will call an old high school friend who lives in Utah to see if we can swing by for a visit. My 10 year high school reunion is on Friday, so it'd be like having our own little reunion. It'll add some time to the trip, but how often do I "swing by" another state?

Summit Christian Center was so awesome to gift me some gas and food funds plus munchies!! Super thankful for that!

Well, seeing how's it nearly 3am where I am, I should try to sleep. Another long day ahead!

I'll always be your friend!

2011-09-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

A song for Cherm the Worm :)

Roadtrip Tunage

2011-09-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sad good-bye song for this morning.

The Puyallup Thing

2011-09-11T16:33:00.001-07:00

Got to spent the afternoon with my brother, John, at the fair yesterday. The fair seemed to have less going for it this year, but we had fun anyway. Not sure when I'll get to Do The Puyallup again so I made sure to get pictures.

To the Zoo!

2011-09-10T07:51:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I enjoyed some time on the greens with Callie at the Putting Zoo. I want to kidnap her and take her with me to Illinois. She's such an awesome woman and I'm glad we became buddies this year at school. Then we both dropped out, ha. I can't convince her to road trip with me either - that girl works and works.

That's my blip for now.

Are you a Dog or a Cat person?

2011-08-15T14:55:00.001-07:00

Twelve year old me

2011-07-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

This post is inspired by Matt over at The Church of No People. I didn't really follow his format, but hey, he wrote his post 6 months ago so I figure the rules are unimportant at this point.

Twelve year old me:

When I was 12, I wanted to be the first woman to play Major League Baseball (for the Pittsburgh Pirates). Instead, I told people I wanted to be a teacher because that was much more practical.

I enjoyed being a tomboy. Trees were meant to be climbed and feet were meant to be bare.

The coolest people I knew were my family members. My favorite memories always include them.

My best friend taught me the value of integrity when he stood up to a 'grown-up' to defend my character.

I was in love with JTT. Posters everywhere.

My house was the place to be!! We were Fun City thanks to my mom's hospitality and ability to make people feel welcome.

I started writing my auto-biography. Seriously. My life was pretty exciting at the time and you never know when celebrity status will hit you.

I took part in a 24 hour marathon. My first taste of independence. I proudly wore that sweatshirt for years!

I wrote my first love note. His name was Kyle and boy was he dreamy!

I made my first radio call-in music request. Tammy and I were having a slumber party and HAD to hear Footloose to really get the party started. The station aired our call. (Perhaps being on the radio prompted my rush to get down my biography.)

At the typewriter.

As you know, I didn't make it to the big leagues (not as a player anyway). I didn't make it back to the classroom as a teacher either. I'm at the end of my 20s and I still haven't locked down a career for myself. Probably never will.

I still enjoy being a tomboy. On my recent vacation, I showed my 6 year old nephew that I, too, can hang upside from a tree with the best of them - barefooted.

My family has only become even more cool over the years. My older brothers' have multiplied the cool-ness factor by expansion of the family name. My dad road a bicycle across the entire country at age 59. My mom was always a clown but took it to the next level by becoming a professional, and my baby brother keeps us all a little 'gangsta'.

I cherish my best friends. They keep me going when I want to quit and someday I want to return the favor.

JTT. That lasted way too long! These days I'm in love with Rob Petrie. Much more sophisticated.

I don't really have a place of my own yet, but when I do you can bet it'll be Fun City the sequel!

I'm not sure what happened to my autobiography and I'd sure pay a lot of money to be able to read it right now. I'm sure it was to die for!

No plans to run anymore marathons. I did jog around the neighborhood yesterday. No one gives you a trophy sweatshirt for that though.

I've since given up on Kyle responding to my love note. Probably a good thing since he and his wife recently had their first child. (Thanks for keeping me grounded Facebook.)

Last time I reached the DJ at a radio station I won concert tickets and got to sing on air. Guess I have a knack for radio stardom.

What would I tell my 12 year old me? "RELAX! Quit thinking about yourself and stop worrying about what everyone else is doing. You really don't know as much as you think you do, and neither does anyone else. Make friends with a Sanguine and learn from their carefree ways instead of being so critical." Hm. Guess that's a word for me at any age!

A happy tune.

2011-07-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Stay at Home Moms

2011-06-18T11:49:00.001-07:00

by Jennifer Johnson (I took this from a note posted on Facebook.)

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The ...door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog.

Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a Cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?' She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world do I do all day?' 'Yes,' was his incredulous reply. She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.

Wait - patiently, quietly - upon the Lord.

2011-05-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

(Isa 40:31 MKJV) but those who wait on Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

(Lam 3:26 ASV) It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.

(Rom 8:25 MKJV) But if we hope for that which we do not see, then we wait for it with patience.

(Heb 12:1 MKJV) Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

(Psa 37:7 MKJV) Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of him who practices wickedness.

(Hab 2:3 MKJV) For the vision is still for an appointed time, but it speaks to the end, and it does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it; because it will surely come. It will not tarry.

(Psa 62:5 ASV) My soul, wait thou in silence for God only; For my expectation is from him.

(Psa 145:15 MKJV) The eyes of all wait on You; and You give them their food in due season.

(Isa 25:9 MKJV) And one shall say in that day, Lo, this is our God. We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is Jehovah; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Lyrics to While I'm Waiting :

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Fixin' the fence.

2011-04-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day! The sun was bright, the clouds were no where to be found and I got to spend a few hours working with my dad! These are the days I live for. I tend to be solar powered, so I was a working machine. I started off doing some spring cleaning of old paper work. My dad announced he was heading to the store to get the parts he needed to fix our sad looking dysfunctional gate. A couple days ago I had asked if I could assist him in repairing it since we have dogs that need a sturdy gate. I left all my paper work behind and had him show me where to start digging the new fence post hole while he went to the store. A 3 foot deep hole is not easy to dig! Over the course of the afternoon, we took down the gate, and then put it all back together. It was a much better workout than going to the gym. Not to mention the feeling of accomplishment :)

I love doing projects with my dad - though I'm not sure he really knows how much! I made sure to let him know that I'd much rather help him with a project than go to school! I love my father a TON! Doing things like this with him just reminds me how smart and how strong he is. YUP! That's MY dad!

Sometimes

2011-03-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

Struggles of life

2011-02-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

This short clip from the movie Three Amigos is how I've been feeling lately regarding school and life in general. "Ouch." BUT all the effort is worth the reward at the top!

Blessing in the City [Spurgeon]

2011-02-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, blessed shalt thou be in the city. (Deuteronomy 28:2-3)

The city is full of care, and he who has to go there from day to day finds it to be a place of great wear and tear. It is full of noise, and stir, and bustle, and sore travail; many are its temptations, losses, and worries. But to go there with the divine blessing takes off the edge of its difficulty; to remain there with that blessing is to find pleasure in its duties and strength equal to its demands.

A blessing in the city may not make us great, but it will keep us good; it may not make us rich, but it will preserve us honest. Whether we are porters, or clerks, or managers, or merchants, or magistrates, the city will afford us opportunities for usefulness. It is good fishing where there are shoals of fish, and it is hopeful to work for our Lord amid the thronging crowds. We might prefer the quiet of a country life; but if called to town, we may certainly prefer it because there is room for our energies.

Today let us expect good things because of this promise, and let our care be to have an open ear to the voice of the Lord and a ready hand to execute His bidding. Obedience brings the blessing. "In keeping his commandments there is great reward."

Negative Meditation

2011-01-06T23:33:00.000-08:00

The scripture teaches that we should meditate.

"Meditate on these things;" [1 Timothy 4:15]
"...but you shall meditate on it by day and by night..." [Joshua 1:8]
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing..." [Psalm 19:14]

What exactly is meditation? Is it quieting the mind until you have no thoughts? No. Is it sitting Indian style on the floor with thumbs holding your index fingers making strange humming sounds? Not really. I like to picture mediation as the mind "chewing" on a thought. Taking time to consider each word and it's meaning and how each word connects to the rest of the words. Thinking of the idea in relation to who said it, when it was said, why it was said, and how it was said. God wants us to use the mind he created in us. Scripture encourages meditation as a positive thing. It's beneficial! Meditation on the Word, day and night, WILL CHANGE US!

What about negative meditation? Is there such a thing? Absolutely! It's more commonly known as WORRY. To worry is to meditate with a foundation of fear that results in stress, anxiety, lack of trust, misdirection, and to top it off - worry accomplishes nothing!

"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" [Matthew 6:27]

Too often we get the silly idea that worry is the same as concern. Wrong. To have concern is to recognize there is a potential problem and to think upon possible actions that can be taken in the here and now. Worry is just speculation about the 'ifs' of tomorrow of which you have no control. Another ill fated idea is that worrying somehow means you are taking action. Nope. Worry is counter-productive. It only distracts the mind. "Worry is like a rocking chair; it keeps you busy, but never gets you anywhere." [Unknown].

Worry keeps us from putting trust in God. He cares for sparrows and lilies. Sparrows and lilies. Should I say it again? 'Cares for' does not mean that God has a preference for sparrows and lilies, or that He gets a fuzzy feeling thinking about them. It means that He takes care of them - He provides for their needs. Do you not understand how INFINITELY MORE IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE YOU ARE TO GOD, than common sparrows and lilies??

So let's make a plan, for without vision the people perish. Let's throw out that nasty old negative meditation and replace it with proper meditation. What should we think about then?

God wants us to think upon Him; to think upon His promises; to think upon His love, His peace, His authority, His victory! Philippians 4:8 instructs us, "whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things." If we have any chance of successfully meditating on the Word, we must be READING it. That's step one.

Step two is to be prepared to take captive our thoughts when we are tempted to worry. All we have to do is remember to pray when those moments arise. Lord, my thoughts right now are really wanting to fall into worry about (insert issue here), but I know your Word tells me not to worry, so I give this issue to you and thank you that you've already given me the strength to resist temptation and you've not given me a spirit of fear, but of a sound mind. We cannot win a battle without both defense (prayer) and offense (meditation of the Word).

I leave you with the following medley from Third Day. Listen to the words, soak in the music, and turn your eyes upon Jesus, for the things of the world will grow quickly dim.

[Click here for excellent message on meditating on the Word.]

We Are Okay

2010-12-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

We Are Okay - Joshua Radin

We are grown but cannot see
Lost our world of make believe
Simple times now seem so far
Used to be in my backyard
yeah, the world was still in my backyard

But, we are okay, we are alright
we sing very loud,
yeah, we're singing
we are okay, we are alright
close our eyes, close our mouth
yeah, we shut our eyes though we're in doubt

Build me a home from a cardboard box
Many windows never locked
This is how we used to play
Shorter nights and longer days
With faith we would not fade away

But we are okay, we are alright
We sing very loud
yeah, we're singing
We are okay, we are alright
Close our eyes, close our mouth
Yeah we shut our eyes though we're in doubt

And so it goes
We can never seem to find the time we lost
Though we try at any cost
We try, we sing

We are okay, we are alright
We sing very loud
Yeah, we're singing
We are okay, we are alright
Close our eyes, close our mouth
yeah we shut our eyes though we're in doubt

Today's Devo from Andrew Wommack Ministries

2010-12-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

MINISTER THE GOOD NEWS

John 20:21 "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."

JOHN 20:21

The dictionary states that to reconcile means to re-establish friendship between; to settle or resolve, as a dispute. The key to reconciliation is to effectively deal with the enmity, ill will, hatred, or hostility that caused the dispute, etc.

The enmity between man and God was sin. God took the initiative to remove this barrier through the means and agency of Jesus Christ, thus leaving man and God as friends once again.

We have received the ministry of reconciliation. That means we are in the ministry of reconciling people to God. Much of what people call the gospel today is actually alienating man from God. True, we need to show people their need for God to get them to receive His forgiveness and reconciliation, but the angry and bitter attitude some people have when confronting the sinner, is not correct.

Imputing people's sins unto them was not the way God used Jesus to reconcile the world unto Himself. We should not focus on the problem of sin, but on the answer of God's grace (Rom. 5:20).

When you read a newspaper, you read about things that have already happened. They are not reporting prophecy. They are reporting the news. So our real job as ministers of reconciliation is to announce the good NEWS, which is an accomplished fact - that sin has already been dealt with through the person of Christ. We should say, "Now we beseech you, be ye reconciled to God. Change your mind and believe the gospel so that you may partake of what has already been done on your behalf."

Let's get over ourselves...

2010-10-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Why is American culture so focused on independence? It's all about doin' it yourself and taking all the due credit. It's okay to give assistance to someone who asks, but Good Heavens! you better not be the one asking. It's no wonder Americans have such trouble with free grace and salvation in Christ. Accepting God's provision means we are admitting dependence on God. Our impressive independence could end up being our down fall. We really are such a lonely people! I ride the bus every day to school and hardly anyone says a word to another person. Most people, young and old, go about their commute with headphones on that clearly send the message of DO NOT DISTURB. It makes me sad. I try to make a point to always greet and thank my bus drivers and I don't wear earphones while on the bus. I may have a tired look on my face, but I want to be approachable and offer a smile to those around me. We really are all in this together and the sooner we realize that, the better.

Taking the reigns.

2010-10-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

I've started my 3rd week of class and I'm still having fun. The subject matter is really interesting to me and the social dynamics of the group are really entertaining. I do wish I was more studious and could keep up with the work load better. At least I'm aware of my time managment weakness and admission is half the battle, right? Ideally, I'd like to use my morning train ride as devo time. Perhaps my lunch hour or my ride home can be my blog time. It's easier to write a post when the topic is fresh on my mind.

Last Wednesday at the Youth Church I volunteer at I gave the message for the evening. It started off a bit bumpy but then I hit the part I was most passionate about and the kids quieted down. I'll post my notes on here eventually. This last weekend was the Youth Conference for the AOG Northwest district. I felt like an old person. I wanted to complain about the music volume and the encouraging of high energy and yadda yadda. Thankfully, the Lord ebbed me a few times to stop complaining and just join in the fun and be an example for the teens who were there. It's humbling when you hear God whisper "Hey, this is about ME, not you." He's never rude about it, just a gentle reminder.

Sometimes I can be so negative about church conferences. I don't like the idea of going away for a couple days to get high on Jesus only to come back home and drop from that high. I've seen it happen too many times and a resulting bitterness is planted, or a misunderstanding of how our faith should feel begins to grow. I do believe should go to events like that (or church even) expecting God to be there, but we should also know that while an emotional high itself isn't a bad thing, we can distort it into something that it is not. We need to learn to live out our faith reguardless of how we feel. The Truth of the Word is what we should stand on and live by. If you're feeling lonely, that doesn't mean God isn't there. The Word tells us that he will never leave us or forsake us. We must reign our emotions, not let them reign us.

Peace to you!

Seattle with Sarah!

2010-10-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today after class, Sarah came and picked me up and we went out to lunch and drove around to a few places in Seattle. It was so nice to visit with her. We went to Fremont and ate at a place called Homegrown. Then she took me over to see her and Aaron's community garden. It's super cute! What a fun project. She drove me around a bit to see some of the sites and then we stopped at one of her favorite coffee shops. I think it was called Fidor. Tasty. It was SUCH a lovely day out to be in Seattle. I've never really been a Seattle person, but perhaps it will grow on me over the next couple years. We'll see!

More to come later about my "Terp Adventures."

Doing my duty.

2010-09-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Over the last two weeks I was on jury duty. I served two years ago, but only had to show up for one day and nothing happened. This time it was more interesting. I drove out to the courthouse 5 times over the two weeks. I was put on two different panels, but the first case ended up taking a plea I never got past filling out a questionnaire. Being on a panel means you are part of a group of 35-50 people who will be used to select a jury for a trial. While on my second panel we were questioned by both attorneys in the presence of the judge and the defendant. In the end, I was not chosen as a juror for the trial, but I was very interested in taking an ethics class.

I really enjoyed the questioning and hearing the views and opinions of the other jurors. Many questions were asked that I had never thought about before as something that could make a juror impartial. Some of the questions really made me think about myself and though I knew the proper answer, I had to decide if that was my answer. I even began to question the selection process itself. It was curious that the lawyers were the ones to decide who the defendant's peers were from our panel of 35 strangers. I'm not sure who else would make that choice, but I wondered if the process was being done in the best way possible.

I am curious about how that particular case will turn out and I'd love to be a fly on the wall during juror deliberation, but I'll have to live without knowing. Perhaps one day I will take an ethics class.

Twenty Eight

2010-08-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I celebrated 3rd anniversary of my 25th birthday. It was pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. I tried new things, played like a kid, and was blessed by so many who love me. My friends threw me a Pink Elephant Party. We did a normal white elephant gift exchange, only the theme was 'summer'. My darling best friend made me an A-mazing pink elephant cake! She is brilliant :) Heidi brought me some lovely sunflowers that happen to match my shirt perfectly that day, and we had matching sweaters. Jason's sombrero was the big hit of the gift exchange. Many thanks to Comfort Food Cafe for opening their doors for my party!

I love the summer!

The rest of the weekend was great as well. Jason & I went to Seattle to see the Ballard Locks & Fish Ladder as well as a lovely dinner at Ray's. I even ate Salmon. Then, he gave me a pretty rad gift. An SX-70 Polaroid with carrying case, original instructions, film, and flash bars! It's pretty. We also spent time hanging out in Puyallup; went bowling, caught a movie, lunch at Cattin's, coffee at Forza, chilled with the strawberry man. All in all, it was a fan-spankin-tastic start to another trip around the sun. I am incredible blessed by all the people that love me and I am thankful to each one of them!

Adventure awaits!

2010-07-23T09:35:00.001-07:00

How's tricks?

2010-07-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

I guess it's been a while, ay? It seems this year I've fizzled out my blogging time. At some point I realized I didn't have a set focus for this blog so it fell through the proverbial crack and was forgotten. There's this part of me that over romanticizes the act of sitting down to a keyboard and clicking out some thoughts on a public forum.

Even now, as I sit alone at a busy coffee shop, I imagine myself as the primary movie character in some loathsome situation that needs narrating in order to convey to the audience some completely irrelevant truth. Somehow, I feel more alive. As if, I have some piece of the answer to life's biggest question and no one has a clue how close they are to the truth that is contained in my finger tips. Suddenly I feel a sermon coming on....

I've always loved the idea of being a writer, but I've never considered myself one. Primarily because I've always heard that writers are those people who can't go a day without putting ink to the page. They have a constant need to express themselves through written word, and that's just not the case for me. I've also never thought myself brave enough to be a writer.

All too often I find myself conjuring up a scene from some story that is rolling around in my mind. Unfortunately, I'm terrible at completing those stories. Maybe one day I'll put all those scenes together and have a masterpiece. Who knows. Meanwhile, I suppose I'll keep jotting down those scenes, if only to get them out of my head.

Handling a tough situation with poise and compassion:

2010-04-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

The following letter is a great example of how to handle a delicate but difficult situation. It’s laced with humor, compassion and genuine interest as demonstrated in the effort it took to craft such a great response. Something to keep in mind the next time you're challenged to respond in a difficult situation.

The back story involves a man in Vermont who digs up items from his backyard and then promptly sends these items to the Smithsonian Institute for consideration. He carefully labels them with scientific names, insisting they are rare archaeological finds.
The following is the actual letter returned in response:

Smithsonian Institute
207 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20078

Dear Mr. Williams:

Thank you for your latest submission to the Institute, labeled “93211-D, layer seven, next to the clothesline post…Hominid skull.”

We have given this specimen a careful and detailed examination, and regret to inform you that we disagree with your theory that it represents conclusive proof of the presence of Early Man in Charleston County two million years ago.

Rather, it appears that what you have found is the head of a Barbie doll, of the variety that one of our staff, who has small children, believes to be “Malibu Barbie.”
It is evident that you have given a great deal of thought to the analysis of this specimen, and you may be quite certain that those of us who are familiar with your prior work in the field were loathe to come to contradiction with your findings.

However, we do feel that there are a number of physical attributes of the specimen which might have tipped you off to its modern origin:
1. The material is molded plastic. Ancient hominid remains are typically fossilized bone.
2. The cranial capacity of the specimen is approximately 9 cubic centimeters, well below the threshold of even the earliest identified proto-homonids.
3. The dentition pattern evident on the skull is more consistent with the common domesticated dog than it is with the ravenous man-eating Pliocene clams you speculate roamed the wetlands during that time.

This latter finding is certainly one of the most intriguing hypotheses you have submitted in your history with this institution, but the evidence seems to weigh rather heavily against it. Without going into too much detail, let us say that:
a. The specimen looks like the head of a Barbie doll that a dog has chewed on.
b. Clams don’t have teeth.

It is with feelings tinged with melancholy that we must deny your request to have the specimen carbon-dated. This is partially due to the heavy load our lab must bear in its normal operation, and partly due to carbon dating’s notorious inaccuracy in fossils of recent geologic record.

To the best of our knowledge, no Barbie dolls were produced prior to 1956 AD, and carbon dating is likely to produce wildly inaccurate results.

Sadly, we must also deny your request that we approach the National Science Foundation Phylogeny Department with the concept of assigning your specimen the scientific name Australopithecus spiff-arino.

Speaking personally, I, for one, fought tenaciously for the acceptance of your proposed taxonomy, but was ultimately voted down because the species name you selected was hyphenated, and didn’t really sound like it might be Latin.

However, we gladly accept your generous donation of this fascinating specimen to the museum. While it is undoubtedly not a Hominid fossil, it is, nonetheless, yet another riveting example of the great body of work you seem to accumulate here so effortlessly.
You should know that our Director has reserved a special shelf in his own office for the display of the specimens you have previously submitted to the Institution, and the entire staff speculates daily on what you will happen upon next in your digs at the site you have discovered in your Newport back yard.

We eagerly anticipate your trip to our nation’s capital that you proposed in your last letter, and several of us are pressing the Director to pay for it.

We are particularly interested in hearing you expand on your theories surrounding the trans-positating fillifitation of ferrous ions in a structural matrix that makes the excellent juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex femur you recently discovered take on the deceptive appearance of a rusty 9-mm Sears Craftsman automotive crescent wrench.

Yours in Science,

Harvey Rowe
Chief Curator- Antiquities

3D Final!

2010-03-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

This is my Final for my 3D class. It's not as finished as I would have liked, but I didn't know how to make the final adjustments I wanted to. Oh, well!

iDorito

2010-03-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

The Ministry Dilemma: Where do I fit in?

2010-02-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

When it comes to Ministry groups in the Western Church, we have it all! If a person is born and dies in the Church, their experience may look something like this:

Age 0-2 - Nursery Ministry Recepient
Age 2-11 - Children's Ministry Recipient
Age 12-14 - Middle School Ministry Recipient
Age 15-17 - High School Ministry Recipient
(Substitute Home School Ministry Recipient where applicable)
Age 18-22 - College Age Ministry Recipient
Ages 23 & up could potentially include the following:
Post-College Ministry, Singles Ministry, Marrieds Ministry, Marrieds w/ Kids Ministry, Mens/Womens Ministry, Growth Ministry, Missions Ministry, Small Group Ministry, Divorce Ministry, Recovery Ministry, Parenting Ministry, Single Parenting Ministry, Seniors Ministry, & finally Funeral Ministry. Not to mention all the side dish ministries that vary by region (i.e. Deaf Ministry, Blind Ministry, ESL Ministry, You-Name-It-We-Got-It Ministry), or those "Under the Hood" Ministries like Coffee Ministry, Janitorial Ministry, A/V Ministry, and the Set-Up/Tear-Down Ministry that you are constantly encouraged to participate in.

This structure has bothered me for some time now. Partially, because I haven't really 'fit' into one of these ministries for a while. After graduating, I jumped into the work-force, by-passing the college scene. Thus, I didn't really relate to the "College Ministry" crowd. Now that I'm several years beyond the traditional age of a college kid, I'm back in class again, but I still don't relate to the Post-College or College Ministry peeps. I am single, but I generally avoid 'Singles' Ministries like the Swine Flu. I find them patronizing, and being hit on with lines like "What's your life verse?" isn't my idea of fun.

I recently discussed this dilemma with a friend of mine and concluded that we are a part of the sliver of folks who have fallen through the proverbial crack in the Ministry Boat. It sucks. Last year I joined a group that I actually felt I belonged to. After a while, there was a change in leadership which produced a schedule change which meant I could no longer attend. I was really bummed. It was rumored that the schedule was going to change again to a time I could attend, but eventually the whole ministry was scraped in order to focus on something more "worthwhile." Apparently, I'm part of a group that is so rare that we are not important enough to have our own ministry. Interestingly enough, Christ would have died for just ONE person if that had been the situation.

However. I am writing this post because it turns out I've found the ministry that I belong to. I belong to the Bloggers Ministry. It is here that I voice my thoughts, opinions, and questions and from time to time I receive feedback. It is here that I am blessed and encouraged by other bloggers who have messages and experiences I can relate to and/or learn from. It is here that I have met wonderful friends such as Jon, Chuck, Matt, Annie, Renee, Dan, Joe, Jason, and Secret Agent L. Not to mention all those in-between folks who read these blogs right along side me. Without them, the ministry would not exist.

One of the reasons I love this ministry is because of how versatile it really is. Instead of going to a church where I can be segregated by my age/gender/occupation/height/background/whatever, I am free to partake in this journey alongside anyone I choose who is will to partake along with me. If I tried to join all the ministries at a church that these blogs would represent, I'm sure I'd get kicked out of them - and possibly kicked out of the church altogether. I am a single, late-20s, female, college student. Generally speaking, I would not be allowed to join a Men's Ministry, a Marriage Ministry, a Parenting Ministry, a working Professional Ministry, or a 30s, 40s, 50s, etc Ministry. And yet, I can get insight into all these areas of life by being a part of the Bloggers Ministry. As it turns out, I can have something in common with someone who isn't "a single, late-20s, female, college student." Imagine THAT!

What about you? Do you consider yourself part of the Bloggers Ministry? What's the craziest Western Church Ministry you've heard of? If there was a Ministry titled just for you, what would it be called?

just keep swimming

2010-01-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

Allow me to introduce my biggest enemy.....

2010-01-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls of all ages! I would like to introduce you to the biggest enemy of my success.

TOMORROW

Yup. That's right. Tomorrow. I have such a problem with Tomorrow that it just occurred to me that I should just write this tomorrow. My eyes are heavy. My brain is tired. I'm cold and want to bundle up. See what Tomorrow just did there? Tomorrow gave me a way out. Tomorrow gave me a way to do what's comfortable now. Tomorrow just tried to cut away a sliver of my success!!

Tomorrow constantly feeds me the lie that it will always be there for me. I've believed that lied for far too long. Turns out, Tomorrow doesn't even exist.

(Moment of silence inserted here for reflection or eye-brow lifts.)

Shocking, I know. It's true though. All we really ever have is Today. Every time I wait until Tomorrow to do what I can do today, I lose Today. I have lost Today countless times.

It's time for me rise up and begin to say NO to Tomorrow! The time to fight is NOW. Like those old nasty mops in those annoying Swiffer commercials - I'm tossing you aside, Tomorrow! I've got something better, and it's called: Today!

Speaking of dancing.

2010-01-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

I came across this excellent animation. May you be encouraged to break free from the mundane! AND DANCE MORE!

The product of roughly 7 months of work from 13 students in the 3rd year of the BAA Animation program at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

Twenty10

2010-01-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

Alright. I think I'm far enough into the new year to write about what it is I'd like to accomplish this year without making too many crazy whimsical goals.

I'm not sure I remember a whole lot of 'moments' from 2009, but it was, for me, a year of pressing on. It was a time of seeing my way through various bumps in the road. Most predominately, the 'bump' of having my school program canceled just as I was getting started. After many years of talking about studying video, I finally got my papers together and started classes. When I was first given the disappointing news that I actually wasn't going to be getting a video production certification, I laughed. The rug had been pulled out from under me.

I've taken what video classes I can, but now I've just been pushing on toward finishing the general media degree. However, if I hadn't started at CPTC, I would have never gotten back into ASL. If I hadn't gone back into ASL, I'd still be looking for what I should be doing with myself.

This comic made me laugh, but then it made me think. There are times in our lives when we seem completely trapped by our circumstances. Life seems hopeless and we can't see anyway out. But that doesn't mean those things are true, and it certainly doesn't mean that NOTHING is in our control. We still have choices to make. We can still choose to be positive no matter what our situation. We can work on the little things. After all, isn't everything just "little things" when we ponder the greatness of our God?

For Twenty10, here are some ideas that have come to mind as 'resolutions,' if you will.

1] Read the entire Bible. I am making this possible by using this service.
2] Keep the conversation going. This refers to keeping active communication with the people around me, including my Savior.
3] Learn to play 2-4 songs a month on guitar. I may possible record these in-house performances so I can see my progression in this area. I love to play, but without practice, I'm just a wanna be.
4a] Keep current with my digital scrapbooking. This means scraping any events within a weeks time so that when 2011 comes around, I'll still remember 2010.
4b] Take more "life" pictures. As a photographer, I actually am terrible at this.
5] Dance more.
6] Once a month Signed Songs - posted online.
7] Be more INVOLVED in Youth Church.
8] STOP complaining. I will most definitely need help with this one.
9]

So what do you think? Can I handle all that? Number 9 is left open because "there's always room for improvement."

Sibling Love.

2010-01-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

This is NOT a movie review of Leap Year.

2010-01-10T00:12:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went and saw Leap Year with my mom. Very cute flick. Chick flick, of course. It was 'clean' except for a scene when Matthew Goode walks in on Amy Adams in her underwear- she half-heartedly grabs something to cover herself. But I digress!

What has the media done to our view of relationships? These two characters get to know each other through the classic "Pride & Prejudice" method. Man & woman meet. They despise each other. Through a series of events they are forced to spend time getting to know each other. From there it's just a hop, skip, and a kiss to falling in love. And all the ladies squeal, "Awwwwwww."

Can someone please tell me, has this ever happened in real life? Have you ever found yourself completely enamored by someone that completely rubbed you the wrong way when you first met? I have never met a couple with this story. This irritates me. Why do we find this situation so appealing as movie-goers? How do the storytellers make us cheer for these people to figure out that they don't hate each other, really they love each other? Is THIS how we want to fall in love?

I know my readership has dwindled, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. I really think Hollywood portrays an incorrect version of true love. I can't quite put my finger on it though. Mainly, because I'm not even sure myself what True Love (in a man loves a woman kinda way) looks like. Seriously, if you're supposed to fall for the person you most love to hate, then we'd all be married to dentists or telemarketers right? Can I get a what, what?

A few favorite Christmas Quotes

2009-12-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

See if you can guess which movies these quotes come from:

1] "Bless this highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale. Amen."

2] "I don't know if I oughta go sailin' down no hill with nothin' between the ground and my brains but a piece of government plastic."

3] "Ahh, smell those Christmas trees. You can keep your 'Channel' Number 5, just give me a whiff of the old lonesome pine. That symbol of brotherly love, that centerpiece that all mankind gathers around to share the cranberry sauce shaped like a can."

4] "What about Santa's cookies? I suppose parents eat those too?"

5] "What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary."

A new game for Christmas!

2009-12-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

I have a problem.

2009-12-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

Actually, I have a few problems, but my primary problem is my lack of a confidant (cue Golden Girls theme song) to share my problems with. There are issues I have that I'd really like to speak to someone about, but I can't seem to find anyone to talk to! Now, don't get me wrong- I have friends that I talk to and sometimes share the annoyances in my life with. But there are times when I already know what those people will want to tell me if I share certain things. They'll want to tell me the same things I'm already telling myself.

Sometimes, I really wish I had a sidekick who's only line of dialog goes something like this: "I hear that!" following by pursed lips, a single lifted eyebrow, a nice bouncy head nod, and a couple Mmm Hm's to top it off. Almost resembling Sister Betterthanyou who sits in the Amen Pew.

I just want someone's ear. I don't want a 5 bullet plan on how to fix my problem. Quite often when we go to a doctor with our illness, he or she gives us something to address our symptoms. To cover up the outward evidence of our inward illness. This is not ideal for getting rid of the actually illness, but it sure makes you feel better! Once in a while, I'd like someone to follow suit and ignore trying to address my problem and just make me feel better! Take me for ice cream, a drive around town with the top down, or build a couch cushion fort with me.

Do you toss out God's promises like junk mail?

2009-11-16T21:32:00.000-08:00

YOU MAY ALREADY BE A WINNER!
Ever get one of those letters in the mail? Does anyone take Ed McMahon seriously? We label those letters as junk and toss them out without a second glance, thinking it's just a scam - someone trying to sell us something. Have you ever found yourself doing the same thing with God's promises? I wonder just how many times I've read a verse of scripture that tells me of the great blessings I already have and I just toss them out like junk mail, thinking there's some sort of 'catch'.

Skidder-mer-ink ee dink ee dink

2009-10-24T23:37:00.000-07:00

skidder-mer-inky doo! Well, well, well. Where to begin?! Last you heard, I was working for the Puyallup Fair and waiting for classes to start again. Classes have been going for the past four weeks, and I'm on my last week of work for the fair.

How's that for an update? :)

I feel like I have direction for my life again. Current 5 year plan is as follows:

>Finish my AAS-T at CPTC this coming Spring. Woot!
>Continue Sign Language classes at Piece for Winter, Spring, & Summer quarters.
>Start the Interpreter Training Program at Seattle Central Community College in the Fall of 2010.
>Graduate from SCCC in 2012 (just shy of my 30th birthday, alright).
>Get Certified as a Registered Interpreter.
>Go on to study Christian Apologetics (possible getting a BA as one will be required of me to keep my Interpreter status).
>Begin to teach Apologetics to the Deaf Christian community to equip them to spread the Truth amongst themselves.

I really have no idea how all that is going to happen and it looks like quite a feat for someone who had no plans whatsoever of going on to 'higher' education, but none of that matters. I've been told that it's better to take action and maybe get it wrong than to take no action at all. So I'm taking action, because I think it's important.

If you dream of something worth doing and then simply go to work on it and don't think anything of personalities, or emotional conflicts, or of money, or of family distractions; it is amazing how quickly you get through those 5,000 steps.
-Edwin Land, co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation

PS. If you hear of anybody else who wants to bring Christian Apologetics to the Deaf, be sure to introduce me!

Favorite Fair Photo of the Day

2009-09-21T23:58:00.000-07:00

Favorite Fair Photo of the Day

2009-09-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

Give Me a Revelation - Third Day

2009-09-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

My life has led me down the road that’s so uncertain
And now I am left alone and I am broken,
Tryin’ to find my way, tryin’ to find the faith that’s gone

This time, I know that you are holding all the answers
I’m tired of losing hope and taking chances,
On roads that never seem,
To be the ones that bring me home

Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been tryin’ to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You

My life has led me down this path that’s ever winding
Through every twist and turn I’m always finding,
That I am lost again (I am lost again)
Tell me when this road will ever end
Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been tryin’ to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without

I don’t know where I can turn
Tell me when will I learn
Won’t You show me where I need to go
Oh oh
Let me follow Your lead,
I know that it’s the only way that I can get back home

Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been trying to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You

Oh, give me a revelation

I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You

Favorite Fair Photo of the Day

2009-09-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

Tough Enough to Wear Pink

Favorite Fair Photo of the Day

2009-09-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

This poor guy was totally defeated. But it made for a great photo.

Favorite Photo of the Day

2009-09-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

Since I'll be taking lots of pictures while working at the fair, I thought I'd try to post my favorite shot of each day. Might be hard to choose just one but this one takes the cake! I guess this is why they call it Muttin' Bustin'.

Some change

2009-08-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

School is finally over for the quarter but I won't be getting a real break. As of Monday morning I'll be working full time. Four weeks without homework will be nice though. I'm writing this from a BlackBerry Pearl flip. I'll let you know if I keep it. G'night!

Day 1 [thefair]

2009-08-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

Transcript Begin:

Welp. Day one. I survived. Day one at the fair. New job. Haven't been working for a while, so. Little bit of pressure, just a little overwhelming. Sounds like I might be doing the job of three different positions kind of all squished into one. So it's a little bit crazy but I think I'll survive - yeah. Uh, the highlight of the day actually was as I went around being introduced to everybody, went through the storage room and in the back corner around a pile of stuff behind what I suppose was at one point a cubicle wall was uh Roland, the IT guy. He's pretty cool, nice to meet him. Now I know where to go if things get too crazy - a little hide-away - I'll go hangout with Roland for a little while. So, that was definitely the highlight of the day, um. If nobody would have shown me he was back there I would have never known there was a desk behind all that stuff. So - here's to you Roland!

:Transcript End.

Inspiring Young Entrepreneur

2009-08-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Oh my ears!

2009-08-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Quick question: Can a piece of lyrically free music be audibly offensive?

Goodbye Ol' Blue, Hello Metta

2009-08-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so, Ol' Blue (aka Delilah), my faithful '91 Dodge Spirit has been ill and slowly falling apart. It's been rather sad to see because I really like that car. It may not be stylish or cool, or even very modern as it doesn't even have power locks, but it made me happy. That car was a huge blessing to me. My parents bought it for me during my senior year. It had had only one owner who was an older lady who rarely ever drove it, so it had ridiculously low mileage. She took care of the inside and the engine and accessories were all in great working order. That was back in 2000.

I have great memories with that car. I drove it from Washington to Ohio with my best friend and had quite the adventure. I drove it from Ohio to Pennsylvania to visit my dear friends the Millers and was so glad I was able to do so. It was the choice vehicle to drive me and my brother's family from Ohio to Georgia to visit my grandmother after she moved there. It's taken me on multiple missions trips and visits to Canada. It's carted me to Portland to visit Amy while she was in school. It's driven me safely home after staying up too late with the girls time and time again. It's been featured in home videos and actually made an appearance in a professional documentary filmed in Parkland. It was a character in a home made sitcom that some co-workers and I tried to create when I worked my favorite job at NPCC. This car has been there through it all these last 9 years. I will miss that car. But all these great memories point me not to the gift, but to the giver. God the Father made so many of those things possible all through the gift of a great car. And now he's done it again.

As the heat wave came through town, the temperatures just seemed too much for the Spirit. It overheated one too many times and it was finally decided the time had come to move on. I was able to see this coming, so a few weeks ago I began to ask the Lord to provide me with the transportation I would need. I know that God doesn't always provide things the way we might imagine them, so I knew perhaps another car wasn't the answer. I still put in my order for a car, however. Let me take you on a side note real quick, for those of you who don't know me as well. I do not deal well with change. In 8 years, I've had 3 cell phones. I only ever get a new one when the old one dies, breaks, or has no battery life. And everytime, I struggle to find a phone I will be happy with. It is stressful. My laptop is 7 years old and I'm about to trade it in. Imagine the possible stress of finding a car I'd like might cause. I was aware of this. In my prayers for a new car, I told God that I was trusting Him to find me a great deal and that I was going to choose to NOT freak out over the change. I prayed that I could find the same sort of deal that we did on my Dodge. I wished I could find my exact same car because I knew how much I liked it, but I thought it doubtful.

Two days ago, I decided to check Craig's List for what was available for cars in my area. I didn't want to spent more than $4k, but was willing to spend $5k. I marked a few cars I thought I'd like to look at before finding a listing that blew me away. It was love at first sight. "Are you looking for a Grandma's car that was hardly ever driven?" YES! I showed the listing to my dad, who laughed before realizing I was serious about this car. I called the dealer to find out when they close. Darn, they closed in 5 minutes. I had to wait nearly a whole day before going in, but I told the dealer I'd be there! So we showed up, and there it was. A 1991 Plymouth Acclaim. Twin sister to the Dodge Spirit. They were probably seperated at birth. This car had been owned by an older lady who hardly ever drove it. It has 99k miles on it. She had EVERY record of anything that was done to that car from fluid changes to towing to tires. She kept it neat and tidy. And it was HALF of my willing price. Not only did God bless me with a car in my budget, but he removed the stressful process of having to make a change. The salesman was wonderful and he even knocked off a couple hundred because I showed up when I said I would. I've been overjoyed at my Father's love for me.

Some people think it silly to name inanimate objects, but in this case I want to remember the story. I picked the Scandinavian name Metta which means "pearl". Not only does it sort of match the color of the car, but a pearl is a beautiful gift. And that's what this is. Also, the car came with Jetta mud flaps which I thought was hilarious.

I can't wait to find out what sorts of adventures and memories I'll have with this car!

Picture Your World

2009-07-16T01:37:00.000-07:00

So, I don't normally post assignments here, but this one I really enjoyed. Both the process and the outcome. I have to say, I'm feeling pretty good about it. The assignment was to create a magazine cover from concept to print. Here's what I came up with:

Before summer's over

2009-07-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hello again. It's me.

What do you mean, you don't remember me?

My brain is so fried from information overload in the past two weeks that I'm not sure I even know me anymore. Even the dog finds me highly boring. "Why don't you play with me anymore?" he says with his sad eyes starring up at me. I liked the idea of summer school. Getting out and having something to do during the day. Seemed like a pleasant way to spend the warmer days.

I may have been wrong.

It didn't occur to me that I wouldn't be able to enjoy those days with anyone else but textbook authors and word processors. "It's only a few weeks" I keep telling myself. It doesn't really help. It just reminds me that I have less time to get everything done.

Ever taken an online course? Don't. Unless it's the only one you're taking.

That's about all I can muster up to say right now. I figured it'd be nice to blog at least once before summer's over.

TTFN!

Speed 2

2009-06-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right. Speed 2. Though this trip will really be nothing like that movie, I am pretty darn excited about it. I'll be sure to blog about it when I return in a week.

Meanwhile, Angela is at the hospital having her baby! Very cool. Wish I could be there.

Also, this past week we celebrated Maverick turning 2 years old. He's still such a baby!

TTFN!

Heeeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!

2009-05-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

Not sure why I said that.

I'm sure you've all noticed the recent prolonged hiatus from blogging that I've taken. It wasn't planned. Life just happened. I know - what a profound statement, right? Obviously, I've spent weeks being 'enlightened'. Actually, I've really been working on my stand up routine.

School's been quite the roller-coaster. I really enjoy the subject matter, just haven't been very impressed with the school itself. The bar seems to be set fairly low, and I'm the kinda person who expects a lot out of myself. Without proper training, I feel as though I'm being set up for disappointment.

Also, I think I may have caught Senior-itis this season. All kinds of bugs been going around. To think, I could have a handful of letters after my name by the end of the year. I'm also thinking of joining a sorority. Phi Theta Kappa - Beta Omicron Gamma Chapter.

I had a wonderful vacation at the beginning of the month with my whole family. I miss those guys. Someday the distance will be shorter (either physically or financially). I can't hardly stand to wait for those days.

This past weekend I enjoyed a long awaited girls night. I had been looking forward to that ALL year! What did we do? We talked all night!

My personal growth focus right now is my attitude. I want to be one of those people who are *almost* annoying in their positivity (or is it positiveness?). Either way, I'm trying to be on the plus side more consistently! The 'Triple D' (daily dork dance) does wonders for uplifting my attitude. I highly recommend it. It's usually best accompanied by an over dramatic and mushy lip-sync. Perhaps one day I'll make y'all a How To video.

Speaking of videos, if you haven't visited yet, check out my YouTube Channel @ www.OutofilmProductions.com

Details you might be interested in: I am currently working on 25 credits in my 3rd quarter. In a month I will tackle another 25 credits over the summer quarter. I'd like to take my final 25 credits in the fall so I can graduate sooner, but it's looking as though I may end up going into the winter quarter (depends on how crazy I am).

When the family all gets together...

2009-05-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

{click to make larger}

We sure are a good looking bunch, ain't we?

Photo Friday

2009-04-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Things have been a bit crazy for me lately so that's why you haven't seen any real blogging this month. But here's an old baseball picture from my glory days. I miss it :(

Photo Friday

2009-04-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ever been left on the side of the road in Romania with a bag of flowers and a loaf of bread?

Photo Friday

2009-04-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

This is a mobile phone picture of Amy, Cheramie, & Gerod trying out a puppet stage for kids. That was a fun day :)

Darn.

2009-04-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Double the pleasure, double the fun!

2009-04-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

This is the one of the smartest things I've seen in a while - not to mention how cute it is! Thanks for sharing it with me Cherm!

TWINS OF TECHNOLOGY

Sunday Sermon: The Parable of the 10 Drivers

2009-04-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking lately about the return of our King. Will I hear the triumphant sound of the trumpet call? Will I be taken up into the sky before death has captured me? I don't know. What I do know is that I can keep watch. I can study to learn the signs of the end times and be alert to events of the world.

Matthew 25:1-13 tells us the parable of the 10 drivers. Remember that one? The King sent an invite to all the people telling them of a great feast. All they had to do was show up when they heard the announcement of the location. As soon as they heard, they were to drive over to meet him and party with him. It was going to be awesome! All 10 drivers were excited. They drove all over town to find right outfits and what sort of snacks they could bring and gifts they could offer their King. However, only 5 of the drivers were wise enough to remember to refuel their cars each time they went out. They even bought extra gas and kept it in the trunk. As time went by, the drivers grew weary of waiting and went back to their lives. Suddenly, the announcement was made! The 10 drivers jumped into their cars and headed to the party. Unfortunately, the 5 foolish drivers had very little gas and didn't get far. They tried to flag down the wise drivers to get some of their gas, but they told them they must get their own. By the time the 5 foolish drivers refueled and made it to the location, the doors had be shut on them. Sad day for the foolish drivers.

What's that? I got the parable wrong? That isn't how it goes? Hey, I'm just trying to be RELEVANT to my generation. So excuse me!

I'm pretty sure the boy scouts got their motto from this story. Always Be Prepared. Christ's return could be so much sooner than we think. It's been 2000 years and we are growing weary of all this 'waiting' but don't be a fool! He IS coming! What are we doing to prepare for his coming? Our we dressing ourselves properly (Colossians 3:12-13)? Are we treating each other well (Romans 12:10)?

How would we live tomorrow if we learned he was coming back in 24 hours? Would that last day be as intense as Jack Bauer's 24 hours? Would we check our Facebook? I challenge us all to live life with a sense of urgency. This could be your last breath - are you prepared for the King?

Photo Friday

2009-04-03T02:24:00.000-07:00

I've found that some bloggers have theme days. I'm going to give that a try and establish Photo Friday. This will be a day I share a photo or two from my albums and perhaps share a bit about it. Simple.

This particular photo was taken this week while doing some practice photography with a couple friends. I wish I had more willing subjects to shoot so I could practice more often. I gave it a bit of an older tarnished look just for some added style.

:(

2009-03-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

I think I'm blogged out.

Changing Bride.

2009-03-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to go see the old family vacation cabin that my grandfather and father built many years ago. There are lots of great memories from this place so I was curious to see how it was doing. Since I hadn't been there in nearly 10 years, I had to guess a bit about where it was located in the neighborhood. Thankfully, Jami was very patient with me as she drove me around each turn. I suddenly recognized a street sign. Winthrop. That's it! As we turned the corner, my heart sank. As I looked at the land I was baffled. Is it gone? The property before me wasn't at all what I remembered. And on top of it there was a funny looking building sitting where MY cabin should have been.

Turns out, verified by my father, that strange building was our cabin. It looked so different that I didn't recognize it. The land had been changed as well. This little incident was a 'what if' moment for me. What if Jesus comes back for his Bride, the Church, but she has changed so much from what he'd made her that he doesn't recognize her? That would be crazy. We must be careful not to sell our self to the world and then be made unrecognizable by our Maker. Can you imagine the heartache of the Groom as he drives away thinking "my Bride is no more". Can you imagine the surprise on the face of the Bride wondering "where are you going Husband? Come back! Here am I!"? What a terrible tragedy. Friends, I hope for our sake that Christ's return is delayed. Oh how much I long to kiss the face of my Jesus! But will he know us if he were to come now? I think many of us would be left confused and baffled by our Lord's walking past us, saying "I do not know you."

Take heart friend. You still have this very moment to be made right. To shed yourself of the coverings of the world that may disguise you from your Maker. But hurry! You may not have the next moment. Move quickly! For he will come like a thief in the night when he is least expected.

Can you believe that guy!?

2009-03-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

The nerve. The absolute nerve of that driver!!

I think that a lot when I'm behind the wheel of my '91 Spirit. It's true. I'm a road snob. I am of the opinion that I'm the best driver on the road at any given mile post - with the obvious exception of the day I look out my window and see Kyle Busch driving beside me. At that point I'd be all over the road as I try frantically to find my camera to snap a photo for my aunt. Otherwise, keep your distance.

Now, I don't mean to say that I'm a mean driver or a speed demon, I just think that everyone else needs to re-take driver's ed. What happened to actually using a turn signal BEFORE turning or changing lanes? That bugs me. Know what bugs me more? Speeders that ride my tail. I will go so far as to use the word 'irk'. It completely irks me. Not only are they breaking the law most obviously, but they have the nerve to compromise my safety directly. To get where exactly? ONE car ahead one the road, or they just have the need to get to the red light before me. OOOOooooo.

And now I sound like an old lady driver as much as I drive like one.

I'm trying really hard to come up with a way to turn this rant into something really spiritual and profound, but all I can come up with is that I need to work on having more grace, patience, and humility on the road. I suppose I could use a little more of those in life generally, too.

Can anyone come up with something spiritual to parallel this with? Kudos if you do.

Five bucks!

2009-03-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

How would like to be photographed with your favorite celebrity?! Well, for only $5 I can make it happen! I have serious connections! Here are some samples:

If you too want to have a memorable photo for your scrapbook, simply leave me a comment and I'll get back to you with instructions! This deal won't last long so act fast!!

Following

2009-03-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

Our God is a good God. This weekend was filled with good times with friends and great discussions about God and seeking his will for our lives. That's always been a tough subject for me because I agonize over details and wonder about actually 'knowing'. There are two parts to God's will - his general will which is laid out for us in scripture, and his specific will for individual lives. It is the latter that I have struggled with. Although, I haven't been very adamant about seeking the scripture to fully understand his supreme will for his people either. Frankly, it's much easier to ignore them both as topics of study.

I love when something seems completely irrelevant at the time, but within 48 hours it suddenly applies. It's usually good for a giggle or two. On Friday evening, I was asked if I was at any crossroads in my walk that I could use prayer for. I was tempted to really dig deep and see if I could pull something out of hat, but I knew that'd really be reaching. So I simply stated, "Nope."

Fast forward to Monday morning. First thing in class, our instructor announces that the Video Production program is being canceled. For those of you who don't know me, here's a quick summary of the last 8 years. I worked 4 jobs, moved out of state and back, took a couple of community courses, and totally put off pursuing my talent in visual arts with reasons that seemed totally justified at the time. This fall I finally faced my folly and enrolled in Tech school to get an AAS and Video Production Certification. And now back to Monday morning. I laughed. I had to. I almost felt the need to apologize to the other students as though the program would not have been canceled had I not been enrolled. Foolishness, I know.

A great excitement began to grow in me. I began to imagine the wonderful things that God will be doing in my life. It was a great notion, and a wonderful day. I just wanted to share.

How to: Increase your pride by growing your Followers Widget Box

2009-02-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

I'd be lying if I said I never hope for my Followers widget to expand with new faces. What enthusiastic blogger doesn't? The point is to share your thoughts with anyone who'll read them, right?

But how does one go about finding new readers? It certainly isn't all about your content. Of course, you must have something of interest to write about so you're readers will keep coming back, but you have to first find the readers.

Best place to start is with your friends. If you know someone who's got a blog - follow each other. Makes sense. That's just a start - most of us don't have 40 friends who blog. If you claim you do, I'd like to hear your definition of 'friends'. Joey & Chandler don't count. If you have friends who don't blog, tell them to sign up anyway so they can follow you. It doesn't hurt to use pursuation either.

Dear Friend,
You need to sign up to follow my blog in the next hour or I will never awknowledge you on Facebook again. Don't forget to comment! :)

You could also go the "I have no idea what I'm doing route" and pay for some advertising. If I ever need to hire an advertising agency, I'm gonna hire the same guys who run the Krispy Kreme account. Those guys know what they're doing.

The best and most effective way to gaining readers is to be one yourself. We find this answer in Luke 6:31. The Bible really does have all the answers! There's more to it than just reading another's blog. You must comment. Leaving comments on other blogs will start you on the path to new readers.

Please take your seats - Blog Commenting 101 is about to begin.

Find a blog with a fairly large group of followers. You're aim is to steal some of them.
When you leave a comment on someone else's blog it is important that you actually have read the entry.
If there is a question, answer it.
If there's not, feel free to agree or disagree with the opinions of the writer.
Keep it fairly short, this is NOT your blog.
Be funny or wise - double score for doing both.
Make yourself human by telling of something humiliating that you did - keep it relevant.
Find another popular blog and repeat the process.

You have a few short words to coax readers to ponder more about you. You have to think smart to get them to say something like,

"LOL. What a clever and witty comment, I wonder what other kinds of insight this reader has. Let me click their profile and see if they have their own blog that is just as clever and witty as this comment that knocked my socks off."

That is the exact reaction I go for when I comment on other blogs in an effort to grow my readership. Make sure you don't over do it though. One too many 'smart' comments and you're likely to get the stink eye.

Follow these simple suggestions and pretty soon you will find you exist in new worlds you never dreamed of. As soon as you get a new reader, you exist in their world. It's like traveling, only you can stay in your PJs and no one can complain.

**Proof that the system works: Before I even finished writing this post I had gain a new follower! Welcome aboard Kyle!**

Photo Tag.

2009-02-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

Okay Vicky, here's my photo:

Pretty boring. This is a photo from my Vegas to Gorman, TX trip with my Aunt Anne to help her move. The back of that truck says "One of a Kind." I guess I found it interesting. Being on the road that long with a camera gets you some weird pictures.

Here are the rules:

1. Go to the 4th folder where you keep your pictures on your computer.

2. Post the 4th picture in the folder.

3. Explain the photo.

4. Tag 4 fellow bloggers to join in the fun.

I'm not tagging anyone because pretty much all my blog friends have done this already. If you haven't feel free.

I Got the Sun in the Morning

2009-02-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

Sunshine gives me a lovely day,
Moonlight gives me the Milky Way.
Got no checkbooks, got no banks,
Still, I'd like to express my thanks.
I've got the sun in the morning
And the moon at night.
And with the sun in the morning
And the moon in the evening
I'm alright.

Getting the shot

2009-02-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

When it comes to getting the shot, I laugh in the face of danger.

HA HA HA HA

This is my younger brother's Pitt Bull, Jixser.

What's your motivation?

2009-02-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior;

I have a hard time finding motivation. How about you? Being active and eating well are difficult for me, only because I lack motivation. The physical act isn't so bad, in fact it usually makes me feel better and has other positive results.

Sometimes, watching other people take action towards a goal gives me a bit of motivation. Like watching Rocky 3. Sometimes, watching a good musical motives me to get up and dance and sing and do my own version of the film just for Maverick. Sometimes, a really great quote read over and over a few times can get me stirred up. A photo of what my teeth would look like if I didn't start brushing better worked as a motivator for a few months. Sometimes money is the reason for my action - sometimes.

I have yet to find something that sticks. This poster: Not helpful.
There was a time in my life when I was full of dreams and inspiration and I had motivation that I didn't even know of. I was going to change the world! Then I graduated from high school and the world wasn't anything like what they told me it was.

"I wanna run through the halls of my high school/ I wanna scream at the top of my lungs!"

I've started reading this book. Faith-based Fitness. The first couple chapters sounded like there was some great motivation in there somewhere. I just couldn't seem to find it. Maybe it's in the last few pages. Meanwhile, I'm gonna keep on keeping on.

Someday, I WILL find my happy thought. I will fly!

How important are your friends?

2009-02-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Have you ever done a study on friendship? Probably not, right? I mean, who wants to sit around and read up on 'friendship' when you have friends and know exactly what friendship is?

Did you know that around 25% of Americans don't have a close friend to confide in? That's 1 in 4! According to a 2006 study, we are becoming more and more lonely. In parallel, we are becoming more and more sick. It is noted that the declines in heath and friendship are near the same slopes.

It seems that in our "Modern" day and age, we have decided that real friendship is overrated and put it low on our list of priorities. We'd rather zone out with an iPod or XBox than use energy building a relationship.

Take a moment to read Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 (roll over the text). Do you really want to be the guy who's creating great things for himself, but has no one to share with? 'All for nothing' quipt King Solomon.

Friends bring us more than just health benefits. They have benefits we can not even fully comprehend. I can not imagine my life without my friends. They comfort me, encourage me, bless me, share with me, laugh with me (and even at me), and they love me. They also give me the opportunity to grow in the virtues of loving, giving, sacrificing, encouragement, compassion, understanding, and a hundred others. Without my friends, I would not grow. Thank you dear friends.

I charge you readers. Go be a friend. A real friend. Winnie the Pooh once said "It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"" Go deeper. Do more than just lunch. God wants us to learn intimacy with each other as much as we are learning it with him. Dive deep into the waters which friendship treads. It will be hard. You will have to be vulnerable. You will have to let someone in, to learn about you and your strengths and your weaknesses. You will have to take a risk. You will get hurt. That hurt is worth it. It is SO worth it.

You don't have to have a large number of friends. Two or three will do just fine. It's the quality of those friendship that matter.

Ladies. Single ladies. I urge you to press on in your friendships. If you keep close friends, you are much less likely (or less frequently) to feel lonely and pursue comfort in a man. You will not get yourself wrapped up in an unhealthy relationship. Not only will you end up with any old 'poser' who might come along, but you're friends will be there to point out who he really is!

So go on! Go find someone to invite to coffee or steak, or a game of cards or tiddly-winks.

I promise...

2009-02-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

I promise to update soon!

Mobile Video | Generation Unleashed

2009-01-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Best line of the conference: "Don't spend your money on your girl. Go ahead and buy the XBOX guys, it'll be around longer than she will."

"The Sun'll Come Out, To-Morrow!"

2009-01-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

Wow. I've had a fantastically productive day! I think the sun really gave me a boost. I went to sleep last night feeling horribly achy all over. I didn't exactly JUMP out of bed this morning, but once I was up, I was more alive than usual. I got a TON of homework finish and started and I even made time to eat. I was able to cross a couple things off my to do list and I even enjoyed my favorite episode of the X-Files. I did all that while nursing a hurt finger. Note to self: Do not play tug of war with both dogs, they have sharp teeth. It's still going to be a long week, but at least today was on the up and up! Thank the Good Lord for all his blessings!

Tons of thanks to my DLF who gave me a lesson in Illustrator! And for fixing my Netflix watching abilities!!! YOU ARE THE GREATEST EVER.

Photo Retouching

2009-01-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

I've gotta say, I really enjoyed retouching this old photo of mom! It really helps to have taken a clear shot from the start, but Photoshop can do things my Nikon only dreams of! It's a bit hard to see much at this size, but I reduced wrinkles and slimmed her face and arms a tad... among a few other things.

Kids draw the darnest things...

2009-01-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

*This post is a re-post from Normal Rockstar's blog.*

A child drew this picture as part of a homework assignment and took it to school. The teacher received a letter from the child's parent the following day:

"Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.

I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.

From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smith"

Solomon Mack Henley

2009-01-23T03:37:00.000-08:00

Congrats Adam and Cheramie on the arrival of your son!

Brighter Days - Leeland

2009-01-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

Time keeps moving on
Through the sunshine and the storm
And my dreams are set in stone
And someday I’ll be who I want to be
For now I’ll wait
For the sun to shine again
And for now I’ll wait
For the rain to pass away

And I’m looking for the brighter days
When all my hurts seem to fade away
I’m looking for the brighter days to come my way

Faces come and faces go
But none seem to look my way
And walls have stood and walls have fallen
But my heart seems to wait
For now I’ll sit at the end of the road
And for now I’ll wait
At the end of the pathway

I’ll see the sun one day shine upon me
I’ll see the sun one day
And watch the nighttime turn to morning
But for now it all comes back around

-------------------------------

I conquered an enemy today. I'm making progress. This was the song that was playing when my tiny battle was over.

Lessons from drawing.

2009-01-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

My study of drawing and how to get in the 'right mind' for it has brought many thought from my feeble mind. Science tells us that each hemisphere of our brain has special functions. While not 100% for everyone, most people use their 'left' brain most of the time. This is the part of us where we use logic, rationalism, order, we keep track of time, and break things into parts. Our words and language come from this side of our brain. Lefty is the uptight 'know it all' of the team. Righty, on the other hand (pun intended), is more intuitive, has no sense of time or order, puts things together to create 'wholes', is metaphoric, doesn't need reason, and is non-verbal. You might say Righty is the laid-back 'soak up the moment' of the team.

In theory, you can not draw real life forms using Lefty. Most definitely he will try to take over. He's the know-it-all. Drawing with Lefty, we create scenes that are more cartoon-ish and made up of symbols instead of lifelike pictures. A circle for a head, some ovals for eyes, a half moon for a smile.... you get the idea.

I guess the pre-point to my main point is this: we have to use Righty to 'see' things differently. Righty will show us the whole picture, not just the parts. There's no beginning and no end. When you get in this Zone, you lose track of time and usually can't hear words around you. For most of us, it's a very pleasurable place to be.

Moving right along. I wanted to share how this relates to the Christian walk. I think that when we get saved by the Grace of God, the "right" side of our spirit begins to be awakened. We are able to grasp glimpes of the whole picture. However, we are so used to using the "left" side of our spirit that we let it take over. We see the daily tasks clearly, we see the order of life - childhood, school, career, wedding, kids, grandkids, retirement, etc. We use logic and reason and we are on a deadline!

What would our lives be like if we lived with the "right" side of our spirit leading us? We wouldn't see the timeline, or the To Do List, or try to explain things with logic. Can you imagine seeing something just how it is and not feeling the urge to try to explain it? Seeing a miracle? How would you differ your approach to non-Believers if you could see the big picture of where their life is headed?

Lefty will always be the first to attempt a task. Only if he can't or doesn't want to do the tast will he settle down and let Righty take over. In drawing class, we do exercises to help shut-up Lefty. We draw things that can't be "programmed, categorized or easily referenced" so that Lefty gives up trying. We practice seeing things differently.

I think we could take a lesson from drawing. What kind of exercises can we do to better see things the way the REALLY are? How can we train our spirit to see the world in a way that provokes us to live important lives? I want to live in a way that I can not keep track of time, that I can not hear the outside voices, and that I see things as they truely are.

That's all I have to say about that.

Me

2009-01-14T19:09:00.000-08:00

I surprized myself again. I spent about 90 minutes on this self-portrait. Other than the fact that my head is actually more round that it is here, I thought it looked fairly nice. I'm sure I could nit-pic it all day, but I won't. This is art. You don't like it? Get over it! :)

Slushie

2009-01-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling like a slushie again, FYI. I probably won't be posting for a bit. Just thought you'd like to know.

In my right mind.

2009-01-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

In my drawing class today, I discovered that I can, in fact, draw. I think I'm going to like this class, but only because I've decided to like this class. Usually the thought of drawing makes me stress out. I am a self-proclaimed perfectionist. Art isn't perfection. This class will the be place I will allow myself to be imperfect. Take this drawing to the right. I drew that- upside down while looking at the original sketch upside down. I was sitting right-side up, just to clarify. My homework is to draw for at least an hour. Seems simple enough, but I know it will be a fight every time. Just like New Year's Eve when I learned to not let my fear of inadequacy rule. That's what it is, right? Perfectionism. The fear of not being good enough.

God is an amazing God. It is my imperfection that keeps me humble. If I was perfect, I would be God, and I really don't want that job. I'm excited to see what great things I will learn this quarter.

According to the syllabus, about 95% of my homework is supposed to be 'live' subjects, so don't dash my hopes if I ask you to volunteer to sit still for an hour while I turn you into a drawing. Thanks!

Duo

2009-01-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

Alicia and I decided to drive separately for the first month and then see if carpooling will work better after that. Today's class is Photoshop 3. Ironically, there were only 3 students in class today. Out of four. Yup. So much for consolidating classes to help with budget cuts.

Here's what I finished up today:

Anyway, not much else to say I guess. Have I mentioned that I really don't like QL episodes when Sam is a woman? Ugh.

And now for our feature presentation, courtesy of Cory Fisher:

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Keeping Up

2009-01-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

Well I've finished my first day back to class. I'm still here though. I forgot that the gal I carpool with, Alicia, is taking a second class from 1-1:50pm every day. So I finished my homework about 40 minutes after class got out which was at 11:30am. I decided to work on my web site some more and keep it up this quarter. It's a site that displays all my assignments in one place.

Here's the assignment I finished today.

I'm real hungry right now. I ran out of the house without any food. I should have gone and got something while waiting, but I decided to save my dough.

Mav has another vet apt. today at 4:30pm. He's going to get his yearly shots and a follow up on his eyes. I think I should take him for a walk before hand.

This just in: The back of my chair just fell off. Thankfully I was the only one in the room. Ssshhhhh, don't tell, but I switched my chair with someone else's. Ironically, as I sat back down a guy came in and actually sat at the computer with the broke chair.

TTFN

Sweat and Tears

2009-01-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

I've been busy today. Unfortunately I haven't been busy with what I should have been busy with - getting ready for school. The 'put-it-off-itis' has already hit me. Oh well, it's just the first week. I'll get by.

How do you like the new look :D ? I spent hours on it. I figured - New Year, New Look.

I also spent hours playing Wii with Adam. Thanks to Cherm for letting him come play. And of course she was there too rooting us on! What a great friend - the best!

Couple of tid bits for ya:

For the month of January I get to see sweaty Micheal Scott on my wall everyday. Gotta love fun calendars.
If you ever need a good cry, check out ABC on Sundays at 8pm. It always works for me.
Oh9 is going to be a great year of growth and progress. I can feel it.

Second Quarter, HERE I COME!

Why do we do that?

2009-01-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

What this post is about to address, and essentially complain about, is one of my top pet peeves. Why does it seem that Christians can treat complete strangers with more love and respect than we treat each other? I see this practice as quite common among us. We'd rather caution our tongue around a person we just met than offer that same politeness to our brothers and sisters - especially in our families. That custom is so entirely backwards you could mistake it for Kris Kross's pants!

Do you remember the song "They will know we are Christians by our love" ? Well did you know that the love they are known for is referring to our love for each other, not strangers. Non-believers were the ones who dubbed Christian gatherings as "Love Feasts" because of how much they loved each other. Who's gonna be drawn in by our love for strangers and our contempt for our family? Isn't that one of the greatest forms of hypocrisy? Wouldn't you call a person like that 'fake'? It bugs me so much to how poorly we can treat each other and then turn around and serve anybody else.

We do it in simple acts like answering the phone in a cheery voice when we're in the middle of an argument with our spouse. We do it when we show grace to the server who tips a glass all over us, but yell at our child for the same thing. How many of you will make sure the house is all cleaned up and 'presentable' to the neighbor who's stopping by for a moment while letting the mess pile up because it's 'just us' here today. Ladies, how often do you get primped up for a trip outside the house so the grocery store clerk doesn't think you're a slob, but choose to wear sweats at home while your husband is there? Those things are wigity wigity wigity wack!

I know I am guilty of this dishonoring behavior. Sometimes I walk away from a conversation with my parents and I can't believe the way I spoke to them! I'd never address a teacher that way, why do I feel okay speaking that way to my own parents?!

Friends, I love you all very much and if I ever get out of line and treat you with less respect or kindness than you know I ought to be, please have the courage to put me back in line. Please help me 'mend my wicked ways'. It is my intention to begin apologizing for this behavior whenever I realize I need to, and work on loving you all better than I love my mailman.

This post would not be complete without this video:

How I started the new year.

2009-01-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

I started 2009 with some pretty wild people. Wild kids that is. Wonderful kids :) I had a blast. When I showed up to babysit at around 8:30pm, the gal who was there had already put the girls to bed. After she left I promptly went up there and told them to "get outta bed!" They were excited. We couldn't be all that loud since baby brother was sleeping upstairs, so we spent time coloring and making up stories.

This drawing was a group effort. I didn't get a photo of the final piece, but we each added to it until it was beauti-mus! I wanted to draw with the girls, but had trouble drawing as freely as they did. They just jumped right in without worrying about figuring out the whole picture first. They inspired me. I like to draw flowers. They are simple and lovely. So I drew one. Then another. Suddenly I had a whole garden! Our faith is like that. Just one step at a time as the Lord leads. We don't have to know the whole picture before we begin, we just have to know that the master artist is in control and even if we spill paint all over, he knows how to turn that spill into a sun rise! And thanks to Ericka L. for reminding me about that.

I am a way cool babysitter, so of course I brought some sweets for the par-tay. 'Liv doesn't look all that excited about it in this picture, but she was pretty thrilled that she got a treat that changed colors as she ate it. Gotta love fruit by the foot!

So we watched the Seattle fireworks on t.v. and then I took the girls out in the rain to watch some of the neighbor's fireworks, too. They're eyes sparkled. We went back in to draw more pictures- this time of the fireworks we saw. For some reason that night, I was totally impressed with both of the girls' creativity. It just ..... touched me. Anyway, they went to bed and I tried to sleep but ended up online for most of the night. Literally. I'll spare you the ugly details, but I had a chance to talk with Ericka in Ireland and my best friend from 6th grade who's in Texas. I was really thankful for those conversations. Needless to say I didn't make it through the day without a 3 hour nap.

This last picture is of a guy I went to high school with. I was watching t.v. this evening and this promo for a new game show (Game Show in My Head) came on and I guess he gets punk'd (or whatever they call it). Anywho, I thought that was awesome. It'd be like seeing someone you know get caught on candid camera. Can't wait to see the whole episode.

HAPPY TWO-THOUSAND NINE!