You And Me

There is a special event happening today
and I thought I’d share about it here!

After high school, I enrolled in a program called Master’s Commission of Austin. I learned a LOT while I was there about the person I was, the person I wanted to be, and the person I was becoming. It was an environment that helped me fuse my faith and life in a way that I had never experienced before. About midway through my 2nd year at MCA, our Director met with me and said he and the staff had been impressed with my work and asked if I would like to take over their publications and work in their Media Department. I would intern on the media team, and still be responsible for maintaining my academics and other graduation requirements. Because this offer was out of the ordinary (2nd year students didn’t start internships unless they came back for the 3rd year of the program), he told me it would require a lot of responsibility and sacrifice, and said that he didn’t need an answer right away, that I could take time to think it through. But I knew deep down that graphic design, publications, photography, and the creative arts in general, were part of my heartbeat and I HAD to do it—it was what made me tick! So I agreed to it then and there and went straight into training to work on newsletter that they were going to be sending out. I spent 2 years  as an intern under the amazing Brian Brooks and learned how to really hone the craft of design and teach it to others in an effective way.

After 3 years in MCA, the Director decided to move to Louisiana and we were told a new Director was coming in. Instead of joining some of my classmates in the other MC program in Louisiana, I decided to stay behind and serve on support staff for our new director, Dan, as Media Director. My time in MCA as the Media Director was bar none one of the greatest experiences of my life!

Chad (my Media Assistant) and I planning projects in the Media Office

I had students joining my team who had never worked with graphic design before in their life, but they wanted to learn it so bad and I wanted to teach it so bad! Some knew a little bit of the basics of photography and design, but the majority did not. I spent those next 5 years living on cloud 9 as I spent day in and day out teaching students the many things involved in print/web/film design: how to become more aware of the practical design elements in their daily surroundings, how to research colors and marketing tactics used in design, how to work in Photoshop, Illustrator, Streamline, PageMaker, QuarkXPress, Dreamwever, Flash, and Final Cut Pro. I loved seeing them take this technical art and make it into something worthwhile! It made my heart so happy to be able to provide an opportunity for them to see just how much they WERE able to do in design work, when they themselves and others around them said they could never do it. We learned to work as a team and shared the rewards and sacrifices together. It still amazes me to see the work that they have produced even years later, and to see them using the skills they learned, to make money and ‘put food on the table’ all while still being completely in love with the art of design!

Taking group photos with the 2nd yr. class that Daniel & I were responsible for taking care of

On staff, I was also responsible each year for teaching book studies, leading a missions trip, providing accountability/counseling for students, and investing in the lives of a particular class of students. As you can imagine, there are a bazillion memories that I made there that I hold dear. Today, a large group of them are all gathering back in my hometown in Austin, TX for an MCA Reunion. I am upset that I couldn’t make it down to be with them and give them all hugs, so I decided to make a video for them instead so that I could be there “in spirit.” Technology being as amazing as it is, I also decided it would be worthwhile to share it here!

One of the things you really build in such a tight-knit group is a copious amount of inside jokes. I mean, when you spend months/years on the road with a group of 10 people & their belongings crammed in a 15 passenger van for road trips all across the U.S. and on short-term missions trips together, it’s just bound to happen! 😉 So I will help you with some mentioned in this video:

• The Chicken Bank: One night a group of us were hanging out in the media office and someone was going downstairs to get a Dr. Pepper. I really wanted one and asked if they would go get it for me. I had my money stored in a piggy bank shaped like a chicken, that I called my Chicken Bank. As I was trying to get the money out, it wasn’t cooperating and the first thing that came out of my mouth was: “Well this sucks! My chicken bank isn’t putting out!”
• Cue the Indian: One of our students, Jonathan Ostrander (Jono) was joking one day about how the intro to Enya’s Return to Innocence sounded like it was an Indian chant. So a few weeks later, I was being goofy and decided to put on a rainbow clown wig we had in the prop room and record myself on my laptop doing an American Idol audition. After I was done explaining to the judges that I would be the next American Idol, I introduced the audition by saying, “And without further adieu, cue the Indian.” And lip synced Enya’s Return To Innocence into a pen, wearing a clown wig. It was ridiculous. For those wondering, that video was lost in a hard drive crash and won’t be seeing the light of day (Prayse da Lort).
• Fire Amanda!: I was always kind of the loose cannon on staff. I always pulled pranks and often said the wrong things at the wrong time. For instance, in one staff meeting, I was trying to say, “Focus!” but what it came out sounding like was “F**k us!” Another time, one of our staff members was having a heart-to-heart talk with one of our church staff members and it was a super emotional moment and I burst through our office doors belting out, “In the ghettoooooo!” Awkwarrrrd. So it was a running joke in our staff meetings that Dan would always say, “Amanda, you’re fired!” Coincidentally, I was always rehired . . . because we needed design work done! 😉
• Green/Brown/White office: Every time I brought in my redecorate/painting design plans for the media office to Dan, he’d always say, “Are you sure that’s going to look good?” and he would doubt my color choices & designs on paper. But when the office was all painted and put together, he agreed that it was perfect and looked great . . . and everyone would come hang out in the “cool office!” So I put that in there just as a joke.

Those are just a few of the many, many, many, many, inside jokes and memories from my time in MCA! And now, here is a little video love note I made for my fellow MCA Alumni to see at the reunion:

You Keep Me Warm

No really, Texas kept me warm during my vacation. . . 105+ degrees warm, to be exact. Whew! I gotta admit, it does feel quite awesome to be back in a cooler climate.

I had an AMAZING time in Austin! I got to bring Jessica and Christiaan with me and I loved sharing my life and friends and family with them! 😀

It was a very emotional weekend—laughing at all the funny memories, crying because we all knew MCA was coming to an end, frustration because I seem to lose things left and right, warmth from seeing my family and friends, and a wide range of other emotions caused by the combination of lack of sleep + lots of coffee + busy schedule. But I’m so glad I got to experience everything 😀

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to my friend Rich about this big bittersweet weekend and I go, “You know, nothing like a funeral to bring the family together again.” It really was so awesome to reconnect and to hear about how my fellow alums are doing. They have all played such a special role in my life and I am going to work super hard to keep in contact with them all. They mean so much to me! So to all my MCA Alums, thank you so much for keeping my heart warm all those years—I’m gonna try to get out to see all of you! 😀 In the meantime, utilize Facebook, Myspace and Twitter 😀

Here are some pics from my time in Austin:

This lady was sleeping all the way through the graduation—hilarious! 😀

I know that normally one wouldn’t post a picture of a baby crying, but I ADORE these two angels (my nieces) and it just reminds me how different they are in all their adorableness! Because Vanessa couldn’t be more go with the flow and Annabelle gets kinda finnicky. . . I LOVE their little personalities! 😀 I heart these little ladies! 😀

Leslie, Austin’s famous cross-dresser who ran for mayor one year 😀

Legacy

So by now, my home church, GTaustin has announced that as of June 28th, Master’s Commission of Austin will shut it’s doors and will not be running anymore.

I must admit, I found out about it two Thursdays ago, and I’m still dealing with so many emotions. At first I was ardently angry. Then I was overwhelmingly sad—8 years of history was coming to a halt. I had to come to the realization that I would not be going to any more MCA Graduations, I would not be going to any more Alumni Retreats… I wouldn’t be able to talk to students who were having a hard time going through A LONG DAY (see below), sharing stories and encouragement with them. Then I felt like I was misplaced. I felt confusion…why? really? could this really be happening? Then I felt shame…that I was taking this so hard… it’s so hard letting go. And then after long talks with a few people, I was able to find some sense of balance and understanding. I still feel like crying sometimes. But it’s not in my hands. It never was. Now I realize that from here on out, the connections I’ve made (and will try with everything I am to maintain) and the memories will help me keep things in perspective.
And though I’m sure there will be some growing apart… busy people…busy lives… I know that the memories and more importantly the lifestyle will always be a part of who I am.
For those of you who don’t much about my history or about Master’s Commission, it is a 9 month hands-on ministry training school…so think like bible school mixed in with an internship at a church. There’s really a lot more that goes into it, but for now we’ll leave it at that. So, I went to school at Master’s Commission of Austin as a student for 3 years right after high school graduation (2000) and after my 3rd year, my original director transitioned out and moved to Louisiana to start MC Industries—another Master’s Commission program in Broussard, Louisiana. While most of my fellow classmates chose to go to MC Industries as well, I felt in my heart that I needed to stay in Austin and serve the new director and help him and his wife in any capacity I could, in accordance to all the things I learned as a student. I then joined the support staff of Master’s Commission of Austin under a new regime as the MCA Media Director. After my year on support staff, I joined the full time staff for 4 years and in the summer of 2008, I stepped out of my position and life there to pursue my dreams here in Seattle, WA. I got the call two weeks ago that there was going to be a transition—after Graduation this June, there will no longer be a Master’s Commission of Austin. The director and his wife are moving back to Rockford, Illinois to step into a new passion (not that the old one is less than, it’s just time for the transition). Having had to say goodbye to MCA before, I know it’s gonna be tough on them, on each and every student, and on the home church that has relied so heavily on MCA in the past. The sad times will come, the confusing times will come, but more importantly, the building times will come. It’s bittersweet, really it is. But I pray that they will continue to live in the resolution as well. 😀

So to reflect on the good ol’ times, I thought I might share a list of 10 of my favorite things/memories from my 8 years in Master’s Commission of Austin. And yes, I know that it will make this post crazy long, but since this blog is about my life in my words, and MCA is such a HUGE part of it, I think it’s worth it. 😉

1. DISCOVERING MY BEST EVER FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD

Sarah (Warner) Noble has been such a major part of my life since day one. The day I stepped into the big dorm and got settled, and met Sarah… my life changed. Here was one person who was able to show on the outside what I felt on the inside. Over the years, our friendship has only blossomed more and more. My first year for Christmas break, she invited me to come home with her and share in her family’s holiday traditions…that Christmas I learned so much about TRUE FAMILY, true friendship and how to grow up in so many areas of my life. And ever since, her family has considered me a part of their family…always. 😀 She was with me through everything… travel trips, holidays, Coram Deos, credentialing, transitioning directors, transitioning to Seattle, and even last week when all this hit… i KNEW who to call. I knew that she would help me work through things. She is one of my biggest gifts ever in life. Had I never been a part of MCA… I would have never met her… and my life would not be full of as much LIFE as it is now. So many of my memories from MCA involve Sarah.

2. SRMC RETREATS

the SRMC is the South Regional Master’s Commission programs of the US. Since my first year, I’ve been going to SRMC retreats (except for the 1st year after the director transition) and every year I have been so refreshed and revived. The biggest one for me was my 2nd year when Pastor Greg Phipps spoke on Initiating the Romance…life. changing. And every time I hear the song “THE BIGGEST PART OF ME” I remember the message he spoke and I’m humbled all over again. The retreats were also a time where I could reconnect with my friends along the way. I love that when I first became a part of MCA my director instilled in me the priority of building relationships outside of our little MCA bubble… I made some of the best friends with people from other programs and I still to this day stay in touch with them.

3. MY ORIGINAL CLASS (2000-2003)


These people are without a doubt the most amazing, real, and beautiful people I know. These people have helped to shape me so much through the years. We’ve had our ups and our downs and our everything else’s. We’ve been through A LOT together… and we’ve been there FOR each other through it. Class hangouts were always so fun… and to any of my class members who are reading this… I just gotta say:
– Beer and pizza… all the way
– Escuda MC lives on
– Spanglios
– My head hurt dawg
– FireworkStands/FlowerStands… and of course. the cookouts at the Potts’ house!

4. DISCOVERING MY PASSIONS

to teach, to work with junior high students, to rise up to the challenge to love ‘the tough cases,’ to be a listening ear, to be different (in a good way), to be a true friend, to help others along the way. Everything I do now, I learned from MCA. From the way I clean to the way I socialize with people.
MCA is the place where I first discovered my love for the people of Seattle.

5. MY FIRST EVER MEDIA TEAM


Dustin, Grace and Chad…times spent with these guys and gal in MCA will always be a large part of my memories in MCA. From late late late nights in the print room. From brainstorming sessions. From Tracks and from lots of interoffice drama… we’ve always been an amazing team. They’ve taught me a lot and they’ve pioneered a lot of the standards and grace that has developed in all the teams that followed. To you I say:
– She’s…Catholic
– House of Fear…’nuff said
– Grace cutting GT20 flyers with Dustin’s face on them
– Pen wars
– Track wars
– Thankyousomuchforallthatyou’vegivenandallthatyouare.

6. RICH WOLTER

He deserves his own bullet point. This guy is just hilarious. Anytime I’ve been around him, I’ve done nothing but laugh so hard. At first we didn’t get along (story of my life), but through the time we’ve known each other, he has been a strong pillar for me. I remember the time he tried to do EVERYTHING imaginable to break a Nalgene bottle…ran over it with a car, beat it with a baseball bat, then finally taking a saw to it… and when he took it back to the store, they asked him what happened to it.. and his response was: “oh. it fell off the counter.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! He’s the first one to introduce me to the hilarity that is Dane Cook and taught me that there is such a thing as “the magic touch”…i mean really…getting a laptop fixed for free after taking a baseball bat to it…really?? really?? 😉

7. FAMILY DAYS


During my time as a student, family days were a time to have fun without the ‘daily grind’ and a time to celebrate birthdays. They were always so fun and enjoyable! My favorite family day though, had to be during my first year on support staff… we did this dinner and a murder mystery thing and I was the murderer…and the guy that i was supposed to marry was the character played by my new director… and I felt COMPLETELY awkward…cause I didn’t really know him very well…and all night he was like in character being all sly and romantical…and I kept having panic attacks and avoiding him every time he came near me…i must’ve seemed completely outta my mind! and the whole night he kept calling my character’s name: REBECCA! and I kept running away! but at the end of the night, I still got away with murder. 😉

8. ROAD TRIPS


My favorite part of MCA was traveling… I’ve seen so much, been to so many awesome places thanks to MCA. My two favorite trips were the East Coast Tour with my first director and then the MCA Road Rules Trip my 1st year on Support Staff.
The East Coast Tour was so much fun and I got to meet some amazing new people, plus hang out with Three Nails Short (a band that toured with us), and got to meet up with my best friend and have some great times hitting up tourist spots along the way.
MCA Road Rules was another great time…trying to beat out 2 other teams for a prize..and earning points for going to different landmarks along the way from Austin, TX to Phoenix, AZ. Getting to (A) see the Grand Canyon and (B) convince everyone that we actually got a helicopter ride to the bottom of it…was amazing!
9. A LONG DAY

Well, seeing as how it no longer needs to be kept a secret, A LONG DAY is something that was initiated by the new director. It is based off of Navy Seals training, where they go through intense training. They have some weeks of training and then what they call A LONG DAY…because it’s a day that spans over many days…but they don’t get to sleep so it seems like one long day. It’s meant to push limits and build team skills and camaraderie. Being on the staff side was different, but I still got a lot out of each year’s A.L.D. as much as the students did. I loved being able to talk with students during A.L.D. because it gave me so many teachable moments with them and it challenged me to see life through different eyes. To every MCA student who has gone through A Long Day…it’s over. 😉
10. BEING ON STAFF


Being on staff with MCA taught me so much. It taught me how to challenge myself. It taught me grace and wisdom and patience and so many other things. Staff hangouts were so much fun. I loved being part of such an amazing team! One funny memory from staff hangouts was when we were at Carrie Sealy’s apartment and we were playing Rock Band and it in the middle of playing, I farted. really loud. And let me just tell you…I had tried SO HARD to keep in all of my farts from the staff…REALLY HARD. So the moment it happened, I partly hoped they would ignore it…but it was so loud…and Pastor Dan (the 2nd director) laughed so hard!! I was completely mortified…but now I can only look back and laugh 😀

June 28th, 2009 will mark the end of the MCA Legacy as it’s been known. But I know that the legacy will live on in each alumni (for good and bad). So what happens next, after the doors are shut? I dunno. But one things for sure, the memories won’t die. In my life, the standards won’t die. And to all the alumni—please make an effort to stay connected! This isn’t the end of the world by any means, but it is a challenge to stay connected more than ever before. We need each other, whether we’re willing to admit it or not. 😀

There’s really so much more I could say, but I’ll leave it here for now. 😀 Feel free to comment (as always…no censorship)

——————————————–

Dirty Little Secret

If you’ve ever been a part of the MCA Media team, you would know that one of my biggest appreciations for art for the past couple of years has been PostSecret. [click link to learn more]

What is PostSecret you ask? Well, here is some info from Wikipedia:

PostSecret is an ongoing community mail art project, created by Frank Warren, in which people mail their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. Select secrets are then posted on the PostSecret website, or used for PostSecret’s books or museum exhibits.

The simple concept of the project was that completely anonymous people decorate a postcard and portray a secret that they had never previously revealed. No restrictions are made on the content of the secret; only that it must be completely truthful and must never have been spoken before. Entries range from admissions of sexual misconduct and criminal activity to confessions of secret desires, embarrassing habits, hopes and dreams.

There are currently 4 POST SECRET books available at Barnes and Noble/Borders. They are:
PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives
My Secret: A PostSecret Book
The Secret Lives of Men and Women: A PostSecret Book
A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book

Sometimes, instead of sending in their secrets, many people take their postcards to a bookstore and discreetly hide them between the pages of a Post Secret book. This spin-off activity means that the eventual purchaser of the book gets an unexpected secret to keep.

Frank Warren is currently working on a new Post Secret book called Connfessions on Life, Death & God

It’s so great to read some of the postcards and know that you’re not alone. And I think it’s even more beautiful because it is real average people, who take time to decorate and illustrate their deepest secrets and be transparent with the world around them. Here are some of my favorites:

They’re so popular, that even The All American Rejects used the concept for their music video, DIRTY LITTLE SECRET. And to be quite honest, I’ve used the concept in a promotional video before as well. They are both posted below:

http://www.youtube.com/v/AHd3ck6fHBw&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1

http://www.youtube.com/v/rgWPGXkhO0Q&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1

If you have never done it before, I recommend sending one in. You never know who you’ll inspire. I haven’t yet, but I hope to soon.

Ungodly Hour

Well, I’m here in the break room at the Washington State Convention Center, having finished up working yet another Event Force. I was so honored to have been asked to jump on board with Master’s Commission of Austin to work this conference. I got good money for easy jobs…which is very hard to come by. I’ve learned so many things this past week. It’s been a quite enjoyable experience and though I’m sad to see the MCAustin team leave, I’m excited that I will get to see them again in 5 more months when they graduate! 😀 I’ve made new friends and many new acquaintances here, as well as connecting with some familiar faces. The only big complaint I had is that the coffee they served throughout the convention and in the break room was TULLY’S coffee…not Starbucks. 😦 boo. But it was fun being a room monitor and getting to brighten peoples’ days. But now it’s all over…and I’m heading back to the hotel once I get to say goodbye to some of the MC team. They have really worked so hard and it’s been fun hanging with them around downtown Seattle and at the Executive Lounge in my hotel. In other news, I am still looking for a full time job. I have gotten back a few emails from different companies that I’ve sent resumes to saying that they are processing applications…so I’ll have to wait to see how that pans out. In the meantime, I will be going tomorrow afternoon to various places around home where I can apply… like at the Northgate Mall or at Barnes and Noble or something. 😀 I guess I will check back in with you guys more tomorrow. I would go into more detail, but I am under rule of the company that hired us out to keep confidentiality about things here. But who knows what adventure awaits me tomorrow. 😀

I did get to start reading a good new book that P.Dan let me borrow. It’s called THE HIDDEN POWER OF ELECTRONIC CULTURE by Shane Hipps (and no, they don’t lie … hahahahahaha!!)

The Pieces Don’t Fit Anymore

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve reached a point where the pieces don’t fit anymore. You know, that moment when you’ve resolved to chasing your dream and you’re so in love with where your life is at, that the thought of returning is just too outrageous. I have loved visiting people here in Austin, but with 4 days left, I can’t help but feel this anxiousness to get back to Seattle. I can’t wait to see Jessica and Joseph and Jesselyn and Christiaan and Pastor J. and Deb and Amanda and Corbett and everyone!

I remember when I was leaving, I was so nervous, so many thoughts about whether I would survive away from it all, and what my life would look like when I came back to visit. But coming back, I realize that I have to be where I’m at. Because the pieces of my world here don’t fit in my life anymore. Things have changed, people have come and gone, things are moving on, and I get to be a smaller distant part of it, and that’s what I need. 😀 I get to see all the awesome things going on, and I get to go back to what I will call home for a really long time. 😀

I am finally beginning to realize the beauty in change. The freedom in chasing a dream, and seeing it come to life. It’s so amazing! And I am truly blessed to have all the people in Austin who have helped me get to the place where I am now! They made so many things possible. And I’m so glad that the pieces in Seattle do fit so perfectly!

So for all my Austin friends, I hope I get to see you guys before I leave and that you guys continue to grow and grow and grow…

and to all my Seattle friends, I’m coming home soon! I miss you much and I can’t wait to see you all and hug you!

and to my family: thanks for being so awesome! I will see you again in June/July! And someday, I hope you guys will ALL understand why I need to be in Seattle and that I love you so much despite the distance! 😀

Amo- out! 😀

Oldest Story In The World

I had the awesome opportunity yesterday to teach Life Lessons for the Master’s Commission of Austin crew, and I got to share about my transition from Austin to Seattle. I based the majority of it from my blog about THE RESOLUTION (see blog post list on the side bar for reference).

Here are the points I discussed:

GET A GRIP:
– Find your passion and hang on tight!
– If you don’t know what your passion is yet, ask yourself these questions:
-> What matters to me?
-> What makes me happy?
-> If someone gave me one hundred million dollars and said, “Go chase your dreams” what would I do?
– Focus on making it real. Don’t just focus on making it happen, make it real and make it matter.
– Focus on the right things while you’re in Master’s
– Don’t get so caught up in the drama of who likes who, who’s cute? who’s my future mate material. Focus on, when I meet my future spouse, what substance am I bringing to the table? Am I going to bring a half to the whole or am I going to bring another whole person to the whole of me and my future spouse?

HIDDEN IN YOUR HEART:
– A scripture is just a scripture until it means something to you
– Scriptures that have guided me: Hosea 13:4-6; Psalm 51:6
– Hosea> I promised myself that no matter where God takes me in life, I cannot risk forgetting Him. I cannot let myself forget Him. Because if I forget Him, I forget who I am.
– Psalm> Honesty is hard. And the easiest person for me to lie to is God. This is my gut check verse. You gotta be honest with God. And you gotta be honest with yourself.

A LITTLE HELP HERE PLEASE:
– Have someone or some people in your life that you allow to get into your heart and really push you to stay on course.
– Who is helping you get to where you need to go?
– Who is speaking into your life?
– Whose life are you speaking into?
– Will you keep it up even when you don’t feel like it?
For a reference point, you can send an email to your ‘future’ self at http://www.futureme.org

KNOW YOUR ROLE:
– Are you a superhero, a sidekick or a villain? (I choose to be a sidekick)
– Will you do something you dislike if it meant saving your life?
– what about someone else’s life?
– What’s more important: being RIGHT or being GODLY?
– If you go somewhere with this giant ego, thinking that your skills and outstanding ability to do a stomp routine are going to get you a step up in life and are going to land you that huge high paying job, you may find yourself camped out permanently in the unemployment line.
– People are watching every move you make, and what you do matters, both positively and negatively. With this new opportunity to do youth ministry, I’m not out to be superwoman. I’m looking to be an awesome sidekick for God and my senior pastor.
– The mentality of “I’m a second/third year/staff so you have to do what I say ALWAYS scares me.” Because when you’re in a real life situation, that doesn’t work. Ever.

LET’S GET REAL HERE:
– When you are on the way to chasing ANY dream, there will ALWAYS be obstacles. There will be setbacks. There will be hard times. There will be great times! There will be times where you feel you can’t go on or you’re failing. Have a game plan. Remind yourself to pray. Remind yourself to be accountable.
– What scares you the most about your life outside of the Master’s bubble?
– What are you doing to do when it happens?

——————————————–
RESOLVE TO GET THERE.
RESOLVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES LOOK LIKE
RESOLVE TO GIVE LIFE ALONG THE WAY
RESOLVE TO LIVE
——————————————–
Live in the Resolution.
——————————————–

LET’S GET IT STARTED

Wow!  It’s really here!  2009!  Like many people, it will probably still take me about a month to get used to dating everything with an 09 instead of an o8, but it should prove to be really fun catching the mistakes!  😀

If you’re like me, you hate making New Years Resolutions, because it seems like no matter what Resolutions people make, everyone around just condones it as being okay to NOT fulfill them.  And that makes me feel like people only make them to break them, and if a resolution in and of itself is a pledge and promise (which it is), that’s so silly to me.  

One thing I do want to do this year, just personally is to bring more life and laughter to people’s lives.  So I’m starting small and simple.  I’m posting a video below that me and the MCA staff of 2007-08 made for our campus days event.  It’s fun and it’s silly and I hope it makes you laugh!  

The song is by The Black Eyed Peas and is called “LET’S GET IT STARTED”

So I hope you enjoy the video and find it a great way to get the year started off with a good laugh!  ENJOY!

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

there’s no place like home for the holidays

so for those who don’t know, my family flew me down to Austin for a holiday visit! I got to spend 11 days at home seeing everyone and having a blast. The best part about it was that it was a BIG SURPRISE FOR EVERYONE! I’ll tell you about it and then I’ll share some pics!

So originally my dad and stepmom were gonna come up and visit me in Seattle for Thanksgiving, since my dad was on leave from Iraq. But then they decided it would be easier, cheaper, and cooler to just fly me down! So they did! It was so surreal being back in Austin, and truth be told, I was kinda worried it would be too early for me to go back- you know, cause i might just move back if i realized how much i missed it. But I’m back in Seattle, and realizing more and more that this is where I belong! 😀

We originally thought that my dad was coming in on Sunday, but he didn’t get in till Monday at noon. You can imagine the shock when I showed up at church on Sunday. I made it halfway through the parking lot before Steph Pyles (an MCA second year student) ran up to me, shouted my name and tackled me with a bear hug! It was so awesome!! And all of a sudden, everyone crowded around me and just hugged and loved on me! It was so sweet!! It was so good to see everyone! And I didn’t realize it was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, until all the youth kids, my small group kids, and other youth leaders kept asking me, “Are you coming to Pie Night…Are you coming to Pie Night…Please come to Pie Night” Pie Night, for those who don’t know, is the big Thanksgiving Party for the 3 different youth groups that are affiliated with my ATX home church, GTaustin. The three would be: Ten Student Ministries, Unique Reflection (in Liberty Hill) and The House (in Manor). So when we found out my dad wasn’t coming in till Monday, I agreed. It was so much fun- like I had never left! I went to lunch after church with a bunch of MCA peeps- to EZ’s!! It felt so great having an Alamo Bowl again! 😀

After that, I got up the courage to venture back into the MCA offices and hung out with Dave and Mike and met all the new MC guys. Then I went to go help set up for Pie Night. They let me lead the Christmas Movie Game, create a skit, and do my infamous TURKEY DANCE hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! The highlight was seeing one of my small group girls- Keaton, and when i tapped her on the shoulder, she turned around, screamed my name and jumped into my arms, and gave me the biggest hug! it was so awesome to get such a sweet reception! I had so much fun at Pie NIght!

Then I went to coffee with Laura Sexton…soon to be Castagnola! And had such a great time hanging out and talking. And I got to stay the night with her at the Hardy House! It was so great!

Then on Monday, I surprised the Norphy’s when I showed up to morning workout with Master’s. Midway through, me and Christina left to go grab coffee at Genuine Joes and it was so wonderful to catch up with her!

I had to leave before lunch, but had a blast going to morning prayer and hanging out with the staff and third years in the office. Then we went to go pick up my dad at the airport! It was so great to see him!!! HE WAS THE ULTIMATE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TRIP!! And just so you guys can get a feel for how awesome my dad is, apparently he met a fellow soldier at the airport and offered the guy a ride home…to Killeen…which is…an hour and a half outside of austin, so that the guy didn’t have to take a bus and delay his return home! But before we took him, we invited him to join us for lunch at Cheddars (yumm!!) and my dad paid for the guy’s meal. My dad is so my hero! I love him!!

So then after we got home, my dad opened some of his presents and shared some stories with us and we had such a fun time just enjoying his company. Then it was time for bed. The next day me, dad and cindy went to breakfast and just hung out. I also got to have lunch with Elaine Zuniga at Chili’s! I love hanging out with Lainer! She is such an inspiration to me!

I also got to have lunch with Carrie Sue at Chuy’s- good ol’ Tex Mex! And I finally got to meet Fancy, her cute puppy!

And for the FIRST TIME EVER i went shopping with the family on Black Friday. Talk about MADNESS!!! I really don’t do well in large hostile crowds. The first place we went to was Wal-Mart and it was utter chaos. I took one look at the crowd and was like, um… i’m gonna go check out the books. And when I got to the book section, sure enough…it was just ME AND THE BOOKS! ha! no one was looking in the book section! hahahahahahaha!! Then we went to Target and I was looking for a pink care bear for my niece (the big thing she wanted for her birthday) and got trapped in between 4 carts on either side in the toy aisle. I was so done with shopping! I started sweating and getting dizzy. It was bad. I grabbed the care bear and got outta there!

The week was full of family gatherings, meetings with friends, and spending quality time with my dad. That also included sharing my testimony with my dad, which was a big deal for me. and it was so freeing! I absolutely love my dad! We celebrated Thanksgiving with the family and celebrated Christmas on Sunday. The time at home was so great- I got to see my mom, sister, and my niece and hang out with my family! And I got to have dinner with the MCA staff too! it was so good to be back in Austin, and I am so grateful for the path that God has me on! He’s been so good to me! And now I’m back in Seattle and so thankful for where God is taking me from here on out! Trusting Him has been one of the best things ever in my life!

Now, here are some pictures from my time in Austin! I hope you all enjoy! I didn’t get to include a lot of details from my trip, cause it would take hours to write out…but if you want to know, just ask. 😀

[CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO ENLARGE]