Ninjas in the kitchen

"We don't need you to make fake ninja sounds, we need you to eat your dinner!"
-Dad, to Luke

Little Kids

I love my new brothers and sisters...and my old ones, too. ;) It is crazy with 4 kids, ages 8 1/2 - 5, running around constantly. But hey, I never cease to be amused!! :)

Christmas Eve
After waking up to a light on in the boys' room:
Luke: Look! I finished this Lego! (waves boat in the air)
Me: Luke, do you know what time it is?
Luke: Mmmmm, 4:30.

Watching "The Three Stooges"
Lexie: What are they doing to the man?
Brenda: I don't know, but that's a jackhammer!

Nicknames
Luke: Why do you call us names of food? Why can't you just call me The Hulk?
[Brenda has been Pickle for quite a while, Luke is Jalapeno, and the other two don't have nicknames yet.]

Lucas Lee, D.D.S.
Lexie: I want to lose my tooth now!
Luke: I can take it out! I'll use one of my tools! I'll use a wrench!!

Unclean
Mom: You need to take your socks off; they look kind of dirty.
Luke: I'll just turn one inside out.

Headgear
Me: Gio, you can't wear this to church. [I pull off his coonskin cap.]

Gotta love 'em! :)

I wish I knew German

“Break up” is a stupid phrase. Two tiny words to denote a total reversal of feelings, attitudes, actions, and thoughts. That’s why I wish I knew German. Apparently in German, words are added together to make a really long word that actually means one very specific thing. I’m not going to attempt it, even in English, but all that to say, I really hate the phrase “break up.”

By now you have guessed it: Amos and I ended our relationship of 3.3 months. However, just because our “relationship” ended does not mean that our friendship ended. On the contrary, it is doing pretty well.

So, why did we end this? ‘Cuz God showed me very clearly that we should not get married farther down the road. When Amos and I started dating in September, we both talked about and agreed upon the goal of dating to see if marriage would be an option. We talked about it then, and we continued to talk about it through our relationship. Both of our sets of parents were praying for us, along with many, many others.
Though I really enjoyed dating Amos and do not regret a single minute of it, I still had doubts. I thought about these very carefully, tried to justify them away, talked to Amos about a few of them, and so on…But something in the back of my mind still bothered me.
It was nothing Amos did wrong, it was nothing I did wrong. Rather it was God working through my thoughts and perceptions to show me that this was not right for us. And I had to respond to His leading.
I don’t know why I had to be the one to see it. I don’t know why.
I do know that I was very sad and did not want to hurt Amos. I did not want to hurt him, yet there was no other way.
So we broke up.
And I felt horrible. And Amos felt horrible.
There are no hard feelings between us. We are still friends, which will hopefully continue for a very long time.

Though it sounds cliché, I really do believe that God has worked this for our good. Because in my 22 years, I can look back and see how God has used so many hard things in my life for something good. That is not to say that I understand everything that He did, but I know that He loves me and I know that He loves Amos.

Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
-Isaiah 46:4 NKJV

He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
-Psalm 147:3-5 NKJV

So how are we doing now? I am fine, and Amos is fine. God has been good to comfort us by talking with each other, with other close friends, and with Him. Yes, there is still missing going on. But once again, I do not regret one minute of it. As my friend Danielle said, “God led to you to date Amos and now He has led you away from him.”

God is good?
All the time!
All the time?
God. is. good.

Ctrl+Z

I sometimes wish Life had an "undo" button. Not to undo my decisions, but to undo the pain that must inevitably follow.

But God is the God of healing. What other gods heal? They all say, "Too bad for you!"
Actually, they don't say anything.


Bel bows down, Nebo stoops;
Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle.
Your carriages were heavily loaded,
A burden to the weary beast.
They stoop, they bow down together;
They could not deliver the burden,
But have themselves gone into captivity.
“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
Who have been upheld by Me from birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
And compare Me, that we should be alike?
They lavish gold out of the bag,
And weigh silver on the scales;
They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god;
They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it
And set it in its place, and it stands;
From its place it shall not move.
Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
Nor save him out of his trouble.
Remember this, and show yourselves men;
Recall to mind, O you transgressors.
Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man who executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed I have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it.
Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted,
Who are far from righteousness:
I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off;
My salvation shall not linger.
And I will place salvation in Zion,
For Israel My glory."
-Isaiah 46 NKJV

No regrets, but still sorrow

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
-Psalm 138:8 NKJV


I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!
-Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV

Merry

Christmas Eve!!!

Relationships 101

Many of you have probably seen the video of 9 year-old Alec Greven talking about his new book, How to Talk to Girls. He has some pretty hilarious statements and interesting insights. You can read Amos' opinion of the video on his site. I agree with Amos that this is ridiculous and that little kids should not be focusing on such things. After all, they haven't even hit the double digits! Seriously, there are better things out there at that stage in life.

Well, today my 8 year-old sister Brenda was watching "White Christmas" with the rest of the little kids (Jayden, Lexie, and Gio). Lexie (age 6) asked Brenda a question, and this is what transpired:

Lexie: Do they like each other?
Brenda: Yes.
Lexie: Do they love each other?
Brenda: Yes.
Lexie: Do they love love each other?
Brenda: Well, I don't know if they love love each other. But they love each other enough to get married.
Lexie: Oh.
Brenda: But you have to get engaged before you get married. But you can still break up if you want to.

Oh wow, my little sister. Why does she know this? How does she know this? I give up.
I don't know.

Jayden

Jayden: "Jennica, ask me a question about electric eels."
Me: "What do they do?"
Jayden: "If you get too close to them, they shock you, and your skeleton can show through 'cuz it hurts so bad."
[I try not to laugh.]
Jayden: "It's true! I saw it on a movie."

The Caf Cookie

A few weeks ago, I got lunch in the cafeteria. Amos was working, but I thought I'd bring him a cookie. I wrapped 3 cookies in a few napkins and stuck them in the pocket of my capris. I didn't want to put them in my to-go box 'cuz then they would get pizza sauce on them or something. So into my pocket they went.
I found Amos near the crosswalk, but he didn't want a cookie. Oh well, too bad for him, I'd just eat them myself! ;) I told him goodbye and got in my car to go home to eat my lunch and do more homework. I decided I didn't want to wait till I got home, so I took out the cookies and ate a few. I got home, took all of my stuff out of the car, went in the apartment, ate lunch, did homework, etc.
The next night, I was going to go hang out with Amos. I decided it was a little too cool to wear my athletic shorts, so I found my capris from the day before. I headed to the door, and as I slipped my keys into my pocket, I felt something.
What is this? A napkin? Why do I...oh.
I had left my third cookie in the pocket of my capris!!! Ooops. I had taken the capris off, folded them, and put them away, all with the cookie inside!!! It would have been even funnier to find the cookie in a few months when the weather warms up again, but I for one am glad that I found it before the ants did. :)

Christmas Photo Booth

Hollywood, The Grove

Crumbling soon...

as in Thursday or Friday:
The Story of the Caf Cookie!!

"...dear me, let us be elegant or die."

Amos and I went to the Christmas concert at school last night and had a great time! As I was hurrying around, trying to get ready and eat dinner in the short amount of time I had, I was reminded of other girls.
In Little Women, one of my favorite books, the two oldest girls are getting ready to go to a party. (You can read the passage below; I love it!!!)

Any way, I was rushing around trying to get ready and decided to put this as my facebook status:
Jennica feels like Jo from Little Women. At least she doesn't feel like Meg; SHE had her bangs burnt off. ;)
My friend Hannah responded with this comment: At least you don't feel like Beth - she died.


On New Year's Eve the parlor was deserted, for the two younger girls played dressing maids and the two elder were absorbed in the all-important business of `getting ready for the party'. Simple as the toilets were, there was a great deal of running up and down, laughing and talking, and at one time a strong smell of burned hair pervaded the house. Meg wanted a few curls about her face, and Jo undertook to pinch the papered locks with a pair of hot tongs.
"Ought they to smoke like that?" asked Beth from her perch on the bed.
"It's the dampness drying," replied Jo.
"What a queer smell! It's like burned feathers," observed Amy, smoothing her own pretty curls with a superior air.
"There, now I'll take off the papers and you'll see a cloud of little ringlets," said Jo, putting down the tongs.
She did take off the papers, but no cloud of ringlets appeared, for the hair came with the papers, and the horrified hairdresser laid a row of little scorched bundles on the bureau before her victim.
"Oh, oh, oh! What have you done? I'm spoiled! I can't go! My hair, oh, my hair!" wailed Meg, looking with despair at the uneven frizzle on her forehead.
"Just my luck! You shouldn't have asked me to do it. I always spoil everything. I'm so sorry, but the tongs were too hot, and so I've made a mess," groaned poor Jo, regarding the little black pancakes with tears of regret.
"It isn't spoiled. Just frizzle it, and tie your ribbon so the ends come on your forehead a bit, and it will look like the last fashion. I've seen many girls do it so," said Amy consolingly.
"Serves me right for trying to be fine. I wish I'd let my hair alone," cried Meg petulantly.
"So do I, it was so smooth and pretty. But it will soon grow out again," said Beth, coming to kiss and comfort the shorn sheep.
After various lesser mishaps, Meg was finished at last, and by the united exertions of the entire family Jo's hair was got up and her dress on. They looked very well in their simple suits, Meg's in silvery drab, with a blue velvet snood, lace frills, and the pearl pin. Jo in maroon, with a stiff, gentlemanly linen collar, and a white chrysanthemum or two for her only ornament. Each put on one nice light glove, and carried one soiled one, and all pronounced the effect "quite easy and fine". Meg's high-heeled slippers were very tight and hurt her, though she would not own it, and Jo's nineteen hairpins all seemed stuck straight into her head, which was not exactly comfortable, but, dear me, let us be elegant or die.
-Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, excerpt from chapter 3

Thanks, Lydia

This is me..taken and copyright by good friend and photographer, Lydia Takeoka. Click on her name to check out her photography blog!

Student Teaching

About 5-6 weeks from now I will be in the classroom, working with my first choice of a master teacher! I will be teaching for 8 weeks at Saugus High School! Tomorrow is a meeting with the English department head; I am hoping that goes well. I know I don't look my age, and I didn't even major in English in college, but hopefully his view of and confidence in me will not swayed by these things. We shall see!

Several things will happen between now and then, however:
Teaching Performance Assessment part 2 is due on Friday (I should be working on that right now....)
Reading is due in at least 2 classes
A few papers need to be written
A 3-week unit plan needs to be executed
Going home 13 days from today
Going to Christmas Concerts on Friday
Tutoring needs to be done
A few presents need to be bought/made
A flight needs to be taken to Nebraska and back :D

Crazy times!

But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!
-II Chronicles 15:7 NKJV

what i did today

listened to my wonderful brothers and sisters, Brenda, Jayden, Lexie, and Gio
talked to Garret's girlfriend, Kaydee
laughed hysterically about morbid animal stories
swung barefooted under a tree with blue sky and clouds
held Amos' hand, doing nothing
ate good food
took a nap
talked to my brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Ashley
gave Jayden a piggy-back ride up the hill
talked to my parents
just loved life

I Chronicles 16:34
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever

Psalm 75:1
We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.

Revelation 11: 17
...We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

Shakespeare

I have spent a lot of time in high schools recently, so it was a bit of a shock to observe at a junior high today. The kids were funny, but very obviously immature. I think high school might be for me. We'll see, though; I still have 6+ months to decide, I guess.
Today in class the students were telling the teacher who they were going to research for a research paper.

Overheard---
Girl 1: Who are you going to do it on?
"Heather": Queen Latifah.
Girl 1: Again?
Heather: Yeah, but I think I'll change it. I think I'll do Shakespeare.
[Interruption: an outline of a Shakespeare's life had been included as an example in the students' research instructions ;) ]
Girl 1 gives Heather a look.
Heather: He was really interesting. We did Romeo and Juliet last year [in elementary school]. I was Juliet. [smiles]
Girl 1: Did you kiss?
Heather: No one kisses in elementary school. We hugged instead of kissed.

HAHAHAHA, gotta love junior high...or get out of it as painlessly as possible, it seems. ;)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

So a while ago Amos and I saw a few trailers for "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," brought to Amos' attention by Paul Parker (friend and fellow security guard). Since the movie was about a little German boy befriending a Jewish boy in a work camp during World War II, we figured we had to go see it, since it was connected to Israel and all that. ;) So I finished my lesson plan for tomorrow (!) and we headed over the smoky freeways to West Hills, one of the many suburbs of Los Angeles.
I was expecting an interesting story about two little boys who become friends and teach some lesson about friendship and understanding in the midst of horrible world events. I guess that was part of the whole experience, but it really had a greater, more lasting (I hope) impact on me.
The whole film was about disillusionment. About what happens when people stand by and do nothing in the face of evil, or worse, when they support and help the evil along its course. At various points in the movie, the father sits by and does not stop evil. Later, the little German boy betrays his friend. At another point, the mother decides to do something but is stopped by the father. Another character instigates evil out of frustration. (I know this is very vague, but I want all my readers to watch it; thus, no spoilers.)

It was not really a pleasant movie, but it was an excellent movie. It was definitely worth it. I came away with the thought, "I never want to be the one to betray."

http://dearcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/boy-in-stripped-pyjama.jpg

Another review of the movie

In a heartbeat...

I'd be in Jeru.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

A sign for some old newspaper?

Muslim Quarter spices

Satellite dishes and clothing, right in front of the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock

An Old City street, Jewish Quarter

YMCA building, New City of Jerusalem

Church of the Dormition and the graveyard

From Todd and from my mom

From Todd Bolen, on his blog:

One of the most damaging things that Obama could do as president is to sign the Freedom of Choice Act. He has promised that the first thing he’ll do in office is to sign it. This bill would wipe away every restriction on abortion nationwide. This would eradicate state and federal laws that the majority of Americans support, such as:
Bans on Partial Birth Abortion
Requirements that women be given information about the risks of getting an abortion
Only licensed physicians can perform abortions
Parents must be informed and give consent to their minor daughter’s abortion
What can you do? You can sign this petition. Perhaps if enough people do, Obama will listen.


From my mom, in an e-mail after I sent her the link to the FOCA petition; I didn't ask her, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind me sharing it with you all:

Hi Jennica,
FOCA stands for the freedom of choice act. It makes abortion legal without any restrictions. I am very much afraid that it will pass and there is nothing we can do about it. The dem's have the votes they need now. This is not to say that we shouldn't make our voices heard and do all within our power to protect the unborn and their mothers also.
This new government we have elected is going to bring about such changes as we haven't seen in decades, and few, if any, will be righteous changes. Maybe it will spur the Christians on to tell others about the Lord. The Lord is the only deliverance this nation has now. Actually, He has always been our only hope.
His love, however, endures forever.
Mom

Apparently...

one of my old friends, Ryan Heathers, is pretty sick and they don't know what is wrong (at least that is what I gathered from snooping on facebook ;) ). So if you think of him, pray for him! I know him from Master's, Ultimate Frisbee, and IBEX. Haha, this is he from a few years ago.

Pictures of today

Amos and I went to Santa Monica today and had a great time! I was tired, so we didn't talk constantly, but it was fun to walk around on the beach, use tunnels instead of crosswalks to get across streets (very fun), climb up multiple flights of stairs, take pictures, etc.
I am very blessed to have Amos as my boyfriend. He cares for me so much, and after eight weeks it just keeps getting better. :)

I really like this picture...the sun and a sailboat.

Amos was waiting for me to get out of the Bird of Paradise bush...I was trying to get the camera just right... :)

Unfortunately I look really tired in all the pictures we took today...oh well, better luck next time... :)

"Let me confer with the banana..."

So Danielle and I decided a few weeks ago that we should come up with a Friday night event and keep it a secret from our respective boyfriends. We thought a bit and chose the Griffith Observatory in L.A. We picked a Friday when the moon would be waning so that we could see the stars, invited our guys, and waited...and did NOT spill the beans. :) I wrote the directions on a banana and entrusted it to Danielle, who read them to me as I needed them (hence the title ;) ).
Little did we know, you can't see the stars at the observatory, moon or no moon, because of the abundance of light coming from one of the world's most populated cities. So we wandered around the observatory, looked at displays, and took pictures!

The infamous, informative banana...

Observatory and downtown L.A./Hollywood

We found Einstein!!! It was quite a shock...

Here we are...

Luke: "Act French!"
Wah-laah, we are French! ;)

Exercise the amazing right that we have as American citizens, and

VOTE.

Interview

In order to please my constituency, I have decided to post again. :) This time I conducted an interview with myself concerning my current job, tutoring, using the 6 questions for writing an article: who, what, when, where, why, and how...I'm sorry it is so long!


Who do you tutor?
3 kids; I mostly tutor the 10th grader, "Kevin," though I also tutor his 6th grade cousin, "Hannah," and rarely "Seth," his 9th grade cousin. Kevin's cousins are from Korea and have only been in the country for about 10 months.

Who told you about the job?
Fellow credential student and friend, Small Michelle :)

What do you tutor?
To varying degrees, AP European History, English, Social Studies, Earth Science

What subject is your favorite to tutor?
Hmmmmmm, when he behaves, I like to tutor Kevin in AP Euro, though it is a close tie with Hannah in any subject.

What is your favorite way to explain hard concepts?
I really like to explain ideas verbally, but if that doesn't connect with the students, I draw pictures and diagrams and also use whatever happens to be in the general vicinity (more on this later).

What is the most difficult thing about your job?
Kevin is very resistent to working, so it is an almost constant struggle to get him to concentrate and perform his tasks. It is also very hard because he will not be reasoned with; I have to find some new ways to get him to behave.

What is the easiest thing about your job?
It pays well, his parents are pretty understanding of the situation, it is only a few days a week, and it gives me experience!

What are your goals in tutoring?
For Hannah, it is mainly to get her homework done and to help her understand English. I also am helping her build her English writing skills by constantly revisiting certain areas that need improvement.
For Kevin, my short-term goal is to get his homework done. Since this is time-consuming (he is very resistent to working most of the time), I have a hard time working on my long-term goal, which to make him an independent learner and self teacher.

When do you tutor?
2-3 days a week, for 1-2 hours at a time

Where do you tutor?
In the kids' home, in an affluent part of town with a high Korean population

Why do you tutor?
I need the money. :)

Why else do you tutor?
I like to work with kids. This gives me insight into the age groups that I will be working with as a teacher. It also gives me experience with teaching an English Language Learner, which can be very difficult. I like the challenge of finding many different ways to communicate concepts to Hannah.

How do you help Hannah understand the material?
I use anything we have at the table to get the point across to her. I have used a coaster and a cup to illustrate absorption during earthquakes, pencils to represent people and lasers, empty rice crispy packages to show different types of earthquakes, pistacio shells to illustrate the concepts of majority and national defense, etc. It is really fun! She laughs at her crazy tutor, so it is great. The dual use of verbal+visual is helpful as well. Of course, I also use the illustrations in the book and personal drawings to help her understand.

Team Sweetwater

Hey, this is an advertisement for Team Sweetwater! This is for a friend of mine, Garret's, and Kaydee's, Nick Coibion, a junior at California Baptist in Riverside, California. (I'm pretty sure I know Tim Wilkins, too, from my involvement with CEF.) Nick and two other guys from Cal Baptist are going to be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Oregon in an effort to raise $100,000.00 for clean wells in India! Here is the description of the project from the facebook group called "TEAM SWEETWATER":

Team Sweetwater is about serving our persecuted brothers and sisters while simultaneously reaching the unreached.
Nick Coibion, Tim Wilkins, and Caleb Childers, three students from California Baptist University have committed four months of their lives to walk 1,724 miles from Mexico to Oregon in one grand effort to raise $100,000 for fresh water in India.

Here is their blog:

http://teamsweetwater.wordpress.com/

Aaaaand!! You can help spread the word about their efforts by buying a Team Sweetwater t-shirt for only $10.00!! Add them as a group on facebook or you could tell me if you want a t-shirt, get me the money, and I'll pass it on to them!
I hope this helps them out! Support these guys' efforts to impact the world in a practical way!

And He said to me,
“Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered,
“O Lord GOD,
You know.”

-Ezekiel 37:3, NKJV (biblegateway.com)

Home

I was very happy to go home this past weekend! I turned in my TPA on Friday at about 3:00pm and Amos and I were on the road by 3:20pm! Very nice. We got home around 10:00pm, and Mom and Dad were waiting with homemade brownies! Dad wanted to get Brenda out of bed to say hi, but I was sure that there would be an uproar with four tired kids under the age of 8 running around, so we decided to let her and the other kids sleep.
On Saturday Amos and I went to Bowman! It was fun, except for the fact that there was not enough oxygen (high elevation), it was cold and windy, and I left my camera in the car. :( So we made up for it by walking around Nevada City and talking to a local (who was also a druggie). There is never a dull moment, I guess. ;)

This is the Baptist church in Nevada City...awww, look at that sweet guy!

Brenda, me, Jayden; Lexie, Gio
Amos took a nap for a couple hours to get rid of a headache, so I hung out with my younger brothers and sisters! Garret took me for a ride in his new Subaru, which was fun (i.e., very fast). I then watched the youngest four ride their bikes on the sports court. Aren't they so cute! We are in the process of adopting Jayden, Lexie, and Gio. I had a good time chasing them around and taking pictures of them. I am so glad my parents are going to adopt them, even if it means that home is a little crazier. Okay, a LOT crazier!

And of course, NorCal has wildlife. Jayden and Brenda discovered a diamondback rattlesnake in the backyard. Mom and Dad pushed it out of a plastic pipe and killed it. I would have been a little more interested in killing it myself, but I have not had any experience yet with killing snakes, plus we really couldn't tell where it was at first. Oh well, there is always next time!

The rattlesnake, minus his head. My friend Kenny estimated that he was about 5 years old, judging from the rattles.

Amos, me, Audra, Ross, Ashley, Scott

After brushing the cockleburs off our jeans, Amos and I headed to Roseville to have lunch with my older brothers and their wives. Unfortunately Garret and his girlfriend Kaydee weren't able to join us; next time, I guess. I don't even remember everything we talked about, but we had a good time just hanging out.

Just a few of the things we did:

-Bowman

-Nevada City

-watched part of "The Cat from Outer Space" (a winner, I know ;) )

-watched Psych (so funny!)

-tried to look at the stars (the moon was little too bright)

-saw three shooting stars

-took pictures

-went by my old house

-walked on the Green Bridge (tallest bridge in California)

-bought a Nalgene and a screwgate carabiner (yes!)

-went to my home church and met my pastor (Crossroads is big)

-hung out with my family

-even more fun stuff!!

This is a shout-out...

to Pastor Todd Johnson of Crossroads Church in NorCal!
Hey Pastor Todd, it was good to meet you officially on Sunday! I really appreciated the message. Amos and I listened to part 1 on the way back to SoCal today. Thanks for answering God's call in your life to be head pastor at Crossroads.
Have a great time in Israel! I am happy for you (not envious, as I was clearly reproved when I listened to Love Revisted, part 1, today ;) ).

My family and I have been going to Crossroads for 6 1/2 years, starting back when it was called Calvary Chapel of Grass Valley. Crossroads is one of the reasons why I love to go home. I don't know many people at my church, partially because we moved churches in the middle of high school and partially because I have been in Southern California for the last four-ish years. However, what I love about Crossroads is the fact that Pastor Todd preaches the Word. He doesn't try to analyze the Bible to find out what exactly our culture needs to hear because he realizes that the culture needs it ALL. That the culture needs a clear presentation of the Bible with neither legalism nor license. That is what will truly change the hearts of people around us.
Thus Pastor Todd really has been given the gift and has cultivated the passion to preach with clarity and conviction. This is not at all to puff him up, but to express my appreciation for his private and public dedication to the Truth. I am excited to go back at Thanksgiving!

I'm giving myself...

10 minutes to complete this blog post. Then I must work on my Teacher Performance Assessment...oh, what a joy. This project is not great in length, but it is important and slightly time-consuming. I need to do well on it. If my score is not high enough, I will have to repeat the project until I get a high enough score. The scores are 1-4. 1 is unacceptable and requires a redo. 2 is okay, though you had better get a 4 on another section of the TPA if you don't want to have to redo this one. 3 is pretty good, and 4 is the best. This is section 1 of 4. I will complete section 2 in December and sections 3 and 4 next semester. Don't worry if this paragraph is confusing; I just have a big project that is mandated by the State of California and is due Friday, October 10th at 4:00pm in the Teacher Education Department. Fun fun. Any way, enough about that.
I am very excited about Friday! For one, my project will be done, and for two, I am going home and bringing a certain someone with me! I am also excited to see my little brothers and sisters again; I haven't seen them since August, and 3 of them I have only seen once! I don't forsee myself getting much rest (partially because we are going to Bowman!!) but it will still be good...
I have 2 minutes...uhhhhh, I really like youtube. It's like a radio station that you can get to play only your favorite songs, with no commercials! I'm a fan...
So that took 11 minutes...getting off now...

College graduate

Yes, all of us DID graduate in May. Just don't judge our education level based on these pictures. ;)
Yea for crazy friends, little sleep on Thursday, and Friday nights!!!!

Danielle and Luke enjoying rootbeer floats

"Sherrie in a bottle...HA! Sherry in a bottle!" (FYI, it was really rootbeer)

And my personal favorite.... :D

Yeaaaaaaah...don't even know. ;)

ahh, yes.

Every once in a very long while, I straighten my hair. Yesterday I took about 2 hours and straightened it. It was fun! I think some people prefer it curly, but straight is cool, too! Don't worry, it will be back to normal on Thursday...then maybe I'll straighten it again next summer. ;)

My emo pic, looking like Violet from "The Incredibles"

The end result...

On the little porch

UCLA...with my boyfriend. :)

I think I have been posting too much...

But I just found out that the California State Budget was passed on Tuesday!
Did you all notice that I finally decided to try out the link function instead of pasting the web address directly into my post? I should have tried it sooner...

I know...

where I'm going over Thanksgiving break! And if that doesn't work, I'm definitely going over Christmas break!!!

Irritation

Good news and bad news.
Bad news first: I am not getting as much financial aid this year as I was originally told. I lost $1,600.00 without doing anything. I figured it was too good to be true. I have 3 scholarships. One scholarship is given by the state and is currently being held hostage by the budget crisis (another irritation). This scholarship can only be used for X expenses. A second scholarship is given by the school and can only be used for Y expenses. The third scholarship is given by an outside organization and can be used for anything. The 3 scholarships totaled more money than the cost of the credential program. This is good, right??? Well, it was. It turns out that my state and school scholarships are more than the cost of the program, so 1 of them was reduced so that I am not getting the extra money from those 2 scholarships.
Good news: I am still getting the outside scholarship! Yes, thank You for that! Another good thing: Over the summer and near the beginning of the semester, I thought about working part-time to supplement the scholarship money I would be getting (plus I thought I would be bored if I only had schoolwork to do). This extra money, at the end of the credential program, would be used to go overseas next summer or to pay off my one, small loan. Well, it turns out that I will need this extra money. I am thankful that God set it up for Michelle Rivas to ask if I tutored English, and that I said yes and that I got a well paying job (few hours + experience with secondary kids + great pay = awesome).
Plus, my mom reminded me that God will provide for me, as He always has. This is just another example, knowing that this would happen. Knowing that this money would be necessary. Knowing that I would be working with a non-Christian family. Allowing me to tutor Evan through the differences between Protestantism and Catholicism in his AP homework (though who knows if he learned anything; at least he heard it).
And a reminder from Amos via his blog that we don't really need anything; God cares for us.

Blessed be the LORD,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.
The LORD is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.
-Psalm 28:6-9 NKJV

It's been...

an interesting 10 days. A really great guy moved from being my friend to being my boyfriend, and I found out about a bunch of people who read my blog. So hi to all of you who are secretly reading this! I hope you enjoy it! ;)

Hi

Mrs. Ralston...I hear we have the same birthday. ;)

Anybody...

have an extra ticket to Israel??? I wanna GOoooooooooo!!!

Those he left behind...

If you are reading this, please cry out to God on behalf of the ones that Ricky left behind. I am doing fine, but please pray for his close friends and his family members, both in California and Colorado. It is still hitting home that I will never see Ricky again this side of eternity.

Please pray for a gradual, gentle recovery for his friends and family.

Psalm 27
A Psalm of David. 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. 4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

biblegateway.com NKJV

"I didn't think it was going to hit me this way..."

My friend died today. Ricky was about 20 years old. He was a crazy kid with green eyes and buzzed hair. I met him last summer at Wolf Mountain and stayed in contact with him off and on for a few months after that. We were not really close friends, but he was still a friend of mine. He went off to Colorado, and I hoped that when he came back to California to visit, I could at least say hi to him again in person.
But God has taken him home. Lord, give Ricky a hug from me and tell him that I'll miss him. And hug his family, too, 'cuz they are hurting more than I am.

Ricky with 2 campers at Bowman...

You guessed it...

More pics of Bowman!! I love Bowman! It is my absolute favorite place to go hiking in NorCal. Irene and I went about a month ago when I went home before the credential program started. I love it because 1) it is beautiful, 2) not many people go up there, 3) I love hiking, 4) there are really cool things to see if you know where to go, and 5) it is NorCal!!

Weaver Falls...it goes down even further to another pool! See the next picture...

So the guy taking the picture wasn't the greatest photographer, but that's okay.

Irene said this pic looks like someone killed me and stuffed me in the bushes...Haha! Actually, it is a little cave. You can go in about 1/8 of a mile, and you find the plug to the lake above! It is really cool. Irene and I didn't go in this time because I had left my headlamp at the top of the hill, it was kinda creepy, and there is some really, really cold water that you have to walk through to get to the end. Soggy, cold athletic shoes didn't sound like fun...

Some ferns by the mouth of the cave

The rope to make sure you don't fall down the hill...

A scree-covered hill...don't fall! You'd crash and burn...

Soooo, I had cut my finger earlier in the week while cutting a cantaloupe. It was getting better so I took the bandaid off. Irene and I decided to climb up a hill rather than walking around the longer way. Said hill was covered with loose rocks. Irene climbed up ahead of me and dislodged a rock roughly the size of a baseball while I was still at the bottom of the hill trying to take a picture. I grabbed my camera and jumped out of the way, reopening my wound in the process. Irene said that if I had stayed where I was, the rock would have missed me, but only by a few inches. Thanks, friend...

Looking down on Weaver Falls

I think this Weaver Lake, but I'm not sure. There are so many little lakes out there!!

Best friends at Bowman!!!!

Poetry????!

I feel like writing a poem, which is really weird 'cuz if given the option, I will always choose any other genre than poetry! But if I were to write a poem, I would write about...

to just shut out the world with its bad and good things. to not have to deal with friends who accidentally hurt your feelings. to not deal with misunderstandings and such. to not have to do homework on something that is important but that you really don't care about at the moment. to be in another country, on a different continent.

While those things might be true, it is not my place to withdraw and curl up. It is my job to fight and to forget and to do the things I am called to do and to be the person I am called to be. Bleah.

My binder...

All the things on my binder...

Fiji
Adventure & Biography
some distant, unknown time in the future when
Getting Cabin Fever
World Afghanistan
Will change your life for the better
Europe
Turkey
Galapagos
Beijing
Rome
Samoa
Customs
Be authentic,
ready for adventure
Thailand Explorer
Ancient Egypt
over 200 countries, like India.
Costa Rica
Delhi, Jaipur, Agra
Culture
Globe-trotter
boundless
show you the world
At least once in your life, visit Japan.
Catch a little culture
on the move
Worldwide
Explore the globe
South Seas
Witness an active volcano
Morocco
Traveling Australia
[something in Hebrew]
Peru
Embark
One world. Many possibilities.
Not waiting for change,
foreign
on a journey.
GO WORLD

And that's only one binder...

Immediate Family

Parents
David Clifton
Patricia Carol

Kids
Phillip Ross
Timothy Scott
Jennica Leigh
Matthew Garret
Brenda Renee
Jayden Lee
Alexis Nikole
Giovanni Vann

Sisters-In-Law
Audra Ann
Ashley Nicole

Possible Sister-In-Law
Kaydee Marie

THIRTEEN MEMBERS IN MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY!

Teaching

"Teachers who make text reading assignments and then go over in class exactly what is in the text not only make class boring but also encourage students to neglect to read their assignments. This type of teacher is not encouraging the development of independent readers who can take their place as useful citizens and lifelong learners in our society. A teacher who focuses only on content ignores the process needed by students to comprehend the content in immediate and future reading situations."

-Content Area Literacy, Bean, Readence, and Baldwin
p. 8

Heather and Austin are getting married tomorrow!!!!!!

Santa Monica...oh yeah.

We went to Santa Monica yesterday, and we had a blast! We went out in the waves, swung on the swings, tried the gymnast rings (2 different kinds!), got dinner, climbed on a monument, took pictures...ahhhh, it was fun! Then we dropped off Sherrie at Apt. 29 and went to Luke's place to see Phelps win his 8th gold medal in Beijing!!! We also saw the women's heavyweight lifting, but I think we'll try to block that out of our memories. Just kidding...

Trust me, this was the best of the 3 attempts :)
Josh, Luke, me, Danielle, Sherrie

Gymnasts' chalk for the rings...
Josh, Luke, me

Some of the rings....Yeah, I think we could have been gold medalists. ;)
Josh, me

"We are too segregated!!" Haha!
Sherrie, Josh, me, Luke, Danielle

It was kind of funny to be doing this with a bunch of people strolling by...but we didn't care. :D
Sherrie, me, Luke, Danielle, Josh

We found some cool trees...and police tape...and capitalized on the ideas of Josh and Luke
Josh, Danielle, Sherrie, me, Luke

And of course, the kosher sign in Coffee Bean, my star of David necklace, and my Israel shirt.

We had such a good time! Thanks for coming guys! :D