Photo by mommy!

Sent from my Blackberry :)

Posted via email from Adventures of a Family on a Motorcycle

And we're off!

A few hours behind schedule, thanks to me.. But, now we're on the road! Farewell Little Saigon! Hello... The rest of the country!

This is a picture of my mom and Carol (aka The Neighbor Lady
P.S. My dad loves me and gave me the whole back compartment! Thanks goodness! Cuz even with that I had space issues.. But I have the essentials!
Sent from my Blackberry :)

Posted via email from Adventures of a Family on a Motorcycle

Some Love Wins humor..

I've had like, four different people share this video with me, because they thought I'd be entertained by it.. And they were right!

So, this is the original video that Rob Bell posted promoting his book Love Wins.

http://youtu.be/ODUvw2McL8g

I will tell you, that my first reaction when I watched that was "Uh, I have absolutely no problem believing that Gandhi is in Hell". I've always been told that it doesn't matter how good of a person you are, it's about what you believe.. Who you believe in. And from what I know of Gandhi, he wasn't a Christian. But, props to Bell for using Gandhi as a way to draw people in, because (especially non believers) would have a hard time thinking about Gandhi - who is known for being this great peace making guy and for inspiring and helping tons of people - going to Hell. I feel like most spiritual leaders that I know would have gone the other way with using Gandhi as an example.. Instead of implying that how could you really believe that someone as good as Gandhi could go to hell, it should instead be even someone as good as Gandhi will go to Hell if he doesn't believe the Truth... Anyways...

This is a parody video that was sent to me by a bunch of people, and it cracks me up!

http://youtu.be/ff8n1OST4gk

It cracks me up, because yes, he's making fun of Rob Bell's absurdity.. But at the same time, he makes some very valid points.

"Why not just talk like an idiot?"

And in other news, I'm bummed that I'm going to be missing opportunities to hear Francis Chan and John Piper speak while I'm on my vacation in a few weeks! God has a sense of humor, that's for sure..

Posted via email from Thoughts to fingers, for all the world to see..

Adaptation, adaptation is the game..

"a slow, usually unconscious modification of individual and social activity in adjustment to cultural surroundings" (dictionary.com)

Or in my words "responding to change around you".

Two things come to mind when I think of adaptation.

The first thing is always that "Concentration" song. We used to play it all the time when I was younger, in the car and stuff.. Concentration, concentration is the game. Keep the rhythm, keep the rhythm just the same. Sub-ject: Animals. This might not make any sense in typing, but you'd sing this song while doing these 4 hand motions in tempo, and the motions were 1) both hands slap your lap, 2) hands clap together, 3) right hand snaps, 4) left hand snaps. And each action was done in tempo, and at the same time, you were singing the song, in tempo. So it'd be something like.. Con (hands on lap) cen (hands clap) tra (right hand snaps) tion (left hand snaps), concen (hands on lap) tration (hands clap) is the (right hand snaps) game (left hand snaps)... Like I said, I don't think that makes sense while typing.. But it was a fun game. After you decided on the "subject', you'd go around to all of the people playing the game, and they had to come up with something that fit into the subject, and they had to verbalize their choice in beat, but you had to say it while you were doing the two snapping actions.. Sorry, that probably only remotely makes sense if you know the song/game.

ANYWAYS.. That song comes to mind when I think of adaptation because you can easily slip the word "adaptation" into the song in place of "concentration".. Doesn't make any sense - I know.. Welcome to my mind!

The second thing I think of is second grade. I can't remember it for any other year of my education, but in second grade, we had a theme word for the year, and adaptation was the word. I don't know if it was just for the advanced classes at Ethan Allen, or all classes, or just our class.. But that was the word. I can still picture the word plastered all over the walls.. Written horizontally, vertically.. in red, black, and silver letters..

It's funny the things you remember.

I've learned in the last couple of months that I don't adapt well to change. I just don't.  Someone mentioned it to me awhile ago (that I don't adapt well), and I took offense! "What? I'm the queen of spontaneity! How could I not LOVE change?"

But, after thinking about my response.. I do love being spontaneous. BUT, only when it's not interrupting something else that I've planned. If I have my mind set on something, and you decide to be spontaneous.. There's a good chance that I'll have a stubborn moment and throw down my foot.

This happened a few weeks ago. I decided I wanted to go to the movies with two friends, and as I was pulling into the parking lot, they called and said that they decided they really didn't want to see a movie. I had my natural reaction of completely shutting down. How dare they change their mind! I got out of my car, walked up to them, and we stood outside of the theatre trying to figure out what to do for like a half hour. I still wanted to see the movie.. And they were suggesting "Hey, let's go to Disneyland" or "Hey, let's go to the beach".. But nothing sounded even remotely enjoyable to me. After they saw that I had no desire to change my mind, they both said "let's just go see the movie". Which should have made me happy, BUT.. Because I knew they really didn't want to go see it, I didn't want to see it with them anymore. I KNOW, I'm such a freaking girl. (Have you read this post about me being a girl? Ugh).. I was almost to the point of me telling them to just go to Disney, and I'll go see the movie alone, even though they were willing to see it with me.. Talk about temper tantrum. And I'm not proud of it. But.. This is just an example of how I don't adapt well to change..

We ended up going to the grocery store and searched for green food for an activity later on.. Hahah.. Oh man, I love my friends and that they put up with me. <3

ANYWAYS... I don't adapt well.

Which some people can look at as "meh, no big deal. Some of us just don't like change". But I'm not going to write it off as that.

I'm looking at is as a root problem of selfishness. I wanted to go to the movies. I didn't like the situation. My plans were changed. Me, me, me.  

There are plenty of Bible verses having to do with selfishness. And none of them say "God loves it when you are selfish. Remember that you are all that matters in this world"....... They are all quite the opposite..

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Romans 15:1-2

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

James 3:16

Selfishness is not an attractive trait in the eyes of Christ. And if He doesn't like it, I don't want it.

Easier said than done, I know. But it's something I do want to work on.

Maybe "my" version of the "Concentration" song should be what comes to mind... Adaptation, adaptation is the game. Keep this mindset, keep this mindset all the time..

It needs some work.

I need some work.

We all need some work.

Posted via email from redheadedblonde's posterous

She said yes.

My headphones died today.

I got into the car and was going to call a friend.. And I couldn't hear the other person. Phail.

Thinking that maybe my phone was having  a temperamental moment, I plugged it into my iPod.

Still a no-go.

So.. I made an impromptu stop at the Apple Store at South Coast Plaza to get a new pair. I was ready to buy them, when a handy, dandy, Apple specialist mentioned that they'd be under warranty for a year. My quick thinking calculated that my dead pair is less than a year old.. So voila! Free, new pair!

But, this just went from a purchase.. To the need for a Genius Bar appointment.. And I suddenly had 45 minutes to kill.

Thankfully, one of my favorite places is about 100 feet from the Apple Store.. Borders!

And since I have a car ride up to Big Bear, some free time, and a ride home from Big Bear coming up, I decided that a book or two would be a good purchase!

I wandered all through the store, trying to find the perfect book.

I find myself drawn to the biography section every time I go into Border's or B&N. I love biographies. I think it's so interesting to see the walks that other people go through in their life.

I looked through the Biography and Memoir section a few times, and nothing popped out at me. I went upstairs to look at the Young Adults section (maybe Sarah Dessen has a new book!?!), and was disturbed by the amount of vampire books there are now! Holy crimony!

Anyways, on my walk back downstairs, I realized what book I wanted to buy.

She Said Yes, by Misty Bernall.

This is the second time I'm buying this book. My first copy has been read, written in, loved, and abused so many times that the spine is broken and pages are falling out. It was time for a new one.

What's so special about this book?

It's the story of someone that I want to be like.

Misty Bernall wrote the book in honor of her daughter, Cassie. It's the story of Cassie's life. She was a daddy's girl who grew up in a loving, Christian family. Then, as many people do, she entered her teenage years and got involved in some really bad stuff. She walked away from her faith and met some horrible friends that were horrible influences on her. But her parents never stopped loving her. They made tough decisions to show her some tough love.. And it paid off. She found her way back to Christ, and fell more in love with Him than ever before.

The book isn't just about a good girl gone bad then back to good. Cassie died on April 20, 1999. She was only 17. She died at the Columbine High School shooting.

It's not just the fact that Misty's daughter died at 17 that motivated her to write about Cassie's story. But it was Cassie's final word.

"Yes."

That was the last word she spoke.

And that word was an answer to a question.

"Do you believe in God?"

"Yes."

She answered "yes". She answered "yes" with a gun pointed to her forehead. And she died for it.

I remember reading that for the first time (as a 6th grader) and getting goosebumps. And wondering if I would have the courage and faith to do that if I had to. Correction: if I had the opportunity to do that.

Imagine if her answer had been "no". She still might have died. But man, what a different ending to the story.

Have you ever been asked "how do you want to die?"? I used to always respond "when I'm old, in my sleep". Granted, that would be nice (insert adorable death scene from The Notebook here).. But man, that's the number 2 way I want to die. To die for Christ? To have my final words and breath be proclaiming Christ's love? Holy cow. I'd rather die talking about Christ than dying, silent, in my sleep.

Lord, I pray that my faith is that strong.

Posted via email from redheadedblonde's posterous

Let Us Pray..

Prayer.

It's such a basic part of Christianity - and other religions, too.

Even people that aren't religious randomly pray. Now, who do they think they're praying to? I have no idea.

But... I know who I'm praying to. The God, my God, the God that created the universe, is omniscient, is loving, is in total control, sent His Son to die for ME so that I can go to Heaven when I die. The One that I strive to live for every second of every day. The One who never ceases to amaze me with how much He loves me, and how He forgives me every time I screw up. How He's always with me and always will be..

Anyways, I could go on for years describing God. But I'm not going to - today, at least.

As I said earlier, prayer is a basic part of my faith. It's basic, but so important. And something that I don't know where I'd be without.

As a (really bad) analogy... Think of it like addition. 1 + 1 = 2. We all know this, we were taught this in elementary school. And at the time, it was cool, but after we realized that 2 + 2 = 4, and 5 + 6 = 11, it kinda got boring. We understood it, what more to it is there? And then you learned multiplication! 3 x 4 = 12! Which, when you dissect it, is really just 3 + 3 + 3 + 3! So, it went back to addition! And then you get into algebra, geometry, calculus, and all those other math classes.. And you started being able to apply it in all aspects of your life (I'm going on vacation for 7 days, so I need seven outfits: 7 pants + 7 shirts + 7 pairs of underwear = 21 items in my suitcase).. And science, medicine, accountants.. They'd be lost without the addition!

And we forget about how important that simple math action is because it comes so naturally. And if we hadn't learned it way back when, we would be totally lost today.

That's how prayer is - or should. So natural, so basic.. But so, so, soooo important!

In Sunday School, we always prayed to start and end the lesson. "Close your eyes and bow your head. Let's pray." We'd pray for sick kids that were missing, and pray for a good week. Before meals, my family would always pray "Thank You for this day, thank You for this food, and thank You for Daddy getting home safely. Please bless this food to our body's use." Not because it was our "scripted" prayer, but it was where we felt comfortable. Then as we got older, we'd add more to it, and personalize it. (Which, honestly, I think is how our relationship with Christ is for most people. You start wherever you start, and you develop your own relationship with Him over time)

But now, as an almost 22 year old, prayer is something that I hold so near, and so dear to my heart. And I think it's silly that it took me so long to get here.

The first verse that I think of when it comes to praying is simple, but important: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing".

I used to think that that concept was really hard to comprehend - how do you carry on a conversation with Someone that.. Well, to be honest, can be a little on the quiet side sometimes?

Yes, He may be quiet.. But boy, when He does talk.. Does He talk!

And people tend to forget.. It's not that He's not talking.. It's that we're not listening.

I do that a lot.

A while ago, I was having a night when I desperately needed to talk to the person who tends to know me the most - Craig. I called him, said hello, and started into my saga over whatever I needed advice on. I talked, talked, talked.. And when I finally stopped, he laughed, and told me that I had literally, literally, talked for 15 minutes straight. Without a single word from him.

And, believe it or not (gasp!) this is not the first time this has happened.

I don't feel guilty when I do that to Craig (he's used to it), but doing it to God? He's probably used to it (not just from me!), but boy, does He not deserve it!

I want to really focus on praying without ceasing. But, I also really want to focus on listening to Him.

Let Us Pray - Steven Curtis Chapman

Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way 
Every moment of the day, it is the right time 
For the Father above, He is listening with love 
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray

Posted via email from redheadedblonde's posterous

Laughter is such a blessing

I love to laugh.

Love. Love. Love. With a capital L on every single one!

I don't care if I have more wrinkles than anybody in the entire world when I get older - they will be wrinkles marking how much I laughed during my life!

Let me share a recent time when I laughed – REALLY laughed. And if you don’t want to read it… Well, it’s my blog. Suck it up J

On Saturday night, I hung out with Phill and Leigh. We went to the movies and then headed to Chipotle. We went to the movie super early and we got out at 6:30 (I can't remember the last time I went INTO a movie before 8!)… And I refused to say goodbye to them before 7 PM on a Saturday! So I suggested Chipotle - my default location anytime a question of where to eat is brought up.

We spent about 2 and half hours at Chipotle. Just talking, and sharing, and LAUGHING. Oh my, did we laugh.

I laugh all the time. I laugh when I'm on the phone. I laugh when I'm texting a witty (in my opinion) reply. I laugh when I think of a memory. I laugh when I tell a story. I laugh at work. I laugh at home. I laugh with friends. I'm sure I'd laugh with enemies if I had any! I even laughed when I broke my pinky in Jr. High. And when I got my hand shut in a car door.

It tends to be my default reaction to situations – which I am perfectly okay with!

But man, on Saturday night… I cried. I cried from laughing.

Which I didn't realize until my drive home that night... But I haven't done that in a long time.

I didn't just cry. If you know me.. Then you can imagine this next situation that I'm going to describe rather well…

I started telling a story (for the sake of this post, I'll tell you that it was a story of my dumb, amazing, black dog.. Read more about her here), and the more I told about her... And the closer I got to the climax of the story... And the further ahead in my mind that I got than the words that were coming out of my mouth... The more I couldn't control myself.

First I was laughing. And you'd think I'd learn, but I tried to continue the story through the laughter. Then I started laughing some more, and tears started forming in my eyes. I still tried to continue the story. Then I realized... I couldn't continue. I had surpassed the laughing phase and had reached the uncontrollable, un-hearable (is that the word?) level of laughter. But, apparently I'm stubborn, I still tried to talk and tell the story.

And I got stuck on a line that wasn't even that funny... I think I got stuck on the sentence "and then she had a stroke" (yes, my dog).. But I got stuck between had and a... And it seriously took me about five minutes to get out the words "a stroke"...

Obviously, that is not funny. Yes, my dog had a stroke a few years ago. Yes, her face is crooked. Yes, she looks at you and you can't help but feel sympathy... But I was thinking about the next part of the story...

How my mom took Ali (the dog) to the vet last week and they found out that she has 6 heart murmurs (I know, still not funny)... But the doctor took her into the back room, and brought her out and said "did you know that her nose is crooked?" to which the response was "Um... well, her entire face is crooked, not just the nose"...

Wow. Still not funny.

But, to me, at Chipotle on Saturday night with my best friend and new friend (that I am beginning to think of as a sister)... Telling the story of my poor stroke victim dog was the funniest thing in the world to me.

I once babysat for a munchkin, and while we were playing with his trains, I was laughing at something, and he stopped, looked at me, and commented “I like you, you laugh a lot. Our other baby sitters don’t!” I’m okay with being the laughing babysitter J


I just want to make sure that people know that I'm happy because of Who I live my life for.

One of my favorite verses since I was in high school has been Proverbs 15:13.


A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.


I have a happy heart, and I am so thankful that God gave me a smile and lots of laughter to show it on my face!

Posted via email from redheadedblonde's posterous