Ever wonder why God is so good?

As in, why me? Why should everything work out for me when a lot of people around me continue to suffer rough things and life seems to throw curveballs at them every day? It’s almost like everything that I get worried about works out within a week, often times within a couple days. Why does that happen for me? I certainly don’t deserve it – I’m no better than you at maintaining my relationship with the Lord. I’m the one who wakes up in the morning, intending to do my devotions, but…man…if I could just sleep 5 more minutes…God will understand. After that process repeats a few times, my devotion time is lost and I’m rushing off to my busy schedule. Why would God put up with that and still continue to work things out for me? Sure, I love Him and I serve Him and I’m a Christian, saved. But come on, doesn’t God have feelings too? Does He get upset that I sleep instead of read His Word? Does He get offended when I choose to watch a movie even though I haven’t prayed? It’s almost like I expect God to punish me, to put distance between me and Him because I haven’t been a good Christian girl. In all honesty, I expect God to treat me like a friend would. If I don’t invest in Him, He won’t invest in me. Now, regardless of whether or not that’s how friends should act is a different story. But if that’s how God treated me, I would get it, I’d totally understand. So why isn’t God like that? You’d think after some time passes of me not spending time with Him, He would “give me space” or something. But…nope. He’s always looking out for me and working things out. Mind you, I’m certainly not complaining that God doesn’t treat me that way, but just wondering, how in the world does He not?

This question has been circulating in my mind consistently for maybe two weeks now. I’ve been getting better at doing devotions – try accountability partners if you’re having a hard time. When someone asks you every day if you’ve read, it puts the pressure on. I love it. :)

But God’s been showing me that He’s on my side. He loves me so much. Why? He created me! How can He NOT love me? It’s like when my dog Savannah chews up my third pair of headphones and I get so mad! How could she chew up another pair of MY headphones?! But….she’s so cute, and she just…nuzzles her head into my lap, longing to be loved. How precious. God loves to do that to me. Not the getting mad part – I’m not sure how He initially responds when I snooze away my morning devo, but I do know that He just wants me to sit in His presence, and in essence, nuzzle my head into His lap just to spend time with Him and to love on Him, just like Savannah does me.

Last year we had a guest speaker, Brennan Manning, come to school for a week-long chapel series. An incredible man of God, Brennan Manning explained the simplest, but most profound thing that has taken me this long to just mull over: God loves me as I am, not as I should be.
What does that mean? God’s love is unconditional. He sees me through the blood of Jesus Christ, who sanctifies me, makes me holy, and provides a way for me to relate directly with God Himself.

For that simple reason alone, God chooses to bless me, to pour out His Spirit on me, to fill me with joy, to work things out for me. I’d be a fool to not invest my time in Him because He clearly can satisfy me and cause me to be content. Where else should I be but in Him? He loves me as I am, not as I should be.

Rivers

I've been reading more books by my formerly praised hero: Francine Rivers. Author of many Christian historical fiction, Francine has captured my heart yet again. After reading Redeeming Love, which I (again) highly recommend, I read The Atonement Child, and I am now reading this novella series on women of the Old Testament. The series consists of 5 books, each one about a different woman. Each woman is an unlikely suspect for furthering the kingdom of God, and yet each one of them played a vital role in God's plan. The women are: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. I've read the ones about Tamar and Ruth already and am currently in the midst of the one about Rahab.

Amazing. You should read them.

It's pretty incredible to think about how God can change the life of an individual so drastically. God is so faithful to reward us and to truly work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Even when life's circumstances look bleak, He is there, He is in control, and He has a plan.
I love it.

Reconnected.

So I've spent this last week getting reconnected with some old friends and the funny thing is....I didn't even plan to, really. But I was reminded this week of God's continued faithfulness to me - He's always watching out for me! I was also reminded that He makes all things beautiful in His very own timing. Hm. Precious. :)

Beyond that, I wanted to give you all a fun update. Just about a week ago I and my fellow Ocean Hills people participated in our annual Mall Hunt extravaganza, and most of us leaders are pictured below as we prepared to head out to the Spectrum:


Yes, I pushed myself slightly by changing myself completely - don't worry, I got my hands later too, but the brown tends to come off on everything, so I did my hands last. :)


Let's be real - it was an intense night at the Spectrum because there were two other church groups there doing the same kind of event, which made it even more fun to mess with them. HA! Maybe I'm a horrible person, but bear with me for a moment. Obviously I was kind of conspicuous due to the big hair, but I was sitting at a table, and this group of young girls comes close to me.....and one girl comes even closer and dares to say, "Excuse me, are you my mommy?" Glaring at her, I said, "Excuse me? No. I'm not your mommy." They asked, of course, as sort of a code word between them. Well, throughout the night I was asked the same question 7-8 times and I finally stared a mom (who was chaperoning a group) down and said, "No, I'm not. Stop asking me that." On another occasion I intimidated a little boy who told me that I was fake. What a wonderful night. Haha! I will not soon forget it. I was found by 3 out of 4 of our groups, but it was still quite exciting.

Prior to that night, I had been preparing with my wig and soon discovered that my little bro Stephen and I really do look that much alike. He agreed to wear one of my other wigs while I sported a fro, just so we could have a photograph to record our strikingly similar features. Ah, we ARE related! :)

The wig trend later continued as my Great-Grandmother Genevieve came over to play some Scrabble with my mom and to visit the rest of us. What a sport - 95 years old and she still let me take a picture of her like this! :)
In other news, it was announced that the Vanguard Singers and Band, which I'm a part of, will be travelling to China in May after school lets out on an outreach-geared concert tour! Woo! I'm so excited - I think it's a great opportunity and I can't wait! I have to raise my support, though, so if you guys have any good fundraising ideas, please feel free to send them my way!!

Also, thank you Switchfoot. You have captured my heart yet again with this fabulous new album: Hello Hurricane. Wonderful.

Sing It Out:

I'm on the run, I'm on the ropes this time
Where is my song?
I've lost the song of my soul tonight

Sing it out, sing it out
Take what is left of me, make it a melody
Sing it out, sing out loud
I can't find the words to sing, You be my remedy
My song, my song
I sing with what's left of me

Where is the sun?
Feel like a ghost this time
Where have You gone?
I need Your breath in my lungs tonight

I'm holding on, holding on to You
The world is wrong, my world is a lie that's come true
And I fall in love with the ones that run me through
When all I need is You

I love it!

I'm also working on some new music stuff of my own, which I'm kind of excited about. I'm busy! But I've got so much to think about and write about....it's insane. Over and over again, though, I'm reminded of God's faithfulness and forgiveness. How incredible. :) Hope you guys can realize that too and live in the freedom that He gives.

Stranger Things Have Happened But...

What a strange day.

1. In Calculus, Ryan sneezed. Immediately our professor, with a stern look, rebuked him saying, "Don't do that. Don't you know germs from a sneeze travel 30 feet? That's why they taught us to sneeze in our elbows or into our shoulders."
   Observation: This flu season is ridiculous. It's like it's normal to be a germophobe right now.
   
2. In Computer Programming, my fellow two pupils, my professor, and I enjoyed a discussion about postmodernism and its effects on our justice system. Adam deemed those who embrace postmodernism as "pomos" (thanks to Professor Rybarczyk). After discovering that Rachel was operating on little to no sleep and realizing that we all had much better things to do than to study MATlab, Dr. Lee said, "Well....I got a lot to do. Wanna cancel class?" Obviously we didn't say no.
   Observation: Thank you Lord for small classes that get out after 35 minutes.


3. In Target today, I was on a mission. I had found my items so that I'm ready for an epic battle of dodgeball in Frequency tomorrow night, and I was headed toward the front of the store to check out. Little did I know, some sly little demon had left a present for me on my way back.
   I was about to pass a lady who was walking on the other side of the aisle, and exactly as our paths crossed, I fell. As in, I....fell. Obviously embarrassed to have fallen over what seemed like nothing, I hopped right back up with my knee throbbing in pain. To my dismay, I loooked down to see a discreet puddle of water directly in the pathway that I had JUST walked. She said, "wow, are you okay?" Naturally, I laughed it off and continued on my route.
   Observation: Next time I gotta report it. I could have gotten a free movie or something. Maybe.

4. While I was sitting here working on my essay for tomorrow, I hear the garage door open and I hear the dogs bark for a few seconds. They stopped, so I figured that my dad had come home since everyone else is gone. Didn't think much of it until...after about three minutes, my dad comes in yelling, "IS ANYONE HOME?!" Thinking he was in a great mood and just looking for company, I said "POPS! I'm here!" Unfortunately, the door leading to the garage had been open and our three dogs had bolted out as soon as he had opened the big garage door. Of course, timing was impeccable and a woman was walking her dogs past our house as they ran out. Jack "attacked" them in his Pomeranian way and the poor woman got mad. (She probably was just so startled to see 3 dogs come out of one house that she got freaked out...) Poor dad had to grab Savannah and Da Wuff and bring them in. That's when he had yelled in to find out if anyone else could help him track down Jack. So I came to the rescue, naturally, and ran with Pops as we found our little dog, who can run super fast. What a day.
   Observation: Make sure that I close the door leading out to the garage every time I leave. Today wasn't my fault, but maybe another time it could be and I do not want to be held responsible.

Proposal.

I propose that we create a new line of movie theaters strictly for girls. Girls, that is, between the ages of 12-15 who enjoy chattering seamlessly through the charades of previews before movies, and even during the actual featured movie. You know it's bad when it's a big group of kids...or shall we say..young teens...and one of the first things they talk about is how they don't want to get kicked out like last time. Oh! But..."Don't worry, it takes a lot to actually get kicked out of a movie," according to Blonde Girl #1. Quickly chiming in, Blonde Girl #2 adds, "Yeah, it's hard but like I just...I like don't want it to happen again."

It only takes one call to ruin a movie.
It also only takes one chatterbox to make me regret paying to see the movie.

Fortunately, tonight my mom and I were feeling bold enough to ask them politely to stop talking after the first three minutes of small talk during the movie. The best part: their 3-minute disruptive conversation was about some boy not texting them back.

Anybody want to get on that new theater line idea? :)

Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Let's take a look together at one of the biggest oversights of our time. We are about to enter the month of October, the month that is deemed "Domestic Violence Awareness Month."

Here's the first thing that enters my mind when I hear that phrase:

What about the other months?

Shall I forget about domestic violence and only worry about it during October? Does awareness month really DO anything? What happens during October that help bring an end to domestic violence? Why October?

Obviously being a little fecitious here, why do we even have an awareness month? Why not an awareness year? It happens every single day all across our wretched domestic violence-plagued nation, and yet we only dedicate one month to being "aware" of it.

Hm.

People always say that holidays like Mother's Day and Father's Day are Hallmark holidays - created to generate money for greeting card companies and such.

Why do we have a Domestic Violence Awareness Month? Is there some sort of greeting card line making money off of domestic violence cards? I think not. I understand that domestic violence is a serious issue and is not to be taken lightly, however, I feel as though this sort of heightened awareness level is almost a detriment to the cause itself. Let's say that in October, since awareness is up, domestic violence actually experiences a recession. How we would measure that I have no idea...but let's just say that it happens. Then, just like other fads of awareness, the awareness would fade and domestic violence rises again. It's a vicious cycle.

Beanie Baby awareness turned into a Beanie Baby fad, which eventually faded and is now a memoir.

Toms, Invisible Children, and the Inspi(red) deal is awareness of AIDS and starvation in Africa. It's now turned into a fashion statement. Does that money really make a difference in Africa? No, it funds more meetings to brainstorm the next T-shirt design.

Not to say that Domestic Violence Awareness month is a fad, persay, but I feel like it's not the best way to fight it. Unfortunately, I'm all talk and no action because I don't have any ideas on how to tackle domestic violence head on.

I apologize if I come off as crass or inconsiderate. I merely think that it's ridiculous and a giant oversight to have an awareness month for something that ruins lives on a daily basis. Sorry for the rant.

In other news, the Hummer truck is the most disgusting car I have ever seen. Someone owns one and parks it at school. I have nothing against the person who owns it, and in fact, I wouldn't mind riding in it should this person ever offer. HOWEVER, I find this to be hideous and a nearly dysfunctional design for a vehicle.

That's all.

Hero #2

As you may recall, my previous hero was Francine Rivers, a dynamic author who is clearly being used by God. If you don't recall that, just scroll down a little bit. :)

Well let's just say that Francine is only one of a few female heroes that I look up to.

This next hero of mine is simply a musical icon. She writes some of the most dynamic worship songs I have ever heard - full of theology and praise, but easy to sing and easy to memorize....so impactful. Not only is she a songwriter but she has an incredible voice - consistent and pure. I knew that she was amazing a couple years ago, but not until recently did I realize that she updates her own website and blog consistently, giving advice to readers and aspiring songwriters as well as sharing what God is doing in her life.


The Lord truly has gifted her with incredible music talent. And an accent. And she wears scarves a lot. Her name is Brooke Fraser.

If you don't know who Brooke is, she is a part of the Hillsong clan - author of Hosanna, Desert Song, Soon, and others. She is just amazing!! Her solo albums have a different style than the Hillsong ones because they are geared toward more personal reflections. I thoroughly enjoy her music and...I wanna be like her when I grow up.

Can I get an amen?

How far is the east from the west?

Do you know? How far is it?

Well that's on my mind because a song that we're doing at school talks about just that - how the Lord forgets about our sins and transgressions, putting them as far as the east is from the west. How far is that? Maybe it's just the mathematician in me that wants to fathom HOW FAR that really is. Like, really. How far is it. But the great thing about God is that it's farther than I could ever imagine. I can't fathom it. Just like I can't fathom eternity, untainted love, immeasurable grace....I can't fathom how far the east is from the west.
That's so cool.

I've been thinking lately, too, about the richness of words, specifically in the text of some of the most precious hymns ever written. Words like:

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my ways; When sorrows like sea billows roll....WHATEVER my lot, Thou hast TAUGHT me to say: It is well, It is well with my soul."

How absolutely precious are those words. So rich, so deep. I love it.

I have other lighter news to share as well, but I'm off to Computer Programming. :)

Racing Through

Ah yes, the race of life.

Here's a picture description of life for me during the past month or so.

I started working at the law office with my mom again, like I did last summer! Here I am in the glorious state of snacking on Chex Mix while going through mounds of paperwork.

I got a flat tire a few weeks ago! Lame, my tire just popped one day.

Brian kindly changed my tire, while David stood by and watched. David is taking "man" lessons currently so that he can change Raquel's tire one day when she gets a flat.

Bailey and Josh moved into their new apartment a while back...and now that they're MARRIED (!!) they'll be actually living there together. Also, there will be more pictures to come of their wedding...I'm just waiting til they get back from their glorious honeymoon to post some good ones. :)

Besides all that, I started school, which is going to be crazy. I learned that I get annoyed easily by new people that are desperate to find a boyfriend or girlfriend. Currently, I am trying to figure out why I am so easy to talk to and why people enjoy pouring their life story out to me. I'm not heartless, really. I'm not. Do I mind hearing from them? Not really. But why? Maybe it's just the way that I talk. I truly am interested in who they are and what they're about...but then it gets to the point where...the conversation hits a wall. And I'm fine with it hitting a wall. Unfortuantely, the other person climbs the wall and scampers into another conversation land that I simply just don't want. Batstone always tells me that I'm too nice. Is that true? I don't know. What did Jesus do when he encountered annoying people?

Sorry for the ramble.

Crystal Lewis sang at Ocean Hills today, so obviously my day started out great. As my childhood hero, she still has a special place in my heart. Haha okay but really, I was stoked to be able to sit in the service and just relax in hearing the Lord's Word.

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Convicted!

I have recently rekindled my fondness for reading, which has been to the absolute edification of my mind, heart, and soul. I have discovered a phenomenal author with whom many of you may already be familiar.

Francine Rivers is perhaps the most dynamic author I have had the pleasure of encountering.

Until this point, my favorite book has been the classic Pride and Prejudice; I doubt that Jane Austen's masterpiece shall be dethroned from number one in my mind any time soon.

However, Mrs. Rivers had absolutely captured my attention and challenged me to encounter God's love, forgiveness, understanding, suffering, and truth. I first read "Redeeming Love," which is a depiction of the love that Hosea showed to his wife, who was a prostitute. "Redeeming Love" is set in a more modern era and is recounted from the perspective of Gomer, Hosea's wife (though she has a different name in Rivers' book). In "Redeeming Love," God's love is so clearly demonstrated through the character of Michael Hosea in a way that I had never imagined or visualized so clearly before. It is truly a gift.

The story being an analogy, of course, as to the unconditional love that God has for his children caused me to be so grateful for the Lord's ever forgiving nature and loving character. The woman, Angel (as her name is in the book) is blinded and calloused, unable to feel and experience the tremendous love that her husband offers her, and yet he eventually breaks through her shell and she is able to reap all of the benefits of having his love poured into her. I realize that it's "just a book," but it honestly gave me the opportunity to personally recognize the powerful God that I serve, and that I take for granted.

Secondly, I just finished "The Atonement Child," which deals with the arguments regarding abortion, but in a very real, challenging situation: the life of a college student. The way that Francine Rivers writes causes her readers to be caught up in every moment of the book. I honestly finished the book in only a few hours because it was so incredibly engaging. The storyline involves not only hard decisions but it also deals with unspoken sins, bitterness, envy, legalism, and so many prevalent issues that must be dealt with today. Especially family quarrels and disagreements, misguided counseling, and so many other things that undermine our freedom as Christians come to light in this book.

I have just begun "The Last Sin Eater," but I am hopeful that it will be as rivetting as the first two I've read.

What an inspiring woman! Francine, you are amazing. :-) Thank God there are women like Francine who aren't afraid to attack the untouched issues in society today and make them powerfully relevant.

I encourage you to check out Francine Rivers. :) Incredible.

Here's a test of mobile blogging! We're treating cole to his first real meal since he broke his jaw a month ago! He chose Carl's as his choice meal so here we are! The boys won their game tonight too after going into extra innings so that's just one more thing to celebrate! Also Ben and Cole didn't believe that I would really blog about it... So this post is partially an effort to spite them. :)

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Bright Ideas from Bri

Kind of like Hints from Heloise. Part One.



When you buy cheap heels that cut into your feet, use leather softener.
It helps if you have brothers that play baseball and have leather softener handy to soften their gloves and such...and it works like a charm. Rub the softener along the outside of the heels and allow it to soak in. Even if the heels are not truly made out of leather, it creates a more cushy environment for you to enjoy. :-)

Let's Get Real.

So I was welcomed home to Ben and this gigantic monkey that he won at Knott's Berry Farm...ha!

In an effort to recap my trip to Texas, let me just reiterate that I feel so refreshed and excited to see what God will continue to do in my life. Everything that I learned in Texas has me reminded that God loves me so unconditionally...I am incredibly blessed by His grace and love.

Besides that, visiting with the Rydings was real fun! I realized that Texans say "real" all the time...for example, instead of saying "It was so much fun" or "It was really fun," they say "It was real fun." :-) Needless to say, I'm determined to bring that phrase here.

But just to keep all you picture lovers happy, here's some more pics from Texas...in no real particular order.

Here are my bargain shoes that I got at Target for $7.50...what a steal! :-D

John Wade and Matt playing some Ping Pong at the Rydings.

Yes, Ma'am, it surely did get above 100 degrees!

Some good bonding time with Josh and Cole. =)

A close up of Cole, who is probably the only cat that will ever actually curl up on my lap and cuddle with me. haha!

I love this picture simply because it is the epitome of how I thought Texas would be everywhere...this is the sign showing how tall kids need to be in order to ride the rollar coaster at the Kemah Boardwalk.

And finally, this is a shout out for ya'll who maybe don't travel a lot or just need some travelling tips. A seat in the emergency exit aisle = leg room galore. :-)

That's all for now...I'm excited for Bailey's shower that's happening tomorrow, and I'm even further excited about heading back to Ocean Hills on Sunday! God is good!

Insight to Wisdom

"If you are wise
and understand God's ways,
live a life of steady goodness
so that only good deeds will pour forth.

AND if you don't brag about the GOOD you do,
then
you will truly be wise!

But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition
in your hearts, don't brag about being wise.

That is the worst kind of lie.

For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom.

Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivaed
by
the DEVIL.


For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find
DISORDER and EVERY kind of evil.

BUT the wisdom that comes FROM heaven
is first of all Pure.

It is also Peace Loving,
Gentle at all times,

and WILLING to Yield to others.

It is full of Mercy AND Good Deeds.

It shows NO partiality and is always Sincere.

And those who are peacemakers will plant
SEEDS of Peace
AND
Reap a harvest of goodness."





James 3:13-18.

Characteristics of Texas

So here are some pictures to make up for the lack thereof in yesterday's post.

Some characteristics that I have observed in Texas thus far consist of, but are not limited to, the following:

Weird animals habits:

Letting a gecko inside.

Random souvenirs:

Shark in a bottle.
Random accessories:
Toilet shades.

Random vehicles:
A tall, tall, tall H2.

Also, not so random, but here are a couple pictures from Calvary Houston.
The sanctuary:

The coffee shop (which is legit):
Higher grounds (clever).

So tonight we had the midweek study at Calvary Houston, which was really good. It's weird to actually sit in a service. But I definitely needed it. :-)

After service we went out to eat again, even though we went to Sprinkles Frozen Yogurt before church, too. The after service choice was a Mexican restaurant called Luna's, which was actually pretty delicious! Reminds me of a more authentic El Torito. :-) Then everyone came over again to the Ryding house, where ping pong ensued for several hours. Since I figured I need to improve my ping pong skills anyway, I applied myself tonight and learned different spins to put on the ball. :-) Amy and I both needed to learn, so John taught me, then I taught Amy. Amy and I played for a while just trying out different spins and returns...it was fun! It's very relaxed and laid back this week, which is great!

Josh got off the next couple days, so even though we've pulled some late nights, we're gonna hit "the town" and see if we can't find something to do tomorrow. :-)

God's really blessed me so far here with some good time of restoration and I feel really refreshed - it's amazing!

And finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!!! He's 14 today! AND he got called up to play on the Varsity team this weekend!! Woohoo!! I'm so proud of you!!

Plenty Fer Ya'll To Read

Well I'm spending a week in Texas with my wonderful family - Aunt, Uncle, and three cousins, the Rydings.
I grew up with them and I'm so happy to be spending some quality time with them for a week here in Houston. I got in yesterday after some flight delays and stuff, and went straight to Calvary Houston to lead worship with Josh for their service called "Overflow." It was phenomenal and an awesome blessing for me to be a part of it. Since then, I feel like I'm just a part of their group here. Everyone at their church is extremely welcoming and extremely nice. They have made me feel right at home and pretty much accepted me just as another Ryding family member. Last night we went out to dinner with everyone afterward, just like we tend to do at Ocean Hills, except we stayed until about midnight, then headed home.

Their house is so gorgeous...the carpet is my favorite. :)

Today we mostly just spent the day here at the house hanging out...I got to talk a lot with Sam and my aunt Mae, and somewhat Chris too. We just got to catch up and chat and have fun and relax. It was fun!

Later on Sam, Josh, me, and their friend J.R. went to Galveston Island, which is their beach. Quite different from our beach, but we had a good time looking around in a little souvenir shop, just hanging out. The whole town is still kind of devastated from hurricane Ike, which came through about 9 months ago, so there were some piers apparently in Galveston that are not there anymore.

So then tonight four of the guys from their church came over, and we all just hung out in the loft upstairs playing ping pong, watching videos and stuff, and just chatting. It was a lot of fun! I feel like I know them better than some of my own friends at home. Weird. But I feel great about it and I'm excited to be here for a while longer!

Blast From The Past

So obviously I'm a slacker. No posts for the last few months means one recap post...with a lot of pictures of course.

I DID get to go to New York for the first time after school got out...I went with school, specifically to sing at the Lincoln Center, which was quite an awesome experience. :-)

This is the skyline seen from the Top of the Rock!

Found an awesome Candy shop with fun wallpaper...haha

Also I found a little bit of my wild side as we walked down the street....

A couple weeks ago, Sarah Brown and I (pictured here) and my mom and Lindsey and Kennady went to Pasadena to take part in the American Idol tryouts held at the Rose Bowl. After waiting there at the Rose Bowl for 12 hours, Lindsey, Kennady, and I auditioned. Though we didn't make it through, we had a great experience with many shared laughs...I took some awesome videos, which...if I get permission then maybe I'll upload those up. :-)

Aside from that, it's summer! I'm leaving on Monday for Houston to go visit my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins, and also to experience the dead summer heat of Texas. :-) I'm really excited to lead worship with my cousin Josh at Calvary Houston, and Samantha has promised me the best ice cream ever, so I think it'll be a fun trip. :-)

A lot of the high school kids and leaders are gone to Costa Rica right now, too, so this Sunday I'm really excited to speak at Frequency...I'm speaking on wisdom! It's been really neat to study James 3:13-18. Go read it if you get a chance. Or...just make the chance. haha!

And finally, Bailey's bridal shower is tomorrow!!! Wooo!! Bat and I have been brainstorming and working hard to shop for sweet party stuff at a cheap price...and keeping each other in check when we want to buy something frivolous. :-D

A Small Feat

Ever have one of those "ah" moments? Like a moment where you're just caught so off guard that you have to stop and think about what just happened?
Yes, I experienced one of those moments yesterday with about 25 or more of my peers in class. Professor Austring, during his lecture, decided to draw a circle on the whiteboard to demonstrate a valuable lesson, and...to all of our surprise, the circle was nearly perfect. Let's read that again....nearly perfect. If you were previously unaware, circles are extremely difficult to draw on a flat surface, let alone a whiteboard. According to Professor Austring, is skills can be attributed to endless doodling.
I realize the circle is nearly impossible to see due to my low-quality phone-camera shot, but I thought I would do my best to share the moment. I suggest clicking on the image below and trying hard to focus in on the black line....


Hopefully you can find it as entertaining and "ahh"ing as we all did in class.

Time Out!

Time Machine, anyone?

That's what Anika asked for earlier today, and I started thinking, actually...I would love it if time could just stand still. If I could do an hour's worth of work/play/fun/life and not lose any time. How glorious would that be? Or if time could just slow....I could do an hour's worth of life in maybe only 15 minutes. What a fabulous thought.

Ah yes, but unfortunately God has called us to live in this time zone, and I am currently just about pooped. Actually....I am. When I stop and think about it, I think...holy cow, what in the world is going on around me? I feel like I'm barely keeping up with the things that I want to do because of other obligations. What a tragedy! Is this what life is about? Going, doing, making, participating, collaborating....separately they're all great, but man. Everything at once is just getting to me. I feel that Jesus should return soon. Like tomorrow, before I have to give an oral presentation that I'm totally unprepared for. Tiny things like that...I just have no motivation for because I'm exhausted.

But tonight I started thinking...okay, it's only a season. It's only a season.

So....since it's only a season...I decided to share with you all a little girly thing about me since I don't often have indulgent moments. Now mind you I did not purchase these but I coveted a little in my heart. Believe it or not, I just like heels. I just like them. I don't wear them often because I can't be diverse in them and flexible and I can't run as well and...they don't really go with most of my clothes because I'm mostly casual. BUT I like them. They make me feel tall. And I think they're just fun to walk in. Anyways, I saw these beauties at Target and almost purchased them until I thought..."Bri, we're in a recession. You clearly do not need those." So I settled for a picture.




Also, I am pleased with the American Idol results that were displayed tonight. I feel they are just.

And...Billy and I are visiting his parents next weekend, maybe a break to this never ending rat race? :-) Sounds fabulous.

The Weekend Goes Green

The Weekend.

Such powerful words.

This year, the weekend went green, complete with a "Recycla-Bowl," which consisted of Dumpster Diving, of course, and other various recycling/trash themes throughout the events.

This year, I led a team with Billy, BrettSchorr.com, Sarah, and Nikki! Woot!

Our team name: "The G's"

Our theme: Gangsta Geeks

Below you have the privelege of seeing a vital part of our wardrobe - BLING. I found this specimen for Billy to wear....he'll keep it for life.

That's right. It was awesome. Our skit/cheer can be seen at http://www.frequencyoc.com/.

Unfortunately, we did not have the joy and accolades that come along with winning because...we didn't win. The winning team was titled "The Teetah Tribe," which...as you might imagine was complete with cannibals, hair-raising shrills, wild animals, and face paint. Kind of insane. But props to them for going all out!

Above is a picture taken during our night of worship/concert....it's times like these when I realize, hey, this is why I love being a leader. When everything else goes away - the competitions, the cliques, the shyness....it all melts away when our students come before the Lord and just pour their hearts out. What an amazing thing to be part of their lives. I absolutely love it!!!

This beauty is named Hyda. She is the beloved pet of the Brown family, who so graciously housed us girls....just thought I would share her joyous face with you all. Haha!!!

Anyways, just wanted to give a little update!!! Only have three weeks left of school! Hallelujah!

Extreme Days

I think I may have titled another blog "Extreme Days" once. If so, these days are well worth another title of the same. There have been a ton of things going on, especially with church and school! I thought the quote above was pretty sweet.

This semester is nearly over, just 5 weeks left. I cannot wait for the summer, except that I need to find a job somehow or at least find a couple summer classes to take in order to keep on track with my 4-year plan at Vanguard.

I realized that I am basically halfway done with my college experience, and I am really excited to get it done and get on to my career! I cannot wait to teach, and I'm really just trusting that God is going to get me through the next couple semesters 'cause I have a lot of rough math coursework ahead of me.

At church, there are a lot of things going on, as always. The Weekend is this weekend, starting Thursday, so we're all setting up tomorrow night and still trying to come up with clever team names and themes to get the students all excited. It's kind of hard to be excited, though, because I'm so tired at the same time!

Billy and I have been trying to just keep up and keep going...Sundays are our hardest days simply because we're at church for almost 12 hours. Needless to say, that can get pretty draining. On the bright side, we are both excited about Depth and excited to continue to see it grow. Also, a week from Saturday we'll be celebrating 1 year together, which...I must say is quite an accomplishment. We're both really It feels like it's been only a few months...time goes by so fast!

Back at home, our little dog as morphed quite nicely into our family, complete with the constant yapping and running around and licking and biting...he is quite the little man. Ben is driving...much better than I ever have, and both Ben and Steve are still crazy good baseball players. It's sweet to watch them grow up, but weird at the same time. My parents are just investing in us every single day...working a lot to make sure that we get the best.

Today I sang the national anthem at Calvary's softball game, which they dedicated to the lovely Mrs. Huffman as a result of her battle with breast cancer. It's always great to see people from "the olden days" of high school, both fellow students and administrators, old teammates and coaches, girls that I coached...it's just awesome and I absolutely loved it. I love the community atmosphere there. :)

Anyways, kind of a reflective post with only 1 picture... Sorry about that, just felt like saying something. :)

Also, 24 is throwing me for way too many loops...Lost...what the heck? American Idol - go Danny. The Office...oh Michael.

Yes, somehow I manage to watch all those.

Obsession

Yes, obsession. Are obsessions bad? Sometimes obsessions are synonymous with addictions, and some addictions are harmful. But....obsessions? I'm not sure. This particular obsession may be connected with a higher concern that is generally titled as gluttony, but even that is a little excessive for my infatuation.

Okay, sorry. What am I talking about? Simply this:

In the Cove at school, I often purchase this delectable treat with my salad and drink for lunch. Why? White chocolate! Marcela, my lovely lady friend who works at the Cove, tells me that there are only two people on campus that buy this candy bar regularly, and because of us, they continue to keep it stocked. So the result then, is that I feel obligated to buy it. Do I feel guilty? No, I love it.

Just thought I would share.
Also, Spring Break is next week.

Breakin' It Down

Fact: 65% of people are visual learners.
Implication: People are more attracted to visual aids and images instead of words.
Conclusion: Use more pictures.

For the following post I will use fragments to describe pictures in an attempt to get your attention. Please excuse me as I overlook grammatical structure.







At Disneyland, adorable man















Disneyland, Toy Story, high scores, adorable man wins








Bailey's bday trip, Huntington Library/Gardens











Fulfilled dream, weeping willow














Fish lips, fish eye lens, Batstone not so much









Children's tunnel, good times















More professional pics at Bailey's blog.

It's been a crazy week and the weekend is practically upon us once again. Also, I can't believe we're already changing our clocks again on Saturday....Hope you guys are doing well!