sweetness

tonight i ate a serving of pixy stix. In case you don't ave a bag by to look at...that is 7 pixy stix. and i wonder why my paper isn't done..hmmmm.

when being tired feels good

So I just returned from my 5th trip with Amor Ministries yesterday evening! I still remember Craig years ago constantly counting down immediately after finishing a trip until the next one out of his excitement! This trip was not with CBC as I grew accustomed to, but instead my new family of the ASU Navigators. We went on our annual road rally with brothers and sisters from the U of A, our rival school. It was such an amazing trip. God is constantly reminding me of his goodness and providence. After a last minute issue and us needing 3,000 more than originally planned for, God paid the bill. We had an amazing team working on a double house including two of our foreman below! (Drew left and Brian right)The house went fairly smoothly. It was funny to hear the Amor staff talk about "Army tent palace Crossroads" when they heard of the church I traveled to the Juarez location with. Erica and Jose Luis cooked a meal for our entire 60-man crew one day and I got to talk with my Bible study girls among others that i truly cherish. There is only one week left until the much needed break Thanksgiving provides, and i can't wait!

just call me jack

With halloween just out of the picture an illustration came to mind as my dad was talking to me on the phone earlier. he was talking about Chuck Swindoll's radio piece for the day and how God's grace presides over our trials. But there was one thing in particular he said. He said sometimes God has to carve out of us what he wants and uses those he breaks down the most later on.

It was this concept of carving that struck a thought. Carving isn't bad. You have a pumpkin and want to make it a jack-o-lantern...so you cut off the top (or bottom in some cases) and begin to carve out the seeds. You can use the seeds for other things later on, such as, baking them to eat and nourish one's body. And then once all of the seeds are out and you think you are done, there is the excess pumpkin inyards that still have to be removed. So you take the large metal spoona nd scrape the side of the walls, sometimes accidentally taking more of the wall than the goop, and keep going until it is all cleaned out.

(this is our house's pumpkin: Dierks Groban)

I feel like this is the process God is putting me through right now. I've been blindsighted by a few things these past two weeks from my best friend moving to health to not getting into the photo program after the head of the program told me i should be fine.

One thing after another. Seeds removed and then the walls scraped. I don't know what God is trying to teach me, but i'd be happy if he sped up the process a bit! haha.

The cool thing is...once all of the gunk is removed, the masterpiece begins and you carve out a new face to the pumpkin. Letting go of its old identity, the pumpkin has a new face.

On a good note i got an "A" on my Hebrew Bible essay!


Selah.

sparing meat

I feel like we can learn a lot from Rocky.
In the face of adversity:: he persevered.
.
With school lately I feel like I'm entered in a marathon leading in circles. I get lapped at times, but there is always the one kid with a cast and asthma behind me giving me the confidence to continue on. College is rough...but it is also four years of my life! this block of time is filled with questions after. What to do and be...I have no idea. I am 54 school weeks away from recieving a degree. That's insane!

*cracks open a few eggs and chugs them from a glass. Puts on biking gloves and beanie to go for a jog. Stops by the meat locker to punch a few cows and heads home to do the same the next day in preparation for the big duel. *

antsy

My head is full of thoughts...
My tummy is full of popcicles...
My fingernails are full of left over clay from my ceramics class...

I feel like redesigning the site.

Amsterdam's buyout offer bothers brothels

you gotta give a thumbs up to the mayor for trying. the people's reaction saddens me. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-10-07-redlight_N.htm

insomnia

Sooo....you know how you go to bed around 1 and then at 3:30 you give up going to sleep and update your blog? tonight is that night for me.

This is a very common site in our house (Casablanca). Vegas and Katy on the bed chilling as Katy plays maj jong.

A few nights ago we were all actually home and decided to take a family picture. We have one where we are all looking, but i felt like this more accurately displays our house at any given time. I love my roommates!

I bought a waffle maker finally! This is Wally. He is very happy here.

This was my first batch of waffles from Wally. Look pretty good if i say so myself (which i am). I even made the batter from scratch!

Tonight began the weeklong tradition of Katy's birthday celebration! My bible study came over plus the roommates to have dinner and dessert.

This is Katy's cake. Look closely...it's her face in the sprinkles!

And finally, here is Becca and me. I had a friend from Texas illustrate my idea for the Nav shirts and this is how they came out! I like them!

things that made me smile today

• i was pretty sure my bike tire was going to die on the way to school but it made it there and back.
• the weather today was 95 and beautiful. It was more of a pleasant bike ride.
• continuing with the weather, i had a test and finished fast so i was able to read my TanaKh (Hebrew old testament) with some Einstein's breakfast
• at breakfast, i saw Heather, Carol, Tim, Leila, and Steve
• i slipped and fell on my bottom in the middle of the between class rush. no one even noticed!
• class got out 30 min. early
• my photo professor actually likes my thesis photos!
• vegas attacked the UPS guy...a few weeks ago she attacked the mail-lady too! i'm beginning to think we need one of those 'beware of dog' signs. the mid-20-yr-old screamed and threw the package only to come in a minuate later laughing at himself as vegas continued to lick his calves.
• Vegas ran down the stairs but forgot to turn and rammed her face right into the wall. i felt bad, but that's pretty funny!

stream of consciousness

i know i haven't blogged in a while and it's not becasue i haven't wanted to but merely that i don't know how to verbalize life lately. My memory is starting to fade me. I don't remember things that went on in my life by the end of the day anymore!

All i know is my photo thesis to officially graduate as a photo major is due on the first.

I stink at ceramics. I come home two days a week covered in red clay.

I am a security guard but i may be looking for a new more consistant job.

my family went to Italy last week while i was stuck in class.

I turned 21 on labor day...it doesn't feel much different.

I miss Holland.

I am so excited to go back to philly and NYC.

max brenner.

the Bible study i'm leading started tonight and i am really glad about the girls that are in it

work schedualed me on friday when the navs meet...grrrr

i love Katy's dog Vegas. taught her a new trick today too.

there is nothing like a texas sunset at lake grapevine.

i miss lakes.

I think it is awesome my homework for my OT class is reading genesis and exodus!

i stink at painting.

i rant a lot.

i'm hoping the diamondbacks make playoffs.

i need to finish my reading for class.

goodbye.

Stripes

I painted for our kitchen today.

Rolly, Patch, Lucky, Pongo...

Tonight there is a monsoon in Arizona. And all i can seem to think about lying in my bed listening to the thunder is 101 Dalmatians. My sister Diana and I used to sneak out of our rooms whether we were sick or just couldn't sleep and always put on this same Disney film. We have fallen asleep on the old cracked green leather sofa more times than i could count waking up to a blue tv screen the next morning. I wish my sister were here to stay up for no apparent reason together. Out here is Arizona I find i miss my family more as time goes on. I think i just miss that aspect of still being a kid and not having rent or gasoline or food expenses. It's like when Christ takes us off the milk for solid food. Sometimes we want to go back to when we had it much easier, yet we all know we must move on. But still...we have some time to be a little ridiculous yet.

Happy Birthday Mom!

for she is the tree of life...

Ok Tim McGraw...bring it!

Tim McGraw - Live Like You Were Dying

Verse 1
He said I was in my early forties, with a lot of life before me, when a moment came that stop me on a dime. I spent most of the next days, looking at the x-rays. Talking bout' the options and talking bout' sweet time. I asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end, how's hit ya' when you get that kind of news?
Man whad ya do?
And he said

Chorus
I went skydiving
I went rocky mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull name Fu Man Chew
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denyin'
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin

Verse 2
He said I was finally the husband, but most the time I wasn't. And I became a friend; the friend would like to have. And all a sudden goin' fishin wasn't such an imposition, and I went three times that year I lost my dad. Well I finally read the good book, and took a good long hard look at what i would do if I could do it all again.
And then

Chorus
I went skydiving
I went rocky mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull name Fu Man Chew
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denyin'
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin

Bridge
Like tomorrow was a gift, and ya got eternity to think about what to do with it, what could you do with it, what did I do with it, what would I do with it?

Skydiving
I went rocky mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chew
And man I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I watched an eagle as it was flyin
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin

To live like you were dyin (4x)

Hurrah!

I got written up in a positive way in our last security newsletter. Read right in the middle there is a paragraph with my name. It is right beofre the how to drive in Arizona tips which are truly funny..probably even moreso if you are from the area.

stuck between a rock and a hard place--anyone else see the new simpson's movie?

Tonight was just crazy at work. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0727shot0727.html this is what happened. I was at the gate this occured and the entire venue went on lockdown. Patrons at the Rush concert only knew there was an accisendt in the area. Pray for the officer's family. Needless to say, I worked 4 extra hours as car searches were taking place and am so ready to sleep.

This video is amazing!

Proof again that God is Soverign and good

I guess this starts about 2.5 months ago when my roommate Katy decided to get a dog.

We got Vegas. She is a beautiful half-boxer/ half-pitbull ish. Katy got her a pink collar and tag and spent a while at the condo before going off to Namibia to serve and glorify God. Last week another one of my roommates, Val, took Vegas for a walk but her tag popped off as the leesh was put on wrong. So two days ago i go tto buy a new collar, put our address and Katy's number on it. i've been working full days. 7am-3pm at a warehouse and then 6pm-midnight at my security job. So tonight i get home and the gate is wide open. I open the sliding door to see a note from my other roomie, Becca, stating Vegas had run away. I rode out on my bike calling. All the time i was going over in my head an old sermon i heard about how wonderful it is to be lost. When we are lost it means someone cares and is looking for us as opposed to trash where it remains and is unwanted. So i decided to keep searching. I asked a few people and then i foolishly remembered i hadn't prayed yet.

So i prayed.

God answered.

I rode to a place i personally have never walked Vegas and there is a gas station. Granted it is late at night and i get spooked easily i didn't want to walk up to this truck originally. But the window was rolled down and he seemed ok. As i was asking if he saw Vegas her head popped out of the window of the quad cab truck! It was her. Her collar and tag were gone but Vegas was there nonetheless. I offered to buy him something from the gas station but he declined. I took the long walk home, Vegas in one hand and my bike in the other. It turns out they found her running back and forth like frogger in the traffic!

God is good,
All the time.
All the time,
God is good. Selah.

Mr. Fix-it

We hate mystery. We're enamored with knowledge. We have incredible educational institutions, all getting a certain kind of knowledge that has to do with information and function. There is very little relational stuff goin on in there. If there's a problem, our first response is to find out what's wrong and find the technology to fix it. If we can't do that, we've failed. But most of life is a mystery.

Eugene Peterson

YAY!

SELAH

It's called faith for a reason...

When i visited the White House we went to a small souvenir shop. It was a quaint place and in it i found jackpot. $1 mini posters of presidential portraits. So i bought a portrait of JFK as i respect the man a great deal. In it, his look is so pensive. He is alone with his thoughts as arms are laid across his chest and no one is around to distract him. I've been in that mood a bit tonight. Going over in my mind how amazing God is and various what-ifs for my future. But tonight was a little more of a rear view mirror night. See the beauty of a car is balance...you have a huge windshield in front of you so you know where you are headed but at the same time there is a rear view mirror to remember where you've been and help you succeed in the future. The mirror isn't meant to be dwelt on as it isn't the size of the windshield..but it is there nonetheless. So tonight I'm just thinking some.

That's the way..uh huh uh huh..i like it...

I have never seen a larger zoo.

I worked roaming security for a casino the other night and i escorted out many 50+ who were intoxicated. It was insane. You had this older generation drinking and dancing the night away as if they were 14 again. The show was at a casino and the bands happened to be Kool and the Gang accompanied by KC and the Sunshine Band. KC wrote hit songs like That's the Way I Like It and Get Down Tonight. It was just a humerous scene all around. I got to be KC's personal escort at the end of the night as he headed out to sign autographs. He started out the night saying, "to all you younger folk who's parent's brought you here...you may not know who I am, but I am KC...the Justin Timberlake of the 70s." As I walked him to his limo he asked a question about the layout of the venue...I answered. So here's to my new friend KC and the funk generation that adores him.