My Life :: personal grace notes

2011-12-21T20:32:00.000-08:00

There's a looong list of women I admire, and I want to start highlighting them because I hope to be like them someday.

My first Honoree is the author of the blog, Biblical Homemaking: Mandy Ballard.

Check out her blog here: http://biblicalhomemaking.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html

2011-12-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

My hope and sincerest desire is that I will have a heart that is totally consumed with Jesus. I want Him to be a part of every breath, a part of every triumph and every failure. I want to be one with His Holy Spirit.

I want to delight in his mercies, and share in His sufferings. I don't want to complain when times are tough, but I want to rejoice because I know I have a true provider who will take care of it all. I want to truly believe everything that I read in His word. I want any shadow of doubt to be eliminated. There is freedom in Jesus Christ and power in His name. I will not be ashamed of Him, but raise my hands high to the one and only King who saves us with His redemptive power.

I want to love God's people with a relentless passion - learning to be selfless in the process. I want to rid myself of comparison, jealously, anxiety, and fear. I want to be wholly consumed with Christ and moving according to His will. I want to be at the center of His will, working according to His purpose.

2011-12-05T09:00:00.001-08:00

"Since I Have My Life Before Me"

2011-10-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

By Brooke Bronkowski

I'll live my life to the fullest. I'll be happy. I'll brighten up. I will be more joyful than I have ever been. I will be kind to others. I will loosen up. I will tell others about Christ. I will go on adventures and change the world. I will be bold and not change who I really am. I will have no troubles but instead help others with their troubles.

You see, I'll be one of those people who live to be history makers at a young age. Oh, I'll have moments, good and bad, but I will wipe away the bad and only remember the good. In fact that's all I remember, just good moments, nothing in between, just living my life to the fullest. I'll be one of those people who go somewhere with a mission, an awesome plan, a world-changing plan, and nothing will hold me back. I'll set an example for others, I will pray for direction.

I have my life before me. I will give others the joy I have and God will give me more joy. I will do everything God tells me to do. I will follow the footsteps of God. I will do my best!!

- - - - - - -

This poem was written by a twelve year old girl with a relentless passion for pursuing God. She was killed in a car accident two years later. I can only hope to embrace my faith as she did.

2011-08-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

8.24.11 - I'm thankful for my church family, my biological family, and all the people God has put in my life. I'm thankful for Beth Moore and her ministry. God speaks through her in incredible ways. I'm thankful for all the things in my life that have not happened yet, but I know they are in God's plans for my life. I'm thankful that God protects me on my daily commute, to and from work (Seattle drivers, can't be trusted!).

2011-08-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

My friend, Carly, once told me that she keeps a daily log of the things she is thankful for each day. It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle of life that you forget how incredibly fortunate you are. I am blessed. May I never forget that.....

08.16.11 - I am thankful for the beautiful day, a peaceful night's rest, my pretty salmon-colored dress, my job, and the opportunity to get it right the next time.

In Memory of Rachel Beckwith

2011-07-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

"Live your life to the fullest" may be one of the most overused, yet least actionable statements people say. What does it really mean? How can you really live each day as if it were your last?

I think I can include myself as one among thousands of people who consider themselves blessed to have learned how to do this from an inspiring 9-year old girl, Rachel. Last week, a girl from my church, Rachel Beckwith, died from injuries sustained in a car accident. After attending her memorial/celebration service last night, I have to say that I am inspired by her relentless pursuit to express God's love in her everyday life. After hearing about the joy this child shared with friends and family, it touches my heart to see that this young girl was able to leave an indelible mark in the lives of those around her.

This was demonstrated through her Charity:Water campaign. At just 8-years old, she decided to give up her 9th birthday in favor of raising funds for children and families without access to clean drinking water. She fell short of her $300 goal by $80. However, after news of her passing spread throughout the world via CNN (click here to see coverage), she is blowing that goal out of the water with every hour that passes. (As of right now, she is well above the $140k mark, and I'm excited to see where it will be by morning.)

Not only is it impressive that this young girl eagerly committed this selfless act, but it leaves me in awe that this girl was able to understand the enormity of selfless giving and compassion even before she'd lived a full decade. God bless this precious little girl and all those she has helped.

http://www.mycharitywater.org/p/campaign?campaign_id=16396

2011-07-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

Every time God delivers us, the point is ultimately to draw us closer to Himself. Whether we get to avoid pain and suffering or we must persevere in the midst of it, our deliverance comes when we're dragged from the enemy of our souls to the heart of God.

(excerpt from Beth Moore's study: To Live is Christ: The Life and Ministry of Paul - p80.)

Have a Party!

2011-07-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of throwing a Matthew’s Party? In Luke 5:29, one of Jesus’ disciples, Matthew (also called Levi), throws a party for his friends - both Christian and non-Christian alike. He invited his unsaved tax-collecting friends, and his saved friends – some of which who were so religious they thought it was weird to be socializing with those pegged as culturally unsavory folk of the time. On the outside, it was nothing more than a party, but from a deeper perspective, it was a party meant to join Matthew’s old life with his new life. It is during mixers like this that Matthew’s non-believing friends got to get a glimpse into his new life.

When Matthew left his lucrative career as a tax-collector, his fellow colleagues of the day must have thought, “what is he thinking giving up all the great things in his life to follow a homeless rabbi (Jesus)?” Bill Hybels talks about this in his book Just a Walk Across the Room.

Within a quick 200 page text, Hybels raises this question to his readers: “What if redirecting a person’s forever really is as simple as walking across a room?" Essentially, if you are believer, and you have experienced the powerful saving grace of Jesus in your life, you are bound to be so stoked and excited that you want to tell everyone you know about it. One of the easiest ways Hybels suggests doing this is to throw a party. Invite your Christian friends and non-Christian friends alike. Don’t make it awkward, just make it fun!

It all comes down to an invitation. Through all the ups and downs, frustrations, trials, and battles of the heart – I can honestly say I love my life, and I want my friends to know why. I desperately want them to be able to experience the joy and liberation derived from having an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The first step is as easy as inviting someone to see for themselves.

2011-06-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

New Daily Prayer: God help me to do what you are blessing. I want to stop asking you to bless my plans.

~ From The Purpose Driven Life Devotional

2011-05-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

Somehow the last post or two was deleted from my blog. Suspicious...yes. You can't trust technology these days. Anyway, here are a few photos from the Haiti Trip.

2011-04-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Prayers:
My prayer is that those who are dear to me - my friends, my family, extended family, and those I have yet to meet - will know the unfailing love of Jesus Christ. I pray that they will know the all consuming power of the Holy Spirit because there is none like it. I don't feel worthy of this love, and there is nothing I can do to ever deserve it, but I gladly accept this gift. I pray that I will not be consumed with myself, but consumed by Jesus. In His Name I am redeemed and restored, and I want nothing more than to serve Him. I pray that God will bring me into a powerful ministry, one that I can share with my future husband and family. I pray that I will be able to love those around me as Christ loves them - pouring out everything I have. More than that, I pray that God will enable me to love those who don't necessarily like me. I want to love those who may be seen as the least of us. I want to serve you God - my life is worth nothing to me. I am consumed by you.

Counting my blessings:
I am blessed with an incredible family, and I am so very thankful to be surrounded by their unconditional love and support. We are far from perfect, but we love each other. I am thankful that I am able to go on this trip to Haiti, so that I will be changed from the inside out. I know we are serving the kids, but I'm thankful that I am able to take this trip, to give me more perspective and open my eyes.

Lessons in faith:
Comparison is the thief of joy, so we have to stop comparing our lives to others. Keep your focus on God and God alone. We were all made for a specific purpose.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
(Matthew 6:33).

2011-04-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

Chains Be Broken

Lives Be Healed

Eyes Be Opened

Christ is Revealed

- Hillsong United, "You'll Come"

2011-04-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

Prayers:
Please Father God prepare our hearts for Haiti. Prepare us for what we're about to see and experience. I pray that through this trip our hearts will be forever changed. More importantly, I pray that we will be present, and offer our love and service in a way that God has called us to show God's love to these children. I pray that God will protect our group, keep us bonded and keep our spirits strong.

Furthermore, I pray that I will learn to seek God's guidance in everything I do. I pray that I will hunger for him constantly, and never cease to worship Him in all that I do. I pray for God's favor in my life and pray that I will be able to use that favor to serve the people of His kingdom. I am proclaiming that my soul longs for Jesus Christ. I pray that I will become one of those people who is so in tune with God's voice that they are able to fight the distractions of the world, and follow God where He is leading. How do I become the kind of person who is courageous enough to go, when God says go? I want to have that the kind of discipline.

Dear God, I ask of you to show me the answers to my prayers in several ways, so I can see the hand of God working in those dreams. Please show me through scripture, through friends, and mentors. I ask all these things in your precious name, Amen.

Counting my blessings:
I'm thankful that God knows us better than we know ourselves. I'm thankful that none of this life has to be done alone because we are children of Jesus Christ. I'm thankful for His forgiving, everlasting power and grace that sustains my life, every second of every day. I'm thankful that through the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ that I am forgiven and I don't have to carry the burden of any sins with me. Because of His sacrifice, I am protected, saved, delivered and I want others to know what the gift of eternal life looks like as well.

Lessons in faith:
I believe that God is all I need in this world. The world can make even the luckiest person feel hopeless, but nothing can overcome the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. Nothing is impossible through Christ, and this is what I know.

Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done. ~ C.S. Lewis

2011-04-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

Prayers:

I want to be a true servant. One who serves willingly, in any way, every day. I want to give my life away for God's glory. I pray that I will hear God; that I will truly listen to him and not just constantly ask him for things. I pray that my mind will be cleared of the nonsensical clutter that distracts me from my real purpose in this world. I pray that Jesus will guard and protect my mind, and help me to focus on him. I pray that God will help me turn my God-given dreams into reality - that I will be brave enough and trust God to take that leap of faith. I pray that I will not let my own selfishness get in the way of God's will for my life. I pray that I will NEVER get so full of myself that I forget to give love away. I pray that I will always remember to love people the way I long to be loved. I want more for the lives of those people who are hurting, and I pray that these things will always be my primary motivator. I pray that I will get rid of myself and be humbled by the incredible grace of God.

Counting my blessings:

I'm thankful I have my life. I'm thankful that God has given me so much, so I can in turn give so much away and help those who have none. I'm thankful for the hope I have in my heart. I'm thankful for the lessons that God is teaching me. I'm thankful that God is stretching me and helping me to grow, so I can change and become more like the person He created me to be. I'm thankful that God never gives up on us, and he strips us down to our bare bones so we can see Jesus for who He really is.

Lessons in faith:

Never underestimate the power of God. He is capable and willing, you just have to ask.

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” - John Wesley

2011-03-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

Prayers:
God's timing is perfect. It's slow but it's perfect. I pray for those people that are struggling with God's timing. I pray for those people that are crumbling in spirit while they wait for a break from the pressure, and I pray that God will bring them relief soon. I pray for those friends of mine who have recently lost their jobs. I pray that they will not be anxious, but will trust in God's timing. I pray that they will have hope for their future, and they will be blessed with a calming peace that will hold them over until God blesses them in their next venture. In my own life, I pray for God's favor in my dreams. God gives us our dreams, and follows through with those dreams when we acknowledge them and act on them. My current job is a dream inseminated by God and brought to fruition by God. I first applied to work for Disney two years ago, and God brought me here, but only according to his timing. So I pray that God will bring my deepest ministry desires to reality, and while I wait, I pray that I do not waste God's valuable time, but rather use that time to grow spiritually and relationally.

Counting my blessings:
It really is a blessing that I have this time to grow and learn about God while I wait for my dreams to come true. If you would have told me 5 years ago that my dreams would've changed so drastically in this direction, I would have slapped you in the face and called you crazy, but God has a way of changing our hearts according to His will. I see the world differently now; my values have changed. The fact of the matter is that I'm thankful God has changed my heart and given me dreams, so His purpose for my life will be fulfilled.

Lessons in faith:
Going along with the theme for today: God's Timing - I pulled this out of Rick Warren's devotional from a while back because I'm obsessed with his knowledge.

Noah waited 120 years from the time he started building the ark until it began to rain.
Abraham was told he would be the father of a great nation and didn't have a child until he was ninety-nine.
God told Moses he would be the leader to lead his people out of four hundred years of slavery, but then made him wait in the desert forty years.
Joseph spent years in prison before God raised him up and he became the ruler God wanted him to be.
God had David anointed as king, but then David waited for years until he actually got to be king.

We all have to go through these waiting periods. Even Jesus waited for thirty years in the carpenter's shop before setting out on his public ministry.Why do we wait? It teaches us to trust in God. We learn that his timing is perfect. One of the facts we have to learn is this: God's delay never destroys his purpose.

2011-03-23T16:04:00.001-07:00

Prayers:

I had growth group last night, and some of the ladies and I have decided to pray for someone throughout the week who has hurt us, betrayed us or simply not been nice to us in the past. Beth Moore seems to think that when we pray for those people to be blessed, we will also be blessed in return. So I'm up for the challenge.

I also lift up prayers against anything that may be serving as a distraction in my life. I pray that God will reveal those distractions to me, and help me to focus on the things that matter to Him.

Counting my blessings:

I'm thankful the beauty of Seattle. I'm thankful that I am able to see God's beauty and blessings in the little things throughout the day. I'm thankful for all of the blessings in my life that have yet to come to pass. God is so good.

Lessons in faith:

Words from Kay Warren: We have to make the decision to believe that what God has called us to do is more important than what we fear. David says in 1 chronicles 28:20 "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you."

Even when we lack the confidence, we have to make the choice to believe God's promises. His purpose is greater than our own.

In further lessons, I've also had to learn today from Kay's husband, Rick, that "if you are frustrated with your flaws, then be honest with God. Ask him to help you see how he works through your flaws and accept your flaws as God's way of keeping you dependent upon him." Amen to that because I am very frustrated with my flaws, and I need to be honest with God about those things.

In summary, I think my biggest lesson today is that fear is serving as a distraction in my life and therefore leading me to focus on my flaws when I should be focusing on listening and growing with God. Hmmm....God has a weird way of pulling things together in my head.

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

2011-03-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

Prayers:
Brand new week, with a new set of tasks and responsibilities - praying to keep my sanity :-)

Counting my blessings:
Thankful that I was able to catch some down time this weekend including a chance to sleep in on Sunday morning. The greatest blessings are in the small stuff.

Lessons in faith:
Talk to God about anything and everything. Talk to God all day long, keep him close to your heart and you will never have to be anxious about anything.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

2011-03-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

Prayers:
I pray that I will have time to rest this weekend. My weeks have been busy, my weekends busier, and I pray that I will have a moment to catch my breath and reboot. I pray that I will have a relentless desire for the holy spirit in my life. I pray that I will be filled with the Holy Spirit so much that my heart will not be bitter or hardened, but washed over with so much of God's love that love and kindness will pour out of me, encouraging and brightening those around me. I pray that God will protect my heart and soul, and that He will continue to do a good work in me as He grooms me to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

Counting my blessings:
Thank God it's Friday!! I got through another week. Woo hoo! I'm thankful that no matter how exhausted I may get, God still gives me enough energy to keep going. I'm thankful for my work ethic, determination and perseverance that manifests itself in my daily life. I'm thankful that no matter how long or difficult the days are, I know that I am never defeated, but saved and protected by my Father in Heaven. I'm thankful for the life I've been blessed with - clean water, plumbing, electricity and luxuries that many people all over the world can't even fathom. I'm thankful that I am learning to not take those things for granted, but be an eternal giver and server of those in need. For those who have been given much, much is expected.

Lessons in faith:
I'm learning what it means to live, breathe and long for the living God more than anything else in my life. No other relationship or thought should be higher on our list than the relationship we have with Jesus Christ. This is a good lesson for me; I'm not so good at it. I want to yearn for God more than I desire anything else in my life.

A commentary I found on Ezekial 37 phrases it perfectly....

Know that He has a deep compassion and longing for you and will do everything to provide and care for you. He is our very breath and being, through him we live and breathe. It’s his life that he breathed in us; this is the same breath that he breathed into Adam when He formed him out of the clay from the earth. As he gave life to the first Adam, he is giving us life, and this new life is in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, He who has the Son has life, and life more abundantly. For the joy of the Lord is our strength, we are renewed in the strength, and power of our Lord, through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Lord quicken us according to your Word, Let the Spirit of God move over the depths of the waters that are in us, to form his creation in us; that will give him great pleasure. This will bring a completion to his work, that will cause us to enter into his rest that He has prepared for us.

2011-03-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

Prayers:
I'll be going on my very first mission trip next month. By the grace of God, we have an amazing team of people aggregated and fired up to serve God's people in another region of the world - Haiti. I pray for the continued bonding of our team members so we will be able to work together cohesively while we're away. I pray for our health, and safe travels. Most importantly, it is said that mission teams benefit far more from these trips than the native people we are sent to help. Therefore, I pray that we each experience a significant change that acts as a catalyst for many service projects and mission to come.

Counting my blessings:
I'm thankful that God gives us second, third, and 100th chances to get things right. I'm thankful for his grace, restoration, peace, and never-ending mercy.

Lessons in faith:
Pulling from Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life devotional.....

Our lives in Christ are meant to be extraordinary, incredible, meaningful and purposeful but never trouble-free. God keeps you in the pressure-cooker of life so others can see how a life connected to Jesus confronts problems in a very different way than a life that is disconnected from Jesus. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit and that gives us the ability to respond to hardship like people from the kingdom of heaven -- not like people seemingly abandoned by God or in rebellion to God or unaware of God or unrepentant before God.

This makes me want to think twice about how I respond to hardships. :-)

2011-03-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Prayers:
I'm praying for my church today. We have been welcoming many newbies to our services every weekend and we are expecting an even larger rush of people on Easter Sunday. I pray for our staff - that God will equip each and every one of them with the patience, zeal and energy to get through the prep work leading up to the day. I pray that God will take away any anxiety they may have, and help them to prepare for the weekend in a way that will make people feel welcome. I pray for the pastor as he prepares the message, and I pray that God gives him the words to touch the hearts of every person in attendance in some way. I pray that God will stir the hearts of the volunteers in a way that will motivate them to serve and give a little extra of their time. Lastly, I pray for the people that are going to come to church for the very first time on Easter. I pray that God will protect them from any negative thoughts that may deter them from showing up. I pray that they will have the courage to walk through the doors even through their nerves and timidity. I also pray for all of those volunteers that will be serving on the 1st impressions team. I pray that God will bless them with the kindness of heart and energy that will make every person feel welcome.

Counting my blessings:
I'm thankful for the sun today. We've had countless days of rain and dreary weather. I was beginning to suffer from seasonal depression, so I am very thankful for today. I'm thankful that I live in Seattle; one of the most beautiful places I've ever lived - but the lack of sun can be trying at times. Furthermore, I'm thankful that I was so busy jamming out to the music in my car yesterday that I missed my exit and as a result, missed the traffic jam and accident on the freeway. I could have been sitting in traffic for a very long time; instead, I just took the next exit and scooted around the accident traffic without even knowing it! God is so good to us!

Lessons in faith:
What does it take to fully surrender your life to God? It can be a painful process, but it's necessary in order to experience the fullness of God. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need and where we should be going; he just asks us one thing: give me your life. I have yet to do this successfully, but I'm learning what it means to be so recklessly abandoned to God that I no longer let the noise and cares of this world hold me back. If God wants to take the valuable parts of my life, I want to be able to give them to Him willingly. I want my faith to be that strong. I want to be secure in the promises Jesus left in each and every one of us.

Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for? - Mark 8:34 (the message)

2011-03-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Prayers:

Today, I lift up prayers for my friends that are seeking new job opportunities. I pray that God will guide them along in this journey, and place them in jobs where they will be able to use their God-given talents and abilities for His glory. I pray that their hearts will be put at ease, replacing all anxiety with patience, and a secure hope that God will provide. I pray that they will not be motivated by worldly career goals, but only by the mission God has for them. I pray that their paths will be clear, so they can be confident in their decisions and never doubting their choices. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,so you may know the hope to which he has called you. Ephesians 1: 8

Counting my blessings:

I'm thankful for those little moments in the day where I am truly happy to be alive, and I get excited about all the wonderful things I have yet to do with my life. I'm thankful for music that makes me wanna jam and break out dancing right then and there....even if it's in the grocery store. I'm thankful that by some miracle of God, I was able to get to the gym before work this morning. And I'm oh so very thankful for the hope I have in my heart that never leaves and always makes me look forward to a better, brighter day!!

Lessons in faith:

How do you know God is there? It's the tinge of hope you have in your heart even when you shouldn't have any hope at all. It's the feeling deep down inside of you that says the worst will not defeat you but make you stronger. The hope we carry in our souls is the living water that never runs dry. Praise God we never have to go at any of this life alone!

Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Psalm 130:7

2011-03-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Prayers:
Lifting up many prayers for the people in Japan. Many of us cannot relate to the pain and devastation these people are experiencing, but I pray that God will comfort them in the midst of disaster, and carry them through this ordeal when they feel too weak to go on. May God strengthen their hearts and give them the courage to move forward even though the pain seems too great. I pray that God will equip the rescue teams and relief organizations with the tools and knowledge necessary to bring peace to this nation, and I pray that God will bring restoration to this nation of people that has lost many.

Counting my blessings:

I am thankful that God brought me to a church that challenges me to grow and learn more about myself everyday. I'm thankful for the friends that support me and love me, and I am infinitely grateful for the family who continues to be a blessing to me. I ask God that each of my family members will leave a legacy enriched in God's blessings - blessings of love, kindness, gratitude and unshakable faith. May we never forget how blessed we are, so we may go out and be a great blessing to others.

Lessons in Faith:

Sometimes I feel like I spend too much time trying to figure out the things that I am not meant to figure out. I spend way to much time asking questions like: what does God want me to do, why is this happening to me, or how can fix this, so this doesn't happen? Instead, God is asking me to step aside and let Him do a good work in me. God can't change me or help me grow if I keep getting in his way.

There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain . - Rick Warren

Good Music for the Soul

2011-03-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

Ten Years Later....

Still one of my favorite albums for an aching soul.

India.Arie is a beautiful musician!!!

India.Arie

Acoustic Soul

2001

Charity:Water Birthday

2011-02-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water.

That’s one in eight of us.

Charity: Water is a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. They use 100% of public donations to directly fund sustainable water solutions in areas of greatest need. Just $20 can give one person clean water for 20 years.

Anyone can donate to my campaign: http://mycharitywater.org/cassiewaterwish

Most recently, President Obama commended Charity:Water
during the National Prayer Breakfast.

Click Here to see it

Want Good Music?!

2010-12-09T12:47:00.001-08:00

DOWNLOAD my church's newest album NOW!!!

You can find it by clicking the hyperlink above or here: www.eastlakecc.com/music-stuff

I am fortunate enough to attend one of the most awesome churches ever, and our band just tops off the awesomeness. Listen to it, you won't be disappointed. :-)

Where Does the Money Go?? - 100% of all donations made here go directly to our relief and justice efforts locally and globally as we plant churches, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the young. If you hear something you like in this media, don't thank us. We probably took the idea from someone else. But if you duplicate this content, you're stealing from the orphans, the widow, and the poor . :-)

Meet My Friend Ivy!!!

2010-12-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

I just sponsored a child through World Vision and her name is Ivy. She is just 9 years old and lives in the Brong Ahafo region of central Ghana.

For just $35 a month, I am able to provide Ivy with clean water, immunizations, improved health care and education opportunities. It is through the amazing efforts of organizations like World Vision that these children have the hope of a better future. God Bless all these little children of the world who are reminding people like me that there is so much more to this world than earthly possessions.

Jesus said, "...whomever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." ~ Matthew 18:5

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the cause of poverty and injustice.

Find Your Calling in Life

2010-12-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

Christianity is an active faith. As believers we cannot lose our salvation, but we cannot afford to sit back and take it for granted either. We have been called to a much greater task. The task that God has given us is to finish what God started; we should want nothing more than to testify to the gospel of God’s grace and let everyone know about the incredibly extravagant generosity of God (paraphrase Acts 20:24).

So we have two choices: we can be Christians that disobey God's will for our lives, or we can take our faith seriously and respond to the commission God has given us.

God's love and grace is a precious gift that shouldn't be wasted. We should invest our lives in something that matters. Can you imagine what you would do if someone gave you the most extravagant gift possible? What if someone gave you a brand new BMW, paid all your old debts, or gave you some ridiculous amount of money to spend however you wish? That seems foolishly extravagant, right? Forget foolish, it’s absolutely unrealistic. But that is exactly how generous God has been with our lives.

This generosity has left an imprint on our hearts in the form of our calling. God gives each one of us a calling and it is that part of our life that leads us to the place where God wants us to invest in His kingdom.

We talked about this a few weeks back at church, and our pastor mentioned that humans often do wrong things in pursuit of doing the right thing. We take action without guidance.

One key measure to remember when seeking is that our calling flows out of the desires God has placed within us. That means, in order to figure out where you should invest your life, every person to needs to understand what excites them, and what makes them feel good in life.

In search of your calling, some of the key points we were given in church include:

We don’t choose our calling, we discover it
Our dreams and desires weave into our calling
Identify and evaluate things that stir your heart
Do not be a prisoner to other’s expectations

The key point that resonates the most with me is bullet #4 – “do not be a prisoner to other’s expectations.” I struggle the most with trying to make others happy. I try to be the person that others expect me to be, and in the end I am only doing myself a disservice. I am blocking God’s will for my life because I am not following God’s calling for my life.

In closing, do not let the views of this world deceive you. Deception is the biggest danger to our calling. Instead, let your life be an expression of God’s dreams for your life.

Start praying:

“God, speed up my slow heart and connect me with the burning you have put into it.”
Ask God how you to make one practical step in your life closer to your calling. Find tangible ways to move toward your calling

Remember: The momentum of your calling in life is a result of the habits you have formed.

When You Wish Upon A Star....

2010-12-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

....Makes No Difference Who You Are!!

That's right - Dreams really do come true!!

After 6 months of interviewing, I am officially an employee of the Walt Disney Company.

All I have to say is THANK YOU, Jesus!

Helpful Ways to Pray from John Piper

2010-09-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Colossians 1:10 teaches us to pray, "That [we] will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord... bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

For those of us who are looking for helpful ways to pray for others, I suggest trying this new acronym that John Piper uses in his daily prayer - I.O.U.S.

You can see the entire article from Piper's "Desiring God" series if you click: here.

For those of you who want a quick abbreviated version, the prayer acronym is below:

Inclination:
Ask God to give us an inclination to his Word and not to money or fame or power
(Psalm 119:36) -- Remember: we draw closer to God through reading His Word

Open:
Ask God to open our eyes to see wonderful things when we read his Word
(Psalm 119:18) -- We want to be able to understand and see what God wants us to see, not just what our minds want us to see

Unite:
Ask God to have hearts united in the fear of God rather than fragmented over a dozen concerns
(Psalm 86:11)--- Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart...

Satisfaction:
Ask God to satisfy in his steadfast love
(Psalm 90:14). --- Overall, we want to pray that our hearts will be satisfied with God and not with the world.

Breaking Free

2010-09-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

My heart is in an interesting place right now. I have gotten to a place where I believe I am stagnant in my faith, and have let myself get to a place of contentment and apathy. I am missing the hunger and the drive that used to push me closer to God, and have found myself so busy with life that my eyes have been blinded to the these barriers. These barriers are holding me back from the intimacy my heart longs to have with God, and so I decided to start a bible study workbook to guide me back into God’s word.

Whether you have been a Christian for some time or someone who is still exploring the faith, I have found that Beth Moore’s bible studies are able to challenge and speak to a wide variety of audiences. Today, I began Beth Moore’s bible study, Breaking Free. In this study, Moore draws parallels between the captive Old Testament Israelites in the book of Isaiah and our own modern day struggle with spiritual captivity.

Spiritual Bondage
After going through the first day of this 10-week study, I have found that I am not only in spiritual bondage, but I have also been blind to its effects in my life. Moore explains that “bondage” is anything that hinders us from the fullness of who God has called us to be. This includes feelings of pride, guilt, control, insignificance, self-absorption, perfectionism, insecurity, and financial anxiety - to name a few. As a result of living a life of bondage, we are giving the enemy a stronghold (when a destructive thought process begins to exalt itself above the truth and knowledge of God) in our lives, which holds us captive and often unable to break free.

Spiritual bondage is often exemplified in our lives through exhaustion, depression, over-indulgence in social activities, and perfectionism. Essentially, we put an over-emphasis on “trying” rather than “believing” in the freedom of Jesus Christ.

In John 15:8, we are commanded to “bear much fruit.” In other words, God is telling us that we are meant to be profoundly effective in ministering to God’s people. When we find that this is not happening, we need to ask why. Why are we being unproductive? Do you feel like you are just getting by, and waiting for something else to come along?

A Sense of Failure

The Bible warns us that we must beware of this behavior because the enemy wants us to be unproductive. He wants us to be consumed with worldly matters that shouldn’t be of any concern to us. A byproduct of these concerns can often result in a sense of failure. For example, one may think, “why should I even try anymore when I seem to fail at everything anyway?”

Remember this: when we give in to failure, we are giving in to oppression.

We therefore need to take back our freedom and “bathe our brains” in the word of God. Ask yourself, what does God really want from each one of us? When we suffer from failures, and feel unmotivated to take action, we need to question what is holding us back.

Don't Miss Out!

Moore explains that we need to live free of our mental obsessions and begin the process of a renewed mind. Moore also says, “we should be scared of missing out on what God has in store for us!” There are many things that we fear in our lives whether it is fear of losing our job, fear of losing our friends, family, etc., but God doesn’t want us to fear anything other than losing our desire for Him. When we lose that, we lose our hope in life altogether.

Moore further explains that, “anything God asks you to give up is so your hands and life will be freed up to receive what you can hardly grasp.” What do you think of that? If you knew there was a rich, abundant life waiting for you down the road, it is very possible that you wouldn’t hold on to the things in your life that are clearly holding you back.

In my own life, I know that I have been struggling with time management and social calendaring. While community is important in the Christian life, it is also important to find balance, so we are not hindering God’s mission in our lives. By doing so, I have not made God my absolute priority in everything I do.

I also believe that I have kept myself so busy in the past few months, that I have been missing out on the things that God wants to do in my life.

If I do not surrender power of my life, I cannot be a blessing to others. My mind has become preoccupied with dinner dates, and social events instead of being concerned with the one thing that can set me free – Jesus Christ. This is not to say that the social events are wrong; however, we have to be aware of prioritizing worldly things above our relationship with Jesus because we set ourselves at risk of losing sight of our ultimate goal as Christians.

Remember: 2 Corinthians 10:4 – “we have a Divine Power to demolish strongholds”

Download Jesus Culture's Album: "Consumed"!

2010-08-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Christian or not...this album is so good! Listen to some of their songs on YouTube.

Click on the links to listen to some of my favorites:
1) Burning Ones
2) Heaven is Here
2) Obssession

"We won't stop crying out to Him, 'cause He hears us everytime. We won't stop pouring out our love to Him, 'cause He loves us everytime. We won't stop going after Him, 'cause He meets us everytime. We won't stop living only for Him, cause he's faithful everytime. Yes, he's faithful everytime."

-- Lyrics from "Heaven is Here" by Jesus Culture

Charity: Water - $170k and counting...

2010-08-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

Over $170k raised for Charity:Water last Friday night at our Drinks 4 Drinks Charity:Water benefit concert.

Click HERE to CONTINUE GIVING.

At the end of the night, we thought we had raised almost $150k, but the campaign is still going and we are still raising money!!

The Herding Cats put on a great show!!

2,500 people...Amazing Turnout!

One Donation : One Life

2010-06-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

My church is hosting a benefit concert for charity:water. Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don't have access to clean, safe drinking water. That's one in eight of us. charity:water is a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. They use 100% of public donations to directly fund sustainable water solutions in areas of greatest need. Just $20 can give one person clean water for 20 years.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE: You can give someone 20 years of clean water by attending ECC's benefit on August 6th at 8:00PM. [Featuring the Herding Cats!!]

BUY YOUR TIX HERE: http://www.eastlakecc.com/tickets

A Life of Service and a Passion for the Lost

2010-06-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

My prayer this week is that my mind will be cleared of all the worldly clutter, so I can focus on God's voice and mission in my life. I want my heart to be fully in tune with His every second of every day, so that the cares of this world are just whispers in the wind. I want to be a Christian that serves freely and openly without thinking first of how my needs will be met. Essentially, I want others to feel the passion and love I feel in my heart.

It is for this reason that I feel like serving and focusing on ministry has been laying heavy on my heart lately. It has been brought to my attention quite a bit, and it's what we should be focusing on as Christians. Jesus Christ had a passion for lost and that is something that has been seriously pulling at my heartstrings. I have always been naturally drawn toward acts of service in the community. I'm a natural helper. I love it. It's what I was made for, and pouring out my soul for others makes my heart more full with compassion and love.

With that said, there was this seriously awesome devotional last week from the Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life Devotional, that I just had to share.

'To serve' and 'to give' should define your life

We are commanded to serve God. Jesus was unmistakable: "Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life." (Matthew 20:28 LB).

For Christians, service is not something to be tacked onto our schedules if we can spare the time. It is the heart of the Christian life. Jesus came "to serve" and "to give"—and those two verbs should define your life on earth, too. Serving and giving sum up God's fourth purpose for your life. Mother Teresa once said, "Holy living consists in doing God's work with a smile."

Jesus taught that spiritual maturity is never an end in itself. Maturity is for ministry! We grow up in order to give out. It is not enough to keep learning more and more. We must act on what we know and practice what we claim to believe. Impression without expression causes depression. Study without service leads to spiritual stagnation.

The old comparison between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea is still true. Galilee is a lake full of life because it takes in water but also gives it out. In contrast, nothing lives in the Dead Sea because, with no outflow, the lake has stagnated.

The last thing many believers need is to go to another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice. What they need are serving experiences in which they can exercise their spiritual muscles.

Serving is the opposite of our natural inclination. Most of the time we're more interested in "serve us" than service. We say, "I'm looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me," not "I'm looking for a place to serve and be a blessing." We expect others to serve us, not vice versa.

But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, "Who's going to meet my needs?" and starts asking, "Whose needs can I meet?"

A Taste of Chicago

2010-06-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hello, Chicago!

Where's Waldo?! I found Him!

The Best City Garden Ever!

"Almost" Rooftop Party

(it was a deck, but looks like it could be a rooftop)

Walking home from the swanky Vintage 338 Wine Bar

I don't know what this thing is, but it's pretty cool :-)

Song Lyrics of the Day!

2010-05-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Lord you have given me purpose;
My passion is winning the lost.
My destiny is in the Great Harvest
And I’m reaching no matter the cost!

Idols

2010-05-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

Idols: any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion

Last weekend, I took a trip to Chicago to visit one of my good friends. It just so happens she attends the Moody Church started by the well-known evangelist, D.L. Moody. While the trip to Chicago was fantastic, I also thoroughly enjoyed the message from the pastor's sermon on Sunday and from the small group I attended on Saturday night.

Coincidentally, both messages were about Idols.

You don't realize how many idols you have in your life until you sit and think about it. They sneak up on us even when we have the best intentions in mind. For example, did you know that service to your community or church can become an idol? It sounds contradictory, but serving can become an idol if our motivation for doing it is not rooted in Jesus Christ. We can get consumed with the by-products of service like recognition or popularity, but we can lose ourselves in all of this and forget the original purpose for doing it....we serve God by serving others.

Another example that resonated with me is idolization of friendships or relationships. We can get so consumed in pleasing our friends and our spouses that we forget that true fellowship begins with our relationship with Jesus. We can't have right relationships with others on earth until we have a right relationship with Jesus Christ.

The key takeaway: we need to savor Jesus Christ more than our human relationships.

Oswald Chambers says we have to put the kingdom of God first . . . .” Even the most spiritually-minded of us argue the exact opposite, saying, “But I must live; I must make a certain amount of money; I must be clothed; I must be fed.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 explains to us that veils prevent us from seeing the truth of Jesus Christ: And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Final Thoughts: Nothing i can ever imagine for myself could ever amount to the plans God has for my life. It may not be grand in gesture or recognition, but it will be grand in the way my life is changed. How important is Jesus to us? Just remember, we become what we gaze at, so why don't we use all our effort building a relationship with Jesus and let Him do the rest.

We Are Broken

2010-05-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

LOVE THIS SONG!
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
I am outside
And I've been waiting for the sun
With my wide eyes
I've seen worlds that don't belong
My mouth is dry with words I cannot verbalize
Tell me why we live like this

Keep me safe inside
Your arms like towers
Tower over me

Yeah
Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And oh, the promise we adored
Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole

Lock the doors
Cause I like to capture this voice
it came to me tonight
So everyone will have a choice
And under red lights
I'll show myself it wasn't forged
We're at war
We live like this

Keep me safe inside
Your arms like towers
Tower over me

Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And oh, the promise we adored
Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole

Tower over me
Tower over me

And I'll take the truth at any cost

Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And oh, the promise we adored
Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Sung by the band Paramore

Surrender

2010-05-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

Surrender: to yield to the power, control or possession of another upon compulsion or demand

The term "surrender" fuels images of white flags, police car chases, and newsworthy headlines. I think of frantic images of someone screaming "I surrender, I surrender!" in a "cry uncle" type plea to end a grueling battle. However, surrender is never our first option - surrender is the final option.

I think in many circumstances, our society thinks surrender is for the weak-willed, for those who do not understand how to control their own destinies. For those who do not understand "mind over matter," and for those who have'nt worked hard enough to figure out how to get things done on their own.

Have you ever thought of how much energy and heartache we could save ourselves if we surrendered before the frantic mess occurs? Surrender doesn't always have to be reactive. What if we learned to give up our hearts as an act of worship and love?

I've been thinking a lot about surrender lately, as every devotional and piece of scripture I read last week had to do with the act of surrender. And as a result, I want nothing more than to engage in complete, unaltered surrender of my heart and mind to Jesus Christ. The funny thing is that no matter how much I am reminded of the importance of surrender, I have to be regularly reminded of how ultimately important it is to do it.

While reading "My Utmost for His Highest" last week I found this quote by C. S. Lewis:
"The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become - because he made us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own."

I'm working on relinquishing my own agenda, and giving God all the control. As long as my heart is seeking God and accepting His love for me, I should not try to tell God where or what I want to do. As soon as I do that, I am steering myself off the path that God has for me.

I also found this while reading "My Utmost for His Highest"...
A.W. Tozer said, "The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us."

What if we committed ourselves to not interfering with God's work within us? Surrender can be one of our greatest acts of worship, and God will bless us for it. Let your faith remain in Him. :)

"Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. ~ Nehemiah 9:5-6

The World Offers the Good Life, but God Gives Eternal Life

2010-04-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

The world offers "the good life,"
       God gives eternal life.
The world emphasizes "doing,"
      God emphasizes "being."
The world stresses acheivement,
      God stressed integrity.
The world pressures to conform,
      God seeks to transform.
The world focuses on outward signs of "success,"
      God focuses on the inner qulities of the heart.

{Special Thanks to my Dear Friend, Carly, for sending this to my inbox this morning}

Quick Easter Thoughts...

2010-04-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

I think one of the most important things we can gather from today is that God is willing to show you who He is, if we seek Him.

We don't have to have all the answers.
We don't have to "get our lives together first,"
and we definitely don't have to do a bunch of acts
that will "earn" our way into God's kingdom.

Not only is this impossible, but it's unnecessary.

In Hebrews 9:25 - We are told that Christ died for us to set us free from the penalty of our sins.

We are free because of what Christ did for us. He was perfect. We are broken and severely imperfect. And because of this, we will never receive what we truly deserve. We are free.

At my church, Eastlake, Pastor Ryan closed out our Easter Sunday service with this verse:

"Some people have missed the most important thing in life; they don't know God." ~ 1 Timothy 6:21

You should ask yourself, "Who is God?"

All I have to say is this: if you search for Him, you will find Him.

Let Go, Let God, Be Free!

2010-03-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. (Matthew 6:34)

As the snow begins to melt, and daylight savings time rings in as a harbinger for those endless summer nights, I cant help but wonder what my future brings for the next few months. What changes will God bring, and what will stay the same?

This time last year, I was days away from starting a new job, and I was spending weeks in Virginia with my grandmother while her last days came to pass. When I look back at where I was then, I can honestly say a lot of things have changed. All of my family now lives 3,000 miles away, I have innumerable amounts of new friends, and I can say that I am a happier, more independent person because of it.

While there are still some things in my world that lay on shaky ground like the future of my career (or lack thereof), I can say that I have an unshakable faith that is deeply rooted in Jesus Christ and I will not be moved from the path he has me on. In times when I feel uncertain about my future job aspirations, and when I feel like I will never find a career that fits my personality and interests, I know that I am not alone on this journey, and I have to let go, and let God take over, so he can make all my paths straight.

Oswald Chambers says:
God gives you a clear determination of His will for you, all your striving to maintain that relationship by some particular method is completely unnecessary. All that is required is to live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ. Never try to live your life with God in any other way than His way. And His way means absolute devotion to Him. Showing no concern for the uncertainties that lie ahead is the secret of walking with Jesus.

Gain some perspective: It is essential that we live and "walk in the light" of God’s vision for us ( 1 John 1:7 ).

God is working, regardless of how you feel

2010-02-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

I love this excerpt from the Purpose Driven Life Devotional:

That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away. (Hebrews 2:1 TEV)

As you grow to spiritual maturity, there are several ways to cooperate with God in the process -

Believe God is working in your life even when you don't feel it. Spiritual growth is sometimes tedious work, one small step at a time. Expect gradual improvement. The Bible says, "Everything on earth has its own time and its own season." (Ecclesiastes 3:1 CEV)

There are seasons in your spiritual life, too. Sometimes you will have a short, intense burst of growth (springtime) followed by a period of stabilizing and testing (fall and winter).

What about those problems, habits, and hurts you would like miraculously removed? It's fine to pray for a miracle, but don't be disappointed if the answer comes through a gradual change. Over time, a slow, steady stream of water will erode the hardest rock and turn giant boulders into pebbles. Over time, a little sprout can turn into a giant redwood tree towering 350 feet tall.

Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned. This is not a diary of events, but a record of what you are learning. Write down the insights and life lessons God teaches you about him, about yourself, about life, relationships, and everything else. Record these so you can review and remember them and pass them on to the next generation (Psalm 102:18; 2 Timothy 3:14)

The reason we must relearn lessons is that we forget them. Reviewing your spiritual journal regularly can spare you a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache. The Bible says, "It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off." (Hebrews 2:1 Msg)

Growing Pains

2010-02-16T22:27:00.000-08:00

It is so frustrating to have a plan for your life, yet not be able to do anything about it. It’s so absolutely irritating for me because I've been conditioned my whole life to a) work hard at what you do so I can b) be successful at my endeavors. Unfortunately, I have found most recently that when this doesn’t happen, it almost feels like I'm suffocating.

This has been happening to me a lot lately, and it’s during these times when I wonder what God is doing in my life. I know it’s all in my best interest, but these are the worst kind of growing pains. The kind where God just wants us to be patient and really understand what it means to trust in His plans for us, (not the other way around).

It is because of these painful, sometimes exhausting growing pains that I am so thankful for the following passage from Habakkuk 2:3:

This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.

Oswald Chambers says, that Habakkuk became depressed because he didn't think God was acting quickly enough, and God had this to say: "These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!"

So I am desperately trying to wait patiently for what God has in store for me. It is also for this reason that I’ve decided to lead a growth group on a book my Dad recommended called, Learning to Soar: How to Grow Through Transitions and Trials by Avery T. Willis Jr. and Matt Willis.

In this book, the authors delicately illustrate the growing pains that Israel went through when God decided to painfully move the Israelites to Egypt, only to rustle their feathers and move them yet again 400 years later. In the book, it says God often stirs our nests to get us off our own agenda and onto His – even though we don’t understand what is happening and why. It is for that reason that God took away the Israelites comfort so that hey would be willing to leave Egypt, go to the Promised Land, and become the people He had called them to be.

Wow! So it’s like that, Jesus? Sometimes we have to be taken down a notch, and completely humbled before we can become the people God wants us to be. I would say it's easier said than done.

Remember This: "Don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed." (James 1:4 Msg)

New Year's Resolutions Don't Work, So Try This!

2010-01-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

Are you in need of a non-generic New Year’s resolution that won’t make you feel like a failure by February? There are some resolutions that don’t grow old, so I challenge you to make a commitment to grow in your faith with Jesus this year. It doesn’t have to be anything extreme (reading the one-year Bible isn’t for everyone), but if you simply surrender yourself to Jesus, he can make his own time schedule and draw you nearer to him.

Growing deeper in your faith doesn’t happen instantly – it’s a progression and it takes time. That’s why I encourage you to take up the cross and make a resolution that will truly change your life. If you can spare at least seven minutes a day, you can commit seven minutes a day in the Bible as you strengthen your relationship with Jesus and grow closer to God. Don’t be intimidated, just start reading! It’s the most fascinating book I’ve ever read…seriously!

The second thing I encourage you to do is to make Jesus a daily part of your life through prayer. Prayer doesn’t have to be a formal event, but simply talking to God during the day when we are standing in line for groceries or sitting at our desk can help us to grow closer to God as well.

Remember, we are all broken and far from perfect. We all have a deep desire in our heart to experience more, but we don’t have to settle for less. There is one thing that always gives me hope for something better and those answers come from Jesus. So, pick up your Bible and get to know him. The more you read, the more it will start to make sense to you!

Recommendation: To learn more about how you can study the Bible more effectively, go to iTunes and download John MacArthur’s six podcasts on How to Study Your Bible.

Boys and Girls Club Growth Group

2009-12-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

I just finished up my first round of leading a growth group at my church. We do growth group sessions every quarter, and there are a myriad of group choices to choose from including activity, study, and local/global mission groups. I decided to do a local mission group at the Boys and Girls Club, and it turned out great! We had 12 volunteers and God blessed us beyond belief. The kids were wonderful and it was nice being able to give back to the community while having tons of fun doing it!

Lori, Janine and Kara :)

A few of our wonderful volunteers

How much do you know about static electricity?

Remember how much fun tire swings used to be?

Do you know the state capitals?

Eastlake's Worship Night

2009-11-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

Worship night was nothing less than amazing last night! We were literally bursting at the seams (standing room only), and I've heard that over 150 people got baptized and over 2,000 people came to celebrate Christ! I love worshiping with such an awesome church family!!

The Twilight Saga and God's Purposes

2009-11-14T22:41:00.000-08:00

The second installment of the Twilight Saga hits theaters this Friday, November 20th. Unless you live under a rock, you know this novel series has exploded beyond international success. I can honestly vouch for it and say the series is super spectacular!! The author, Stephenie Meyer, has the uncanniest ability to reach a reader’s heart and draw a reader in to her intoxicating symphony of words. During her interview with Oprah last week, I found it most interesting that this woman had never even come close to writing anything of this caliber before – not a journal, short story or anything of the like.

Here’s how this phenomenon started: In 2003, Stephenie Meyer, a stay-at-home mom of three boys, had a dream one night about a boy and girl standing in a mystical meadow. She knew the boy was a sparkly vampire, but it was as bazaar as dreaming about flying elephants, so she was intrigued. When she woke up the next morning, she started writing about this dream to help her find her sanity in the midst of her crazy, stay-at-home life. She had no idea why she had started dreaming about this story or why she was starting to write so much about the story that eventually turned into a book. All she knew is that she was passionate about this dream and it was a blessing to be able to escape the monotony of her daily routine as a mother of three kids under the age of five.

When she completed the book, her sister encouraged her to find a book agent to shop her story around to publishers. She received 9 rejections, 5 went without response, and only 1 agent showed interest in reading more. And this is where the Twilight Saga began! A lonely, stay-at-home mom had a dream. Of course she'd thought she’d gone crazy, but she started writing about it to try to make sense of it. How crazy is this?!

So this brings me to my point for tonight. This stuff doesn’t just happen people! It was completely God-Inspired!! I can relate, because God has been teaching me a valuable lesson about being faithful and trusting of his plans for me. He teaches me in little bits and pieces, so I constantly find myself learning new things about what it really means to trust him. Then this week, he really hit me hard. I tend to spend a considerable amount of time concerned about what I should be doing in life and where I should be doing it. It sometimes drives me crazy, but it comes from a good place - I want to passionately pursue the gifts and purpose Jesus has for me in my life. So God presented me with this answer to my questions this week in my Oswald Chambers devotional:

[If you seek great things for yourself, thinking, "God has called me for this and for that," you barricade God from using you. As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world. Your understanding of your ways must also be surrendered, because they are now the ways of the Lord.

I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness.]

At this point, I realized I have to stop getting in the way of God’s plan for me. Period. You never know what God wants to do with your life, and Stephenie Meyer is living proof that God will find a way to use you and bless your life if you are obedient to him. You have to make those baby steps and follow what God puts on your heart. For instance, I don’t know why I keep up this blog when no one reads it. But I do know that I really like it, and I love thinking that one person may read it someday and think about something I’ve written. It doesn’t matter if no one reads this blog or understands you because you may not know the outcome of your actions in life, but if you follow the passions God puts in your heart – you are innately following Him by guidance of the Holy Sprit. That’s all he asks of us.

Remember This: For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

My Utmost for His Highest Devotional - 11/5/09

2009-11-08T20:30:00.001-08:00

Are we partakers of Christ’s sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp out our personal ambitions? Are we prepared for God to destroy our individual decisions by supernaturally transforming them? It will mean not knowing why God is taking us that way, because knowing would make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through— we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we come to a place of enlightenment, and realize— "God has strengthened me and I didn’t even know it!"

Going to Higher Places

2009-11-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

I've been reading this book, Falling in Love with Jesus, by Dee Brestin and Kathy Troccoli. It is this incredibly romantic book that teaches us to relate to Jesus as our bridegroom. It's difficult for many of us to think of Jesus as our bridegroom, but the Bible teaches us that we (the church) is the bride and Jesus, the true romancer of our soul, is our bridegroom anxiously awaiting to guard and protect us for eternity. Falling in Love with Jesus takes this concept and teaches women how we can truly experience romance in a way that we were designed to experience it through God's plan for us.

In the book, Brestin and Troccoli highlight an excerpt from Hannah Hurnard's Hinds' Feet on High Places. This novel is an allegory in which a fawn named Much-Afraid overcomes her fears and learns how to go to the high places with the Chief Shepherd. He tells her that in order to go to the High Places, she must walk herself, though he will never be far from her. She pleads with him to carry her. Gently the Chief Shepherd responds:

Much Afraid, I could do what you wish. I could carry you all the way up to the High Places myself, instead of leaving you to climb there. But if I did, you would never be able to develop hinds' feet, and become my companion and go where I go. If you will climb to the heights this once with the companions I have chosen for you, even thought it may seem a very long and in some places a very difficult journey, I promise you that you will develop hinds' feet.

Hesitantly, Much-Afraid agrees. Then the Chief Shepherd tells her he will give her two companions. When she's introduced to them, she learns that they are called Sorrow and Suffering!

"Why, oh why, must you make Sorrow and Suffering my companions?" said Much-Afraid. "Couldn't you have given Joy and Peace to go with me...? I never thought you would do this to me! And she burst into tears."

...and then the Chief Shepherd said, "Will you trust me, Much-Afraid?"

Side Note from Kathy Troccoli: Can you relate to this story? Are you eager and desperate to abandon yourself to God's plan for you, but find yourself losing faith? Troccoli reminds us that going higher will involve suffering. The journey may be long and painful, but God is preparing us and making us whole so we will one day be able to climb to the high places. Use this time to draw closer to him, and leave your fears behind.

Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. (Song of Songs 2:10)

The Girl's Guide to Marrying Well

2009-10-07T23:51:00.000-07:00

Let's face it - I have tons of single girlfriends that are smart, beautiful, and absolutely in love with Lord. It seems like they would all be perfectly suited for some lucky man out there, but the process is never quite that simple. As we all know, finding "the one" is much harder than waiting wistfully in the wind for that knight in shining armor. So, be real with yourself - it takes effort and preparation, and as strong Christian women, we can't just stand by the wayside and wait to be pursued. We have to go out there and live our lives as God intends for us to live whether we have a man or not. As my good friend Tiffany puts it, if you're interested in buying a house, would you give a stranger on the street your whole life savings, and trust that God would take care of the rest? NO! That's absolutely absurd! You would do your due diligence and find the best broker to fit your needs, and even then you would be very watchful of where you invested your money.

Now, don't get me wrong. The Lord will provide. But sister, he can't do anything for you if you're being a fool. In the same way, you must take the blinders off and do your research when looking for the right man/woman to marry. If you're looking for insightful literature to help you with this, take a trip to your local Christian bookstore and browse the aisles. There's lots of great resources out there. I for one have read countless books for the single Christian woman, and I'm sure I'll keep reading them until I can migrate into the "married section" of the bookstore. :) So I thought I would share the latest resource I just received from my dear friend, Carly. The digital booklets "The Girls and Guys Guides to Marrying Well" include a few helpful tid bits about dating, courtship, compatibility, etc. I especially like that they come in companion girl and guy booklets, so why not read through them with your friends? The girls guide can be found here and the guys guide can be found here. Enjoy!

Fabulous ECC Weekend in Chelan

2009-09-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I got a chance to celebrate the end of summer with some fabulous people from my church family. Washington is beautiful right?!

The girls on the boat! We're so awesome!

The view from Heidi's condo.

My spiritual sisters.

God is good.

Pig Roast Fundraiser

2009-09-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Yep, I went to a good old fashioned pig roast last weekend. I had never been to a pig roast before, and wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it was a good time, and it was for a good cause ( I also never say no to good food, so I was all for it). If you've ever been to a Luau in Hawaii and tasted the yummy pulled pork, this event was very similar except the pig was basted with some kind of cuban seasoning as opposed to the Hawaiian style I'm used to. I do regret, however, that I let myself take a sneak peek of the pig before it was roasted. I should've known better than to let my curiousity get the best of me. But just in case you're looking for good fundraising ideas, my church was fundraising for all of the mission trips people will be going on in the coming months. People were charged $20 at the door, and we also had raffles tickets, DJ, volleyball court, and games for the kids. In the coming months, people will be going to Northern Ireland, Uganda, Las Vegas and Peru just to name a few. So it was an awesome event, and I think it was a great way to raise money for the those who are sacrificing their time to share God's message around the world!

Sharing the Love Given to Us

2009-09-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

When you become a Christian, we are called to be image-bearers of Christ. In fact, Jesus calls us his ambassadors. An ambassador according to dictionary.com is an authorized messenger or representative. Do you realize how big of a responsibility Jesus left us with?! We are to be his representatives while here on earth. Therefore, as His ambassadors, we are called to spread the good news of Christ's salvation. What many people don't realize is that we can start doing this by simply loving God's people on a daily basis.

Last week, the pastor at my church, Pastor Ryan Meeks, said, "the greatest sin in church today, is the sin of selfishness." He continued to explain to us that our culture has bought into this idea of "expressive individualism" in which many people have decided to explore their faith and relationship with God solely as an individual pursuit. In essence, they don't want to bother with community or worshipping with others, but they just want to work on their faith by themselves.

Many of you may wonder what's the harm in this, so Ryan continued to explain the fallacy in this idea of expressive individualism. It simply boils down to one thing: God has called us to grow spiritually together as a community. In the Bible, God is always telling us to grow as a "community." I wish I could tell you how many times exactly, but I'm not a theologian, so I just want to tell you this - We can learn from one another and help each other in our walks with God if we do it together as a community.

Think of it this way, we all have different gifts and different purposes within the body of Christ, so why would we choose to go figure it all out alone? Furthermore from Ryan's message on Sunday, he said, "if you want God to bless your life, you have to care about what he cares about - and that's people. God wants everyone to know him, and to know his love."

So plain and simple; we exist to share the message of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:20 says, we are Christ’s ambassadors, and we are to be reconciled to God. We can be reconciled to God through complete surrender to his will. One of my favorite theologians, Oswald Chambers says, "Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God." We can do this, by pouring out our souls to other and sharing Christ's love with others.

Gain Some Perspective - This is the passage that Jesus pointed to when he began his ministry here on earth:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn
and provide for those who grieve in Zion –
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
Isaiah 61:1-3

Labor Day Trip to Pittsburgh

2009-09-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Pittsburgh to visit my family. It was my first trip to Pennsylvania, and I had fun exploring the historic steelers town. Here are a few snapshots from my trip.

Hello from Pittsburgh!

Me and my Dad.

Me and my mom.

My best glamour shots pose. :-)

Pittsburgh's first casino opened a few weeks ago. It's like a little slice of Vegas.

A trip to Pittsburgh wouldn't be complete without a photo of steel. Go Steelers!

Until I Find My Way Home

2009-08-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

C.S. Lewis said, “If I find myself desiring which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. “

I love this passage by Lewis because I feel like this every single day – simply out of place. Whether it’s a moment at work or out with friends, there is usually a moment in my every day routine, where I feel like I don’t quite fit. My heart naturally longs for something better than this world can provide, and it can only be explained by this one thing: I wasn’t meant for this world. God has something so much better in store for us.

That is why I’m working on not getting myself in a fuss when people disappoint me. There is nothing in this world – no person, no job, no material thing – that can satisfy your heart in a greater way than God can. You have to make him your “every-thing.” He will quench every thirst, calm every anxiety and fill every void – but only if you let him be your all.

So I ask you this: When will you stop looking elsewhere for fulfillment? Christ is alive and waiting. He wants his children to come to him, and seek him. All you have to do is realize that no dream you can ever manifest for yourself will be greater than what God has in store for you. This isn’t to say you have to give up your dreams, but if God’s hand isn’t in it, then it’s not God’s plan for you. Only the dreams that come from God’s mouth to our hearts can be blessed.

That’s why I’ve decided to write this. I know I don’t fit in here. I will never feel like I’m truly home until I make it to heaven. That’s just the way it is. It was never God’s intention for me to “fit in” with this world, rather we are commissioned as his followers to spread his gospel – the good news that we don’t have to struggle through trials in this life alone.

Plain and simple, there is something greater waiting for us - an eternal home with God the Father. At the risk of sounding cliché, I can’t say enough that you don’t know what love is until you have experienced God’s love. Period.

Gain some perspective: “And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People that say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.…Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one.”
Hebrews 11:14 &16

Strip Searched: How God Gets to the Core of My Soul

2009-08-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

What does it mean to be stripped down by God? Does it mean that we live in this world with an angry God who has it out for us? Or is there an actual purpose to his process?

The term, “sanctification,” addresses these questions. In the Bible, santification is used throughout the Bible to represent a way for us to be made clean in Christ – “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” John 15:3.

Oswald Chambers says, “Sanctification requires our coming to the place of death.” Think about this. What does it mean?

We are not called to literally “die” before we can be sanctified, rather God has to metaphorically bring us to a place of death before we can be free from sin or sanctified. We essentially have to be “stripped down” by God.

In other words, the NIV states that Jesus solemnly “set himself apart to do God’s will’” when he died on the cross. Here is a piece from my Oswald Chambers devotional:

In the process of sanctification, the Spirit of God will strip me down until there is nothing left but myself, and that is the place of death. Am I willing to be myself and nothing more? Am I willing to have no friends, no father, no brother, and no self-interest— simply to be ready for death? That is the condition required for sanctification.

Once I am, He will immediately sanctify me completely, and my life will be free from being determined and persistent toward anything except God.

It might sound like a scary thought, but we can only be sanctified in the truth. And the truth can only be found in God’s word – the Bible. There is a little voice in all of us that speaks to our souls and makes us wonder, “what if this Christianity stuff is for real?”

My answer to you is this: don’t wait to find out the truth; ask God to show you the truth. Answer the small voice in your head that makes you wonder if this is real. God is waiting for you to come to him, so he can show you the way.

When I pray, "Lord, show me what sanctification means for me," He will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification is not something Jesus puts in me— it is Himself in me (Oswald Chambers).

Gain some perspective: “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the kingdom of God your primary concern.” Matthew 6:32 – 33

Remember - God loves you! That’s all that matters.

Walking Seasons

2009-06-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced to this idea of “walking seasons.” Many people refer to walking seasons as quiet times in your life when God helps you grow closer to him. During this time in you life, your life is moving forward one day at a time, but nothing particularly exciting is happening. Things feel like they are stagnant and thus, this idea of a walking season is born. We’ve all been there. And we can all admit that these are often the most difficult times in our life because there are no highs, no adrenaline rushes – we’re just trying to survive. Essentially, we are forced to live by faith.

In Hebrews 11:1, God tells us that “Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what we cannot see.” When life seems like it’s going no where, do you have enough faith to know there’s a purpose for this season in your life?

In the book, Walking with God, John Eldredge takes this concept of ‘Walking Seasons’ and constructs the premise. The four ecological seasons are used to figuratively represent the changes we go through with God during this time of growth. Many questions are addressed, including: What keeps us from growing in our relationship with God, what hinders our communication with him, and why are we just not getting it? It’s frustrating, right? Whether you’re just starting out on your journey with God or you have a longstanding relationship with him, growth is difficult. It takes time. But believe me, it is worth it.

Eldredge says, “God is asking us to let go of the things we love and have given our hearts to, so that we can give our hearts even more fully to him.” Are you ready to let go of even the most precious items in your life in order to fully surrender yourself to God’s will and purpose for you? Or more importantly, do you trust him enough to follow through with his promise?

In Isaiah 40:31, we are told that “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength,” meaning that God is able to deliver and restore his distressed people if they are willing to wait in faith for him to act. Not for us to act, but for God to act. If we can diligently wait for God’s timing, the possibilities are endless.

We can truly take advantage of those times if we let God inside of our hearts – to change us, lead us and craft us according to his purpose. Are you up for the challenge?

Gain Some Perspective: “The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul”
Deuteronomy 13:3

The Lilies of the Field

2009-05-19T22:27:00.001-07:00

Did you ever see that movie, “The Lilies of the Field,” with Sidney Poitier? It’s one of those old topsy turvy films that doesn’t make much sense until the end. But in the end, the viewer is able to see that some of the most influential people stumble upon the circumstances in their lives by chance.

We can’t plan for these times in our lives; rather we have to live our lives in such a way that prepares us for circumstances that just happen. Not everyone is going to be able to be a Mother Theresa or Martin Luther, but each of us has been given some unique quality that can be used for the greater good.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we just let our faith carry us through life and we just let everything else be? Oswald Chambers once said, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: ‘they neither toil nor spin’ (Matthew 6:28) — they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon— all of these simply are as well— yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf!”

What if it really was that easy to be of service to other people? What if all we needed to do is have faith that each of us can make meaningful contributions to this world if we just keep our focus in the right place? Chambers continues to say, “The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and ‘the lilies of the field’— simply and unaffectedly.”

Have you ever noticed that the people who have made the most influence in your life are not the ones that are hyper-attentive to everyone’s needs, but those who just happen to be in the right place at the right time? Of course, nothing happens by chance - but those are the lives that mold and shape us the most. Think of the lilies of the field – they simply are!

2009-05-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is me.

Sad and depressed because it's been raining like Seattle is about to experience its first monsoon.

Please make it stop.

Winter was supposed to be over a long time ago.

[Sigh....]

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

Never in my life have I been so interested in the Tony Award nominations, but I seem to be pretty interested this year (and with good reason). Most years, the Tony Awards come and go, and I don’t really pay much attention (because really, how many awards shows can we tolerate).

But this season is different for me because I actually know a little bit about what was going on this Broadway season. And I’ve got to admit I’m kind of excited.

While in NY this fall, not only did I get to see 10 Broadway musicals, but I got to see the top nominee this year, “Billy Elliot.” It was announced this morning that Billy Elliot received 15 nominations – which according to the Associated Press means that it ties the number received by “The Producers” in 2001.

I never saw the Producers, but those kids in Billy Elliot were so cute and talented it was like watching the next wave of the Mickey Mouse Club come through. (Step aside Justin and Britney - we're going to be seeing a new generation of trifecta talent come through.)

But I think it just goes to show that any musical with Elton John on the label is pretty much guaranteed to be a success. Now, I’m not going to pretend like I’m some critical genius that knows this and that about Broadway success stories, but I do know that Elton John’s “Aida” is the first musical I saw on Broadway and I’ve been a crazy fanatic ever since.

So on that note, I guess I will have to make some room on my DVR for the Tony’s this year. I'm sure it will be full of the usual tears, fake smiles and "overwhelming feelings of emotion," but maybe I'll catch a glimpse of some more must-see shows for next fall.

What's Going On My Friends!

2009-04-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

In the words of the dear Marvin Gaye, "I'll tell you what's going on..." Yep that's right folks...I'm BACK!

It's been four months since I've posted anything to this blog. This past fall I got to experience the life of a New Yorker while I spent three months exploring and indulging in the East Coast culture. The trip turned out to be everything I had hoped for, and you can catch up with some of those events by looking at some of my past blog posts from 2008.

The question is this my friends: Why am I back in Seattle if I loved NY so much?! Yeah, we can give thanks to the tanking economy and the complete incapability to monitor our federal funding. ;) I'm just kidding - (but only a little). Basically, it just so happened that Seattle was the only place willing to give me a job (despite my sincere efforts to locate elsewhere).

Furthermore, I've been keeping super busy since getting home, and have found myself struggling to find a quiet moment to myself as of late. You may have noticed that I also recently lost my dear Grandma Ellen to t-cell lymphoma. Many of us have lost loved ones to cancer, and it can't be said enough that this disease is touching every person's life these days. No matter how prepared you may think you are to handle a death in the family, it never quite sinks in until that person is finally gone. Fortunately, through the grace and mercy of God, all my family members and I have grown into a deeper understanding of our faith, and have been able to accept the inevitable more gracefully.

So on that note, I'm gonna try to keep this blog up-to-date. I haven't really figured out what I want to write about each week, but I didn't come up with the title of this blog on accident, so you can pretty much bet that I'm gonna take the opportunity to share my own personal grace notes every chance I get!

In Memory of My Grandmother

2009-04-29T12:41:00.001-07:00

No More Suffering

2009-04-29T12:08:00.001-07:00

God saw you getting tired,  When a cure was not to be. 
So He wrapped his arms around you, and whispered, "come to me."

You didn't deserve what you went through,  So He gave you rest. 
God's garden must be beautiful, He only takes the best.

And when I saw you sleeping, So peaceful and free from pain.
I could not wish you back to suffer that again.

Source: Anonymous

For the Late Ellen Adeline Page Allen - Eulogy

2009-04-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

I would say very few people are blessed enough to have a grandmother like the one I had. I have always found myself in deep admiration of a woman who was able to raise ten children, and then extend that love to her grand-children, great-grand-children, nieces, nephews and friends in a way that made each one of us feel special. Even though my grandmother had grandchildren who lived close by, and those who lived far away, she was somehow able to make us all feel uniquely cherished and loved with her incomparable spirit. And I can honestly say she was able to develop uniquely personal relationships with each individual along the way.

The first words that come to mind when I think of her are: strong, nurturing, compassionate and wise - a woman of laughter and humility, but also a woman of defiant determination and grace. The most remarkable of all these qualities was her fearless determination to continue expressing these qualities even throughout her last days.

In her final days, while visibly worn down, my grandmother was able to keep her quick-witted sense of humor intact, while not showing even the slightest sense of defeat or lack of faith. She made time to talk with her friends and family when we knew she was tired, and enjoyed seeing her family gather to reminisce and break bread when she may not have been able to join in with us.

Some of my most favorite moments were spent sitting with her while she revisited stories I had heard many times before - many taken from moments with her grandchildren during the various stages of their lives. I’m sure each one of us made an indelible impression with our grandmother, and that is the way we will always carry her in our hearts.

It’s hard to think there won’t be a greeting card in the mail from her this Christmas, or a phone call from her on my birthday, but I will continue to carry the pieces of her with me that I cherished the most. For me, it was her good ol’ southern spirit, and her unwavering faith. And I encourage you to carry whatever piece that touched you the most in your heart everyday. Use it to help you continue to better yourself, and use it to pass on her memory to future generations because this is a time to celebrate that another one of God’s children has finally gone home.

Party Like It's 2009!

2008-12-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

New York is no longer my home. For three months I got to pretend I had a real social life. And yes, some events were more interesting than others. Some provided us with humor while some just made us wonder what was going on. Take for instance the time we finally got in to the exclusive bar next to Spitzer’s. We got in, but only long enough to be sorely disappointed and redirected to Libation across the street. Let me take a moment to quote the Daily Intel when I say, “When did Libation become cool again?” (The answer: When it appears in an episode of Gossip Girl).

So, now I am back in the good ol’ Seattle area. I actually live in Kirkland which takes me down a notch from Seattle. Essentially, this move takes my social life down from a 10 to about a three. I would even say I am down to a two right now with all the snowfall. And I only rate it that well because I get a little human interaction when I go to the gym. Don’t get me wrong. Seattle/Kirkland is a beautiful place, and has a lot to offer, but what can beat New York?

I will hopefully be able to answer that question in the next year as this blog changes its focus from my life in NY. Since a change has finally come for all of us, this new year too has a lot to offer, and I’ll be opening it up with some of the best girls I know in Las Vegas. Viva Las Vegas en 2009! Stay tuned…

The Farewell Countdown

2008-12-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

15 Yummy Restaurants and counting

14 Very Large Shopping Bags

13 Pounds of sugar, coffee and pizza consumed

12 Neverending trips through Central Park

11 Weeks Living in New York

10 Broadway Shows

9 Wine Bars (trying hard to become wine connoisseurs)

8 Weeks working at Alvin Ailey

7 New York Cares Projects and 7 Museums visited

6 Bakeries - oh yeah, love the cupcakes

5 Subway Metro Cards

4 Meals at the Halal Street carts

3 Dance Shows (Alvin Ailey and the Rockettes)

2 Holiday Parades and 2 Concerts in Rockefeller Plaza

1 Brooklyn Flea Market

And a Million Timeless New York City Memories!

I LOVE NEW YORK!

The Holidays in New York

2008-12-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

Bringing in the New Year with a Little Swag - Rockefeller Plaza

2008-12-18T10:10:00.001-08:00

Friends that Worry for You

2008-12-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

Valuable Lesson of the day: Let your friends know you made it home safely.

A couple nights ago, Maria and I went to go see a show by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (I could go on and on about how fabulous the dancers are, but if you’ve ever heard of Ailey, you already know this). So after the show, we said our goodbyes and headed our different ways - as usual. I got home, checked my email, called my parents, and got ready for bed - as usual. Wait, that’s not as usual.

To Maria’s dismay, I simply forgot one thing – to text her and let her know I had gotten home alright. At the time, I didn’t think it was a big deal. I hadn’t received a text from Maria when I got home, so I figured she just forgot. I was sure I would see her online in the morning, so it didn’t bother me. When I got up in the morning, I saw that Maria had in fact texted me when she got home, but my phone didn’t receive the message until hours after I’d gone to bed (I hate it when that happens). A little after I got the text, I got a call from an unknown number, so I didn’t pick up. A little after that call, I got a frantic text AND email from Maria asking me if I was still alive (not only had Maria called me from her work phone, but she had just looked up my parent’s phone number on the internet and was about to call them).

Whoa, whoa, whoa! All in the matter of five minutes while I was digesting all of this information, I called Maria back and asked what was going on. Why would she think I had gone missing when I had just seen her 12 hours ago? I mean isn’t there some kind of rule that you are supposed to wait at least 24 hours? I mean it’s not like we are living in a dangerous, over-crowded metropolis. Then I thought about it. Oh wait…yes we are!

It seems Maria was not overreacting, but I was simply playing the role of the suburban-raised, ding bat that forgot to let her friends know she’s okay. After apologizing to my dear, sweet friend, I realized how great it is to have friends around to make sure you get home okay or to save each other’s lives. This of course includes all incidents - whether we go missing in the middle of the night or pass out on the kitchen floor, haha. Our parents would be so proud. ;-)

Heather Visits New York!

2008-12-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

2008-12-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

Self-Induced Sugar Coma

2008-11-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

Bakeries, confectionaries, candy stores, and cafes all hold some of the sweetest little goodies in New York. Even the little street carts carry muffins, bagels, and croissants in varying, delectably sweet flavors. As a girl who already suffers from a serious sweet tooth (thanks, Dad) – I can tell you this has not been good for me. It’s like New Yorkers have a serious obsession with sweet baked goods - especially cupcakes - and I can’t seem to resist.

Every time I walk by a store, I think to myself, “Gee, I haven’t tried "this" chocolate cupcake with buttercream frosting (because it must be different from the 7 others I’ve tried)." Or what about those black and white cookies that are an odd combination of soft cakey goodness, yet they still hold on to the consistency of a cookie (I still would like to know if these are really cookies – they seem more like cake to me)? And let’s not forget about the candy stores I have discovered. Between Dylans Candy Bar and other stores I have yet to visit like Economy Candy, I am on a one-way street to cavity-ville. I can feel the sugar burrowing its way into the deepest crevices and pockets of my teeth as I write this.

So I guess for now this is all good and well because I feel like I’m a kid again with endless amounts of sugar to keep me content and satisfied. The only problem is that even though I may feel like a kid again, my hips are not feeling the same sentiments. I've begun to worry about the additional 5 pounds (okay, maybe 10) that are trying to take up residence on my back side. There have been nights when it has been pouring rain outside, but I still find the motivation to go for my usual walk down to Bloomingdales and back. Not because I am "taking in the sights." Rather, I am more afraid I won't be able to fit in to all the clothes I've recently bought (thank you, visa!).

I guess I could cut back on the sugar and save my feet a few miles, but seriously. What’s a few miles in the rain when you can indulge in banana cream pudding, vanilla buttercream cupcakes, and childhood classics like Jujubes and Charleston Chews? The sweet, yummy goodness is too delicious to give up!

So I’ve just come to terms with the fact that you will either see me trekking it across town on a freezing cold night, or catching a dance class at Ailey to supplement my current indulgences. Because after all, the way I think of it, I’m just embracing the New York attitude – good food and good company equals good fun. Bon Appetite!

Love the new Christina Commercial!

2008-11-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

2008-11-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

Hip hip, hooray! Aren’t we glad it’s Monday?! I must say that I’m happy to be living in a city that fully embraces my love for the cheesy, teenage-angst drama, Gossip Girl. Before I came here, Gossip Girl was my guilty pleasure that I had to watch, alone in the privacy of my home. But now, I am around people that share a mutual love for the PG-rated, trashy TV show.

On Monday nights, my response to - “Hey, what are you doing tonight,” - used to always be “Yeah, I don’t know. Probably stay home and watch TV.” Coincidentally, that is the same “code phrase” I use for, “Yeah, I’m watching shows that you would probably make fun of me for.”

But not here. In New York, I'm getting used to the Gossip Girl water cooler, and friends that happily discuss the previous night's witty banter between Blair and Chuck (gotta, love the Bass). J

That’s right, this isn’t just a teenage drama; this is real life for New Yorkers. Just like Sex and the City took New York by storm, Gossip Girl is doing the same in a smaller, not quite as obsessive-compulsive way. Every strategically placed shot of Times Square, Met Life and the Lower East Side hot spots are blowing up the blog space every week and I’m proud to say I find it a teeny-bit exciting to say, “I’ve been there!”

My Gossip Girl fanaticism may not be shared by many, but I’m happy to hear my New York friends are enjoying it a little bit more than others. Because really, where else can I call up a friend and ask, “Hey what did you think of Serena’s outfit last night?!”

Greenwich Village Halloween Parade

2008-11-02T18:20:00.000-08:00

2008-11-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

Storm from X-Men!

My Vote Is In!

2008-10-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

And my vote is in! As of yesterday, my election voting ballot has been deposited and trusted in the hands of the U.S. postal service. You would think I have would have an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness for submitting my vote for one of our nation’s most influential elections, but no, I am still somehow filled with a vast uneasiness.

How am I supposed to know my vote will make it back to Washington? How can I really, truly be sure that my vote is making a difference? Washington is 3,000 miles away, and I don’t know about you, but the postal service doesn’t always have the greatest track record for getting my mail across the country in a timely fashion.

So this is what I propose for the next general election. What if they could set up some kind of system where we could track the progress of our ballots all the way through the process until your vote is counted? I could get a confirmation email and know, "Check! Your vote has been counted." I don't really think it would be that hard, and it might encourage more people to vote by absentee ballot. You never know.

I am one of those people who has never actually voted at a poll for a general election (except for that time I got to vote in the kiddy election polls when I was nine). Four years ago I sent my ballot in from Europe, and now I am once again sending my ever important ballot in without any definitive confirmation that my vote is really being counted. So depending on how election day goes, I will either be jumping for joy or crying anxiously wondering if my vote ever made in to the mix. What's a girl to do? My fingers are crossed and we’ll see what happens. One week left!!

2008-10-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

The Season for Change

2008-10-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Whoever said summer was their favorite season of the year has obviously not seen New York in the fall. I’ll admit I am one of those people that longs for summer weather each year, but now I have a new reason to love the brisk autumn breeze that quietly knocks on our doors every September. I know that sounds incredibly cheesy, but I can honestly say I have never enjoyed the fall season so much.

Growing up in Colorado, I rarely got to see fall. Usually around mid-September, we got to see a glimpse of fall for what seemed to be about a day and a half before we saw the first sight of snow and freezing temperatures. Granted, the Colorado weather fluctuates so much that sporadic 80-degree weather is not uncommon in October. But it literally felt like I would go to bed one night with green aspens tenderly changing colors, and I would wake up the next morning to frost, and completely barren trees. The seemingly instantaneous change in Colorado is a far cry from the changing seasons I’m experiencing here in New York.

The New York fall weather has given me a chance to embrace the new season and seize the opportunity to expand my wardrobe with a few essential fall items. As we are seeing in many arenas, change seems to be the common theme of the season and I can’t seem to get my mind around the fact that I just celebrated my one-month anniversary this past Friday. Now even though this is not the type of anniversary you get all warm and fuzzy about, I’m happy to celebrate this important milestone with the new love of my life, New York City.

The time is passing so quickly, and I feel pressured to get everything done in the 7 weeks I have left. I know I won’t be able to see it all, but I have so many things to cross off my “Top 20” list. I’ve been swooping through this city as a true New York tourist, and to the chagrin of my friend, Maria, I’ve been snapping photos at every corner and taking time to “enjoy the moment,” with absolutely no shame whatsoever. This city is truly amazing, and I wonder how anyone ever grows bored of it. There are things I see nestled in the most unexpected places, and I don’t see how any of these simple pleasures could ever be taken for granted.

So, what’s a girl to do with all this change bustling around her? It doesn’t look I will have too much time to sit around and think about it. Halloween is coming up, and then the holidays are going to make a loud entry-way for the winter snow to make its way through. Something tells me I won’t be screaming with loud cries of enjoyment when that happens. “Que Sera, Sera….,” you gotta love this town. :-)

2008-10-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

2008-10-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

First New York Video

2008-10-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

2008-10-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

Yum yum. Maria loves Dylan's Candy Bar!

http://www.dylanscandybar.com

The First Blog is the Hardest

2008-10-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to start this blog for weeks now, and it seems like I can never get anything out. Nothing seems good enough for the infamous ‘first posting,’ and I’m starting to wonder, what’s the big deal? This is not a graded assignment. I’m not getting paid for it. And I’m definitely not trying to add ‘blogging’ to my list of talents - because let’s face it; I was not blessed with the gift of writing.

So why has it taken me nearly a month to get this thing started?

There’s too much to write about!

So much has been happening since I got to New York, and now it seems I have lost my opportunity to write about the crazy journey I've been on. How do I go back three weeks and tell you all about the grueling apartment search that took nearly 2 weeks, dragging my 70 pound suitcase from Manhattan to Hoboken and back again, and how I finally found an apartment that I have only recently come to realize has mice? Yes, we have rodents.

I almost find myself out of breath just thinking about it all. So here is my chance to catch up with all the hustle and bustle, and let you start to share in my New York City adventures. It's been a great journey so far, and I'm hoping it will only get better.