New York, new position, new possiblities...

NEW YORK

Uh, New York was amazing!

We did so much yet we didn't get to do enough.  You realy need a good month just to make a dent in that city.  Nevertheless, we left satisfied with all we were able to get done.  Even 3 days in the city would have left me giddy.  =)

Here's what we saw:

-Most importantly, the 9/11 Memorial.  It was something I will never forget and I feel honored to have been there.  It was so moving to me that Katie and I ended up sitting on a bench and saying a prayer for New York, the country, and the world.   The tears were flowing (people probably thought we had lost someone there.)

-The entire island of Manhattan via the Gray Line siteseeing tour and then later via the Empire State Building.... at night, all lit up.  It's a sight to see.

-The Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge via a water taxi.

-The underground and Coney Island via the subway.  =)

-Time Square EVERY DAY thanks to our hotel, the Algonquin, being situated literally a block and a half away.

-Macy's, Bloomingdales, Saks 5th Avenue, FAO Schwartz, Century 21, etc.  Yay shopping!

-Half of Central Park, including the zoo, on foot in one day (you can't REALLY do the whole thing in one day without some sort of transportation).

And so much more!!

I can't describe what an amazing trip it was.  I am so grateful to have been able to go... especially with my sister Katie.  It was a trip I will always cherish and never forget.   (How can I anyway?  I took about 500 pictures.  lol)

NEW POSITION

I started the new job yesterday.  I am so grateful.  It already seems that I am working with some awesome people, but only time will tell for sure.  For now, I am happy to be there and starting something new with new people. 

Thank you, Lord, for this amazing opportunity!  Please equip me to do my best.

NEW POSSIBILITIES

Months ago, someone reappeared in my life.  I met him once before very briefly about 2 years ago.  Never did I think that I would come into any kind of close contact with him again, nor did I think he would be anything other than an aquaintance if I did.

But alas, God always has other plans, doesn't He?

Now he has become someone very special to me.  Actually, I think that I can safely say the feeling is mutual.  I believe in my heart that he will continue to be a part of my life.  It's all up to God though, because after all He directs our steps and has a plan already worked out for each one of us.

Right now I'm just enjoying this new friendship and trusting that the Lord has everything under control.  =)

Thank you, Lord, for all of my News... =)

Last day or last days?

No.  This is not a post about the end times.... lol

So I THOUGHT today was going to be my last day at this department, but it appears I was never actually given an official release date (long story), so it may be pushed back a week. 

*sigh*

On one hand I'm sort of happy because I just didn't feel like it was quite over and didn't even have one goodbye lunch the entire week.  Most people know I don't like all the hoopla and attention, but that doesn't mean I didn't want to have one last lunch date with a few people I've grown to love, so I'm glad I may just get that opportunity afterall. 

On the other hand, I need to get out of here already.  There has been something special in the works, but it cannot get to the next level until I leave that place.  So I'm antsy to get my butt out of there so that this special something can get truly started already. 

Ay ay ay.... life is funny.   Oh well.  I'm just gonna roll with it.  One more week is not going to kill me... in both cases.

P.S.  3 more days and I'm eating pastrami and washing it down with pizza.  I love New York!!

Countdown 1 and Countdown 2

Countdown 1:  3 days

My last day with this department will be in 3 days.  After this Thursday I'm done, son.  SCARY!   In 3 days I have to wrap things up and say adios to people who sometimes knew more about what's going on in my life than my own family members. 

I'm a little nervous.  Change is scary.   I'm a lot excited though, so that's good.  Time to say good bye to the only LA County dept. I've ever known.   Who knows, though... I may be back.   For now, it's on to new horizons

Countdown 2:  6 days

YES!!! In less than one week, my booty will be on a plane to the GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD!   Woop woop!!   It's almost here.

I heart you NYC.   I will see you in no time.

For now, gotta do a mental check of my entire wardrobe.  Gotta make sure all my bases are covered.  You can't wear just ANYTHING to New York City.   It has to be casual, but chic.  Comfortable, but classy.   I also need to make sure I leave room in my luggage to bring stuff back.  Garment district, here I come!  lol.

Oh yay!!! 

=)

Can't wait!

12... and very blessed!

Yeah, my stupid fears yesterday are gone today.  God is good at reassuring me and making sure I know everything is okay.  Not that he owes it to me.  In fact, I deserve to sit in my paranoia and stupidity sometimes, but thankfully I don't get what I always deserve.  =)

Thank you, Lord!

I'm back to being excited.  12 days until New York.  Woop woop!

Also, back to being blessed, today I go for my fingerprinting for the new position.  Once that is cleared, they will be calling for my release date and I'm off.  It's very bittersweet.  I'm sad to leave these amazing friends and women of God, who the Lord sent to me so graciously, but I'm happy to start my new adventure....  I should say adventures.  I know that with this new job and movement another life adventure will also be starting.   Hopefully soon I will be able to start sharing more, but for now it remains under wraps.

Thank you, Lord, that I am so very blessed!

13... and unlucky?

13 days until I leave for New York City.   You would think I would be completely stoked today, but I'm not.  Other stuff in my personal life has got me anxious.

I hate it when things seem to be going so well and you are super happy and then all of a sudden the butterflies come.   These aren't the good butterflies though.   They are those butterflies that come when your mind starts wanting to tell you something is wrong... even though you really have no good evidence that something is in fact wrong. 

*sigh*

Blah!

I'm trying to remember the message that God gave me not too long ago about trusting in Him and not leaning on my own understanding.   I don't know all the facts and I don't know that anything is truly wrong.  I have to trust that God's got it under control.

Why is that so much easier to say than to do?

Double blah!

Exciting times....

Wow.  In a little less than 3 weeks I will be in New York City... 19 days and counting.   My excitement level is building.  I. Can't. Wait.  =D

The thing I am now most looking forward to--aside from pigging out--is visiting the 9/11 memorial.  We have our reservations already and everything.  (Yes, you have to make reservations.)  I just feel so honored to be able to visit the memorial right after it has opened.  It's something I will be able to tell my children about. 

On the job front, I'm excited to share that I got a call from my future boss yesterday.  She informed me that the CEO has approved my promotion.  The paperwork is now at my new department's HR for final approval processing, which should be complete by the end of this week.  Then I get fingerprinted and when that comes back they call my current boss for a release date.  All this should occur within the next 3 weeks or so.   I think I'll end up starting the new job just as I'm returning from NYC.   I'm sure it will work out just fine. 

I'm super excited to start this new chapter in my life.  In my nearly 7 years with the County, I've only ever worked at one department.  It will be interesting to learn how other departments do things.  I'm sure I'll have my bumps along the way as the new kid, just like I did at my current department, but I have faith that God has me, so I'm more excited than anything to jump into something new and to meet new people.

Exciting times.  Exciting times.

P.S.  Finally going to lunch with someone very special today.  =)

Think happy thoughts...

The following blog post is designed to take my mind off of my current troubles and help me think happy thoughts. Here goes nothin...

40 Days.

40 days til Time Square, Central Park, Brooklyn, pizza, boots & scarves, Broadway, taxis, Grand Central Station, delis and pastrami sandwiches, World Trade Center, Serendipity, Harlem, etc.

=)

Seems like forever ago that my sister and I started planning this trip to New York City and in just a little over one month, we will finally be there. To say I'm excited is an understatement. I. Cannot. Wait.

I know it's going to be AMAZING! Oh, NYC, I love you so very much! You are my most favorite city in the whole wide world! I'm coming, baby.

$990

$990 is how much it is estimated that I will now be paying in mortgage payment (if this short sale is ever approved) now that the interest rates have gone down. That is like the going rate for a studio apartment right now. Crazy! Man, the Lord is so good to me. That was pretty much the ideal amount of money I wanted to have to pay every month, and if the rates still continue to go down before the bank approves the short sale, I'll be even more blessed.

Man, thank you, Lord. You always give me so much more than I even deserve. Wow! And with this new promotion, if it too is approved, I will be able to save up some money and hopefully give back to Your kingdom.

Oh Lord God Almighty, please continue to shower me with your favor, even though I don't deserve anything wonderful. You are amazing!

Forgive me also for not trusting in you enough. You know my circumstances and I know that you are protecting me and looking out for my best interests. Thank you, Lord. Thank you that I have nothing to fear because you are on my side. Thank you that you are my advocate and my defender. Thank you that no harm can come to me because of you.

Amen!

Sometimes, looking at the good things that are going on helps you to see how unimportant the bad things are. This blog was a good idea. =)

And now some scary news...

I should have known the Devil wasn't going to appreciate all this good news in my family.

All afternoon I've been on the phone with my Dad (in Mexico) and my mom. My Dad is panicking. Apparently, he has a partially detached retina and it needs to be operated on immediately or he can be in danger of perm ant blindness in that eye if it detaches completely.

*sigh*

While I was in Mexico last week he was experiencing some blurriness and cloudiness in his eye. We attributed it to the altitude, since Mexico City is at 7,350 ft above sea level and we are used to being at sea level here in Los Angeles. He tried to take it easy, but apparently it kept persisting. He finally went to an ophthalmologist down there who told him that he needed to have surgery right away and that he would be stuck in Mexico for at least another week.

Ay ay ay.

So of course everyone is worried, but my Dad most of all. I don't think I've ever heard that much fear in his voice ever. Not even when Alexis got air-lifted to the hospital. It's upsetting, but I have to keep it together. I don't want to cause anymore anxiety than is needed. I just told him that this is the Enemy trying to mess with us because of the great things that the Lord is doing in our lives and the lives of my family in Mexico. I told him not to let the Enemy win.

He can't win anyway. Romans 8:31 says, "What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

That's exactly right. The Lord is with us and with my dad, and he is completely surrounded by women of God who are praying for him. He'll be fine.

Please keep him in your prayers, people. I can't imagine how hard it is to be away from home, your wife, and your kids and have to go through something scary like this.

It's going to be alright...

Oh and today's Bible verse from Bible Gateway is so perfect too:

Ephesians 6:12-13 - “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

Mexico lindo y querido and trying something new...

I'm back from Mexico. The trip was beautiful.

I have to admit that I really didn't want to go, but once I was there, I was happy to be there. I saw SO much family. I have a trillion and a half cousins, I swear. It's not even a joke. Here are just a few of them (me included) with my grandma:

Guess which one is me... I'm the only whitey there. lol

Anyway, I had a great time, had great conversation, felt the love, and ate some good food (without gaining any weight too!). I honestly wasn't ready to leave when I started packing up my stuff to head back last Friday. I got teary-eyed and everything. I truly love my family and I love the way that they don't just talk about loving each other, but they show it. It's awesome.

My grandmother seemed to be in good shape, but from what they say she can go downhill at any moment. Her heart is functioning at only 50% capacity and her kidneys are failing. She is urinating blood, but despite what the doctors say, she won't change her diet, cut out things that are bad for her, or try things that could help her. She's stubborn. (Looks like my Dad married his mother because my Mom is the same way! lol).

They and we are praying for her. Hopefully she wises up and starts changing her habits. There is no reason she can't live a little longer.

On a side note, we were all tripping out on my uncle Oscar, who is a year younger than me and the youngest of the aunts and uncles. He is the SPITTING IMAGE of my Dad. All the cousins kept saying to my dad, "Tu te pareces a mi tio Oscar," or "You look like my uncle Oscar." My dad was like, "He looks like ME. I was here first." LOL.

My dad and his clone with their mom. =)

In other news, I signed up for Weight Watchers. So far it seems to be going okay. I like it because you don't have to starve yourself or necessarily limit what kinds of foods you can eat, and it helps you to make better choices in order to maximize your daily points limit. EVERY SINGLE person I know who's been on Weight Watchers has been pretty successful.

I've been this size (more or less) for the last 10 years and I feel it's time to try to be even smaller and more fit. I've already been doing my best to workout at least 4 times a week, but it doesn't seem to be enough. I think that comes with age. 29/30 is not old, but it's not 20. I have to work harder--not just with exercise, but with making healthier food choices and developing healthier eating habits. I'm excited to see what happens.

Thank you, Lord for a great and safe trip. Protect my father who is still there and keep your hands upon my grandmother and the rest of my family. Thank you for the fire you have lighted in their hearts and please continue to keep that fire burning forever. Amen.

Catching up...

I have not posted much in this new year. Oops! Work has been pretty busy and when I get home I just want to exercise and vegg out.

Things are definitely more positive though. The first Sunday of the year, I went to church at Calvary Chapel Pasadena. I like it. I love Pastor Xavier Ries anyway from hearing him on the radio. He was cool in person too. No one will ever be Pastor David for me, but it's a good option for now. I will definitely try to go back after I return from Mexico.

By the way, I'm leavin' on a jet plane to Mexico tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it, but then I'm not because I'm getting sick and traveling sick is NO BUENO!!! Plus, I'm wondering if it's going to be a good idea being around my sick grandmother when I'm sick. Ay ay ay! At least you can get some good meds in Mexico without a prescription. lol

My sister is trying to set me up with a guy she works with. Apparently, he is looking for someone who is ready to get married and have kids.... and (ta-da!) so am I. We spoke on the phone and he was very funny and outgoing. Seems like a nice guy.

The only downside is that he is not a believer. So I'm being cautious with this one. Although it seems like he is very open to learning more about a relationship with Christ, I made it very clear to both my sister and him that I will NOT be getting serious with anyone who is not in love with the Lord. He is an avid reader, so I think on our first meeting, I will bring him "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. I've read many Christian men's columns and most of these guys mention how much that book changed their lives. Hopefully he'll read it and the Lord can use it to speak to his heart. We'll see.

Well, I hope this trip is blessing, despite the circumstances. I know it will be and I have my trusty camera (a.k.a. my child) with me, so I'll be taking plenty of pictures. Wish me luck and keep me in your prayers...

Mexico off hold...

Mexico trip is back on. We are leaving January 14 and I'm returning January 21 (Dad is staying an extra week). I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited to see the family and to take a ton of pictures of everyone with my new camera). I'm blessed that my Mom is paying for half of my ticket. God is good.

Mexico on hold...

I just realized I forgot to update the whole grandma/Mexico situation.

Since today was the day we were meant to have gone, and since I'm writing this from my desk at work instead of on a plane, obviously we aren't going. =) We've postponed the trip. We weren't able to get tickets in time and they were all sold out.... since it IS Christmas week.

Seeing as how I was not looking forward to having to rustle up $600+, I'm a little grateful. I just think it wasn't the right time. Not to sound harsh or uncaring, but clearly my grandmother isn't going to die next week, so we are putting it off until next month. I think my Dad and I will both be a little prepared then anyway...

Keep us in your prayers.

In support of my papá…

My only living grandparent is dying.

We found out last week that my grandmother in Mexico is dying of heart and renal failure. This is a woman who’s had a rough life—partly by no fault of her own and partly because of uneducated, selfish decisions she made in her young life. She is the mother of 15 (yes, FIFTEEN!), my father being the first, which also means he was the first to be shipped off to live with family members when it started getting too crowded in the Morales household.

When my grandmother was just a baby her father walked out on her mother. Like any loving, nurturing, sane mother would do, my great grandmother blamed my grandmother… a baby. From that day forward my grandmother was no longer treated like one of the family. Instead, she was the maid, babysitter, and slave to her own family. While the other kids were off getting good educations, my grandmother was forced to stay home and do housework and such.

As you might expect, her children were treated no differently. My father has told of stories of his aunts making him clean the house just to get a scrap of food to eat, if that. Sometimes it was just the leftover juice from a soup—none of the veggies and definitely none of the meat. He’s told of stories of his cousins telling their friends that he was their maid and definitely not their cousin. So yeah, you can imagine what might have been the catalyst for my dad wanting to come to America and get the heck out of dodge. Talk about wanting a better life.

Naturally, as my dad got older, he had a lot of resentment towards his mother. Not only did she abandon him, she also abandoned many of his other brothers and sisters one-by-one as new ones were born. She just KEPT on having children (at one point, as a teenager, he literally begged her to stop having children. He got a good, swift slap in the face for that one.).

Despite all that, though, he loved his mom. Even when you beat a dog, it still comes back, right?

A few years ago, my Dad finally realized that he needed to forgive his mother. He sent her a long letter detailing what he felt she did to him and then told her that he loved her and forgave her for all of it. It took a great weight off of his shoulders. I know my dad deeply loves his mom no matter what. I understand that and I think it runs in the family because she, too, loved her mother, despite the fact that her mother flat out said that she never loved my grandmother.

On a side note, I know I shouldn’t say this—God forgive me--but there is a special place in hell for my great grandmother and I know she’s sitting there right now. (Maybe it’s my turn to forgive, huh? Lol)

Well, now my dad is arranging a trip to Mexico City within the next couple of weeks or so. He wants me to come with him. I’m not sure why he wants me, of all of us, to come, but I can’t let him down.

Honestly, I don’t want to go. It’s dangerous in Mexico right now. Plus, I can’t afford it. I barely have the time to take at work and I was trying to save it to go back to Dallas for interviews after the new year. I’ve only seen my grandmother all of 4 times in my life, and one of those times I was only a year old, so I’m not all that close to her. I don’t have any unresolved issues with her or anything like that. I love her very much, but I don’t feel an overwhelming need to go say goodbye to her… This is just the truth.

I do however feel that if my dad needs me, I must go. Period. My dad needs ME for once, instead of the other way around. I have to go.

This is not going to be easy…


Lord, please put your hands on my grandmother, father, and the entire Morales family. Please draw my grandmother close to You and reveal Yourself to her. I don't know what her relationship with You looks like--only You know that. Please envelope her spirit and mind and bring peace to her heart. Please do the same for my father. I love You, Lord. Thank You for Your unending hand in all of our lives. In Jesus' name.

Or…

Or I can just stay in this broken down shack...

Yeah, I’m not moving anymore. I went to check the house out over the weekend and found out that my future room was the size of my current bathroom. My bed would barely have fit in there, not to mention my dresser. It wasn’t doable. Plus the drive was a LOT further than I had anticipated. Mission: Live with Strangers is a no-go for now. =(

Or we can go on Craigslist and get a “new” one…

The dryer is completely kaput, so I finally got on Craig’s List and we found one for $100. Yay! One broken item handled--a million to go. I wonder if we can get a water heater on Craigslist? I should check when I get home.

Or we can “shower” Tijuana-style…

Yeah, by the way, the water heater is now completely dead too. All we have is ice cold water. Woohoo! We are doing it like the family in Mexico and boiling a pot of water to bathe ourselves. Sounds like fun, right? No. No it isn’t. Especially when you don’t have heat in your house and winter is fast approaching.

Or I can finally look for a new church…

Since I’m not moving back to the area anytime soon, returning to my beloved Calvary Chapel Chino Valley is out the window. I guess I need to just get over myself and look for a new church out here. Obviously, God has placed me here for a reason and He has no intention of moving me just yet. I think I will bite the bullet and check out Calvary Chapel Pasadena already.

Or I can dream of moving far away to Texas…

I got back from Dallas last Thursday and I already want to go back. I totally LOVED it. It’s just so much better out there in so many ways. The economy is a bazillion times better and there are jobs. The people are a lot friendlier. There is room to grow. I already know people out there. It’s just so much better than this Hell-hole called California. Truly…

(I’ll write more about Dallas later…. Wait for it… wait for it…)

Loan star state of mind...

I leave for Texas in 2 weeks and 2 days. When I think about that I get excited. I love traveling! I repeat: I LOVE TRAVELING!!

I've never been to Texas, so it's one more mark on the map. Well, actually two new marks because I'm going to two different cities: Dallas and Houston. Pretty cool. I'm also pretty proud that this is my first somewhat-long-distance trip on my own and paid for by me and only me.

Wow. I guess I'm growing up.

I am a little nervous about the whole Ramon situation. If it was up to me, I would go and not be bothered with ridiculous questions about losing my salvation. I would visit with the family and see a few sights, maybe even eat some good food. I know that won't happen though, because it's not up to me. It's up to my good Lord in Heaven, who I have a sneaky suspicion wants me to go speak His truth, even if it means that I may never see or hear from my friend again. Gotta do what He wants me to do.

We'll see. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this trip will go off without a hitch. I'm just glad I will have a rental car and will be able to come and go as I please..... meaning, I can make an escape if I need to. lol.

Anyway.... It's not all about this whole Ramon thing. I will also be seeing my cousin's daughter and her mom, which should be fun too. They will be showing me around Dallas. They have me on the weekend, so I'm looking forward to doing some fun stuff. Let's see what Texas has to offer....

Yay trip to Texas! Let the countdown begin!

These are the times I wish I had the money for a new camera....

Forgetting the creamer for a sec...

I got a letter from Human Resources. My apps were accepted and I have a secretary test lined up for next week. I'm sure I'll do fine. Last time I was in Band 2 and I don't expect to do worse than that at all... especially because my knowledge of County practices has grown a lot since I last took that test.

Please, please PLEASE, Lord, help me out. I know I'm a brat and don't deserve it (see last couple of posts), but I really need to be utilizing my skills in a broader capacity. Pleeeeeeeeeeez-uh...

Yesterday was day 4 of Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred. Like I said previously, this workout is no joke. I definitely already feel more energetic and slightly leaner. I'm definitely going to give this thing all I got. By the way, my ENTIRE body is sore. I'm talking about muscles I never even knew were there. This is so gonna work...

I haven't heard from Ramon at all since his brother asked him to ask me whether I believed that I could lose my salvation. After all the reading I've done on their "church," I can pretty much guess that they are "advising" him not to speak with me because I don't believe what they do. I did ask him, via an FB message, if we were still on for me visiting him in Texas and he said yes. I'm guessing they are preparing to try to "talk some sense into me." What they don't know is that the Holy Spirit is also preparing me to talk some Truth to them.

Either way, I believe this will probably be the last time I see Ramon. I know they are sucking him into these lies as I type this. All I can do is trust that the Lord has a plan and that He will reveal His Truth in His time to this entire family... It's just very distressing...

I signed up for LIFE groups and even spoke with the leader the other day, who seemed really cool, but then I realized that I have signed up for a day and time that will completely conflict with my Invisalign treatment. Gah!

So now I need to call this lady, break it to her that I can't be a part of her group (and she seemed so excited too), and try to get myself into another group. Ay ay ay! I really need to start carrying a calendar around with me. I always manage to double-book....

A little of this and a little of that....

Work is no fun right now. I'm bored all the time. Even when I have stuff to do. Then to make matters worse the guy filling in for the big boss while he's on sabbatical is annoying. This guy is so erratic and flighty. There is no order at all. I can't stand it and I can't stand the way he does things. Thank God next week is his last week...


Some good news: The Secretary III, IV, and V tests opened back up. Thank you, Jesus. I literally teared up and thanked God. I didn't think this opportunity would come up for a LONG time because of the economy and budget issues. You better believe I applied for them IMMEDIATELY. I know I don't deserve it, but I'm hoping for favor on this. I really need to be doing more with my skills and knowledge. This just isn't enough...


I'm planning to go to Texas in the beginning of November. I want to see my cousin's little girl, who moved there a while ago and to whom I was not able to say a proper goodbye. I also just want to check Texas out and see if it is the type of place to which I would like to escape... er go. lol.

I have to admit, too, that I want to go see Ramon. I want to see how he's holding up. I'm curious to see what God has hopefully done in his life since going there. I want to see if he really has changed at all. I want to see his brothers and how they are being blessed by their service to the Lord. I want to see the family in general.

So yeah. I think all of that is a good reason to take my butt over to Texas for a weekend or a little longer...


I'm looking forward to another swamped October. I have Kaylin's 3rd birthday party, Misty's Baby Shower that I am co-hosting, a trip to Vegas for my sister's birthday and who knows what else. I have no idea why that month is always so full for me. At least I don't have to worry about Halloween. I've pretty much resigned myself to never "celebrating" it ever again. It's just not my thing and I KNOW it's not God's thing either, so that's enough reason for me. At least it means that Christmas is around the corner though. I love Christmas...


Got a call from my friend Mandy last night. My 10-year-old goddaughter got Above Average across the board on her state testing and she's getting an award for it. I'm so proud of her. Way to go, Julia!! Yay!!! I hope this is a sign of amazing things yet to come for her...


One last thing: I pulled out the bulletin from my last visit to church. It was dated August 1. Not good. That means it has been more than a month and a half since I set foot in a church. This is a problem. Lord, help me to fix this problem. Take away the excuses. I really need You and the fellowship of Your people...

I'm NOT going to Peru...

I'm not going to Peru after all.

Almost immediately after agreeing to go to Peru, something didn't feel right. I just wasn't truly excited about it inside. It felt like a mistake. I kept feeling like my spirit was telling me it was a bad idea... "something bad will happen."

Then I started thinking that maybe the Devil was messing with me. Maybe he didn't want me to go because I might reach someone for the Lord.

But no. Something still seemed off.

I finally prayed about it and asked God to let me know if He wanted me to go. Then a couple of days later I mentioned to my mom that I wasn't sure about going. That's when she told me she was sort of happy to hear that.

She had days earlier decided to get the roof fixed on her old house--the house I live in now. It was going to be a big burden on her to pay for that and cover my airfare (her idea, not mine). So she was thinking of asking me not to go after all.

Well there was my answer, loud and clear: DON'T GO.

So I'm being obedient. With winter (and rain) on the horizon, I definitely need a roof much more than I need a trip to Peru. So for now, I am not going to Peru.

I am going to Texas though. More on that later... =)

I’m going to Peru!

Whaaaaaaat?! I know. Crazy, right?

My cousin Kristi is currently on a missions trip in Peru (I wrote about it here). She’s serving in an orphanage in Trujillo for a year. I am so proud of her, but before she left I was a little sad that I wasn’t able to do something like that myself. Because I got myself into all that debt, I put myself into a position where I am trapped and not able to serve the Lord fully with my time like we singles are meant (and commanded) to do. I am a slave to my debt, which is a big no-no. Thankfully, that won’t be for much longer.

Anyway, my aunt Jackie, Kristi’s mother, is already dying to see her daughter (they are beyond close). She shared with my Mom that she wants to go see Kristi soon. Unbeknownst to me, my mom was already thinking about sending me to Peru and shared that with my aunt. So they decided that my Mom would send me with my aunt—not only to see my cousin, but to act as a translator for my poor aunt who doesn’t know a lick of Spanish.

WORKS FOR ME!

My mom broke the news to me a couple days ago that they were thinking about it and trying to figure out the right dates. They were looking at October. I got to work and started looking at October on my calendar and it wasn’t looking like a good time for me, so I was getting ready to tell them both that I didn’t think I could do it.

Then I got a voicemail from my aunt last night. She had spilled the beans to my cousin, who in turn told her that October wouldn’t work for her either. So they moved it to November. I came to work this morning and looked at the calendar. November is PERFECT.

So IT’S ON! I’m going to Peru.

I can’t believe it. I never really thought I would travel to South America, let alone Peru, but I’ll take it!

What a blessing. Thank you, Lord. You are way too good to me. This may not be a full-on missions trip, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be used in the short time I’m there.

How exciting!!

(Almost) Best Birthday Ever! (Part 1)

So, aside from last year's birthday where I was baptized, this years birthday was the greatest! I really had such a great time!

As mentioned in a previous post, we went to San Francisco. We got to do nearly everything I wanted to do: The Golden Gate Bridge, the Walt Disney Family Museum, a sightseeing tour of the city, and the sea lions, plus more! It was great, and to top everything off the weather was nice and cool. I got to wear a sweater the entire time. I was loving it!

Golden Gate Bridge

Lombard Street

Sightseeing Tour

We stopped at this pub for Dinner after our tour. I had Corned Beef and Cabbage and an Irish Coffee. Mmm!



Wine Tasting at Boudin's Sourdough Bread Factory. =)

Sea Lions!

Maple Bacon Apple Donut from Dynamo Donuts!

Chinatown!

We stopped at Fog City Diner for breakfast before heading home. It was good!