A Greatly Needed Adventure

On Thursday, I am going to Santa Cruz to go to the dental hygiene open house at Cabrillo College.

I want to see everyone in or around Santa Cruz. That means you. I will probably be available Thursday night and Friday morning/noontime. I think. I hope.

Please contact me if you would like to meet up while I am down there. I would love to see my friends from Camp Hammer, as well as my dear ones originally from Nevada City. 

Call, text, email, Facebook message me. I really want to see everyone I can while I am in SC for a baby adventure. 

Question of the blog:

Where is your favorite place to escape to? 

Proud Parent

Ahh, I love the Nevada Union choir. Friday night, Mike and I went to the Concert choir's Bon Voyage concert, and it was so good. And praise the Lord, I recently got a memory card that can hold about a billion minutes of video. I was able to record all of the songs, so for your viewing pleasure...
They are now on my YouTube! Check them all out, I will have about 6 of the best ones from the night up, and if people want, I will upload them all. This was my favorite song of the whole night, and the solo is by my dear friend Galen Fraser, who was my senior ball date, and is Alasder Fraser's son. And he's going to Berklee this fall. He's basically the most awesome person ever, and has a stunning voice! Listen to this and you will surely swoon. Enjoy!

Jesus, Remember Me.

Luke 23:32-49 (New International Version)

³²Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

³⁶The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

³⁸There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁹One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

⁴⁰But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

⁴²Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

⁴³Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

(Self portrait. January, 2009)

I love my prayer beads. I feel like I have had prayer beads in my hand since the day I was brought into the world. I have little memories of my dad's prayer beads, and of visiting Buddhist monks with those little wooden spheres wrapped around their wrists. I have always found so much peace in my sandalwood beads, and the mantra I was raised that goes along with them. My dad always told me, as a kid, to roll the beads in my hands, from one to the next and all around the necklace. While I did this, as I rolled bead to bead in my palm, I would say, "Jesus, remember me."
Jesus, remember me. Jesus, remember me. Jesus, remember me.
Did you know that this man on the cross who said that is the only man guaranteed salvation in the entire bible? He was never baptized. He never accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He never took communion. He was a criminal. Yet Jesus looked past all of these flaws, and saw his heart as this criminal looked back at him.
Jesus, remember me. I am a criminal, and I know I have no obeyed. But I have hope in you, I have faith in you.
Jesus, remember me.
I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.
God will not leave me comfortless. He knows me, he remembers me, because I know Him, and I remember Him. And I love Him with all that is in me. I roll this knowledge between my fingers with my sandalwood beads, and I repeat those three words that was said so long ago. I am overwhelmed by the simplistic beauty of God. What a mystery He is. So beyond human, that I cannot fathom the beautiful paradise he promises me. I am anticipating that day with so much happiness. Until then, I keep spinning. I keep reaching for the prize. I remember you, and you remember me.

Love Signs

Cutest.

Oh Blessed Am I

I praise God every day for being so sneaky in my life. He gives and He takes away, and although it makes me sad that things don't always go the way they seem, I know He is protecting me and taking care of me.

Not only this week did I get two paychecks I forgot to pick up, but Solveig, the deaf elderly woman I help a few times a week gave me a check today. I am so blessed to have a job during this time where many people do not, and I thank God for giving me the heart I have to serve others. 

Today, I am praising God for being so good to me. For giving me the opportunity to serve your children. For giving me wonderful friends, a caring family, and a boyfriend who is so good to me. For all the joy in my heart. For giving, and for taking away. God, you are good.

Skip the first 45 seconds of this video. I performed this song with the Nevada Union Chamber Choir last year, and it brings me so much joy to hear it and sing it. Oh blessed am I.

Sing a Mighty Song (performed by the ETBU Concert Choir)

Busy Bee

Fact: When I am stagnant, I am sad.
Fact: Mike leaves in 4 days.
I can see the result of this combination in full view. If I don't start making plans and staying busy, I will surely get depressed very easily.
My goals this next week are as follow:
1. Do not skip any classes. This will only make you sad.
2. Do not miss any physical therapy appointments. This will calm your back down.
3. Do not spend a lot of time in one place. Especially not in your room, alone. Emo.
4. Hang out with a lot of friends, this will help you grow closer in relationships as well as take your mind off of things.
5. Learn to make a new food. Maybe creme brulee?
6. Go on a drive, or a photoventure.
7. Work my hardest, even though my mind will be on other things. Focus.
I am determined to keep my joy in the midst of a life changing moment that has the opportunity to break my spirits. This will happen. I will be a busy bee and I will be joyful.

Dream Come True

Yes. One of my favorite childhood books is now a movie. I will get to escape into one of my top fantasies of my life on the 16th of October this year, if only for a few hours. 

Watch this trailer (full screen is better) and be excited with me.

Top 3 fantasies of my life. I would escape into any of these fictional places/scenes any day:

1. Narnia. 'Nuff said. 

2. The Shire/Anywhere in Lord of the Rings. 

3. Set of Stardust. Err.. Just be Yvaine from Stardust.

Question of the blog:

What is one fantasy place you would love to escape to?

The Wait

This is what I am listening to today. 

Question of the blog:

What are some of your favorite songs today?