Friday, October 31, 2008

I Found Myself A Little Gem...


... In the 4 Seasons EPs by Jon Foreman. Frontman of Switchfoot, Jon Foreman has made a killer attempt at going solo with these 4 awesome mini-albums. Check them out!
PS: Personal favorite is Track 5 on the Summer EP

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

When I Grow Up...


Just so i have this in documentation:
As of October 29, 2008, my career goal is to be a food and beverage manager at a major hotel; preferably at a hotel that is located somewhere scenic and whose main patrons are leisure, not business travelers.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Top 5 Books You Should Read and Why

1. Les Miserables (Victor Hugo)
It is the greatest story of redemption ever written, other than the gospel.
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (J.K. Rowling)
It is the first of a captivating series, and once you read the first one, you'll be hooked and inspired to read the other 6.
3. Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)
It is pretty much the journey of Christianity in a nut-shell.
4. Cheaper by the Dozen (The Gilbreth Kids)
It is a charming and hysterical book that gives the real story (not the lame movie version) of the family with 12 children.
5. The Food Lover's Companion
I know I'm one of the only people on the face of this planet that loves to peruse different food and cooking terms... so no need to take this suggestion to heart.

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers".  ~Charles W. Eliot

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Yes, Chef.

I honestly think that the group "kitchen staff" should be considered as a new demographic classification... You know, senior citizens, native americans, middle class, kitchen staff. It is a separate culture of its own that you won't find anywhere else. From my experience for your knowledge, here are the only acceptable phrases to be used when working in a kitchen: 
"Yes, Chef"
"I'm sorry, Chef"
.....
and that's about it. 

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Peace

Weird thing happened to me today... 
I sing at a church in Santa Monica every Saturday morning. Well, this morning, I noticed a homeless man sitting in the back of the church. He looked... well... to put it plainly: dirty, drugged out, and quite frightening. For some reason, his presence really bothered me, so I leaned over and asked a fellow worship team member if the church had previously had incidences with homeless people. She confirmed my worries, and recounted the times when people had to be escorted out of the building.
Not even 2 minutes later, mid church service praise time, the homeless man stands up, walks down the aisle, up the stage steps and right to me (why no one intervened, I'm not sure, but that's a different issue). The homeless man, in dirty, tattered clothes, tattoos covering his whole face, and the rest of his scary appearance stood and stared at me in front of the whole congregation. Then he proceeded to gift me with wood peace sign he had carved. I said thank you, he walked down the stairs and out of the church. 
Thoughts on this experience? First of all, I don't think I have ever felt so scared and weirded out in my whole life. Secondly, how quick was I to judge this man's intentions... I automatically assumed he was going to harm me. Thirdly, I feel touched that this man chose me as a recipient of his kindness. I have no idea who the man is, what his story is, or where he'll end up, but I will never forget his little gesture of peace. 

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Dandelions



I love putting my ipod on the shuffle setting for several reasons. First of all, I have so many different genres, songs, artists and albums loaded for my listening enjoyment, so I know I will always listen to a great variety (I have over 5,000 songs on my 6 GB). Secondly, I never know what sort of listening mood I will be in while driving, jogging, studying, etc., and allowing my ipod to choose for me takes the decision making out of my hands. Thirdly, I am amazed by how my little ipod can read my mind and emotions, and play the perfect songs for how I'm feeling.
The point of this blog:
While driving to school this morning with my ipod playing on shuffle, "Dandelions", by Five Iron Frenzy came through my speakers. I'm sure most people reading this have no clue who Five Iron Frenzy is; they are a Christian ska band that was "popular" in the 90's (thanks to my sister Lisa, and friend Devon, for introducing me to the band). This song, "Dandelions", paints a picture of a little boy picking dandelions as a gift for his mother. She knows that dandelions are not flowers, but are pesky, ugly weeds, but as a mother she sees to the intentions of her son's heart. This scenario is juxtaposed to our Heavenly Father. Here are some of the lyrics that popped out to me this morning:

"She sees love where anyone else would see weeds.
All hope is found, here is everything he needs.
Fathomless, your endless mercy, weight I could not lift.
Where do I fit in this puzzle, what good are these gifts?
Not a martyr or a saint, scarcely can I struggle through.
All I have ever wanted was to give my best to you.
Lord, search my heart, create in me something clean.
Dandelions, you see flowers in these weeds".






How amazing that God sees through my junk; my failed efforts, my selfishness, my screw ups, and my shortcomings.
I am so thankful that my Father does not see my dandelions as weeds, but rather as beautiful, blossoming flowers.




Sunday, October 5, 2008

ChaCha

Has everyone heard about “ChaCha”? ChaCha is a super cool service that is sponsored by Google. All you do is text 242242, ask any question, and ChaCha will respond. No joke. Now, you can’t ask a predictive text like, “What are the winning lotto numbers for tomorrow’s jackpot”, but ask any answerable question, and ChaCha will answer. ChaCha is a real person (or people) who is hired to answer all the random questions she (he?) receives from crazy people like me (and my boyfriend, Nate). So far, between the 2 of us and our questions, we now know where Osama bin Laden is (somewhere in Afghanistan), how to kill maggots (boiling water), if pretty girls poop (of course not), how many miles are in a kilometer (.621371192), and oh so many more interesting facts. And- she (he?) knew that I teach piano and voice lessons in Cerritos. Weird. So, go on, give ChaCha a try- I promise you’ll get hooked.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Attack of the Killer Maggots!


This is my 4th year of living in an apartment with my roommates. I absolutely love it-some of the best times of my life have occurred with my girls in our apartment. But, as of recently, we are discovering that living in an apartment complex isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. This past year we have dealt with toxic mold, ants in my roommate Megan’s bed, cockroaches, and more. But, last Sunday, the straw broke the camel’s back- our little clean, cute, and orderly apartment was attacked by maggots. At least 50 white maggots were swarming all over our kitchen floor. Absolutely foul. I can’t even express the disgust we experienced as we squashed maggots until we heard their guts pop. Yes, the little buggers would only die if they were squished until their guts burst out. Classic moment: roommate Sarah and I were hurriedly unplugging and moving our fridge in order to squish 20 maggots that were lurking behind. We burst out into gut busting laughter and realized how ridiculous our situation was, and how blessed we are that we don’t have to sleep on the floor with the maggots. Anyways, if anyone is looking for a new apartment for lease, be sure to ask me where I live so you can avoid bug infestations at all costs! 

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Autumn


Winter. Summer. Spring. Fall.
When polled, I'm guessing that most people would be able to choose their favorite season. However, I am not one of those people. 
My gut instinct is to label Summer as my favorite season- I love being a beach bum, driving down PCH with my toes sticking out the window (obviously I'm the passenger at this point), eating frozen yogurt everyday, having freedom from school- and the list of the pros of summer go on. 
But then my indecisiveness kicks in, and I remember how much I love the festivities of Winter, which brings its twinkling Christmas lights, scarves, and hot chocolate. 
And Spring! Who doesn't love Spring and its new flowers popping up from the soil? I am so drawn to Springtime because it hosts the most significant holiday of all.
But then October hits... 
Every year at this time, I am hit with this gushing feeling that overwhelms me. Everything about fall inspires me- the crisp air, the "changing" colors (in quotations because I am a CA native), the feeling of a fresh start... and the list goes on. When Fall comes around, everything is exciting, orange, fresh, and rejuvenating
I suppose Fall even is the inspiration for starting my very own blog.
When reflecting on these thoughts, I am remembering how our God is ever-changing but NEVER-changing.  He gives us the privilege to see His power and majesty through His transforming creation, but He is our one consistent. 

"There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!" - Percy Bysshe Shelley

Photos by Evin Navarro