Decidedly Wandering

A Christmas Journey Home

2011-10-17T00:03:00.001-05:00

This is a great book I'm still not quite finished with. I'll soon be giving away the free copy I received from the author via Christian Speakers Services. Please comment on the original blog post by Sunday, October 30 if you would like to be included in the drawing for the book.

How did you come up with the idea for A Christmas Journey Home?

I knew I wanted to do a Christmas book—the first of what would become an annual event that my publisher and I were discussing—and I also knew that despite the lighter tone required in a Christmas book (as opposed to the darker themes of the persecuted Church and human trafficking, which I’ve been writing about), I had to stick to my “brand” as closely as possible: hence, an “issues-related” Christmas novel, dealing with the issues related to illegal immigration.

What was your favorite scene to write in A Christmas Journey Home?

I loved writing this entire book, and the characters are delightful (except the villains, of course!), so I loved almost all the scenes. But I think I liked the scenes with Isabella’s old abuelo best, as the grandfather reminded me of my own grandpa and even my dad, both of whom I loved dearly. I love incorporating at least one elderly saint in each of my books, and in this one I decided on a man since most of the other books have had women as the elderly, praying characters. I also brought in a little boy because children can add such a delightful element to any story, and six-year-old Davey certainly does that in A Christmas Journey Home.

What was the most difficult scene, and why?

The toughest scene had to be when Francisco and Isabella thought they were finally on the verge of being able to get away from the migrant camp and find a small home of their own, where their baby could be born in relative comfort and safety. If you’ve read the book, you know that isn’t at all what happens. But this heartbreaking scene had to take place to bring the story to its miraculous conclusion.

What is there about you, apart from writing, that many people don’t know?

First, my “road name” is “Easy Writer” because my husband and I were Harley riders for many years. (We’ve traded the bike in on a 2005 Corvette, so I’m still “Easy Writer” but in comfort now!) Also, I served on staff at a large Southern California church for several years, training small group leaders and doing biblical counseling, among other things.

Who are some of your favorite writers, and are you an avid reader?

Absolutely I’m an avid reader! I have always loved books/reading/words and been fascinated by them. When I ran out of books as I child, I started writing my own. (Voila! Look what came of that!) As for favorite writers, that’s tough, but here are just a few: Brock and Bodie Thoene, Francine Rivers, Patti Lacy, Athol Dickson, Jim Rubart, and Alan Paton, who wrote my favorite all-time fiction book, Cry the Beloved Country. That book changed my life and inspired my novel set in South Africa in 1989, No Greater Love. I also enjoy reading Brennan Manning, Jennifer Kennedy Dean, Oswald Chambers, and Max Lucado for nonfiction.

What’s on the horizon for you now, so far as future book projects?

I am currently finishing up the final book of the three-installment Freedom series (Deliver Me From Evil, Special Delivery, and The Deliverer). Then I will jump into my Christmas 2012 novel (working title is A Home For Christmas) and a novel called Last Chance for Justice, which is part of the multi-author Bloomfield Series with another publisher. After that I hope to get going on a new fiction series, which is still in the discussion/planning stages with my publisher and agent. So life is busy, but most contracts coming my way seem to be fiction right now. I am also keeping busy with very occasional editing projects and some speaking/teaching around the country.

Where can we find out more about you, The Freedom Series, and keep up with your to-be-released books?

Please feel free to visit my website at www.KathiMacias.com.

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I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services (ChristianSpeakersServices.com).

People of the Book

2011-04-25T22:37:00.001-05:00

I'm still reading through my copy, so I'll have to post my thoughts later (so far I'm LOVING it!). But for now, here is the interview with author Kathi Macias that Christian Speaker Services conducted.

P.S. Leave a comment on this blog post to be eligible to enter a drawing for the complete Extreme Devotion Series set. More details to come . . .

P.P.S. Probably what I love most about this interview is in question #3 where Kathi mentions how she always wanted to be a writer. She nonchalantly mentions that her bf at age 13 ended up being her husband. Love it!

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Interview with Kathi Macias

People of the Book is the fourth and final book in your Extreme Devotion series. Each book is set in a different country, with the theme of first devotion and commitment to Christ above all else running through all four. How is People of the Book different, and who/what inspired you to write this book?

People of the Book was the most difficult of the four Extreme Devotion series books to write, but it is also the strongest when it comes to a call to personal commitment to Christ and to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. With each of the books, I began drafting the manuscripts through Internet research, since I had never lived in any of the four countries and had only visited one of them. After the original draft, I worked with someone who either currently lived in the country or who had recently spent many years there. People of the Book was the toughest because the Saudi women I connected with via the Internet were understandably apprehensive about associating with me. Most, in fact, were terrified to do so. I was therefore quite pleased to meet a young woman named Dolly Dahdal here in the States who, until just a few years ago, had spent the majority of her life in Saudi Arabia and understood perfectly why I had chosen to write this book. We shared a passion to help expose the fallacy of “honor killings,” a horrific crime perpetrated primarily against women and girls who in some way bring “dishonor” on their Muslim families, and Dolly was a major contributor to the authenticity of this book.

Can you give us a brief synopsis of this story?

Eighteen-year-old Farah, who lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with her family, wants nothing more than to develop a deeper, more meaningful devotion to her Muslim faith. She sees the month of Ramadan as her chance to draw nearer to Allah, and she pursues that goal throughout the holiday. All goes well until the prophet Isa—Jesus—appears to her in a dream and calls her to Himself. At the same time, her only brother, Kareem, who has never liked Farah, actively seeks an opportunity to expose her for the sham he believes she is.

Meanwhile, Farah’s seventeen-year-old cousin, Nura, has begun to frequent an online chat room where former Muslims gather to discuss their new faith, based on their belief that Isa is much more than a Muslim prophet—He is actually the Son of God. While there, Nura becomes acquainted with an American girl of Muslim ancestry—now a devout Christian named Sara—and a friendship quickly develops. However, Sara has problems of her own due to her fifteen-year-old brother Emir’s involvement with a gang.

The lives of Farah, Nura, and Sara ultimately dovetail until each finds herself at a place where her faith is put to the test. Will they remain faithful to the end? Will God protect and keep them safe in the midst of persecution and treachery? Or will they be required to pay the ultimate price for their faith?
Kathi, how did you get into writing? Has it always been your passion, or is it something you came to later in life?

I’ve always wanted to write, for as long as I can remember. I was an avid reader even before I started kindergarten. I wrote a short story in third grade that the teacher liked so much she showed it to the principal, and they decided to turn it into a play for the entire PTA. I was hooked! One day when I was about 13, I was walking home from school with my then boyfriend (now husband), Al, and I told him I’d be a writer some day. He often reminds me how blessed I am to have been able to do what I dreamed of all my life.

I understand you’re running a special contest that has to do with this book. Can you tell us about it?

Not only are there several opportunities to win a copy of the book on various blog sites included in this tour, but I’m giving away the entire four-book series at the end of the tour to someone who leaves a comment on one of the blogs, so be sure to check them all out and leave comments on each one!

In addition to writing, you are a popular speaker at women’s event, writers’ conferences, and various venues around the country. How can people find out more about you, your writing and speaking, sign up for your weekly devotional newsletter (in English or Spanish), and/or just view your many book videos, etc.?

They can find me at one of my websites (http://www.kathimacias.com; http://www.theTitus2Women.com) or on my Easy Writer blog at http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com. There is a “contact” button on my Kathi Macias website if they’d like to send me a message. I always respond to all my emails!

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I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speaker Services (www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com).

Snapshots

2011-04-25T22:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, not realized it's been 6 months since I've last blogged. It's been an intense 6 months. Heck, it's been an intense year!

Here are some snapshots, although I'm not at liberty to share all:

On October 8, 2010 my Grandma Virginia, my dad's mom, went to be with the Lord (just shy of two months after my Aunt Eva, her daughter-in-law, took the same journey).

She was 93.

She was an amazingly strong woman of God who prayed without ceasing until the day she came face-to-face with her Creator.

My Uncle Robert, my mom's brother, lost his battle to brain cancer on December 18, 2010.

Since he lived with her before getting sick, for over a year I would take my grandma to visit him or take her shopping or bring her to our house so she wouldn't be alone.

My uncle took his last breath just moments after his momma arrived at his assisted-living facility to visit him late that Saturday night.

He sang with the most amazing, deep bass voice, and as we sang "It Is Well With My Soul" at his memorial service the absence of that voice struck me. But I undoubtedly knew, and still know, he's using that voice and joining with the angels in singing praises to his God.

Out of nowhere, the holidays snuck up on us. Our immediate family opted for a smaller celebration in Waco rather than our large family get together in Houston. Certain absences were strongly felt and, with the losses of the year, our joy was a bit strained at times. But God is good and we did our best to rally for the monkeys.

My poor daddy has had various health scares as well. Thankfully, he's able to utilize resources at the VA and has received loads of treatment that would have otherwise been beyond our resources.

As for me, I've continued working two part-time jobs subbing and tutoring.

In early March I took a long-term sub position teaching Kindergarten. Thankfully, that opened new opportunities and just today I was offered a position for next year teaching 2nd grade! PTL!

For weeks the news has been reporting about all the budget cuts and layoffs in local school districts. I'm so blessed to actually get a job at this time.

Truth be told, I was more than a little worried!

Ok, I'll try to be a better blogger. I lost my voice for a bit, but I feel it slowly returning . . .

Between a Rock and a Grace Place

2010-10-01T12:28:00.000-05:00

Q&A from author Carol Kent

Tell us about the Christmas gift you received. How did it help you to find grace in the middle of a seemingly hopeless situation?
Two weeks before Christmas our doorbell rang at 9:15 p.m. It was dark outside and by the time my husband, Gene, joined me at the front door, we were surprised to find no one there. It was already dark, but my eyes fell on a large, exquisitely wrapped gift. The card on top said, “Mom.” Initially, it felt like a bad joke. Nine years earlier our son, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy had been arrested for murdering his wife’s first husband and he was in prison serving a life-without-the-possibility-of-parole sentence.
However, I am a “Mom” and the package was left on my doorstep, so I opened it. The note appeared to be in my son’s unique handwriting. The note expressed his deep love for me and his gratefulness for what I had done to help him since his arrest. He said a “friend” had helped him deliver the surprise. Opening the box, I discovered a gorgeous russet-colored silk jacket—and it fit me perfectly.
That night I discovered something new about God and something I had forgotten about myself. He loves to interject divine surprises into our lives. His timing is always perfect, but it had been a while since I had been surprised by joy, wonder, and grace in the middle of one of the tight spots of life.

What are “grace places,” and how can hurting people in need find them?
All of us experience tight spots when life turns out differently from our dream. When we face the overwhelming obstacles of life, we can experience the last thing we ever expect—the sweet spot of grace. Grace places have a variety of forms, but some include:

Receiving love when we don’t deserve it
Finding safety in the middle of a fearful and uncertain experience
Being comforted by friends and family (people who are extensions of God’s love)
Experiencing the embrace of God when we have run out of strength and courage

“Grace means the free, unmerited, unexpected love of God, and all the benefits, delights, and comforts which flow from it.” (R.P.C. Hanson)

How important are contentment and gratitude in finding grace and peace?
My son, Jason, is teaching me that I need to choose contentment and thanksgiving in all things. As an inmate in a maximum-security prison, all of his personal items must fit in one small one-foot-high and one-and a half-feet-deep and two-and-a half feet long steel lockbox. He has learned to live comfortably with very little, which brings him a surprising sense of peace.
When I was visiting him one weekend I asked how he holds on to hope in the middle of a life-without-the-possibility-of-parole sentence. He said, “Mom, I have a gratitude list. Whenever the clouds of depression try to discouragement, I get out a piece of paper and write down everything I have to be thankful for. I’m thankful I have two parents who will be my advocates for as long as they live. The average number of years a lifer gets visits is five years and then no one comes anymore. I’m also thankful I can be a missionary on a compound that houses up to 1,700 men.” I’m learning from Jason that I find contentment when I choose to be thankful and when I invest my time in helping other people.

What are some unexpected gestures of kindness you’ve received in the past, and how did they help you through difficult times?
A couple of years ago Jason’s appendix ruptured and he was rushed from the prison to a civilian hospital. Gene and I were not allowed to know where he was and I prayed for someone to care for him as a mother would. He had two armed guards in his room at all times. Nurse Betty was assigned to Jason’s care. She treated him with respect and extraordinary care—and I knew she was a direct answer to my prayers.
A group of people who called themselves our “Stretcher Bearers” received an e-mailed monthly update on how to help with our needs. We were blessed with meals, cards, and financial gifts, often just before we needed extra funds for the next legal payment. These amazing people waited with us for two and a half years through seven postponements of the trial.

How has your definition of adventure changed over the years, and why is it important to retain adventure in your life, despite your situation?
True adventure is seeing the potential of living for things that matter in the middle of your current circumstances. We had the adventure of launching a nonprofit organization that helps to empower our son to facilitate classes by having books and DVD teaching series sent to the prison. We also have the adventure of reaching out to other people who are in crisis, which brings purpose and deep meaning to our lives.

There is a theme of surprise throughout the book. What is one of the greatest surprises you’ve had?
The powerful story of Tammy Wilson and Matthew Ben Rodriguez is in this book. Tammy contacted me after I spoke at an event she attended because my son is incarcerated in the same prison where Matt, the man who killed her mother thirteen years ago is incarcerated. She had been praying for someone to lead Matt to Christ and asked if Jason would try to meet him. It turned out that Jason and Matt were already friends and this amazing story is one of forgiveness, redemption, and restoration that can only be explained in the supernatural dimension.

Between a Rock and a Grace Place releases 10 years after your son, Jason, was sentenced to life in a maximum security prison and includes excerpts from Jason’s letters. Can you tell us how he’s doing now?
He has just taken his 8th group of men through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Course and he will be facilitating a biblical counseling class on marriage and family this fall. He has a prayer group of twelve inmates who fast and pray for the needs of each other and their families. Prison is a depressing, dark, and sad place, but Jason is living for things that will outlast him.

When you received news about Jason’s clemency hearing being denied, how did you respond?
I wailed like a baby, sobbed, felt angry, hurt, and disappointed in God. Then we saw Jason a day after this devastating news. He was calm and very much at peace. He hugged me as I wept and said, “Mom, this case isn’t about having the best attorney or about having the favor of Florida’s top executive political leaders. If I am ever allowed to walk in freedom in this lifetime, it will be because God miraculously opened a door that was closed.” My son helps me to develop an eternal perspective and that day he comforted me.

What advice do you have for those who are stuck between a rock and a grace place?
In the middle of your own hurt reach out to someone else who needs help worse than you do. When you involve yourself in meeting the needs of others, you discover an unexpected freedom on the inside. Corrie ten Boom once said, “What did you do today that only a Christian would have done?”

As a result of your journey, you and your husband have founded the nonprofit organization Speak Up for Hope. What are the goals of the organization, and how can people get involved?
Our vision: To help inmates and their families adjust to their new normal.
Our mission: We exist to provide hope to inmates and their families through encouragement and resources.
Please go to www.speakupforhope.org for a list of practical ways individuals, churches, and organizations can help with specific projects. Our goal is to live out the truth of Prov. 31:8-9: “Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice. Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

Where may we connect with you further or to purchase a copy of Between a Rock and a Grace Place?
I would love for you to visit my web site at www.CarolKent.org, browse through the various events and other resources available. You may also join me on my Facebook page, please click here.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by the Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

To enter to win a copy of the book for yourself please visit the CSS Blog or the CSS Virtual Blog Tour on Facebook

About the Author

Carol Kent is the bestselling author of When I Lay My Isaac Down and A New Kind of Normal. Carol is an expert on public speaking, writing, and on encouraging people to hold on to hope when life’s circumstances turn out differently from their dreams. She lives in Florida with her husband Gene.

Carol Kent is a popular international public speaker best known for being dynamic, humorous, encouraging, and biblical. She is a former radio show co-host and has often been a guest on Focus on the Family and a featured speaker at Time Out for Women and Heritage Keepers arena events. She has spoken at The Praise Gathering for Believers and at Vision New England’s Congress. She is also a frequent speaker at Women of Virtue events across the country.

As good as Ninfas!

2010-09-29T17:53:00.000-05:00

It's been months, if not years, since I posted any recipes or cooking experiments over here. So, for your eating pleasure here's a recent adventure in cooking!

Last year I saw an episode of Rachael Ray during which she cooked Cuban-style beef tacos with green salsa. She mentioned eating Ninfa's green salsa during a summer trip to Texas and she asked what all they put in their salsa and recreated it. Well, this is my recreation of Rachael Ray's recreation of Ninfa's green salsa, or salsa verde if we're gonna be authentic.

I bought these tomatillos from the local $0.99 Only store. It contains 1 1/2 lbs and I used roughly half the package. So in the recipe below I put 1/2 lb of tomatillos but go ahead and use two or three more if you're not convinced that's enough.

Here's a close up of my sizzling veggies. I put them all in there whole. You can see some of the smaller tomatillos on the top left of the photo are starting to soften and brown. You don't want to burn them, but it's okay if they get a little brown. I coarsely chop the onion and place the whole wedge in there; it will break up as it cooks.

The finished product!

Salsa Verde
1/2 lb tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
1-2 fresh OR canned jalapenos, stemmed; (optional: remove the seeds if you're worried about heat)
1/2 large yellow onion, quartered
3-4 cloves of garlic
2 T olive oil
Juice from 1 lime
1 ripe avocado, pitted
1 tsp cumin
2 small handfuls fresh cilantro (that's coriander, for you gringos!)
salt to taste (I use about 1 tsp)
Dash of chili powder & paprika optional

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, tomatillos, jalapenos (only if using fresh) and garlic WHOLE (all of these first 4 ingredients). Cook, turning so that all sides are cooked through and start to brown. The tomatillos will be soft and start to release their juices, the onions will be translucent, the jalapenos will soften and the skin will brown, and the garlic will soften. (If you're worried some of the veggies will get overdone then go ahead and remove with a slotted spoon and place in blender.)
Once all veggies are finished add contents to a blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients (this is where you add the jalepenos if using canned).
Blend until creamy and serve with tortilla chips or on tacos, taco salad, steak, chicken, etc.

Hope y'all enjoy!

No Girls Allowed

2010-09-25T00:19:00.000-05:00

No Girls Allowed by Jayce O'Neal is a devotional geared towards boys ages 8-12. An odd choice for this single mother of none, I know. However, I AM a teacher and an aunt of two boys within this age bracket.

I specifically requested this book for my nephews. As expected, the puzzles and secret codes were a hit (although the crosswords are probably a bit difficult for the younger boys since there is no answer bank and not all the questions are taken word-for-word from the text). I particularly like the basic format of having a scripture to start with, a little story or scenario and then ending with a short prayer. The puzzles and secret codes reinforce the theme and there's even an application section that gives the boys some suggestions for applying what they just read about to their lives at home and/or at school. After the application section are a few scriptures to give more biblical backing to the theme. I love that there are three quotes printed to the right of the scriptures at the end of each devotional selection; it makes my English major heart go pitter-patter! The quotes are taken from famous authors, historical figures, christian intellectuals, superhero movies, athletes, etc. I personally think it's good exposure for the kiddos.

Another thing I like about O'Neal's devotional is that he keeps it real. In a gentle way he explains that life is not always ice cream and action figures; bad things happen, even when you did nothing wrong. He encourages your child with the fact that God is still there and still loves him and will help him through the difficult times.

If you homeschool your children OR if they are particularly sheltered then this might not be the best fit for your child. O'Neal makes references to classroom scenarios that homeschool kids have never been exposed to so may not connect with. He also makes connections to movies and tv shows extremely sheltered kids may not be exposed to (SpongeBob, Batman, Star Trek, Hulk, Transformers, Starwars . . . just to name a few!). Not to say that these show or references are bad, just that they might pique your child's interest before you are ready to show them those particular things. But if you're willing to work through and discuss the book with your child then you both should be fine.

Overall, for content and ease of reading & understanding, I'll give this one a 4 out of 5 stars.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me by the Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for posting a review on my blog.

I'm a girl with glasses!

2010-09-21T02:35:00.002-05:00

While scrolling through Facebook in the wee small hours of the morning I came across a link from a friend. Following the link I found this sweet little blog post about a mom wanting to help her little one transition into the wonderful world of glasses. The poor dear is only 5 years old and is worried about what the other kiddos might say about her new look. So her wise mom put out a plea for "girls with glasses" to share their pics so her little pumpkin can see a variety of cool girls rocking their specs! Besides my Blogger profile pic, here are a few others I dug up:

Fall '08: Kicking it outside of Big Ben w/ my friend Debs, a fellow "girl with glasses"


July, '10: My niece, Abby, trying to make me smile this summer (note the smiling mouth she drew and taped on me)

Abby loves wearing my glasses when she gets a chance...

Her Daughter's Dream

2010-09-20T16:03:00.001-05:00

Q&A from author Francine Rivers

How has exploring the relationship between your mother and grandmother helped you understand yourself?

This is a question I would love readers to ask themselves at the end of Her Mother’s Hope. I realized early in the story that I have many of my grandmother and mother’s character traits, both good and bad. They both had tempers. So do I. They both had low self-esteem. I’m always striving to “measure up”. They both chose spouses who respected them. So did I. Both women had strong faith and servants’ hearts, something they encouraged in me. My mother extended grace to others -- a trait I want to cultivate to the end of my days. By holding onto her anger, Grandma lacked the peace and joy she could have had in her last years. I tend to relive past hurts. Writing about Marta made me decide to let go, forgive and move on. For whatever reason, Grandma couldn’t and missed out on so much joy in her last years. Sometimes people deeply hurt as children take offense where none was intended. Holding a grudge causes suffering, especially for the one who won’t let go. Jesus said to forgive one another as He has forgiven us. Forgiveness frees us, even if the other person refuses to join in the process of reconciliation. As I examine my own life, I see how much I’ve been forgiven. How can I not extend God’s grace to others? The best way to experience the fullness of God’s presence in my life is to surrender it to Him. And in that surrender, we are made more complete and joy-filled.

Mother-daughter relationships are often complicated and fraught with emotional land mines. What was your approach to exploring the complexity of those relationships in a fictional setting?

Questions, lots of questions! Every time I told someone I was working on a book about mother-daughter relationships, people wanted to share their family stories. As I wrote Her Mother’s Hope, I wanted readers to see through each woman’s eyes, and understand how the past shaped each in the way she responded to her mother. Hildemara doesn’t believe her mother loves her, but it is out of Marta’s pain and loss that tough-love techniques were forged. Marta wants to strengthen her daughter for whatever lies ahead. Sometimes what we view as rejection can actually be an act of sacrificial love. We seldom know the experiences that shaped our mothers, the deep hurts, traumatic events, broken relationships. I hope women who read this book will want to share those things with one another.

Writing a novel is not for the faint of heart. What was the most difficult part of writing this family saga? What came the most naturally to you?

The most difficult part of writing any novel is getting out of my own way. I have to get rid of preconceived notions about themes and characters and plot. The first draft of this novel came in at over 1000 pages and was too biographical. I wanted the story to shift back and forth from present to past, trying to show what happened to create the rifts and valleys between Hildemara, Carolyn and May Flower Dawn. I was too cautious, too afraid to harm to my grandmother and mother’s memory.

A wonderful editor wrote me an insightful letter in which she listed what she wanted to know about each the characters. Her letter got my creative juices flowing. She helped me look at the story in a new way. I set the first manuscript aside and started over. I found it better to move from one generation to the next in a linear story. This time the characters followed my grandmother and mother’s timeline, but took on a life of their own. They became unique individuals rather than the shadow of real people.

After readers finish this series what do you want them to remember? What questions and feelings do you want it to provoke on a spiritual and emotional level?

I hope and pray readers who have had difficult relationships with their mothers or daughters will let go of the pain and anger and allow God to work in their lives. God can work all things together for good for those who trust and love Him. Following Jesus’ example changes the way we see people. It changes the way we relate to one another. Even when the chasm is too deep to cross, we can decide to forgive. Some people wear grievances like a dirty coat. With God’s strength, we can strip it off and be free. When people finish reading Her Daughter’s Dream, I hope they will want to extend God’s grace and forgiveness. I hope they will tear down their walls and use their life experiences to begin building a bridge.

Who do you see as the audience for this story, and does that differ from your previous readership?

I am fortunate to work with Tyndale House. If a writer does well in one genre, publishers encourage the writer to continue in the same genre. Tyndale has given me the freedom to go wherever the story leads. I have done historical as well as contemporary. This two-part saga was intended to be one LONG book. Splitting the story into two parts made it more affordable for readers, and eliminated the need to delete entire sections. Hopefully, both women and men will enjoy Her Mother’s Hope and Her Daughter’s Dream. Men play a strong role in the lives of all four primary characters: Marta, Hildemara Rose, Carolyn and May Flower Dawn. And both books have much to do with faith, how it presents itself, how it grows, often under difficult circumstances and in unexpected ways.

Where may we connect with you further or to purchase a copy of HER DAUGHTER'S DREAM?

I would love for you to visit my web site at www.FrancinceRivers.com, browse through the various events and other resources available, as well as sign up for my mailing list. You may also join me on my Facebook page, please click here.

Book Description

Her Daughter's Dream by Francine Rivers (Tyndale House Publishers, September 2010)

In the dramatic conclusion to the New York Times best seller Her Mother’s Hope, Francine Rivers delivers a rich and deeply moving story about the silent sorrows that can tear a family apart and the grace and forgiveness that can heal even the deepest wounds.
Growing up isn’t easy for little Carolyn Arundel. With her mother, Hildemara, quarantined to her room with tuberculosis, Carolyn forms a special bond with her oma Marta, who moves in to care for the household. But as tensions between Hildie and Marta escalate, Carolyn believes she is to blame. When Hildie returns to work and Marta leaves, Carolyn and her brother grow up as latchkey kids in a world gripped by the fear of the Cold War.
College offers Carolyn the chance to find herself, but a family tragedy shatters her newfound independence. Rather than return home, she cuts all ties and disappears into the heady counterculture of San Francisco. When she reemerges two years later, more lost than ever, she reluctantly turns to her family to help rebuild a life for her and her own daughter, May Flower Dawn.
Just like Carolyn, May Flower Dawn develops a closer bond with her grandmother, Hildie, than with her mother, causing yet another rift between generations. But as Dawn struggles to avoid the mistakes of those who went before her, she vows that somehow she will be a bridge between the women in her family rather than the wall that separates them forever.
Spanning from the 1950s to present day, Her Daughter’s Dream is the emotional final chapter of an unforgettable family saga about the sacrifices every mother makes for her daughter—and the very nature of unconditional love.

About the Author

Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market, and her books were highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, a mother of three, and an established romance novelist.

Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith. First published by Bantam Books and then re-released by Multnomah Publishers in the mid-1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea, set during the time of the California Gold Rush, is now considered by many to be a classic work of Christian fiction. Redeeming Love continues to be one of the Christian Booksellers Association's top-selling titles, and it has held a spot on the Christian best-seller list for nearly a decade.
Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published numerous novels with Christian themes—all best sellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America's Hall of Fame. Francine's novels have been translated into over 20 different languages, and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa.
Francine and her husband, Rick, live in northern California and enjoy time spent with their three grown children and taking every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren. Francine uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.

Hello, my long-lost blog

2010-09-20T02:10:00.000-05:00

Sorry to have neglected you for so long. It's not for lack of words or time or life events. (Well, perhaps a bit of the latter since I feel as though I've just been spinning my wheels the past few months...)

I suppose I just don't know how to communicate my thoughts these days. Or rather, I'm not at complete liberty to communicate them all in such a public forum.

I don't intend to promise new posts; I'd like to, but how many times before have I made such empty promises?

I'll do my best.

In the next few days there will be posts of book reviews. Did you know that there are companies (publishers, advertisers, authors, etc) that send you FREE books in exchange for posting a review and book and author details? Brilliant! (I'll post buttons on the sidebar that will link to the various companies if you're interested.)

So, I'll see you later, my friend. I'll try to write again soon.

But I make no promises . . .

13 minutes 'til 30

2010-07-01T23:47:00.018-05:00

Months ago I imagined myself spending hours blogging in my new decade of life, but life happened and blogging got pushed to the back burner. So now, with 13 minutes left of my twenties I'm taking a few minutes to ponder the previous decade. At some point I'd like to make a list of 30 things I may wish to do in my 30s, but tonight I'll make a list of 20 things I accomplished in my 20s. So, in no particular order . . .

20 In My 20's

A not-so comprehensive list of 20 accomplishments from my 2nd decade

Earned a college degree (B.A. in English, minor in Studio Art).
Earned a teaching certificate (in Early Childhood - 4th grade with an ESL endorsement).
Paid off 1 student loan (only 2 more to go! :o/ ) and 2 credit cards I got when I started college.
Bought a house (with my parents, I must say).
Bought TWO cars (one's paid off, the other not so much).
Was a bridesmaid for dear friends 3x over.
Became an international traveler by visiting places such as France, Italy, South Korea, China (these first 4 were technically in my late teens, but I'll tack them on to my 20s travels), Mexico (5x or more!), Uzbekistan & England (6x!).
Lived in another country for the most part of a year.
Volunteered in a night shelter for nearly a year.
Became a big city driver (if you were there when I first learned to drive then you would know what a huge accomplishment this was!).
Made numerous, dear life-long friends.
Developed a deeper relationship with God.
Became an aunt (4x!), although I technically didn't have anything to do with that . . .
Developed a love for cooking.
Became a grown-up with a real job and everything!
Attended 2 U2 concerts w/ my brothers!
Discovered a love for children and a passion for teaching.
Conquered my fears and rode the Texas Cyclone at Astroworld before it was dismantled.
Cut off and donated 11" of hair to Locks of Love.
Developed a deeper love for reading and learning and read hundreds of thousands of beautifully written words!
Began a blog!*

I'm sure there's more, but I'll leave it at that for now. Here's to my new decade and whatever new adventures await me!

*This is my bonus one, so please pardon me for not keeping the list at 20 . . . but it's my birthday and I'll post what I want to!

It's only a week away now . . .

2010-06-25T13:05:00.000-05:00

So June was supposed to be full of books and coffee shops and lazy days in the pool, but life had other plans. As crazy, wild and stressful as this month has been, I almost wish it wasn't over!

Why?

Because in 7 short days I turn 30!!! Holy moley! How the heck did THAT happen???

And with the stressfulness of the month all the hopes and plans for a big 30's bash flew out the window. (Well, that and the lack of funds due to partial unemployment for the summer.) So I suppose if anything is happening I need to throw it together in the next 24 hrs so people have ample warning. Oi!

The month was full of such horribleness (is that even a word?), that some of the good things got buried. So let me recount the blessings:

First, my good friend Elaine is home for the summer from Seoul, South Korea. I've had some fun hangouts with her and I'm sad to think she's got less than a month left before she leaves again. Although, she's lobbying like mad to get me to go teach English in Korea for a year!

Second, my friend Aleen sent me an unexpected package nearly three weeks ago that contained two books I mentioned wanting in a previous post - Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea by Barbara Demick and My Life In France by Julia Child. I was so surprised and happy I was practically in tears! And I promptly shelved Eat, Pray Love so I could read Nothing to Envy (it's AMAZING and I promise to blog about it very soon! I've already finished it but I'll leave it up on my sidebar for a little longer).

Third, my uncle gave me two free tickets to an Astros game and it was the first one I've been to in over two years! It was a day game and I loved the laid back atmosphere. We were even able to sit a lot closer than what was posted on the tics since not too many people attended.

Fourth, I signed up online to try Chick-fil-a's new spicy chicken sandwich the week before it was officially released. I would've been happy with just the free sandwich, but when I went in and ordered a drink and fries to go along with it they gave it all to me for free!

Fifth, we've had some awesome thunderstorms roll through town and thankfully no lightening struck our house/property (that happened two years ago and was no bueno!).

Sixth, the past week and a half I've had a little more time to enjoy the pool and with the 95+ degree weather it's been soooo deliciously refreshing!

Seventh, I've taken advantage of HEB's offer of a free container of hummus with the purchase of New York Style Pita Chips. Mmmm . . . I couldn't tell ya the amount of pita chips and hummus I've consumed in the past 10 days! Let's just say I work in the same shopping strip as HEB, so it's very easy to pop into the store for a quick buy.

Eighth, I've cut down on the amount of sugar, red meat and white bread products I was consuming - it was starting to get out of hand! So, combined with the swimming, I'm feeling stronger and healthier. Now if I could just adjust my sleeping hours I'll be all set! But alas! I come from a family of night owls!

Ninth, whatever little bugs were feasting on me in my own room are finally gone! Actually, I'm fairly certain they were fleas and I have no clue where they came from! I caught one and another one committed suicide by jumping into a glass of water. But they weren't alone 'cause I still had some bites. I washed everything possible, sprinkled borax all over the carpet and vacuumed every vacuumable surface in the room (floor, bed, drapes, chair, lampshade). I still got one last bite after all that, but nothing since then. That was two weeks ago. Let's hope no new ones hatch . . .

Tenth, my bro got tics for my nephews, niece, me, my SIL and him to watch Toy Story 3. Oh my, it was a great movie! My nephew cried a little at the end. So did I.

Eleventh, God is good. And He's in control. Nothing else matters.

Happenings

2010-05-16T18:17:00.000-05:00

~ I'm about halfway through Stroud's God's Heart for the Poor. It's almost like a how-to for those starting up their own project, so I mostly skim through those sections. Still no image of the cover to be found, so it's not on my sidebar, and I'm having issues with the blogger elements not cooperating with my template, so I haven't worked it out to just list the details of the book yet.

~ I was craving something a bit more . . . literary, maybe? . . . so I also started reading Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. I bought it at Half Priced books a few months ago and figured I might as well read it since the movie will soon be coming out. Only a couple of chapters in, but I like it already. I added it to my sidebar, as you can see.

~ Last weekend I finally saw the movie Julie and Julia. I was excited to read the book last summer because the movie trailers piqued my interest. However, I found the book a bit hard to follow with the author's stream of consciousness. Plus the main character, Julie, annoyed me with her selfishness and self-absorption. And I was left wishing there was more of the Julia Child scenes in the book. All that to say, after reading the book I wasn't bothered about not watching the movie. But I actually really enjoyed the movie! Julie is more palatable in it and we definitely get a lot more of Julia. I'd like to read Julia Child's memoir, My Life in France now (which I linked, in case any of you would like to buy it for me! :o) ).

~ I just read my friend Aleen's blog and she mentioned a book she just finished: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick. South Korea and China was the first ever mission trip to went on, and the organization we partnered with aimed to spread the gospel to N Koreans. I had such amazing and life-changing experiences on that trip and stories from that country still stir my heart. So the book sounds really good and I'd love to read it! Of course I'll prob have to wait til it's in paperback and a tad bit cheaper . . .

~ I'll have a lot more time to read since my 2nd job just finished. It's also a bit stressful 'cause it was my main source of income since it paid twice as much as my 1st job. BUT I am basically all set up to substitute for the rest of the year, so I hope to do that at least two or three times a week . . . but there's only 3 wks left of school . . . *sigh*

~ I went to a job fair for an area district on Friday. There were HUNDREDS, if not THOUSANDS, of people there looking for jobs. It's not a good time to be an unemployed teacher, let me tell you! I handed out all twenty copies of my resume, tho. So hopefully I'll get some phone calls for interviews soon.

~ I got crazy with our new vacuum yesterday -- I vacuumed my bed, my drapes, my mini-blinds, the window sills, all the shelves upstairs (using the attachments, of course), the floorboards, the walls and ceilings, the upholstered chairs, the bathroom floor, my bed again since all the dust from the other items got kicked up and resettled on it, the lamps, and the carpet. And I slept soundly, with no mental images of thousands of microscopic dust mites crawling all over me during the night. I suppose I could offer my vacuuming expertise for a small fee if no job prospects come up . . .

~ I'm in the last days of my 20's. Haven't looked at the calendar to say for sure, but I'm guessing there's only about 6 wks left of 'em. Scary!

~ I'm cooking carne guisada for dinner tonight. Haven't made it in ages, so I'm looking forward to it!

Junkie Meets Jesus in a Trash Can

2010-05-08T00:50:00.001-05:00

Last week I finished Colin Garnett's memoir, Junkie Meets Jesus in a Trash Can. The BF gave me his copy when he came to visit in January. Having come from a similar past as Garnett's, he thought it would give me some insight into the struggles and triumphs one encounters while trying to break free from addiction. After reading this book I know one thing is for sure - it's nearly impossible to break the oppressive chains of addiction without the power of God.

That's actually a lesson I learned long ago, having invested so much over the past few years into the King's Arms Project. There I met dozens of addicts who are eager to share their stories of heartache and pain, weeping over the tatters of their lives, vowing to give up the drugs or the drink or whatever else entangles them and holds them captive. Yet the next day they turned up drunk again. And the next, and the next. An endless cycle of destructive addiction. Most eventually lost their jobs and their families and their friends. Some even lost their lives. Somehow, the addiction was always stronger than their willpower and their love for their spouse or children; it was stronger than their self-respect and their dignity. Yet, but by the grace of God, that could be me. Or you.

I don't know what it's like to feel so hurt and hopeless that drugs are the only possible escape. And I don't know what it's like to become so addicted to something that I'm unable to stop, even though I know it will cost me all I hold dearest to my heart. In his book, Garnett gave me a glimpse of that. His is an amazing story of how God can change one's life in an instant. And it's a testimony of just how far He can pull you out of the pit, as long as you're willing to follow Him in obedience and faith. I highly recommend you read this book. I promise you'll love it so much you'll gladly overlook the various typos the editor missed in the last half of book and the occasional confusion caused by Garnett's stream of consciousness!

Here's a excerpt that had me both laughing and crying:

Earl was baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and he was dunked into the water. The singing erupted once again and people were crying with Earl. I was in stunned silence. The Christians started to disperse back to their seats, and the preacher went back to his Bible. He threw a gauntlet down to me when he asked, 'Is there anyone else here tonight who feels the need to receive Jesus into their life as personal Lord and Saviour?'
The question had not completely left the minister's lips, and I was standing up and taking my jeans off. I heard myself saying, 'I do! That's exactly how I feel!'
The whole congregation turned to look at me and as they all looked at me, I felt an inner urge to turn it all into a joke and sit back down. But the truth was, I could no longer live my life under the influence of what other people thought of me. I looked at them, and in a moment's clarity of heart, I knew I could not allow these guys to define me any longer.
I said, 'I need to know this Jesus for myself.'
My jeans went one way, my shirt went another, and I climbed into this trash can of water and tearfully fell to my knees.

I hope I didn't give anything away, especially since the title basically says it all anyway, but I just love this scene!

I've been on a memoir kick over the last year. It all started with a book a borrowed from my friend Elaine called, The Reluctant Tuscan by Phil Doran. Oh my, that is a hilarious book and I absolutely LOVED it! I need to reread it and blog about it 'cause it is great! Anywho, all that to say that the next book I've started is God's Heart for the Poor by Philippa Stroud. It's really cool because it's basically the history of how King's Arms Project got started 20 years ago. I love reading about familiar places, even though it makes me a bit homesick for Bedford. The book is out of print, it's another one the BF lent me, and I'm having a hard time finding an image of the cover on google. ~~So I'll just have to post the title and author on the sidebar without the book image.~~ (Nevermind, I'll just have to leave the JMJINTC pic up for now 'cause I'm having element page issues . . . ) As for Junkie Meets Jesus in a Trash Can, I posted the link to the UK Amazon site since it gives slightly more info than the USA Amazon link, but I don't even think it's in print in the US. But if you happen to come across a copy, read it.

Earthquake?

2010-05-04T23:23:00.000-05:00

If you live in Waco and feel the earth shaking, don't worry. It's not an earthquake. It's just thousands and thousands of baptists rolling over in their graves because there's dancing on the Baylor campus. And to Michael Jackson, no less!

Quote(s) of the Week

2010-04-23T00:25:00.000-05:00

At job #1:

Daisy: I like your earrings, Ms. Gayle!
Me: Thank you!
Christopher: Don't ever by cheap earrings, 'cause my sister bought cheap earrings and she got an infection in her ear. (Short pause) Are those cheap earrings?
Three quizzical faces turn in anticipation of my response.
Me, taking a moment to determine how I can spin the truth that they are, indeed, cheap earrings, but not wanting to admit it to 3 seven-yr-olds: Well . . . they're from England!
Three incredulous faces turn towards each other and exclaim, almost in unison: WOW! Ms. Gayle is soooo cool!

At job #2:

Karli: Ms. Deborah--wait, is it Ms. or Mrs.?
Me: It's Ms.
Karli, a bit bewildered: Wait. You're not married???
Me: Nope.
Karli, completely astonished: Buy, WHY??? You're soooo pretty!

Moments like these remind me how much I love my jobs!

I was 10 minutes late to work this morning . . .

2010-04-14T22:26:00.003-05:00

. . . because of this amazing interview:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

First, watch the video and then come back and let's talk about how amazing it is!

Did ya watch it? Can you believe it???
What amazing faith does that man have! He waited on the Lord, heard His voice, and went out and found the girl who was LOST in the swamp for FOUR DAYS! Not only was that man's faith strong enough to believe God would lead him to Nadia, his faith held out despite the odds -- even though dozens of professionals had been searching for four, going on five days; even though there were doubts she was even still alive; even though it took him 2 hours of searching before he heard her response to his calls. His faith didn't waiver and God used him to show the world that His sheep hear His voice and that miracles still happen today!

Hearing this story reminds me of I Corinthians 1:18 & 28:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God . . . . God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

What's more foolish to our society today than someone claiming that God told him where to go? And what's more weak than one man on his own accomplishing what dozens and dozens of others were incapable of?

All things really are possible through Christ.

Night Night . . .

2010-04-11T02:14:00.002-05:00

Ok, I need sleep. I'd love to stay up reading all night, but I'm fading fast. I'll keep reading until I drift off to sleep, but I just wanted to post an official end of read-a-thon post 'cause I'll prob fall asleep soon!

I'll report back tomorrow with what I read these final hours and how much total reading I got done. Although it wasn't as much as I would've liked, it was definitely more than I would have otherwise read. So that's an accomplishment, eh?

Good night, all. Happy reading to those of you still going at it -- y'all are rockstars!

FINALLY!!!

2010-04-10T22:14:00.003-05:00

Good grief, can't believe that took nearly all day!!! But I definitely have the sense of accomplishment I always feel when I finish a book.

I began reading Lewis Carroll's tales of Alice's adventures over six months ago and picked it up here and there from time to time. The main reason I decided to finally read it is because it's probably the only major work of literature the bf had read and I had not. To be honest, I was not too concerned with reading it before because the Disney movie kind of freaked me out when I was a kid! So, no way was I going to willing read that thing!!! And the reason I was dragging my feet with finishing it is because after reading my friend Amy's tumblr post I realized Carroll just may have possibly had pedo tendencies! So every reference to Carroll's fondness for children, esp little girls, made me cringe. And how are people not more freaked out that he wrote these stories because of his obsession with a 7-year-old he was not directly related to?? And how do all these parents let their children go off with him and allow him to photograph them??? I don't know . . . perhaps the world was a different place back then . . .

Anywho, I did enjoy all the banter towards the end of the book. For example,

Here the Red Queen began again, Can you answer useful questions?" she said. "How is bread made?"
I know that!" Alice cried eagerly. "You take some flour--"
"Where do you pick the flower?" the White Queen asked. In a garden or in the hedges?"
"Well, it isn't picked at all," Alice explained: "it's ground--"
"How many acres of ground?" said the White Queen. "You mustn't leave out so many things."

Poor Alice!

Ok, onward I go. I need a break from the children's literature . . . I'm thinking I'll read a bit of Your Jesus Is Too Safe by Jared C. Wilson. I bought it back in July and have been picking at ever since (minus the 3 months I was out of the country, that is). I prob won't finish it tonight 'cause I need time to digest nonfiction. But I'll let you know how it goes!

Break #2

2010-04-10T18:06:00.005-05:00

I braved the pollen and ventured outside in the sun to read a bit.

My snack of choice for this round:

Yup, water and left over Easter malt eggs! Yum!!!

I was only out there about an hour and 15 min and managed to read 30 pages. I would've kept on reading but it's time to Skype w/ the bf (he doesn't have a comp, so our online "dates" are far and few between). I'll hit the books again as soon as we finish, and I'm thinking I can totally stay up later than midnight reading -- at least til 2 if not later. Late at night is when I get most of my reading done anyway, so I should knock a lot of pages out in the wee small hours of the morning.

Ok, I'll update when I'm back at it! Thanks so much for all the encouragement so far!!!

******

Update: 8:35 p.m.

Holy cow! How the heck is it already so late???? We experienced some technical difficulties, so I just now finished my Skype date and am ready to dive back in. I have the popcorn and Pepsi One ready to get me through this next leg, so here it goes!

Break #1

2010-04-10T15:08:00.005-05:00

I've been "reading" for about 2 hours, although I use that term lightly seeing as how I had many distractions and interruptions the first hour (phone calls, noisy yard work outside, an uncooperative camera, a daydreaming mind, etc). So I only got about 45 pages read and have about 60 more to go before finishing Through The Looking Glass.

It's not a difficult read, but I keep flipping back and forth from the text to the notes in the back, back to the text and then to the beginning diagram of the chessboard (which makes NO sense to me since I'm NOT a chess person) and back to the text. Stupid editor's notes and stupid English major habits that make it feel like it's a sin not to read the editor's notes! Thankfully, I still have some cherry limeade left to keep me going, even though all the crushed ice has sadly melted away . . .

Ok, off to check a few blogs and harvest my grapes on Farmville (yeah, I'm addicted to that as well!). I'll get back to reading soon . . .

Update: 4:10 p.m.

Well, I started reading again at 3:40, but then my grandma called 5 min later, so now I'm just barely getting back to it! Yikes! I was hoping to be on book #2 by now! Oh well, I guess that's life, eh?

Update: 4:15 p.m.

OK, as soon as I clicked Publish Post the house alarm low-battery indicator started going off and I had to run down to turn it off. Seriously? Am I ever going to finish this book??? Lol!

Ready . . . Set . . . GO!!!

2010-04-10T12:36:00.002-05:00

Ok, just got home from work and am finishing lunch while I jump into Through The Looking Glass. I'll see ya in a few hours . . .

Let's Get Reading!

2010-04-09T22:00:00.004-05:00

HELLO OUT THERE!

So, I finally decided to brush off the dust and clean up the cobwebs of my blog and figured participating in this read-a-thon is just the thing to help me do it! This way, I'm forced to update, if just for 24 hours.

I only just found out about the event through a link my virtual friend Leann posted on FB. I clicked over and decided I'd like to participate in the festivities, and 24 hours later, here I am! I have no game plan (i.e. what hours I'll be reading, how many breaks I'll take, what snacks I'll consume, etc), and I have no strategy for reading. I don't even know how many hours of the 24 I'll actually be participating in! All I know is that I spend waaaayyyyyy too much time on FB or watching TV during my down time and far too little time reading. Hopefully this will steer me back to reading a bit more than I have been.

So, without further ado, here's my stack of books:

From top to bottom:
*Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll

*A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'engle

*Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

*The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner

*Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

*Your Jesus Is Too Safe by Jared Wilson

*Dollar Store Crossword and Sudoku puzzles for breaks

*Blink Of An Eye by Ted Dekker

Not photographed is my Bible, which I'll read a little of as well. And I have other books that may replace some of the ones listed above. I've read Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, which is half of the above book, but haven't finished Through The Looking Glass. I'm fairly confident I'll finish that one at least. Not sure about the others . . .

No, I won't read ALL of these books, but I know how I am and if I get bored of one book I wanted to have plenty of options of what to read next.

I work from 9:30-11:30, so won't be able to start seriously reading til after noon, central time. I'll update regularly and be sure to keep track of just how long I read and how many pages. I'll also post about the individual books I'm reading and perhaps include fav quotes . . . or not . . . it depends how the day shapes up! I have tentative plans to meet up with some friends at Miller Outdoor Theatre to see Cats, but that hasn't been confirmed. If so, then I'll only be reading 'til 6:30. If not, I hope to keep it up 'til midnight at least.

Alrighty then, guess it's time to get ready for tomorrow! Hope to see ya then!

Still Waiting

2009-07-28T01:24:00.003-05:00

Exactly two months ago I mentioned that I was trying to apply for teaching positions in the UK and also for a separate visitor's visa to go back for a short visit before the start of the school year. Well, I'm STILL waiting to hear about the visitor's visa!

I completed my application online at the end of June but didn't have my appointment for my photograph and fingerprints until early July. Then when my application arrived at the British Consulate they had it over a week before they opened it. I got an email at that point, saying that if everything was in order they could make a decision within 24 hrs. Of course that was on a Friday afternoon, so I wouldn't know anything 'til Monday afternoon. Surprisingly, they emailed me Monday afternoon -- NOT saying I was granted the visa as I hoped, but saying they would need 15 more days to process my request and make further inquiries!

Good grief! What do they think I'm trying to do???

Because I'm having such a hard time getting a VISITOR'S visa, I figured there's no way they'll grant me a work permit! So I've had to shelf that plan for the time being. Something else is in the works, tho. But I don't know if it will happen for sure, so I won't say anything just yet.

In the meantime I plan to still wait for word on my visa and to start the school year substitute teaching. I'm not going to commit to a full-time position just yet, in case what I'm looking into/thinking about doing happens.

So, I've had a wonderful summer of waiting and exercising patience! And I can't believe it's nearly AUGUST! Some of my poor friends and former coworkers at my old school already go back to work on Monday. So glad I got outta that place when and how I did!

The Laws of Primogeniture

2009-07-12T01:31:00.003-05:00

A conversation I had the other day reminded me of this poem by Linda Pastan. I don't have a deep knowledge of modern poets and poetry, but I really love her work. I think because she came to Baylor my senior year for our annual poetry festival and I attended her poetry reading. No one can bring life to a poem like the one who wrote it. So I hear her voice in my head when I read this poem, which makes it more meaningful . . .

The Laws of Primogeniture

My grandson has my father's mouth
with its salty sayings
and my grandfather's crooked ear
that heard the soldiers coming.

He has the pale eyes of the Cossack
who saw my great-great-grandmother
in the woods, then wouldn't stop
looking.

And see him now, pushing
his bright red fire truck towards
a future he thinks he's inventing
all by himself.

Seoul Check

2009-07-10T00:43:00.003-05:00

Go check out my friend Elaine's new blog. She and her husband just moved to Seoul, South Korea -- he's in the army and she's teaching English. She's mostly blogging to keep her family and friends up to date, and she has some cool photos up of the city.

Any idea what this is???

2009-07-03T00:48:00.002-05:00

I'll give you one hint:

I plan to send it to Locks of Love tomorrow, something I've always wanted to do! Hopefully it will be made into something beautiful for someone and become their crowning glory, as it was mine.

(((Sorry about the sideways photo, folks. I uploaded it straight from the memory card and am too lazy to put it into a program just so I can flip it once)))

It's an enigma

2009-07-03T00:44:00.002-05:00

I love grapefruit, but I hate grapefruit juice (from a can or bottle...never tried it fresh, tho).

I love plums, but I hate prunes.

Similarly, I love grapes, but don't care for raisins (I'll eat them, but mostly I'm "eh" about 'em).

I'm afraid of heights, but I really want to go sky diving some day.

Ok, that's all I can think of right now. I'll add more later, I'm sure. Or not. Who knows.

2009-06-20T01:31:00.002-05:00

His life is a constant dilemma: in Australia he feels Greek; in Greece he feels Australian.
"It's a bittersweet thing, knowing two cultures." Sighing, he stares at the glittering turquoise cradling the coast, thinking of his kids at the opposite end of the earth.
"It's a curse to love two countries." The man smiles wryly at his own melodramatic words. But there is sadness in his eyes.

~from Almost French by Sarah Turnbull

My sentiments EXACTLY!

2009-06-20T01:28:00.002-05:00

As a full-time employee I used to dream of having abundant spare time, imagining all the ways I could fill it. But now that it's limitless, it doesn't feel like freedom. More like I'm free falling. Some days the sensation is exhilarating and the hours hang before me like opportunities. But mostly I'm praying for the parachute to open, the moment when my feet will plant firmly on the ground.

~from Almost French by Sarah Turnbull

Crossing my fingers . . .

2009-06-19T13:21:00.003-05:00

I've made it my short-term goal in life to attend this:

Jehovah Rophe

2009-06-16T14:54:00.002-05:00

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"
25 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. 26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
~Exodus 15:22-26

My whole life I've always known this: God heals. There is no doubt in my mind that He has the power to heal anything, at anytime. This is a faith and assurance that was instilled in me as a small child. I vividly remember my parents faithfully praying when anyone of us got sick. We rarely went to doctors; we just prayed. Not one of us in my family doesn't have a story of supernatural healing. I am so thankful to my parents for revealing that truth to me at such a young age, and I pray that I never lose it.

Yet it's still so amazing to hear stories such as this. It's amazing to hear how God is moving and miraculously healing today. Some may question and doubt, but I know that all things are possible through Him. (In case you haven't heard, He grew my leg last year!) And here's another story of God's healing at King's Arms. I actually know this guy, Joe -- he always comes for visitors' night at the Nightshelter and on more than one occasion we've run into him in town and he's treated us to coffee. He will be one of the first to attest that he has encountered Jehovah Rophe, and knows God is his healer.

I pray that all will have this revelation and know that God can heal all physical, mental, emotional and spiritual diseases, and encounter God like Joe and many others have!

Discovery Health is bad for my health

2009-06-12T02:21:00.001-05:00

So the TV up in my room is wired with cable, yet for the past 18 months I only seem to get 14 stations. No idea why. One day all the other stations decided to air snow instead of the regularly scheduled program.

The two cable stations I actually get are Bravo and Discovery Health. Needless to say, I get sucked into countless shows on both stations. So it's actually a blessing in disguise that I don't get the full cable load! But if I were given a wide selection, I probably wouldn't choose to sit down and watch Discovery Health. There are some interesting shows and it's all one big reality TV show station (since all the shows deal with real people with real problems). But the more I watch the more I realize that Discovery Health is, in fact, bad for my health.

One of my big life issues is fear. Ever since I was a little girl I remember being afraid of things from oompa loompas to our dog, Benji, jumping on top of me when I went out to the backyard. Forget having to converse with strangers and do things by myself (like playing outside where people can see me and asking for help with basic things). Since becoming an "adult" I've realized the spiritual connection and have spent many hours over the years praying for freedom from fear. However, it's still there and manifests itself in the oddest ways sometimes.

Well, Discovery Health has a way of fostering fear inside of me, let me tell you! With shows like Deliver Me and Baby Stories, I'm aware of all the complications that can occur during pregnancy -- miscarriage, emergency c-sections, the baby's organs growing on the outside of their body, a surprise twin, premature babies being in the hospital for weeks, etc. I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant speaks for itself! And then I'm afraid of all the possible conditions my child could be born with, like primordial dwarfism, a parasitic twin, skeletal dysplasia, and countless other conditions. Shows like Big Medicine and The World's Heaviest Man make me fear I can become morbidly obese. And shows like I Lost It and Half of Me make me worry I'd either need surgery or expensive trainers and nutritionists to lose all the weight. Then we have Mystery Diagnosis that makes me fear I may get a disease or condition that countless doctors won't be able to diagnose. Add to that Trama - Life in the ER, Untold Stories of the ER, and Impact: Stories of Survival, all which bring fear to the simple everyday tasks of driving, mowing the lawn, swimming in the ocean, and even walking down the street (in case there's a drive by!). And Dr. G, Medical Examiner tops it all off by showing some of the simplest and unexpected ways people can die.*

So thank you, Discovery Health, for opening the door to millions of new fears I didn't even know existed.**

*Don't worry, folks. I don't watch ALL of these shows. Just one or two of them from time to time over the past year or so.

**Of course, I say that very tongue-in-cheek, and must assure you, reader, that I don't live my life in that much fear!

So I still haven't fully started blogging again . . .

2009-05-28T02:56:00.003-05:00

Sorry about that. One problem is there's only one computer in the household at the moment. I left mine in England back in March, when I thought I would be going back in April (I still need to blog about that). So the three of us here always fight over computer time. I actually stay up late and do most of my computering in the wee small hours of the morning.

I've been working on my CV (curriculum vitae) the past few nights. That's what the Brits call a resume. It's different in the sense that it appears to be more personal and detailed. You write in first person and explain a little more what you've done. The odd thing to me is people also typically list their coursework and grades going back to the latter years of high school (what Brits call "college"). I'm not doing that bit. Heck, I wouldn't know where to begin to look for those grades! And I can't even remember what classes I had my senior year. I've barely found my college transcript and even that one isn't the official one!

This CV has been the bane of my existence the past few weeks. I searched and searched and only found two or three examples online, and those were each vastly different from each other. So I emailed a few people asking for advice/a sample if they had one. 'Cause the problem is I don't even know what a NORMAL CV should look like. Then the floodgates finally opened and I found two solid examples online AND the wonderful and beautiful Bekki forwarded her's to me, along with some good links. So I've been working like crazy the past two nights to get this thing done! At the moment it's a bit long-winded. And I don't even have everything on it yet! So there will need to be some major editing. And if anyone reading this post is a CV connoisseur and would like to give mine a looksie, I'd be ever so grateful!

So why am I painstakingly writing this CV, you ask? Well, because the plan before the British government detained me at the border and made me cry my eyes out in front of them, was to go back to Bedford and seriously search for a teaching position. I figured it would be easier to obtain from that side of the pond. Since being home I was so disoriented and unsure about things I lost the motivation to pursue teaching anywhere -- overseas and at home. But I'm slowly getting my mojo back. It's a long, hard process, and I'm probably a few weeks behind others, but I'm gonna give it a go and see what happens. So I'll keep y'all posted.

In the meantime, here's a commercial I shared on my Facebook that cracks me up. Enjoy!

Let's Get Started

2009-05-21T00:46:00.003-05:00

Well, not really.
I just can't remember if I've posted this video before. I love it. The song and the skit. I watched it/heard the song zillions of times last fall, so it instantly takes me back those few months.

Hello Blogosphere

2009-05-21T00:38:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking of starting to blog again, even though life's rather dull at the moment. So if there's anyone still out there, please don't expect much. If anything at all.

One day I'll blog again . . .

2009-03-11T11:44:00.000-05:00

Just so ya know, I'm still alive and am now State-side. Unbelieveable!

I have many things to write about my adventures, and I'll be sure to carve out some time to do that soon. But in the meanwhile, I just wanted to share this amazing song with you. Most of you would've heard it already, but it's one you should hear over and over and over so you can soak up the truth:

This is the guy who wrote actually wrote the song and the story behind it:

At 2 a.m.

2009-01-05T00:01:00.002-06:00

I stepped outside the busyness of the Nightshelter to get some fresh air and watch snow fall from the sky. The first (and perhaps even only) snowfall I've seen since I've been here. I didn't realize how noisy the house was, even at 2 a.m. when all residents are sleeping, until I stepped into the back garden. When I shut the door behind me I also shut out the constant loud hum of the fridges and freezers, as well as the whirl of the washing machine in a spin cycle and the twirling of the tumble dryer. I stepped into a world transforming. The flakes floated to the ground at a slight angle. When they hit surfaces most started melting, so it almost sounded like a soft rainfall. But it was a gentle sound that amplified the feeling inside me that watching the snow fall was like watching a blanket of peace being gently laid over the earth. The soft, white bliss transformed that which was dead and dying from the bitter cold into a beautiful new creation.

Although it's always magical to wake up to a world transformed, it's even more breathtaking to witness the transformation take place.

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T19:31:00.003-06:00

It's 1:30 in the morning here, but just wanted leave a quick post saying Merry Christmas to y'all!

I had a busy, but GREAT day. I'm thankful for good times with friends and fun times at the Nightshelter hanging out with the residents. I'm blessed to have spent my holidays here.

I'm also thankful for the volunteers we had that helped up get the house together so quickly this morning! Some are coming back tomorrow as well. YAY!

And I'm thankful for all the donations we received for not only our guys but for the rough sleepers who weren't able to get a bed.

I'm thankful for the gifts and cards I received from friends here. And especially for the small gestures some of the residents were able to make.

Perhaps I'll write more later. But now I'm off to bed! I'm doing my THIRD night shift tomorrow and need to be there for 8. Yikes!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

For unto us a child is born , unto us a son is given : and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor , The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
~Isaiah 9:6

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

2008-12-24T17:58:00.003-06:00

At least I've always thought so.

I love Christmas. Bundling up and enjoying the cold weather. The smell of a real Christmas tree. Twinkling lights illuminating dark streets. Choosing the perfect presents to give. Hearing jolly music in every store. Cinnamon-spiced candles scenting the room. Enjoying chilling out with family.

I'm away from home this Christmas. For the first time ever. In another country where the same language is spoken and the same holiday is celebrated in much the same way as back home, but it's just so different.

And I miss home. I miss driving my car through my neighborhood and admiring the Christmas lights. I miss choosing the perfect presents for each family member and close friend. I miss holiday coffee creamers for my coffee. I miss chilling out with family.

However, it was my choice. I chose to leave home and all that was safe and comfortable. I chose to move to another country and live by God's grace. I chose to say goodbye to my family and friends. So as hard as it is, I know I'm here by choice. I know if I wanted I could board a plane in a matter of hours and be welcomed home with open arms.

There are guys here who hate Christmas. It's the most HORRIBLE time of the year for them. They are away from their families and friends. For some it's been years. For others it's their first Christmas on their own. On the streets. Some chose to leave, some didn't. But they all yearn to return. They all are broken. They all long for home. For love. For acceptance. The young and the old. They want their parents' acceptance or their children's forgiveness. They want to somehow repair that which was broken. But hearts aren't so easily mended.

Please pray that they will find the acceptance and healing that only One can give. Please pray for freedom from the addiction and oppression that has knocked them to the ground. Please pray for hope to be restored. Please pray.

Similarities

2008-12-04T20:12:00.004-06:00

Working in The Nightshelter is a lot like teaching Kindergarten:

~ Sometimes you have to clean up poo or pee, but the guilty party never reveals himself! GRRR!!!

~ If the others catch you doing something wrong (like the above states) then they're quick to accuse and rat you out.

~ When someone comes to the door everyone has to come and see who it is.

~ They're nosey little gits and want to know everything that's happening and what's being said in private conversations.

~ They get cranky if they get off schedule (like if dinner is 5 minutes late -- oh, the horror!)

~ They get gitty when it's dessert time and come running for their share.

~ They throw temper tantrums if they miss out on dessert. Never mind they were upstairs sleeping off the drink or drugs (the NS peeps, not the kindergarteners...).

~ They're quick to fill you in on all the latest gossip. And they usually know more than you!

~ Sometimes they take what doesn't belong to them.

~ They think food, drink, and everything else they may expect us to have magically falls from the sky and don't like it when they don't get what they want or think they're owed.

~ They have time-out when they break a rule . . . so severe time-out for the homeless guy is having to leave their bed and go out into the cold rather than sitting in a chair in the corner . . . but it's the same concept . . .

~ They sometimes forget your name.

~ They like to test the boundaries.

~ Sometimes you have to remind them to wash their hands . . . or have a bath.

The most Thankful Thursday of the year!

2008-12-04T18:29:00.003-06:00

I'm a week late, I know . . . sorry . . . so I guess this is just a regular Thankful Thursday post, rather than a Thanksgiving Day Thankful Thursday post.

1.) I had two lovely Thanksgiving celebrations: one I cooked myself! for a couple of friends here at home, the other was at my friend Sarah's who I have been wanting to spend Thanksgiving with for over 5 years now! She's married to a Brit and has a big feast the Saturday after Thanksgiving which includes a taped copy of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade her mom express mails to her (although these days we can now watch online). Both dinners were fun!

2.) No one was poisoned by my Thanksgiving Day cooking! Even the turkey I cooked turned out nice. Although my friend Rob, a professionally-trained chef, did help with the bird . . . but I'm still the one who basted it and took it out of the oven!

3.) The British recipe I tried for pecan pie actually came out tasting like the real thing!

4.) Gmail's new video chat feature is awesome! And Thanksgiving night I got to video chat w/ my whole family during their get-together. It was so nice being able to see everyone!

5.) I'm off work until Monday! Took a couple days of holiday and plan to do nothing but eat, sleep and read. Yay!

6.) I worked an emergency cover NIGHT shift two weeks ago on a day off. Why's that something to be thankful for? Because I earned £130 in Tesco shopping vouchers! That's only £50 short of what I get paid a month, and easily my grocery money for the month and beyond! Not only that, Tesco is like Wal-mart, so I can even buy people's Christmas pressies there!

7.) I'm working another emergency cover night shift 23rd Dec! So that's grocery money for January as well!

8.) I've discovered Surf the Channel, where I can watch most of the shows I've miss from back home!

9.) I love listening to KSBJ online. They started playing Christmas music 24/7 the day after Thanksgiving and it'll last through Christmas Day. Plus, it reminds me of home. Funnily enough, I still instinctually reach to turn the volume up when traffic reports come up so I can hear if there's any problems on any of the roads leading home. It's understandable after 3 years of commuting, right?

10.) James, one of the guys I first met when I arrived at the Nightshelter, is getting baptized on Sunday! I remember two months ago hearing him say he couldn't even open a bible, now he's getting baptized! He's actually saw my leg before and after it grew, so let me and my friend Elaine pray for pain he had been having in his shoulder. And he was healed!!! So that helped strengthen his faith in God and now, three weeks later, he's getting baptized!

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-20T18:01:00.003-06:00

According to the computer it's still Thursday on the continent I'm on. And since I haven't done one of these in months, I figured there's no Thursday like this Thursday! So without further ado:

1.) My leg grew, if you hadn't heard! And two weeks later, it's still nearly as long as the other!

2.) Thanksgiving is next week! I'm cooking a Thanksgiving feast for friends . . . just haven't told all the friends about it yet . . . AND I'm going to my friend Sarah's for another Thanksgiving feast the Saturday after Turkey Day. Yippee!

3.) I went up to Sheffield last weekend to hang out with some kiddos during the Antioch Sheffield's church-wide retreat. Besides having a headache basically all weekend, I had a good time catching up with people and meeting new folks. And I was blessed with some serious cash by the guys up there -- paying for my trip AND extra for the work I did over the weekend.

4.) I don't have kids. Ha.lle.lu.JAH! Don't get me wrong: Kids are great and a blessing but I realized last weekend how hard it can be sometimes. From seeing the mom stuggling whose little one didn't want to sleep at the retreat center 'cause it was just a huge jungle gym, to being in with all the kids for 3+hrs, knowing that right next door people were praying and worshiping and meeting with God and I couldn't leave and join them. I'm sure my day will come and I'll be thankful for the blessing, but for the moment I'm thankful for my singleness without little ones.

5.) I survived my round of night shifts that started just a few hours after stepping off the train from Sheffield. And they passed quickly. Yay!

6.) I'm doing a Night Shift cover tomorrow night. Crazy, I know, but it too will yield some serious cash since it's happening in the middle of some days off. Serious cash. Like only £50 LESS than I get a month. Seriously.

7.) My scarves. They're so pretty. And I doubled my collection a few weeks ago when I was down in Camden Town in London. There are some amazing scarves in the market for only £3-5! My fav is my red pashmina. It was worth every penny! And it's so warm and beautiful!

8.) Christmas is FIVE WEEKS AWAY!!! Scary and exciting!

9.) Costa coffee shop. Last night (well, afternoon; it was 4 pm but was already dark!) was the first time I went in and it was so warm and inviting! And they had holiday drinks!!! I went back again this morning to meet my friend Sarah and it was so nice! For two and a half hours I forgot I was in England -- Sarah's also American and the coffee shop has an American feel to it.

10.) We had some amazing times at the night shelter a couple of weeks ago. Guys were asking for prayer and really being touched by God. Some even offered to pray for members of staff and for each other. How amazing is that?!
Granted, the past week or so has been hard and the ones who had been praying have been dabbling with drugs again, but such is warfare. We still have faith for their lives. So should you. So go pray for them! NOW!

Away for the weekend

2008-11-13T18:40:00.002-06:00

Lord willing, tomorrow I'll be boarding a train headed to Sheffield. And hopefully I'll figure out how the trams work, get on the right one, and head to meet the McGinnis family who I've known for 10 years now (Unbelievable!). Daniel and Jeannie McG were my college pastors who moved to Sheffield about 3 years ago to plant a church: Antioch Community Church, Sheffield. It's the annual church-wide retreat and I was recruited to help out watching the kiddos. It should be fun, though busy. I'm excited to see my friends, esp in the beautiful Peaks District, and I'm blessed that the church will be paying for my transportation, food and lodging! However, I'm coming back on Sunday evening, about 4 hours before I start a night shift. Oh joy. But I know it'll be worth it.

My leg's still longer than it was! It's still ever so slightly shorter than the other, but there's a vast improvement. People can see it just in the way I walk! The pain continued for another day or so, but went away after some more prayer. Crazy, huh?

Things have been busy at work. Taking on more responsibility and such. Tonight I led my first evening shift and it was VERY busy, but not overly stressful. Only slightly stressful. I'm hoping the guys I annoyed by changing the bed plan stop being grumpy and remember they love me by the time I see them again. I wasn't all that bothered, honestly. One guy threatened to walk out multiple times 'cause he didn't get his way, so after the 5th time I opened the front door and told him he could go if he wanted. Probably not the most gracious of responses, but at the time I was busy with the paramedics and concerned for another ressie who was still suffering from the effects of a stroke he had the week before. So the life-threatening condition took precedence, in my opinion.

Ok, it's nearly 1 a.m. and I must wake up early. So CIAO for now!

Fare me well

2008-11-12T13:31:00.002-06:00

Well, it's time for me (Tirzah) to branch off now. :) Debbie has been kind enough (and a good sport) to let me share this blog with her, but it's time for Decidedly Wandering to officially be Debbie's blog only. Readers will be able to read here about Debbie's traveling adventures. But if you'd like to keep up with me (the rambling, aspiring writer who only dreams about traveling), please visit my blog on http://www.myspace.com/tirzahwrites

You haven't seen the last of me yet, though. Lord willing, I'll be back frequently to read and comment.

Thanks for reading! :) --Tirzah.

Let it grow, let it grow, let it grow . . .

2008-11-07T18:57:00.003-06:00

So, my whole life my left leg has been a good inch shorter than my right leg (hmm...can you see where this post is headed?). I actually don't remember when I realized this fact. It was well into my teenage years, AT LEAST. Heck, my own mom didn't even know until I pointed it out to her two months ago as she was hemming some trousers for me. Within the past 4 or 5 years I've heard people tell tales of having one leg shorter than the other and them praying and it growing. I would always think, "Oh, that's great for them!" But I never thought about praying it for myself.

Let's fast forward to Sunday night. They asked for people to stand up who needed an impossible healing -- healing for something doctors have said there's not hope of healing. The thought crossed my mind - should I stand up? - but I thought better of it since I still wasn't experiencing any pain or discomfort from my oddity.

Now let's fast forward to Monday night/Tuesday morning. I was finishing my third and final night shift and I noticed a slight ache in my left leg - the shorter leg. Strange, I thought. I have a method of popping my femur - weird, I know, but it does make it feel better if there's some pressure on it. So I tried it, but the pain didn't go away. I suffered through the night and then stumbled home at 9:15 a.m. to sleep for a few hours before attempting to readjust to regular working hours. The pain was constant, but not unbearable, for the rest of the day. Wed morning I was as good as new . . . so I thought.

Every Wednesday a.m. we have Team Training. One week it's with just the Nightshelter team at the house, the next week at the offices in town with both the NS and hostel teams all together. I love Team Training. We had a guest speaker who gave a wonderful talk about Abraham's faith and how to remain faithful and believe in God's promises, even when you mess up like Abe did; but that's irrelevant to this post. At the end the speaker spent some time praying and prophesying over us. When he prayed over me he said I needed to know it was ok to pray for myself; I shouldn't discount myself. He said it's wonderful that I love to pray for and minister to others, but I needed to also take time out to pray into my own life. It was a good word, but I quickly ran off to do a cover shift at the hostel and it went out of my mind.

My friend Zoe prayed for me when we were covering at the hostel. A simple prayer for healing. She also prayed for my leg to grow. It didn't. By that evening my leg was killing me. I couldn't move or walk around much. I had friends over for dinner so it was nice just chillin' with them; it took my mind off the pain. I got some more prayer for the pain to go. It didn't. And for my leg to grow. It didn't.

But Thursday morning I woke up and felt back to normal! Praise God, the pain was gone . . . until I went into work that afternoon and had to make a trip to the shop. After the 15 min walk I was nearly in tears and limping like an old man. But I sucked it up, completed my shopping and walked back to the shelter where I continued to get the house ready for the evening (it didn't help that I was the only one officially on shift until 5:30). By 6:15 two other team members plus two volunteers were with me praying for the evening and the guys coming in at 7. I told them about the pain in my leg, so they prayed for healing. It didn't happen. They prayed for it to grow. My leg didn't so much as tingle. So I suffered through the rest of the night (but it was an awesome night 'cause I got to chat and pray with two of the residents!). I had hoped one of the residents would be bold enough to ask to pray for me and see something miraculous happen! Yeah, that didn't happen either.

So let's fast forward to tonight - Friday night. Around 9 Justyna and I were sitting outside enjoying a cuppa and chit-chatting. She had laughed at me earlier when she saw me limping around. So sitting out there I mentioned how I thought God was going to make me ask for prayer for my leg on Sunday, esp since the sermon will be about extraordinary healings. She asked if I didn't want to, and I said something along the lines of, Yeah, I guess I do. Full of faith, I am! Then she asked about the pain and if it hurt for real. Um, YEAH! Then she asked if I had prayed for myself. I just started laughing. 'Cause right when she asked that, I remembered the word that was spoken over me on Wednesday morning. Of course I hadn't prayed for myself! The thought hadn't even crossed my mind! So I told her why I was laughing and that made her laugh.

The thing about Justyna is we always have a great laugh when we're together. And it's rare we ever stop laughing long enough to have serious conversations (well, that's a bit of an exaggeration). So when she asked if we should "try out what the bible says" and pray for healing for my leg, I wasn't too sure she was serious. Esp since she was laughing as she said it. But abt 10 min later we stopped laughing long enough for me to show her the difference in lengths of my femurs. Even outside, in the dark, by the firelight, it was quite noticable. So she prayed a simple prayer for healing and for my leg to grow. Then I prayed a simple prayer for healing and for my leg to grow. We were fighting laughter the whole time, just 'cause that's the way we roll. But obviously God took us serious because when we opened our eyes and inspected my legs THEY WERE THE SAME LENGTH! Seriously! MY FLIPPIN' LEG GREW!

I kept walking and jumping around to see if the pain had gone, but it hadn't. But that didn't matter: MY LEG GREW!!!! I almost couldn't believe it -- it's still boggling my mind as I write this post! So I called a friend to come over, even though it was 10 p.m., so he could have a look 'cause he's one that had seen it before and had prayed for it. He definitely noticed the change. WHAT THE HECK?!

So the moral(s) of the story: God is a God of miracles! And when He tells you to pray for yourself, PRAY FOR YOURSELF!

Oh, and fyi, my leg still hurts. But I don't mind the pain now. It's just growing pains!

Since I have to be at work in 8 hours . . .

2008-11-04T18:15:00.003-06:00

. . . I'm heading to bed.

But I'll leave you with a few thoughts:

*I'm cold

*My fingers get confused by constantly switching back and forth between British and American keyboards

*I've started adding u's to words that don't need a u -- like colour, flavour, behaviour, mouldy -- what's up with that?!

*I love the fall colours (there I go again!) but I hate that it's starting to get dark at 4:00 p.m.

*I'm excited for team training tomorrow. Apparently God was moving and touching lots of the residents at the Nightshelter tonight.

*I got so caught up with life here I never got to print and mail off my ballot. So I'm really bummed I didn't get to vote. But I'm praying for God's will to be done.

*Speaking of praying, let's remember God's word:

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and HEAL THEIR LAND."
~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

For the Monkeys! Finally!!!

2008-11-03T22:55:00.003-06:00

Get off your butt and vote!

2008-10-19T18:45:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: Although I'm part of what a newspaper-reporter acquaintance of mine would call the "*indistinct muttering* religious right," I just want to encourage EVERY U.S. citizen to JUST VOTE! No matter who or what party you vote for, if you're registered to vote, JUST VOTE!

If you're anything like how I was a few years ago, you're barely even aware that there's an election at all. In 2000, I was in my early 20s and VERY full of myself and absorbed in my own little world. 8 years later, President Bush is about to finish his second term. I finally got my act together by 2004 and voted for Bush myself, but in retrospect, it would have been nice to have been a part of the 2000 election, as crazy as it was, to at least tell my grandchildren about it, right? :) Anyway, that is my personal history. In 2002 when there was a gubernatorial race, I wouldn't have known where or when to vote if all the political ads hadn't been airing nonstop on network TV. (I didn't have cable then, and Tony Sanchez was running for Texas governor against Rick Perry, and I got SO SICK of Sanchez' nonstop commercials that I voted for Perry out of spite!) I even remember there being some kind of special election in the middle of the year and getting mad hearing about it on the news after the fact because I didn't even know there was an election. What the heck? How come the election officials don't just send out a mass email to everyone and remind everybody when to vote and where the polling locations are??

Of course, as the years go by and technology keeps blossoming, it's harder to live under a rock, so you probably already know there's an election. :) As for me, I'm a citizen of this country, I'm registered to vote, I already decided months ago who to vote for, and I've got gas in my car. There's no reason why I shouldn't exercise my right to vote.

I think as you get older, you learn more to appreciate this right. When I worked at a local candidate's campaign in 2004, we didn't have 18-year-olds calling us asking us for a ride to the polls; we had elderly voters calling us. My family tried to raise me to appreciate basic American freedoms such as voting, and it's finally starting to sink in for me. (My mother immigrated to the U.S., legally, when she was 3 years old, but that's another story. :))

Recently, I've had conversations with people who have really strange reasons for not voting. One guy I talked to said he was a Democrat and belonged to a labor union, but he won't vote because he said all elections are rigged, so he just doesn't bother. Huh?? I couldn't respect his political opinion, because he wouldn't back it up at the polls. (And, not to mention, the rest of his ideas were just really irrational and out of whack.) And, quite frankly, a blanket accusation saying that all elections are rigged is an insult to campaign volunteers who work tirelessly and sacrificially, often as a labor of love, if their candidate ends up losing.

On the other end of the spectrum, a friend from church told me she won't vote because she doesn't want to elect the antichrist, and that her mama told her she didn't have to vote because she was a citizen of heaven. Huh?? I know she's talking about a verse in the Bible, Philippians 3:20, that says that Christians have their "citizenship...in heaven." But in its context, it basically says that we Christians should behave ourselves in a way that's consistent with our eternal destination. I should have explained to my friend that she doesn't have to pay taxes to heaven, and that heaven didn't issue her driver's license. (Plus, we women haven't always had the right to vote in this country! It's something we shouldn't take for granted!)

Whatever your reasons for voting, JUST VOTE! Educate yourself as much as you need to on the issues, or do whatever you need to do to make a decision, as long as you JUST VOTE! (You still have a little bit of time if you're still undecided, anyway. :) (JUST VOTE!)) Where I live, early voting starts tomorrow and continues through Halloween. The main day for voting nationwide is November 4. If you live in Dallas County, you can get more information at http://www.dalcoelections.org/

I like to avoid crowds, so I'm gonna do my darnedest to get off my butt and JUST VOTE! early, sometime this week. :)

This one's for you, a.

2008-10-18T00:19:00.001-05:00

It's called Desert Song from Hillsong.

This is the story behind the making of the video:

I'm LOVIN' it!

2008-10-14T18:01:00.002-05:00

For nearly two weeks my friend Elaine has been walking around the Nightshelter singing a song: "I will bring praise! I will bring praise! No weapon formed against me shall remain! I will rejoice! I will declare! God is my victory and He is here . . . " I've FINALLY found out the name of the song and immediately came home and googled it:

Isn't is amazing?

Things have been going well. Ups and downs, actually, but God is good. The Father's Heart Conf was really good. I have about 6 hours to make up of work, though, since I went to morning and afternoon sessions for two days when I should have been working afternoons. I'm still working through some of the charasmatic stuff that transpired. I dunno. Not ready to really get into it on the blogosphere . . .

The highs of the conference definitely brought on some lows in the shelter. Friday night was massively difficult. (Does that phrase even make sense?) Tensions were high as some came in drunk and others wounded from fights out in the streets. So I shouldn't have been too surprised to have to step between two different guys during two different fights. Thankfully the peace of God was upon me -- I wasn't scared at all. My only concern was that I was going to watch a group of residents kill a guy and I couldn't stop it. My coworker, Chris, was leading and about ready to crap his pants! During the most intense fight one guy threatened to kill another because he had disrespected me. His girlfriend was trying to push him out of the room and once I heard, "Don't you EVER talk to Debbie like that again! I'll kill you! I'll kick your a$$ for talking to her like that!" then I immediately stood in front of him trying to get his attention to let him know I was ok and he didn't have to do what he was doing. We eventually got him out of the room and calmed down. And it struck me how loyal these guys are. He really would have beaten this guy up for me. Later in the night I was grateful the residents didn't hear what a new guy said. Esp since he was new, they wouldn't have thought twice about it.

Tonight was better. But my poor friend Bryan was on gate when 5 people came up for the ONE remaining bed. Before he had gone out there they asked me if it was ok that I was doing kitchen again and I said absolutely. I HATE having to turn people away. He had been in the same position as the residents just four years ago, so it was really hard on him. One guy didn't take it too well so got rather verbally abusive and threw things around outside and kicked the door. He left before the police came 'round.

Ok, so it may sound really intense and my mom is probably freakin' out while reading this (and I haven't even disclosed everything!), but it's all good! Seriously! And I'm lovin' it! It's amazing how much God protects us, too. No one's been hurt during the fighting; they don't even come to blows! Even though some have tried to come into the house when refused entry, they don't make it in. We all arrive and get back home safely. The support is AWESOME, as well. If an incident occurs we can immediately call the manager on call and talk the situation through with them and they are faithful to immediately pray for us.

Working at the Nightshelter may be a far cry from teaching Kindergarten, but I know I'm here for a reason and there's been so much grace. I still haven't experienced any major culture shock or homesickness. Sure I'd love a plate of tamales, pan dulce, and some Chick-fil-a (prob not all at the same time . . . ), but it's all good! Sure, I'd love to hang out with the fam and see some friends, but it's all good! Sure, I'd love to be HOME for the holidays, but it's all good! God is faithful and has brought me here for NOW and for a purpose. And being here, I feel like I've been here forever. Yet at the same time I can't believe it's passing so quickly! It'll be 4 weeks Thurs that I arrived. Unbelievable. And the managers at the Shelter have so much faith in me. It's a bit scary! I'm seconding loads the next few weeks. I'm actually leading one of the night shifts this week and leading a late shift next month. Scary! I'll be the one making the ultimate decisions if something kicks off. Yikes! But God is good! And He's equipped me to do this, right?

Anywho, as you can read, your prayers are much needed!

No Hobbits Here

2008-10-09T16:44:00.004-05:00

Since arriving in Bedford exactly three weeks ago, I've been hearing about the upcoming conference "Touching the Father's Heart" by Peter Jackson. No not the LOTR Peter Jackson; the Canadian pastor Peter Jackson who teaches about the Father Heart of God. Yeah, I hadn't heard of him either.

Well, at the last minute, as usual, I decided to buy a ticket. I'm working Fri and Sat evenings, so at first I didn't think I could go. But seeing as how it started on a Thurs I could go to that and seeing as how there are morning and afternoon sessions could go to those as well and just work the hours I miss later in the week.

Anywho, tonight was the first day of the conference and it was very powerful. Reminiscent of World Mandate worship time, just on a way smaller scale. And of course no James Mark. I had to get used to the more intimate setting, the three member band, and the fully lit room. But once I stopped worrying about man, I was able to focus on God and truly engage with him.

I'd say tonight was a rather charasmatic experience. Not necessarily nothing I've not experienced before, but definitely different. But there was just a powerful moment of lying on the ground before the altar, as a symbol of surrender to God. People responded in different ways -- some laughing, some shouting, some weeping, some just being still before the Lord. Only God knows everyone's heart, so who am I to say whether something that's different from what I've experienced is wrong? I personally left a nice puddle of snot and tears in my wake . . .

All in all, it was a good evening and definitely refreshing. I'm going to the morning and afternoon sessions tomorrow and the morning session Saturday. I'm excited about receiving a deeper revelation of how much my Daddy loves me, because then I'll have the confidence to do anything and to love without reservations.

Questions

2008-10-06T18:18:00.002-05:00

It's amazing the favor I've had with the guys at the Nightshelter. From the time I arrived they were very accepting and responsive. And over the past two weeks I've not had a cross word with any of them.
Now I just need to work out the next step. I've come all this way to be a practical representation of Jesus; to be the hands and feet of Jesus, if you will. And they've accepted me and opened up to me. But how do I respond to the girl telling me about the hatred she has for her father because he abused her from the time she was a toddler? And how do I respond to the 17 year-old who came in hallucinating from drugs he almost overdosed on? And how do I respond to the middle-aged drunk man who was sexually assaulted and now has death threats against him because he went to the police?
It's one thing to have to turn someone away on a cold and wet night because there are no beds available. It's another to have the words to say to the broken ones who do make it through the door. How does the girl from Texas whose never touched a drug, been mistreated, and who has never doubted that her daddy loves her respond to such brokeness?
I just don't know sometimes . . .

Seriously

2008-10-05T20:10:00.003-05:00

I should be asleep. It's 2 a.m. And I was sleepy 3 hours ago. But then I came up to the sleepover room here at the Nightshelter and pulled out my computer. Which is dangerous, considering I don't have wireless internet at the house I'm staying in. I started reading blogs. Then perusing Facebook. And chatting with my Mom. And now I can't seem to find sleep. Or I'm not allowing myself to sleep.

Just to clear my head, here are Facebook statuses I would write if I obsessively updated Facebook statuses every other minute:

*Debbie can't believe her family got to swim back in Texas this weekend when she's suffering in temperatures below 40 degrees! And it's not even winter yet, people!

*Debbie is sleepy, but too addicted to the internet to sleep!

*Debbie is loving church at King's Arms.

*Debbie misses her mom after instant messaging her.

*Debbie can't believe she's missing all new episodes of her shows AND that 24 is starting up again in November!

*Debbie hates that all the pirated episodes of her shows keep getting taken off the internet before she can watch!

*Debbie needs to stop going to the American shop in Milton Keynes and purchasing things for 3x their value!

*Debbie is excited about making the American brownies she paid two arms and two legs for. (It was THAT expensive!)

*Debbie can't decide if she wants to work a split shift in the morning, which would involve her waking up and working from 8:30 to 9:30 and then coming back in the afternoon at 3:30 instead of 2:30.

*Debbie has less than a 5 min walk from home to the shelter, but has STILL managed to be late three times already! Oi!

*Debbie needs $800 for a return plane ticket in March.

*Debbie needs to trust God to provide for all her needs.

*Debbie would like a new computer battery, but it's not a great need.

*Debbie can't believe she's STILL discovering neat Mac tricks nearly two years after buying her computer.

*Debbie figured out how to connect her Mac and new mobile over bluetooth and transfer pics and music. Problem is now she needs a memory card for her phone so it can hold all the transfered files . . .

*Debbie had a fun weekend hanging out with girls.

*Debbie thinks the honeymoon is over and will soon discover life without weekends off.

*Debbie has only experienced culture shock one time in the past two weeks, when she was reminded that it's so not a big deal for guys and girls to house share here. That would NEVER happen in the States! (At least not w/in Christian circles.)

*Debbie is surprised that she's not really homesick.

*Debbie bought canvases and paint brushes, but now has no money left to buy paint. She doesn't even know what she would paint if she had it, though. She just wants to paint.

*Debbie is surprised by how much she's changed in only 4 years.

*Debbie is surprised by how much she hasn't changed in 4 years.

*Debbie wishes she could play with her nephews and niece.

*Debbie hates that everything she's cooked so far hasn't tasted like it should. The flavors in this country are not flavorful enough for her!

*Debbie is already running low on proper chili powder. After only two weeks!

*Debbie has eaten a heck of a lot of potatoes since being here.

*Debbie wishes she could have found proper Italian sausage for her pasta dish tonight.

*Debbie is happy there's another American on staff at the Nightshelter. It's nice hearing her accent. Perhaps she's a bit more homesick than she thought . . .

*Debbie needs to be use the potty but can't be bothered to get up, put on her shoes, and get the keys & mobile all so she can go one door over to the bathroom.

*Debbie met someone she can tag along with to work -- a teacher in a school outside of town who teaches the exact age group as Debbie!

*Debbie is sleepy.

*Debbie is going to bed.

*Debbie says, "Goodnight!"

One down, two to go

2008-10-01T04:58:00.004-05:00

Night shifts, that is.
I'm very sleepy and should prob be alseep by now. I try to stay up as late as I can so, therefore, I'll sleep a bit late ('til 6 or 7, I hope). But it's nearly 11 and I need to be tucked away in bed.
I was very happy to meet my fellow American colleague who was on holiday last week. Maybe it was the raw emotions of having worked all night, but I had the sudden urge to throw my arms around her and give her a huge hug once I heard her accent. We only talked briefly since I was leaving as she was coming, but we've already started making big plans for Thanksgiving and baking all things pumpkin. Yay!
Ok, I must be off to bed now. Esp if I want to wake up with enough time to cook up some good eats for tonight! I brought stuff for nachos last night - YUM! I'm thinking I want to make carne guisada today, but that depends if I wake up with a spare hour and a half to cook. Guess we'll have to wait and see! Night!

Hello, world! I have PMS!

2008-09-30T23:42:00.001-05:00

Honestly, I'm not sure why it's considered inappropriate for a woman to admit to people that her temporary insanity is largely due to hormones. This weeklong distortion and amplification of emotions is a fact of life, and the sooner a woman (and the world around her) learns to live with it, the better.

As a Christian, I'm learning that God allows women to go through PMS to learn how to manage their emotions. Not every emotion that comes along is wrong to feel (i.e., anger). It's what you do with it that matters. For me, I know that for about a week or so, I'm going to be more irritable, arrogant, anxious, and overall unstable than usual. It's a time when God seems to be farther away, so I need to be aware that it's probably because of the hormonal fog in my brain. I'm going to have a bigger appetite (so fried chicken or a burger will probably be OK), and yes, chocolate becomes a drug that mysteriously helps me feel better! I'll feel more fatigued and just overall bla, so I shouldn't necessarily feel guilty about feeling tired or sluggish. If anything around me seems more annoying than usual, it's probably the hormones. And since my judgment is clouded, I try not to make any major decisions during PMS! The night before it ends, I'm probably going to have a mini-meltdown, cry a lot, and reevaluate my life.

Of course, if I mess up -- act like a total witch around everybody or make really stupid decisions or pig out unnecessarily -- I'll need to be responsible for my actions. (If I offend anyone, I'll need to apologize... and people will need to call me on that. :">) But it's good to be aware that this mini-war will rage inside me temporarily, and everything will be OK in the end.

I think I'm so into mastering emotional awareness because in recent years, keeping my emotions in check has been a MAJOR challenge that I've had to learn (and am still learning). In the past, I've taken out my crap on people and allowed my brain to fry in the heat of some uncontrolled emotions (i.e., anger, rage, anxiety, jealousy, you name it!). I, uh, learned a lot in my visit to a psychiatric hospital and follow-up therapy several years ago. :"> The antidepressant they put me on was SO nice because it numbed me back to normalcy. After I tapered off the drug, I started feeling my emotions WAAAY strongly! (I wasn't just happy, I was REALLY HAPPY!!! I wasn't just scared, I was REALLY SCARED!!!) Learning how to control them without medicine has been an adventure (understatement!) and a rewarding journey.

Now, I can even recognize emotional PMS changes in other women, and being sensitive to that is helpful in getting along with them. (Of course, anytime a woman fails to control her temper doesn't automatically mean that she's got PMS. :">)

One of my favorite episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond is the one where Ray tries to get Debra to see how crappily she treats him when she has PMS. He says, "This isn't Debra! This is the woman who shows up once a month to rip into me like a monkey on a cupcake!"

Mmm... cupcake. Yes, world, as I write this, I do have PMS. If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go raid my kitchen for some chocolate. :o)

Transforming Lives

2008-09-28T19:05:00.003-05:00

One of the coolest things about coming back to work at The Nightshelter after four years is seeing what God has done in people's lives in that time.

I've already mentioned Bryan, one of the guys currently working at the Shelter that was a resident when I first came over 4 years ago. He used to smoke (cigarettes and cannibas) multiple times a day. He went to church, but didn't do much beyond that. He had been homeless since he was 15 (I knew him at 19), so inevitably dropped out of school. In these four years he has matured tremendously. He's become a man of God and it's amazing to see him working with the guys. Even walking around town, he knows most every street guy and they all seem to respect him. He boldly speaks the truth of God's Word into their lives. Just the other night a guy agreed with another resident that he was ugly. Bryan quickly said (even though he was starting his 3rd waking night shift and very tired), "But what about when it says in the Bible that you are fearfully and wonderfully made? How can you call yourself ugly when you're God's creation?" I was blown away that he thought to say that!

Another guy who I've seen around church but haven't been able to speak to is Marty. He arrived at the Nightshelter with a friend of his from Ireland. Marty had stayed at the Shelter a couple years before and when he and his friend decided to leave Ireland they made their way to Bedford and the Shelter. When I knew him, he couldn't bring himself to come to church. He would set out to church every Sunday morning, but was never able to actually walk through the front door. Eventually he did, and shortly after that his friend died of an overdose. Rather than turning from God out of pain he was able to turn to God with his pain. And after some healing he even met and married a lovely girl, whose name escapes me at the moment. Now, he's one of the volunteers who helps set up before and after services, so is always one of the first to arrive and last to leave.

This evening I talked to another guy named Dave. In the time I was on Project he lived in both the Shelter and Barton House (the transitional house for the homeless King's Arms runs). I saw him at church tonight, somewhere I never would have seen him four years ago since he was quite bitter towards God. He now has his own flat and just recently celebrated the first sober birthday he's had in 15 years!

Seeing these guys all these years later gives me a renewed hope for the guys I'm serving now. It IS possible for lives to be transformed, and I'm fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take part in that transformation!

I must've missed the memo...

2008-09-25T18:48:00.004-05:00

that it was Show up at the Shelter Drunk Day!

We had 3 guys come up that were highly intoxicated. Two were allowed in and sent to their bed. The third couldn't even stand up straight and wasn't allowed inside. I think he had been barred, anyway, and must've forgotten when he decided to come try for a bed. I ended up calling the police because he wasn't leaving and we didn't want the neighbors complaining. Then one of the guys who was sent to his bed up and left and his girlfriend ran out after him. Once they leave after coming into the shelter for the night they're given 1/2 a warning (after 2 warnings you're barred) and they're not allowed back in until the next night. I feel bad for the girl who ran after her boyfriend because she left so impulsively she didn't even grab a coat, and she was wearing a short skirt and t-shirt! I hope she manages to stay warm tonight...

After the first crazy hour, things calmed down. I went out back to talk to B, the second guy that got sent to bed, when he was allowed out for a cigarette. He was very upset with my fellow staff members, so I chatted with him a bit and got him to calm down a little. It was sad talking to him. He had just found his parent' gravesites and had been spending a lot of time up there. They died when he was 15 (he's now in his 50's), and after they died he basically had to raise himself. He got quite emotional about it all. He also told me about his kids, who are around my age, that he hasn't seen in ages since he's allowed alcohol to consume his life. He truly is a broken man and he needs a revelation from God. He relies soley on his support worker, who happens to be my friend Justyna. It's hard for her because he's basically placed all his hopes in her -- that's she'll reunite him with his children, that she'll find him an appropriate place to live, that she'll always go to doc appointments with him, etc. Let's pray that B will have a revelation that GOD is what he needs and the only One who can sort him out.

I want to share more, but it's nearly 1 a.m. and I should be off to bed. Ciao!

I'm cold

2008-09-25T06:26:00.002-05:00

And it's only September. It's gonna be a long winter.

I slept nearly 10 hours last night. Maybe a bit more. Don't know if it was exhaustion or delayed jet lag. I did a sleep over @ the Nightshelter on Tues night and I didn't sleep at all. I didn't go up until 1 because I was talking to Bryan, one of the staff members who was actually a resident when I was working there 4 years ago (at which time he was 19 and had already been homeless for 4 years). We had a lot to catch up on! Then as soon as I laid my head upon the pillow, ready for sweet dreams, I heard the water boiler. And what sounded like running water as if someone was showering. Oi! That lasted long enough to wake me up. So I slept on and off, fully aware of having to keep an ear out for the emergency phone and not wanting to oversleep since I had to go down at 8:30. Therefore, I was wide awake at 6.

After a quick washing up of breakfast dishes and kicking the guys out at 9, I had to rush into town to the offices because we had a training entitled "The Art of Defusing." Conflict, that is. It lasted all freakin' day. But it was helpful. A lot of the core elements are exactly the same as the ones you learn as a teacher. Only these guys aren't little ones. And they're usually drunk or on drugs when they're involved with conflict. Other than that, just the same.

I had a nice evening off. Jez made us Shepherd's pie and then rushed off to a Healing Prayer team meeting. Justyna told me I should go to have a look at the eligible guys, but I thought better of it. Lol! We ended up hanging out at home, drinking coffee and tea out in the garden...in the freezing cold. We didn't stay out there too long.

I still can't get over how quiet the shelter is these days. The guys are all chill. Well, there was one incident on gate Tues night. We refused to let someone in because he was drunk and had just punched another resident when they were down the street. He came back and was banging on the door, but he left before we thought it necessary to call the police. I was back in the kitchen serving up dinner, so I missed most of the action.

The residents are still very happy to get to know me. They're very kind and ask me questions about myself. In fact, I think they were trying to be matchmakers between me and another staff member, but I don't think that will happen. He's a great guy and all, just well into his 40's! But they mean well. It's just a sign that they want to take care of me, in a weird way.

Ok, I'm off until next time!

New pet peeves

2008-09-25T00:48:00.002-05:00

As I get older, I learn how important it is for me to know myself. :) Especially when getting along with other people and drawing healthy boundaries, it's important to know which buttons shouldn't be pressed, right? During one stage of my life, I unearthed a whole batch of pet peeves (dated 8/22/06, which you're welcome to read on this blog that I share here with Debbie). Now some new ones have surfaced.

1. Terms of address. In Texas, it's common to refer to a stranger as "Sir" or Ma'am," traditionally out of respect for elders, but really I think it's more out just of respect for other people, especially strangers. I normally call cashiers at the grocery store "Sir" or "Ma'am," even though they're about half my age. (Shucks, even my own mother sometimes calls me "Ma'am.") On the other side of the coin, if you've barely met me, PLEASE DON'T CALL ME "SWEETIE!!" Just because I probably look younger than you, and you haven't figured out how to pronounce my name yet, that does NOT give you the right to call me a term of endearment! (One man who was handing out bulletins at church even called me "Darlin'" once. AAAGH!!!) "Ma'am" or "Miss" would do just fine. Besides -- how do you know how sweet I am or ain't until you get to know me? :">

2. Marital status discrimination. Yes, according to one discrimination training I attended at a previous job, this one does exist! No wonder it felt wrong for older people at another job to give me crappy hours just because I was young and didn't have a family to hurry home to. (Mainly it bothers me outside the workplace, though.) Can you please not take me for granted just because I haven't found Mr. Right yet? My time is just as important as anyone else's; I'm just not responsible for managing it with a husband and family yet.

3. Not replying to my emails/messages. If you email or write me, and I reply back, I've done my part in the communication, right? And I understand that life gets busy. A friend of mine and I email back and forth, literally about every 3 or 4 months, but it's consistent; we've faithfully kept in touch since college. But if I send you an email or phone message, and then I wait a few months for you to reply, and then I run into you and you're like, "Hey! I haven't heard from you in a while!" and this is the trend in our friendship, I'll probably be like, "Uh, the ball's in your court, babe." I mean, how hard is it to hit the Reply button, type something briefly, and hit Send? Just sayin'. :)

4. Maturity: listening skills. Part of growing up means learning that life doesn't revolve around you. (Or that it shouldn't, anyway.) So, when you're carrying on a conversation with someone, it's important to listen, i.e., mentally compute and store, what they say. Remember it for later. Match it with one of your experiences. When I am sharing a dream or my heart with you, can you please at least make some kind of effort to remember it? Or at least part of it? I spilled my guts to people years ago about crushes I've had or dreams I've pursued, and months or years later, I'll have to repeat the whole thing. I know you've probably slept since then, and I've done the same thing, but after a while, it gets old. In a lighter example, one friend of mine keeps asking me where I work, and I've told her half a dozen times. And usually when I answer, I catch myself sighing frustratedly and making myself not explode. AAAGH!!!

5. Maturity: opinion vs. fact. This is America, where you're free to enjoy a variety of almost everything. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and not everyone is going to have the same taste. For example, if I listen to someone tell me how much they love New Kids on the Block, and if I politely hold my tongue because I think NKOTB is one of the most pointless bands of all time, and I have awkward childhood memories of not liking the same music that every other kid in America did back then, can you please not make gagging noises when I tell you how much I love The Carpenters or ABBA? They're an acquired taste, really (yes, like bacon mints...long story). But just because you think one band or form of entertainment is the greatest in the whole world, doesn't mean it is. It just is to YOU. And I can respect that. :) Thank you for the music.

Remembering His Promise

2008-09-24T17:09:00.002-05:00

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favour
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion --
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
insead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of the spirit of despair.
They will be called OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of His splendour.

~ISAIAH 61:1-3

So far, so good

2008-09-23T05:52:00.002-05:00

Day 1 went well. I refamiliarized myself with the shelter and met a couple of the new staff members who were in. The guys were very accepting as well (thanks for praying!). Most all of them had heard of a new American starting named Debbie who'd be living with Justyna & Jez. A couple even knew my age. Justyna was telling me that she had talked to some on Friday and they were asking about me saying, "There's a new girl starting, yeah? Her name's Debbie. She'll be living with you. She starts work Monday..." She was surprised they knew so much, esp since at the time I didn't know when I'd be starting!

I really didn't get to talk to many of them. Only in passing. I spent a lot of time talking to one guy, I'll call Vic. He's from Nigeria. And he basically started preaching to me -- way to turn the tables! It was good, though! He was saying as Christians Christ's resurrection is at the core of our being, and we have to have faith that He is able to resurrect that which we thought was lost (for example, that He'll provide in our need, that He'll heal our sickness, etc) He also told me how he didn't know why he's ended up where he is, poor and homeless. He's educated and just made some poor decisions and trusted the wrong people. And he said he knew he was there for a reason. Probably so he'd remember the poor, because back in his country he would just pass them by and not give them a second thought. Or he'd have negative thoughts towards them, thinking it was their own fault they were in such a place. I was blown away! And if I were in the same position, I don't think I'd be asking God what lessons He had for me to learn. I might be a bit too bitter or angry for that!

Please pray for Vic - that he finds a job and is able to afford his own place. And that the applications he's submitted for housing will yield something. Oh, and to show you his intelligence, the man studied bio-chemistry, for crying out loud!

I'm working tonight and am on sleepover. That means I'll sleep upstairs in the staff room so I'm around in case something happens and the night staff needs backup. Let's pray it's a peaceful evening like last night. And I have an early shift in the morning, but I'll be going to the offices for a training with most of the KAP staff. So I'll get to meet more of them.

Ok, I'm off to finish getting ready and to pack my bag for tonight. Ciao!

Gotta Make It Quick

2008-09-21T19:14:00.003-05:00

It's 1 a.m., I'm freezing, & I drank a bit too much water earlier, so this will be quick.

I'm adjusting to England so far. Has it hit me I'm here? I guess. On the day I left I told my friend Elaine I felt disconnected. So I suppose I'm a bit more connected, so to speak.

I enjoyed church at King's Arms tonight. It's nice to be there again and I felt at home. I start working at the Nightshelter tomorrow evening. Please pray it all goes well and that I adjust and the guys adjust to having me there.

I've managed to avoid most political talk while I've been here. Only two convos, both very short. My political views are definitely the minority here in Europe, even within the church, so I just pray I'm not forced into any heated debates. That will more than likely take place at the Shelter if anywhere. The guys aren't quite as gracious as the Christians I meet/know.

I've tried calling home a couple of times, but Mom & Dad never answer the phone. So for their sakes, I'll say I'm fine and adjusting well. So Mom knows, I bought some vitamins my very first day and have been faithfully taking them -- a multivitamin, co Q-10, cod liver oil, and vitamin c. I'm taking them as much for my health as for the sake of my nails, which have grown quite brittle and easily split/chipped. Very sad. I keep them cut short, hoping that will help.

I had fun in Cambridge with Bekki & Debs. I can't post any pics because Jez & Justyna don't have wireless, so I can't use my computer. Perhaps I'll upload pics to their computer.

I spent the weekend hanging out with Justyna. We did some shopping in town yesterday. I'm trying to be frugal, so I spent very little -- I bought a £2.25 coin purse and £3 slippers. It sounds cheap, but it's over $10! I've nearly spent all the cash I bought with me since I had to purchase some necessities as well as grocery shop. But I'm good to go.

Justyna's promised to set me up with babysitting jobs, since she's forcing me to go to a New Kid's on the Block concert with her in January. I've promised to go as long as I can earn the money. She's rather motivated since she purchased the ticket already and has to wait for me to pay her back. Ha!

And it's my goal to learn how to drive a standard transmition while I'm here. I'm legal to drive since I have a U.S. driver's license. Jez said he'll teach me. I have a bit of experience, and I'm thankful that even though I'll be sitting on the right side of the car, the pedals are still in the same order. So I shouldn't get too confused. Hopefully.

Like I said, I start work tomorrow. I'm working late shifts (2:30-10:30) Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, and an early Wed (during which I'll be in a "conflict resolution" training). I have the weekend off, don't know about Monday, and start nights (10:30 pm - 9 am) next Tuesday. I'm not too concerned about nights. My body is used to being forced to stay awake at all hours. But let's see how I'm doing after two days in a row of it . . .

Ok, off to bed. I hope to wake up in time to go for a walk and then finish organizing my room before work. I'm having to be creative with that last one.

Let me know how you people are doing!

A Quick Update

2008-09-18T18:07:00.007-05:00

since it's already midnight here and I need to get to sleep. Below is most of the email I sent out once I arrived. I only omitted my contact info. If you're interested in either receiving my email updates and/or want my contact info and you're not on my list, leave me a message.

It's been a great day so far, catching up with Debs and meeting Elly. Tomorrow Debs will take me to Cambridge to meet Bekki and after spending the afternoon there we'll finally head over to Bedford. It still hasn't hit me I'm here. But that could be because I'm sleep deprived. Ok, off to bed!

Hi all, just wanted to update you and let you know I arrived safe and sound. The flight was very nice. There was no one in the seat next to me so I got to stretch out a bit. However, I only dozed for an hour and a half. No real sleep.

When I arrived at the border check, I had to wait for about 25 minutes for the nice agent to check my documents. He had to following up with the visa application I submitted three months ago, even though that particular visa was denied, and he also called King's Arms to make sure I really am working for them. Despite the long wait and uncertainty, I felt rather peaceful about it . . . the first 5 minutes or so. But I knew God wouldn't bring me this far just to shut the door. And since he called King's Arms, they knew what was going on and promptly started praying. The agent was really nice and actually stamped my passport with a 6 month visa stamp instead of the normal tourist stamp, since I would actually be doing voluntary work. And it was an answer to prayer because he didn't even ask to see my return flight info, which I had misplaced along the way!

Many of you have asked about my contact information, either to send donations or to send care packages/letters. My mom is handling my finances while I'm away, so you can contact her if you'd like to make financial contributions . . .

. . .

I don't start work until Monday, so I have plenty of time to settle in and adjust to the new time zone (we're 6 hours ahead of U.S. central time).

Thanks again for your prayers and support, and I hope to hear from you!

We are blessed

2008-09-14T23:31:00.004-05:00

Our lights went out Friday night around 11. We were blessed they lasted that long.

All night long we heard the wind banging against the windows and the rain pelting the house. The wind was blowing so hard we feared the windows might give way. A fear fed by the fact that rain water started seeping in through the front-facing windows. We were blessed that our windows held.

My uncle brought over a little battery operated t.v., and throughout the hours without electricity we would switch it on and soak up the images of the world outside our house, as devastating as most of them were. Today, we were blessed to be some of the fortunate few that are able to watch the newscasts, both positive and negative.

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, we could actually see the wind and rain pounding our house. We were blessed that we only had to endure a few short hours of seeing the onslaught.

When the rain let up, we stepped outside to quickly survey the damage. We were blessed that only parts of the fence went down and nothing slammed into our house.

Halfway through Saturday, I don't know when exactly because we were all passed out, miserable from the heat, our electricity came back. We were blessed, considering that as of Sunday evening there are still over 2.5 million people without power.

We have electricity, water & gas in our home, as well as plenty of drinking water, food and emergency supplies. I was able to take a shower this morning. What a blessing!

Ike wrecked havoc on my city, and I'm saddened by the images flooding the television and internet. On Wednesday I'm supposed to board a plane and fly far, far away from my home. I'm gutted to be leaving when my city is in such devastation. I'd much rather stay behind and help my friends and family recover. But I know they, and Houston, are in good hands. And I pray many more blessings will be showered upon them in the coming days, weeks, and years.

The good thing about Ike

2008-09-12T20:07:00.004-05:00

A beautiful sunset.

Some Pre-Ike Footage

2008-09-12T19:27:00.003-05:00

It's nothing spectacular; just wanted to give ya a glimpse of what things are like down here...

2008-09-12T14:39:00.002-05:00

It's looking quite ominous outside. The sunny skies have been chased away by the outer bands of Ike. It hasn't started raining yet, but the wind is picking up a bit more. It's still not anywhere near where it's going to be, though.

I literally just heard the weather man say that there are four factors in storm surge: storm size, storm speed, storm fetch, and storm angle -- and we have ALL FOUR at the worst case. Great.

There are areas near the coast that have already started to flood and not one drop of rain has fallen. How crazy is that?!

Anywho, we're still gonna stay put and see what happens. My grandma is here now. She and my uncle boarded up her house and packed up much of her stuff. She brought some yummy food, so we're having a bit of a hurricane party!

But keep us in your prayers. Now they're projecting 10-15" of rain. *sigh*

They say a picture's worth a 1,000 words...

2008-09-11T16:26:00.004-05:00

Ike's nearly filling up the whole Gulf!!!
No bueno...

Let's not forget...

2008-09-11T00:20:00.002-05:00

One more week, people

2008-09-10T16:37:00.002-05:00

In exactly one week I will be heading out the door and making my way to Bush Intercontinental Airport so I can board a flight headed for London.

YIKES!!!!

And while I'm making the final plans and preparations for my departure, I'm watching Ike churning in the Gulf and they're saying he may cause major damage here, ruining plans for my going away party.

*sigh*

So here are some major things you can pray about:

1. NO HURRICANE! I would HATE to not have a final opportunity to say goodbye to my friends and family. That would majorly suck! Also, if a hurricane does happen to come this way, that we would have wisdom as to what to do (leave, stay, board up, ride it out, etc).

2. I would use my remaining time here wisely -- that I would finish up everything NOW and not wait 'til LATER, so I can enjoy my final days/hours and not have to spend them running around going crazy!

3. Peace of mind -- for getting everything finalized, for leaving my home and family and friends, for trusting God to provide all that I need.

Ok folks, with that said, I'm off to pack my big suitcase and figure out how those vacuum-sealed garment bags work. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Farewell, you served me well

2008-09-09T23:03:00.001-05:00

Remember when I mentioned ordering a new charger for my computer? Well, it finally arrived a few days ago and I was giddy as a schoolgirl as I went to plug it in. My eyes lit up along with the little green light that indicated power was surging into my computer. Strange that it's green and not the usual orange indicating the battery is charging, I thought. Oh well.

I gently opened the top and waited for the screen to magically light, trying to recall what I had been doing when the computer suddenly lost all power and went into sleep mode. I broadly smiled as all the desktop icons appeared and I checked the upper-right-hand corner to see what the battery icon had to say for itself . . . What the HECK?! I've never seen the battery icon with an X in it. What does that mean . . .

Well folks, it means that my battery is dead.

*sigh*

Thankfully I can still use my computer without a living and actively charging battery. I've been testing it out this week, to see how hindering it is to not have a battery. 'Cause after all, it's a luxury, not a necessity. I can't say that I'm completely content, but right now $120 on a new computer battery isn't in the budget. Why couldn't this happen while I was working and earning a nice, plump teacher salary, I don't know. God's funny like that...

I'm shattered!

2008-09-06T21:44:00.002-05:00

That's British for exhausted. I need to start integrating the lingo again so I don't experience too much culture shock come September 18.

Crap. That date's coming fast.

I had a garage sale today to help raise money for my trip. ((Is it considered a "trip" when you'll be gone for 6 months or possibly a year?)) I had wonderful people donate some items (like Brandi and Dani -- THANK YOU!!!) and my friend Carla came over with her three kids to help me organize and price. They were life savers! Yet as hard as we all worked, my mom and I were still up pretty much all night finishing up. It was a mess this morning, attempting to set up while people kept trying to sort through boxes that needed to be unpacked. We were able to drive the earliest birds away (the 5:30-6:00 ones), but by 6:30 there was no holding the masses back. The two microwaves and 1/3 of the furniture we set out was gone before 7:30!

My parents and grandma were HUGE blessings. Definitely couldn't have done it all without them! My grandma's nature is to serve; if she's not able to help you by doing something, then she doesn't feel the love flowing. So I put her to work sewing up seams that needed stitching, reattaching heads to stuffed animals, and cleaning small appliances to make them presentable to sale. One of the fancy dresses she mended I decided to keep after all. Ya never know when you need a dressy dress!

It was a good experience over all. A bit overwhelming at first and I pretty much agreed to whatever deals people wanted to cut. But after an hour or so I got my bearings and was able to negotiate more. And then I decided I really didn't want to have too much stuff left over and was more concerned with getting rid of things. My parents donated an extra china cabinet and a damaged entertainment center and I was happy that they were both bought and taken off our hands! Well, the entertainment center is still in the driveway and I really hope the lady who already paid for it comes back for it . . . and that someone who didn't pay for it doesn't take it . . . We tried to move it back into the garage or at least into the backyard, but it was IMPOSSIBLE. I don't want to be the one to move it again!

Overall, we made enough to pay for most of my plane ticket! Or to live comfortably over there for almost 2 months; uncomfortably for 3 months. And I've been blessed to have people donate money without me having to ask for anything. It's encouraging to know that God really is providing as I step out in faith!

The driving force behind me having a garage sale to begin with came from Luke 18, when Jesus tells the rich ruler that in order to inherit eternal life he must sell everything he owns and give to the poor. It seriously came to mind every single day until I finally sucked it up and did it. And because I felt God leading me to do it, there was such an abundance of grace to get me through the past few days. Granted, it's a daily battle not to let my fears get the best of me, but I'm learning how to trust Him more and more each day.

I'm Back!

2008-08-30T23:18:00.005-05:00

Kinda, sorta.

I'm back from my unintentional blog hiatus. Well, you see, what had happened was we went to the beach last weekend and I didn't bother taking my laptop since there's no internet connection. Then when we got back from the beach I went to charge my computer and noticed the little charger light kept going on and off. Upon closer inspection I discovered that the end of my charger was damaged. The end of the wire closest to the base that plugs into the wall was frayed -- the plastic coating was broken and the wires inside were coming apart. As I watched some thin wires came undone and even smoked and sparked a little. Needless to say I promptly removed the MagSafe end from my computer and then the plug from the outlet. So as much as it sucks that I have to order a whole new charger for $70+ I'm fortunate that it lasted over a year and a half. Reading online, I've discovered some people's chargers go after only 3 or 4 months. Another problem is their computer gets so hot the magnetic connector gets melted into their computer. So I should count my blessings! But my charger is ordered along with the world traveler adapter kit. I only needed the UK adapter but had to order the whole kit with all the different continents' adapters to get the one! *sigh* I did get a bit a break using the educator's discount and having free shipping. Anywho . . .

Being away at the beach, I missed the closing ceremony of the Olympics. Therefore, there was no proper closure for me. And being without my computer, I haven't been able to look it up online. I seriously didn't know what to do with myself after I got home Tuesday night. But I'm better. I'm SO THERE in 2012 -- it'll be in LONDON! If I'm not living there at that time, I'll definitely still have friends in the area. And I promised my nephews if they saved their money I'll take them with me. I seriously will! Hopefully I'll be working full-time again by then and can supplement whatever they are able to save up. Brandi just told me a story about how Daniel found a penny today and said, "Oh look! A penny! I'll save it for my trip to London!" So they're not going to forget the promise anytime soon and how fun will that be! London for them and the Olympics for me!!!

I'm on presidential campaign overload. I admit I was one of the millions who watched Obama's speech. It was a historical moment. BUT, I must point out that it was inevitable that he would have higher ratings than the Olympics Opening Ceremony and the finale of American Idol -- it was broadcast on every freakin' station! DUH! Any idiot would know that it would be watched by more people than an event that is aired on one station like Idol or 3 or 4 stations like the Olympics. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure that one out! So can we please stop talking about it?

Since we're talking about politics, I must add that I try. I try to stay informed. I try to read up on the issues and the candidates' stances. I try to be interested. But sometimes it makes me just want to bang my head into the wall!

That being said, I've kept an open mind during this political season. However, I cannot go against my gut and my fundamental beliefs; my moral beliefs. As popular as it is amongst my peers and all of Hollywood, I just cannot vote liberal. It's the abortion issue. And I cringe when I hear about Obama's stance on abortion. Sure I care about the environment. Of course I'm concerned about the war in Iraq (I have dear friends over there!). And I'm one of the millions without health insurance! But none of that matters in the face of life; God's creation. So I stick with my gut and vote with the one who closely follows my morals. Then, pray like mad that God's will is done. And do what I can to make sure people with the same moral convictions are elected (on all levels, not just the presidental) so they can make positive changes in the environment, health care, war, and economical issues.

So instead of flinging mud at each other from across the political and virtual blog fences, can we just do what scripture says:

How awesome is that?! God promises to heal our land! Not just the people, the land. From war. From sickness & disease. From waste & over-consumption. All's we gotta do is PRAY and SEEK HIM and, here's the hard one for us, TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS. Something tells me sin and healing don't go hand-in-hand. We've got to face our sin, people. Not just individual sin but our nation-wide sin, and then TURN FROM IT!

Mercy, Lord!

Now, to change subject again, I sure am happy that in a few weeks I'll be out of earshot of the constant political mumbo jumbo and attempted brain-washing. How's that? Because I'm moving to England, that's why! I'm going back to volunteer with King's Arms Project. FINALLY! Yes, I've been talking about it for years; so long I'm sure some doubted I'd ever go. Heck, I doubted I'd ever go! But I find myself 17 days away from a possible life-altering move. And I'm super excited and scared outta my mind, all at the same time! It's a huge step of faith, but God hasn't slammed the door in my face yet, so I'm gonna go through it! I'll update y'all more another time. Now, it's time for bed. I'm in Waco for the last time and I'm excited about going to Antioch tomorrow and worshiping in the church that still feels like home even after 4+ years of being away.

(((Hat tip to Bird for the link re Obama's stance)))

Yours

2008-08-15T17:33:00.004-05:00

I thought this appropriate, considering where I'm moving next month and I've been wanting to take a trip to Africa for a while now.

I heard this for the first time on the radio this morning and I definitely had tears in my eyes. And it was neat 'cause KSBJ had a version that said, "Houston" instead of "Nashville." Also, I noticed he added in another verse at the end talking about how he's experienced the shadow of the valley of death that's caused him to question his faith. I would have cried even more had I known it was Stephen Curtis Chapman singing . . .

" . . . provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of BEAUTY instead of ashes, the oil of GLADNESS instead of mourning, and a garment of PRAISE instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, a planting of the LORD for the display of his SPLENDOR."

Isaiah 61:3

Thankful Thursday, Summer Olympics Version

2008-08-14T23:16:00.003-05:00

Forgive my obsession . . .

1. I love that my dad sat down and watched the entire beach volleyball game tonight, thinking it was for a medal. When it was over and he found out Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh beat the Belgium Amazon Women in one of many rounds, he got up and facetiously muttered, "What a waste of time!" LOL!

2. When Ryan Lochte won the gold medal tonight I saw his dad cheering for his son with tears in his eyes. And after the awards ceremony Lochte went over to hug his family and give his mom the flowers he was presented. I immediately thought of the reports we hear of how potential Chinese olympic athletes are taken from their parents at age 3 and only allowed to see them a couple of days a year. Watching Lochte with his family made me thankful that they're showing China that it's possible to be an olympic gold medalist without having to leave your family for rigorous training beginning at age 3. Of course the same can be said for Phelps & his family. And many other athletes, for that matter.

3. As I already made mention, I love how at the end of the medal ceremony many of the athletes climb onto the press seats so they can reach up to hug family and pass off their flowers.

4. When the athletes sing their national anthem while standing on the medal stand. It's even more touching when they're so emotional about their win they can't even get all the words out.

5. The predominately Chinese audience always cheers for the winner, no matter if they're Chinese or not.

6. Watching Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson win gold and silver, respectively, in the all-around women's gymnastics. My mom and I, along with the commentators, couldn't believe how low they were being scored at the beginning. Thankfully it all worked out in the end in for them!

7. Seeing the nations come together. Not just each nation competing on their own, but seeing fans intermixed in the audiences, waiving their flags, and cheering for each other.

Finally, this is more of a THINKful thing rather than a THANKful thing: I THINK, IMHO, that indoor volleyball games will go a lot faster if the guys stopped hugging and slapping each other's booties after scoring each and every point.

"Tell me all your thoughts on..."

2008-08-13T00:59:00.006-05:00

...the olympics!

I've watched more summer olympics this year than I have in my whole life. And I'm actually loving it!

I'm officially a Phelps phan!

And I'm in love with the mens gymnastics team, esp Jonathan Horton. I love the sportsmanship they showed and the fact that they graciously accepted scores well below what they earned in some events, and didn't complain when other countries (particularly China) scored higher than they should have (the same could be said for the womens' team as well). I loved how they rallied behind each other and how Horton constantly encouraged his teammates, took every opportunity to speak excitedly to the cameras, and thanked God for getting them on the medal stand. I loved how they didn't blame a teammate for making a mistake; they each knew they could of easily been the one in that position. Most of all, I loved how they joyously celebrated the fact that they won the bronze! Absolutely no disappointment for not medalling higher or for losing the lead they had early on!

Going back to Phelps: I love watching his mom and sisters as they watch him race. His mom is a nervous wreck every single time. And one sister in particular is balling her eyes out before he even finishes the race! And I don't get the feeling that he's arrogant about all his wins (a total of TEN career gold medals so far!!!); it's almost as though he's racing against himself, seeing how far he can push himself and not necessarily overly concerning himself with his other competitors. Granted, I'm positive he knows they're there! But his goal isn't to grind them to dust . . . or since he's a swimmer would that be "feed them to the fish?"

I love the Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh volleyball duo. Specifically the deep friendship and obvious love and concern for each other.

I think it's funny that every time she pulls her goggles down around her eyes before a race begins, Katie Hoff has deep circle lines around her forehead where her goggles had just been. And then she always rubs along the bottom of the goggles as a nervous habit. At least, I think it's Hoff; they all look completely different once those swim caps come off!

The absolute best moment was the mens 400 freestyle relay. Especially after the French were talking crap about demolishing the Americans! This video is British, but even the American commentator was going on and on and ON about how every way he worked it out there was absolutely NO WAY the Americans could win, the French were just too good. Every American (and non-American) needs to see this, even those of you reading who aren't into the Olympics at all (Bird). Seriously. ~~And I'm posting the 4 minute version, not the 8 minute version you could only see on the [be warned] extremely shady site here.~~ I love how in the 8 min version the French guy with the big mouth stays in the water, stunned, for a solid 5 minutes! And oh, how the Americans celebrate! ~~Quick, go watch before You Tube bans the video:~~ TOO LATE! But I replaced it with the longer version:

Eight one-hundreths of a SECOND, people.

Amazing!

Speaking of the Father Heart of God . . .

2008-08-11T15:36:00.002-05:00

In honor of the Olympics

2008-08-08T21:58:00.002-05:00

Something that makes me tear up every time I watch:

The first time I saw footage of this was when Jimmy used a clip in a sermon illustration about 6-8 years ago. An excellent example of the Father Heart of God. Powerful stuff.

In this clip Derek Redmond is recalling the events:

Now it's 5:00 a.m.

2008-08-05T05:01:00.002-05:00

Those crazily vigilant newscasters showed some videos that have already been posted of TS Edouard on You Tube. I do not want to EVER work on an oil rig in the Gulf!

And, I just need to point out that it's Tropical Storm EDOUARD (like Edward), NOT Eduardo (with a long O at the end -- I heard it pronounced like that more than once on You Tube videos and just had to make the correction. 'Cause, you know, those people will be reading this post shortly, right...)

It's 4:30 a.m.

2008-08-05T04:27:00.004-05:00

...and I'm still awake.

*sigh*

Can't seem to clear my mind.

It doesn't help that I just put the news on to hear the latest of the almost-hurricane that will hit the area w/in the next 5-6 hours.

(("Almost-hurricane" sounds sooo much more ominous and romantic than "tropical storm," doesn't it?))

(((That would be the Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, early 19th century "romantic" definition)))

Let's pray that the storm doesn't cause as severe problems as the last major storm did.

No bueno!

How in the world are all these newscasters/weathermen awake, alert, and coherent at such an ungodly hour?!

I'm not particularly concerned about the storm; it's just one of many things on my mind.

Hmm . . . I changed my mind . . . while "almost-hurricane" does sound more ominous than "tropical storm," I think the latter may sound more romantic than the former . . .

Ok, now I'm hungry.

*sigh*

Thankful Thursday, Revisited

2008-07-31T17:49:00.013-05:00

Wow, it's been AGES since I've done one of these -- like, well over a month! I hope I can remember a month worth of thankfulness. Here we go!

1. The new camera I got for my birthday!

2. Watching my brothers & uncles literally running from the fireworks they just finished lighting.
Like so:

3. Enjoying Houston.

4. The gemstones exhibit hall at the Science Museum.

This picture, or any that I took, doesn't even do it justice.

5. Climbing trees.

At least it was fun before the fire ants started biting my feet!

6. Texas pride and FREE 'stros tickets!

THANKS, Uncle Blo!

7. FUNNEL CAKE!

Even though it was a bit stale. Yes, it is possible to have stale funnel cake. Who knew?

8. Fun with the monkeys.

9. Greta's wedding, but you'll have to go to my Facebook albums here and here to see pics of that.

10. Enjoying city gardens.

11. Elaine getting ENGAGED and asking me to be in her wedding! YAY!!!
The wedding will be at The Houstonian, where we will all be staying for the weekend. YIPPEE!!!

I look at the screen . . .

2008-07-25T00:22:00.002-05:00

and all I see is the cursor blinking at me . . .

I have plenty to say -- about new developments re England, about the teacher trainings I've been attending all week, about aging parents/grandparents, about the Jonas Brothers, about love languages, about God -- but I just can't focus long enough to sit and get it all out.

Perhaps this weekend?

But just know, I'm alive and well. And I'm thankful on this Thursday. Well, it's past midnight, so I guess it's technically Friday. Whatev.

Looky, looky! I can do impressions!

2008-07-20T22:10:00.001-05:00

My TV: Hey, I have more than 4 channels, you know.

My fireplace: Uh, winter's over now. Get off your butt and clean out these scuzzy ashes, will you?

My cats: Uh, Mom, why are you singing and dancing for us while we're trying to sleep? And what's with all the pictures you've been taking of us lately?

The guy at the photo place who's gonna develop my disposable camera: Who's the dork who only takes pictures of cats?

My coworkers: Dang, she really likes cats.

My neighbors: That chick on the 3rd floor listens to ABBA a whooooole lot.

My dirty dishes: Yoo-hoo! Remember us? Where do we go to file an official complaint for neglect?

My computer: Thank you for not retiring me. Speed is overrated. Good things come to those who wait, Missy.

My new car: Where have you been all my life?? I feel so loved!!

My old car: SOB!! They say that breaking up is hard to do / Now I know / I know that it's true!!

(Yes, I'm weird.)

Quote of the Week

2008-07-18T20:13:00.005-05:00

The conversation that ensues in the car after my complaints of a dozen mosquito bites (no exaggeration!) at my grandma's house:

Great Grandma Mae, age 81: The mosquitos bite me every time I go out to water the yard. I hate mosquitos!

Abby, age 4: I hate Satan.

If ever your child's missing,

2008-07-14T16:55:00.004-05:00

check the toy box first . . .

Not for the faint of heart...

2008-07-12T22:24:00.004-05:00

This is actually for Brandi. She & Bird hate the little dog magnet one of my coworkers gave to me because it's slightly anatomically correct. So a two weeks ago, after Greta's wedding, Bird got creative with the chocolate icing. It sat on the fridge for over a week until Mom finally noticed it. This is what it ended up looking like:

Love It or Hate It?

2008-07-12T20:45:00.002-05:00

As I type Bird's making me watch Dances With Wolves, and is even threatening to cut off the internet if I don't put the computer away. I have two minutes. So I'll make it quick.

I've never seen it before and Bird & Brandi finally decided to sit me down and make me watch. I wasn't allowed to watch it when it first came out and then it just didn't seem appealing to me; it sounded boring. So, I figured it's time I give it a try. Will I love it or hate it? I'll let you know, so stay tuned . . .

Herman Park Fun

2008-07-08T22:19:00.004-05:00

I think this is the third generation of my family to roll down the big hill at Herman Park. I'm posting this here mainly because I couldn't get it to send as an attachment to Bird & Brandi. And the fact that it's actually uploading as I type annoys me a bit because when I'm on my MacBook videos won't upload to Blogger (I'm using my Dad's Dell). GRRR!!!

Anywho, enjoy the laugh!

At the end he's walking away saying, "That's the biggest hill I've ever seen!" LOL!

"Aunt Debbie, can you make my hair different?"

2008-07-07T11:38:00.005-05:00

I may have missed my calling as a hairdresser!

2008-07-07T10:00:00.002-05:00

I've been trying to get this video for MONTHS so I can post it, but my bro finally got off his keester and posted it himself. So, for your viewing pleasure, I present to you my niece, Abigail:

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

2008-07-02T07:40:00.002-05:00

I'm 28 and feelin' GREAT!

As long as I don't think about how close 30 has suddenly become . . .

You may leave your well wishes in the comments! ;o)

In My Arms

2008-06-23T22:05:00.003-05:00

OK, so I don't have a baby, and even if I did I doubt it will have blue eyes or curly hair. HOWEVER, I love this song and just had to share it with ya:

Hope mom doesn't see this . . .

2008-06-21T23:19:00.002-05:00

or else she'll insist we never use cell phones again!

Granted, it's a hoax, but I don't think that would matter to her!

It's been a year

2008-06-21T01:00:00.003-05:00

And it didn't hit me until I hugged my friend Elaine's grandpa tonight.

We had taken a group picture just moments before and I heard him telling David, Elaine's army boyfriend, that the two service men needed to stand together. I was immediately reminded of my grandpa. So, when I hugged him I couldn't help but think, I can't remember the last time I hugged my grandpa. It's been exactly one year since his burial.

And just a few weeks later, my other grandpa died.

I barely held the tears in while saying goodbye to Elaine's grandmother. I'm sure she noticed. But when I sat back down on the couch Elaine immediately noticed something was wrong. All I could manage to say was hugging her grandpa made me very emotional, and she immediately knew why. What a dear friend.

Even though he wasn't very vocal the last few years, it was still a comfort to know he was there; that he had always been there. As a young adult I remember imagining that I could take my future husband to meet him; he would share his war stories, perhaps we'd even drive him to Snider for the WWII 36th Infantry reunion. Those reunions don't happen anymore. We have only our memories of his memories to help us remember.

And may we never stop remembering . . .

Below is what I read beside his casket a year ago tonight. It was the hardest thing I had to do in my life. I haven't looked at it since.

Growing up, if my brothers and I weren't with my parents, we were with our grandparents; their home has always been our home. Memories of those times flash through my head: cold, sweet watermelon on a hot summer day; lazy Sunday afternoon naps on that fuzzy brown couch; grandpa fixing my covers after I kicked them off in my sleep; bologna sandwiches with fritos after school; Little Debbie snacks and Wrigley's Chewing Gum always in abundance; listening to him whisper the names of his children and grandchildren as he laid in bed praying for them at night.

Throughout his whole life my grandpa loved and served God, his family, his friends, his neighbor, and his country. He was a humble man who loved wholeheartedly. He may not have always expressed his love with eloquent words, but he displayed his love through the work of his hands. And he allowed God to use him to touch people's lives. He carried out the commandment that Jesus gave Simon Peter in John 21:15-17:
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

My grandpa fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, clothed the unclothed; he took people groceries, gave children candy, mowed neighbors' lawns. He constantly gave out of his own need. He lived with a purpose, fulfilling his calling. He spent his life “storing up treasures in heaven” because his life was not his own; his life was hidden in Christ.

There is a poem by George Herbert, a 17th century poet and parson, that reminds me of my grandpa. It's entitled Colossians 3:3, a verse which states Our life is hid with Christ in God.

My words and thoughts do both express this notion,
That Life hath with the sun a double motion.
The first Is straight, and our [daily] friend,
The other Hid, and doth obliquely bend.
One life is wrapt In flesh, and tends to earth.
The other winds towards Him, whose happy birth
Taught me to live here so, That still one eye
Should aim and shoot at that which Is on high:
Quitting with daily labor all My pleasure,
To gain at harvest an eternal Treasure.
[My Life Is Hid In Him, That Is My Treasure]

As Herbert describes in this poem, my grandpa had two lives: a physical one here on earth that we all experienced and enjoyed; and a spiritual one, that was cultivated as he loved and served others.

So as we grieve and bid farewell, let us also rejoice and take comfort, because at this very moment Mariano Miranda is experiencing that which he never fully experienced here in this world: He is basking in the glory of God. He is savoring his Father's delight. He is overwhelmed, and probably a bit embarrassed, with the abundance of his treasures. And we, as part of his living inheritance, must carry on his legacy. We must love our neighbors as ourselves and give them that which they lack, knowing that when we meet Grandpa in heaven again he will be bursting with pride on our behalves.

What's that, you ask?

2008-06-21T00:51:00.002-05:00

Why, that's what happens when lightning strikes your house!

Or it could've happened when the whole flippin' transformer box blew.

How it happened doesn't matter to me anymore. All that matters is for the time being there's no oven, no washer, no dryer, no downstairs air conditioner, no front right sprinklers, and no water heater (although that last one really had nothing to do with the fried breakers). I'm sure tomorrow we'll discover something new that's not working.

Goodbye 1/3 of my England savings . . .

Unthankful

2008-06-20T07:49:00.003-05:00

I was unable to be thankful yesterday, on Thankful Thursday, because the cable and internet were down when I got home from work. That's right, folks -- another outage! A storm blew through, and although I'm thankful it watered the half of the lawn that's dying from the malfunctioning water sprinklers, I was NOT thankful I could not log onto Blogger and be thankful. Of course, after the week we've had it might've been hard to be thankful anyway. So my thankfulness shall have to wait for another day since school starts in 8 minutes.

What a week!

2008-06-18T22:18:00.001-05:00

Here's a week-in-review:

Sunday: Power outage that only affected seven houses. They thought it was just a fuse, but realized around 10 p.m. they'd have to replace the whole transformer box. Five hours later they successfully replaced the box and packed up their floodlights and crane. If it wasn't 3 a.m. and I had more than two more hours for sleep available I would have ran out there and given those Center Point service men a hug!

Monday: Something happened; I can't remember what . . . Oh yeah! We found out our sprinklers on the right side of the house aren't working properly. So half of our lawn and flower beds are relatively green and the other half is brown and dying in this 95+ degree heat. We didn't notice before because they don't come on until 3 a.m.

Tuesday: Late at night the water went out. Apparently even the water company can have power outages.
On the work front, we heard a rumor that we might not get paid the first four working days of summer school since our regular year contract dates overlapped with the start of summer school. We had already turned in and completed time sheets. No, we weren't informed beforehand.

Wednesday: Water came back but the water heater was out. Our nice neighbor, Victor, came over to help us out. Apparently his water heater also went out. He actually came to help us before he worked on his own. He couldn't fix it at first, though, but came back later and he and Dad were able to work it out. Our other neighbor, Jim, also came over to try to help us with the sprinklers, but they weren't able to fix that one.
Oh, and I also noticed it was unusually warm in the house by the time we got home around 6:30 p.m. Dad was focused on fixing the water heater and didn't have time to look at the air conditioner. It's still around 83 degrees downstairs. Thankfully the upstairs air conditioner is still working! Hopefully there's nothing majorly wrong with the air con -- it's less than a year old anyway, so still under warranty.
Also, the rumor at work turned out to be fact. We were given new time sheets to fill out sans the first four working days. None of us turned it in yet. We've all banded together and plan to plead our case tomorrow afternoon. That is if our principal doesn't skip out like she did today! She probably sensed we were coming. Surely HISD funded her to pay teachers the full 20 days. So what's going to happen to the $750 each teacher loses out on? Hmm???

What does Thursday bring? Only time will tell. But prayers will be much appreciated!

Thankful Thursday!

2008-06-12T23:06:00.002-05:00

1. Teaching summer school is so chill.

2. The beach is so relaxing.

3. The HEB brand sun block is so worth it.

4. Ted Dekker's Black can be so confusing at first.

5. Ted Dekker's Black can also be so addictive.

6. Leaving work by 4:00 is so nice!

7. The HOV lane is so worth waking up and leaving 15 minutes early.

8. I'm so ready for the weekend!

9. God is so good!

10. I'm so ready for bed!

Thankful Thursdays!

2008-06-05T21:50:00.003-05:00

1. I survived the school year!!!!!!!! Now I just need to survive summer school . . .

2. The aforementioned summer school will pay up to $25/hr. Which translates to a couple of months of living in Bedford. So I suppose it's worth the sacrifice.

3. I'm packing my bag for the family weekend at the beach. Yay!!!

4. I have a stack of books ready to read while on the beach; including, but not limited to Ted Dekker's Black, Khaled Hossein's The Kite Runner, and Kim Edwards' The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Hmm . . . none of them are light reading, are they? Oh, and if you click the link I wouldn't read everything or else it might ruin story lines for ya.

5. I heart the HOV lane. A coworker who lives only 5 minutes away has started carpooling with us for summer school, and that means we can zip past the thousands of cars sitting on the I-10 main lanes. My life will never be the same!

6. I also heart the new Chronicles of Narnia movie. I've read of people being annoyed by the Prince Caspian/Susan kiss at the end. Um, HELLO?! Did you see the movie?! I SO would have done the same as Susan! Ok, maybe not really. But I'd like to think I would . . .

7. At the end of the Spring Program our principal announced to the whole staff that I'm leaving to do mission work overseas. She actually had a few nice things to say. Almost made me cry. And ever since I've had people coming up to me on a daily basis asking what I'll be doing, offering to keep me in their prayers and wishing me well. It's actually quite touching. And I never realized that so many people know who I am.

8. Two plants I received from students (nearly a month ago!) are still alive and well and show no signs of dying. One is a Begonia that's thriving; the other had no identification. Is anyone able to help?

I've been too busy (and lazy when I'm not busy) to look it up.

9. My wonderful coworkers who have been helping me finish packing my classroom since summer school started. I don't know what I would do without them!

10. It's SUMMERTIME!!!!!!

Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars

2008-06-04T22:40:00.002-05:00

Apparently, that's my price.

That's the amount I'll get paid for working summer school for 20 days.

*sigh*

You see, what had happened was, I went to offer my services as a sub.

Twenty minutes later I left scratching my head, wondering how in the world they got me to agree to teach the full term.

Those wily co-lead teachers of mine who call themselves my friends!

But I figured since I'm not going back to work at the beginning of August I'll have a bit more time to recover.

I'm actually not all that tired.

Perhaps it's the 12+ hrs of sleep I got every night last weekend.

So, yeah, I'm teaching summer school.

All those brilliant and insightful blog posts I have rolling around in my head will just have to wait a wee bit longer before finding their release.

And I'm thankful I'll have a couple thousand more to add to my England Fund.

I just wish the dollar wasn't so weak up against the GB pound!