Christmas is Here!

Yay! It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. I love the cold, brisk air, the (very occasional) rain, the Christmas lights, the trees and decorations-- I love getting presents for people, and love getting presents too of course (who doesn't? Come on now, don't deny it!). And especially, I love remembering the birth of the King-- Jesus Christ-- who came into our world to save us.

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My whole life Christmas has been my favorite, and the songs about Jesus have always been my favorite, though I didn't much have a reason for this before I became a Christian. My absolute all-time favorite Christmas carol is Oh Holy Night (aka Cantique de Noel). It is hard to imagine how I didn't see the amazing, glorious truth of the Gospel while repeatedly singing and playing this song. But 'tis the blindness of the unsaved soul, sadly. I love it even more now that I understand what it means.

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Tomorrow is the annual trek to L.A. County to visit family. First up is my dad's house and then we will all make our way to my brother's home for dinner. I am excited to see my Daddy and step-mum and my brother and his girlfriend. My brother has been so kind to make wheat-free baked goods for me both Thanksgiving (rolls) and for tomorrow's dinner (brownies!). Hopefully the brownies come out as tasty as the rolls. I've heard horror stories about GF brownies!

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Well, dishes must be done as I've created quite the mess in my kitchen baking 2 loaves of GF pumpkin bread (with chocolate chips!). I made 2 loaves so that some would actually make it to Christmas dinner! Ha! Last time I made it I consumed almost half the loaf before the party... Tee hee! MMmmmm...

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Wishing you all a very blessed Christmas and happy New Year 2010-- May you remember Jesus' love and sacrifice for us and reflect on His goodness as you spend time with your family and friends this wonderful season. Amen! :)

Okay, so I've been really lazy about blogging! What can I say? So in the past couple months I've had a couple interesting travel ventures.

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In early September I went to Hawaii, specifically to Waikiki / Honolulu on the island of Oahu. That's where this picture was taken, and that's a real plumeria in my hair! I had just gotten done swimming in the oh-so-lovely (and kelp-free!) ocean.

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I don't want to sound too spoiled (I mean, I do live in SoCal and San Diego County at that), but the beach I visited in Waikiki was way better! The sand didn't make your feet black and there was no kelp. The water was about 75 degrees and you could see through it to make sure there were no sea monsters trying to eat you. These are things I value in a good beach. Though I do think our California beaches are absolutely beautiful, I don't entirely enjoy getting dirty and thinking a giant sea monster is drowning me whenever kelp touches me! haha.

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So then I was home for a week before I was off to my next adventure: Minneapolis. Now, I'm not sure how much more opposite than Hawaii you can get (within the continental USA minus Alaska which is in the frozen tundra of the north)... When I left home it was averaging mid to high 80s. When I was in Hawaii, it was the same (but with a more tropical bent). I checked Minneapolis' weather before my Hawaii trip and during, and it said mid to high 80s. So the same, right?

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Well. The week I came home from Hawaii a huge cold front blew across the northern US... And so instead of 85, it was... 45. Okay, in the day it was probably (maybe) 60. But by the time I got off work, it was definitely in the 40s. With rain. And the week after I left it snowed! It dropped 20 degrees in 1 week! Crazy weather!

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So along with this crazy weather came crazy rain, and crazy flight delays. Mine included. Oh, but I get ahead of myself. Let's start on the way to Minneapolis (MSP).

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I had a stopover in Denver, had to de-plane but then was to get back on the same plane. We boarded the plane, bound now for MSP and... There was an issue. They announced that the cockpit was having trouble communicating with the cabin (seatbelt signs/TVs weren't working), and though the plane was mechanically sound they were not going to take off until it was fixed. They had just worked fine an hour earlier on my flight there from San Diego-- how strange.

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So 2 1/2 hours later after finally de-planing us and having us loider near the gate for an unknown period of time, they finally booked us onto another plane. Then off to MSP, 3 hrs late which really ate into my audit time (then unbeknownst to me). Once I got to MSP, I realized there was not a main store with 2 tills and a smaller satellite store with 1 till (as I'd assumed)... There were 3 stores. And 1 had 3 tills, 1 had 2, and the other 1. And they had an ATM I didn't know about. So my (now) 2 days and 3 hrs was looking rather insufficient.

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To make matters worse, I had also gone out to audit the bank site there. When I got to the bank site, they informed me there were TWO bank sites! Well, each one takes a full day, so that surely wasn't going to happen. And I was already looking at not finishing the airport stores, so this wasn't good! Communication with my boss resulted in abandonment of bank audits in favor of finishing the airport, so back to MSP it was!

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Then on my final day, my flight was scheduled to take off just before 6pm. At 1pm I got a phone call (not surprising due to what I'd been observing all week in flight delays) saying my flight was delayed 100 minutes, causing me to miss my connection in Phoenix. Well yeah, since I only had max 60 minutes between landing and take off of next flight, that would cause me to miss it. They told me that because it was early though that they could possibly make up the time, so I waited to change my schedule.

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At 4:30pm I got another call. My flight was now delayed 180 minutes (3 hrs), "causing [me] to miss my connection in Phoenix". Yeah, they're not going to make up that time! So I thought about my options and decided to get out of rainy Minneapolis and spend the night in Phoenix to depart at 7:30am the next morning (Saturday). But I still had to check in at the originally scheduled time or the counters would be closed they said.

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EVERYone in line was from a delayed flight. So it took over 1 hr to go through 15-20 people (a relatively short line). Then I was all checked in and went back to work for a while. Around 7pm I went through security because I was finished at work. The plane finally took off at 9:30pm! So we flew to Phoenix and when I got outside the airport I about dropped dead waiting for a shuttle because it was 85 degrees (at 11pm)!!!! I had just been in 40 degree weather! Good thing I had the foresight to bring a skirt or I would have died the next day!

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So, there you have some update. Since it is so long I won't go into October details... That shall be for my next blog! Have a blessed November-- I can't believe it's November already. I love this season, it's so wonderful! :)

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Revelation

So I've been dealing with some subtle yet bothersome health issues. The one bothering me the most is my voice being messed up for the past 16 months. As a singer/musician, this can be somewhat of a problem. Another issues is a chronic sinus problem I've had for the past 5 1/2 years or so, which might be contributing to my voice problems. But you probably knew all that (just a little background).
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I've gone to my primary doctor quite a few times, who has prescribed various sinus medications. We hadn't much looked into the voice problem specifically since I assumed it was related to the sinus problem. After she couldn't do any more, I started going to a holistic-type doctor who has put me on an incredibly strict diet for the past 2 months now. This has produced some results-- I have lost some weight, my digestive system is pretty good now (another of the issues), and my throat/voice hurts less... But the voice has only improved maybe 20% over 2 months. Not the amazing breakthrough I would have hoped for.
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Well, today I was listening to a Bible study on the radio by Cheryl Broderson, and she was talking about trials and how God uses them to mold us, etc. In listening to her expound on this in her usual clever and funny way, I was brought to the realization that I hadn't actually ever accepted this voice problem as a trial from God to work good in my life. What a revelation!! Duh. How this escaped me I do not know! Guess I'm not as smart as I thought.
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I had realized that God had allowed this problem in my life for a reason... But mostly thought of it in the negative. As in, this is bad, not good, and God is doing it because I am bad or something. As some form of punishment. I didn't really fully think that, but wondered. It never occurred to me to think of a trial as something good, that this would prepare me for the future and draw me closer to Him. I just thought it was painful and annoying, kind of like how we are thankful when we stub our toe on something hard (not!).
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So that is my revelation for the day. I don't know what will come of it (as though suddenly realizing the purpose of a trial will procure its end)-- but hopefully it will help me to be obedient to that most beloved passage of scripture: "My beloved brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-3)
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Thank You Jesus! :)
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Update!

Just a quick update, since my last post was so dramatic!
I went to the doctor today, and I have gotten a bunch more foods to incorporate back into my diet. The whole point was to eliminate things so my body could heal, and then to slowly add them back in. Thank You Lord for opening my heart to understand that these past few days instead of just mourning the loss of my culinary life! \

So now I can eat tomatoes, black beans, almond milk, oat flour (if it doesn't bother me), brown rice flour, xylitol/stevia in moderation (natural sugar "substitutes"), carrots on rare occasion (i.e. in chicken broth), goat cheese/milk, sheep's milk cheese, peas, peppers/pepper, and coconut milk. YAY!

Now I can make real curry, eat cereal (the brown rice crispy kind anyway, that's about it!), put sweetener in my oat groats (like coarse oatmeal)-- it tastes not so bueno without sweetener. I love peas. And I love cracked black pepper-- awesome. And shhhhh I can bake coconut macaroons with all the ingredients I can now eat (but don't tell anyone!!). All I needed was the xylitol and brown rice flour ;)

So this makes eating out a lot easier, which is good because I'm leaving tomorrow for another road trip! This time I'm driving, I'm so glad. I can bring water and don't have to fit everything into 2 bags! Nice! 

But I must add these new foods back in one at a time, so that if I am feeling any symptoms (i.e. headaches, digestive upsets, sinus issues, etc.) I can easily identify what caused the symptoms and remove it from my diet again. So far goat cheese is A-OK. Not too sure about black beans or oat flour-- shall have to try those again later to verify. Nothing overwhelming. Tomorrow morning we're testing cereal. Oh yeah. No more eggs and almond butter rice cakes for breakfast!

Well, that's it for now! Peace out.

The Diet and Toronto

So many of you have probably heard me talk about this diet I am on. Well, it's not so much a weight loss diet (though it has that added benefit), but a sort of cleansing/detox type diet meant to help my body rid itself of ickies and be restored from having eaten things that didn't quite agree with it. The doctor said it would last "at least a month". I'm hoping it will last "no longer than" a month. Haha. I'd just started getting the hang of it at home, where I can cook for myself-- but while traveling it is BRUTAL!!!

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There's a list of things I may eat (not all-inclusive), and more important list I cannot eat. Things I cannot eat are: bread, carrots, corn, peas, lima beans, peppers of any kind (including black pepper, bell peppers but excluding cayenne), dairy (except real butter and plain yogurt), fried foods, fruit/juices of any kind, granola, kashi, ketchup, margarine, mushrooms, mustard, noodles, peas, peanuts, pistachios, potatoes, starchy veggies, sugar, tomatoes, table salt (i.e. iodized regular salt that every restaurant on earth cooks with), vinegar, yams or yeast. I also cannot eat soy or wheat, including soybean oil (which is in... everything).

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What I can eat: green vegetables (except those listed above), avocados, cauliflower, garlic, onions, brown rice (incl. brown rice noodles, brown rice cakes), wild rice, other unpleasant sounding grains (i.e. buckwheat groats, millet), chicken, fish or turkey (the only meats allowed), nuts/nut butters (minus peanuts), eggs, yogurt, sea salt, olive/coconut/safflower/sunflower oils, real butter, herbal teas, lemon. I was okayed to eat unsweetened dried coconut too.

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At home I've made pesto pasta with brown rice noodles and turkey, stir-fry with tons of celery, onions, garlic, green beans and broccoli with some lemon and a ton of seasonings (tasted like sweet pickles when I was done hmmm...); also I've made a make-shift curry, using yogurt and dried coconut rather than coconut milk. I mix brown rice into all these stir fries. Also a quick thing I figured out (sort of tastes like fried rice)-- mix a raw egg in cooked rice and then sautee with some olive oil. Throw in whatever veggies. Eat. Or I eat it plain. There's always your traditional chicken or fish with rice and veggie side dish too. For breakfast or a snack I have almond butter on a brown rice cake or on celery.

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Now that was challenging enough at home. For a couple days I ate nothing but rice and eggs. But traveling... Ugh. I hate having to look through the menu and find the one item (if that) with the least amount of these forbidden ingredients and then explain why I am asking them to leave out the carrots, salad dressing, bread, etc. etc. I ordered just lunch meat from a deli and they looked at me like I was nuts. I ordered just lemon juice for dressing at a salad bar, and they thought I was weird. The people at my hotel are nice, but if I eat fish one more time I'm going to gag! Also I've been having scrambled eggs each day for breakfast, and there is a mysterious yellow liquid at the bottom of the plate... Probably melted margarine. Who puts margarine in eggs?? That's disgusting.

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Even with all my trying, I know I am breaking some rules. I am obviously eating nearly all table salt (except for my rice cakes with sea salt that I brought from home). I am probably eating (gag) margarine on my eggs each morning. And who knows what has pepper or sugar mixed into it on your meats? But I'm going to ignore those things, for if I did not, I would pass out from hunger before week's end!

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Okay, aside from these challenges, a few good things: I've probably lost a couple pounds (nice side effect I'd say!), I have a noticably more energy and don't feel groggy and slothful all day every day as I did before. Also my voice, which has been hoarse 14 months, is improving. So it's got to be worth it to do all this, right? So I plod on... You know, I never thought I would dream of brown rice. You know, I didn't think finding brown rice in restaurants would be so hard! I've been eating almost nothing but meat the whole time with the occasional vegetable.

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And check this-- I am out here in Toronto, Ontario (Canada), right, and the people have been really friendly. In fact, the bellhop at the hotel keeps hitting on me! My goodness. I've been told I'm beautiful who-knows-how-many-times, told I should treat myself to a massage (and as he walks away, "I can give good massages, but I'm working..." hahahaha). He urged me to eat dinner tonight when I came back from an unsuccessful hunt for food and said I was going to go to bed and forget about it (on the verge of tears, but it wasn't visible)-- I had talked to him while wandering the hotel lobby/stores yesterday evening. It's pretty funny. I hope I don't see too much more of him (though he's been nice), because I don't want to have to make him feel rejected. Most guys who talk like that to girls they don't even know are not on my list of people to marry!

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So yeah, it's been an interesting past couple weeks, and an interesting trip to Toronto. Oh, and another good thing, I found 2 different stuffed animal keychains that PERFECTLY fit my criteria! Small, roundish in shape, and... for sale. I've retired my frog (and turkey, and alligator, and penguin) and tried using a Pookie (the teddy bear from Garfield) keychain, but he had too many limbs and was too big and cumbersome. So a Canadian bald eagle (ironic) and a weird Canadian Olympics 2010 mascot it shall be!

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And God is good. I'm glad He's here for me as He is always. It sounds like a dumb trial, but I dare you to try eating only what I listed above... And then travel for a week STILL eating only what I listed above (with no means of transportation and working in the airport)... :) I'm not trying to be petty-- it's actually quite difficult! Especially when one of your main hobbies whilst traveling is to eat good food at nice restaurants...

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Well, ciao for now people! Sorry this is so long! Just wanted to share.

Love, D

Long Time No See!

So it's been a LONG time since I've seen such a time as this-- a time where I have a whole week off with NO obligations! The possibilities are endless. I can actually do things that I never get around to doing because I'm too tired from work.

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I am so looking forward to not being tired all the time, and to enjoying some of my hobbies. I am going to (finally and for the first time since I got it) change my guitar strings... I can pull out the sewing machine I bought and learn how to use it. I can hang the picture I bought several weeks ago that has been disguised as a pillow on my couch (and not a very soft one at that!)... Oh, how I hope that I don't waste my time away!

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Yesterday I embarked upon my first experiment ever in making up a cookie recipe from scratch. I have modified existing cookie recipes several times, but have never started from scratch. There aren't many ways to alter basic dough, except when you are trying to make gluten-free, dairy-free dough... I've tried just using all purpose gluten-free flour... Not so good. Tasted like beans. Tried substituting rice flour. Flattens out into a cookie-disc. So I came up with a fluffy cookie with body, which doesn't taste at all gluten-free or dairy free... And they are actually very low in sugar too! Can such a thing as a good tasting cookies exist with these criteria?? Yes!

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I am going to call them White Chocolate Spice Cookies. The only "bad" part is that they are actually fluffy, as I said before-- usually cookies aren't fluffy. You could take the same recipe and put it in a loaf pan and make a bread with it. Maybe with walnuts though instead of white chocolate chips. But they taste very good, and very normal! No one would ever know they were "special".

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Well, that's it for now. Perhaps I will update further into my vacation! :)

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To Love Much

Luke 7:40-50 - And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." 
"There was a certain creditor who had 2 debtors. One owed 500 denari, and the other 50. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."
 

Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

We can glean more than a few lessons from this story I am certain. Here are a few the Lord has ministered to me:

 

It is important that we confess our sins and acknowledge them before God (who will then forgive them, 1 John 1:9 tells us) because in this we are made aware/conscious of how much He has forgiven us-- which in turn brings thankfulness, praise, worship and love to our hearts toward our heavenly Father.

And why was this woman saved/forgiven? Because of her faith in and love tward God, and the acknowledgement of Jesus as her Savior and Lord-- worthy of worship and adoration. This is the same way Abraham was saved: He believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. And this is the same way all saints of the Old Testament and New Testament alike have been and are saved-- By faith in and love toward God and His Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Verse 50 shows us that when we are saved, having put our faith in Jesus Christ, we can "go in peace". Salvation by faith brings us peace with God, and that immediately! There are no manner of works to be done before we can have this peace.
 

We don't believe and then (a) get baptized, (b) get circumsized, (c) keep the law, (d) become a church member, (e) evangelize, (f) keep the Sabbath... NO-- There is absolutely NOTHING that comes between putting our faith in Christ and having peace with God, the forgivenness of our sins. "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now going to be perfected by the flesh?" Paul asked. The answer to this rhetorical question is-- NO! Of course not!
 

Thank You Lord that You have made peace between sinful man and a holy God by dying on the cross for our sins. Help me to be ever mindful of Your grace and forgivenness, that I may be one who loves much. Amen!

The Food Dilemma of D.C.

The Food Dilemma of D.C.

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So I flew to Dulles Airport (Washington D.C. area) for work, flying in Monday night and leaving Thursday evening. I arrived in the D gates of Dulles, and as my stomach was informing me of the necessity to eat, I perused the airport for some good eats. However, about the only decent place to eat was Gordon Biersch Brewery; you could tell this was the only good place because it was standing room only-- at 9:30pm! So I decided to try my luck with what restaurants would be near the hotel.
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As the shuttle arrived at the hotel, I quickly learned my mistake. There was no food by the hotel. There was a lowly Burger King and a gas station mini-mart. The hotel was located in a sort of industrial business district (lined with beautiful Virginia trees). I went inside and asked the girl at the desk if there was anywhere to eat nearby. "Nothing within walking distance... But here are some restaurants that deliver," she said handing me some to-go menus. My choices? 4 different Italian/Pizza places, and a Chinese take-out. Hmmm...

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Being that I had recently vowed to lose the extra few pounds that my audit career has imposed upon me, I wanted to eat as healthy as possible. That meant no ton of refined white flours, and no oversized food portions. I decided ordering salads would be a good way to accomplish this. Looking through the menus (which all had the exact same foods), I saw very little in the way of appetaizing fare. I decided on the fried chicken salad. (A little fried chicken won't hurt anyone! Especially if everything else I eat is a vegetable...) I called and placed my order around 10pm. After placing my order I learned my food would arrive in 40-50 minutes. I would have skipped dinner if I knew it would take that long! Not so good to chow right before bed!

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So my food finally arrived. Now, I was expecting something like this:

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But it was not to be. Instead, I got a pile of iceburg lettuce with a couple vegetables sprinkled on top. The fried chicken was lightly breaded and actually a typically tasty treat. The honey mustard dressing was like... hydrogenated salad dressing mixed with yellow food coloring or something! It was so thick it was scary. Probably 50% high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. It tasted okay... But the color and texture were down right scary.

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I tried to find a visual for you-- the pictures above look quite a bit better as the food is nicely arranged on a plate. I think putting anything in a styrofoam container can make it less appetizing. But I ate all the chicken and vegetables and tried to avoid the glue dressing, and ate my fill of crunchy water iceburg lettuce and tossed the rest. It was your typical mediocre late night take-out dinner. Time to move on.

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So the next day I worked all day at the airport. I had a decent "Havanna burrito" from "California Tortilla" for lunch. Funny enough, though the name of the restaurant had "California" in it, I have never seen any similar Mexican dishes in California. Total East Coast Mexican food!

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For dinner I meant to stay behind security and eat at a restaurant, but my coworker and I forgot and ended up finishing off the day landside. Bummer! It was back to the hotel with my choice of Italian/Pizza or Chinese take-out again. So I chose a different Italian place this time.

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This menu was very ornate, and seemed to me to perhaps have Applebee's or Olive Garden level of cuisine. I ventured into the unknown and ordered "pesto pasta" with penne pasta and grilled chicken, expecting something made with olive oil, ground pine nuts and basil tossed with grilled chicken. Not super healthy, but I would eat a small portion and save the rest for later. I imagined something along this line...
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But what I got was... Not pesto. I couldn't even find any pictures that accurately reflect what I got. It was kind of a cross between the two pictures below; take away all the pretty vegetables from the one on the right and make the one on the left look more like a handful of cheese was tossed on top rather than a cream sauce, and you basically have it. It was basically a pile of noodles with a pound or so of mozerella melted on top, with some bits of (what looked like) dried herbs sprinkled on top, with whole pine nuts tossed in. Oh yeah, and the chicken. I think they must have still added some oil too, because you could just about drink the grease. Needless to say, I had indigestion the entire next day...

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Wednesday I was left to myself for lunch. There were no good restaurants (that I could find) outside security, so I got a boxed, refrigerated sandwich from a news stand. Typical airport fare. For dinner we were going to catch a ride from the Sales Manager to a Persian restaurant, however, as it started raining my coworker called and cancelled (mostly out of consideration for the manager I presume). I was, however, NOT going to spend another night couped up in my hotel room eating awful food!!!

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I paid $13 to take a cab 1.5 miles to 28 Centre, a shopping center which had some pretty standard restaurants, a Wegman's grocery store, and a Target. The hotel shuttle could pick me up later, but for now they were too busy.

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Wegman's was wonderful!! It was such a unique market, and I got a quarter rotisserie chicken, rosemary potatoes and garlic broccoli for $6!! Such a relief. Afterward I wandered around the parking lot, taking some photos and then ended up at Target to kill some time. I got a hot chocolate at the Starbucks there and chatted with the barista, who had ironically quit Starbucks for a different job (a stocking boy at Target) only to get placed at the Starbucks franchise. It started pouring rain finally just about the time I was ready to leave. Then my shuttle came and brought me safely to the hotel. Oh yeah, and I picked up an organic Kashi frozen meal for the next day too while at Wegman's.

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The last day of the audit had the best food-- B Gates I tell you, that's the place to be! I had sushi and strawberry Ben & Jerry's from the ice cream case, my favorite (it's old and hard in the store, but amazing from the case!).

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So there you have my food drama diary from D.C. Hope you are still awake... :)

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"Where is My Love?"

A poem.
 
Where is the one whom my heart shall make complete--
   My brother, my spouse, my vinyard whom shall keep?
 
The one of whom God said, "It is not good man be alone,
   "To whom I am the helper, and the bone of his bones?
 
Where is this certain one, whose affections I will hold,
   Ravishing his heart until we both grow old?
 
Behold, I am alseep, but my heart it shall awake 
   By the sound of his voice calling-- the sound of my beloved:
 
"Open for me, my love, my dove, my perfect one;
   Come with me, the lillies bloom-- The day is almost done!"
 
He loves our God with all his heart, his passion never dwindles;
   I shall not awaken love, not stir it up a little!
 
Oh, many waters could not quench love, its flame a flame of fire;
   Nothing can be given for it-- All wealth shall be despised.
 
One day I shall be to him the fairest of them all,
   And we shall seek our King together, and His kingdom above all.

But until this day when our eyes shall meet, I wait here for my love;
   The one to whom the Lord has given me as his special dove.
  
  
   

Direction!

In response to my last post I wanted to write about the direction the Lord has given me! He is so good to hear when we cry out to Him, so good indeed.
 

So prior to feeling all conflicted and confused, the Lord had put in my heart to pray more-- and thus I set out to do. I had an idea to get a world map and put it up on my wall as a prayer guide, to be able to pray for all parts of the world, and to set aside time to pray regularly.

 

But then I started feeling like I should do more, be more, etc. as I wrote about previously. But He is so good to reach down into my world, into my consternation, and to lift me up and set me aright again! And He reminded me that he who is faithful with little will be given more, and to remember and do those things which He had previously put in my heart to do.

 

So I got myself a map, and posted it on my wall. And it's amazing, because looking at each of those countries I can see all the people-- I know how many people are in my little area, and then thinking about my state-- and multiplying that across the whole world... It's just astounding how many people are out there, and how many people don't know Christ.

 

I am so thankful for His direction and guidance! And I am truly thankful that He came, walked this earth and experienced what it is like to live life on earth, and then died in my place this day almost 2000 years ago. And then that glorious day 3 days later when He rose again from the dead!!! The most glorious, amazing truth ever.
 HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY (Easter)!! Yay! :D HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!
 

Confliction

Where does one begin in sharing the Gospel, in meeting the needs of others? I feel so small, so insignificant-- like I have nothing to offer. There are so many others who have so much more: more money, more time, more talent, more ideas...

 

Sure, I have talents and gifts. But how do I use them to reach the lost? I am able to play music, able to write music about the Lord. I can teach the Bible. How are those things used for reaching the lost? Are they not for the edification of the church?

 

I have watched films and conferences, seen speakers and heard sermons. It all points to one thing: the church in America is sleeping. We have become so comfortable in the relative prosperity and freedom of our country that we have forgotten what it's like around the rest of the world... We spend our money on things we like, activities we enjoy-- because we can. Others around the world are simply looking for scraps of food to survive on, wearing tattered clothes and stuck in poverty. Yet we can decide what we eat, what we wear, and where we go. Should we feel guilty for what we have?

 

I don't think we should feel guitly-- but to whom much is given, surely much is expected. We haven't been given so much so that we can pamper ourselves, but with what we have comes the responsibility to help those in need. So what can we do? We can sponsor a hungry child, sponsor a missionary. But is this really our heartfelt service to God, our calling in the great commission... Or is it just an easy way to appease our consciences and continue living for ourselves?

 

As all these thoughts pour through my mind, all these questions-- I am left with a deep longing to do more. More for the kingdom of God. More, because I have been given much, and I want to be a faithful steward. But after that desire comes the haunting question: WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? HOW? All I know is why... But I guess that's a start.

 

Should I be impatient, not willing to wait but pressing on with unwaivering furvor? The end is near, surely. Or should I be relaxed, at rest and patient-- Letting things fall into place, trusting that all the timing is the Lord's...?

 

All these thoughts, all these questions... Not content to continue life as usual, but not knowing how to do anything else. *Sigh* Now you see why the title of this post is "confliction"!
 

Random Thoughts

Hello all. Some random thoughts for the season.
W
I have found a great way to actually enjoy waking up in the morning. I am not a morning person. People keep telling me, "oh, you get used to it". How long does it take?? It's been 28 years! If I was going to get used to it, don't you think it would have happened by now? I'm not buying it. But my amazing plan developed after my recent trip to New York.
W
See, when you go to New York from California, you lose 3 hours. It's pretty tough, at least if you're on a work schedule. I tend to get to sleep the first night at about 1am... Which is only 10pm pacific time (a decent hour to go to bed). That would be okay, except that I have to wake up at 7am the next day-- the equivelent of 4am my time! Ak!
W
But I was in NY for 6 days and got adjusted to the time. When I came home, I got to bed by 10pm (PST). And the amazing thing was, I went to sleep, fully intending to sleep the morning away the next day... And I woke up, completely rested, at 8:15am!! Wow! It felt like 11am! I decided the best way to enjoy the mornings is to fool your body into thinking you're on east coast time while being on the west coast. Only trouble is if you don't get to bed by 9pm it doesn't work out too well because you're practically a zombie as your body thinks it's the middle of the night! Fun stuff. We'll see how long I can keep this up!
W
Other random thoughts... Let's see. Well, I've had a lot of energy as of late. More energy than I have had in months. I feel great! I've been skipping and dancing through the house. If only I could figure out why... I think it's because I'm not tired! It must be this time change thing. I feel like I do when I get to sleep when I want to. Oh, and I've also had 4 days off in the past 6 days. That could help too. But even when I've had vacation days, I haven't felt this great. I am loving it, I hope it lasts!! (Then maybe I will update my blog more often! haha)
W
Well, I must be tending to my laundry. See, it's almost 9pm, which is about the time when I start getting ready for bed now. Great stuff. I think I'll still have an issue when I actually go back east though as I won't be able to sleep in until 11am!
W
Peace out, beloved friends! :D

Flight Adventure!

So I just got back last night around midnight from a conference in Newark, New Jersey. The conference was great; I had fun meeting managers from around the country and getting to hang out with my old management team from San Diego as they were there as well. But the trip home? Well, that was an adventure!
W
We got to the airport 2.5 hours before our scheduled departure of 4:35pm (boarding at 4:05). It was myself, my former Sales Manager and former Operations Coordinator, along with the San Francisco and Phoenix managers on the flight. We from San Diego sat together whiling away the long hours until 3:30 when we decided to get some hot food right before the flight.
W
We went to Dick Clark's something-or-other and ordered. At about 3:45 I started checking the time every 5 minutes, as I was concerned about not being able to get and finish the food before boarding time. The other 2 started jokingly mocking me (as was typical of our relationship). One said, "Are you a child?" I thought she was saying I was acting childish. But she continued, "Are you a senior or someone with disabilities? Are you an elite member?" The point was there was no way I was going to get on the plane at 4:05! Then she reminded me, "You're zone 4!" Okay, so I was a little stressed out!
W
We finally finished, paid the bill, and got out of the restaurant at about 4:05-4:10. AND... Our flight was delayed! We didn't know because they'd announced it while we were in the restaurant. (More fun mocking ensued.) So we went out and sat down and waited. Now, a delay isn't a big deal when you're going home, unless you have a connection to make. Which we did. We, and about 70% of the flight were to connect to other flights in Phoenix. Now, if you've ever been to Phoenix airport, you know that it is absolutely huge and can take you 15 minutes to get between the 2 wings at Gate A. One wing had gates A1-16 and the other gates A17-30. And B gates? Try a 30 minute walk using the people mover walkways!
W
So our flight was delayed, and due to severe weather we had to fly down and across the south instead of a more direct route. And even then we flew adjacent to an enormous lightning storm with possibility of "moderate to severe turbulence" for 15-20 minutes. It was amazing and beautiful (and I prayed... a lot!). We were scheduled to touch down originally at 8:12pm AZ time, and our connection took off at 9:09pm. We were supposed to land at gate A26, and take off again from gate A26 an hour later. Don't ask me how that works, but that's what they told me! Now due to the delay, they said we'd land at 8:50, and get to the gate by 9pm. That leaves 9 minutes, in Phoenix airport, to get to the next gate... And I had a feeling our arrival gate would be moved since we were so late.
W
And I was right! Our new arrival gate was A10. That's in the other wing of A gates, a good long walk. They had a 5.5 hour old list of connecting gates, which did no include San Diego; all I had to go on was the A26 they'd told me at the airport. So without a miracle, it just wasn't going to happen. They also firmly, yet sympathetically, announced that it was not practice to hold flights for anyone, but that they did "beg and plead" for someone to be waiting at the gate to help us all to our connections, many of which took off at 9:09, 9:14, 9:30 (some in B gates!).
W
We ended up landing at 9:04-- 14 minutes later than anticipated. That basically nixed any chance of catching my connection, minus the hand of God. I had a window seat (8a), and the 2 other ladies in my row were staying in Phoenix, so they traded and gave me aisle. I had my briefcase in hand and leg in aisle as we pulled up to the gate, but it still took at least 5 minutes to get off the plane.
W
I raced up the hallway to the desk and blurted out "San Diego 188"-- "A6, down the hall that way." A6??? A6??? Hallelujah! We'd arrived in at A10! I ran through the terminal to A6, expecting to see no one and nothing, having missed my flight by a mere 6 minutes (it was now 9:15 or so). I did feel a little guilty that even if I had somehow made the flight, my poor coworkers would likely miss it as they were in the back of the plane and had luggage to carry. But what I saw excited me thoroughly!
W
As I turned the corner, there it was-- a huge line of people at gate A6-- They had JUST started boarding, and in fact the line wasn't even moving yet! Praise God! Wow! Our flight was delayed! My 2 coworkers made it and we even had a couple minutes to stand and rest before boarding.
W
I had also wondered what I'd do for food-- I hadn't eaten for about 7 hours and was planning to buy food in Phoenix. Another awesome blessing, gate A6 is right next to a "CPK to Go" kiosk, and there was no line. I ran up, grabbed a fruit/yogurt parfait, said "Can I get this real quick? My plane is boarding (pant pant pant)"-- he rung me up lightning quick, and I shoved my receipt in my pocket and got on the plane.
W
I was SO excited to make my flight! There were no more flights to San Diego until the next morning at 9am, and I had taken a vacation day the next day and didn't want to waste it traveling. I did have very real expectations for my luggage, however, which they made me gate-check in Newark due to the overhead bins being full. Even if I were to make my flight, there was no way my bag was getting off the plane and onto another plane in that short amount of time. It was destined to spend the night in Phoenix (which it did). But, being concerned about my luggage getting to San Diego with me, I took out my Bible and journal, the 2 things I would not want to be separated from and not have access to on the long flight. So neat how the Lord gave me wisdom to do that!
W
So here I sit, relaxing at home. They just called and said my bag would get here between 4-6pm tonight. What an adventure! I still can't believe I made my flight. Awesome, Lord! Just awesome.

From the Great Beyond...

It's been a while since I've written an update! Every time I log onto my computer, I see my blog. Sitting there. Waiting to be updated. It's no longer New Year's, after all...
W
I have been traveling a lot! I visited Houston the first week of January. I felt that Houston was perhaps the audit that would never end! I was working on it for 3 weeks afterward! But I had fun-- I got to try fried alligator and had a fried crawfish po-boy sandwich, both of which were amazingly good!
W
After Houston I had a touch of food poisoning, ironically from something in my own refrigerator... When in doubt, throw it out! But rather, I practiced "when in doubt, eat it anyway"! I should know better! Then I went to Portland, Oregon. THAT was fun, as I always have enjoyed visiting Oregon. It was actually snowing when I first flew in; I got to take some photos of snow while still on the plane. Unfortunately for YOU I haven't uploaded them onto my computer yet! haha.
W
It was maybe the first time I've experienced real winter since 1986, the last and only time I've been in snow. It was barely 30 in the morning, and at the peak of the afternoon it got up to around 35! Once the sun came out for 5 minutes and it got near 40 and everyone was excited. So sad, so sad. Hahaha. Then I flew home and it was 80!
W
This Monday I am off again on another adventure, this time along with my coworker from Toronto. I can't say where I am going however, as some of my coworkers know this site and they can't know! ;)
W
I promise I will upload some pictures some time this month. I'll be going to Newark again at the end of February for a conference. It is definitely chilly there-- I am wondering if I won't drop dead as soon as I get off the plane? Man oh man, I think 30 is my limit! :)
W
God bless! --D--

The Hope of Newness

We all love the new year. It gives us the hope of a new start, a new beginning. It affords us the opportunity to forget the past and press on toward something better. This year is no exception.

W

While the hope we feel at the advent of each new year may be illogical (really, it is just another day and a human measurement created to track time), the hope we experience as we place our lives in Christ's hands is profoundly real-- for He truly does erase our every mistake, our every misdeed and wipe our slate clean! The Bible states in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed, behold, all things are made new!" 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness"-- ALL unrighteousness! Isn't that amazing!

W

This year I am hoping for a year of new beginnings. I have made decisions in the past that have put a strain on me-- relationships that still pull me down emotionally at times. And just when I was about ready to give up all hope that I could ever be freed from that weight, the Lord reached down in His grace and illuminated His glorious truth: "Behold, I am making all things new." What sweet words!

W

For He has said to Israel: Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:16, 18-19)

W

I am hoping that this year I will (finally *ahem*) meet someone and fall in love. :) I am hoping to finish a little demo CD I am working on. I am hoping to be freed from the fear of man-- to become someone who blesses those around me and loves without reserve. In my own strength, none of those things can happen-- but in Christ all things are possible. And even if one or more of these things should not come to pass, I have the peace and assurance that He is working in me to will and to do for His good pleasure, and that all He has purposed for me will have been done... He is faithful to complete what He has started!

W

So here's to a new year, and the hope of newness in Jesus Christ! Amen! :)

W