No Title (continued)

...I stood that way for what seemed like forever. Silent and unmoving. It felt as though my heart stopped beating. After about five minutes the hand was removed off my shoulder and a voice spoke.
"Amazing sight, is it not?" I nodded, still too afraid to speak or to turn around.
The voice spoke again. "Follow me."
The man, who actually turned out to be one of the Apartment Security Guards, walked around me and started leading the way to another narrow tunnel. This tunnel was dark, but once again there was a light illuminating at the opposite end. Slowly my heart returned to its normal pace.
"What is this place?" I asked.
But the guard did not answer. I raced after him as he started walking faster and faster (I have short legs- good thing I had my running shoes on). Then without a moments notice the floor below the guard gave way, and ...

STORY TIME... YOU pick the ending. Best idea wins!

Birds of the Air

No lie, this is a true story. (No Title story to be continued later)

Last night I arrived at my apartment and was climbing up my stairs (which are outside) with my laundry basket when suddenly I am startled by something on one of my steps. It was a wounded bird who obviously couldn’t fly away. I stood there for about 5 minutes having a showdown with the bird. The bird wasn’t even making noise, but I think he was trying to hiss at me. He kept opening his beak and closing it, and every time it closed his beak was making this clacking noise. So, the bird’s not moving, and I’m not moving, but I was worried it was gonna fly at me in a rage and peck my eyes out. (Good thing I had my glasses on.) So carefully I tried to raise my laundry basket and set up higher so I can scootch around the bird without scaring it anymore than it already is. I stepped up one step higher, and then after about 1-2 minutes, I stepped up one more. Then the frightened bird really freaked out and tried to flap its wings to fly away, but only succeeded in flapping off the steps and landing in a bush. My heart was beating so fast by the time I actually got inside my apartment. I was totally freaked out by this little bird who was TOTALLY freaked out by me. You would have thought I faced off with a masked man and a baseball bat.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Matthew 6:25-27

*Side note: No bird in sight this morning in the bush. He must have made it to safety.

No Title

It was a regular average every day day. It was neither hot nor cold, which is actually not average for a summer day. So I went to work, came home, checked mail and headed out for a walk. Also, not unusual. (Side note: I love the smell of cooking hamburgers and burning leaves) So I'm walking around the neighborhood, reading my book as I went, (And yes I realize that it's weird, but I like to mulitask), when all of a sudden I noticed a large hole that I had never noticed before. I walked to the side of the path and set my book down and peered into the hole. It was so deep I could not see the bottom. There was a large rope fastened to a tree that had been dropped into the hole. Not wanting to miss out on any adventure, I yelled down into the hole to see if anyone would respond. No one answered. So, I took a hold of the rope and began to inch my way down the long vertical tunnel. Within about five minutes I reached the bottom. I'm gonna guess it was only about 25 feet or so deep. Silly me, I had no flashlight, which I didn't even think about until I got to the bottom. Strange though, at the bottom it was remarkably light. I walked forward about five steps and found myself in a large cavern with sparkling rocks that looked like glitter covering the walls and ceiling. I was speechless. I stood with my mouth open for only a matter of minutes when I heard quiet footsteps approach me from behind. I felt the pressure of a hand on my shoulder...

Viva Fiesta- Vacation Bible School Summary

Vacation Bible School (or VBS) was so much fun! It was a great week, and I think all the kids AND the workers were wiped out by the end of the week.

A short recap: We ended up averaging about 50 kids a night. (A great turnout for our first VBS ever)

There was a Bible Story every night (acted out by incredible children's workers), puppets, snacks and games.

We also raised about $400 dollars for Latin American Child Care which helps to feed and educate children in Latin American Countries. (There was a contest between the girls and the boys for who would raise the most money... And, I am happy to report that the girls were victorious! So Pastor Jorge and Pastor Pancho Vila -Pictured below- were covered in taco salad. Let me also add that it turned into a free for all, after Lori and I dumped the taco salad on their heads all the kids jumped in and were throwing meat and lettuce and chips EVERYWHERE! A few of them were trying to eat the food...DISGUSTING!)

It was a really great week, and I look forward to doing this again next year.

By E.E. Cummings

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)
I am never without it (Anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
And it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you
Here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
And this is the wonder that's keeping the stars a part
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

Ode to my favorites...

I am aware that mother's day has past and so has father's day, but it is the night before my dad's birthday and just a few weeks away from my mom's so I had to take the opportunity to, well, probably embarass them. That's not really the purpose. I want to say Happy Birthday and Happy Mother's and Father's Day. If I could choose my parents, I would choose the EXACT same ones God gave me.

What have they taught me you may ask.

Because of my mom and dad I know:

How to laugh.

How to cook.

To not be afraid to try new things.

To embrace my weirdness and all that means...(ha ha)

That guilt is NOT a feeling.

To believe in myself.

That memorizing God's Word and putting in my heart is the most important thing.

That every day is a new day, and each day I get to start over.

That I can always come home (even though I no longer have my "own" room).

That if I practice I could say the geneology of Jesus in 1 minute 17 seconds- best in State.

How to ride my bike and drive a car.

How to talk to myself and not get caught...LOL.

How to love...

I could go on and on and on...

Needless to say, I love you Mama. I love you Daddy.

You are my favorites!

Love your favorite daughter.

New Job Opportunity

(Side note: More to come on VBS)

Meantime, I have some very exciting news. I was offered a freelance position at a local newspaper. So, it's basically a knock off of the National Enquirer. I am excited because I will have the chance to practice my creative writing skills. I will also be able to earn a little cash on the side. It's of course a bottom level position, but I figure a person has to start somewhere. I'm really looking forward to starting, which I will do next Monday, June 26. My first big assignment is apparently going to be about the Illinois Fox Lake. There is a group of individuals that have been living on the bottom of the lake in a clear globe-like thing. They are apparently a group of scientists that are experimenting and planning on taking their globe to the Pacific Ocean sometime in 2017.

I was inspired to look into this type of career change when I was standing in the grocery check out lane. I figured if anyone can come up with stories like "Woman pregnant for 18 months," and "Woman caught in Half Rapture in Her dining room ceiling"- I definitely can. I have a great imagination! I'll be sure to send everyone articles...just let me know if you'd be interested in seeing my writing.




Ha! Just kidding!
But it would be fun!

Viva VBS

You may be asking yourself...."What is VBS?"

If you find that you are asking yourself that question, then you have come to the right place. Even if you are not asking yourself that question, you've still come to the right place.

VBS=Vacation Bible School=Wild children on Summer Vacation=Good times

There were probably around 35ish kids or so, give or take a few.

The theme for the week is "Fiesta-A place where kids are fired up about Jesus". And, they were fired up alright.

Pastor Bob decided that he is going to be Jorge, and Mike decided on Pastor Pancho Vila

At the end of the night I decided on Consuela Lupe.

I had a good time, but I am tired. Only four more days to go...

These are a few of my favorite things...

The smell of dirt after it rains, and freshly mowed grass.
The way the sun rises and reflects across the lake I see every morning.
Walking.
My bicycle.
My Bible.
The pool.
The VVA. (That's for Cindy)
Laughing until I can't breath.
Cooking.
My church kids from Quest.
Realizing I am starting to do things just like my mother (DON'T say I told you so).
The smell of my shampoo.
The Aunts (you know who you are).
Seeing that I have my dad's goofy sense of humor (Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about).
My obnoxious brother.
Rita Bean.

I could go on. But isn't it amazing when you realize that we look for God to show Himself to us. We pray and we wait and we ask, and yet EVERY DAY He shows Himself to us, in these little every day ways. Add them up. He's real.

(What are your favorite things)