On Life

Family Traditions

2009-11-17T22:18:00.003-05:00

One of the things I enjoyed the most about dating Trevan was being invited over to grandma Osborn's house for meals. I relished those invitations to Friday dinners or Sabbath lunches because Grandma was awesome at making good, old-fashioned casseroles. Growing up in Costa Rica, we NEVER did casseroles, and it was quite an experience for me the first couple times I ate at grandma's.

When Trevan and I got married, grandma Osborn gave me a recipe book with some of the family favorites, including a noodle dish that I absolutely love! I cherish that gift because every time I pull out that recipe book it makes me think of those first couple years of my relationship with Trevan, and of warm, cozy nights spent at grandma and grandpa Osborn's home.

Grandma and grandpa have been gone for a couple years now, and every so often I feel a deep sense of longing for the old days. When the Osborn's get together we always talk about grandma's food, and there is usually one of the old favorite recipes on the menu.

I am not sure if grandma really understood that every time she put food on her table, and welcomed us all into fellowship, she was creating a lasting impression on our hearts that would inspire us to do the same for our families. I cannot count how many times I have made that noodle dish and tried to replicate that wonderful feeling I had when I went to grandma's house.

One of my most sincere prayers is that God allows me to give that feeling of love and warmth to all those that share a meal with us.

Saving the World's Women

2009-08-19T14:38:00.001-04:00

This is a very interesting article I read on the New York Times a minute ago entitled Saving the World's Women. Really makes you worry about the state of women, and hopeful about our future.

There’s a growing recognition among everyone from the World
Bank to the U.S. military’s Joint
Chiefs of Staff to aid organizations like CARE
that focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global
poverty and extremism. That’s why foreign aid is increasingly directed to women.
The world is awakening to a powerful truth: Women and girls aren’t the problem;
they’re the solution.

Meeting a Minor Celebrity

2009-08-06T10:15:00.003-04:00

On August 1, Trevan and I celebrated our 5-year anniversary! Yes, we are very proud of ourselves for making it this far and decided to celebrate by going to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Maryland on Sunday and Monday.

It was really cool because you could walk around to the practice courts and see all these great players doing their warm-ups, and then they would walk right by you on their way out. This is how my magical brush with a minor celebrity started . . . As I turned to walk away from a court I almost bumped into Ernests Gulbis, one of my favorite players. I have been a fan of his for a year now, and although he has not had his big breakthrough yet, he has tons of potential. A huge grin broke out on my face and I felt like a fool for being so excited. We watched him warm up with other players, and as he started to leave the court I gathered up all my courage and asked him if he would take a picture with me . . . he said YES!! Isn't he cute? Aren't I short?

As a rule I am a very self-conscious person and hate drawing attention to myself, so this was a great accomplishment for me to actually ask someone to take a picture with me. He was all sweaty from practicing but I did not care!

I had a chance to get pictures with two other players that are way more popular and higher ranked than Gulbis is, but I just could not muster-up the courage to inconvenience them for a picture. Trevan was very disappointed in my lack of "go-getterness" (made-up word) and is taking me to the classic again next year in the hopes that I will be more bold.

Me? I am so excited about my picture with Gulbis you would think I won the lottery!

Obsessed with Technology

2009-07-22T09:40:00.003-04:00

This morning there is an op-ed article by Maureen Dowd in NYT that I really appreciate because it deals with a subject that drives me insane. Here is what she says:

"As John Ratey, the Harvard professor of psychiatry who specializes in the
science of attention, told The Times’s Matt Richtel for his chilling series,
“Driven to Distraction,” using digital devices gives you “a dopamine squirt.”

That explains the Pavlovian impulse of people who are out with friends
or dates to ignore them and check their BlackBerrys and cellphones, even if 99
out of 100 messages are uninteresting. They’re truffle-hunting for that
scintillating one.

Americans woke up one day to find that they were
don’t-miss-a-moment addicts who feel compelled to respond to all messages
immediately.

It also explains why Christopher Hill, a 21-year-old from
Oklahoma who killed a woman last September when he ran a red light while on his
cellphone and rammed into her S.U.V., tried to keep dialing and driving with a
headset his mother gave him two months after the accident."

I hate, absolutely hate being around people that cannot seem to put down their smart phones long enough to have a conversation with you. They are so busy "keeping up with the news" that they do not truly live in the present. Their friends, families, colleagues are right there ready to share life with them, but they are too busy reading their Twitter feeds on the situation in Honduras.

One of my biggest fears in life is that I, or someone I love will be killed by a drunk driver, but it seems like I should be more worried about being killed by that person that thinks they are so important that they cannot put down their phone, iPod or other devices long to focus on driving.

The Hats

2009-07-09T09:27:00.004-04:00

I absolutely love this Christian Dior hat. One of my dreams is to become one of those pastor's wives that have these fantastically huge hats they wear to church and to Sunday picnics. Not sure I can pull it off without looking outrageous, but there's nothing wrong with looking outrageous once in a while!

Overeating

2009-06-24T10:20:00.002-04:00

I was browsing the New York Times this morning trying to get up to date with the news. Quite accidentally I ran into this semi book review of the book "The end of overeating: taking control of the insatiable American appetite", by Dr. David A. Kessler.

Basically, Dr. Kessler finds that, much like cigarette makers manipulate nicotine levels to make them more additive, food manufacturers might also manipulate fats, sugar and salts to keep us wanting more food than we actually need. How fascinating! I think I will read the book.

One of his main messages is that overeating is not due to an absence of willpower, but a biological challenge made more difficult by the overstimulating food environment that surrounds us. “Conditioned hypereating” is a chronic problem that is made worse by dieting and needs to be managed rather than cured, he said. And while lapses are inevitable, Dr. Kessler outlines several strategies that address the behavioral, cognitive and nutritional factors that fuel overeating

Eroding Trust

2009-04-29T10:03:00.003-04:00

I just finished reading this great op-ed by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times. He is writing about Al Qaeda and their strategy to create a closed American society by causing an erosion in trust.

"By turning human beings into walking missiles and instruments from our daily lives — cars, airplanes, shoes, cellphones, backpacks — into bombs, Al Qaeda attacks the very feature that keeps our open society open: trust. If you have to fear that the person next to you on a plane or in a theater might blow up, there can be no open society."

It is a scary thought that it is up to all of us to keep an open mind and an open heart regardless of how chaotic things become. Once we, as a society, allow fear and prejudice to separate and isolate us from each other, they win.

Easter Revelation

2009-04-17T09:29:00.003-04:00

The first time I heard the song our choir director wanted us to sing for our Easter program I was shocked. Here are some of the lines:

"You are a lunatic prophet, deceived and deranged . . . Crucify, let the cross be your fate. Crucify, it's your lies that we hate. Crucify, there is no time to wait. Jesus must die! Crucify, Crucify, Crucify."

I marched straight up to the choir director and told him I would not sing such a song. He simply replied: "That is exactly the reaction I am looking for. I want people to really feel the hatred in the crowd." My steely resolve began to erode on the spot. After all, he made a good point.

Of course, I was not the only one that felt a bit uncomfortable with the song. Many other choir members protested, but little by little, we were convinced that everyone else was singing, so why not sing too.

By performance time I was bellowing out along with everyone else in the choir: crucify, crucify, crucify!

A couple days later I started to analyze what went wrong with my resolve. It suddenly dawned on me that I had experienced what many people might have experienced who were at Jesus' trial that day. I am sure there were dozens of people there that knew in their hearts that Jesus was innocent. Little by little, however, witnesses came forth, religious leaders accused, people around them began to cave, and by the end of the trial, they had joined in with the others in bellowing together:

Crucify, crucify, crucify . . .

Snow Days

2009-03-03T20:55:00.003-05:00

It snowed about 8 inches on Sunday night. When I woke up on Monday morning there were fallen branches, my car and driveway were totally buried, and there was no way for me to go to work. Yes!
I love snow days. Unfortunately, Trevan is in California for a conference, which means that I have been stuck in my house for two days now totally alone. Since Richmond does not see this amount of snow very often, the road crews tend to ignore entire neighborhoods when plowing. Mine happens to be one of the abandoned streets. Not to worry though, I have filled in my home alone time by working on various house projects.
Tomorrow the temperature is suppose to get up into the 50s, so I will be able to get out of the house.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T22:57:00.004-05:00

This year for Valentine's day we had a blast! We started out with pancakes on Wednesday. Then I helped Trevan preach on Sabbath (mostly I just helped demonstrate proper communication techniques).

Then Trevan gave me chocolate and a wonderful card! The chocolate is so decadent . . .
Tomorrow, we are going to Ipanema Grill for lunch, my favorite restaurant in Richmond! This has been a wonderful week for Trevan and I.

Bring on the Pain!

2009-02-11T09:53:00.005-05:00

I am becoming more and more disappointed with the apparent inability of congress and this administration to make tough decisions and bring on the pain. It almost feels like I am sitting in the doctor's office and he is going on and on about all the different things he can do to ease my symptoms because he is too scared of telling me that it will take a dramatic surgery to cure whatever I have.

We know things are bad, and we know we have to sacrifice and be in even more pain before things get better, but if we never get started with the surgery, then the real healing will take that much longer.

Maureen Dowd has a great article specifically dealing with Geithner's cuddly plan to deal with the financial sector. It is obvious that he is trying to avoid surgery. Here is an excerpt:

"Geithner is wrong. The pay of all the employees in bailed-out banks, not just top executives, should be capped. And these impervious, imperial suits who squander taxpayers’ money after dragging the country over the cliff should all be fired — preferably when they come to D.C. on Wednesday in a phony show of populism on Amtrak and the shuttle to testify before Barney Frank."
"Wall Street cannot be trusted to change its culture. Just look at the full-page ads that Bank of America (which got $45 billion) and Citigroup (which got $50 billion) are plastering in newspapers, lavishing taxpayer money on preening prose."
"We don’t want our money spent, as Citigroup did, to pat itself on the back “as we navigate the complexities together.” Bank of America cannot get back our trust by spending more of our cash to assure us that it’s “getting to work” on getting back our trust."
"Just get back to work and start repaying us."

Vegan for a Month

2009-01-29T16:36:00.002-05:00

At the beginning of every year I like challenging myself to do something interesting or new. This year I decided to go vegan for the month of January.

While I have not been totally successful in my quest (had some cheesy pasta and some chicken once) this has been an interesting month.

Mostly, I cannot wait for it to be over. I miss yogurt for breakfast. . .

For some reason I expected to feel different by the end of the month. Not sure how this difference would manifest itself: more energy, better sleep. . . I don't know, something. Alas, nothing has changed. I feel the same as I did at the beginning of the month. I think this is because I don't eat that much meat and dairy to begin with, so it has not been a huge transition for me.

Overall it has been a fun experiment. This experience has showed me that I can cut down even more on my animal products consumption without much effort. Moderation is the key. . . and yogurt for breakfast!

On Twilight

2009-01-21T14:02:00.003-05:00

Yes, I admit it, I read all four books in the Twilight Saga.

I have always been a fan of vampire tales so I found it hard to resist this teenage drama. Everyone (under the age of 16) seemed to be reading it so I thought: "Why not?"

It totally got me hooked. For three weeks every free minute I had went into reading. It became quite an obsession. I just wanted to finish the books.

When it was finally over I was thoroughly dissapointed. First because the ending of the book left lots to be desired of. Second, I really did not like the casting desicions made for the movie - the people on the screen did not match the people I had created in my head. Finally, there was a bit of a let down. I spend so many hours with the characters it felt like they were a part of my family. Then they were all gone. With one flip of the final page my life went back to normal and I realized that I had no idea what to do next. . .

The quest continues!

Book Recommendation

2009-01-16T20:20:00.002-05:00

Over the holidays I read various books. One of the books I read was Sex God by Rob Bell. This book explores sexuality and spirituality and the connections that we sense but are not always sure why.

I came away from this book thinking: "My kids have got to read this." Why? Because in my opinion this book explains in a very concrete way the emotional consequences of pre-marital sex. While parents usually like to mention the scary stuff like an unwanted pregnancy or STDs, the emotional impact of sexual relationships is the best reason to abstain until marriage. That's my opinion anyways, so I appreciate some resources in that department.

Bell does a great job of applying biblical soundness to the sometimes insane world of sexuality that we all face on a daily basis. It is also a very quick read!

Holiday Pictures

2009-01-09T19:26:00.006-05:00

Now that I am feeling much better I thought I would post some pictures. We spent Christmas in Arizona along with Trevan's parents, Heather, Patrick, Ainsley, and Uncle Larry and Aunt Gillian.

Here is Ainsley with aunt Shari. . .
. . .And here is Ainsley with uncle Trevan

If you got a call from me over the holidays. . .let's just say my phone was being help hostage.
We also got to go to the Phoenix zoo, and I got to see a Sumatran tiger for the first time in my life. It was a very exciting experience.
Finally, it would not be a holiday unless someone got frisky with the ostrich!

To 2009!

2009-01-05T13:03:00.002-05:00

This year has started off with a bang!

On New Year's day I threw-up on my way to the airport and have been sick for about a week now.

Yesterday I went to the doctor and found out I have an upper-respiratory infection...

I am looking forward to great things this year!

Great Food Blog

2008-12-04T09:51:00.002-05:00

This morning I was searching for a fun soup recipe that I can try this weekend and I ran into this blog: www.eatnvegn.blogspot.com.

Trevan's cousin Kim, and her husband Paul are coming to visit for the weekend and I will attempt to make the Samosa soup for them. It sounds and looks delicious.

I will let you know how it goes.

My First Vote!

2008-11-04T20:27:00.002-05:00

One of the disadvantages of moving from one country to another is that your citizenship ends up in the country you don't live in at election time.

This year, I finally was able to exercise my right to vote at the ripe, old age of 27. I consider this to be a momentous occasion in my life and I am very excited that my vote might actually count since I live in Virginia.

Now we can only sit and wait until all the votes are in.

An Inspiring Story

2008-10-27T09:37:00.003-04:00

Audrey is a former co-worker of mine. She is a woman of great faith and great conviction. Over the past couple months she has been a God-sent mentor for me as I have struggled with some decisions in my life.

When the primaries started she was an ardent supporter of Hillary Clinton, but once the primaries were over she fully got on board with Obama's campaign, and has even been volunteering some of her time to make phone calls.

This morning she sent me this email, and I just wanted to share it with you because I know the struggle ex-convicts that are trying to live a good and honest life face. Richmond is my home now, and I am proud that such a touching story came out of the streets where I live.

Audrey's story: "I can't get this out of my head so I thought I would share this story. It is short and it is another affirmation that Obama has a heart for the American people no matter where they come from.

Yesterday, I heard a most wonderful story from a man by the name of Tommie Cox. Tommie is a 60 year old African American man who spent about 30 years in prison. He was released last year and entered a so-called training program in the Richmond community. Tommie is a member of my church and a small group of us had been working with Tommie to help him find employment. Over the past two weeks I have been meeting with Tommie advising him on how to fill out applications and dealing with his job search.

As many of you know, on Wednesday, Barack Obama was in Richmond at the Coliseum. It was packed to capacity 13,000 plus. There were over 7,000 waiting outside. Tommie said that he went to the Coliseum, arrived early so that he could get a good standing position to see and hear Obama. When Obama finally began to make his way to the podium, the crowd reached out their hands to touch him. Obama found his hand shaking Tommie's hand. Within that short time, Tommie told Barack Obama that he was an ex-offender, spent 30 years in prison and needed employment. Obama told him that his campaign could offer him short-term employment at $9.00 per hour and the Senator told him to report to the Obama Headquarters. Tommie said that Obama also told him that the $9.00 wasn't much but would hold him until he gets what he wanted. Someone with the Senator then gave Tommie the location of the headquarters so that he could report for orientation and employment.

At 12:00 noon yesterday, Tommie was scheduled to report for work. When I checked on Tommie at about 2:00 p.m., Tommie was employed, he was out canvassing and knocking on doors with an Obama supporter and partner.

I know that some people find these kind of stories hard to believe but I Believe in God, our Creator, who has given Obama ability, skill and all the he needs to lead us into a new era. I Believe! I Believe in Obama! Only God can orchestrate such wonderful things--out of 20,000 people, Tommie, an ex-offender who is struggling to get on his feet, touched one of the most powerful and compassionate African American men in the world. This is the kind of President that I want, the table has been set, all we have to do is partake by Voting. Grace and Peace to Barack Obama and his household! Blessings to you and your household."

One more on the Candidates

2008-10-24T13:37:00.002-04:00

I got this in my email about the candidates' educational backgrounds. It is very interesting.

Barack Obama:Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Jurist Doctor (J.D.)

John McCain:United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world. You make the call.

Obama in Richmond!

2008-10-22T20:38:00.005-04:00

Today Obama was in Richmond for a rally.

The rally was suppose to start at 12:00, so we got downtown at 9:15 and stood in line for about an hour in the freezing cold. It was great that we got there early because they had so many people come out that they turned people away. Even with that the coliseum was packed, about 12,000 people.

He was so inspiring. He challenged people to take responsibility for the current crisis. Not just blame our problems on the government, but take responsibility for the things we have caused ourselves. We have our own part to play in improving our children's education by being there to turn off the TV and help them with their homework. We have to take responsibility for the energy we consume, the cars we choose to buy, and the lights we choose to not turn off. He made me feel more than ever that I have a part to play in making this a better country and a better world.
It is nice to know that I still make a difference.

Cake - Week 5

2008-10-15T21:40:00.006-04:00

This week I decided to be a bit ambitious with my cake since it was my last class. I designed a vineyard as an ode to my in-laws who live close to the Napa Valley.The house is made of chocolate cake. It was very hard to shape, but it was worth it. I tried to create a vine going up the side of the house with some flowers on the side. That did not come out exactly the way I envisioned it, but it looks ok.There is a little mount that come up from the cake with these little green bursts that are meant to look like a row of planted goodies (maybe cabbages).
Here is the aerial view. You can see the pond that is in there.
I put a gold fish in the pond. Thankfully Trevan has this rake that he got at the Pastor/Teacher Convention this weekend. It was a great prop to add to the cake.
So it comes to an end. My class was a lot of fun and I do not regret the many hours I have spent baking cakes and making icing. If you ever get a chance to take a class you should do it. In addition to learning great techniques for decorating your cakes, you also get great ideas from your classmates.

Cake - Week 4

2008-10-14T18:52:00.003-04:00

Here is last weeks cake. Trevan and I were gone all weekend to the Potomac Conference Pastor-Teacher Convention and I totally forgot to post pictures.

This cake is meant to be a bit of a painting. Flower blossoms coming out of a basket like in some artsy paintings. I have a very ambitious design for my last cake. Tomorrow will be my last cake and I am very happy and sad to come to the end of this journey.

Tomorrow is also my birthday, so I get to make a cake for myself!

Cake - Week 3

2008-10-03T21:38:00.004-04:00

This is my cake this week. It is much smaller and I put a lot of flowers on the top. I was just trying to practice my roses. Next week I will try to decorate it with a bit more purpose.

The actual cake is a butter pecan cake with chocolate syrup and walnuts middle.

I especially like the border with the little dots on the top of the starts.

Cake - Week 2

2008-09-24T21:43:00.002-04:00

Here is my cake from this week. We are learning to make roses, and since mine are far from perfect, I decided to play with color to make them more interesting. It is a double layer chocolate cake with strawberry jam filling.

Setting the Record Straight

2008-09-19T10:36:00.003-04:00

Someone posted this on Trevan's myspace page, and I think it is a brilliant comparison of the facts. Let's think about who is really ready to lead this country. We cannot afford to make the mistake of electing the wrong person again.

I'm a little confused.Let me see if I have this straight ...
* If you grow up in Hawaii , raised by your grandparents,you're "exotic, different." * Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.
* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* Name your kids Willow , Trig and Track, you're a maverick.
*Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer,become the first black president of the Harvard Law Review,create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive and first in line behind a man in his eighth decade.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress,and then left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a true Christian.
* If you teach responsible, age-appropriate sex education,including the proper use of birth control, you are erodingthe fiber of society.
* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up aposition in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America 's.
* If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

Cake - Week 1

2008-09-17T21:42:00.006-04:00

The new adventure in my life is cake decorating. That's right, I started a class last week and this is my first cake. Not terribly impressive, but let's hope that it gets better in the weeks to come.

Congratulations Roger!!

2008-09-09T21:59:00.003-04:00

I'm Back!

2008-08-11T15:22:00.005-04:00

I am back in the United States, but I wanted to tell you a bit more about my trip to Switzerland.

On the final Friday I was there it was Swiss National Day. We had fondue for dinner.Then we headed up the mountain to a huge bonfire in celebration of the holiday. This was the view as we walked up to the bonfire. A bit of rain was falling and a beautiful rainbow draped the sky.

When we got to the town hall we followed a brass band to the bonfire.There were two boys that were carrying a huge cake. It is a town tradition.

This is the bonfire. It was about 8 feet tall.
Every so often a cloud would drift by the mountain and we would be surrounded by the cloud. It looked like smoke, but it was really cool and moist. It was very cool!This was a wonderful experience of the holidays in another country. Later than night we went back to the town hall and hung out with the very drunk villagers. They were dancing and singing and eating. Just having a great time!

More Pictures

2008-07-30T09:26:00.003-04:00

I was finally able to take some pictures outside. We had been working so hard that it had been days since I had left the house.

This is a picture of Christie and I in the tipi the GID folks set up.
This pictures was taken right outside my room actually, and it is Christie, Rashad and myself.
This picture was taken yesterday when we went down to Vevey and took the boat back to Montreaux. The guys with me in the picture from left to right are Ian, Muaz and Rashad.

I am meeting people from all over the world. Even in our team of coordinators we have people from 12 different countries. I will post more information on that later...

Thunder Storm

2008-07-30T09:16:00.002-04:00

Last night we had a thunder storm of epic proportions. Apparently most times there is a thunder storm lightning hits the building. If you notice a rather large house at the top of that second mountain, that is where I am staying. I took this picture from lake Geneva yesterday and it was a bit overcast. Also we were miles and miles away, so the building looks rather small, but you can clearly see how high we are.

I hope that at some point this week I will be able to go all the way to the top of the mountain you see in the very back of the picture. That should be a fantastic view.

My long lost sister?

2008-07-29T15:32:00.006-04:00

I met Clementine Lue Clark last year at a conference in Dayton. She is very involved in the work that I do and so we see each other periodically at diverse activities put on by my organization.

Back in Dayton people kept on asking me if we were sisters. Now that we are both at this conference in Switzerland we are getting the same reaction from people. Today, Clementine made a presentation on identity, and I had people coming up to me thanking me for my inspiring words.

What do you think? Are we that similar?She is a Jamaican with a Chinese father and a black mother. I guess it is the multi-culturalness...

The House

2008-07-26T15:29:00.002-04:00

The house in which I am staying is called Mountain House and it is a mansion that operated as a hotel for the rich and famous prior to WWII. I believe the building has been around since 1902. Some of the furniture and rooms have a definite antique feeling to them.

Opening Ceremony

2008-07-26T15:20:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we kicked-off our conference with an indigenous celebration. A rather large group of indigenous people that are a part of the Global Indigenous Dialogue (GID) have joined us for this conference, and their experiences are quite unique and bring so much to the table.

Here are a couple pictures of the opening ceremony where they offered up an offering of burnt tobacco to invite the ancestors to be a part of our gathering

Hello Europa!

2008-07-22T10:56:00.003-04:00

Hello Friends,

I am in Switzerland for two weeks with my job. Initiatives of Change owns this fantastic palace from which they run a series of conferences every summer. I am here to help out with the coordination on one of those conferences.

It was an adventure just getting here. The building is half-way up a mountain. The view is fantastic. Check out my view at lunch time today.
That's Lake Geneva in the distance. My lunch was also quite great!

I will keep you posted on the stuff I do while here.

Bucket List

2008-07-09T10:46:00.003-04:00

Last night Trevan and I watched the Bucket List.

The theme of this movie has been used over and over again. Someone finds out they are going to die, and all of a sudden their priorities change. They decide to live the life they always dreamed of, but seemed too risky or irresponsible.

These types of movies are suppose to send awakening jolts to our inert systems to get us out of our ruts and into living the lives we were meant to live. Throw caution to the wind and climb mount Everest, visit Egypt, skydive, carpe diem!

However, the majority of us just make excuses for the pathetic lives we live. "Things will be different once I get married, once we have kids, once I get my PhD, once we retire"...the list goes on.

I have been fighting the urge to just survive for quite some time now. I wake up with no purpose and no direction. Some days I just feel like crying, it all seems to hopeless.

Every time I give in to dispair I am reminded of a sermon Trevan preached. The title was "But God", taken from the picture Paul paints in Ephesians about the death and dispair that we were in, But God has set us free.

I have found in these words the will to not just survive, but to let my hair down and go for the life I was meant to live. I am starting my own Bucket List, and I hope to stick to it not just for my sake, but for the sake of the God who has given so much to set me free.

I will keep you posted!

Venus and Serena

2008-07-08T12:44:00.003-04:00

I really appreciate these two women, and what they are doing with their lives.

They are classy when on the court, courteous with the media, and seem to keep it real. While some have accused them of not giving enough credit to their competition, they are quite secure in who they are. They believe, along with many others, that if they play their best, no one can beat them. I would argue that even if they are not playing their best they can still beat the majority of people out there.

It was a pleasure to watch Venus defend hers and Serena's work ethic when someone questioned the authenticity of their matches against each other. It was a tasteful answer to a nasty question.

Another thing I appreciate about them is that, unlike a lot of top players these days, Venus and Serena do not look up to their box after every point to get moral support, or to get advice on whether to challenge a call. They just play their game, stay focused, and deal with the consequences of their decisions.

The Wimbledon final on Saturday was really great to watch, even if Serena did a mini-baby-sister-pout after she lost (It is totally fare to hate on siblings that beat you, it's in the Bible I believe). Venus said that she took her job as a big sister very seriously, therefore she did not rub her win in Serena's face. That's really nice of her, I am pretty sure my brother would have made fun of me on the spot. Sibling rivalry is stronger in some families more than in others. I hope the sisters continue playing for many more years.

And for those of you that think they spend too much time away from the tennis courts...Don't hate on a sister's entrepreneurial skills!

Tripping

2008-06-26T20:10:00.002-04:00

On my way out of the office yesterday my heal got caught on the cuff of my pants and I fell down a flight of twenty steps. My shoes went flying and ripped up the skin on my left shin.

As I was going down (I swear it felt like I fell in slow motion) I was praying that I would not break anything because I am suppose to be leaving for Switzerland in a month.

Overall it was not pretty or funny at the time, but I have really laughed at the whole situation today. Envisioning myself tumbling down the steps, then trying to look dignified as I picked all the stuff that fell out my purse and put my shoes on while my shin was throbbing is kinda funny. I really tried to pretend like nothing had happened as I limped to my car.

It is really great that nothing serious happened and I will be just fine in a couple days.

On Wimbledon 2008

2008-06-26T20:03:00.003-04:00

This has been a great tournament so far. Loving the fact that Djokovic and Sharapova are out. Really happy with the way Gulbis challenged Nadal.

Now if someone can take out Ivanovic it would be just about perfect.

Italian Vogue

2008-06-19T09:49:00.002-04:00

There is this really interesting article in today's New York Times on the upcoming issue of Italian Vogue.

The big news is that all the models in the issue are black. I will be definitely buying this issue!

On Multirace

2008-05-28T09:48:00.002-04:00

I found this article on multirace people and families in America. It is really fascinating to read some of the comments and be able to nod in agreement with the experiences of other multiracial individuals.

My particularly favorite question I get asked all the time is "What are you?". On any given day, depending on what my hair looks like, I can be mistaken for Indian, Ethiopian, African American, I have even gotten Sudanese and Philippino. When I say Costa Rican, the response is usually a very confused "Really?".

Just to clarify my heritage:

My father is an afro-Costa Rican, whose mother migrated from Jamaica and married a Costa Rican of African/Jamaican ancestry. My mother is an Indian-Belizean, whose family migrated from India to Belize generations before she was born. I was born in Honduras, but am a Costa Rican by ethnicity and an American by nationality (recent development).

So there you have it!

The Things I do for Love

2008-05-27T09:14:00.002-04:00

This weekend Trevan and I drove up to Maryland in order to attend, not one, but two baseball games on two consecutive days. Yes, it was Trevan's idea.

Trevan really loves going to baseball games, so I agreed to go with him to the Nats vs. Brewers game on Sunday (Nats won!!! Go Nats), then the Orioles vd. Yankees game on Monday.

The Sunday game was great. We went with Trevan's cousin Kim, and her fiancé Paul. We were all rooting for the Nats, so it was great to have them win in the bottom of the ninth.

Unfortunately, Trevan is an Orioles fan and I am a Yankees fan, so the Monday game was a bit less fun because the Yankees loss, and I had to endure Trevan being extra loud about the Orioles winning.

All things considered, it was a great weekend and I have the sun-burn to prove it.

French Open

2008-05-23T11:35:00.003-04:00

Tennis is back! The French Open starts this Sunday and drama is definitely in the forecast at this point.

With Henin's retirement, the field seems open for Sharapova to clench her first French Open title.

The drama on the men's side is even bigger. Flashy, new-comer Djokavic, and three-time French Open champion Nadal ended up on the same side of the draw, which leaves #1 Federer with little competition to make it to the finals. With rumors circulating that Nadal is not in top-shape, this seems to be the year for Federer to finally win the French tittle for the first time.

But I am not buying into the hype. I love Federer, and I sincerely wish I am wrong on this, but he has had a less-than-stellar season so far, and I don't really see Nadal folding and giving up the chance at a fourth consecutive French Open tittle.

I pick Nadal to win this one.

More Venting

2008-05-21T13:49:00.006-04:00

You must read Maureen Dowd's Op-Ed pieces on the New York Times. The past two have been especially informative as to why I cannot abide Hillary any longer.

This comment in particular got me to renounce my Christianity just long enough to wish this particular voter went to the really hot place below. Sorry Lord, he is your child too.

"The story quoted Victoria Switzer, a retired social studies teacher, who
could take only one night on an Obama phone bank in the nearly all-white
Susquehanna County, Pa.: “One caller, Switzer remembers, said he couldn’t
possibly vote for Obama and concluded: ‘Hang that darky from a
tree!’ ”

These are the kinds of people that Hillary is happily pursuing. Sorry, but as a self-respecting black person I cannot possibly care any less for the woman, and if she ends up on a ballot I will not vote. Thanks Hillary for ruining what was once a primary process full of possibilities.

She Does NOT Speak for Me!

2008-05-20T09:36:00.003-04:00

I am really tired of women groups posting these ridiculous ads in which they claim that Hillary Clinton represents and speaks for all women. I am a woman, and I most definitely do not want her speaking for me.

We are all entitled to our opinions, and my opinion is decidedly anti-Hillary. She is not the kind of woman I look-up to as a role model. Staying in a presidential race that you have already lost is not being a fighter, it is being selfish and desperate. If she was the kind of woman I look-up to, she would have left the race with dignity a long time ago, and had gone to work for the nominee. She would have bargained for women to have higher positions in Obama's cabinet, and would have championed equality for all.

Instead she has stooped to the shameless politics of attack, distortion, and even turning on the water works if it will give her the votes. I am sorry, but I could never look-up to her. She might have accomplished a lot in her life, but that is not the kind of woman I want to run this country.

We are true to ourselves not when we act like men and gain position for it, but when we act like women and gain respect from others.

Green Thumb - Thumbs Down

2008-05-16T10:05:00.003-04:00

Ok, I admit it. I have not been posting pictures of the progress of my plants growing because the cilantro plant has been dead for about two weeks now, and the basil plant has not grown past a half inch...I told you this was a bad idea.

Instead of trying to grow my own plants I have decided to cheat. I went out and bought a basil plant that is already full-grown, and got specific instructions as to how to keep it alive for the rest of the summer. Let's see how that works.

On the other hand, my orchid is doing well. We have had five new blossoms since we got the plant. Some of the older flowers are dying off, but that is totally normal, so I have not killed that plant!!! I have the claim the victories I have.

She's Retired?

2008-05-14T13:35:00.002-04:00

This piece of news has totally shocked me... Justine Henin is leaving tennis? That is so unbelievable I cannot even explain how confused I am.

It makes sense to leave while you are at the top of the game, but still, she is so good. I guess there are more important things in life after all!

Saw it Coming...

2008-04-28T11:07:00.004-04:00

This morning's NYT reported on Disney's potential problems as the June edition of Vanity Fair will reveal a picture of topless Miley Cyrus.

The fifteen-year-old star of the hit show Hannah Montana is a role model to many young girls, and some parents are very concerned that this picture will lead their yound daughters in the wrong direction.

Two things come to mind here:

Who did not see this coming? It happens to most child stars. Lohan, the Olson twins, they all seem to break at some point. You kinda knew it would happen to Cyrus sooner of later.
Girls today have enough shameful role models to follow. I don't particularly think the picture of Cyrus is terrible, it is actually quite artistic, but it does promote underage girls taking clothes off for a camera, which is never a good thing.

What concerns me is that the message keeps on being repeated that the only way a woman can get any attention is by showing her body. That is what is really wrong, not the picture. Miley is getting so much attention (even negative publicity is publicity) that it only makes it more alluring for other girls to try to do the same.

Masking Prejudice

2008-04-24T11:11:00.003-04:00

As human beings we have mastered the art of masking our prejudices by demonizing those we cannot abide. Muslims are terrorists, Blacks are loud, Whites think they are better than me, and the list goes on.

I did not, however, expect to find such blatant prejudice on a blog roll on the New York Times. Timothy Egan posted a blog on April 23, entitled Faith of Our Fathers. He used his ill-researched knowledge to attack the entire Mormon community around the world. Here are some of his comments:

"...But religion can also be used as an excuse for awful behavior – from the torture of the Roman Catholic Inquisition, to beheadings by Jihadist killers, to the sexual manipulation of children by early Mormons and their latter-day sects... [Their] faith was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith Jr., an itinerant treasure-seeker from upstate New York who used a set of magic glasses to translate a lost scripture from God...It would have been just another Christian faith had not Smith let his libido lead him into trouble. Before he died at the hands of a mob, he married at least 33 women and girls; the youngest was 14, and was told she had to become Smith’s bedmate or risk eternal damnation. Smith was fortunate to find a religious cover for his desire. His polygamy “revelation” was put into The Doctrine and Covenants, one of three sacred texts of Mormonism. It’s still there – the word of God. And that’s why, to the people in the compound at Eldorado, the real heretics are in Salt Lake City.
As his biographer, Fawn Brodie, wrote, Joseph Smith “could not rest until he had redefined the nature of sin and erected a stupendous theological edifice to support his new theories on marriage... His successor, Brigham Young, married 57 women – a harem that attracted curious libertines like Sir Richard Burton to study the American social experiment...
Fast forward to this century, when the polygamist group makes the same argument at their West Texas compound and at their earlier one in Colorado City, on the Utah-Arizona border. I was at that Colorado City compound, twice in the last four years. It spooked me: the gnarly old men and their child brides, the creepy guards in their pickup trucks, the sing-songy women tending to a dozen children in houses the size of a Motel 6. They were ripping off the state, living on welfare and food stamps, even as they defied civil authorities. In Colorado City, I spent time with DeLoy Bateman, a high school science teacher, who told of losing his daughter after church authorities ordered her to leave her husband and marry her father-in-law – a man twice her age..."

I am obviously not a Mormon, nor do I believe in children being forced into sexual encounters, but I do believe that this article is divisive, and it is the kind of propaganda that causes the rise of more violence and intolerance in the name of religion. Here is a comment on the blog that expresses my feelings the best.

"What baton are you holding, Mr. Egan? The bodies of 6,000 Mormons scattered
across the Western plains are a testament of the legacy of the baton YOU hold.
What role did the 19th century press play in hyping up persecution, exaggerating
and exploiting the sensational to make a buck and stir up hatreds and violence?
Is there a study you are aware of that suggests Mormons married underage
girls in the 19th century at a rate greater than the general population around
them, or are you just taking a sophisticated potshot from the media cheapseats,
and counting on the righteous indignation and general prejudices of your readers
to carry your point?I think I already know the answer to that question."
Posted by clay a

Another comment I appreciated was:

"All this generalization, as if all 437 children have been abused, if any.
Nothing is proven- what happened to American’s ability to think critically,
instead of having a mob mentality lead by the feeding frenzy of mass media and
bloggers. Where is the blogger who will stand up for due process and innocence
until proven guilty? Did the love of our constitution go by the wayside with the
Patriots Act? Abuse does not occur in any higher percentage in any particular
church or in any particular community. it is everywhere. And do not forget that
the marriageable age in Texas was only recently raised to 16 years from 14
years, so before you go riding your merry
bandwagons to the lynching, maybe
you should wait for due process, if it occurs…."
— Posted by Quaker girl

Green Thumb?

2008-04-23T17:49:00.002-04:00

I have killed plants that people swore could not die. There was the bamboo Trevan gave me for my birthday a couple years ago, then there was the cactus...no wait...I have actually killed two of them. Yet, I continue to bring plants into this house hoping that my thumb will magically become green.

This year I have actually taken a stab at growing herbs. That's right, I am growing Cilantro and Basil as we blog.
Do you see the little sprout? I cannot tell you how happy I was when it actually sprouted. I will take pictures every couple days and show you the progress here.

Again, let's hope for a long, productive, summer for our little friends.

Valentine's in April

2008-04-22T21:52:00.003-04:00

This year Trevan promised me an orchid for Valentine's day. It took us two months to find one that we were both happy with. On April 14, exactly two months after V-day, we finally bought our little orchid.Let's hope that it survives me, since I have a long history of sending perfectly innocent plants to their graves way before their time...

StoryCorps

2008-04-02T09:50:00.002-04:00

If you listen to NPR at all, you might have heard stories from the StoryCorps project. This project seeks to document moments in ordinary people's lives as a sort of live library of memories to pass on to future generations. I am sometimes moved to tears with some of the stories. This story in particular was very touching.

Aired on Morning Edition, March 28, 2008 ·

Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends
his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat
at
his favorite diner.
But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the
No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected
turn.
He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and
pulled
out a knife.
"He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and
told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.
As the teen began to walk away, Diaz
told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be
robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep
you warm."
The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's
going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'" Diaz
replied: "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess
you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if
you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome.
"You know, I
just felt maybe he really needs help," Diaz says. Diaz says he and the teen went
into the diner and sat in a booth.
"The manager comes by, the dishwashers
come by, the waiters come by to say hi," Diaz says. "The kid was like, 'You know
everybody here. Do you own this place?'"
"No, I just eat here a lot," Diaz
says he told the teen. "He says, 'But you're even nice to the
dishwasher.'"
Diaz replied, "Well, haven't you been taught you should be nice
to everybody?""Yea, but I didn't think people actually behaved that way,"
the teen said.Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. "He just had almost
a sad face," Diaz says. The teen couldn't answer Diaz — or he didn't want
to.
When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, "Look, I guess you're going
to have to pay for this bill 'cause you have my money and I can't pay for
this.
So if you give me my wallet back, I'll gladly treat you."The teen
"didn't
even think about it" and returned the wallet, Diaz says. "I gave him
$20 ... I
figure maybe it'll help him. I don't know."
Diaz says he asked
for something in return — the teen's knife — "and he gave it to me."
Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, "You're the
type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your
watch."
"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope
that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world."

"It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world"

When all you've ever wanted isn't enough

2008-03-23T12:25:00.002-04:00

It is a must read book by Harold Kushner. When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough.

If you are like me, you are at a point in your life where things seem confusing, confounding, even devoid of purpose. I keep waiting for some great sign of what I am suppose to do with my life to give it meaning. I pray and ask God for answers.

Kushner writes that we already have the answers, but we go about life without really living. He says "when you have learned to live, life itself is the reward."

It is a quick read. I started it on Friday and finished it Sunday, but I imagine it's effects will change my outlook on life forever.

Obama's Mother

2008-03-14T09:36:00.002-04:00

There is this fantastic article in the New York Times this morning reflecting on the life of Ms. Soetoro, Barack Obama's mother. A couple things said in this article have breathed new life into my weary bones. These words describe the kind of person I would like to be. May you find joy and peace in the service of others. May fearless living break down the walls that prevent you from living to the core of who you are.

“She felt that somehow, wandering through uncharted territory, we might stumble upon something that will, in an instant, seem to represent who we are at the core,” said Maya Soetoro-Ng, Mr. Obama’s half-sister. “That was very much her philosophy of life — to not be limited by fear or narrow definitions, to not build walls around ourselves and to do our best to find kinship and beauty in unexpected places.”

“She had a world view, even as a young girl. It was embracing the different, rather than that ethnocentric thing of shunning the
different. That was where her mind took her.”

“She was very determined to be remembered for a life of service and thought that service was really the true measure of a life.”

Busy Song

2008-03-07T14:27:00.003-05:00

Have you see the episode of Veggie Tales where Larry gets mugged by bandits and they leave him stuck upside-down in a whole? It is the good Samaritan story with a twist.

While Larry's head is in the whole, the major of his city, and a doctor come along, but instead of pulling old Larry out the whole they sing a song about how busy they are.

Lately I feel like that is exactly what I've been doing. Dismissing the important to take care of the urgent. Much like singing a song.

"I'm busy, busy, dreadfully busy.

You've no idea what I have to do.

Busy, busy, shockingly busy.

Much, much too busy for you."

Gotta get back to work!

Shari the Red Nose...

2008-01-09T15:11:00.001-05:00

A great start to the New Year!

2008-01-06T21:34:00.000-05:00

This weekend I received a wonderful gift. My friend Rosie came to visit me for the weekend. We had a wonderful time watching movies and eating great food... We also got to talk a lot about life and the crazy things that happen to us as the years go by.

It was a great start to my new year because I was desperately needing to have a friend for a couple days!

Next weekend I will be able to see some other friends of mine, Darlene and Peggy.

I definitely thank God for the wonderful people He puts in my life that make the daily living so much more bearable.

California Holidays - Part Two

2008-01-01T23:23:00.000-05:00

More pictures of Ainsley!

Ainsley and uncle Trevan watch as the Redskins beat the Cowboys to get into the playoffs this past Sunday.

She likes sticking her tongue out when she is chilling.

California Holidays - Part One

2007-12-30T01:56:00.000-05:00

Last night we opened our gifts...

But the best part of our entire holiday was seeing our little niece Ainsley! She is wonderfully cute.

Ainsley matching with aunt Shari!

Christmas

2007-12-30T01:38:00.000-05:00

We spent Christmas at my parent's house in New Jersey. On Christmas eve we opened our gifts.
After this we headed for New York to a party with some old time friends from Costa Rica. The party started at 9 pm and ended at 5 am! Yeah, we are party animals...

The next morning we went over to my cousin's house and had dinner with a couple of my family members.

We then headed to California to continue our holiday celebration.

Oh Christmas Trees!

2007-12-24T11:17:00.001-05:00

Back in Michigan we had bought a very dinky artificial Christmas tree. To inaugurate our first holiday season in our house, Trevan decided that we should get a real tree. It seemed a waste to just let our other tree sit in the storage shed all season, so we decided to use both trees.

We put the artificial tree is our bedroom.Yeah, it is dinky indeed, but we appreciate having some season cheer when we go to bed at night

The other tree we put in our living room. I took a couple pictures of it and Trevan liked this first picture because it came out so weird.

But here is what it really looks like...
I can honestly say that this is the most excited I have been about Christmas in a long time.

I think it's the trees!

Gingerbread Houses

2007-12-22T22:10:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon we went over to one of our church members' house where a lot of our kids had assembled to create their personal gingerbread houses. There were close to 20 kids, tons of candy, and lots of laughs. Our kids are very cute and creative. Yes, I am bragging, again!

Tragedy

2007-12-20T14:21:00.000-05:00

Some sad news.

On Tuesday morning Trevan's grandmother Osborn suffered a massive stroke and passed away that afternoon.

Trevan is in Maryland now with his family. Please keep us in your prayers as this has been a very rough couple months since the passing of his grandfather in August.

Thanksgiving

2007-12-15T21:49:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I am really late with this post. Let me make it short.

Trevan and I decided to spend a nice Thanksgiving just the two of us. I made a wonderful meal, including my first, ever, chicken!

It was a wonderful day full of food and football! Happy Thanksgiving season to all!

What Direction? - Part I

2007-10-31T09:38:00.000-04:00

In the movie The Devil's Advocate, Kevin Lomax, a hotshot attorney, finds that one bad decision spirals his life so completely out of control that he ends up employed by Lucifer himself. While Nike says "Just do it", and encourages us to make bold decisions like Lomax did, our better judgment tells us that caution is a more trustworthy guide.

We live in constant fear of making the wrong choice; taking the wrong job, marrying the wrong person, choosing the unfulfilling career. So as the major intersections in our lives arrive and we find ourselves needing to take action, we are paralyzed with this fear. We agonize, pray, stress, but mostly make no decision at all hoping that some magical sign in the sky will tell us what to do.

When I was single I lived in constant fear of marrying a guy one day, and then meeting the "perfect guy" the next day. This fear kept me from dating through most of my high-school and college years. Trevan was my first real relationship.

As I look back on those years I now wonder if God put that fear in my heart to stop me from dating the wrong guys. What if fear is not keeping us from true happiness, but preventing us from making that wrong decision that will spiral our lives out of control.

Belize

2007-10-21T20:53:00.000-04:00

There are two things that made this year's trip to Belize better than last year's.

1. Trevan was there and got to meet my granny for the first time.

2. The family reunion was much bigger this year. It had been over 10 years since my dad had gone back. My granny was really happy to see him again.

It was a very festive trip because my granny was celebrating her 95th birthday. We had these bright yellow T-shirts made for all the family members to wear to the party.

I enjoyed seeing all the little people again! They grow up so fast and are so cute...
(Yasir wearing my glasses, Trevan and Leah (lives in LA), and Leah, Samane and I - the girls had just finished eating chocolate)

The most thrilling adventure was snorkeling parts of the second largest barrier reef in the world. Trevan even got to touch a sting ray as our guide held it for him.

As I reflect back on the trip I realize that having Trevan meet my granny and my family in Belize was more important to me than I realized. Many of my childhood summers were spent there, and a big part of who I am was formed during those years. It was wonderful sharing some of that with him.

My Niece!

2007-10-19T19:26:00.000-04:00

Last Monday I became an aunt! It is one of the happiest things that has ever happened in my life. Little Ainsley Rebecca Ng is the cutest baby ever...I know, everyone says that, but this baby is really the cutest ever!!! I have pictures to prove it.

I told you she was cute!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2007-10-15T21:24:00.000-04:00

As I look back on my 25th year of life, I realize that I had no expectations for that year at all. Yet, that year brought me to a new city, a new job, and a fabulous house.

Looking to my 26th year I can foresee no major changes. No big moves, no new jobs, no big purchases. Yet my anticipation for the adventures ahead are not dampened.

To be honest, this birthday totally snuck up on me. With all the trips and work, I did not realize it was almost my birthday till Friday. Usually I look forward to this day from the beginning of October! Yeah, birthdays are big in my book.

Still, my joy was not lessened by the belated realization that October 15 was closer than I imagined. I guess the great thing about birthdays - my birthdays anyways - is that there is always hope that this year will bring me closer to my goals. The anticipation that maybe this year I will accomplish something that was not accomplished last year.

Or maybe it is just a positive way of saying that I am getting old!

Great Sermon, Great Body!

2007-10-14T13:25:00.000-04:00

In the front of the church a table filled with bread and oil beckoned me. I noticed that the bread was arranged in the shape of a body.

People took their seats and the service began. The scripture reading was taken from I Corinthians 12. This chapter talks about the body of Christ, and how God has chosen each one of us and given us a specific function as members of His body.

Trevan started his sermon by talking about our diverse gifts, then about how we are all part of a puzzle, and of our responsibility to each other as part of one body. "God", he said, "has destined each one of you to be here. When He created you, he had October, 2007 in mind, and gave you the gifts you would need to serve humanity today."

My favorite part of the service came when he uttered the words: "If you want to continue being a professional church attender (benchwarmer), and have no intention of using your gifts for God, then you should stop coming. Get out of here!".

Service ended with Trevan calling those who where committed to action to partake of the bread on the table. We were to dip the bread in the oil, symbolizing our desire for the infusion of the Holy Spirit. That through the Spirit's power, we would truly be made one, and we would find God's plan for our lives as part of a grander puzzle.

It was a powerful experience, and definitely the kick in the pants I needed!

If you want to hear the sermon check out the Far West End SDA Church website. It probably won't be up for a couple weeks, but it is an important message.

Snapshot

2007-10-14T10:34:00.000-04:00

Ok, so my life has been one big trip after another for the past couple weeks. I just wanted to give you a snapshot of what happened since September 26, then I will try to write a bit more about each trip, journey, whatever.

September 26 - October 1: Trevan and I went to Belize to celebrate my granny's 95th birthday, which turned out to be a huge family reunion.

October 7 - Morning of October 9: Was at a conference in Williamsburg for pastor's and their families.

October 8: my niece, Ainsley Rebecca Ng, was born.

The afternoon of October 9 - October 11: Went out to Sandy Point for a retreat with my job.

Yesterday: Trevan preached an amazing sermon at church.

Tomorrow: My 26th birthday.

Yes, I have been busy. More to come later!

Our Bedroom

2007-09-07T21:58:00.000-04:00

Belatedly I realize that I have totally forgotten to show you the rest of our house. So without further delay, I present our bedroom....

BEFORE

On Moving Day

Trevan and I decided to buy an unfinished dresser so I could practice finishing furniture. So here is what it looked like before I stained it.

Here it is!

Trevan's mom made the valance, the bed post, the bed skirt, and the vision for the room. She is definitely worth hiring! :)

And here is the dresser! I did a great job, if I do say so myself.

So now you see the paradise we sleep in each night!

Up next, pictures of our bathroom and the guest bedroom.

Grandpa Osborn

2007-09-07T21:49:00.000-04:00

The past couple weeks have been very busy in my life. At work I am currently working on a three-year development plan. In our personal lives we have suffered greatly over the past couple weeks with the passing of Grandpa Osborn. Trevan wrote a very posting about the life that his grandfather lived. Bellow is the posting.

The blog has been silent for a little while now because my Grandfather died on August 24 from Pneumonia. I was in Maryland with family for the week and we had a good time celebrating and remembering the wonderful memories we have from our time with him. Ron, my cousin, and I did the Eulogy and spoke about the four characteristics which defined his life and have profoundly influenced ours. We spoke about his:

1. Integrity

2. Fairness

3. Loyalty

4. Generosity

While we are saddened by the loss, it’s also a time of great joy and new life for our family. Two of the grandkids weren’t able to attend the memorial service because of pregnancy. Last Monday my cousin, Lorelie, had her second child, Rianna Beth Krussow. She weighed a whopping 10 pounds, 14 ounces. My sister, Heather, is due in early October with a baby girl.

It’s been a roller coaster ride for me this week as I’ve been confronted again by the tensions we all live with. I’ve been faced with death but also celebrated new life. There’s been intense sorrow followed by great joy. I’ve found that trusting in the one who is “the resurrection and the life” in the midst of these tensions is what brings me through.

Events leading up to our anniversary!

2007-08-07T11:07:00.000-04:00

I have already related the story of our journey to MD to send off our friend Michelle to Korea. Just wanted to share the picture that we took at the restaurant at like midnight!

Have a great trip Michelle!

Happy Anniversary to ME! - Part One

2007-08-01T21:35:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrated out three-year anniversary!

There are many events that led up to making this day very special!

On Sabbath we went to Maryland after church to attend the baby shower of Tommy and Andrea Norris. Tommy and Trevan grew up together and share a deep passion for sports, which has made them great friends over the years. It was really special to be able to share this important moment with them, even if we got there an hour before the shower ended (traffic into MD was terrible).

Following the baby shower, we went over to spend a couple hours with Grandma and Grandpa Osborn and were pleasantly surprised to find Trevan's aunt and uncle also there.

Later that night we left to go to a farewell party for our friend Michelle, who is going to Korea as a missionary for the next year. She has been a very good friend although she is a Republican! (inside joke).

We left MD at midnight and drove back home. It was thrilling trying to recapture our youth when we were able to stay up and drive all night! Got home around 3 Sunday morning.

Then on Sunday some of our friends stopped by to drop off an early anniversary gift...A brand new gas grill!!
It was raining that afternoon so we had to assemble the grill in our kitchen. We honestly cannot remember getting a better anniversary gift! Needless to say, I will be planning lots of summer gatherings at our house.

Thank you!

To be continued...

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall?

2007-07-21T17:45:00.000-04:00

For that funny story connected to July 4th I promised you...

It was a wonderful surprise to have our friends Dan and Ayo call to tell us that they were in the Richmond area and would like to come by and see us for a couple hours on the 4th. We were thrilled to have them even for a short time.

They arrived while Trevan and I were putting the finishing touches on the bathroom for the guests that we would have a bit later.

One of these finishing touches was a huge mirror that was to go atop the vanity. Because it was just a flat mirror we decided to stick it with mounting tape. Unfortunately for us, the wall in the bathroom is terribly uneven, so we belatedly realized that the mirror was being supported by just a few pieces of tape, while most of the tape was not even hitting the wall...What brought about this realization?

Back up a few minutes...

Ayo: how do you like having your own house?
Shari: It is a lot of work, but very rewarding... blah, blah, blah

CRASH!!!!!

Shari: What was that?

We ran to the bathroom to find that the mirror had fallen and crashed to a million pieces. Frantically I got the broom and started sweeping up the shards of glass on the floor before our guest got there...doorbell rings...too late, they are already here!

Needless to say, we had a very crazy start to our first gathering at the house, but I am happy to announce that it all went well, no one got hurt in the incident, and Ayo got a very vivid answer to her question!

Pictures of the bathroom to follow!

Blog Interrrupted

2007-07-21T17:28:00.000-04:00

There has been a million things that have happened to prevent me from blogging as frequently as I would like to. Bellow is a short recap of the past couple months.

1. In April I started a new job and continued renovations on the house.
2. In June I had to go to Dayton for a job-related conference, preparations for which kept me extremely busy.
3. Although I was hired as the development director for Initiatives of Change, I have also taken on the communications position until we hire someone, so, in essence I am doing the job of two people!
4. We finally had a bunch of visitors over to the house. The big project was the bathroom which took forever to finish. We had to remove wallpaper which was really awful. We finally finished it up and had the young adults over for July 4. We bought a grill and had a fun cookout with about 20 people. Funny story to come in regards to this particular event...
5. My parents came down on the 4th and stayed through Sabbath. Dad saved us at least $1500 by removing three huge tree stumps. Leo and Trevan did a bunch of raking and yardwork to get the yard looking decent and my mom and I replanted some basil and a palm tree.
6. That same Sabbath, Trevan's dad, grandma and grandpa, and aunt and uncle came down so we had a great day.
7. Last weekend our friends Andre and Heather stayed with us. Andre preached an excellent sermon on Sabbath, we had a great potluck with the young adults, and got to hang out.
8. Went to Busch Gardens on Sunday with the young adult group from church and had a blast. Trevan forced me to go on this new roller coaster named “Griffon.” There is a 205 foot, 90 degree drop that they stop the cars right over for a few seconds. You basically dangle there starring straight down wondering what brand of stupidity possessed you to get on in the first place! Survived that and plan on going again on August 19th. Want to join us?

This whole list is an excuse for why my blogging has been very sparse, at best. Hope to do better in the coming weeks!

Luray Caverns

2007-06-25T15:25:00.000-04:00

This weekend was an extremely interesting experience for me. I joined Trevan up at SVA for the Potomac Conference campmeeting. We stayed in the boys dorm in separate beds and communal showers...

On Sabbath afternoon we got together with Deidra and Otis to have lunch and hang out for a couple hours before the evening program. Someone had the thought to go check out Luray Caverns and off we went.

It is always amazing to see the wonders this world has to offer. Can't wait to see what heaven will be like!

True Evangelism

2007-06-07T10:14:00.000-04:00

In our quest to prove that our biblical beliefs are solid, we sometimes come across as unbending, irrational fools! Personally, I am very convicted on my love for Christ and my acceptance of His sacrifice for me. This leads me to be passionate about helping others see my point of view, but that does not necessarily make sense to others.

This article by Mike Lowe expresses very logically, I think, the basic barrier to proper evangelism. It is not our jobs to pound others with the truth, but to build bridges that they can cross as they find meaning in the lives we live, and more importantly, and they see we understand and care for them just as they are.

It's been a long time!

2007-06-07T09:50:00.001-04:00

Wow, I really have dropped the ball with this whole blogging business. Sorry about that. I am back!

For over two months now I have been working for an international NGO based in Switzerland. The name of the organization is Initiatives of Change, formerly Moral Re-Armament. This organization seeks to engage people of all races, religions, economic backgrounds, and cultural backgrounds, in ways which build trust accross the world.

The US offices are based in Richmond, and they have worked most specifically with race issues in this area. They are very well known in the metro Richmond area for their ability to train leaders to build strong, integrated communities that value and embrace each others differences.

In Washington D.C., there is another office that is working very closely with Muslim/Christian dialogs. Thrying to get these two religions to understand, respect, and trust each other. No easy feat.

Although I have only been here a little while, it has been crazy and I am definitely working hard for my pay check! Next week we have a big forum in Dayton, Ohio, and we have all been working hard to pull all the speakers and activities together. If you are in that area you should check it out.

If you are like me, you have felt alone in your quest to change the world. Through this job I have found that there are thousands of people all over the world that feel the same way. Part of my job is to help those people find us, and others that are trying to make a difference and help them "plug-in" to the movement. Although there is a long way to go before the world is a better place, I have now learned that I am a better person for trying to change it, and that makes the world better!

He's Gone

2007-04-28T18:25:00.000-04:00

I blame myself for Sanjaya being voted off the show. This time I only voted six times and hoped that America would do the rest. Oh well, so much for the musically challenged making it!

Fanjaya

2007-04-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

After failed attempts at voting for American Idol contestants during the second season, I gave up trying. Really I gave up on the show completely... Still love Kelly and Carrie though!

This season, however, has drawn me back in with the arrival of unlikely Sanjaya Malakar. If you had never heard Sanjaya sing, but saw the little girl that cried during his performance, you would have assumed he was a wonderful singer. For those of you that have heard him sing, you are thinking "What is wrong with her?".

I remember laughing the morning after the show aired when I saw the report on the Today show. God definitely did not imbue Sanjaya with the gift of singing like an angel. He has a wimpy, shaky voice and should have never gotten to where he is.

Why then did I find myself voting for him MULTIPLE times after last week's show? Because God did not imbue me with any singing or musical abilities either. If you think about it you will see how cruel life can be for a pastor's wife that does not play the piano, sing, or, well has no musical ability. I have actually had people ask me, "So what do you do?".

So, for all of us that consider it quite cruel that some have the gift of music while others just pray in vain for divine voices, Sanjaya stands as an example that having a great personality (and girls crying while you perform) is worth much more than actual talent. In honor of his effort I have become a Fanjaya too! Either his effort or the desire to get back at people that consider you worthless if you can't sing.

Our Den!

2007-03-26T16:22:00.000-04:00

I know you have been patiently anticipating pictures of our den, so here they are!

The previous owner was a model train enthusiast...This is what the room looked like before our move.
When we moved in we first had to remove the railing on the top of the room. Then remove the wallpaper trimming. Then Spackle, sand paper, wash the walls, and finally paint.
Then we had to put back together our impossible entertainment center and put back all our heavy equipment! See Trevan staining?

Finally, Mrs. Osborn came and helped us put the finishing touches on the room. Viola! Here is our den today. A modern retreat in which to entertain guests and a place for Trevan to work on his sermons and anything else he deems worthy of his time.
Thank you for your patience. Coming soon...pictures of our bedroom!

Currently working on our bathroom...

Wild Life

2007-03-25T18:39:00.000-04:00

The previous owners of our house told us that each spring a couple of owls nest in the woods behind our house. I have eagerly been anticipating their arrival.

A couple weeks ago I began to hear them at different intervals during the day. Since then they have been quite noisy during the night, but until today we still had not seen them. This afternoon however, we heard them and decided to go outside and check it out.

At first we noticed about three crows flying around the area. Then we saw one of the owls fighting the crows away from the hole in the trunk of the tree were the other owl was incubating the eggs! Very National Geographic! I tried taking pictures, but we don't have a camera with great zoom, so they are not great pics.We plan on purchasing binoculars and a better camera soon so we can get pictures of the baby owls. In a couple weeks they should be here and supposedly we will see them learning to fly right in our back yard! I'll keep you posted.

A Sweet Retreat!

2007-03-16T21:23:00.000-04:00

Some of you might remember how excited I was about the possibility of converting one of the bedrooms in our new house into a craft room. Well, after many hours of labor and lots of red paint...I give you my craft room...Wait not yet. Here is what the room looked like before all the paint and furniture.
Now...Here it is! My craft room! A room in which I have crammed all my favorite things...
My trusty tiger friend Winter! I love this little tiger so much... I often imagine that in heaven I will have a real one as my trusty companion.
My TV, which I purchased in college after working my behind off for a couple weeks. It is very old, but it works. I usually watch my shows when Trevan is busy with work or at meetings in the evenings. I also treasure a painting that my friend Rosie painted for me! My sewing machine, which I have not learned how to use yet, but I will take classes soon!
Another touch I added are these framed butterflies from Costa Rica. Trevan things only grandmas have things like these hanging from their walls, but they remind me of my country and its luscious greenery and wild life, so they stay...
Even Trevan shares this special place with me...

I really love this room and the quiet times I spend here. It is a place where God and I can commune in perfect harmony even though the walls are Merlot red!

Crazy Life

2007-03-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

It has been a long time since I have wrote anything at all. Between moving in, sprucing up, job hunting and getting sick for over a week, my life has been quite crazy.

This particular post however, is about a fabulously funny adventure of mine a couple weeks ago. As I mentioned I have been going on various job interviews trying to find the right place to work. On this particular day I was ready early and was sitting on the floor of our den enjoying my breakfast and the Today show.

Trevan walked in with his breakfast and sad on the sofa next to me. Wanting to cuddle with my husband before heading off, I got up off the floor and flopped onto the couch. The next thing I knew, Trevan was yelling "NO!". I quickly got up and looked at my behind...There it was, a half of Trevan's bagel on my backside.
I wanted to take a picture for you right then and there, but I had to rush to my room, throw another pair of pants on and head out to my interview. But as you can see, I did get a picture before washing my pants. Just another day in the life of Shari!

Adventures in the life of a Pastor's Wife (PW)

2007-02-08T12:17:00.000-05:00

I have been debating whether to relate some of my experiences as a pastor's wife for quite some time now. Sometimes I think it would be therapeutic, and other times I think it will allow you to see how inadequate I can be! Catch 22

Well I have decided to do it anyway...

My first anecdote is actually quite mortifying. Last Sunday the church decided to have a party and show the Super Bowl while allowing the kids to come and have a grand-old-time playing games and hitting a piñata. As a good pastor, Trevan dragged me to the party! I was not terribly happy to be there because I do not like showing people my competitive, somewhat obnoxious side...especially when the Colts' are playing...Go Colts!!!!

Anyways, I opted for demure, almost bored-out-of-my-mind behavior to temper the more natural side of me. Unfortunately, by half-time I was itching to do something so I started throwing a football around with Trevan.

"Oh, I am feeling a lot better now, more loose, more happy. This is fun! I can be myself, no harm done...NO!" Imagine my horror as a pass came out of my hands too high and too hard and HIT a lady sitting like a mile behind Trevan. With the most contrite smile I could muster I waved at her and apologized to no avail. She gave me the most unforgiving look...almost as if saying "You little twit."

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the evening sitting at my seat with my hands clasped firmly in my lap, reprimanding myself for my actions..."Way to go pastor's wife, hitting the parishioners over the head with a football. Nice work there! That will really get them to warm-up to you..."

Oh well, one of the many mistakes I will make as a PW. Stay tune for more stories, because even though I don't want there to be more stories, I am sure there will be a lot more where this one came from!

The Sabbath

2007-02-02T19:58:00.000-05:00

I've often thought about my reasons for yearning for the Sabbath's arrival. There are weeks I just can't wait for it to be Friday so I can start celebrating the Sabbath's return.

What do I find in this day that changes my life? I certainly appreciate being able to take a day off from work. I also get to put away my paint brush, hammer, and any other tools that I have been using throughout the week to do little jobs around the house.

When I was in high-school I looked forward to church because I got to dress-up and hang out with my friends. I loved singing and playing bible games. But why do I still yearn today?

Maybe its the quiet serenity of a night without television or grocery lists or meetings. I rather suspect that it is God's promise to meet us in this day and take those burdens that have weighed so heavily on our backs all week long. I know God promises to take our burdens regardless of what day of the week we bring our trials to Him. But there is something about the Sabbath rest that makes that promise more palpable and real...That is why I yearn.

Roger Wins!... Again

2007-02-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

There are very few things in life that are givens. Deep down we know that miracles happen, but they are not very likely. Cancer can be cured, but not very likely. Not even tomorrow is certain for any of us. Life is just so unpredictable...

Wait! There are some things we can predict. Superman will escape near death twice in the same movie and still have enough time to save the world, Batman will disarm the bomb in time to save the girl, Spiderman will continue weaving his web regardless of who tries to stop him, and...of course, Roger Federer will win the big match!

Although he has his moments of weakness (French Open), you can always count on him to come back at the next Open and destroy anyone that stands in the path of him and that trophy.

I don't know about you, but I like having constants in my life. Thank you Roger!

Australian Open Women's Final

2007-01-27T23:39:00.000-05:00

The question: "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" has been asked by many since the, now, 19 year-old Russian diva began her ascent to the top seeded position in tennis. The answer: match her up against a Serena Williams with something to prove. Welcome back Serena!

Serena entered the open seeded 82nd in the world. Coming back from a knee injury and months out of real competition, not even her mother gave her a vote of confidence stating that she was "rusty". Serena battled a cold, blisters, and constant near losses during her road to the finals. She was on a mission to prove that she is still a contender, and a dangerous one at that.

After watching the semis matches between Sharapova and Clijsters, and Williams and Vaidisova I was confident that Serena would win the open. In the semis Maria's service game was so atrocious she should have lost. Unfortunately, Clijsters seemed to have taken pity on her a allowed her to win by playing even more atrociously.

The morning after the semis matches I prophetically told Trevan that if Sharapova played against Serena the way she played Kim, Serena would destroy her. I was right! After six double faults on Maria's part and only 3 games won during the entire match, the score was a definitive 6-1, 6-2. Serena won in straights without even seeing a fight from Maria.

I thoroughly enjoyed the match! Maria's constant groaning, grunting and screaming drive me crazy, so it was nice to have Serena shut her up. Sometimes I feel this undeniable urge to hit the "mute" button and just watch her (Maria) matches in silence. Although I would not pay to see her play, I would kill for her legs!

I am greatly anticipating the men's final!

Funny Story

2007-01-21T16:47:00.000-05:00

It took three weeks to get the den ready for a fresh coat of paint. Hard work went into taking the wallpaper off the trim, washing down the walls, spackling all the nail holes and sand papering the lumps all over the wall.

Last night we got all our gear ready and started painting. We used a lamp in addition to the ceiling light to make sure we had good visibility. It took a little over an hour to get the room painted. By end of the night we were giddy with anticipation.

This morning Trevan left early for board meeting and I went to clean up the den to get it ready for furniture. The color looked lighter than it had last night and...what is that? Are those streaks? Oh no, the whole wall is not painted properly! To my horror I discovered that although we thought we had enough lighting, it was not enough. We had missed some areas.

Laughter started bubbling out of me. It was so funny to think how excited we had been to have the room completed and now this! When Trevan got back from board meeting we went around the room and assessed the damage, or lack there off. We fixed the "problem areas", and are now hoping that tomorrow we will claim the victory over the den and finally have one room completed.

I promise I will show you pictures once it is all done. I want the transformation to be really dramatic...

The First Couple Weeks

2007-01-18T22:50:00.000-05:00

Wow! It has been a rough couple weeks. I am starting to get into the flow of Richmond, the new house, the re-decorating and painting, but the pastor's wife thing is coming along a bit slowly.

Last week Trevan was gone every single night, except for Friday. That was hard! I am so use to having him around. This week has been a bit better, but most of our time together is spent working on the house. We have been working on unpacking, removing wallpaper, sanding walls, priming and lots of other odd jobs. When we aren't working on the house I am talking about the house. What color should we paint the den? I think we should ask the people at Home Depot how much it would cost to change the floor in the bathroom. Should we paint our cabinets in the kitchen or get new ones? I am just full of ideas and questions that take over every single conversation we have.

Finally tonight we were able to have a nice date night and just hang out with each other for a couple hours. We went out to eat and then just drove down a couple streets just to explore the area. I begin to see how important having a regular date night is going to be.

I'm TIRED!

2007-01-06T18:53:00.000-05:00

Things have been extremely crazy the past couple days.
Friday - find out that grandpa died...slept most of the day to block out the pain.
Sabbath - went to two different churches and hung out with family and friends.
Sunday - after meeting with two groups of friends we were too tired to celebrate the new year.
Monday - went to see grandpa Osborn then drove to Richmond for a walk-through of our house.
Tuesday - closed on the house and started moving things in.
Wednesday - moved into our house and started unpacking.
Thursday - the house has a few more problems than we originally thought so there is a lot more work.
Friday - desperately try to unpack more of the overwhelming boxes. Drove out two hours to meet my brother who was on his way to Tennessee and was bringing my car down.
Sabbath - visit our church for the first time and have practically forgotten most of the people I met today...have to do better than that.

Bottom Line - I AM TIRED! Our house still needs months of work. Anyways. I will keep you updated on all the fun projects we work on.

NOTE: I spoke to my parents who are in Costa Rica for my grandpa's funeral. They said all went well and that the funeral was very well attended (standing room only!) My dad said that my grandma is doing a lot better than they thought and that she is dealing with it really well. I am very happy to hear that! Thanks for your prayers and support.

My Grandfather

2007-01-01T19:54:00.000-05:00

People say that daughters usually marry someone that reminds them of their father. In my case, I think I choose someone that reminds me of my grandfather. Grandpa Pottinger has been skinny his whole life, much like Trevan. He loves eating! In fact, his favorite thing is candy. Needless to say, Christmas gifts for grandpa were always a dead giveaway. I would get him a big bag of candy that he would take to his room and eat little by little till the following Christmas.

One of my favorite things about grandpa Pottinger is his passion for life. Whether he was telling a story about ghosts, or one about his neighbors, emotions would run so high in him that he would start crying! His enthusiasm rubbed off sometimes and we would all be crying after a sad story.

Although we never talked much, it was always pleasant to just sit his front deck and see him say hello to the people that passed by.

This year I want to take Trevan to meet grandpa Pottinger...It was approximately 9 in the morning on Friday when my phone rang. It was my father..."Grandpa died at 4:45 this morning" WHAT? Oh No! My heart sank and my head started to pound.

Yes, grandpa was 96 and he had some health problems, but death always takes you by surprise. I find myself asking selfish questions: Why couldn't grandpa wait till next year so Trevan would have a chance to meet him? Why did he leave me? What am I suppose to do now that I don't have a grandpa anymore (my other grandpa died before my parents were married)?

Finally I am coming to grips with the reality that I am not going to have my family with me forever. I am thankful to God for the opportunity to visit my granny this year, and I pray that He will keep my grandma Pottinger alive long enough for me to see her again.

Christmas Expectations

2006-12-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

For the first couple years of my life Christmas was all about my gifts! As the years progressed it became a lot more important to give great gifts to others. I love picking fun stuff for people and know that it is something they really want or that they really want.

Expectations changed dramatically when I got married a couple years ago. I remember the first Christmas I spent with Trevan's family. It felt so un-Christmas like to be at someone else's house opening gifts. I had grown use to my parents living room, my mom's food, my father starting a fire, and my brother and I hovering around the gifts.

This year we are spending Christmas with Trevan's family again, but things are a lot different now. I have gotten use to being around Trevan's family, to grandma's cooking, to her living room and hovering over a new tree!

I am sure expectations will again change once we have children and it is all about them! I guess things will always be changing, but one thing about Christmas never changes...I LOVE IT!

Our House

2006-12-09T23:44:00.000-05:00

Although we do not close on the house till January 2, I feel like it is mine already. I lay awake at night visualizing the set up, the colors, the furniture...It's all very exciting.

Even from the front you can tell that the house is really cozy and inviting.

I also love the fact that there is a nice back yard and a deck! We can finally get a grill and have veggie BBQ!

Luckily, Mrs. Osborn has agreed to help us with the painting and decorating since she is so much better at it than I am. I will post our progress periodically so you can see how things are going!

My Last Day

2006-12-08T23:03:00.000-05:00

Today I went to work at ASAP for the last time. It should have been an emotional day, but it was just another day at the office! Trouble shootings, contacting donors, sending out letters, and making sure my stuff was all in order to Aliya (my replacement) would not go crazy trying to figure my files out.

When all is said and done I will miss them very much. Although Aliya has only been there for two months she has proven that she is very efficient at problem solving. She also likes making funny faces and telling me stories about her husband and her friends. JoAn is sweet and always comes to my office for snacks. I can remember times when I was leaving for the bank and asked her if she needed anything she would say "some fries please". She was not joking!

These two girls have been my partners in crime and my most reliable allies when things stop working in the office (which happens more often than anyone would want to admit). Yes, I will definitely miss them. Karen, Judy and Julia are very nice people too. They were all very kind to me while I was there.

I now move on into the unknown. No one, but God, knows where I will end up next, but I know it will be great!

We found It!

2006-11-27T13:42:00.000-05:00

Our house-hunting adventure began on Monday. We woke up early and started the drive from Maryland to Richmond. Our realtor was meeting us at 11:00 that morning to see five houses. I was excited about the possibilities.

Trevan and I had were aware that the pressure would be on to find somewhere to live in just two day, but we would not let that impair our ability to choose wisely. Armed with that thought, we set out to see the houses. Hours later we had seen the five houses we were to see that day and our realtor was talking to us about a couple more possibilities for Tuesday.

Although one house had caught our attention, it was not the "it" I had been hoping for. You know that "it" feeling you get when you try on the perfect wedding gown, find the perfect man or the perfect pair of jeans. The "This is IT" feeling. Disappointed but not desperate, we went to our hotel room that night not expecting the next day to bring much.

The first house we visited on Tuesday definitely proved not to be much at all. This house really confirmed that maybe my "it" would have to wait till our second house or even our third one...Not very encouraging.

However, all discouraging thoughts disappeared as we pulled up to the second house. "I like the outside very much" I thought. When the door opened and I started roaming the house, a warm fuzzy feeling began to flow through me. "I can totally live here and be happy. I think...Oh wow, look at that back yard, and the den, and...My craft room! Yes this room is perfect for my craft room! I heard myself say "THIS IS IT!".

Trevan was taking pictures of the rooms when I snuggled up to him and gently whispered "I am home". His smiling eyes looked into mine as if to say "So am I".

Moving On!

2006-11-16T09:43:00.000-05:00

On Monday night the Potomac Conference finally called Trevan to let him know where we are headed to next...Richmond, VA here we come!

Since that night my emotions have been a total roller coaster. Hysterical giggles started erupting from within me as soon as I heard the news. "So much for going to Maryland and living in Takoma Park" I thought. After an hour or so, my mood began to brighten. Richmond sounds like a happening place - online anyways - and it provides me with a fresh start. The point is not where we go, the point is to get out of Berrien Springs. Although I have met wonderful people while here, it is no secret that this has not been the best situation of our lives. Yes, my mood was definitely better.

The next day I went online to see what jobs were open in the area. Once again my mood took a plunge. Nothing half way interesting! Just the same old jobs that are open everywhere else. In order to get the job I want I need experience, but I cannot get experience because no one will hire me in the first place because of my lack of experience. The job cycle that has plagued my life seems bound to continue in spite of my new start.

That afternoon I started looking for houses and my mood once again soared. We might be able to buy a house! Richmond is definitely not Maryland when it comes to the housing boom, and we actually have a decent shot at buying a house. I started dreaming of my house and my "craft room". Oh yeah, Richmond is great once again!

The next day we talk to Scott, our financial adviser, and my spirits plummeted again. He is a great financial adviser, which means, he will bring you back to earth when you get too happy! Although he encouraged us to get a house, it is definately not my dream house with a craft room. I realized that I was trying to skip forward forty years into the future when we might actually have money to buy a house that will allow for a "craft room".

Today we leave for Maryland on a long, much needed vacation. We will spend the weekend with Trevan's grandparents, then go to Richmond the first part of next week to survey the scene, and later that week go to my parents in Jersey for Thanksgiving. I am not quite sure what my mood is today, but I am sure the roller coaster ride is far from over!

On Adventism

2006-11-01T15:45:00.000-05:00

Trevan's post from this morning gave both a massive headache, and a giggling fit. He explores a blog posted on the mailing of a bunch of flyers in SF prior to the evangelistic series he helped out in last month. I certainly recommend you read it and join me in weeping...

This is what people think of us! Thanks to Rod Parsley and other TV evangelists, we are all being packaged as one big bunch of crazy fundies with a big red bow on top (George W.). To make matters worse, Adventist insist on using scare tactics to get people to come out and hear the "truth". Trevan is right, the people that are defining Adventism are making us look scary and I want out.

I am tired of sitting through sermons that talk about the "remnant" and the "truth" when in reality we are just plain scary. People were attracted to Jesus because His brand of religion made their lives better. What are we doing to make people's lives better? How are those ridiculous flyers helping anyone? Yes, you could argue that if people actually came to the meetings they would learn how to live better lives, but would they really? Is figuring out what the mark of the beast is and understanding the 2300 days improving your quality of life? Has it helped you solve relationship problems? Paid any of your bills and got you back on track financially? If it has, then let me know how that worked out for you...

Personally I give up on the conservative, modernist right!

Conversation with Isaiah Duong

2006-10-31T09:32:00.000-05:00

Today I had the unique privilege of driving pastor Isaiah Duong (goes by Isah Young sometimes) to the airport. I say privilege because it is very seldom that anyone is able to talk to him for twenty minutes as I was able to. He is a very busy man...
He is the speaker for the Peace and Happiness radio broadcast of the SDA church into communist Vietnam. In addition to this he is the leader of the underground house-church movement in Vietnam, and the pastor of three Vietnamese churches in California. He is also a father of three! As I said, the man is busy.

As many of you know, Vietnam is a communist country. As such, Christians are under constant fear for their lives. At ASAP we have received countless stories about house-church members being interrogated and beaten for their faith. I wanted to talk to pastor Duong about this problem.

Questions I asked Pastor Duong

Q. Is the work growing in Vietnam?
A. Although there is a lot of persecution of SDAs, the gospel is really touching lives and the work is so much more than we can handle. We always need more literature, more bibles, more pastors...More. In the official record of the SDA church there are not many Adventist in Vietnam. This is because the Vietnamese Mission leaders are communists appointed by the government. Most of our new members are not registered as official Adventist because the Mission leaders would report them to the government. Despite all this, there are over 300,000 Sabbath keepers in Vietnam and we have to try to nurture them and teach them as best as we can.

Q. Why does the Adventist world church continue to give the Vietnamese mission money if they are communists?
A. To keep the lines of communication open. If we do not give them money then they will stop recognizing Adventists officially and close down all Adventist operations resulting in more ferocious persecution.

Q. Do you think communism will ever die in Vietnam?
A. It all depends on China. If China's communist government goes down, Vietnam's will follow.

Q. Can you visit Vietnam to check on the progress of the work? (he aswered this one with a big smile)
A. In the police academies in Vietnam they tell all the students to watch out for five Americans: George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, the head of the CIA, and Isaiah Duong. They tell them that these five people can really destroy their country! Airport officials have my picture so they can apprehend me if I ever try to enter the country. I am on the most wanted list.

Q. Have any of the pastors you work with in Vietnam been killed by the government?
A. Yes. We know of a few of them, but lately we believe that there have been a lot more that we do not know about because certain areas of the country are blocked off and our people are not allowed to pass. It is hard to hear the stories of their tortures and apprehensions.

My conversation ended very abruptly as we were trying to figure out the right way into the little South Bend Airport, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Living in the United States it is hard to imagine that people have to hide to be able to worship God, but it happens everyday in Vietnam and many other countries. ASAP supports 250 Vietnamese pastors, but as pastor Isaiah said, they need more...

I have often wondered if the reason why Adventism and other religions are dying in the Western world is because we do not have persecution and therefore life seems too manageable to need God...