Now's the Time

Back from the land of school work...

2008-05-28T21:13:00.001-07:00

Well 1 week away from school... I got my grades. All things considered, I did pretty well. B & B-. My friend reminded me that success is doing all things you're able to do well. I'm going to need to review and redo some Greek this summer. Next semester, we'll hit the ground running again with exegesis.

I've been catching up on rest and time with the hubby. He's had a bit of a challenge with Costco lately. He was booted out of the department he had been working in for the last 8 months or so unexpectedly, and when he tried to contest it, it took a union rep to convince the store manager to give him another chance. Will read, reread and reread again the forklift driving manual. We waited in suspense for the time when he would be retested, then confirmation that the union rep (also a former forklift driver) would make it a priority to be there for the testing, and then when the testing came, they gave him a few hours and then told him he didn't pass. We were disappointed, but accepting of this in light of the fact that he's given it ALL that he could and prayed. God answers our prayers. We'll wait for His plan.

Meanwhile, I'm making some transitions at work. No review yet, and it appears that I'm going to have to insist to get one before I leave. I want to do this with grace, and yet be firm. When an employee is promised for months that a review is coming, and even that a back-pay raise would be instituted, you don't just shrug that off, ya know? Seriously folks! I have to say that I'm noticing some bizarre things lately at work. God protect the credit union! We're more busy now than we've ever been! In the month of April, we funded $3M short of what we had funded for the whole first quarter of '08! Crazy!

I'm making more lists for the summer for things to get done. Of course, relaxing is also important to me. Will and I are going to Canada, it appears. With the stress/suspense at Costco (and frankly, not knowing which department to petition for time off), we're still trusting we can go this summer. Life is full and we're happy!

We were able to go to Olga's mother's birthday party yesterday. That was the first time I'd been to their house in years and the first time Will's gone there. It was VERY nice to see everyone again! I never expected a celebrity-like greeting when we walked in. What was really embarrassing is that one of the kids (who's now 8) recognized me and I honestly had no idea who he was (still kind of don't). It's clearly been too long!!

Anyway, we have another voting event coming up! Get out there and vote folks!

And on a different note, God is so good! Have you reflected on this lately? I'm just blown away by His creativity with the flowers... and trees. Have you ever thought about how crazy it is that from the dirt, a tall stalk grows upwards, blooms and bears fruit? Crazy huh? How great is our God!

BO-YAH!!

2008-05-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

100% on test #2! Praise the Lord!!

Good day!

2008-05-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry… I’ve been bad about this blogging thing again! Too many things going on.

Namely, I believe I mentioned several months ago that I met up with an old friend who lives in Salt Lake City… a devout Mormon. He got email and, well, let’s just say, he’s not a techie. Suddenly, I started receiving invitations to go for workouts in SLC and a bowling invitation. Fun stuff, but nonetheless, puzzling. Then, one day, I received this e-mail forward from someone I've never met, full of pictures of prominent Mormons leaders and even the picture of what’s-his-face in TX, in chains. The point was that all Mormons aren’t scandalous, like what’s-his-face. I responded with some Scripture passages pointing out that Mormons aren’t true to Christianity or their own history about polygamy… I figured that would be the end of the dialogue - but, I was wrong! I received a 2 full typed-page response arguing some of the more obscure passages in the Bible and an article put out by FAIR responding to the polygamy charge…. 65 pages (including footnotes)! Well, between school, and everything else, I was stunned and haven’t been able to respond, just yet (other than to tell him I received the e-mail and I will respond). Anyway, that’s been one element of our lives lately.

The other is that Will’s back to battle with Costco… Unfortunate circumstances and a bad attitude from some of management has caused some frustration, on all fronts! We’re still working through these issues… at least for the next month.

On a completely different note, I have several birthdays and mothers to acknowledge this month. CONGRATULATIONS all you mommas out there! May God bless you with strength and endurance!

I’m also making some moves now at work. They are still working on my review (sigh) and have committed to doing that sometime this month. I’m praying for the Lord’s will…

Will and I participated in an unusual and yet FUN event recently – a puppet show! The Canada Team did this for a fundraiser. The leaders gave us a couple of CDs and asked us to learn how to “talk” with our hands. That was fun, especially since it was in Spanish! One day, while “rehearsing” I was driving home from work, I received a couple of odd looks and one wave from a stranger. Fun! And, when we showed up for the official rehearsal, I was very surprised to see actual puppets – not just socks – and props! We even had a stage! It was very fun! And a great team building process!

Anyway, the truth of the matter is I have a test in about an hour, and I’m stalling. The last test I received 100% - did you catch that? That’s quite an accomplishment since my prof seems to take great delight in tripping us up! YEAH! So, I better get to that now…. So, thanks for checking in!

Our Latest Project

2008-04-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

So, we've been busy... I mentioned a couple of posts ago that we were discouraged with our HOA and one of the main issues was our dogs. There is a clause in the CC&Rs saying that we cannot keep our dogs on the patio or in the garage, even if they're quiet. We've gone around a bit with them, obviously looked into other options, but the bottom line is: we had to get creative....
So, we took a look at our place and started to dream.

Dream, how we could keep the house relatively clean and not split up the family. So, we cleared out the downstairs...

Bought & scrounged up some supplies...

Put a little elbow grease into the mix....

And we got a couple of happy campers...

So, what did you do over Easter break?

2008-03-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't do any Greek homework (may still tonight) but I did make some milestones on my Historical Theology class...

And, I still managed to have a good time! =)

Will and I took Thursday off and hung out all day since he didn't have to work. It was a very nice break! We did some responsible things like paperwork (we haven't taken care of taxes yet), cleaning, and making a few necessary phone calls. Then we did some fun things like eating breakfast together, went out for a bike ride and for coffee, I did some sewing, and we got a massage. It was a very nice day!!

Kaz, who's been with us now for about a year, went to church with us on Easter. That was great! We're hoping he'll continue to come with us now that we're back to "normal" church schedules. We also went to see a movie called Vantage Point in the afternoon on Easter & visited Will's sister. Good times!

Yesterday, I was very busy around the house cleaning and wrapping up my historical theology homework mentioned above (I can now proudly say that I'm 11 days ahead on this class!).

I left work on Friday frustrated because there's so much to do! Here's a little glimpse of the April closings I have to read (2 are [sadly] foreclosures by the way!):

So, instead, I'm going to concentrate on what's beautiful and lovely... This picture was taken outside our place.

Makes you want to smile, doesn't it?

Life is wonderful when ...

2008-03-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

You have the hope of the resurrection!

You're on spring break from school!

You see your husband before he goes to work! And/because

You get out of work early with pay! =)

I got in the office early and wrapped up a couple of things and then jetted out to find Will, who was preparing to go to work. I guess I haven't stated yet here that Will is working nights now primarily.

The house didn't work out, which was really quite alright with us. We're thinking we may stay put a little longer since it's pretty hard to predict what the market will do next & the lenders we've been in touch with seem to be disappearing. Is that a sign? It doesn't mean we've given up, but we have resolved to be content if we have to stay. [I'd also like to point out that every weekend people, like us, annoyed with the HOA rules are moving out.]

Our big guy Champ is having really bad hip trouble again and we're making a room ready for him and Buddy. We'll see how they do together... and pray! We're hoping we won't need to make any decisions about Champ now... but we also don't want him to be in pain.

My new manager didn't forget about my review, but he's not really feeling prepared to do one, since he has only been my manager for 3 months or so now. What's hilarious is that my boss' boss who's been with the company & overseeing staff for years doesn't know how to do one either so she had to ask her manager... Anyway, so the timeline on that is TBD. Fun!

We had Mormon missionaries over on Saturday. It was a very interesting conversation. They were over for lunch, it turns out, primarily. The one missionary from MI (I think) wasn't really interested. He looked bored most of the time. The other missionary (senior, returning in 2 months to SLC) was much more interactive. What's funny is in the course of our conversation, he decided it was time to go... then I reminded him about the food, and he suddenly had more time. Go figure! =) I think they're glad they stayed. They had chicken & spinach lasagna. [I honestly considered making peanut butter sandwiches because talk about an old favorite & they probably don't have that option normally available. But, Will advised me against it because he thought it should be more formal.] Anyway, we talked about the Scripture advising a believer to be ready in season and out of season to be prepared to make a defense for faith. Since they're missionaries, they should be prepared - this is their season, right? Well, they only had their prayer as a reason for their faith. Which while yes, it meritorious, it's not sufficient, and certainly not what Paul exhorts the church to do. Paul, a zealous evangelist, was speaking of reasoning with the people - even the religious leaders - through their faith. And nobody denies that there's an element of faith involved in having faith. They simply had nothing else to offer. The elder (and I mean that in terms of time on the field) missionary said the he enjoyed studying Joseph Smith, Jr.'s life, but didn't have anything to contribute on that point either. They also asked if we were Christians and which church we attended, flaunting that they could prove our faith wrong in an instant. I added, "Did you know there are over 100 different groups of Mormons in the world? Who's to say you have the correct version?" We asked them to check out some Scripture and to do a little more digging on a couple of things, and if they wanted to, we'd be happy to meet with them again. They chuckled and since today is Friday, I'm guessing that means, 'Thanks for the food, lady, but no thanks!' I always feel sad when they go away! I'd like to have a good conversation with some missionaries who are engaged, eager and ready to share the reason for their hope, but they are lacking...

HE IS RISEN! INDEED after all....

TTFN =)

Brief update...

2008-03-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I took my Greek midterm… OUCH!! Verbs are kicking my butt! And now we venture into participles. I’m not sure how to express my joy at the moment…

We’re praying and working toward moving. Yes, again! We’re expecting God to open (and perhaps close) the doors for us in this regard. Complications with the HOA rules and regulations are well, making us kind of crazy. We have options to mitigate things, but quite frankly, we’re ready to get out. So, Will and I would appreciate your prayers on what options to select. We have one house in mind at the moment, but it will be a “God thing” if it happens. That’s exactly what we want too…

I’m tired these days too. Work is still busy and yes, they’ve completed all the hiring I believe they’re planning on for a while. Also, my annual review is up in a few days and I need to make some noise to remind them…

On a lighter note, I tried a new bread recipe – Irresistible Soda Bread (Irish recipe on www.allrecipes.com) and a good friend got married a week ago last Saturday. Very fun! Another friend is supposedly having a baby on tax day. Ironically enough, she’s working on becoming a CPA too… Will and I are listening to the Bible on DVD (narration really, it helps me keep up on my through the Bible in a year program!). Kaz is even listening! And most likely, we’re going to Canada on a mission's trip this summer. Cool (Tim Hortons’) beans!

More later…

On my mind...

2008-02-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

I have had a couple of things on my mind and I thought I'd just share... Triggered both by reading through the Bible in a year & just observation/consideration of my life and the lives of those around me.

1) Integrity. While there are a number of verses we could list to endorse (highly) the idea of integrity, I've been thinking a lot about how David could say to God (who knows and sees all) along the lines of "You know how I have lived with integrity... How I have turned from evil... How I have lived blamelessly...." When we forget to search our hearts or choose to ignore sin, we can't just say this before God. He's not fooled or impressed with our cleverness. It's a moment by moment thing, and that's the crazy part! The next thing I'm tempted to say is that I'm doing mostly good things.... only a few bad things. No! This is still unacceptable without the forgiveness of God!

2) Sacrifice. Yep, that's right! Reading through Leviticus. I asked myself, now, "Why would God keep these long descriptive passages in the Bible? Things that we don't even need to do today?" It occurred to me that most of us ask the question, "what can I do to please God?" This was His answer! Laid out explicitly. And secondly, passages list livestock as an indication of one's wealth, and yet, while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they were asked to make these sacrifices... as an act of faith. It took faith that God would be appeased by this offering. Faith that God would continue to supply my needs. Faith that God would answer my prayers.

3) Scripture. Another passage that has been rolling around in my mind is I Corinthians 4:7, "For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"

Tata!

Let THE NICER-LOOKING GUY have a chance!

2008-02-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

My name is Champ, but I also have a nickname – “The Big Ox”. The nickname is often used when I bulldoze through obstacles in my path. There was a time when we all lived in Rialto when the weeds were very tall. My little brother (emphasis on little) had to hop over the weeds, whereas I just trudged through them. Although I’m trapped in a big body, I’m really just a lap guy at heart. One of my favorite hobbies is to wait until Mommy comes on the patio after a work out and is trying to stretch… I push my head into her shoulder until she pets me OR I try to climb into her lap! Make room for me! =)

I’m not much for car rides, particularly with my bad hips. The truck is too tall and the little car is too small. And I do not like to be lifted into the vehicles! Once I'm inside, I often find that I can’t turn around. I’d prefer to have room, please!

Unlike my brother, I’m a little slower in pace (age does that to folks!). Even still, I’m always up for a good walk, more than willing to play with Daddy (he presses down on my nose and I bark as loud as I can – great game!) and I’m always willing to get up for food! You could say FOOD is one of my biggest passions in life.... Once in a while, I find little treasures on my walks like a bouncing ball and I am so delighted! But I'm a bargainer! What yummy item are you going to exchange for it?

I also like things to be neat and orderly and I'm great at redecorating! When I get annoyed that my bed is in one corner of the patio & I want it in another, or when I’m empty on my food or water, I throw things around a little. It keeps things exciting and best of all, vents frustration! A while ago, I was redecorating and after I had thing arranged the way I wanted them, I noticed that my bowl was still empty. Mommy said she looked out the window and saw me with my paw in my bowl, facing the house and barking. 'Hello? Is anyone in there? Please? I'm hungry!' But these are mild temper-tantrums and I’m over it pretty quickly.

My favorite past-time is “chillin’”. I sit on my patio and watch the world go by. I’m not saddened by it, really, I’m just not as young as I used to be. Sometimes kids come by and pet me, which makes me really happy! I love to watch the birds... I also like things to be quiet (no sirens for me either, thank you!). Mommy understands my aversion to noise and has often commented on my annoyance over little dogs that “yell” at me when I walk by. It just hurts my feelings. =(

My little brother (emphasis still on little!) has pointed out that he likes to pick fights… I suppose I'm a little spirited on this point! Yes, I'm capable of being mean. But, I’m definitely not interested in sharing my food, my peeps or even my room with that little pip-squeak! If he even glances at my food, or my peeps, he’s asking for it!

With that on the table, I suppose it's odd that I would say that I'll never understand why when some people see me coming, they move to the other side of the street or ignore me altogether. I am a lover, really, and it makes me very sad that they don't want to be friends! Come pet me. Talk to me. Play with me! Mommy thinks it's funny that even big contractors are afraid of me!

Anyway, that’s me, Champ. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, come on by! I’d love to shake your hand and be your friend!

Hello, my name is Buddy!

2008-02-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

And, yes, I know I’m cute! =)

My nicknames are “The Escape Artist” & "The Big Dumby".

I’m currently a resident in this big room with lots of intriguing things to smell. Mommy and Daddy come down and visit me each morning and evening when they are coming from or going to work – or wherever it is they go.

One of my favorite games is to RUN really fast at this big door while it opens! I’m often seen squeezing myself out between the floor & the automatic garage door. My destination is always the same - the yard. Another fun aspect of this door opening is that usually mom or dad is on the other side! And if they aren’t, well, I love that too! Sometimes they sing a song while I run out –dun-da-dun-da- dun-da-dun-da-da (think Cowboy, only without the cow – or the boy!) – and they laugh. It so much fun to smell the grass and check out the “doggie news” for today!! Given the chance, my favorite trick is showing them how high I can jump! You should have seen the walls I have scaled! I used to walk along the ledge, like a cat (which also came in handy occasionally!). And I have always out run those humans (still working on keeping up with the cats. The trees seem to be their biggest defense… but I am willing to wait!). And please note: Leashes cramp my style!

Even though I like to explore, I also really like have a place of my own. I love snuggling into my bed where it’s warm!

I’m not much of a reader, but I do like listening to the neighborhood. As I mentioned before, I find Cats intriguing… or whenever certain people ride their bikes by, well, I just go wild! There are a few other sounds which I enjoy and these are the things which fill my day. I do enjoy long strolls, although not necessarily at the beach. The bushes will do just fine, thank you! Oh, and I’m not a fan of sirens! They hurt my ears.

I also love car rides! I’m a nervous back seat driver and love to help mommy or daddy out with the steering. I’ve tried to step on the pedals too, but I have a hard time navigating then.

I’m always up for a challenge! I love a good fight and size is not even a consideration before the battle! You can’t tell from this photo, but one of my best battle wounds is a once-dislodged front tooth. I like to show it to people whenever a new person comes to visit!

I’m also a cheerful giver. The more hair I can leave on my dad & mom, the better my day is! I also really enjoy my job as the greeter when mommy or daddy comes home! (Daddy dubbed me a “professional greeter”.) But, I am very cautious around strangers! I’ve been known to make children cry. It’s a funny thing. They aren’t invited guests and they are so surprised when I respond the way I do. I just want to protect my mommy & daddy. My big brother, who you will hear more about later, is sort of a push over (you can tell him I said that!) so this protection/safety thing is my responsibility!

Well, I suppose that’s enough about my life. Have an adventurous day! Do you want some hair? Do you have any food?! I’m not a picky eater….

WOW!!

2008-01-28T21:06:00.000-08:00

So, I'm officially overwhelmed! So, my prof for Historical Theology e-mailed everyone to say that he has pneumonia, which I can have compassion on him for... but, he's canceling class and yet still quizzing us next Wednesday! YIKES!! And, he posted the syllabus on the internet... 330 pages! In addition to the three text books (which I was only able to pick up 2 of them this weekend). So anyway, yeah, so WOW!!

Another fun adventure happened tonight when I went out to start my car after work & it wouldn't start!! Since my car was stolen, a couple of very key features have been missing or not working properly. One is the lack of that annoying dinging your car is programmed to make when you leave your lights on after you've turned off the engine. So, while I've always marveled that people are actually able to evidently ignore that sound, I can actually appreciate the difficulties some may face. I guess when the thieves stole the stereo, they pulled too hard on the dash wires & dislodged this feature (the word "feature" is used lightly here). Another annoying disconnect is the absence of the dashboard light. While driving at night, you can't tell how fast you're driving or even how much gas you have in your car without another light source - and cell phones aren't bright enough! We've rigged a few different tactics over the years, but the best is just to have a small flash light handy & use it whenever the driver is curious. One fortunate dash feature which still works properly is the oil, engine & gas lights do come on to tell you when these things need servicing. So, I left the lights on all day! BUMMER!! A couple of very nice fellow employees came to the rescue, but ultimately it was the AAA man who was the real hero!

Speaking of heroes, I realized a couple of days ago, I didn't mention Will's favorite TV show of late - HEROES! I have seen enough episodes to know that curiosity is dangerous & this show can try my patience. They just flash between character & allude to an upcoming nuclear attack (what else could it be?!). Anyway, so he's put away 24 & StarGate (although your feedback Deb, did provide a ray of hope) for a while anyway. Also, the most recent season of LOST has arrived at the video store, but because we're on a special plan for renting, it's not available to us unless we want to pay extra. I'm pretty sure that once it's one of our options, Will will rent it & watch them without me (sniff, sniff!).

Anyway, just printing up the syllabus and keeping myself occupied. You can pray for my job too, if you care to. I'm making moves again and I won't be more specific until I have more to go on....

Thanks!

Count down...

2008-01-23T21:56:00.000-08:00

The count down until school starts again is on... And there's currently 5 more days (in just a few hours, we'll be looking at 4 more days *SIGH!*). In addition to the second semester of Koine Greek, I'm taking Historical Theology and I anticipate a lot of reading...

So, what have we been up to these days? Well, I passed another milestone just recently - I'm now 30 years old (shiver up the spine!). Can you believe it?? I guess I never fathomed that I could be so OLD! I guess, based on my recent posts, it's not to difficult to believe (another sigh!). So, on my list of things to do (I'll share that later), I had that I wanted to paint a bit in our Pomona house and since Will's of the opinion that I should complete one task at a time (and I'm still not done with Rialto - SIGH!) starting Pomona wasn't a welcomed idea. Anyway, so for my birthday, kind, wonderful people sent me $$ and guess what I decided!?! That's right! The master bathroom looks AWESOME! I got clearance from him before I proceeded to Home Depot for the beige paint (which isn't really as dull as it sounds!). Will even said that he should have let me do this before! I took before pictures (and even found my digital camera!), so I fully intend to post them sometime soon... I also painted our bedroom which didn't turn out as great as I had hoped. I picked out a green (even went outside the store to make sure that it matched the swatch I was eyeing) and I thought of the colors I selected, I got the closest... Well, so our room has a nice, more on the brighter side shade of green than I'd like. I was going for a grayish-green color... But, since I'm starting school again, I'll have to live with it for at least 4 months. It's not really THAT bad!

So, anyway, that was my birthday gift to myself! Strange? Will was kind and took me to get an hour massage. We also went to see National Treasure - a movie we both appreciated.

Another project I've been massaging for a long time is a sewing project I started a long time ago and just never really stayed committed to. Some of you remember my Amazing Grace counted cross stitch project. I completed it about 4 years ago and gave it to one of my friends. Well, my stepmother LOVED it, and although I started one immediately afterwards, I totally lost track of it & momentum. So, I'm back to making more progress... but this will also come to a hault until school is done.

Other items I had on my TO DO List include:

Exceling in Greek (done!)
Buying a garden hose (done!)
Cleaning/Organizing up my computer hard drive & burning CDs for back up (done!)
Copying wedding photos onto a CD for my mom (done!)
Cleaning out the garage in Rialto (done!)
Purchasing a dining room table (done!)

Items Still to Complete:

Finish painting in Rialto
Remove the debris in backyard at Rialto
Posting pictures of Pomona on my blog
Purchasing new window coverings for our bedroom (Pomona)
Buying a new dog leash
Replacing HVAC filters for both Rialto & Pomona
Purchase towels
Plan/Organize/Clean closet
Determine how to hang new lighting in Pomona
Organize & develop photos from wedding (yes, I know!)

I usually aim pretty high and so while both lists are pretty lengthy, it's good to see movement. I'm also handling many other items which are not listed (no, I don't always add the items I recently completed just to see that I've completed them). And actually, technically, this was my TO DOs through March 8th (since that's about the time Will's late night shifts have the most potential to change to whatever position he has the most seniority to boot someone else from). Also, some of these items I will just have to accept that I can't finish on time. Rialto is probably the biggest hold up since this is the season when the winds tear through that area so intensely. A few weeks ago I went out and my hat was blown off my head & my paint containers (which were sealed) flipped over!! I decided at that point, it was time to pack me and my ladder up!

In other news, I've also decided to try to read through the Bible in a year. The course our church (new one BTW - more on that in a minute) recommended is a little peculiar. I've seen other "curriculum" (if you will) that starts in Genesis & proceeds forward. I've also seen those where you read a couple of chapters a day from the OT & then a couple from the NT. This one is unique in that you start on Jn 1:1-18 (Day 1), Genesis 1-19 (Days 2 - 6), then Psalms 1-4 (Day 7), then back to Gen 20-22 (Day 8), then Job 1-20 (through Day 13), then Psalms, then Job & the pattern continues until you've read through Genesis & Job & proceed into Exodus, Leviticus, etc. with Psalms as your main "intermission". It's an intriguing way to proceed & definitely keeps you flipping! Confession: I'm a bit behind and this evening, one of my ideas was to get caught up.

We decided, after months of consideration, to stop going to So. OC for church.... For several reasons, actually. It's a good move for us, and two of the greatest benefits is that the church is in Pomona (gasp!) & both Will & I can attend together (gasp again!). It's been fun to connect with some acquaintances that I've lost touch with (from even my days at Mt SAC) & we're currently trying out a couple of different fellowships, but haven't really found the right fit yet. I shouldn't probably share this here, but I was disappointed on Friday night last week when a couple from one of the groups we had attended seemed really eager to hang out with us... and I thought to build friendships. It turns out they were only working to market themselves for monthly missionary support... I can waiver that in my head as to the higher goals of the Kingdom & such, but I really didn't appreciate the misleading approach. *SIGH!*

And finally, on a bright note, my sister had her third baby girl! Crazy!! Raeley Jenna Olivia was born on 1/14. She's healthy & greeted by her two big sisters. Trip out!!

Latest on Our Household…

2007-12-31T17:38:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of 2007. Isn’t it amazing?! When I was a kid, I used to think how strange it was that the adults around me complained about how fast a year had come and gone… Now, as an adult, guess what I’m finding & saying? Crazy!!

I made a list of things to do today and so far, I’ve accomplished many of the bigger things. I still have some smaller, time consuming things… but alas, I am making progress! Here’s the latest in our home:

* Will’s sick. Kaaz went over the neighbor’s house for Christmas Eve & ended up being a carrier for a head cold. So far, I’ve managed to avoid getting sick, but he’s miserable… And I really don’t enjoy that! He had to go to work today and he’s on his way home now, eager to reacquaint himself with our bed!

* Christmas was good. We went to Rialto to celebrate with most of the immediate Martinez family (a small remnant went to Mexico instead). Will thought it was funny that we were all there this year. “After all the years I lived here and never had Christmas (or parties at all) here, now that someone else is living here, everyone's here.” It was fun. The kids made out, as usual. The adults did a mild exchange of gifts. I think it’s sad that the kids don’t have a clue that THIS is the best time of their lives (am I getting old?). When you become an adult, you receive sweaters & underwear (for the men out there, thank you very much!). Kind of a bummer, hey?

* We got some cool pieces of furniture: the rest of our bedroom set & a massage chair! OH-LA-LA! We bought the bed frame 2 years ago or so, but my friend wasn’t ready to part with the rest of the set. What’s hilarious is a couple of weeks ago, I had a dream about this furniture randomly and the next day I found out that he was ready to sell it! “Visions of sugar pl—“… I mean furniture! The massage chair was a total random purchase, and a bit expensive, but worth it! Will had been eyeing the massage chairs for a while, and trying to convince me that we should buy one and while it was a nice idea, I wasn’t so sure. Then we found one for a good price and thought, “Let’s do it!” Everyone is so happy! Want to come over for a while??

* Will’s latest series is The Practice. There are interesting episodes and not as stressful as 24. He was also watching StarGate for a while there. I’m not sure if he actually finished it, or if he decided to move on. I don’t think he was as impressed with it when they switched the cast around. And now that I have the time, we’ve both seen as far as we can on LOST. This is a dangerous addiction!

* My other projects include painting (still) and sewing. I’m actually not far from being done with the painting. Delightful! I’m rounding the last part of the house now, and really I just need to touch up 17 eves to complete the job. I can’t wait to finish! Once I’m actually done, I won’t know what to do with myself! I do want to paint inside in Pomona, and one day (yes, one day), I will!

Anyway, so what are your new year’s resolutions? I have some goals to drop a few pounds, to excel in Greek (did I mention that I got an A?), to finish Rialto painting & cleaning. This will keep me busy for a good part of the year…

How about you? What’s new out there?

Take care.

Class is over...

2007-12-12T23:15:00.000-08:00

At least for this semester! I feel great about the Greek final. And I know that I did really well on the Greek vocabulary test on Monday! WHEW! Now, I can concentrate on Christmas! And I already told Will and Kaaz that I have a lot planned this winter break! I'm excited!

Thanksgiving is done!

2007-11-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

WHEW! One more big holiday left to go! Okay, well maybe two. =)

We had a good time at Will’s brother’s house. Our tenant came too and very much enjoyed it! We had a little bit of a competition between Will & his nephew, a lanky teenager who’s beginning the gothic phase. Will, always respected as the athletic one in the family, was approached by his brother (the host) to race his son (the nephew) up the street. Will thought, ‘Sure, no problem!’ So, they started to run… Much to his surprise, those legs move pretty fast and Will was beat! Now, this can’t be!! So, the challenge was on again – and this time more of the family gathered around to see who would win. He said, “I had no idea!” And another nephew joined in. The race began. The finish line was firm. Everyone was silent. Will ran hard, focused & diligently toward the end of the line, with two close behind… He won. The race was over! And then we all went our separate ways….

Another exciting thing that happened last weekend is we completed another milestone in Rialto – the garage has been cleaned out as much as it will be! YIPPIE! I’m still painting outside, a little every weekend and I must finish this before the Spring semester starts (I know! How many times have I said this now?!). I’m taking 2 classes next semester & I hope to be done or nearly there by then!

Will and I went to a marriage conference three weekends ago and had a great time! The weekend was packed with time in a lecture type room and then date night or topics to discuss related to the lecture. It went well! We still have homework (i.e. things to talk about) and a review to write! The conference was in La Jolla! What a great city! And Will was so happy to discover a Cuban, Caribbean & Puerto Rican restaurant rolled into one! I can’t remember a time when he was so excited to eat! The food was GREAT! And it made the whole weekend even more memorable!

Just a few more weeks left of school. I’m still doing pretty well in class! We have a quiz on Monday, the cumulative vocab test (worth two quizzes) the following Monday and then the final that Wednesday. Almost there!!

Church is still going well too! The landlord of one of the guys in our group became a believer a few weeks ago and she has many questions, understandably! So, we spent a lot of our normal (informal anyway) church time answering those. My lesson on Genesis has been extended now into three weekends (it’s actually been 4, but we were away at the conference). I’m sharing again on Saturday (hoping to wrap up these chapters), in front of many of the landlord’s non-Christian friends, some of the old church & the new church members. This weekend should be interesting!!

As far as work goes, well, they’ve hired an appraiser so things will begin to really change now. And hopefully for the better. The other team member who’s been on family leave for the last 2 months has extended his time away again. So, when / if he returns, this will be quite different. They’re still working to find a senior administrator. And I spent some of my free time last weekend reading appraisals to stay on top of things. Might as well keep the hours up!

My next experiment will be sourdough bread. I'm working on the "starter" right now. Or, should I say, it's working on starting itself right now... =)

Gobble, gobble!!

2007-11-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

So, now that you know all about my home repairs…

Thanks Willow, BTW, for your comment! It is something to really take ownership of your work… There’s a pride, not a bad one, a good one.

I may have shared this before, but one of my friends from church recently saw the man who murdered her sister sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The murder was 23 years ago! And the family has had SUCH a journey! Here’s the story, if you like to know more: Here

What else? Well, I’m more than half way through my Greek class and still having a good time, although I go through phases of boredom, I must admit. Not because it isn’t difficult, but because I lose motivation sometimes. I bought an Inter-linear Bible on Thursday! Very exciting!!!

Life at work is kind of, well, off the hook is a good way to say it! Remember when I commented on how there were so many people in our office who were working on a transaction at one time and there are only 3 in my department? Well, as of Monday, there will only be me in the office. Thankfully, there’s one lady who reviews from home, and she’s only part-time… But, my direct manager is changing jobs, my other team member is taking care of his family (he’s been out a month, and expected to return at the end of November)… So, it’s just me. For the 27 Sales people, 10 loan processors, and entire nation of appraiser/appraisal assignments. A few other people have picked up to help with some of the more administrative things, but I’m it. This makes me sad, frustrated, and sometimes, I will admit, angry! Ultimately, they finally told us that they were planning on doing a lot of reorganizing of my team. They even called me into the manager’s office, had me close the door, and started the meeting with, “I only fire people on Fridays, but since today is Wednesday, you’re okay…” So, ultimately, the title and appraisal team will no longer exist as a unit, but the appraisal role will be under the underwriter’s wing. This makes sense for a financial institution, it’s just that the pieces they need for this transition are contingent upon hiring of new staff… something they’ve hemmed & hawed over for more than a year and maybe there’s more going on than I’m seeing, but doesn’t appear to be happening aggressively. This, of course, also rests on revamping the forms, procedures and methods altogether, which will also require time, man-power and negotiation/consideration. And in the meantime, I’m told the main reviewer is ME! Friday, though, amidst all of the stress, I was greeted by Starbucks and a pastry when I arrived. And someone else (from another team) gave me a chocolate covered strawberry…. So life has its’ flavor & perks.

Things have also been different since Will went back to work. His hours are completely different than mine and I often want to stay up WAY past my bed time to talk to him and hang out… and then, I’m so tired the next day. He’s the same when it’s time for me to get up and get out in the morning. There’s still some adjustment to be made for this.

I tried a new recipe for Honey and Milk bread! Aside from peanut butter & jam, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Will eat anything that fast! He ate a whole loaf in one day!! Here’s the recipe, if you’re interested:

½ cup of honey
1 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup of sugar (or ½ teaspoon of liquid Stevia)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Celtic salt
¾ cup of chopped pecans
1 egg, beaten

Combine the honey and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until honey dissolves. Stir in the olive oil. Remove from heat and let cool. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the pecans and toss to coat. Whisk the egg into a cooled milk mixture. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Beat just until blended. Pour into a lightly greased and floured loaf pan and smooth top. Bake at 350 degrees for 65 – 75 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack.

Yields: 1 loaf

Un-leavened!! =) And so appropriate since it came from “What Would Jesus Eat Cookbook”. You read that right! Hilarious!!!

Last weekend, I spent some time with my old house church group and learned about the Muslim faith. Very interesting! Our new church group is focused on ministry to Christians in Muslim countries & sharing the Gospel with Muslims, so this was very timely. The great thing about studying different religions is that the main issues are still the main issues, it’s just learning to understand the perspective the hearer/audience is coming from and tailor the message from their framework. But, it was crazy to hear some of the same thinking that Mormons would argue – a lone prophet with revelation, revelation that changed according to what his needs were, total allegiance to the faith, even over family relations, etc. Pretty wild! Yesterday, we shared with our cell fellowship and over the next week, I will prepare a lesson on Genesis 17-25 for the following Saturday night meeting. The design is that we all contribute something to the group meeting, and I’m afraid, particularly since I am in seminary, people have pretty high expectations of me & what I can prepare. Aside from that, the weekend is full of a birthday party, homework and yes, more house repairs.

Can you believe it’s almost Thanksgiving??? Seriously, folks, WHERE did this year go?

Hope you’re doing well. Take care!!

Okay, so I promised this SOOO long ago…

2007-10-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

Remember when we renovated Rialto? Well, as promised, I wanted to incorporate some of our pictures showing the work we invested in the place. I guess the best way to start is to explain what it was and let you see what it now is….

This is the room we affectionately called the “demo room”. It won’t be hard to imagine why…

(And before you get worried, there was only one wall torn up like this!) Now it’s the boys’ room…

Below is the Master Bathroom. You might be surprised to know that a little over a year ago, there was blue tile in the shower and the support wood between the rooms was visible to the naked eye! In fact, you could even touch the bathtub in the other bathroom through the hole in the wall!

Will did the tile work on the floor, but the guys we hired to do some of the tile work did the shower… My hubby can also take credit for the installation of the shower doors and the toilet.

This is the tub you could touch between the wood planks. It used to be pink (we had it glazed!)….
Here’s the counter top in that same bathroom. I will never forget when the guy who did the tile work in here (who only spoke Spanish), smiled and so cutely said, “Diferente!” You’ll note the unique tile lay-out on the countertop. You can also see the new tile work on the floor & the freshly painted cabinets. This picture includes only a portion of one of our life-saving friends, Jessica! She volunteered a couple of hours over a couple of weekends to help us tie up the loose ends… Bless her!
This room is affectionately called the “Psychedelic room”. Now it’s the toddlers’ room…

This is the new and improved laundry room. Note the contrast (minus the washer and dryer, of course…) – no more linoleum! The funny thing was that this house has seen so many generations that on these shelves were 70s color-scheme/style contact paper. It was so attached, that even using a putty spatula, I couldn’t remove it. We painted over what we couldn’t get off… No more dirty white walls, but an attractive brownish-orange…

This is the former dining room, now the living room. It’s kind of a challenge to see the tile work Will did in this room, but note the contrast. He used 5 different shades of tile (European size 17 x 17), shaved them down to the correct size and created a well-balanced design.

Here’s a much better photo of the tile work in the same room…

This photo was actually a moment to celebrate as it was the LAST tile he did in the room! We joked his pants would stand up by themselves with all the glue & thin set on them…

Here’s looking up! There was a leak in the roof (this was one of the two rooms affected – remember the demo room?) and we spent time patching up the hole (below the now repaired roof!).

It’s hard to believe that this room once had nothing but white walls, and contained a worn out, hide-a-bed couch, a TV, a large desk and lots of paperwork… It’s so beautiful, it almost leaves me speechless….

Welcome to the backyard! You’ll note the former backdoor, in center stage. Note the tape (an attempt to keep the crazy winds out) and the hole for the doggie door. Praise the Lord that door is out of there!!

And the new backdoor is installed…

And finally, the place where all can gather, the kitchen! Here’s a picture of the reliable tile cutter & you can see some of the work Will did on the counters here. It’s also very unique!

Here you can see the process the floor took and it’s the same design in the dining room. You can’t see the difference in this picture, but let me tell you that the counter to the right used to be double the size and have a stove-top oven. Will sliced it in half (he used to do some cabinetry) and put a new-to-us oven in its’ place. Also, we removed the double oven to the left (it was so old!) and made it a cabinet (you can see a hint of it in the gorgeous living room picture).

Okay, so I’ve talked all about what Will did in these photos, but I didn’t say anything about my work in this… Well, all the color on the wall was my part. I also made many trips to Home Depot & Lowe’s for supplies (one guy who saw me twice on the same shift said, “You must have a big project going…” What else could I do? I smiled…) and provided meals (Will would get so engrossed in the work, he’d forget to eat or rest). I also hung some of the drywall in the demo room & puttied in the cracks… and of course, I painted the outside (which I won’t show you for security reasons).

Anyway, I’m tired just recreating all this work for your knowledge. When I think back to all that we’ve accomplished this last year, WOW, I’m almost speechless…

That’s all folks!!

Excellent last few weeks!!

2007-10-23T15:59:00.001-07:00

So, I got brave and decided that I would bake bread! Why brave, you ask? Well, because as I’ve shared with Willow, I worried about the word “active” in yeast. Why now? Well, every month, for lunch, a group of people at work assemble and try out new recipes, like a potluck. This month was breads and soups. The bread turned out wonderfully; everyone who ate it agreed! It looks like I’ll be braving the world of homemade bread more often… My second try produced BETTER bread than the first time! YUM!

The candle party was also great! We helped my sister in law out a ton & we got some nice stuff also! A small group ended up showing, so it was a nice intimate little band of ladies….

Will and I broke away for our 1st anniversary two weekends (yes, it’s slightly premature as our anniversary was yesterday)! There is a couple at church who own a house in Lake Arrowhead (we’re now wondering about their house with the fires!) and they’ve been making it available to us for a mini-vacation for the last few months. Will went back to work on last week Wednesday and my midterm actually yesterday also (on our anniversary – BOO!), we thought we’d batter take advantage of it before these commitments present a problem. We had a wonderful time! We ate at home, went out to dinner, did 1,000 piece puzzle (we call it our safari since it was a picture of wild animals), went shopping, entertained a lonely Starbucks drive-thru attendant (and she gave us free coffee! SCORE!), watched movies, etc. We walked and talked, biked, admired the homes and the lake, star gazed… it was wonderful!! =)

As I mentioned, I had my midterm yesterday – 25% of my grade! YIKES!! It went well, and I know I missed 2 questions. As I was exiting the classroom, I saw that one of my classmates had a blank test! OUCH!!

And speaking of weddings (well, anniversaries really, but anyway), here's a picture of Will and me at Dana Point after my stepmother's wedding in August. One of my favorites!

We also saw a friend recently. Sharon came back to California for a weekend and we were only able to coordinate a quick visit upon her arrival. It was good times to see her though!!

I’m still doing stuff in Rialto (I really need to get these things done!)… Will’s schedule is different since he now works nights and is even learning a new position! He’s happy though, but we’ll have to be much more intentional about hanging out! There’s also a lot happening at my job… So, the next few weeks will also be off the hook!

And now for some humor… In an email titled “Why Dogs Bite People”, this was included:

That’s all folks! Thanks for checking in. =) Take care!

What’s new?

2007-09-25T18:39:00.001-07:00

Will and I did the 5k run on Sunday with 35,000 other participants! It was a mad house!! People running everywhere!! But, it was thrilling and fun too! The coordinator also allowed us all to come over to her house and refuel with hamburgers, hotdogs, fruit, chips, and cookies!! Very nice!!

Yes, that’s right. Will did end up participating in the run…. As we were working our way toward the starting line, I said to him, “Repeat after me: ‘I will NOT run this race!’” He smiled and changed the phrase around to be non-committal. Then, he tried to “lose me” in the crowd so he could run without guilt…. Normally, I wouldn’t be able to keep up since he is much faster than me, but at walking, he’s no match – not even in a crowd of 35,000! So, he kept looking over his shoulder, disappointed when he saw me there! At the end, he said he only actually ran about a mile of it, and walked the rest. He said his lungs weren’t up to it… I, on the other hand, had only trained to run 2 miles (just didn’t have the guts or time to commit to working toward more beforehand), and did pretty well overall. 46 minutes! This isn’t much slower than when I was in “elite” (for me) shape!

Class is busy and time consuming! My quiz scores are dropping and we can’t let that happen! I’m only allowed to drop two throughout the semester and two were in the 16 and 17 range, out of 20. So, I need to pick it up again!

As far as movies go, he’s still working on finding a new series. I think 24 got old because it was too stressful. Fortunately, the video store is within walking distance…

My sister in law and I are throwing a candle party on the 7th. I’ve invited some friends (still have more to go), but, I’m excited to have a get together at my house! Let me know if you’ll be in the area (Pomona) and would like to come…

Anyway, that’s about it for now.

The cast came off….

2007-09-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

And what do you suppose we found? That’s right! A broken bone! They know this because they took new x-rays immediately. Now, what puzzles me is that they LET him leave the doctor’s office without a new cast!! WHATEVER!!!

So, he’s still at home. And guess what else? LOST is no longer the DVD of choice…. He’s into 24 now! And, might I add, I have to walk by the TV with my eyes covered so that I don’t get sucked in too!! Each evening, I go downstairs to tell him that I’m done studying and that I have to go to bed for work the next day. Each evening, I find two wide-eyed men (our tenant’s into it too, despite his efforts to ignore it!) sitting open-mouthed, attention glued to the TV. You’d think it was football season! Oh, it is! =) I also find that I’ve been going to bed alone since he has to see the next episode… I’m not bitter. REALLY! =)

Confession: Previously, I actually paid attention to what was happening and Will and I stayed up one weekend until 6 a.m. on Sunday morning to watch the conclusion of the nuclear attack on LA! I completely understand the addiction. =)

As you can see, I’ve been studying a lot! I’m doing really well in Greek class and I’m so pleased. It’s definitely not an easy class but I have been trying to be diligent each step of the way. The cool thing is that the author of our textbook is so committed to this cause, he has current websites loaded with information, additional lectures on DVD and answer keys... I spend a lot of time reinforcing what I’m learning. During the first few weeks of our class lectures, there were groanings and moanings throughout the room! It cracked me up!

On other fronts, I’ve rejoined Gospel Choir under the leadership of a new director, I’m reconnecting with friends at school and starting afresh with a new church group. Will and I were a part of a new splinter group from the Mission Viejo church we participated in for the last few years. This new group meets in Laguna, yes, still pretty far from home!! But, we’re trying it out. It’s not that there’s tension or anything about the way one group does church verses another. It’s that the model is being duplicated – well, supposedly. So far, not so much, but it’s only been one week!

Another interesting tidbit that I wanted to share with some long-time friends is that Biola Utah is beginning to look more and more like the old Utah we knew and loved. I went to an informational meeting a few weeks ago and asked a lot of questions (I didn’t say anything about my previous involvement), but I can say that these students aren’t following Standing Together’s schedule, they are working for a couple of days with Christ Ev Free (can’t remember the pastor’s name now!) and still do ministry at Temple Square and at BYU (this part they do work in conjunction with ST). They don’t condone the “Bob & Greg Show” as the new director called it. *SMILE!* They also don’t like the sign holders, door to door visits or those who would distribute DVDs to doorsteps… But all in all, they seem to be forthcoming about the Gospel, and even challenged the entire group – “If you believe we aren’t being true to the Gospel, call us on it!” I was encouraged. There are several opportunities to participate now – Spring Break trip, Christmas Break trip & local ministries throughout the semester. For each, they study Gospel Principles, attend institute classes and dialogue of course. The one interesting feature is that they’ve changed their name from Utah - LDS Ministries - EMI (Evangelical and Mormon Interactions). It’s no longer housed under Student Ministries, but rather Spiritual Life, which I’m told occupies the same area where StuMin once called home. A couple other observations: most of the leadership is only in their second year of ministry through Biola (not sure if that’s a bad or good thing) and there were only 16 team members on last year’s Spring Break trip. What ever happened to the 80 eager applicants?

Well, I guess that’s all for now. =)

Greek OR LOST, that is the question!?

2007-08-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

Will and I have been watching Episodes of LOST nearly every day! Curiosity is a dangerous thing! What will we do when the available episodes have all been seen?

Church is the biggest thing lately. We go to a small house church on Saturday nights and have been for the last several years (off-setting these meetings with a more local church when we can't drive 2.5 hours to and from). It's a very cool group and such a dynamic place to be! Well, they're splitting into two groups in a few weeks, and they're ulitimately aiming at Will and I starting our own. This, until recently, wasn't really a likely option... but Will and I have been doing a lot of thinking and praying, and perhaps it's not as impossible as we thought. It will not be immediately. We're talking maybe 6 months to a year. We'll see.....

Anyway, I got to get to work!! I'm waiting for my computer to download program so that I can work on my homework! Class is tonight and Wednesday nights. SIGH! No episodes of LOST on these nights....

TTYL

What’s up Doc??

2007-08-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Spinning off of Deb’s recent Disney post, I guess. I’m definitely not a doctor!

I’m still working hard at work and my weekends are still spent at Rialto painting. I’m more than on my way toward finishing. I estimated it would take me until October at the rate that I’m on… Although, the added pressure of school will soon throw a new element into the mix. As excited as I am about taking Greek, I’m also concerned because it is hard…. I also imagine it’s time consuming.

Things have felt sort of crazy lately in general. Will and I are refinancing and so I was fully expecting to hear from the credit bureaus about an attempt to access my credit. Well, turns out that I was misinformed. Silly me! I guess when one bureau says that share the information you provide with the two other credit bureaus, I should have known it was only the fact that my credit had the potential to be accessed for fraud. A credit institution or thief can get 2 scores without issue. BLAH!! So, that is stressful!

I’m still trying to wrap up reading The Innocents Abroad, choose on decor for Pomona (I’d like to put more time to this!), making a plan and working it… Reading some other health literature…. And one thing that’s surprisingly stressful is confirming that all the receipts from the month match my bank statements. I’m still trying to figure out why this concerns me so much, but I guess I feel like it’s my diligence as a steward. Yeah, that about says it. .

Will’s been enjoying movies & odds and ends around the Pomona house since he’s still limited with his broken foot. He rented the TV series LOST from the video store and it’s hard to tear myself away…. We’re planning a trip to San Diego to see the Dead Sea Scrolls with our church group at the beginning of September. We’re excited for that!

A couple of nights ago, a friend from church invited many to a Mormon Fireside meeting in Mission Viejo. Will and I went with them and had some really fascinating conversations! It’s such a small world. One of the leaders point blankly asked if I was a born again Christian and then sought me out afterwards. He’s been meeting with Craig Hazen and has another event/forum planned for tomorrow night in So. OC. It’s funny to me how these meetings seem to suggest to the average Mormon that we’re all on the same side. It’s the same old story; ‘I don’t know what you Christians are all upset about! The only thing we have that you don’t is a Prophet…’ Whatever!

Olga’s wedding is in a week and a half. I’m meeting with her tonight to help her with some of the last minute details. I remember the CRUNCH!

Anyway, that’s about it. Holding the fort down a few more days and then entering again into the structured world of school….

Take care!

Howdy!

2007-07-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

Again, time passes quickly! Sorry… busy as usual.

Our niece who occupies Rialto had her third baby two weeks ago (and text messaged everyone 45 minutes after she delivered with the stats! Marvelous technology! STRONG momma!)!

I’ve enjoyed the summer. We have been cleaning, unpacking and trying to hang out with people we’ve neglected since we started the “crunch time” in Rialto. I felt bad, but had to put everyone on hold.

There isn’t a lot new in life except one thing: Will broke his foot coming down the stairs two Saturdays ago. Metatarsal #5 (outside long bone) is broken with the break heading in three different directions!

OUCH!! We do not live in the most conducive house (3 stories) to have this kind of injury! Everyone we’ve talked to seems to have expected Will to break his foot by bouncing off the walls, jumping from rooftops or running… But, NO-O-O-O! He simply walked down the stairs, thought he was on the landing (carrying something in front) and looking up at the light he wanted to turn off, took two steps instead of one at once and landed on the side of his left foot… I’ve never had an injured husband before. And honestly, even though it wasn’t life threatening, couldn’t help but shed a few tears… Working at Costco is out for a while anyway… He’ll be stuck on one floor for most of the days and the doctors were able to squeeze him in before their vacation to cast it… Will's off until 9/12. This will be a long road! We’re trying to make things comfortable for him. The other thing that I find interesting is that he doesn’t want to sit still – he wants to be driving around (remember, I said it was his LEFT foot!).

On a healthier note, we’re excited to report that our trip to Utah was a grand success!! Approximately 8 years ago, a friend from BIOLA and I were praying in Temple Square (SLC) for God to send us someone to talk to. When we looked up, a man was standing there who said, “Hello beautiful ladies!” To which we said another heartier, “AMEN!” and we both exchanged letters with him for some time. This year, our team was scattered across Temple Grounds again and I heard some of the girls groaning about a very rude Mormon man they were talking to… They were very offended by his tone and his response to their chat (I wasn’t there, so can’t give you too many details). Anyway, he came back to “finish the job” and I saw him, recognized him immediately as the man I had met 8 years ago! (He said he remembered the last letter he received from me was when my dad passed away, this is how I’m calculating the timeline!) We had a very nice conversation, he was very apologetic toward my friends and even turned away a couple of concerned Sisters who thought he was being cornered by me. Anyway, he asked my friends to join us, and Will jumped right in (they had left us alone to pray for us up until this point). Anyway, in the course of the conversation, Will’s determined not to just “plant seeds”; he wants to give everyone a chance to accept (or as they desire, reject) the Gospel. He asked the question. My old friend AGREED and Will led him in the prayer (he even paused when Will asked him to repeat, “I know it’s not based on what I can do.”). My old friend and I are still trying to catch each other on the phone (he doesn’t do e-mail) and I did send him a card with a church referral from a friend in the area. Please pray for Tyrone!

On a different note, I’m starting school in a few weeks. I was cleaning out the garage (looking for something else) and found my old Greek New Testament and Lexicon! AMEN! This will be very handy in class!

I’m bored at work and tired of some of the issues we face. Guess I lack motivation altogether. Truth be told, emotionally, I feel torn in different places. Olga is getting married in a month, and I’m still trying to figure out what exactly I feel about this. I’m not even going to go there…

Anyway, so yeah, same old same old – well, with other limitations! Please pray for Will! Thanks for checking in!!

On the road again...

2007-06-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

We have finished!! YEAH! The house in Rialto looks AWESOME! (If I do say so myself!!) We’re having the internet connected at our house in Pomona so one day (soon!) I’ll be able to post some pictures. The tenants have moved in and say they’re happy there! So are we!!

We’ve been resting up and looking at our house in Pomona, considering what we can do to it. There are MANY white walls and we could use some furniture. But, we don’t want to spend too much; we want to pace ourselves. I’m also concerned that if we don’t get going on something, the summer will be gone and I’ll be tied up again with school. [Did I mention that next semester will be my first full semester of Biblical Greek?!] I also hope to have a House Warming Party in Pomona sometime this summer!

Will and I have been stunned at some of the opportunities God has presented us with the last few weeks. He shared the Gospel with a couple at the pool in the complex. I was encouraging a former Reorganized Latter-Day Saint (a.k.a. Community of Christ member) in their faith in the true Jesus. I was surprised to meet someone outside MO who had so much history there (guess I shouldn’t be) and she was equally surprised to see that I knew ANYTHING about the RLDS group.

Speaking of, God is opening the door for us to go to Utah again with our church in Mission Viejo. We’re really, REALLY excited!! Will and I have been studying up. He’s so eager to learn more and prepare! I’m so blessed watching him!

Work has been SOO busy! I’ve been getting home really late because I’ve been so overwhelmed! There are many people who are unhappy with the turn around time on things. Simply looking at the ratios, it’s easy to see why things take a while. There are only two of us handling ALL the title and appraisal orders. 18:2 (sales to title/appraisal) or 8:2 (loan processors to t/a). For every one interruption (phone call or visit from an anxious person on the transaction), this slows down the process for everyone else. Still, a few people volunteering to help have been an encouragement to me. I have completed the appraisal review training, but I don’t believe I’ll be doing them anytime soon since there is simply too much volume! I also should add it is very beneficial to know SOMETHING when the appraisers call! Two months ago, I had a meeting with management about this and other issues. Next week, I’ll have a follow up to that meeting and I still have responsibilities to tend to in this regard (in addition to having a better attitude!). I (honestly) have been praying about this and seeing results (PTL!)!

Will commented today on how we’re so busy…. I have to confess, I really enjoy being busy and I think he does too. But, we do need to learn to relax more. Will’s watching more movies and I started reading a book called The Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain (required reading for our trip to Israel, and yet NEVER mentioned). It’s quite hilarious and I often can’t wait to get into it again! I’m also reading a devotional, which I would like to prepare a review on (posting here & on Amazon or something)! I highly recommend a devotional called Going Places with God, by Wayne Stiles. More to come on that later.

Take care and thanks for checking in!!

PS Well, maybe "finished" is a strong word for the Rialto house. We still have some things to do (clean up outside & paint some), but we're done inside. =)

Where is she?

2007-05-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for you diligent folks who have checked only to find that it’s been almost a month since I’ve updated my blog! Things have been busy (as you probably suspected)!!

First of all, God is to be praised! Will and I have only miraculously been able to see the Rialto house through all the work! God supplied our needs by providing contractors with schedules that were compatible with ours, who do excellent work, and follow through on their commitments! This is a huge praise!! We’ve not stopped either, as we only contracted out what we knew we couldn’t do in the window of time remaining – bathrooms and laundry room. Will and I have rehung dry-wall (he did the measuring, but I provided the arms to hold it up!), lots and lots of painting (we’ve given up on the exterior for now), lots of details (reapplying cabinet latches, applying electrical outlets covers, light fixtures, etc.). I skipped out on work to devote hours to it last week… Well worth the time because it looks great! Much better than it ever has! What’s hilarious is to see all the years this house has seen. We can see the generations peeling with the wall paper and the paint. It’s something to reflect on all the families and people who have occupied and taken care (mostly) of the house since 1947. Crazy!

School is done! Praise the Lord! I believe I did pretty well too… but we’ll find out for sure in a few weeks. Lots of reading and writing the last few weeks, as you already heard. One of the last hiccups I had was determining to skip out on class so that I could prepare for my appraisal training meeting with 3 VPs and real live appraisers (by reading hundreds of pages)… The girl from class I had asked to grab a copy of the 4 papers plus the other reading assignments for me never called or dropped off the paperwork until Monday! Class is on Tuesday night mind you! So Monday came, I had my homework and not the time to read at least 150 pages before the following evening. Graciously, the girl who didn’t connect with me spoke with the professor and asked him if she could take the penalty on my behalf. One of the clearest examples of Christ I’ve seen at Talbot so far!

Appraisal training has also taken a back seat again. I still have some reading to do, but the urgency isn’t there as the “teacher” is out of town right now.

And, this is the most unique part of my update: we have a tenant in Pomona. We have extra rooms in our house and have been talking about renting out to a college student for months now. We ran ads, have received some strange responses (from overseas, a couple of people have asked us to keep our eye out for some $$, deduct the rent, and write them a check for the balance – SCAM!) and then one came along a few weeks ago and Will met with him. His name is Kaaz (pen name). He’s actually not a student, but he’s not really sure what he’s doing yet. He’s considered moving to Pasadena for a while (not sure exactly on the reasoning still) and needed to get out of where he was living because the owners were doing a quick sell of the house to the realtor. Anyway… So, there you have it.

More to come later. Gotta run & get to work. =)

Improvements

2007-04-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

The house is looking better and better! Will’s making a lot of progress. I’ve been busy wrapping up school (spent all day Saturday reading & writing a paper; all day Sunday was spent in the papers/books we have to read to prepare for class). I took a break from the appraisal training because the timeline was extended when the VP determined she’s staying longer - and then it was changed back to the original schedule. (She’s got a few things to straighten up before she leaves on the mission field.) So, we’re set to read several hundred pages this week (we meet on Monday afternoons).

Thanks for your prayers for my friend! Things have improved greatly and are looking MUCH better! Nothing like the internet to broadcast your prayer requests. =)

Tired!

2007-04-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

Only a few more weeks left. Appraisal training will be over after the first week of May. In this, I’ve learned so much! Class assignments are also mostly over after the first day of May (although there will be on-going reading until the end of the semester). And, while I’m trying to get these two hurdles under wraps, Will’s very busy with the house. He finished tiling the kitchen countertop and he’s working very hard on the floor (and the dining room too). I’m also trying to help him set up appointments with plumbers and repairing the truck… You get the picture.

Some of the other exciting events that have happened:
- Smelled fire near our house last night when I was walking the dog.
- Noticed an electric pole leaning TOWARD a house in our complex (notified management about both).
- Spent Easter-eve with the men and women of skid row. Very cool time!
- Had a pretty serious talk with management recently about my role in the under-staffed department & the high learning curve.
- Determined I need to have a serious talk with one person I’ve been working with for the last few months.
- I’m also dealing with some grief. I have a friend who I care for deeply – Christian - who’s choosing to rebel & ignore counsel on things that are very clearly wrong. Our culture encourages individualism and running your own show. When there’s someone who’s pointing out an area of weakness or wrong living, yeah, it hurts, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore it (she's not returning my calls). I know how it feels... In the conversation I had with management (mentioned above), I’ve really wrestled with my VP’s comments toward me. Is he right? If so, how can I better behave? And how can I serve the Lord in this? If you would be so kind to pray for my friend – God knows the circumstances and He desires her fellowship.

2007-04-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

Busy! Things have been very busy lately with house renovations, learning a new side of the business, and trying to keep up in school. I guess I got myself into a mess with all the deadlines and work involved, but I prefer being busy to being bored; truth be told.

I also switched (sort of by accident) to the Google version of the blog and now I can’t get into it while I’m at work – did I say that out loud? OOPS!

Couple of interesting details I am learning in the world of appraisal:

The appraisal is chocked full of details which might seem peculiar to most people… First, since the #1 Rule of Real Estate is LOCATION, the #2 Rule of Real Estate is LOCATION and the #3 Rule of Real Estate is, you guessed it, LOCATION, there’s quite a bit of reading on the history of the county, the first developing entrepreneurs, the major employers in the region, the functionality & accessibility of transportation, etc. Interesting details! Assuming you’re interested, here are some details I’ve seen:

- The County of LA is the most populated county in the nation. As one of the first of 27 counties in the State of California, it was created in 1850 and given the title of “Pueblo del Rio de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula” (“The Town of the River of Our Lady, Queen of Angels”).
- If the County of LA were evaluated as a separate nation, it would rate 14th in terms of Gross National Product.
- No surprise: CA rated #4 in the nation when it comes to expenses related to doing business.
- The City of Long Beach is the second most populated city (after LA, the top).

Okay, enough of that.

A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend at the chiropractor’s office and he told me about an outreach right up our alley: distribution of a DVD about Joseph Smith, Jr. and Jesus. It was a “gift” on the doorsteps of Mormons throughout the nation. Anyway, so Will and I were distributing the DVD in La Mirada. Great stuff! Those individuals in our paths mostly refused the DVD, but for the most part, there wasn’t a lot of interaction on a Sunday afternoon…. So, I made my way around the neighborhoods and came across this house where a man and a woman were in the garage watching TV, smoking & drinking beer. I offered them a DVD, which they accepted – no contest. Then, as I was walking away, I heard:

Hey brothers and sisters,

Listen to me,

I'm talking to you religiously,

My Mormon Rap will make you see,

That I'm as funky as Donny and Marie.

When I go to church,

I'm in a good mood,

Cause they all treat me

Like a righteous dude.

When I watch tv,

I feel inspired,

Cause I listen to the

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

I'm a fine young man,

I'm living clean,

Don't smoke, don't drink,

If you know what I mean.

Don't touch Soda Pop if

It has caffiene,

You might say I'm a good little Sunbeam.

I didn't even date,

Until I turned 16,

I don't even know

The meaning of the word obscene.

Flipp'n, fetch'n, scruddle-dee-me,jimminy cricket,

and fiddledy-dee!

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

Now Brigham Young,

He's my main man,

Cause He brought the

Pioneers to the promised Land.

Brother Brigham might be related to me,

I'll check it out when I do my genealogy.

He didn't want settle just anywhere,

That's why we've got a place called Temple Square

I wish I could've seen old Brigham's Face

When he said "Oh baby, this is the place!"

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

I met a Mormon girl just yesterday,

Who had a real sweet spirit,

In her own choice way.

I said "Hey, I'm on my way to the Dairy Queen,

Would you like to join me for a bowl of Ice Cream"

She said "Sure, why Certainly,

But you're gonna have to wait til after three,

I've gotta give a lesson and a recipe,

To my Relief Society"

I was thinking of another nice place to go,

So I took my baby to the wild road show,

Refreshments look real good to me,

Red punch, white cookies, and mint candy

Then I took her home,

Nice place she had,

That's where I met her mom and dad,

I said "How do ya do? and I'm pleased to meet ya"

And the door bell rang, was the Home Teachers

I looked at my baby and she said with a smile,

"We might be here for a little while"

I said "Come On girl, lets go and ride,

Cause we're gonna be late for the fireside!"

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

My bishop asked if we're going steady,

And we said, "No sir, cause we're not ready,

We've got some important things to do,

Like graduate from BYU --

And sometime later in the fall,

I'm gonna recieve my mission call!

Don't you worry, I'll be flyin'

Right back home to the land of Zion!"

Put Salt Lake City on the map,

When we all do the Mormon Rap!

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

Mormon, Mormon Rap,

Do the Mormon Rap

"Hey Mom, What are we having for dinner?

Green Jello Salad with Shredded Carrots? MY FAVORITE!!"

Come on all you kids get in the Station Wagon,

We're gonna be late for cub scouts!"

http://www.ahfunaki.com/mormonrap.html

What else could I do? LAUGH!!! I asked him where he heard that and he said he owned the tape! I continued to laugh and told him I did too. And I asked him to watch the DVD. Of all the houses I went to, I want to follow up with that one!

And it’s funny how when you’re moving toward doing things, coincidences like running into an old friend that sparks conversation about things like Mormonism come to mean more. An accident? Hardly!

May God bless those individuals BOLD enough to ASK questions and that they would be persistent to SEEK answers. Hey, look at that: ASK, SEEK & FIND. God is good! And He has great compassion!

Now, back to class!

2007-03-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

So, the training for my new position is very extensive! They’ve even made it available to upper management! One VP is teaching and she’s invited another VP and the Director of Credit! They’re giving me actual appraisals (fitting) to review and determine whether we agree with the appraiser &/or reviewer. We are encouraged to read, do the math, and even disagree with the appraiser (who ME?!)! It’s also interesting to see appraisals come in over 200 pages!! WOW!! But, I am excited and I’m pleased to have this very important career move under my belt! I’m also balancing my loan closings WHILE I’m training.

Will and I are doing well. We’re still balancing a lot and there’s not much new on that front. We’re still looking for a church. We have been attending one that he used to go to, but it’s too far to continue for long... We visited one a few weeks ago and we ended up in the traditional service. I love the old hymns, but Will’s not so keen on them. Anyway, so we got a postcard from the church secretary and a follow up call from the pastor’s wife! The postcard had a phrase which intrigued me (especially, as I’m in a class which is discussing church leadership, ordinances, activities, etc.) “If you’re looking for a place to serve, we’d like to help you here.” So, I called the church and left 2 messages, which were not returned (!). When I called a third time, the cleaning staff answered the phone and she shut me down mid-sentence to tell me that she wasn’t the person I should speak to. Key point: I was working on explaining that I was in seminary class on church, and curious to hear more about how they use spiritual gifts… She apparently only got as far as “seminary” and left a note for the church secretary to call me back. So, a few hours later, I get a message from the secretary who says, “What I meant in the postcard was that we believe people who love Christ should be in service within the church somewhere…. We don’t have a paid position open.” WOW!! That wasn’t my point AT ALL!! When I tried to call them back to explain, the kitchen crew answered the phone….

Class is very busy! We’re slammed with paperwork! We’re juggling 3-4 quizzes per night and a ton of reading. Most students say that this is more work than any of their classes. So much for having other commitments!

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Catching up…

2007-03-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

I got a promotion today. I’m now known as a Loan Support Specialist and leaving my Loan Processing days behind. I’m pleased with the change. It means that I learn a whole new side of real estate – appraisal. The bummer is that it’s specialized (as the title suggests) to churches & some single-family residences. I keep hearing that there are many differences between an appraisal on churches verses commercial use. It was interesting to see the response of those that I asked about the position. They were very excited! Although it could be argued that it’s because there’s such a great need.... Over the last several months, many have quit (to relocate their families or even to go on missions) and we've been short-handed.

Things have been pretty much the same other than that lately. We accomplished a lot at the Rialto house this last weekend… I’m trying to stay focused on my homework through the week and make time available on the weekend to work at Rialto.

I’m also back to training again. I’m not planning on doing a marathon anytime soon as it requires too much time, but I’m trying to do 3-4 miles per week, which is truly manageable. One of the people I train with is working on completing triathlons and that sounds do-able... someday. =)

My class is interesting again! We’re talking about homosexuals and women in ministry. And it’s likely to get more exciting yet!

Checking in…

2007-02-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

It’s class time. The discussion is on spiritual gifts. We have a little over an hour left. Students are presenting tonight. Ephesians 4, I Corinthians 12, Romans 12 & I Peter 4.

Will and I went to Phoenix over the weekend to be at a friend’s wedding. We had a great time! The wedding was beautiful! And we had a great time connecting with old friends and even were able to make it to the Grand Canyon! He’s never been and really enjoyed it! There were features of a whirlwind trip because we went from Phoenix, up to the Grand Canyon and back to a city on the way to Tucson called Florence all in one day! We started driving at 6 a.m. and ended at 9 p.m. (stopped a few times along the way…). Needless to say, we were tired! But, we pretty much stayed in Phoenix other than that.

After one awe experience of seeing the Grand Canyon, on the way home, we had another awe moment! A very cool development! I’m a recipient of a scholarship! I applied a few months ago for a scholarship and half-heartedly believed that I could be selected. Then 2 weeks ago, I was interviewed and found out that I was one of three candidates. And then on the way home from the Grand Canyon, got the news! God is good! And needless to say, we are VERY blessed!! Every little bit helps!!

One of the bummers that we faced when we got home was that our dog – the Big Dummy – escaped. My mother in law, who was taking care of them, found him on the doorstep. She said he was very humble and quiet when he came home and then discovered that he was bruised and bleeding. He’s bandaged now and seems to be doing better. We’re hoping that it will teach him not to run away, but honestly he’s pretty thick, so we’ll see.

Tonight’s discussion is truly interesting, so I don’t mean to imply that it’s boring. I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to study at Talbot. And I have been even been surprisingly pleased lately with the school’s administration!

Old Friends!

2007-02-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, it was a year since my dog, school books, computer, car, identity, etc. were stolen. Crazy how quickly time flies!! Among the many things I have really missed were my CDs and several months back, it occurred to me that I burned CDs of my favorite Christian (and some secular) songs for my mom as an encouragement. She’s hardly into “that kind of music”, so she put them away in a box for about 3 years… She is also in a new house and in cleaning out “stuff”, she discovered them! What a thrill to have my music back! =) And as I think about the things that have happened since that time, it’s funny because there have been many things that have come back or been provided for me and largely without me trying. Many people from church & work kindly gave me some money, which was very useful as I was getting back on my feet… Over the course of the year, Will bought me a new stereo and a new computer! My Franklin Covey day timer and 7 Habit Training material were replaced for free! Even the Biola Bookstore showed me some grace when they gave me an additional discount on my books & their assurance if anything were to come back to them matching the serial numbers of the items stolen, they promised to notify me. God has really blessed me and brought me “Full Circle”. WOW!

Another blessing occurred last Friday as I was out getting something for lunch. I ran into a couple who led a Grief Group I attended for 4 years and a Bible study I participated in for about 2. The last thing they heard about me was that everything was stolen and I was engaged. What a year to update them on! I gave them a picture of my hubby & me and told them all the news…. It occurred to me again how much we’ve accomplished this last year! And, then Will and I were out last night and he said, “Do you realize in a couple of days, we’ll have been married for 5 months?!” WOW!!

School was very exciting on Tuesday! My teacher is a DTS alum, current pastor and former faculty member of Talbot (10 years ago). He was kind enough to structure the class with a moderate level of work for a graduate course – even telling us that “if you’re a full-time student, you’re already juggling quite a bit. If you’re not, it’s because you have other responsibilities. I structured the class to give you resources & help you.” Very cool! And even in walking the halls, I ran into some old friends and meet some new people. They guy sitting next to me in class was unfortunately recovering from an allergic reaction to poison oak. He graciously refused to shake my hand. =) And as an aside, one of my goals this semester: I’m determined to have a better attitude toward Talbot!

More later….

Life’s good!

2007-01-29T12:45:00.000-08:00

Old News: A few weekends ago, I celebrated another milestone – a birthday! Will was so wonderful! That was actually the first night we spent in Pomona. He also set up an appointment for a massage (as a SURPRISE!), we saw a great movie (Stomp the Yard) and went shopping on a gift certificate! I bought a gorgeous purplish-blue cashmere sweater, a nightgown and Will bought a sweater (he needed it) all for $30! It was a great day! =)

This weekend was littered with accomplishments a long time in coming! 1) I was able to move more into Pomona over the weekend & settle a little more. 2) We purchased the end unit so we have lots of windows facing the new community. We got some curtains up last night. WHEW! 3) We’re getting some help on the Rialto house from the neighborhood kids. They’re pretty good with a paintbrush & we’re still making a lot of progress! 4) I had a couple of very important meetings with family starting Thursday and ending last night. Both meetings went well and things appear to be improving. 5) Will took me to the company “Christmas” party (I know, strange it’s at the end of January! Go figure!). He was excited to introduce his wife. =) 6) We finally finished our selections for the wedding album (we had to sort through 1140 pictures!) and are now finalizing touches before it’s printed!

I start school tomorrow night, I must confess, with some reluctance but also with curiosity…

New News: My stepmother is engaged to Neil. Their wedding will be in August and they just selected a location in Dana Point.

Acceptance of God!

2007-01-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

I don’t think I’ve made it public yet that my wonderful husband bought me a new car stereo for Christmas! With all the time I spend in the car and not having a stereo since my car was stolen in February, it was a real treat! He came down to work one afternoon and just before he presented it, he excitedly exclaimed, “I have your present, but you can’t cry. Okay?” And then he handed me the “face plate” of the stereo. I just looked at it and him in disbelief. I also argued, “Will, you know that there’s only sliced wires in there, right?” So, he smiled and led me to my car (which he had “stolen” from the parking lot to install). I did cry, by the way. =)

So, anyway, I’ve been so pleased to have it! I know what’s going on in the world again and even what’s new in music! =) I also have really enjoyed listening to several sermons! Yesterday morning, I heard Alistair Begg talking about Boaz’s graciousness toward Ruth & Naomi and he paralleled it as a picture of God’s graciousness towards us (Gentiles), as His covenant people. Boaz’s hospitality extended racial, social and economic lines. Ruth was a poor widow and a descendent of the Moabites (Esau) while Boaz was from Bethlehem (from the tribe of Jacob or Israel, Jew). He not only permitted her to pick from his fields (even instructing his pickers to loosen the fine crop they had gathered so she could collect it), but also included her as the pickers and he sat and ate. Throughout the Old Testament, the men were instructed to annihilate and not to make treaties or intermarry with those they conquered because their hearts would be taken away from serving Him. From passages like this, some have mistakenly concluded that God declared the Jews as the elite class. This conclusion ignores the fact that God had also instructed the Jews (His covenant people) to leave some of their harvest for those who are poor and the foreigners to gather for sustenance. And most importantly, they miss the point of God’s command - He wanted to make sure the Jews hearts weren’t lead astray by the enticements of foreign gods. Also, if it were in fact true that God “hated/disliked” the foreigner, for Boaz to marry Ruth would have been grievous indeed. [Ruth’s even listed in Christ’s ancestry!] God’s love and concern for the outsider is evident in His provision for even the foreigner and foreshadows what is portrayed in the New Testament toward the Gentiles. WOW!

Ho-Hum…

2007-01-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

Two weeks until school starts and I’m a little nervous. While I was on independent studies status, I could do whatever I wanted to, when I wanted to… but this semester will be different. I’ll be driving in from further away and juggling more. All things are possible, right? Only with God!

There are some interesting changes at work in progress. They’re changing up my territory, so I will no longer be handling the most difficult states in the country. I’ll be doing west coast transactions primarily and one of the sales guys said that I may be able to go along with him one time! Cool!

We still have not moved, but I’m enjoying the fact that I can get home a little earlier (when I was commuting with the family, they needed to arrive a little later than I preferred, which also meant that we got home later). So, now I’m going home and painting until I can’t handle the cold anymore. I made a lot of progress the last few nights!

I’m also evaluating my plans for this year and considering what I want to accomplish. I never seem to run short of ideas….

NOT!

2007-01-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

The weekend didn’t end up being all about the move after all. Although I did take a small load on Friday evening over, we concentrated on fixing the Rialto house …. Will worked in the bathroom and I painted.

We did end up doing some work on our new place on Monday. We spent a lot of time prepping and painting the tile to give it a permanent shine & preparing it for easy cleaning. It looks MARVELOUS!! Now that this work is done, we can move. Afterwards, we were both so wiped out… and today we’re sore. We also noticed one more important feature of our place: we’ll be in shape living there! Who needs running when you have three flights of stairs to climb?!

In other news: Did you hear that it SNOWED on Friday? On Friday morning, one friend from Rialto said she had snow on her car and another in Fontana said snow covered their neighborhood! It was even snowing in the afternoon. Just when I merged onto the 210 East on my way home, I encountered it and when Will arrived home at 2, it was snowing at our Rialto house!! The disk jockey said that it hasn’t snowed in Rancho Cucamonga area for 17 years! Crazy!!!

Moving!

2007-01-12T10:01:00.000-08:00

Anyone want to help? Give me a call! It’ll be going on ALL weekend…

It is Finished!

2007-01-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

We’re going to pick up the keys today! I’m not sure how much we can move over the next 24 hours, but I am considering asking for Friday off, and since Monday’s a holiday, botta-bing, botta-boom! =) I should also add that I have a WHOLE new appreciation for our borrowers now, and their patience!!

The next big news is that we have a new toilet! Don’t worry, I’m not going to share anything grotesque… but, we have 2 bathrooms. One has a working toilet and working shower, but not a working sink. The other has a working sink and broken toilet & shower. These have been projects for some time. So, Will bought a toilet a few weeks ago and was finally able to install it two days ago. It’s funny the things you can appreciate! =)

On another front, I’ve been carpooling with a great family. The husband and wife work with me and the children go to school not too far away from our office. They only live a city away from Will & me. So, for the last week, it’s worked out really nicely. And honestly, much nicer for me as my car is simply too small to hold 5… This will soon end now that we’re moving, but it has been great!

That’s about it….

Thanks Sherida! =)

2007-01-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU CHANGED IN 10 YEARS?

10 years ago....

How old were you? 18
Where did you go to school? Sonora High
Where did you work? Taco Bell, restaurant
Where did you live? Fullerton, CA
Where did you hang out? my house, school
What was your hair style? Long, straight hair
Did you wear glasses? no
How many tattoos did you have? 0
How many piercings did you have? 4, 2 in each ear
What car did you drive? White Nissan Pulsar
What was your favorite band/group? Mariah Carey
What was your worst fear? That I would make a bad decision for college
Had you driven yet? yes
Had you been to a real party yet? No
Had your heart broken? Yes
Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: Single

FIVE YEARS AGO.......................................................

How old were you? 23
Where did you work? Couch Consulting is the short answer
Where did you go to school? Not a student
Where did you live? Fullerton
Where did you hang out? Coffee houses, church, friend’s houses
How was your hair style? Long, straight
Did you wear glasses? no
Who was your best friend? Sharon and Deb
What was your worst fear? That something would happen to my stepmother
Who was your regular-person crush? Alan although David was a close second
How many tattoos did you have? 0
How many piercings did you have? 6, 4 in right ear (2 cartilage) & 2 in left
What car did you drive? Honda Civic
What was your favorite band/group? Lifehouse
Had you been to a real party yet? no
Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: Single

**DECEMBER 2006**

How old are you? 28
Where do you live? Rialto
Where do you work? Credit Union
Did graduate from school? Yes, & went back for more…
Where do you hang out? my house, work & in the car
What is your hair style? Same
Do you wear glasses? Sometimes
Do you talk to your old friends? Some of them, yes….
How many tattoos do you have? 0
How many piercings? 8
What is your favorite band/group? Lifesong
What car do you drive? Civic
What is your biggest fear? Learning to let go
Have you been arrested, if so how many times total? Nope!
Has your heart been broken? Yes - isn't this a natural course of life?
Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: Married!

Slow day at work…

2006-12-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

So, while I did close three loans this month (and almost thought I’d close another one this week), things have mostly slowed down for me at work. This is just fine because there are many project still do to. The last couple of hours, I’ve been killing time writing my thank you notes for the wedding! I’m so pleased because they will go out EARLIER than I thought!

I called escrow today and found out that while the terms Will wanted in the loan were cleared up, the lender is out of town this week on vacation. So, if the assistant is able to finalize things while he’s out, then we’ll be good to go early next week (I think that’s a safe bet). What’s funny is that the lady at the escrow company (even though she’s literally handling dozens of loans for this development) remembers me each time I’ve called. I hope that’s a good thing!

While Will is staining the floor and doing some of the construction jobs around the house, I’ve been trying to pack and get things together (as much as possible) for our move. It would help me tremendously to have at least our clothes at the new place ASAP. That way this crazy drive can stop!

It’s funny because our very busy and overworked attorney came over to my cube a second ago and saw my spread – thank you notes on one side and this blog entry on the screen. HMM! Where’s that BOSS button that one job search site (I’m blanking on the name at the moment) has? It would have been helpful!

One of the girls in my office has gone to Russia to adopt a couple of kids (I think they’re siblings). She’s there now and they just sent some pictures back. They got new toys, hair ribbons and lots of love by their new momma! Aren’t they the cutest?!

More later…

I used to wonder….

2006-12-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

I used to wonder what I’d be like to live in LA or Watts where police helicopters hovered overhead with their beams on the ground … I guess I don’t have to wonder any more. Last night (Christmas!), as we came home, there was a police helicopter circling the Stater Bros. center right behind our house and as we rounded one of the turns, we saw another police car stationed just in case. You have to wonder whether some hoodlum trying to escape will jump into your backyard, or worse, try to break into your house…. And in moments like these, I comfort myself knowing that The Big Dummy, as charming as he appears, has a powerful bite! And based on the breed tendencies, Will and I believe that if The Big Ox ever thought we were in danger, he'd protect us...

Christmas was good. Will worked a lot last week and once he got home, there were more projects to do, so he didn’t get to shopping or wrapping… In his family, everyone buys gifts for the kids and then the adults do a White Elephant gift exchange. And, what’s funny is that Will always received gifts in addition to the WEGE gift, just because… So, we walked away this year with just as many (no probably one more gift) as the kids. Kind of fun! =) We were told that we needed to be at his sister’s house around 12:30 or 1 for the festivities. I spoke with his sister several weeks ago and she was very adamant about starting then…. But, when we arrived, no one but his sister was there. We came, with our contribution to the meal and the gifts, but we were 3 hours early as nobody had called to tell us that they changed the start time… So, we went home, opened our own gifts (we didn’t have time to open our gifts to each other because we were rushing out) and went to see The Pursuit of Happyness. [Good movie!] But, since our phones were off, we had three messages between us from his family asking us when we were coming. Funny!

I’m tired today and really not in the mood to be at work… But such is life.

The Update…

2006-12-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

I finished the paper! Woo-hoo! 51 pages of text and several hand-outs and then 3 pages worth of a bibliography with notes on the books themselves…. I’m so relieved! One of my delights was to find Dietrich’s allows their customers to get on the web for FREE! So, I used the web to copy and paste Bible text to my paper (shh! Don’t tell anyone!). At night, after I got home and mostly ready for bed, I’d add the quotes/paragraphs from the resources to the Word document, so the next day, all I’d need to do was make it “flow” and add the Bible passages. But, even with those things in place, it wasn’t until Friday at 9:30 when I was able to e-mail the entire package to my professor! [It was officially due Friday by midnight.] And just to be sure, I copied myself and sent a second “I just sent you a large attachment” e-mail to my professor. That way, there’s no reason for him to say he didn’t receive it! WHEW!!!

Work has been busy. By the end of today, I will have closed three loans this week! My “trainer/adviser” was out most of this week, so we spent the last few weeks preparing for her absence and were surprisingly busy! It may seem strange after a year that I’d still be in training… Well, they saddled me with the most difficult states in the country, so I still need a good amount of input. =)

And on the house front, last night Will and I spent two and a half hours doing our walk thru. It wasn’t all business as we got to talk to the agent about the Lord and various other topics. Will was so cute! He called in the morning saying he’s very excited for our appointment … And then, he got caught up in traffic (there were two accidents on the 10 freeway between Rialto & Pomona. He said he was “crawling” for almost an hour!), so he wasn’t able to start with us… =( Poor guy! The things the contractors need to do are minor; replace a few tiles, reinstall a few windows, touch up on paint throughout the house & even outside… All in all, it’s gorgeous and very exciting!! At 6:45 last night, the escrow officer called to ask more questions about our transaction… Will has a couple of loose ends he’d like to tie up with the lender (which is just fine with me). So, all things being resolved, we should be closing by the end of next week! But, I’m still not holding my breath yet...

As far as our current house is concerned, we finally got the kitchen sink to work (there was something in there clogging it for a long time!), Will’s staining the wood in the entry way (which is proving to be a little bit of a challenge as The Big Dummy likes to tear through the house whenever he gets a chance and there is just no reasoning with him…). We still need to finish painting (ugh!), tiling and installing a window in the bathroom.

I can’t believe Monday is Christmas! I just can’t! Does it go away if I deny it? Oh, well. I guess I’ll just have to confess that I’m W-A-Y behind in everything – including Christmas! So sorry! Merry Christmas everyone!! And to all, a good Morning! =)

Laughter is good for the soul...

2006-12-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

So, this will be a random entry. I’m tired as I’ve been staying up late trying to finish my paper. Coffee isn’t doing for me anymore, but I’m almost there!

A couple a days ago in the break room, one of my co-workers said, "Whatever anti-depressant you're on, I want some." He continued, "I could tell you your dog had died, and you'd find a way to laugh about it."

Another co-worker standing nearby (with a better memory) said, "She did cry, don't you remember?"

And then I laughed, spoiling the seriousness and proving what he was saying...

Will and I were sitting at the laundromat washing the larger blankets and doing paperwork last weekend. One lady kept looking back at us with a perplexed look on her face. I guess it’s not common to see husbands in there with their wives. =)

Today’s the 14th. 11 more shopping days left….. I’m no where near ready, are you??

Sorry folks!

2006-12-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

After playing around with Blogger, you are now able to comment! Sorry about that!

Thanks!

Happy Monday!

2006-12-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

I’m being totally sarcastic! I’m pooped!

There really isn’t anything big to report. I’ve been working on taking care of my husband (feeding, cleaning, laundry). He’s been working on taking care of us (house repairs). I had good intentions of doing my homework over the weekend, but I suppose in all honesty, I just didn’t want to. I was able to write the conclusion to Chapter 3 (of the 6) last night, which is still good progress! Tonight, I’ll be hanging out in town and working on the other chapters. Gotta stick with it!

We’re having Christmas cheer everywhere – my department wants to do a potluck and another lunch, the company is having a Christmas breakfast, our church is proposing two holiday celebrations (one to learn about the symbolism of Hanukah and the second is an all out Christmas potluck), then my old Taco Bell team will be getting together on the 17th… And of course, then there’s the BIG day (and Eve) festivities! No wonder people gain weight!!

We had a big scare of the weekend. Will’s brother called to say that he hasn’t been able to get a hold of their dad for days. His brother started poking around and found out that their dad had been hospitalized in Florida and nobody knew why, the cell phone company said the last phone call he made was 5 days ago from Houston and something about a hitch-hiker. That his father would take a trip across the country isn’t totally unusual, but the other pieces caused us alarm. After church, Will made a ton of phone calls and I went to run some errands. While I was out, he called to tell me that his uncle said that dad had crossed the border from TX and something was wrong with his phone. We still have some questions about the hospital, but at least he’s safe!! WHEW!!

TTFN!

Two houses and a baby!

2006-12-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

My sister just closed on her house! The city bought her house several months ago and had “allowed” them to stay in it until December 1st. They wanted to tear it down initially, but they’ll use it for office space for a while. Anyway, so for the last two months, Heather & Josh were scrambling (last minute planners?) to find something else for their family. They found a house they REALLY liked, but they had some credit issues (bad partnership which is haunting their credit). So, for the last few weeks, we’ve all heard a lot of “It’ll be Wednesday.” “No, you’re not approved. It’ll be Monday.” “No, sorry. It’ll be next Thursday.” Yesterday, they FINALLY got the keys!! They were so excited, right after the signing, they headed straight over to their new place! Very cool!!

Our house will be next! They’re running our credit now….

Don’t worry! I’m not pregnant! My cousin and his wife had a healthy baby girl on the 4th!! =) Introducing Lily Medina! Aren't they a beautiful family?! Praise the Lord!!

Wow! That was fast!

2006-12-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Did you know that it’s December 1st?? So much time has passed since I posted last! OOPS!

We’re still really happy and enjoying the fact that one of us doesn’t have to leave anymore at night. And, Will’s not afraid to do laundry, the dishes or even to cook! What can I say ladies!?! I married the RIGHT man!! =)

I’ve also inherited some new “children” – two large dogs. One Rottweiler (“Champ” a.k.a. “The Big Ox” because he doesn’t know how big he is) and one mutt (“Buddy” a.k.a. “The Big Dummy” because he’s easily excitable and clueless). Champ is the sweetest but the most intimidating looking dog ever, and Buddy is exactly the opposite; he looks very charming, but he’ll bite strangers without warning. They’re both jealous dogs, so we separate them and one’s usually in the bathroom. Will bought them both large bones a few weeks ago and they have been working on them gradually. Between the wood floors and them working to position and chew, we hear a lot of THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! One night, Will said, “Champ’s playing the drums in there.” And then he must have picked up his bone and tried to turn around because we heard a big DING! Champ hit the toilet bowl and it sounded just like a cymbal crash! We just laughed…. =)

I’ve been driving a lot more than I’m used to and strategizing a little on the commute. It has taken me as long as 2 hours to get home! (Only once, thank the Lord! I arrived in tears out of frustration.) Sadly, the train routes won’t help because of the location of the stations. So now, after work, I work on my homework. I’m about 1/3 of the way done with the paper, and I’m actually enjoying writing it! I did a lot of prep work before I had to surrender the library books, and I’m so glad! I have another week until I can turn it in, but it’s not late until after the 15th. And this commute will only last another few weeks anyway. Praise the Lord!!

Thanksgiving was good. We spent it with my uncle, his kids and grandkids in Corona. I’m experimenting with recipes and I brought a new one – Fruit Salsa. It’s kind of like fruit salad with a kick: green onions & yellow peppers. It was okay & my cousin took loads of it! Will said he’d never eat another bite! It is interesting learning what your husband will and won’t eat… =)

We were blessed by all the wedding gifts, but I’m afraid that the thank you cards will have to wait at least another month. With the holidays, moving and my paper, ugh! So much to do!! We still have to get through wedding pictures. And for those of you who signed up to receive the photos via the web: Rest assured they’re coming!

Work has been busy and at times frustrating. I closed a $25MM transaction yesterday! My largest loan yet! Afterwards, I sent out an internal thank you e-mail to all involved and at the end, I added, “And now I need some chocolate!” A few hours later, a DARK CHOCOLATE (OHH!!) ESPRESSO (OH-LA-LA!) bar arrived on my desk by an anonymous donor. What a wonderful treat!! =) I also told the borrower “Merry Christmas” and when I hung up the people on the other side of the cubicle wall were laughing. “Do you suppose it’s too early to wish them a Merry Christmas?” I asked. One, still laughing, replied, “Since you sent them $25MM, I’m pretty sure you can say whatever you want to!”

Oh, and Will and I are both sick. We both went to the doctor’s and got medicine and we finished the dosage, but neither of us are fully 100% yet. He gave it to me, I gave it back to him, he gave it back to me…. What can I say; sharing is an important feature in our relationship! =) It’s an upper respiratory virus. The winds in Rialto are crazy in the morning (and often at night) so there must be something to that….

Anyway, life in a nutshell for us at the moment. More later.

You may call me Mrs. Martinez!! =)

2006-11-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

I am getting used to my new name, but I sign the old so naturally.

We went to Niagara Falls, Canada side for our honeymoon and had a great time! We hung out in our 10th story hotel room facing the Falls, watched movies, went for a helicopter ride, went to a museum, got coffee nearly every day (Tim Horton’s, I confess!), had dinner in the revolving Skylon Tower which was perched 775 ft. up and overlooked the Falls, etc. We had a great time! There are some differences to being married, but I also just feel blessed to hang out with my best friend all the time! =)

The wedding was beautiful and so much fun! As I suspected, there was WAY too much to do in the few hours we had!

Some memorable moments:
+ Shannon taking me to David’s Bridal for a blusher veil and to Brea’s Best for lunch. Her expertise and great taste was very helpful!!
+ Learning that Will made time to hang out with Josh, my brother-in-law, while Josh was feeling alone on his first visit to So. Cal! He’s so wonderful!
+ Traci helping scrambled me pack after the bridal shower for the wedding and the honeymoon. “First, let’s pray! ... Okay, let’s start with the wedding…”
+ Traci and Kerry providing married life and sex advice respectfully.
+ Sharon trying to zip up my dress the night before!
+ Trying to sleep the night before!
+ Asking Sharon to read Bible verses to me if/when she saw that I was freaking out. I handed them to her on a piece of paper and she stuffed her bra with it so she could get to it quickly! Hilarious!
+ Observing the bridesmaids get ready and hearing my cousin, who did my hair, ask me “How are you? You seem very calm…”
+ My starry eyed, 7-year old niece saying, “Wow!! What a bride!” and asking if she could use my wedding dress when she got married!
+ When we sang to my new niece, Chloe, for her fourth birthday (the same day as our wedding) in the country club locker room. She is still thanking me for this!
+ Jim, our pastor, coming to the locker room to calm me down and give me the run down beforehand.
+ Deb, Sharon, Traci and Olga helping me get into (and later, out of) my dress and jewelry. Also, Olga in the hotel room applying my makeup next to the window and stopping me along the way to freshen it up.
+ Seeing Will for the first time and the tears in his eyes as I walked toward him during the processional.
+ When my uncle was giving me away, he gripped Will’s hand in such a way to communicate “Take care of her, you hear!” He did this during the rehearsal too, although then he gripped three times as long (and harder!) and kept saying, “Get it!?!” So cute!
+ Hearing Jim, Will’s best friend, give a shout out to the single ladies during his toast – he’s afraid of being single his whole life! And hearing Kristin, one of my best friends, summarize our 11 year friendship as being each other’s “walking diaries” and the gasp of horror when everyone learned how we became friends! .
+ Dancing with Will to “We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters and praising the Lord for the precious moments with my new husband!!
+ Dancing to my father’s version of “Butterfly Kisses” with my uncle! My uncle telling me, “Look at him! He’s so proud of you!”
+ Taking pictures in the park with my new family and my friends! And Chloe rolling down the grassy hill in her white dress and the photographer saying, “The flower girl is having a melt down. She’ll need a few moments!”
+ Gracie grabbing me and bustling me up half way through the reception just when I needed it!
+ My uncle carrying my train and walking with me arm in arm toward the country club after pictures.
+ Riding to the country club in a limo and from in a town car. Going to I traveled with my mom and tried to hear her thoughts while trying to express my own succinctly. Going from the wedding with Will, trying to rest from the day’s busyness and asking myself, “Is it really done? We’re really married?!”
+ Will helping me pull out 124 bobby pins + 4 hair additions out of my hair. And realizing that it’s him and me now… =)
+ Will calling me his “wife” for the first time while explaining to the Niagara casino bouncer that I am really old enough to get inside (we were hungry and it was the only place open to eat).

I’m hearing stories now of how things “really” were at the wedding. Some are hilarious, others are troubling. =) 12 years after her wedding, my sister in law found out that her nephew stole a golf cart and launched it into the lake! I guess I’m not the only one to hear hilarious/horror stories after the fact. =)

So, now we’re concentrating on cleaning out his house – moving my mother-in-law out, me in and cleaning as we go! There are also a huge stack of wedding gifts in the center of his living room we have to get to! We’re making a lot of progress, but I’m also back at work now… Also, we found out over the weekend that our new place will be ready at the tail end of December. From one whirlwind to the next!!

AHH! I’m surrounded!!

2006-10-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here it is 17 days before the wedding! I’ve been working so hard!

31 parties did not RSVP. Lots of calls and delegating. Oddly enough, a fair amount of family won’t be there either.

I have “To Do” lists everywhere! At work, at home, in one computer & the other… We “finished” our ceremony plan yesterday. Our pastor will be making the final touches this week. I’m working on programs, finding out what I need to know about changing my name, still making centerpieces, nearly finished parents’ gifts, etc. Will’s almost done with his bathroom floor & he’s excited! We probably won’t be able to do the shower for a few more weeks, but we won’t be in dire straights since he has another full bathroom.… This weekend is truly my last “free” weekend, but the weekend after that will have its' moments too…

I was also preparing the wedding timeline for the reception and it’s crazy to see how things are so back to back! You wonder where you’ll get time to say “Hello”, let alone “Goodbye” to people!

And, sadly, I had to admit defeat. My goal was to finish my paper before the wedding, but yesterday, I returned my library books because they were due. The library said, “You have checked these out the maximum number of times” - only twice! But, I figure I won’t be using them on my honeymoon, so I’m willing to part, at least temporarily.

When we're married, we'll look back and be proud of all we've accomplished in such a short amount of time!

Sad news!

2006-10-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

Click Here. Jerald Tanner passed! =(

OVERWHELMED!!

2006-09-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

I’m so grateful for closure for one of my friends! She’s been waiting for 22 years to see the man who killed her sister arrested! WOW!! I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude and praise! For details, please cllck Here.

As you might imagine, with 23 days until the wedding, things are MOVING! My paper has taken pretty much a back seat since there are so many other details to think through… Our party favors are done, I’ve ordered the service which will take care of my dress after the wedding, we’re discussing reception table ideas, we’ve ordered our engagement photo and I bought some frames, Will’s decided on tuxes, we’ve talked with our cake lady, I know when most people (who are in the wedding) are coming, we’re planning our time according to the beauty needs of the ladies, we’re working through the music and the have decided on the flowers… We’ve made a lot of progress! And per our pastor’s advice, I hope to STOP planning the wedding beginning 10/20 and enjoy the people and the activities! Instead of “Christina, what about….?” I hope to hear “MELISA? Where art thou??”

I’m excited and so blessed!! =)

The “Recent Events” List:

2006-09-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

So the tire people told me I need new tires. It’s true, I do….
I completed registration for BIOLA late because four months ago, someone in the Registrar Office told me that I didn’t owe anything else for my independent studies course. My teacher contacted me on Friday saying my name had dropped from his roster. I spent yesterday morning running around between departments – and forking out cash!! And after looking over my statement, I realized today they billed me TOO much!! DRAMA!
I’m preparing for my teaching syllabus. It’s actually very interesting and enjoyable! I’ve even contacted my pastor about TEACHING it to the group sometime in December (after all the dust has settled some…).
We have four appointments this week for the wedding: My second dress fitting, a physical, an engagement photo shoot, and the flowers…
We’re running 3.1 miles on Sunday in San Bernardino.
Will completed the installation of a window in his bathroom. We need to complete the exterior painting (I know, I know! I finally got the vine off the wall!) and the tiling inside the bathroom. He’s quite a repairman! =)
Can you believe it? I’ve been at my “new” job for almost a year?! I’m having my annual review on Friday!

We’re still moving right along…

What's new?

2006-08-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

So many things have happened since my last update!

1) I went to try on my wedding dress. Wow! Gorgeous!!
2) We finished the cookies! It’s very nice to have that done! For those of you reading & coming to the ceremony/reception, they’ll be frozen until the day before (and yes, they’ll keep!). So, don’t worry about eating them…
3) We met with the cake lady and decided on the cake flavors. We need to combine efforts with the florist on this too…
4) We met with the music guy and now I have 4,000 songs to listen to…
5) The invitations are gone!!
6) We finished marriage counseling! Very cool!
7) I’ve notified all the relevant newspapers that we’re engaged. I really enjoyed doing that!
8) Will’s house in under construction. The roof has been completed and the bathroom should be finished soon.
9) We’ve been meeting with photographers and have some ideas.
10) The bridesmaid dresses have arrived and most seem pleased. Alterations are now in order. The designer must use a ladies basketball team for models because all the dresses are made for ladies 5’10”+.
11) On school, I’m done with the papers, just need to get on the teaching syllabus.
12) We’ve been running a fair amount too. We did a 5 miler a few weeks ago in Huntington Beach. We were both so exhausted afterwards!!
13) Oh, and I was contacted about my ten year high school reunion! Guess when it is? Sometime in October, which may present a scheduling conflict with the wedding….
14) We went down to visit our new condo last weekend! They’ve also made a lot of progress and we’re soooo excited!!
15) On Monday, I had four loans closing by Thursday. On Tuesday, I had three loans closing. On Wednesday, I had two loans. At this rate, we’ll see what actually funds tomorrow…

And on a totally different note, I’ve been reflecting on God’s goodness lately. His thoughtfulness and power is so amazing!! He is faithful and beautiful! And we are so blessed!!

It's in....

2006-07-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

I was getting nervous about my dress coming in on time. The lady I ordered it through said she’d call me once the dress was ordered (back in April) and then again when it arrived sometime in July. She said she called me in April, but I called her since I didn’t hear from her for like 4 days or something. Then, because I had a question in my mind, I called today because, well, look at it! We’re speeding through July! Can you believe it!?! She said that she needed to check because she received a number of packages today. Sure enough, it’s there! WOW!

There is a strange sense of reality now about this. I have been keeping tabs on the calendar and our TO DO list, once the BIG things come together, it’s exciting and overwhelming…. So, WOW again!

We have marriage counseling tonight and I’m still plugging away at my homework. I’m almost done with one portion of the assignments (which considering I’ve only been working on it for a little lese than 2 months, is pretty good). I’m nervous about my paper too. The syllabus says that I need to spend 120 hours on it… What to do, what to do? No, seriously, what should I do it on??

Strange Dreams…

2006-07-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had a dream that wild pigs were trying to break into my bedroom. The only thing that prevented them from doing it was the screen in the window. When I told my mom, she asked, “Are you dieting?!” Hilarious! I did go to bed hungry….

And last night, I had another series of weird dreams, and I only remember the middle one. I dreamed that I was in the theatre area and there was a bear in the middle of the auditorium (tame). For some reason I was with the wild cat (outside the auditorium) and he escaped and then, the next thing I knew, I was told the cat had killed the bear… So strange!

Any Joseph’s out there??

Baking Cookies, Making Invitations and Doing Homework…

2006-07-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

This is what Life has been lately….

Oh, Deb & Jeff, I introduced the Finley’s to the gelato place in Fullerton! They appreciated the Strawberry the most! =)

And it looks very good that my nightmare loan will actually fund tomorrow…. But alas, the fat lady needs to sing…

An invitation to my world...

2006-07-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Long time again…

For the last few days, I’ve been considering what to post here. While there is a lot going on (as usual), there isn’t much new to share...

Okay, well, maybe there is. We reached the 6 year mark of my father’s death last Saturday. It’s pretty wild to think of it actually. I wanted to go with Will down to the cemetery, but he ended up having to work… So, I went down and put some daisies on his grave. I am glad I went. One of the things we used to talk about in Grief Counseling was how the cemetery really isn’t a memorable spot for you and your loved one. So, I can show up and leave there without really “feeling” anything too deeply. It does still creep me out to see his name on the headstone… And on other odd occasions, I find myself nearly in tears. For example, yesterday, I was at a race with Will and a little boy got on the loud speaker and wished his daddy a Happy Birthday. It was so sweet! Or the other day, when I was talking to Will & I told him (as though I was sharing with my dad), “Daddy, I’m getting married!” Wow, even typing that makes me wince a little…. 6 years and I still miss him! I guess that will never fully go away. And one of my friends says, 29 years after her dad died, she still feels it too.

I started working on wedding invitations and I’m excited about how they’ll look! Looking through a magazine a few weeks ago, I got an idea and it’s sort of evolved…. In my eagerness, I was on the web and almost made a purchase to get the invitations rolling, but I’m glad I waited! I was able to save a SIGNIFICANT amount of money because I started shopping around & got a few more ideas… So, we’re rolling! YIPPIE!!

Last Friday, Will & I went to see Superman Returns. It was a good movie. Our church has been discussing some of the allusions in the trailer to the relationship between God & Jesus and while watching the movie, there were some, I didn’t see them as overtly as church made it sound. Granted, they were only referring to the trailer…

And for the 4th, Will & I had a busy day. As I mentioned above, we went to a race. He did pretty well, although he’s critical of his performance. I always think his timing is excellent! I did pretty well too, so I was pleased. Afterwards, we continued on a very busy streak. Since the race was in Huntington Beach and we were close, we decided to head down to Laguna Beach to make reservations for our first night married. We had a great time shopping, considering options and actually booking. One more thing done! =)

I’m still pretty tired from yesterday. We have to get up early to do the races…

And at long last, we have FINALLY reached a resolution for the auto accident last fall! We went down to sign the documents today…. WHEW!

P-A-R-T-Y!!!!!

2006-06-29T00:40:00.000-07:00

It's PARTY time! =)

Pictures from the Alumni Reunion....

Cooky & me outside good ol' SB after we sang...

Ayanna & Matthew exchanging D-I-G-I-T-S!! Hilarious!!

And of course, the Alumni Gang!!

I'm so grateful for the rich blessing Gospel Choir has been in my life! God has used it tremendously to bring healing and restore my heart to have hope! These are beautiful people with a passion to SING UNTO THE LORD!

Blessings to all you wonderful people! Love you!

Oops!

2006-06-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

So, time runs away from me too quickly!!

Last weekend, Will & I went down to pick out our upgrades. That was fun and I'm glad to say that there weren't a lot of extras required. And bonus: we were able to pay CASH for them! We're pleased.

I'm also running better than ever! I decided a few days ago that I felt good and so I started running. By the time I made it home, Will was at my house and we drove the route. I had run 2.4 miles without stopping and up and down some rather steep hills too! I was SO pleased! I have tried to duplicate that run 2 times since, and while not feeling as "spry" as I did the first time, my time has actually improved! I've been very encouraged!

Work is picking up again too, which is good - and well, bad. I have plenty of things to be concentrating on and borrowers that aren't serious about funding, well, that's just plain frustrating! Last month, I mentioned that loan that kept us on pins and needles... Well on Friday, I sent out another RUSH package, hopeful, yet again. Today, I found out that we're actually foreclosing! Well, alrighty then! And, there are two more loans in the wing for the end of the month. One of them is likewise tentative....

I'm grateful though to all the ladies who have responded to me so that I could order the Bridesmaid dresses! I'm SOOO relieved to have that off my mind! =)

Last weekend was a lot of fun too. Ms. Cooky Levy is leaving So. Cali and heading to New Mexico [the cost of living is cheaper, go figure!]. The old choir got together at Lucille's on Saturday night, talked, laughed and sang (at Starbucks) until 11:20. It was very, very cool! She cried, as usual. Sweet Cooky!! I'm so excited for her, and yet very sad to see her go. She has impacted my life in countless ways... and she knows that too. =)

On Sunday, I went with my old work gang out to visit their new additions. Two of the ladies I worked with 2 years ago had babies and so the 5 of us adults (and two little ones) met up and chatted (I learned a WHOLE lot about having children!) and laughed and just enjoyed each other again. It was very refreshing... The next events with them include a wedding shower (for another one of the team members), birthdays, my wedding shower, my wedding, Christmas and we're on a roll again! =)

Praise the Lord for long, rich friendships!

Something that just ministered to me a ton was :

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Romans 8: 38 -39

Until we meet again......

MORE FUN!

2006-06-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, two weekends ago, I ran three miles in 35 minutes 37 seconds, I was 4th place in my age group and felt pretty good since I had completed the race in just about the same time as I did before (without the training). I need to get my weekly miles in! It’s always on my goals for the week, but it’s not always a reality…. Will on the other hand placed 1st in his age group and even won a couple of tickets to a baseball game! Very cool!

And, of course, we signed the documents to purchase the Pomona house. We had a great time talking to the lady who was helping us complete the paperwork too. It’s funny because somehow putting money down and signing my name to a whole host of documents, from a distance, seems to indicate a change in feeling or something, but I don’t feel any differently. And then again, perhaps that’s just because I haven’t actually SEEN what we’re buying yet. Will told our helper, “It’ll hit her when we leave.” Later that night, we were discussing several things, and suddenly I blurted out, “Will! We’re home owners!” He smiled.

Then, this last weekend, my aunt, stepmother, cousin & I went down to the Fabric District in LA and we spent most of the time shopping for wedding stuff (although my aunt & cousin were also shopping for their trip to Europe). I got some of the essentials on my list (veil, petticoat, 2 flower girl dresses [Olga doesn’t have to make them now], and some shoes) and I was very pleased because I didn’t feel like I spent too much.

We’re closer on the bridesmaid dresses. I decided on a style and I need all the ladies to go down and try on a dress in the designer’s line so that I can order the dresses online. We’re getting a great price and that makes me (and I’m sure the ladies) very happy! I’m feeling a little nervous about this because the longer it takes them to respond, the more we’ll have to consider additional postage…

Last night, Will, me and Jeff went down to downtown Fullerton and took engagement photos. It was a blast! =) Jeff graciously bought us coffee, we chatted and then started shooting… We concluded our time together with dinner & then separated. Jeff had a very long drive ahead of him! THANKS JEFF!! Will & I went to see Cars. It was a little more meaty then I thought it would be and it was definitely a “feel good movie”.

TGIF!

2006-06-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

The weekend is here! And it’s payday! All the more reason to smile! =)

I’m still working through the credit scenario. One thing I thought I should have added to the blog complaint was that the bank told me they wouldn’t use my physical address for any mailing... The frustration (and time consuming part of this whole matter) is that whenever you dial any of the numbers for the credit bureaus, you end up in a machine loop and there’s no way out! I finally did get a person this morning, but she kept giving me generic answers … To her credit, she was part of the Equifax identity theft prevention people, not in the loop to advise on the particulars of credit freeze. She did advise that I contact the security freeze department and then gave me an invalid telephone number… UGH!!

We met with the Finley’s to do marriage counseling last night and it was, as usual, a lot of fun! Will and I have been having trouble getting through all the homework (it’s so dense), but to our surprise, Dr. Finley pointed out that we’ve indirectly done some of chapters we missed! They were also getting rid of some furniture and we are now the proud owners of two bookshelves and a desk chair.

We’re also going down this weekend to put money down on our new home! They’re still building, so we have a lot of time until we’ll actually move in… The funny thing was I had just finished reading the contracts (CC&Rs, Purchase Agreement & Contractors Agreement – it’s helpful when you work in the field somewhat) and Will called to say they want us to come visit. Our phase was supposed to be released last month….

Speaking of home-buying, I’m going to a seminar this weekend offered by the city of Pomona. And then we’re partying hardy. We’re going to an Israel reunion on Saturday, and Sunday begins with a 5k race, church, contract signing & then Will’s brother’s surprise b-day party….

It’s a good thing work has been slow. It’s the only time I’ve really had to plan our wedding!

YES!

2006-06-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

"You scored as Elizabeth Bennet.

As one of Austen's most beloved characters, Elizabeth Bennet represents what most women would like to become: strong, independent, and loyal. Of course, she has her faults including a stubborn will of iron and a clinging to first impressions. Overall, Lizzie is bright and lovable...something to admire and aspire to.

Elizabeth Bennet 69%
Emma Woodhouse 53%
Elinor Dashwood 50%
Jane Bennet 38%
Charlotte Lucas 34%
Marianne Dashwood 34%
Lady Catherine 28%"

I’ve always wanted to be Lizzie!!! [Thank goodness I’m not like Lady Catherine!]

It’s funny that my ranking says I’m stubborn. Will mentioned that the other day when I offered to drive someone home from his house (I chose to drive even though I was tired).

Last weekend was different than I thought. The parties were fun and it was nice to see everyone again… but we didn’t actually get to painting. Will’s niece (the one who threw Elijah’s 1 year birthday party) had her second baby and so we went to see her at the hospital. [Interesting fact: Will’s family has several children within the same family who share the same birthday. Will’s brother has 2 sons with the same birthday, although different mothers & years, and his niece, had her first baby exactly 1 year before (same father)! There are more...]

Our date night was fun as we were discussing expectations for our marriage. The book Before You Say I Do is well organized but it’s so dense we have discussed reviewing the topics even after we’re married!

Dinner with Olga was nice and productive. I have a few ideas now AND many things to do!

One twist came on Friday when I received an invitation to apply for a credit card through my bank. I was so angry, I was shaking! I should say that I’m really sensitive about my credit right now! I had called the credit bureau in March to have my name taken off the distribution list (and should have immediately listed me on the do not contact/deal/advertise to her list for 5 years) AND I have had my credit on hold for the last several months on the bureau level. The other part that ticked me off was that they used my home address, which I have only given out to maybe 3 different companies; I use instead a P.O. Box for all my mailings. So, when I came home and saw the ad, I went through the roof! I contacted the bank (I have been a faithful customer for years), closed my account, and now I’m trying to talk to a knowledgeable person at the credit bureau. The moral of the story: DO NOT mail to my home address AND DO NOT MESS with my credit! One more troubling piece of information came today from the bank. The representative thought perhaps something had REVERSED my credit restrictions. OOHH!! I WILL get to the bottom of this!

I guess I am a lot like Lizzie!

Just a few more minutes…

2006-06-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

And I can begin my weekend.

Bridesmaid Dresses: There are so many styles! I’ve narrowed down a look I like, the catch is finding the right price… I want to be careful too because my sister is coming and will have to pay for 3 plane tickets + 3 wedding outfits for my brother-in-law, herself & oldest niece. This is such BIG BUSINESS! There’s a website that was geared toward aspiring wedding planners and it said that there are over 44,000 weddings each weekend! The average cost of a wedding is $22,000! Isn’t that incredible!?!

Will & I are having date night tonight. He’s a little disappointed because instead of watching a movie (one of his favorite activities), he’ll have to do homework – marriage counseling. This can be stimulating too, and he knows that, it just doesn’t seem as fun on this end of it …

Saturday, we’re going to two birthday parties – SHH!! One’s a surprise… The other is for Will’s newest nephew; 1 year old Elijah. They’re going to have a petting zoo too! As long as the animals stay in their pens…

Sunday, it’s back to church & painting and then we’ll conclude the weekend with dinner with Olga.

ttfn

“Maybe girls aren’t as good as boys,”

2006-06-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Says Will after trying to show the ladies how to properly paint. “Put the paint on the ENTIRE roller … Make sure you do LONG strokes on the wall…” He said the missionaries were also extremely clumsy. Not only did they use a lot of paint, but they kept bumping into each other… He was coaching them so much, he felt unproductive. Wendy and I arrived too late to join them – my loan didn’t fund yesterday! GRR!!

I thought you boys out there would appreciate the sentiment.

Disclaimer: I’m only repeating what was said out of frustration. =)

LONG Weekends are good!

2006-05-31T14:56:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy!!

The long weekend was wonderful. We saw X-Men on Friday night for our date night. It was a good movie, and definitely up Will’s alley more than mine. When we arrived at the theatres, it was packed, so we went up to the top and Will saw a seat in the middle which was open and a couple of other scattered empty seats in the same row. He asked if four people could sit closer together so that we could have seats together. The guy said, “No, I have my seat in the middle.” We were ready to leave, but others around him started criticizing him; “move over one seat!” or “let the man sit with the girl”. So he got up, by popular vote, and moved. Way to go democracy! Will thoughtfully said after the movie, “Thanks for moving over. I really appreciate it!”

We cleaned most of the weekend. Will wasn’t feeling well on Saturday after work so he went to bed. By the time I made it over, he was still asleep and all I could think of was doing something productive. So, I took a look at the 4 cars in the driveway and went to work! Will woke up toward the end of me washing car #1 (his truck) and joined me. We managed to get through all 4 within 1.5 hours and then I started weeding while he took care of the bottles and cans he’s been collecting… That stuff adds up!!

Anyway, Sunday was good. We went to church and then had a pair of female Mormon missionaries over in the afternoon. This is the first time I actually spoke to female missionaries at the house! One is from Utah and the other is from Louisiana. As always, it’s interesting to try to carry on an off-the-traditional-Mormon-track discussion with a new set of missionaries… so we did a little introduction and then dove into some doctrinal issues. We went into great length to discuss I Corinthians 15 and how they interpret 3 different kingdoms (or degrees) of glory/heaven. I asked them to look back at Chapter 1 and consider why Paul was writing; to equip the saints and to cause them to work together, undivided. Then, we did a brief overview of the book – correcting believers within the body of Christ, loving and equipping fellow members of the body of Christ – and then we discussed Chapter 15. I asked them why, after so much emphasis on “you” and “I” throughout the chapters, Paul would have referenced “they” in Chapter 15. They didn’t have a good answer. One of the missionaries then tried to say ‘maybe Paul was saying that it was one of the members, but not one that he’s writing to…’ HUH!? Or, how about ‘oh, he’s writing to the non-believers’. HUH?! They could see it didn’t make sense and were grasping at straws to keep their traditions alive! I also mentioned that I had read some stuff on Joseph Smith, Jr. (No Man Knows My History) and was disturbed by the fact that he had several sexual relations with girls in their early teens. All the productions I’d seen on Joseph from the Church were very warm and wholesome, but the man you see when you read more, isn’t the same man presented in the videos. One missionary said that she had trouble with his sexual escapades too (although she was sure to mention that the mainstream Mormon Church does not endorse polygamy!). I mentioned that the Church/they were knowingly bearing false witness… They didn’t have any comments to that either!

What is most intriguing is that during the introduction part of our talk, they had agreed to come help us paint…. So, guess what!? They’re coming over tonight! What I find particularly funny is they feel snubbed by their fellow missionaries because the elders always say that girls can’t work like guys and try to take all their service opportunities away. So, they’re excited that they got to us first and that they’ll have a chance to do something “manly” for a change! ;) And the party is growing. I went to lunch with a friend on Tuesday and she’s coming too!

On Monday, we resumed painting. Will took a scrub brush to the vine area while I resumed the painting to the other end of the wall. We’re ready to apply the paint to my end but we’ll need a little more abrasion for the vine area.

The part that really ticked me off this weekend was his neighbors. From what I’ve heard and seen, they are very ungrateful and rather unkind. From the day he moved in, they’ve had a poor attitude toward him. But, when they showed up, dismiss the work we’ve invested and tell him how he should spend money – which includes paying for a fence that they put up very sloppily – I had to walk away! He takes it all very well, but I couldn’t stand there calmly.

On a brighter note, we started watching on Sunday and finished Audrey Hepburn’s Sabrina on Monday night. I saw the one with Harrison Ford several years ago, and it seemed to me the storyline was quite different in Audrey’s. I think I like the older version better.

And on the work front, the transactions I’ve been working on have been pretty cumbersome. One hot loan needs to fund by today and I can’t seem to get any help. Now that it’s after 4 o’clock (where the title office is), it looks like a no-go today! It’s rather frustrating!

WHOOPIE!!

2006-05-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

I’m free! School is finally over! Well, at least that semester! =( I turned in my report just before the deadline. I went to Staples and bought a punch-less folder for my report which said it had the capacity for 50 pages. Well, it’s not nice to lie! My landlady even thought to see if it would accept less pages. It refused. So, I went back to Office Max and found a clear folder cover (not ideal, but now I’m desperate!). I added a little more pizzazz with a silver binder clip and handed it to Prof Shin. He is very nice. The first week of school, my life was normal… The Saturday after school started, my life turned upside-down and this was the first professor who was told about it (since I had to tell him I wasn’t going to be in class on Monday night – my second professor’s car was stolen that very week too, so he was very understanding)! He asked about my doggie and if anything had changed. Sadly, no, but we agreed to see each other around. =)

The wedding was fabulous! I had such a great time connecting with everyone again. I guess I should qualify that to say that I only knew a handful of people in the entire building since the grooms’ court came from my old church, whereas I didn’t know the bride, her family or any of her friends. I was telling Deb & Jeff that my favorite moments were when our table – half from CA & half from AZ –were swapping stories about the bride and groom (they were in the same situation. Although they had seen him, they didn’t know anything about her now-husband). First, you should know that the bride is a pastor’s kid and so many were expecting a very tame gentlemen to marry her... The dialogue went something like this:

Arizonans: Niki is such a marvelous girl! We’ve known her since she was a kid. Her family would have us over frequently and we’d all go to church together on Sunday morning. She cares deeply for others and would be genuinely happy for you if something wonderful happened in your life, even if things were not so great in hers…
Californians: We’ve known Tim for 8-9 years now. He used to have A LOT of hair. It was very long in the back and a HUGE beard in the front!
Arizonans: [gasp of horror!]
Californians: He also wore his Birkenstocks until they had holes in the sole or he went barefoot. We can only remember one time he actually wore shoes!
Arizonans: [gasp!] What made him cut his hair?
Californians: "Running marathons!
Arizonans: [gasp!]

Very fun!

I have been thinking about the next tier of things to do: make a schedule and be disciplined on the work for my next class, marriage counseling, planning the wedding, house repairs, mending some of my clothes, etc. I need to get organized!

Off to my next adventure… Funding loans!

October 22

2006-05-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

So, this is it! Will & I decided and booked the Western Hills Country Club for our wedding and reception last Friday. So, Sunday it is!!! It was really something because I had heard so much about it and as we pulled up, the beauty of the site was overwhelming - especially as the sun was setting behind the mountains and there were rays of light peeking out. Then, the rolling hills, and the club itself is very regal - they combine architecture that I believe is Spanish and then modern American. I was picturing myself walking through the arches and into the banquet room... It gives me chills! WOW! The wedding will happen right outside (which is something else we wanted from the beginning, although we did love the idea of getting married in a little chapel somewhere), so there will be no traveling once the guests arrive at the location itself, which is nice! The coordinator on site is a fun, spunky lady. She's good at what she does, positive and great at making budget-friendly suggestions. I also asked for business cards for the vendors that she works with often for the things we still need to decide on... But making this decision is MONUMENTAL! PRAISE THE LORD for peace!! I sent many people and e-mail, which was an informal invitation. Oh, that reminds me, we'll need to start thinking about the wording for the invitations... Gosh, there are so many features to this!! One of the ladies at work commented yesterday that in planning a wedding, you're planning (one of the) greatest events of your life, and because most people are pretty young when they get married, they have little to none experience... It's true. I keep joking with Will, "I've never done this before!"

We're in Phoenix now. We arrived last night around 10:00 and greeted Sharon, Shannon and Brent (Shannon's beau and practical husband!). I warned Will as we approached that there may be a fair amount of squealing during the greeting. He was okay with it. =) Will crashed. I guess getting up at 4:30 in the morning, working all day, and then driving to Phoenix really tuckered him out! j/k. =) Sharon and I did some homework together (just like old times!) while everyone else went to bed. She paused in her reading, looked up and said, "I remember trying to sleep to that typing! It's strange what you remember!" Wow, we were roommates like 7 years ago! WHEW!!

The wedding, the reason we came out here this weekend, is later today - 4 o'clock. As I was trying to fall asleep last night, I was thinking about how anxious I would be if this was the last night I was single, living life as I know it. And then with the new dawn, walking into a totally different arena/experience of life. Change is on the horizon for us all... WOW!!

Will got a very fun phone call from someone who lives in AZ as we entered into the state. Jim left a message, but because he was driving, it wasn't very clear who called or what he was saying. So, Will called back and this person answers the phone and starts giving him a hard time. Will, still trying to figure out who this was, was told, "Dude, you're a dork, you have always been and will always be" and I think that's when he said, "Can you tell me what this is all about?!" There was a pause on his end and the an excited "DUDE!" I needed no further explanation. This old friend of Will's had been trying to get a hold of him for quite a while, but for one reason or another, it didn't happen. The ironic part is that while we were entering into his home state, that mission was accomplished. We probably won't be able to go see him. He lives about 3 hours away and this is pretty much a turn around trip...

Thanks for your prayers for our discussion with the missionaries. It went well; one of our most focused talks yet. But, they also announced as they came in the door that they wouldn't be coming again - changes in responsibilities of the mission & they were also in trouble since they were supposed to be reaching out to the Spanish-speaking community in Rialto, and instead they were working with us white folk!

Anyway, so I guess that's the big news - Sunday, October 22 is the big day!

Almost there...

2006-05-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

This week will for sure be busy!

I have one class left and a BIG project (the one I have been stalling on) due on Monday. It will be nice to have it done! My goal is to print & finish it well before Monday, actually, on Thursday night. Will & I will be traveling on Friday afternoon to go to Phoenix for a friend’s wedding. It’s hilarious because I left one of the church groups a little over a year ago, and things have really changed for many of us. There are new babies (one more on the way!) and 2 weddings (not including ours)! I have a lot of news too, but it’s apparent that A LOT can happen in a year!!

We’re still painting… Over the weekend, before the birthday part began, Will & I primed the wall for the primer (pun ). Last night, after I got out of class and was heading toward the track, Will was applying the first layer of primer. This will be interesting since the old color was green, it took a lot of primer to cover up the color in the front. But, this side is more complicated because (before he moved in) it was covered by some sort of vine which has made imprints and what appear to be deposits on the wall. Naturally, the goal is to make it as flush as possible so that the paint goes on without glitches, so we’ve scrubbed & scrubbed. We’re both curious to see how much primer will be required.

Will’s birthday was good. It was celebrated by his mom & I when we each gave him a card, and Will & I went to the movies. We saw “Stick It” and we both enjoyed it. He’s a former gymnast so things like this really excite him anyway, but we were concerned that there wasn’t going to be much of a plot. Well, there wasn’t, but it was fun. =) Then on Mother’s Day, we celebrated his and his niece’s birthday as a family. It was nice!

Still no for-sure plans on the wedding front. We have an appointment on Thursday (I might end up going alone) to check out a place if selected would mean that Sunday is the day… The two people we’ve already booked have agreed to the switch… Will also had a great idea about using his church, although because of our strange church situation (when we’re in town, we really like to go to his church, but our primary church is in Mission Viejo and meeting in a garage…) nobody really seems to be inclined to let us use their facilities. I work for a Christian credit union, I am a Biola alum and Talbot student… You don’t need to worry about our Christian affiliation people! The other annoying part is that nobody really likes to approve anybody else’s pre-martial counseling program (we’ve already started). Seriously! I don’t like this snobbishness of it all! But, anyway…

Speaking of Christian, we’re meeting with the Mormon missionaries today and I’m afraid I haven’t invested the time into prepping for the appointment. If any of y’all are reading this, please pray. =)

I’ll probably be able to check in again next week. Ttfn…

Geez People!!

2006-05-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

So, PARTYIN' HARDY the last few days!

Birthdays this week:

Will's, the 13th
Kristin, the 11th
Mom's, the 31st
Kristen's, the 14th

I can't handle it!! I've spent more on postage recently than ever before!!

Events & Parties I'll attend this week:

Mother's Day @ Will's sister's house, Sunday [3 more gifts mailed, thank you very much!]
Work Potluck/Chili Contest Cook-off, today...

Does that mean that I have to eat cake too?? Well, okay, only if it's chocolate!!

14,169,600 seconds

2006-05-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Things are still flyin’…

We finally finished the primer... and the first coat on the front end of the house over the weekend. I went out to Rialto on Tuesday after work and helped Will finish the details (below the eaves & at the floor board). I tried to do some homework and then I had to get things together for Mother’s Day (which if not celebrated to Mother’s satisfaction, it’s almost better to be where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth!). I left Will’s house at 11:20 and got home a little after 1 a.m. (a whole hour later than I should have! The freeway was closed off so everyone had to exit at Grand Avenue in Pomona and then I got stuck behind a train, which although was moving SLOWLY initially, came to a complete STANDSTILL for about 15 minutes… I lost patience and decided to make my way through another route…). Whenever there is road construction, I think of Kerry. Strange, I know. She wrote an article which appeared in the OC Register several years ago about her trip from Irvine to LAX at 9 p.m. It took her WAY too long due through traffic and road construction detours. The title was “Road Construction is Driving Me Crazy!” I just grin when I think of it as I’m waiting for passing rights on the highways and the byways…

Will & I went to my new chiropractor yesterday and spoke with the doctor regarding my treatment schedule. It was nice because at first, Will was resistant to this guy and now, it appears that he really likes him. He even started to share the Gospel with him! The chiropractor adjusts me totally differently than the other chiropractors did (using much different equipment), but I do feel better.

We were both wiped out yesterday and so we didn’t do any training, even though we had intended to… After my midnight driving experience, I’m afraid I wasn’t able to accomplish much on the homework front either. But, at that point, I figure you can only do what you can do and there’s always tomorrow….

On a totally different note, the wedding plans are flying at the moment. Jeff, if you’re reading this, we may actually have to do a Sunday wedding. I know you advised against it, but based on cost, it may be the best way to go. We’re considering a number of different locations and will make our final decision very soon. I did the math today and here’s where we’re at:

From and including: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 To, but not including: Saturday, October 21, 2006

It is 164 days from today to the wedding! Or 5 months, 11 days excluding the end date

Alternative time units:
164 days can be converted to one of these units:
14,169,600 seconds
236,160 minutes
3936 hours
23 weeks (rounded down)

Gracie and Olga are taking some initiative and are really blessing me on some of the other details of the wedding. There are still many more details to address, but it’s very nice to have help!

Ttfn! =)

Cinco de Mayo

2006-05-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

So, I was listening to the radio this morning to hear what the big deal is about this holiday. This website (www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm) concludes with:

"Mexicans, you see, never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans. That's why Cinco de Mayo is such a party -- A party that celebrates freedom and liberty. There are two ideals which Mexicans and Americans have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect, ever since the 5th of May, 1862. VIVA! el CINCO DE MAYO!!"

In light of recent political events, it’s strange to read such a pow-wow of friendship. I read Deb’s blog on May 1st and can’t help but agree. Some of my family is from Mexican descent, and I love them, but those who are ILLEGAL are ILLEGAL!! (disclaimer: mine are legal) =) I’ve never been very good with politics, so I’ll leave that to the professionals…

Anyway, things have started picking up again. Will & I were able to visit some of my old friends this week. Jane & Carel were my mentoring couple a few years ago and it has been my desire to see them again for months… But with everything, well, you understand. We had a very pleasant evening introducing Will to them (and vise versa) over vegetables and meatballs with apple pie for dessert. YUM!

On Wednesday, we went to the Summit House and, much to Will’s pleasure, had prime rib (and much to mine, we had chocolate cheesecake for dessert!). We sat with the Finley’s & the Rigsby’s. It was quite noisy there and hearing each other across the table proved to be quite a challenge at times… Many of the folks from Israel were there, and it was very nice to see many of them again. =)

Will & I have started a new project: painting his house! What a job!! I’ve painted inside houses before, I’ve even done wallpaper, but I’ve never painted the exterior! It was time and boy is it a lot of work!! He fiddled with the paint gun (we went through 2 in one day!), while I cleaned the walls and prepped the house (covering the windows). I’m told that now that the house is prepped, it should be a quick process. Now if only we could get a more useful paint gun…. It will be my full time job this weekend. And, the most entertaining part of it is that this is only the beginning. We still have the back of the house to do, not to mention the roof, etc…. My sister, a home owner, told me once that owning your own house “is like you’re your own plumber, landscaper, etc.” Homeownership does have its responsibilities!!

When we did our last race, I came in slower again than ever before! I was pretty annoyed, but truthfully, could attribute the time to being exhausted (I only had a few hours of sleep and had to be up and out by 5 am!). Also, this week, I finally reached my old running pace on the 1-mile! It was difficult, but I am proud of myself. I even did 11 miles on the stationary bike afterwards!

Our times with the missionaries are curious. They showed up last weekend and said they had to leave in an hour. Then they asked us why we were meeting with them and Will provided a beautiful answer (said much nicer) which boils down to “one of us is wrong”.

I signed up for an independent studies course for next semester and the best part is that I can start on the work now, AND get credit for the fall (without jeopardizing my program!). Theology IV sounds intriguing...

And the Deputy has basically asked me not to call him anymore on my case. I can understand… he said he did as much as he could (more than he should have apparently), but he’s handed it over the detectives. IF they ever get around to it, I’ll have more information for them. He said he felt bad about my dog too…

Back in the saddle again...

2006-04-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

I’m wiped out, but I have a lot to be thankful for! One relationship that has been very stressful lately was recently resolved! PRAISE THE LORD!! And it was truly all the Lord! I wrestled with my heart and my attitude… What to do? What exactly am I waiting for? Even the morning the resolution was made, I was talking to Will about how frustrated and hurt I was over the whole thing. I’m so grateful to have this behind us! Of course, things will be different now but I can take that as it comes as long as I know there is goodwill between us!

I’m still not motivated to do my homework and I’m bored at work. I have been working on other things (a budget for the wedding, keeping my name clear from the collection agencies [checks are circulating again], working with officers again [I finally was able to complete the itemized list of the articles stolen] and the Sergeant said he’d talk to the Deputy I’ve been talking too…).

Spring Break was good and the best time to have my wisdom teeth extracted. I also had a strange feeling when I became aware of the fact that another Utah team was on its way. Since I left campus as a student and surrendered my leadership responsibilities, of course it’s been going without me… But this time as a student, it felt different to know about it. One of the girls in my Hermeneutics class was talking about how nervous she was and requesting prayer. I remember those days! Days when you had to assure the team that they knew more than they thought they did, and that it will be difficult, but they were ready! Eager to see what God would do and, while I was a leader, nervous that something terrible would happen. But God always amazed and protected us!

Speaking of Mormons, Will ran into another set of missionaries in his neighborhood a few weeks ago and we had our first meeting last Sunday. It was kind of funny because my Hermeneutics project is targeting the Mormons (I’m supposed to repackage the material we learned in class to the group we work with the most) and based on how they read their Bibles, I have a lot to “teach” them. But it has encouraged me to consider a new approach. Maybe we could talk about HOW to study the Bible. After all, if we teach a man to fish, he can fish for a lifetime. And it will be their decision to pursue ignorance after that….

We’re running another race this weekend, Will still has to determine where, but he’s excited and that makes me happy. That means that I have to train this evening after class and at least once more this week before Sunday.

Well, that’s about it on my end. Are you bored too?

The Performers

2006-04-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

So just after I typed yesterday's entry, the doctor called and said that the skin irritation was due to a piece of equipment that they used to remove a very "stubborn" tooth in the upper left hand side of my mouth. He said it's typical for a person with fair skin. Lucky me!! It looks gross!!! Also, he said they only pulled 4 teeth (the agreement). I just felt like they had pulled more since it feels so different in there...

I decided to take another day off because I still didn't feel better. I always struggle with whether I should take time off work. The determining factor is usually what I want to do if I stayed home. If I want to run around town and get errands done, then I should go to work (unless I really have the time available to be paid while I'm off and it's a legitimate reason). Or if I want to stay in bed, then I know it's appropriate. So, this morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and decided that I could sleep, and have for the last 3 hours! My landlady is having the house cleaner & her son here today and they're playing Spanish music pretty loud in the living room. So, now it's time to decide: do I get up and make my presence known and spoil their fun? Do I eat what's in my frig or wait until the "common area" is available? Do I just go back to sleep? AUGH!!

Also, I forgot to mention last time that Will & I did a 5k (3.1 miles) run a few weekends ago. He did great (as usual!) on time and I came in 2 minutes slower than I did on the exact same run when I was training faithfully a year ago! That was a bit unsettling!

Yesterday, I rested for a while in the morning, got up and went to Kinkos for my BIG project (printing the first page), talked with a Deputy about what the next steps are (and again received a different story). He was nice and all, I'm just not sure I agree with him. I'm going to call the Sergeant back and see what his advice is... And then I went to the bank to change one of my compromised accounts. Right after my car was stolen (and this information went with it), the bank guy was able to convince me that based on the measure of security involved in these accounts, it would be difficult to withdraw the funds.... So, I listened. Since they have a drivers license in my name, it was time to take action! Then, I came home and watched Anne of Green Gables. I always cry when Matthew dies!!

Will brought over a movie on Audrey Hepburn last night. It was her story. I thought of you, Deb, as we watched it. I remember how we talked about her work with the starving people in Africa (?) and how she could relate given her background. Although she did reminisce about WWII and grieve over the lack of relationship with her father, for the most part, this movie portrayed her quite cheerfully. Anyway....

So, I guess the house cleaners left. It's awful quiet out there! I guess they wanted to make a grand departure with the music! =)

Until next time.... ttfn =)

OUCH!

2006-04-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

So, I got to experience at little operation called an "extraction". Doesn't that word sound just terrible?? I had my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday after work, and today, I'm home, feeling a little numb, swollen and sore... I can't remember how many teeth they said they'd take out, but it sure feels different in there! Will was so great to take me to and from the appointment. They put me out, so when I woke up they said I almost hyper-ventilated. He was standing next to me and holding my hand, helping me get into the car. He even did something he hates to do: cook in someone else's kitchen! What an awesome man!! I'm so blessed! I do have one question for the doctor: How exactly do you want me to avoid sucking? Let's be honest, how do you drink without sucking?? And, my bottom lip is swollen & even looks to be infected. I'd like to know how that happened.... The best part about this is that I won't ever have to do it again! =)

The house is pretty quiet and I should probably be doing homework seeing as how the semester is going to disappear right before my very eyes. I have a big paper due the last week... Also, I have a friend getting married in Phoenix that weekend and I need to be really proactive to do both without freaking out!!! So, motivation, please come!

On the wedding front, we're having fun exploring possibilities about where to get married. I really love having options, but sometimes, it's not a good thing. The resolution seems so far away while you're weeding through the many possibilities.... One exciting thing is that I bought my dress. One of my friends from Israel went down to give me the "thumbs up/down" on it. I couldn't get it out of my mind. It was one of the first dresses I tried on and it felt right. Anyway, so there are a few other things to determine now..... I always thought wedding planning had to be so much easier than everyone made it out to sound. I can see how things can become crazy.... And, especially when I consider how friends and family are coming in from out of town... There are a lot of things to consider!!

There are still no leads on Corky. My checks are being written again.... I'm also still trying to round up officers to help me. The great thing is that instead of having to visit some of the jurisdictions, a Sergeant is giving me permission to make a report in Fullerton that other jurisdictions will receive. That way, I only have to make one stop, not 3 in different cities.... I think it's interesting to hear different officers throw their weight around. "You tell him that Sergeant X told you that you could do this..." Or, what's particularly fun is when they refer to another department to answer a question, and the 1) the service/product doesn't exist or 2) you get pushed off and into a complete loop, talking to the original officer all over again. To me, and probably the average civilian, the titles don't mean much. I wanted to understand this better and found this on the web, for those of you interested.... Another key part of the adventure is that the Deputy (from what I found on the web, a Deputy would be near or on the same level of an Officer) who is left to handle my situation is brand new.... So, I've been through the loop a few times now. FUN!

Anyway, I thought I'd touch base in my boredom, if nothing else just to say HELLO!

Thanks for checking in! =)

Have you seen me??

2006-03-28T17:18:00.000-08:00

So, it’s been three months, and what can I say, except LIFE HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE!!

Israel was amazing! I came home tired (lots of travel and 4 tests behind me!). Will and I really enjoyed the trip as it made the Scriptures come alive! As Deb always says, “No one wonders where Jerusalem is!” Truly! God is very good to allow us to have evidence for our faith!

Here’s a brief recap that I sent to friends after the trip:

48 Students/Teachers (including some counterparts) waded through Hezekiah's Tunnel, floated in the Dead Sea, climbed Mt. Sinai (2 hours up and 1.5 hours down), went snorkeling on the border of Israel & Egypt, went to Petra to see the amazing rock carvings/tombs (in Jordan), took 4 tests and to top it off, Will proposed at the Sea of Galilee!

That’s right! Not only did I get to visit these wonderful places, but Will & I got engaged at the Sea of Galilee! So romantic!!! =) Amid the flurry of recent events, we’re also planning a wedding for October 21, 2006!!!

And in other news, right after we got home, my car was stolen at the Rancho Cucamonga Costco. What’s worse is what was in the car is (largely) still missing! These items include: my little dog, laptop, 1 digital camera media from Israel, some souvenirs, a host of personal data (including a checkbook and spent $2200 so far! – I’m not responsible! Praise the LORD!), textbooks, Bibles, laundry, etc. Even though I’ve been home for quite some time, there’s so much going on with trying to reel in all these items, that quite frankly, I haven’t had time for anything else! My car came back a few weeks ago, missing the stereo and the other items (minus some random items like nylons, a pillow case, one textbook and lots of trash!). There’s just so much to do and so many issues now, that I can barely get my arms around them!

Truly though, the biggest question I have is: HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?? He's an Apricot Toy Poodle, 15 years old, 11 lbs... Any information which leads to some closure would be very much appreciated!

In the meantime, off to coordinating school assignments and wedding plans all the while fielding police officers & collection agencies…

Now that you know what fun I’ve been having,

ARE YOU HAVING FUN YET??

Flyin' and Full Speed Ahead

2005-12-23T18:03:00.000-08:00

Almost Christmas.... Too much food already!! So much to be thankful for!

I'm just checking in because I know that I'll be out for a long time. We leave for Israel the 27th and I'm excited. I left a sticky note on the map at work showing where I'd be if anyone needs me... I doubt they'd take the effort.

There are so many things to consider now... packing, racking up mileage, my cell phone (which by the way will temporarily be disconnected for those of you accustomed to calling) and making sure I don't go over the now-reduced minutes available, making sure my dog has a home for a month, cleaning, did I mention packing? That's the part that I hate. Who knows what kind of weather to expect in another country? And not only that, but for a whole month? And truthfully, giving me a therometer reading doesn't mean a whole lot. Just tell me: Is it going to be hot or cold? And if it's going to be cold, then I have to think thermal... More stuff to pack!

Christmas... I have spread a bit of yule-tide cheer... For some, it didn't include $$ (in the case of the loans that won't be funded before the end of the year!). For some it involved a small gift... For others it involved a card. And yet for others, there's nada in the stocking! I'm just worn out. Sorry. =)

And, there's nothing like being hung up on by someone you care about... So, that started my day off on the wrong note. This person feels that everything ought to end and begin with her and if you don't have the news she antipates, then, well, PSHA!!! So, whatever... No desire to see that my concern for her was real, I just didn't have the news she wanted to hear. Hurtful, you know?

Anyway, so there's a lot to do and a lot to think about. God is still doing something amazing in my life, even if things are difficult. I'm just cranky. Still trying to catch up on sleep...

Anyway, like I said, this will be the last time I check in before I head out. Take care all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! (And a Happy Birthday to Jeff, you know who you are!)

ttfn

Now's the Time

2005-12-15T23:39:00.000-08:00

WOW! More time has flown by. Hopefully, nobody’s out there holding their breath for news! If you are, BREATHE NOW!!

Things are great! I just finished my first semester at Talbot! I’ve almost completed the provisional period at my new job (it’s come so fast!). I’m very happy where I’m living! Things are looking, overall, very well!

I recently completed 7 Habits of Highly Effective People at my office. I was, at first annoyed by the fact that a Christian organization would promote and advance a Mormon businessman, however, I have come to think differently. I am still bothered at how the leadership tried to apply Scripture after-the-fact to the principles in the program, but for the purpose of living a more organized/effective life, I’d say the point is well taken. I can’t live in crisis response anymore, I have tried for too long and I’m so tired... To be proactive, the first point of living more effectively, is really important. I’m finding that I don’t even hear the alarm clock anymore because I’m so tired. I still want to run and do the many things I’ve committed myself to doing, but I simply can’t without rest! Learning to put things in order and to work in ADVANCE is the only way to make this happen! So, I feel much more relaxed now that I’ve made lists (ah, lists!) and planned out my week. It is a bummer that a Christian company would so heavily support a Mormon, but the material isn’t presenting anything Mormon. A very good question to ask ourselves as Christians is: What positive contributions are we making in the lives of others? Whether that’s explaining God’s love to someone or helping them deal with life’s challenges, it’s a worth our efforts and time.

By way of application: One of the things I have become much more aware of is distractions. The one distraction that I have to be careful of is the puzzle my landlady made available. She found out that I love puzzles and put one on the table (her daughter and I speculate that she did this really to just keep us around). Dangerous!

Speaking of Mormons, Will and I had a very lively conversation with Mormon missionaries last Sunday and are eagerly waiting for our follow up visit on Sunday! I have a number of things I would like to discuss with them, but as usual, these guys are professionals at running rabbit trails! We’ll see how it goes….

I’m still running! I just finished a 2 mile run in training for a 6 miler on Sunday (before the missionaries arrive). I forgot my make-up at home, so my face was very red and I used the gym at work! Oh, well, lesson learned.

The next on the agenda is Israel. Will, me and the rest of the students from Talbot enrolled in the class are leaving on the 27th, returning on the 19th of January. I’m excited and eager to see these places that I’ve heard so much about. I’m also excited because the Lord is answering my prayers in even small ways. I asked that He would give me a certain person (since I’ve heard so much about her – not that I’ll ignore the rest of the people, mind you!) as a roommate and He did! How cool! He’s been giving me little bonuses all over the place. And I’ve been growing closer to Him through regular study of the Word and prayer. He’s good! And I’m so blessed!

Cool stories:

A couple of weeks ago, the high school ministry Will and I participate in prepared to take a trip to visit the homeless in Hollywood. The students had asked their friends, families and neighbors if they had any blankets or jackets to donate. When we arrived, we had so many things to pass out, including care packages (containing hand wipes, socks, etc.), what a blessing! While we were in Hollywood passing out literature and inviting people on the street to church, Will and I were paired together with two high schoolers. They began talking to a guy who was panhandling and since it was evident that he had spoken to someone from our group prior to our arrival, Will asked him if he was planning on going to the service. The homeless man replied that he had no watch to tell him what time it was and asked how much time he had until it started. Will undid the Velcro on his watch and handed it to him. The man starred in amazement. He was so blessed!

On the same day, we were walking along and the high schoolers and I started to talk to a Marine recruiter on the side of the road. He said he used to go to church with his grandmother and he remembered her passion for the Lord very fondly. He was on his way to an appointment, but we were able to engage him in a 45 minute conversation about God and His love. We could see that he was seriously considering coming to church and rededicating his life. I felt the burden in his heart and I believe that our conversation led him to return to God.

I love street evangelism! And it was wonderful to be a part of such a dynamic group of people who wanted to proclaim His name, not only at home, but in the streets of Hollywood!

Signing off. =)

Update...

2005-11-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

Schools kicking my butt! I have to get caught up... and there's too much to do!

My job is cool! I received a great compliment today from a co-worker and present trainer. She said I take a lot of initiative and that I'm a fast learner. She even told my boss!! VERY nice!!

In a little more than a month, I'll be traversing in another land... exploring where Jesus and the Old Testament prophets walked. So cool!!

I was thinking today about how blessed I am. Jesus has really been doing a lot in my life! Not only has He saved me from my sin (which in itself is immense!), but He has used some of the tribulations in my life to bring about excellent things. I'm very pleased with my job, with where I'm living, with my financial placement, with my relationships, even sometimes with my school. I am blessed to be able to study the Bible and get a degree. I'm dating a fantastic guy! I'm blessed to be able to say that I have NO debt! Praise the LORD! I'm blessed to be able to say that those that I love are capable and healthy. Olga was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and she had surgery to remove the lump last week Tuesday. Yesterday, she met with the doctor to do a follow up consultation. Although she is going to have to go through chemo, they only found a little cancer and they are confident that she'll recover. I know that we'll all die, I'm just very grateful to have another day! And to have another day with her! This scare in particular has brought about a change in our relationship and has turned our relationship upside down. We are doing much better! Praise the Lord!!

I guess I should cut this short because I am in class... =)

Thanks and for those of you who care do so, please join me in praise! =)

So, it's been forever....

2005-10-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry for those of you who are following this. Are you out there? Believe it or not, I'm still alive...

Okay, I'll try to summarize briefly what's happened the last few months.

+ I moved. It was time to get out and I found a house in Fullerton where Corky and I could go. We moved in early August and have been very happy since. He's thrilled to finally have a backyard and I'm somewhat relieved too... I'm still unpacking a bit, but it's good.

+ I got the job! I started in the Loan Department at Evangelical Christian Credit Union on September 26th! Kerry wasn't happy, but I'm very glad to have the opportunity to grow and work closer to home! Especially with the cost of gas.... =) I'll be working with churches and ministries all over the country (potentially over the world) that are trying to expand their ministries. For now, I'm still on the learning curve and so it will take a bit for me to be up and running on my own. Very cool!

+ I started at Talbot. I'm taking two classes: 1) Personal Foundations Of Ministry and 2) Theological Research Methodologies. Classes are interesting and honestly, I have questions about the reasoning behind them, but mostly, I want to be teachable.

+ Will and I finished the marathon in Chicago on the 9th. I'm so glad to have that behind us! I have 2 new medals and some cool souvenirs.

[BTW, anyone want to help me? I need to raise a minimum of $600 for the Organization For Autism Research - OAR. Will has helped me tremendously in already raising half! But, please check out my donation page - www.justgiving.com/pfp/ChristinaAnderson. We went to the dinner before the run and several parents shared how amazing these kids are and how much of a benefit OAR provides! Comment to this blog if you want more info. And there's no deadline to donate, so please.... Thank you! You will make a difference in my life (and obligations!) and in the lives of those that deal with autism on a daily basis!]

+ I'm an auntie again! My new niece is named Annabel Kerra Elora Brown, but they're calling her Elora. She was born on 9/8/05 and she was 7 pounds and 2 ounces. Will and I just returned from North Carolina and had the pleasure of spending several days with this new addition!

+ Remember the car accident a few months ago I mentioned while I was in Washington state? Well, apparently they hit me harder than I thought! It took several weeks to develop, but I have been experiencing quite a bit of pain in my neck, back and had a splitting headache several times a few weeks ago. Jeff and Deb recommended a great chiropractor and as I have been told, they ask you to come back and again. I've been in to see them several times now and I'm very grateful to say that I've experienced a lot of freedom in motion and from pain! Will's now seeing them too and feeling improvement, as he was also in the car with us. Thank you Deb and Jeff!!

+ Will and I are also going to Israel and Jordan from December 27 - January 19th. We're really excited! We have been reviewing photos of previous trips and I never imagined they would be so beautiful!

+ Will bought me a ring - not an engagement ring, a promise ring. He says he's going to ask me to marry him, but he understands that there hasn't been enough time to actually ask... It's a beautiful thought and a marvelous ring! Four diamonds displayed in a line over white gold!! So awesome!!

Well, that's it in a nutshell. For those of you who are willing, I would totally appreciate your prayers. It's been a pretty stressful road and as you can see, there's already physical affects...

Take care and until next time...........................

Movin'

2005-08-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, again, time slipped by...

A brief update for you, my faithful audience:

+ Not only enjoyed AZ on July 22-24, but also was able to visit friends in WA (state) and Victoria (BC) last weekend with Will. Although it was a bummer that my arrival wasn't too much of a surprise to the AZ birthday girl, the surprise party was really a SURPRISE, which made it worth the effort! And last weekend in WA/BC was also to visit good friends (one originally from So Cal and the other was a Bible school roommate in Austria). Both weekends had some commonality: a car accident (no one was seriously hurt), chocolate and girl time (talking, shopping, dress-up and hair styling, FUN!).
+ One more week of freedom - school starts the week of the 22nd. I'm excited!
+ It’s official: Steve’s not running the marathon. I’m doing it to help the Organization of Autism Research [http://www.runforautism.org/about.asp] AND I’m officially registered on the books for the run! Knowing this really helps me stay on target with my runs, especially, when there’s only 8 more weeks left!
+ Yes, I’m STILL running, but you’ve already heard enough about that…
+ I need to move out by the end of the year. And my little dog too! So the search begins….
+ Aside from these fun activities, I’ve kept myself busy with helping another friend move (Tom), going to the OC Fair (on the last day, HOT!), and of course working…

This weekend, I'm looking forward to:

+ Dinner (and perhaps a movie) with Will, Deb & Jeff! YIPPIE!!
+ Getting up early to take the boss to the airport. Her flight leaves LAX at 6:15! Yikes!
+ Running 14 miles on Saturday and 2+ on Sunday...
+ Deb's birthday party!
+ Church.

More later...

Hot Enough?

2005-07-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

Well, now that we have reached the heat of summer, I thought to myself, "Self, I just don't think I'm hot enough... Hey, I got an idea. Let's go to Arizona for the weekend!" To which, compliant Self replied, "Well now, that sounds like a fantastic idea! And when do we leave?" Answer: this evening. One of my best friends is having a surprise birthday party [courtesy of her twin sister - hilarious!] tomorrow night. It'll be doubly surprising since not only will the surprise party throw her off, but me being there will also dazzle her. So, that's the plan. 110 degrees F here I come!!

Running has taken a back seat this week. I did put in my long miles on Saturday [another 12], but I honestly don't know how I could do 10 in AZ heat! I already struggle with the heat during my runs here.... Let's just turn it up 30 degrees!

I got to hang out with some very dear friends this week. It's been a long time since I've spent time with Deb & Jeff. We discussed scrap-booking and recent events. We also went down for some bubbly... I'm referring to the hot-tub...

Last night I spent time with Will. We went out to eat and to Downtown Disneyland. He grabbed my hand and started to dance with me in the walk-way. A lady in a wheelchair turned around to watch us with a big smile. He's so great! On Wednesday, we went to a Utah reunion party. It was very cool. Our resident cinematographer completed the video and it was his big debut. Very awesome!

I paid my fees and completed the paperwork for Talbot. I still have to register for the class and of course, pay....

More to come later....

Hey!

2005-07-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I’m waaay behind in blogging! I guess it’s the same old story….

The biggest thing to share is that I just returned from Utah last Sunday (the 3rd). The youth group from Mission Viejo and I went up for a week. It was much like the Utah trips we took from Biola – we hung out with students at BYU, went door to door and hung around outside of Temple Square. The nice part was that I knew a few of the people we studied under from previous experiences (Rob Sivulka, Biola alum and friend [www.mormoninfo.org], Bill McKeever [www.mrm.org], Sandra Tanner [www.utlm.org] and Jay Howard, a guy I went street witnessing with in Nauvoo last summer). My favorite elements of the trip include:

+ During door to door visits, a couple of BYU students opened the door and welcomed us in. We sat there for 2 hours discussing the Bible and doctrines of the LDS [Mormon] Church. The roommate of our main hostess eventually joined our conversation. She was a convert into Mormonism 6 years ago and confessed that it wasn’t an easy decision. Her father was Muslim and mother was Presbyterian (CONFUSION!) and her father threatened to disown her if she converted. (I never did get the full scoop of what happened since she obviously converted…) But I asked her how she did in the transition from a monotheistic world view to a polytheisitc world view. She looked at me blankly as she had never considered it before. At the close of our conversation, I felt the Lord tell me to give her a hug and when I did, she nearly broke down in tears. I just recited Isaiah 53 to her, “’He was wounded for our transgression, pierced for our iniquities and by His stripes we are healed.’ Not partially, but fully healed.”

+ One of the high school students showed such determination in evangelism. While standing outside Temple Square, many “badged” members of the LDS Church briskly walk by us pretending we aren’t there. Our darling high schooler would stroll up to them, offer them some material, and when they refused, matched their brisk pace down the street. By the time they ended the block, he had them talking. Soo cool! He was also the one who would lock himself in the kitchen at night to read Mormon material before bed.

+ Another student who just completed 8th grade would also try to engage those outside Temple Square and found a different reaction. Because he was so small, he would kindly offer material to the person, which they usually refused, but then, after a moment of consideration, would turn around and accept some.

One of the most common arguments I dealt with while outside Temple Square was that this was a “holy” place for the Mormon community and we were desecrating it by passing out “anti” literature outside its doors. I can understand that perspective, but you also have to remember that the LDS Church sends missionaries to the doors of people all over the world. Also, we are kind in our interactions with people on the street. [Although I have seen those who are not kind (not associated with this group).] In the same way we have a choice to answer or engage with the Mormon missionary at our door, these people have a choice to ignore us. [My brisk walkin’ high school friend above also approached people kindly and they still had the option to ignore him.] One homeless LDS man agreed with me that standing for the truth, requires us to stand against many things. Just because the Mormon Church can boast of 12 million members doeesn’t mean it’s more true than any other religion out there. As a matter of fact, all belief systems (that I can think of) require a certain degree of exclusivism/allegiance.

We also had a few awesome moments:

+ An LDS man came out of the Temple Visitor Center discouraged. He had repeatedly requested a Bible from the Mormon missionaries inside the Visitor Center and they continually offered him only a Book of Mormon. One of our students saw him sulking and asked what was wrong. Our students offered him his personal Bible and shared the Gospel with him. This man became a Christian that afternoon!

+ Two years ago, I was in Nauvoo, IL considering joining a ministry to Mormons full-time and I went exploring the Mormon sites by myself. On the tour, two BYU students and I got to talking and they invited me to spend the day touring with them. After this day trip, we continued to correspond over the internet for about a year. Then, while I was in the BYU Bookstore, I heard someone call my name and turn around to find one of the two girls that I met! She and her friend were on campus visiting as they graduated last year and moved to Kansas! The first thing she said to me was “Do you think it’s an accident we keep running into each other in places we don’t live?!” NO!! We went to lunch the next day. It was pleasant.

+ As you know from previous posts, my father died 5 years ago. Three years ago, I was doing door to door ministry with some friends and one of the doors we went to three years ago, was abruptly answered and we were told that the father had just passed away that morning. I can remember my heart sinking and the grief I was overwhelmed with for her and my own loss. This house was right behind the church where we stayed!

Unfortunately, my running took a back seat the week I was away and I’ve been struggling to get back into the grove of it again. I went for a 10k the day after I got home and did fairly well, considering I didn’t train all that week and the course was relatively hilly. I made myself run/walk 12 miles today. It took me 2 ½ hours, but I did it! The marathon is only 2 ½ months away!

And Will and I are still doing well. Today is actually the end of our second month dating. He treats me with such respect and kindness. I’m very blessed!

A Very Long Time!!

2005-06-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Bummer! I had a blog all ready to go and accidentally deleted it. GRR!! One more time...

It's been three weeks and time passes so quickly! Has anyone else there considered that we are halfway through 2005?!

Many things have happened and here's a quick (but not so brief) update (not in the order of importance):

+ Last weekend, my running group was set to do 14 miles and that sent shivers down my spine.... Will asked me if I wanted to run a 10k (~6.2 miles) race with him at Cal State San Bernardino. It was awesome! I placed 2nd in my age group!! And not only that, but I also did really well on time! When I first started running a mile, I was doing it in around 14 minutes. For the last several weeks, Will and I have been working on speed and I went down to 11:30 minute miles! I was also excited because there was a lady in front of me working so hard to keep it that way... I passed her up at the beginning of the 6th mile and left her behind! That felt very good! We completed 5.5 miles of bike riding to supplement the miles I should have done with the group...

+ Today, I ran 11 (and a bit more) with my running group. I felt great and was making excellent time but one of my group members called from behind and asked if I would run with them. After their break (nearly 10 minutes), I never quite recovered. I lost the rhythm and felt very stiff. I'm going to try to avoid that in the future.

+ One of my best friends moved to Washington last weekend. That was a sad experience. She was a pal from high school and we have been pretty much inseparable ever since - 9 years later! Of course, we'll stay in touch but things will be different now. =(

+ I found out last week I was accepted into Talbot! There are many things that I need to address on that level... Paperwork (yippie!) and money.... But I am really excited. I finally feel like I'm being obedient to the Lord in this area.
+ I'm still meeting with the Mormons on a weekly basis. Last week, they brought a video on the apostasy. I always think it's funny how their founding prophet said that God told him "I was answered that I must join none of them [Christian churches], for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that 'they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.'" [Joseph Smith 2:19] A couple of mornings ago, Deb and I met at Starbucks (sadly, because of training, I'm limited to hot chocolate these days!) and were discussing this. We agree. If you're going to disagree with what I believe, that's fine, but at least be true to what you believe. Seriously, three missionaries in the same living room a couple of weeks ago all agreed that we (as attenders of Christian churches) would be okay in the grand scheme of eternity. We are just missing the "fullness of the Gospel". My bad! Is that all?!? They've never given me a good reason to accept the teachings of the Mormon church. The people are kind, that is true, but there is no outside proof... No maps, no certainty... We just have to pray about it! Gag!! Sorry. I'm leaving my soap box now...

+ Will and I are still dating and very happy. Last week, one of my cousin's graduated from high school and he went with me. We had a little time to kill before the party started so we took a walk through the park. He pulled me over to a flower and said, "Christina, look at the colors of this flower. Do you remember what the Bible says about Solomon and the flowers? And look at the trees. They raise their branches to praise God..." Wow!!

+ Father's Day is here again... That'll be 4 without my father (although it's been nearly 5 years now). One of the guys at the office said as he was leaving yesterday, "Christina, have you taken care of your dad for the weekend?" Gulp! When I told him that my dad was no longer with us, he said that he would like it if his family did something that he enjoyed in memory of him after he's gone. I have a couple of ideas about what I could do... one of them is to visit the grave site. I haven't been there in years. In my grief group, we talked about how the grave site itself doesn't hold any pleasant memories for us but it is closure. I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one down there....

Anyway, thanks for reading. There are many things to share. But, for now, signing off....

The Half Marathon...

2005-05-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

It's true... I finished my first half marathon yesterday in Saddleback! I was very blessed and encouraged by my running group and Will. Granted, I'm not a fast runner (at ALL!) (my average mile is 13:38 minutes), but I finished! Since my longest run was up to 9 miles, I ran 10 miles (mostly) and walked the last 3. It took me 2:59:57 to complete the course. My group said that it was one of the most strenuous courses they've done because of the hills. They really take a toll, not only on you physically, but also mentally.

Will picked me up at 5:30 a.m. and we drove down to the end, busing it back to the start line. I was stressed by the crowds and the anxiety of the distance ahead. When I found the group, I felt better. We were among friends. The course started out circling the Laguna Hills Mall and then out onto the streets and the trails. [We spent a lot of time zig-zagging around a Mormon ward. I thought that was interesting too.] I discovered that I actually like Gatorade. I always thought it tasted horrible, but something happens when you're out there in the sun and needing a boost...

Will ran with me the first mile and then, because he runs faster, he took off (his average mile took 8:52). He told me later that the rest of my running group saw him as he past and they exclaimed, "You left her behind?!" I was seriously fine with it. I just kept moving... and I expected only to finish, not that anyone would stick with me. I also made a few friends in the back along the way. It's funny how a community is built during the strain. People that can really sympathize with you...

When I rounded out to the end, I saw the running group members again. I think they waited for a while because they all looked rested... One really sweet lady (Kitty), came along side me and pushed me to run again. I went full force through the finish line. They handed me water and congratulated me. Seriously, it's like a family. They are so kind!

After our run and showers, Will and I went to two BBQs. I was so happy to eat!! We went to my boss' house first and enjoyed their company. Then, we went to the Singles Ward BBQ that the missionaries invited me to last week. That was an experience! My favorite part was when the leader asked me if I was in school and when he pushed where I would be going, his eyes grew. I wouldn't have mentioned Talbot otherwise... The other part that I found fascinating, but could understand, was that as soon as we walked in the door, all eyes glared at us. They wanted to know if we were "fresh meat". It was uncomfortable. One guy even went so far as to skip over Will (even though Will was in front of him) and introduce himself to me first. He asked all kinds of questions, centering mostly on whether we were together. Once he determined that, he left the table. So hilarious! The dog was even a snob! She refused to be petted unless you handed her food.

Today will be a slow day, hopefully. No running until Wednesday at the very earliest, and slow and light at that! I'm tired... But, I have to keep moving.

Thanks for asking Deb.

Exciting news!

2005-05-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

So, I finished 9 miles on Saturday! My goal (quite lofty, I might add) was to go running in the morning and then hang out with Will at Magic Mountain for his birthday celebration... We didn't make it to Magic Mountain. Surprise, surprise! I was too tired.

Speaking of Will, things have changed between us. We've gone from friends to dating 2 weeks ago. I was determined, it is true, not to date him, but alas he won me over. I had many inaccurate opinions of him from when I first met him, and the more I hung out with him, the more I realized it. It's been quite a journey so far... Facing fears and examining priorities. I know that there are many challenges and turns still ahead on this...

One hilarious event happened this weekend. I have been meeting with Mormon missionaries for the last several weeks. A couple of weeks ago, I brought out my copy of Mormon Doctrine and one of them (while thumbing through it), discovered an entry by McConkie regarding the Adam-God Doctrine (taught by Brigham Young). He mentioned that he had never heard of that before.... So, Saturday, my goal was to get down to the Institute of Religion and make a photo copy of Volume 1, Page 50 of Journal of Discourses. Both Institutes were closed and, as a last resort, we headed to the local Ward to see if they had a copy of the Discourses. Through a series of miraculous events, the very same missionaries made a copy of the page for me! It was such a God appointment! I'm looking forward to our next visit (Wednesday).

Well, as I'm at work, I should be going.... Thanks for checking in! =)

Going somewhere?

2005-05-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

Saturdays appear to be the most convenient days for me to post... I suppose it's because after my long runs, I can just lay in bed and use the computer without more stress on the body....

Speaking of long runs, I ran 7-8 miles today. I couldn't tell with certainty because the mile marker person seemed to have missed a few points of reference and I KNOW that I did more than just 2 out. So, I ran for an hour and 15 minutes and went home. Also, thanks to my physical trainer friend, my routine now includes 20 minutes of icing after the cool-down stretch. Training for a marathon is a real time-hogger!

Well, the interview went really well! Three people attended; one person I have been working on a project for 6 months with, his manager and a colleague. The manager announced at the beginning he didn't have a list of questions for me and because I had a working relationship with one of the others in the room, it was more relaxed than other interviews that I've had. They took me out into the City and explained some of their goals in development and some of the past jobs (widening highways and other street improvements). It sounds like a learning curve for me, which I honestly don't mind. The part I did mind was that it was a temporary, no benefits kind of job. Anyway, so I gave it some thought for a week and then turned them down. What I thought was particularly interesting is that the person I have been working with for several months personally e-mailed me back and said he didn't blame me for turning it down. Actually, I really appreciated hearing that....

Because of Mother's Day, the Utah training meeting in So. Orange County tomorrow is canceled, so I won't receive my weekly training on how to properly deal with heresy... ahh!

Mothers. Have you spent much time thinking about your mother lately? I have... Fortunately, I have two (and many others vying for the position) and it's something to think about them and their influence in my life. My mother on one hand is full of issues, but she is very loyal and a relatively good listener and then there's Olga, my stepmother. So thank and bless your mothers! We are fortunate to have life and have them!

As for this next week, my boss is in Ireland and you know what they say: the mice will play. No, actually, there is a lot to do and if nothing else, I can at least clear off my desk!

Work, run, eat, sleep, hang out with friends, run... Pretty much life right now.

Movin' right along...

2005-04-27T23:44:00.000-07:00

So, the interview is set for Friday afternoon. I'm driving up with Jeff and Deb. They have graciously agreed to allow me to use their car. =) The City seems excited to meet with me and, truthfully, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm nervous, but anxious and well, basically stressed...

On a brighter note, running is doing me good! I dropped 2 sizes! The pocket book is suffering though....

Also, Sunday teaching went really well. Can you imagine 65 high school/junior high school students sitting still for 45 minutes??? Well, they did. And one leader said as I was packing up, "You're a very powerful speaker. You just need to exhale." Guess I was a little tense.

Last night, after hanging out with Deb and Jeff, I went to visit a friend who is also a physical trainer. She is awesome. She bent and twisted me like a pretzel, but some of those pesky sore muscles are much better now.... And I know a whole lot more about how I should be stretching to avoid future injury.

I know, so exciting.... Talk to you soon. =)

Time's flyin...

2005-04-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hey,

It's been several weeks since I last posted, and there is a lot going on. Here are the highlights:

+ Ran 7 miles this morning. I just took a shower and am now lying in bed (ahh!).
+ I'm "preaching" tomorrow morning at a church in Mission Viejo. I prefer to call it "teaching", but whatever. It's a youth group that will be participating in ministry to Mormons this June-July in Utah and I have been asked to be one of the leaders. The purpose of my speaking engagement (I sound important now, right?) is to "get to know you", so I won't be preaching on fire and brimstone (ahem!). At least not this week! =) I am looking forward to it.
+ For the last few weeks, I have been fairly active in evangelism, my true love. I met with the JW only once though (she had other engagements again) and I have been meeting with Mormons (once at the LA Temple and once [soon to be twice] at my house). These discussions always get me going...
+ I have been hanging out with friends (Deb, Jeff, Tom, Willy, Kristin, etc.)
+ The usual: work and run, sleep and eat. You get the idea.
+ And probably for the most stressful of items, I have been trying to figure out what I should do about my job situation. (This has been an on-going issue.) I have been at the same place for several years and it's time to make a move... I faxed my resume to someone early last week and they called me back THE NEXT DAY!! The problem is that if I accepted, it would require me to move (much too far to commute), but I have friends moving there (Deb & Jeff)... The problem is that the position is turning out to be not so great in the short run, but with potential in the long run.... So, decisions, decisions... Of course, the idea of staying close to Deb & Jeff means the world to me, but it's a huge deal on many different levels.

The thing that I have been trying to concentrate on (instead of stressing) is the Lord. I guess it sounds sort of cheesy, but I truly will be overwhelmed if I don't try to discipline myself to remain focused on Him. The excitement/opportunity over the ministry thing makes me want to stay here and the excitement/opportunity of moving to do new things and be with a few of the people I care about, makes me want to move... So, instead of getting myself in a whirlwind, I just try to remind myself to turn over my anxious thoughts to the Person who knows best... the future and my desires... what's wise and true and right... When I remember that, the fear and uncertainty leaves. Praise God!

And now for something completely different...

I booked my plane and hotel reservations for Chicago this week. In addition to running the Marathon, I'm also going to see my mom, Heather (my sister), her husband, my niece and soon to be new niece/nephew in October as well. They live in North Carolina. Olga will be joining me for the time with my sister and fam. That will be so much fun and a motivation as I run... It's good to think of random things while you run. The trees, the birds, the beautiful things around us that God has blessed us with....

I guess that's about life in a nutshell. I'm so blessed to have options and opportunities. Praise the Lord!

"You're gonna need...."

2005-04-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon everybody! (hopefully, I do have an audience, if not, well, whatever...)

I went running with a group called Snail's Pace today down in Anaheim Hills. They have all run marathons before and like me, are planning on running the Chicago in October. It was a different circle than most I have been a part of (well, I guess with the exception of the 6-week hiking program in Austria). I met one guy who shyly boasted that he just finished his 101 marathon! He's gotta be near 80 and rumor had it that he started running at 52! Crazy!!! And they must have seen me coming.... I wore cotton. For you aspiring runners/exercise enthusiasts, this is a big no-no! So, I have to go shopping soon... One guy said, as an aside, "You picked an expensive sport." Yippee!

But the other interesting thing about this group is that they not only run together, but they read together (I guess they just can't get enough of each other). They have a book club and meet every Tuesday (the day off the running program). I guess the current book is To Kill a Mockingbird. I wonder if they would like to read things about Joseph Smith Jr. or perhaps Charles Taze Russell and their successors. That would be an interesting discussion topic, I think anyway...

Speaking of running, I have two birthday parties to attend this evening. Remember that part about shopping? Well, yeah, I better get to it!

Gotta Have It!

2005-04-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

So, what precisely is it that I have to have? You guess it! CHOCOLATE!!! After a 1.5 mile run this evening, my running partner suggested Baskin Robbins... The rest is history! [Were you even thinking about ice cream when you started reading this?]

I had an eventful day... I went to the office I only visit 1-day/week and there is always plenty waiting for me. My boss wrote me a memo/to-do list and the last line illustrates my experience: "there's more where all this came from." Seriously, I remember looking at the clock when I got in, and the next thing I knew, it was time to go.

Also, one thing I do look forward to is my Wednesday afternoon meeting with a Jehovah Witness friend. We have been meeting since November and because I don't know much about JWs, I let her do a lot of talking. The last two weeks, I have been reading and preparing for a rather important discussion on John 1:1 & 3. JWs take the liberty of translating verse 1 with "... and the Word was a God". Thanks to some helpful input from friends, commentaries and my 8-week study of Greek, I was excited to share with her... But, alas, she forgot. So, there I was for an hour alone. It was a productive hour anyway. I prayed and did some work....

The climax (and pretty much conclusion) of my day included Gospel Choir rehearsal and the track for 6 laps.... Chocolate? Did someone say chocolate?!

WHERE?!

Finally...

2005-04-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

I actually wrote this on Saturday, but for whatever reason, couldn't post it. So, once again, now's the time....

I have been considering posting my thoughts on the wide web world for a while now, but I have finally decided to do it. Lucky you! You've found it!

Let's see... Today, I ran 5k (3.1 miles) in La Habra. I can't say that I finished first or even second, but I can say that I finished! And, I truly never thought I would be running... ever! I am training for the Chicago marathon in October (9th for you aggressive runners). I'm blessed and grateful to be able to do this!

Olga is out of town for the evening (Palm Springs). She wanted to get away and refocus. I'm excited for her and truly hope she has a fantastic time.

I guess that is enough to get started....