Go anyway,

I think all Adventists have a hard time showing up anywhere looking anything less than put together. Poised. Casual church, khaki Ken edition. Ready with a snappy Bible or EGW quote. Hiding signs of last night's social/drinking/gossiping binge-fest. Flossing the pork/sugar-ridden/fried creation out of your teeth. Wearing appropriate attire to church.....

Last Christmas, I went to the local Placer county church in California with my parental units. We were a little late walking in, but I didn't mind and let the sun's chilly rays wash over me and my Sabbath outfit. It was going to be a good day.

I was walking along reveling in the sunshine-y beauty that God has made (rarity on Washington coast), when all of a sudden a flesh-tone crayon come to life walking right in front of me. She couldn't have been more than 15, was with her elegantly dressed father/sister/mother/brother and was wearing a strapless mini-dress cut down to here and up to here.

I judged her.

I did.

And I'm ashamed of it.

Later, I was ranting and raving to a friend about how people don't know how to look presentable anymore, and an older person that was standing with us said, "That's why my wife doesn't come to church anymore, because of things said like that."

Me, age 26, said something that could have made somebody leave the church. Forever.

That is way worse than any sin I can ever think of, even though I know they are all the same.

Ashamed, I begged my Father to forgive me. Of course He did. He always does.

This is for my learning.

Submit. Obey. Not my will, but yours.

Go anyway. Even if you're broken. Even if you don't wear strapless dresses, even if you do. Even if you have 1% of a war-ravaged soul and a heart dragged through drab marshy wetlands of what this world has to offer. He'll accept you just the baseline of who you are, even if you look in the mirror and hate what you see.

Go anyway.

We Create Our Lives...

Looking at my desk at work, piled high with Rosetta Stone pamphlets, Backpack food samples for needy families, and my blinking voicemail light, I can't help but be overwhelmed.

Bright colors and florescent lights are my life it seems...For the next hour and a half.

Then I will drive home in the dark, singing along to my iPod that my cousin gave me for free while I despair about how often I'm changing my oil (almost every month with how much I drive) and what that person thought of my honesty in conversation today.

Oh, and then there's the part about trusting and believing and faith...Values you and I should cling to. God answers prayers!!!!!

The Bees Knees (take that iambic pentameter)

This poem is dedicated to the many hard-working apiary geniuses of our time.

Tools extracting honey casks
honeybees in sun may bask
but instead they choose
to sting and sting til I bruise

Mask over bandanna, hair in face
wait I need my veil to lace!
Honey tool looks like crow-bar
Try not flying gold to mar

Upside down liquid, flowing like falls
humming and droning bees in hive calls
Smoker smoker, please protect
Bees from flying 'round my neck

In my pant-leg whilst I worked
I yelled and slapped it and said "What a jerk."
Auntie whom I was helping
ignored my constant cries & yelping.

Cherry Blossoms in D.C.

A plane ticket was purchased a few days ago to go visit my aunt in D.C. I'll be there right after the cherry blossoms (maybe oh maybe there will still be some around 10 days after the predicted peak bloom time) come out to welcome spring.

Some things I want to see include:
1. Holocaust Museum
2. Smithsonian
3. Lincoln Memorial
4. Reflective Pool
5. White House
6. Battle of Gettysburg Memorial

Do you have any recommendations of interesting places I can add to this list?

I feel like a grown-up...

...When I take my laptop to the local pizza place to do my taxes! :) EARLY, might I add... Eat your heart out IRS.

Laughing am I.

No time left for you..........

Red and white tablecloths, electricity bill cheaper than I expected, Hispanic parents I can't talk to, orange plaid hat, cute nerdy kids, people who are ghetto in Raymond, picking up kids for youth group, don't know what I'm going to doforyouthgrouprushingrushingrushingsometimesifeellikeican'tevenbegintohavetimeforthingswithoutpeopleinvolvedbutthat'sokbecauseilikepeopleallthetimeallthetimeallthetime....RIGHT?

I just can't wait for bed tonight! Slip into sweet dreamland. I love my bed probably about as much as God's word right now. And cheese.

I love my family so so SO much... :) This picture was taken during Christmas break.