The Great Faith Adventure

Stronger

2012-01-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

I am going to do something that my sister suggested I should do and my friend Sharon also agreed that I should do. My sister Beth (hi Beth if you drop by!!) told me that every time God meets a need that is impossible for me to meet, I should journal this (what better way to do this than on my blog!) and that I can look back at each impossible situation to see how He provided for me and that it will help me to learn to trust Him more. So that is what I am going to do. And I already have something I can write about :)

The temp job that I was working at the cookie company and that I got through one of the staffing agencies I am registered with ended on December 21st. I thought that I was going to have one more day, but the staffing agency called when i was off of work for the day and said I was not needed the next day (not sure if the supervisor at the cookie company was picking and choosing who she wanted back for the last day or not - but that is besides the point). So I have not been working any substantial amount of hours since then (all I have is the very part time merchandising job that is 6 hours a week and not nearly enough to live on). I am applying for jobs, but I have not found anything. I am praying because I don't want to live in my car as that just makes it so much harder to find work (plus it has been really cold and I do not do cold - hello native Californian here!!). Back in the fall my pledge brother/friend/fellow percussionist Brandon said that if he and Jen (my sorority sister/friend) could ever help me to let him know because all that he had belonged to the Lord. At the time I was working a temp job in La Vergne which is 23 miles away from me. I was grateful for the work, but at times it was a challenge with the gas (I was making $8 an hour and driving all that way). I didn't really need help at the time. But eventually I messaged him on facebook (I think it was in December sometime - prior to the temp job ending) and he finally got back to me and told me the best w3ay to reach him was email. I then got around to emailing him once the temp job had ended to let him know my situation. Today I got an email (he actually sent it last night) telling me that he and Jen had put a letter in the mail for me with a gift to help out with rent and necessities. He also said that they had a laptop they were not going to be needing anymore and would be happy to send it to me at the end of this month.

I was speechless when I read the email because God has met my first need of the new year in a big way. I had no way of paying rent on Friday and now God has made a way when I did not even know how or if it was going to happen. You see I have been praying for help and praying that I will find work again and praying for God's provisions. Last time a temp assignment ended, it only took me one day to find a new job. There were two weeks between jobs, but I knew I was going to have a job to go to. This time I have not found anything and it has been two weeks since the temp job ended. At times all I can do is say help when I pray. I have so many things I need help with and I am trying to work because I know that money won't just drop from heaven (although at times it would be nice). But still I need to work - it is good for me (although the in between jobs has been nice - I was hating getting up at 5:20 am to get to work by 7 am. Ugh).

So I have a roof over my head for another week (I am taking it a week at a time and a day at a time). For that I am grateful! I know I still have many more needs that I can't meet right now. I don't know what is going to happen.But I will keep praying every time I can't meet a need. I want to be stronger in my faith. I do. I mean I got fired for sharing my faith back in 2003. I titled my blog The Great Faith Adventure. And I want to live out for all my days - nothing is impossible with God (which reminds me - I need to enter the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway again today!)

I was also reminded of something else when I talked to my friend AuraLee today. This whole job thing is outside of my control. It is not in my timing when I get a job - it is in God's timing. And you know what? I believe that it will happen this year. I really do. Nothing is impossible with God!!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!! I have neglected this blog during 2011 due to me going through some challenging times and not feeling like blogging about it. But now that it is a new year, I shall change that and get back to blogging. I don't know if I will be blogging 365, but I will be blogging waaay more than I did in 2011 which was a whopping one time.

I like the start of a new year because it is a chance to start over and continue to work towards making positive changes. That's what I want this year to be. I learned that during 2011 there are people that I need to not associate with especially when I am going through tough times. i don't need to hear from someone that there are people who have it worse off than me. What I need to hear is that people are praying for me. So in 2012, I shall make sure I am surrounded by people that truly encourage me and there are those that do :) I also want find more stable work this year and find some new creative ways to earn some money. I need stable work so it can keep me housed, keep me fed, keep gas in the car, and keep my sweet kitty cats with me and not in a shelter. Plus I want to be able to continue working towards a dream of mine - getting my first children's book out and working on the business associated with that. Guess what!! Sarah my super good friend who I met when she was one of my students is working on that with me! Our target date is April of this year!! Yay!!

Along the lines of finding some creative ways to earn some money, I am going to be signing up for two affiliate programs Petco and PetsMart. Excited about that because I know many people with pets and I can tell them to come here and click on the links and order stuff online. I think that will help big time.

And now I leave you with the first video of the new year. Baylor has been smokin' hot this year in football and made it to another bowl game. Proud of y'all - I remember a time when that did not happen. So hear ya go. That Good Ol Baylor Line and I believe it is from the Alamo Bowl :)

Horrible Blogger

2011-11-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

I am sooo bad. It has been over 10 months since I last blogged. Bad bad me. I really have had no excuse. I mean I have been either unemployed or under employed for pretty much most of 2011. I guess I did not want to write because of all the challenges and struggles I have been facing. And partly being depressed. But I think as I type this listening to Age of Reason by The Rippingtons that I am breaking out of it. Is everything together in my life? Oh heck no.. I still don't what will happen when the temp job I have been working ends (I am praying that I will find work before it ends), my faith is still tested a lot, I still feel like I am in transition, I miss Arlington and my church and playing in a church orchestra, but I am breaking out.

Oh I forgot. I moved from Arlington, TX to Nashville, TN back in January. My stuff left before me (I was delayed by snow in Arkansas and Tennessee) that prevented me from being able to travel east. I left on January 13th with my 3 cats and turtle and my car loaded and made it to Bryant, AR for the night (Interstate 30 in Arkansas pretty much has no lights at night lol) and the road is rough (come on Arkansas spend some money on your highway system!!). I made it into Nashville on January 14th and it has been an adventure of my faith since that day. But the fall has been nice and pretty. I love the trees and I know I am weird but a few times I have been to Wal Mart in west Nashville and I loved loved loved the view of the mountain as I came out and headed to my car. I like being able to go for a walk and see the pretty trees in all their fall splendor.It is just simply gorgeous. I can't imagine what Knoxville is like - I hear it is pretty there too.

I will post more later. But I exist and I will leave you with a video. The Rippingtons. Pne of my favorite jazz groups. It is them performing Tourist in Paradise live. I have a couple of their albums!! As usual. I like to make it fun and tie in music on here even if I have been a really bad blogger. Maybe I will add some pictures of my Nashville adventures.

Bad Me

2010-12-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

I have been a VERY bad blogger on the 24 Days of Christmas on the Great Faith Adventure. I blame it on Austin. Which was fun by the way. I am sooo glad I went. UT is HUGE and I sped toured the history museum. I am sure it is informational - would not know as I did not have time to read lol or watch any of the cool movies. But I did meet a couple from England. He actually met Margaret Thatcher before. Cool! I got some cool pics that I put on facebook. On my way back home it took me 6 1/2 hours I was being a tourist and stopped off to check out two colleges on my way home. I hit Georgetown and Southwestern University called my name (it is a Methodist college - that is why they sell shot glasses in the bookstore lol) and then when I hit Belton the University of Mary Hardin Baylor (which started off as a women's college and was a little sister school to Baylor - I remember reading that) called my name. Then The Little Czech Bakery in West comma Texas (as Danny George likes to say lol) called my name so kolaches for me it was (and some cheese beer bread to take back home). Then when I got home I got to go play Christmas carols with some of the people in the Fielder Road Baptist Church Orchestra. That was fun! I must do that again next year. In Nashville (I will post some updates on new developments in my life tomorrow).

So since I missed a few days (ok like a week) then I shall skip over the other songs and save them for next year - gotta do something next year!). I shall do today's song. Wait I change my mind. I am not doing what I had originally picked out for today. I am going to back track and do one of my faves. That's right The 12 Days of Christmas by John Denver and The Muppets!! And yep Animal was my favorite because he played the drums :)

Yay For Mini-Vacations!!

2010-12-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

I am in Cedar Park, TX for the next few days. It is near Austin and I decided to go ahead and come down for an interview and also to see my good friends Josh and Grace. Yay! I am sooo very glad that i did as I needed this time to get away. I got to go with them to buy a Christmas tree and help decorate (I have no room in my place and Ella would probably destroy it - I don't know yet as I have not tempted fate. I will see in a year lol). Tomorrow after my interview I am going to go be all touristy and FINALLY go see UT and then the history museum. And I am going to buy a shot glass of UT. Yay! Can't wait (and yes I know I am a geek - I like to tour colleges and my parents like to tour cemeteries - werid family lol).

So today's song on the 24 Days of Christmas on the Great Faith Adventure is Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. I have gone with David Archuleta yet again. What can I say? I really like him. So young, but so gifted! And he can sing!!

Songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine wrote "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for Judy Garland's 1944 movie, Meet Me in St. Louis. The song began with the melody, but Hugh Martin could not make it work with anything so he threw it away. Ralph Blaine thought it was too good and they were able to find the melody in the trash can. They started working on the words and when they gave the first draft to Judy Garland, she thought it was too sad and wanted a revision. The film producers said no it was a sad scene but they wanted an upbeat song. So they worked on it and got the one for the movie.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

I was going to try and put the Judy Garland version on here, but embedding was disabled. Now I have to go see the movie :)

Light of the Stable

2010-12-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Talk about a timely sermon today. Pastor Gary definitely brought it today and it is something I need to remind myself at different times (I won't go into details, but thankful for the sermon).

Today's song on the 24 Days of Christmas on The Great Faith Adventure is Light of the Stable. One of my absolute favorite groups - Selah - does it. I will get to see them tonight at their Christmas concert at First Baptist Irving!! Yay! Thankfully there is not really much history behind the song. So I get to keep it nice and short :)

Hail, hail to the newborn King
Let our voices sing Him our praises
Hail, hail to the guiding Light
That brought us tonight to our Savior

Halle, hallelujah
Halle, hallelujah
Halle, hallelujah
Halle, hallelujah

Come now, let it shine so bright
To the knowing Light of the stable
Kneel close to the Child so dear
Cast aside your fear and be thankful

Hail, hail to the newborn King
Let our voices sing Him our praises
Hail, hail to the guiding Light
That brought us tonight to our Savior

chorus

Hail, hail to the newborn King
Let our voices sing Him our praises
Hail, hail to the guiding Light
That brought us tonight to our Savior

chorus

Bad Me

2010-12-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

Okay I admit it I am bad. It is not even halfway through the 24 Days of Christmas on The Great Faith Adventure and updating is getting interesting because I remember at the last minute that I am supposed to update. But never fear - tomorrow's will be bright and early since I have church and then a concert to go to in the evening :)

Today's song on the 24 Days of Christmas on The Great Faith Adventure is Go Tell It on the Mountain. Al Jarreau is singing it and yep it sort of has a Moonlighting feel to it lol. Wow I miss that show - I need to see if I can get it on dvd. I loved David and Maddie and Agnes Dipesto (loved how she answered the phone lol). Great now I want to go out and buy Moonlighting on dvd :)

Go Tell It on the Mountain is an African-American spiritual that was written by John W. Work. It dates back to at least 1865 and it has been sung and recorded by many gospel and secular performers. It is considered a Christmas carol because its original lyric celebrates the Nativity of Jesus: "Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born."

Go, tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light

Go, tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed the Savior's birth

Go, tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessèd Christmas morn

Go, tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Road Trip to Austin Yee Haw!!

2010-12-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

So I do believe that on Monday I am taking a mini road trip to Austin for a job interview on Tuesday morning. Kind of not sure that I will end up getting it as I need three professional letters of reference and hey one of the people I need to write me one and have in by a week from today has not yet responded to my e-mail and oh yeah the college just finished finals and they will be closed for the holidays starting next week (and don't even get me started on who is writing one of the other ones - kind of funny actually). But I will get a road trip out of it and will get to see Austin again (and finally buy a shot glass of UT) and of course I will get to see my friends Josh and Grace as I am staying the night with them :) Unless I decide to change my mind.

Today's song on the 24 Days of Christmas on The Great Faith Adventure is Oh Little Town of Bethlehem. You will get to see Sarah McLachlan performing it live (in a video not on my blog lol).

In 1865 Phillips Brooks who was an Episcopal priest at Rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia, had the opportunity to pay a visit to the Holy Land. While there he got to visit Bethlehem and was inspired by the visit. Three years later he wrote a poem that became the lyrics for O Little Town of Bethlehem. Lewis Redner who was the organist for the church added the music to it. Lewis Redne actually had some problems with writing the music and was uninspired and struggled to compose a melody. On the night before a Christmas where it was to be performed program, he woke with the music flooding his soul. He wrote the tune down and then went back to bed. Brooks liked the tune and kept his promise to name it after Redner. He changed the spelling to St. Louis to avoid embarrassing Lewis Redner. The First Performance of O Little Town of Bethlehem happened the next day. Thirty six children accompanied by six Sunday School teachers premiered the children’s carol to the world.

There were actually five stanzas that were written by Phillips Brooks. Only stanzas 1, 2, 3 and 5 are present in hymn books. Here is the fourth stanza that gets left out: “Where children pure and happy pray to the blessed Child, Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild; / Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door; The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.”

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel

Cleaning Anyone?

2010-12-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

So today I got to earn some cash by cleaning a house today. It was nice to get out and do some work and I actually got it done in a pretty decent amount of time - 5 1/2 hours :) And on Monday I get to take a mini road trip to Austin for an overnight stay. I will get to see Josh and Grace!! They are truly like family to me even though I have not seen them in a long time. They are kind of like a brother and a sister to me (except they are married to each other). They are just good folks and it will be nice to see them again :)

Today's song on the 24 Days of Christmas on The Great Faith Adventure is What Child is This? You will get to enjoy Jessica Simpson today as she does an awesome version!!

The lyrics for What Child Is This was written by William Chatterton Dix in 1865. He was one of more than 20 lyricists who chose to use the tune Greensleeves to use as the music for his song. He wrote the lyrics while he was confined to bed with a sudden near fatal illness which led to a deep depression. He wrote many hymns during his bed rest, one being What Child Is This?

1. What child is this, who, laid to rest,

On Mary’s lap is sleeping,
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;1
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,2
The babe, the son of Mary!

2. Why lies He in such mean estate

Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.3
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,4
The Cross be borne for me, for you;5
Hail, hail the Word Made Flesh,6
The babe, the son of Mary!

3. So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh;

Come, peasant, king, to own Him!7
The King of Kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him!8
Raise, raise the song on high!4
The virgin sings her lullaby.9
Joy! joy! for Christ is born,
The babe, the son of Mary!

Oh Come All Ye Faithful

2010-12-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Hey what do you know - it's day number 8 on the 24 Days of Christmas on The Great Faith Adventure. I am freezing as I sit here typing this - Ella needs to come squeeze in behind me on the chair. Or Sugar. Or Callie. Come on kitty cats, your failing me here. Yep - wimpy native Californian here. Tennessee is going to be real fun for me next year lol

So today's song is Oh Come All Ye Faithful. I listened to a few on youtube and decided that I wanted to go with the Third Day version (plus I really like Third Day!!).

The original manuscript for Oh Come All Ye Faithful was written In 1743 by John Francis Wade who was a Roman Catholic from England. It was a Latin piece known as Adeste Fideles. During the Jacobite rebellion, he fled England along with other Catholics. To support himself he worked as a music teacher and also copied musical scores. When the persecution ended, Wade and other English refugees returned home and brought the song with them. Eventually, Rev. Frederick Oakeley who was an Anglican minister discovered the song. It inspired him and he attempted to translate it. His first translation read “Ye Faithful, Approach Ye.” Oakeley attempted a second translation which was more direct and read “O Come, All Ye Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant!” The melody of Oh Come All Ye Faithful has been credited to John Reading and John Wade. Most hymnals have John Wade as the author of the music and the lyrics.

O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

O Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

You Have My Attention

2010-12-07T19:14:00.001-08:00

You ever get the feeling that God is clearly trying to tell you something? I have that going on right now and He has my full and undivided attention. There is a huge chance that my landlord is getting ready to be foreclosed upon. How do I know? Umm her mortgage company that she has the loan with left a note taped to the front door on November 2nd. When I called her and told her about it she said she is trying to do a loan modification and had not paid the mortgage for three months straight. Then Monday night there were two things from a law firm that showed up in the mail and hey something that is also from the same law firm that is at the post office that was sent via certified mail. So let me see I am jobless in Texas and about ready to be homeless. God you have my full and undivided attention. 2011 is going to be an exciting yet adventurous year. I will keep you posted.

Today's song on the 24 Days of Christmas on The Great Faith Adventure is The First Noel. The video that you will get to enjoy is David Archuleta singing it. He is really awesome and has a lot of talent for such a young guy!! I will have to get myself one of his albums :)

Many of the Christmas carols we sing today started off as hymns. The First Noel was actually a folk song. It is among the oldest of carols and dates back at least 500 years. It was not written down and published until the 1800s. It is believed that the song originated in England, but it has been attributed to both England and France (noel fits easily into both languages). It was reportedly sung each year by English peasants as they lit the Yule log. Because the early church looked down on peasant songs, it was not used in church services during the first several hundred years of its existence. It was was published in the mid-1800s and the Church of England began using it in Christmas services.

The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

And by the light of that same star
Three Wise men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

This star drew nigh to the northwest
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both Pause and stay
Right o'er the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

Then entered in those Wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee
And offered there in His presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

Somewhere Over The Chestnuts?

2010-12-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

It is chilly today!! I know I know - turn the heat on so it won't be 61 degrees inside, but hey I am trying to conserve and save a bit of money. The winter is when i can actually get away with having my electric bill be a bit lower since I can bundle up to stay warm - the summer not so much. I can strip down (sorry for any visual images that may have caused lol) and still not going to be any cooler lol). The one thing I do like about the winter months when it gets cold is my kitties like to get all cuddly with me (Ella was in the chair with me earlier right behind my back - she was warm too. She needs to come back and hang out with me!!).

I also would like to say one more thing - what the heck is going on with the unemployment extension? I am confused as I know many others are that are in my situation. I am continuing to apply for jobs, I just need some call backs and some interviews. My problem is not the apply part - it is the get a call back for an interview part. I do pray for me to have a job by January in Nashville because this is sucking - unemployed for 7 months now. I have had periods of unemployment before, but it was not this bad. The longest it took me once was 6 months, but I had interviewed for the job in August or September and then got hired in December. And I was also subbing a couple of days a week in Ferris. And I got hired as my unemployment was running out. My unemployment has so far ran out once and I got it extended. Not sure what it going to happen in January since it has been extended to January. But I do pray that I will be hired full time by January in Nashville :)

Today's song on the 24 Days of Christmas on the Great Faith Adventure is The Christmas Song. You probably recognize the famous first line "Chestnuts roasting on an open firs" I remember when I was in high school (Monache Band is awesome!!) and we'd have a Christmas assembly every year on the Friday before we got out for Christmas break. Mr. Anderson (best band director ever!!) and Mr. Topping would sing the Christmas Song. Pretty cool. And yep they were the entire music department at the school lol I loved it though!! Then many years later when I was teaching a 2nd/3rd grade combination class in Porterville, we did a Christmas program and I had my students learn to recite the Christmas Song (happy to say we got a nice compliment from the principal!!).

The Christmas Song was written in 1944 by Me Torme and Bob Wells. It was first recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946 with his trio at Capital Records. He decided it was missing something and re-did it with a string section. In 1974 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The original track was released to the public for purchase and play in 1989.

The video that I picked out is Mel Torme and Judy Garland singing it. Ya gotta love it. The Golden age of Hollywood. They don't make movies like those anymore and everyone in the entertainment industry back then. They were awesome especially Lucille Ball!! But I digress. Enjoy the video :)

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

2010-12-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the Fielder Road Baptist Church Choir and Orchestra concert and i got to play in it!! I have not played in a Christmas concert in many years (I don't even think that I did when i was still at First Baptist Dallas). It was fun and Peg Bundy my hybrid clarinet did as well as she could for a plastic clarinet (percussion is my main instrument so I think it is okay that I get away with having a clarinet made out of plastic - or the fancy word resonite). It was nice to be able to play this year since it is hard sometimes to just sit back and watch (it is the performer in me - the band geek you might say). I also ^faint now* wore a skirt. I have an outfit I bought a while back that I refer to as my concert black and I only wear it when I am playing in a formal orchestra or community band concert. So tonight out it came for the performance. It still fits (but I hope in a year it will be too big as I am going to start walking 3 days a week and doing my hell rider another 2 days and reccop on the weekends).

In other news, I saw the mom I made a meal for in November. I am part of the Blessed Expectations Ministry at my church where whenever someone has a baby in the church I get an e-mail asking if I can help make and deliver a meal. It is quite fun and I have done this three times since September. I also have tried some new recipes. Anyway the mom I saw today is named Sarah and she and her husband are super nice! We just hit it off so well and I am happy to say that they liked the quesadilla casserole I made for them and are still alive (I did make it for myself after I had made it for them - and it is indeed quite yummy).

Today's song on the 24 Days of Christmas on The Great Faith Adventure is Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I am going to use a Take 6 video. They are awesome!

__________________________________________________________

Hark the Herald Angels Sing was written by Charles Wesley who is the younger brother of John Wesley (they were both part of the Methodist movement). It appeared in 1739 in a book called Hymns and Sacred Poems under the topic "Hymns for Christmas-Day". It has changed from the original draft of the song. Also, the tune was different than the one that we sing today. A small change in the words resulted in the familiar song we know today. In 1855, William H. Cummings who was an English musician adapted Felix Mendelssohn's secular music from Festgesang to fit the lyrics of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

My Feet Hurt - I Did A 10K!!

2010-12-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

Well today I got up this morning before 8 am. Before 7:30 am even. On a Saturday even. I decided that I was going to go do the Winter Run 2010. I am proud of myself because I made it there in time to get registered (cut-off was 8:15 and I was there at 8:11 lol). There were two races that were starting at 9 am - the 2 mile walk/run and the 10K. I hadn't quite made up my mind what I was going to do until I go to where I had a choice. I could make the turn and do the 2 mile one or I could go straight and do the 10K. I chose to go straight! Yep you read that right - I chose to follow through with walking the 10K part of it. That translates to 6.2 miles. I have never marched let lone walked 6.2 miles (the longest parade I marched was the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1986 and 1987). It is also longer than the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade (it is 5 1/2 miles). A couple of places on the route I found myself saying - well if I can march a parade with a band uniform on while playing cymbals then I can easily walk a 10K. And you know what? I did it! I came in last place yet again, but I did it!! It took about 2 hours, 13 minutes and a few seconds. I did figure out along the route that I can walk a 20 minute mile. Not too shabby.

Me crossing the finish line. Last place!!

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Today's song on the 24 Days of Christmas on The Great Faith Adventure is Silent Night. I am going to use the Britney Spears version for the video. Say what you may say about the girl, but she can sing. And I liked her version the best after hearing a few others (plus I want to mix it up with different artists!).

Silent Night was originally written in German in 1816 as Stille Nacht by Josef Mohr (1792-1848) who was an Austrian priest. The melody was written in 1818 by Franz X. Gruber (1787-1863)who was an organist and school teacher. It was first performed at the Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria on Christmas day 1818. In 1859 John Freeman Young who was second Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Florida published the English translation that is most frequently sung today. Also, the version that we sing today differs slightly from Gruber's original version (it was a sprightly dance-like tune in 6/8 time). It's been translated into over 44 different languages and recorded over 300 times. Silent Night was also sung simultaneously in French, English and German by troops during the Christmas truce of 1914 because t was one of the few carols that soldiers on both sides of the front line knew.

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Happy Birthday Zetas!!

2010-12-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

Today is December 3, 2010. It is a special day today. Not only because it is day 3 of "The 24 Days of Christmas on the Great Faith Adventure" but because it is a day that has some special meaning to me personally (no not my birthday). In the fall of 1990 at California State University, Fresno I decided to finally do something I had been wanting to do for most of that year - I went to rush for the Eta Omega chapter of Tau Beta Sigma. I was accepted into the pledge program as part of the Zeta class and I and 14 others (5 for Kappa Kappa Psi and 10 for Tau Beta Sigma) embarked upon a journey that would stretch us beyond our limits (and cause some of us to switch from being a nursing major to a liberal studies major and one of us *cough hack me* to get a D in one of her major classes a semester before she was to graduate). There were times when I thought I would quit (ok the entire class wanted to quit one night - screw up the alphabet lol). But I am glad I and the others did not quit. I still remember how we were at the start of our pledge period - all happy and go lucky, but towards the end (12 weeks thank you very much!) we had changed. We had been grown and stretched and weren't as happy go lucky. So what is the significance of December 3rd? Well it was on this day that I was initiated into the Eta Omega chapter of Tau Beta Sigma. I had no clue it was going to happen that day. We were just told that we had a formal convert that evening. I still remember the day. I was hanging out with Tony (one of my pledge trainers) and Ann (she was roomies with my big sister Joan) and I still remember at one point during the day the three of us were hanging out in Ann and Joan's dorm room. Tony asked me if I wanted to play 52 pick up (do not ask me how the heck I got to college and had never even heard of that lol) So me being the naive person I was back then said "Sure I want to play". Then Tony proceeded to drop a deck of cards on the floor and told me to pick them up. Of course me being an ever so eager to do what my pledge trainers said pledge went right to it. If only I had known then what I know now lol There are crazy stories from that time too that I may share next year when the Zetas are finally legal lol (we'll be 21!!).

Today's song is Angels We Have Heard On High. You will be getting a treat - Third Day is performing it!!

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The words for Angels We Have Heard On High were based on a traditional French Carol: Les Anges dans nos campagnes which means "Angels in our countryside". The author is unknown. In 1862 by James Chadwick. He was a Bishop in the Roman Catholic church. There were many adjustments to it prior to the translation by Chadwick. We sing his version today. The song is most often sung to the tune of Gloria which was arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes. The song commemorates the birth of Jesus that is found in the Gospel of Luke.

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Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joy astray.

Shepherds why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord the newborn King

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

See Him in the manger lay
Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth
Mary Joseph, lend your aid
With us sing our Savior's birth

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

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O Come O Come Emmanuel

2010-12-02T06:00:00.001-08:00

Welcome to day 2 of the 24 days of Christmas on the Great Faith Adventure!! I got to go get my clarinet yesterday yay! The final diagnosis was - 9 new pads (did I just get the entire clarinet re-padded? lol I feel like it). I really like the place I went to, but I also refer to them now as the mafia of band instrument repair. They'll fix your instrument and insult it for no extra charge lol I also discovered that I have what I like to call a hybrid Bundy. One of the pieces says Bundy and it came in a Bundy case when I bought it at the pawn shop in Porterville, CA waaay back in 1998, but the other pieces are not marked Bundy and oh yeah the two pieces that go together where you line the instrument up - not quite an exact match. Which would explain why all these years it seemed a little off when I had my thumb below the little thumb thing. The guy told me that I could have it 50% off and it would be more ergonomically correct. And before I forget - he called the girl that sits next to me in orchestra at church (who happens to also be a Tau Beta Sigma alumna - yay for sisters!) and said to her "You have to play next to that clarinet?" Gee thanks. And to top it all off - the repairs were $48 and some change. I paid $98 for the clarinet - so I pretty much spent half in repairs on what I paid for it lol But, I can play middle C and B again and the pads are rocking.

Today's video is O Come O Come Emmanuel. I found a great video (after checking out some others) of Shane and Shane performing it. You will not be disappointed!! Here is some history on the song for you.

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The song is a translation of a Catholic Christian Latin text by John Mason Neale that was done in the mid nineteenth century (the Latin text is Veni Emmanuel and means come God with us). The text is based on the Biblical prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 which says that God will give Israel a sign that will be called Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 - "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."

The tune is believed to have originated as far back as the 8th century and also believed to have originated from a French processional for Franciscan nuns.

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O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

The 24 Days of Christmas

2010-12-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

Happy December 1st everyone!! 24 more days until Christmas woot! I have decided I am going to do something fun from now to December 25th. Since I am a musician and I LOVE music and performing (no I am NOT performing for you lol - I want you all to come back every day to see what I put up) I have decided to put up a video each day of a Christmas song. It will get you not only in the spirit (and help me to not be depressed that I have been unemployed for 7 months now and may once again not be able to go spend Christmas with my family), but also to help you reflect on the reason for the season - the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

So today's song with a video is......Mariah Carey singing Joy to the World. I LOVE Mariah Carey. Let's face it, the girl can sing. Loved her album she did that had BOYZ II Men on it (One Sweet Day). So enjoy and sing along!! Instead of just having the video with her singing on here, I thought that I would throw in some music history for you :) (blame it on the teacher in me lol) and then I shall include the lyrics for this version that Mariah does so you can sing with her :)

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The words of Joy to the World were written in 1719 by Isaac Watts as a paraphrase of Psalm 98. It was published in Psalms of David: Imitated in the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state and worship He wrote the words as a hymn glorifying Christ's return at the end of the age instead of as a Christmas song. In 1839 Lowell Mason took the words and adapted and arranged it to music from an older melody that was believed to have originated from Handel.

Mariah Carey's version of Joy to the World is off her album Merry Christmas which came out on November 1, 1994.

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Joy to the world
The Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and nature sing

Joy to the world
The Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and nature sing

Joy to the earth
The Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the people everywhere you see
Joy to you and me

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the people everywhere you see
Joy to you and me

He rules the world
With truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love

Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the people everywhere you see
Joy to you and me

Joy to the people everywhere you see
Joy to you and me

Holy Canoli Batman I Need To Get My Clarinet Fixed ASAP

2010-11-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

So this week is a busy week of rehearsals for the Fielder Road Baptist Church choir and orchestra concert. I had rehearsal last night, and again tonight and tomorrow night. Then on Thursday I am going to get my hair all done nicely for the concert (plus it needs to be done again anyway) and buy me some black panty hose to go with my concert black. Of course always fun is the last minute clarinet repair that has to be done today so I can have it tonight for practice. Yep that's right I discovered (actually the veteran clarinet players discovered for me) that i need me a new pad or two henceforth why I was having issues playing middle C and B. It won't play. And do you know how many songs we are playing that have those two notes in them? Apparently a lot lol So today I get to go beg the music place to fix it today. It helps that the owner's kid is in the class of one of my sorority sisters who happens to sit next to me in the orchestra. Nothing like a last minute repair less than a week before the concert lol

I also got called yesterday about a job I applied for. I called today and left a message so today it is a wait for a while before possibly calling one more time. I really hope they select me for an interview. Road trip time!! I am going to have to trust God for His provisions. Not easy at times, but He knows the next place He has for me (and I really don't think it is even in the state where I currently live). Fine by me :) I am declaring 2011 to be the year of the job in the place that is in my heart to be :) And who knows - 2011 may be the year that the wonderful godly Christian man who loves the Lord, music and cats and other assorted animals that God has picked out for my life gets to start hanging out with me as friends :) That would be awesome!! Because I know he will be cute and fun to hang out with :)

Finally, in other news I think that I am going to do another walk like what I did on Thanksgiving. Arlington has a winter run thing. I of course do not do the running thing (hello asthma and lungs on the ground - no thank you!!). They have a two mile one, but also have a 10K. I may do the 10K (that's 6.4 miles - what's an extra 3.3 miles - I can do a 5K so I can do a 10K). I did start "training" yesterday by taking myself for a 3.36 mile walk. My legs felt like jelly afterward and my left foot was bothering me (that's from something else), but I did it. I will lay off the walking today (just a tad chilly today lol). I will let ya know and of course post pics. Either way I am doing the winter run. And I think I am going to talk a friend of mine into training for a 10K and then a half marathon and then a marathon. If he can run and not have an asthma attack then he should go for it! I know he can do it!!

Okay today's video is another Anthony Evans one. It is Do You Hear What I Hear? It is one of my two favorite Christmas songs!!

The One with the Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving, and Anthony Evans

2010-11-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hey guess what! I am posting in November. My apologies for being bad about updates. You would think that because I am unemployed that I would post more often, but nope. I need to correct this. I want my blog to be an encouragement to others on their great adventure of faith.

So let me see, Thanksgiving was on Thursday and I did something I have never done before - I did a Turkey Trot. It was the inaugural Turkey Trot for Arlington (I say good for them!! Dallas and Fort Worth have them every year and it's about time we started doing one - especially since we have the Cowboys and the Texas Rangers and had the World Series and are hosting the Super Bowl!!). I decided to do the untimed 5K so I could walk it. I had lots of fun! I saw a few people from the church - some wearing the pink Fielder Road Baptist Church shirts advertising our Christmas Eve services. I was one of them :) Which is why I could not go to Thanksgiving at my friend Melissa's parents house. I paid my $19 (it was really $18.99, but they did not have change lol) and said I'd wear the pink shirt so I was doing it no matter what. It was freezing!! I could have put on the long sleeved Turkey Trot shirt that they gave us, but I took one look at the port-a-potty's and said no way. So I took off my black sweatshirt jacket and tied it around my waist and off I went with the masses. I was last place!! I probably could have gotten in sooner, but I stopped to take pics of the scenes on my walk, talked to people with dogs, it was cold, and the bottom of my left foot was bothering me. I think I am going to do another one on Saturday December 4th and wear the pink shirt again. I am going to start doing these more often. I would love to do the Komen 3 Day one, but you have to raise like $2500. Although if all of my facebook friends donated $2 then I could have it raised. I will post a pic of myself from the 5K :)

Since I could not make Thanksgiving at Melissa's parents house at 11 am (the trot was at 9 am and it took me an hour and eight minutes and a few seconds - I did not think they wanted an unshowered guest lol). So I went to another place - the house of the mom/mother-in-law of Jeremy and Elizabeth (they were my small group leaders before they up and moved to Pleasanton). It was fun and the company was great! Then it was back to Grand Prairie where I was dog/cat/house sitting. Had to feed the dog and cats and check on the dog.

On Friday my dog/cat/house sitting duties ended early as I got a call on the way over there to feed the dog and cats - they were on their way home (thank you Jesus that they were in Sherman - I had to speed straighten up - it looked like a bachelorette pad lol) My fur babies were glad to have me back home and Sugar and Ella super glued themselves to me all night long :) I love my kitties :)

Today Anthony Evans was at my church again. I LOVE him (not like that - love his music and his heart for the Lord). He remembered me!! I got his Christmas cd and he autographed it and then I had another picture taken with him. You know I actually look happier in that picture (and the Turkey Trot ones) than in previous pictures. I don't know why, but it is true.

Okay without further ado, here are two pictures and then I shall as usual do another video. I know it is still November, but I like his Christmas album so you get a video with one of the songs off of it :)

Me crossing the finish line!! Dead last!!

Me and Anthony today after church!!

I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)

2010-10-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well well what do you know? I am blogging today!! I am also in a wee bit of pain with the old back - I know this because my chest is feeling like it has a brick on it. This is because I did some yard work this morning followed by mowing the back yard. Pulling the thing to start the motor a few times has flared it up. I am going to have to go lay down with an ice pack on my back after I blog and finish applying for another job (gotta tweak the cover letter).

So I was going to blog about something that we were talking about in group a couple of weeks ago. We started a new book called Christian Beliefs. Hoping one of the guys who is a fairly new Christian would be continuing with us, but he is not. But it's been fun for the rest of us to start going through the book. The first chapter was entitled: What is the Bible? One of the things they discussed in the book was about how you don't add things to the word of God. Everything that God wanted to say in His word is in there. I brought up an interesting discussion that in part was explained well in Pete Wilson's book - Plan B. I am going to blog today about a phrase that I know people have heard numerous times - especially when they are going trough difficult times. I have a few more that I will address on different days (gotta keep blogging lol)

How many people have ever heard the phrase: God will not put on you any more than you can handle. I have multiple times. As a matter of fact I got into a heated discussion with someone about it.

Do you think you can find that in the Bible anywhere?

Go on start looking.

Did you find it?

I didn't think so. You know why? It is not in there. It is not Biblical. Yet in this heated discussion I got into with this person they truly believed it was in there. I had asked someone else and she brought up 1 Corinthians 10:13.

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

But guess what. That verse talks about temptation. When people throw out that God will not put on you any more than you can handle, they are referring to when you are in the midst of problems that are beyond your control, not temptation. But then some people will refer you to this verse. Temptation is different from problems.

Temptation is solicitation to that which is evil. If you look again at 1 Corinthians 10:13 it refers to temptation that is common to man - our problems and trials that we face in life are unique to each and every one of us. But when it comes to temptation we are all prone to it because we live in a fallen world. Plus it says God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but will make the way of escape. So 1 Corinthians 10:13 is not then talking a unique problem. It is talking about something that is soliciting us to evil and God does not tempt us to evil - that is the devil. Because we live in a fallen world and we struggle not with flesh and blood.

Also if you read through some of the stories in the Bible you will find on numerous occasions people going through things that were beyond what they were able to handle. If we were able to handle it then we wouldn't need God. I am certainly glad that some things in life I am not able to handle by myself. I am VERY glad that I am put in a place where I have no other choice but to depend on Him. I find in those times He wants me to do that because He wants to teach me something, He wants me to learn to depend on Him for every single aspect of my life, and He wants to show me that His timing is better than ours. And I also think of that verse in Romans.

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

I leave you with a great video for today. It is Jason Eaton doing the Chris Tomlin version of I Stand Amazed (How Wonderful). Yep the one that you find in many hymnals. Enjoy and feel free to comment :)

Hosanna

2010-09-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Everyone faint I am blogging!! I know it has been a while. I have been going through some stuff (I think blogging probably could have helped, but alas I just didn't feel like it). The stuff I have been going through are with the fact that here it is 4 months later and I am still unemployed!! Also throw in I was getting unemployment, but I owed so they were deducting so basically the summer was a test of my faith. Hello meltdown in my driveway in July on a Thursday night after group one night when I said I didn't want to lose my kitties (or my 3 caged babies) and be homeless. Yeah that was "fun."

Then add on to that car issues at times - let's see had the oil changed in June a month after I bought the car because the check engine light came on. Still did not go off. Enter last week of July when it was a windy day. I was en route on the 20 freeway driving 60 mph to feed the dog and the cats I was taking care of. I saw the hood was loose and was praying. It decided to fly open thus wiping out the windshield, scaring me, and doing some minor damage to itself (not too bad - the bricks took the dents out). Thankfully I was in the granny lane. I had to crawl out on the passenger's side (I would have been hanging out with Holly and K.C. in heaven if I had attempted to crawl out the driver's side). I was able to lower the hood and then I had to drive on the shoulder with my hazards on the rest of the way to Grand Prairie. The hood issue was a good thing - the oil leak and the radiator leak were discovered. The radiator explained another issue I was having with the car that had just started. So yeah that was not fun.

The good thing is I am now getting unemployment. Except next week it is supposed to run out, but thank you Congress for extending benefits. I am supposed to get it extended unless a miracle of a job happens between now and then (I have applied for 233 jobs thus far this year - was applying even when I was adjuncting. Have I mentioned that tomorrow makes 7 years ago that I got fired for sharing my faith? 7 years. God what are You up to?

Okay I have a post in mind for tomorrow - ought to be interesting. In the meantime here is a great video by a great band - Starfield. They kind of make me think of Switchfoot :)It is Hosanna. I like their rendition of it :)

All In My Head

2010-06-29T16:17:00.001-07:00

My apologies for lack of blogging. You would think that with all this amount of time on my hands I would be a blogging fool, but alas that has not been the case. I blame Season 6 of One Tree Hill I am now finished and have started on Season 7 - I will be caught up yet!!). And of course all the jobs I have been applying for. As of this writing 105 jobs I have applied for. Not all of them are for college positions even though that is what I am praying I will get (preferably in Nashville - woo hoo!). I know that I need something to help me be able to live. Of course my problem is not the applying part. People suggest places to apply. The problem is the callbacks part. I rarely get called for interviews (this includes the jobs that require no education - it gets frustrating).

I was watching an episode of Season 6 of One Tree Hill (one of my all time favorite shows - Beverly Hills 90210 being the other one - yep I am such a native Californian lol) and Nick Lachey was on. There was this song that he sang that was supposed to have been a Hailey original. Well lo and behold he really recorded it. It is called All In My Head. Being the music person that I am I loved the song. Plus I am a pop music kind of gal amongst other things. Just look at my Christian Aguilera cd, my Hanson cd (I bought both of their albums lol - yep they made more than one lol), my NSYNC cd, and my Backstreet Boys cd. I also blame that on the native Californian lol Once a native Californian with an inner southern Californian in ya always a native Californian with an inner southern Californian in ya (basically I grew up in central California but I was always a fan of southern Cali - hello beaches and cool spots like Disneyland - and I did live in southern Cali for 2 years yay!!).

Okay without further ado I present to you the video of All In My Head. Enjoy!!

One Tree Hill

2010-06-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have to admit something right here and now. I like One Tree Hill. Yep that's right I said it - I like One Tree Hill. I avoided watching it for the longest time, but one day after finishing watching all four seasons of The O.C. (thank you Arlington Public Library for the first season, thank you Hollywood Video for seasons 1 and 2, and thank you Soap Net for season 4 lol - also avoided it for the longest time. We see how well that worked lol) I decided to go for it and check out Season 1 of One Tree Hill from - you guessed it - the Arlington Public Library. I watched all of it and said - wow. What a show. What deep writing. I loved Beverly Hills 90210, I loved The O.C., but there was something different about One Tree Hill. The characters just seemed so much deeper. I finished the whole season 1 of One Tree Hill in December of 2008 and didn't know how soon I was going to watch season 2. Enter Tina and Shana who were students in my Spring 2009 General Psychology class. One day Tina (I call her the thorn in my side lol) said "Well maybe if you watched One Tree Hill students would be more interested" to which Shana said "I have them on dvd" I don't think those were their exact words - well I think those were Tina's, but Shana did definitely volunteer the use of her dvd's. So I said what the hey I will watch. And I did and oh my gosh I was hooked. I got through seasons 2-4 and was very impressed and yep hooked just a bit deeper. Now I admit that I am a bad One Tree Hill fan. I have not been watching it on the CW in first runs - that is because I needed to get myself to Season 5 or I would be lost. You can't just skip ahead because it is the truth - you will be lost. Well I am happy to say I am finally starting to get caught up. I discovered that the WB has Season 5 of One Tree Hill online. I am getting ready to start episode 12. I am not disappointed, James Lafferty is still cute, and Paul Johansson is still hot :) And Nanny Carrie is not very nice lol

Now for me to get to the whole point of my blog post. I promise it is not a full on love affair with an extremely well-written show. As I watch I think sometimes about the characters and about the things they go through. It seems sometimes that the characters have so much more braveness. Braveness to say what they are feeling or to shoot for the moon. Like Peyton not holding back her feelings for Lucas. Or Brooke taking a leap of faith and getting her clothing line going (true her witch with a B mom was involved), or Lucas writing his first novel and he was only 19, or Peyton starting her own record label at the age of 22. I think wow if these guys can do it (ok they are fictional but still) what holds me back. Maybe I ought to take more risks. Get my student Jeffrey to start work on the illustrations for my children's story I want to turn into a picture book, tell a piano player that I pray for him and I to be friends and that if he took the time to get to know me he'd find me a good friend to have in life (even if he currently lives in Nashville and I live here in Texas). Maybe I should just throw all caution to the wind and go for it. Pack the car and head east. Of course the thing that holds me back is finances. So I pray. We only get one life. We need to make it count.

What is something you would if nothing was holding you back? If you had a little more faith and braveness?

Okay here enjoy the gag reel from Season 6 of One Tree Hill.

Dancing on the Ceiling

2010-06-09T07:31:00.001-07:00

Okay so today's video is going to be a good one. Oh yeah let's hear it for the 80's!! Let's hear it for Lionel Richie!! Let's hear it for Ben Geske playing Don't Stop Believin' on the piano in the choir room and me sitting on top of it while Suzanne Latour helped me with the lyrics :) Okay I digress lol

So tomorrow I have a job interview with Catholic Charities for a case aide position. I certainly need something and soon. Have I mentioned that I have no clue how I am getting my rent paid this month? And if this keeps up - me applying for jobs and nothing happening then I am going to be giving my move out notice for July. I have no idea where I will go. I have 3 cats, a gerbil, a rat, and a turtle. I don't have the money to go stay someplace short term. Heck I don't even have money to pay for a storage facility or a U Haul. I also have to say the one job that I am currently working which is this ad change job that has extremely sporadic hours, I am getting frustrated with it. Partly because of my territory. I have Watauga and North Richland Hills. I am not a happy camper that I was just at my Albertson's in Watauga yesterday and there is a merchandising job showing up for it that starts Friday. It has to be completed by the 18th. Ad change starts on the 19th. Unless my stores will show up on the 18th then I could combine it with the merchandising job. Otherwise I have to drive 27 miles to install one ad, a floortalk I don't even have (and I don't know if I will get one - the boss is leaving to go on vacation this week). I am just not happy with having to drive all that way yet again. I hate the wear and tear on my car. I am trying to conserve gas since oh someone is po - not poor. I can't afford the other o and the r lol

And I really want a miracle to happen. Part of me says - hey if I get a job offer I will take it. The other part of me says hey Nashville. But I am trying to live right now and that is not happening very well.

Okay on to happier things. Here is the video.

The Waltons

2010-06-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

I am a dork. I admit it right now on my blog. However, I think that anyone that knows me and all six of you that follow my blog do not find this information surprising. I shall elaborate.

This past week I got to dog/cat/house sit. They have a computer and the internet, but I was not able to get on - fine with me. They also have no cable television. Also not a problem. So what did I do to keep myself entertained in the evenings while I was cross stitching? I put in season 3 of one of my favorite shows of all time - The Waltons!! Yep I watched it with my family when I was growing up and I am proud of that!! We used to go to bed and say - goodnight Daddy, goodnight Mama, goodnight Mary Ellen, etc. My dad and my brother got all the guy parts and my mom and sister and I got all the girl parts. I have seen them in re-runs too - a lot. I am going to have to start collecting the seasons on dvd. There are nine of them. I did find myself laughing a few times. Like all the times the kids went around barefoot. How many episodes did they do that in? I mean in one episode the kids went barefoot to school. And when John-Boy bossed his siblings around. I never did that to mine thank you very much. I did find myself thinking about cars in the 1930's - they sure have changed a lot. Last night I called my parents and asked them what life was like before television. The Waltons was set in the 1930's and early 40's. There was no television yet. They listened to the radio, read, played games, sat around and talked. I can't imagine what it must have been like to grow up without television for part of your life and then you get television. I imagine it was a big deal to get one - and here I am a single gal with a zoo and I have three televisions.

Watching The Waltons this week also got me to thinking about family dinners. We had them all the time growing up. I laugh because my family dinners (and lunches and breakfasts sometimes) consist of me and three kitty cats hoping to get something. Like today when I came home from dog/cat/house sitting - I was eating my lunch and had all three gathered around hoping to get something.

The Waltons is not the only classic thing I like. I LOVE I Love Lucy and Little House on the Prairie. There are other things, but those two are classics - one in the 50's and the other one set in the 1800's. And of course all this classic stuff gets me back into checking out houses from the early days. And furnishings and pop culture. And I want to take a trip back to Virginia to see The Waltons Mountain Museum (any time God you'd like to open a door for a full time job so I can vacation again that would be nice). It is fun.

Okay I am going to close with a video. Take a wild guess. Yep The Waltons. Good night Grandpa, good night Grandma, good night John-Boy.....

I'd Really Love To See You Tonight

2010-05-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yay for Sunday!! This Sunday was different because the orchestra and the choir were off due to it being a silent Lord's supper at Fielder Road Baptist Church. It was nice to sleep in a little and I managed to get there and have a Squashed Leprechaun before going into the 11:00 service. A Squashed Leprechaun is the coffee invention of one Brandon Jones who is in my small group. It has mocha and irish creme and a starlight mint. It is yummy. I thanked him after church today for getting me hooked on them lol I was good and did not get coffee at Starbucks any other time during the week except on Monday so that way i could have my Squashed Leprechaun.

The silent Lord's supper was interesting. I picked up some extra program things so I could send them to some pastor friends in case they want to know what it is all about. I really like Fielder Road Baptist Church. I had no idea that I would end up transferring my membership there. God did long before me - I think He was planting the seed long before I even knew it - every time I'd slip into church there when I didn't have enough gas money to get to downtown Dallas. Anyway, the silent Lord's supper was a service of reflection and there was music and scripture reading. I was a teeny bit late - had to drink my Squashed Leprechaun. I didn't think Jesus would mind me having my coffee in there, but Stephanie did lol So I had to sit and drink it as quickly as I could without burning my tongue lol I wish I would have gotten myself more prepared for the service. Sometimes when I take communion I feel all yucky inside. I am thankful though that God loves me no matter what and I am thankful for the grace He shows to me.

Okay here is today's video. I told you I was on an England Dan and John Ford Coley kick. Today's video is I'd Really Love to See You Tonight. It is sooooo 70's lol

Love is the Answer

2010-05-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

Okay warning: I am going to be on a late 70's music that rocked kick. Specifically England Dan (think Selas and Croft - wow I am old lol) and John Ford Coley. I heard Love is the Answer on the radio and had to get the mp3 to add to my mp3 player. So yep I will be on that kick for a few blog posts.

Speaking of blog posts, my apologies for lack of posting lately. I blame it on lack of motivation. I had plenty of time on my hands since I had no car, but alas I still did not post.

Speaking of cars - I have one again. Praise the Lord. I got her on May 20th!! She is a 1999 Honda CRV and is black. I named her Mae. She needs a paint job, but I don't mind. It adds to her character. She is keyless entry, cruise control, and an after market cd player that I can also hook up my mp3 player to it and listen in the car. Yee haw!! I love that - I can listen to jazz music while I drive - true it is the same jazz music, but I can listen. I signed the paperwork on May 19th and got her on May 20th. I have pictures on my facebook. I'd post them here, but I wanted to post the video for Love is the Answer. Get you all in your 70's vibe lol

Now for a job. I have been applying - I can tell you how many jobs I have applied for. 58 jobs. I do have an interview on June 10th. If that is where God wants me, I will take the position. I do still have the dream of working with college students in a student services position and of moving to Nashville (yep it's out there - Nashville be prepared for me lol). But like I said I have learned to do whatever God puts in front of me and if that is where He wants me to be then I will do that.

Okay I leave you with the video. It is John Ford Coley performing live. You will enjoy it!!

Waiting

2010-05-10T15:58:00.001-07:00

I do a lot of waiting these days. More so than I am comfortable with. I wait for a ride to the chiropractor from the guy who picks me up (that takes forever), I wait for people to come pick me up for church and for orchestra practice and for small group, I wait to find someone who will take me to look at a car, I wait for someone to take me to the grocery store and the bank. I wait a lot. Not just physical waiting, but waiting on God too. He has not opened a door yet for me to have a job (I have applied for 32 jobs so far this year). He could if He wanted to, but He has not. I am not the only one who has been in a waiting period.

In the Bible Jacob waited. He saw Rachel and knew she was the one for him, but he had to marry Leah first and work for Rachel. I got a C in Old Testament Survey (kept re-arranging the Holy Land lol) so if I remember correctly he had to work for her for 14 years. First he worked for 7 years and Laban gave him Leah so then he had to work for another 7 years before he got Rachel (the guy was in l-o-v-e that is for sure!!). Then Joseph got thrown into prison and had to wait. He waited a long time. After he interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker the butler said he'd tell Pharaoh about Joseph, but alas he forgot. So there Joseph was waiting in prison. But you know the thing I have learned and keep learning is that God has a purpose in the waiting. One thing He wants to do is to build character in us. Another thing is He wants to teach us to trust Him and to depend on Him. It's in His timing that all things are made perfect, not ours. So I have to remember that in all of this waiting to just slow down and soak in what God is trying to teach me.

Now because I don't know a lot of songs with waiting in it, the song I shall leave you with is Waiting For A Star To Fall by Boy Meets Girl. Hey it's a great song. I need to find the mp3 lol Great sax part. Still makes me wish I would have also learned to play the sax. I still can. Talk to me when I have a full time job :)

Plan B the Review

2010-05-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to be able to get one of 500 Plan B books that were being given away by booksneeze.com (and let me tell you it was not an easy process - the Thomas Nelson website crashed and I kept trying even in the middle of a psych lecture lol). So I am now going to share my review of Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up The Way You Thought He Would. It is a brand new book by Pete Wilson who is the pastor at Cross Point Community Church in Nashville, TN.

First of all I would like to say that God has some interesting timing. I have already been in the midst of a Plan B circumstance and had a huge blow happen in my life personally on April 15th. I was in a car accident that subsequently left me with a totaled car and a sprained back. The book came in the mail the day after the accident happened. Nice timing huh?

Everyone of us has times in our lives where we are living in what is referred to as a Plan B circumstance. We have dreams for our lives (our Plan A's) and when life is not turning out as we had hoped it would we are in the midst of our Plan B's. Plan B's are painful. I know because I speak from personal experience as I have been in one for the past 7 years. You see in October of 2003 I was fired from my teaching position at Dawson State Jail for sharing my faith. When I first lost my job, I was applying for anything and everything, but finding that nothing was happening. Then I thought perhaps I am to pursue school counseling. I started to work on finishing up my school counseling certification. Guess what happened when it got down to only needing one semester of practicum and one semester of internship - it was not coming together. I have been doing whatever it is that God puts in front of me as I seek to find what it is He would have for me. But it has not come together yet like I hoped it would. I am trying. Then enter into all of this April 15th 2010 when my Plan B situation got a little more Plan Bish. I was in a car accident that has left me without a car. It was declared totaled by Allstate. I had a rental car up until Saturday, but now have no means of transportation unless I call someone or I use my feet. I am like ummm God what is going on? I knew this was not a surprise, but still what is going on.

As I have been reading through Plan B I have found that it is not so much about a cut and dry solution, it is about finding strength and hope to know that God is in the midst of it all with you. One of the things I enjoy is Pete's genuineness, authenticity, and heart that comes through. At times you will find yourself crying and at other times you will say wow this is really kicking me in the boot-ay (that would be chapters 10-13).

I leave you with this from Plan B: "It's amazing the bright light God allows our lives to become when we give Him all we have in the midst of the darkness."

Death of a Car

2010-04-27T04:47:00.000-07:00

This is my last post about the car and then I will get back into hey check this video out.

So last Wednesday when I went down to Jeremy's place of employment where my car was being kept, I had a chance to sit in it one last time. I started to eat lunch in it, but then the adjuster guy showed up to look at it. It was a bittersweet moment though when I left the car for good. I have memories. It was the first car I ever had. I remember my dad and I going car shopping finally because I was finally in a position to purchase a car. I didn't want to just get any car - I wanted either a Honda Accord or a Toyota Corolla. I remember going to Visalia and looking at a Toyota Corolla with my dad (I probably should have gone with that - they payments were cheaper). We ended up going to Bakersfield to Bill Wright Toyota where I first test drove the blue 2000 Toyota Corolla that I was going to name Cora - then they showed me what the payments would be. That is when I said I will take the white one that is 12,788 (it had a used sticker on it). I immediately knew her name would be Tori Corolla (she did not look like a Cora). I remember there being something wrong with a headlight that we got fixed. Tori had been a used car from the dealership - they would let people rent it so she had 32,000 miles on it. Not bad for a 1998.

Four months after having Tori Corolla I tried to have a dog from one of the teachers I taught with at Oak Grove Elementary School. I took Watto to the vet to get his shots and on the way there he decided to hurl - in my backseat. In November of 2000 I was backing out of a parking space and got backed into by the guy that was parked on my left. That was her first accident. She survived and looked as good as new after her surgery. I remember in 2001 when I was working as a social worker in Bakersfield, CA and driving 60 miles one way to work. I'd have one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand trying to find a radio station to make the drive more fun. I remember in January 2001 when I drove from Porterville to Fresno to pick up some of my fraternity and sorority siblings so we could go to WDLC in Los Angeles. I picked up FreakAzoid! first and we drove around Fresno doing a few things before we went to get the rest of the car load. Tori Corolla made it all the way from Porterville to Fresno and down to Los Angeles before her orange light came on. It was on the 405 freeway and Freak and I were a little freaked out lol We also picked Lotte up in Northridge so she could come and I handed her the keys to drive. I remember the times I would drive to the central coast and out in the middle of nowhere roll the windows down with my Micahael W. Smith tape blaring and me singing The Race Is On at the top of my lungs with my head stuck out the window. I remember on my way back from Los Angeles with everyone in the car switching lanes on the 99 and oops there is a dead dog in the middle of the freeway. Tori needed an alignment after that. Sorry Tori. I remember loading up the car to head to WDC 2000 in San Luis Obispo, CA. That was fun. I remember towing her to Okalahoma when I moved here. The first time I got a speeding ticket in Norman, OK, The time I got locked out of my car in Brownwood, TX and there happened to be a guy that did locksmithing as a hobby. He worked patiently to get her unlocked. We discovered when you are locked out of her you can only get in through the passenger side. I remember K.C. my kitty passing away in her on my way to the vet. That was a sad time. I remember all the times I would sit in her preparing myself to go into the jail to face the evil that was there. I'd sit in her and pray and listen to KCBI and read my Bible. I remember the first time I had a heart attack (not really) when Matt one of my fraternity brothers from Minnesota asked to borrow her after his car was stolen while he was out of town and I had watched his place (only time that has ever happened I promise). I remember all the trips to the vet with Holly when she was sick. One time she was laying on the passenger's seat and talking to me as I talked to her at the stoplights. She had lost her meow, but it was so cute. I remember driving to Corpus Christi with Bobby driving so we could go to National Convention 2001. I remember the second time she was injured - in 2003 (the week Mr. Rogers died) en route to work in ice. I remember the second time she got a speeding ticket. And finally her death on April 15, 2010. I know she was just a car, but there were memories. I pray that God will help me to one day get another one. I certainly do need to be able to get to job interviews and to a job once I get one. I don't know at this point if it will ever happen.

Hard Week

2010-04-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

I have to say last week was a tough week for me. I got the rental car on Monday. Then on Tuesday on the way to work my stomach was upset because I was worried I would get a call that day and have to go look at the car and they declare it totaled and then I have to turn it back in. I was happy when I had made it through work with no phone call. After work I met with a guy from an attorney's office to start my case since I was injured in the accident (sprained my back - found out when I went to the chiropractor on Monday - I am getting ready to start day 6 of active treatment and my back needs it). I then got the phone call from the adjuster - they were going to look at my car the next day.

Wednesday was hard. I was nervous and the guy looked at my car and declared it totaled. I cried when he told me everything. I have to say that Copart does not waste time - they were calling me right after that while I was en route to go cry at my church (I am tired of crying by the way - hate it). I called the claims guy and told him to see if I could get the rental extended. I was worried because I still had to get to work on Thursday and Friday and then finals start this week. I didn't know if I would be able to get there. I got a call on Thursday morning while driving. I got the rental extended until Tuesday. I pay for it the next three days. I cried on Thursday and Friday. How on earth am I going to get around to places. How am I going to get to job interviews or to do my laundry.?Will I ever have a car again? It just seems so overwhelming. And if I get a job before I get a car how am I going to get there?

I hate dealing with the aftermath of an accident. My back is hurting, there are times I feel like there is a brick on my chest (when I have been standing or sitting for a while). I feel like this has been a double blow - well make that triple. My two college positions are ending as the semester ends and I have not found employment elsewhere yet. I don't know how I am going to get everything paid. I have some extra expenses I did not know I was going to have and it is just hard. I kind of cried again yesterday. I need God to come in so badly. I don't want Him to have picked me up and just dropped me down someplace and then leave me to figure everything out on my own.

It Ain't Pretty

2010-04-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Okay so here it is. I am warning you it is not pretty. The lane my car is in is not the lane I was originally in.

My poor baby

Yuck

Tire was flattened

Shelby backing my car off the tow truck

Not sure what it going to happen. The ride on the Great Faith Adventure got a little bumpy. I need a horse and a buggy. Or a driver.

Cars Suck Sometimes

2010-04-16T04:29:00.001-07:00

April 15th sucks. Officially. But on the bright side my small group rocks as does Jesus!!

Yesterday shortly before 7 pm I had left Target with my dinner and was headed to my small group. I was driving in the right lane down Fielder Road and a car in the driveway of the apartment complex on the right pulled right into me. My car is not drivable and I am sore in a lot of places. I also have some lovely bruising going on where the seat belt was. But my small group rocks!! I called Elizabeth one of my leaders and she asked if I needed anyone to come get me. I said yes and she sent her husband Jeremy and Shelby (one of the guys). They were really great and Elizabeth called Jeremy while they were with me and said the whole group said Shelby had to give me a hug on behalf of everyone. He did lol I love my small group and I look forward to getting to know them - we have only been together since February and I am the newbie to the church. But that is okay. I sometimes wish I would have transferred my membership to Fielder a long time ago - God has just been blessing me for being there. And some of them in my small group were together when they had a single program and they know each other from there. They are so not cliquish people like another church I know that I used to be at.

Jeremy took pictures so I will post pictures here when I get them as well as on Facebook and twitter. My poor car. And I of course have no money for a rental and have no clue how I will be getting to work next week. But my car is cleaned out almost and it might be able to be fixed. If not I want to get another Toyota Corolla - don't mind if it is used. I want between 1999 and 2001. And I could have one where the stereo works completely (I think my tape deck died lol). And the paint won't be old and wearing away. I will name the new to me one Cori (my current one is Tori Corolla) so the new one will be Cori Corolla. Yeah yeah I name my cars lol Oooo and the new to me car will actually have the Toyota stuff all over it. Sweet!! I was rear ended in 2003. When they put everything back on they only put Corolla. They left off the symbol and the VE and the Toyota.

And I know God has a purpose in all of this. I think I kind of needed a humility check this week. I apparently am this week's example. I have no full time job, no car, don't know how I am getting to work next week, and my two teaching positions are coming to an end by May 7th. I am praying I can find a full time position right here in Arlington. I am tired of all the driving I have to do.

Oh and I know two other people who were in car accidents yesterday. My honorary KKPsi little brother Jeff who lives in North Carolina and my friend Carly (I prayed for God to send her husband George a wife and hey it was Carly woo hoo!) in Louisiana. They say it happens in threes. I was number 3. Lovely. And I am if onlying already. I hate that.

I Surrender All

2010-04-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

My church is in a 6 week church wide study of the book of James. The sermon series is called Wii Fit - about getting spiritually fit and staying that way. Each week we are looking at a different theme. There are books to purchase for $3 that have the personal devotions in it, as well as what is talked about in small groups. There is also a family table talk you can do with your family (let me see considering my small group is a singles group and none of us have kids except one with foster kids we found that one hard - although I did ask if I could gather my cats around me and have a talk lol). Anyway, this week's study is a hard one - humility. On Monday night I did the devotion and it asked you to list three areas where you have pride in and three problem areas - I was thinking yeah I am not very prideful. Umm think again. God has a funny way of pointing some things out to you.

Let me see yesterday not so good in the oh I didn't realize I was like this. Let me list a few.

1. When I am not a happy camper when the library computer lab is closed and I let them know it. II can easily justify as to why I should be an unhappy camper, but you know I really shouldn't be - I should just roll with the flow.
2. My friend Melissa one time pointed out that I am negative a lot and complain about things from work - I can also justify this, but I should just be happy I have the work that I do and enjoy the challenges.
3. When I have to keep pressing an issue where I know I am right about it (did this yesterday when talking to my friend Melissa - she said Frisco was south of Plano - I knew it wasn't, but you know just let her think that and not argue about it).
4. Being resistant and stubborn to things - especially with the job hunt process. I probably shouldn't just be all I want to do this specific thing. I should just look at this as an adventure (I am on the great faith adventure after all) and be excited about what I will do next. I have certainly done a lot of interesting things these past few years and got to even teach elementary music without having to be a music major :) This also includes the geographic location of where I am at. Yes I might want to be able to stay here for just a little while longer because I do love my church I am at and would hate to leave, but you know if God wants me to move I have to be obedient to that.

But then I sometimes think, isn't it okay to have a dream? Maybe some of these things are in my heart for a reason. I love working with college students and I want to be able to work with them in a student services position. I have never completely enjoyed the teaching aspect of things, I have always enjoyed the counseling/advisor side of things. And what is wrong with wanting to stay at my church a little longer? I really like it and I just got there. I am not ready to leave. And what is wrong with the dream of Nashville? Maybe God is moving in my life to get me there when the time is right. But I shouldn't argue with someone about it and I have done that. I should just know that they are inserting their two cents worth because they care.

So this is what is going on the past few days in the great faith adventure of my life. It is a hard place to be at times. And I want to change and be positive. Sometimes it is not easy. But then I know God understands and He knows and He can take the times when I am frustrated with things and when I have yelled. But still I don't want to be negative. I want to be my happy go lucky self. Although sometimes the fire is hard on you. I have felt like I have been through the fire at Hill College. It hurts.

Today's video is Mercy Me singing I Surrender All. Kind of has a countryish feeling to it. Like you want to praise the Lord and eat some biscuits and gravy while you are doing it :)

Perfect People

2010-04-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

I have heard this song quite a few times. I finally did a search to see what the exact song title was. So tada - today's video is Perfect People by Natalie Grant. And a treat for you as it is live. I like to see if I can find the actual performances of the song. So yay!!

Yesterday was great at church!! I have noticed that since I started back in the orchestra that I have made a lot of improvement. Yep hold onto your hats people I played a sixteenth note yesterday!! Pretty cool huh? I always say I am being affirmed each time I am there that I am exactly where I am supposed to be and serving exactly where I am supposed to be serving. And believe me I have made a lot of strides in three months (it had been over a year since I last played because when I was at First Baptist Dallas they had switched Awana and orchestra to being at the same time and orchestra had to go since they needed more help in Awana). Now to start practicing more :)

I am going to attempt something for the first time ever in my life on Friday. So I am in advance of this bequeathing my animals to Allan or Megan or whoever (I won't care after I die lol). Hold onto your hats yet again - I am going to do kickboxing. The wife of our young adults pastor teaches a kickboxing class and the first one is free to check out so at 5:15 instead of being in Dallas for the Rock and Worship Road Show (I can see them some other time), I will be kickboxing (aka dying lol). It will be fun and healthy. I told James (the Young Adults Pastor) about me checking out Michelle's class and he said yep I am gonna die lol

Okay that is all for now. Video below. Enjoy!!

Wake Me Up Inside

2010-04-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Today's video is not exactly a Christian video, but I like the song. Yep miss nice electic taste in music here lol It is from Evanescence and Linkin Park. Evanesence kind of reminds me of Barlow Girl or Plumb. But more Barlow Girl than anything else.

So let me see last post was before Easter and I had grand plans of posting on Easter either that Dallas Holm video I Will Rise Again or Via Dolarosa (Sandi Patty version), but alas I did not. Maybe I shall save it for next Sunday. Or I could do it on another day - every day is Easter since every day we can celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (can I get a witness?).

Easter was a fun day. I got to church and was on the stage with my clarinet at 7:30 in the a.m. Yep an hour and a half before I usually have to be at church. Sugar free Red Bull was my friend til sometime in the middle of the 8:00 service when it decided to wear off and I was thinking - wow I am playing music and what is that note? lol The orchestra had a break in between the 8:00 and 9:30 service so I went to buy an iced latte with an espresso shot in it. This was preceded by a couple of donuts and followed by a couple of donuts. I was a happy camper during the 9:30 service. In between services when I went to go get my coffee I saw one of the guys in my small group - Brandon (hi Brandon if you ever drop by my blog - you just made a post lol). He was dressed in renassiance attire. On purpose. At church. I asked him - Robin Hood? And he said no I'm Brandon you've met me before (at this point I should have cricketed - what they do in KKPsi/TBS meetings at Baylor when the laughter is sucked out of the room lol). After reciving my coffee, I went back to the part of the church the orchestra was located in. I saw Elizabeth who is one of my small group leaders and also the Serve Pastor (hi Elizabeth if you drop by my blog) and asked her if she had seen Brandon. She started to tell me where he was and I said - no have you seen Brandon. I then told her what he was wearing and apparently this was not the first time for him to wear this outfit.

After church and Asian food for lunch I got to go over to Jeremy and Elizabeth's for Easter dinner (hi Jeremy if you drop by my blog). I had a fun time, but I think their baby Zach is going to think people always dress up for Easter dinner (as in costumes lol). I brought my bunny rabbit ears and they put them on him and took pictures. it was cute. Then I proceeded to wear them during dinner, Brandon was in his renaissance attire, Jeremy's sister's boyfriend was wearing a ghostbusters outfit and Becky (Jeremy's sister) showed up in her Dr. Who outfit, but changed (they had a photo shoot earlier in Fort Worth). We had some yummy food - I was way full from lunch, but enjoyed what I had. We also played a game - that was fun. And then the baby laughed when he saw my bunny rabbit ears. I seemed to have been popular with the babies because after church on my way to my car a baby girl smiled at me - her mom said I was the only one she smiled at all day. Awww. Nope still don't want my own, but other people's are nice :)

Okay enjoy the video - or be depressed. Not sure which lol Dudes I like the song so deal with it :)

Sunday's Comin

2010-04-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

Since today is Good Friday I thought that today's video would be a video I saw last night when I was over at Jeremy and Elizabeth's house. Brandon one of the guys in our small group showed me the video and I thought it would be appropriate for today. So enjoy when you get through reading this :)

So last night was fun. It was small group and I had called Elizabeth to ask her if she wanted me to bring dessert. She called me back and said that our small group was falling apart because hardly anyone could make it. But she said Brandon was coming over and her parents were there and I could come for dinner. So yay!! I went over and had dinner and we all visited and I got to play Wii Bowling. I bowled a lot better in Wii Bowling than I do in real life bowling lol. And I got to know Brandon a little better. Him and Jeremy and Elizabeth go back to the Metro 180 days at Fielder Road Baptist Church (it was the singles thing). It is kind of nice to be in a small group where they have somewhat of a history with each other. I like hearing their stories. I also got an invite for Easter dinner :) That will be fun!! I think I am going to surprise them and make peas and cheese salad. That seems kind of Eastery. I was going to just have Asian food and carrot cake from Tom Thumb for my Easter lunch (I have done this before lol), but I couldn't pass up an invite. I believe God is truly blessing me for taking that step of faith and transferring my membership to Fielder Road Baptist Church. I thought I would miss Awana, but not so much (I would love to be a part of an Awana program again). I am truly enjoying being in the orchestra and playing again. I am amazed at how much improvement I am making on my clarinet. I just need to work on my breathing techniques. Gotta be able to hold a whole not without having to pant afterward lol

After small group I got to talk to my former student/friend Robbie. She said it was nice to hear me happy. Thank you Jesus for April. This is going to be a better month than March :) She also encouraged me on the job I applied for at UTA. So I am going to keep on praying. This would be a great place to start and a dream come true :)

Okay video is below. Enjoy!

Every Move I Make

2010-04-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

It is now April!! Yay!! There were a few days in March that I wanted to forget. Glad March is over and I am glad a new month has begun even if the semester is rapidly coming to an end and I don't know what is up next on the agenda. Still no word on the job at UTA. It has been two weeks. I am a little chicken to call to find out. I don't want it to be bad news.

I did find another position at UTA to apply for and also as much as I hate to, will apply for a job at UNT. The drive from Arlington to Denton would not be fun if I got the job which would mean I'd have to leave Arlington (but I'd be closer to Megan - she could hang out with my cats lol).

Okay today's video is Every Move I Make. Not the Out of Eden version. This one is the David Crowder Band live. A nice treat. Go on and do the motions with it I know you want to :)

Lead Me to the Cross

2010-03-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today's video is Lead Me to the Cross by a group I am starting to like (read - I have to buy another cd shelf that holds 300 cds because I am going to add this to my collection) Chris and Conrad. I have heard it on KLTY several times and heard it again on my way to work this morning. I think that it is appropriate this week since this is considered to be Holy Week.

I have to give props to one of my students in my afternoon class - Donna. There were three videos with Chris and Conrad performing this song live. She thought the video on here was the best and I agree with her. And it is a treat because they are performing live at a radio station. So yay for live performances!!

Tonight

2010-03-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

I would like to have a do over of this weekend. It all would have started with me ignoring the text from Caleb asking me if I got the job at UTA (I have not yet heard anything). Basically I found out this weekend that he thinks most of my text messages are sewage so he ignores them. Thanks buddy - why the heck did you text me then to ask me if i got the job?

Moving right along, April is fast approaching. I will be glad for a new month to begin. Although it does mean I will be in the last month of the semester. Which means two jobs go away for a while if I don't get hired someplace soon. Try telling a potential employer when they ask how soon you could start that you can't start until May 10th because you are wrapping up the semester and now would not be a good time to abandon ship. Yet right now I don't have time to add in a fourth job since it is going to get hectic in a few more weeks - grading finals and papers.

On a brighter note (middle C lol) I am going to go see Selah on April 30th. I can't wait and I think I am going to see if I can win tickets to Christian Youth weekend at Six Flags. Kutless and Jeremy Camp!! And I think I might splurge and on April 16th go to Dallas for the Rock and Worship Road Tour - a whole lot of great Christian groups that I like. And finally on May 1st the 2010 Mission at Quik Trip Park in Grabd Prairie. Maybe I can get a few things autographed that are hanging in here (Mercy Me - although it would be nice for Audio Adrenaline to suddenly get back together and then I can get my poster autographed lol).

I have been listening to KLTY a lot more these days. I really like that radio station - nice encouraging music and I LOVE Christian music - well heck music in general :)

Okay today's video is Tonight by Jeremy Camp. I am not sure if I have put this up before (are you really going to make me search my blog to find out? lol). Jeremy Camp will be at Christian Youth Weekend. If i miraculously win tickets maybe i can miraculously meet him and have him autograph my cds and ticket stubs :) I have seen him once before for f-r-e-e!! The video is a treat - it is Jeremy live :)

Love the Lord

2010-03-27T08:04:00.001-07:00

I ordered the cd of the 11:00 service at my church on March 14th because I really liked the message that Larry Nelson preached. Well I did not know that it had the entire service on there (just thought it would be the sermon). Pretty cool that the entire service is on there because you get the music with our awesome worship team (a lot of them are professional musicians). They always do a song as people come in and on this cd they were doing Love the Lord by Lincoln Brewster. So I decided that would be the video for today :)

March is coming to an end and I can't believe it. It also means the semester is coming to an end sooner than I expected (we have 6 weeks left). I have started to reflect on how God has brought me through a tough month financially. I don't know how He does it, but when I got my last bill paid I thanked Jesus. I am not going to lie I am struggling financially right now and it has been a tough couple of months and April isn't looking even better. I am back to three part time jobs, but I don't get paid from Navarro College until the end of April. That means once again I am not sure how my rent is getting paid. I don't make enough from Hill College to pay it all and if I saved it all for the rent then I would not be able to pay the other bills that are due at the beginning and I would not be able to get gas to get to work. So prayers are needed. I have until April 15th to get my rent in. And it is not a matter of budgeting because ya know I don't have enough money to budget for that. And if I moved to a cheaper place there are still all the moving costs associated with that. So when my friend Melissa says to budget I scream inside my head. Well not really, but you understand I think. I will do what I do every month - make out my list of prayer requests on one side of a sheet of paper and on the other side put God's answers. And I will keep doing what God puts in front of me. That is all I can do.

Keep praying for the job I interviewed for at UTA. I have not heard back. I want so desperately for things to come together for me.

Okay here is the video. It is a treat as it is Lincoln Brewster live!!

Get Back Up

2010-03-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

So I have to say i LOVE listening to KLTY on my drive into and back from work. I always hear stuff that I say - must add that to my blog. Today on my way back to Arlington I heard this song from Toby Mac and thought I'd put it up today - entitled Get Back Up. So the video at the end will be Get Back Up.

I still have not heard anything back yet from UTA. Keep on praying. I would love to have this job. Besides being in Arlington I'd be getting to work with college freshmen who some may not know exactly what it is they want to do. I would get to work with them on career and major exploration. I am doing that right now as a volunteer in the counseling center at Hill College. Have I mentioned I really want to have the door open for me to be working full time in a student services position at a college? I still would love to go to Nashville, but I can wait if God wants to put me someplace else first. I want to go to Nashville when the time is right.

I also am enjoying being back at Navarron College - the Midlothian campus this time. When they cut me from the classes at the Waxahachie campus I didn't see how this would work out for the good, but it has. The Midlothian campus is a lot nicer and it is closer than Waxahachie. Plus I really like the people there and my students I have this 2nd 8 week term are pretty cool. So I feel like I have gotten back up and I wasn't knocked out forever :)

And I have been praying about a few things and God is helping me to keep on praying even though there haven't been any answers either way yet. I am reminded of Isaiah 40:31. So it keeps me perservering in my prayer life.

Okay here is the video. Enjoy. Sorry it does not have Toby Mac doing anything live, but it has the lyrics :)

Walk By Faith

2010-03-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not posting lately. Last week was spring break and I can't believe how slightly busy I was. So much for being able to kick it. I was dog/cat/house sitting and had to do my ad change job. Plus I did do something fun - I got to go to a taping of Life Today in Euless (or Useless as I call it lol) to see the famous Pete Wilson speak about his upcoming book Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up The Way You Expected Him To? I got to talk a little with him afterward and it turns out he and both know my friend Matt Brown who is the pastor of Sandals Church in Riverside, CA and who I went to California Baptist University with. I wished I could have gotten an advanced cop of his book for him to sign, but that is okay. I shall get it when it comes out and send it back with Allan to Nashville for Pete to sign :)

Last night I went to another taping of Life Today to see Todd and Angie Smith speak about Angie's upcoming book I Will Carry You. I was hoping to get to talk with them afterward, but they did not stick around. Angie is 7 1/2 months pregnant and was not feeling well. I did get a few pictures and Angie said if we were at the taping and got pics she'd love them. I tweeted her and said I got two and asked her if she wanted me to e-mail them to her. She direct messaged me back and said yes and was sorry we didn't get to say hello that it was nuts. One of these days I will be able to say hello instead of yelling from the Selah/Avalon tour bus - Angie it's me Kathi Waddle.

Last week on March 17th I had an interview for an academic advising position at UTA. They said it would be a week and a half before I heard anything. Still haven't heard (today is a week). Please keep me in prayer on this. I am really struggling financially right now. I do have three part time jobs (just started teaching the 2nd 8 week term at the Midlothian campus of Navarro College), but I do not get paid from Navarro College til the end of April. I really don't know how I would squeeze in a 4th job. I drive 23 miles one way for my ad change job. Plus I drive to Cleburne twice a week and to Midlothian once a week. Driving time cuts into things. I am faced again with not knowing how the rent is going to get paid in April. And the semester is ending in May which will cause two of the jobs to go bye bye for a while. So I am definitely in need of a God-sized intervention called a full time job. UTA is the second interview I have had this year. It has been a challenge trying to find something that would work with the two colleges. But really I need one full time job. I am tired of struggling and don't know how much more I can take. It's hard when you apply and you don't hear back. And I really want to have a chance to be able to work with college students full time in a student services setting. It's my dream. I am getting a little taste of this at Hill College since I am volunteering in the counseling center. But I want so desperately for the door to open for me. For me to be able to tell everyone that has been praying for years that their prayers have been answered. So prayers are appreciated very much right now.

Today's video is Jeremy Camp - Walk By Faith. I have seen him in concert once for free courtesy of the tickets I won from KLTY less than 5 minutes after walking into Lifeway and registering to win them lol

Your Great Name

2010-03-14T11:31:00.001-07:00

Church was great yesterday. We are still on the sermon series God is Not His Name (I love how creative my church gets). Yesterday's name was Yahweh ROHI. I ordered the sermon cd. There was some new things I learned about Psalm 23. We also sang Your Great Name. I love this song!! Guess what the video for today is!! Sing along with it :) I will share some of the things I learned from Psalm 23 when I get the sermon cd next week. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Yesterday after church I called my friend Allison and she mentioned they were painting her sister's house again today. I asked if they needed help she said sure. So I asked Caleb and he decided to go and I rode with him (my neighbor said for the record she thought it was a bad idea - she was right lol on the way over there lol). So I didn't paint, but I did sand and I did tape. I am sore today somewhat. For the record if you have a home improvement project call me up - I am always up for learning new skills :)

Oh and I am on spring break. I do have stuff to do, but it is nice to know I can relax in between. And I also have a very important interview on Wednesday - St. Patrick's Day!! I am interviewing for an academic advising position at UTA. Prayers are very much appreciated. And one more thing - I get to meet the famous Pete Wilson tomorrow at a taping of Life Today in Euless!! I am excited!! I wish I could ask him to bring an advanced copy of Plan B so I can get it autographed!!

Okay video is below. Enjoy!!

Rain It Down

2010-03-11T05:52:00.000-08:00

I need to trade in my head/nose. right half of my face for a new one. I don't know if it is allergies, sinuses or a cold, but I feel miserable and I am doing something I never do - skip work today at Hill College. Today I am going to do my laundry, grade papers, and rest. Oh and go buy some meds that might start nipping this thing in the bud so I am well for my interview next Wednesday March 17th (which I found out is the birthday of one of the guys in my small group. How awesome is that!! It will be a great day!!).

Have I mentioned how every time I am at my church and when I am at my small group that I am reminded each time that I made the right decision to transfer my membership there? Well tis true. I am thankful for God helping me to take that step of faith and go through with it and I am reminded that I am serving right where I am supposed to - in the orchestra. It has been amazing to see the progress I have made since January when I first started. I get a little bit better each week. Not bad for this percussionist on the clarinet. And I look forward to having more opportunities to do things. I can't wait to see what service and missions opportunities they have in the future. And my small group is awesome!! We have only met three times. but I know that I am going to learn true community - something I feel lacked at my other church I was at for 7 years. My small group may not be able to help in tangible ways, but it means a lot to know they rejoice with me over something good and keep me in prayer on other things.

I was going to blog about something else, but alas decided not to. Instead I am going to say woo flippin' hoo!! Pete Wilson the pastor at Cross Point Church in Nashville (my future church when I do move there - gonna get hired at UTA and have the other dream of living, working, and going to church in Arlington come true) will be in town next week to do a taping of Life Today. It is conveniently on my spring break and is f-r-e-e. Anyone want to go with me? I wish I could get an advanced copy of his new book that comes out next month which is entitled Plan B: What To Do When God Doesn't Show Up The Way You Expected Him To? Woo hoo!!

Today's video is Rain It Down by Carlos Whittaker. He used to be the worship pastor at Sandals Church in Riverside, CA where my friend Matt is the pastor. He has a new album coming out next month and I can't wait to celebrate me getting hired at UTA by purchasing it. This is one of the tracks off of it I do believe. If you have an itickets account you can download it free this week.

Jesus Messiah

2010-03-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

Today I was thankful for my church. I am learning that God cares about every single aspect of my life. Even where I go to church. I am glad that He helped me to see that it was time to leave FBC Dallas and that He let me know I was supposed to go to Fielder Road Baptist Church. I am glad He did. It is nice to be somewhere I am growing in my walk with God and that the word of God is preached and that the pastoral staff cares about you being plugged into a small group. I also love that they know you by name. It is great. So I am thankful. True I am still in a transition phase - I want to make some connections with people and to build some friendships so I don't have to spend as much time as I do by myself. I really like my small group that I am in and look forward to how we continue to come together. True we are not perfect, but we will help one another as God provides with however we can.

Today the band in the 11:00 service rocked the house as usual!! Seriously I think they need to put out an album. Go on tour with Chris Tomlin :) Or Lincoln Brewster :) Or Hillsong United :) We sang this song today - Jesus Messiah. Thought I'd put it on the blog today.

And I really liked the sermon today. I feel like I have been left in the dust by two friends after I introduced them to each other. They seem not to care about it. I am not going to lie - it hurts. It's like one friend was enjoying hanging out with me and then he met my friend Allison and boom bye bye see ya later alligator. I have been told to give it time. I will. Lay low for all this week. It still hurts though.

Okay enjoy the video. Megan calm yourself lol And I think I am going to have to go with you to a Chris Tomlin concert so there is no restraining order filed against you after you meet him lol

How Can I Keep From Singing

2010-03-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

Yep I am still listening to my new Chris Tomlin cd See The Morning. I admit I had been skipping past the first three songs, but today i decided to listen from the beginning. Glad I did. I really like this first track. Sets my mind on the things above and keeps me running into the arms of God even in the midst of the storms of life. So get your praise on. This one is great because it is live. Lyrics will be below the video so you can sing along :)

There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give

How can I keep from singing your praise? How can I ever say enough, how amazing is your love? How can I keep from shouting your name? I know i am loved by the king, and it makes my heart want to sing

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne

Awesome is the Lord Most High

2010-03-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I splurged a little and bought not one but 2 cd's at Family Christian Store (they were on sale for $7.77 woo hoo!!). I bought Chris Tomlin's See The Morning cd (and hopefully he will accept my friend request on facebook even when I got the name of the cd wrong lol). I bought two of them because one is for me and one is for my friend Caleb. I think this may be his first Chris Tomlin cd and I think he will enjoy it. He is coming out of a church where they are reserved when it comes to expressing worship to my church where people raise their hands as the Spirit moves or clap their hands (I love sitting on the stage with the orchestra in the 9:30 service and getting a glimpse of all the people as they are praising and worshiping the Lord - that's what it is all about!). And I am praying that this year for Caleb that he will grow closer to God and just come to love Him even more and just to cry out to Him and to just break out of the shell and step out of the box. To experience God in a whole new way.

I am enjoying listening to the cd and I am just listening to what the message is in the songs. I am facing a time right now where I don't know how I am going to pay the rent this month and how I am going to get the rest of the bills paid, keep gas in the car to get to my 2 jobs, and keep food on the table. I got paid from Hill College, but it was for $552. I couldn't save that out for the rent as I have some other bills that had to get paid and have to get the electric bill paid next week as well as the water/garbage or I will get disconnected. I also had to get more gas in the car to get to work and buy some more groceries as I was on the verge of running completely out. I am choosing not to worry and instead I am praying. In times like these you can make a choice - to worry or to pray. I choose to pray. And I do keep applying for jobs. I want to see that prayer answered of a full time job this year. I am tired of the struggles. I also want to find something that will work with me teaching for the rest of the semester so I don't have to quit. Even though it is hard, I want to be a woman of integrity and honor my commitment I have made.

Then there's the prayer that is really a lot on my heart. I want it to be my turn to meet a wonderful Godly Christian man and get married. I didn't want to be single all my life. I want to share my life with the guy God has picked out for me. And I pray for some friends I can hang out with and do stuff with. And I miss having a good guy friend. I have always had at least one good guy friend. I do pray that Caleb and I will get to be the best of friends. I pray too for God to bring the man he has picked out for my life into my life to be a friend to me and as we hang out with each other that God will be moving in our hearts. Stirring them up and drawing us to each other.

Okay here is the video for Awesome is the Lord Most High. Lyrics underneath so you can sing along :)

Great are You, Lord
Mighty in strength
You are faithful
You will ever be

We will praise You
All of our days
It's for Your glory
We offer everything

Raise your hands, all you nations
Shout to God all creation
How awesome is the Lord most high

Where You send us
God, we will go
You're the answer
We want the world to know

We will trust You
When You call our name
Where You lead us
We'll follow all the way

We will praise You together
For now and forever
How awesome is the Lord most high

Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
How awesome is the Lord most high

Never Alone

2010-03-02T05:33:00.001-08:00

So today I am off the Meredith Andrews kick (although she is going to be in Flower Mound on Wednesday and I really want to go, but alas I shall be serving the Lord in orchestra practice - that is okay because I will make sure I go one day to see her in concert). Today I got Never Alone in my head by Barlow Girl. I like Barlow Girl - they are all sisters and one is a drummer. Let's hear it for girl drummers! Yay!! The video is Never Alone.

When I was still a part of First Baptist Dallas, Dr. Jeffress once shared something he does in his prayer time and I decided that I would incorporate that into mine. I do this once a month usually towards the end of the month. I take a sheet of paper I put a line down the middle and on one side write My Requests and on the the other side I write God's Answers. I am still in the midst of the bumpy part of the Great Faith Adventure. Not always a fun place to be. But I love to see how God shows up and I do need Him to show up in a mighty way. I did my prayer request list on Sunday and one thing I put on there is my current job situation. I am praying that i will find a full time position at a college, but I am also praying for a 3rd job that will help me gt through the rest of the semester or finding a 2nd job and then I can make some changes with the ad change job (last semester 3 jobs got a little much for me). Yesterday I went down to Waxahachie to return the books and the keys and 1 of the cd's and I came back with a job. It is not full time, but I need something so I accepted it and said thank you Jesus. They need another psych instructor for the 2nd 8 week clases which start up March 8th. I will be teaching a Friday only class so I start March 12th. It is at the Midlothian campus which is awesome because it is much closer than Waxahachie. Thankful for a partial victory, and still praying that God will help me to make it through the semester and glad that He is helping me not to abandon ship mid-way through. My friend Melissa and I had gotten into a discussion about honoring commitments even when it is hard to do. And I do want to honor the commitments that I have made and do the right thing.

I also am kind of at a weird place on my walk with God. I don't know quite how to describe it. I do describe my relationship with God as open because there is nothing He doesn't know and that helps me as I pour out my heart to Him. I am honest (He already knows why hide it?). But you know how sometimes it just gets a little challenging - that is what it is for me. Which is why I really like this song by Barlow Girl. It reminds me that no matter what I am never alone. And I do hold tight and I know He works through all of this.

Here are the lyrics. You can sing along with the video.

"Never Alone"

I waited for you today
But you didn't show
No no no
I needed You today
So where did You go?
You told me to call
Said You'd be there
And though I haven't seen You
Are You still there?

[Chorus:]
I cried out with no reply
And I can't feel You by my side
So I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here and I"m never alone

And though I cannot see You
And I can't explain why
Such a deep, deep reassurance
You've placed in my life

We cannot separate
'Cause You're part of me
And though You're invisible
I'll trust the unseen

[Chorus]

We cannot separate
You're part of me
And though You're invisible
I'll trust the unseen

[Chorus]

Life Is A Highway

2010-02-28T04:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was fun even if I am feeling my pulled muscle flair up a tad bit and my hip hurt just a slight bit.

Inspired by Jim Parks the worship pastor at my church (have I mentioned that I really like my church?) shared with us on Wednesday during orchestra practice that he had started up exercising again. It was a goal of his for this year and 7 weeks in and he had finally started up. So inspired by that and knowing it is not too late, I started back in yesterday. I went walking at River Legacy Park in Arlington. And the best part is I didn't have to go alone. I got to go exercise with my friend Caleb. Yay! Company is always fun. Except he ran most of the time. I don't run - don't want to keel over from an asthma attack. Since today is going to be another gorgeous day I am going to go hit the walking circuit again today after church. It will be fun to get back into the swing of things.

Then last night my friend Allison got to meet Caleb. She didn't want to go alone so I went and pointed him out and then read and walked around and kept myself entertained while they were visiting at Borders. Then the three of us decided it was time for dinner. We went to Freebirds and had fun. I am making an effort to eat healthier this year and I chose the whole wheat tortilla for my burrito bowl. Of course I also had a Shiner. I was feeling at the time like I may need one and was making my friend Kelly laugh in the text messages I was sending her. But I am happy that we had fun and that I am making some good eating choices.

And inside of me my heart still says to God please let my two dreams come true for my life. Let it happen for me. Let it come together and help me to trust You because I know that You only have the best in store for me. But please God let the pieces fall into place for me.

I think I am off my Meredith Andrews kick so I am putting something fun up before I commence getting ready for church at Monache Band pace and playing alarm clock this morning so someone is not missing church this morning. Life Is A Highway the Rascal Flatts version. I love me some Rascal Flatts :)

The New Song We Sing

2010-02-27T06:33:00.000-08:00

I decided after my dinner of champions last night - Lean Cuisine pizza and tequila (okay the tequila part got nixed when I could smell my drink before it could be consumed - my rule is never drink something if I can smell it before I drink it lol) to lay in the dark with the tv muted with the Olympics on and my mp3 player playing because it was a night that called for it. I did watch Apolo Ohno get medal #8 while I did this so that was cool. And apparently he was disqualified. Ummm not right but that is a different story. He can skate and he's cute to boot :) And he is young - he was born in 1982? Wow I remember 1982 lol I was a freshman in high school. Let me see one of my blog followers was not yet a mom, one was not born, and the rest of you were in elementary school. Wow how time flies.

Okay back to my post for today. I learned that a girl that was four years behind me in school passed away due to her own means. It is not in the online version of the Porterville Recorder, but I am going to get some friends that are back in my hometown to send me the clipping. I can't believe this happened. I still remember when she would ride the bus home with me and she would be wearing her St. Anne's uniform. She'd sit next to me on the bus or near me. She lived around the corner from my family. I remember one time stopping by to sell candy bars or something for band (side note the Monache Band is why I am not a salesperson today). I wonder how her best friend is doing. I am probably going to be putting in a call to her mom today to see how things are. I know I hadn't talked to or seen Michele for years, but man it is hard when it is someone you know. I wish that I could just get in the car and take a road trip to Porterville and go hang out with the gang that is still there. I had some good friends and we were all in a great youth group. I still miss Larry my youth pastor to this day. He got his angel wings way to young.

Then I got to praying about my situation - no I am not going to off myself. God gives me the strength to make it through the struggles I face. But I ain't going to lie it is hard at times. I want things to fall into place for me. I want the two dreams I have for my life to come true for me. And add that I found out something this morning so I may be partaking of some alternative beverages while the thing is happening. Lay in the dark with the cats and pour me some nice stiff drinks. No I am not turning into an alcoholic so no worries there.

Okay today's video is another Meredith Andrews video. I told you I was on a Meredith Andrews kick. Yep gotta buy the cds lol I already have over 300. One more won't hurt right? Right.

You're Not Alone

2010-02-26T06:49:00.001-08:00

I must be on a Meredith Andrews kick because today is going to be another video of hers. Just face it - I will probably be on a Meredith Andrews kick for a few more blog posts.

Well, after 2 1/2 hours last night the Swat team left. All the cars are still over there, but it was a nice quiet night. Although I have to say the room I sleep in I do not hear them - not like my neighbors on the other half of the duplex. And I am bad - I have been in my own little world. Kind of busy with a few things.

The third cat has come out of her shell big time. As I write, she is on my lap kneading her very painful existing claws. Ouch. She is a gorgeous girl. A true calico - black, orange and white. I have always wanted a true calico. We had one growing up. She ended up on the doorstep when she was a kitten - it was the summer of 1975. Wow I just realized one of my friends hadn't even been born yet lol Well more than one of my friends. Anyway my mom went around the neighborhood asking if the kitten belonged to anyone. She didn't, so we kept her. And the nice creative think outside the box person that I am, what is the name that pops into my head? Jingles. My sister insisted on Patches (she was 4, she didn't know much better lol) but Jingles won out. Come on if you have a calico cat don't name her the obvious name, get creative with it. This girl I have, I decided to name her Callie. Callie is for Calico - but her name is not Calico. It is Callie. She looks like a Callie too. If anyone wants her, I would let her go to a good home. I don't have to keep her. I know the other two would enjoy being back to a two cat household.

I had a phone screening yesterday for a field interviewer position. If I got it, I would shoot for training in April so that way I would only miss one class. The training is in Chicago which means I would get a free trip to Chicago. I have done this before for (okay everyone fall over that Miss Walking History cannot remember the name of the company she did work for where I got to fly to Philly for free lol). I actually enjoyed it. I would be doing something similar - only a different study with a different company. And I might get to travel to some places which would be cool. It's a temp thing which is fine - I am working still at Hill College and applying for full time positions. I hope that if I get this I can move to Nashville still and continue working on it there. I think it might work.

I like You're Not Alone. I will include the lyrics so everyone can sing along with the video. Which is a treat since she is performing live. Yay!!

I search for love
When the night came and it closed in
I was alone
but you found me where I was hiding
and though I'll never ever be the same
It was the sweetest voice that called my name
singing

You're not alone
For I am here
let me wipe away every fear
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest night
and I'm the one that's loved you all your life
All of your life

You cry yourself to sleep
cause the hurt is real
and the pain cuts deep
All hope seems lost
With heartache your closest friend
and everyone else long gone

You've had to face the music on your own
but there is a sweeter song that calls you home
**sayin'

You're not alone
For I am here
let me wipe away your every tear
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest nights
And I'm the one that's love you all your life
All your life

Faithful and true... Forever
For my love will carry you....

You're not alone
for I... I am here
let me wipe away every fear... Oh yeah
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through your darkest nights
Your darkest nights
And I'm the one that's loved you all your life
All of your life

Can Anybody Hear Me?

2010-02-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

Today's song I have had in my head is another great one by Meredith Andrews. Can Anybody Hear Me? Blog to self: purchase a Meredith Andrews cd when I get paid :)

As I write this the SWAT team is across the street bringing down the drug house. So someone check in on me later to make sure I am okay. And why is it when the SWAT team is in your neighborhood or when the school goes into lockdown that's when you immediately think of some stuff you have to get done outside lol I need to get the litter box changed and put it outside for the garbage pick up. And I think the cats would prefer the better cat food that is currently in my car.

Today I got to meet with my first student in the counseling center at Hill College. I am happy that they are letting me volunteer and that the director of the counseling center has found two students for me to work with. I am going to have fun and I am already thinking of some things to do with this one student that I met with today. And it reminds me of why I am pursuing this. To me this is not work it is my calling and I want to be able to make a difference. And I want to help students find something they care about doing and see them pursue it and not give up. This student that I worked with today - I call her an overcomer. She didn't grow up in the best of environments, but there is something in her that is a fighter and an overcomer. She wants to rise above her circumstances. She has found something that she enjoys doing and it making a difference in her life. She reminds me that I need to keep on overcoming even though it gets hard. She reminds me that I need to keep pursuing my dream. God I hope you see that I have found something I love and am passionate about. I pray God that you will not forget me. Please God let me dreams come true too.

Here is a video for the song. Anke if you drop by I will find the chords for this one too :) I think you should sing this one at your church :) Sorry it's not a live performance or anything. But hey you can listen to the music and sing along with the lyrics which are below the video

I’m staring at these empty walls
Wondering when You’ll visit me again
When will You come?
If there is anything at all
Coming in between our love
Please show me, ‘cuz I am barely hanging on

Can anybody hear me?
The silence is deafening
Why do You feel so far away?
When I know You’re here with me
But I just need faith to see
Nothing can separate me from Your love

Believing what I can’t see
Has never come naturally to me
And I’ve got questions
But I am certain of a Love
Strong enough to hold me when I’m doubting
You’ll never let go of my hand

Can anybody hear me?
The silence is deafening
Why do You feel so far away?
When I know You’re here with me
But I just need faith to see
Nothing can separate me from Your love

I will trust in You, even in the moments
I can’t find you, and I will hold on to
Your promises of love
You’ve never failed before

I know You can hear me
When the silence is deafening
Even though You seem far away
And I know You’re here with me
But I just need faith to see
Nothing can separate me from Your love

Ruin Me

2010-02-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

Okay now that my contest is over I can blog again :)

First of all the winner of my one and only blog contest thus far is Caleb Allan Lazo. Yay Caleb!! I gave him the book on Sunday night and we got to hang out talking and drinking tea. Fun all around :) And yep he was born in the 80's, but he has one foot chilling in the 70's with that middle name of his lol

So the song that I have on my mind today is Ruin Me. It is by Jeff Johnson. We sang it in college Sunday school on Sunday morning. How I don't like where I am at sometimes on my walk with God. You know those times? When you feel yucky inside and you want God to clean out the garbage and make you pure and when you know where you want to be and how you would like things to be? I want to be passionately pursuing Jesus and I know that I am not there. I want to not get caught up in the mundaneness of this world. Think about where my true home is - in heaven. And while I am here on this earth just allow God to do as He will and not fight it> I want God to ruin my life and my plans and make it about Him. It is hard especially when I think about the dreams I have for my life. Anyone else feel like that? Can I get a witness?

Here are the lyrics for Ruin Me.

Intro
Woe to me I am unclean
A sinner found in Your presence
I see you seated on Your throne
Exalted, Your Glory surrounds You

Pre-chorus
Now the plans that I have made
Fail to compare when I see your glory

Chorus
Ruin my life the plans I have made
Ruin desires for my own selfish gain
Destroy the idols that have taken Your place
'Till its You alone I live for,
You alone I live for. (repeat)

Bridge
Holy Holy is the Lord Almighty
Holy is the Lord!

Holy Holy is the Lord Almighty
Holy is the Lord!

Repeat chorus

The video is not Jeff Johnson. It is one I found on youtube. Has some nice scenic pictures. You can sing along with the video since I put the lyrics up :)

Hear No Evil: The Review

2010-02-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

I recently had the privilege of being selected to read and write a blog review of the newest book by Matthew Paul Turner – Hear No Evil: My Story of Innocence, Music and the Holy Ghost. Many of you may know that I am an avid reader and lately I have been in a let’s expand my horizons mode. I am reading stuff by authors I have never read before. Hear No Evil is my second book by Matthew Turner for me to read. Well let’s be honest. My first full book as I am not yet done with Churched, but that is a different story.

Hear No Evil is a collection of humorous stories from Matthew’s life that show how music has impacted and transformed his spiritual life. The stories span from his days growing up in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church to his college days at Belmont University to his days as an editor at CCM Magazine to now.
From the moment I opened the book I felt like I was transplanted into the world of Matthew Turner. He paints a vivid picture as he tells his stories which makes it easy to see yourself sitting right there experiencing the adventure with him. In addition he leaves you laughing a lot as he goes from one story to the next. A few of my favorites were – his discussion with his friend Willie about God’s voice and God telling them what their careers should be, his adventures in purchasing Amy Grant’s Heart in Motion tape, and the day he and his family were at Sea World and he got his calling to be the Michael Jackson of Christian music. But even better than the humorous stories is how through each experience Matthew got a little closer to experiencing more and more of God’s grace.

If I had to sum it all up in one final sentence: OMG go buy the book you will not be sorry.

Now before I post a link for where you can purchase this book and some other awesome books, if you think you might want to win a copy of this book all you have to do is leave me some comment love this week and include your favorite song. The deadline to enter is Friday February 19th. I will pick the winner on Saturday morning. Please make sure I know how to contact you.

Okay here is the link where you can go get this and other awesome books from Random House:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074723

Mo Money Mo Problems

2010-02-09T09:17:00.000-08:00

This morning was fun in my psychology class. It always reminds me of why I like working with college students. And I truly thank God that He is helping me to make connections to them because I do believe I already am.

We had a fun discussion on memory today and I whipped out my mp3 player and shocked them with a couple of songs they never thought I'd have on there lol One was California Love and the other was Mo Money Mo Problems. Yep that is right I have those songs on my mp3 player and yep I get my native Californian with a tattoo (I have to start working in that I have a tattoo lol) inner dancer groove going on. I also always think of Los Osos, CA and how my brother-in-law liked this song and would every once in a while make out the check to Falcon Cable: Falcon f#$%^% cable (insert the rest of the f word where the symbols are lol). So today's video is going to be Mo Money Mo Problems :) All of you can get your inner dancer on too :)

Last night I walked into the kitchen and lo and behold 3rd cat was hanging out in the sink. She has gotten brave. Very brave. I did get to pet her and hold her again. Gotta get her to like me before I throw her in a cat carrier for her to go get her innards ripped out next Tuesday so she won't be able to have babies. Then she gets to go to her new home and it will be back to Sugar, Ella, 6 rodents and a turtle. Next time someone comes to visit I will be charging $2 for admission lol

Okay here's the video. Enjoy!!

Superbowl Fun

2010-02-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Church was great yesterday. I really do like my new church. Have I said that lately? I am glad that I took a step of faith and finally transferred my membership. God is really blessing me there and I am continuing to grow in my walk with Him. Plus the people that I am meeting are really nice. And I love the college students. God is helping me to make connections with them even though I am a psych instructor and they are in school (well most of them - a few are not).

The sermon yesterday was in the Life Apps series. I love the gigantic fake iPhone that they use in the 11:00 service. I think when the series is over with I will miss it. It is really cool. I love that Fielder Road uses some interesting props for the sermons. Anyway the sermon was on courage and had lots of good stuff to think about and I made a note to buy the sermon cd. When I can safely go into the living room without disturbing cat #3 I shall find my notes which have to be re-copied and share a few things that stuck out to me (cat #3 is currently curled up in the cat bed lol).

In the evening I went to the college Superbowl party at the church which was lots of fun. I took the son of one of my former students and had fun saying "This is Caleb. His mom was one of my students." Then explaining no I am not ancient and no his mom was not one of my elementary students. Caleb seemed to enjoy himself and he also liked church (he visited finally and really liked the 11:00 service). This was an answer to prayer because I had invited him a while back as his church does not have a lot of stuff for his age and my church does. He can have a chance to break out of his shell and expand his horizons. Plus it is nice to make a new friend.

And I have to comment on the Superbowl commercials. I loved the Betty White one and the Focus on the Family one (because I heard the guy from Focus on the Family talk about it on WBAP 820 on Thursday) and the Dodge one. The KISS one not so much. They just scare me lol Does KISS scare anyone else? And how prey tell can someone be afraid of clowns but not KISS?

A Hodgepodge Of Stuff

2010-02-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

*Steps on soapbox* Okay seriously I tell one of my crazy stories from back in the day and I get no comments? I have got to get myself some more followers and comments. ^Steps off soapbox and curtsies^

Last Saturday I finished reading Same Kind of Different As Me and I have some stuff I want to write about it, but alas I have sinus pain yet again (this has been an ongoing battle. One day a few weeks ago I was actually feeling great and then the weather changed and everything went downhill again). So when I stop having sinus pain or when I am on my sinus meds then I will talk about a few of the things that stuck out to me.

The 3rd cat is still here. She is supposed to be getting a home. She has to get spayed which is supposed to happen on February 16th (now that I have blogged the date I will not forget lol). She is getting brave and coming out more. I caught her on the counter and she managed to get herself inside the cabinet underneath the sink and managed to get herself back out. Yeah cats are odd lol Who knows what the heck they are doing while I am not here.

Tonight I have to share that a small miracle occurred. I have been praying about someone who I thought he and I would were on the path to friendship and then some stuff happened in December and things got bad and he has not been speaking to me. He is sick right now and I have been praying for him and let him know via twitter (I have also been praying for him in general and also that he would speak to me again). Well tonight he tweeted me and thanked me for the prayers (the ones for him to get better) and that he is feeling pretty rough. Which God has interesting timing - I had totally just been praying for him in the kitchen while doing my dishes. So yay for small miracles. I will keep on praying. I have to remember that some prayers will take time before there are answers. I think about my friend Dan and how I had been praying for him to find a church and I remember when he told me he was starting to look. I told him what I had been praying for regarding him and he said keep praying. So I will keep praying for my friend. He really is one of those people that I would love to have as a friend in life. I think that this year I may be able to eventually listen to my Selah cds again :) And if he ever drops by here, I really do mean what I say - I would love to have you as a friend in life. You and I are a lot of like in many ways and we have a lot of things in common and you make me laugh and you are just someone that is one of those people that would be a great friend. A best friend even.

Okay time for me to go become every guy's fantasy woman hahaha I am gonna put on my Texas A and M jammies, slap on the Vic's Vapo-rub on my forehead and cheeks and take some night time sinus meds. Enjoy today's video. It is by one of my favorite 80's groups: Huey Lewis and the News!! From one of my favorite movies Back to the Future :) Great now I want to watch the triology (I have it on dvd woo hoo)

It's 5' o clock Somewhere

2010-02-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

My apologies for the lack of updates this week. It has sort of been hit the ground running. I am ready for the weekend (especially right now because my sinuses are acting up yet again and I am ready for a nap). Laying on the couch in my jammies with a couple of cats reading Hear No Evil (me reading not the cats - although if they were able to read I'd be making some serious money lol) sounds soooo good. I think I will send one of my students on a soda run for me (it is entirely too early for alternative beverages even if it is 5:00 somewhere lol) And side note now I have that song in my head and yep it's gonna be the video for today on my blog lol

So I commented on Matt Costner's blog last week and he commented back that I was probably full of crazy stories like the one I shared (it was about me getting rear ended in ice in February 2003). Well, guess what he is right. I attribute it to all my years spent in band, a sorority, being in student government, being a Vintage Days Coordinator for 2 years in a row, and well just being from California :) I decided i will share one crazy story a week from my vault of crazy stories :)

Today's crazy but true story comes from my days as a pledge for my sorority (Tau Beta Sigma - we have a brother fraternity which is Kappa Kappa Psi). This was back in the fall of 1990. My pledge class (the Zetas - in Z formation!!) was given the task of having to kidnap the top secret chapter mascot by the pledge trainers (the fact that they gave us this task should have clued us in that the actives knew about this, but we did not make the connection lol). Yep we have a top secret chapter mascot and I ain't saying what it is lol So we had to figure out how the heck we were going to get this mascot. We decided that my pledge brother Chris (aka Schelpprock) was going to be one of the people to help acquire it on Friday during marching band since he was not in marching band (he said it was due to night blindness - ummm why we bought this I don't know since Bulldog Stadium was lit up for night football games and Chris could have seen perfectly fine). We had to come up with someone else who could easily get out of band on Friday. Enter me. I had previously hit a car on my bike during the summer and decided it would be brilliant for me to fake a knee injury and hobble around on crutches for a few days to make it credible and plausible. Then on Friday afternoon me and Chris would be able to kidnap the mascot. So on Wednesday I manage to find a pair of crutches and thus begin 3 days of hobbling around. I remember the night before I totally lied to my big sis as I said my knee was acting up and I might have to have surgery. That was too funny. On Wednesday as I am hobbling throughout the day I have people in the dining hall offer to carry my tray, I have people carrying my cymbals to band. I am even getting out of having to march during practice that day lol Same thing happens on Thursday (I almost got caught by one of the actives who lived in my dorm - dude my arms were hurting and I wanted to walk normal for a while). On Friday the day of the kidnapping I go inside the music building while the rest of the band is outside to find Chris so we can do the deed and then somehow things get weird and the other cymbal player who we had to swear to secrecy catches me not on my crutches. And another one of my pledge brothers Brandon (aka Twizzler - you don't want to know lol) helps Chris carry it out. I then join Chris in my pledge sister Beth's car (aka Uke) and hang out with hin during band. Then somehow things get weird after that yet again. It involved my pledge sister Lara (aka Pepper)trying to kidnap the chapter president Cheryl (aka Glove) and it failing and then Chris somehow getting left by himself to drive at night when he is night blind. My pledge class ends up at Round Table Pizza waiting for Chris to show up and when he did we all hug attacked him. Then later that night we sent the actives on a scavenger hunt (my clue was the instrument that I play is cymbalic of who I am - yep deep thinker lol). And the Zetas wore their pledge class shirts and we were all amazed at how Twizzler's glowed in the dark and somehow Andrew (aka M.O.O.S.E.) knocked Brad (aka Skippy) over in the hall and then we almost all quit. Oh and the mascot we thought we kidnapped was a piece of wood in a box - they had the mascot. So yep crazy times.

Okay laugh at how the Zetas didn't quite get a few things lol And enjoy the video.

2010-01-31T13:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finally finished reading Same Kind of Different As Me. It is the Bloom Book Club book that they are reading and when they announced the book club I decided i wanted to participate. I didn't do it with the first book Crazy Love (although I did get the book), but decided to go ahead and go for it with Same Kind of Different As Me. Oh my goodness it was such a great book. It was a quick read too (there are 67 chapters, but they are short and quick to read). There were parts that made me laugh and parts that made me cry. And some things that stuck out to me. I thought I'd share a few that jumped out at me as I was reading.

The Power Of Your Love

2010-01-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sooo last night I am at orchestra practice at Fielder Road Baptist Church (I love my church!! Have I said that lately?) and I am laughing because if the congregation on Sunday morning could only take a peek at what our music looks like they'd be confused lol So I decided I would do a behind the scenes of the Fielder Road Baptist Church Orchestra. Sort of like VH-1's Behind the Music, but waayy better :)

How many of you have an orchestra at your church? How many of you play in the orchestra at your church? Well for those not in orchestra who are just getting their praise and worship on on Sunday morning, you may think the music is being played as written, but alas I tell you it is not. Cue the Fielder Road Baptist Church Orchestra and what our music looks like. When we're playing something sometimes you will see our music is all marked up. Pencil marks all over the place, arrows pointing to things, second endings crossed off. It is not pretty. And I am sure the people who wrote and arranged the music would have a cow if they knew how what we were doing. An outsider might have a hard time following along, but alas a fellow musician would be able to interpret it. And the miracle is that the music still flows nicely.

And another thing that is interesting is one of the clarinet players is a percussionist playing the clarinet! Yep that's right me!! I don't play everything on my music, but I am making improvements every week. I did play a 16th note in its entirety one night during practice. One of these days I will be able to do it more than once :) It happened at First Baptist Church Dallas and it will happen at Fielder Road Baptist Church and it will happen at my next church in Nashville!!!

Okay so now for today's video. I have had part of yet another Lincoln Brewster song in my head. Didn't know the name of the song til I did a search. It is entitled The Power of Your Love. I love love love that song. Uh oh I think when I can do it again the cd collection will be expanding again. And my apologies that it's not him doing anything live or actually performing. But you can listen and sing along :)

Today Is The Day

2010-01-27T08:01:00.001-08:00

So my friend Kelly got a blog makeover done from a contest she won. And Matt Costner got a new blog makeover, so I decided let me see what I can do to make things look a little better. So I picked a new layout. I like it better than the other one. I also learned how to add buttons to my blog and I made sure I was listed on the following of a few people's blogs that i already follow, but well I was not coming up. But I promise I follow :)

I still cannot bring myself to listen to my Selah cds. I did listen to Selah when I was hanging out with Kelly, but when I am by myself not so much. One day I will I know it, but for now not so much. Well thank you Jesus that you have called many people to pursue Christian music. Enter Lincoln Brewster. I put on my Lincoln Brewster cd last night. I forgot how much I like it. I get my praise and worship on and it brings encouragement to my heart. I decided to do a little youtube search to see if there were anymore cool Lincoln Brewster videos. Badda bing badda boom there is. So today's video is a live performance of Lincoln Brewster singing Today is the Day. Yay!!

It makes me think of this verse: "This is the day the LORD has made;We will rejoice and be glad in it." I love that verse because it reminds you that today is indeed the day the Lord has made. We have to rejoice for today. He does not say rejoice for tomorrow is the day, but today. Not next week, but today. Not next month, but today. I like it because it also reminds me to take it one day at a time.

Okay here is the video. Get your praise on :)

Little House on the Prairie

2010-01-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

So today I am still on schedule in my classes. Yep hell has frozen over lol And since I am on schedule today we started on the brain. I actually like this lecture and always create a recipe sections on Blackboard lol I also tie in Little House on the Prairie to the brain (there is a way to do it lol). So today we saw the clip I tie in. When you break things down it makes me laugh. And I am going to get people thinking today lol

The clip is from season 7 and the episode was a two parter entitled To See the Light. So to set it up Mary Ingalls is married to Adam Kendall (and do not even get me started on the fact that in real life Mary was not even married). So Adam is blind and they are running a blind school with Hester Sue. Some blasting oil has been brought in and is conveniently being stored where the braille books are that are needed for the blind school. Hester Sue and Adam go to the warehouse and first off why is Adam not using his cane. It is hanging off his arm lol So cue something bad might be lurking. Hester Sue goes off to find a crow bar so they can open the box of braille books since it is too heavy to carry. Hester Sue can't find it and Adam starts walking (without his cane) and then walla he trips and falls forward landing on the blasting oil which explodes. Except it didn't do the explosion you would have expected it to do lol But that is Hollywood for you.

Fast forward to Adam is in the hospital room (there's a bunch of other stuff in between - and yep the guy playing Percival was on that side of the fence in real life). He wakes up and he can see. He can see!! Wow it is a miracle. You learn later in the episode that he lost his sight from hitting his head. So that makes you wonder exactly what part of the brain he damaged to lose it. Was it his occiptial lobes? Or did they just have pressure on it because after he hits his head in the blasting oil accident he gets his sight back. And the OCD in me was all - Mary is laying on the bed in her street clothes with her shoes on? lol I know my future husband is gonna love me :)

I will leave you with two clips. You decide :)

Don't Stop Believing

2010-01-25T18:45:00.000-08:00

So today has been an okay day. It's Monday what can I say? My sinuses have been flared up and due to the blood pressure issue I was a tad afraid to take my over the counter decongestant. But I did and it is kicking in. Thank you Jesus!! I figure the banana I had at breakfast ought to help.

I applied for some jobs today - five to be exact. I am still praying for that position I applied for in Tennessee. I really want to get interviewed. I will either drive to the interview, or my next door neighbor said she would for gas money. But I know if God allows it to happen, He will make the way.

The foster kitty came out a few times today. I was really proud of Ella for not bothering her. At one point Ella was asleep on the back of the recliner and little Callie (I had to give her a name lol) was laying in front of the living room window on the floor. She bolted when I moved the curtain. Eventually I will be able to catch her and get her in to get spayed. Please no going into heat lol. It was bad enough when Ella had her whopping one heat and was "flirting" with the carpet and enjoying her grooming she got from Sugar. Ewww.

Today's video is a flashback. My favorite band of all time Journey!!! I should find me some Journey posters lol I bet they have them on E-bay :) I think I need to not stop believing that God has a plan for my life and is with me through this really adventurous part of The Great Faith Adventure :)

Everlasting God

2010-01-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

Don't you love it when God shows up? I do!! I mean He always shows up, but I think sometimes our hearts our not open to Him and it makes it hard for use to hear what he would have to say or to be encouraged. Today at church was awesome! The orchestra in the 9:30 service was smokin' and we played a couple of my favorites - Jesus Saves (has an Irish feel to it) and Since Jesus Came Into My Heart. And to boot my clarinet playing is improving - maybe I am feeling more comfortable. Still need to get back into my lessons with my awesome clarinet teacher Jo Ann :) I need some technical things done - embouchure, breathing, getting myself weaned from the fingering chart. All that will come in time and may not be fully accomplished til I move to Nashville later this year :) Anyway back to what I was saying - God showed up. Seriously it was awesome to glance up and see the congregation worshiping. And it seemed like the whole place was a glow. Also add in that in the 11:00 service one of my favorite songs was sung - Everlasting God :) I love that song!! Which will be today's video :)

In my continuation of doing some things that will help me to grow spiritually this year, I signed up to be a part of a small group. It is for singles with no kids :) Ironically the leaders are married to each other and have a baby boy. I met one of the leaders and she said it will be for singles with no kids :) Supposed to be in their 30's, but I am welcome (I am not that far out of my 30's anyway woo hoo). It will meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday so hopefully there will be some new people in Arlington I can meet. This will be good for me. Wow I just realized 2010 has been a year of some good changes for me - stepped away from Awana at First Baptist Dallas, joined orchestra at Fielder Road Baptist Church, continued on in Sunday school, continued tithing, and now a small group. Yay for stepping out and finally doing some long overdue things. Also even though I have skipped a few days, I have been reading in my One Year Bible. I have read 12 days out of the month. Never skip over January 14th by accident lol I did and realized as I was reading January 25th and confused that I had not read the events leading up to what was going on in the part of Genesis I was reading lol.

Oh and I got my last reference letter and was able to get it submitted so I have officially applied for the college position in Tennessee. Keep me in prayer on that. First thing is pray that I get called for an interview. I am still applying for other things, but still am pursuing the college positions.

Finally, I had fun hanging out with Kelly and her family on Friday. I gave Austin her son some tips on women, gave Kadie and Courtney the apply for college now or you will be at home in the fall pep talk, and got to go to Wills Point and have some yummy Italian food (and I have suggested that Guy from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives go visit. Woo hoo!).

Okay now for the video. I have this Lincoln Brewster cd.

You Invite Me In

2010-01-22T04:37:00.000-08:00

This morning (not too terribly long ago) I was laying in bed and KLTY was playing (mental note to self - turn it back on to see if I can win tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters) and a song came on and I was like paying special attention to the lyrics so I could be able to do a search and find out who did the song. Well I did a search and lo and behold it is a song called You Invite Me In by Meredith Andrews. I am going to have to get one of her cds (and then proceed to buy me more shelving to house the cds that don't fit on what I already have lol). So today's video is going to be You Invite Me In. I like the message in the song. Reminds me of God's grace towards us and how we as Christians should extend grace to each other and how that is one of the things that make for authentic relationships (yep I read Pete Wilson's blog yesterday). Maybe if someone I know would extend me some grace, he and I might still be talking today. I really miss him.

So I am up entirely too early because today is the day!! I get to drive out to Rockwall to see Kelly and deliver her the signed Selah cd's I got when they were here in December. I also get to do my laundry for f-r-e-e. I joked with her that I could pick up a pecan pie and then she could just pour a bottle of Jack Daniels over it lol (she makes pecan pies with Jack Daniels and I have been wanting some). So it will be fun to hang with her. Maybe I might even stay a little bit for when her kids get home. Gotta hang with Kadie Dawn. I really need to go back out again and work with Kadie and Courtney on college stuff. They better be applying their behinds off n-o-w if they want to be getting some financial aid. See this is why I pray God opens a door for me to be a college counselor at a community college - I can be informing students in a nice manner - apply now so you can get financial aid figured out. They think they can wait til the last minute (like in August) ummm no not if you want to be getting financial aid. Don't get me going or someone will have to go get me a box of Tide to stand on lol So today promises to be fun.

In other great news my blood pressure was 138/77. Yee flippin' haw!! I still am going to be taking care of myself.

I was listening to what Meredith was saying at the beginning of the video. That is kind of how I felt yesterday. I just don't know sometimes what to say when I come before the throne of God. I don't have it all together. All I have to do is start talking and then let it go and see what He does and listen to Him.

Okay here ya go. I hope you are encouraged.

I Will Rise

2010-01-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

On my way in today to one of the two jobs that I have (that I am grateful that I do have), I was praying for a few things. I have had a hard time getting into the mode of just talking to God. I want to, but sometimes it is hard. Like when there is just so much inside of me. I don't even know where to begin. I was thanking God today for the day and knowing that the fact that He did not take me out in the middle of the night or that the rapture has not happened yet, means He is not done with me yet. I just wonder what the heck is up sometimes. Like I have said before, I want things to fall into place for me. But then I think I just have to take it one day at a time and let all of this go. Do what God puts in front of me. He has me here still for a purpose. And I just have to live today for Him. I can't worry about how I am going to live in February, I just have to make it through today. But still I want things to fall into place for me. I want those prayers I have been praying since I lost my job in October of 2003 to be answered. I want that last reference letter to get in so I can finish applying for this advisor/counselor position in Tennessee. I want to be able to find something I can do in the interim that will work with Hill College so I can live. Maybe it is bad to say I want, but then I think about what I am going through. And yes I pray that things will fall into place for me this year. In 2010. I am not sorry that things have occurred as they have. I know God has a purpose for it, but please God let it happen already because I don't think I can make it any longer. Please let it happen for me. And let Allan talk to me again. I miss him and the friendship that we could have had.

Okay today's video is I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin. It is from his performance at the 2009 Dove Awards.

What Faith Can Do

2010-01-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

So I have a health concern. Well two. First of all my sinuses are flared up again. I would go to the doctor, but ummm no health insurance and I cannot afford the medications I would need. My second concern is my blood pressure. It was elevated when I went to the doctor in December for my sinus infection and it was elevated again on Sunday when I got it taken by one of the college students. I don't know if it is always elevated, but I used to never have problems before. I am concerned because once again no health insurance. So hello 2010 welcome to for sure it being the year I make some positive changes in the health department. I am going to get myself back on the exercise band wagon and also I am tweaking my food. I do have whole wheat tortillas when I make my breakfast on Friday and Sunday. And I have boneless skinless chicken in my freezer, I bought brown rice again, I bought some whole wheat spaghetti, and I have my whole wheat bread. I am going to do some more tweaking and find some ways that are free to lower my blood pressure. Like I am going to start back in exercising. I kind of got off the exercise band wagon in August when I was working three jobs (and thus stayed like that during the entire semester). Of course I was also stressed out so I am sure that did not help. I am also going to buy more fresh fruits and vegetables as well. Bye bye canned veggies in the pantry.

And then of course I think too about how I can't wait to have a full time job doing something I love where God made me just for that position. I am tired of having no insurance. I want to be able to go to the doctor and get things checked out. I am tired of not being able to deal with my sinus stuff via over the counter medications (I am not going to take that stuff when I had a reading where the top number was 140. Not such a good idea). I just have to keep trusting God as I am applying for positions. He knows my heart and He knows I need a miracle to happen. He knows my struggles and He knows my health concerns.

I heard this song this morning on the radio and have heard it before. I finally realized it was Kutless. I love Kutless. I always think of the red Kutless shirt that my friend George has. So whatever you are going through, I hope that this song is an encouragement to you. Sorry it is not the actual video. Embedding was disabled lol. But if you search youtube you can find the actual video where they are playing the piano and all the other stuff :)

My Tour Rider

2010-01-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Today is going to be a fun blog. Last night I talked to the music minister at my church about bringing in a Christian group that I like. He said for me to get the information to him and he would look into it. I went to their booking agency website and found their link with their tour rider - what they require should you decide to bring them in. I was laughing at some of the stuff and then I discovered The Smoking Gun and tour riders they have found for some well known bands, comedians and singers. And I had a good laugh yet again. My friend Kelly and I were talking about what we'd want in our riders. So I thought I'd share with everyone in case I ever come to visit what I expect (and please note I am sooo joking - I am not in anyway shape or form a diva although I do like me a good pair of shoes, purse, jewelry, and perfume and nail polish, but a diva I am not).

Kathi's Tour Rider:

1. 1 2-liter bottle of Diet Pepsi chilled no ice.
2. Pizza that is not from Dominos that is sausage, mushroom and extra cheese (example: Pizza Hut, Papa John's or a local hole in the wall pizza place).
3. If I am in Pismo Beach, CA the pizza must be from Klondike Cafe and I will let you know what I want :)
4. Brand new Dell Inspirion Laptop in Bulldog Red with a rewritable cd/dvd drive and sparkles
5. Brand new 64 gb iPod touch also in Bulldog red and with sparkles
6. One can Aqua Net Hairspray
7. Lemon bars
8. Pecan pie made with Jack Daniels made by one Kelly Lawrence from Rockwall, TX :)
9. Bottle of Jack Daniels to go with the pecan pie :)
10. If I am in Atlanta, I expect that we will pay a visit to The Varsity :)
11. If I am in Nashville, I expect that we will pay a visit to Loveless Cafe or Pancake Pantry.

Okay now ya know what will make having me come visit you a bit better for me :)

If you want to check out some funny tour riders go to:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/index.html

It is hilarious.

Okay the video today is by Rascal Flatts. I was trying to find something funny to tie into this, but I decided Rascal Flatts is H-O-T and I love their music. So here ya go :)

Back In The Groove

2010-01-13T07:15:00.000-08:00

I am slowly getting myself around. If it would warm up I would do better. Yep native Californian here who is proud of the fact that even temps in the 30's are too cold for her :)

So yesterday was the first day of classes at Hill College. It is nice to say that things this semester have gotten off to a better start :) Not only did I manage to get there before my 9:30 class started (despite the fact that there was traffic issues on the 20 and I may have hit a work convoy on the 67), my syllabus and schedule of events was all ready for me. I also got parking on campus and both my classes are in the same room this semester (the one with the projector and computer and screen). And my classes are not too bad this semester. The afternoon class once again has an interesting personality. I blame Dakota for that one. I may be joining him in therapy this semester lol I have also designated two people in my afternoon class to be my shut up people so I don't have to tell someone to shut the hell up. I will let the students do it :) And in my morning class if someone is getting annoying I will use the prosthetic leg of one of my students to smack people upside the head lol But it will be fun as I continue to apply for full time positions at colleges.

Oh and one of my students in my afternoon class is an artist and thus an art major. Sweet!! Gonna possibly get my children's book illustrated. And something else cool happened yesterday, but I ain't a saying. And I had a sushi buffet for dinner last night and it was yummy. May have to go do it again next week :)

Okay today's video is by one of my favorite groups: Earth Wind and Fire. I want this song played at my wedding reception and yep I want to get married in September :) And yep I was alive when this came out, but wasn't listening to them yet lol Dude I was in the 5th grade And yep I have seen them in concert once and it was for f-r-e-e and I took one of my cool sorority sisters with me and she was the second to the youngest there lol

Salvation Is Here

2010-01-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

This morning when the alarm went off for like the fourth time and I finally got up, there was a song playing on the radio. I have heard this song before, but I was listening to the lyrics which God needed to remind me of and He needs to remind of every day. I didn't know who did it now I do. Hillsong United and Lincoln Brewster both do it. I love both Lincoln Brewster and Hillsong United :) The version I heard this morning was by Lincoln Brewster. Both are great. I need to go see them in concert and get me a cd or two :)

So here are the lyrics. I will put the video on here at the end.

God above all the world in motion
God above all my hopes and fears
And I don't care what the world throws at me now
I'm gonna be alright

Hear the sound of the generations
Making loud our freedom song
All in all that the world would know Your name
It's gonna be alright

Cause I know my God saved the day
And I know His word never fails
And I know my God made a way for me
Salvation is here

Salvation is here
Salvation is here and He lives in me
Salvation is here
Salvation that died just to set me free
Salvation is here
Salvation is here and He lives in me
Salvation is here
Cause You are alive and You live in me

Okay video time!! This is the Hillsong United version because it was a better cut than what I could find of Lincoln Brewster off of You Tube.

Blessed Assurance

2010-01-11T09:38:00.001-08:00

Church was awesome yesterday!! I am thankful for Fielder Road Baptist Church and how God is growing me there. Yesterday I thought about a few things while at church.

For those that don't know Navarro College did not have me come back this semester. So that leaves me vastly underemployed with teaching 2 classes at Hill College and my ad change job. Both of these jobs are not nearly enough to cover the rent and everything else. On top of that I do not get a check from Hill College again until the end of February. So yep don't even know how I am paying the rent for February and all that other fun stuff. But you know what God has me right where He wants me. I have been in this position before. I am applying for jobs and still doing what God puts in front of me. And I am trusting God. I was in this position in August and September.

What God was reminding me of yesterday was how He loves us no matter what we go through. In the good times and in the bad His love never changes. This song made me think of God's love. We sang it in Sunday school and also in the 11:00 service

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane
I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by Glory
And I realize just how beautiful you are and how great your affections are for me

And then Blessed Assurance reminded me too. We played that in the 9:30 service yesterday (and Lord help everyone's ears with my clarinet playing lol). So you know what I am choosing to trust God. It is not easy at times, but you can choose. You can choose to either sit and fret or to trust God.

Here is a video from Avalon. I love their version of Blessed Assurance :)

2010-01-10T15:57:00.000-08:00

It has been 2010 for 10 days now. Yee haw!! Let's see what have I done thus far.

Well for New Year's Eve I stayed home with the zoo. I ordered pizza from Nizza Pizza and had leftovers for lunch the next day. On New Year's Day I watched me the Rose Parade. I love that parade. I have been to it once waayy back in 1997. I did not sleep at all that night because I could not bring myself to sleep on the ground. It was tons of fun too, but I digress. This year's Rose Parade was awesome. They had a blind marching band from Ohio. Wow how awesome is that! And they were good. And then they had my favorites. The Salvation Army band and the float made by both Cal Polies. So it was a good day :)

I have started doing something that I want to keep up this year. I have been reading my Bible everyday. I am doing the Crosspoint 31 day thing, but starting last Sunday January 3rd when I got a One Year Bible from church (which I thought I would need a magnifying glass lol), I have been reading that each day as well. I am still two days behind, but I will eventually get caught up. I am only one day behind with Proverbs :)
I have been thinking about some of the goals I have established for myself for this year. Here ya go:

1. Read my Bible everyday.
2. Take it one day at a time and trust God.
3. Get a full time position at a college as a college counselor (getting a full time job has been my goal every year since I lost my job, I pray that this is the year it happens for me especially in light of recent job developments - if you need a dog/cat/house sitter and you live out of town or state I am available Friday Saturday Sunday and Monday)
4. Get back into exercising and lose 50-100 pounds.
5. Add some more decent stylish clothes to my wardrobe that I can wear to work or church.
6. Mix it up with the shoes (I did that today and let me tell ya my feet hurt lol)
7. Finish working on the doll house (needs a roof and a roof top deck with a pool - I'll take pics woo hoo)
8. Finish reading my unread books
9. Finish my cross stitch projects
10. Finish the alumni association scrapbooks (and then pat myself on the back that I don't do that for my personal photos lol)
11. Do one fun thing a week.

Okay that is it. I got a cool video. Michael W. Smith. Still love him after all these years :)

The Words I Would Say

2009-12-31T12:10:00.001-08:00

So I heard this song yesterday on KLTY and I had heard it before. I finally know who does the song - Sidewalk Prophets. I am sooo going to have to get one of their cd's :) So today's video will be that song that they do :)

I have a lot to say on this last day of 2009. So first off it is supposed to snow yet again today. Dude (note the native Californian slipped in there lol You can take the girl out of California but you can't take the Californian out of the girl) that is like twice this week. Oh well it is nice to have snow over the mess that is the backyard - it needs to be mowed badly. I need to get the lawn mower to function again.

Yesterday i went to my friend Melissa's to do my laundry. While I was there I got to help her 6 year old daughter clean her room. That was actually fun. There was not any crying involved (except when the fake laundry detergent fell on her head) and for part of the time I was entertaining a 3 month old baby. So all you parents out there just rent me out and I can help your kids clean their rooms lol

When I arrived home from Melissa's last night there were 8 cop cars on my street. I called my next door neighbor and she said someone had broken into one of the duplexes across the street and they thought they were still in there up in the attic. I did meet some of my other nice neighbors. But wow it was a tad scary. I do thank God though for keeping his hand of protection and mercy upon me and giving me some nice neighbors.

Oooo I read chapter 3 in Crazy Love. Got me thinking about God's love for us. We don't desere it, but I am glad He loves us sooo very much. I need to read Jeremiah 1 because Francis Chan mentioned it. It got my curiosity peaked. I have read it before, but I don't remember what all it says.

Tomorrow is the start of a new year. Yay! There were some things that happened this month that I would rather not have happened. But I am still praying for a particular person. Chapter 3 in Crazy Love motivated me to keep on praying for him. I am going to do something I have never done before - read through the Bible in a year. The college group at Fielder Road Baptist Church is going to do that and I am participating. I don't know if it will be with one of the Bibles they ordered or if I will use my NASB.

Okay I have more to say, but I will discuss some more tomorrow. Here is the video.

Glory To God Forever

2009-12-28T12:47:00.000-08:00

Okay so today's post not depressing. Yes it sucks some of the stuff that has happened this month, but I know God cared sooo much about me that He would not let me be all depressed and dwell on it. Don't completely understand it, but thank you God for caring that much about me :)

Sooo let me se. I did not get to see my family yet again this Christmas. But this Christmas was better than last Christmas even though I did not decorate yet again (1. No room in the living room 2. Cat that would destroy everything in a heartbeat lol). I did spend the day with my friend Melissa's family. I think I need to make things different and better next year. I did not take advantage of focusing in on the true meaning (probably because let me see 3 jobs and had finals and grading to do so a little hard to do that). But in 2010 it will be different.

I did find a job to apply for in Gallatin, TN at Volunteer State Community College. I will be working on my cover letter and tweaking my resume. The deadline to apply is January 21st and they begin review of applications on January 22nd. It is for an advisor/counselor position. Perfect for me :) I want to be able to get an interview instead of them looking at my application and passing it over since I don't have direct experience. So prayers are appreciated.

Church was awesome again yesterday even though I was late and missed the music and had to sit behind a pole lol I really like Fielder Road Baptist Church. I am glad I took that leap of faith and transferred my membership. Yesterday's sermon has got me thinking about how in 2010 I want to take each day one day at a time and really learn to focus in on Jesus so He can grow me in my walk with Him. I can't jump ahead and think about tomorrow. I just have to take it literally one day at a time.

Okay today's video is by Fee. I got my brother the cd for his birthday for $5 off of Christianbook.com :) Go ahead and ask me how much i spent on Christmas presents, 2 birthday presents and the last Selah cd to make my collection complete :)

It Got Foggy On Me

2009-12-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

Today's blog might be a little depressing. So you have been forewarned.

Why does it seem like sometimes everything comes at you all at once? Let me see first I found out something on December 6th and then I got sick and spent December 11th at Urgent Care and have been trying to get over bronchitis and a sinus infection. Then something else happens involving December 6th news and then last night I find out that they took away one of my classes at Navarro College. So that is going to leave me short $350.00 each month for 4 months. Of course add to that that I do not get paid from either college again until the end of February and I am trying to get caught up on the electric bill from the summer. Yeah here we go again. And I am trying to trace the hand of God in all of this, but it is a little hard for me to see. As a matter of fact it's blurry like when I am not wearing my glasses or when it is foggy out like Tule fog. I honestly do not know what I am going to do. I don't know how I will be able to have time for a 4th job. I drive to Waxahachie three times a week and Cleburne twice a week and up to North Richland Hills and Wataugua three weeks during each month. I do a lot of driving. And I live nowhere near the jobs. I can't as I have to be centrally located. So yeah I do not know what I am going to do.

But I guess I do know this - it is probably the beginning of the end for me at Navarro College. I do not plan on being there come fall 2010. But still it hurts in the short term as I do not know what I am going to do. I need some direction and a miracle. I do realize that each day that I am here is part of the miracle. The fact that I made it through some really tough times after I lost my job back in October 2003 is part of the miracle. But still it hurts and gets hard to bear.

Open Arms

2009-12-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

I am still coughing. It is getting annoying. But it is not as bad. I am not coughing during the night like I was. I may have to start eating some hot peppers and horseradish to get the sinuses to drain.

Okay so somehow I have gone from hey hope you get your praise on with this song to let's take it all the way back to the 80's to hear my favorites (and then go get your karaoke on lol). I am doing that again today. Yesterday you got to hear both versions of Endless Love. Today you get to hear both versions of Open Arms. Yep there are two. There is the Journey one. I love me some Journey - got most of their stuff. And Steve Perry went to my junior college. Yep he be a central California native just like me!!! Except he is from Hanford which was way cooler than Porterville. Then there is the Mariah Carey one. Yep she did one too. So you can check them both out and then go get your karaoke on :) I know I will after this cough goes away. Oh and don't you just love the clothes? Everyone let's go start new clothing fads lol Bring back the early 80's lol In case anyone was wondering I was a freshman in high school when the Journey video was done :)

Endless Love Both Versions

2009-12-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

Today's video is Endless Love. Both versions. Yep there are two. There is the original one with Lionel Richie and Diana Ross and then the other one with Luther Vandross (rest in peace) and Mariah Carey. So enjoy when you get to the videos. Sing at the top of your lungs and go out and karaoke :)

I am still hacking up a lung, but the phlegm is white now. Yes you all wanted to know that lol. The pineapple-flavored cough syrup makes me tired so I went back to bed after I had gotten up this morning and then worked on some more grades. I am up and gonna lay off the cough syrup til after I get some stuff done.

I went to the Fielder Road Baptist Church college Christmas party last night. I wasn't coughing as much, but that is because it was nice and warm with all the bodies there. I loved when the people's whose house it was at said at 10:30 "The Coopers have to get up at 5:30 in the morning." Someone asked what that was supposed to mean and I said they are kicking everyone out because they have to get up to teach in the morning. I did have an enjoyable time and I made some connections. I love that. I do have a heart for working with them and I am praying that in 2010 as I am applying for full time jobs again that I will be able to find a job as a college counselor (or something related to student services). And I do love Fielder Road Baptist Church. Not sorry one bit that I transferred my membership and not sorry that I went ahead and took that leap of faith after praying and asking God to let me know if it was time to leave First Baptist Dallas.

On the thing I have been dealing with, it is getting better. Thanks for the prayers and God helping me through it. I love how He shows me His love ad faithfulness even though I don't deserve it.

Okay now for the treat for ya!! Gotta love Lionel's hair lol Go get your karaoke on!!!

How Can I Fall

2009-12-13T05:47:00.000-08:00

My meds are kicking in. Thank you Jesus for $4 prescriptions at Target (I did not have to go to Wal Mart woo hoo). Still have my cough, but at least I am not hacking up a lung during the night - I can sleep better. Except when I first went to sleep last night it was weird after I took the steroids I had to take before bed time. It eventually got better and the kitties were nice and comfy like they always are sleeping on top of me or next to me.

I also got a direct message from one of my twitter friends. Thanks Jason for praying for me. I appreciate it. And I had a good talk with my friend Shane via facebook last night. I can't believe I was actually listening to him. If you know me and you know Shane this is a miracle lol. Yep same guy who is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (or cemetery as I like to call it since my friend George who also went there said they bury you with work lol) and dragged me to see Team America World Police. Well he didn't really drag me, I wanted to go to the movies. I just had no idea what the movie was about lol I still am scarred to this day lol So yeah it was nice to have a good talk with him. My good crazy fellow native Californian friend (except he and his wife are back in California). I will have to snag this pic of him that shows you his craziness. It is funny. He is also the guy who called all his seminary professors dude and has called his grandma dude as well. And I survived California Baptist University with him lol.

So last night while working on my Friday class' grades I was listening to some 80's music videos. I thought hmm I think for a while I will kick all the way back to an era I remember well since I was a teenager in the 80's and start putting up an 80's video every time I blog. Soooo today's 80's video is How Can I Fall by Breathe. They are from England mate (that was said in an English accent lol) and this song is off their album All That Jazz that came out in 1987 (I was working on my sophomore year of college at College of the Sequoias). Sooo enjoy!! And love the hair and everyone go out and get their hair done like the 80's again :)

I Am Sick

2009-12-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

It is cold and I am officially sick. Went to JPS Urgent Care (aka the place where the people with no insurance go and meet certain income guidelines - that would be me). The diagnosis is a sinus infection with bronchitis and my asthma is flared up. She said my sinus cavities were full (I already knew that, but thanks for making it official lol). They did not give me a bill, but they will bill me and I can pay it out. The visit was $160.00 so not too bad. I am getting my prescriptions filled at Wal Mart since they are $4. I get cough meds, a decongestant, a steroid, and an asthma inhaler (yay! my old one expired a while back - not gonna take expired speed - I mean albuterol). I am going to get myself enrolled in the JPS thing come January so I can hopefully be able to go to the doctor every once in a blue moon when I get sick.

I am still dealing with what I am dealing with. I know it will get better with time. I just have to keep praying and allowing God to grow me through this and to just lean into Him. And eventually I will share what I am going through, just not yet.

Okay off to take a shower and put my jammies on. My sinuses hurt and the steam from a warm shower will help them.

I Need To De-Stress

2009-12-10T14:07:00.001-08:00

My apologies for the depressiveness of my last few blog posts. I am dealing with some stuff and I know in time it will be better. I may eventually do a post on it. Would love to see what my whopping four followers and Anonymous have to say :)

I also really want to just be able to get away. I have been stressed out and have not realized it and I am looking at not knowing how my February expenses are going to all be covered plus dealing with all of what I have been dealing with. And add on that I do not want to have to be here alone for Christmas separated from my family. Umm yeah needing to do some de-stressing and getting away.

Trusting God's Heart

2009-12-09T16:06:00.000-08:00

So looking back over the past six years (which is significant to me since I got fired in October of 2003 for sharing my faith) I have been able to trace God's hand at work. Now I am like okay I don't quite see your hand in all of what is going on. And will the hurt ever go away that I am experiencing? And can good come out of all of this? I have to trust God's heart and ask that He shows me His love and encouragement. It is hard to trust God's heart when you are in the midst of hurt that you did not see heading your way.

My Calling

2009-12-08T20:38:00.001-08:00

Some people find their calling in life at an early age. I think of someone I know that knew from an early age that God had called him to pursue music. Others, like myself, have to go through the fire and go through some rough spots before they find what their calling in life is. I am learning more and more each day that God has called me to work with college students. And I am humbled and blessed by it all at the same time. Let me share a bit of my journey.

When I was still a student at Fresno State while working on my teaching credential I knew I was not always going to be a teacher. I was finding out it was something I was not wanting to do for the rest of my life and I believe truly that the seeds for working in a college setting were being planted. I didn't know how it would all come together, but I knew that was someplace I would want to be someday. I finished my teaching credential in 1993, moved home got a part time teaching position in a private Christian school and taught there for a year before I was not hired back for the following year. Yep 25 years old and I had lost my first job already. Did not know this would happen more down the road. I moved back home and lived with my parents until February 1995 when I left for grad school at California Baptist University to pursue my Master's of Science in Counseling Psychology. I am VERY thankful and grateful to God for the opportunity I had to FINALLY go to a wonderful Christian college and get a Biblical worldview. Especially in the area of counseling. I am glad that I found something I loved doing. I did my practicum in the Cal Baptist counseling center and found while I was there that I loved my clients that were college students. I don't know why, I just felt like I could connect with them better. And I did too. When I finished my master's I went back into teaching and experienced doors that would open for me only to be shut after a year. I look back now and I do thank God for closing them for that was not where He wanted me to be long term. When I moved to Texas in 2001 I had a teaching position with Dallas ISD and am thankful that it did not work out for me to always be there (I was let go after a half a year and then finished off the school year at a Muslim school). Then I was let go from there (my sister and I have joked about how many states I have not been hired back in lol - the count is 3). Then God opened a door for me to teach at Dawson State Jail (I promise I will finish the story about that) and I got fired in October of 2003 for sharing my faith. I long term subbed for 4 years with Dallas ISD before finally saying that's it I can't do this anymore. During the entire time I had been subbing, I did apply for full time positions in teaching or school counseling, but guess what. God kept all those doors closed. Am I sorry about that? Nope because God has a wonderful plan for my life and He knows what I am gifted at. In January 2008 a door was opened for me to be at Westwood College (a career college) in Fort Worth. I taught psychology there as well as career development from January to May 2008. The day they called to tell me I was not coming back was the day I was interviewing at Navarro College (and being offered a job as as soon as they had an opening). On Friday I will have finished a year and a half there and today I finished my first semester at Hill College. Guess what! I absolutely love working with college students. But, my heart and passion is in being a college counselor. Still working with them, but being in a counseling position. I believe God has been blessing me in my positions (even though I felt like this semester I went through the fire) and I have been able to make connections with many of them. I have been told I have a gift and many students have said I would be a great counselor. Affirmation? All I know is after everything I have been through over the years and especially since I got fired in October of 2003, I have found something that I love and am passionate about. Which is why I believe that I have found my calling in life - to work with college students. I truly want to be a counselor because I want to be able to work one on one with the students I come in contact with on applying for jobs, job search, resumes, financial aid, finding places to live, applying for colleges, etc. I relate to them because I understand the challenges they face and I can relate so well to their poorness as I myself have and still am living it (hello the month of February when I have to trust God for all my living expenses - yep don't know how the rent is getting paid or the electric bill or anything else). So yeah this is what I am praying for for 2010. That God will open a door for me to be a college counselor. And is it weird if I say I am praying for something to open up in Nashville. Despite some recent events?

Unfulfilled Dreams

2009-12-07T16:13:00.001-08:00

So sometimes I don't know what to make of life. I mean when another day or another week or another month or another year goes by and the dreams that you have for your life still go unfilled even though you are praying and trying for them to happen. Does God really care about every single aspect of your life? Does He care about you in the midst of the disappointment that can seem to come out of nowhere? I am going to have to get yesterday's sermon and listen again because I think that whether I like it or not I am having to live out this week's sermon.

So that is where I am. My heart hurts. I know I need to make it through this week - finals and all.

Take My Life and Let It Be

2009-12-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

I started a blog post about my Thanksgiving break, I will get it done and post it. I just wanted to blog about something else first.

Sometimes I want to do what my turtle Shells does - retreat into myself and put my walls up and not deal with the painful stuff that may or may not happen. Right now something I have been praying about is entirely in God's hands and I just have to trust Him. I want to put the walls up so I can keep my heart from getting hurt. It's my way of protecting myself. It's easier to just do that than to risk the hurt that could possibly come (or it may not - I don't know what God is going to do). I do things like listen to music that gets me in touch with my native Californian ways. It puts me in my happy place and I don't have to think about stuff. Like right now I am listening to California Love. Yep I have a TuPac song on my mp3 player lol. That is not the only get your dance on song I have on my mp3 player - I also have Mo Money Mo Problems :) It always makes me think of when my sister and my brother-in-law were living in their rental house in Los Osos and Jason loved that song. I always think of when he would get ticked off at Falcon Cable and make out the check to Falcon f*&%$# Cable (he would put the actual word in there lol. Another thing I like to do when I put the walls up around my heart is I like to go for a drive. If I could I would get in the car and head west to California and go walk along the beach. It is my favorite spot in the entire world. I love listening to the ocean waves crash up onto the shore. I love the sounds and smell of the ocean and the whole atmosphere. I used to dream of having a home by the ocean, but alas California is a tad expensive. But even though I may not ever have a house on the beach, I do plan on doing my room (when I have a bigger place) in a cape cod theme. I have a cd with ocean waves on it and it is nice to put it on at night sometimes and pretend I am living near the ocean. Or I think back to things that make me laugh - like some of my accidents (they are down right funny lol) or some crazy fun times at Cal Baptist or at conventions (Owen falling out of bed still makes me laugh after all these years).

But you know what I realize that I can't keep putting the walls up. I just have to keep on keepin' on. I have to continue on this great adventure of faith and see where God leads me and what He does with my life. It's funny I had so many songs in my head during the night - one of the songs we sang in church on Sunday morning was one of them. I didn't realize it was a Chris Tomlin song. It's kind of a twist on the hymn Take My Life and Let It Be. Whatever Gid has planned for my life I just have to keep trusting Him. Let things happen in His time. It is not easy especially when you are in the midst of praying for things that you want to happen in your life - like a full time job as a college counselor and for my future husband. But I will trust Him no matter what. I want to see how God molds me and shapes me.

Enjoy the video and sing along with it and raise your hands to God in praise for how He loves you and is with you no matter what you go through. You don't have to put up walls around your heart. Let them fall down and let God bring comfort to you.

Revive Us Again

2009-11-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

Today's blog is entitled Revive Us Again. That is what my heart needs inside. I want God to make it soft and keep it soft for Him. Sometimes I feel like He needs to do some breaking inside of me. Right now is one of those times.

I am on break for a few days yay!!! I started break by stopping off at my friend Melissa's house to do my laundry and I decided to spend the night since I was going to have to come back out today to help bake pies. So yay!!

The other day Angie Smith (hi if you drop by my blog) tweeted that the Selah Timless boxed collection was on sale at Family Christian Store for $8.97. This is a 4 disc set and is normally $34.99. So I immediately shut off the laptop and got in my car and drove to Family Christian Store and I got one and went to the counter and inquired and sure enough they were indeed $8.97. So I told the guy at the counter I'd be right back and proceeded to go get one more. I got it and went back to the counter and then the guy was soooo not funny when he said the sale was over. He was kidding, but still not funny. He said the sale was going on for a while so I will have to go back and get two more - Christmas presents for my mom and my sister :)

So as I was looking through the booklet in the Timeless Collection I read something that Allan (hi if you drop by my blog) had written about dreams coming true. He wrote about having been in Nashville for nine years and still nothing had panned out for him in music. He had felt that God had called him to pursue music and when things had come close but had not panned out, he could not understand why it hadn't happened for him yet. I kind of cried as I read through it (I am not a total Chandler Bing - Melissa if you ever drop by you know what I am talking about lol).
Here I am at the age of 8X5+1 and my dreams have not yet come true. I have two that I am praying about. One is that I marry a wonderful Godly Christian man who loves the Lord, music (please be a musician) and animals (especially cats). The other is that I get a full time job at a college as a college counselor. Don't get me wrong, I do not mind having three part time jobs. I am grateful that I have more work this year than last year. It has been a struggle at times since I lost my teaching position at the jail in October 2003. And at times it has been confusing - not understanding why God was keeping certain doors closed. But I am still struggling at
times. I am still making living expenses - a little above, but not too much which I am trying to play catch up with the electric bill and now the phone bill. I also do not have health insurance. Gotta go to Mexico if I break a body part. And I still am not in a position to start paying off my unsecured debt or my student loans.
So yeah it is still a struggle. I want to believe that dreams come true for everyone, but sometimes it does seem like they come true for certain people and not others. I really pray that 2010 is a year of blessing for me. I know every year is a year of blessing - spiritually and as God grows us in our walk with Him. But I want to see the pieces fall into place for me. I love working with college students. My heart is in working with them in a counseling setting - helping them to get through the challenges they face as they make through college, And for those students that are born again Christians seeing them develop into the men and women of God that God has called them to be. And if God has to move me to do it then move me.
I am up for the challenge. If He opens a door for me to go to Nashville next year then drop on by and help me unload the U Haul. I will serve you up some Jack Daniels Pecan Pie and a Dublin Dr Pepper :)

Here is a video I found of a guy doing the Big Daddy Weave version of Revive Us Again. I love the Selah version the best :)

It's Your Life

2009-11-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

I have to say that once again I am amazed at how much God loves and cares for me even though I know there are times that I don't deserve it.

I am not going to lie, last week was tough. I felt at times I was under attack spiritually and I probably was. But I thank God so very much for the wonderful Christians he has placed in my life - like my next door neighbor Jessica who is also one of my facebook friends and a wonderful sister in the Lord. I got to talk with her on Thursday and it was nice just to have someone to share my burdens with. I feel like sometimes I don't get to do that. On Friday she gave me a message - keep your focus. Keep my focus on Jesus. I have several things that are close to my heart that I have been praying for regarding my life. And I am reminded not to get ahead of God and that it will happen in His timing. And it kind of goes along with the sermon from yesterday.

And speaking of yesterday. I am thankful that I took that leap of faith and transferred my membership to Fielder Road Baptist Church. I am going to embrace it and just keep stepping out in faith and get involved and see how God uses me while I am there. I love the heart of the pastors there. So yeah this is good for me. Plus I am getting involved with the college group. I got to go to a college activity last night and that was awesome. I am starting to connect with a few people and I feel for some already. Like this one guy who is not in school. I was encouraging him to take a step of faith and enroll in school during the spring semester. I love this age group - watching how they are growing into the men and women of God that God is turning them into. I can't wait to see what kind of impact they make on their generation and I am blessed that God would call me to be a part of working with them. Which ties into keep my focus on Jesus so He can mold me and shape me and use me to make an impact with the students I work with :)

Today's video is from Francesca Battistelli and is entitled It's Your Life. I love that song :)

Prayers and Encouragement Needed

2009-11-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days that I wish Jesus would call me home. I am thankful that earth is not our permanent home.

I am not going to lie sometimes things go on inside of me that I hate when it seems like my faith is being tested. I want to keep growing in my walk with God, but it is hard sometimes. I know that I will make it through this - God is always faithful to bring me through and I trust Him completely. He has helped me to trust Him more, but still it is hard sometimes. Today is one of those days I really need Him to come in beside me and bring encouragement to my heart and to show me how much He loves me. I pray that for other people, but today is a day I want God to put my name on the hearts of others and for them to be lifting me up in prayer.

I hate having three part time jobs and I pray with all of my heart that 2010 will be the year that I finally get a full time job. God has given me a heart and a passion for working with college students and I want it to be my turn to finally tell everyone that has been praying for me since I got fired back in October 2003 that their prayers have been answered. Not just that I really want to be in student services working with students one on one on the different things they go through as they are trying to make it through college. I just feel like when I am pulled in three different directions because I have to because I can't afford to pay everything if I don't have three part time jobs that I can't truly do this very well. And I want to be able to be in a position where I can start paying off my unsecured debt. I know the student loan debt will be there for a while, but the unsecured debt I can easily get paid off in a year and a half.

And sometimes I could use a hug and today is one of those days. I do have wonderful friends that God has put in my life here, but I don't see them very much. I wish I could see them more, but due to schedules it gets hard. I would love to just get a big hug.

Today I will keep Joshua 1:9 in mind to help me get through the day.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

2009-11-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday was my first Sunday at Fielder Road Baptist Church as an official member. Woo hoo!! I went to check out the college Sunday school class because I want to get involved with working with them. I met the Young Adult pastor who is in seminary at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I was able to meet some leaders - they too are teachers except they teach middle school. I also met one of the students. I told her I taught psychology and she said so you keep us in line. Yep lol The sermon was awesome!! I needed it especially today when I found out something not good about one of my students. I admit sometimes I forget the promises where it says in the Bible to fear not because God is with me or to be strong and courageous and to not be dismayed because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. I look forward to getting connected at Fielder Road Baptist Church however long God may have me there (praying about moving to Nashville in 2010 for a full time job at a college as a counselor).

And you know I am not going to be afraid. When stuff creeps in I am going to call upon the name of the Lord God Almighty. He wants me to depend on Him for every single aspect of my life (I still remember what my friend Joanne shared with me after I got fired back in October 2003). I like depending on God for every single aspect of my life and I am soooo thankful He is teaching me that. I just want to be the woman of God He is creating me to be and I so want Jesus to shine through me. I want to make a difference with the students I come in contact with. So rather than be afraid I will add this student to my prayer list. I pray that the light of Jesus will come shining forth in her dark world and that she will come to know the very God of the universe who knows every hair on her head.

I also started working through my very first Max Lucado book. It is called He Chose the Nails. I love it because it gets me opening my Bible. That is something that I admit I have problems with at times. I am someone who does well with structure. Although I think I will put a Bible back in the bathroom. Great reading material :)

And finally I had my first formal clarinet lesson today. We worked on breathing and fingering and my embouchure. Ouch. I think I managed to find a way to injure my mouth lol. Yep if there is a way I can do it lol Jo Ann my teacher rocks and I am ever so grateful for that and look forward to all the stuff I will learn. Plus it is just fun being in a music building. I know I am such a band geek lol I still love a good music building after all these years.

Here ya go, be encouraged:

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Today's video is by some guy playing guitar in his bedroom lol But it's pretty good. I think Sparrow or Curb needs to sign him up :) Or maybe Avalon or Selah can add a guitar player :)

I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)

2009-11-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

Today was awesome!!! First off I decided to go ahead and visit Fielder Road Baptist Church in Arlington again and during church made out my prayer list. On the prayer list was what to do about the church membership thing. I knew it was time to leave First Baptist Dallas this year, but thought I should find a church that had Awana and a traditional service. I had settled on Hill Crest Baptist Church in Cedar Hill - about 15 miles one way. And then I just was knowing I had probably jumped the gun aqnd should have waited a bit longer. So I went to the hospitality room at Fielder Road today after the 11:00 service and introduced myself to the pastor and told him I was considering transferring my membership and was going to do it 3 years ago, but it was not the right time. Well I talked with a lady and I had been asking God about this inside my heart and the lady prayed and I took a step of faith and said transfer me. I probably should have done it a lot sooner, but you know how one can be. With all the driving I have been doing for work and with gas prices and well just with wanting something different and wanting to step outside the box, I believe this to be the place to be. And it will be nice to be involved locally and not have to get up so early and be able to get home sooner. And I am going to go visit the college group because I want to get involved working with them at the church. So next Sunday morning at 9:30 I will be in college Sunday School and at 11:00 I will be in the contemporary service and I will be loving every minute of it. I do like the preaching and it is easy to follow and it is just a great place with a great heart for Arlington. So yay!! Guess I should tell the two people that go there that I know that I am a fellow church member for real and for good this time (til God moves me someplace else).

I also had another partial answer to prayer - may need to clean to get the rest of it. I got home from Kroger (convenient that it is en route back home from church) and my next door neighbor came up to me to give me the paycheck I had lost yesterday. I guess I had dropped it and it flew down by another neighbor's mailbox. I said thank you Jesus that is an answer to prayer. Told her I had been praying about it. My other misplaced check is somewhere in the duplex. I still blame Ella - I think she has been tipping the cat nip if ya know what I mean. May explain her hyperness lol

And then to top it off when I got back from church my neighbors on the other half of the duplex from me invited me to their daughter's birthday party at the park. It was awesome!! I brought my balloons and balloon pumps. That made for some great entertainment :) And my neighbor's are just plain awesome!! I didn't know how it was going to be when they moved in over a year ago, but God knows what He is doing :) They are born again Christians and Jessica is has the sweetest spirit. And this was a fun kids party - they are laid back like me. I like that :)

The video of the day is a Kenny Loggins video. I like me some Kenny Loggins. Makes me want to 80's up the place lol. Not really, but it does take me back to a simpler time. And I love his music anyway. I have one cd of his - need me some more. And hey this is from one of my all time favorite movies of the 80's - Footloose. Future hubby whoever you may be if you happen to drop by my blog and read this post, I want to do the Footloose dance at our wedding reception for our first dance :)

Tonight

2009-10-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

So tonight's video is Tonight by Jeremy Camp. I love me some Jeremy Camp - I have a few of his cd's. Need to get some more :) I have also seen him in concert once - I won tickets. My friend Allison says I have the spiritual gift of winning lol Totally not kidding I went into Lifeway in Arlington while Allison went to by shoes next door at DSW. KLTY was there and I entered there drawing and within 5 minutes they were calling my name :) Not the first time I have won stuff :) It was a great concert - Hawk Nelson opened for him.

Well another week at both colleges has come to an end. Yay! I did have a slight freak out on the way home - there are only 4 Friday's left for my Friday class before we have our final. I need to start speed lecturing which is what I did today. I have been enjoying my classes this semester. My students are fun and Hill College has turned out to be a blast. Especially the afternoon class. Wow! What a big turn around that has become and one of my students said she enjoys the class - it's a nice stress relief. It's funny my classes tend to be that way - stress relief for people. I am glad because that's how I want it to be in addition to being educational. And we always have interesting discussions.

So I have been doing some debating about job number 1 - it is the ad change job. I was kind of frustrated a little today because I wanted to get started on stuff, but my stores have not shown up yet. So I have no idea what ads to pull and what goes in and what comes out and what stays. But I have decided to take a somewhat screw it attitude - I know not very nice way to put it. I am not going to push myself to get things done asap. So if only one store shows up tomorrow then that will be the store I do. I need to spend some quality time with some papers that have to be graded. I also want to declare Saturday (hopefully I can do it) no technology day (except for the tv). I think I will have more energy tomorrow - have more now. Part of that has to do with the fact that my sinuses are not bothering me as bad as they have been. That really takes a lot out of you. Last Saturday I was laying around in my jammies for most of the day. Thanks 4th decade. I have noticed that when I was sick back in January with whatever I had - I came down with a fever all of a sudden in class one morning and was running a temp for a couple of days along with what I think may have been a sinus infection (would not officially know as I have no health insurance - Jesus is literally my great physician). It about wiped me out. My mom said that happens to you in your 4th decade. Thanks mom for the advanced warning. So all you people that drop in to read my blog - have fun when you hit 40 :) You're gonna love it :)

Okay now for your viewing pleasure while I go see if Jesus is also my great plumber (kitchen sink issues yet again).

God Is In Control

2009-10-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

You know sometimes I find myself worrying over the stupidest stuff which in turn gets my focus off of God and what He is doing in my life. Can I get a witness? I know I am not the only one. But today listening to God Is In Control by Avalon (they are on tour with Selah who happens to have my all time favorite piano player ever as part of the group - yep Allan you are my favorite piano player. I only live once down here on this earth, might as well get it out there lol). Anyway Avalon is currently in New York with Selah for the next four days.

Okay so back to what I was saying, listening to God Is In Control by Avalon reminds me that God is in control of it all. We will never be shaken we do not need to worry. He is bigger than whatever may come into our lives. Just keep on daily surrendering to the Lord and let Him continue to mold and shape you into the woman or man of God He would have you be. I know God is in the process of doing that in my life and I can't wait to see how I am different in a year or two years or however long He may choose to keep me around. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me next. I know He has put things into my heart to pray for (like my future husband - I may be the big 4-1 but I have not given up and if it is in God's will He will bring the best most awesome guy ever into my life and will do a better job than I ever could) and then working with college students. How I absolutely love it and can't wait to see what doors get opened next.

Okay here ya go. Be blessed and encouraged with this video :)

Come Thou Fount

2009-10-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

So it is Wednesday yay! And I took some sinus medication and my sinus headache is starting to go bye bye. I had one when I went to bed last night and woke up at 12:40 am still in pain from it - mostly on the right side. So I finally bought some stuff and it is helping :)

Driving in I heard a song I love love love - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Several groups have done it - Jars of Clay (love their version) and discovered that the David Crowder Band has also done it. And Jadon Lavik. That is what I heard this morning. Found a cool video clip of him performing live at Spirit 105.3 Woo hoo!! I was getting my praise on. I truly believe that when stuff is going on inside that only you and God knows about that taking the time to sing and worship and praise His holy name helps you to begin to move past that. I think part of it to is I am saddened when there are people who are raised in the church and the seeds of truth have clearly been planted in them yet they choose to turn their back and live a life that throws all that away. It makes me want to cry out to God for them and to pray for my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord that God will keep them steadfast in the faith and strengthen and protect them from the evil one. And part of the lyrics to Come Thou Fount is so appropriate for what I cry out to God about it. We are prone to wander (stupid flesh) but you know I am so very thankful for the work of God because He is strong in our weaknesses and will be faithful to keep His hand of mercy and grace and protection on our lives and is always always there for us and all we have to do is cry out to Him.

I love that God is not finished with me yet, but there are times when I long for that day that we no longer have a sin filled world. And while God still has me here I pray for Him to surround me with other Christians where we can hold each other accountable, lift each other up in prayer and encourage one another in our walk with the Lord. I also pray for God to bring into my life a wonderful godly Christian man who will be my best friend and who will be the spiritual head of my household and who will challenge me (in a good way) in my walk with the Lord and who will encourage me and who I can enjoy talking with about all of this.

Fired Up

2009-10-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

I am procrastinating, but at least I am in the library whilst I do it. I feel unlike my normal Roo-like self. I feel more like Eeyore today. Not that i am depressed. I am not. It is this stupid sinus stuff. I took some Aleve Cold/Flu stuff last night and then two antihistamines because let's face it unless it's really strong, one won't do it. So now today I am feeling sluggish. And dealing with stuff on the inside, but God is good and He will bring me through this too. I guess you could say I need a revival in my heart and a few days off to rest and spend some time with the Lord.

I did some more reading in the study I have been doing. Still making my way through By Faith: Living in the Certainty of God's Reality. There was some good stuff in there again. When i am home I will have to remember to share what hit me. When i am done I am either going to go through Crazy Love by Francis Chan or pick out one of the Max Lucado books I have - one I won off of KLTY in 2002 woo hoo!!!

On the bright side of the street - I get to do laundry for free today. Gonna get all the yucky towels done that were victims of the Kitchen Flood of '09. I also have been working with my students on career explorations and having a back up plan in case they do not get into the nursing program. I love doing this and they asked if they all wrote me reference letters would they get extra credit lol. Hmmm maybe I should give it some thought.

Okay I finally found a video for today. Fired Up by Petra. Raise your hand if you rushed the stage at the Petra Farewell tour concert *inserts two raised hands*

Kelly Inspired Me

2009-10-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

If you look through my blog you can see all sorts of takin' it all the way back in the day :) I decided I will do this on a regular basis. Soooo tonight (since I am procrastinating cleaning the disaster that is the flood under the sink in my kitchen) I am posting a flashback video from the 1980's because everyone that is cool knows that 80's music rocks - let's hear it for the class of 1986!!!

Here ya go because I am a percussionist and he is a drummer. I present to you Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey - Easy Lover.

Happy Birthday To Me

2009-10-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

So today has been a VERY good day. It is the day of my 8X5+1 birthday (do the math lol) and this has been a good birthday. I have to admit that sometimes it has been a little difficult. Especially when you don't really have a special someone in your life except for the cats. But you know what I have to remember that God is who it is that I need to rely on and depend upon and just be thankful for the gift of another day.

I don't know what this new year of life will hold for me (bibs apparently since I coughed a couple of times today and food came out of my mouth lol) but you know what I am going to trust God for each moment and continue to rely on Him. I need Him all the days of my life in the good and the bad times. I desire for my faith to grow deeper and for me to grow closer to Him as I walk through this great adventure of faith.

I am thankful for all the birthday wishes people have sent my way via facebook and twitter and in both classes today at Hill College. My students are wonderful - both classes had cakes for me :) And I share my birthday with one of my afternoon students. He is 10 years younger than me. So it has been good (yep even though I had to mow the lawn on the other side of the fence today lol).

I did do the annual by myself a birthday present. I got 2 cds - Avalon's Greatest Hits and a Switchfoot cd that I forgot the name but it was on sale for $5. Yay!!

Okay I am tired and going to hit the hay and wonder if I have work tomorrow since there is something going on and I can't say.

Sugar Mama

2009-10-16T05:32:00.000-07:00

Today is October 16th. Not only is it four days until my birthday yay!! it also makes two years today that I have had Sugar my kitty cat. I brought her home eight days after my kitty cat Holly got her angel wings. Holly had been diagnosed with kidney disease in August 28, 2007. I took a leap of faith and had my vet go ahead and admit her and start treating it. She was released that Saturday and did fine, but then the ups and downs started. She ended up getting her angel wings on October 8, 2007. Needless to say from the time of her diagnosis to the time she got her wings, it was the longest six weeks of my life. My vet was kind to send me a card from their office and I remember it was Saturday of the week Holly had passed away. I went in to say thank you for the card they had sent me and was talking to the girl at the reception desk and told her I was either wanting to get a Siamese, a black kitty (hmmm what two do I have now lol) or a calico. She said one of the other girls who worked there had a Siamese mix she was trying to adopt out. I talked to the girl and made arrangements to go in on Tuesday to meet Sugar. I still remember Sugar was freaking out. I did not take her yet because I wanted to go look at the kitties at the City of Arlington shelter one more time (I did that a lot when Holly was sick). I decided that I could not bring myself to pay for a cat. I mean you pay for a cat but I couldn't pay to get the cat lol So I got home and made the call and then went back to my vet. I brought her home and she immediately ran under the entertainment center. I returned her carrier and when I got back sat down on the floor and took out het kitty cat treats. I shook the bottle and out she came. She has been my friend ever since. I'd say best friend, but it took me a while to be able to say that. My heart was still healing from Holly. I still remember that first night Sugar slept on the pillow next to me.

It has been fun. Siamese are interesting kitties. Real interesting when you throw in a kitten into the mix 6 months later lol But I am glad I have her. She is now a whole hand (5 years old) and somewhat divaish sometimes lol I have also learned that Sugar does indeed know how to jump on the counter. I blame Ella for that one (Allan I will take the white cat but only if you take Ella - it's a fair trade lol You give me one and I give you one as my way of saying thank you hehehe)

Okay here is a pic:

Still My God

2009-10-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

Today's blog title is from the song Still My God by Avalon. I love Avalon and finally got to see them in Oklahoma City on Friday night :) Yay!! I want to see them again. They are super nice. I think the thing that sticks out to me is no matter what happens in our lives God is still our God. I am including a video below my post.

I am sitting in the library avoiding the stack of papers I need to grade. That is okay on Saturday when I do not have to leave the house (technically duplex lol) I will be having gradefest 2009 followed by mow the lawn fest 2009. But that is okay - I am glad I have a lawn and a lawn mower to mow the lawn with. Sprinkle some games in there whilst I am donning my Bulldog Red and what a fun relaxing Saturday :)

While I am sitting here typing up my blog I am listening to Avalon - Still My God. I love that song!!I even found a video - thanks youtube :) I do believe I will be making an investment in the cd with the song on it :)

So married people rock!! They really know how to take care of their single never married no children friends that have to go to the laundry mat to get their laundry done. She is married - her husband comes home once a month because he works for Southwest Airlines and is stationed in Baltimore. She has a five year old daughter and a 5 week old baby. Well she is going to let me come once a week to do my laundry and I even get dinner out of it :) I have offered to help her fold her laundry - which I did sort some into piles. She said she is there 90% of the time by herself and loves the adult conversation. So woo hoo!! Plus she is one of my friends from Cal Baptist - feel like she is family. I made all these friends my first semester that were like my little brothers and sisters. So yay for great company once a week :)

But This I Know......

2009-10-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

Today I am wearing a black ribbon with my Western District pin on it as well as a pink ribbon. Why you ask? Because I found out last night that one of the brothers from my home chapters (Iota Alpha chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi and Eta Omega is the chapter of Tau Beta Sigma where I did my undergrad at Fresno State - I was in Tau Beta Sigma) lost his wife to breast cancer on Monday night. Audrey was only 28 years old. Audrey was also a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi. She had been a part of the Iota Pi chapter at Cal Poly, SLO where my cousin Shere went to college and was also a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi. I had not seen Audrey in years - obviously since I moved to Texas in 2001. But I do remember meeting her when I lived in California as I hung out with my chapters even as an alumni. We were a family - still are even though people have started to spread out. And being from the Western District where we are the smallest of all the districts - let me see we have 14 chapters of Kappa Kappa Psi plus two colonies the last time I checked and we have 8 chapters of Tau Beta Sigma and no colonies. So yeah we are tight out there and in addition Iota Alpha and Eta Omega were the big brother and sister chapter to Iota Pi so we are connected.

So keep the family of Jason and Audrey White in your prayers. Even though I had not seen Audrey for years she was one of my brothers and she was a sweet person and she and Schpuck (part of Jason's nickname) were so very happy and incredibly adorable together.

The video today is from the 2008 Western District Convention. I thought it was appropriate since Audrey was alumni of one of the chapters in the Western District.

Potter's Hand

2009-10-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

It is Tuesday yay!!! I got up and I am showered and I actually have read in my Bible this morning. I am trying to see if I can do this on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then on Monday and Wednesday (let me count real quick to see if that is all 7 days - yep all 7 days lol) read in the evening before I go night night (I am the big 8X5 almost plus 1 and I still say night night lol). I am praying more, but I really want to be more consistent in spending time in reading my Bible each day. I like to do a study with a book and I am almost done with By Faith: Living in the Certainty of God's Reality. I have not rushed through which is good - I will read a little bit and then try to reflect on what I read. That is what I am trying to do this morning before I finish getting ready to head out the door. Soooo here we go. I am going to share with you a few things that stood out to me.

I am in the last chapter about God rewarding completed faith. In Hebrews 11:35-38 it talks about some rewards of faith. Not all of them were positive. I think back to when I got fired for sharing my faith and yep sometimes the reward of faith - like when I took a stand for sharing my faith - does lead to something not so pleasant. In my situation I got fired. Your faith will cost you and when your faith is put on trial so to speak you have to not think about the here and the now, but think about eternity. Think about standing before the Lord someday and how you want to hear Him say well done my good and faithful servant. For me I also thought about how I didn't want to deny Him because He would deny me. And in those times when we are faced with our faith being put on trial you are never alone. You may not see Him but you sure do feel the presence of the Lord and He gives you strength to pass through. To pass the test of faith.

Another thing that stood out to me was this - when people face an unpleasant circumstance in life, it reveals the depth of their faith. I have to tell you after I got fired - even before as I was put on paid suspension while they decided what to do - it was tough. I hit a low point, but my friend Joanne who had been praying for me said that the light was still there. Not that I wish to go through all that I went through, but I wish 5 could have responded differently. I am ashamed at the worry and the depression that came along. But I am thankful that God was there and did teach me to reach out to Him and He did pull me up. The last six years has not been easy at times, but He is teaching me to trust Him more. To depend on Him fully and completely. It is not easy at times, but it gets a little easier.

The cry of my heart is for God to keep working on me and to keep changing me so I can be more like Jesus. I want to keep growing in my walk with Him and to get to the next place He would have me to be in my walk with Him. I know it is a never ending process. As my old pastor Dr. Mac Brunson said - we have to work out what God works in us. And that is what I do each day. I want to be genuine - I want my faith to be genuine. I want to be clay in my Potter's hands.

That is all for today. Leave me some comment love. Enjoy the video.