Thursday, August 28, 2008

only in seattle...



okay, so today at work, i was a the register, chatting with Janis and Patty, two of my coworkers and Patty was just finishing up with a customer, and I was telling her about this chick who looked like she was shoplifting in our store... and then as I looked out across the street at Westlake Plaza, I saw the craziest thing ever! And mid sentence, I stopped and was like, "Oh my gosh! Those chicks are all naked!"

And Patty is like, "what...??" and her and Janis both look across the street, and see what I see... a row of 6 ladies, wearing nothing but work aprons! facing away from us, taking pictures in a line, showing us their bare b'cheeks! it was soooooo crazy! And we just kept laughing and STARING- not because we were the least bit turned on or perverted or whatever, but because

1. We didn't know what the HECK WAS GOING ON!
2. That is so out of the ordinary
3. It was funny!
4. We were in awe of the brave cellulite clad ladies struttin' their stuff commando in a major public thoroughfare in downtown seattle!

It straight up reminded me of something out of EMPIRE RECORDS. (thanks, Renee Zellweger!)

And at first we were trying to come up with every reason we could think of as to why anyone would be doing that...

maybe a coffee barista strike?.... but wouldn't picket signs make more sense?

maybe sales were really low and they needed the attention?.... hey, negative attention is still attention, right??

maybe they were protesting something? ... I guess it was worth going nakee to do so...

Apparently, the girls were from a store in the nearby Westlake Center Mall, called Lush, which sells bath products...
so we were like,

maybe they just want to promote their product and show everyone how smooth your skin can be...


but still it amazed me! i mean, as a boss at that store, what do you say??

"Okay, team! Today we're going to go promote our store... naked. So if you'll just take off all your clothes and put on these aprons, we'll be all set to go!"

And I was so confused! Why not at least wear flesh colored bikini tops with tan boy short undies?? something at least a little modest, and less... bare. I mean, I wasn't offended... I was just so confused!! Why would anyone do that??

So then I decided to do some research and discovered that it's actually a quite common thing for LUSH to do. Here's an article about it:

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CRAZY WEDNESDAY: LUSH TUSHES GO NORTH AMERICA

Well, to really be in fashion when highlighting green issues, it seems that this season one should be in the buff. In rather more comfortable surroundings than Spencer Tunick’s volunteers endured, staff of the high street cosmetics chain Lush have been sporting their birthday suits to publicise the company’s commitment to reducing packaging.

The campaign started in the last month, when staff at 55 stores across the UK took to the streets wearing only white aprons, bearing with the words “Ask me why I’m naked”. Now the company is repeating their message in stores in the US and Canada, and plans to continue their message worldwide. On 18th August, workers at the Vancouver branch of Lush stripped off and donned their pinnies to publicise the 25.2 million tonnes of waste produced by Canadians every year, making Canada one of the highest contributors to global warming per head of population.

According to Lush, packaging is responsible for 2% of all greenhouse gases, and 8% of the world’s oil resources are used each year in producing plastics for the packaging industry. They hope that customers will take the initiative to protest about the damage done to the environment by unnecessary wastage, and avoid buying packaged goods. About 60% of the company’s products are sold “naked”, as they are able to avoid packaging by removing water from many items. As well as soaps, they sell shampoos and bubble bars in solid form, which they estimate saves on the production, transportation and disposal of about 3 million plastic bottles a year.

Lush has also announced that from next month it will replace all of its polystyrene chip and shredded paper packing with popcorn, which I think quite appropriate for a company whose product range includes a lot of foody and fruity flavours.

I hope you’ll appreciate how hard I’ve tried not to mention how peachy the staff look in their aprons. If working at Lush made my bottom look that good, I’d be down there with my curriculum vitae like a shot.

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Well, after about 15 or 20 minutes, this one cop that was patrolling the area was like, "I'm pretty sure they're breaking some law...I just don't know what to do..." and then called in for some lady cops to come and escort the ladies back to their job....clothed. Later in the day, Patty was re-telling this story to one of our customers (my first request for a Hallmark card for a same sex life partner- handled it pretty well i think!) and he was like, "Well I work over in Westlake Center and that totally makes sense now- I saw the mall manager there and he was pissed!"

After all the fiasco, Janis came up with the best explanation of it all: "WELL... ONLY IN SEATTLE!"

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

spoiling myself... spoiling... not soiling!

hey everyone! So today was a great day and I'm so blessed! So I couldn't go to church on Sunday because I ran out of bus tickets... and I was broke... and it was a sad day cause i LOVE going to Westside. And I HAD to work on Monday, so I asked to borrow bus money from my roomie, Rosalind. And i was so humbled, and so embarrassed- I HATE asking for money. It's so humiliating to me! But I did and was sad that whole night, with knots in my stomach cause I was so embarrassed. And I'm like, now I gotta beg my mom to wire me some money, and if it's anyone i HATE borrowing from, it's my family! But when I went into work on Monday, my awkweepy (awkard & creepy) assistant manager Kevin gave me my first paycheck!! Yep- a whole $105!! Which isn't a whole lot, but hey, I can ride the bus to work this week! :) And since I get paid again in 5 days, I figured I'd spoil myself today! So I spent my day off sleeping in, cashing the check, eating fast food for lunch, and then hitting up Target for some hygiene stuff- toenail clippers, mouthwash, and floss (dental, not butt) and then headed over to Barnes and Noble for a good read. I read THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold and I LOVED IT!!




Though to be honest, there was a moment I was reading and thought about my niece, Vanessa, who will turn 4 in December, and I started crying in the middle of the couch section. Like sniffles, and tears pouring... it was bad! So bad that when I was headed down the escalator to go home, I seriously thought about booking a flight and moving back to Austin just so I could see her! It was real bad. My eyes were all puffy and stuff when I went to the restroom to wash my face, so that people wouldn't notice as much.

Then I remembered why God brought me here and I knew I could stay and stick it out.. and that I would see Vanessa in January and hold her so tight, and love on her and tell her how beautiful and lovely and precious she is to me.

As I was leaving, I decided to buy a book and treat myself to a Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha and a slice of Cheesecake Factory Key Lime Cheesecake! And the book I bought, I had been wanting to read for the longest time, so I finally bought it! And lucky for me, it's on the Barnes and Noble Classics list that I want to read through! I bought myself The Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri! I'm so excited to start reading it on the bus ride to work tomorrow!



By the way, the bus ride to work is so nice- every day i get to smile out the window as I look at the harbor and look to the other side and see the Cascade Mountains and Mt. Rainier in the distance. :)

Oh yeah, and speaking of my job- I just got a new one!! I'll be turning in my two weeks notice tomorrow at Hallmark! Trust me, it isn't because I don't love being surrounded by Hallmark Cards! It's because right now, my Hallmark job is part time (25 hrs. a week) and pays $8.40 and hour, which only covers my rent- not food and other expenses. But this new job I got is at the offices for the Washington Association of Churches, and I will be a receptionist/administrative assistant for the main lady, Alice, that works there. And it's a full time Monday-Friday job that guarantees 37 hours a week, at $14 an hour! much more than I'm making at Hallmark! And I also get to help design new graphic stuff for them too! Event planning, decorations, manuals, logos, branding, the works! So I won't get rusty on my design skills! yay!! I'm so excited!!

Anyway, back to my day of spoiling myself...

To spoil myself even more, I had dinner at RED ROBIN!! Which, by the way, originated in Seattle! :) Love them bottomless fries! It was such a great day. And as I walked home, it rained and I was singing a sweet song on the walk home. If you've ever seen Earnest Goes To Camp, you'll know it.


Here's a video of the song: Gee I'm Glad It's Raining


Monday, August 25, 2008

Baby Fever!




Okay, so today I totally got a BAD case of baby fever!! Like, I spent an hour browsing through all of our happy birthday cards for kids and all the music cards for kids, "trying to get familiar with the merchandise" and all i could think about was the kids that i want to have some day and the words of wisdom i want to have with them, and the fights over seemingly silly things, and the millions of times where i will be humbled and have to say, "you were right, honey, I was wrong to do that." And all the baseball and soccer games and gymnastics meets and rock band gigs and all that fun stuff! first teeth, first busted head, first marble up the nose! i really have baby fever! and i don't mean like i wanna go get pregnant from some stranger. it's just a mood that will pass and then come up again after i'm married... and it will be beautiful!

i think mostly i miss my neices and nephews and my soon to be neice/nephew!! I love kids! They are so spontaneous and amazing! And one day when I DO have kids, I know God will give me the strength I need to learn with them and love them the way they need to be. :)

By the way, in case you were wondering- yes, i totally have my kids' names picked out!

for the girls:
Victoria Jade
Madison Rose
Peyton Alyza

and for the boys:
aidan evan
ajay riley
kristian parker

now we'll just have to see if any of these pan out! ha ha ha!

Friday, August 22, 2008

seattle sandfest!

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yay! so this past week has been Seattle Sandfest! Which may sound silly to those who've never been. I must say, at first I was a scoffer, and then I got to see the amazingness that is SEATTLE SANDFEST! The sandfest is a fun event hosted at Westlake Park across from Westlake Center

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And they have lots of booths around handing out free stuff, and some stuff that's not free to help raise money for the boys and girls club in seattle. But the two biggees of the sandfest are the live music on the main stage and the amazing sand castles built by teams of people! These are some from the past years:







I mean seriously!! These people go ALL OUT!! When I was working on Friday, I volunteered to clean the front doors just so i could hear the band playing fun songs like "Rock, Steady" and "She's A Brick House" and i was just dancing and cleaning it was so fun! There were old fat guys dancing without their shirts on which was super funny! And this old chick in this green outfit with a lime green fish net thing over her granny skirt. It was so fun to watch everyone!

I decided to bring my camera on Saturday to take some pics, but it wasn't as exciting as the day before... mainly because it was a jazz band playing and not a lot of people were into it. And it was kinda early. But here they are anyway! Enjoy!

this is wear i work downtown by the way!
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Here's some pics of the fun shenanigans around the main stage:

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They also had a spot where kids could build their own sandcastles!

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And now... the sandfest creations of 2008:

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Monday, August 18, 2008

anyone? anyone? bueller....




Okay, so today was another one of my short lived attempts to watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off. So I've never seen the movie unless you count clips from SCENE IT where you have to guess the name of the actor who plays Ferris... sorry if that messed up anyone's game, by the way. And like once or twice I've walked in on my family watching it, but it's always at the same spot- the part where the car goes backwards. And today, it was the same thing...like Deja Vu. So I go up to the break room to take my lunch break and Kevin (the assistant manager) is eating his lunch and watching it. So i sit down to watch it, but it's on that scene that i've seen so many times, and I don't know what's going on, so I start looking at a Hallmark Magazine sitting on the table, easily distracted from what is going on in the scene i've seen so many times. But I've still never seen the whole movie! I don't understand why, it just always seems to happen that way.

So after I left the break room from watching the car "die" I went to the back hallway to hang out with my co-worker, Janis who was doing inventory on cards. But she's fun and I would rather hang with her than watch Ferris Bueller's day off, in a random part of the movie, with my assistant manager who's kinda awkward. Then I got to thinking about other movies that I haven't made it through... like I start watching it and then I fall asleep. These are some of those movies:




Now seriously, I don't know what it is- these movies aren't terrible, but for some reason i always fall asleep watching them. Every time I try. But there are some great movies that I really want to see, but haven't seen yet because of either lack of cash flow, lack of time, lack of remembering when I get to blockbuster, or lack of getting to blockbuster. Those movies are:

I Am Legend
Reign Over Me
The Nanny Diaries
Fracture
Stop-Loss
Be Kind Rewind
The Other Boleyn Girl
Untraceable
The Pursuit of Happyness
Flags of Our Fathers
Home of the Brave
Pan's Labyrinth
Half Nelson...
and so many more... I love watching movies!

However, I was excited that I got to see THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2 on opening day!




I loved it! And hopefully this week or next week, I'm gonna go with Jesselyn, Jessica, and Kelsey (some of my new friends from Westside. Jessica is Pastor Joseph's (Kingdom Kids Pastor) wife and Jesselyn is their niece who is in high school and Kelsey is her friend! I met them all at VBS!

And then, my next big movie celebration will be EAGLE EYE with SHIA LEBEOUF!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

a tribute to beautiful ladies...

Okay, so being on staff with MCA and holding credentials in the A/G, I know how crazy it can be to be a pastor or leader in any church- it can be the most rewarding thing, as well as the most draining thing! But it's so wonderful! And as I've spent the past 8 years in the 'glow' of full-time ministry, I have come to appreciate some of the most remarkable ladies ever: PASTORS' WIVES. Now, granted, if I ever called the following leading ladies "pastor's wife" in passing, i might get a few eye rolls and some distant glances, but these women are so much more than just "pastors' wives." they are some of the most gracious, giving, sacrificing, understanding, beautiful ladies (inside and out) that I have ever known and so I feel that in this blog, I must honor them! They are worth so much more than just an honor blog, they deserve their every heart's desire. And while I am not trying to be a brown noser or suck up, I hope to get up close and personal with these ladies more because I know they have so much to offer me from their hearts and lives. So we'll start with the longest acquaintances and move to the most recent as the blog goes on.

If you see any of these ladies- love on them! They rock!




Yes, this grand woman- who incidentally, i don't have a pic for yet, is at the top of the list! Ms. Naomi is Pastor Vic Schober's wife and I have seen this woman go through so many changes! I first got to really know her during my 1st year of Master's Commission of Austin. She and Pastor Schober (Schobi-One) would come in and teach life lessons to us and it was so funny cause she would tell us stories and act out parts and it was hilarious! She was also our resident match maker- even for first years! this woman is a hoot! She is the image of endurance and sophistication!

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
When her and Pastor Schober came and taught us for teaching time and re-enacted two people driving in a car- she was so funny!

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
How to endure. She has been through so many medical issues and has been battling cancer, yet she still remains strong and loving and has overcome so many obstacles and no matter what life has thrown at her- she has endured. And I want to ENDURE as well. Thanks Ms. Naomi!





The beautiful, the talented, the creative Elizabeth Ennis! I LOVE HER! I first met Ms. Liz when I started going to MCA and have learned so much from her through the years. She is truly a beautiful lady, who knows how to laugh! She has 4 kids that she is super proud of and one of the most amazing fashion senses I know of! I love to see the things she decorates and I am constantly inspired by her patience. One of the coolest things she's done to inspire me is that when her husband would go on trips, she would pack his luggage and slip little love notes and words of encouragement for him to find when he got to his destination- I want to do that too! One of the coolest things she did for me was teach our girls class from the book: LET ME BE A WOMAN by Elisabeth Elliot. I loved it! She also taught me how to design layouts for newsletters and how to honor others!

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
When I went to her house last year after Carlos & Ashley Lerma's Wedding and got to spend some quality time with her. And it was so sweet because even though her kids were running around the house, she still made me feel important and valued.

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
To be patient. Being part of the crazy world of MCA plus being the wife of a director on the Executive Committee of the MCIN, and being a full time mom, and part time church decorator, she has been a beacon of patience and I have never seen her fly off the handle. I want to be more PATIENT as well.







Oh Mamma Wee!! Who is not actually a mother yet, but will make a beautiful one in the future! I love spending time with Wendy (who we call Wee) because she makes you feel like a million bucks! She will light up a room with her laughter and make you smile at every single thing you come across! Wee was my first KG (dTeam/ small group within MCA) leader and even though I never let her in all the way, I enjoyed being around her all the time! She's a giant burst of energy! Wendy and Pastor Chris are some of the coolest people I know and I love spending time with them! I can't wait till they do have kids cause they are going to be the cutest little kiddos ever!

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
When she told us the story of the Wide Mouthed Frog and did all the motions and faces- too funny!!

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
To seize every moment and enjoy it! She is always taking in every moment and placing value on it and has taught me so much from the times I spend learning from the way she lives her life and from all the heart to hearts we have had! I want to always SEIZE EVERY MOMENT just like Wee!






Glo! That's what I call her! She is one of the coolest chicks I know! She was not only a great leader to me, but she was a great friend, always helping me keep my head on straight. Gloria went through MCA as a student and then helped Ms. Jeanne & Calvin run Royal Family Kids Camp (for abused and neglected children) and then came on staff with MCA and was my dorm's Resident Advisor. I loved having Glo in our room- she made it fun, but also taught us the importance of cleanliness and responsibility! There was never a dull moment in the time I spent with Glo. And now she has 2 beautiful daughters that I'm sure will carry on her legacy!

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
Quoting movie lines back and forth with each other ALL THE TIME- we always died laughing! I love her "more than my luggage!"

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
To love kids. From spending multiple years in Master's, one of the most hated phrases would easily be: "You're working nursery/kid's church" this Sunday." And I never understood why, because the kids at GTaustin are so amazing! Rambunctious, yes, but never a dull moment... i think it was just the waking up earlier on Sunday morning that made it a drag. But Glo took every opportunity to work with children: to listen to them, to encourage them, to teach them, to share God's heart with them. And I want to be a woman who LOVES KIDS of all ages!





Ms. Cindy Schober Bell... that's what Pastor Schober would say! I hadn't really gotten to know Ms. Cindy very well until after I graduated my 3rd year in Master's, when she and Pastor Kermit became the new Senior Pastors of GTaustin after Pastor Vic and Naomi moved up to be Superintendants of the North Texas District of the A/G. But getting to see her enthusiasm and to hear her talk about life not just as a church lady, but as a mom and as a woman period, it inspires me to retain a sense of what I'd like to (not grammatically correct) call "down-to-earth-ness."

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
Sitting next to her at the Candelight Communion service- she said some REALLY MEMORABLE encouraging words to me. :)

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
Being a leader doesn't mean you have to lose your personality. I love getting to hear her talk with other people and make jokes about certain things that you wouldn't expect someone to joke about- but never tasteless, just funny puns and not taking things so seriously. I hope that like her, I NEVER LOSE MY PERSONALITY.






I love Kelly Matlock! It was really hard for me at first because when she and Pastor Dan came to Austin, I was battling so many emotions because all of my "Master's World" moved away to start a new one in Louisiana, and it was so hard for me to adjust at first. But Kelly stuck by me and never gave up on me! I mean, we've shared tears, heart issues, lots of laughs, pranks and practical jokes (think... HOUSE OF FEAR FLYERS) ha ha ha! She is so fun and really determined to stay involved in ministry while raising Elena and Jackson. :)

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
Watching LOST with her and the clan on Wednesday nights! She always makes me feel like part of the family!

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
Don't ever be a GNF! (Girl Not Funny). Kelly and I have had so many fun memories and have laughed so much through the years, and no matter how lame I think my jokes are she always encourages me and laughs with me, not at me! ha ha ha! She is such a wonderful woman who knows how to laugh! I will aspire to never be a GNF!







Oh how do you even begin to list all the amazing things that make up who Crista Martin is?? She is such a great example of a woman who sacrifices to build the kingdom! She is a mother of two, plus an adopted puppy, and her husband, Pastor Jesse wears so many hats of responsibility at GTaustin. Along with being the Student Life Director- overseeing 3 youth ministries, 1 college ministry, and Master's Commission of Austin, along with actually running GT20 (college ministry) and mentoring young leaders and couples- Crista sacrifices so much and is still able to give her kids a strong sense of family, consistency, and is able to pour into the lives of so many other young ladies! Plus she helps run one of the GT20 groups! She's amazing! And she's one of the funnest, most athletic, and energetic people I know! Josiah and Kelli are two really lucky kids to have a mom like her!

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
Playing Shout About Movies with her at the GT20 Leadership Family Night! So much fun!

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
To sacrifice many things, but never your family. She truly knows how to (as Andy Stanley says) cheat well. She sacrifices a lot to make her family function, but never sacrifices her family, and the role that her husband has in their family unit. She honors him in all she does and makes sure he is taken care of and the light is shining on him! I know that because of the way she lives and has influenced me, I will SACRIFICE MANY THINGS, BUT NEVER MY FAMILY!






Ah- Alanna! Okay, so not only is she beautiful, but she is very caring and understanding and knows what it means to be a friend. Though I haven't gotten to spend a whole lot of time one on one with her, I have gotten to see her at events and see how she embraces life with a joy and expectancy! Knowing the amount of friends she has and hearing them gush about how awesome she is- only confirms what I got to see when I was involved with GT20 and got to help her husband, Pastor Justin, work on various graphic design stuff. The love and integrity she has for people pours out of her every day life and not just to their son, Aiden, but to many many people looking for someone to be a real friend.

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
Hanging out and laughing at the GT20 Christmas Party- and watching her reactions during the white elephant gift exchange!

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
To be a real friend. She values people and really lets them feel important- and the fact that she goes out of her way to visit specific close friends just proves how deep she is willing to stick it out as a friend. I know that from watching her, I will grow in being a REAL FRIEND to so many more people!






Okay, so my first Sunday at Westside, this lady comes up to me, so full of life and warmth and welcomes me and gives me a guest bag and just makes me feel like a VIP. Being there for the past 5 weeks, I look forward to seeing Ms. Val each Sunday! And hearing her heart for devotion to God and to prayer, I know that her love for God is absolutely genuine and not about looks or show, and she's so fun to be around! She is so animated and so unrestrained! I know that I just got here, but I look forward to getting to know her more and more! She really inspires me!

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
During VBS she helped run the Bible Story room and she always played the part and was so animated- I loved seeing her and getting hugs from her every day!

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
To be unrestrained. She just is who she is, no holds barred, but never disrespectful! She is funny and wild, and so in love with God- no excuses necessary! It's so fun to watch her during worship (yes, i know, the cardinal sin) because you know she's worshipping out of a heart that is madly in love with her Savior! I want my relationship with God and others to be as UNRESTRAINED as hers!






So Jessica is such a sweet, beautiful, fun woman of God! Her husband, Joseph, is the Kingdom Kids pastor at Westside, and I get the awesome opportunity to help them with some graphic design for Sunday Morning Power Point! Jessica and Joseph are PERFECT for each other and I love that I can see that every time I see them! And their niece Jesselyn is so cool too! And they have a beautiful baby boy- Christian! Jessica really makes me feel like part of the Westside family and never makes me feel like the odd chick out!

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
Talking with her before VBS about the cheap movie theater- I hope to make more fun memories with her!

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
To include people. I haven't really gotten to know her much yet, but what I do know is that she is always inviting me to be a part of Westside and her small group- making sure I'm not left out! I love feeling like a part of something awesome- and she does it so well! I know that learning from her, I will continue to INCLUDE others in all I do.







Again, I'm new to Westside, but Deborah Siers is one of the people who first helped me get involved in ministry at Westside! She's so kind and caring and just exudes a spirit of grace. She speaks so eloquently and carries herself as a lovely lady! She manages 4 kids and supports her husband, Pastor J (Jeremiah) who leads worship and supervises the main AV stuff for the church. He also makes videos and graphics stuff, which i know is very time consuming. I really got to know Deborah more from seeing her at VBS, where she also volunteered to help with the kiddos!

MY FAVORITE MEMORY:
At the Taste of India community meal, she came to our table and was so wild and fun and she just made me smile so much! She's so funny!

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM HER:
To equip others. When I first came to Westside, she really helped me get connected and plugged into ministry- which is a large part of my inner wiring and my heart. As I get to know her more, I know she will continue to offer me so much more! But for now, I will remember to continually EQUIP OTHERS every chance I get!

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Now granted, these are no the only women who should be honored and celebrated- in fact, I believe everyone should be! But I do think that this group of lovely ladies represents a lot of others just like them who don't get quite the amount of encouragement and appreciation as they deserve! So if you go to a church, or know a woman who's husband is in a major leadership role- ENCOURAGE THEM every chance you get!

Our Own Walk To Remember



Okay, so i know that unless you are like living in a bomb shelter, you've probably seen A WALK TO REMEMBER. You know, that classic cute teen romance movie featuring (a rather hot) Shane West and Mandy Moore and the beauty of the relationship was that first of all, they came from two different worlds and fell in love, and two that she had a list of ambitions and he OH SO ROMANTICALLY helped her reach those ambitions, as well as come up with some of his own because he was inspired by her. And I mean, c'mon! Who isn't personally inspired by that?? I mean, we all have dreams, goals, ambitions- a desire to do something so desperately in our lives we can feel it! I mean, maybe it's to star in a big hollywood box office hit, or maybe it's to be in a big broadway production, or maybe it's to raise a family and have 15 kids! No matter what it is- it's special and unique to YOU! I think it's way cool how God has designed each and every one of us to have such different personalities, yet still have this innate desire to matter- to fit in while standing out- to be something and do something great- no matter how big or small it may seem to others! I love it!

So I've been thinking about some things that I'm currently aspiring to... things that matter to me.. things that are unique to me. So I'm gonna share some of those here, i mean, i'll probably have millions more to add in the future- i'm rather ambitious! but these are just a few:

Read all 177 books on the Barnes & Noble Classics book list (so far I've read 11)
Host a Girls Night IN with all my room mates
Fly my neice up to Seattle for a week with Aunt Amanda where I can spoil her rotten and share pieces of my heart and encourage her and give her girl advice!- just me and her!
To create a magazine that outsells PEOPLE magazine
To get married and have kiddos
To go on a cruise
Go to the HOW Design Conference
Dance under the Eiffel Tower at night
Attend ACL Fest
Vacation to Spain- Madrid or Barcelona
Go to a Seahawks Game


So now, it's your turn! Comment and let me know what some of your ambitions are! Nothing is too big or too small! Let's share life!

Friday, August 15, 2008

if you don't see it...




So today was a FULL day! I can say that I am enjoying the perks of working at Hallmark! Because along with my 25% discount, the manager let us peruse through a huge tray of all types of greeting cards that were going to be thrown away because they were obsolete and they had no room for them! I made out like a bandit! I took home like 40 free cards with envelopes! oh man, talk about early christmas! So I had fun working today and talking with Janice, one of my co-workers. She's from the Magnolia neighborhood near the Queen Anne neighborhood. :) But we had fun today, and I got to eat some more of the wonderful food that Benta offered me since i brought soup in a can, but they didn't have a can opener. it was yummo! she made Top Ramen Pasta Salad and there were hotdogs and candy! it was amazing! So after work, I decided to go to Pacific Place mall and go see THE DARK KNIGHT! It was soooo good! i jumped like 3 times and was so into it! I kept covering my mouth and gasping and leaning forward- i REALLY get into movies! Then as I was walking home, I noticed a crowd of young people loitering in the little concrete park across from Westlake Center, on my way to the bus. Now, it's not uncommon at all that a crowd of people to be there, but tonight, it was a very large crowd.

They all were sitting on the ground, begging for money and attention- and they were in their like late teens and early twenties, with raggy clothing and lots of piercings and tattoos and they just looked so lonely, even though there were a ton of them there. and really when i say a ton, i mean like 25 or 30...all just gathered around, waiting for spare change. And I'll never forget that as i was rushing by to make sure i caught the bus before it stopped running, I slowed down just enough to hear this girl in that crowd yell really loudly: "YEAH THAT'S RIGHT PEOPLE. JUST KEEP WALKING! IF YOU DON'T SEE IT, IT'S NOT THERE, RIGHT?!?" And my heart started breaking and I started to tear up as I rushed by, and as I rode the bus home, that phrase kept ringing in my head. If I don't see it, it's not there, right? If I don't see her, then she's not there. If I don't see the people in need, then they don't exist right? man, it was tough. but i knew that from that moment forward, i would stop looking at the ground when i passed them on the street. Because they deserve to be noticed. And when I go to work on Monday, I'm gonna bring them some breakfast food, and let them know that they are there, and not ignored.

Now I'm here at home, and the words are still in my head...

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Cause WE Rock!



Okay, so I think I should clear things up cause I've gotten some funny responses from some friends of mine- for the record- YES, I DO LIKE THE JONAS BROTHERS! NO, NOT ROMANTICALLY! I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH ON THEM! ha ha ha ha! but i DO like their music!! What can I say, sometimes I branch out from my emo alternative rock veins and wander over to the pool of pop (not soda!) rock and enjoy a fun sound! Plus, their style pretty much rocks! And my heart goes out to Nick Jonas, who has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. (My heart also goes out to one of my small group kids- Nate, who also has to live with Type 1 Diabetes.) Some of my favorite catchy tunes from them are:

Year 3000- it's such a fun 'get dressed in the morning and get energized" song
Burnin' Up- just a fun rock your socks off song
Gotta Find You- i can imagine Chad Michael Murray (who I DO have a crush on) singing this to me! ha ha ha!!
S.O.S.- it's just fun to dance to!

And YES- I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WATCHING CAMP ROCK!




It's such a fun, clean movie with a good theme. And be still my heart when he finds it's her! oh man! i melt! love should be full of great surprises! and answered prayers!

yes, i know, i'm such a sap!

But so far this summer, I've watched CAMP ROCK literally 25 times...and counting. heck, i'm probably gonna watch it again tonight! ha ha ha! love it!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

I Am A Beautiful Letdown...

So, everyday I get to meet such cool, sometimes creepy people on the bus or while waiting for the bus. But I find myself consistently letting people down. They seem to think that I speak spanish- which I don't. But I still want to be cordial so I say- "Sorry. I don't." Then all of a sudden there's a change in their demeanor and they look so DISAPPOINTED! Then comes the whopper- "BUT YOU LOOK MEXICAN" okay, okay people. keep it above the belt! I AM MEXICAN. So then I'm like, "Yeah, my mom is spanish and my dad is mexican so i'm a good mix of hispanic. I just don't speak spanish. My parents never taught me spanish, and i never cared to learn it. all of my friends throughout school all spoke english. I took 3 years of spanish in high school. but the first year i took it, there was an emergency for my teacher and she left, and the rest of the semester was spent with a slew of substitutes. And my 2nd year in spanish, none of my classmates really cared about the class, so i didn't either. And since i didn't remember much, i just skimmed through my 3rd year and got by. But the only thing i could say now is: Donde esta el bano?" and it might sound really white when i say it."

they look so sad after that. and then they're like, "but you're so pretty." or "well at least you're beautiful"

like somehow my worth as a human being sinks because i'm a mexican who doesn't speak spanish! oh man!

Them saying that I'm beautiful and pretty should make me feel really grateful and good about myself, but somehow the look of disappointment over the fact that i'm apparently "untrue" to my heritage overshadows that.

Truth be told, I think it's dumb that I'm viewed as less of a person based on the fact that i don't measure up to silly social stereotypes.

so here i am, the beautiful letdown.. comfortable in my own skin and sad that others can't readily accept me as i am. :)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Hilarious Font Video: "Font Video Conference"

Okay, so i am totally a font freak! no, really. really.

like, i can look at most stuff and tell you what font it's in, what size, etc. i'm a freak. but i love it. well today, my friend laura gave me a link to a funny video dealing with fonts! if you don't know what a font is, don't bother watching...but if you do- brace yourself! YOU JUST MIGHT PEE YOUR PANTS!!

follow this link:
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1823766

blog lady

k, so there's this chick, we'll call her BLOG LADY and she's one of the most ridiculous ranters I know of. So i stumbled upon her blog and read this post about chicks having babies. Here's what she wrote:

How big is big?
"Total fertility rate" (TFR) is the expected number of children born per woman in her child-bearing years. At the ripe old age of 29, I am currently somewhere between Djibouti and Guatemala. Hopefully, in just a few months I will move up several ranks to the levels of Eritrea. Niger tops the list with a TFR of 7.19, which does not seem that far off for me. I love to be #1 and have every intention of making it there!

The U.S. Census Bureau's latest figures, for 2002, reveal that 0.3 percent of women ages 15 to 44 have given birth to seven or more children. Moreover, the number of U.S. women birthing seven or more children has declined steadily since the government began tracking the demographic in 1976. I read an interesting statistic today that families who pick Biblical names for their children have more children than families who pick non-Bible names.

It is interesting to note that in the UN figures below, the TFR for the world in general is only 2.55. Not that I believe the "the world is overpopulated" talk in the first place, but even just to maintain the current level we would need a worldwide replacement fertility rate of 2.33 children per woman (the replacement fertility rate is roughly 2.1 births per woman for most industrialized countries but ranges from 2.5 to 3.3 in developing countries because of higher mortality rates). At this rate, global population growth would trend towards zero. So all these doom and gloom predictions on how we will soon be standing shoulder to shoulder don't add up even with the UN figures, which if anything would be skewed in favor of their agenda (reduction of population).

I understand that, unfortunately, there are many women who wish they could have children, or who wish they could have more. It is not my intention to make them feel bad or inferior. Being infertile is a physical disability and I feel bad for anyone affected. But I cannot for the life of me understand why a perfectly healthy, married woman would act as if adding another child would just be such a burden. I have yet to hear a reason not to have kids that is not motivated by selfish reasons. Is having a baby really that much worse than getting to spend more money at the mall, more time playing and vacationing, more hours in front of the TV, and less time working and cleaning?



So in response to her blog- the ending manly- this is what I wrote:

think it's fab that you have some amazing kids, but i don't necessarily agree with you on all points in this blog. You say that it's wrong for people to think of children as a burden, and where I believe that ALL children are a blessing, I do not think it's out of the question for new parents to be to have genuine doubts and concerns for the future of their children. On a personal note, my sister is fertile and is having baby #2 but i kinda see it as a burden because she doesn't live in a healthy environment, can barely take care of one kid responsibly and doesn't have a plan to effectively raise baby #2. She and her boyfriend work at jack in the box, and my neice, who has captured my heart over and above suffers all the time because of it. But she didn't finish high school and she has made poor choices. And i have genuine concern for her in having baby #2. I won't despise the baby, i will love it unconditionally forever and a day, but there is legitimate concern as to the success of the baby's future in such an environment. and we come from a poor family, so helping them out financially will mean that we will fail to maintain our own means of living. But we give her love and time and offer to help where we can. I just think that it's easy for you to pass judgement on other moms to be when you live in a nice house, have money to do stuff, and all that, while others are living different lives. just a thought. and for the record, i totally think that you should adopt and have more biological kiddos. because apparently you are super mom and can make the world go round, while those of us who worry are just losers. (note sarcasm)


To which she replied:

Amanda,

I agree that your sister should not be expecting her second baby, in fact I think she should have never gotten pregnant the first time because she is not married. I am not saying that she should have aborted either child, I am saying she should not be fornicating and getting into this situation in the first place. When you disobey God you can hope he will be merciful, but you can't blame anyone when your life turns out less than what you hoped it would be.

We got married and then got pregnant, and were VERY poor at the time. But we did it by faith, and God blessed. We were just as poor when baby #2 was on the way. While we certainly live a comfortable life-style now it is due to the fact that my husband works 70+ hours each week, and I spend countless hours shopping for the best deals on everything.

I don't remember saying I was supermom. In fact, there are many posts on this blog that show my shortcomings. Nor did I say you have to be perfect to be a parent. I don't worry because the Bible commands us to cast all our cares upon God, and because He has always been more than able to sustain us so far. It's called living by faith, and is actually quite liberating.


granted she does have a TON of shortcomings- but mainly in the crap that she spews out on her blog. but in all the posts, she talks about how genius she is and how genius her KJV home-schooled kids are... but for the record- i am in NO WAY ashamed that my sister had Vanessa! How could ANYONE ever regret having an angel like this in the world??