Photo Friday

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

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

Photo Friday

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

Darn.

Double the pleasure, double the fun!

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

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

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.

:(

I think I'm blogged out.

Changing Bride.

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!?

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!

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

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

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.

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

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

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?

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?

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...

I promise to update soon!

Mobile Video | Generation Unleashed

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!"

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

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...

*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

Congrats Adam and Cheramie on the arrival of your son!

Brighter Days - Leeland

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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?

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.

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!

Marianne Williamson

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Zune Van Winkle

Well, I was going to load up my Zune with the corrected files I've fixed so far so I could have some tunes for tonight if the kiddos fall asleep early. Unfortunately, Microsoft missed something when they created the Zune 30g. An ugly 'leap-year' bug has frozen everyone's Zune who bought one in 2006. All you see is the lighted Zune logo on the screen. How do I know this? I asked uncle Google.

But, just as quickly as everyone began complaining this morning, Microsoft gave us a fix! Hooray!!

Wanna know what the quick and easy fix is?

...... wait until tomorrow at noon. Yup. That's it. Old Zunie is fast asleep for a while. According to the makers, the internal clock will reset itself. All I have to do is make sure the battery drains, recharge it, then turn it back on.

Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that this little 'fix' is really just a ploy to buy more time for the techs to create a REAL fix?

I WANT MY MUSIC!!

What else?

What else has been going on with me you ask? Even if you didn't ask, here's the answer.

On Sunday, I took Maverick to the vet because on Saturday he looked like he had pink eye. I gave it a day to clear up, but it looked worse - so off we went. He got some eye drops that I have to give him for the next two weeks, but he looks better already. I'm glad he's not pawing at his eyes because he'd look pretty silly in a cone.

Also, I'm pretty low-key about my break, so I've been taking time to fix my mp3s from the great Zune scramble of '08. During one of the software 'updates' all my music got messed up. I had Third Day singing Sk8er Boi on the Best of Perry Como album. Nice eh? I have nearly 4,000 mp3s in my collection. I'm going through them one album at a time and re-entering all the proper information. I'd say I've fixed about 20% so far.

I've also been spending a bit more time with my guitar, so my fingers are getting all peely again. I'm attempting to add some lyrics to a chord progression that I put together a while ago. AKA writing a song. PS- I thought it would be artsy fartsy of me to have a name for my guitar, so suggestions are welcome.

I've started reading John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. Haven't gotten too far, but I'm enjoying it. I guess I didn't realize it's written like an allogory. I like allogories. It was supposed to be my goal to finish it before school started up again, but we'll see. It's a big book.

I am now onto the 5th and final season of Quamtum Leap. They re-recorded the opening theme song for this season and it sounds really stupid. What were they thinking?!

Mike Lynch has been dog sitting for the past week for some folks in my neighborhood so I've gone over there a few times to kick some butt at TimeSplitters. Actually, I didn't play the video games as much as I watched. It was a nice mix up of my daily routine of doing nothing.

Oh, and the other night Jami came by and helped me play some games on my computer. It was jolly good fun and now I'm addicted to Diner Dash. Good thing it's only a free trial and will eventually stop working.

So as you can see, my 'break' wasn't just a break from school. It was more like a break from reality and responsibilty. I'm gonna hate to see it go.

Tonight I will be babysitting for a friend as I ring in the new year. I think it's gonna be a blast, I've never spent New Years Eve with youngsters. Bring it on!

And in case I don't see ya.... Happy New Year!!

Bless Your Beautiful Hide

This was a much happier ride to Seattle than the last one. For one, we weren't all hungry. And for two, there wasn't any reason to worry about the roads since the rain came through and washed away the snow.

We got there with plenty of time to grab our tickets and a snack before settling in our seats. John snapped this quick photo which held up the line for a moment.

Mom and I watched as the rows in front of us started to fill up and we feared someone with large hair or a long neck would sit in front of us. Eventually, the two seats in front of us were pretty much the only open ones left in our section. We watched a this really tall couple pointed down our row and started our way. We lost all hope. Suddenly, they stopped in front of another couple and flashed their tickets saying "I believe these are our seats." After some shuffling, the tall couple was not going to be in front of us. The lights went down and to my delight no one ever filled those seats! Although, I did take a moment to have some pity on the folks who might have been sitting there. You never know why they didn't make it.

The set workings were awesome! Here's a shot of the opening scene before the lights went down. I didn't want to infringe on any rights so I didn't take any photos of the play. It was a really entertaining show, but it just didn't do everything for me that the movie does. In the play, my favorite brother was Frank. I guess I was a bit sad that the kid who played Gideon didn't steal my heart like Russ Tamblin does. I did enjoy how some of the lines were played more for humor than they are in the film and it was really great enjoying those moments with a TON of people.

I think I'll go watch the movie now. I got it on DVD [widescreen] for Christmas!

That was a riotous ride!

The two seats right in front of me are totally empty!

Random Scrap of Paper

While organizing my sheet music and guitar books, I found this random index card with this poem scratched on it:

There once was a eunuch from Munich
So cold he wore a blue tunic
He looked like a clown
as he rode into town
'Cause he forgot his blue tunic in Munich

Clever ey?

It's almost Christmas

The time sure can fly by, eh? I seem to still be stuck on a dry spell as far as my blog is concerned. Sorry about that - for my daily readers ;) Even now I have no idea what to write. I'm super happy to be on break from school. I was excited to go see Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the 5th Avenue in Seattle last Thursday, but the weather bit hard. It took two hours to get to Sumner, which usually takes about 20 minutes or so. Thankfully we were able to get re-seated for another showing next Saturday.

Hmm.... what else... I helped Mikey create some gifts for his family. That was fun. Only two days left on my Photoshop Trial. /sniff sniff What will I do without you, Photoshop!?

Oh yeah, I've been stuck on a Quantum Leap kick. I'm on Season Four right now. Sam and Al are quite the team. I look forward to seeing what sort of crazy outfit Al will be wearing from 'the future'. I've been wondering about which event in my life that Sam might leap into to try and change and why. It's sort of a fun game.


Well, I can't think of anything else right now and it is pretty late, so TTFN!

I thought this was pretty cool!

Check out this blog post of someone who is a complete stranger to me.

One for the economy.

Hair today...

Well, thank you for the overwhelming response to my hair dilemma. I didn't even know there were 12 people who read my blog. Apparently, you've all come out of the closest to voice your opinions on such an issue I thought was trivial. Perhaps I was wrong.

I feel silly writing such an update, but it seems the people want to know. I've decided to leave my hair how it is. You all seem to like it at a longer length, even though it drives me up the wall.

New Hair!

I need new hair.

Photo Opp

There was some beautiful lighting coming through the front of the house this evening so I grabbed my camera and a plate of food and ended up with this shot. I also used some Photoshop skills to get the look I wanted.

Inspired by Amber

This little photo edit job was inspired by Amber's post entitled Pulling the Plug. I took this photo a few years ago during a practice photo shoot with my good friend Candice. I jazzed it up a tad to appear as though we are lit by the glow of the t.v. You like?



When it comes to television, quite often I find myself being reminded of the old children's song....

"Oh be careful little eyes what you see
Oh be careful little ears what you hear
For the Father up above
Is looking down with love
Oh be careful little heart what you love"

Just the four of us.

Well, I thought I'd post a family photo. I took this on Thanksgiving, which was also my parent's anniversary. Thirty-two years. Way to go Ma & Pa! I love you guys - no matter how awkward I look in family photos!

Orange Crush

I'm totally gonna miss these guys! They were like my little siblings but without the fighting :)



**The following was added after Amber's comment asking for highlights of the season.***

I've been coaching youth soccer for the YMCA since 2006. This was my fifth season of teaching 3rd & 4th graders the game of soccer. I was pretty excited when I found out that I was getting back some of the players I thought I wouldn't be coaching again because they were too old. I love how each player has their own style and personality. They're at such a fun age.

We had two players who had never played soccer before, and we had players that were born with a ball at their feet. Having such a vast gap in skill levels creates quite a challenge when it comes to creating practices. I think Adrian and were able to find drills and games that fit all levels. We were able to add extra challenge for those players who could handle it, or keep it basic for those still new. It took some creative thinking, but I like creative thinking.

There were two players in particular who were a 'joy' to watch during games. They were just having so much FUN! It was contagious. When watching them, I'd find myself wearing a grin from ear to ear. They'd just be smiling away anytime the ball was near them. They'd try their hardest and regardless of whether they failed or succeeded, they enjoyed themselves. I never had to remind them that we were there to have fun.

It was especially sweet when one of the boys gave Adrian and I chocolates as a thank you for coaching, and one of the girls had made us each a bracelet. Another boy practically begged us to coach his basketball team during the winter season. I actually thought about it. Adrian and I played basketball together at Stahl Jr. High, and I thought it'd be pretty sweet if we ended up coaching together, too.

When I signed up to coach, I had no idea how much fun it could be and how these kids would impact me. I hope they know I think they're amazing. Maybe one day they'll look me up on FB.

A dance with Dwight & Micheal!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Sky Angel Cowboy

The gospel is simple. Don't underestimate a child's ability to understand the Father.

somf

Hi Cheramie!

This is my Bible | Part 1

Have you ever heard a preacher start a sermon by having the people repeat the following phrase?: "This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do." I would venture to say that it is most famously used by Joel Osteen, but plenty of others have used it as well. Every so often, my church's Youth Pastor will start his message that way. I thought it would be a grand idea to see exactly what the Bible has to say about those things.

In this post, I analyze the first part - I am what it says I am. Many times in our lives (generally speaking) we ask ourselves "who am I?" and can feel overwhelmed and lost by that thought. I know this has been true for me. Sermons, messages, talks with friends, and our own ideas can give us various answers to this question. I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to do this particular study, but I finally decided I needed to go straight to my Creator for the proper answer.

I am

royalty. 1Pe 2:9
provided for. Luke 12:28
blessed. John 20:29
rich. 2 Co. 9:11
made in the image of God. Gen. 1:27
very good. Gen. 1:31
a ruler of all the earth. Gen. 1:26
crowned with glory and majesty. Ps. 8:3-6
redeemed. Eph. 2:1-9
God's workmanship. Eph. 2:10
God's daughter. Rom. 8:14-16
a co-heir with Christ. Rom. 8:17
more than a conqueror. Rom. 8:37
created for God. Col. 1:16
gifted. Rom. 12:6
part of the Body of Christ. 1 Co. 12:27
loved. John 3:16

Any item on this list can certainly be a study in it's own right, and a few of them I know I will have to meditate on and research more for further understanding.

I didn't exactly find these answers by reading along verse by verse, so this is an incomplete study. Please, if you have verses to add, you are more than welcome to leave them as comments.

This is only the starting point of who I am. I am also a traveler, a technology geek, and a thinker. But these parts of me are not defined in scripture. I want to know who I am individually as well as who I am in Christ. I struggle to find words that describe who I am. I believe that knowing who you are is a crucial step in being everything God has made you to be. If you, my readers, can think of a word or two that descibes who I am, I'd appreciate the info. And please, I'd love to hear your thoughts on who you are!

To every veteran, young and old, who's made my freedom possible,

THANK YOU.

You are not forgotten.