just a blog

new name, new blog, same stuff

2008-11-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

My blog is moving to www.moorecheryl.blogspot.com and continuing to turn out nuggets of brilliance! (read: nuggets of Cheryl's crazy randomness)

Some Thoughts on Election 2008

2008-11-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

i haven't posted in a long while, and i'll try and update soon (says the girl who says "i'll try to update soon" and never does), but i thought i'd share some links to some blog entries with some good thoughts about the way Christ followers should view this election.

http://theologica.blogspot.com/2008/11/president-obama.html
On submitting to the leadership God has ordained over us

http://theologica.blogspot.com/2008/11/eric-redmond-living-soli-deo-gloria.html
From an African American perspective

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:1-4)

i'm in the mood to write...

2008-09-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

It finally registered yesterday that God willing i am getting married in less than three weeks. i think i had shut the thought out of my mind until yesterday when everything just seemed to bear down on me. i mean, i knew it was coming soon, but not that soon...

Relationships and marriage are interesting things. It's such a blessing to be able to share life with someone, to encourage and sharpen each other, to spur each other on to know and savor Christ more and more, to enjoy each other's company...

But there are also the difficult times. i have never walked with another human being so closely, to see another person's flaws so clearly and to have them see mine so clearly. i think i always knew on an intellectual level that love was much more than just fuzzy feelings, but know i know experientially how difficult selfless and unconditional love is without Christ. i feel like i'm going in circles sometimes. i'm angry and disappointed and frustrated with his flaws, and yet in these instances i am made painfully aware of my own imperfections and selfishness.

In the end it all draws me back to a brokenness and humility that i crave but don't enjoy experiencing. i am continually reminded through this process that the only thing i can cling to is Christ, and it is only because of Him that i can live and love how i ought.

i am emotionally spent right now, and God's sustaining grace is the only thing pushing me onward and forward. It's a hard but good place to be...

sorry for the lack in posting...

2008-09-08T22:02:00.000-07:00

Hm i haven't really updated this thing in forever and SOOOOOOOO much has happened. i'm getting married in less than a month (shocking, i know) and my new niece is coming! Here she is...

www.karisjoychau.blogspot.com
www.chaukids.blogspot.com (for some recent pictures of the other kiddies)

Hm here's a short un-expounded on list of what i've been up to the past few months
-early June: started new executive assistant position at CHF
-mid June: went on a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Texas with Michael and met his whole fam, immediate and extended.
-end of June: got engaged
-end of June through now: wedding planning, marriage planning, new life course evaluating, conflict and growth in my relationship with Michael, excited, terrified, unsure, sure, more thankful than ever that the Lord is my rock and the one sure thing i can cling to in the midst of life's insanity.

i'll try and blog about all the massive change sometime soon...hm, maybe after the wedding when my life will be less insane.

i really AM Korean!

2008-06-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

i get home, my mind still spinning a bit from the events of a busy day. i need something, something food-y. Yes, i need comfort food in this moment. So many options...chips, fruit, candy...wait! There it is! A jar of kimchi sitting 3/4 full in the fridge! i grab it and and a fork and hastily devour it like a bear eating crackers. The spicy salty sourness calms me. Then it hits me...of all the food options in my house i grabbed the kimchi??? (by the way kimchi is something we rarely have around the house) What's more, it really did have a soothing effect on me.

i guess despite being adopted and growing up in a white bread town, there are just some things that run in the blood...

Lots of different things going on. i promise i'll try to write a real update sometime soon.

Not as bad as Jericho, but still blazin'

2008-04-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

Was anyone outside for a prolonged period of time today?

No? Well, i was.
Yes? Good for you, read on...

And whilst outside, were you ready to sacrifice just about anything if it meant you could run through some sprinklers and stand in a freezer for a bit to escape baking like a french-fried potato?

No? Well, i was.
Yes? Too bad for us. No sprinklers or freezer showed up and i had to just bear it. You probably did too...

Why couldn't they get anyone this cool while i was there?

2008-04-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

So for about the first time ever, i wished i still a student at UCI. Why, you ask?? Because BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY is going to be speaking there!!!

Seriously...i'm so sad to be missing out on this.

Just when you think you have things figured out...

2008-03-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

God puts something in your life to make you again realize you don't have a clue what the next day will bring. At least that's how it's worked for me throughout my life.

i thought i had formulated a pretty good plan and picture of what the next step for me was, and who knows, maybe it still is. But a pretty major change has recently come into my life that's muddled things a bit, in a good way though. About a week ago after a couple weeks of hanging out, a friend and i decided to go ahead and move from just friends to something more. So yes, it's true, Cheryl has a boyfriend. i won't go into all the details, but basically his name is Michael, and i guess i'll just describe him by saying he's a very easy going, down to earth, hard working southern guy who lives simply and loves and knows God well. We've been acquainted with each other for years but never got to really know each other until now. Any of you that know me even a little know how unexpected this is and how i wasn't planning on getting into a relationship any time soon. But sometimes God puts things in your life that you weren't planning on, and all you can do is abide in and trust Him. While the past few weeks have been very personally challenging as i've been navigating through this very new territory, it's also been really good and Mike and i have really been enjoying getting to know each other. Of course i don't know where all this will end up, but when do i ever know how things will turn out?

In other news, it's the Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday mashup weekend! Something cool Josh Walker mentioned at church yesterday that i've never thought about was this. For people in that time, the cross and the horrific death it brought was a symbol of Rome's ultimate authority and power. It was a major deterrent to anyone who would defy the empire. Yet Jesus, by willingly giving up his life so that the world might be reconciled back to God, turned that picture inside out and in a sense said, This cross was a symbol of man's power to terrorize and put to death, but now it will forever be a symbol of God's unfathomable humility and grace. Pretty cool.

Okay this post is getting long. So lastly, i just have to say that Michael Clayton is the best movie i've seen since Bourne Ultimatum, and the best movie i've seen in general. It was very well-written, well-acted, it moved at a good pace, and was a great thinking movie. GO WATCH IT.

So this is what my brother does all day...

2008-03-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

i can't believe this qualifies as a job...i'm bitter because i'm jealous.

2008-03-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

Now is one of those times where i wish i had something interesting to blog about. But i don't, so i start wondering...why do i keep this thing?

"We measure the size of the statue by the size of the hearts of the Korean people..."

2008-02-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

This humorous article would be even funnier if the situation in North Korea wasn't so sad.

"In North Korea, Eccentricity Well Off the Scale"

i wish i was this cool...

2008-02-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

i just became secretly (or i guess not so secretly) obsessed with a guy named Remy Munasifi (yes, i'm blazing past that line between amused interest and stalking). i randomly stumbled across his youtube videos and he is HILARIOUS. All his videos are so well-written and random, i could watch them forever. I've posted one of them, but seriously, watch all of them because they're all great. My other favorites are "A-R-A-B: The Rap", "Macaca Blues" (for any of you that remember the Macaca! Senator Allen debacle from awhile back), "Hey There Khalilah" (a better version of the Plain White Ts song) and "Opposites Attract" ("I can't dance, she can't vote"). If you just search "goremy" on youtube, you can get to his page and all his videos.

Seriously, go check him out and be inspired like i am. Plus his video made it onto one of the youtube debates. If that's not reason enough, i don't know what is.

The first one is "Eggs Over Easy." I'll give you half a guess as to what that one's about, and the second one is his musical recap of his trip to Charleston for the youtube debate.

It's been nearly a month since my last post?

2008-02-07T20:44:00.001-08:00

Time is flying by. Things have been busy, and both work and my weekends have been pretty full. It's felt good to be busy, but in contrast, i've realized that i get really lazy and kinda depressed when life slows down. Unfortunately, that's a major indication that the ups and downs of my circumstances still dominate too much of the way i live. By God's grace i want to be steadfast and content whatever the situation.
---
So here's something crazy. This past week i received two job offers for full-time positions at two very different places. While i'm not even remotely close to taking either of them, it was a reminder that God can change the course of my life at any point He chooses, regardless of how hard i try to plan things out. Then i felt all old and adult-ish because i realized that a lot of the life choices God presents from here on out are going to be (or at least seem to be) bigger than choosing a class schedule or what to do on the weekend. Weird.
---
I had a fruit punch Jolly Rancher today, and it tasted exactly like that Hawaiian Punch drink, only in candy form. It was intense. Oh and i am currently obsessed with Death Cab for Cutie's Plans album. It's strange, I bought the album on a whim, and while the music and lyrics are good, neither are anything mind-blowing. It's just one of those solid albums that seeps deeper into you each time you listen to it.

Ohhhhhhhhh snap!!!

2008-01-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

I'm such a sucker for flashy trailers...

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/wanted/wanted_large.html

What? No rumble at the Anselm??

2008-01-06T22:51:00.000-08:00

The setting: New Hampshire debates on Saturday night. It's intermission, and both the Republican and Democratic hopefuls meet up on stage between debates

I haven't actually gotten to this part yet (yes, I TiVo'd the whole thing and yes, i'm a nerd), but I've seen clips of it in a segment ABC World News did. Said segment is the topic of this post. The segment was basically a discussion of how wonderful it was to see all the Democrats and Republicans smiling and talking, and how we all wish we could know just what was being said to prompt the smiles and friendly exchanges.

I'm confused...

What in the world did everyone (or at least ABC News) think would happen? A knife fight?? I mean come on, it's a minutes long meet and greet on national television. I don't think the fact that a few smiles were cracked amongst acquaintances while network TV cameras were rolling is anything to write home about.

I guess they had to give that smugly dashing David Muir something to report on to appease all those female viewers...

Hm. Redo.

2008-01-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

Hmmmmmm... I'm not pleased with the entry I posted yesterday. I was in a sort of dramatic mood. I guess all the stuff I wrote is true, it just reads more dramatic than it should.

I guess what I want to say is last year was a very rich year. It seems like each year life just gets better and better as I grow in my walk with God. As Brian Regan says, "Can life get any better?? I submit that it can NOT!!" Last year was definitely not easy, not hardship free, but just...richer. In many ways I'm a completely different person than I was last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. That's one thing I love about being a Christian. As I learn to trust and know God better, He is constantly moving and shaping me, helping rid myself of old flaws, showing me new ones, maturing me, disciplining me. The fact that life and the future is so uncertain used to be such a huge source of anxiety. Now I find that reality exhilarating. Who knows what the next step is for me. It could be here it could be there. How long will the "next step" last before the "next step" after that begins? Who knows if I'll even make it to the next step?! Not even the next 30 seconds of my life are guaranteed to me, or to anyone for that matter. How awesome is it that God is faithful and in control whether the circumstances in my life are great, exciting, and fun, or difficult, slow, and painful.

"And that's all I have to say about that."

That "end-of-the-year" post...

2008-01-02T22:25:00.000-08:00

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven..."

Ecclesiastes 3.1

Well, 2007 has come and gone. Time is so strange. I can think back to an event from mid January of last year and the images and memories are so fresh it feels like yesterday. Yet when I think back to my last quarter of quarter of college that ended just 6 months ago, there seems to be an enormous gulf of lapsed time from then to now.

I don't really believe in new year's resolutions. If I need to change something, I should change it immediately and not drag my feet waiting for some "magical" time of the year. And anyway, a new year passes every single day; we just don't stop to celebrate it until our birthday or January 1st. Still, I must admit there is something unique about this time of year. For me, it's a refreshing, painful, and hopeful time all rolled into one.

Refreshing because it's typically been time away from school and work. Time to spend with family and friends relaxing, celebrating, sleeping, eating. The enjoyable things of life.

However (at least with me), time to relax means time to think and reflect, giving rise to a remembrance of some of the painful events of the year. I can't and don't live life plagued with regrets, but it's impossible not to consider the hardships from the past year that have molded me to be the person I am right now. There is the sadness over my flaws and the consequences they carried, a sadness over missed opportunities with people and pursuits, a sadness over the time wasted on meaningless pursuits, and sadness over the pains that came into the lives of the people I love.

Yet these trials in life give me an opportunity to better know and trust God, whose grace is ever sufficient. Thus this time of year is also hopeful, as I look back and see His faithfulness in my weakness, and look forward to the great adventure that is living this short life for Him. Who knows where I'll be in a year. If you told me on January 1st of last year that I'd be living at home again and working full-time for a Christian non-profit, I would've thrown a brick at you then kindly requested you get out of my presence. So who knows? God is loving and faithful. He always has been, He is now, and He will continue to be. And in my uncertainty over the future, that's all I can cling to. And that's more than enough.

It's okay to look...at something other than these commercials

2007-12-27T23:32:00.000-08:00

In general, I think online relationship/dating websites are sketchy, but that aside, what the heck is with those match.com commercials??

If you've seen them, you already know what I'm talking about. If you only watch PBS or you're one of those anti-TV snobs and haven't seen them, the commercials are basically a single continuous shot of a reasonably attractive individual smiling and chuckling at the camera. No dialogue. Then at the end of the commercial "It's okay to look" and then "match.com" are thrown up on the screen. I guess someone thought the concept was a good idea because well, the commercials air on national television, but I have no idea what the commercials are trying to communicate, plus I think they're just plain awkward. Are they laughing at someone? With someone? Are they themselves looking for someone? Are they the hotties us unattractive people can only hope for? One of the above! All of the above! None of the above! Who knows?? The viewer must simply endure 15 seconds of discomforting semi-silence. Furthermore, the assumed goal is to get the viewer to go to match.com and do whatever it is they want you to do there. But there is nothing inherently motivating in these commercials. I don't think many/any people jump off their couches onto their computers to check out the website after seeing these ads. Or maybe they do...?

Changing gears to a Cheryl's thoughts mashup...

Christmas was good time spent with the family. Hiking is fun, I should do it more often. Pakistan is not in good shape. "Once" is a really really good movie with good music (that Ireland place puts out some great musicians). It's going to be hard getting back into a regular sleep schedule when work starts up again.

2007-12-24T11:47:00.000-08:00

What an enigma it is that an unfathomable God, high above you and I in every way, would seek to reconcile a rebellious and lost people back to Himself.

I will never fully grasp the weight of that truth, but I am forever thankful for it.

He is good, and He is worth it.

May this Christmas be a time that we all reflect on the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of God, that pursues us even when we do not pursue Him.

Merry Christmas!

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only son of the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1.14

A vignette

2007-12-08T22:17:00.000-08:00

It was halfway into a week of family vacation, and we found ourselves at a petting zoo. It was standard fare, the scent of hay and animal feces in the air as young children awkwardly petted and poked skittish goats and rabbits. My family dispersed, each strolling around seeking out the perfect dirty animal we'd like to spend a precious five minutes with. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, my mind and thoughts drifting to what we might be eating for lunch that day as well as how divine I looked in my knee-length blue and white paisley culottes. You know, that clothing invention that miraculously merges shorts and a skirt. As the thoughts swirled about my mind, I found myself near a grey and black goat with matted hair and one misshapen ear. Its glassy black eyes were dull and unblinking as it slowly munched and munched on some grassy hay.

"I'm glad I'm not a goat. What a sad existence,"

thought I, and adjusted my stance away from him with an air of superiority. Moments later, I felt a light but increasingly stronger pressure pulling at my culottes. I looked down in annoyance only to find Mr. Grey and Black eating my beloved culottes! All my pride and courage left me in an instant and a panic flashed through my veins. Paralyzed, I just stared at the goat as more and more of my culottes disappeared into his munching mouth. Finally, I did what every child has been programmed to do from the beginning of time...

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I now had the attention of every female above the age of 25, but only one came running. She knew her daughter's shrill voice and had put on her first responder hat. She quickly summed up the situation and in one fluid motion shoved that dirty animal away and extracted my clothing from its mouth. She stood back triumphantly, knowing she had saved the day. I stood speechless, thankful to her for saving me yet again and thankful my heart rate was slowing to normal. The goat stood munching, munching, munching, unaware of the trauma he'd just caused. The intensity of the situation dropped to a manageable level as I realized with disgust that my culottes were now slimy and green. My mother also came back down to earth at that moment and said,

"Well, I guess we better get you cleaned up. Why did you just stand there?"

It was an exhortation and a gentle rebuke, one that I will never forget. For after my mother worked her mother cleaning magic on my culottes, I vowed I would never again stand helpless and let a goat get the best of me.

Your Epiphany, My Solution

2007-11-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

Have you ever sat there thinking about whatever it is you're thinking about and wham! Suddenly these thoughts just burst into your head like a lightning storm...

Self, I've got money to burn before the end of the year AND I'd like to put it to a worthy cause that will use it well AND I think that Cheryl girl is a slacker and should get in touch with me.

What an agonizing epiphany! What should you do? How can you harmonize all three of these deep issues?? Fret not. i have the answer. Ready?

Spend your extra money or forgo a few extras in your life and give to Children's Hunger Fund!!!

Allow me to explain...

i could give you statistics or stories about the poverty and problems of this world, but i'm not going to because let's be honest...you and i both know full well those problems are there, in our backyards and around the world. i'll simply say that if you'd like to give to a nonprofit that is serving the poor in California and internationally, that is well established, and that has very high standards of integrity and financial accountability, look no further than CHF. You can go on the website (www.childrenshungerfund.org) to learn more about who they/we are, our programs, countries we're working in, etc. But if you're going to give, know that one of our selling points is that over 99% of our total revenue goes to our programs. In other words, we spend less than 1% on overhead. We are also members of several accountability and watchdog groups that audit how nonprofits spend their money, and our annual report is available to anyone and everyone.

So yes, CHF is a great place to unload your money. If your thinking, sounds good let me empty my wallet, you can go to the website and give online by credit card, or you can just send a check. However if you're thinking, hm I want to give but I want to designate it toward some specific stuff, then the CHF Christmas Catalog is for you! The catalog is online at www.childrenshungerfund.org/catalog. And check out the supercool dynamic catalog flip book that the communications guys slaved over for the past couple of weeks.

Now you're thinking, Wait how does any of this intersect with Cheryl getting in touch with me? Well a couple of my job responsibilities include processing and databasing the donations that come in and merging files to receipt the donor (you in this case, hopefully). SO, if you give money to CHF there is a 99.999999% chance i will know about it, process it, and receipt you. And in receipting you, it would brighten my day to be able to think of you and write a mini letter to you on your receipt.

Well there you have it. Some of you may be thinking, waaaaaait a minute she's just trying to get me to cough up money and avoid getting in touch with me for real. To those that are thinking that i say, uh, DEAL WITH IT!

In all seriousness though, i'll conclude this post by adding that this isn't about me trying to guilt anyone into giving. i process countless donations every week, anywhere from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. i have no idea whether the people giving the donations have pure or selfish motivations, whether they were guilted into giving or whether they gave genuinely, whether the donation was stingy or generous, etc. That's not for me to know or judge. The point of this post is to give you one quality giving option that i can personally vouch for, and merely encourage you to give if that's what you'd like to do.

And tell your friends, family, and everyone you know about CHF too. It really is a great place to give, whether you're a Christian or not a Christian, boring or exciting, supercool or a huge loser, etc.

And let me know if you have any questions, like,

Cheryl, I want to give online but I don't know how to use the Internet...

or

Cheryl, I don't know how much postage is because they keep raising it...

Yeah...questions like that.

Gotcha Day

2007-11-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

GOTCHA DAY
\gawt cha day\ noun
1. The day on which an adoptee officially joins or enters into his or her adoptive family

November 15th. 22 years ago today i arrived on American soil as a five month old after screaming and crying my head off the entire way from Korea to Albuquerque. It's amazing i survived that whole trip...survived without some aggravated passenger throttling me and throwing me out of the plane.

This day has always been such a wonderful and mind-blowing reminder of God's sovereignty and blessing. Think about it...i could've ended up with ANY family in the WHOLE world, and yet God had it planned that i would be in the Owyoung family from the start. i am so blessed...

i just read my xanga blog entry from November 15th of last year. It's so weird how much has changed in just a year...

To Mexico & Back (again)...

2007-11-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was Cornerstone's third annual Imagine trip to Mexico. A little more than 800 people from Cornerstone packed up tents, toilet paper, and work clothes and headed south of the border to serve at various sites in Ensenada, Mexico.

It was an interesting weekend. i could go on a long rant about how i seriously question the value of short term missions trips and events like Imagine, but i think that's more of a dialogue, not a blog entry. Instead, i'll just say that the weekend was unexpectedly very enjoyable for me because of the time i got to spend with various people on my team. The way Imagine works is everyone is broken down into smaller teams of 20-30 people, and each team is assigned a different site and task somewhere in Ensenada. The projects run from serious construction like framing houses and pouring concrete (jobs for the skilled professionals) to painting and playing with kids (jobs for the kids and people like me). Our team was assigned last minute to a daycare center where we played with kids, painted, fixed a door, and encouraged the staff. Anyway like i said, the day we spent serving at the center was good, but i think God was most glorified in me in the time i got to spend with people on my team.

Most of the weekend i hung out and got to know Deborah. Her story and why she's here is pretty complicated, but basically she's from France and she's not a Christian. Our conversations and time spent together were so rich and fun, and we both just got along smashingly. It's so fun hanging out with someone for an extended and concentrated period of time, and you end up talking about everything. Anyway i'm thankful we got to share our lives with each other this weekend and it was just a sweet time.

As for everyone else, i enjoyed everyone on my team but there were a few people who i got to know better than the rest. They are just phenomenally great people. The time i spent with them was so fun and encouraging.

Anyway i had a fun weekend, complete with sleeping in a tent in the freezing cold, port-a-potties, a yummy Mexican taco stand, a failed quest for Apple Fanta, funny Mexican kids, a two hour wait at the border, no showers or running water, beautiful stars at night, and a renewed enjoyment of God's grace and goodness.

Shed a tear for Max...and God is so good

2007-11-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

My car, Max, has served me faithfully over the past 5 years or so. He's been in and out of the shop frequently, but always because of circumstances outside of him (i.e. other people hitting me). Today though was the first time something has just broken. It was an...interesting experience, dotted with many examples of God's grace throughout the situation.

So I'm driving home from work. I'm less than a mile away from CHF on San Fernando Road at rush hour accelerating and going about 35 mph. If you've never driven stick, you may not understand what happened next, and i'll probably do a bad job of explaining this, but here goes. i go to shift from 3rd into 4th, and all of the sudden it's like my stick shift comes free. It doesn't physically come out of the car, but it's clearly detached in some way from how it's supposed to be. i frantically shift from one gear to the next, but to no avail. It just moves freely and moves every which way. The car goes into neutral at this point and i decide i better coast over to the side of the road. By God's grace there weren't many cars around me at the time, and i make it to the side of the road. i turn off my car and start it up again in the vain hope that everything would start working. But it was a vain hope indeed. So now i'm blocking traffic, sitting in a car that will start but that can't go anywhere because the stick shift is broken. I get out, call my dad, then call AAA. By God's grace my dad decided to buy the premium AAA deal where they will tow you an unlimited amount of miles, as opposed to a measly 7 with the normal deal. A call is put in for a tow truck, and i'm standing on the side of the road waiting for it.

Being in such a humbling position, it was interesting to observe how people reacted to my situation. 99% of the people that drove by went on but stared as they passed. i can't blame them; that's pretty much what i do when i see people with car trouble. Only one car rolled down their window and asked if i needed help. And then there was that nice young man that drove by and just yelled "PUSH YOUR CAR OUT OF THE WAY!" So helpful, so kind. Oh and one of my coworkers stopped to make sure i was okay and offered me a ride home. i would've preferred driving back with him, but i figured i should stay with Max and direct the tow truck to my mechanic's shop.

Anyway then the tow truck came. At first the driver was in a really bad mood because AAA dispatch had given him a wrong address for my location or something, but he cooled down after a bit. He was an interesting character. He's one of 6 (or was it 8) people in all of Los Angeles that's been working his job for over 25 years. He did most of the talking on the drive to Simi, and told me all sorts of random stories. We eventually made it to my mechanic, he saw it was a safe area to leave me, and so he let me and Max off. My dad picked me up a short time later.

Here's the crazy thing my mom said. Or, a couple crazy things my mom said. First, i didn't think about this until she said it, "Good thing you weren't on the freeway when it happened." Oh mylanta is that true. By God's grace this happened on a surface street and not the freeway, where i would've been driving much faster and i wouldn't have been able to move over to the side as quickly or easily. When i think even for just 30 seconds about how bad the situation could've been had the stick shift broken just 4 tenths of a mile (literally) and 5 minutes later, all i can do is praise and thank God for extending so much grace that that didn't happen.

Okay and on a lighter note, we're talking over dinner and my mom says,

"Well i'm just so glad you're safe. i pray for you and all my kids every morning, but this morning i just happened to pray in particular for your safety. and i also prayed..."
(at this point i'm thinking it was some cool God thing where she prayed specifically for safety in my car or something, but no, what she says next is...)
"that if there is some young man out there for you that God would be preparing him for you." WHAT THE CRAP?! We're discussing what was easily the most stressful event of my day and she brings THAT up?? It was just a little depressing because my parents have literally never mentioned anything like that to me and i guess i just thought the issue was off their radar. i mean we've talked about their marriage, other people's marriages, and marriage in general, but they definitely are not the parents that nag me about that sort of thing (something i couldn't be more thankful for). ohhh Mommykins.

Anyway moving on, the whole experience with Max was a good test of patience, humility, and trust. i'm so thankful that God is steadfast and faithful and good ALL the time, even in the midst of small trials like the one i went through today.

The whole experience was oddly exhilarating too. i'll flesh that out in my next blog. But now it's time to sleep.

"Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and unscrutable His ways." Rom. 11.33

October 31, and nothing more

2007-10-31T21:11:00.001-07:00

Isn't it freeing to arrive at that place where you stop pretending to like something and just say, "Hey, i don't like this. i've never really liked this. That's that."

Halloween...you and i are officially over.

As a kid, anticipating the deluge of forbidden sugar was enough to overcome my anxieties about finding a costume, as well as numb my young brain to the fact that Halloween is a pointless "holiday" whose background has little/nothing to do with the Halloween of today. As i got older, i recognized a conflict within, but being the weak-minded sheep that i am, i continued to go with the flow of the day.

"Gosh i hate coming up with a costume for a pointless holiday." i'd think. "But all my friends are doing this or that; and besides, everyone who's anyone does something on Halloween...right?"

Don't get me wrong. i'm not going to condemn people i know for wanting to go out, or dress up, or have a party, or do whatever on October 31st. i "celebrated" it all these years past and let's be honest, if you're a live human residing in the U.S., the day is just inescapable. All i know is i'm tired of getting caught up in this Halloween insanity, and i'm certainly not going to be one of the Americans slated to spend a combined $5 billion on Halloween this year.

city names are weird

2007-10-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

My job consists primarily of data entry; more specifically, people's contact information. i see a lot of crazy names, crazy street names, and and i get to learn about (probably not) exciting cities all around the US. Take yesterday for example...

Hm okay, next person. Wappingers Falls, NY? Haha what a funny city name. I better look it up on Google maps to make sure that's correct. www.maps.google.com-"Wappingers Falls"-*Search Maps*. Hm, whattya know. It's a city in the southeast portion of New York. Innnteresting.

Some time passes...

Ocoee??? Now that CAN'T be an actual city. www.maps.google.com-"Ocoee"-*Search Maps*.

"Did you mean:
Ocoee, FL
Ocoee, Orange, FL

Ocoee, TN
Ocoee, Polk, TN"

Whaaat?! Not only is Ocoee a real city but there are TWO of them in the US. Wow.

Mexico

2007-10-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

Ahhh vacation...

I just got back from a family vacation in Akumal, Mexico, located about an hour and a half south of Cancun. It was quite a trip. My parents, my sister and her family, my brother and his wife and I (10 of us in all) headed south of the border for a week of sun, rain, beach, pool, snorkeling, good food, and rest. It was a perfect time to go. The resort was nearly empty. There were about 100 people staying at the Akumal Beach Resort, which made us 10% of the guests there. It was like having a private resort. It was nice. On the plane I sat next to a guy who's been a state prison guard in Oregon for the past 20 years. He told me one or two crazy stories and made the point that everyone should visit a state prison because so much of our tax money goes there. Next family vacation...state prison.

This was the view from our room. It rained a fair amount while we were there, but as you can see it was still gorgeous. The nice thing was that the rain was a warm rain and we could still snorkel or swim even if it was raining.

Mimi, Tamara, Eric | Mom and Lydia

The resort we were at had archery. Micaiah is a pro.

Okay, yes, we all know Cheryl is an alcoholic. That established, one of the greatest things about staying at a resort is the alcohol is "free." Here's my sister Kris and I enjoying some margarita action. It was nice to be able to try so many different drinks without paying a kajillion dollars each for them.

One day we went snorkeling in this lagoon not too far from the resort. I couldn't get a picture of his head but this here is Mr. Eel chillin' among the rocks at the edge of the lagoon. We were all grossed out for about 2 seconds then we just started talking about unagi. My family and food are just inseparable.

And speaking of food, here's me with a Magnum, the BEST ice cream bars in the world that you can only find outside the U.S.

Michael Vick has illegal dog fighting rings...The Owyoung family has illegal hermit crab racing rings. Step 1: Find hermit crabs on the beach. Step 2: Create racing boundaries. Step 3: Race hermit crabs. Step 4: Realize hm, my family is crazy.

(That family picture didn't turn out too great but it's the only copy I have) It was a great trip; I was bummed my little brother couldn't have come too. It was a great time to have fun, relax, and think. I am so thankful for such a great vacation. I am incredibly and unfairly blessed.

(pardon the formatting errors...I don't know what happened and I'm too lazy to fix it)

what's next...

2007-10-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my last official day working at Fishy Finds, and Friday is the last official day of my internship at CHF. Then i'm off for a week to vacation with the family, then i start full time at CHF in an administrative position. Yup, a full time job. Strangely, the decision to accept the position wasn't as easy as i thought it would be; partially because the week they offered it to me was just insane...

Monday of that week i found out that i didn't make the cut for a job that i wanted pretty badly to work out; a job whose application process has taken up nearly a year of my life. it's impossible for me to be bitter about it because i learned and grew so much from trusting God throughout the process, but it was still a bummer. Tuesday, through some random circumstances, i became "convinced" i should go into the Navy and do their language program. Wednesday, my supervisor told me to start thinking about whether i'd be interested in a full time job at CHF. Friday morning, Cal Lutheran's graduate services left a voicemail, informing me they got my application to work in their office and they'd like to set up an interview. Friday afternoon, my supervisors gave me a formal job offer for CHF. When it rains, it pours.

There was a lot to consider. That insane week had thrown off my perspective and goals for my short term future. Plus i felt guilty that this road to a job at CHF has been so easy for me (i believe i'm qualified to be there but let's be honest, i got in initially because i had connections) when so many other people would do anything to work there. i also felt bad that i'd be quitting Fishy Finds so soon after starting. Also, i've always been reluctant to work at a place where every coworker is a Christian. Anyway after doing a lot of thinking and seeking God's wisdom, He provided a practical solution to each of my misgivings. After more thinking and seeking, i decided to take the position as simply a "next step" in life.

i have no idea how this will end up, and unfortunately i've already begun battling discontentment and impatience (two familiar adversaries) as my lame mind races ahead to "well what about after CHF? what should i do next?" all i know is ultimately i'm glad God reveals His will in small steps, because it forces me to better trust and submit to Him.

On a lighter note, i saw "Across the Universe" and it was pretty good. It was more of a musical than i thought it was going to be, but the choreography was very creative, a lot of their Beatles covers are better than the originals (in my opinion), and it was just a visually incredible movie. And oh mylanta, matinee movies at Irvine Spectrum are $11 now! Unacceptable.

being real

2007-09-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

my dad directed me to the blog of this guy who's living in Uganda with his family working with the people there. while i only read a couple of his entries, i was refreshed by his incredibly witty, realistic, and brutally honest views. he says things that (in my opinion) are true but that most American Christians probably don't want to hear. i wouldn't take his views as biblical truth or anything, but i think he has some very valid points that everyone, especially American Christians should at least consider.

www.stonesinuganda.blogspot.com

that burqini is so hot right now...

2007-09-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

So in approximately 12 days my family (minus Jon) is departing for Akumal, Mexico to spend a week lazing around in the sun, snorkeling, eating, and scaring geckos out of the beds. All of us are really looking forward to it, except...

My sister-in-law is white, and her Wonder Bread skin burns faster than you can say "ouch." So she went online and found this super sweet burqini.
While she's not Muslim, our family has agreed this is the best alternative for her. In attempting to maximize the appeal, she's decided that i should get one too, so we can match. i'm not too keen on the idea because that burqini is still WAY too immodest for me. i mean your hands, feet, and face are still showing! gosh put some clothes on! in any case, hopefully it'll prevent some sunburnage "inshallah." (Arabic & Turkish for "if God wills it")

Colorado, Chipotle, & Cavities

2007-09-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

yesterday i went running for the first time in, oh...months. bleh i'm so out of shape. i cherish the memories of times past when i was regularly working out and in good shape. one of those times was that glorious summer in Colorado at STP, playing ultimate (translation: sprint after sprint) week after week in that slightly-higher-than-California altitude known as the Colorado Rockies.

speaking of Colorado...

that was the state in which i ate at and fell in love with Chipotle for the first time. it changed my life. i ate at Chipotle yesterday for the first time since Colorado. i scarfed down my fajita burrito with everything like a piggy and got food all over myself which i'm sure impressed my new friends with whom i ate. i think i had food all in my teeth too; i was a sight to behold.

and speaking of teeth...

on monday i had to get my first filling for a cavity EVER. i was devastated when i went to the dentist last week and was told i have my first cavities. 22 years of no cavities and there they were, between my teeth where i should floss more regularly. fortunately the filling is small because the cavities were small and between my teeth instead of right on them. the whole process has made me think a little about how easily our bodies fall apart and how fleeting vanity is. so many people are obsessed with fixing something that's already broken and that will only continue to deteriorate no matter what. i'm thankful that God has given us reminders even in our own bodies of how weak we are, so that we might see the grace and beauty of trusting in an eternal God.

Beer me those beans...

2007-09-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

So i finally went to volunteer at CHF today. They have volunteer days on Wednesdays and Saturdays to pack food, bag product, etc., and even though i've been interning there for over a month now i hadn't been down to volunteer. Anyway it was a lot of fun. A very well-run volunteer program. So part of the time i was on the FoodPak assembly line next to these cute 10/11ish-year-old boys. One of them was putting cans of pinto beans in each box and the other one was responsible for making sure the cans were coming off the pallets efficiently. The one putting the cans in the boxes would yell "dude, i need more beans! bean me!" i realized later that i was incredibly amused by them yelling "bean me" because it subconsciously reminded me of that episode of The Office when Andy prefaces his sentences with "beer me" even though "it gets a laugh like a quarter of the time." hahaha. So funny. Hm i'm looking forward to the new season of that show.

2007-09-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Now that i'm working 5 days a week i understand why everyone (not students) value their weekends so much. And it's funny...i thought i'd be doing tons of cool stuff with my free time now that i don't have school, but all my free time activities have been very un-glamorous because all i feel like doing is sleeping, eating, reading, relaxing, or some other low-key activity.

Speaking of low-key activities...

i saw "Hairspray" last weekend. i think it's strange how movies can proclaim such a strong message of anti racism while being absolutely steeped in racial stereotypes. Granted the film is based off material that came from a less p.c. era, but still, this whole self-defeating thing isn't new or uncommon in mainstream movies. i guess i just think it must be weird for an actor/actress of color to be delivering lines about the evils of racism while their character dictates they be a sassy Black dancing sister...or something. Shrug. In any case, the movie was entertaining and the dancing was really good. And might i say i was pretty impressed with James Marsden. Who knew that Cyclops could sing and dance so well?

"Let me tell y'all what it's like
being male, middle class, and white..."

2007-09-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

Cheryl news ticker...
i got a part-time job posting items to ebay for an antiques store; it should be a fun and quirky job and will provide a little much-needed income | i'm auditing Theology I at EBC and loving it. i'm in the process of going back to square one in a good way with God and the Bible, and i think the class (in addition to more time spent in the Word) will help me learn and re-learn some of the basics | "Bourne Ultimatum" is the best movie i've seen in a long time | i went to the beach and swam for the first time this summer (not counting Israel) in gross water, but it was still fun | i'm enjoying working for CHF so much and looking forward to finishing up the internship program project | i will (somewhat sheepishly) admit that i have now seen both High School Musical and HSM2 and (although i have NO idea why) really enjoyed both | i got to hear the testimony and story of a Holocaust survivor last night and now i want to read her book. (Pursued J. Vera Schlamm) | i need to work out or go jogging or something but it's so flippin' hot. not as hot as some places in Israel, but still over 100 and that's just too hot | i've been spending a lot of time with my sister and her family and that's been so fun | my nephew Micaiah is 7 but can kick my butt in nearly every game on the Wii.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3.16-17

2007-08-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

if you know me at all, then you know how much i enjoy adding "your mom" to numerous statements. if you know me a little better, then you know that i also enjoy the comic strip Pearls Before Swine. therefore i found this comic quite appropriate to my life.

2007-08-14T22:56:00.001-07:00

i finally saw the new Bourne movie today. It was pretty darn good. i think it ended well too. Plus i was glad the parts that could've become really lame and cliche didn't. For instance when Julia Stiles' character is trying to explain why she's helping Bourne she makes some vague comment that thankfully didn't turn into one of those "you don't remember that we were madly in love?!?!" scenes, which would've been lame. Oh and at the end when Bourne is talking to the other assassin, i like how they recycled Clive Owen's line from the first movie.

i started at Children's Hunger Fund last week and it's been going great so far. For the first month and a half or so i'm gonna be setting up an internship program for them, and then i'll probably get moved to another division to do some other stuff. It's a really neat place to work. i'm seeing how amazing it is that CHF can have such integrity and transparency in everything they do, and how amazing it is that they move so much product and do the things they do with the few people they have. The people are so friendly and it's kinda cool working with so many people that love God and people.

Future of Forestry's last two shows with Nick and Luke were Fri and Sat. i went to the Fri show in Laguna Hills since i couldn't make the Sat one in SD. it'll be interesting to see where everyone ends up...

i'm currently obsessed with Eisley. Spence from FoF has told me he really likes them and i'd heard their singles "Telescope Eyes" and "Marvelous Things" but i never listened to them much until they posted their entire new album on myspace a few days ago. www.myspace.com/eisley
i've only heard clips of the songs from their first album on itunes so i don't know if this sophomore release is better, but i just like their sound in general.

camping trip with some of the extended fam!

2007-08-06T21:45:00.001-07:00

setting up camp

Cara

my cousin's fiancee and my other cousin

boys digging project

the boys

the girls' table

the boys were obsessed with the fire

the girl pink posse

Mimi, cousin, dad

my cousin's cute hapa baby, Sophie and my aunt

"So you sailed away into a grey sky morning..." (10 points if you can name that 90's tune by that one album 90's band)

This past weekend was my extended family's 2nd annual family camping trip. Only part of our whole family goes but it's still fun. Actually the whole point of the trip is so that all the little kids can see each other and play together. It was nice though. We were at a super plush campsite at El Capitan in Santa Barbara. My parents and I had to leave a day early because I had work today and my parents left for India for 2 weeks. It was a fun day and a half though.

2007-08-01T23:15:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, i was standing outside The Habit (a burger place) waiting for my friend to meet me for lunch. This guy walks up to me and says, "You know, South Americans are brown but people don't know that South Africans are black." Had i been more quick to process what he said, i would've done something intelligent like engage him and ask "whatever do you mean, sir?" or at least make a smart remark like, "well that bit of nonsensical wisdom just made my day!" Instead, i smiled awkwardly and said, "oh" and he walked away. i am still puzzled by the situation. He didn't come off as mentally ill or sleazy, and he was a solitary older man (meaning it wasn't some teenage boy trying to be funny and random in front of his friends). He just leisurely walked up to me and made this strange comment with a calm and knowing look, like he was sharing a great pearl of wisdom or something. shrug.

In other news i went to the north San Diego County area today to see my not-anymore-roommate and my sister-in-law's sister and her family, who are visiting from England. Little kids with British accents are too cute. It was such a beautiful day too, and i must once again affirm that San Diego beaches are THE best beaches in southern California. The water is warm and clean, and there aren't inordinate amounts of rocks or seaweed. i think i'm going to add SD beaches to my list of current favorite things...

2007-07-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

why is August 3rd going to be the best day of August this year? three words...
The Bourne Ultimatum

i haven't been up to too much since getting back from Israel. my little brother was here for a week from Albuquerque and that was fun. i'm still waiting to hear from Children's Hunger Fund about my schedule and everything, and i'm thinking about applying to Cal Lutheran for a part-time administrative job. hm what else...i have jury duty again Monday. my life isn't that exciting right now...

being home has been nice but i definitely need to start working or something. it's nice having time to just relax, but it does get old after awhile. i've also been contemplating moving out of state somewhere just for the heck of it. i love California and being near my family and friends, but the idea of starting over somewhere is exciting too. we'll see...

a true photo blog

2007-07-13T10:02:00.001-07:00

Israel really does have every landscape imaginable. these are just some of my favorite pictures i've taken throughout the trip.

this trip really was amazing. i didn't have too many expectations going into it, but it was infinitely above and beyond anything i thought it could be. IBEX is definitely the way to go if you're going to Israel. the trip is much longer than any other tour you could go on, and it's more intense mentally and physically than any other tour. Nate did an absolutely phenomenal job teaching us the history, the land, and the Bible. it's so true that the Bible comes to life once you've been. now as i'm reading through things i can picture how the story unfolds geographically. i also enjoyed getting to know all the people that went too. we are all very different, but somehow God orchestrated it that a large majority of us are in a transitional stage in life, not sure what the next step is. it was neat to be able to encourage each other in what we're going through.

there were so many highlights-swimming in the Sea of Galilee, the Banyas hike, getting to know Erica a lot better, hanging out with people, tackling Masada, long and tiring yet richly packed days...but i think i will overall take from the trip a renewed appreciation of God's awesome grace and faithfulness over time. He truly is an eternal God that doesn't change and is always faithful to an unfaithful people. Selah.

Israel photo blog pt. III

2007-07-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Sea of Galilee taken from the bus

it's Aldrich Park in Israel! haha this is near Aphek

Arbel Cliffs - we literally climbed and hiked down from the top

beautiful Banyas waterfall hike

Banyas waterfall

Nate (leader) & Na-El. Na-El was our bus driver. he's a Bedouin and had to leave his village when he became a Christian.

Laura and I at the Sheraton in Tel Aviv on our long journey home.

the Sea of Galilee is perhaps the best body of water i've ever had the privilege of swimming in. in the evenings the winds pick up and you get some good sized waves. the great part is that it's fresh water and it's the PERFECT temperature. so you go swim and have fun in the waves and everything, but when you come out you're not salty and gross. it's great.

on the cardo at Bet She'an, a huge Roman city

Shechem/modern-day Nablus

Scott playing Israeli Pac-Man at our final dinner

beautiful Yad Hashmonah where we stayed for 4 days

gorgeous Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast

lunch @ Na-El's house.

thanks and Israeli military in the Golan Heights

4000 year old Sea of Galilee boat pulled out of the mud

4th of July BBQ!!! (you can't see it in the picture but we had country music too :)

Still not back...

2007-07-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

so anyone want to guess where i am right now? a holiday inn in new york. am i saying this with a smile on my face? not so much! why you ask? therein lies the tale...

so our group was slated to leave saturday night/sunday morning at 12:04 a.m. well as happens with many flights, El Al overbooked and gave the option to passengers to give up their seat in return for a flight the next day and either some monetary compensation or a free round trip ticket to Israel. myself and 4 others said, what the heck, we don't have to be back right away and promptly volunteered to possibly give up our seats. of us five, myself and Laura were the only two that ended up randomly being selected to stay. so Laura and i thought, what a fun adventure. and for the first half, it was. El Al put us up in a beautiful beachfront Sheraton Hotel in Tel Aviv and provided breakfast and transportation back to the airport. we hop on our flight and have a lovely time watching "300" and that (surely) drug-induced story "the last mimzy" among others. then the tides turned...

we ended up getting to JFK in new york a little after 4:00 p.m. what time is our connecting flight to LAX? 5:00 p.m. let's do some math...

sitting in literally the LAST row of seats/last to get off the plane + going through customs and immigration + finding out we have to claim and recheck our luggage + JFK being the most inefficient airport i've ever been to = definitely missed flight. after that we got to wait around for 4 hours while connecting flights for tomorrow and hotel arrangements were made, all the while with extremely frustrated people yelling. it was lovely.

the compensation i received for giving up my seat on the El Al flight was worth it when i was set to arrive back in LA the same day a mere 14 hours later. as of now, it's just turning into a story i'll be able to tell people (aaaand yeah, you're right, it's not even a good story).

in any case i feel like i've been tested to the max (in a good way) in the areas of faith and patience over the last two days.

i'm not super tired right now, just physically exhausted. i'll post another blog with more pictures of Israel and commentary on the trip over the next few days or so.

so many pictures, so much information, so little time...

2007-06-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

picture taken from a little ways down Masada, a Herodian fortress where some Jews killed themselves to avoid being taken by the Romans in 73 AD. yes, we hiked up.

everyone else took the tram down. Erica and i ran down and made it in 12 minutes 32 seconds. it's a 1000 foot ascent/descent with 700 uneven rock stairs and switchbacks. i'm proud of us.

the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) building

the Western Wall at night

we did some exploring in these caves. definitely not for anyone who's claustrophobic.

Qumran cave - one of the caves where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls and other scrolls.

Hezekiah's tunnel. long story but it's basically a tunnel running underneath part of Jerusalem. there's about a foot of water running through it and you just walk through it. it was refreshing after a hot day outside.

beautiful Eilat on the Red Sea. we snorkeled there.

Laura and I with the Elah Valley behind us. The story of David and Goliath happened took place right behind us.

Red Canyon hike; a cool little hike Nate took us on

Dome of the Rock

Judean Wilderness. It's BLAZING hot here, especially in the wildernesses we've been to. 100+ degrees F.

Nate took us to a watering hole type place and we got in. And then we saw this sign. Contaminated water really is healthy for you.

these pictures are in no particular order, and don't really summarize what i've been doing for the past week and a half because we've done SO much. every day is completely packed and we pull 10 hour days every day. to summarize though, the past 4 days or so we were in the south of Israel, going through the major valleys and wildernesses, and ending up at the Red Sea in the south. then we made our way back up to the Dead Sea and Masada. we're at a Christian kibbutz in Jerusalem right now and tomorrow we head off to the north. i really like that it's way more intense than any other normal tour group though. i feel like it's so much more informational and it pushes us physically too.

i'm having SO much fun and it's been great getting to know other people on the trip. i've been learning so much about God and the Bible through seeing these places, and Nate has been good with making us reflect on what we're seeing and learning so that it doesn't become just a whirlwind tour of sites. i'm kinda dreading coming back to real life after all this is over. it's weird, i was realizing that when i go back home, it's not like i'm just going back to a vacation before school starts again, i'm going back to the rest of my life. weird, but adventurous i suppose. i wish i could better express how much i am enjoying this trip and learning, but today is our day off and we had our second test this morning so my brain doesn't want to do much of anything right now. thanks to all of you that have been keeping in touch with me. i'll hopefully be getting back to all of you that have been emailing me sometime soon. until next time...

flight, day 1

2007-06-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

So first off, we all know that long plane rides can be detrimental to your physical health. Therefore El Al Airlines has been wonderful enough to provide us passengers with informational exercise videos on how to stretch on the plane. Notice the lovely cloud background and clear green screen usage.

The flight was long (direction from LAX to Ben Gurion) and i think i watched "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" about 1000 times because there weren't that many good movies. Still, the flight was fine and the food was decent.

Here we have the standard Jerusalem shot with the Dome of the Rock to the right.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre which houses the supposed crucifixon and burial places of Jesus.

Pool of Bethesda from John 5.
The building where the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) meets.
This lovely sign greeted us coming into the Israel Museum. Yeah, i was pretty bummed i couldn't take my weapons in, but what can you do?
A picture of some of the people in the group, stalker/paparazzi style
Okay the next few shots are of random "art" around the Israel Museum. it's clearly modern/crazy art. just look at these two happy kids. my apologies to anyone who wanted to see dramatic pictures of Israel. i'll upload some of those sometime.
Laura, Erica, and Mallory playing some sweet tunes on bottles.

me, Mallory, and Laura sitting in hand chairs reminiscent of that "Arrested Development" episode where Buster is haunted by memories of losing his hand to the seal with the yellow bow tie.
it's an upside-down bird chocolate popsicle that's melting...statue. wowzers!

so yeah, all in all things have been great so far. it's neat being back again and having some background so i'm not completely lost. Nate our leader/teacher has thrown a lot of information at us so far, but it's really interesting. i didn't realize the "study" component was going to be as intense as it is, but it's good because i feel like i'm learning more and it'll push me to not be mentally lazy. anyway more pictures to come...

p.s. thanks to all of you that sent birthday wishes and such! i am so blessed by all of you. :)

ana fee israel until July 7

2007-06-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

back to Israel i go!

graduation and my college experience are behind me...

2007-06-16T01:08:00.000-07:00

today was graduation. it was as boring as i thought it'd be but it was thankfully a really quick ceremony. then my parents, my brother, his wife, and i went to this place called "the boiling crab" for linner in Garden Grove. i first heard about it from Courtney who went a few weeks ago. it's a seafood place where you order seafood by the pound, they bring it out to you in a bag, and you eat with your hands. it was fun. then we went to Yogurt Land and got some of that amazing goodness. it was a good food day, and we all know how high food/eating ranks in my life priorities.

i don't have too many deep thoughts or reflections on finishing college. i just figure since school is the only life routine i've ever known, i can't be really sad or really happy for the next phase because i just have no clue what that's going to be like. i am excited for whatever's next, though. i don't really know where God is going to take me but i love that life and trusting Him seems kinda adventurous right now. it's just crazy to think that only a few short years from now i could be married or single, working some dream job or jobless, in california or not, dead or alive, etc. or some combination of those things. hm...hopefully the combination won't be jobless, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and dead. haha.

anway maybe at some point i'll post pictures from today. right now i'm going to sleep though.

2007-06-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

one final down for today, two to go...

the past couple of weeks have been pretty intense. just a lot of stuff going on. unfortunately i haven't had much time to just sit and process everything. i guess i can use the long flight from LAX to Ben Gurion to do some thinking. i'm really really looking forward to Israel but it's weird that i haven't had time to think about packing or leaving, and i'm going in 3 days. i'm kinda tired right now...

Yesterday it hit me

2007-06-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

two things hit me yesterday...

#1: i am incredibly, completely, totally lame and ungrateful for my college education. the realization began to dawn when i was talking to my boss and coworker yesterday morning, and they were saying how proud i should be that i'm finishing college. i waved them off and thought, what the heck it's not that big a deal. then later i realized, wow...myself and most people i know have college degrees, but i definitely take that for granted. i feel like the past four years i've just complained about how badly i want to be done with school without realizing what an incredible blessing it is to have parents that can pay for my education and the opportunity to go to college. most people in the world do not get that opportunity and would love to have it.

i am unbelievably blessed.

#2: i am leaving irvine and some pretty amazing people. yesterday was the navs end of year luau at cdm. it's so weird saying goodbye to people you may never see again in your entire life; people that were a big part of your life. granted most of the people at navs are brothers and sisters in Christ and if nothing else we'll see each other when we die and go to be with Jesus, but still...anyway i have grown and learned and been blessed so much by the people in navs. even if i never see them again in this life, i am grateful for the friendships and good times we've had. i'll definitely miss lots of other people from my 4 years at uci, but navs has been such an integral part of my relationship with God and with people. it will be strange to leave it...

i am unbelievably blessed.

welcome to blogspot...and my post graduation plans

2007-06-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

so obviously i've switched to blogspot...

23 minutes ago i completed my last paper for the University of California, Irvine. it's a good feeling.

i was supposed to go to San Luis Obispo today with Children's Hunger Fund (the non-profit i'll be interning with post grad.). it fell through and i didn't end up going, but it worked out that i went back to Simi because i was able to take Max to the mechanic. poor car, he needed $600 worth of work done on him. i can't complain though because he's a '98 and hasn't given me a single problem in the 5 years i've had him. good job, Max.

8 days until grad., 10 until Israel! i can't wait. so to answer everyone's burning "what are you doing afterward" question, i'll be first going to Israel for 3 weeks (06/17-07/07) on a study tour, moving back home to Simi Valley, working part time for $, and interning/working/volunteering (i'm not sure which one yet) at this Christian non-profit called Children's Hunger Fund. true, i have connections there which helped me get in, but it's also an amazing organization that i'd want to be involved with anyway. they have a unique operating approach (they utilize local networks of churches and NGOs in the countries they work in to distribute aid instead of just showing up as foreigners and dumping aid on the people and leaving. it promotes sustainability and builds better relationships. they also partner with corporations like Target and Office Depot to get donations sent out.) and they have absolutely outstanding financial accountability, which is really important to me. they spend less than 1% on overhead, so over 99 cents of every dollar goes to their programs, and in 2006, they were the only charity assessed by Forbes.com to receive a 100% in all three of their rating categories. and all the people there seem really great. i'm really thankful that i get the privilege of working with one of the best non-profits out there.

so there you have it. i'm still working on long-term plans and waiting to see where God will lead me, but that's just part of the adventure.

okay now i'm going to post this and play around with blogspot features...