Busy..."up in here, up in here"

Well, I've neglected Blog for a few again. Many apologies.

What's been going on lately....

I was in Cali from Thursday till Monday visiting friends and doing some bride celebration for my friend who is getting married next month. Mr. Earthquake decided to welcome me even on our first evening there. That was sweet. As always, my trips to Cali are just too short and I definitely don't feel like I fit everything in those few days that I would like. If I missed you this time around, I'll get ya next month for sure!! Pics will come later of that trip.

Works been keeping me on my toes. =) I'm learning patience like I've never had to before, so that's good, right?? The Lord brought the right people in my life at work to keep the giggles going during stressful times, so for that I'm way grateful.

During my spare time lately, I've been: re-reading Harry Potter so that I'll be done with the series when the next movie comes out; catching up on Lost episodes online from season 1 (guess I'm now on the Lost band-wagon); enjoying the bright colors that come with spring taking over Austin...BEAUTIFUL; and trying to grasp moments in the time flying by to embrace the love of God and live it out.

So I leave you with a picture of Laguna Beach that was taken while we were at the beach this last weekend. There's nothing more soothing then the ocean, I think. Ahhh....

dabbling...

I am by NO means a photographer, but I think it's fun to play around with a camera. I absolutely love looking at a range of pictures done by all kinds of pho-dawgs. The creativity these people have with a camera and how to capture life events (weddings, engagements, births, everyday happenings, etc) is just so appealing to me.

One day Jamie thought it would be a grand idea to teach me the ways of the camera and attempt to make me into a possible pho-dawg. I kind of told her it would be a lost cause, but whatever...I'll try. I personally think she wants to teach me so that she can get a shirt that reads "I have a protege" which that's totally fine with me. =)

Pho-dawg Jamie has also been expanding her pho-dawg skills and getting more into solo photo shoots of individuals so when she was going to take pictures of our friend Emily, I decided to tag along and see what I could produce with a camera. Em is way awesome and we had so much fun doing the pics with her.

Here are the few of mine that came out somewhat decent out of the many I took. Let's just say I have a looooooong way to go, but it was way fun playing with the camera nonetheless. =)

Ms. Pho-Dawg herself doing her thang...

The Big Picture

You may have heard of the site, The Big Picture, and seen the way it catches the news in some awesome photographs. I'm intrigued with all their posts of what's going on around the world and the way they capture the news...it's just incredible.

Today's post was titled "Scenes from the Zoo" and I just fell in love. These little furry stinkers are just too adorable to not share about.

If you want your heart to turn into putty, check out the photos and you'll be wanting a baby ring-tailed lemur too.

Bloggie fun

I have some faults. One is that I'm probably the most indecisive person known to man. Don't ask me to make executive decisions because my answer will most likely always be, "I'm good with anything." Hopefully when I'm being proposed to I get that fixed and those words don't come out when he pops the question. When I was a teeny bopper and my friends and I would go to the store to stock up on candy for a movie, they seriously could've got their goods, went to watch the 2 hour movie, come back and I would still be walking up and down that candy aisle trying to figure out what I want.

Another fault of mine is not sticking with one thing for very long. This only applies to materialistic things in my life. Routines, I don't like to switch up. Purses, shoes, blog backgrounds, these all need to be changed up on a consistent basis. Hence my new background. Found a cute blog, Simply Chic Blog, that has way cute backgrounds and they're FREE. The magic word.

Anyway, if you're like me and just can't "sit still" with the same blog background for a long period of time, check them out!!

Your patience shall be rewarded!

Here it is, folks! My Boyz doing their thang and making me drool. I apologize for the shakiness and non-clarity, but I'm sure you'll still feel the ambiance they exude.

As promised...


Motownphilly in Austin from Mariko on Vimeo.

A Great Friday

Well, yesterday was the official ending to 40 days of Water which means that I had a very special breakfast date today with a Mr. Joe...Cup O' Joe, that is:

This morning has been perfect so far: woke up late (well, later than normal), brewed some Foldgers sweetness, ate breakfast while reading Miller's Searching For God Knows What, the sun is shining and birds are singing praises, had some one-on-one time with Jesus, and it's 9:45, I'm still in my PJ's and I haven't even made my bed yet!! I'm living on the wild side, I know, I know...

What I am attempting to accomplish the rest of today: clean apartment, lay out (only if the chill goes away), watch last night's episodes of The Office, and go to the Round Rock Express game later tonight with some community group comrades.

Whether you have today off or not, I hope you spend time reflecting on the significance of today and what it means to you. We were bought with holy blood. We were rescued. What was done a couple thousand years ago today was done for you and me. You are loved!

Have a Great Friday!

There is a Fountain

I have let everyday life and petty tasks consume me lately and have completely forgotten the significance of this week. The sacrifice that was made this weekend about 2000 years ago is beyond a mystery. It was awful. It was painful. It was unfathomable. It was beautiful. For Someone to take all the sin of the world on Himself, be separated from God and killed so that I could spend eternity with Him. How can you comprehend that? How can you try to grasp that kind of love?

What do I do with that?

"Till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more."

My church does a First Tuesday Night Prayer once a month when we come together and go after the heart of God in song, prayer and communion. I absolutely love this. A body of believers coming together to surrender everything, to lay it all down before God, and seek His rescue. It's amazing. We sang this hymn tonight that we have sung before, but it's fairly new to me. I think it's become one of my most favorite hymns though.

It was written by William Cowper who happened to be a good friend of John Newton, author of Amazing Grace. Cowper struggled severely from depression and attempted suicide several times. He wrote this song after coming back from a major depression attack when he realized that there was no sin too big that God couldn't wipe clean.

This song reflects what God's spirit was teaching Cowper. Soak up the words. It's beautiful.

There is a Fountain

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.

Blessed, Chemistry, and Boyz

Let's sum up my weekend, shall we...

Blessed
I spent Friday evening with a group of high school girls who have gone through and are still going through situations that no one should ever experience in their lives. They have met pain, evil, sorrow, cruelty, and abandonment face to face. They are broken. They struggle. They fall. They get back up. And they try to be better next time. Without a doubt, these girls love Jesus with their whole heart. They sometimes make mistakes, just like me. But their mistakes come with bigger consequences. These girls are loved. They are beautiful. They are made to do great things. They are daughters of a Mighty King. Being among them Friday evening sharing their stories, their struggles, their honesty, I walked away overwhelmingly blessed.

Chemistry
Let me just begin this by saying I barely passed chemistry in high school. Barely. My teacher was young, hip and felt sorry for us retards that just couldn't figure out the equation for momentum. So when asked to help tutor chemistry at Reagan high school Saturday morning, you can imagine what was going through my head. @%$&??? But I was told by the chem teacher that really my presence is all that matters to these kids. Get there on Saturday morning and there are several lab stations set up that each kid needs to finish. I put myself at probably the most simple chemistry lab ever. Physical and chemical changes. It turned out to not be as bad as I nightmared it to be. =) I'm just hoping I didn't confuse these poor students more.

Boyz
Now for the highlight of, not just my weekend, folks, but probably my lifetime: BOYZ II MEN!!!!!!!! Jamie told me on Friday about the Urban Music Fest going on with special guests being none other then our fine Boyz from Philly. I about peed my pants upon hearing this news. Only $15 for a dream to come true?!?!?! Heck stinkin yes!! We went down to Auditorium Shores Saturday evening and experienced epicness beyond my wildest dreams. They came out doing their thing to Motownphilly, they grooved Motown hits with suave, they swooned me with On Bended Knee, and they made me want a husband with I'll Make Love to You. That may have been too much information, but DANG, it was THE BOYZ! They still have style, class, and smooth moves. Nathan, Shawn, and Wanya, you guys brought it and I can now die a happy gal. And no worries, friends, I have like 7 minutes of Boyz footage on it's way. =)

Song Crush #3

I've had this song's chorus as a ringtone for text messages on my phone for awhile and I NEVER get tired of hearing it. There's something about this song that is epically beautiful. And I think the video was well done too.

These boys will be in Texas this summer!!

Coldplay: Fix You



Coldplay - fix you
Uploaded by fujisol