What a Year!

It has been crazy lately, and as a result I have not been diligent about blogging. Hopefully I will be able to blog consistently again in the near future.

We have had our fair share of trials and tribulations this year. It started with our former employers changing our status on our W2 without our knowledge. As a result, we owed $3K in tax returns (there went our entire savings for the move). Then we hit a deer (actually he ran into us), a $2K expense. We were told we owed a $500 bill that I had been assured three different times we did not owe. My husband landed in the hospital with a Thyroid crisis (another hefty bill) and our car was broken into (with many expensive items in my wallet stolen).

So we ended up being a great deal poorer than expected and a lot more stressed out. It was frustrating because we planned ahead financially, but still ended up in this situation.

Looking back on it, I note it as a time where God was working on my faith in Him. See, when planning ahead financially, I was in control. I had to lose that control to fully trust God with our lives. And you know what? He came through every single month. When I didn’t think that we would have enough money for groceries, Jerry’s parents randomly gave us a gift card for Stater Bros. When I didn’t think we would have enough money to pay for the unexpected bill, we were given a love gift for the amount.

It’s the trials and tribulations that strengthen our faith. God blessed us with the opportunity to rent a place in Anaheim. My human side worries that another major trial is going to happen and we won’t have enough money. But then I am reminded of what the Lord has taught me in this year and I realize that even if that does happen, He is in control. Lord, help me to remember the amazing lesson that you have taught me. Thank you for taking care of your children. Amen.

Camping

It is amazing how God always takes care of us. Just when it feels like we won’t have enough to make it, He provides in an amazing way. Lord, help me to continue to put my trust in you.

Our pool is out of commission. I am doing aerobics in the meantime, but I am hoping that the pool will be fixed soon, as I am not seeing the same weight loss results as I do with swimming (probably because it is the highest caloric burning workout).

Jer has an interview on Friday. If you have a moment, would you pray for him? This would be an amazing opportunity for us. We would be so thankful for this.

Random thought- Do you think that the Garden of Eden was destroyed by the flood? It was something that Jer and I had talked about.

We are going camping on Saturday...I can't wait :)

I have been sucking at doing devotions. I think I am going to try to do them during lunch. We’ll see how it goes. It is sad that I need a schedule, but as an adult I see that my days disappear before my eyes. Lord, please help me to be able to do this. I love spending time with you. You are my all and I want to show that to you by spending time with you. Amen.

Curses

Yesterday in Church the pastor talked about blessings and curses. I was not a huge fan of the way the pastor was teaching (he was a guest pastor), so in the middle of the sermon I prayed that God would humble my heart to be able to hear what He needed me to hear.

One thing that did stand out to me was the sins of a family. These are sins that you may not necessarily have, but that may come up because of your family. Jerry and I talked about these and the need to pray about them.

If you think about it, we would appreciate prayer for Jer to find a job too. Thanks!

Flowers for Algernon

A few years back I read a book entitled Flowers for Algernon. It is the tale of a mentally disabled young man who agrees to be apart of science experiment that could potentailly make him "smart" (in his words). SPOILER ALERT! Through this process he becomes one of the smartest men in the world. However, after only a few months into this new life, his mind begins to slowly deteriorate to it's original state.

I kind of feel like this is happening in one part of my life. For so long hope was gone, then through a quick series of events, I encountered an amazing climatic state of bliss, joy and contentment. However, it feels as if things could return to the way they once were- following the steps of Algernon. Everything in me wants to believe there is still hope for this sinking ship, but I still feel despair.

Perhaps it will have the same fate as Algernon, perhaps there is still more to be written. Only God knows- so I wait on Him and seek Him. Lord, please guide me through this. I feel hopeless- I once had joy about this situation, but I feel as if that joy has gone away. I want to trust in You through this. Amen.

On a seperate note,I am trying to give Lord of the Rings a shot. No offense to you LOTR fans, but it is really not my cup of tea. I am not naturally a fantasy person, so I am admittedly out of my element. However, I have the feeling that many of the characters do not have the depth that many claim. Themes such as loyalty seem to be a stretch to me. Perhaps Tolkien merely meant for the books to be sprinkled lightly with these themes and others have read too much into them over the years. I don't know. I do know that I will continue to try to watch these movies with an open mind and open eyes (as I fell asleep the first time I attempted to watch the movies) :)

Well it is time to retreat so I can shower- night!

I'm Back!

So it’s been awhile since I have blogged. I tried to start up a few times in grad school- but my masters took up my life, so it was near impossible. Now- for the first time in a long time, I have time to blog.

I really have missed it. It was great to write about spiritual matters and just growing up. I realize that writing helps me process a lot.

We found a new church I think. I love the way that they preach the word and how diverse it is. Time will tell, but I really like this church so far. I think we’re looking to join a small group too. Being in Maryville made me realize how as an extravert I need fellowship. We really have missed that. I feel like being with others really strengthens my relationship with Christ. I have been trying to increase the time I spend with God more too. Just talking with Him is amazing sometimes. It’s hard to put into words, but I just need more of Him.

We are pretty poor right now, but I am really thankful for this stage in life. It makes me focus on working out, writing, music and learning Spanish (all things that are free). It’s also nice because we know that we can make rent, pay our student loans and will always have food from family. Life is good!

Well, I will keep the first blog short and sweet. I am going to try to blog once a week (hopefully more :))

A few things that have been on my mind

I read a great book called "I Once was Lost". It describes ministry in the post-modern era. According to the book, there are 5 Thresholds during ministry:


1. Distrust to Trust
2. Complacent to Curious
3. Closed to Change to Open to Change
4. Meandering to Seeking
5. Cross the threshold of the kingdom itself

The book also pointed out a few other important things while witnessing:

• Ask questions
• Use an NPR story instead of Passion of the Christ
• ATTIC (Affirm, Translate, Transparent, Insert yourself as a case study, Challenge)

I loved this book!

Next I am working on getting in better shape. I found this weight loss calculator online and discovered that with my body type, I will lose 1.5pounds a week if I stick to my workout and 1300 calories a day. So that will take 3 months, but at least I have a frame of reference so I won't get frustrated. I am eating 6 small things a day and my typical schedule looks like this:

12pm-slimfast=200 cal
2pm-beef jerky=100 cal
4pm-crackers=150 cal
6pm-dinner=550 cal
8pm-Popsicle=100 cal
10pm-slimfast=200 cal

I know the times look late, but this is my schedule. We work late, but at least we are on PST :)


Finally, I made my bucket list. Here it is:

1. Read Time’s 100 Best Novels
2. Watch IMDBs top 250 Movies
3. Try a new food once a month
4. Be the best minister of the gospel I can be
5. Visit all 50 States
6. Visit all 7 continents
7. See all my favorite bands in concert
8. Visit the following places
a. Egypt
b. Israel
c. Laos
d. Thailand
e. Cambodia
f. India
g. Russia
h. China
i. Japan
j. Korea
k. Tanzania
l. Kenya (climb Mt. Kilimanjaro)
m. Morocco
n. Spain
o. Brazil
p. Argentina
q. Venezuela
r. Australia
s. Ester Islands
t. South Pacific
u. Indonesia
9. Do a Triathlon
10. Publish a book
11. Sell/Promote my art
12. Record a CD
13. Be fluent in Sign Language, Spanish and on other language (I think Arabic)

A Call to Reform

I hate stating political opinions and strive not to in my facebook statuses. So when I thanked Jesus for the ruling in AZ, I feel like I need to elaborate a little further as to my beliefs. There are two moral dilemmas in politics right now that I believe need further analysis and explanation.

First, the Arizona situation. The governor of Arizona has attempted to pass two major laws since entering office. The first being immigration reform and the second banning ethnic studies. Both of these laws seem to attack the ethnic minority, specifically Hispanics. The main issues I have with this are that people are being racially profiled. As is, my husband gets pulled over all the time for “Driving while Brown”. With this new law, he would get pulled over and be required to show 3 forms of ID. If I were pulled over, I would not. This is racial profiling, which is supposed to be illegal in this country. This brings me to an amazing quote:

"It is absolutely reminiscent of second class status of Jews in Germany prior to World War II when they had to have their papers with them at all times and were subject to routine inspections at the suspicion of being Jewish," Rep. Jared Polis

This law treats Hispanics as second class citizens. And like the Jews before WWII, they are being blamed for unemployment. I’m not trying to sound crazy and claim that were going to have a holocaust here. Nor am I suggesting that this is anything like what they went through. I am just pointing out warning signs of history repeating itself, starting off by treating some as second class citizens.

Immigration needs reform, but racism is not the answer. Consider this:

1 John 3: 15-18
If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know that murderers do not have eternal life. We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. That's why we must give our lives for each other. If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.

That is so impactful, isn’t it? That last verse is so convicting to me, especially as I sit here and blog.

Next topic: Prop 8

I love democracy. Whenever it is disregarded, I get an uneasy feeling. So that part of today’s decision upset me. However, there is more to this multifaceted political/moral dilemma.

I believe that our God, being sovereign and good, allows us to choose to follow Him. We can either follow him or choose sin. So, I think our government should not force those who do not choose to follow the bible to. We are not God, only he can judge. If people choose to participate in same-sex marriage, God is not stopping them and neither should we. He allows them to choose a life following world, or following him. We should just be witnessing and letting them know what they bible thinks of this, not forcing them to do what we believe is right.

With that said, marriage is a sacred vow between God, a man and woman. It seems to degrade marriage in the biblical Christian context.

So here enters my next theory: Separation of Church and State.

Marriage should be granted to all couples, but in legal terms only (not the vow before God). We will call these civil unions for all. By separating church and state, marriage (the non legal binding vow before God) can remain a religious act. That way, there is true separation of church and state, yet equality. Homosexuals are not the only ones who have attempted to change this sacred vow, people have been disregarding the sacredness of marriage for a long time; the divorce rate is over 50% and people marry multiple times. Why are we Christians ostracizing homosexuals alone on this issue? Many people are at fault for this and that is why we need what the constitution lays out for us: the Separation of Church and State.

The status Quo sucks. We need reform. What should we do?