Where did '08 go?

Let's sum up my 2008 in pictures, shall we...

January: Celebrated beginning of '08 with the fam in NC February: Lisa got engaged!

March: Happy St. Paddy's Day

April: Epic Road Trip May: Aloha!!! June: Said good-bye to Cali...single tear

July: I met the 26th year of my life August: Ladies Reunion in A-TownSeptember: Disney Wedding in Cali October: Snyde/Tice Wedding in Cali

November: Fam visited Austin for ThanksgivingDecember: Visited the Fam in NC

2009, Bring it!!!

Pho-Dawgs Rock

Confession: I stalk blogs. I stalk mainly photographer blogs. I think I started appreciating the art of photography probably several years ago. 2 of my close friends (one a roomie and one expecting a baby in May!!!) are photographers so I guess having it around a lot helped me develop the appreciation. So now, I stalk photographer blogs. I have a few faves for different categories of life.

Jasmine Star - Jasmine is going to be my wedding photographer...if/when that joyous, momentous day ever comes for me. I don't even have the male part of the wedding, but your darn tootin I have the photographer. She's rad, real, Californian, and loves Jesus too...can't beat that!

Amy Wenzel - Amy mainly photographs kids. Granted, I won't need her till even awhile after I've hired Jasmine for my wedding, but I LOVE looking at her pictures. She's got this vintage style splashed with bright, vibrant colors. Love it!

Jeremy Cowart - Cowart has a unique way of capturing pictures. He has shot a lot of celebrities and media pictures, but he's also shot all over the world capturing faces and scenes of people just like us, but in completely different situations. Not only is he an incredibly unique photographer, he has a passion for justice and helping those in need, and uses his gift of photography to bring awareness to that.

Jamie Lynne - How can I list great photographers and leave out Jamie Lynne Lapeyrolerie. =) Jamie's one of those close friends I mentioned who is a photographer. It's been fun to see this side of photography and all that goes into a career like this. She's passionate about what she does and you can tell that in her photos. SO, if you or anyone you know is planning on getting hitched, you need to contact her. She does an awesome job and I promise you won't regret it!

Jessica Lynn - Jess is a newfound Texan friend and coworker. We are in the same community group and she helped me get the job I have now. She's super awesome, artsy, and fun! She insists that she's just starting out, but I personally think her work is incredible and just exudes her personality!

A Very Merry Christmas

My recipe for Christmas '08:
-relaxation with the fam
-rejoicing that my brother was able to be home from overseas
-games, games, and more games
-margaritas and white Russians...mmm....
-consistent laughter
-eating...LOTS of eating
-a day in South Carolina
-and shopping
-oh, and an iPod Touch!

All that put together makes for an AWESOME Christmas this year!

Do you know what rocks my world? Sonic slushes

Do you know what rocks my face off? Half off Sonic slushes everyday during Happy Hour from 2 to 4.

I'm in North Carolina right now and the temperature is a bit nippy. BUT it's just never too cold for a Sonic slush when they're half off. I'm almost positive that the slushes are just that much sweeter when they're half off.

Frodo siting!

Yes, I'm a nerd and get excited when I see famous people out and about...which has now been like 4 times and always in airports.

So guess who was at the Austin airport on December 19, 2008, at approximately 2:45 pm??

Modernization

I secretly wish that the old skool Nokia phones would come back.

I mean, I REALLY wish they would come back.

I had a phone just like this one shown here. I loved the chunkiness of it. I love the clacky sound it made when you pushed those plastic buttons. I would change the cover and buttons on mine every couple of months. My favorite combo was clear with clear buttons. Oh, how I loved you, Nokia.

Doesn't this phone just bring back mems??

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

I hate money. I really do. I hate the burden that it is to me. I hate how it makes me feel like I need it to survive in this world. I hate that I find it so easy to see it as my sense of security. I hate how it effects my moods at times.

Money is one of my main enemies right now and I feel like I'm trying to win this battle over it on my own.

All the while, God is trying to get a few things across to me:
-Do not let the burden of money control you
-I alone am your security and survival in this world
-I am bigger than your worries and closer to you than your problems
-Unload on Me your burden and have faith that I will take care of you

I type those out, but that definitely doesn't mean I'm fully living it out. My brain knows this, but my heart needs to truly believe it through obedience.

Argh, how I hate money.

"I got worms"

(20 points to anyone who can name what movie that was from.)

Within the last couple weeks, we have had sporadic worms randomly appear, mainly in our kitchen and I just caught one in our living room. EW. I was going to post a picture of one, but I think they are truly disgusting looking. Yuck.

I have no idea where they come from or where they are going, but they need to get the H-E-double hockey sticks outta here. Gross.

Anyone have good worm repellent advice???

Here I Go Again

My friend received this in an email but decided to post it on her blog. I thought it was fun, dandy and a great use of time. =)

1. Put your iTunes on shuffle (or windows media player).

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

4. Make a fun/silly/witty comment on your answer.

1.What is your motto?
Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
Well, I wouldn't consider myself an uptown girl, but I'm not sure if I'm a downtown girl either.

2.What do your friends think of you?
Again - Needtobreathe
They are consistently thinking of me?! How sweet, guys!!

3.What do you think about very often?
La Bamba - Richie Valens
Apparently I think in Spanish.

4. What is 2+2?
Electrical Storm - U2
Math does cause an electrical storm of happiness in my brain.

5.What do you think of your best friend?
Final Countdown - Europe
I'm counting down until they're gone???

6.What do you think of the person you like?
5,000 miles - The Proclaimers
Awesome, they're far away from me....that does me good.

7. What is your life story?
Emotion - Destiny's Child
Well, I am a very emotional person...that makes sense.

8.What do you want to be when you grow up?
Sea Breeze - Tyrone Wells
I want to be refreshing...

9.What do you think when you see the person you like?
Surely we can change - David Crowder Band
I guess I don't think too highly of them as they are right now

10.What do your parents think of you?
Everything is Beautiful - Starfield
That is just so stinkin sweet!!!!

11.What will you dance to at your wedding?
Next Episode - Snoop Dogg
Holler, Shot Caller!! And it's so romantic too...

12. What will they play at your funeral?
Hangin Tough - NKOTB
That's just rad.

13. What is your hobby/interest?
Return - Needtobreathe
Umm...well, I'm really at a lost for words with this one.

14. What is your biggest secret?
Salvation - Charlie Hall
Sadness! That's my secret?!

15. What do you think of your friends?
Good People - Jack Johnson
Awww...that would be cute if it were true. =) J/K I love you guys!

16. What's the worst thing that could happen?
The Moon - Kendall Payne
Maybe I'm just not meant to ever walk on the moon...bust.

17.How will you die?
Everything Glorious - David Crowder Band
Entering Heaven will be a glorious thing...

18. What makes you laugh?
We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
Not takin crap from anyone! That's what makes me laugh!

19.What makes you cry?
Marianne - Matt Wertz
Well, I do have an Aunt Maryann, but I wouldn't go as far as saying she makes me cry.

20. Will you ever get married?
Vogue - Madonna
Crank up the vogueing, and the men will come... Got it.

21. What scares you the most?
Lightning Crashes - Live
I actually love lightning so this is a complete falsehood.

22. Does anyone like you?
Make That Money - Robi Rob's Club World
Yeah, but apparently just for my money....ha!

23. If you could go back in time, what would you change?
Peace Train - Cat Stevens
I'm actually a huge fan of peace, so, again, falsehood.

24. What hurts right now?
The River - Chris Tomlin
Mmm...no clue.

25. Now for the title of this blog entry...
Here I go Again - Whitesnake
It fits since I just did the Picture Tag post.

26. Lastly, what is the one thing you regret?
Remembering You - Steven Curtis Chapman
Ouch, that's gotta hurt...

Picture Tag aka Blog Funness!

Thanks for the tag, Sheena!!

So here are the rules of this game:

1. Choose the 4th picture folder on your computer

2. Choose the 4th picture

3. Explain the picture

4. Choose 4 people to do the same

My photo:
So mine is kind of boring. This was at LAX when Jamie, me and our friend Lena were heading to none other than great town Austin, TX for a mini vaca in 2007. I think I took this pic because it was like the butt crack of dawn and I was just amazed at how crowded the airport was. I think there were also some major flight cancellations and that added to the chaos. I normally love LAX, but I can't stand the crowds.

So there ya have it!

Now, I tag:
1. Erin Mills
2. Jessica S.
3. Erin McGee (even though you won't get to this for awhile)
4. Amalea (...she's a baby, but I can't think of anyone else who reads this and has a blog and I promised Jamie she can tag Robin) =)

Have fun, Ladies!!!

Bittersweet

After much thought and prayer, I came to the decision to trade in my 4 Runner and downsize to make smaller monthly payments. Trust me, it was a hard decision. I love my 4 Runner. It was good to me; no, GREAT to me. But this was the smart thing for me to do right now. I work for a non-profit...enough said.

Anyways, here's my new set of wheels. Welcome Toyota Corolla! Here's to years of good times and great oldies!!

Not okay

Do you know what this is on my windshield, my friends??

Ice...ICE!!

Not only were ice chips mixed in with the rain last night, it snowed...SNOWED!!

I don't know how I'm going to make it through these Texas winters...I really don't know.

Zoo Friends

This last weekend I went to Houston with Jamie for her company Christmas party. Since we had never been to Houston, we decided to be tourists and we hit up the zoo. It was way fun and they had a good selection of animals if I do say so myself.

My favorite: the giraffe!


Zoo time from Mariko on Vimeo.

He's Back!

Andrew is finally home! He has been in Iraq for about 3 months and flew home (Florida) this weekend.

Thank you all for your prayers for my brother's safety while he was deployed. It'll be awesome to be all together for Christmas this year!

Self Check

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complimenting your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in our lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, His choice of you.
2 Peter 1:5-10 (The Message)

I know there have been times in my life when I feel like I'm not getting clear direction from God or I'm not hearing from Him at all. Then it leads to frustration and me saying things like, "What's the deal, God?! If I'm supposed to be doing what You want me to be doing, then why don't I know what that is. I'm waiting...etc."

I don't know where I was when I read or heard that a lot of times when we feel like we are at a dead end in our walk with God or our direction in life when seeking God's guidance, we should do a self check on our own lives. This was just so true for me. Now, there are times when maybe the Lord is just teaching patience and it's not something we're doing that is hindering us from "moving along" in the path of life, but I think a lot if not most of the time there is something in our lives that we are doing that does not please God. We need to get to the point of being vulnerable and humble before Him and let Him show us what in our lives is not pleasing Him.

That's where the list comes in.

Are we living with:

• good character
• spiritual understanding
• alert discipline
• passionate patience
• reverent wonder
• warm friendliness
• generous love

I love this list, but it is also painful to go through and see what I am not doing. Nonetheless, I will strive to live that list.

I hope you find encouragement in knowing that God does have a plan for each of our lives and He wants us to live that plan so we can get a taste of His abounding love for us.

I need Africa...

...more than Africa needs me.

www.mochaclub.org

Homie don't play that

Temperature this morning.

I'm pretty sure you can get hypothermia in this weather.

Confessions

My dislikes that are counter-culture:

John Mayer
I know this is blasephemy to some of you. He's a very talented musician, I will give him that, but I CANNOT stand his voice.

Vanilla scented perfume
It causes me to have gagging reflexes.

Seinfield
I've watched several episodes the past several years and I just never thought it was that funny.

My likes that are counter-culture:

Celine Dion
I'm just being open and honest here. I like Celine Dion.

Puzzles
I love doing puzzles! It's very therapeutic for me. The more pieces the better.

Math
I used to look forward to my math homework as kid. There's just something about numbers and solving a problem that sends my insides up in a joyous jubilee.

Song Crush

Song Crush = a song that you just can't get enough of for a certain period of time.

Occasionally I get song crushes. I can crush on a song for any of the following reasons: it speaks to me and where I'm at in life, it has a funky sound, it's random, or because it's just stinkin rad.

My song crush right now: "Washed by the Water" - Needtobreathe

It'll rock your soul!

Erin!

I love spontaneity. It's one of my most favorite characteristics in people. That is why I am so blessed to have the friends I do!

My great-fantabulous friend Erin decided to be way random and come out to A-town to hang with us this last weekend! She made the decision Thursday and flew out Friday. I love it! She's just one of those tight friends that when you're together awesome convo's, crazy randomness, and INTENSE laughter is ever present.

I love ya, Erin, and I am SO glad you decided to come hang with us!

Texas Lingo

I've been living in the great state of Texas for about 5 months now, and within that time span, I've observed some new lingo that you just don't here in California. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about:

Y'all
Sentence: "Y'all are a hoot!"
Now, this one everyone knows is used, but more commonly in the south and hardly ever on the west coast. I absolutely refuse to use this and make a conscious effort to never make a contraction out of the words "you" and "all" and will always resort to "you guys."

Fixin'
Sentence: "I'm fixin to get me some chaps."
This word isn't even recognized by Wiki so that right there just proves it's not legit. I've never heard this word used like that before I came out here. I don't even really know how to correctly translate it. I'm thinking it's along the lines of "planning" to...whatever. Here I've always thought that "fixing" something meant to mend what is broken...boy was I wrong.

Yankee
Sentence: "The yankee accent is hard to understand."
That was the actual sentence I first heard that word used in that sense before. I was with work buddies Jessica and Erin. =) As they continued talking, I'm thinking in my head, "I never noticed the baseball team ever having a strong accent before..." Yankee refers to, I'm guessing, those in the north-eastern region or specifically New Yorkers. Now I know.

The absence of "the"
Sentence: "Take Loop 1 south and get off at Braker."
In CA, with all our freeways that are numerical (which is all of them), we institute a "the" in front of the number. "You take the 91 to the 57 and get on the 22." Now, here in Texas, when we say something along the lines of, "We live off the 1" it's usually quickly followed by, "AHHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"... Got it; lose the "the."

Glad it's over

I promised I wouldn't write anything about this election. I didn't want to vote at all. I had hardly any faith in either candidates to do what they promised. I was so tired of all the email forwards spewing smack on each candidate. I knew I had to vote. This was the first time I really sought God for guidance in political matters. I did some research and for me, it came down to what does the Bible say about some of these matters that each Presidential candidate stands for. I voted based on that and not the person.

I came across this post from the Between Two Worlds blog. The author's words seem to come straight from my heart and mind in regards to the dilemma of this election. Of course, I'm not black and he is, but it was a dilemma for me anyways. But he goes even beyond that and I just love how he ends the article.

Please read this post by Eric Redmond titled "Living Soli Deo Gloria Under Obama."

My hope and prayer for us as Christians is that we don't put all our faith and hope in one man to change our nation but that we stand up and BE the change in this world. All glory to HIM!

little brother

I love my "little" brother! Growing up 6 years apart Andrew and I had our fights just like normal siblings; I was put in charge of babysitting him and he thought he didn't have to listen to me. He aggravated me!

After I graduated high school and came back from living in Japan, our relationship grew to be a lot closer. He wasn't the annoying younger brother and I wasn't the nagging older sister anymore. We have the same exact humor, we love to collaborate on the best ways to embarrass our mother, and we have the ability to make each other laugh the hardest.

Andrew is in the Coast Guard and is serving in Iraq right now. I know, what is the coast guard doing over seas? They're supposed to be guarding our coast; not other coasts. When I first heard that he would for sure be going over, of course I was filled with anxiety and worry. Not my little brother. Sidenote: If you're the oldest child, you may understand this feeling of having to protect and worry for the safety of your younger sibling(s). You feel like they are your responsibility ... and apparently you feel that your parents are your responsibility also. He has been able to call a few times since he's been over there so it's been awesome to know that he is okay and doing well. He will be back in the States in December and I'm so excited that we'll all be together as a family for Christmas!

If you guys think about it, I would love it if you could keep my brother in your prayers as he's serving!
-Pray that solid Jesus loving people will come into his life
-Pray for safety and protection over him
-Pray that he holds strong to God's love for him during the hard times

Love you, Andrew!

Owies

I made a yummy dish tonight for dinner. But this yummy dish didn't come without it's trials. I grated my thumb and then I proceed to burn my hand. It hurts...

Can't get much better than this

My perfect Halloween evening:

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

There's High School Musical...

...then there's:

Kids and Friends and Weddings, Oh My!

Last weekend I flew out to CA, yet again, for another wedding. I've known Jamie since junior high and it was a joy to see her marry such an amazing guy like Doug. Congrats to the both of you and I'm so excited to come visit you guys in Nash-vegas!

Each time I've gone back to CA since the move to Austin (which has been one other time) it becomes a marathon of how many people I can see in one weekend. I love it though! I was able to see the kids I love the most (Belinsky's), old co-workers (the Asians), and old buddies (the hot ladies). Enjoy a snippet of the weekend!

Cali Times from Mariko on Vimeo.

Wiki

Confession: I’m addicted to Wikipedia. We are so tight that we are on a nickname basis. Wiki has become my BFF as of late. I find myself spending time with Wiki when I have random questions populating my mind. Wiki hardly ever fails me.

Here is a list of what Wiki has educated me on today:

Lizzie Borden:
Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
And when she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one.

Tupac Shakur: "Shakur's body was cremated. Some of his ashes were later mixed with marijuana and smoked by members of Outlawz." I find this extremely touching and expect all my closest loved ones to do the same with my ashes when I leave this earth.

Socrates: "Socrates realized that the Oracle was correct, in that while so-called wise men thought themselves wise and yet were not, he himself knew he was not wise at all which, paradoxically, made him the wiser one since he was the only person aware of his own ignorance."

Salmonella: "Salmonella antibodies were first found in Malawi children in research published in 2008."

Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, of
things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the begotten of God the Father, the Only-begotten, that is of the essence of the Father.
God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten and not made; of the very same nature of the Father, by Whom all things came into being, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
Who for us humanity and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate, was made human, was born perfectly of the holy virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit.
By whom He took body, soul, and mind, and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance. He suffered, was crucified, was buried, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven with the same body, [and] sat at the right hand of the Father.
He is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father, to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, in the uncreated and the perfect; Who spoke through the Law, prophets, and Gospels; Who came down upon the Jordan, preached through the apostles, and lived in the saints.
We believe also in only One, Universal, Apostolic, and [Holy] Church; in one baptism in repentance, for the remission, and forgiveness of sins; and in the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgement of souls and bodies, and the Kingdom of Heaven and in the everlasting life.

Apostle's Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. AMEN.

I heart Needtobreathe

I got to see one of my most favorite bands of all time tonight...FREE. Needtobreathe opened for Gavin DeGraw at UT so Jamie and I went down after work to partake in this musical sweetness. Needtobreathe are an AWESOME band from South Carolina and have this southern appeal to them on stage and in their music. Check them out!!!




Needtobreathe from Mariko on Vimeo.

Persecution: expect it

I'm always amazed at how those who are doing the most good in this world are the ones who are treated the worse.

This is from an email I received from China Aid:

PSB Officers Beat Pastor's Son
Around noon on October 16, Zhang Jian received an urgent phone call from his mother. Plainclothes Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers had broken into her upstairs apartment and were throwing all the family's belongings out into the street: "When I got there, I saw my mom lying on the ground being knocked down by these thugs ... I tried to use my body to protect my mom from being hurt by them. Then this group of 15 officers immediately surrounded me and started beating my head and body with iron bars and said, 'We need to teach you a lesson as a troublemaker.'"

The violent attack lasted 25 minutes. Authorities persecute this family simply because they are Christians. Their ministry to orphans and house churches - ordinary Christian activities - are considered crimes in China. Zhang Jian was severely injured in the attack and needs immediate surgery. His family is now in hiding with nowhere to live. His father is missing, believed to be kidnapped by authorities.

Brother Yun says in his book Heavenly Man that Christians in non-persecuted areas should not pray for the persecution to stop, but to pray for the Christians in the persecuted parts of the world to stand firm in their faith and endure their trials with strength that can only come from the Lord. He also reminds us to pray for the salvation of those doing the persecuting and for them to come to know God and learn to love Him. This is coming from a man who has gone through some of the most horrendous pain and persecution because of his love for Jesus. We as followers of Jesus should expect persecution and pray that when it does happen, we will stand firm to the end and hold on to the truth and love of God.

Weekend in Corpus

This weekend, roomie Jamie and I went to Corpus to visit with our good friend Jaci and her parents. I'd never been to coast in Texas so it was fun to go driving along there, take a boat tour, walk along the beach, and eat some good sea-grub!

Thanks for having us come hang with you, Jaci! Love ya tons!


Corpus Christi from Mariko on Vimeo.

My loves

Meet Luke, Paul, Emma, and Ruth!

Pete and Gabby are amazingly awesome people (and yes, I still think of you guys as a fun couple) and these are their beautiful children. I helped Gabby out when she was pregnant with Paul and then when she was pregnant with Ruthie and with kids this good looking, how could you not just fall in love with them?!?!?! I even had the chance to live with them for a little while during a transitional time of my life. I love this family dearly and I cannot wait to see them next weekend when I'm back in CA, so you guys will most likely be seeing these adorable children again soon on my blog.

My favorite quotes:

"Riko, can I cuddle with you?"

"I want a pirate kiss!"

"I like being naked."

Em, Lukie, Paulie-wog, Ruthie-ba-boosie, I miss you guys so much and can't wait to see you guys soon!!!

...cont.

Read this last night in John Piper's book Let the Nations Be Glad.

Paul was strong in persecutions because "the power of Christ" rested upon him and was made perfect in him. In other words, Christ’s power was Paul’s only power when his sufferings brought him to the end of his resources and cast him wholly on Jesus. This was God’s purpose in Paul’s thorn, and it is his purpose in all our suffering. God means for us to rely wholly on him. "That was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead" (2 Cor. 1:9). The reason God wants such reliance is because this kind of trust shows his supreme power and love to sustain us when we can’t do anything to sustain ourselves.

300

If I were Gideon, I'd pee my pants.

He had 32,000 peeps ready to go in and conquer the Midianites. God tells Gideon that he has too many people to go into battle with. Who says that in regards to conquering an enemy?! You have too many people??? After God "sifts" through Gideons crew, He narrows it down from 32,000 people to 300…300!!!

This is what my response would be if I were Gideon: God, that’s not cool. Really, …. that’s not funny. I mean, I know You’re God and all, but like cutting down my assets by that much…that’s a smidge ridiculous. Put ‘em back now, please.

Have you seen a pattern in your own life or others of how God does things that doesn’t make sense? That is outlandish? Crazy? Impossible?

I’ve come to realize that that is exactly how He works. He cut down Gideons army because He knew that with that many people they would have wiped out the Midianites with no problem and any outsider would look at that and be like, "Of course they won; they had 32,000 stinkin people." God was going to make His power and might known in this situation. He did what He had to do to make that happen…and ALL glory to Him.

This story just stuck out to me as I’ve started to commit to praying about going to teach in Sudan for a year in 2010. When I look at the details of what would have to happen, specifically in the financial area, it comes down to that it would be impossible for me to go. If it’s God’s will for me to go, He will definitely show Himself almighty to make it happen. It would be nothing of my own doing. I truly feel that at times, He puts us in situations like this where it seems impossible, so that when it does happen, there is just no other explanation than GOD. I love how He shows us how much we are reliant on physical/tangible/financial things when we think we aren’t.

I feel like if we truly believe in the power of God and His promise to take care of us, then maybe we should pray about having the strength to allow Him to really test that in our lives. Let Him be glorified through your life by cutting down your 32,000 whatevers to 300 and completely rocking your world!

Captain EO

During the years of '86-'97, Disneyland was home to one of the greatest phenomenons to ever grace this planet. Captain EO was a 3D short film/musical starring Michael Jackson as the "hero" in this 80's-futuristic-changing-the-world-from-evil-to-good type of story. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, executive-produced by George Lucas and music by James Horner, epic-radness was in this film's destiny from the moment of inception. Outside of all that, for every 80's child from SoCal, Captain EO has a special place in their hearts forever. I mean, MJ in 3D...before he went scary! Just awesome...

Since this was a Disney project and Disney funded, this short film is no where to be found to be purchased. It is locked away forever in Disney's vault with no intentions of ever being released to the public again.

But...

Someone knew that something of this much epic proportions cannot be hidden from the rest of the world and the generations to come. So, with much thanks to this fine human being and YouTube, we can now enjoy (not to the same extent as in 3D) Captain EO and how he changed the world. (It's in 2 parts, though, and the 2nd part is where MJ breaks it down)

Question

Would you rather live in complete darkness or complete silence?

.....

'Rents

I really think I'm one of a kind. I have issues. Since when do the parents cause the ulcers in the kids when the kids can't track down their parents???

Everyday on my way home from work I call my mom. Her and my dad moved to North Carolina almost 2 years ago and being that I'm just really close to my mom and them moving away from me was really hard for me, I call her everyday to make the distance between us seem not so far.

My parents have a routine as I'm sure most of your parents when they hit mid 50's. Folks that age very rarely live outside of their routine. I know my mom and dad's routine and if there's a change in their routine, they usually inform me of this. I know that since both my parents' children live far from them, they pretty much don't let their cell phones out of their sight. It's latched onto them. And as it should be. Parents need to be accessible and available to their children at ALL times; no matter what age their kids are.

Yesterday, I call my mother on my way home from work around 4 pm. No answer. Okay, she could be driving or in the middle of her Bible study; she'll call me back. Go home, shower, get ready for my Bible study. No call. I go to the market and decide to call again, ya know, just in case. No answer. Okay... get home, get ready to leave to my Bible study. I call on the way there (and know that it's only been since the morning since I heard from her last). No answer. I call my dad (he works the night shift so he'd be at work, but surely he has his phone on him at all times). No answer. Panic arises. I'm at Bible study, I lay my phone by me, on silent, but able to see if someone calls just so I can calm down when I see that they are calling. Bible study ends, no call. It's now around 10 pm their time. Mom should be home from all duties by this time. I was awful and distracted off and on throughout the study because horrid instances are running through my head of what could have happened:
"My parents were both in a car wreck earlier today and no one could call me because they don't know that 'Mariko' in their phones is their daughter."
"Something happened to my brother overseas and they are in too much distress to call and tell me yet."
"What if they've both been kidnapped."

On the way home from Bible study, I am now literally pleading with Jesus that someone call me and just let me know why I haven't heard from my mom and my dad. I keep calling. No answer. Again, mind you, this has only been 10 hours since I've last heard from them and now I'm almost in tears on my way home thinking the worst of the worst of what could have happened and trying to sort my thoughts and start planning my life accordingly. !!! I'm now bitter with that "Why doesn't someone tell me what's going on!" mentality.

I get home. I go to my computer. I check weather.com to see if there was some major natural disaster that hit Zebulon, NC that could explain all this. I check the news online to see if any horrific happenings had gone on in that area as well...nothing. I find my dad's work number and call. It rings a lot and then FINALLY I hear my dad's voice. Peace overcame me, at least halfway; my mother is still "missing." I keep my cool talking to him and let him know little of the panic attack I was suffering. I tell him I can't get a hold of mom and he said that he'll call the home number and then have her call me.

I finally talked with my mom last night and she was just busy at church most of the evening and forgot to take her phone off silent and honestly didn't think I would have kept calling to get a hold of her. What was she thinking?!

Let's recap here: I called my mom probably a combined total of 10 times and my dad about 3 times within a span of a few hours when the last I had heard from her was just that morning. Now, if I for some reason didn't call my mom one evening and she called me that many times, I would have retorted with something like this: "Mother, it's only been a day since we've last talked. I'm a 26 year old woman, I am completely capable of taking care of myself. If something had happened, you are in NC and there's nothing you could've done at the moment. If it's my time to go, you can't prevent that; it's God's plan." Now, it would've been completely unacceptable if my mother came back with this attitude toward me, though; do you guys see this? =) But she, being the perfect mother she is, just said sorry and didn't think that I would have kept calling.

So it was a happy ending: mother and father were located and found doing their normal routine, my panic attack didn't last too long, and the Lord taught me that I haven't learned to let go of my parents and let Him take control...

Man, I can never be a parent...I can't even be a non-controlling child.

My Weekend

In this order...

FRIDAY:

SATURDAY:


SUNDAY:

Do I know how to party like a rock star or what?

Something to ponder

"The great sin of the world is not that the human race has failed to work for God so as to increase his glory but that we have failed to delight in God so as to reflect his glory, for God's glory is most reflected in us when we are most delighted in him."

Running

My church, Austin Stone Community Church, is starting this vision series focusing on being a church for the city instead of just being a church in the city. I feel that most Christians in America today have forgotten our purpose as the body of believers. Our sole function as followers of Jesus isn't to congregate once, sometimes twice a week in a building of some sort, talk about the Bible, and pray for each other. Yes, that is a part of what we are called to do and it is important, but we are meant for more than that. I fully believe that this series will awaken us to be who we are called to be.

I'm tired of being a Christian of just words. I have compassion on others; my heart breaks when I see people in need. I have a hard time having compassion on the wealthy who spend money on useless materialistic items while purposely ignoring the starving right down the street. But am I much better than that? Do I act on my compassion? Do I act on the love that God has overwhelmingly poured over me? I need to do more than think an empathetic thought and say a little prayer. I need to BE love and not just to the ones outwardly in need, but to the ones that outwardly look like they have everything together, but inwardly are agonizing in pain. How?

I’ve noticed that I “blame” or associate my non-dramatic, almost non-passionate way of life on my very laid back and easy going demeanor. I don’t “freak out” hardly at all at things. I usually and most of the time keep my calm during situations that would cause those around me to go ballistic. I’ve now seen how this has in a big way effected my life of being a disciple of Jesus. I guess the best way I can describe it is that I’ve strolled through life when it concerned really reaching out to the lost. I’d pray for them, do something that involved serving a few times a year, talk about my faith a few times with co-workers, but that’s about it. I want this to change.

Just recently as we’ve started this vision series, my prayer has been that I run after the hearts of the lost. That I don’t let my melancholy personality get in the way of chasing after those who are hurting and in pain and just love on them with all that God has given me. Obviously, I don’t mean running after random peeps on the streets and full body tackle them to the ground. As amusing as that may be, it probably won’t get the right point across.

While really thinking and praying about how this would look like in my life, the words of a song by Charlie Hall kept going through my mind and that’s what I would like to leave you with. Run with the heart of the One who saved you and BE love to somebody today!

Let me see the whole world through Your eyes
Let this generation wake and rise
Running with Your heart, with Your heart
Bring Your kingdom, joy and freedom
Light to all the world
Rain down heaven's power and presence
Light to all the world
Feel what You feel, Love what you love
Go where you go, that's what we want
(Running With Your Heart, Charlie Hall)

Shout out to the 80's

I absolutely love 80's music videos! The mediocre creativity, the epic acting, the gnarly attire, all over-powered by some of the best music ever to grace this planet. There's something about an 80's power ballad that takes me to a dream world where I'm front row at a concert featuring the likes of Def Leppard, Asia, Styx, or even David Bowie, and as the first electric guitar chord is strung, it sends out these powerful, magical vibrations that run through your body and you feel as though you are now actually in the song, not just listening to it. Since I was not old enough to partake in these magical phenomenons, I've found their music videos to be the next closest thing to really experiencing the radness of these bands. So I shall leave you with this video to keep you AMAZED at the 80's and all that it has given us. =) They just don't make them the way they used to anymore...

So it begins...

The time has finally come! The Office season premiere will be on NBC 9/8 central time tonight! So, to keep up The Office spirit, I shall leave you all with some of my favorite quotes from the past 4 seasons:

Dwight Schrute: Security in this office park is a joke. Last year I came to work with my spud-gun in a duffle bag. I sat at my desk all day with a rifle that shoots potatoes at 60 pounds per square inch. Can you imagine if I was deranged?

Andy Bernard: Have you checked your butt.

Michael Scott: I’m an early bird and a night owl. So I’m wise and I have worms.

Michael Scott: Dwight, you ignorant slut!

Dwight Schrute: Someone forged medical information, and that's a felony.

Jim Halpert: OK, Whoa, alright 'cause that's a pretty intense accusation. How do you know that they're fake?

Dwight Schrute: [reading from a sheet] Uh, Leprosy, Flesh Eating Bacteria, Hot Dog Fingers, Government Created Killer Nano Robot Infection.

Michael Scott: Abraham Lincoln once said that "If you're a racist, I will attack you with the North," and these are the principles I carry with me in the workplace.

Michael Scott: I drove my car into a f-ing lake!!! ... Technology told me to drive my car into a lake.

Dwight Schrute: As a farmer I know that when an animal is sick sometimes the right thing to do is put it out of it's misery. With the electricity we are using to keep Meredith alive we could power a small fan for two days. You tell me what's unethical.

Not Those!!!!

Last week, I thought I lost some taste buds. I came into a near panic. To the left you see a diagram of the human tongue. Now, the section of my tongue that I could sense some abnormalties was right in the area between both "salts" and "sweet." When I saw this, my heart started beating little faster because I was thinking of what I had eaten that day and realized that what I was eating wasn't as salty as it should have been. Same thing with something I had eaten that should have been a little sweeter. I LOVE all things salty and sweet. Of all the places on my tongue to lose taste, this would be the only section that would lunge me into misery! What have I done?!

I then tried to figure out what I did I do to send myself into my own personal hell with the loss of my salt/sweet taste buds. First, I thought it was because I was brushing my tongue too hard. But then I realized I don't just brush the tip of my tongue...can't be it. I came upon the only explanation it could be: I bought these really minty and strong Japanese cough drops because my throat was kind of sore and I may have abused them to the extent of ruining my joy in taste. Well, after a couple days of worry and stress, I realized I was getting taste back to that part of my tongue. Whew! Relief overwhelmed me.

You'll be happy to know that now I am only using mild, cherry flavored throat lozenges to subdue my scratchy throat and no longer bring torture to my tongue. Be kind to your taste feelers, friends!!!