So...Christmas anyone???

Yep, been there did that.
Its usually amusing and always kinda sad to me to see the way that different people act around Christmas. For instance, I'm watching a movie right now about a group of terrorists who have taken a building hostage and are working to open the vault. The tech guy (who's name is ironically Theo) is talking to the boss guy, the tech guy says "This last one is gonna take a miracle." To which the boss replies "Its Christmas Theo! It's the time of miracles, so be of good cheer!!!" There's the people who give at Christmas because you're supposed to, the people who give because other's are giving or other's are watching. There's the people who give new unwrapped toys to Toys for Tots and the ones who write the annual charity check (just in time for taxes). There's the people who work the soup kitchen on Christmas afternoon and the ones who attend the special Christmas service whether its Christmas or not because "that's what good Christians do."
Believe it or not, I do know all that "Jesus is the reason for the season stuff." I also know that perfectly pagan institutions do marvelous amazing things for people around Christmas time. And yet...
I've seen families with nothing merry and content because they're together; and families with everything whine and moan because they (usually some 14 year old) didn't get the newest iphone or the car. I've also seen perfectly well meaning families somewhere in the middle who understand the 'reason for the season' and wish only to be together and celebrate with each other but who get caught up in the rest of it, the peripherals, the extras. The presents and the meals and the driving and the people and the smiles and hugs and the food and the presents and who gets what from whom and and and and and...
It makes me sad that they (the infamous 'they') have taken our holiday and made it materialistic and horrid and now they won't even let us say 'Merry Christmas'. I mean really.
Of course I can't find it now but there was an email that went around a while ago about "If they want my Christmas" and it talked about how if we can't say Merry Christmas anymore than I want things like all the stores open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and the post office open extra extra. I (OF COURSE) can't find it, but it was pretty stinkin amazing and if any of you have it I would LOVE to get it again.

My God Is Disconcerting

My God is disconcerting:
He is close to me, and He is transcendent,
He is gentle, and He is violent,
He is eternal, and He is ever born anew.
He has created us for happiness and nourishes us on pain.
He blesses what many people fear,
He loves what so many despise.
He asks for what seems impossible.
He came to bring war, and He is peaceful.
He is God, and he is man,
He is One, and He is three.
He curses the unjust, yet tolerates injustice,
He is the Almighty Father, yet He allows pain and sorrow.
He demands that we conquer the world, that we live in it,
that we love everything human, yet He wants us to think about the next world.
He asks all of us to be saints,
yet He chose as the head of His Church the apostle who denied Him.
He prefers the weak and the poor, yet it is they who go on suffering the most.
He engraves His law on the conscience of every man, yet He founded a church whose magisterium may create more than a few conflicts with this interior voice of conscience.
He is always present, yet no one sees His face.
Whoever loves his neighbor loves Him, yet He is still one God.
He is our whole life, yet He has no name. The closer you get to Him, the more you love Him and the less you understand Him.
He is freedom, yet He came to obey. He is love, yet hell exists.
He exalted matrimony to such a point that He made it a sacrament and the image of His union with His church, yet He and His mother were virgins.
He is at the heart of human history, and not even a hair falls from our heads without His permission, yet millions of men go on feeling that the world is empty of Him and that He really is superfluous.
He is at once both joy and sorrow.
He is holy, but was a friend of sinners.
He was a virgin, yet He allowed Himself to be touched and loved by prostitutes.
He cried out against the rich, yet He used to dine with them.
My disconcerting God is difficult for the man who wants to take His full measure, for those who wish to impose their logic on Him.
But my God goes beyond all logic and all means of measurement.
My God is marvelous and ineffable, unique and disconcerting.
He is being and movement.
He is what was, what is and what will be.

He is everything, yet nothing is Him.
My disconcerting God is He in whom one believes without seeing, whom one loves without touching, in whom one hopes without understanding, and whom one possesses without deserving.

Psalm 12:1

Psalm 12.
"Help, Lord, for the godly man cease to be,
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men."

Ain't that the truth!!!!!!
I mean really!!!!! How many godly (unattached) men do you know?

Updates.

Wow. It’s been a long time. Sorry about that. I’ve been thinking about posting something since camp – I know that was over a month ago; but there’s just been so much going on inside my head that the thought was kind of daunting. So I’m just going to start typing and see what comes out.

Children’s Camp

What a week. We only had 30 kids, but I loved it. By Wednesday at lunch I knew every child by name, which is not only good for disciplinary purposes but also for edifying purposes. I slept in a tent all week with Rachel and Lisa (most of the timeJ) and while the outer part was really messy (you put three teenage girls with a week’s worth of stuff in a tent and keep it clean) the inside was warm and cuddle with mattresses and sleeping bags and sweatshirts. I got sunburned on Wednesday, which kinda stunk, but didn’t really hit me until about 2:30 am when all the heat left my back and shoulders and I was FREEZING and couldn’t get warm the rest of the night. That was the only morning I woke up grumpy – mostly cuz I didn’t ever really go back to sleep after I woke up cold. My two favorite parts of this week were teaching the kids Sword Drill and meals. The Sword Drill part of it was kind of trying – God was teaching me patient, again…still… - but also rewarding. Sword Drill is one of my favorite things to do and it was SO much fun teaching others a way to learn about the Bible. Meals were amazing – for several reasons. First because they tasted good (Good job Doug!) and second because I got to help with set up and clean up and stuff, which helped me because I need to have something to do to be a part of stuff and serve. The other major fun part about Kids Camp was the rock wall – Duane made it and we put it together on Monday before the kids got their on Tuesday. 16 feet high with little holds and a good ole harness – good times!!! Oh!! And the snack bar!!! Rae and I did snack bar and we had a blast!!!! We had everything stashed under the counter, so Rae would sit down there and pass stuff up to me, while I was taking orders and money and giving change. Other than that – not a whole lot happened. We came up with some new lines: “You just got puppet slapped!!” “One, two, three. Eyes on me.” Shane got hit on my several people (and a puppet!!!) and we learned some new songs!!! Good stuff!!!

Youth Camp

Again – only 36 campers, but it was still amazing. Again – knew ever kids name just a little while into camp and was calling them by name often, youth are more mischievous than children. This year I was in charge of the low ropes course (alas, no high ropes this year) but on Tuesday (my ‘day-off’) I got to go with Doug up to the rock. I always forget how beautiful it is up there, and how peaceful, even though it’s hot. This year Doug did two ropes down the rock and I got to be the first down one; Doug just forgot to tell me that when you’re the first one down the rope it tends to coil and wrap. At one point I was balancing on the dirt mound trying to get the rope untangled in order to drop the last five feet. I also got sunburned this day – although mostly on one side – from being strapped to the rock and belaying kids up the crag. Wednesday and Thursday I had kids up on the ropes course – talk about trying to learn patience; enough said. Overall – good week. There were some trying times, and God worked in some lives. Mostly He brought us together; because of the size of our group we all got to know each other a little bit better than we usually do. Hopefully this will lead to better accountability and more kids at rallies and camp.

Work Week

I spent the week after Youth Camp in Redding working. I worked like 47 hours or something, not that I’m complaining, far from it, but it was rather exhausting. Honestly – I don’t remember what we did all day, but I worked a lot, and it was hot.

Happy Birthday Corinne and Abi!!!!!

Mission Camp

We spent this week at Duane and Corinne’s new house in Magalia, along with some time at Billy Park in Paradise and Merlo Park in Stirling City. We did all the usual bond builders and lessons, just a little different for several reasons. First because there were only three of us; second because we weren’t at a camp ground; third because of the new baby. Again – a good week. Learned a lot, actually got some sleep, found out I had (I think I still have) a sprained shoulder, and watching Shane go from quite boy in the corner to crazy both who sneezes and pops his back. Rachel – no nose pushing, it’s against the rules.

And then – back to normal life. What have I done since then? Well, I left there to go to the family reunion, and then straight back to Redding. I started work on Sunday morning at 11:00am and I don’t think I’ve stopped since. Worked a week; drove down on Saturday for the rally, drove back up that night to work on Sunday morning. I’ve spent this week working a lot of LONG days. Tuesday I started work at 7:30 in the morning and didn’t get done til midnight. Not that I worked straight through – that’s illegal – but I’d work for two hours and then get two hours off etc and was finally down at midnight. LONG day.

Today I’m a ‘gym host’. Translation – I drove out here to Grant Elementary (West of Redding) and opened everything up, set up the waters, turned on the air conditioning and the lights. Now I’m sitting here typing all this (and several other things) up on Jimmy until 11:10 when I get back in the Intrepid (HAHA!! I LIKE driving the Intrepid!!!) to go back to Simpson and get lunches for the kids (I’m still not sure what I’m gonna eat) and drive back here until 3:30. The whole time I can do whatever, mostly work on Jimmy and watch movies, but I have to be here the whole time – it’s Grants stupid rule. Anyway, so that’s what I’m doing today!!!!

I work today, tomorrow and Monday, Tuesday’s my day off and then I work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Fun fun!!!!

In other news…there really isn’t any other news…it’s just me being me. (If anyone knows what that is, please let me know.)

Oh yeah – additional email address: skippy@missionpossibleministries.net – off the coolest site ever: missionpossibleministries.net. YAY!!! Check it out – it’s cool. And there’s pictures!!!

Oh!!! And speaking of pictures!!! Here’s one of the pictures that we took last month in Reno at UNR. (Haha!!! No more hair!!!)

Major Skippy

Well...the results are in and the decision is: Francesca. I have NO intention of calling her Fanny - cuz that is just WRONG. I'll probably call her Cesca. I like the way that sounds.

In other news - I obviously cut my hair last Friday!!! It was scary and exciting and fun and crazy. I can't even describe to you what it felt like when she started cutting through the ponytail. It's all gone now - mailed to Locks of Love last Monday. I'm still getting used to it - but I definitely like it. I can blow dry my hair in like two minutes flat!!!! That's a huge improvement from the half an hour it used to take me!!!! It was quite fun to watch the reactions of other people as they noticed. One particular friend didn't notice until I shook my hair (what was left of it) in her face. In some cases my hair was back and under the hat and so it took until I actually took it out of the hat for them to see. My favorite reaction was my 9 year old niece who took one look at me and said "who are you and what have you done with my aunt?"

I also spent last week up at Lake Almanor working a children's camp with my team. Talk about crazy and fun!!! Now I'm home for two days and then leaving for youth camp for a week!!!! YAY!!!!!

Okay - that's the update on my life!!

Love you all - Skippy

It's amazing what scissors can do...

Before:

After:



The difference? 13 inches.

Now is the time to vote!!!! After many suggestions I've narrowed it down but I just can't decide!!!! So I've decided to allow ya'll to vote!
So here are the options:

Fredrick

Francesca

Smurfette

Cast your vote by midnight Saturday June 16, 2007 and tune in Sunday for the revealing of the name of my car!!!!

All entries must be submitted via blog or written down and personally delivered; all rules and restrictions apply see store for details.


Skippy

Duh!!

How could I forget all the details????
Thanks Julie for the reminder!!!

It's a Chevy Aveo, 2005 - prior rental. Four doors (obviously), automatic, radio, air conditioning.

Names anyone?

Skippy

Exciting!!!

What's little, blue, and gas efficient?
MY CAR!!!!!!!
Look:
Yes - that's the underside of my laundry basket - you just DON'T pass up the chance to do your laundry for free, you just don't.


The back.


The front.

I'm so happy!!!!
Anyway - its pretty and blue and REALLY gas efficient!!!!

I'm taking input for the naming of said car, so comment your suggestion and I'll decide and post in a few days!!!

Hope all is well with everyone!!!

Love,
Natasha

The GOD side of today...

And no, it's not just because it's Sunday.
Last night I was saying that I was empty, that I had no more to give. It's something I've said often lately. And this morning in church we sang a song that (brought up some GREAT memories and almost made me cry and) made me realize that in order for me to re-fuel, I have to go to the one who has fuel.

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking you as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your name

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down you pick me up
When I am dry you fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your name
(I love you) Jesus, (oh precious) Lamb of God, worthy is Your name

So there's the cool God thing for today.
Kind of like a friendly slap in the face just to get my attention.

Anywho - who else has a God story? I know that they happen to all of you - are you looking for them?

Major Skippy

I can tie my hair in a knot!!!!
Isn't that cool?
Okay, at least weird!!!



Of course it only works when its wet...but that's only a minor detail!!!

It has officially been more than a month since I have posted anything. Almost a month and a half. Hmmm...

Anyway!!! So - what has happened since March 31st?
Well...I made it through Easter, three birthdays in one week, and finals.
And then I started work!!! I work for six hours on Friday the 27th setting up for graduation. Most of it in the sun, setting up 3,000 white chairs. Then, I spent five hours on Saturday the 28th - taking them all down. Oh yea - loads of fun!!!!
Monday the 30th was First Aid and CPR training day - I'm certified!!! (No, not certifiably insane - that's you!)
Tuesday we moved - Nicole and I - down the hall, up the stairs, through the lobby, and into the room I'm in now!!! I'm still getting settled in, but whatever - it's all good!!!!

The first week of May was 9-5, every day. Crazy work. Fun work, but crazy work. This week has been more low key, and more sporadic. Next week I only work Tuesday and Wednesday.

There's really nothing else going on. I get up, I go to work, I come back, I go to my other job, I sleep. Same-o, same-o every day.

Trivia question!!!!!! What president's last real tooth and four sets of dentures on display at a Dentistry Museum??

Love to all - yes, that means even you.
Skippy

So it's been almost three weeks...not my fault!!!
The first week there was nothing I could do about it because I was home on Spring Break and we were moving and the DSL didn't get changed over and we had no Internet. ("And like, no phone!" If you know what that's from, let me know - you'll be my hero.)
And then last week my niece Tate from Boise was at school with me, and I barely had time to do my homework, let alone post.
But now, now I'm posting.
I'm home at the moment, I came home yesterday to take Tate to the airport this morning (we left at 4 am...) and I'm heading back tonight to spend the rest of the night and tomorrow reading like crazy and trying to catch up.

The thing about blogging is that your supposed to have something interesting or at least intelligent to say. What if you don't have anything very interesting or remotely intelligent to say?

Alright, that's it. Later. Skippy

God is GREAT!!!!!!!!!

Ya wanna know why? Here, let me tell you:

1. It's SUNNY outside!!!!
2. I have the GREATEST friends in the world!!!!!!
3. I'm going home this weekend!!!!
4. We're finally moving this weekend!!!!
5. I get to see Becc on Monday for the first time in months!!!!
6. I get to spend a week and a half with my long lost niece from Boise!!!!
7. There are people who love me enough (I have no idea why) to come help us move on Saturday!!!!
8. I get to see T.K. in 72 hours!!!
9. I get to see my chiropractor on Wednesday!!!! (Yes, that is AFTER we move.)
10. Professors at Simpson are AMAZING!!!!

So those are the first 10 reasons that popped into my head, there are about a zillion others.

OH!!! And here's#11 - this makes the second post in a week!!!!

Love to ALL!!!!
Skippy

Yay!!! I made it!!! Another post within a week!!!! SWEET!!!!!!!

There is no real point to this post, I have nothing great to say. But I do have something kinda cool to share! This week is Genesis week, and our chapel speaker has been Christ Brown - he's a storyteller. It's AMAZING!!!! He brings the stories from the Bible to life in a crazy insane way!!!
Anyway, I would suggest that you check him out (www.northcoastchurch.com) if you're interested, there should be some sermons online.

So life is crazy, that's nothing new.

Going to go eat what they call food in the cafe - it might actually be decent because we have visitors on campus.

Love to all,
Skippy

Once again I have failed in my duties as a Blog Writer.
I will honestly attempt to get better, but we'll have to take it slowly. I'll start with an attempt to blog once a week, and as I get better I'll aim for twice a week.

Lets see what's happened since my last blog:

I got through my first set of midterms and am now upon my second. There's something wrong with having two sets of 'midterms'. Bio test on Friday, Bio lab test on Tuesday; Psych paper due Wednesday; Phil paper due Monday and another one due on the 26th that I have to read a DISGUSTINGLY boring book for; NT quiz on Monday, test on Wednesday and quiz on Friday. It's going to be a busy week.

Our boys made it to the final round of Regionals, but didn't make it to Nationals. I'm fairly certain that they will next year as we have no Seniors on the team.

The answer to the trivia question is an hour and a half. Which is why if you don't have a full hour and an half to sleep, you should only sleep for 15 or 20 minutes - otherwise you wake up when you are at the deepest part of the sleep cycle and are groggy and mean. :(

Onto something exciting!!! God is doing amazing things in the life of one of my girls!!!! I cannot tell you what a blessing it is to watch Him work in someone's life, especially when you can't feel him working in your life.

Okay - I'm off to go do my Biology flash cards.

Love from Skippy!!!!

Alright - I know that it's been a month (and a day to be exact) but rather than bore you with excuses, which most of you would probably shoot down anyway, I'll just get straight to whatever point it is that I'm supposed to be making.
...
...
...
...
I'm sure that I'll come up with one eventually...
I took a nap today!!!! It wasn't a very good nap, but I did get to take one.
And I get paid this week!!! That's always happy.
And I'm in the middle of midterms!!!! I had two tests and a paper on Friday. Got grades for the two tests today, pleased in both cases. Had another test today. Have an Intro to Biology Lab Exam tomorrow and another test and a quiz on Friday. And then an essay test on Tuesday.

We only have two more basketball games left. One on Thursday (Women only, vs. CSU East Bay) and Men and Women on Saturday vs. William Jessup.

Question of the day: how long does it take to rotate through all four stages of sleep?
Answer - come back later (I won't say how long because if I do and I don't get it posted then, I'll be in trouble) to find out!!!

Love to all!!!
Skippy

Does anyone else find it disturbing that I work more hours than I'm taking units?

It happened again...

Sometimes life sucks. Something happens, something like (let's say) losing a parent. And life just sucks. But you move on and you have support and you have God and you think things are going again. And then you hear the horrible news - someone else has lost a parent. I guy I graduated lost his mother this past week. She had the flu which turned into double pneumonia. Both her kidneys failed and then her heart gave out. The funeral is tomorrow. I've been thinking the past couple days about the last days that I spent with my father, not the last days of his life but the last days that he was really my dad. Sometimes life sucks for you, and sometimes you can't do anything about it. Sometimes life sucks for others, and then you really can't do anything about it. And that makes life suck.

Please be praying for Daniel, his sister Ashley and brother William as well as their father. This is going to be a tough time for them; Daniel lives away from home at school and William is in the Marines, Ashley goes to high school at Biggs. They need all the prayer they can get - please pray.

Sorrowfully - Skippy

I got it!!! Remember how I told you that I had something deep to post, but I forgot? Well, I remembered!!! Or, more accurately, I was reminded. I was driving this morning and I heard this song again on the radio, this is what I wanted to post on.

The title of the song is “If you’re going through hell”, Rodney Atkins sings it, and its pretty popular right now. The title comes from Winston Churchill who said “If you are going through hell, keep going.” (Found that online, thank you DaveShearon.) Here’s the chorus:

If you're going through hell
Keep on going, Don't slow down
If you're scared, don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there

If you’re going through hell
Keep on moving, Face that fire
Walk right through it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you’re there.

The question of whether or not you could get out before the devil knows you’re there is debatable; however it has no bearing on the purpose of this post.

The purpose here is to agree with the Winston Churchill – if you’re going through hell, keep going. Recently I’ve been feelin kinda down and not really looking forward to anything. And I’ve heard this song before, but yesterday on the way home from Redding I actually listened to it. There are times, lots of times, when I feel like throwing the towel in and throwing my hands up and quitting. Quitting everything – school, work, friends, family, everything. While I have yet to do that, the desire is often there and is often strong. I find that its easier to accomplish something when I don’t have to slow down and think about it. When I can just push through: eyes on the prize, focused on the goal, I can make it.

The point? If you are going through hell on earth right now, keep going. Don’t slow down because when you slow down you start to feel sorry for yourself and you start to get dragged down. Just keep going, focus on Christ and never shift that focus. I once heard a talk on Peter walking on water, he was doing just fine until “seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”” (Matt 14:30 NASB) Peter w as walking on water, but when he took his eyes off Jesus to look around him (no doubt in awe of the experience) he first became frightened, and then began to sink.

And here’s some more food for thought about the second section of the chorus – “face that fire, walk right through it”. Sound like anyone you know? How about Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah? (That’s Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.) They faced the fire, and walk right out of it. Why? Because of the angle of the Lord. How? Because they were focused on God.

If you’re going through hell, keep going. Don’t slow down. Face that fire, walk right through it. Keep your eyes on Christ.

Well, nothin much new to report. Went up to Redding yesterday to work a game. Came back to Biggs today with Allison.

Honestly, other than that there's not much to say.
I had something deep to post, I thought of it on the way home today, but then I forgot it, and so now I can't share it, sorry.

Classes start next week, that might be interesting.

Leaving now,
Natasha