Integrity...

What does it mean to have integrity? Well, are you the same person when you are at church? ...at school? ... alone at home? ...in another country? ...when you are around your friends? ...when you are around your family? ...when you are having a bad day? ...when you are having a good day? ...when God seems far away? ... when God feels close?

A man or woman of integrity will be the same everywhere, with friends and family, at school and at church, with people or when alone. The rules never change, so why should our actions change? Could you do what you are doing with your friends with the same confidence on a Sunday morning? Would it be OK if Jesus suddenly walked into your room when you were watching TV? Would you mind if you met one of your Christian friends in the movie section at Blockbuster?

But it's not enough to say that we are the same everywhere when our "same" does not reflect the image of Christ. Our "same" has to be pure, faultless, blameless, white as snow. That is Christian integrity... being the same person (who is striving towards righteousness) all the time, no matter who is with us, where we are, who we assume is watching.

Imagine a group of athletes. They meet at the track every day and begin warming up by stretching. After warming up their bodies they take to the track, but "no one" is watching them practice so they don't need to go for the gold because they are only playing around. Then imagine the horror they would feel if an Olympic scout appeared from "nowhere" and began choosing the ones he thought were worthy of competing.

Run the race well because God is watching. He is the Scout, watching and waiting, wanting you to do your best. He is watching, and we have no room for slack when it comes to our race. We have to produce gold metal quality runs all though out the day, no matter how tired, no matter how many hurdles obstruct our path, no matter who is telling us we cannot win, no matter what our attitudes we choose to have that day are. God demands perfection, and we cannot blame anyone but ourselves when our times don't measure up.

Thank You?

So, I have had tests all week it seems, and I noticed something today after geog. that I have never noticed before: when you hand in a test, both the recipient and giver say thank you.

Now I know that some of the loyal few are students, and if you think about it, don't you realize that you say thank you when you finally hand in those pages covered in blood, sweat and tears?

The more I thought about this, the more confused I felt. Why the heck would I say thank you for torture? POW's don't say thank you to their captors... Jailbirds don't say thank you to the policeman who dragged him in. It's almost like I'm enjoying this...

And then I kept thinking... Why in the world would the teacher say thank you? I'm giving him work to do! Does an employee thank his boss for bringing in a mountainous stack of paperwork to file?

Then it dawned on me.

I was saying thank you for the opportunity to learn. I was thanking him for his time spent preparing the lectures. I was thanking him for the time he would spend grading 43 test papers, one of them being mine. I was thanking him for being open to answering questions so that I could take this test, pass the course and eventually graduate and build a life for myself. I was thanking him for his part in preparing me for my future.

And as for his thank you, he was thanking me for working hard. He was thanking me for trying to pass his class and at least look like I learned something and kinda enjoyed it.

yup, so there's my random thought for the day.

Dark

Have you ever tried to do something in the dark? I mean, so dark that you can't tell if there is a wall three inches from your face. Yeah, DARK. I have been trying this experiment of walking around in the dark to see if my brain can remember where everything (chairs, benches, counters, walls, light switches etc.), and it's AMAZING how well one's brain will automatically fill in the blanks.

I actually tried for the first time to use the restroom in the dark this afternoon. That was an interesting experience, but I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I thought it could have been.

The other day I walked down the stairs (without using the railing) to see if my brain remembered how many stairs there are. Luckily I didn't end up rolling to the bottom when carefully felt my way down.

I also tried walking all the way up the stairs (there is a U turn almost at the top) and walked all the way into my parents bedroom, past their bed, around random pieces of furniture and into the bathroom, and amazingly, I put my hand right on the light switch (correct button and all).

Our brains are amazing, and do things that we don't often realize how important they are. Take care of you brain, my friends!

For Matthew...

Spadoodles was recently told that the new background (which was done as an experiment) was blinding our readers, and we (meaning I) should change it.

Hopefully this one will satisfy... if not, Spadoodles is responsible. ;)

Chihuly

A couple days ago, my grandparents invited my little sister and I to spend the day with them at some museums in San Francisco. I, of course, said yes! It was an amazing day. I just got home and wanted to share with all of you what an amazing time I had. My Grandma, who we call Grammy, had heard that there was a blown glass exhibit in San Francisco. So, we got up early and started our journey towards the bay. I had the best time. I was blown away by the exhibit. And I couldn't keep it all to myself. I have some pictures of what I saw. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

The exhibit started with the "glass forest." This picture doesn't really do it justice, but you can get an idea of how beautiful it was. These pieces of glass were probably around six or seven feet tall.

As we continued on we saw this incredible view. I think these were called the "Persians," but I am not certain. To me, they look like huge flowers on a lattice.

Now, I think these look like huge hats upside down, but you can decide for yourself what they remind you of......

This is a picture of the "Reeds." They don't really look that big, but if you put them in comparison with the logs they are connected to, the are really tall. My Grammy said that they looked like penguins, and then my Papa walked up (not hearing my Grammy) and said that they reminded him of penguins. Scary! I guess that's what happens when you have been married a long time to each other :)

This was the "Boat" room. I forgot to mention that the glass was placed on mirrors. I thought that was important.....

These pictures are from the "Chandelier" room. The green photo shows the detail of the glass up close.

This was the last room we went in. It was like the grand finale of a fireworks show. It displayed all the techniques in one magnificent masterpiece.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the pictures. If you would like to see this exhibit, I believe it continues through September. I would suggest buying your entrance tickets online. The artist of all this beautiful work is Chihuly. Here he is photographed with some of his work.

Shoes

I showered and shaved...............
I adjusted my tie.
I got there and sat..............
In a pew just in time.

Bowing my head in prayer.........
As I closed my eyes.
I saw the shoe of the man next to me.....
Touching my own. I sighed.

With plenty of room on either side......
I thought, "Why must our soles touch?"
It bothered me, his shoe touching mine...
But it didn't bother him much.

A prayer began: "Our Father"............
I thought, "This man with the shoes...has no pride
They're dusty, worn, and scratched.
Even worse, there are holes on the side!"

"Thank You for blessings," the prayer went on.
The shoe man said...a quiet, "Amen."
I tried to focus on the prayer.......
But my thoughts were on his shoes again.

Aren't we supposed to look our best....
When walking through that door?
Well, this certainly isn't it," I thought,
Glancing toward the floor.

Then the prayer was ended...........
And the songs of praise began.
The shoe man was certainly loud......
Sounding proud as he sang.

His voice lifted the rafters........
His hands were raised high.
The Lord could surely hear....
The shoe man's voice from the sky.

It was time for the offering.........
And what I threw in was steep.
I watched as the shoe man reached....
Into his pockets so deep.

I saw what was pulled out...........
What the shoe man put in.
Then I heard a soft "clink"
....as when silver hits tin.

The sermon really bored me..........
To tears, and that's no lie.
It was the same for the shoe man.....
For tears fell from his eyes.

At the end of the service........
As is the custom here.
We must greet new visitors....
And show them all good cheer.

But I felt moved somehow.............
And wanted to meet the shoe man.
So after the closing prayer..........
I reached over and shook his hand.

He was old and his skin was dark.....
And his hair was truly a mess.
But I thanked him for coming.........
For being our guest.

He said, "My names' Charlie..........
I'm glad to meet you, my friend."
There were tears in his eyes.........
But he had a large, wide grin.

"Let me explain," he said...........
Wiping tears from his eyes.
"I've been coming here for months....
And you're the first to say 'Hi.'"

"I know that my appearance.........
Is not like all the rest.
But I really do try.................
To always look my best."

"I always clean and polish my shoes....
Before my very long walk.
But by the time I get here........
They're dirty and dusty, like chalk."

My heart filled with pain............
and I swallowed to hide my tears
As he continued to apologize........
For daring to sit so near.

He said, "When I get here...........
I know I must look a sight.
But I thought if I could touch you..
Then maybe our souls might unite."

I was silent for a moment............
Knowing whatever was said
Would pale in comparison...
I spoke from my heart, not my head.

"Oh, you've touched me," I said......
And taught me, in part;
That the best of any man............
Is what is found in his heart."

The rest, I thought,.................
This shoe man will never know.
Like just how thankful I really am...
That his dirty old shoe touched my soul!

~Author unknown

Talking to Flo

Last night after an extensive day of work, a wonderful concert, and dinner out, Spadoodles asked me to help her with Delilah. She figured out on her own how to import songs onto her, and only needed a bit of guidance here and there. But last night she had hit a wall. I'm not terribly techy, but I agreed to help her sift through some sites she had received from a friend and try to get The Importance of Being Ernest onto that tiny screen.

We ran into a few issues, the main one being that it is really hard to read the computer screen (excuse me, Flo) when you are yawning every 10 seconds. I was having a hard time focusing my eye balls on the texts when suddenly Flo froze. And if I might add, she was frozen in a very inconvenient place for me to read the text I needed to read.

Spadoodles had left the room for some mysterious reason, and when she reappeared, I said, "I cannot work with this device if it's going to freeze on me."

Her response caught me off guard.

"Turn down the speakers."

What?

I repeated myself, "I don't think I can get the movie thing to work tonight if this computer doesn't stop freezing."

Without hesitating, she reached over to turn the volume knob on the speakers down to off. "You need to call her Flo; that's her name. I don't want Flo to hear you talking about her that way."

I'm sure I looked something like a freshly-caught cod fish with my mouth hanging open the way it was, but she continued to babble on as if nothing out of the ordinary had been said. Now, understand that I have no problem with naming things, in fact, my guitar is named Cato, my computer is named Fern and my pillow is named Andrew. But... I don't treat them like people. The one of the main reasons I have for naming objects is for easy referencing. "Hey, have you seen Fern?"

Needless to say, Spadoodles and I discussed her need to talk to devices (with Flo's speakers still turned down, of course), but she still wasn't convinced that there was anything strange about it.

Then my mom poked her head into the office to say goodnight.

"Mom," she started, "what's wrong with talking to Flo?"

"Well, she's a computer, dear. Goodnight." And with that she exited the room.

Now it was Spadoodles turn to resemble a cod fish. She sputtered and gasped out that it just wasn't right to not talk to Flo like she was a person. Being tired, I excused myself and promised Spadoodles that we would work on the movie thing in the morning.

So, that's the story. And now you all know that not only does Spadoodles name her devices, she also treats them very well. :)

Mmmmm....Tasty

Food. It comforts. Everyone loves food. There are some people that don't enjoy eating, but I'm pretty sure that everyone has a favorite food. Since our blog is called "Enlarged to Show Texture," we thought it would be nice to put something enlarged as the background. Now, although our inspiration for the name of the blog did come from a cereal box, it isn't necessary to use food. But we like food, so that's what we are using.

The reason for this post was to explain why there is a monstrous Lasagna as the blog background. We understand that your stomach may begin to grumble as you read our tasty looking blog.......

But do not fear. Mommy G makes a fierce lasagna.

Proud to be an American

Happy Independence Day Everyone!!

Pale Is The New Tan

I have fair skin. But that should not come as a surprise to anyone who has ever seen my mom. She has fair skin too, as do both of my grandmas, all my aunts, my grandpa and both my sisters. I basically come from a very white family. I resemble my mom and her mom in so many ways that it's not unusual for me to be pasty like them too.

I used to want to be tan, but I know now that's not going to happen. I've come to grips with that. My dad was born in Iowa, is mostly German, and should be white, buuuut he's not. In fact, his white in the winter is tanner than my skin in the summer.

I guess my obsession with not being a "whitey" comes mainly from my dad always being more tan than I was. Often he would hold out his arm to compare skin color while asking, "Who's tanner?"

But I have come to a conclusion, pale is the new tan. With the rising concern of skin cancer and sun damage, I have become a firm believer in being white. Yes, I may blind people with my whiteness. Yes, my skin can be used to reflect sunlight. And no, I don't glow in the dark... but that's ok with me because as far as I'm concerned, pale is the new tan.

My Electrical Friends

I want you all to meet the newest member of my family. This is Delilah. I adopted her about a week ago. Yes, I name my electronics. I thought it would be nice to introduce all my "friends" to you.

So, to start, here is my newest friend, Delilah. She is an 8 GB ipod nano (teal). Her favorite song is "Hey There Delilah." She sleeps in a isock and that's about it.

Next is my cellular device. This is Dwight. He has awesome voice activation capabilities, and is specially sleek to fit in pockets well. He spends most of his time in his sling back chair from Hawaii. He used to be the good friend of my Dad, but since my parents were concerned about knowing my whereabouts, he was placed in my care. Not to mention that I was aching to have him at my disposal.

Now I want to introduce my dear friend Flo. Flo is my Computer. She definitely has a quirky sense of humor. She is such high quality that she has a mind of her own. Sometimes she is so hilarious as to, just when I am doing something really important, cut off my Internet and claim it is "having trouble connecting." *laughs hysterically* I am blown away by her intelligence! She also has a very special connection with Dwight. Whenever Dwight has a call coming in, Flo warns me by telling me (It sounds like screeching in English). You couldn't ask for a better computer!

Last but certainly not least is my calculator. This is Einstein. He helps me with my math. He is very easy going. He doesn't mind at all if I press all his buttons. He is so brainy! He has everything that a person would want. He is so lucky! He has everything from a "TAN" button to "SIN" "CLEAR" buttons. Not to mention he makes incredible pie!

Well, that's the end of the introductions. I hope you enjoyed meeting all my electrical friends.

A Confession

I have a confession to make. And what better way to lay it out in the open than writing a post about it on cyberspace? I have an addiction. Yes, it is true. It has been carrying on for some months now, and I am helplessly stuck. We all have things that we get addicted to. We feel as if we can't possibly live without this thing (whatever it is). Ok, I'm ready to release.

* Takes Big Breath *

I am addicted to chapstick.

Yes, chapstick.

Now I know what your thinking.....

"Oh, come on."

But the truth is I LOVE chapstick. How can you not? It makes your lips soft and supple. Just don't buy that other stuff. That stuff is not true chapstick. Buy the good stuff. Ok, I feel much better now. The word is out. I have shared about my addiction before, but to only really close friends. But now everyone from here to Russia knows. Sometimes you just have to be vulnerable.

Dead Man Tell No Tale

It all started in the evening of May 4th. We had, as a family, traveled to the lovely city of Davis to celebrate my cousin's 12th birthday. On our way home we decided to make a stop at Raley's to purchase some nourishment. It was a decided that everyone except my Mom would stay in the car. So we parked. And she ran in.



It was not long, however, before my attention span of sitting and waiting came to an end. I began looking out the window for some interesting scene to entertain me. We had parked one space away from another car. Standing next to the car was the store manager and another employee. They appeared troubled. There was a man sitting in the front seat of the car, however, he had his head hanging down. My Dad, being the caring man he is, asked the manager standing there if the man slumped in the car was ok. The manager just shook his head. We then realized that the man sitting in that car was dead.

I was quite shocked. It was a weird thought being parked next to a deceased man. My little sister became deeply distressed. Although she can be quite tough, anything medical makes her freak out. By this time my Mom was back in the car, and we could leave. Then the ambulance came. We could no longer leave because it was slightly parked behind us. I watched as they did CPR on the victim. We later were informed that he had been sitting in his car like that for at least an hour. As soon as all the EMT's were out of the way we backed out our car and drove away.

Seeing this kind of situation gets one thinking......

Was he saved?

Does he have any family?

Did anyone notice his absence?

We never know what day will be our last on this earth. We should make every moment count.

Adam and Eve

We had a question in the comments section of the last post which went something like, "Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?" Here is my answer:

I don't know. :)

God did not find that piece of information important enough to put in with all the other details He gives us about creation. He tells us that He created the animals to continue making the same kinds of animals so that we would have no other choice than to believe that God created the animals in the first place. He told us that He created everything in 6 days and rested the seventh not only to give men an example of how our week should be spent, but to erase all the ideas men have come up with about millions and billions of years.

So, although I can express my opinion and say, "they had belly buttons" or "they didn't have belly buttons," God ultimately knew that the answer to that question could be answered later on in person for those who truly believe in Him. I believe that God only gives us enough information to show us His supremacy, power and love for us in the Bible because if He tried to explain all of His greatness to our finite minds, we would explode.

And that's the best answer I know how to give for that question. :)

Dr. Tank

I started working at my current job in January, but it's quite a story about how I finally came to get it. I'm in my second semester of my freshman year, and on the way to church in the family Expedition, my Dad starts talking about me getting a job. Now, mind you, I was working for my church as the children's director's intern, but he was talking about a "real job." You know, the ones that actually make money. (He didn't really count my tiny compensation for the bit of work I did as pay.)

The first thing I said when he brought up finding a job was the fact that I was taking over a full load at school and would never find time. But after about 5 minutes of discussion, I began to see the monetary as well as mental benefits to finding work.

So, next week between classes I set off to put in as many applications as possible. Delta, for those of you who don't know, is located right next to two malls and several shopping centers. I figured I would hit as many stores as possible in those and also try many of the businesses in Lodi. Lowe's, Pier 1, Target, Macy's, Claire's, and Talbots were just a few of the places I started with. My Dad had said to make food places one of my last options, and I tended to agree with him after hearing a few of his stories...

But then came the part that I dreaded, the waiting part. I waited and waited. Laughing to myself about my Dad's saying "the squeaky wheel gets the grease," I went in to check with the stores, but the answer was always the same. "We'll contact you when we know."

Two weeks after I began looking still nothing had come up, and my sister and I went to a friend's house for a girlie movie night. This invite may seem inconsequential, but my friend's mom had heard that I was looking for a job, and she was wondering if I would mind if she mentioned me to her boss. I was thrilled, of course, and immediately replied with a yes!

Turns out that my friend's mom worked at an orthodontic office in Stockton right down the street from school, and one of their receptionists was going on maternity leave soon. Next Tuesday I got a call from "Dr. Tank." He wanted to interview me, but he was going to wait a little bit longer until Jolene, his receptionist, was closer to her due date.

Two weeks later I got a phone call, and Dr. Tank wanted me to come in. That call was on a Wednesday, I went in for my interview on that Friday, and I was at work on Monday. :)

This job has taught me so much not only about the delicate art of being a receptionist, but also how I need to deal with people which I will discuss in a later post.

Give Me Jesus

"Give Me Jesus"

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone,
When I am alone,
When I am alone,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I come to die,
When I come to die,
When I come to die,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,

Just give me Jesus.

I love this song. Just hold on to Jesus...

Change of Heart

So far these past few weeks I have been fairly careless with the punctuation speling and grammar involved in my posts. I'm here to say I'm sorry. From this sentence on, I promise I will read my posts through at least 2 times before exposing everyone of our 2 readers to the blatant errors produced by my fingers. So, I will use commas, I will use the spell check, I will remember that I cannot just throw incorrect words into my posts just because they are big and look impressive. I know, they need to make sense. I have had a change of heart, and I'm going to be good now. :)

But What About...

Someday, when I get to heaven, I am going to make a 1,532 year appointment with God to ask Him questions. Questions that I have long desired an answer to. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

Why is the earth round and not square?

What is Your favorite color?

Why are there mosquitoes?

Do you have a favorite movie?

Why are frogs green and not pink?

What band will we listen to in heaven at a concert?

Will Your glory give us a tan?

What activity would be the best use of your time?

Why did You make mammals with hair?

Which mineral did You create first?

Why did you confuse the people at the Tower of Babble instead of just letting
them see Your glory and fall down dead?

Why did You allow people like Darwin or Hitler to live for so long?

Oh, I cannot wait to see His glory and ask Him my questions! Do you have any questions for God?

Beating my Best

The other night my dad and I went to a leadership meeting at our church. He went because he's the head elder, and I went because I thought it might help me to manage people in the children's leadership group for my church. Little did I know that my heart would be touched again by His holy hands.

The smallish group sat together towards the back of the sanctuary, and Pastor Steve opened with a word of prayer. Then they played the clip of the evening, but let me tell you, i don't even remember what the guys name was who was talking or who made the tape. i was entranced by the words he was speaking because they seemed to be spoken just for me.

The man on the screen spoke with such conviction about giving your best, and I felt my heart jump at his words. Although much of what he talked about was people who gave up their high paying jobs to volunteer at the church, he did leave a lasting impression on me about giving God my best.

He mentioned giving God the "scraps" left over from the day, and how at one point in his life, he imagined God would be tickled pink by any attention thrown His way.

But then it hit him. God had spent all His time giving up His BEST for him that it only seemed logical to return the favor. All throughout the Bible, God's love letters to His people, God continually and constantly gives His best for us before giving the ultimate gift of His perfect Son.

But how does one give his best to God? What does "best" look like?

In my finite mind it can only mean that everything I do is not for me, my parents, my friends, my family or my pastor... it's done for God and GOD ALONE!

Wouldn't it change the way you wrote a paper for English class if you had to turn it in to be graded by the One who invented words? Wouldn't it change the way you scrubbed the stone tile in the kitchen to know that the One who created the stone would be looking over your work? Wouldn't it change the way you spoke to people if you knew that Jesus was coming tomorrow?

He gave His Son. His Son died for us while we still were helplessly entangled in our own sin. He gave his BEST for us. Isn't He worthy of your best?

My Trip to the Snitzel

Here is a play by play of my first trip to Wienersnitzel.

11:45 a.m. It is almost lunchtime and my body prepared for the nourishment it assumed it would be receiving soon.

11:46 a.m. I glance again at the wall clock and wonder if the battery has died.

11:48 a.m. My brain has already left for its lunch break so I sit and stare at the wall mindlessly.

11:48 1/2 Refocusing, I try to look busy as my employer saunters past my cubical, but my mind is filled with thoughts of savory sauces, delightful dips, flavorful fruits and marvelous meats.

11:52 I silently debate where I should dine.

11:57 After five minutes of mental elimination, I still cannot choose.

11:59 The sound of fellow coworkers packing up their belongings breaks the steady hum of computers, and I begin zipping up my laptop bag.

12:00 The whistle blows from a distance, and everyone moves as one toward the doors which lead out into the bright autumn sunshine.

12:06 I reach my car, unlock the door, place my bag on the passenger's seat and start up my GT mustang.

12:08 Pulling out of the parking lot onto the main drag, I contemplate my eating options. Taco Bell - filling, cheap and relatively tasty. Quizno's - also filling but more costly. In n' Out - VERY tasty and fairly cheap, but I had already given them my business twice that week already. Why not choose something totally different?

12:11 To be brave, I maneuver my car into the Weinersnitzel parking lot. I had driven by millions of times, but never stopped.

12:13 Never looking back, I stroll casually into the Snitzel and glance at my surroundings. Ten tables, all empty and a soda fountain are my only companions.

12:15 3/4 I redirect my focus to the menu above the counter. Hot dogs, fries and burritos... BURRITOS! What the snitzel? I allow my mind to move past the burritos and continue down the menu.

12:18 I wonder how many ways you can take the most unappetizing food, beans, and put them with something else to attempt to disguise them.

12:21 I scan the menu 3 times hoping something will catch my eye...

12:24 Choosing to play it safe, I decide upon a #7 which is two corn dogs that comes with a regular fry and medium drink.

12:26 Approaching the counter, I look beyond for any like forms. No one appears, and I continue to wait... and wait... and wait...

12:30 I notice a bell on the counter with a sign "Please ring for service."

12:31 I ring the bell.

12:32 The smallest, most wrinkly old woman who couldn't have been less than 120 shuffles up to the counter and looking up at me through her cokebottle lensed glasses, and in a cracked voice says with surprising intensity "well, wat'll it be?"

12:34 Struck dumb by her appearance, I stammer my order and pay in cash.

12:37 I watch the woman walk back to the kitchen and throw items that look anything like food but somewhat resemble chili beans into a pot and stir the steaming, bubbling brew for a times.

12:40 I watch in mortification as she "accidentally" drops a whole jar of chili powder into the pot, and jumping slightly, continues to stir.

12:42 The "corndog" appears from somewhere else in the back, and the worker gingerly places it onto a plate. I also notice that she has a bit of a cold... just an observation.

12:45 The brown, lumpy liquid is ladled from the pot and onto the corndog! what the snitzel! I'm beginning to feel not so hungry. As she carries the lunch tray out and hands it to me, my stomach turns.

12:47 I slide into a corner booth in the empty restaurant and begin a stare down with my dog.

12:52 I pick up the dog, it makes a mess all over the plate, and I return it to its place on the plate.

12:53 1/2 I cannot bring myself to eat it! I cannot do it. oh, boy. Laying an opened napkin over the lunch, I carefully carry the still steaming tray over to the garbage and slide it inconspicuously in.

12:54 I receive a dirty look from the woman behind the counter as I run for my life.

12:57 I hop into my car, rev the engine, shoot out of the parking lot into the street, and jam back to work.

12:59 I decide to never again risk my life at the Snitzel, and mark the day on my calendar as one of the few times where I narrowly escaped death.

other options

Spadoodles mentioned KFC in her last post, and I thought it would only be fair to give you all some other options...

1. Taco Bell (gotta love the burritos)

2. In N' Out... nuf said.

3. Jimboys, a Lodi favorite

4. McDonalds (how much sodium is in that water?!?)

5. Burger King, the home of the strangely good chicken fries

6. Panera... uh, got two words for ya: good bread.

7. Burger Hut (oh to be back in Chico again!)

8. Chipotle (can you say best food ever?)

ok, so even if you don't particularly care for KFC, don't worry, there's quite a few other options for you out there. After all, this is a non-exhaustive list.

IT is GEttINg lATe

HEy eVEryONe!

i THouGHt i WOulD WriTE a pOSt iN FunNY wrITtiNG. doN'T woRRy, i WOn't WRitE LikE ThiS FOreVEr. iN My pOInt OF viEW it IS geTTinG LatE. So i THinK I wiLL stOP. it IS acTUalLY veRY tiME coSUmiNG to WRitE LikE ThiS. WhaT TimE Is iT? Ok, nOW i aM GoiNG to STop.

ONe qUIck QueSTioN: DoeS AnyBOdy LIke K.F.c?

(lol, my spell check says that about 99% of these words are incorrect.)

Don't Sit Down

Everyone in our house knows that my cat Jake doesn't like Spadoodles. He is totally annoyed by her presence and often stalks her like prey. One time when Spadoodles was relaxing on the couch, Jake walked behind her head, and while passing behind, he attacked her head, bit it and moved on.

The other night Spadoodles was, as usual, pestering the cat. Jake has become very social in the last year or so and has taken to sitting on people whenever they are on the couch. He was sitting on Daddy Gs lap and begging for attention by rubbing his face on Daddy Gs hand.

Dad and Spadoodles were joking around as usual and Daddy told her not to sit down on the couch. Well, Spadoodles being Spadoodles, she danced her way over to the couch and pretended to sit down. Although, she didn't get very far. Jake decided to take the side of my dad and whomp her.

Spadoodles didn't really care for the "kitty spank" and became rather annoyed. They ended up having a "batting fight" which is where Jake who has no claws and Spadoodles gently "bat" at each other. (normally Jake hits pretty hard while Spadoodles just kind of bats the air) FYI, Jake normally wins, and this time was no exception. In a moment, Spadoodles ran and screamed to the other side of the room while Jake continued to sit calmly on "his" spot on the couch.

After a few more failed attempts at sitting next to my dad, Spadoodles retreated to the loveseat but continued to eye the other sofa in envy. While this whole escapade is happening, my dad and I are laughing uncontrollably. Hopefully the thought of Spadoodles getting beat up by a cat makes you laugh in an amused sort of way. :)

And just so you know, Spadoodles did eventually get the spot on the couch, but she had to wait until Jake got tired of guarding the sofa...

Thanks Mommy G

Some of you may not know what day this is.

TODAY IS MOMMY G'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all know Mommy G. She is the one to give us advice when we need it. She gives us hugs. AND she makes AWESOME brownies!!!

As many of you know, Mommy G is very close to the authors of this blog....*GASP* I met Mommy G almost 16 years ago. She hasn't stopped loving me ever since. I may be difficult to work with at times, but she is continually forgiving and understanding. She has always been there for me when I need it the most. She is my school teacher and always wants me to be the best I can be. Words can't describe how much she means to me. Thanks Mommy G for everything. I love you so much!! Happy Birthday!

Please leave a birthday note for Mommy G in the comment section to show how much she is appreciated =)

The Dragon Part 2

The Dragon worked tirelessly day in and day out to restore the stone. He carefully polished and buffed out many of the deep and painful scars. But the gem still have not been returned to it's glory. The knight also worked day in and day out to prepare himself to face the terrible dragon in battle over the heart he so desired.

The knight however had been wounded in a previous battle that had left permanent damage in his armor. A small but none the less noticeable puncture hole in the chest plate of his armor could be clearly seen by the dragon. The puncture had not been fixed in the knight's armor after the deadly encounter.

The knight went every day to sit by the mouth of the dragons cave in order to know and understand the jewel. He was not allowed to venture too close however, because the dragon had become very cautious.

The knight sat by the mouth of the cave and waited and waited for what he thought seemed like an eternity always watching and wanting to catch a glimpse of sparkle thrown off by the gleaming gem. He came to know the way the jewel would shine in different lights and moods. He came to understand just how to make it shine by holding it just the right way in the sunshine.
But the knight himself never came close to holding the jewel. He was forced to learn by watching the dragon.

Every day when the knight would come to sit by the cave entrance, he would gradually move farther into the cave. Soon over the course of a few weeks he had moved in past the door, and by a few months he was no longer sitting in the light of the doorway. The dragon slowly grew accustomed to the presence of the knight although he still watched him very carefully.

One night the dragon who was very tired after a long day polishing fell fast asleep with the gem next to him. The knight leaned in to look closely at the beautiful stone, and stared for a long time into the center of the rock. He believed the precious stone to be of great worth and value and gently whispered to the beautiful jewel beautiful things.

The dragon awoke, but did not make a sound. The dragon had promised himself to never let another thing happen to his precious jewel. And he vowed that no man would look at the stone for a long amount of time no matter how clear the stone had become or how sincere the knight was.

The knight having stared into the glassy eyes of the gem for many hours was terrified when the dragon rose from his place by the stone and chased him out of the cave. The dragon clutched the precious stone to his heart and locked it away in a tower for three years to guard it from all knights...

The knight was heartbroken that he had to be removed for such a long time. He longed to look and watch the gem, but the sparkle was hidden from all the world while tucked away in the tower. The knight was forced to remain on the ground and wait until the dragon granted permission for him to enter the tower...

Sincerly Yours, Me

hi self,
how r u? I wanted something in the inbox, so i sent u a email. r u bored? im bored.
~me

The day I wrote that email I was bored. Have you ever had the feeling like you just wish somebody would send you an email? Well this fun little "exercise" (as I thought it was at first) became an obsession. Yes, that's right.

Howdy I,
Yeah, im kinda bored. Thanx 4 the email. You really enjoyed reading it.
Sincerly mine, You

Hola you!

Me hasn't talked to you in like FOREVER!!!! How has my life been going? You heard that mine is having a Birthday party for I, right? Me don't know what you is going to bring for a present to myself. You were thinking about a watch, but me knows that I wouldn't like that so much. Besides, I know myself pretty well. Well, yourself has to get going. You hope to hear from me soon.

Twiddling your thumbs,

Me

Now I know what you are thinking. She has lost her brain. Yes, that's right, admit it. Don't worry, Your feelings won't get hurt. For now, I will keep emailing myself. Me will let you know how things are going.

Sincerly Yours,

Me

Shortcuts You Shouldn't Take When Doing Your Chores

Chores, however long and arduous they may seem, are really not that bad if you just buckle down and complete them. But when faced by a mountain of tasks, you may be tempted to take the short way out. In the times when you must do your duties, please don't take any of these shortcuts. We speak from experience...

Chore Tip #1: When cleaning up after your dog, don't take the easy way out. Your mother will not appreciate the placement of "the bag" in her kitchen garbage, and even though it is 30 fewer steps than taking it outside, please walk it out to the trash receptacle.

Chore Tip #2: Don't take all the wet smelly towels and "dry" them under your bed. Let me tell you, they don't tend to dry for months. Although, if you leave them there long enough, they seem to get fuzzier... interesting...

Chore Tip #3: When organizing a closet with games in it that happen to have small pieces, don't combine all the games into one box for easier storage. You'll be sorry when you want to play Chinese Checkers next time.

Chore Tip #4: Ants really like half finished lolly pops. Please don't "save them for later" by your bed. You probably don't want to have a whole bunch of little friends for a sleep over.

Chore Tip #5: The holes in the fronts of guitars are not garbage cans!

Chore Tip #6: Never throw anything away that belongs to your sister. Nuf said.

Chore Tip #7: When cleaning the mirrors and glass in the bathroom, don't mix up the Windex with the hairspray.

Chore Tip #8: Check to make sure the rag you're using is really supposed to be used as a rag.

Chore Tip #9: If you're cleaning out the fridge and you don't remember buying anything that color, throw it out.

Hope these tips are helpful the next time you clean! :)

The Dragon Part 1

Here is the first part of a story I wrote. The rest is either coming or still to be written. Hope you enjoy!

I always envisioned my heart as something like a huge heart-shaped diamond that was so clear and reflective that you could see yourself in it. So great in it's worth that it was locked away in a beautiful chest. in the jewel-covered box, the gem-heart is wrapped in a beautiful velvet sash.

The chest is kept under guard by a ferocious dragon with a monstrous tail and fiery breath.The dragon has swallowed the one and only key to the beautiful box so the only way to open the chest is to slay the monster. At least that's what I thought.

A knight came along, not brave or strong, but a seeker of hearts. (notice the plural) He came to the dragon and first tried to convince the dragon to give up the key. The terrible monster refused pointblank. Next the boy came up with a devious plan. While the dragon was sleeping one night, he would sneak into the cave and, climb into the dragon's mouth and pull out the key to the gemstone box.

The next night, while the dragon was sleeping, the boy, somehow, against all odds, was able to retrieve the scrolled key. He rejoiced in his luck and immediately went to see the heart that he believed he now possessed. But because he was only a boy, and not a man, he didn't see the worth of the stone, and therefore was very reckless with it.

In the meantime, the dragon having noticed the gem's disappearance, searched high and low for it. when at last he found it, half covered in mud, it had obtained multiple scratches and scars.The monster returned to his lair, rejoicing for finding the stone, but sorrowing for seeing it's condition. He worked night and day in his cave, polishing, polishing, polishing the jewel, working slowly and meticulously to return it to it's former glory.

One day, while he was polishing, another knight came along. He saw the stone being worked upon and wished to examine it closer. The dragon roared to the man that he must wait until the stone was properly restored before he could try to win it. So the man went away to ready himself and to find the strongest breastplate, helmet, shield and sword...

Time for a Rest

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to never have any time at all to sit down and rest? I'm sure many of you have experienced this I'm-going-crazy-and-may-be-collapse-unless-I-sit-down-soon feeling. Well, the past few weeks (basically since the school semester started) I have been going Mach 10 with my hair on fire.

Between going to school, working full time, serving in children's ministry, finishing homework and hanging with the kids at the 180 teen center every Friday night I pretty much packed my schedule to the max. I was gone 4-5 nights a week and shut up in my room the other few.

But as if I needed anything else to deal with, I started having asthma attacks. After several times needing a ride home from school in Stockton and classes at Millswood (night time classes are held here off campus) I made an appointment to see my doctor.

He put me on two inhalers and told me to be careful about not overexerting myself. I was kind of relieved to hear that it wasn't anything really serious, but something that would just be a nuisance.

One night, though, it became more serious than just a mild case of asthma. I ended up in the ER at 10 o' clock at night with an IV hanging from my arm. After that, my family came to a conclusion: I was doing too much. And I have (slowly and most times unwillingly) come to agree with them.

We need to find a balance between being busy/happy and rested and busy/crazy and tired. It has taken me a while to understand that I can't cram everything into my life that I think I should be able to. I didn't have time to read and study my Bible nearly as much as I wanted because I couldn't find time to make time! That should say something!

My life is becoming more balanced thanks to my parents carefully and patiently showing me how to cut things out and say no. And my asthma is much better thanks to having more rest time and being careful out in the pollen-filled air. Balance is important to the effectiveness of our service. We can be more effective if we limit ourselves to what we know we can handle.

Thanks mommy and daddy g!

Be Nice...

I wrote this a while ago, but I never posted it here. Sorry about the delay.

What should a real gentleman look like? How should he treat women? Other men? His mother?

1. Respect. He should always treat everyone with high respect. That could look like: opening doors for people, standing when a lady enters a room, treating women as things to be treasured, giving up his seat for the elderly, and speaking kindly to everyone.

2. Love. This kinda works with respect. If the guy loves you, he will respect you in every aspect: physical boundaries, your feelings, your dreams and protection from himself.

3. Protection. Also, this again ties back into the previous one Love. If he really loves you, he will protect you from the evil around us, and may even have to protect you from his own thoughts and desires.

4. Filter. This is something that a good friend recently enlightened me about. Guys have filters in their heads. Some filters work really well and will pull out almost everything that should not be done or said whereas other filters will pull out very little. A true gentleman will have a good filter that will pull out things that are not good to say or do. He will be careful and considerate around others because he knows how powerful his words and actions can be.

Ladies, wait for that guy. He's out there, waiting and watching for the woman of his dreams to show up. Don't stand for anything less.

:)

SOMEBODY?!?!?! PLEASE leave a comment...........
Just one. It doesn't need to be fancy. I would be happy if there was at least a smiley face. :) Please *gets on knees* I'm begging ;-)

Panic Time

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN SOMEONE HELP ME?!?!?!?!?! THE MOON...............IT'S GONE!!!!!!!!"

"No, Herbert, the moon is not gone."


"No, you don't understand. I can't see it anymore!!! It slowly went away!!"


"Herbert, it isn't as it seems."


"Oh, really? Well, Mr. Smarty Pants, go outside and see for yourself."


"I can't see the moon either, Herbert. It is called an eclipse. That means that the moon moved into the shadow of the earth. You may calm down now, Herbert. The moon will come back soon."


"Huh."


"Yeah."


"Ok.....I'll trust you, Mr. Science Man."

Raining

It is raining.......

Pitter patter pitter patter
The sounds of nature
Pounding pounding
Outside is singing

Guzzle gurgle guzzle gurgle
What rhymes with gurgle?
Slide splash slide splash
Drops having a bash

Dripping dropping dripping dropping
Wet like your mopping
Shine still shine still
The sky, colors filled

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HI!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't been blogging for a while, so I figured I should come and write something.......

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I know that I'm a day late, but that's ok. I still wanted to "Spread the Love." I also decided to sneak into the "Blog Settings" and mix it all around before Allypie found out. I went with red because of Valentine's Day. So go and eat some chocolate.

New Year

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a great time ringing in the new year last night. Now is a great time to look back on the past year to see our amount of spiritual growth. Did you become closer to God in the last year? Did you increase your knowledge of who He is? Have you found a new way of reaching out to others and blessing them?

Make a commitment to God and pray that He will help you fulfill it over the next year. And next January 1st you can look back on this year and say "I grew spiritally!"

I am excited for this coming year!

Real Christmas

Have you ever thought about what the Christmas story would have sounded like if it had happened in our lifetime? Last night while sitting through the Christmas Eve service at our church, I couldn't help but think of what everything would have looked like had Jesus been born here.

Allow me to paint you a picture...

It's December 24, and it's raining. A young man with his extremely pregnant wife slowly pull into a gas station in their ancient Honda with 30 million miles on it. As the husband turns off the car, it rattles and sighs. He turns to his wife who looks exhausted and tells her that he will be right back.

He climbs out of the car and swings the door shut quietly. He puts one of their last 5 dollar bills into the tank then slowly sinks back into the car.

They are on their way to Stockton. They know no one and have no reservations. Hoping that he can find a place for them to stay, Joseph begins to drive again through the rain. As he drives he thinks about how he will begin to pay for his new son that is expected to be born very soon. His wife has fallen asleep, and leaning over her gently brushed the hair off her flushed face.

Pulling into Stockton a few minutes before midnight, Joseph scans the sides of the road for a place to stay. He spots a Motel 8 and pulls into the parking lot. He jogs up to the information desk only to find out that they have no rooms open. Joseph climbed back into the car only to hear his wife Mary urgently whispering his name.

"Joseph, the baby is coming; I need to find a place to lay down."

Pulling out of the parking lot, Joseph drives desperately looking for somewhere to stay. He sees a vacancy sign and quickly pulls into the dark parking lot. The motel is small and rundown looking, but it was dry inside as Joseph carried the panting Mary into their closet sized room. The rain continues to pound against the window while Mary progresses further into labor. In the wee hours of the morning after several hours of hard work, the frail first cry of a newborn baby pierces the stillness.

Joseph proudly hands the son to his mother and goes to wash his hands. He is standing in the doorway of the bathroom when he hears a knock on their door. Opening it, he sees two homeless men, soaked to the bone, obviously wanting something.

"Can I help you?" Joseph asked.

"We heard through some angels that the Christ was to be born tonight in Stockton, and so we came to find Him to worship Him."

Joseph eyed the men carefully and stepped back to let them into the small room. As soon as the men saw the infant, they dropped to their knees and bowed low before Him.

After hours of talking to Mary and Joseph, the homeless guys stood up, still overcome by wonder, and hurried out into the street telling everyone they came in contact with what had happened.

In the morning Joseph payed the woman at the desk and carried Mary out to their car. Their house was only a few hours away. The car crawled along over the hills. When they reached the house, Joseph ran inside to prepare a warm spot in their bed for Mary and the baby.

Joseph had to find a job in the area as a carpenter to fund his new family. For the next two years he worked, and no one ever knew about the child. One day while he was working in his wood shop, Joseph looked up and found himself standing face to face with the president of the United States.
Dropping his hammer, he greeted the president.

"What can I do for you Sir?"

"I have come to see the King. Would you please take me to Him?"

Joseph led the president into the house where His mother was helping Him wash His hands. The boy was handsome and ruddy, tall for his age and had a distinctive twinkle in His eyes.

The president walked forward toward the small boy until he was very close. Then he knelt down and worshiped Him. If Joseph had thought he had seen it all, now he knew it.

Could you imagine something similar to this happening? Can you put yourself into the place of Mary or Joseph and try to think the thoughts that must have been running through their minds? Nothing about the story was clean or well-planned except by God of course. Only He knows the full plan.


Only God knows the full plan for your life. Wouldn't it be beneficial to trust Him with it and not worry about the future? He has a plan.

I Take After My Father

Every time I am introduced to someone new I get the same response...

"You look just like you mother!"

People always say that as if I should look just like Laura Bush or something. I don't really mind since Mommy G is beautiful, and I definitely take what they say as a compliment.

But I don't just want to take after her in looks. I want to become a godly woman who loves and serves her husband and children with everything she has. I want to be known as a woman who is willing to get her hands dirty for the Lord. I want the light of Jesus to be seen through everything I do and say just like Mommy G does.

If I could get a tiny fraction of the God-given wisdom that Mommy G has, I would be wiser than I could ever hope to be.

But I don't just imitate my earthly mother and father. I also want to take after my Heavenly Father. If I could get just a tiny fraction of His wisdom, then I would be set for life.

I want to be mistaken for Jesus.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-L0jRJD_u1Y&feature=related

I want to be mistaken for Jesus.

Christmas is Just Around the Corner!

Everyone including me is rushing around trying to make everything the way the whole family expects it to be. We cook like crazy to make enough food to feed ourselves, and we normally have enough left over to feed the next door neighbors. We pull out every decoration that we own and spend countless hours trying to figure out where to plug them all in. Because the family is coming to our house, we clean and clean until everything is slick enough to ice skate on.

Not to mention all the effort we put into writing the Christmas cards every year or the time it takes to get everyone looking nice enough at the same time to take a Christmas photo. Or we could talk about all the time that we spend, not always on the people we love and want to appreciate, but on tyring to make everything "perfect."

I recently heard a wonderful woman named Cathie Lip speak at my church. She said she had a very wise friend who really didn't find any joy in cooking a huge meal for her family every year, but she did because she assumed that that was what everyone wanted. This friend had a brilliant idea one year, and she decided to ask her kids to each pick one food item for her to make on Christmas Day. She asked each one and the only thing that anyone said was crescent rolls.

"You mean the ones that come in a can?" she asked.

"Yeah, those mommy."

"What about the gingerbread houses? Don't you want to have them?"

"No, we don't like the gingerbread houses. We want the crescent rolls."

This year they're having KFC and crescent rolls for Christmas.

All of this to say, I think we all tend to take Christmas to the max. Baking, decorating, cooking, cleaning and shopping are all fun things, but we put a lot of unnecessary pressure on ourselves to do things that really have no special meaning to anyone; they're just tradition.

After Mommy G heard Cathie speak, she sat everyone down at our kitchen table and asked what we would keep in our Christmas. Things like a real tree and pie for breakfast on Christmas morning were said, but the thing that most of us agreed on was the fact that we wanted to have a relaxed Christmas morning to ourselves.

So that's what we are doing, although it will have to be cut a little short this year since we are eating dinner early because my uncle has to work. I think the cutting out "unnecessaries" was a good idea, and it helps us to slow down a bit and remember the real meaning behind all the festivities and celebrations.

Christ was born!

Luke 2:11 "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Going Green

Christmas is coming so we decided to hold off on the dark blue dots and try to add some "festiveness" to ETST by going green. And that's not green in the materials used or energy efficency sense, but the color. Just in case you were wondering...

A Change...

Thought we needed to change to look of ETST to show how happy we are about the sun! Don't worry, we'll go back to the dark blue in a while...

:)

It's Sunny Out!

This morning I didn't have to go to school so I got the unusual chance to sleep in. When I normally leave for school in the morning, it's still fairly dark out. And over the last week or two it has been cloudy and overcast.

I got up and there was sun! Glorious sun! I felt like the whole world had pressed a restart button and now we could enjoy a cold version of summer. Just looking out the window makes me happy.

Go out and enjoy the sun!

Sorry...For Everything...

Everyone,

Oh, and please forgive us for taking such a long and unannounced break from posting. Our lives, like everyone else's, have been absolutely crazy... Can't wait for Christmas break!

Sincerely,
The Authors

P.S. We are really sorry....Really. Really really. We promise...

Worth the Risk

Friendships are tricky things. And the older I get the more I realize that I am overwhelmed by the thought of people actually thinking of me as a friend.

In Kindergarten our friends were the little kids that shared their cookies with us or played tag with us at the park. But because we were little, we tended to get offended easily, and if the "friend" was seen doing the same things to someone else, they would get an ear full. The funny thing about kids though is that they forgive and forget very quickly. We could be furious one minute and then running and laughing with each other the next.

When we got into middle school and Jr. high, our friends are the ones who are the people most like us. We aren't comfortable in our own skin so we surrounded ourselves with people who let us feel comfortable.

When entering high school, we started to "find ourselves" and since we were more comfortable being who we were, we could reach out to other people our age who weren't necessarily the same as us.

I don't think anyone really starts to understand what true friendship is, though, until late high school and college. Up until this point we have slowly been integrating ourselves into the world and everything evil that comes along with that. We may have had a few trials, but all of the sudden friends become very important.

Friends seem to draw together and lean on one another trusting each other more and more. But with these closer relationships comes a great risk. The risk of being hurt or abandoned later on down the road.

We can't expect to become good friends if we are always extremely careful to not do anything. We can't become close without exposing who we are. When we become good friends with other people, we risk being hurt and disappointed. Being careful reminds me of a children's story where two friends hurt each other. One friend uses the other one to get a china tea set. And then the hurt friend tricks her friend back to get revenge. In the end they go and try to fix everything. The hurt friend says that it is no fun to be friends when you have to be careful because that's not really being friends - that's being careful.

So is being friends worth the risk? Should we put ourselves into a place of exposure and openness where we could possibly experience hurt and disappointment? I would say yes. And when we pick friends who genuinely care about us, we can be assured that the hurt that happens is not intentional. And when hurt does happen, we can forgive and forget and move on.

Friends are worth the risk.

Ecclesiasties 4: 9-12 "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

Happy Thanksgetting...

I don't think that Thanksgiving has truly survived in many homes around the United States. Instead of being thankful and grateful for the boundless blessings of our daily lives, we tend to only focus on what we can get out of the holiday.

The original purpose of having a Thanksgiving dinner was to remember how little the Pilgrims had when they first made the long voyage to the New World. Starving to death was not uncommon so the Pilgrims really were thankful to God for His provision.

The holiday should serve as a reminder in many ways not unlike communion. Although we should always count our blessings and praise the Lord for them, Thanksgiving provides a special time to stop and reflect on how much we really do have.

So while you are stuffing yourselves with all the delicious goodies at your houses, remember to thank Him. In the song Blessed be Your Name one of the verses goes like this:

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise

Turn back to praise Him. Happy Thanksgiving!

1 Chronicles 16:8 "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done."
1 Chronicles 16:34 "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

"We Need a Movie to go With the Shakes..."

Well, it seems that I cannot post a wonderful video on here that I wanted to show you all for Movie and Shake Night, but you can still go and watch it here http://youtube.com/watch?v=9_M0H5nrY8E

I would suggest that if you have a tender heart, get emotional easily or certain things can touch you in a way you don't think is possible, bring a box of kleenex with you to the computer. The first time (not to mention the second, third and forth times) I watched this clip, I bawled my eyes out. Yes, some of you may find that hard to believe, but hey I was touched. ;-)

Anyway, I hope that everyone falls in love with Jesus again after watching this video.

The thing I liked best about it (warning-if you haven't already watched the clip, please do so before continuing. Plot ruiner ahead) was that it showed us trying our very best to get to God, but no matter how hard we try, we could never even come close to reaching Him. He closed the gap and took our place because He knew in the end that He would win.

Word of the Week # 14

myrmidon \MUR-muh-don; -duhn\, noun:

1. (Capitalized) A member of a warlike Thessalian people who followed Achilles on the expedition against Troy.

2. A loyal follower, especially one who executes orders without question, protest, or pity.

"He risked assassination, torture or . . . retaliation, the defining signatures of Mr. Milosevic and his ultranationalist myrmidons."
-- Bruce Fein, "Follow U.S. war crimes advice?", Washington Times, May 10, 2001

"Those who created EMU [(European) Economic and Monetary Union] -- mainly politicians and their myrmidons in the offices and conference rooms of Brussels -- portray a beckoning landscape of wealth, liberty and economic power that will rival the United States and surpass Asia."
-- James O. Jackson, "The One-Way Bridge", Time, May 11, 1998

Myrmidon derives from Greek Myrmidones, a warlike people of ancient Thessaly

FRIDAY!!!!!

Fridays...I love them. I really do. Nothing can compare to the awesome feeling that another week is almost over and the "restful" weekend is well on it's way.

Fridays have always had some kind of special feeling. When I was little, my family started a Friday tradition of Movie and Shake Night. We would rent a family movie and afterwards, my dad would make us all chocolate milk shakes. A tradition that my grandpa started back before I was born.

When my family moved to Chico, my dad had every other Friday off of work. He would stay at home and often times pull out the beloved hot wheel racing track, print up a set of racing brackets and then promptly beat every one of my fastest cars.

Fridays are still Movie and Shake Night, but the tradition has become so much more than just a fun evening; it's turned into the one night a week where everything is pushed aside and family takes center stage.

So, needless to say, if you ask me to do something else on Friday night, you will probably get a no. Maybe, unless you'll let me bring everyone along.

Wacky Web-Pic Wednesday #13

Freakish tomatoes...That's all I've got to say about that. No, seriously, I don't know if I could bring myself to eat anything that had a point like that on it. Do you think you could?


Tell us what you think by voting in the new poll: Could you eat a deformed piece of food?

Enlarged To Show Texture

We thought it would be a good idea to show everyone the cereals they unthinkingly eat and give you a close up shot of the toasted goodness.

To start, we have the classic Cheerio. Baked to perfection right by us in the General Mills plant. Now made with whole grains, it is clinically proven to reduce cholesterol, and with only 1 gram of sugar it is a healthy alternative to most sugary cereals.

Next we have the Chex original. These little babies are perfect for making "muddie buddies" and chex mix. Also made with whole grains, they are the perfect as a light snack in between meals.

Frosted Mini Wheats are a digestive-healthy choice since each serving contains almost 25% of your daily fiber needs. And with only 1 gram of fat, how can you go wrong if you eat them in the morning. The commercial even suggests you take them to school or work with you.

Kashi. Another healthy alternative to Cheerios. Although a little bit tough and chewy, Kashi is wonderful for your heart since it promotes low blood pressure and wide-open arteries. A cheaper version of Kashi can be purchased at your local recyclers plant. Just ask for the sticks, twigs, and cardboard section.

I didn't include the Cocoa Pops or the Lucky Charms because they aren't considered "healthy" by most all cereal consumers. But that doesn't mean that we don't eat them. Seriously though, how can you choose bits of bark I mean Kashi over sweet chocolate puffiness for breakfast. Now that's a reason to get up in the morning!

Word of the Week #13

abscond \ab-SKOND\, intransitive verb:
1. To depart secretly; to steal away and hide oneself -- used especially of persons who withdraw to avoid arrest or prosecution.


"The criminal is not concerned with influencing or affecting public opinion: he simply wants to abscond with his money or accomplish his mercenary task in the quickest and easiest way possible so that he may reap his reward and enjoy the fruits of his labours."
-- Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism

"Pearl, now an orphan (her father having absconded shortly after her conception), has been taken to live with her great-aunt Margaret in the north of England"
-- Zoe Heller, Everything You Know

Abscond comes from Latin abscondere, "to conceal," from ab-, abs-, "away" + condere, "to put, to place."