attack of the neon green ninja

Tolkien and the Bible

2010-11-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

After about seven years of trying to finish, I am 50 pages away from conquering "The Fellowship of the Ring". Oh yeah.....

I'm finding a new joy that I never found in it when I was 15 though. I never tried to track with Tolkien with the map on the cover. I never made sure I knew who everyone was that he would talk about (or at least 75% of them). He speaks with authority about a world no one has ever heard about and I was trying to read it like the life story of Cary Grant. Now that I have some grasp on things he mentions and goes into great depth on, I'm really enjoying it...and can't wait to finish.

This morning when I read about the "great and noble Osnapper" in Ezra, I couldn't help but see the comparison of the Bible and "The Lord of the Rings"(...besides the insane amount of parallels we could go on for hours about anyway). The Bible mentions thousands of names in genealogies, thousands of places (usually mentioned with which direction to go to get there), hundreds of rulers, and thousands of instruments. It is astonishing to me that the people that are bored by these "petty" details could say that the Bible is made up by man.

Here's what I've been thinking...

The God who wanted us to remember the Israelites crossing the Red Sea on dry ground also found it important to write down all the places they stopped in the desert, the stuff they ate, the way they belly-ached (haha). He wrote about David slaying Goliath but He also included how he slept with Bath-Sheba and killed Uzziah.

If it was only amazing, mind-blowing miracles written in the Word, then maybe it was made up by a prophet. If the leaders never did any wrong, then it was probably dictated by the King. If the people were constantly repressed and harassed by the king, it probably was the work of a few up and coming unionizers.

But it's a compilation...a full picture....taken from the One who sees it all. A glorious painting of history as a whole with the theme of Jesus Christ in every verse.

rainy days

2010-11-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

I can get kinda depressed from the overcast weather up in this area. I don't like the rain but when it's just overcast, I feel down. I wish I wasn't so superficial but it really does affect my mood.

Anyway, I teach the wednesday night kid's class and we're going through Abraham's life right now. "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." I'm trying to figure out how to bring a life of faith to a kid's understanding and as I was driving on an overcast day I thought about how the sun is still shining above those awful clouds. it hasn't abandoned us entirely for the long winter ahead. it's still there, it's only hidden a little bit and it will come out to visit every once in a while....like today, thank God.

In the same way, we can look at Abraham's life in chapter 14 and see how he went through a drought and then threw his wife to the wolves pretty much in Egypt. God seems hidden. but He is still there. and He will fulfill His promises.

"Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth." Hosea 6:1-3

For myself in Humboldt I think Him coming like the sunshine would be more comforting....but it's cool :)

thoughts running through my head on the way home from work

2010-07-11T23:29:00.001-07:00

i have been reading a lot of g.k. chesterton lately.

he's amazing

what i like about him is he comes to the thing you always knew you believed about life and God from a totally different perspective. he's much like c.s. lewis (maybe initials are the way to go) but more difficult to read, haha. more difficult but i would say more rewarding. more british, more popular politics of his day, and more humor...awesome

but what he started me thinking........

he was talking about the materialistic view on the world and how it was created. being my father's daughter, this welled up in me the hatred of evolutionary theory all over again and i began my quest to formulate a few more arguments against it.

what came first the chicken or the egg?

i think both creationists and evolutionists would say the chicken. but when did the reptile from half a billion years ago form feathers? when was it half and half? how did it survive in that state? where is the evidence of this morbid creature?

when did it start developing so much muscle that it pretty much would keep itself tied to the ground? and how would that ever be evolutionarily beneficial?

the question that has bothered me for years but i feel like has never really been addressed...even if by magic an animal should have every bodily system intact but not have a functioning reproductive system...it would all be pointless. there would be one random and perfect generation and then nothing.

anyways...

i bought a cd by edison glass today and it's blowing my socks off as we speak....go get it...

delay or free time

2009-10-10T15:41:00.001-07:00

back in Bible College we had an assignment to memorize a chapter of Romans. I chose Romans 8. It has blessed me more than a month of daily devotions. Although since then I have been slowly forgetting it. So, I'm refreshing my memory and I'm at verse 12 or so in the ESV (especially saved version :). So amazing.

"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God...BUT, you are not in the flesh but in the SPIRIT!" "To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

Life and peace.......

anyway, these passages have given me much comfort over the last few days since I learned that Humboldt State isn't accepting new students for a while...possibly a year and a half.

at first, it was quite the blow. i felt like i had to get out of town and fast. was gonna go to portland and finish school.
i'm still praying about what to do and where to go, but i know that the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. that seems enough.

in the meantime, i have dreams of finally going to uganda....maybe :D

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman

2009-09-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

a remake of a childhood classic propaganda show ;)

the best policy

2009-07-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

So, I've come to face-to-face to my greatest fears. Surprise, it's not jumping off high places....or public speaking....or even loneliness.

It's confrontation.

I'm standing dead in front of it. There are some girls in the youth group that need to be talked to about what's appropriate to where at youth group....which basically means just not bikinis. Poor guys :(

Anyway, there's also this other girl who I used to really get along with, then something happened and she won't even make eye-contact with me. Right now she's becoming a good source of turbulence in the youth group which ain't fun. So, Paul asked me if I could try to reconnect with her and just pour into her life. She's the kind of girl who pretty much only hangs out with the guys and has a rough time at home.

Gee whiz, I couldn't imagine being any more out of my comfort zone than all this...if I could get some serious prayer back-up, that would be swell.

cane spiders and dark rooms

2009-06-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Last night as I was about to go to sleep, a cane spider ran across my floor, throwing me into decision time. Frantically search for and kill said spider or seek another place for rest. The thought of simply abiding with a mini-tarantula under my bed was not brought up. I stood there, dumb-founded for quite a while-thinking through my options, staring at the bed hiding my little friend. In the end, I snuck into my friend Lynette's room and asked if I could sleep in her bed...yes, I definitely felt like a 4-year old but hey....I was a.o.k with that

So after living with limited electricity for a few months here I've mastered the art of doing many everyday things in almost complete darkness. Bathroom activities....shower, shave, brush teeth....I've walked along every path with nothing more than a cell-phone lighting the way...downhill....uphill...with friggin frogs moving around in the bushes scaring me into some desperate prayers ever now and again for safety :) I always chuckle to myself about a jike no one seems to get about it being a walk of faith.

Anyway, I wonder at the new girls here-not feeling comfortable doing much of anything without a lantern with them all the time. I'm realizing now that its because I KNOW this campus like I know just about anything. I've done it all so many times in light and dark that it hardly matters. I am fully familiar with the territory. I wonder it thats how it is when we go through trials-times of spiritual darkness when we can't see more than the two feet ahead God is letting us see. Can we trust Him because we have known Him faithful in brighter times....and even darker times? Will we stand upon the promises of His Word because we have seen them in the daylight? How diligent we should be with the mid-days of our walk with Christ-when everything is hunky-dorey :) For if we slack with the blessings, how can we hope to find our way out in the darkness: But He is faithful, praise the Lord!

The purpose of law and grace according to Romans

2009-05-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

How can the child who willingly disobeys his parent’s clear commands and runs away from home ever expect grace when he sees the folly of his ways? How can he anticipate anything but judgement knowing that he has gone against all his parents’ wishes and abandoned the loving home he came from? How much less can a man expect grace from the loving and just Creator whom he has sinned against in every possible way at every possible opportunity? The book of Romans is the authority in telling man how it is possible that man can be reconciled to the Lord and this paper will deal with the purpose of law and grace in each person’s life.
Before a man can understand and appreciate the grace of the Lord, he must see his own inadequacy. Like the prodigal son, he must see how far he is from his father’s heart, how he has transgressed against his commands and how he is deserving of nothing but slavery. (Lu. 15:17-19) The law serves as a mirror to reveal this darkness of his own heart in contrast to the light of God. Without it, man sees himself in comparison to the depravity of mankind around him and declares himself ‘okay’. The law of God however is the perfect ruler announcing the unflinching requirements of God. (Ro. 7:12)
The Bible clearly teaches that each man has the revealed will of God for perfection in his conduct towards Him and his fellow man within his conscience. (Ro. 1:14) Furthermore, it teaches that not a single person living stands up to the standards of the law and by it no man can be proclaimed as just. (Ro. 1:13) What is the result of this falling short? Can God allow the soul who falls short to simply live and let live? Can He, against His very nature, dare to permit him to enter a new heaven and new earth and thereby defile a whole new creation? No because God, being just and holy, must judge each man according to his life and works. (Ro. 6:23, He. 9:27)
We know that only the man who sees his horrid state before God and His rightful judgement on him as a sinner damned, can accept the grace of God. (Ro. 7:7-9, Ga. 3:24) He must humble himself before the Lord and ask for forgiveness. But there has to payment made for sin. There has to be a basis for forgiveness. Without the sacrifice of Christ, taking our sin upon Him, there is no hope of justification or right standing with God. (Ti. 3: 4-7) Through this provision of an offering, he can receive the grace of God.
Grace is often defined as receiving what we don’t deserve from God. Because God is gracious He reveals a man’s sinful state, paves the way for salvation, points to it, and lets him lean on Him the whole way home. He offers this covenant of grace to all who will receive it. (Ro. 3:24, 5:15) Under this ‘contract’, man is held up by the beautiful grace of God. Knowing we could never measure up to His standard of holiness, Christ completed that standard for us and presents us in His own righteousness before the Father. Through the grace of God, taken by faith, we are granted peace with God. (Ro. 5:2)
Once a man is in the salvation of Christ, grace continues to work in his life until the day he is found perfected in the presence of the Lord. There are numerous ways that grace takes effect. One of the biggest out-workings of grace in a man’s life is the good works that come about by necessity of being a child of God and being a living temple of the Holy Spirit. Paul received grace to be an apostle and he writes boldly because of the grace given to him. (Ro. 1:5, 15:15) The believer has gifts given in grace to build up the brethren and is given sufficient grace to be continually abounding in good works to those outside the church as well. (Ro. 12:6) The simple grace of God is needed for every single thing a Christian does. Without it, he relies on his own resources to accomplish the will of God; the fruit of which cannot be accepted. (Ro. 8: 7,8)
Probably the biggest effect of grace as it relates to our relationship with God is the way it paves for us to have communion with God. Again, because of the sacrifice of Christ trusted in by faith, we are made right with God and cleansed by His blood. But through the marvelous grace of God, we are able to draw to Him and enter into a deep personal relationship with Him. (He. 4:16) It is even His grace that pulls us to be in fellowship with Him, to seek Him and spend time with Him; it is even His grace that grows our knowledge of Him and molds us more and more into His image.
It is amazing to me to see how God has orchestrated each part of His gospel to bring Him glory as the Creator, Savior, Redeemer. How He established the law both in our hearts and through Moses to bring knowledge of sin and judgement. How He provided Himself the propitiation and substitute to take our punishment. How He brought this truth to each of us, offering salvation and vital relationship to Himself for eternity. How all this was brought about because He is our gracious Father. “How can I keep from singing Your praise? How can I ever say enough? How amazing is Your love!”

maggots in the trash can

2009-03-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

so i have this here friend named sayer and she told a really neat story this morning at devos

we have a HUGE fly problem in the kitchen here. which isn't too surprising since we cook under a tent :) anyway, she saw a whole bunch of maggots in one of our trash cans and became determined to get rid of them. she tried bleach and a whole bunch of other cleaning products trying to kill them. nothing worked. finally, she put gasoline over them and lit them on fire.

"brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." James 5:19,20

if she wouldn't have killed those maggots, we would've had so many more flies to deal with within days. if we see one of our brothers in sin and we turn him away, we save (by the grace of God) him from so much more heartache in the future.

thanks sayer!!!! so encouraging :D

abiding 101

2009-02-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

the whole concept of abiding has always tripped me out

that God desires us to live lives in obedience to His Word

then gives us the desire to do so

then gives us the grace to do so

then rewards us with His presence

and makes our joy full

how does that even work? i was praying about it this morning....and how can we even think to venture from that point of fellowship with God....

i don't know....

"prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love
here's my heart Lord, take and seal it; seal it for Thy courts above"

a lil' update from kauai

2009-02-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

soooooooo....it's been longer to get to write a blog than i anticipated....but today is absolutely perfect because i get to get my laundry done and steal internet at the same time!!!!
and it's 2pm and there's a random rooster going off right now

?????

anyway, i'm loving life
i love getting up in the morning....walking out of my tent and doing my devotions as the sun is rising right in front of me and the flock of goats is slowing lining up and migrating to the other side of the field.
i love hanging out with girls all day who seriously love the Lord and have committed their lives to Him in a huge way
i love being convicted in class from romans
i love the sun.....with showers throughout the day
i love having to listen to chuck smith....he's brilliant

one thing i miss is listening to music not from headphones....and playing my guitar and singing as loud as i want to
but right now i feel so blessed to just be a student at Bible College and enjoy what God has for me here!
so psyched!

and yes, the food is great

and here's a video from our lil' trip to a nearby beach

it was insidiously dangerous getting down to this beach....no joke
that kauai mud ain't messin around
combined with slick shoes....haha
and an intense slope
eek
but it was fun
and then we got some chips ahoys

a leap in the dark

2009-01-27T20:47:00.000-08:00

i was listening to dave hunt the other day and he mentioned this philosopher guy who on his death bed said that he was about to take a leap in the dark
to which dave comments on the pure insanity of doing that....seeing as how you would never do that in this life

anyway, i'm tempted to feel like this whole bible college thing is a leap in the dark
but the cool thing about walking with the Lord....is that it doesn't really matter what's in my line of sight :)

will be landing in kauai in about 24 hours!!!

and here's footage of jeremiah's first roller coaster!

i will always never know

2009-01-13T21:34:00.001-08:00

this just in

2009-01-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

how long it takes a random baseball player to earn what i get in a year

some of my favorites

2009-01-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

i won't even pretend to be a music critic....but i absolutely love sharing music that i like....so, here are some albums that i fell in love with this year sorted by my funky categories

albums i was totally counting down the days to
copeland-you are my sunshine i can't deny it....i love the effeminate singing voices. they have a special place in my heart. and the girl who sings on some of the songs is amazing!!!! rae kassidy klagstead....or something like that
jonezetta-cruel to be young good and fast sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-rock
brooke waggoner-heal for the honey she's crazy amazing...piano popaliciousness and awesome voice
house of heroes-the end is not the end some more good rock...some of the songs completely crack me up

some artists i found on itunes and pandora
chris bathgate good ole' folk....love "yes, I'm cold"
lydia-illuminate this is a cd i've listened to almost every day for a month
radiohead-in rainbows okay, i know they're huge....but i wasn't conscious in the 90s and i love this cd especially "reckoner"
eisley-room noises sweet popness with good melodies and lyrics
the hush sound-like vines love love love "don't wake me up"

rock on!

countdown to tent-living

2009-01-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

exactly 22 days till tent-living...19 days to hawaii....and 11 more days of work (the last one seems inconceivable)

soooooo, i'm pretty psyched

i'm going to be in hawaii in less than three weeks....eeeeeeek! i have officially put in my notice at work....i have paid my bed deposit. i'm all in.

hmwahahaha

so, anyone out there reading this, be praying for a very part-time job...couple hours a week...shtuff like that :)

anyway, i'm just so excited to see what God is going to do!!!

dreams do come true

2009-01-05T11:46:00.000-08:00

okay, so i would never say i'm a good drummer...i've been given the compulsive desire to bang on things to a certain rhythm in my head since i can remember.....
and i've always wanted a drum set
and now there's one in my room!!!!!! woooooohoooooooo

it's not mine but who cares!!!!

anyway, so new inspiration to play has come upon me and i cannot resist....fortunately, i am now residing in the garage downstairs and am not too sound invasive ;)

from my boredom to yours

2009-01-01T14:21:00.001-08:00

enjoy if you can

positive post tuesday

2008-12-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

this is from the worship leader at my ole' church in hanford :)

Jesus is extravagant

if nothing else...i like experimenting with posting these links. woot woot

some good lyrics from feist

2008-12-30T17:43:00.001-08:00

The Park

Why would he come back through the park
You thought that you saw him, but no you did not
It's not him coming across the sea to surprise you
Not him who would know where in London to find you

Sadness so real that it populates
The city and leaves you homeless again
Steam from a cup and snow on the path
The seasons have changed from the present to past

The past...
There's hope to have
In the past...

Why would he come back through the park
You thought that you saw him, but no you did not
Who can be sure of anything through
The distance that keeps you from knowing truth

Why would he think, the boy could become
The man who could make you sure he was the one
The one...
My one...
My one...

video from the women's retreat

2008-12-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

if only cuz i'm ridiculously good-looking in this video

somehow the ants don't seem to mind

2008-12-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

There's a comedian named Brian Regan who wonders why ants don't freak out when their nice little hill gets knocked over. Why not even one of them sits down and says "I'm not building THAT again. He's just gonna knock it over."

Their life's work is in shambles and they don't even stop to mourn it's passing.
The cat snoozing on the couch doesn't meditate on the fact that his life is seemingly without meaning?
How did man get this sense of lasting permanence and desire for purpose?
Not from experience. Nothing in this world speaks of these ideals. Everything points to shaky foundations that can't be leaned on. To cars that need constant repairing. To markets that fluctuate. To storms and disease that destroy. To families that break apart.
Then, why do we care if our little world falls to pieces?
We find that God has placed eternity in our hearts. That He has placed in us a desire for what never fades away, for what cannot be corrupted or defiled, and for What is infinitely more Good than what we could ever be.
Come Lord Jesus!

if it sounds like hogwash

2008-12-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

sorry cas, i know you're one of the only people who reads this....but i can't hide the news blog-reader within me any longer

2008 was the year man-made global warming was disproved

it's pretty interesting.....watch out for the cooling temperatures worldwide masking the global warming....its sneaky like that

the all important follow-through

2008-12-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

when i was a kid i used to get lectures after soccer games. "you made a great kick but then you just watched it. you gotta follow-through. you gotta chase the ball after you kick it." the thing is....after those beautiful moves that left the defense dizzy and magnificent kicks that made everyone duck for cover....i would stop and stare at watch everybody else finish it off. "okay, i've done my part..and now i can relax".

it's a tendency i still have fur sure.
I applied for Bible College in Kauai and I got in, yay! Lord willing, if I go, it'll be an amazing time of drawing close to the Lord, studying the Word, and having a blast!
Pretty much the only thing that makes me stop and wonder is money. At this point, I could only save about a third of the money I'd need for the tuition. And this is the point where follow-through is so important. I feel like there are a lot of things to going. Still waiting for more confirmation...but a lot of things that say, yeah...this is a good idea. And so, there's this assumption that....
1. God wants me to go
2. I'm gonna save a little money
3. God will provide the rest
Hey, I have no problem believing that God will provide if He wants me to go. My problem is that I have this silly idea in my head that God will provide the money at no cost to me. It'll just be there. If that's what He wants to do....that'd be GREAT! But my dad was talking to me about this....just that you can't expect people to just give you money. You need to get out there and work towards it too...not at all in a legalistic sense....not in a way that dishonors God's ability to provide. More in a way that a soccer player keeps running after they kick the ball....they follow-through....in a way that a painter actually paints what he dreamed up in his head.
I have this vision for going to Bible College....and if it doesn't work out...I'll be none the worse for it. But, as far as my heart, I just pray I'll be willing to follow-through on it if this is where God is leading :)

i'm going to teach you to dance

2008-11-16T15:13:00.001-08:00

sunsets make me want to paint
to write a poem that softens the heart
to jump in the air and say hooray
to get to heaven double time
the whole idea of finishing the day off
with a fabulous splash of color
makes this whole life thing exhilarating

walks in the rain

2008-11-12T20:45:00.001-08:00

it's not so far to walk this way with you
the rain has lost it's chill
it has gained a glimmer
and the drops are all fireflies

today you drew the drapes for me
they look better all crumpled together anyway

surely you were God's gift to me
back behind the redwood trees
and i would tell you all this in person
but you were too busy filling in my missing skins

inspired

2008-11-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

The Gospel According to Helena

Damn
She loves to sing
She knows she may not even be that good
What does it mean when somebody
Loves to do something
So much
She
Doesn't care
Whether or not
It makes any sense to the world

What does it mean when somebody
Does something just because
It makes her feel more alive
Opens her eyes

What does it mean when somebody
Does something just because
She's missing God
And wonders if she always will

She must know that all good songs
Are a form of prayer

Linford Detweiler

i love this poem...perhaps because it justifies all the times i sing at the tippy top of my range alone in my house or car...

for some reason it also makes me want to go walk in a pasture with a bunch of cows...Lord knows i'm a fan of cows

it might have something to do with the fact that when i was a little kid...my mom got me a little lamp with a cow...and it said cassie the cow on it...it was so cute...one of my brothers inevitably knocked it over :( oh well! good times

what my blog is saying

2008-11-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

i guess you just click on the link....sorry, my friend is way cooler and has the actual picture on his blog...i am not so cool ;)
title="Wordle: neon green ninja"> src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/290645/neon_green_ninja"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">

what's been going on lately :)

maturity

2008-10-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

i was just invited to the "i will not attend school on nov. 5th if john mccain is elected" event on facebook....

Tennessee's Words:
After the November 4 election in which the President of the United States is chosen, if John McCain is elected, we will sit at home in resignation and in protest.
Invite Everyone.
By the way: "Attending" means that you WON'T attend school, and "Not Attending" means that you WILL attend school.
Also, to those who would think otherwise: This event is not about sitting on our "blankety blanks" all summer and then whining if we don't get what we want.
I think that we deserve to have our voices heard even if they can't be counted.
Remember: This is just ONE day of school. That's less than we would miss if we had a 48-hour cold/flu thing.
If you cannot miss school, wearing black is the next best thing:http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=30636721502&ref=ts
STOP SENDING ME HATE MAIL.
Someone just told me that there's going to be an inauguration protest if McCain is elected on January 20th outside the White House

.this is ground-breaking stuff people....i think an event saying "i will vote for obama on nov. 4th" would be more effective from the perspective of the inviter but i'm no political scientist....and how are their voices going to be heard exactly? so far....over 112, 000 are "attending"....good luck saving the world

how guys with effeminate singing voices get me more awake than coffee

2008-10-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

today was an awfully boring and just tired day....nothing to look forward to, not enough sleep the night before...that kinda day....not depressing exactly but definitely not exciting. i tried some coffee to wake me up....only made me jittery.

then, wonder of wonders, i remembered copeland came out with a new cd today....suddenly the hours flew by and i had new purpose for being....it was glorious....

and then as i walked out of work...i was delighted to find out i would be hanging out with the way groovy pattons tonight. life is good!

someday i will sit in that pasture

2008-10-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

i absolutely love the drive to fortuna....i fall in love every single time. there is a place that is so beautiful that i almost stop every time. right around ferndale the trees open up and you can see the whole valley. the sky melts from gray-blue to a smoky orange against dark blue hills and deep green pasture interspersed with all different shades of green trees. i would learn to paint if only i could paint that scene.

and then in other places there are trees that look like they've been planted upside down because of the way the branches lay....other trees look like they're straight from the african sahara.

there's also those plants that look like feather dusters...can't remember the name...but when the sun is setting behind them, it's amazing. i'm in love

on a completely different note....i along with my sisters am now a rap video star...please enjoy "the fight at the rave"

http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=WYlqZ5E1XPM

and click on the high quality option...it's worth the extra two seconds

the wind and the clouds, they led goldilocks all the way home

2008-09-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

this weekend i got to go to chico to visit my way groovy friend cas. some observations:

cool people roadtrip with the windows down....but are also conscious of the ever present danger of awkward one-sided arm tanning
20 minutes out of here, the sun shines
i love the prairies of california....long, yellow grass with random fat green trees against a bright blue sky
redding makes up for it's confusing atmosphere with awesome people who lead you to the I-5
trader joe's is a magical land flowing with dried mangos and cool water bottles
californians refuse to make eye-contact with people walking towards them
chico has more bicyclists than i have ever seen....and has a great park
watching hot rod with cas is quite possibly the best thing you could possibly do with an afternoon

i had a great time! thanks cas!

a prayer request

2008-09-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

so at church for the last two weeks, these two young guys have been coming. my dad was saying that they came from a teen drug rehab house or something like that. anyway, both of them are really fired up about the Lord and it's been so cool to see them just in love with God's Word and hear about the questions they ask my dad about their faith; especially when it seems like a lot of the people at our church have been Christians for a while. one of them apparently used to sniff glue and so his mind is pretty far gone. i'd just like ya'll to pray for him, that God would just restore his mind. me and my mom both feel like God wants to do that work in his life. anyway, and for both of them that they would be built up in Christ....and probably that we as a church would be enabled to reach out to these guys. i don't know....i could just totally see guys like this five years from now with families...and going to teach at the mission and starting new ministries and stuff like that. cool beans

a dream of mine

2008-09-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

sell my car and get a VW bug....or scooter....the dream is somewhat undecided

on getting comfy

2008-08-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

for the first time in a long time, i have my own room....actually, amanda's still in here....but there's only 13 days till the wedding......

anyway, so i am now living in the garage.....with hardwood floors....sharing a bathroom with only 2 sisters....and built in bookshelves. it's the highlife, lemme tell you what.

i think it's truly hilarious.....the light in here is basically one of those industrial looking lights....long, cylindrical bulb....two out of four are burned out....powered by an extension cord and suspended by bungee cords. none of the walls are finished....the floor is half done. we took the garage door apart, nailed it to the outside, and put sheetrock on my side of the wall. oh but it is my room....i stained my unfinished bookshelves....so beautiful. and i actually like the ceiling a lot. i feel like i'm in the bowels of a ship for some reason.

something more than a snickers

2008-08-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

my friend cas once told me that when we are feeling discouraged or lonely or just plain disatisfied....and this is VERY paraphrased....that it is God drawing us back to Himself. i've been realizing lately how truly lonely going to church has been lately. so far, i've shrugged it off as me not having enough friends....or when i get married, it'll be better...which those are valid i'm sure. but, i think it's God trying to use dissatisfaction to get His kiddos to their knees. my friend suz and i were talking about the lack of family in our church....we wanted to know what we could do about it. i've been thinking about it all day. the only thing i can say is pray. pray that God would bring us out of selfish habits and self-focused attitudes and give us a burden for the weak and hurting around us. that He would fill us up and pour us out for the lost that come in every week. that He would give us passion to pray everyday for the people in our lives. He is the source....where can we go and what can we possibly do without Him? He has the power we need....more importantly, He has the love we so desperately crave. and He gives it all to us without question. i think my biggest problem is apathy....i'm willing to just get through church....get home and do something for myself. if i could challenge anyone reading....it would be that you gotta fight through the apathy....pray until you are passionate about the Lord and those around you. pray until your church is a family, daily encouraging one another and united in love. pray until the messed up relationships are healed again. pray until every need is met. pray until your friends are saved and then pray until they go to heaven. pray without ceasing!!!!!

a startling discovery

2008-08-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

in the midst of a really fun time hanging out with my lil' bro.....wrestling, running around the house, taking pics with photo booth, dancing to the gummi bear song....to those who have not heard it....you are missing out....anyway, in the middle of all this....he puts his arm around me in perfect assurance states that i'm a good boy. unfortunately to this i had to point out that he had made a tragic error. "you're not the same as me?" "nope, sorry kid". whaddya say to that? i don't know....kids are great though aren't they? i really can't imagine living in a house without them...life just seems so real and new to them all the time....and jeremiah retain his amazingness despite his lack of attention to detail....haha

how walmart ruined my life....and sept. 28th will truly rock my socks off

2008-08-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

so.....these last couple days a question has been burning in my mind. why do i hate going to walgreens...long's and stores like that? i really hate it....maybe not hate it out loud....but definitely a sub-conscious distaste for them. first of all.....i don't even know what they sell...hotcakes? turtledoves?
anyway, every time i go.....i feel so lost. like the world is ending and all i want is someone to tell where to get toothpicks. i've never gone into any one of them and not had to ask where what i need is. it's disturbing.
but i figured it out.......
i have been going to walmart my entire life!!!! there has never been, in the 6 or 7 odd places i've lived that there hasn't been a walmart. am i for walmart taking over the planet? no.......BUT....i realize now that i am humboldtian?....that i must adapt and overcome....and bring jen every time i go somewhere to lead me through the jungle of mid-size stores.
anyway, on september 28th SWITCHFOOT will be playing in Sacramento....which is yes....over five hours away.....BUT....holy cow....i've never seen them in concert...and couple that with the horrific lack in concert going as of late......i am pretty psyched. already have the next day off...i'm running at night to get in shape for 4 hours of jumping....i need to work on my screaming though.....that's what really gets you. my hair is freshly rocked out though....so i should be good.

a bit to chew on

2008-08-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

"that you put off,

concerning your former conduct,

the old man which grows corrupt

according to the deceitful lusts,

and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

and that you put on the new man

which was created according to God,

in true righteousness and holiness."

Ephesians 4:22-24

some things i love

2008-08-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

I am blessed with the world's most awesome family. I love them so much and am daily growing to appreciate every quirk and difference of opinion. I love that I am one of a very few people who know how funny Amanda is. I love that me and Alyssa get along great....most of the time! :) I love how Sarah looks up to me but doesn't want to be as dorky. I love that Josiah is utterly oblivious to 50% of what is going around him. I love that Jeremiah is so completely awesome in so many ways. I love that my parents have always been real about their love and their trials. I love that Dad will force a fun vacation on the family and it works. I love that Mom would adopt every kid on the planet if she could.

I love Jesus Christ. I love the consistency and solid rock of the Word of God. I love that He is true when every man is a liar. I love that He won't leave me in my petty sins to wallow. I love that He gives each day as a new chance to live in Him. I love that He never lets His children to fight alone if they seek Him. I am loved with an everlasting love and underneath are the everlasting arms.

I love trying new things....whether new instruments, new foods from Nate and Jen's table...tee hee....or artsy things. I love playing music and sharing music with people. Switchfoot and Copeland are two bands that I can listen to over and over again without getting sick of them. I love the sound of a really loud open E chord. I love the feeling of kicking a soccer ball square on the foot. Perfection.

I love the sky in general. I love Humboldt county. It is so beautiful. Even on the foggiest day, Sequoia park brings a smile to my face. I love the sunsets. I love the drive to CR at the end of the day. I love the stars. I love hanging out with people who are cool with just laying on the grass and staring up at the sky. I love that heaven is even better.

Cassie (a more thankful person than she was a few months ago :)

a lil' something i'm doing again

2008-08-11T17:19:00.001-07:00

so, back in the day...when i was but a lowly freshman in high school and i had fallen in love with the Word of God for the first time...i used to read the Bible and every time i came across a verse that hit me i would write it out in my little "super-spiritual" notebook :) anyways, i've started doing that again and it's such a blessing....here's some reasons it helps me....

i'm a huge visual learner and when i write it out, i have to read it a couple times over....which helps me get it somewhat memorized
as i write it, it also helps me think through the meaning of the verse a lot more...and it's relationship to the surrounding verses
even if i don't memorize the verse, i can memorize the general location of it if i need to find it later

i'm just writing this because i like to learn about other people's ways of studying the Word....i think this has been the best way for me so far. if only because it makes me take my time!

happy eight day!

2008-08-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

man, i am so psyched....today is the bestest birthday ever!!!!!!! not really anything in particular happening....amanda got me some undies.....some girly undies at that....sorry, won't be posting a pic. anyway, it's really cool and i'm totally running at 90mph. anyway, i do have to clean the mrotzek house now, so i should go, but having a great time otherwise!

loyalties and evolutionary left-overs

2008-08-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

so.....since i have so much brain power available while i work, i was able to flesh out a little argument......

first off.....it really really really ticks me off when people, especially Christian people, bash on America. it's something that i've noticed a lot since i moved to California and a lot more since i moved up here. i realize that the war and health care and race and a whole number of things are an issue.....BUT this is our home. this is where we raise our kids, where we are going to grow old, where we buy property. our forefathers moved here for financial and for some, spiritual freedom. while i believe this culture is deteriorating at a fast pace, as is the rest of the world, we need to believe in our country....if only because it's ours. patriotism doesn't slack off because what is being stood for is not doing so hot. i will still be a die-hard fan of the denver broncos even if they never go to the play-offs again. to be more practical....if you're gonna whine and complain about the sad state of affairs.....get out of your house and make a difference. being sarcastic and negative isn't going to do anything for anyone.

deep breath.....

okay, so also....my mom has had some kind of mass in the "upper abdominal cavity" for a couple years now. basically, it's just uncomfortable and she's been trying to get it investigated for a while. so, she goes to this doctor in town and he says "ya' know how dogs have nipples running down their bellies.....well, in utero, we have these nipples and this mass is left-over breast tissue....there's nothing we can do"......oh my gosh, i wanna smack this guy.

first of all.....i wanna see the pictures of a BABY (not fetus) in utero with nipples on his belly. second of all....take a flip-flapping biopsy and see if it really is breast tissue.....otherwise i would really like to know that my mom doesn't have some crazy disease. thank you for your time and peace out! i think it's funny that these open-minded evolutionists are willing to blame anything and everything on some imaginary evolutionary process.

okay, that's enough passionate opinion for today....

what's the difference?

2008-08-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

so, right about now i'm not too psyched on this whole bridal shower thing. between picking out decorations, buying an endless amount of gifts and supplies, and trying to get a good gift for amanda.....i've had it. but the main question after an hour at bath and body works is....what's the difference between body cream, body lotion, and body butter????

copycat

2008-08-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

since cas is much cooler than the average person...and she has a blog, i've decided to get one too....hahaha. i think i'll mostly be mostly sharing awesome books, quotes, and music that i've discovered and fallen in love with....along with hopefully a few of my own "original" observations n' shtuff.