One Question

How in the world is there a Panera in Hanford AND Visalia but not in FRESNO, California??? We Fresnans NEED a Panera!!!

Okay, maybe I'm being dramatic and we don't necessarily NEED one, but it would be so so great to have one here!

"Questions I Guarantee You've Never Answered..."

I'm in my office with a student and they begged me to fill one of these things out. Some questions are super random, but I have to say we had fun filling it out!

1. Would you chew gum after someone else already has?
No. Just the thought of that grosses me out.

2. What describes your relationship status?
Single.

3. Who was your last 2 calls to/from?
From: Stephen/Eric and Sara
To: Eric and Sara

4. Are You the Heartbreaker or the Broken Heart?
In the words of J.lo...”I’m not a player, I just crush a lot...” Ha.

5. Ever been skinny dipping?
Ha. This question is always asked and everyone thinks skinny dipping is such a crazy thing to do!

6. Do you think Napoleon Dynamite is funny?
Didn’t think so at first, but now I do. It’s something I had to watch twice to really appreciate.

7. Who have you talked to most today?
Jen.

8. Who's on speed dial 2?
That would be J.lo

9. Good advice if you ever go camping?
Bring bug spray, a can opener and duct tape.

10. What song is on?
“Days Go By” By Keith Urban.

11. Are your grades good?
Not in school right now, but when I was, I did okay.

12. Would you date anyone on your top friends?
This really is a “Myspace” world. Five years ago if you said “top friends” people would think you were really weird and have no idea what you were talking about...

13. Does your best friend have a myspace?
Yep yep. Check my “top friends” numero uno.

14. Whose page did you visit last?
Have Eric check his sitemeter...he’ll tell ya. Lol.

15. Last time you went out to lunch?
I go out to eat a lot...I think the last time was with my mom and we went to Quiznos.

16. Do you have one or more Britney Spears C.D.s?
It’s true...I do.

17. Which radio stations are your favorites?
Mainly country stations with a little classic rock action and some old school hip hop now and then.

18. Favorite TV show of all time?
Saved By The Bell and in a close second would have to be Beverly Hills 90210.

19. Do you sing obnoxiously in the car?
Obnoxiouxly? I’m not sure, but I surely do sing in the car!

20. Did you draw pictures for your crush back in jr. high?
In 8th grade I had a crush on a guy named Jesse and I wrote his name ALL over my binder...no seriously, on every page. I was so lame...but that’s really funny now that I think about it. Of course Jen’s cruch and my crush were friends.

21. Fly or road trip?
Road trip

22. Batman, Spiderman, or Superman?
Batman!

23. What is your favorite Disney movie?
The Lion King

Told you these were random!

That Must Have Hurt

Today as I was leaving the Costco parking lot I saw a guy on a motorcycle (who was with 3 other guys all on motorcycles of their own) turn the corner in the parking lot and eat it...hard. I felt so bad for this guy! A few men got out of their cars to help him up. Luckily, he was fine and his bike was fine too. His other three friends on their bikes came around to help him and within minutes they all road off together. But what a scary thing!

So after I saw this guy fall it reminded me of my good friend Steve, who also rides a motorcycle and fell off his bike a few years ago. Luckily Steve was also okay, but he did cut up the skin on his leg and forearm pretty bad. So, after I saw this guy fall off his bike, it reminded me of Steve, so I decided to give him a call. We hadn't talked in over 9 months so it was great to catch up with him and chat for a while. He's working on his masters at Cal Poly and loving it.

I wasn't happy to see that guy fall off his bike, but I was happy to get to chat with Steve for a while!

MySpace...Your Space...

A friend of mine deleted her Myspace last week. A few days ago I went to send her a message and realized there was a empty space in the my top friends. "Who's missing?" I said to myself. When I realized she deleted her Myspace, I literally thought for a second, "Great, now how am I supposed to get in touch with her?"

And then I thought, "I guess I could call her." I was just so used to chatting with her through Myspace that the thought of that being gone was weird to me. I mean I can still email her, text her, call her or send her a letter in the mail for crying out loud and get in touch with her--but no more Myspace. I know this is a generational thing and anyone who is in their 30's or older is probably laughing at me right now and how ridiculous this all sounds. I agree...it is ridiculous.

Technology has really taken the world by storm--Myspace in particular.

I Love Moving and Funerals

Maybe I shouldn't say I love them--but they are both inevitable parts of life at one point or another. Think about it. Most people will move a few times in their life (unless you're Derek and you move every six months...oops, did I say that?) and most people will attend a few funerals as well.

I think what I enjoy about these things are the opportunity to show up in someone's life in a very authentic way and say "I'm here for you." I'm here to sit with you while you cry or help you load boxes in the U-Haul. I'm convinced that these things and these moments spent with people is what life is about. Showing up a funeral for a friend's family member or helping them move boxes can often radiate the love of Christ more then inviting them to church on a Sunday morning. I think people (specifically people who do not yet know the Lord) want to see how this God people talk about can impact their everyday life. What better way to love people into the kingdom, then by meeting them where they are and sharing in the inevitable parts of life that are common to most.

To be honest, sometimes the thought of "sharing the Gospel" which for so long in my mind meant I sat down and went over a salvation track with someone while drawing a picture of two cliffs and a cross bridging them together, scares me. What if I mess up and draw the bridge wrong or what if I forget what one of the colors on the salvation bracelet means?

I'm convinced that Jesus cares about our heart's intention behind our conversations with those who do not yet know Him. And I'm also convinced that there are people in each of our lives who so badly need Jesus. This world we live in is filled with heartache and pain and people in your life and mine have most likely experienced their fair share of it. They need to know there is someone bigger than them who loves them more than they know and can handle the pain and heartache they've carried for so long. I've found conversations about who Jesus is to me and what He's done in my life seem to flow easier once you find common ground with people--and sometimes that common ground may be at a funeral or in the cab of a U-Haul.

This is why I love funerals and moving--they are a part of life and as followers of Christ we're called to live life with people. We're called to invest in and invite those around us to know the Jesus we know.

So who am I investing in? Who am I inviting?

CMT Awards

Just watched a bit of the rerun of the CMT awards. Jeff Foxworthy was the host and when I found this on a friend's blog, I thought it was worth sharing. Foxworthy shared about why he loves country music and I couldn't agree more with him. Read on...

"I started thinking about why I like country music and doing this show so much, and here's what I came up with, y'all.

I like country music because it's about the things in life that really matter. It ain't about braggin' about how you're gonna mess somebody up, or how somebody ain't respectin' ya. It's about love, family, friends -- with a few beers, a cheap woman and a two-timin' man thrown in for spice. It doesn't take political sides, even with things as ugly as war. Instead, it celebrates the brave men and women who go to fight 'em, the price they pay to do it and the longin' we have for them to return home to the ones that they love.

It's about kids and how there ain't nothin' like 'em. I get tired of hearin' about how bad kids are today, because there are a lot of great kids out there that just need somebody to love 'em and believe in 'em. Country folks love their kids and they will jack you up if you try to mess with 'em!

People in country music don't forget the people that allow them to do what they do for a livin'. They sign autographs and they take pictures with the fans because they know without 'em most of us entertainers would be gettin' a lot dirtier in the course of our workday. We are thankful that people want to hear the songs and the jokes that we write. Country music doesn't have to be politically correct. We sing about God because we believe in Him. We are not trying to offend anybody, but the evidence that we have seen of Him in our small little lives trumps your opinion about whether or not He exists.We love country music because it touches us where we live. It's about mommas, and when they were hot, and when they are unappreciated, and when they were dyin'. It's about daddies and the difficulties they have sometimes at tellin' the people that they work so hard to protect and provide for how they feel about 'em.

Country music is about new love and it's about old love. It's about gettin' drunk and gettin' sober. It's about leavin' and it's about comin' home. It's real music sung by real people for real people, the people that make up the backbone of this country. You can call us rednecks if you want. We're not offended, 'cause we know what we're all about. We get up and go to work, we get up and go to church, and we get up and go to war when necessary.

All we ask for is a few songs to carry us along the way, and that's why I love this show, because it ain't some self-important Hollywood hype with the winners determined by somebody else. On this show, you decide who goes home with a trophy and you get to dance and sing along with the people that bring you the songs of your life."

Things That Refresh Me

--Going on a long walk

--Sitting at Uncle Harry's drinking a diet pepsi, while reading a good book

--Going swimming

--Going to dinner with j.lo (or any meal for that matter)

--Having real conversation with a close friend(s)

--Taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon

--The feeling of having a clean apartment

--Sitting at Panera and the feeling of knowing I'm out of Fresno (even if I'm only 45 minutes away)

--Bike riding

--My grandparents

--Playing tennis on Nintendo Wii

--Playing tennis with friends just for fun

--Watching the movie, The Sandlot

It happened...Again!

I fell again tonight. I don't know what is wrong with me. This time I tripped over the curb and apparently didn't step my foot up high enough and down I went. Ouch. My big toe is throbbing and my hands are scrapped.

I am thinking about weaing knee pads for the rest of my life.

I am officially cool...

I am officially in the "cool bike riding club" (well, I'm not sure there is such a club, but if there were, I think I would be in it) because I just got my first (maybe second...) bicycle helmet. I have to say I felt weird at first wearing this big thing on my head, but I know, I know... "it's for my safety". And I think as I've got older, I've actually wanted to wear one. I don't tell many people (especially not the parentals) but I've had a few close calls with stupid drivers of motor vehicles and one time a picket fence... Not to mention annoying little dogs chasing me.

So next time you see me riding, which many of you never do, I'll be easier to spot now that I'll be wearing a big black helmet.

And guess who bought me this helmet? Of course, my mom. It was important to her that I wear it, and I've learned to pick my battles, and this one I chose not to fight.

Who wants to go bike riding with me?!?

I love this quote...

"I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I hope to be. But still, I am not what I used to be. And by the grace of God, I am what I am." ... John Newton (1725-1807)

God's grace is continuous and I am reminded daily of how much I need it and how much I don't deserve it. Unmerited favor it surely is. I pray you are reminded today of how deeply God loves you. The maker of heaven and earth relentlessly pursues us and offers us grace...over and over and over again.

Thank you Jesus for your love and grace.

"We're in an open relationship..."

So I was at the gym tonight and I picked up the latest edition of Glamour magazine to peruse through while on the elliptical during my cool down. While flipping through the pages, I came across an article entitled: "The Secret Sex Lives of American Couples".

Now this post may seem odd for some of you, but as I read a portion of the article I was left almost speechless...and my heart hurt. Talk about examining our societal values on sex and intimacy.

Here is an excerpt from the article talking about one couple's relationship:

"We're in an open relationship. When we met we'd both just gotten out of long relationships. We wanted to be together but have freedom, too. He has lots of 'friends with benefits' and I have one consistent outside relationship and lots of dates. Our rules: safe sex always. If we go together, we leave together. And don't date people who want to get serious. And tell each other everything. You have to be more attentive in an open relationship. If you take each other for granted, insecurities seep in. Sometimes I get jealous but it doesn't last. There aren't really any cons to our arrangement. It's all good."

Now if this doesn't explain something about our society's view on sex and dating, then I don't know what would. It's a good thing they've been in a long term relationship with one another...for a whole eight months, otherwise I'd be worried... hmmm...

It's no wonder the average age men lose their virginity at is 16 and for women it's 17.

I have to say this article hurt my heart.

Life Fours

Four places I have lived:

Fresno
Fresno
Fresno
Fresno...that's all I got.

Four places I have worked:

St. Luke's Church (youth intern)
Dakota House - Armor of Light, INC. (after school club director)
Small World Pre-School (teacher's aide)
Fresno Pacific University (a variety of jobs)

Four of my favorite places:

Orchard Street
Rome, Italy
Interlaken, Switzerland
My Grandparents House

Four movies I could watch over and over again:

The Sandlot
Big
You've Got Mail
Pearl Harbor

Four foods I could eat everyday:

Turkey and mashed potatoes
McDonald's soft serve ice cream cone
Mimi's raisin nut bread
Papa John's Cheese Pizza

Four foods I could NOT eat everyday (and wish to never eat again):

Bacon/Ham/Sausage
Dried Fruit (it hurts my tummy really bad)
Calamari
Caviar

Four things I think about a lot:

Going to grad school
Rearranging my apartment furniture
New books to read
Ice cream

He's A Comin'

Keith Urban is a comin' to concert...4 more days...can't wait! And I LOVE this Keith Urban song. It makes me wanna dance!

All You Can Eat...

I don't like buffets. I just ate at one and now I feel sick. There is something not right about having a cinnamon roll and fried chicken on your plate at the same time.

The only thing worst then an American buffet is a Chinese buffet... There is something about a mass amount of chicken chow mein that grosses me out.