The Emerald City Chronicles

Howdy Y'all (A Recap on the Aglow Worldwide Conference in Houston, TX)

2011-10-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I got back from the Aglow Worldwide Conference in Houston, TX, and it was a blast!! If you're wondering why I haven't posted in so long, well - I was getting ready for the conference in TX. But never fear, I'm back and the updates should start again soon.

For a short behind-the-scenes look at Conference, check out the youtube video from our Media Specialist, Ashley Paul, at http://www.youtube.com/user/AglowInternational01#p/u/27/4-xP8DcBAZ0.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Aglow Int'l, Aglow is a Christian non-profit organization, made up of small groups that meet in 169 countries around the world. Groups meet for Bible studies, community projects, and each country and even community has a distinct representation of Aglow. One country started its own Aglow Bible School, and in one African nation they have started their own Aglow Orphanage and are making a great impact on the community there with the Orphanage and sustainable farm. Every other year Aglow has a Worldwide Conference held in the United States where members from all over the world are invited to come and gather for a time of refreshing, vision, and encouragement.

So now that you have the background, let me fill you in on conference! It was wonnnnderful.
Our speakers were Chuck Pierce, Johnny Enlow, Ray Hughes, Graham Cooke, and Jane Hansen Hoyt. The opening night of the general sessions featured Chuck Pierce, and was so good that I just thought - Wow! If this is how it starts, how will it end? It's like starting a meal with an appitizer that is better than dessert. It just doesn't happen!

I won't go through every step and detail of conference, but here are a few things that stuck out to me:

- I loved listening to Johnny Enlow. His talk about the "mountains" of influence in society was fabulous. I was encouraged by the empahsis on Christians being Christians oustide of the church - as in, using your talents and giftings in the business realm, education, etc. and being a light and example.

- "Light does not run from the darkness. Darkness runs from light."

- Our God is REALLY big. I hadn't been viewing him for how big he really is. But when someone speaks out a word and it happens? "Live." "Let there be light." "Peace - be still." That person has power and authority and is no small deal. Being in church and hearing that for so long it can be easy to forget that. But God is SO big!

- There was a Generations Group (Aglow for ages 35 and under) who came from American Samoa. They performed three times at Conference with singing and American Samoan dancing and were fantastic. Even more amazing then their performances? The group bought their tickets on faith - they fundraised their entire trip but could only afford one-way tickets for all the members. They bought them believing that God would provide the funds for them to fly back. Check out this short youtube clip to see theri Generations Leader talking, and see the unplanned, unannounced offering that was taken while they were performing. I shouldn't even say it an offering was "taken", people just started walking up to the stage and putting money on the state as they performed. The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/user/AglowInternational01#p/u/29/954UmmBL534.

- I attended a Generations Prayer Watch from 3 to 6 am. Yes, 3 to 6 am. It. was. Awesome. I will admit, I was not greatly looking forward to the time of the watch and specifically prayed that God would make the watch go quickly and be great, with His presence there. I didn't want to just go to a prayer meeting to just go to a prayer meeting, you know? Well, God really showed up. I only looked at the clock 2 or 3 times and was shocked that the three hours passed as fast as it did. We spent time praying over conference, worshipping, and praying for each other and our respective Generations groups. There were 9 people who attended, and I think we all agree it was a wonderful time.

Well, that's all for now! If you would like to read more about the Conference, you are welcome to check out the Aglow Conference Blog - it is pretty great!

Hope everyone has been doing well and had a wonderful summer since I've last written.
Welcome Autumn!

Attn: Generations - Flash Mob of Kindness

2011-08-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

I came across this article today and was shocked. Not shocked in a 'how could this happen' kind of way, but in a 'why haven't I heard of this sooner' kind of way.
In the midst of the London riots, one of my favorite social networks -or should I say #favoriteSocialNetworks - was used for great good: organizing a flash mob of sorts to clean up areas of London that have been trashed by riots. Gotta love Twitter.
Check out the article here for the whole scoop, and in the meantime - how can you use the tools around you to help your Generations Group show the love of God in your community?

And if you're not already following Generations on Twitter, be sure to add!
#GenProjectINTL

A quick thought from Charlie Brown

2011-08-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

I love this quote from Charlie Brown, and wanted to share. It seems very much like a revised Isaiah 43. And it says:

"Are you upset, little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don't worry. . . I'm here.
The floodwaters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you."

-Charlie Brown (to Snoopy)

Shark week!!!

2011-08-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

As you may well be aware, this past week on the Discovery Channel was none other than….SHARK WEEK. Clearly known as one of the best weeks on television, Shark Week is amazing, non-stop shark footage for an entire week straight. There are countdowns of the top 10 deadliest sharks, speculation and testing of what makes sharks eat, hunt, and act the way they do, and there are stories of real life shark attacks and interviews with the survivors. It is a fascinating week, and I love it.

By the end of Shark Week I had DVR’d to my heart’s content and was left with plenty of spill-over content for the next week. I decided to take a break for the weekend and fill up with some fun activities, particularly activities that take place on terra firma. I hung out with friends. I went for walks. I stayed away from any mass of water more than a foot deep that might possibly have a creature with teeth hiding in it. It was a great weekend! After church, more activities, and chores, my roommate and I decided to close out the weekend with a laid back movie. We ran to Redbox and what did we get? Soul Surfer. The true story of a 13-year old girl who was surfing in Hawaii when she was bit by a tiger shark, and went back to surfing after the attack.

Now, if you haven’t seen this movie, your first order of business is to go out and see the movie. Released in select theatres only, this movie came out last year and starred AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie Underwood. It’s a fantastic story of hope, perseverance, and overcoming disparaging odds. But one part of the movie specifically caught my attention – and that was the shark attack. I won’t give any spoiler alerts here, but the attack was quick and clean. The shark took off Bethany’s arm in a clean swipe, and went away. (That really isn’t a spoiler. The movie, the real story, is about what happens after the attack.) This may sound strange, but it really reminded me that God is in control. That shark could have fought Bethany. Continually attacked her. After watching Shark Week, I can tell you that happens. Not all survivors are so fortunate as Bethany. But it’s almost like God said to the shark, “Ok – the arm. That’s it. Nothing else. Not one more bite.” And it made me think of what is going on in my life, and in the world around us, and it comforted me.

You see, the DOW dropped 500 points last week. Today it dropped another 400. I’ll be honest, I’m afraid. Are we heading into not just another recession, but another great depression? What will change in our lives? Will owning a house or going on vacations be a thing of the past? What about schools and jobs and degrees and careers? How are things going to change around us? But I think of Bethany… and I think of that shark… and I think, you know? God really has got things in control. Whatever happens, God is still in control.

A few scriptures came into my mind, and gave me peace. The bold indications are mine:

Isaiah 7:9 is God speaking and in it He says, “If you want me to protect you, learn to believe what I say.”

Psalm 56: 3-4a says, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word) in God I have put my trust; I will not fear.”

Psalm 94:19 says, “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, your comforts delight my soul.”

These, words from God found in the Bible, comfort me and give me strength and peace. Whatever happens – to our economy, to our way of living, to us, I know that God is in control. He did not promise us comfort – this world is not even our home. But God did promise to be with us. And I will end this blog with one of my favorite scriptures:

“And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” - Matthew 28:20b

God’s got your back – And your boat

2011-07-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to get to go on vacation with my family recently. And no, that’s not “blessed” Christianese speak for “dragged along helplessly.” No, I really was blessed. We went to Hawaii and we had a wonderful time. We swam in the ocean, played games, snorkeled, shopped, hiked, swam with sharks (some did), and more! It was fantastic.

One of the best parts of the trip, however, was getting to hang out with my nieces and nephews – one in particular is two years old, which officially makes her a little ball of cuteness. Elle is a happy, smiley girl who’s bounce in her step would float her away if the law of gravity didn’t exist. Bottom line, she is adorable. Buuuut as every rose must have its thorn, every baby must have their obsessive toy. Or in this case, her boat. That’s right. My niece’s toy of choice was a pink, inflatable, Dora The Explorer floaty boat, complete with inflatable steering wheel, and it is not to be messed with. Made for the pool/ocean, with holes for your legs to go through, this inflatable boat is the cat’s meow, for a 2 year old at least. (Ok, it’s pretty cool). Elle would step into her boat and walk, gripping the steering wheel, to the beach. As you can imagine, this was a rather slow walk, so eventually I had to pick her up – in boat – and lead the way. (Note: Do NOT try to take a boat away from a tiny baby. They may be small, but their grip on their toy of choice is deathlike.) Baby and her boat – who knew?

We got to the water and found a lagoon-like part of the beach with tiny waves, gentle enough for the kids to float on, but still fun enough for everyone to play in. We. Had. A. Blast. There were several of us there, each person with a child in some sort of floaty device next to them, all watching the kids and playing in the waves. We jumped. We floated. Good times were had by all. The younger kids didn’t understand why we hurried to jump as waves came, and the adults (at times) desperately wished for a floaty ring like the kids had, as they bobbled along the top of the waves. It was quite amusing.

At one point, however, someone called our attention to Elle. As I jumped in the waves to avoid a splash in the face, I turned to search for the tiny, Dora boat floating merely 10 feet away from me. I saw her, Elle. Sitting in her boat, steering wheel in hand, hat on her head.….ASLEEP. Could you believe it? Here we are jumping, kicking, splashing, and other ways of burning calories – and energy – to protect ourselves in the Pacific Ocean, and here Elle is – sleeping. I thought to myself, if I had a nice floaty boat (Um… “We’re gonna need a bigger boat,” anyone?), and was in nice warm water, with a giant standing next to me holding me steady as the waves rocked up and down, I could fall asleep too! Knowing I am safe, watched over, and not going to drift off anywhere, I could fall asleep too!

This picture hit me with so many different thoughts, I don’t even know where to begin.

We could talk about the time where Jesus was in a boat during a vicious storm. The disciples went crazy and were afraid, but Jesus slept. He knew his Father was watching over him, taking care of him, and that he would make it out to the other side.
We could talk about peace and rest. How you need it. How to get it. How it’s Biblical. And how to not hurry and scurry around trying to do things in your own strength.

But even more this speaks to me about child-like faith. Elle was just so happy, so content, and so trusting. She knew she was safe, because someone had their hand on her boat. She was surrounded by people who love her and care for her. And even when waves were high and others jumped, she floated right along – safe, sound, and secure. She trusted those over her to watch out for her. And isn’t that just what God wants of us? How many times to I wear myself trying to jump around a keep myself secure and protected. I’ll tell you, it’s much more fun to float along the waves when God has your back than it is to try and jump them alone. Hebrews speaks of how to please God – by trusting him.

So I’m thinking – maybe it’s good to just sit back today and look at my life. Do I trust God? Am I trusting Him with my life, am I in the boat? Or am I trying to do things on my own, working in my own strength and exhausted while trying to “enjoy” life by doing things my way? It may not be pink and have Dora on it, but I am deciding that I want to be in the boat – from this point forward. God, I trust you.

One Day at a Time....AND Jesus is better than Orange Juice.

2011-05-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

This week's blog is inspired by Florida orange juice! Read on to find out why...

Today I had a good conversation with a friend of mine. She works at Microsoft in Seattle, and was telling me about the new project she has been working on. The project is a very stressful one, as she is the newbie on the team, with a LOT of work cut out for her. She shared how she would start each day with prayer and how she felt God give her Matthew 6:34:

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (MSG)

Another version of the end of this verse says, "Todays trouble is enough for today."

You may not think this is a very encouraging verse, but look at it this way - Jesus Himself tells us not to worry about tomorrow - in essence, to take it one day at a time. Watch this short commercial for Florida Orange Juice to get the picture....

Did you watch it?

You know what I got out of it? When we take it one day at a time, just like Jesus says, He is there to help us - and Jesus is better than orange juice.
He's better than coffee.
He's better than your pump up song on the radio.
He's better than anything it takes to get you through your day.

It makes me wonder if I'm starting off MY day the right way.... Not with a cup of orange juice, but by placing my day - one day at a time- in the hands of Jesus, and walking it out with Him....
Cool, huh?

Life in General - Mackerel, Waldo, and a few of my favorite thigs..

2011-05-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't been great at updating the blog recently, so I thought I'd post a fun post. Nothing huge, no hidden meanings or spiritual lessons, just life in general and maybe some survey questions or two.

As for me? Life is good, God is so good to me. I love my family, and I must say I MAY have the best neices and nephews there are. I know your family is great too, but I'm just saying... ;) They range from age 19 to less than one year and they are pretty awesome. Some of my youngest neices and nephews say the cutest things. Here is the latest example:

My brother walked into a conversation the other day of his wife explaining the meaning of the word "holy" to his 5 year old son. My brother was so excited until, after his mom's explanation of "holy", he asked, "...what is mackerel?"

Or how about when my neice was told that she couldn't ride any rides at a pizza/arcade place because "you can't just run around by yourself!" and in all earnest she responded, "I'll walk! I pre sicromise!"

Yup. They're pretty awesome. Recently I've taken to sending them an occasional postcard or two. But I believe in passing down the finer things to your family members. Such as....Where's Waldo! You remember the book? Well now you can get Where's Waldo postcards. YES.

Ok, ok, I won't keep up with kid stories for now. Here is where I stand as of May. Care to comment for yourself?

May Favorites are......

Favorite new recipe: Lime chicken. (It's even better than lemon chicken, and has the best sauce. Love it!)

Favorite Redbox movie: The Chronicles of Narnia - Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Awesome movie!)

Current Read: It's actually a three way tie between books... That is a trickly one.

Best weekend activity: Walking in the sun!! It seems like we are having an extended Spring in Seattle, and when the sun comes out it is like a treaure!

Best hang out activity: Greek Party. I had one a few weeks ago with my friends - Greek movies, Greek food - someone even brought a bundt cake complete with a flower pot in the middle.

Favorite song: "This is the Stuff" by Francescs Battistelli

Well that's about it! Hope you all are doing well and having a wonderful May! Summer is just around the corner!

A "Royal Wedding" better than Wills and Kate's

2011-04-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

What were you doing last night?  I’ll tell you what I was doing – I was keeping myself awake until 1am so as not to miss the coverage of the “Royal Wedding” of Prince William and Kate Middleton. That’s right, I’ll admit it! I love a good princess story, and like anyone I was quickly drawn in to the ceremony and event.

A few friends came over, and we were good to go. I love a good theme party, so I prepared in advance and supplied everyone with English tea, scones, tea sandwiches (hey, at 3am PB&J counts), tea cookies, and yes – even a personal tiara, necklace and ring for each of us. Go big or go home, baby. I even have a makeshift fascinator in my hair as we speak. What can I say, I like a good party and I’m running on about four hours of sleep. If I want to pretend I’m British for the day I think it’s ok.

I won’t go through every detail of the night, but let’s just say that I was definitely quiet (a rarity, for sure) when Kate walked down the aisle in Westminster Abbey. I was just captivated by her beauty and elegance. The dress? Stunning. The crowds? Regal. Her crown? Dazzling.

Kate was the picture of the perfect princess bride.

Now here comes the sappy part but stick with me - this is good. As I watched her walk down the aisle to her future husband I got teary. I saw Prince William strain to not turn around until she was at his side, and teared up as he said, “You’re beautiful” when he finally saw her. As I watched this modern day fairy tale unfold I couldn’t help but think how beautiful this truly was, and then how cheap and fake my own tiara and jewelry actually was. I bought the tiaras and tea to have a fun theme party. But part of me just felt fake, and a little sad.

But as I watched the ceremony go on I felt God stir up the reality of this ceremony for us. We have a Royal Wedding coming up. We have a wedding gown that won’t compare to any that Earth has ever seen, and shoes better than any Jimmy Choo. Kate’s crown (given to her by the Queen) won’t compare to the crown that our Lord will give us.  The way Prince William looked at Kate won’t compare to the way Jesus will look – and does look – at us. I am just astounded at the awesome love our Jesus has for us. And I am more excited than ever for our Royal Wedding in Heaven.

I am reminded of scriptures that tell me I belong to Jesus, that he wants to be around me, with me. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."
Jesus Christ is my Savior, and my King.  That makes me royalty with Him. He died on the cross to buy us all back for himself, and his love for us is so deep, so wide, that I am just barely beginning to understand it. I feel like a princess.... I feel loved. I'm excited for a true Royal Wedding for me - that isn't an illusion, isn't a fairy tale. It will be better than any Royal Wedding has ever been...

As always, if you have any questions about the blog or the Biblical content I'm writing about, feel free to ask! ~Jessica

Generation Project - Feeding the Lovely

2011-01-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Within the past few months a "Generations" Group has been forming at my work, a Christian non-profit called Aglow. A "Generations" Group encompasses the younger generation, ages 18-35, and focuses on various projects and ideas, based on the hearts and desires of the individual group. Recently, our group has formed, right at my work site, and has been branching into the area of community service projects. Let me tell you about our latest outing...

Janice is a wonderful woman. Janice feeds homeless people in Seattle on a weekly basis. Jancie has no money. And we decided to help Janice. Can I share her story? Better yet, why don't we let Janice....

Seattle Generations - Community Dinner Outreach

Janice talked to grocery store owners in the town after seeing various stores throw out bags and bags of usable produce and meat. Janice now goes around to the stores on Sunday afternoons and picks up food for that week. Janice and her team, of three people, prep the food in the kitchen of a local church. They throw out the bad, save the good, and prepare a menu for a weekly meal served on Monday. This particular week, Janice and one of our Generation team members stayed out until 1:30 am cooking chickens as prep work for the meal served on Monday. Based on what was gathered, we prepped and served a meal of:

Chicken and rice cassarole
Sweet potatoes
Salad
Bread
Chicken Pasta Soup
Vegetarian Bean Soup
Beef and Veggie Soup
Fruit Cups with Custard
Vanilla Pudding
and Chocolate Pudding.

All of this was done with no money. Watch the video above if you haven't already. Hear Janice's heart for the homeless. I do believe that's God's heart for the homeless.

And oh yes, I didn't tell you the rest of the story! The church is opened up weekly for any and all to come and receive a free meal. Senior citizens came, the pastor came, and lots of homeless people came. One group of 4 people came as the kitchen was closing. They walked from another town because they heard food was being served - it was their first meal in two days. Our Generations team member remarked:

I made up 4 big plates of food, got out a few desserts, poured some coffee while
the guy ran back out to tell his friends that there was some dinner left for
them. They came in, cold, wet and hungry. None of them had had anything to eat
in over 2 days. One of the girls told me (after they finished eating) that she
was so glad to have dinner, because she had been getting really hungry, and was
trying very hard not to steal food.

I sat down and they told how grateful they were to area churches, since they helped them so they wouldn’t have to steal. I am not sure how they came to be living on the streets, what their circumstances were, or anything like that. I just know that the church had shown them love, and the heart of Jesus.

This was such an incredible time. Janice made sure that each person who wanted to take food with them took as much as they could. Several people even came with their own containers. After everyone had eaten, Janice packed up the remaining food with her team members, and distributed them to several large communities of the homeless in Seattle.

Surely, this is God's heartbeat....

Matt 25:37-40
37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

Me and Violet Beauregarde

2011-01-21T09:17:00.001-08:00

I do not like blueberries. Blueberries are bitter.

About the only time I can handle them is in a giant buttery scone, crammed with grainy sugar from Starbucks, but that's about it. Because only THAT amount of sugary junk can cover the bitterness of the blueberries. "Good for you", "super fruit", I don't care - I do not like blueberries. But if you are what you eat, the fruit of MY heart might put me and Violet Beauregarde in competition for a human bowling contest. Yeah, sometimes I can let myself get pretty bitter.

Enter in Mariah. Mariah is a wonderful friend I met in college and still consider quite dear to me. I rarely see her in person, and think I've seen her twice since college. But I enjoy reading her blog and hearing about her life as a woman, wife, and mother of two cute little ones. Mariah said something recently in her blog about bitterness that really hit me. She said:

"We read that Christ drank the bitter cup with the Atonement. But I have realized that he did this and didn't become bitter. Our challenge (mine) is to drink the bitter cup (trials, drama, heartbreak, hurt, life basically) and not become bitter but to learn to have better empathy for someone who is going through the same thing. To be more Christ like."

This really hit me. So much so that I don't even want to add anything to it. God just spoke to me through this. We all drink the bitter cup at times - but do we let it make us bitter? Or do we let it make us a better person? I know this - bitter can hurt, but I do not want to be a giant, bitter, blueberry.... So long, Violet Beauregarde. Welcome back, Jessica.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

Who can believe it's 2011?

Ok, I know only 'old' people say that (or so I used to think) but seriously - it feels like yesterday was my senior year in high school, and that was a bit more than yesterday.

With a fresh new year, I'm reminded of a refreshing promise from God's word. TWO of them to be exact:

1. Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

2. Luke 1:37 - Nothing is impossible with God. And I love the NIV's translation of this verse, "For no word from God will ever fail."

So what are your goals for this year? Perhaps you're like so many of us who set goals, failed, and feel too discouraged to try them again? Let me encourage you that if God is calling you to do it, He holds the victory to complete it!

Keep on pressing on - do not be weary in well doing! How will this year be different from last year? There is hope! Press into God, let Him lead the way, and walk with Him into the glorious destiny He has for you! It will blow your mind!

My life feels kind of like a Rubik's cube

2010-12-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

Greetings friends!

It’s been some time, hasn’t it? Well, I hope you’ll read on and give me your thoughts at the end of this blog. God has really been bringing some things to my mind recently and writing it out just seems to help make more sense of it. What are the things I’m being made aware of, you ask? Well, you asked for it! Here is the revelation:

I can’t fix myself. Shocking, huh? But believe it or not, I can’t fix my personality flaws, my problems, my issues – good, bad, big, small, I just can’t do it.

Now, to some of you out there this is basic knowledge and if you know tons and tons about this you can skip on to SCL right about now. I won’t be offended! Really! But for those of you who struggle with this like I do, read on.

Here’s the deal – as much as I’d like to think I have some basic Christian thoughts and doctrines down (you know – grace, love, the basics!) I just don’t! This is puzzling since I have been going to church all my life and tend to error on the “I know it, I learned it when I was 5” side. Hmm… sounds like a certain religious sect…. Anyways, God is awesome and is changing me – thank Him! But since I “know” so much about good, biblical behavior, you would think I would be able to fix myself and get things under control, right? Wrong. When I try, it looks something like this:

Problem: Eating too much
Inner Monologue: “Use self control, Jessica – don’t eat too much!”
Result: I saw cookies. Enough said.

Or….

Problem: Gossip
Inner Monologue: “Don’t text, hang up the phone Jessica!”
Result: Well, at least I have unlimited text…

And the list could go on and on… So do I ever really solve my issues? No. No, here’s what I’ve found fixing myself to be like: a Rubik’s cube. Do you remember those? Little plastic cube with different colored squares on all sides – craze of the 80’s? (Side note – I once had a Rubik’s cube pen, coolest pen ever! That pen got me through Algebra 1. Both times.) Ok, so here’s the deal – there are 6 colors on the cube, and your goal is to try to get every side of the cube to have only one color. I can remember playing with the toy at my Grandpa’s house. It was fun (well, it was the only toy AT my Grandpa’s house) and I could get almost ALL of one side white!! Right then I would move to conquer the color Yellow on this thing, and before I know it – I check to see my progress expecting to see 2 sides of SOLID color, and what do I see? The white side is all messed up again!

Well folks, THAT is what it’s like when I try to fix myself. Right when I think I have it together, I realize I don’t. Thank God that He is so merciful and kind. His mercies are new every morning. He is faithful to keep us and help us. We don't have to do this on our own. We can try to fix the cube, but nothing is going to really happen. But God? If we let Him take over, well He can do more in 30 seconds than we can do in a lifetime. God is THAT big and THAT powerful, and He cares THAT much.

Just a thought for today….

You have time - Hit The Bullseye!

2010-09-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make. In high school I wasn't exactly the best in P.E. I was picked strategically for basketball games...until people figured out "tall" didn't mean "good". And I always had friends to walk, er, run with during our mile warm-ups. Ok, ok, I wasn't that bad - I'm just not all that athletic.

One particular memory of high school sports was standing in the outfield -wayyyy out field - during a game of softball. The game was going for quite some time and, finally figuring the ball was never going to come my way, I drifted off in my own world of thought before thinking, "Wouldn't it be crazy if someone actually hit the ball out here, right to me?" And guess what happened. THEY DID! I looked up to see the softball flying through the air, riding on the wind, headed straight for my outstretched glove- and then the blazing sun blinded me, and the ball landed somewhere beside me. Yup. That's my experience with high school sports. But there was this one time...

We were in the in-between season of sports. Not time for football. Not time for volleyball (which I am actually decent at). And not time for basketball. This was time for archery. On first glance I thought - archery? How boring! And boring it was, until we started shooting. Shot after shot I did pretty well, almost always hitting the target, and quite often near the bullseye. After a few weeks as we were nearing the end of our archery time, we had a shooting contest. We backed far away from the targets to see who could shoot the arrow from across the field. We went through the whole class, one at a time - a few hitting the target, and everyone else hitting the grass. And then it was my turn. I drew the arrow back. I pointed the arrow into the sky, and I shot. The arrow curved in a graceful arc (no really) and fell down right on the target - I HIT IT! It was a perfect shot!! To this day I have no clue how that actually happened, except God may have had mercy on my poor athletic skills and helped me out.

So what does this have to do with anything? Well... We're getting into the Fall season. It is the time where things slow down, the summer party has ended, and holiday parties are around the corner. Things get slow, we settle down, and before we know it the new year will be here. So my point to ponder here is... are you on target? We have 3 months left until the end of the year. Almost 100 days. Are you on target with the goals you hoped to accomplish by now? And how much closer can you get to them in the next 100 days? It's just a thought. So often I cop out and just quit at this point, waiting for January to make another set of New Year's resolutions and goals for the year that I don't quite reach. But why not keep going? Why not recharge and charge on, now? Just do it. You can do it. Hit the bullseye.

I Know What YOU Did last- wait, what I did THIS Summer

2010-09-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

Picture courtesy of http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/

Hello, hello friends - it has been awhile! As Labor Day weekend draws to a close I can safely say that Summer is over. I hope your Summer was as fantastic and eventful as mine. I am truly TRULY blessed by my loving God, and I learned a few things this Summer among my adventures. Thought you might wanna hear about some of them...

Here a few things I learned over Summer:

- Water rafting is FUN.

- River water flows a LOT faster than it seems, and rapids seen in rivers from the freeway are MUCH bigger than they appear once you're next to them.

- If a movie on the beach is advertised as a FREE MOVIE ON THE BEACH!!! Know it's not really free...

- I now know the amount of High School football, soccer, baseball, volleyball, drill, knitting, ceramics, and basket weaving teams in the state of Oahu who have won awards. Oh please let me share the story...

- I have learned that sneezing on tourists is considered rude and unwelcoming - especially if they are from a different country.

- I have learned there is no way to explain "accident" when sneezing on tourists from a different country.

- I have learned to carry Purrell.

- I have learned I can DANCE!!! And it looks something like a 90's white boy...

- I have learned that the walking distance from the freeway to my house is over 3 miles.

- I have learned to use a carry-on with wheels.

- I have learned that when red lights on slurpee machines have signs posted saying "Do Not Use When Red Light Is On" - they aren't kidding.

- I have learned to not put tortillas in the toaster oven for more than 30 seconds.

- I have learned to put out a fire.

And last but not least....

- I have learned that Summer in Seattle is gorgeous and WONDEFUL - thanks to the grace of God, my friends, my family, my church, and Full Tilt Ice Cream.

She's baaaaack!

2010-07-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers!

Sorry it's been awhile - it's been a busy summer!

Keep a lookout for upcoming blogs. I hope to update you soon on mentorship (just what you were wanting!), a hysterial story involving 7-11, summer travels, and the movie "Field of Dreams".

Hope everyone is doing well! What have you been up to this summer?

Whose life are you pouring into?

2010-05-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

It is so easy to live life in isolation. Sure – you have people around you, but how many people are you in real relationship with? Intimate relationship? And not intimacy in the way of sexual intimacy – intimacy as defined by closeness, or someone you can truly be yourself with. It’s more important that I thought.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about mentorship, leadership, and some other issues and I have come to a conclusion:

Everyone should have someone who is pouring into their lives, and everyone should be pouring into someone else’s life. Call it mentorship, call it whatever you want – but everyone should have it.

Let me explain.

First of all, you don’t know everything there is to know.
And second of all, you don’t know everything there is to know.
Since you don’t know everything, doesn’t it make sense to talk to other people on a routine basis and give them permission to speak into your life? Here are a couple of tips that I think will help this process:

1. Find a mentor. Mentorship is not a “club” thing. It happens one on one, it happens within the same sex, and you usually only need one mentor. Two? Maybe. But usually one will suffice.

2. Seek God on who this person is in your life. This person you allow to speak into your life has to be a Godly person you’d want speaking into your life. You’re not cutting all others out. You’re just letting someone else more “in” than you normally do. This person should be older, and often significantly older than you. One year, two months and three days? Not what I'm really meaning. But whatever- ask God. Also, this person is not your mom, not usually your family, and not your best friend. This is someone on the outside with a different perspective – and part of what makes this so beneficial. Ask God to reveal who this is – and if it’s Him, He’ll open the doors to forming this relationship.

3. Be a friend. “Mentor” is not a synonym for “counselor” or “therapist”. This person is a friend who will tell you like it is, and tell you things other friends won’t. So love this person. Care about this person. They’re taking time out of their lives to share their care, concerns, prayer, and wisdom with you. This relationship is not a one-way street – so share the road and be a blessing to this person blessing your life.

4. Know that God is in control, and you don’t have to “make” anything happen. So you don’t see anyone around you of “mentor” quality right now? Don’t freak out – just pray. God will send the right person at the right time. Your current mentor is moving away, or things just seem flat - like they've emotionally moved away? Ok- people are in our lives for a season, maybe their season is up. It's ok. Or maybe you really want to be a mentor to someone younger than you – someone laid on your heart? Pray about it. Just because you’re ready to mentor, may not mean they are ready to be mentored - so remember that. I’m starting to learn that prayer can do so much more than we realize. So take it to God. See what doors he opens. And if nothing else – if there is no platform opened into this person’s life for you to speak, don’t give up on the prayers! They do so much more than you can imagine.

Well these are just a few thoughts. I may write some more on this subject – it has really been on my heart lately.

J

Feeling stuck?

2010-05-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

What's a cloud got to do, got to do with it?

So the other day I'm checking out the fabulous view in the window of my Seattle apartment, and I am struck by the clouds. On this clear, SUNNY day in Seattle (I know, I know, but it does happen, praise the Lord!) I get a wonderful view of large white, fluffy, cumulus clouds. This great weather has been going on the last few days and when it does I find myself sitting on the couch, beverage in hand, watching the clouds go by. I like to sit for a few minutes and just relax as I watch the shapes come and go, and view the trees swaying gently in the breeze. But on this particular day, there was a glitch:

The clouds weren't moving!

The trees branches were moving. I could feel the wind blowing. But the clouds were not! Still as still could be, I felt like Evie from "Out of This World" and wondered if I had touched my two index fingers together, and if it really did stop time. Alas, it turns out I do not have time-stopping super powers, and I soon realized what the problem was. (This is rather important you see- for it was very distrubing to see clear evidence of wind, but no movement in the clouds!)

The problem was my perspective. The clouds weren't moving left to right, or right to left- because they weren't being blown that way. The clouds were actually moving toward me. I was at such an angle that it simply appeared that he clouds weren't moving at all, because that was the only way I was seeing things. It reminded me that sometimes, we simply need to reposition ourselves.

When you feel stuck - Oops - you probalby don't ever feel that way. Ok, so, when I feel stuck this is a good reminder for me to reposition. Get a different view on things. And usually, a great place to start is to get out of 1st person mode, and start focusing on some other people. (Of course God should always be our first focus, and if He isn't I tend to find that's the source of my feeling "stuck" in the first place...)

It's just good to know that things are always moving. They're never still, they're never not going. If you don't know that, or can't see that, you will start to feel stuck in your situation. So get out, and get some good (Bible-based) perspective. (A bottle of Jack is not the perspective I'm talking about here!) Where do you start? I don't know, I'm not God. But I'm pretty sure if you ask him, he'll be more than willing to let you know.

It's SO NOT fair - but it's So, So, Wonderful

2010-04-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

I am just really caught by Gods love for me today.

I don't know half of it. I don't know half of a smidge of it. But I know a glimpse of it, and even a glimpse of it blows me away.

It's not fair, you know. It's not fair that a perfect God sent his only son to make the way for me to live with him forever in Heaven. For those of you who are new to Christ, or perhaps not a Christian at all this concept can be hard to follow. It's hard because it's hard to visualize. Want something to help you out? Watch the movie "Man On Fire", and pay attention to the very end. Then it will start to make a little more sense.

God is so good, that he loves me like NO other. No wonder Jesus said that we would know if people are his followers/disciples by their LOVE. Because the love Jesus gives is unlike any other. Even if you choose to reject him and go your own way, he STILL loves you. God help us choose your love ALL the time.

P.S. Olympic blog is canceled. It was fun, if you want to know e-mail me for details. New blog to come soo, though. Love...

I MAY never eat Jack-In-The-Box again...

2010-03-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

I MAY never eat Jack-in-the-Box again, and it's not their fault.

You see, today I had an appointment with my personal trainer at the gym. It was several hours after work, and I found a creative way of not going home and killing time (getting my nails done) so I had to get fast food for dinner. I'm sure you can sympathize. So I did. I had Jack-in-the-Box. Their dollar menu rocks, and they're pretty tasty. So I felt no shame. ....Until I went to my training appointment.....it went something like this:

Trainer: Hey, Jess! Let's run 1/4 mile on the treadmill.
Me: Ok! *runs* (Note: the term "runs" is used very loosely.)
Trainer: Ok, let's do weights. *Walks to weight area, gives me exercise to do*
Me: *Does weight routine. Get's too tired. Stops, and says I'm too tired*
Trainer: Jess, what did you eat today?
Me: I ate good, Trainer! I had fruit, a protein shake, a whole-grain wheat sandwich, *ahem*Jackinthebox, lwo-fat yogurt, and an orange.
Trainer: So what you're telling me is.....you had Jack-in-the-Box.
Me: *tiny voice* Um, yes.
Trainer: Was it good?
Me: *tiny voice* Yeah...
Trainer: Ok Jess, let's do squats.
Me: *inner monologue* Noooooooooooooooo!!

So we go over to a standing squat machine, and Trainer told me to do 10 jump squats.
Me: Ok. *ouch* Ok, done.
Trainer: *laughs* NOPE. Do 15 now, like this.

AND ON AND ON. It wasn't just 10 squats! I did over 40 squats for that tiny jack-in-the-box meal. My legs burn. I had to hobbeled up the stairs to get to my apartment tonight. And although I'm currently sitting down on the floor, I don't know exactly if, when, or how I'm getting UP.

Dear Jack,

Your tacos are tasty. But not worth it. Sorry.

Love,
Jessica

Cotton Candy, Churros, and so much more!!

2010-03-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers,

Long time no post, I know. Watch in about a week for a blog on my trip to the Olympics. I can't wait to tell you all about it!

But before then... let's talk about food!

No, no - this is not a blog about cute recipes. (Although I do love those!) This is a quick blog about my family trip to Disneyland, and a thought I've had since then.

Some of my family were able to take time off work and take a short trip to Disneyland. There were 5 adults to escort 1 six year old on rides - it was quite fun!! We all had a blast going around the park, talking, riding rides, and eating - because who doesn't love amuesment park food?

Now my family may have a quirkly practice concerning food while at Disneyland - We eat lunch around 2 or so... and then usually don't leave the park and eat dinner until 8! (Does anyone else do that?) In the meantime we'll snack and the 6-year old's mom will have brought her healthy snacks. But we (the remaining 5 adults) each managed to pick a different amusement park favorite and snack on it at some point during the day. We'd each share some with my little niece, not thinking anything of it, to help finish off our big, yummy snack. It was a great plan! ...Until we got to dinner.

Dinner was a great meal at a sit-down restaurant outside the park. Us adults were practically ravenous for our food, but my little niece barely pecked at hers. I couldn't understand how she wasn't hungry until we reviewed what she'd had to eat.

"Well she had corn dogs for lunch, and a granola bar later."

"I gave her some of my cotton candy."

"Well, I gave her some of my popcorn."

"Really? I thought she'd like some ice cream..."

And the list went on and on until we realized she had ate some of each of our JUNK FOOD snacks - cotton candy, pretzels, popcorn, churros, ice cream, and whatever other candy bits and pieces we had partaken of. No wonder she wasn't hungry!

Fast forward to today... I'm taking a couple minutes to pray this morning. And I do mean a couple of minutes. I just don't feel it lately. So I ask God to help me. I feel like I'm just not hungry for him. The Bible is clear- those that WANT God, get God. And you can ask Him to help you want Him more. But God isn't going to force Himself on you. SO I'm wordering why I just don't feel hungry, when I feel God impress upon me that - just like my little niece - I'm not hungry because I'm filling up on junk food.

I don't have to go deep into the implications of junk food for you to get the point- it tastes great immediately, but there's no lasting value. So in the same way, I have been neglecting to put God first in my life. I'm skipping on the Bread of Life, but gorging on the junk- things that might not be all bad, but need definite moderation. TV. Music. Even hanging out with friends or going to movies. They're not bad- but they have a place and an order. Popcorn isn't bad, you know- as long as it's not your main diet. Just like these other things. Friends are not my source- my strength, my peace. Those come from God (2 Peter 1:3). And yes God uses people- but first and foremost, I am ministered to by God in prayer- not by friends. Not by food. Not by TV. Etc. Etc.

So I thought I'd share this with you. I need to take another look at my time diet, and see when I'm spending my time on... I want to be hungry for what really satisfies and sustains me- the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ! (John 6:35)

Tiger Woods and Jesus - A thought on Apology

2010-02-19T15:50:00.000-08:00

Today was the day Tiger Woods gave his public apology for cheating on his wife in 2009. I watched the whole statement, and I was struck by many different emotions...

I tried to evaluate if Tiger was sincere, or sorry he got caught...

I felt sad for his wife and kids...

I felt mad that Tiger had put his family through this...

I felt slightly relieved that Tiger had seemed to "come to his senses" and realize that his actions were wrong. That there is such a thing as wrong actions. (We don't hear that much today in our society).

I was proud of him for admitting his mistakes, and not shifting blame.

But most of all, I was thankful.

Thankful??

Yes, that's what I said. Thankful.

When Tiger addressed the crowd, he made a steady stream of statements all starting with the phrase "I." Tiger took full responsability for his actions, and there was no one to defend him, fight for him, or take up his case at all. He was guilty, and he knew it, and he didn't make excuses. He knew he had done wrong.

As I watched this I thought about Jesus and what he did on the cross for us. If you don't already know, Jesus died on a cross over 2,000 years ago in YOUR place, so that if you choose to accept him today as your Lord and Savior, and live for him, you will be saved from eternal death, or Hell.

Now, we're free to sin. It's our choice. But sin seperates us from God, and though we think we can do things and God doesn't see, we're wrong. He sees. But there's another problem. The Bible says that Satan is constantly accusing us before God, pointing out and reminding God of our sins:

"God, did you see her? Look at what she did. She lied. She's a liar. She doesn't belong in Heaven."

"God, did you see him? He's looking at porn. That's lust. He doesn't want to be with you!"

And on, and on he goes, pointing out all our sins and failures....

BUT JESUS.

Jesus stands in the gap for us- he is constantly pardoning our sins and staying, "It's ok, she's mine. I already paid her price (when I died for her 2,000 years earlier). I paid her ransom." "That guy? He's mine. I paid his price. You can't have him either."

AND SO..........

I know that at the end of the world as we know it, when it's time to look at our actions and be judged, I will stand like Tiger Woods and admit everything I've done wrong. Every person I hurt. Every lie I told. Every lustful thought. Every gossipy word. And none of my friends can stand up for me, deny my actions, or justify them. Me, and everyone else, will know what I have done, and will know that I am guilty. BUT JESUS. I am so thankful for Jesus. You see, I accepted Him as my Savior. (I actually like to call Him my Hero. Hero's save people after all, don't they?) And Jesus saved me. So when it's my turn to get in front of everyone and admit all my sins, all my screw-ups, all my transgressions, Jesus Christ will stand up for me and say - Yes, you did those things, but I paid your price, and you are mine. Well done, good and faithful servant.

I am so thankful for Jesus, and so thankful that he is my advocate before the father. Without Jesus, I don't know where I'd be.

What do people outside of church, think of church?

2010-01-29T10:23:00.000-08:00

*To all my friends who don't go to church, feel free to comment and give me your thoughts!
*However, to all my friends that are involved in church, this posting is more or less aimed at us

Check it out....

A friend posted this video on facebook.
Take 3 minutes and see...

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=314593513992

The comments that got my attention the most were "hypocracy", and "The church isn't about being up HERE, but down *here*."

The first comment grabbed my attention in that I have to ask myself, am I a hypocrite? Do I DO what I tell others not to do? I'm honestly a little afraid to answer that. It really makes me look at what I do... Awhile ago I gave up watching a few TV shows. It's hard not to watch them when I'm at home and bored. But if I have made the stand that I'm not going to watch those shows because of their content, then I can't watch them when I'm bored. It's hard, but I've made up my mind. If not before, than definitly today. I don't want to be a person that turns people away from church, and ultimately Christ, because of my actions. I'll be honest, I've been there, done that before, and I wish I could fix it, but I can't go back in time. So what else? Are there things in your life that you "preach" at others as the standard you should shoot for but you're not really trying to reach it? Am I?

The second comment that grabbed my attention - wasn't that powerful?? For some reason, in our human nature, we think that status or attention defines worth. We would all like to be the president of a given company, but in reality, it's the 90% working force that DOES the work of that company. The president is important, but the point is that we all have a part to play. Take it back to church; working to be seen doesn't really help anyone. Real work and real change takes place at the ground level- not at the top. So what about me- am I working to be seen?? If so, then I'm contributing to the problem... Real love and real care for people is what causes change- from the ground up. Or you may even say, from the inside out.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? This video really hit me. It hit me because I know I need to work on doing what I SAY I'm going to do. And working for the good of others, not to be seen.
Definitly something to ponder on...

I ate 2 Twinkies, 3 Hot Dogs, and a Quart of Ben & Jerrys...

2010-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

How is everyone's 2010 going so far?

Ok, so what were everyone's resolutions? And how are you doing with them?

Now that the month has calmed down a little bit and we're all starting to settle back into our routines, let me take a minute to encourage you.

At the end of 2009 you probalby spent some time reflecting on where you were (then) and where you want to be at the end of 2010. You made some resolutions you knew you wouldn't keep at all, and you made resolutions you knew you should keep...and probalby could if you tried. (How do I know this? Duh! 'Cause that's what I did.) So, this is our opportunity. It takes 3 weeks to make a habit. You're already starting your new routines, whether you know it or not, so I encourage you to pick 2 of your resolutions and tackle them! Start with 2. It may seem like that's too small, but 2 resolutions finished is better than 5 attempted but not finished...

So what are your resolutions? Think about them, and plan for a way to start them in practical ways. I'm pretty bad at not following through with resolutions, but I want to change this year. So here is some of my "to do" for now:

Resolution #1 - Read more books in 2010.

Plan? One night a week is designated as a NO TV night. Not for my roommate, not for the whole house, just for me. And that's not "night to hang out with friends" night either. It's one night, after work, where I can go home, do things I need to do, and spend an hour or two (maybe?) in my room (NOT guilting my roommate for her watching TV, being whiny that I can't) and reading a good book. Not too overwhelming, not hardcare. Just something simple that I can implement into my busy schedule.

Resolution #2 - Shed some pounds in 2010.

Plan? This one is much easier written than performed. Because it is so hard for me, my first step (remember you can 'add to' and modify your resolution plans) will be fairly simple. It is to start a food diary. Write down every thing I eat throughout the day, including calories, protein, and fiber.

So not bad, huh? So pick a resolution, map out a (simple!) plan, and start step 1 of it today!

Happy January, everyone!

Please pray for Joel Dawson!

2010-01-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

I received an e-mail this morning to pray for a little 7-year old boy. It said he had cancer, and after two years of fighting it the doctors say there is nothing they can do.

In an age where so many e-mail forwards are passed all around - some real, some hoax, I confess have gotten a bit cynical. I wondered if this was one of many e-mails that caused people to panic, or simply pass on false e-mails for "pennies per e-mail", even though this one looked pretty genuine. Sure it is from a "friend" of my friend. But isn't that how hoaxes start?

So I went to trusty Snopes.com to verify the rumor... I can't explain how much my heart sank when I didn't find anything. It's not a hoax, it is true, this cute little guy is only 7 - my NEPHEW is 7- and doctor's are giving him no hope.

Please lift him up in prayer.

The original e-mail I received said this:

"Joel Dawson has terminal cancer. Two-years of treatments at the best hospitals have not helped. He has been sent home for nature to take its course. The prayer request comes from my friend who know I believe in the power of prayer. Here is the quote that my friend forwarded from Joe's grandmother....

"I thought the words thing I ever heard was my grandson had cancer. I was wrong. The worst thing I ever heard is there is nothing more that can be done for him."

Please keep Joel in your prayers. God is a HEALING God! There is nothing impossible for Him!

iPhones, HDtv, new laptops-- Oh my!

2010-01-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

This is a short article from Walk Thru the Bible, that I wanted to share. It is written by Gabe Knapp of Microsoft, and published in 2006 by Regal Books.

"Be still and know that I am God.." Psalm 46:10

http://www.walkthru.org/site/PageServer?pagename=LGW_1001_Article1

Dear 2009, where did you go?

2009-12-27T14:52:00.001-08:00

Can you believe that 2009 is almost over? What a quick year!

God is so good to us, and He is faithful and awesome. What has he done for you this year?

I'm not meaning for you to give me some super Christian answer, I am really wondering- what has God done for you this year?

It's something I'm thinking about too.

So how was your 2009, and what are you hoping/planning for in 2010?

Love,

Where are you going?

2009-12-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share a thought that was shared with me recently:

"Don't confuse the stepping stones in your life for your final destination."

One Million Acts

2009-12-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

This video really stirred my heart. God is dealing with me on some things, and this is one of them. Getting up off the couch and doing something to demonstrate my faith.

http://www.millionacts.com/

Think about it. This can be a lifestyle, not just a one time thing. Big things often start in small (i.e. Homeless outreach one time a month) packages.

Thanksgiving Day And Changing The World

2009-11-25T19:07:00.000-08:00

First of all, happy Thanksgiving!!!

This year's approach to Thanksgiving has been different than the last year or so, and done so by Facebook and fellow co-worker Alison. God has used these in simple ways to really challenge me. "How" you say? I'm glad you asked.

Facebook- A few weeks ago someone posted a status update that said something like:

"There are many things to be thankful for. For the rest of this month, start your post with the phrase, "Today I am thankful for ___________." Then fill in the blank. Each day think of something new you're thankful for."

While I consider myself a decently thankful person, I don't know that I'm very thankful or very aware each day of how I am so blessed. I started posting this status update, and this simple update reminder helped put me in the frame of mind of thinking every day of different things I'm thankful for, and helped put things into perspective. A positive perspective. You know, not that I'm all great, but it's pretty hard to have a bad attitude if you're actively looking for the good in each day. So that's Facebook. Now Alison.

Alison- While at work Alison mentioned something that cought my attention. She basically stated the principle behind the above mentioned Facebook activity. It was again a reminder that being thankful is not just a day, but a way of life. It's an outlook, an attitude - not a day to eat turkey. Sure this is the day we set aside to acknowledge our many blessings and share them with others. But thanksgiving is also the way we approach life. It's an act of worship to God, and it changes the world around us when we live with an 'attitude of gratitude' instead of our (I'll admit it!) naturally selfish or self-centered ways. Isn't it neat to know that change really does happen in the world- and really can start with you? In such a simple way as taking on a thankful attitude...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Be blessed! Count your blessings! :)

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Boxing, Baseball, and Derby- Oh My! aka Aglow Int'l Conference Louisville, KY!

2009-11-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

Dear blog readers,

Thank you for waiting oh so long for an update on Conference. The 2009 Aglow Int'l Conference was held October 22-25 in Louisville, KY. It was fantastic, and God moved in great ways!
Before I get into it, let me remind you about my blog- I'm writing this blog as part of the Generations page for Aglow Int'l. I'm not sponsoring anything, and they didn't tell me to write anything. But if you wonder why I keep talking about Aglow in my blog? Well- I'm hosted on their page.

And if you're wondering what Aglow is? Aglow is a non-profit, inter-denominational Christian organization that ministers to people worldwide. It used to be open to women only (was called "Women's Aglow" for a number of years) but is now open to men and women. Questions? Just ask. Or check out http://www.aglow.org/. There. For all my personal friend readers, now you know why I talk about my internship so much. Now... Aglow Conference.....

Now, I'm not one to spend money to attend many church conferences. I know it's bad, but I don't have a lot of money to spend! Although yes- I could forfit a new sweater and shoes to go to a conference. But then- WHO do you go hear or see?

Here is a list:

Joyce Meyer - Yes.
Chip Ingram - Yes.
Christine Cain - Yes.
Aglow Int'l - YES YES YES.

Aglow has made my list this year. And quite honestly, I didn't know much about Aglow before I began interning, so save the comments please. ;) The conference (which happens annually and will be held in San Jose, CA next October) was packed full of exciting worship, great speakers, excellent teaching, and best of all- the presence of God just permeated the place.

The speakers this year were Jane Hansen Hoyt, Mike Bickle, Graham Cooke, and Asher Intrater.

Mike Bickle is the founder of the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. The IHOP is a House of Prayer based on Isaiah 56:7 which says, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." The goal of IHOPS is to have 24/7 prayer and worship. I could go on and on, but check out http://www.ihop.org/. Mike Bickle spoke about intimacy with God- how God loves us and wants our fellowship and love (which come through reading, thinking about, and speaking out God's word, talking to God- throughout your day as you go about your activities and in a specific prayer time, and singing to God).

Graham Cooke is a part of The Mission in Vacaville, CA. He was very funny while he spoke, but he also spoke about the relationship we can have with Jesus- how God really wants us to be in close fellowship with Him, to really know Him.

Jane Hansen Hoyt is the president of Aglow Int'l. Jane spoke about the role of men and women- that men and women are partners, co-laborers together here on the Earth. She spoke about how men and women in the church are to join hands together and accomplish God's work. This was a powerful message!

And Asher Intrater is the director of Revive Israel Ministries in Jerusalem. Asher's teaching/speaking session was so powerful that I don't even know where to begin! He spoke about Christians honoring their Jewish brothers and sisters in the faith- recognizing that we are grafted in the vine. This session especially was so powerful- there was such a love that was imparted for our Jewish brothers and sisters. Many, including me, left with a changed heart- a heart full of love for Jews, love to see them saved and restored into relationship with Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, Jesus Christ.

If any of the descriptions I have used here sound strange or unfamiliar, please feel free to write me if you would like me to clarify. I try to stay away from "christianese" when I write, but I may not have avoided it fully. Also, if you would just like to hear more about conference in depth, you are welcome to visit http://www.freshpublishing.com/ and order the Conference DVD, or CD's.

Perhaps most amazing about conference, was seeing Aglow members from all over the world. While Aglow operates in over 160 countries around the world, members from almost 105 countries attended the conference! Shown below are a few of my friends from Venezuela. They are fabulous women of God, and we became friends quickly! I am privilaged to know them.

I was fortunate to get time to walk around downtown Louisville and explore. Being the home of Mohammed Ali, The Louisville Slugger, and The Kentucky Derby, there were some fun things to explore and learn! Here is the beloved Rick, Rowena, and Oyin, on the steps of City Hall.

Louisville was a blast, and conference was awesome! I would honestly encourage you to make it a priority to attend the San Jose, CA conference this next year.

And last but not least- Boston. In my last post I said I would give some tidbits on Boston so here they are:

My friend and I were able to take a trip to Boston after the Aglow Conference. It was so much fun and such a blast! Here are some things we would highly recommend:

*Take a duck tour! So much fun, and what a great way to get a feel of the historic downtown.
*The Boston Commons. You may want to go here before you see the freedom trail....
*Go see Harvard. If not to see the beautiful grounds, then to take your best "Legally Blonde" picture... I mean...
*The Freedom Trail. This is the number one tour/trail/etc. you want to do in Boston. $15 for an audio tour track, and worth every penny.
*And if it's the season, take in a Red Sox game! "Let's go, Boston!!"

Again, I encourage you to comment or e-mail me if something I wrote about doesn't make sense- I would love to talk with you! Conference was fantastic, and Boston was a great time as well. I hope everyone is doing wonderful!

Welcome to my blog!

2009-11-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers,

Thank you for following my transition from Wordpress to Blogger, via The Emerald City Chronicles. This is my blogging account of my experiences at Aglow and in Washington State, most specifically Seattle (The Emerald City).

I try to update about once a week, and I try to alternate posts so that you tend to get a spiritual thought and then a funny/life in Seattle thought every other week. Check back in a couple days and I'll update you on the Aglow Int'l Conference of 2009 - with highlights on Boston, to boot!

Oh yes. You don't want to miss it.

I Just Wanna Be With You

2009-11-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

Post from early November:

I will eventually update on conference, but that might come in a later blog. First I thought I’d give a quick thought inspired by… my cat.

I’m visiting home and I am happy to see my cat again! She’s so cute and loveable, and I just miss her. But- I also have to work. So, I set up my computer and get to work, reading and typing away. My dad takes a seat at the table across from me and pulls out a book to read. All is well.

After awhile I notice my cat, sitting by my feet. She looks up at me, her eyes clearly begging for me to let her sit with me, but I’m working, so I just pet her and assume she’ll walk away and find something else to do. She does walk away, but only for a matter of seconds. I pet her again, and think she’ll move on- but again, she just doesn’t want to be away from me it seems. Finally, she jumps onto a chair and walks on the table. This is not smiled upon cat behavior in this house, and my dad looks at the cat and frowns. She walks over to my computer, and walks up to me- and I get it. She just wants to be with me. She doesn’t care where I am or what I’m doing. She just wants to be near me- and feel me near her. And I think to myself- that’s how I want to be with God.

I want to be SO in love with Him, that no matter what is going on in life, my first priority, my first want and desire, is just to be with God. To be near Him, be in His presence, every moment of every day. And isn’t that how God wants us? Not saying some long, rehearsed prayer ever hour because we have to or whatnot- but going about our day, thinking about Him, talking to Him, and listening for Him to speak into our lives.

Just a thought…

All You Need Is Love

2009-11-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

October 2009

So I admit it, the title of this blog came from the song. But the subject matter is the same. Love.

What is love, when defined as a verb- an action? Is love more of a feeling, thought, or action? Does it matter? I think it can easily be all three, but the most important is the verb form- we must act out love in our actions.

How do you do that on a daily basis? As a christian we’re supposed to love as Christ loves. How do you (we) do that? I’m not asking to judge, I’m just trying to get thoughts flying. I think one way I tend to act in love is simple acts of consideration: holding doors open for people, picking up trash, or saying “good morning”, etc.

Just a few thoughts on my mind…. What do you think?

The couch: A moving story (and a must read!)

2009-11-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry it’s been so long since my last post. I wanted to let you know I am attempting to polish up a brand new blog site. I ran into some technical difficulties, so it looks like my blog might have a new address soon. I will keep you posted.

In the meantime, would you like to FINALLY hear the couch story?? What was that? “Yes” you say? Alright!!

Awhile ago my roommate and I moved into a great apartment in Seattle. We are on the third floor of a small complex with 2 bedrooms, a fantastic kitchen, and a beautiful balcony view. My roommate’s brothers and some friends came up for the day and helped move ALL of our furniture in to the apartment- yes. Aren’t they awesome? I think so, too. SO, before I explain this couch situation- there are a few bits of background information you should know:

1. At our apartment there are 4 flights of indoor stairs.
2. My roommate bought a WONDERFUL couch (It’s very comfortable), and so it is- well- our first very own couch!
3. My roommate, and her friends, are rock climbers.

So. Why does this matter? Let’s start at the stairs. Four flights, all indoors. First of all, if the stairs were a straight line of stairs it would be easier to carry heavy items up… buuuut ours are not. And outdoor stairs (open air stairs) don’t leave you with the possability of getting stuck in the stairwell. Or at least not as much… buuuut ours do. And also, the fact that it’s four sets of winding flights of stairs (ie. One set of stairs. Wall. Turn the corner. Next set of stairs. Wall… and so forth) make this moving thing quite tricky.

Moving on to the couch. It was the end of a LONG and packed moving day. We cleaned out two different houses in less than twelve hours and transported all the contents into our new apartment- and we were exhausted. The last thing to move it would be- the couch. Since too many cooks in the kitchen is a bad thing, I knew to let the guys handle the couch. I stayed in the apartment and cleared a walkway for the couch, and waited for the last bit of our moving to be DONE. Cant’ you just hear Ross right now? “Pivot!!” “PIVOT!!” If you can picture that, then you can see what went on with this blog.

3 guys, 1 girl, and 4 flights of stairs later, there are some sweaty guys and a giant couch making it’s way through the hallway to our door!!! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A COUCH!!! I step back, hold the door open, and watch as…..the couch doesn’t fit. They back up, turn around, and try again. NOPE. Back up, manuver the couch differently. No!! Could you tip the couch like a tree? Would you, could you diagonally? Would you could you back it up? Would you could you, nope… it’s stuck.

We did EVERYTHING. Our neighbor’s heard the commotion (by the way, it’s definitly evening now) and opens his door to let us back into HIS apartment and try to shoot the couch through our doorway.. same problem. STUCK. The guys talk. They think. They ponder. They try to take the legs off the couch. They decide. ….The verdict? The couch WILL NOT, is not, CAN NOT go through our apartment door. We have no couch. (And that also means no bed for one of us for the night).

AND THEN…. Someone get’s a brilliant idea.

Back down the stairs they go! The couch goes back down 1, 2, 3, FOUR flights of stairs, and 40 stairs, 2 guys, and 1 girl later the couch ends up in the parking lot. And here is where the roommate perks come into play. Since my roommate and her friends are rock climbers, what idea comes to mind? That’s right, you guessed it. The group downstairs begins tying rope around the couch. We will HOIST it up the balcony and take it into the apartment via balcony door!
It was a show for all. Our next door neighbors could see it. The downstairs neighbors were on their balcony ready to watch the couch float by… And I was on our balcony, with another freind, trying to video tape this event on my phone. If it hadn’t been dark outside I would have had the BEST video for you! So the guys downstairs finish tying the couch, and me and buddy on the balcony start hoisting it up. It didn’t take long, and YES the couch was safely up to, over, and on the balcony. YEA!!!!!!

We carried it through the balcony door, and voila ~ I am sitting on it as I type.
And that, dear friends, is my moving story. Couches and rock climbers. Gotta love ‘em.

What Makes You Happy?

2009-09-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

August 28, 2009

If you can never manage to be happy with where you are at, you will never be happy wherever you go.

Sometimes we think a specific thing/person/relationship,etc. will make us happy. “If ONLY”……I lived here. If ONLY…..I was single. If ONLY…..I was married. If ONLY……I had a better job…. What are you relying on to make you happy? Where do you get your joy? The quote today caught my eye, it’s just so true….

Surfing, Sharks, and Sand

2009-09-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

August 28, 2009

I promised you a blog on surfing, and here it is! Warning: this is very random and has possibly no relevance to anything today.

So just for kicks and giggles… I went to the beach a week or so ago and happened along a guy sitting in a fold-up chair, holding a sign that said, “Surfing lessons $10- 2 hours.” I should have known right then- or at least read closer.

So I think about it, and I figure- ten bucks? Let’s do it. Let’s be adventurous! The last time I surfed was 10 years ago- it was awesome! It was great! It was also in groups- for fun and safety alone that’s just BETTER! But ten bucks, me and a surf dude? Sure.

So I walk up to the guy, give him my money, and we walk to the board rack to pick out a board. I’m pretty tall, so the board I got was pretty big, but the guy offers to carry it for me, and that’s cool. I’d come to find- guys have more upper body strength, so when he carries it, it just LOOKS easy- it’s really not!

So we’re walking to the water and I’m explaining my fear of sharks, jellyfish, sand monsters- you know, the usual, so he can tell me that none of the animals (or mythological creatures) exist within a mile of where I am, and therefore calm my fears. He assures me (could aslo be referred as “lies to”) but I feel better, and we head to the water. Just as I think- ‘Awesome! I’m NOT a wuss, and I’m going to have a blast surfing-this is so fun!’ the guy drops the board in the sand near the water. Um…. and that’s it. He says, “Ok have fun! See ya in 2 hours. Just leave the board here when you’re done and come and get me.” And he walks away!! Um… What part of “surf lesson” is this?? What to do! What to do!

So I put on my leash and dragged the board to the water a few feet away as my mind scrables to remember paddeling technique- until I realize I’m directly in front of a reef wall, and there is no WAY I can take the board out there. So I try to pick up the board, which is amazingly heavy, I don’t know how people in those old movies walked with surf boards on their heads…. I’m just sayin’. Anyway, after I discover I can’t pick up the board, I grab the nose and try to drag this 11 foot beast through the sand toward clearer water. I get about 20 feet before I have to stop. And yes, yes the beach is croweded. I grab a seat and wait for a minute while I rack my brain trying to remember surfing rules, look for an opening in the water, and try to decide where I’m least likely to get hit by other surfers when I paddle out. It’s at this point that I actually look at the shoreline. The waves are breaking on the shore at around 3.5 – 4 feet high! What?? After realizing this, I start to wonder how I can even get IN the water without getting slammed by waves- with a captive audience to observe me- and paddle out into crowds of surfers. It’s at that point that I abandon my surfing mission. Boy, I feel lame.

I was so embarassed! I picked up the board again to try to drag it back to where it had been dropped off, but realizing I was now dragging it in front of a surfing school stand (which I probalby should have gone to in the first place), I drop it and leave it there. I went back to my “surf lesson” guy and tell him where the board is…. but he freaks out that I left it in front of the surfing school and made me walk back with him and carry it back. It was crazy! All that said, I have learned 4 things from this experience:

1.Watching shark week on the Discovery Channel is never a good idea before going to the beach.
2. Don’t buy (even cheap!) surfing “lessons” from guys in folding chairs on the beach.
3. Build upper body muscle if you don’t want to look like a dork while surfing… or walking your board to the beach.
4. Maybe the sand monsters aren’t that bad after all…

That’s it. I’m off to tan.

Summer is Supafly!!

2009-09-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

August 25, 2009

I tend to post insightful or random blogs… The one is insightful…. The next will be the random surfing story…

Summer in Seattle is wonderful. For the first time in months, the sun shines continuously. The lakes are filled with people boating, jet skiing, and enjoying the cool 80 degree air. Houses are empty as people take advantage of the climate, walking, hiking, and just being outside. There are BBQ’s, parties, and sweet summer fun- but the one thing that summer brings that I don’t like is flies. Fruit flies to be exact. It gets so bad in the summer time at our house that we move our garbage outside, and STILL have flies in the house.

To make up for this annoyance, my roommate has wisely concocted a fruit fly trap- a small dish of apple cider vinegar with a few pumps of dish soap. The kitchen smells, but it works like a charm, and the smell is SO worth not having flies everywhere! Within a day I notice ten dead flies in the dish, more than I knew we even had in the kitchen. But I notice something else, too. There are a few flies, hanging out on a kitchen curtain near the trap, just watching it. They’re still alive, they haven’t entered in the bowl yet, but there they were. Just chillin. Hanging out. Checkin’ out the scene. Smelling the, uh, apples. After several days in a row, I saw the same sight and wondered, “Why are they there? Don’t they know it’s a trap?”

The way it works is the apple cider smell attracts the flies, and the dish soap actually kills/traps them. There is something about dish soap that makes the flies unable to get out of whatever substance (water, or in this case cider) that you put out for them. But the flies don’t know, and the flies watch the trap anyway. They see their dead friends. And they still go in. It’s not more than a day after watching before each fly ends up entering the trap and suffering the fate of their fly friends. But- didn’t they know it would end that way??

And then I think- how many times are we like the flies?

You might respond like I did at first, saying, “What- me? Never! I’m way too smart for that! I’m not like these stupid flies.” But are you? Am I?

I’ve been impressed with a thought from Joyce Meyer lately. “Think about what you’re thinking about.” “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7 Because what you think about is where you end up. Just like the flies. And I need to watch my thoughts. Maybe you do too. The flies literally sit and stare at a trap, they watch their fly buddies die, and yet they still go in- and they die too.
I’ve been battling with some temptations lately, and I’ve thought- ‘God, where is this COMING from? That is the old me- we’ve passed this! What’s going on?’ And I was impressed to think about what I’m thinking about. I had to think- what am I filling my mind with? What movies am I watching? What books am I reading? What music am I listening to? And what message are they giving me?

You see- even when we don’t know if something is bad for us- we still take in when we’re exposed to it. So when we repeatedly expose ourselves to unrighteous messages (even when we don’t realize it), we start to believe them. Just like the flies watching the fly trap, so we can start focusing on and heading toward compromise and sin.

And it starts in your thoughts. You justify that you’re just thinking about it- it’s not like you’re actually doing it. And that’s where it begins. The flies see that the other flies are dead- and they still sit and stare at it. They inch closer to it, because really, they don’t think it will hurt them. And isn’t that how we are?

I wonder if the little fly thinks he’s smarter, stronger, and that ”it won’t happen to him.” The sad thing is- it sure does. (And my house is fly free!) Unfortunatley for the little guy, he was too interested in the forbidden fruit fly trap, and didn’t walk away. I wonder if at first, he just sat there thinking how good it smelled, not planning to do anything about it (because he saw his dead friends). But he did….

The problem with us becomes- when we go against our convictions and think about sin, and then we start to justify the sin… You’re smelling the cider, just like the fly. And if you justify it in someone else’s life-whether it’s the latest pop hookup or your best friend’s bad habits- it won’t be long before you justify it in your own.

Thoughts become actions, habits, and character. Think about what you’re thinking about and run from sin. The Bible says to “RUN” from temptation for a reason! If you hang out too long, it will get the best of you. So do yourself a favor- RUN. FLY away from the sin trap around you. Stop adoring it, stop thinking about it! The choice is yours. Don’t be like the flies, who stick around and get sucked in. Don’t get stuck in a trap.

Craigslist is fantastic!

2009-09-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

August 19, 2009

I love Craigslist! It is just fantastic. Have you ever looked in the “free” section? That section can keep me entertained for days. The stuff that is posted on here is so random, and often hysterically worded! I’m not making fun of people, I’m just entertained by what’s posted at times- it’s great! Check it out. Here are some good ones from today:

“Free Magical Couch”

Beautiful magical couch! The gorgeous imagery depicts old timey water mills and fancy houses! Totally clean! Smells normal! Perfectly good, except one of its legs has…. (ready? ready?)… disappeared! But put a book underneath it and its as good as new. (The picture even showcases an accordion WITH the funky couch. Priceless.)

“Free Bike Travel Case:

The hard shell air travel bike case is outside in front of the house. It’s bulky so come prepared to carry it. (But doesn’t carrying the bike defeat the purpose of owning a bike…? Although you’ll have GREAT arms…)

“Free Jet Ski Body”

I have just the shell/body to a old jet ski…have no idea what year, make, model. It has been sitting outside for about a year now so the condition is in no way good! If you want it you can have it! (Even better if you do not live within 60 miles of a lake! I wonder if my roommate would let me get it…)

“Free trampoline needs new jumping pad”

Free Trampoline 12 foot round , needs new jumping pad and mat around springs. Must haul away on your own. (Wait- what? Just the steel circle??)

Isn’t that just the most random list of postings you’ve seen?? I love it! Now, is there a hardcore spiritual message in this post? No. Simply that I like the Craigslist ‘free’ section and find it interesting. I’ve been looking through the ads for the past few weeks, looking for furniture for a new place. I started out on Craigslist because it’s cheap, but then I migrated to the ‘free’ section because it’s, well, free. And that was it.

In the past month I’ve tried to convince my roomie to let me get: a kiddie pool, a non-working boat (it could be a decorative item! Or a planter!), a collection of empty DVD cases, turn tables, and a riding lawn mower. Now, I can see turning down the collection of DVD cases (you’d have to be very creative and artistic for those) but the RIDING LAWN MOWER?? Really?? Come on… And turn tables? Well, let’s just say- when SHE’S gone for the weekend, hit me up and I’ll spin tunes while we have lawn mower races around The Emerald City…. Oh it sounds like a party already…. I just love Craigslist….

Check back in a few days to hear insight on fruit flies or surfing…. Any preference what blog comes first? Comment and let me know.

Sunburned in Seattle

2009-09-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

August 12, 2009

The other day I was hanging out downtown Seattle with some friends. We took a day to spend along the waterfront, eating fantastic food and doing all the fun touristy things. We had a great time! Such a great time, in fact, that while we were enjoying the fresh sun and cool pacific breeze, I didn’t stop to think that I needed some SPF coverage. So I didn’t apply any- even thought I had sunblock with me.

The result was a sunburn in the exact shape of my neckline, (a trendy oblong shape- so trendy for shirts, so not trendy for sunburns.) Oh- and we’re talking tomato red. Painful, weird shaped, and quite maroon in color. Desperate to save my skin, and keep from peeling, I turned to a secret weapon: my trusty bottle of Aquaphor. A friend had told me about it, and it saved my sunburned skin a time or two, so for the next week or so I slathered it on. I worked hard to transform that sunburn into a tan! I didn’t not want all that sunburned pain to be in vain! Day after day I put on lotion, oil, and the trusty Aquaphor to keep my skin hydrated and soothed, in hopes that it wouldn’t peel, leaving me white and dry, and instead cool into a beautiful golden tan. Hey, it’s worked before!

So, here I am one morning putting on Aquaphor when I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me. (Yes. While attending to my sunburn.) I had seen some skin start to peel, and I was trying, TRYING, to keep the rest from following suit. As I was desperately putting lotion on my neck, the thought came “Why are you holding onto dead skin”?

Whoa. Wait a minute. Dead skin? This is my TAN, this is vindication for a SUNBURN, this is…. oh my goodness, it’s dead skin…. Gross!!!

I then felt prompted in my spirit a little further- what other dead things am I desperately holding onto?
What dead things in your life are you holding on to?

What are things that you have gone through the fire over, things that God is trying to burn out of you, that you keep holding on to? Are you holding onto dead friendships? Dead dreams (hey, I wanted to be an Olympic ice skater)? Dead paths? Are you working in vain, like I did? Doing everything you can do to rescue that part of your life, to keep it from leaving? And I’m not talking about losing faith. I’m talking about the things that deep down you KNOW that God has been dealing with you on- are you letting them go into His hands? Or are you desperately working to keep them- even if it’s just (like me and my tan) for appearance sake?

We all have dreams, we all want relationships, and we all want friendships- but take a look at your life. Is God leading you in a new area, or onto new people? Is He closing doors on old relationships to make room for new ones? Yes, it’s painful- it’s never easy going through the fire. But maybe you’ve learned all you can from that friend of yours. Maybe you need to go in a new direction now, and God is revealing more of His plan to you. Anything new is never easy- it’s challenging and uncomfortable, but that’s when we grow most. So take a look at what’s going on in your life. Let go of the old and dead, and embrace the new life that God has for you! When it hurts, let Him comfort you. It’s a blessing of God. His word says it, and God himself will prove it: “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

Welcome to the Emerald City Chronicles

2009-09-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

August 10, 2009

Hello everybody! Welcome to my blog!

My name is Jessica, and I am an intern at Aglow. I am in my mid-20’s, I like pizza, and I have big feet. WOW. It’s like you know me now! Ok… well, not really. But in blog world, kinda.

I decided to start a blog and write down some of my thoughts. The title of this blog is The Emerald City Chronicles, because- if you didn’t know- Seattle is SO green it’s referred to as The Emerald City. No, it’s not a facination with the Wizard of Oz, it has to do with the Evergreen State being…well, evergreen. But if you want to get me on a rant or a rave, (so fun!) then ask me about the Wizard of Oz- or tell me you loooove the play Wicked, and you’ll get me going. Here’s a hint: It has much more to do with The Wizard of Oz BOOK than it does the movie.

The EC chronicles is my account of Seattle- seeing that I am not from here, and just life in general. I moved to Seattle this year to start my internship at Aglow. I am a Cali girl, and I love my sunshine!! But I’m glad to be in Seattle, and excited for what God has for me up here.

God bless! Check back to see what my NEXT blog entails…

2009-09-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

September 13, 2009

Hello faithful readers!

Sometimes it's easy for me to rant and rave on things that aren't ideal in my life, but today I wanted to blog about things that are GREAT. I tend to think I'm pretty positive, but sometimes I'm just downright whiny. I'm trying to change that. I really am very thankful for my life and how good God is to me, and how privilaged I am. Big things or little things (this blog will be mostly little things) I'm still thankful...

Here are some truly simple things that are just enjoyable...

Fresh baked cookies.... You know you love this, too. Admit it.

A GREAT baseball game. :)

Jumping on the bed!

And of course, a good nights sleep...

A great concert...

Laughing until your sides hurt. And....getting my nails done.

So what about you guys? What little things are you thankful for? Comment and share them at will!! :)

Check back in another week for an update on the Emerald City... And perhaps a story on moving- including getting a couch up 4 flights of stairs. "Pivot!!!"