Thanksgiving

Five years ago if you explained what my life would look like today, I wouldn't have believed you! Life (so far) has turned out very differently than I ever expected. But at the same time, I am so thankful.

I was thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for. I really am so blessed. I serve a great God who is kinder to me than I deserve. Why am I often so ungrateful? Why do I complain and grumble about my situation when I should be shouting out praises for his goodness toward me.

I'm glad for Thanksgiving, the small reminder of me to reflect on all I have to be thankful for. Hopefully the memory of turkey and pumpkin pie will tide me over until next year.

Bucca and random thoughts...

I went out to dinner with some friends the other night and we had an interesting conversation on the way home. We were talking about what to look for in a guy. I've been thinking a lot about what really matters to me. I think my perspective is changing a little bit the older I get. Because I see how hard it is to find a guy who genuinely treats a woman the way a woman should be treated.

I never thought of this before, but a godly woman should be treated like a gem, because she is. There are so many wonderful women and the guys are not treating them with the huge amount of respect they deserve. How a guy treats a girl is much more important than I ever thought.

Something is seriously wrong with the way that Christian men and Christian women interact these days, and I pray God will give me the wisdom and discernment to find a man who is a real man. It's not as easy it seems.

Reconnecting

I had dinner with an old friend last night. There are some people you can go without seeing for ten years and still feel like nothing has changed. There's comfort in those friendships, like an old blanket or a worn sweater.

When life gets confusing, friends who have known you for a long time can help give you perspective. They will be honest with you, like no one else. You may not always like what they have to say, but deep down, you know they're probablly right.

Everyone should have friends like that.

Overwhelmed

Have you ever felt like God was heaping blessings on you? That's how I feel. I feel extremely overwhelmed at how kind and generous my God is. I feel like things are going too well, like I am just holding my breath waiting for another trial to come, waiting for something bad to happen. But for the moment I am going to try to enjoy the torrent of good things the Lord seems to be giving me. And I am going to purposefully remember to be thankful and to constantly tell God how grateful I am to Him. And I will seek to be dependent on Him in the easy times as I am in the rough times.

I am so unworthy of the grace God bestows on me everyday. And each good thing He gives me is a reminder of how God uses the unworthy, the low, the weak--that is me!

Sure, I have my moments, things are still hard. But I serve a good God.

Good News

Last night at high school Bible study we talked about the gospel, the good news. As Christians we throw that word around a lot, but what does it really mean? Do we really understand the gospel? Are we able to clearly articulate it to others?

Then in small group I got some really exciting news. One of my girls accepted Christ as Savior on Monday night, just three days ago! I can't even tell you how encouraging that news is. This girl was fooling herself and lying to herself as well as to other people and on Monday night the Lord opened her eyes. I am rejoicing and Scripture says the angels are rejoicing too!

I am so thankful for the good news, the gospel of Christ. I am in desperate need of the gospel everyday--it's not just for the unsaved.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation." Romans 1:16

Change, Scary and Exciting

I'm not good with change--it freaks me out and sometimes even the thought of it cripples me. I'll even sometimes avoid making decisions because I know the inevitable consequence is change.

I don't know why I'm such a creature of habit. But I'm learning that change can be good. Change can give the Lord room to work in my life in ways that wouldn't be possible if I held on to the status quo. If I get out of my comfort zone I'm forced to recognize my dependence on the Lord and to trust Him and lean on His sovereignty. Change puts legs on my faith.

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness."
-Psalm 107:8-9

An addition: After I wrote this post I had Panda Express for lunch and my fortune cookie said, "You will make a change for the better." HA! HA!

Go Fishing, Look at the Stars, Get a Massage, Finish My Book

On Saturday my pops took me "deep sea fishing." We took a boat from Long Beach with a group of about 20 other people. It was kind of chilly and don't ask me why, but I wore flips-flops. Flips-flops do not bode well in a slippery boat and it doesn't feel too good to have your feet in a puddle of cold water for 4 hours. My dad took home 2 scopin fish and had to throw back 5 that were not quite long enough to meet the cut. For those of you mathematicians out there, that makes a total of 7 catches for my dad. And my grand total? None, zip, zero, zilch, nada, however you say it, it all means the same thing--I CAUGHT NOTHING! But I still had a blast out there with my dad, taking in the fresh air.



Another one of my birthday resolutions was to sit in the back of my car and look at the stars. Now, for all of you astronomers out there, Northridge is not the best place to look at stars. In fact, I sat in the back of my car, truck, SUV, tank, whatever you want to call it, and I looked at a hazy sky. I did see one star. It was a beautiful star. It twinkled. I wished on it, since it was the brightest star in the sky. It was the only star in the sky. I'm convinced it still counts.

Getting a massage had to be my favorite resolution. It was an easy one to keep. I found a little hole-in-the-wall massage place near my house and my friend joined me for a massage. She opted for a 30 minute one and I got an hour. The lady was so nice, she gave me a little extra time and even showed me some exercises I can do. It was fabulous. Everyone should do it.

This last resolution is the one I am most proud of. I finished my book! It is called Annabel West. It's about a girl with a twin brother who lives in New England. Her father suddenly decides to head west to find gold and drags the family with him to fulfill his dream. The story takes place during the gold rush and is about their adventures getting to and living in the west! Who knows? Maybe someday I'll get published.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. BIRTHDAY LIST, DONE!

Fix the Curtains, Eat Dinner Alone, Run 10 Miles

Check. Check. Check. I am really racing to finish my list before my birthday comes! In the last week I've done several of my birthday resolutions.

First, I fixed the curtains in the living room. Last year I put up some blinds, but didn't realize they were unfinished on the other side, so from the outside of the house it looked like we had white sheets hanging in the window. FINALLY I found some sheers to put up behind the blinds to solve the problem.



There is this tiny Mexican food restaurant right on the corner by my house and after my entire life of living here, I have never eaten there. One of my resolutions was to eat dinner at a sit-down restaurant alone--since I've never done that before and wanted to see what it was like. The meal was yummy. And it was fun to eat alone.

The most I've ever run at one time is 8 miles. I wanted to challenge myself, so I decided to make the goal of running 10 miles. On Saturday morning I woke up at 5:30am and set out to run 10 miles. It was going pretty well, but after mile 6, my hips started to hurt and my legs were hurting too. But I pushed it through and made it to the end. My hips were a little sore the rest of the day, but I feel good today. I think I'm ready for a 1/2 marathon!

My Adventure to Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle is nearly 4 hours from where I live, so I thought it would be fun to make a road trip of it and go with some friends. Since my birthday is so soon, today was my only free day to accomplish this task. It just so happens that all of my friends were busy today and no one could go with me. Something in me dreaded the thought of going alone, so I almost didn’t go. But something even stronger in me told me that I had go—even if it meant going alone. I wanted to have this experience, I wanted to have this adventure. I couldn’t let my singleness keep me from it.

So I went. I enjoyed the beautiful drive down the coast and I had a wonderful time touring the castle and learning the fascinating facts about Mr. Hearst and his party abode. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining, but not too hot, and a slight wind cooled the air without being too gusty. The scenic view from the top of the castle was astonishing and made me imagine what Hearst’s guests must have felt like as they drove up the long, winding, road in their limousine. And I met a few really nice people who were on the tour as well--2 girls and a guy about my age. They were very friendly.

The nice girl at the snack shop gave me a free croissant and later a guy working there gave me a 1/2 price coffee. Don't ask me why...I guess they are just nice people.

Before I headed home I went on a brief walk on the beach and let the freezing air blow through my hair until I couldn't take anymore and got back into the car and headed on my trip home.

I had the best day I’ve had in a long time. Yes, at times I did feel lonely and wish I had a friend or better yet, someone special, to share the experience with, but I didn’t. And that’s okay. I feel more empowered and confident because of today.

Oxnard or Bust

Have you ever been “at a loss for words?” In the last week I’ve experienced that feeling in ways I’ve never known before.

I spent the week in a chilly but beautiful beach-town called Oxnard. Hundreds of missionaries from around the world sent out from my church gathered together for a time of refreshment, encouragement, and challenging seminars and sermons. The theme? Marriage.

I was part of a team of about 25 people who helped watch all of the missionary children so the parents could take part in the conference without distractions. I was assigned to the 3-5 year old group. And as you can imagine, our room was busting at the seams with an intense energy and vivacity. I love how some of the boys were all boy! They just had to run and jump and wrestle and hit and pull. It was a task calming them down. And it was fun to cuddle and comfort the shy crying girls who missed their mommies.

A peek into our classroom might reveal a puppet show, or singing time, coloring, or story time, Bible time, potty break, or perhaps snack time. Or you might find us at the pool, doing craft time, or watching a video. We had a blast—and I think the children enjoyed themselves too. I was also able to spend a significant amount of time with a precious disabled missionary child named Hannah. Hannah needed some special attention, so I was able to stay close to her for most of the week to attend to her needs. Hannah had her 14th birthday in the middle of the week—the same day as our zoo field trip, so I was able to take Hannah to the zoo and do my best to make her birthday a special one.

Now that this exhausting but incredible week is over, I am truly at a loss for words. I learned so much this week about myself—my selfishness, my hunger for personal comfort, my flirtation with materialism, and so much more. I was challenged and inspired simply by being in the presence of devoted, faithful, missionaries who willingly and sacrificially devote themselves to ministry.

Go horseback riding

I fulfilled another birthday resolution while I was at camp the other week! One of my resolutions was to go horseback riding. I had the opportunity to go horseback riding with Deja (who I mentioned a couple of posts ago). We had a lot of fun. It was so beautiful and serene, and I felt like I had to be quiet the entire time and just take in the beauty. The sun was shining and warmed my cheeks and the sky was blue and unblemished by clouds. I could smell nature--the freshness, the dirt, the trees, the flowers, the moisture all combined to give off an amazing fragrance. Of course it helped that we were out of the state in Glorieta, New Mexico.

As I sat on the back of a strong, powerful horse named Garry, I thought about how quickly this year passed. I can't believe how soon my birthday is! I'd better jump on these last resolutions before my time is up. Wish me luck!

Home Again, Home Again

Hey everyone! I'm back from summer camp. I'm tan, I'm sore, and I'm tired. :)

We had an 18 1/2 hour bus ride to Glorieta, New Mexico and then 5 days of intense preaching, small group, and the craziest games you can imagine, then a 17 hours bus ride back home. But not before eating breakfast at Cracker Barrel! It was a blast. My favorite part was talking to the kids who were on the sidelines, not into the games--those are always my favorite students--and we had some great conversations. I praise God for the opportunities I had to talk to students about the gospel and to tell them about how God saved me. I'm so glad I was able to go this year.

I was the official camp blogger, so if you want to read more about camp, check out www.regenblog.com.

Regeneration

Hi, friends. I'm off to Glorietta, New Mexico for HS summer camp in just a few minutes. We'll get back home on Saturday afternoon, so I'll be gone for a week. If you think about it, please pray for me. Some friends of mine invited their neighbor to be part of camp. Her name is Deja. She'll be in my small group and I'll be rooming with her. She wasn't raised in the church--in fact I think her first time at church was last week when she came to visit. I'm really excited about this ministry opportunity, but pray that Deja will feel comfortable with me and that I'll have opportunities to share the gospel with her and live it before her in the coming week. Pray for Deja's salvation!

Thanks, everyone. See you in a week!

Beauty For Ashes

I just saw this song on a blog I've been following and I think the words are beautiful. The particular verse below stood out to me:
Beauty from Pain
My whole world is the pain inside me
The best I can do is just get through the day
When life before is only a memory
I'll wonder why God lets me walk through this place
And though I can't understand why this happened
I know that I will when I look back someday
And see how you've brought beauty from ashes
And made me as gold purified through these flames
-Superchic

That reminds me of a song my mom used to sing:
Beauty For Ashes
He gives beauty for ashes,
Strength for fear,
Gladness for mourning,
Peace for dispair.

So encouraging and so true. He makes all things beautiful IN HIS TIME. When I feel like the words of the first song are true in my life, which I often do, I rest in this truth!

Examiner.com

If you take the time to read my blog, you'll be interested to know I've become the LA Relationship Angst Examiner for Examiner.com. So far I have three articles complete.

Check it out here.

Thanks for your support!

Toe Ring

I figured I'd better start concentrating on my birthday list again if I want to finish everything before my birthday! Next on the list:
Wear a toe ring.

I've never worn a toe ring before. But you have to understand some history to know why I wrote this as one of my resolutions. My dear friend and X-roommate Sandi had a toe ring that she never took off. NEVER. NEVER. I'm not kidding. NEVER. She has worn this toe ring for 12 years now? Is that right, Sandi? So, several years ago when Sandi got married I begged her to take off the toe ring for the sake of her husband. But guess what? SHE DIDN'T! If I'm not mistaken, Sandi is still wearing the toe ring to this day!

So, I had to find out what is the big deal about toe rings. Hence my birthday resolution to buy a toe ring and wear it. And you know what? I do kind of like it. :) I won't tease you anymore, Sandi. But when or if I get married, please make sure I take it off! :)

Another Quirk of Mine

I might sound psycho, but cleaning gives me a strange sense of fulfillment. When I see the fruit of my labor--when I clean something that was filthy and it looks shiny and nice, it gives me this great pleasure. After I clean I feel a sense of accomplishment. Ahh...it's been a good day.

Scatter-Brained

I never thought of myself as a scatter-brained person. Until now. I keep forgetting and misplacing important things, and there is no excuse for it. I need to get my act together. :) This mindless trend is not good to have when you're taking a trip out of state for a wedding. (Bite lip here.)

So this weekend my friend Holly got married! I was a bridesmaid in the wedding and had the blessing of going to Denver, Colorado to be part of Holly's special day. Holly has some amazing friends that I was privileged to meet. It was a great bridal party and I'm thankful to know that Holly is surrounded by so many wonderful friends. And I look forward to visiting again!

So maybe I had a few mishaps along the way, but God is gracious and everything worked out well. And I did learn some important lessons:

1. You can't always trust GPS.

2. Don't karaoke after 10 p.m.

3. People in Denver actually return things to the lost-and-found.

4. You can nap comfortably in a rental car.

5. Never iron a wedding dress with an old iron.

6. Never challenge Erin Robles to a game of checkers.

7. You don't know when or where you'll meet interesting people.

8. You don't have to pay $25 to check a garment bag on an airplane.

9. If your plane gets into LAX at 7:30 a.m., you can get your luggage and still get to work in Valencia by 8:44 a.m.!

The Holy Spirit

It's interesting...a pastor at my church preached a message almost 2 weeks ago about the Trinity. It was a clarifying sermon for me and reminded me that the Trinity is perfectly unified. We can't place more emphasis on any one aspect of the Trinity over the others without getting into trouble. Augustine said something to the effect of, "Try to understand the Trinity and lose your mind, deny the Trinity and lose your soul." I think he said it right.

This summer we are doing a study on the Holy Spirit. I'm really excited to do study this topic more because I don't think I have a good enough grasp yet on the importance of the Holy Spirit and how it relates to the Trinity.

I'm so thankful to the Father for His headship, and I'm thankful to the Son for His submission unto death, and I'm thankful for the Helper, the Holy Spirit.

Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Orange Chicken, Lakers, and Car Hunting

I love my dad. And I don't spend enough time with my dad. So tonight I made orange chicken and salad and actually sat down at the table with my dad for dinner and we shared a meal together--that hardly ever happens!

I've also been car hunting. I think it's time for me to buy a new car and my dad and I have been doing a lot of discussing about what car I should buy. My little CRV has served me well, but Chole is starting to wear out, I'm afraid. Looking for a car is such a confusing process and a big investment and I want to make a wise decision, so I'm glad I have my dad to give me his two cents or more accurately his too sense. :)

And right now as I type this, my dad and I are watching the Lakers game together like we used to do when I was little. I remember I would sit and watch sports with him and he would pay me a dollar to give him a back rub. HA! HA! Well, no back rub tonight, but I am enjoying just relaxing and enjoying a game with my papa. I'm glad my next resolution is to go fishing with my dad.