Moving and their Violations

It's been a while. I usually try to post more often than this, but its been a busy (and slow) month. Most know by now of my takeover of the house. The parents are moving and are willing enough to leave me the house to rent from them. This is very special because we had this house built for our family and to me the thought of selling it was very sad. All I have to do now, is find three roommates. WOW, that's really a task. I have posted on Craigslist and gotten a response from one.
Not only is looking for roommates a task, but so is moving; especially when we have lived in this house for 15 years. We are slowly making progress. There are many boxes around filled with mom and dad's stuff. We simultaneously packed up their kitchen stuff and unpacked my kitchen paraphernalia. It was a blur of pots, pans, utensils, dishes, and glasses. The guest bedroom is filled almost to the brim with boxes being stored. The walls are empty of their picture frames. It's the end of an Era.
The up-side is that it seems that the move date has been pushed up a bit if the closing papers get signed earlier than expected. It could be as early as next week. That will be such a relief when everything is moved where it needs to be and my parents can live together once again. Mom and Dad have been living apart for these few weeks because Dad has the new job in La Center and mom has things she needs to finish up here. It'll be such a great feeling when they are all settled in the new house. I can't wait to come and see it at Thanksgiving all put together. Exciting.

Something way off topic- I wave at police officers when I see them coming in another direction or sitting by the side of the road. I assume that most of them don't see me because we go by so quickly, but I really appreciate those officers of the law putting their lives in danger to keep me safe- even if it means I get a ticket or two every once in a while. Well, on my way home from La Center, I saw a police officer coming in the opposite direction outside of Madras. I waved, and the lighting must have been just right because he saw me and waved back. What a surprise. With all the waving I have done to officers, this was the first to wave back. So, thank you, officer driving northbound outside of Madras. You made my day, and I can only hope that I might have brightened yours a bit too. Let us all rise up and thank those officers who put their lives on the line and keep us in check! (Just to clear something up. In my 10 years of driving, I have gotten only TWO tickets and both times the police officers were very kind to me. Both of which were taken off my record by going to safety school- One was for following to close- and the other was a seatbelt ticket)

Exsistential thoughts on my pool!

As I was emptying the family pool this afternoon- something happens that happens each time the pool is emptied- Worms sprung up from the ground because of all the gallons and gallons of water invading their dirt homes. They start to squiggle and squirm from the water that is so intrusive. Those worms are- to take from  Dead Poets Society- "food for worms." But, it got me thinking..., if a worm dies, do they become food for worms? Are worms cannibals? Its a perplex-er, I know. My guess is that these worms actually don't eat the other worms. My guess is that these dead worms, of which we will have all around our pool, will just lie there dead until a bird or some sort of fowl dives down to eat it or bring it back to family. Who knows for sure.

But, as I was contemplating these worms that were dieing and the massive wave that I was creating by emptying my pool, I thought about that all-consuming water that I was letting go off.  

When I fill this pool, it is full of water, something very nice to relax in, but that water doesn't do anything special- it just sits there getting lukewarm from the sun (and occasionally it is a place for insects who jump in on their own and die to make the water nasty). That is kinda what we can be like. Those of us who are Christ-followers and are filled with the Holy Spirit can choose to just sit there- a pool of water getting luke-warm from the sun. It really doesn't do much else. And then on top of that, we can get grotty stuff in our pool and not be very enticing or exciting. 

But, there is a different way we can choose to be- a way that impacts. We can be that pool that is full of water and then let's its water go- enveloping and impacting everything around it. As I look at the wave that pool has made, there is no ground around it that is untouched by the water. It's everywhere! This is the way that our lives should be because of Christ- we need to take that pool and empty it around us to change our world for the better. 

I know what you are thinking-if we let our pool be emptied, then we will not have water at all. But that is the great thing -even though my pool (literal) will eventually be empty- it will be filled up again. AND, our spiritual pool will never go empty- when we let our pool go- we are filled up again and so much so to the point of overflowing. 

Won't you join me in letting go of your pool water so as to envelop everything around you!? If not, your pool won't do much and could very well get all scummy and green!

Freedom: Not for the Weak Pt2.

It's that time of year again. September 11. 9/11. Sometimes it makes me think, the way we remember 9/11- is that what was intended by the terrorists? Did they want us to always remember this heinous act? While we remember this day each year, is their act of terror accomplished? If I were totally being honest, I would have to say, in part, Yes! It shows us that the great nation of the United States in not above attack. It shows us that these types of bombing and such are not just limited to 3rd world countries or the middle east, they can happen anywhere.
But, am I going to stop remembering what happened? Should you? NO WAY! We need to remember those whose lives were taken and we need to honor those who gave their lives. Join me in the remembrance of this infamous day, won't you!

On September 11, 2001. I was in my senior year of High School and had an easy class schedule that allowed me to go home early. I took that time after my school to be at home and record the news coverage of the day, so as to remember years from now. Perhaps, I will get those tapes out and remember this infamous day. Or perhaps, I will watch the movies that were created from the event: World Trade Center and United 93. These are both excellent movies that depict the events as they happened.



Just as I wrote in my blog exactly one year ago with Freedom, Not for the Weak I have entitled this post- Freedom, Not for the Weak Pt.2

Doing Dating Detective Work

Well, I just HAD to re-post this on my Blog because I got such a kick out of it and so much of it is true for those of us who are looking for that special someone. I found this via a blog I follow and now I have decided to follow Lyndsay as well. 

(in bold is what I have to say about this- not on the original posting)

Doing Dating Detective Work

(Lyndsay Rush is hilarious. Her last guest post blew up and I think this one is even better. She shares some great ways to identify a potential Christian when it comes to dating. (Unless of course, you feel called to date hot, non-Christians and win them over for the Lord with your dates.) I’m a big fan of Lyndsay. Enjoy!)

“I feel very blessed…” said our waiter as he cleared away our empty appetizer plates. He was responding to one of the many questions we had asked him throughout the night as we flirtatiously tried to determine if he was single and–even more important–a Christian.
I couldn’t tell you what he said after that because with one distinct word he had told us all we needed to know. Let’s just say he had us at ‘blessed.’ (great)
You may be rolling your eyes at this ridiculous assumption but the chances are you know exactly what I am talking about. Truth is, when you are a single Christian person in your 20s or 30s, this amateur detective work comes with the territory.(I think this is just amazing because it's true)

Whether you have Facestalked someone (Done it) in order to examine their “religious views,” invited them somewhere on a Sunday (nope) to ascertain their church involvement (or lack thereof) or dropped your Christian school background to study their reaction, you’ve undoubtedly played a part in the Christian dating version of Clue; Professor Hot Guy with the Donald Miller Book in the Religious section of Borders.
And like any good Christian single, you know the importance of this due diligence. If you don’t nose around for a few weeks and read into specific word choices, you’ll miss your chance to determine their ‘pursue-ability’ and probably miss out on your future husband/wife.
Or at the very least the chance to evange-date them for a few weeks.
With that in mind, I bring you some helpful hints for discerning whether or not the hottie at Starbucks/guy in class/girl volunteering at the soup kitchen is in fact a Jesus lover.
1. Show them your ‘Beloved’ tattoo and see if they get it. (nope)
2. Put your hand on their back when you say hello and see if they bow their heads and assume you’re praying over them. (I don't think that one would actually work)
3. Pull a ‘Paul’ at the beach and slyly draw half of the Christian fish in the sand and see if they complete the symbol. (I like the concept)
4. Try and drop Darwin into small talk and see where they stand on evolution vs. creation (good Idea)
5. Invite them to watch a Harry Potter movie to determine what they think of the dark arts. (now, I like Harry Potter so that doesn't really mean anything, but funny still)
6. Go in for a full hug and measure the seconds it takes for them to switch it to a side hug.
7. Say, “Oh rats, I forgot my Bible at home–do you have one in your car?” (I need to try that one)
8. Observe if they have ever Retweeted @CSLewisDaily or @OswaldChambers
9. Do a quick Facebook photo scan and see if they’ve been out of the country helping children at least once in the last 3 years :)
10. Hum “Come Thou Fount” and see if they join in. ( Im totally going to do that one)
11. Keep your eye out for encrypted scriptures in their graphic T’s
12. Drop a “my body is a temple” line near a group of the opposite sex at the gym and see who takes the bait.
13. Pay attention to his/her email sign off. Look specifically for “His,” “Decreasing as He Increases,” “Addicted to Jesus,” and “Warmly,”
14. Slap them in the face and see if they turn the other cheek.
15. In the facial hair arena, be on the lookout for the “spiritual scruff” aka a soul patch. (Maybe I need to grow some "Spiritual Scruff")
16. See if she owns a tank-ini or wears a XL t shirt over her bikini at the beach (Modesty is always good)
17. Check to see if he put a ring on it, and by he I mean her dad and by ring I mean promise ring.
18. Ask him about his career and listen for him to use the words “will”, “purpose” or “calling”
19. Drop a homeschool bomb and see how they react.
20. Watch him greet his friends, if he ever uses the word ‘brother’, you’re gold.
21. Check their DVD collection for, “Fireproof”. (ownage)
22. If you’re feeling bold, ask him to draw his dream woman. If he simply writes ‘Proverbs 31′ on the paper and passes it back to you, you’ve got your answer. (even if I do believe that Pr. 31 is ideal woman (and I do), Im most likely NOT going to write that as my ideal woman)
23. Pretend you need help figuring out a math problem involving 10%. Her speed at calculating will let you know if she tithes or not.
Armed with these tips and more, you will have no problem determining your crush’s Christianity, and consequently, their date-ability.
Happy hunting my friends. And godspeed.
For more great stuff from Lyndsay, check out her blog http://www.lyndsights.com/


I had fun with these ideas of detecting if a potential mate is a possibility or not. I hope you find it funny as well.

Put a Smile on Your Face!

Tonight, I spent some time eatting dinner at a certain World-famous burger joint. Now, this was an ordinary visit but what happened there changed my views.

As I was eating my din din, I heard the person at the counter call out- Oberon....... Oberon of the Underworld. Why did they call this out? Well, at this burger joint they ask you for your name when they take your order so they can call out your name when your order is ready. My guess is that they want it too feel more personal than order number 2227. Anyway, it seems that Oberon of the Underworld was a teenage male. Yes, those hooligans. Not necessarily hooligans, but at my first thought I was thinking about how immature these teenagers were.

After thinking about it for a while, I did not understand why it was SO bad to change your name for your order. There are a lot worse things a teenager could do than to make the cashier call out Oberon of the Underworld.

Well, it brought a smile to my face, and I decided during my second thought, that maybe we need more of those moments in our lives, right? Times that maybe are a bit silly, but (to quote a song lyric) put a smile on your face- make the world a better place!

Well, after that, I just KNEW that more psudonyms (fake names) would come across the McDonalds counter and sure enough, there were. (because there were about 6 of those guys all hangin' together.)

The next name that I recall was Kevin Bacon. One of the guys ( I think the one that actually gave that name) said "Kevin Bacon's here?!" Another one showed up next. Mclovin'. Now, I def. do not recommend the movie that that reference is located in, but I did find it very hilarious that Mclovin' was ordering at McDonalds -purely for the namesake. Last and probably my favorite was Buzz Lightyear. I'm a big fan of Buzz Lightyear- the character, not the person who gave the psudonym. 

Again, at first instinct I thought how stupid and immature that teenager was. I felt like an old man off of a ScoobyDoo show who says "I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you meddling kids" But, after my second thought, I realized that it did "Put a smile on my face"

We could all use that every once in a while.

How exciting

The bouquet of sharpened pencils. 

The smell of crisp clear air. 

The change in season. 

The excited (and sad) feelings of students getting ready. 

The end of Summer. 

The bittersweet taste of lost freedom. 

They are all signs of Back to School.

Back to School Song- Billy Madison 

(keep in mind, I'm not a huge fan of Billy Madison- but it is a funny scene.)

I, personally always enjoyed the back to school time. By this time every year, I was bored out of my mind. Sure I loved Summer, but I always had a great time getting ready for school. The family always went to Ptown to Clackamas Town Center to shop. We each got our own money to use and buy as much clothing as we could with the money provided. We were let loose on the mall and given a time to meet back at the car. I always felt odd having that much money in my pocket to start. For starters, I very rarely had money, let alone THAT much, and then there was also the fact that Portland is a big city and for an 11 or 12 year old, I was worried that someone would find out I had lots of money and come to steal it from me. That makes me laugh.

Anyways, I had a system. I would systematically go through the mall- start at one end, and walk through it, go in stores that were interesting, and when I got to the end. I would go up to the next floor (multi-level malls are awesome) and then do the same for that floor as well. I found that I usually bought most of my clothes in one or two stores- the big chains- JcPenny, Sears, or Macys or something, and usually on clearance so I could get the most out of my money.

Then of course, after 1 hour (when given 3) I was all done. I had gotten all the clothing I needed and was out of money. What do I do then? Well, I would just have to kill time.

On the first day of school, it was always exciting for me to get to my class(es) and see who the teacher was and if I knew any of my classmates. Such great, exciting feelings those first days are. I miss them.

And then when I went to college, the same feelings happened as I was getting ready to move to the new school and looking for a place to live. And the move day- so chaotic.

I truly look forward to the days when I have my own classroom and can set up the class the way I want and get to have those great, exciting feelings once again. I will be a teacher this time, but I will be excited to have my own class and see who my students are.

To all those who get the opportunity to go back to school tomorrow- Have fun. Make the most of the year. You start with a clean slate.

Desire is Irrelevant. Or is it?

"Desire is irrelevant, I am a machine." These are the words of the Terminator in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. The scene starts where the Terminator- a cybernetic organism sent from the future to protect John Connor- has been reprogrammed to "Terminate" John. He knows what his job is, but cannot control himself- He is a machine after all. He has John in inevitable death, and tries to explain that Desire is irrelevant- He's just a machine. In other words, He doesn't want to harm John, but can only do what he is programmed to.

It got me thinking- how much does desire have to do with our outcome? Sure, we are not machines. We can change our plans and affect our lives, but how much stock should we all put into our desires- our hopes- our dreams? Can we change our lives with just a bit more desire, or a bit less for that matter?

Right now, my main focus is on the job market- it's just where I'm at right now. Does it make a difference how much I want a job? If I desire a job more than if I were just interested in a job, would that make me get a job faster?
I would have to say that I believe that Desire is relevant. If I desire a job, I am going to work hard at getting a job. I'm going to be checking the job listings often. I'm going to pursue job opportunities harder than if I was merely interested in a job. I desire to teach in the Central Oregon area more than I desire to teach in other communities- so it is logical and true that I have applied for more of the jobs listed in that area. I desire to teach in a Third grade class more than I desire to teach in a Sixth grade class, and so I find myself applying to those Third grade positions more.

I believe that the way our lives turn out and the things we are interested in affect our desires. If I desire something more than another, I am going to work harder at it.

Sometimes in life, I feel like the Terminator- desiring to do something in particular, but feeling that that desire is IRRELEVANT. I can't help my desire- all I can do is sit back and watch myself do what I am "Programmed" to do. But, isn't it great to know that God gives us free will. We can choose to do the right thing or the wrong. We are not machines. Our desires can make a difference in our own lives as well as others.

Always know there is a choice and DESIRE IS RELEVANT!