It's okay to look...at something other than these commercials

In general, I think online relationship/dating websites are sketchy, but that aside, what the heck is with those match.com commercials??

If you've seen them, you already know what I'm talking about. If you only watch PBS or you're one of those anti-TV snobs and haven't seen them, the commercials are basically a single continuous shot of a reasonably attractive individual smiling and chuckling at the camera. No dialogue. Then at the end of the commercial "It's okay to look" and then "match.com" are thrown up on the screen. I guess someone thought the concept was a good idea because well, the commercials air on national television, but I have no idea what the commercials are trying to communicate, plus I think they're just plain awkward. Are they laughing at someone? With someone? Are they themselves looking for someone? Are they the hotties us unattractive people can only hope for? One of the above! All of the above! None of the above! Who knows?? The viewer must simply endure 15 seconds of discomforting semi-silence. Furthermore, the assumed goal is to get the viewer to go to match.com and do whatever it is they want you to do there. But there is nothing inherently motivating in these commercials. I don't think many/any people jump off their couches onto their computers to check out the website after seeing these ads. Or maybe they do...?

Changing gears to a Cheryl's thoughts mashup...

Christmas was good time spent with the family. Hiking is fun, I should do it more often. Pakistan is not in good shape. "Once" is a really really good movie with good music (that Ireland place puts out some great musicians). It's going to be hard getting back into a regular sleep schedule when work starts up again.

What an enigma it is that an unfathomable God, high above you and I in every way, would seek to reconcile a rebellious and lost people back to Himself.

I will never fully grasp the weight of that truth, but I am forever thankful for it.

He is good, and He is worth it.

May this Christmas be a time that we all reflect on the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of God, that pursues us even when we do not pursue Him.

Merry Christmas!

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only son of the Father, full of grace and truth."
John 1.14

A vignette

It was halfway into a week of family vacation, and we found ourselves at a petting zoo. It was standard fare, the scent of hay and animal feces in the air as young children awkwardly petted and poked skittish goats and rabbits. My family dispersed, each strolling around seeking out the perfect dirty animal we'd like to spend a precious five minutes with. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, my mind and thoughts drifting to what we might be eating for lunch that day as well as how divine I looked in my knee-length blue and white paisley culottes. You know, that clothing invention that miraculously merges shorts and a skirt. As the thoughts swirled about my mind, I found myself near a grey and black goat with matted hair and one misshapen ear. Its glassy black eyes were dull and unblinking as it slowly munched and munched on some grassy hay.

"I'm glad I'm not a goat. What a sad existence,"

thought I, and adjusted my stance away from him with an air of superiority. Moments later, I felt a light but increasingly stronger pressure pulling at my culottes. I looked down in annoyance only to find Mr. Grey and Black eating my beloved culottes! All my pride and courage left me in an instant and a panic flashed through my veins. Paralyzed, I just stared at the goat as more and more of my culottes disappeared into his munching mouth. Finally, I did what every child has been programmed to do from the beginning of time...

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I now had the attention of every female above the age of 25, but only one came running. She knew her daughter's shrill voice and had put on her first responder hat. She quickly summed up the situation and in one fluid motion shoved that dirty animal away and extracted my clothing from its mouth. She stood back triumphantly, knowing she had saved the day. I stood speechless, thankful to her for saving me yet again and thankful my heart rate was slowing to normal. The goat stood munching, munching, munching, unaware of the trauma he'd just caused. The intensity of the situation dropped to a manageable level as I realized with disgust that my culottes were now slimy and green. My mother also came back down to earth at that moment and said,

"Well, I guess we better get you cleaned up. Why did you just stand there?"

It was an exhortation and a gentle rebuke, one that I will never forget. For after my mother worked her mother cleaning magic on my culottes, I vowed I would never again stand helpless and let a goat get the best of me.

Your Epiphany, My Solution

Have you ever sat there thinking about whatever it is you're thinking about and wham! Suddenly these thoughts just burst into your head like a lightning storm...

Self, I've got money to burn before the end of the year AND I'd like to put it to a worthy cause that will use it well AND I think that Cheryl girl is a slacker and should get in touch with me.

What an agonizing epiphany! What should you do? How can you harmonize all three of these deep issues?? Fret not. i have the answer. Ready?

Spend your extra money or forgo a few extras in your life and give to Children's Hunger Fund!!!

Allow me to explain...

i could give you statistics or stories about the poverty and problems of this world, but i'm not going to because let's be honest...you and i both know full well those problems are there, in our backyards and around the world. i'll simply say that if you'd like to give to a nonprofit that is serving the poor in California and internationally, that is well established, and that has very high standards of integrity and financial accountability, look no further than CHF. You can go on the website (www.childrenshungerfund.org) to learn more about who they/we are, our programs, countries we're working in, etc. But if you're going to give, know that one of our selling points is that over 99% of our total revenue goes to our programs. In other words, we spend less than 1% on overhead. We are also members of several accountability and watchdog groups that audit how nonprofits spend their money, and our annual report is available to anyone and everyone.

So yes, CHF is a great place to unload your money. If your thinking, sounds good let me empty my wallet, you can go to the website and give online by credit card, or you can just send a check. However if you're thinking, hm I want to give but I want to designate it toward some specific stuff, then the CHF Christmas Catalog is for you! The catalog is online at www.childrenshungerfund.org/catalog. And check out the supercool dynamic catalog flip book that the communications guys slaved over for the past couple of weeks.

Now you're thinking, Wait how does any of this intersect with Cheryl getting in touch with me? Well a couple of my job responsibilities include processing and databasing the donations that come in and merging files to receipt the donor (you in this case, hopefully). SO, if you give money to CHF there is a 99.999999% chance i will know about it, process it, and receipt you. And in receipting you, it would brighten my day to be able to think of you and write a mini letter to you on your receipt.

Well there you have it. Some of you may be thinking, waaaaaait a minute she's just trying to get me to cough up money and avoid getting in touch with me for real. To those that are thinking that i say, uh, DEAL WITH IT!

In all seriousness though, i'll conclude this post by adding that this isn't about me trying to guilt anyone into giving. i process countless donations every week, anywhere from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. i have no idea whether the people giving the donations have pure or selfish motivations, whether they were guilted into giving or whether they gave genuinely, whether the donation was stingy or generous, etc. That's not for me to know or judge. The point of this post is to give you one quality giving option that i can personally vouch for, and merely encourage you to give if that's what you'd like to do.

And tell your friends, family, and everyone you know about CHF too. It really is a great place to give, whether you're a Christian or not a Christian, boring or exciting, supercool or a huge loser, etc.

And let me know if you have any questions, like,

Cheryl, I want to give online but I don't know how to use the Internet...

or

Cheryl, I don't know how much postage is because they keep raising it...

Yeah...questions like that.

Gotcha Day

GOTCHA DAY
\gawt cha day\ noun
1. The day on which an adoptee officially joins or enters into his or her adoptive family

November 15th. 22 years ago today i arrived on American soil as a five month old after screaming and crying my head off the entire way from Korea to Albuquerque. It's amazing i survived that whole trip...survived without some aggravated passenger throttling me and throwing me out of the plane.

This day has always been such a wonderful and mind-blowing reminder of God's sovereignty and blessing. Think about it...i could've ended up with ANY family in the WHOLE world, and yet God had it planned that i would be in the Owyoung family from the start. i am so blessed...

i just read my xanga blog entry from November 15th of last year. It's so weird how much has changed in just a year...

To Mexico & Back (again)...

This past weekend was Cornerstone's third annual Imagine trip to Mexico. A little more than 800 people from Cornerstone packed up tents, toilet paper, and work clothes and headed south of the border to serve at various sites in Ensenada, Mexico.

It was an interesting weekend. i could go on a long rant about how i seriously question the value of short term missions trips and events like Imagine, but i think that's more of a dialogue, not a blog entry. Instead, i'll just say that the weekend was unexpectedly very enjoyable for me because of the time i got to spend with various people on my team. The way Imagine works is everyone is broken down into smaller teams of 20-30 people, and each team is assigned a different site and task somewhere in Ensenada. The projects run from serious construction like framing houses and pouring concrete (jobs for the skilled professionals) to painting and playing with kids (jobs for the kids and people like me). Our team was assigned last minute to a daycare center where we played with kids, painted, fixed a door, and encouraged the staff. Anyway like i said, the day we spent serving at the center was good, but i think God was most glorified in me in the time i got to spend with people on my team.

Most of the weekend i hung out and got to know Deborah. Her story and why she's here is pretty complicated, but basically she's from France and she's not a Christian. Our conversations and time spent together were so rich and fun, and we both just got along smashingly. It's so fun hanging out with someone for an extended and concentrated period of time, and you end up talking about everything. Anyway i'm thankful we got to share our lives with each other this weekend and it was just a sweet time.

As for everyone else, i enjoyed everyone on my team but there were a few people who i got to know better than the rest. They are just phenomenally great people. The time i spent with them was so fun and encouraging.

Anyway i had a fun weekend, complete with sleeping in a tent in the freezing cold, port-a-potties, a yummy Mexican taco stand, a failed quest for Apple Fanta, funny Mexican kids, a two hour wait at the border, no showers or running water, beautiful stars at night, and a renewed enjoyment of God's grace and goodness.

Shed a tear for Max...and God is so good

My car, Max, has served me faithfully over the past 5 years or so. He's been in and out of the shop frequently, but always because of circumstances outside of him (i.e. other people hitting me). Today though was the first time something has just broken. It was an...interesting experience, dotted with many examples of God's grace throughout the situation.

So I'm driving home from work. I'm less than a mile away from CHF on San Fernando Road at rush hour accelerating and going about 35 mph. If you've never driven stick, you may not understand what happened next, and i'll probably do a bad job of explaining this, but here goes. i go to shift from 3rd into 4th, and all of the sudden it's like my stick shift comes free. It doesn't physically come out of the car, but it's clearly detached in some way from how it's supposed to be. i frantically shift from one gear to the next, but to no avail. It just moves freely and moves every which way. The car goes into neutral at this point and i decide i better coast over to the side of the road. By God's grace there weren't many cars around me at the time, and i make it to the side of the road. i turn off my car and start it up again in the vain hope that everything would start working. But it was a vain hope indeed. So now i'm blocking traffic, sitting in a car that will start but that can't go anywhere because the stick shift is broken. I get out, call my dad, then call AAA. By God's grace my dad decided to buy the premium AAA deal where they will tow you an unlimited amount of miles, as opposed to a measly 7 with the normal deal. A call is put in for a tow truck, and i'm standing on the side of the road waiting for it.

Being in such a humbling position, it was interesting to observe how people reacted to my situation. 99% of the people that drove by went on but stared as they passed. i can't blame them; that's pretty much what i do when i see people with car trouble. Only one car rolled down their window and asked if i needed help. And then there was that nice young man that drove by and just yelled "PUSH YOUR CAR OUT OF THE WAY!" So helpful, so kind. Oh and one of my coworkers stopped to make sure i was okay and offered me a ride home. i would've preferred driving back with him, but i figured i should stay with Max and direct the tow truck to my mechanic's shop.

Anyway then the tow truck came. At first the driver was in a really bad mood because AAA dispatch had given him a wrong address for my location or something, but he cooled down after a bit. He was an interesting character. He's one of 6 (or was it 8) people in all of Los Angeles that's been working his job for over 25 years. He did most of the talking on the drive to Simi, and told me all sorts of random stories. We eventually made it to my mechanic, he saw it was a safe area to leave me, and so he let me and Max off. My dad picked me up a short time later.

Here's the crazy thing my mom said. Or, a couple crazy things my mom said. First, i didn't think about this until she said it, "Good thing you weren't on the freeway when it happened." Oh mylanta is that true. By God's grace this happened on a surface street and not the freeway, where i would've been driving much faster and i wouldn't have been able to move over to the side as quickly or easily. When i think even for just 30 seconds about how bad the situation could've been had the stick shift broken just 4 tenths of a mile (literally) and 5 minutes later, all i can do is praise and thank God for extending so much grace that that didn't happen.

Okay and on a lighter note, we're talking over dinner and my mom says,

"Well i'm just so glad you're safe. i pray for you and all my kids every morning, but this morning i just happened to pray in particular for your safety. and i also prayed..."
(at this point i'm thinking it was some cool God thing where she prayed specifically for safety in my car or something, but no, what she says next is...)
"that if there is some young man out there for you that God would be preparing him for you." WHAT THE CRAP?! We're discussing what was easily the most stressful event of my day and she brings THAT up?? It was just a little depressing because my parents have literally never mentioned anything like that to me and i guess i just thought the issue was off their radar. i mean we've talked about their marriage, other people's marriages, and marriage in general, but they definitely are not the parents that nag me about that sort of thing (something i couldn't be more thankful for). ohhh Mommykins.

Anyway moving on, the whole experience with Max was a good test of patience, humility, and trust. i'm so thankful that God is steadfast and faithful and good ALL the time, even in the midst of small trials like the one i went through today.

The whole experience was oddly exhilarating too. i'll flesh that out in my next blog. But now it's time to sleep.

"Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and unscrutable His ways." Rom. 11.33

October 31, and nothing more

Isn't it freeing to arrive at that place where you stop pretending to like something and just say, "Hey, i don't like this. i've never really liked this. That's that."

Halloween...you and i are officially over.

As a kid, anticipating the deluge of forbidden sugar was enough to overcome my anxieties about finding a costume, as well as numb my young brain to the fact that Halloween is a pointless "holiday" whose background has little/nothing to do with the Halloween of today. As i got older, i recognized a conflict within, but being the weak-minded sheep that i am, i continued to go with the flow of the day.

"Gosh i hate coming up with a costume for a pointless holiday." i'd think. "But all my friends are doing this or that; and besides, everyone who's anyone does something on Halloween...right?"

Don't get me wrong. i'm not going to condemn people i know for wanting to go out, or dress up, or have a party, or do whatever on October 31st. i "celebrated" it all these years past and let's be honest, if you're a live human residing in the U.S., the day is just inescapable. All i know is i'm tired of getting caught up in this Halloween insanity, and i'm certainly not going to be one of the Americans slated to spend a combined $5 billion on Halloween this year.

city names are weird

My job consists primarily of data entry; more specifically, people's contact information. i see a lot of crazy names, crazy street names, and and i get to learn about (probably not) exciting cities all around the US. Take yesterday for example...

Hm okay, next person. Wappingers Falls, NY? Haha what a funny city name. I better look it up on Google maps to make sure that's correct. www.maps.google.com-"Wappingers Falls"-*Search Maps*. Hm, whattya know. It's a city in the southeast portion of New York. Innnteresting.

Some time passes...

Ocoee??? Now that CAN'T be an actual city. www.maps.google.com-"Ocoee"-*Search Maps*.

"Did you mean:
Ocoee, FL
Ocoee, Orange, FL

Ocoee, TN
Ocoee, Polk, TN"

Whaaat?! Not only is Ocoee a real city but there are TWO of them in the US. Wow.

Mexico

Ahhh vacation...

I just got back from a family vacation in Akumal, Mexico, located about an hour and a half south of Cancun. It was quite a trip. My parents, my sister and her family, my brother and his wife and I (10 of us in all) headed south of the border for a week of sun, rain, beach, pool, snorkeling, good food, and rest. It was a perfect time to go. The resort was nearly empty. There were about 100 people staying at the Akumal Beach Resort, which made us 10% of the guests there. It was like having a private resort. It was nice. On the plane I sat next to a guy who's been a state prison guard in Oregon for the past 20 years. He told me one or two crazy stories and made the point that everyone should visit a state prison because so much of our tax money goes there. Next family vacation...state prison.

This was the view from our room. It rained a fair amount while we were there, but as you can see it was still gorgeous. The nice thing was that the rain was a warm rain and we could still snorkel or swim even if it was raining.

Mimi, Tamara, Eric | Mom and Lydia

The resort we were at had archery. Micaiah is a pro.

Okay, yes, we all know Cheryl is an alcoholic. That established, one of the greatest things about staying at a resort is the alcohol is "free." Here's my sister Kris and I enjoying some margarita action. It was nice to be able to try so many different drinks without paying a kajillion dollars each for them.

One day we went snorkeling in this lagoon not too far from the resort. I couldn't get a picture of his head but this here is Mr. Eel chillin' among the rocks at the edge of the lagoon. We were all grossed out for about 2 seconds then we just started talking about unagi. My family and food are just inseparable.

And speaking of food, here's me with a Magnum, the BEST ice cream bars in the world that you can only find outside the U.S.

Michael Vick has illegal dog fighting rings...The Owyoung family has illegal hermit crab racing rings. Step 1: Find hermit crabs on the beach. Step 2: Create racing boundaries. Step 3: Race hermit crabs. Step 4: Realize hm, my family is crazy.

(That family picture didn't turn out too great but it's the only copy I have) It was a great trip; I was bummed my little brother couldn't have come too. It was a great time to have fun, relax, and think. I am so thankful for such a great vacation. I am incredibly and unfairly blessed.

(pardon the formatting errors...I don't know what happened and I'm too lazy to fix it)

what's next...

Tomorrow is my last official day working at Fishy Finds, and Friday is the last official day of my internship at CHF. Then i'm off for a week to vacation with the family, then i start full time at CHF in an administrative position. Yup, a full time job. Strangely, the decision to accept the position wasn't as easy as i thought it would be; partially because the week they offered it to me was just insane...

Monday of that week i found out that i didn't make the cut for a job that i wanted pretty badly to work out; a job whose application process has taken up nearly a year of my life. it's impossible for me to be bitter about it because i learned and grew so much from trusting God throughout the process, but it was still a bummer. Tuesday, through some random circumstances, i became "convinced" i should go into the Navy and do their language program. Wednesday, my supervisor told me to start thinking about whether i'd be interested in a full time job at CHF. Friday morning, Cal Lutheran's graduate services left a voicemail, informing me they got my application to work in their office and they'd like to set up an interview. Friday afternoon, my supervisors gave me a formal job offer for CHF. When it rains, it pours.

There was a lot to consider. That insane week had thrown off my perspective and goals for my short term future. Plus i felt guilty that this road to a job at CHF has been so easy for me (i believe i'm qualified to be there but let's be honest, i got in initially because i had connections) when so many other people would do anything to work there. i also felt bad that i'd be quitting Fishy Finds so soon after starting. Also, i've always been reluctant to work at a place where every coworker is a Christian. Anyway after doing a lot of thinking and seeking God's wisdom, He provided a practical solution to each of my misgivings. After more thinking and seeking, i decided to take the position as simply a "next step" in life.

i have no idea how this will end up, and unfortunately i've already begun battling discontentment and impatience (two familiar adversaries) as my lame mind races ahead to "well what about after CHF? what should i do next?" all i know is ultimately i'm glad God reveals His will in small steps, because it forces me to better trust and submit to Him.

On a lighter note, i saw "Across the Universe" and it was pretty good. It was more of a musical than i thought it was going to be, but the choreography was very creative, a lot of their Beatles covers are better than the originals (in my opinion), and it was just a visually incredible movie. And oh mylanta, matinee movies at Irvine Spectrum are $11 now! Unacceptable.

being real

my dad directed me to the blog of this guy who's living in Uganda with his family working with the people there. while i only read a couple of his entries, i was refreshed by his incredibly witty, realistic, and brutally honest views. he says things that (in my opinion) are true but that most American Christians probably don't want to hear. i wouldn't take his views as biblical truth or anything, but i think he has some very valid points that everyone, especially American Christians should at least consider.

www.stonesinuganda.blogspot.com

that burqini is so hot right now...

So in approximately 12 days my family (minus Jon) is departing for Akumal, Mexico to spend a week lazing around in the sun, snorkeling, eating, and scaring geckos out of the beds. All of us are really looking forward to it, except...

My sister-in-law is white, and her Wonder Bread skin burns faster than you can say "ouch." So she went online and found this super sweet burqini.
While she's not Muslim, our family has agreed this is the best alternative for her. In attempting to maximize the appeal, she's decided that i should get one too, so we can match. i'm not too keen on the idea because that burqini is still WAY too immodest for me. i mean your hands, feet, and face are still showing! gosh put some clothes on! in any case, hopefully it'll prevent some sunburnage "inshallah." (Arabic & Turkish for "if God wills it")

Colorado, Chipotle, & Cavities

yesterday i went running for the first time in, oh...months. bleh i'm so out of shape. i cherish the memories of times past when i was regularly working out and in good shape. one of those times was that glorious summer in Colorado at STP, playing ultimate (translation: sprint after sprint) week after week in that slightly-higher-than-California altitude known as the Colorado Rockies.

speaking of Colorado...

that was the state in which i ate at and fell in love with Chipotle for the first time. it changed my life. i ate at Chipotle yesterday for the first time since Colorado. i scarfed down my fajita burrito with everything like a piggy and got food all over myself which i'm sure impressed my new friends with whom i ate. i think i had food all in my teeth too; i was a sight to behold.

and speaking of teeth...

on monday i had to get my first filling for a cavity EVER. i was devastated when i went to the dentist last week and was told i have my first cavities. 22 years of no cavities and there they were, between my teeth where i should floss more regularly. fortunately the filling is small because the cavities were small and between my teeth instead of right on them. the whole process has made me think a little about how easily our bodies fall apart and how fleeting vanity is. so many people are obsessed with fixing something that's already broken and that will only continue to deteriorate no matter what. i'm thankful that God has given us reminders even in our own bodies of how weak we are, so that we might see the grace and beauty of trusting in an eternal God.

Beer me those beans...

So i finally went to volunteer at CHF today. They have volunteer days on Wednesdays and Saturdays to pack food, bag product, etc., and even though i've been interning there for over a month now i hadn't been down to volunteer. Anyway it was a lot of fun. A very well-run volunteer program. So part of the time i was on the FoodPak assembly line next to these cute 10/11ish-year-old boys. One of them was putting cans of pinto beans in each box and the other one was responsible for making sure the cans were coming off the pallets efficiently. The one putting the cans in the boxes would yell "dude, i need more beans! bean me!" i realized later that i was incredibly amused by them yelling "bean me" because it subconsciously reminded me of that episode of The Office when Andy prefaces his sentences with "beer me" even though "it gets a laugh like a quarter of the time." hahaha. So funny. Hm i'm looking forward to the new season of that show.

Now that i'm working 5 days a week i understand why everyone (not students) value their weekends so much. And it's funny...i thought i'd be doing tons of cool stuff with my free time now that i don't have school, but all my free time activities have been very un-glamorous because all i feel like doing is sleeping, eating, reading, relaxing, or some other low-key activity.

Speaking of low-key activities...

i saw "Hairspray" last weekend. i think it's strange how movies can proclaim such a strong message of anti racism while being absolutely steeped in racial stereotypes. Granted the film is based off material that came from a less p.c. era, but still, this whole self-defeating thing isn't new or uncommon in mainstream movies. i guess i just think it must be weird for an actor/actress of color to be delivering lines about the evils of racism while their character dictates they be a sassy Black dancing sister...or something. Shrug. In any case, the movie was entertaining and the dancing was really good. And might i say i was pretty impressed with James Marsden. Who knew that Cyclops could sing and dance so well?

"Let me tell y'all what it's like
being male, middle class, and white..."

Cheryl news ticker...
i got a part-time job posting items to ebay for an antiques store; it should be a fun and quirky job and will provide a little much-needed income | i'm auditing Theology I at EBC and loving it. i'm in the process of going back to square one in a good way with God and the Bible, and i think the class (in addition to more time spent in the Word) will help me learn and re-learn some of the basics | "Bourne Ultimatum" is the best movie i've seen in a long time | i went to the beach and swam for the first time this summer (not counting Israel) in gross water, but it was still fun | i'm enjoying working for CHF so much and looking forward to finishing up the internship program project | i will (somewhat sheepishly) admit that i have now seen both High School Musical and HSM2 and (although i have NO idea why) really enjoyed both | i got to hear the testimony and story of a Holocaust survivor last night and now i want to read her book. (Pursued J. Vera Schlamm) | i need to work out or go jogging or something but it's so flippin' hot. not as hot as some places in Israel, but still over 100 and that's just too hot | i've been spending a lot of time with my sister and her family and that's been so fun | my nephew Micaiah is 7 but can kick my butt in nearly every game on the Wii.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3.16-17

if you know me at all, then you know how much i enjoy adding "your mom" to numerous statements. if you know me a little better, then you know that i also enjoy the comic strip Pearls Before Swine. therefore i found this comic quite appropriate to my life.

i finally saw the new Bourne movie today. It was pretty darn good. i think it ended well too. Plus i was glad the parts that could've become really lame and cliche didn't. For instance when Julia Stiles' character is trying to explain why she's helping Bourne she makes some vague comment that thankfully didn't turn into one of those "you don't remember that we were madly in love?!?!" scenes, which would've been lame. Oh and at the end when Bourne is talking to the other assassin, i like how they recycled Clive Owen's line from the first movie.

i started at Children's Hunger Fund last week and it's been going great so far. For the first month and a half or so i'm gonna be setting up an internship program for them, and then i'll probably get moved to another division to do some other stuff. It's a really neat place to work. i'm seeing how amazing it is that CHF can have such integrity and transparency in everything they do, and how amazing it is that they move so much product and do the things they do with the few people they have. The people are so friendly and it's kinda cool working with so many people that love God and people.

Future of Forestry's last two shows with Nick and Luke were Fri and Sat. i went to the Fri show in Laguna Hills since i couldn't make the Sat one in SD. it'll be interesting to see where everyone ends up...

i'm currently obsessed with Eisley. Spence from FoF has told me he really likes them and i'd heard their singles "Telescope Eyes" and "Marvelous Things" but i never listened to them much until they posted their entire new album on myspace a few days ago. www.myspace.com/eisley
i've only heard clips of the songs from their first album on itunes so i don't know if this sophomore release is better, but i just like their sound in general.

camping trip with some of the extended fam!

setting up camp

Cara

my cousin's fiancee and my other cousin

boys digging project

the boys

the girls' table

the boys were obsessed with the fire

the girl pink posse

Mimi, cousin, dad

my cousin's cute hapa baby, Sophie and my aunt

"So you sailed away into a grey sky morning..." (10 points if you can name that 90's tune by that one album 90's band)

This past weekend was my extended family's 2nd annual family camping trip. Only part of our whole family goes but it's still fun. Actually the whole point of the trip is so that all the little kids can see each other and play together. It was nice though. We were at a super plush campsite at El Capitan in Santa Barbara. My parents and I had to leave a day early because I had work today and my parents left for India for 2 weeks. It was a fun day and a half though.

Yesterday, i was standing outside The Habit (a burger place) waiting for my friend to meet me for lunch. This guy walks up to me and says, "You know, South Americans are brown but people don't know that South Africans are black." Had i been more quick to process what he said, i would've done something intelligent like engage him and ask "whatever do you mean, sir?" or at least make a smart remark like, "well that bit of nonsensical wisdom just made my day!" Instead, i smiled awkwardly and said, "oh" and he walked away. i am still puzzled by the situation. He didn't come off as mentally ill or sleazy, and he was a solitary older man (meaning it wasn't some teenage boy trying to be funny and random in front of his friends). He just leisurely walked up to me and made this strange comment with a calm and knowing look, like he was sharing a great pearl of wisdom or something. shrug.

In other news i went to the north San Diego County area today to see my not-anymore-roommate and my sister-in-law's sister and her family, who are visiting from England. Little kids with British accents are too cute. It was such a beautiful day too, and i must once again affirm that San Diego beaches are THE best beaches in southern California. The water is warm and clean, and there aren't inordinate amounts of rocks or seaweed. i think i'm going to add SD beaches to my list of current favorite things...

why is August 3rd going to be the best day of August this year? three words...
The Bourne Ultimatum

i haven't been up to too much since getting back from Israel. my little brother was here for a week from Albuquerque and that was fun. i'm still waiting to hear from Children's Hunger Fund about my schedule and everything, and i'm thinking about applying to Cal Lutheran for a part-time administrative job. hm what else...i have jury duty again Monday. my life isn't that exciting right now...

being home has been nice but i definitely need to start working or something. it's nice having time to just relax, but it does get old after awhile. i've also been contemplating moving out of state somewhere just for the heck of it. i love California and being near my family and friends, but the idea of starting over somewhere is exciting too. we'll see...

a true photo blog

Israel really does have every landscape imaginable. these are just some of my favorite pictures i've taken throughout the trip.

this trip really was amazing. i didn't have too many expectations going into it, but it was infinitely above and beyond anything i thought it could be. IBEX is definitely the way to go if you're going to Israel. the trip is much longer than any other tour you could go on, and it's more intense mentally and physically than any other tour. Nate did an absolutely phenomenal job teaching us the history, the land, and the Bible. it's so true that the Bible comes to life once you've been. now as i'm reading through things i can picture how the story unfolds geographically. i also enjoyed getting to know all the people that went too. we are all very different, but somehow God orchestrated it that a large majority of us are in a transitional stage in life, not sure what the next step is. it was neat to be able to encourage each other in what we're going through.

there were so many highlights-swimming in the Sea of Galilee, the Banyas hike, getting to know Erica a lot better, hanging out with people, tackling Masada, long and tiring yet richly packed days...but i think i will overall take from the trip a renewed appreciation of God's awesome grace and faithfulness over time. He truly is an eternal God that doesn't change and is always faithful to an unfaithful people. Selah.

Israel photo blog pt. III

Sea of Galilee taken from the bus

it's Aldrich Park in Israel! haha this is near Aphek

Arbel Cliffs - we literally climbed and hiked down from the top

beautiful Banyas waterfall hike

Banyas waterfall

Nate (leader) & Na-El. Na-El was our bus driver. he's a Bedouin and had to leave his village when he became a Christian.

Laura and I at the Sheraton in Tel Aviv on our long journey home.

the Sea of Galilee is perhaps the best body of water i've ever had the privilege of swimming in. in the evenings the winds pick up and you get some good sized waves. the great part is that it's fresh water and it's the PERFECT temperature. so you go swim and have fun in the waves and everything, but when you come out you're not salty and gross. it's great.

on the cardo at Bet She'an, a huge Roman city

Shechem/modern-day Nablus

Scott playing Israeli Pac-Man at our final dinner

beautiful Yad Hashmonah where we stayed for 4 days

gorgeous Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast

lunch @ Na-El's house.

thanks and Israeli military in the Golan Heights

4000 year old Sea of Galilee boat pulled out of the mud

4th of July BBQ!!! (you can't see it in the picture but we had country music too :)