tuesdays with Morrie

I just read tuesdays with Morrie and if you haven't read it, it's good and it's a short, easy read if you want to pick up a book =D. It's a true story about a teacher names Morrie suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and the lessons he teaches one of his closest students about life. 

One of my favorite parts...

"I heard a nice little story the other day, " Morrie says. He closes his eyes for a moment and I wait.

"Okay. the story is about a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time. He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air---until he notices the other waves in the front of him, crashing against the shore.

" 'My God, this is terrible,' the wave says. 'Look what's going to happen to me!'

"Then along comes another wave. It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him, 'Why do you look so sad?'

"The first wave says, 'You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn't it terrible?'

"The second wave says, 'No, you don't understand. You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean.' "

I smile. Morrie closes his eyes again.

"Part of the ocean," he says, "part of the ocean." I watch him breathe, in and out, in and out.

Ahhhhh Cu~te!

We are part of an ocean... like the ripple...puahahahaaa...

whatever comes to mind.

hahahaaa...its been a while since I last blogged and normally I have all these witty and insightful things to share...ahahahaa..=P but today I'm just going to blog random thoughts that come across my mind.

Christmas is almost here! I absolutely Love this time of the year... when people are cheery and giving and when families get together to celebrate the Holiday...ahhh I feel warm and toasty inside as I think about the Holiday. I started thinking about Christmas earlier cus when I see my patients I wish them a Happy Holiday since I won't see most of them for 6 months. =D So naturally right after Thanksgiving, I started to wish people a Merry Christmas...HoHoHo!! 

9 more days til Christmas....EEEEE...

So anyways...work is going okay. To be honest we have some issues at times and I see how gossip and stuff can begin at work, but we are making the most of our working environment and Im thankful for my workplace. Above is a picture of my co-workers and I at a restaurant called Spaghetti Warehouse in downtown Austin. Whenever we have a birthday, we work through lunch, get off a couple hours early and the birthday person picks a place that they want to eat and celebrate. To be quite honest, the place was a bit chilly and the food was alright...nothing to rave about...-.-

And then theres this lovely picture below of me with beautiful flowers!! =D

And I'm guessing most of you may be wondering where they came from right? Ahhh...well they are from ME! =D I bought them for myself cus I thought they were beautiful...yap yap! Ha shameless...ahahaha and when Mich's co-worker came over and saw it...she sent our apartment flowers the following day with a note saying something along the lines of...every women deserves beautiful flowers...puahahahaha...

So yes, other than that...the two things that have been on my mind these past couple of months are life and death.

It's crazy to read the news and interact with so many different people on a daily basis. It really opens my eyes to see that life is freaking crazy as I hear about cancer, other types of illnesses, and other accidents that occur in a moments notice and BAM! that person is gone. Life is freaking short and I just never know...death... hmmm a strong word that carries much. Life is short and death is inevitable. 

I have been thinking about my life lately... And I have been questioning my own life and how I am living it out each day radically for God. Hahaahaa I met up with Pastor Ben the other day. What a wise Pastor I may say... =D I have been asking this question to many, but I never gotten an answer that I was fully satisfied with until I asked him.

Question: What does it mean to live a life that is radical?

Answer: To live for God each day and to put him first and before everything else...

Life...

Death...

There is so much in life that is out there to do, to experience, to see, to know. And so~o many of my own plans that I really really really...ahahaha...REALLY want to experience. But the question that I continue to stumble across is. How much do I really love God? More than my future? More than my dreams? My desires? My hopes? Am I willing to take that step of faith each moment, each day, each year and surrender and live a life that is radical. Because I know that life here on earth is temporary and despite my own desires, its the choices I make here on earth that will account for the life after death...

Freakin Pastor Seth was right when he said it only gets harder when we get older. Now that I am turing 26 next year, it's getting harder...not gonna lie...=D

But anyways...this entry is probably the most random and open ended I have yet submitted...ahahaha And I'm going to leave it at this.

I have to wake up and be at work by 645am everyday this week until the 23rd of Dec because we work through lunch and get off earlier to avoid the Christmas traffic.

So~o TTYL Peoples! Im going to sleep! =D

Co-Workers!

These are the 4 dental assistants that I work with at my dental office. =D When we order supplies for the office sometimes we get gift cards to restaurants or other goodies to eat...yummmyy... So on this particular day we went to Subway. Yum, I had the chicken, bacon, ranch with avacado and banana peppers...MmmmmmmmMM...ahahahaa.=)

Then we went back to the office and took one last picture before we had to head back to work.

The area behind us is what you see when you first walk into the office...it's a small place. =D

Do you see the little emblem on the legs and pockets of our scrubs? What is it? 

Ahahaha we wear these scrubs right before each football game because my doctor is a HUGE HUGE diehard UT alumni/fan. He purchased these scrubs for us...and they were freaking expensive...shoooot man otherwise forget the longhorns...ahahahhaaa.... He is such a HUGE fan, that he is even going to miss part of the American Dental Association Conference on Saturday to come back for the Missouri/Texas game this Saturday....ahahahhaaa.=)

So anyways...these are the ladies that I work with for most of my week and these are the ladies that I will be going to the dental conference with on Friday. As well as with one other U of M alumni that used to be the hygienist there and also comes on Mondays to work in the office with us because she just loves the office too much to completely leave it.

So anyways, I am going to take my CE (continuing education) course credits at the Dental Conference that is being held in San Antonio from Friday-Sunday, but I am going for just Friday-Saturday because of church on Sunday. Whoohoooo...exciting!! =)

I feel professional...ahahahaa...=) I will be surrounded by dental professionals from all over the world...eeeEEEEEEEEeeeeEe =P.

The Academy Is...

Last Thursday, I took part in one of most unforgettable experiences of my life!!

Above is a picture of me with my friend Melina. She is an exchange student from Spain that I met on the UT campus a little while back. While I was getting to know her, she told me about this band and how she bought tickets for herself and she didnt know anyone who was going with her, so I decided to go.

This band plays alternative/rock music and I had no idea what to expect because I have never gone to a concert before.

So anyhow, to make a LONG LONG LON~nNNgG 7 hours short. I went to a concert and I stood in the 2nd-3rd row during the WHOLE concert. Now this is alternative music, so if you stand in the front row you get caught in a mosh pit. Do you know what that is?

Well, I have heard about it here and there throughout my life, but I had no idea that that was what I was about to experience. So for FOUR WHOLE Hours, I was being bumped, rubbed, elbowed, jumped on...and by the end of the night I was bruised, covered with my own sweat and the sweat of others, and tired from standing and trying to keep from being trampled on.

And no, this is not an exaggeration...above is a picture of me after 3 hours and unfortunately this picture does not fully capture the closeness of the people or my FULL JOY of being in that MOSH PIT!

Ahahahaa...so yes, this is what I recently took part in and the picture that I took was after 3 hours of being in a mosh pit and right before the last band came on to play.

Ahahahaa...right before the last band came on, I was seriously contemplating whether or not I should watch or listen from outside because I knew that I hadn't yet fully experienced the worst of the pushing, squeezing, sweating, screaming, and jumping...but then... tah dah!!....

Ahahahaa...this cute asian guy came out. =) He was HOT! =D Ahahahahaa...he was either the sound guy or the roadie. But either way...he brought 5 minutes of joy during those 4 hours of discomfort. =D So I decided to take a picture of him as he was testing the drums.

Ehehehee...

I 

crack

myself

up...=P

But yes yes...last Thursday, I had one of the longest, more memorable days since I have arrived in Austin, so I wanted to share this memorable experience with you guys. I saw Hey Monday, Something?? Liars, We Three Kings, and the Academy Is.

From the funny, the hard times, to even my fickle moment with the guy that I thought was really cute!! Ahahahahaa....

Enjoy!! =D

Girl Fun!! =D

My roommates and I get together once a week to pray and share about our lives, struggles, and joys. But this particular week we decided to share over a meal at Korea Garden. 

In Austin, we have yet to find a Korean restaurant that is delicious, but this one wasn't too far from home and it was decent. =D

So anyhow, afterwards, I wanted to take pictures together...ahahaha... so we went to our rooftop and took pictures by the fountain. =D The rooftop of our place is gorgeous, we have a small grill, an area for sun bathing, a wide flat screen tv, and you can also see the Austin skyline!! =D Yaya you wanna visit us eh? Anytime...ANY TIME!

Ahahahaha.... well time for me to eat dinner AND get ready for a night out on the UT campus to watch a show by the UT students called China Night 2008. =D

Hope you guys are having a wonderful week!!!! =D

Amazing Grace

"When people ask of great men, they think of men like Napoleon- men of violence. Rarely do they think of peaceful men. But contrast the reception they will receive when they return home from their battles. Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power, a man who's achieved the very summit of early ambition. And yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war. William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow and remember; the slave trade is no more." 

- Lord Charles Fox

Have you seen the movie Amazing Grace? It's about a man named William Wilberforce and his role in abolishing the slave trade.

I watched it about 2 weeks ago on my day off because I wanted to watch something that would inspire me to live a radical life. It was a great movie and after watching it I kept thinking about William's life and how he witnessed lives being killed and inhumanity taking place through the slave trade and how that burden was so strong that he lived each day and did whatever he could to stop the slave trade. 

He was haunted with images, he couldnt eat, and his health was deteriorating because he was so consumed with the abolition of slavery, so he did whatever he could to pass the Slavery Abolition Act. 

So, after watching this movie I wondered to myself...

What makes a person so burdened that their whole life revolves around a certain issue. Is is just their experiences? Is it their specific character? And many people have burdens that last for a little while and with very little accomplished in living out their convictions. What makes a conviction consume one to the point of living their lives out each and everyday for that specific burden with regards to nothing else?

For myself...this is something that I have been pondering on these past few weeks and as I live in the world, but strive not to be of the world... I have to keep myself in check each day by asking myself if I am living a life of boldness and fearlessness with the courage to stop at nothing to make the name of Christ known...

William Wilberforce...dang yo... What a great man!

the little things...

Wow, life can become so busy and overwhelming with various things that need to be done that it is so easy to overlook all the little things in life.

I remember when I was growing up how I would pride myself in doing little things for people and even judging others based upon the little things they did consistently in life. Ahahaahaa one of my criteria's for my "husband" was for me to judge if I saw consistency in giving and selflessness in the little things that he did. 

Remember in the wedding singer, with Drew Barrymore. There was a scene towards the end where she travels on an airplane for the first time with her fiance. He was sitting in the window seat and Drew was sitting in the middle seat. Drew clearly stated that she had never ridden on an airplane and he obviously had, so she expressed her excitement and how she wanted to look out the window. Now in my opinion, if he was a decent guy he would have switched seats with her. But, he was like, "ah... I like the window seat too, so how about you look over my shoulder to see outside."

EWWWWWWWWWWWWW, I was about 15 years old then and I remember thinking that he was such a jerk and how I would never ever marry someone like that. 

Ahahahaa, so yes yes, Im not married so I kept my promise to myself eh? eh? =D

But yes yes, so lately I have been praying for joy in ministry and the daily things in life and God of course has once again proven himself to be faithful.

Lately, I have been reflecting upon the things in life that are given to me daily and that I can easily take for granted.

1. People. Those I lived with, had life group with, shared a meal with, served with.

2. Encouraging emails. Ahh, thanks for taking time out to email me and share your lives. When I hear about all that you guys are doing and experiencing I am really blessed and motivated to press on in ministry because we truly do have a partnership in Christ.

3. Text messaging. This is such a good way to keep in contact with people.

4. Food. Im all about good food. I love cooking, experimenting, and eating together. The other day I ate cereal for breakfast (cereal btw is the last thing I want to eat in the morning, cus Id rather eat something warm like ramen or rice=), but yes yes... I ate cinnamon toast crunch and cut up bananas to put in. It was good...you should try it...ahahahaa...^.^

5. Toilet paper. Ahahahaa for reals. Sometimes I wonder what it was like back in the day =)...but then i stop when my imagination takes me too far...=).

So yes yes...daily things right...but things I can honestly overlook at times. Obviously there are so many more things that I can be thankful for (which I am), but at 11:30pm at night, these were the things that I remember and want to share.

Take care PEOPLES! I am going to try and update 1x weekly at least.

Miss Yous & Much Love...

Struck Down

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not adandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

Lately, I have been having a rough couple of weeks and to top off my rough weeks, I had a robery at my office 2 days ago during our lunch break and my wallet was stolen.

Logically, its not that huge of a deal, and honestly I have so much to be thankful for even in this situation, but honestly because I have already been going through hard and stretching times, my wallet being stolen was the last brick that needed to be placed on a tower of leaning bricks to strike me down.

I broke down yesterday for the first time since I have been in Austin. I believe truly that church planting is not easy. Its not easy because it takes a lot of time and sacrifice, but even more than that, its not easy cus theres just so much spiritual battle.

Its so ironic because I feel like the more I try and fight to overcome, the more battle that is placed my way and then to top it off situations will come at perfect moments to knock me down. Knock me down just enough to humble me, to cause me to lean upon God, to break me to the point of desperation, to desire to RUN, but not enough to actually allow me to quit.

I know logically that my wallet being stolen is easily replaced. I mean I have to change all my cards, I have to take the vehical exam again, I lost a good amount of cash, and theres a random man out there who knows my likes and dislikes, who has my photo identification and all of it disgusts me to know that this creep knows even pieces of who I am.

But after a day of being able to reflect upon God, to repent, and to internalize, I now have to pick back up and dust it all off and just move forward.

Yesterday a friend emailed this verse to me.

Do Not Forget the Lord

Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the LORD you God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so that the LORD your God dsciplines you. 

- Deuteronomy 8:1-5

And yes, I have to confess, I failed this test because in this situation, God was not the center of my thoughts, nor was our Thursday prayer walking something that I wanted to part in.

But, its okay, God's grace is sufficient and covers me.

Im honestly not fully over this situation, nor am I filled with an abundance of joy. But all will be okay. Press on, move forward, and keep my eyes on Christ...=D

52 years of love! =D

One sight in the world that truly melts my heart...awww...ahahaha is when I see an old couple walking down the streets or in a grocery store and they are holding hands. 

Something about that old, committed love just tickles me pink. Puhahahaha... =D 

I enjoy this sight because I imagine that the couple has gone through the thick and thin together, and yet they are still going strong with each other by their sides. I guess the holding hands to me not only shows a sign of affection, but also a sign that they are still holding on TOGETHER. 

Eheheheee...but anyhow, the reason why I am blogging about this is because yesterday I had a couple come in that was in their 70's. First I saw the husband, because he loves going first and then the wife. They were so upbeat, talkative, and open about sharing stories of their lives with me.

The man was still a fighter who loved to golf...ahaha and he said he loved it when he went on the course with his older buddy and played against younger boys and showed them the skills that they have learned over the years by beating them. Ahahaha he threw out scores like 6-0, 6-1...ahahahhaa and even though I had no clue what those numbers meant...I knew it meant he was playing well, so I just nodded. Ahahahahaaa.

But then I saw the wife and she was lovely. She told me about her life and how they have been married for 52 years. Crazy!?!?!! They travel a lot still and they are very active and healthy.

So, at the end of the appointment, I took her out to meet her husband and he was no longer in the waiting room. 

We waited a couple of minutes and as soon as he came in, they started flirting/joking together. 

She said, "I thought you left me here at the dental office and I was going to have to find another way home." 

He said, "No no, hunnie, I was right next door, trying to find some shoes for you." As he said this, he winked at me because I was watching the both of them.

She replied, "Sure you were sweetie, right next door at Toys R Us =)."

Aahahhahahaa cus you see we have Toys R Us right next door to us and they have been coming to the dental office for so long that they both knew that.

Ehehehee...get it?!!? So anyhow, it was soo cute to not just see a couple holding hands as the strolled down the street, but to actually meet one that is still together after many many years, who are healthy and still able to "flirt" with one another.

Awwwww, doesn't it just tickle you pink!! =D

Ahahahahaa...okay time to go and start my day with various ERRANDS (diana=) to run...ehehehe... 

Toodles!! 

Random days...

Hello Hello!! =D

Ahahahaahhaaa...I have been trying to blog about death since the beginning of last week because I have randomly been running across random articles and hearing about people around me becoming ill with a certain condition and it has caused me to reflect upon my senior year at the U of M when my mom became ill and how there is just so much uncertainty in life.

BUT...when I reread what I wrote... death is just such a weighty topic that when I blogged about it, I felt as if my whole insides were exposed...puahahahahaaa!! =D

So maybe next time when it's late at night and I don't mind being so vulnerable! =D

So, yes unlike my past blogs, I don't have anything particularly remarkable to say or blog about...ahahahahaa. ;). But, I haven't blogged is so long that I wanted to update, so~o lets see Ill just blog randomly about what has happened to me in the past two weeks.

1. I had my car towed for the first time in my life.

2. I was super duper uber tired two weeks ago from just trying to adjust to the working adult life and taking part in ministry (this will be an on going process because I heard it takes about one year).

3. I watched the black night and it is so~o good. Not only is Christian Bale a hottie (only in the movie), but the whole movie was action packed and the plots were very well thought out. Muahahaa...Keith Ledger played such a great role as joker. Ahh it's really sad that he passed away so young =(.

4. I am now a true Texan because my license plates and title are now registered in Texas.

5. I saw my mom and bro last week because they came to visit my aunt in Texas, and my imo's home is about four hours away from Austin.

6. I swam in a pool that is filled with salt water instead of chlorinated water because supposedly it is better for your skin, so that's what my aunt has in her back yard.

7. I have been packing here and there because the ladies are moving in with PB, Susan, and Isaiah for 14 days. Our current lease is ending and our new one doesn't begin until the 14th of August, so we are being taken in by our loving Pastor's family...ahahaa.

8. I killed a HUGE cockroach that was on our wall the other night and it was freaking sick.

9. We had had 2 more outreaches on the past 2 Saturday's where we went rock climbing for the first one and then canoeing for the second.

10. Our church ministry is beginning to pick up, so I am experiencing (not yet to the full impact) of the stretching, breaking, and selfless, but joyful ways in which I am going to grow this coming year.

Ahh okay time to get ready for bed...Im tired...mer! =D....

Also, the HMCC of Austin is currently taking part in our own 40 days of fasting and prayer to prepare for this upcoming year. If you could cover us in prayer that would be absolutely amazing. And also, the bros of our church are still looking for jobs =D. Ben, Matt, and Toufue. 

Thanks Guys! Until next time!