Memorial Day Weekend Fun

Tomorrow at 3 pm, I am leaving Fresno and going down to LA. I am going to be in Catalina from Friday to Monday. I'll be back in town late Tuesday night. I am so excited to relax and do nothing for 4 days. I am even more excited that I won't have access to my email. :)

Coordinator of External Focus

That is my job title at The Bridge Evangelical Free Church. I am in charge of everything that is focused outside of the church. My job has engulfed the previous missions director position and has added a whole new element to the mix.

My heart beats for people and for the lost. When the Lord first began giving me this passion for the lost, he gave me a heart for the people in the world. Over these past few years, especially while I was in DC, God has really shown me His heart not only for the people in the world, but also the people int he US and especially in Fresno. Not only am I able to serve my Lord and Savior by serving those who are out in the ends of the earth, I am going to have the opportunity to develop outreach in our community, in our neighborhood, in the nearby school.

My job follows the Acts 1:8 model. Jesus calls us to be his witnesses in Juruesalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. You can't just skip to the last one. You have to do the other three. The Bridge does the ends of the earth very well, they have for years, but the other three we have not been so good at.

It is my prayer that the Lord would continue to give me vision as to what He would like this ministry to look like. I am so excited that as a church, we are going to begin serving those in our community. Jesus didn't come to be served, but to serve.

And the coolest part, I have a bio up on our website. Actually, until I give them my bio, all that is up is a picture, but it is a darn good picture. :)

I am officially an adult....

because I opened up a retirement account today. That's right. I have a mutual fund.
I also have a financial advisor. It was actually quite hilarious. I showed up, she kept asking me questions, all of which I had no idea how to answer.

The only question I knew how to answer was my job title. Everytime I tell people what it is I do, they ask me to explain it, which is awesome (more about that later).

So, yeah, I am an adult now. I don't feel much different than I did this morning....

Life

I have been on the go, basically non-stop, since April 26th. Join me as I recount all that I did...
April 26-29
Went to Pasadena to visit my sister. Went to a Dodgers v Giants game w/ the sis, Garth and John. Went to Disneyland on Friday. Parents made it down Friday night. Went to Disneyland again on Saturday. Sunday, my sister took my parents to Costco so they could buy her food. Drove home. Went to church. Hung out with friends.
May 1
Started my new job as the Coordinator of External Focus at The Bridge Evangelical Free Church. Got to go on a field trip...toured parts of Fresno, including downtown and different ministries.
May 2-4
Ash came over for dinner. Went to coffee with Sarah. Went out on a date. Worked a whole lot more. Realized I loved my job, that it was going to be really really good and at times really really hard. Hung out with friends. Went to a grizzley's game on Friday night. The triple A dodger team was playing the triple A giants team...the grizzley's won.
May 5
Cinco de Mayo...had Mexican food twice that day. Hung out with friends. Wanted to take a nap but didn't.
May 6
Church, hung out with friends, needed to read book for staff retreat...but didn't. Went to Target and had ice cream (but I didn't have ice cream at Target).
May 7-9
Staff retreat at Camp Sugarpine. Got very little sleep. Sat and talked a lot. Prayed quite a bit. When I am out in nature, I am continually reminded of what an awesome, amazingly powerful, creative God I serve and that loves me beyond anything I can imagine.
May 10
Work, hung out with Ash, and then had dinner with Ash, Blake and Joel. Watched the Office and Grey's Anatomy.

Basically, I have been working and hanging out with people. It has been a crazy couple of weeks. I definitely am going to be taking a nap on Saturday.

South Beach Diet

I have been on the South Beach Diet for 8 days now...let's just say that I am doing it, and pretty much sticking to the things I am "allowed" to eat, but have officially decided that I hate diets. The ONLY reason I am even doing it is because my father needs to lose weight, so we are doing it as a family...darn moral support. I will say, if you stick to it, the diet works...

Heads Up!

Saturday night, I went to the Grizzlies baseball game with Ashley, Steph Tort, Amada, Gia, and Sarah Brady. We all went in the same car (minus Amada). Sarah sat next to the window, which was a mistake. Sarah likes to yell out the window at people. Saturday was no different. She began asking people, in a spanish accent "Do you know where is the West Side Jungle Club?" One guy actually stopped to answer the question, but he couldn't understand her.

After harrasing numerous people, we finally made it to the parking garage. We paid the attendant in a whole bunch of change, since none of us actually wanted to pay to park...which made the attendant laugh. After we parked, we finally got to the stadium. We purchased the cheapes tickets possible and then found some great seats on the third base line.

Before I go to any Grizzlies game, my mother reminds me and whoever I am with to watch out for fly balls. About 3 years ago, my parents were at a game with my aunt and uncle, and a foul ball came crashing down on my mom's butt as she tried to move out of the way. I always shrug her off, telling her that I always pay attention to the game, at least somewhat, and know when foul balls are hit.

I am not even sure what inning this happened in, all I remember is that it was raining. Steph Tort had my blanket and her and Ash were under an umbrella, I had my hood on, Sarah had her trench coat on, and Gia and Amada were under my other blanket (how did I not even have one of my two blankets?). Anyways, as we were all talking, laughing, making fun of the players and other people, a fly ball was hit. We all looked up, and I realized that the ball was coming right for me. We all stood up, and the ball missed me. Whew! or so I thought. The ball bounced off of the cement and back onto my head, then off my head and some guy caught it. I thought it was really funny, at first. The guy ended up giving me the ball.

As we continued to watch the game, I realized that my head was beginning to hurt. Sarah was harassing the cotton candy guy to give us some cotton candy for free, or at least at a discounted price. I ended up asking for some ice from one of the employees who had already asked me if I wanted some, but had declined. Well, instead of just bringing me a bag of ice, these two "paramedics" in leather jackets came. They were there to make sure I was ok, all the while Sarah was concerned about getting some free cotton candy. I don't think the guys took me that seriously, due to the fact that Sarah would not shut up about the cotton candy. One of the guys placed the ice on my head. I almost didn't put my hand on the ice to see if he would hold it there for me...but decided not to chance making this guy any more made or annoyed than he already was.

Well, Sarah ended up getting her cotton candy. She told Gia, who told Amada to ask this little girl that was sitting next to us if she would give me her cotton candy since I got hit in the head. I tried to give it back to the little girl, but couldn't get it to her before Sarah inhaled the cotton candy.

We left in the 8th inning since it was raining and we were cold. So, off to Coldstone we went. And yes, I did have ice cream even though i am on the South Beach Diet...I got hit in the head...I deserved it. :)

Content

Being content, in the society we live in, is hard at times as a follower of Jesus Christ.