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!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Happy Anniversary to ME! - Part One
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...
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...
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Mirror, Mirror, on the wall?
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!
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
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!
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!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Luray Caverns
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...
It is always amazing to see the wonders this world has to offer. Can't wait to see what heaven will be like!
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!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
True Evangelism
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.
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!
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!
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!
Saturday, April 28, 2007
He's Gone
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!
Friday, April 06, 2007
Fanjaya
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.
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.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Our Den!
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...
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...
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Wild Life
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 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.
Friday, March 16, 2007
A Sweet Retreat!
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!
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!
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