Crashing California

Sometimes I wish I could turn the world off. Everything competes for my attention.  The next person selling something. The next thing that's going to make my life easier, more attractive.  This computer screen that I sit at all day, almost every day, for 8+ hours has too many rabbit holes to go down at any given time and my eyes become filled with the next thing to buy, the newest touching story or the latest horror story. ----------------------------------- I've been reading Matthew (yes I finally got into the new testament!) and I've slowed my reading down to almost a passage at a time because there is so much MEAT in these words I'm reading now, it's best to take a paragraph at a time and focus on it, instead of doing chapters. I am in Chapter 6 and reading about Jesus' teachings on money and worry and something has always pierced my heart in particular ... the whole section reads like this: 19  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,...

I had one of those "mind-blown" moments this morning during my quiet time ...  it's def. a blog kind of day. Truthfully I haven't felt moved to write, and when I did, life got in the way and my inspiration waned ... but not today. No today, I asked God to wake me up, and He did! I was really tired this morning. I had set my alarm to 5 a.m. because it's gives me enough time to read, write and pray before I work out and start the day, but it's hard to get up that early (no kidding right) and I was nursing an "all-day headache" from the day before so felt kind of entitled to sleep in. When my fuzzy eyes focused on the page this morning at 5:45 I literally wrote, "I'm tired today Lord, please wake me up". I'm reading Micah right now, and it has one of my favorite verses in it from 6:8 (there is so much meat in this book tho so it's cool to read it in context). So, I read chapters 6 and 7, and began to paraphrase and jour...

Calavera Lake at Sunrise I am enjoying my time.  Or at least, I'm trying to. One thing that I want to make sure to do, everyday before I'm gone, is to really enjoy my life.  I don't have to have a big house, or fancy cars, or fancy stuff, but I want the quality of my life to matter.  I want to be so filled with joy, with the Spirit, with life, that it spills out of me without even trying.  Some mornings I wake up and finally get my butt out the door to run, and I don't rush myself to finish. I have a feeling of entitlement I guess ... maybe it's wrong, and you could say I am selfish ... but with my time, I am. I spend 8-9 hours (on a good day) in front of the computer screen, with fluorescent lights above my head. Staring into the LED box from which I make my living by turning my ideas into a picture on screen.  One can begin to feel a bit like a drone, day after day.  Same place, same time. Five days in a row. Sitting and staring. Sitting an...

Here is a wee cute snapshot of our birdies, who made a pretty big break-through yesterday with the camera on my iPhone. It started because they go crazy when they hear themselves (we've ofcourse recorded them at various times) and I was playing them a video of themselves ... then I had a thought, what would happen if I recorded them playing with the camera ... would they know it's themselves?? Would they care??? Sunny came right up and started to nibble on my fingers (!) which sounds not so hot, but it's really great that they're overcoming their fear of us and our hands =) This weekend is going to be fun!  Till Next Blog! love, a.

I called Ireland today. It was one of the scariest and best calls I think I have ever made.  Quite a while ago, when all the dad stuff was going on, I had heard that his mom, my grandmother wanted to reach out to me.  At first and at that time, I was not really into that. I was pretty hurt by my father still, and I had no desire to add anything to that mix, so I left it, and quite honestly didn't think too much about it until just before this past Christmas. I learned from Emily  (my sister) that Hazel (grandmom) was in the hospital in Ireland and I just got struck, that if she passed, I would feel pretty aweful, knowing that she had the desire to meet me, and me not reaching out.  So I wrote her a letter. And waited. On my birthday, I received a card, "to my Granddaughter on her Birthday" the front read and I almost cried. Actually, I think I did.  You see, my grandparents have long been gone, 10 years, since anyone's' referred to me as a "grand...

Generation Worship | One | CD Baby Music Store Thought I would send out a quick "plug" for our church, and yes, our first (and prob. not last) worship CD!!! This one was created with our team at Generation North Oceanside, with really no goal in mind except to make music for the Lord and for our church, and with each other.  It's taken about a good year and a half ... prob. close to two from start to finish, but its' so cool to see and hear what can be done, with really, a home studio and AMAZING mixing engineer ( and producer) and some faith. We're already dreaming of the next project and I would like it to be all originals (a, so that we don't have to worry about the royalty rights and all that junk, and b, because I think we have new songs to sing)  =)  Enjoy!!! If you decide to purchase, please leave us a review, it's the best thing we can get -- or at least hit me up and let me know you got it ;)  I hope and pray it blesses you!! much love ~ til...

So, I just wanted to share a quick video (so you don't think all my blog posts are doom and gloom, lol) this is the song that I wrote at DIVE in January ... I played it at church on Sunday ( for Father's Day, but I have to admit, I was sooooo nervous, cause Jay made me play electric guitar and I suck poo at it, i mean, in general, I'm amateur at best on guitar ...  plus at one point my leg started shaking and wouldn't stop and I was SURE that everyone could see) I guess, needless to say, my dad has been on my mind lately, but I wanted to share the musical (and literal) memoriam of my experience =) ... this is super-douper rough, but will one day soon be recorded for reals by Jay and hopefully expanded into what will soon be a personal project -- I'm starting to pray about it and already God is moving ... so let Him create the space needed and let Him be magnified! Till Next Blog ~ Love, a.