Oh, and One More Thing.

From "Jesus Calling."

2010-03-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

From the book "Jesus Calling"...

March 19th.
"I speak to you from the depths of your being. Hear me saying soothing words of Peace, assuring you of My Love. Do not listen to voices of accusation, for they are not from Me. I speak to you in love-tones, lifting you up. My spirit convicts cleanly, without crushing words of shame. Let the Spirit take charge of your mind, combing out tangles of deception. Be transformed by the truth that I live within you.
The Light of My Presence is shining upon you, in beneditions of Peace. Let My Light shine in you; don't dim it with worries or fears. Holiness is letting me live through you. Since I dwell in you, you are fully equiped to be holy. Pause before responding to people or situations, giving My Spirit space to act through you. Hasty words and actions leave no room for Me; this is atheistic living. I want to inhabit all your moments - gracing your thoughts, words, and behavior."

Romans 8:1-2; Colossions 1:27; 1 Corithians 6:19

I needed this.

Biola Worship Community

2010-02-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

This past Friday I went on a retreat with the rest of the Biola Chapel Worship community. It was a lot of fun; we went down to Laguna, had a photo scavenger hunt, ate pizza overlooking the beach, and then had some training and teaching at the Little Church by the Sea.

Overall, the retreat was a success in every way, and I want to share a few thoughts on the wisdom we received that day.

The worship team at the church is great. They LOVE old gospel and folk music, so their regular instruments include: Banjo, accordian, mandolin, acoustic guitar and organ. Their reason behind this (apart from being in a small room where larger electric instruments could be overwhelming) is found in the roots of folk music. Its is true that folk/acoustic music was born out of communities, large and small, in living rooms, coffee shops, and parks. Its all about hearing those around you sing whether or not they have the perfect pipes to go with it. In a few words, leading musical worship in this style prompts people to sing more. I know it sounds kinda crazy, but i've seen it happen. There is an overwhelming sense of joy and rejoicing that comes with this music. Also, it allows you to hear those around you, which makes worship so much more community based.

Secondly, the pastor who led the evening began talking to us about our perceptions of the role of congregational worship. We all agreed that it prepares our hearts, and allows us to focus and communicate with God. But, then he brought up a whole new aspect. He went on to remind us that worship (offering ourselves as a sacrifice) is life-transforming. When we engage in music and worship we are soaking in an attitude that changes us. Its not a one time act of praise, but it continues on. What God does in our hearts at that moment should carry on. We are sitting in God's presence and learning more of his attributes that he wants us to display.

I hope that made sense. I kinda just wanted to write it out and get it down so I could start to grasp it more. Hope you find it helpful :)

so good.

2010-02-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

I know its been a while. I am sorry :(

But listen to this new-ish song from Eisley. It was released late last year, but I didnt know it was out! I have been missing out.

The Christmas Food :)

2009-12-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

I had SUCH GOOD FOOD for Christmas... it was amazing... And now I will share it with you.

So starting with various cheeses...

+ some noodles

+ some yummy marinara with italian sausage

= My mom's homemade lasagna that is the BOMB!

Then we have dessert. Mmmmmm.....

Butter cookies I made with Orange frosting

Snow man coconut cupcakes

and the final coffee and cupcake :)

All this to say... I am really full!

Christmas Eve with the Eder family

2009-12-25T15:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T12:19:00.000-08:00

So I went out with my mom to get some last minute groceries for tonight and I could not believe how many people are still out frantically shopping till the last minute. As I sat in the car waiting for my mom I just watched to faces passing by, few of them having any joy...

And as I watched the people, I heard playing over the speakers, "Joy to the World, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King."

If only earth would receive Him, they would know that all the last minute strife isnt worth it. Thats not what this is about.

Merry Christmas everyone.

watch this.

2009-12-11T01:41:00.001-08:00

She's still got it

2009-11-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

In memory of my post last year on December 8, 2008, I would just like to say....

She's still got it

I love you Beyonce.

Disney before the Holidays

2009-11-22T15:49:00.001-08:00

So we took one last trip to Disneyland before the Holidays cheer touches down and makes itself at home for the next few months. There definitely were touches of Christmas around the park, just ready to bust out, but not in its full glory yet. We decided to take pictures with the Characters because we were there so early in the day, but that only lasted for about 5 minutes and Minnie happened to be the first thing we saw.

Stay tuned for some Christmas-afied Disneyland coming soon!!!!

The fifth member of the quartet

2009-11-22T15:41:00.000-08:00

I saw one of the cutest sites at Disneyland recently. The barbershop quartet on main street was doing their normal routine, so in typically I would just walk by while still enjoying the music. However, this time around something else caught my eye. It was the most adorable little girl who was right up in the performance and loving every minute of it. The best part was the the guys were going right along with it by smiling back, singing to her, and pointing her out during the show. I am sure she will remember it as one of her most exciting Disneyland trips. Here's an idea of what I saw...

San Diego

2009-11-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

Johnny and I took a little road trip down to San Diego in place of our Seattle trip and hit up some great spots...

To start off, we went to the Taylor factory, since I just recently got my NEW GUITAR!!!! They give daily factory tours, and it was pretty awesome to see how the whole process works. If you have any interest in guitars, I would recommend it. The only negative was that our tour guide had REALLY heavy breathing and we were all wearing headphones throughout the tour to hear the information at all stages... it gotta a little annoying, but then i

t just got funny. I played this beautiful 12 string at the end of the tour and broke one of its many strings... I guess the sign that it wasn't for me. Then Johnny accidently took his "all-access badge" so we took pictures with it as proof. haha

After the tour we got dinner at Corner Bakery, which was fabulous, and headed into downtown to find this incredible dessert shop that had been highly recommended by my good friend Adrie. It is called Extraordinary Desserts.

They have a beautifully quaint location that has amazing desserts... in fact they truly are extraordinary. We decided to order the chocolate bread pudding with chocolate chip ice cream. They also had an amazing tea collection, which I was a little more excited about than Johnny.

Overall it was a wonderful day, and very relaxing and nice to get away from school :) I want to definitely try and go again, and maybe next time hit the ZOO!

Josiah

2009-08-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

This past week, my family lost an incredibly wonderful person; my cousin Josiah. He died in a car accident and I am now in Tennessee with my family. I cant even begin to explain what has taken place over the past few days, but what I can say is that God is SO good. Like SO good. I mean this has opened up a whole new part of my life that puts a whole new meaning to "God is good." I can write more about it later. But the reason for the post was to share a song and really the whole service from Sunday. The link to watch the service is here. And here are the lyrics to the first song that make me cry every time:

We can hear it growing louder

Songs from every nation

Rising to your throne

Saints in every generation

Singing for Your glory

Telling what You've done

From the north and south

We are crying out

There is hope in Jesus name

You're Amazing God

You can bear the weight of every heavy heart

You can heal the pain

You can clean the stain

You can turn our tears into songs of praise

You're Amazing God

Beauty rises from the ashes

Sorrow turns to gladness

When our God is near

You speak light into our darkness

You heal the broken hearted

You wipe away our tears

Songs of praise surround us

Hear it growing louder

We are growing louder

Again, God is so good.

RED CROSS

2009-07-20T21:07:00.001-07:00

Today I went to to donate blood at the Red Cross for the first time. I was incredibly nervous because the thought of taking all that blood out and the needle being in my arm for so long... well it just made me a little anxious. But the more I thought about, the less I needed to freak out. Give blood is not THAT big of a deal. Plus, every pint of blood you donate can be used by 3 different people and some patients rely on new blood daily. So I got myself all psyched once I was inside, went into my room to answer all the weird questions like whether or not I have had sex with a gay man (again, weird) and realized... I forgot my ID. So, I couldn't give blood today :( But I am going to go bad next week which just so happens to be KLOS week at the RED CROSS. There is tons of food, the radio station is there aaannnnddd donors get two free tickets to either a Journey concert or a Deff Lepord and Cheap Trick Concert. So those are pretty cool pluses. But I think I could definitely get in the routine of donating blood every 58 days :)

I encourage everyone to think about donating blood at the Red Cross. You can make an appointment and find out more HERE!

VBS: Crocodile Dock

2009-07-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

During the month of July I am serving at 2 different VBS's (Vacation Bible Schools). The first one just ended today. It was called "Crocodile Dock" and it focused on not being afraid. I was part of the beloved Bayou Band that consisted of Billy Bob, Margi May, Peppermint Patty, Willy John and myself (Emmy Jean).The week was a lot of fun and it was great to see all the kids singing and dancing for Jesus.

'

Cow Appreciation Day

2009-07-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

Cow appreciation day at Chic-Fil-A. I attempted to dress up two little ones as cows so they could receive free combo meals at Chic-Fil-A. Only one of them let me finish the costume, but we still took them and had a great time.

If my heart is Overwhelmed

2009-07-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

I heard this song at Rock Harbor about a month ago, and I cant stop listening to it. Sadly, the only place I can find it is on youtube. So here it is!

Here are the lyrics for the chorus:
Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours
I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
I am Yours
I am forever Yours

Samoyed... the cutest puppy ever

2009-07-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is the cutest dog I have ever seen. I LOVE IT! Its called a Samoyed and they grow up to become big and beautiful, but they are just the cutest puppy ever! I saw one for the first time in The Proposal.

Watch a scene with the puppy here.

Psalm 15

2009-06-16T15:37:00.001-07:00

Here's a good one:

Psalm 15 (NKJ)

¹ LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
² He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
³ He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
⁴ In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
⁵ He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 15 (NIV)

¹ LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?

² He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

³ and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

⁴ who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

⁵ who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

Psalm 15 (the Message)

¹ God, who gets invited to dinner at your place?

How do we get on your guest list?
² "Walk straight,
act right,
tell the truth.
^3-4 "Don't hurt your friend,
don't blame your neighbor;
despise the despicable.
⁵ "Keep your word even when it costs you,
make an honest living,
never take a bribe.

"You'll never get

blacklisted

if you live like this."

New Moon

2009-06-15T20:50:00.001-07:00

So last night I watched Twilight with my sisters and grandma because grandma has never seen it. As I was watching it, this being probably the 10th time, I realized I was over this one and was ready for the next. The preview for New Moon was just released a few weeks ago and since then I have come to realize that I just can't wait. So last night I officially started reading the Twilight books (skipping book 1 completely) and I got through 100 pages before I went to bed... I'm hooked.

Don't judge me.

homeward bound

2009-05-28T16:16:00.001-07:00

Being at home is so interesting. After living at school for the past year and a half, living with my family makes me realize that I really am becoming independant. And this realization isn't just based on wanting to go where I want whenever i want because its what I am used to. I am just seeing how my family works without me, how I am capable of making my own decision, and even sometimes how the decisions I make are more sensible than my parents' (don't tell them I said that haha). I will only be here for a month, but I know that it will be a BIG month of learning to be part of a family again. Pray for me :)

ps. i love that movie. All I can think of is when Sassy falls down the waterfall...sadest moment of my childhood.

Santa Barbara

2009-04-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday, Johnny and I decided to drive up to Santa Barbara and Solvang. Our original plan was to go to Monterey, but its waaaaay to far, so Santa Barbara was good enough.

So we set off around 9 and it only took us two hours to get to Santa Barbara. We arrived for lunch and ate at Habit, which is a burger "stand" off of state st. We went back to the parking garage a few times to go in and out so that parking would stay free. We cheated the system a little bit, and took a few pictures while we were at it.We then walked up and down state st for a few hours and were planning on going whale watching. I had never been, so I was pretty excited about it. BUT, they called me and canceled because it was too windy... boo. So, to cheer us up, we headed over to the Santa Barbara mission! It was definitely not what I remember from 4th grade, and there were pretty much only 4th graders and their parents there. And while we were driving to the mission, we entered a neighborhood where I easily convinced him that this (below) was the mission...It was sweet... So then we decided to head out to Solvang, which is about 45 minutes north from Santa Barbara. The drive was beautiful...

We passed through this really cool tunnel that went through a mountain, holding our breathe the whole way of course.After finally arriving, we realized that there isnt really much to do in the good ole' city of Solvang, except buy pastries I guess.Oh and take pictures with this guy...
And each other...

So we finished somewhat quickly in Solvang, and headed back to Santa Barbara because there was a big famers maket that I WAS NOT going to miss. The drive back was also expecially beautiful because I turned at the 1 and drove about 20 miles in another direction. The hills were so big and so green! Then I turned around realizing that I was wasting precious famers market time and headed again towards Santa Barbara, but not without stopping to take a picture of the water.(and that truck)

The famers market was crazy windy, so a lot of their vendors started taking down their stuff, but I made it just in time to buy some beautiful orchids and yummy strawberries (which sadly are not pictured).

The trip was an overall success and it was definitely a motivation to do more trips like it in the future. Spring break sure is awesome.

Easter afternoon.

2009-04-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

For Easter, I visited my family out in the "OC." I love em all and here are a few photos of them from the afternoon:

the drive out through the lovely Canyon.

In the kitchen with the food

My 2 aunts, Nancy and Anita (both of them being my mom's sisters)

Uncle Johnny cutting the turkey (we have one at every occasion, no matter what)

Cousin Allie, Momma, and Maire Louise

Jason (allie's boyfriend) and cousin Adriane

Baby Sienna (she is actually my second cousin) She is soooo cute!

Allie with the DELICIOUS cake that she made from scratch. It was seriously SO good.

My sweet sisters

My attempting to love my sister. And this is a much better improvement from LAST time...

Momma and Cait

and lastly the 3 of us. These pictures dont happen very often... haha

Overall it was a good day. Its always nice to see may family :)

In Christ.

2009-04-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

YEAH! A new book:

In Christ by E. Stanley Jones.
From Sunday, Week 1

In regards to Jesus

"Other molds have proved too small. One by one they have been broken. Christ, the Teacher, the Greatest of all Teachers? Yes, but more, for a teacher imparts knowledge - He imparts Life. The Greatest of Character, the Best of Men, the Highest Example? Yes, but more, for we are not to imitate Him in life, we are to receive Him as Life. Someone pin-pointed in history, our Guide and Inspiration? Yes, and more, for we cannot live o a remembrance, we must live on a realization. A Martyr to the Cause of the Kingdom of God? Yes, and more, for His death seems to have all the signs of cosmic struggle with a cosmic result - the redemption of the race. Who then is He? He is the Word become flesh, God become man, the Eternal manifesting Himself in time, God simplified, God approachable, God lovable.
O Christ, while we cannot define Thee precisely, we can know Thee intimately. And to know Thee is to know Life, to know release and redemption. We thank Thee. Amen."

It is so true that God is always moving. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: they are interacting through direct actions being done continually. They exist as love, mercy, grace, wisdom, peace, patience, and the list goes on. As I attempt to allow them to live within me and through me, I must be open and willing to live in actions as well, not just professing, but doing.

Happy Easter everyone and remember the importance of this HUGE day. It really is the event that holds my entire faith together.

"¹⁴And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. ¹⁵ Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. ¹⁶ For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁷ And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!"
1 Corinthians 15:14-17

Passion, Love, Sacrifice

2009-04-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

- Stuart Townend

Oprah...

2009-04-10T15:17:00.001-07:00

ok so I am watching Oprah and she is telling everyone that it is ok to touch yourself and give your YOUNG teenagers information about how to have a happy sex life on your own. For someone who has no credentials or education, she sure speaks with a lot of self accredited authority, thinking she can tell everyone how to live life. I mean really?!?!?! How does that make sense? I mean she doesnt even have any kids!!!

AHHHH... its so frusterating.

And in regards to my own life, I just got home for Spring Break. I was "greeted" by Maire coming down the stairs and we immediately started fighting about her not wanting to spend anytime with me when she says that she misses... and then I found Caitlin in her room sleeping and she wouldnt even look at me and say hello...

Happy Easter and Welcome Home Emily.

the SHACK

2009-04-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

So I started reading The Shack while I was on vacation in January, and once school started I put it down and didn't start reading again till a few days ago. I forgot how great it is. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it and if you have never heard of it, it was last years best seller. I am not going to go into all the details about what it is about, but here is a little excerpt:

"She (God's wisdom personified) sat back, beaming. 'You are wise in the ways of real love, Mackenzie (main character). So many believe that it is love that grows, but it is knowing that grows and love simply expands to contain it. Love is just the skin of knowing."

Go read it.

fishy

2009-04-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

I am the biggest blag-slacker ever... Its ridiculous. But, here is a funny video. Its one of the cutest things I have seen in a while:

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

enjoy!

About a blog.

2009-03-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

Below is the link to a blog that I found yesterday through my roommate. This girl has incredible work and she actually did an outside feature on my roommate for her most recent post. But all of the design work she does and features are incredible.

For example: these "save the date" handkerchiefs...

Check it out HERE.

God's Love

2009-02-18T23:18:00.000-08:00

Last night I was taken to see The Phantom of the Opera as a wonderful surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed it (thank you Johnny), but something happened afterward that really made God say "Hello down there!!!???" and it was pretty much directed at me... let me explain:

On our way back to the truck, we were approached by Beverly, an 8th grade teacher who had recently come to find out that her car was about to be impounded after she had parked in front of a fire hydrant. She couldn't move her car, because early she had run over one of the cement slabs in a parking space and it had torn something under her vehicle. So, that is what brought her to us. She said that she needed 80 dollars to get her car towed and she had 52 at the time being OR she needed someone with AAA plus. When your in LA, your approached by all types of people for money. This is what made me skeptical... See, the thing was that Beverly didn't look extremely credible. So I immediately said "no I don't have anything sorry" which was true because I had absolutely no cash, but then I also told her that I didn't have AAA plus. I knew that in the car I had a AAA card, but no idea whether or not it was "plus," so I just said that I didn't have any form of it at all. So she says, ok and wanders off to talk to the next group of people about 100 ft away.

Once I got back to the car, I pulled out my wallet and looked and, what do you know, I had AAA plus. So I turn to Johnny and say "oh look I have it, but I cant go tell her now because then she'll know I was lying. Stupid thought #1. Then I say, "Well even if I did let her use it, it would take one of my free towing jobs off. Stupid thought #2. And THEN I said, "and if I let her use it, then I will have to sit around for a while and wait" WOW Stupid thought #3. How selfish am I to think that my time is sooo precious that I can not wait for a tow truck to come and help someone out.

In one of my incredible classes right now, called Advanced Relational Theory, I have been learning all about the importance of connecting with people outside of the church and just loving them, whether it be with words or actions that are accompanied by words. So because this class has been so convicting, I have been praying that God would give me opportunities because it seems like such an easy thing to do. Well apparently not.

It was pretty much handed to me on a Golden platter. "Emily, I will send you someone I love and they will ask you to give them something that you have plenty of and when you give it to them, you will be forced to sit around with them for at least 30 minutes and during that time you will be able to tell them about Me and the fact that I am using you to love them..."

So all of this hit me as we were driving away and to be honest I beat myself up about it all the way home. But once I got ready for bed, God began to show me that it was a test run. Its not easy as it looks, but at the same time, it seems as though it is. So now I am in this spot, realizing that I need to be so aware of what is going on around me. God wants to love people, and use me to do it.

Wait...

2009-02-10T12:26:00.001-08:00

Does anyone else think this is pretty amazing?

"Local CFA firefighter David Tree shares his water with an injured Australian Koala at Mirboo North after wildfires swept through the region on Monday, Feb. 9, 2009."

sick sick sick

2009-02-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

So I have been at home in Chino for the past day and a half recovering from getting sick. Im not really sure how I got sick, but I know that it sucks. It has also made me have some really weird dreams. Like last night, I had a dream that I was at my high school watching a musical but it actually wasn't my high school. It was a huge stadium, that then turned into a jungle and then there were very small, but scary dinosaurs. And people that I go to school with now were there and all this other weird stuff happened that I dont even remember. It was strange.
But my parents have been filling me up with meds. Just this morning, I have talken: ammoxicilian (antibiotic), theraflu, emergen-C, orange juice, soup, and tea.

And to end this, I would just like to tell you who I think will win American idol. I have three favorites:

Adam Lambert

Anoop Desai

Danny Gokey

We'll see if Im close ....

Isn't she pretty?

2009-01-16T20:09:00.001-08:00

A little bit about her: Taylor 810 - CE - LTD made of Madagascar rosewood back and sides, curly maple backstripe, maple bindings, fancy fingerboard inlays, factory installed electronics, 2006 Fall Limited Edition model, HC, MSLP $3848......$2500

BIG discount!!!!

I'm gonna go look at her tomorrow and then be really sad when I dont have the money to fork over. haha

I'm Frozen... or atleast I should be.

2009-01-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

I would just like everyone is nice, warm California to know that while you are enjoying your so-called "chilly 70 degree night, I am freezing my butt of at 0. Yeah thats right 0 DEGREES.

This is just crazy... but its kinda fun :)

Today I went out and looked at some guitars, as well as talked to an INCREDIBLY talented man by the name of George McIntyre (He was a guitar professor at USC and now he produces, records, and is a studio musician). He told me all that I could do to get a better sound out of my guitar and what I should be looking for in a new one. He also showed me his studio and the countless guitars that he has changed around. It was really cool.
Then I went to a guitar boutique called Artisan Guitars. They were very knowledgeable and showed me tons of really cool guitars made by small independent builders. One of the coolest types are made by Composite Acoustic. They actually make the guitars out of composite wood instead of solid types and they have a really unique sounds. Anyways, I am blabbering....

After the guitar shop, my grandma and I stopped by this small subsection of "The Factory" (which is a small mall-like shopping center where the guitar boutique was located) that was full of handmade jewelry and art made by native american in the area. My grandma bought me these BEAUTIFUL earrings that each have a small yellow Mcaw feather and they are held together by a small metal cone. She told me that she chose to use the cones because they had a really cool back story. The native americans have a special dance called the "jingle dress dance." It is done by women in the tribe and they wear dresses that are covered with these small cones:

Each one of the cones represent a prayer of healing and when the women dance, it is seen as a giant prayer for each of the individual needs as they move. I thought it was such a beautiful thing.

Since then, I have been to starbucks, a small birthday party, and now I am just trying to stay warm, which was what this post was originally supposed to be about. haha. Anyways, I will be back this Sunday. Until then, be happy you're warm!

oh and some pictures

2009-01-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

I decided to post some pictures of a few things so far...

Puckett's in Downtown Franklin

My cousin's dogs (whom i love if you cant tell)

My grandma's dog, Charlie

Outside of the Station Inn
If you EVER go to Nashville, check this place out on a Monday night. You will love it.

Ranger Doug of the Riders in the Sky at the Station Inn

All of these musician are extremely talented. And they all just come together ever Monday night to play. They are called the Time Jumpers and they have been nominated for countless awards. The band consists of Dawn Sears(vocals), Carolyn Martin(vocals), Aubrey Haynie (Fiddle), Paul Franklin (steel guitar), Kenny Sears(vocals and fiddle), Andy Reiss (electric guitar), Joe Spivey (fiddle), Ranger Doug (acoustic guitar and vocals), Rick Vanaugh (drums), Dennis Crouch (stand up bass), and Jeff Taylor (vocals and accordian).

Larry Gatlin of the Gatlin Brothers happened to be there, so he came up and sang.

Heather and I after the night was over.

So theres a little piece of what has happened so far. MORE TO COME!

4 days in.

2009-01-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

So, I am not avidly posting mostly because I have been so busy. I dont want to go into depth on what I have experienced so far (because its a lot. but a lot of goooood) so I will just let you all know that God is really working me while I am here. I am really seeing Him move amongst his people and in me. It gets me excited for coming back home. I know that God has a lot in store for me and I just want all of Him.

Here are the lyrics for 2 different songs that we sang in church today. They describe it perfectly:

All of Me

All of me, You deserve all of me
I will give all of me to You Lord
Nothing back, I will hold nothing back
Help me hold nothing back from you Lord

I was wandering lost in darkness
I was wounded and wrapped in pain
Then You called me like the sunrise
Out of the dark into the light of day

I was fighting the same old battles
I was struggling down the same old road
Then you wispered, "My yoke is easy
It's time to rest and let me bear that load"

More

You have healed my broken heart
Your perfect love defeats my dear
You have freed me from all shame
Now I rejoice as You draw near

And I want more, more of Your goodness
More, more of Your presence
More, more of Your glory Lord
I want more, more of Your fullness
More, more of Your nearness
More, more than I've known before
I want more

To see the beauty of Your face
As you restore the stolen years
This has become my great desire
So I rejoice as You draw near

I want more, I want more
I want more, I want more

And I want more, more of Your goodness
More, more of Your presence
More, more of Your glory Lord
I want more, more of Your fullness
More, more of Your nearness
More, more than I've known before
And I want more, more of Your goodness
More, more of Your presence
More, more of Your glory Lord
I want more, more of Your freedom
More, more of Your kingdom
More, more than I've known before

I want more.

2009-01-08T00:18:00.000-08:00

In just about 12 hours, I will be sitting on a plane headed toward Nashville, Tennessee and it is for that reason that I am not sleeping and really don't feel like sleeping anytime soon. My living room floor is covered with suitcases (for me to choose from), all of my clothes, electronics, and other travels needs. I've watched a little Friends, and now Jay Leno is interviewing "the snake man." So, because I will be gone, one of two things will happen to my blog. Either 1) I will post just about every day, or 2) There will be another 2 week gap of not writing. I am hoping the first one happens.

Reading today:

"But exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13

When we sin, it begins a hardening process in our hearts. The longer we allow the sin, the harder our hearts become toward any type of change. It is our responsibility as Christians to exhort and encourage one another when we see sin or hardening of hearts occurring. It is a daily process. We can not wait. Today is the day to exhort and encourage one another. What are you waiting for? What am I waiting for?

More to come on Tennessee, music, travels, and Jesus. In the meantime, here are some pictures from my last trip!

Outside of my cousins house
and
2 of my favorite dogs:

Samson

Charlie

All I want for Christmas...

2008-12-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

Are these:

No, you're not imagining it... THEY ARE KNIFE EARRINGS!

Christmas Cruise

2008-12-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

So last week, my roommates and I (as well as all of our significant others) went on this "Christmas cruise" out of Long Beach Harbor. It was kinda like a booze cruise, but with out the booze. There isnt too much to say on it, except the fact that sometimes, when Biola has events, they are kinda "waa waa" because it's Biola. I mean, once we got on the boat, we made our way upstairs where we could look out at all the houses and restraunts along the harbor, and then we went downstairs where there was "mix it" mocha and apple cider, Uno and some cheesecake... for three hours. Dont get me wrong, we had a good time, but 3 hours on a boat, with no dancing (when there was a band), fake gambling (haha), or anything else that is typical of a holiday party, can kinda get boring.

However, we did take some awesome pictures:

Beyonce

2008-12-08T15:11:00.001-08:00

ok, I know I already posted today, but I forgot about something "important."

I have decided that it is my goal to attain the talents of Beyonce Knowles. SHE IS UNSTOPPABLE!!! Just watch this...

Yes, the words are kinda cheesy, but she still makes it happen.

They're after me...

2008-12-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

So today I was called in by the on-campus detective in regards to some "vandalism" I was responsible for. Here's the story:

It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The band and I had a late late late night practice which ended around 3:30am. For the first time in weeks it was pouring rain and of course that made the entire night better (I love playing guitar and hearing the rain compliment it right outside). Johnny asked me to go and get his truck so we could load all of our equipment into the bed. I went out to the truck, put it in drive (so I could drive right through the parking lot) and upon hitting the gas I suddenly was stopped by a handicap sign... Yep, I bent it right over. So I freaked out, told Johnny, and we decided that he would talk to campus safety about it when we got back from break.

So the detective told me that I was now being charged (which makes sense) and it is possible that I will be reported to student development on campus if they detect any negligence on my part. boo...

It should be fine though.

California

2008-12-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

I am currently in the process of finishing a literature project on water in California. I could choose any media to represent my theme, so I chose photography. So, for the past few days, I have been looking through my photos for shots pertaining to water and I was just reminded of how BEAUTIFUL California is. So here is a little sneak peak:

Corona Del Mar

Laguna Beach

(I cheated. This actually isn't in California. Its in Washington)

Ventura

(Also not in California... Oregon)

Trinidad

Trinidad

And then things that are effected by water:

San Francisco

San Onofre

Don't forget how beautiful your surrounding are... take some time to get out there and enjoy a little bit of God's creation :)

It's coming.

2008-12-03T00:49:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS!!!

The weather has been so wonderful recently. I will walk out of class in the middle of the day and there is FOG! I have come to realize that Fog is California's snow...

Also, houses in the area are slowly putting up their Christmas lights and all of my favorite Coffee shops have their "Holiday Beverages."

Right now, school is pretty insane so I am not able to enjoy this progression to the fullest, but in two weeks I will be home free and able to enjoy as much Christmas cheer as I want...

the past two months.

2008-08-18T02:10:00.000-07:00

So obviously I havent written in a while, but here is a recap of the past two months:

camping with friends
a visit from my cousin
Heist
LOTS of disneyland
Work work work in the SOS office
tropicana is my new home
revamping canon tallis
visiting taryn at the most wonderful and beautiful place (Hume)
Saw Quartermain twice...
Saw slipknot, disturbed, Dragonforce, Underoath, Good Charlotte, and Boys like Girls?
Atkins

And thats about it.

My reading today.

2008-06-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

Today I started reading in 1 Timothy and here are a few things that stuck out to me:

"that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." (1:15)
Amen to that

"that the law is not made for a righteous person" (1:9)
The law judges the sins of the unbeliever. I am saved by grace, meaning I am free of the law.

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service." (1:12)
This one was the biggy. After I read this verse I realized more than ever that God has put me in the exact position I am because He knew that I was capable. He counts me faithful and knows that, with his help, I can do work for Him. I want to allow Him to use me properly for His plan.

That is just a quick overview.

my new friends.

2008-04-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made a trip to Ross to find some costuming for Mock Rock***. I got the shirt I needed and then accidently (not really) stumbled upon the trinket aisle. Let me just say that it was a glorious site. You see, sometimes I get in these moods where I fall in love with random crap. I mean, I guess it isnt really crap, but it is pretty useless. And the worst part is that I feel like I have endless amounts of money too! So I made my way up and down the aisles grabbing random things and individually falling in love with each one and the best part is that everything is so CHEAP! So here are the things that I ended up buying.

Item #1 : WOOT WOOT

Woot woot will be part of my appartment and is currenly residing in my office, welcoming all who come to see me!

Item #2: Mad Frog

If you can't tell, his rock that he is perched on says welcome. I mean, its a perfect contrast to the obvious frown on his face. He is also residing in my office.

Lastly, I bought one of the scariest things I have ever seen. I mean this thing is truly creepy...

Item #3: Catbride

Catbride is also in my office, but only because I have no idea where else to put her. I mean, she is just that creepy.

So these little friends of mine brightened up my day and reminded me, yet again, that I really am weird...

*** Mock Rock is a dancing/ lip syncing competition that happens on Biola's campus. I am performing in a piece with my SOS staff and it is keeping me from sleeping. In other words, we practice till atleast 2 am every morning. Its ridiculous... ridiculously fun!

Oh and one more thing! I got my bike on Sunday and I have been riding it EVERYWHERE! Thank you to my wonderful friends for putting in the work and building it for me!

ATTENTION!

2008-04-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

I would just like to introduce everyone to the car of my dreams.

Introducing the AMAZING...

Buick ROADMASTER!!!!

I will own this car one day...

In the Studio.

2008-04-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

So for the past 8 hours I have been cooped up inside of the production center recording our first demo! It has been an INCREDIBLY long process so far and I am learning a lot from this (one of them being that I need to get a lot better). We will be in here all day tomorrow and most of the day on Sunday getting this finished. But things aren't too bad. Dan came out to visit me from Chino, while Andy and Mason also made their way over from Hart and Sigma (definitely not as far as Chino). We had Chipotle for dinner (hmm...) and then some starbucks to keep us persevering. Jeremy (the head tech) has been so good to us and so patient. We are going to have to get him something PRETTY nice considering that he is doing this all for free.

But anyways, I have to get back to "the band." I hadn't given an update in a while since my trip, and actually this blog hasn't been much of an update in itself. I will have to do that later.

I will now leave you with a passage that I read a few days ago and loved. Be blessed!

"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you." 1 Sam 12:20-24

I'm baaaaack.

2008-04-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Alright so I am almost positive that this will be the longest blog that I have ever written, but it is all worth it. The pictures and words that are to follow are in regards to the amazing trip that I just took. In case you didn't know (or did not read the post right before this one) I went to Portland, OR over Spring break, making stops along the coast of California on the way. I have decided that the best way to do this would be to break it up into days. So without further ado, I give you Spring Break 08: The Portland addition.
Day 1
We left for our trip on Easter. It took quite a while to get everything together and jam everything that we had into out little Honda Civic, but we did it. There were a few pieces that traveled everywhere with us. The first was Portland; not the city but the bear head:You will see him later on in a few of the pictures, but Portland was the reminder of where we were headed. We saw a lot of beautiful things in California, but we couldn't slow down too much or else we would have never made it to Portland. The next few items sat on our dash:
The first is the navigation. That things got us everywhere! We borrowed it from our good friend David, so we only found it fitting to name the little computer David. The gnome on the dash went by the name of Bleaker, and in the far right corner you see a wing that belonged to a bird that Angi bought in San Fran. We put all of out polaroids along the glove compartment. And lastly we used my ipod transmitter until the very end.
We drove all day until around 10:30 when we reached San Jose. After passing Los Angeles, things got beautiful.

So we got to San Jose, slept and got ready to make the 45 minute drive to San Francisco in the morning.

Day 2
We woke up around 10 (which would soon become a common occurrence throughout the trip), loaded up the car and took off. We arrived in San Fran around 12 and went straight to the Fisherman's Warf for some good lunch!We ate some good clam chowder in a bread bowl and then headed up a big hill to China Town

We walked around China Town, grazed the edge of North Beach (the Italian part of town), and then headed toward Market, which is where the intense shopping was. We hung out there for a little bit...and then took the bus back to our car, which was on the other side of town. We had some disagreements on where to get on the bus, but in the end Angi and I were right. She was really happy about that.That night we stayed at my great great uncles house. Him and his wife were incredibly hospitable and told me that they wanted to take us out to Ruth's Chris Steak House the next day, I had actually never heard of it before, so it is ok if you haven't, but as I learned it was incredibly nice steak house. Well we didn't really bring suitable clothes for a very nice steak house so it looked like a large portion of our next day would be devoted to shopping.

Day 3
Of course, we woke up around 10. W got ready quickly and made it out of the house. Angi and Lehua had heard about a photography exhibit. We drove for about an hour and a half around San Fran because David was taking it us in the completely wrong direction. Well we finally got there, and waited in a very long and cold line. While we were in the line we realized "hey, we live in LA, one of the art capitals of the nation. The show is BOUND to come there. We aren't waiting in this line ANYMORE!" So we decided to leave, but before we did, we took a polaroid:
For the rest of the day we drove and drove, shopped and shopped and then ended the trip at Ruth's Chris with my relatives.

Day 4
Again, woke up at 10am, frantically packed the car and took off (but not without leaving some flowers and a nice note). Our goal for the day was to make it all the way to Salem, OR taking the 101 Hwy. That is a very long, but BEAUTIFUL drive. To leave San Fran, we had to drive across the famous Golden Gate Bridge!
So we started the drive. First we passed Hoppland where we saw the "Hopp" trees and beautiful skies!

Then we stopped for lunch in at a very small vegan extra healthy fast food restaurant (which sounds like an oxymoron). We got burritos. They were good.
After lunch we kept driving and then we hit the redwood forests! This was one of the main things we wanted to see on the trip so we were pretty excited. We drove down the "Avenue of Giants" and here are a few of the things we saw:

The trees were amazing. And to think that we didn't even finish that drive. There were probably even bigger ones farther up the avenue.
So we kept driving North, stopping in Arcata to eat dinner and then in Trinidad right before the sun went down because Taryn wanted to see her great-grandparents old house. Now Trinidad itself is a city only because of the homes. The homes that we say were on cliffs directly over the water. They were amazing. I am pretty sure that we weren't supposed to drive down the road, but we couldn't help it. So here are some pictures:

So we kept driving up the 101 which took us out of Trinidad and into Crescent City. Crescent City would connect us to the 199 which takes us on a winding, dark road to Oregon and the I-5. I was going to be driving so I made the observation that we would definitely be needing coffee to get us through the night, and also gad because the needle was getting very close to "E." We stopped at Dutch Bros. coffee, which is a small drive through coffee place that they had all over Nor Cal, got some espresso and started the long drive. Now maybe if I had been writing this out then I would have realized that I said we needed gas, yet I never said that we got it. Well, we didn't. The 199 was 70 miles long; 70 miles of trees and darkness. So, naturally, I flipped out. I was convinced that we would be stranded in the middle of the forest around 11:30 at night. None of our cell phones had receptions and David told us that the next gas station was in 45 miles. So all we could do was keep driving, since I didn't figure out the gad dilema until 15 miles in. Well, obviously, we made it alive. We got all the way to the last of three gas stations we had checked and they were open and ready to pump our gas (which is the way it works in Oregon. You don't pump your own).That night we made it to Salem and stated in a cozy Motel 6.

Day 5
We were finally in Oregon and only 45 minutes away from our final stop; Portland. We packed up and drove over. The city is wonderful.That night we would stay in another Motel 6. It had a weird shower, so I took a picture of it.
This one was right off of Powell, which is two streets away from Hawthorne. Hawthorne street was where we spent most of our time. Our first day we spent a lot of time shopping and drinking Peet's coffee. I love Peet's coffee and tea. it is amazing and if you have never had it, then you need to. End of story.
That night we decided to see a movie and National Treasure was playing at the Bagdad. The Bagdad theater is an old theater in Portland that consists of only 1 theater. Each row has a long table in front of it so you can eat and the walls and lighting at beautiful. The Bagdad is also reffered to in Donald Miller's books. It is in front of that theater that he saw the person playing Jazz music, which led to Blue Like Jazz. We got in line to buy our tickets and they carded Taryn who was first. We though it was weird and kinda funny that they thought Taryn was too young to see a rated G movie. It turns out that you have to be atleast 21 or with a gaurdian because they serve alchohol at the theater. It was funny, but still strange that they wouldn't let us in to a G rated film. Luckily, Lehua's roommate was there with her mom and she bought the tickets for us.
We then went to an incredible desert place called Papa Haydn's. The deserts were not only good, but they were beautiful. We actually didn't even eat dinner because we knew that that desert would be good enough. We then went back to our Motel 6 and slept some more.

Day 6
Well you guessed right, we woke up a little after 10, when we sere supposed to leave by 9. Our plans for the day were to eat breakfast at a little place that was recommended to us, go see the beautiful waterfalls and then meet Angi's friends for some dinner and desert.
We were going to skip over breakfast because it was so late, but Lehua insisted that we go and I do not regret it whatsoever. It was called the Cup and Saucer Cafe:The breakfast was AMAZING! It was this small little cafe that had incredible breakfast and great service. Plus there is no sales tax in Oregon which made it a million times better!
After breakfast we started driving out the falls. It was raining/ hailing all day, so we were scared that it was going to ruin our visit, but it didn't.

After the beautiful water falls, we drove back into the city and did a little more shopping. That morning I had picked up a handy little book that had a list and description of every store in the city. Taryn made us drive for about an hour trying to find a certain store that ended up being just like Savers next to our school. But we dont blame her (that much) for wasting our time because the description made it sound amazing. After the shopping we met Angi's friend for dinner at this awesome place called Montage. It is underneath a bridge and it looks like the filmed movies on the streets and alys around it (you know the movies where people sell drugs or get shot but for some reason it wasnt scary at all). The specialed in Macaroni and Cheese and they wrapped up your left overs in foil creations. Once we got inside there was screaming and dishes clanging together. Someone took out a camera to take a picture and immediately from out of the kitchen came a very loud, very angry yell, "NO CAMERAS!" Because of this, I have no pictures of the montage.
After dinner, we went to another amazing place called Rimsky's. It is inside of an old victorian house in South East and the serve desert and coffee. Every night there is live music and the entire place just has random stuff everywhere!

The weirdest/best part about this place was there bathroom. Taryn and I walked up the stairs, turned the corner, opened the door and Taryn screemed because she saw this...
on the floor. It was kinda creepy. The entire bathroom was sea themed, to the point where you are under water. This was on the ceiling.
It was a pretty awesome bathroom at that. So then we got in the car and got ready to drive all the way to San Jose by morning. Taryn drove the first three hours, Angi the next 3, and I took the last 4 from 4am to 8am.

Day 7
Well once we got to San Jose, we crashed in Taryn's aunts pool house and slept all day until dinner. It was nice to rest. We had dinner with their family that night and then just hung around the house, catching up on the internet and playing the piano.

Day 8
We woke up around 9 (surprise surprise) and got ready to go to church in Santa Cruz. The Fragrance (some good friends of ours) was playing at a church there by the name of Vintage Faith. We went to service there and then got some lunch at this place called The Saturn Diner. It served burgers, but everything was VEGETARIAN! It was weird. I mean it didnt taste bad, but it wasnt something that I would want to give up for the rest of my life. I love meat too much.
That night we would be having lunch at our friend Mason's house (who had been traveling with the Fragrance) in Bakersfield, which was about 3 hours away. So we started driving and stopped along the way more then once to take lots of pictures.

Well we had dinner and the Wren family was incredibly nice an they fed us very VERY good mexican food. Then we started the drive home; home to Biola. The closer we got the sader it became. The trip was over.

And to be honest, I am still sad. Every chance I get, I go off campus because it is nice to be reminded that there is more than Biola, in fact more than Southern California.

So I hope that you enjoyed this blog and that it inspires you to get out of your everyday life and do something different, go somewhere exciting and remember that God created a beautiful world, not just a beautiful southern california.

Portland.

2008-03-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

This Sunday I leave for Portland. I can not tell you how badly I have been needing this trip. Sometimes it is just good to get away; to drive through God's creation and remind yourself what it important in life. I believe that it is going to be one of the best weeks of my life. God is so good. More updates, and possibly a photo blog once I return. Tah - Tah!

Living for your Glory.

2008-02-23T23:33:00.000-08:00

Today I went to a worship conference at Rock Harbor called "worship central." It was created and hosted by Tim Hughes and Al Gordon from New Song church in London. It was incredible. Not only were the teachings and workshops great, but the worship was awe-inspiring. For the last set, Tim and Al led together and they had the entire room tuned in to hear from God. Can I just say that the English know what it means to worship. One of the last songs they did was a new song of Tim's called "Living for Your Glory." It is off of his new album "Hold Nothing Back." It was one of ther greatest times of worship that I have had in a long time. I was able to learn so much about what it means to worship and what it means to lead worship. I could go all day telling you about the things I learned, but I wont. If you want to know then please ask and I will tell, but the real purpose of this blog was to post the song's lyrics. If you dont have the CD and want it, I can get it to you. It is a beautiful song that holds so much sincerity and truth.

LIVING FOR YOUR GLORY

What good is it to gain the whole world
But lose your soul?
What good is it to make a sweet sound
But remain proud?

In view of God’s mercy
I offer my all

Take my life let it be everything, all of me
Here I am use me for your glory
In everything I say and do, let me life honour you
Here I am living for your glory

The road I’m on it leads nowhere
without you
And the life I live it finds meaning,
in surrender

In view of God’s mercy
I offer my all

Seeking first the Kingdom
Seeking first the Kingdom of my Lord
Seeking first the Kingdom
Seeking first the Kingdom of my Lord

trust.

2008-02-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

So Canon Tallis (or just Taryn and I) have completed 2 1/2 song and we are pretty excited about it. We have spent the past few days ironing them out and we actually really like what we've got.
To branch off of that thought, I realized that the 1 1/2 songs that I started have practically the same theme: trusting God. I am guessing that it is because my life is so crazy right now that resting and trusting in God is all that I can think about.
Why is it so easy to get caught up in the things that really dont matter? Why cant it just be easy to say "Hey God, here is everything that I have. I know you will work it out." Oh yeah let me answer that one for you: We try to do things on our own. We all have our own little cases of OCD. We want everything to be perfect and find it hard to trust God in the end to make it that way. The more I write the more I realize how ridiculous I sound. Maybe I am alone in this, but all I know is that God really is perfect and really does have the perfect plan for my life. I see it unfolding already before my eyes. Now all I need to do is keep trusting (daily) and be still, which strangely, is one of the hardest things I will ever do.

Fine Wine.

2008-01-22T16:38:00.000-08:00

So I just began reading Searching for God Knows What, written by Don Miller (Author of Blue Like Jazz). Anyways, I have only finished the first chapter, and it is incredible. So if you aren't reading something right now, pick it up!
So the first chapter is entitled "Fine Wine" which explains the title of this blog. The line that corresponds with this states "Reality is like a fine wine. It will not appeal to children." This whole chapter talks about his possible attempt to write a self - help book. After thinking alot about what the solid steps would be to have a good blessed life and the fact that self help books of any genre had never really changed anything in the past, he realizes that there can no be a self help book for Christians, except the Bible. Now obviously there are books that shed light and make you think differently about things (like this one), but he is talking about the books with titles like "3 easy steps to improving your walk with God" or "5 steps to making through a trial." Here are some excerpts from the first chapter for you:

"I remember watching that television show I Dream of Jeanie when I was young, and wondering at how great it would be to have a Jeannie of my own, complete with the sexy outfit, who could blink a grilled-cheese sandwich out of thin air, all the while cleaning my room and doing my homework. I realize, of course, that is very silly and there is no such thing as a genie that lives in a lamp, but it still makes me wonder if secretly we dont wish God were a genie who could deliver a few wishes here and there. And that makes me wonder if what we really want from the formula are the wishes, not God. It makes me wonder if what we really want is the control, not a relationship."

"Some would say formulas are how we interact with God, that going through motions and jumping through hoops are how a person acts out his spirituality. This method of interaction, however, seems odd to me, because if I want to hang out with my friend Tuck, I dont stomp my foot three times, turn around, and say his name over and over like a mantra, lighting candles and getting myself in a certain mood. I just call him. In this way, formulas presuppose God is more a computer or a circus monkey than an intelligent Being. I realize that sounds harsh, but it is true."

"I know there are people who have actually gone from misery to happiness, but they didnt do it by walking through three steps, they did it because they had a certain set of parents and heard a certain song and knew sombody who had a certain experience and saw a movie, read some books, had something happen to them like a car wreck or a trip to Seattle. Then they called on God, and when all this had happened they had an epiphany, and somebody may have helped them fulfill what this epiphany made them feel, and several years later they rationalized this mystic experience with three steps, then they told the three steps to us in a book. I'm not saying they weren't trying to be helpful; I bring this up only because life is complex, and the idea that you can break it down or fix it in a few steps is rather silly."

Myers Briggs

2008-01-15T01:10:00.000-08:00

Today I learned a lot about myself. I dont know if you have ever heard about it, but the Myers Briggs personality test is probably one of the greatest things invented... ok that may go too far, but it is pretty great if you ask me.
I have taken tons of test like this, where you learn about yourself and discover your "hidden personality traits." I always secretly thought that they were a little vain in the end, because it was just a chance to hear about yourself. I mean, I love taking them, because who doesnt like hearing about themselves from some random person. Anyways, I had a long meeting with a career councelor for work today so my partner and I could look at our myers briggs and see how our personalities fit. Before I get going, let me first say that this blog is NOT to tell everyone here what I am and all about MY personality. It is being written so that everyone who reads it will know that these things really are helpful.
To make a very long story (all about my anxiety and full Load) short, through this one test I realized how God not only works through me, but has given me the ability to juggle a lot at one, just so that I will have to run to Him with it all. I will go crazy if I dont.
So now I leave you all with this...
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
It is the link to take the FREE test. Once you figure out what you are (there will be some letters and numbers) write it down and then tell me. I would LOVE to walk you through it all and teach you something new about what God has for you and how you have been magnificently programmed.
Well goodnight everyone and keep me in our prayers. My "rapid eye movement" is getting pretty bad.

Jazz and the 2007 Holiday.

2008-01-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

#1. Isn't that one beautiful peice of artwork. When I say artwork, i mean the sky. God is pretty good at what he does.

#2. I am currently finishing Blue Lake Jazz by Don Miller and these are a few of his thoughts that I found especially enlightening:

"A friend of mine, a young pastor who recently started a church, talks to me from time to time about the new face of the church in America - the postmodern church. He says the new church will be different from the old one, that we will be revelant to human culture and human struggle. I dont think any church has ever been relevant to culture, to the human struggle, unless it believed in Jesus and the power of His gospel. If the supposed new church believes in trendy music and cool web pages, then it is not relevant to culture either. It is just another tool of Satan to get people to be passionate about nothing."

"I think there are artists at a lot of churches who dont have an outlet, and by creating an outlet, the church gives artists a chance to express themselves and in return the church gets free stuff to put on their walls. Creating an arts group at a church is a great idea"

( I saw this as going into all common interests of gifts. Churches need ministries that allow their members to use their gifts and practice their gifts together)

"If loving other people is a bit of heaven then certainly isolation is a bit of hell, and to that degree, here on earth, we decide in which state we would like to live."

(Spouse to spouse) "I will love you like God, because of God, mighted by the power o f God. I will stop expecting your love, demanding your love, trading for your love, gaming for you love. I will simply love. I am giving myself to you, and tomorrow I will do it again. I suppose the clock will wear thin its time before I am ended at this altar of dying and dying again."

It is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone.

#3. This past holiday was wonderful. I am now living back at Biola (which is ver exciting) but I will always cherish the few weeks I was at home. Here are some pictures from the past few weeks. I love my friends. They are pretty funny.

Brandon said "hell."

2007-12-28T02:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight was interesting. It was very fun, but VERY interesting. Let's start from the top shall we...

Brandon, Dan and I did a little shopping before heading out to Fullerton, to take Ana to the airport (we'll talk more about that later). First we hit up Old Navy where we bought the huge bouncy balls from the quarter machine. We then decided to become a small gang called "the cut-offs" (because of our homeless looking gloves)and our offensive mechanism would be throwing the bouncy balls at people and having them magically come back to us like a boomerang. Anyways, back to the story. We walk to Target, do a little shopping there and realize that one our way to Target, we unknowingly passed a mute Target employee who was chained to the building (this really isn't true, but if it were...). We were too distracted by our childish gang to save her.
So we got over that quickly and then departed for Chipotle, where I had the chicken for the first time. It was delicious of course. I dont think Chipotle can do anything wrong. So from that conclusion we decided that the only food in heaven will be Chipotle and when you eat it, you never get full or fat. And the "chipotle guy" (If you have been to the one in fullerton, you should know who I am talking about. He has a beard, long hair, and is always working) would be Jesus. When handing you your food He would say, "Here, eat my good and faithful servant, in whom I am well pleased." We really love Chipotle, but Jesus always comes before Chipotle.
So now we get to the airport segment. Ana left for Florida tonight. It was very very sad considering she one of the only girls I am around and when she said her last goodbye, I was left with 3 guys, one of them being her husband. I knew that it would be chaos from then on, because Ana is pretty good at keeping everyone sane. So, like I said, we drove to LAX, gave multiple hugs and watched Ana disapear into the long security process. That is when it got a little more interesting and Paula Abdul entered the picture. That's right PAULA ABDUL (this lady)We got in the elevator, which was taken over by a very large luggage cart being pushed by a small, metro, Persian man. We pushed our way in and noticed that the woman standing with him was in fact, the great Paula Abdul. I mean the story doesn't get much more interesting. We didn't stalk her (that much) and we didn't try to take pictures with her. It was just a nice little spice to the night.
So we got in the car and drove to Santa Monica. Mitch has an office there, so he wanted to show us. We walked around on 3rd street promenade and saw a lot of homeless people. We did a little shopping and then decided to head back.
When arriving back in Fullerton, we made our way over to McClain's, a small coffee shop in downtown. It always has it's nice share of unique characters, so we all got some tea (except for Mitch and his $3.50 latte) and sat and talked. We then played a card game which was quite fun and talked about all the weirdos walking around. Then the guys started getting weird. First they all accused me of being racist (sort of) and then Brandon started saying "pissed" and "hell." I think it was the fact that we were in an old coffee shop that felt like an Irish pub. I realized that I didn't have a camera to document the night, so I made Brandon draw a picture. He then drew us all:Brandon has a mustache and Mitch has a parrot. Don't ask we why. Brandon may have been hallucinating.
So basically that is the overall outline of the night. It was quite interesting. And tomorrow I get to see my room mate!!! I am so excited, and I just cant hide it! I think this is the longest blog I have ever written and if you sat and read the whole thing, you get a prize. Your prize will be... a big kiss from this Santa!Alright, I am loosing it now. Time for some sleepy sleep. Good night to all!

Up and coming.

2007-12-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

I think I am approaching a song-writing phase in my life. God is doing so much in my life and the last time I was able to write, I felt similar to this. 2008 is going to be a good year. I can feel it already. Stay tuned for lyrics and ideas. I could always use feedback from all of you, my brilliant friends!

Happy Day after Christmas!

Oh and stay tuned for lots of new pictures because I got my new camera!!!

Christmas Lights.

2007-12-24T12:28:00.000-08:00

Last night I went on an adventure. This adventure included Christmas lights, Michelle's birthday, the search for dip n dots, stealing pens from starbucks, indianna jones, chipotle, and the swing and broom inside of the van. Let's just say it was pretty fun. At the end of the night we ended up at starbucks and decided to play telephone pictionary. Anna and Mitch had never played before so it was pretty exciting. Here are some of the results from the game:

Merry Christmas everyone!

I am home.

2007-12-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

Its a Saturday night in the middle of the Christmas season, and I am sitting at home. Not that relaxing at home isnt nice, I guess I just figured that break would be a little more exciting. I had a garage sale this morning, and made some money. Dan and I went Christmas shopping. We found out that the coffee place is NOT called Chubby's (like it is known and loved), but in fact called Cuppy's (which we found innocently awkward). Dan told me about a classic Christmas movie, Santa's slay (Imagine Santa gone horribly, horribly wrong). And, I think that most of all, I miss Biola and Taryn's crazy faces and Johnny's dancing and David's constant questions and Angi always thinking that the mess is her fault and sitting in the office with Claudia and leading worship in chapel. But I know that this break will be a good one.

Side note and real reason for this entry, I have been feeling pretty stressed and anxious about who knows what. I really dont like it too much (can you imagine?) So I came across these passages which I really enjoyed:

"Hear my prayer O Lord,
And let my cry come to You.
Do not hide Your face from me
in the day that I call,
answer me speedily.
For my days are consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.
My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread."
Psalm 102:1-4

"Unless the Lord had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.
If I say, 'My foot slips,'
Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.
In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul."
Psalm 94:16-19

Idolatry and the backslider.

2007-12-13T02:29:00.000-08:00

This passage has been in the back of my mind recently. God used it to speak to me when I was going through a very difficult time. Lately, I have been seeing those close to me walking away from faith and putting their trust in things other then God. It is because of this, that this passage is yet again ministering to me. I know that many people have friends and family in their life that are backsliding, so I pray that God uses it to speak to you as well. (I know it is long, but it is worth it)

1 The righteous perish,
and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.

2 Those who walk uprightly
enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death.

3 "But you—come here, you sons of a sorceress,
you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!

4 Whom are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,
the offspring of liars?

5 You burn with lust among the oaks
and under every spreading tree;
you sacrifice your children in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.

6 The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
they, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings
and offered grain offerings.
In the light of these things, should I relent?

7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.

8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,
and you looked on their nakedness.

9 You went to Molech with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.
You sent your ambassadors far away;
you descended to the grave itself!

10 You were wearied by all your ways,
but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.'
You found renewal of your strength,
and so you did not faint.

11 "Whom have you so dreaded and feared
that you have been false to me,
and have neither remembered me
nor pondered this in your hearts?
Is it not because I have long been silent
that you do not fear me?

12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,
and they will not benefit you.

13 When you cry out for help,
let your collection of idols save you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow them away.
But the man who makes me his refuge
will inherit the land
and possess my holy mountain."

14 And it will be said:
"Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."

15 For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.

16 I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me—
the breath of man that I have created.

17 I was enraged by his sinful greed;
I punished him, and hid my face in anger,
yet he kept on in his willful ways.

18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will guide him and restore comfort to him,

19 creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,"
says the LORD. "And I will heal them."

20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire and mud.

21 "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

The glories of procrastination.

2007-12-11T00:58:00.000-08:00

It's 1 o'clock in the morning and it feels like time isn't even existent. My night has consisted of hours of studying, a triple shot over ice (which is the first in a while), watching multiple you tube videos and a recent del taco run. Taryn, Sarah, and Lauryn are accompanying me on this crazy night and who knows if we will get any sleep at all. I am pretty sure that I have heard about the exploding whale over 10 times and I cant get enough of Taryn's Old Gregg impersonations. There is a gobstopper war. Now the worm is climbing the yule log! Oh, this night is out of control...

Christmas is coming.

2007-12-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

So, today is the 9th of December (as already stated above); 16 days away from Christmas. I would have to agree with a good friend of mine when just yesterday he said, "This has been the best Christmas ever." It all began with a long night of pictures, hot cocoa and friends, was then followed by the Christmas tree lighting at Disneyland (where I renewed my pass!) and more festivities are added to the list daily. This evening, I was able to go home and when I opened the door I was greeted by the sweet smell of peppermint and evergreen. It made me even more excited about going home this Friday. Brandon, Dan, and Frankie went to go look at Christmas lights tonight, and honestly, I am pretty jealous of them. Anyways, I tell you all of this because I wish this was all that I had to care or think about. I want to be able to soak up the Christmas season for all its worth: hot cocoa every night, seeing Christmas light, visiting the snow, singing Christmas carols, sitting by a fire reading a good book with my kitty sitting close by, and what the heck, maybe even writing a song or two. Tomorrow begins finals week and I am really dreading it. But, it will soon be over and then I can enjoy the lights, cocoa and holly!

Oh and watch The Christmas Story over and over again.

Once.

2007-12-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

So I just got ahold of a beautiful sound track that I actually heard about a while ago from a good friend. He told me that he thought I would enjoy it and, boy, was he right. It is the soundtrack for the independant film Once. The soundtrack is done by a guy by the name of Glen Hansard and a girl named Markéta Irglová. They are in the movie and the best part is that their roles in the movie are actually "guy" and "girl." I have yet to see the movie, but the music is incredible, so go take a listen. They have a Damien Rice, acoustic style with a lot of passion. It's good stuff.

Dry Bones.

2007-12-02T15:01:00.001-08:00

I was sitting out on the patio at church this morning and came upon this passage in Ezekial which I thought was incredible.

1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.
2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.
3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."
4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.
6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' "
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.
8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' "
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'
12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.
14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "

A little bit of disney.

2007-12-02T02:11:00.000-08:00

So those who know me well (or those who can read at the top of my page), know that I love Disneyland. It is honestly one of my favorite places to be, even if I am just by myself walking around. I find it relaxing. Anyways, my pass expired two weeks ago and Disney was ripped away from me just as quickly as it had come into my life. Now for those who do not know, Disneyland during the holidays is absolutely beautiful. Everything about it is great. So with that being said, I have this great friend. His name is Dan. Tonight, Dan and I (as well as Brandon, who could not come because of homework...boo) were invited by Mitch and Ana to attend the candle lighting at Disneyland which included a 200 person choir and the reading of the Christmas story out of Luke. Well I was very sad, because I could not attend this festive event due to the fact that I had no pass. This is where Dan came into the picture and saved the day. Long story short, Dan is a great friend and he loaned me the money to get a pass and used part of it as my Christmas gift. SO YEAH I HAVE A PASS AGAIN!

So the ceremony was absolutely beautiful, not to mention the park itself is magical. This is a picture of the castle in Paris. I couldn't find one for the castle here but just imagine this same lighting on a smaller castle.
Disneyland is so beautiful during the holidays and for anyone that has not gone, you need to go! And I will go with you because I have a pass again!

Everlasting.

2007-11-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

So last night was one of the greatest nights I have had in while. Not only was I able to take some absolutely ridiculous pictures, play an intense game of Disney Scene-It, and drink a multitude of holiday beverages, but I also had a great time of prayer and worship with close friends.
I have been pretty overwhelmed the past few weeks with school, work, family, etc. and I was and still am slighty a little anxious. Last night, God was showing me through the prayers of others that I need to rely on Him for everything. I dont know why I worry because I have the peace that He has it all under control.
And isnt it great that once God speaks to you on a certain subject once, He doesn't stop there? This morning in chapel we had an extended time of worship and each and every song reiterated the same exact message. God is Everlasting. So here are the lyrics to some of the songs this morning. I hope that they will bless you all.

"A thousand times I fail
still Your mercy remains
Should I stumble again
I am caught in Your grace

Everlasting,
Your light will shine when all else fails
Nerverending,
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring you praise
From the inside out
Lord my sould cries out"

-Inside Out (Hillsong United)

"When hope is lost
I'll call you savior
When pain surrounds
I'll call you healer
When silence falls
You'll be the song within my heart

I will praise you
I will praise you
When the tears fall
Still I will sing to you"

-When the Tears Fall (Tim Hughes)

Be blessed today!

The first official posting on the first official blog.

2007-11-30T02:11:00.000-08:00

So here is goes; The first blog. I promise that I will try to make my postings as interesting as possible because I am pretty sure that no one wants to hear me drone on about my life without me making any connections to anyone else. I would like this to be a place where I can post some information, throw up a few pictures, and just let my mind loose a little. So thank you for reading post one and know that you will be hearing more soon.

Ps. The url was inspired by a Starbucks visit I had a few weeks ago. After telling the barista my name, she automatically spelled it that way. i thought it was interesting, and, well, down right more exciting.