Hollywood Stars

Julie and I can now say that we have strolled the streets of Hollywood Blvd!!! I have heard since I got to Southern California about how absolutely ghetto Hollywood really is. So basically, I had super ridiculously low expectations. So to our surprise...we were impressed with Hollywood!! We had a large amount of silly fun. I was thankful I didn't go with a native Californian because it gave us the freedom to go nuts. I was surprised at how much you got harassed by the people trying to sell you the best tour. I kind of felt like I was in India, but the difference was when you say "no" they actually leave you alone! Brilliant! I saw sightings of Spiderman, Captain Jack Sparrows, Batman, and Shrek. It was a lot more Gimmicky that I expected, but I guess that's what made it so fun!

Yes. we are that hard core...we are lying down on Hollywood Blvd. But it's Bill...who wouldn't do that for bill?

I used to have a Kermit the Frog stuffed animal when I was little. So I felt i needed a picture to honor that great green frog we all know and love so much!

Julie is star struck by Regis....

Will Smith is one of my favorite actors and looks like a new addition to the famous square.

Julie thinks I am a super star...so she totally gave me this award...honored...truly Jules.

Guess Who's in Cali?

JULIE!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have 7 whole days of pure Southern Cali lovin'. This is the first time we have ever really hung out in America outside of IMB influence!

Tonight we are going to the Grand Canyon just in time to see the sun rise over the Canyon!! I can't wait!!! I have never been. I love being young and single. Wahoo.

Happy 2000000008!!!!

Happy Happy New Year!

I love the New Year. I love the thought of starting over, reflecting on the past year, and dreaming and planning of what the new year might bring. The past two years, I celebrated the New Year abroad. In 2005, I was with friends in Chiang Mai, Thailand and in 2006 I was in Singapore! This year in 2007, I was in California! I wonder where I will be next year!

I have made lots of random New Year's Resolutions that I have written and put them into three main categories.

Physical-

You can check them out on my weightloss blog... http://trunkminusjunk.blogspot.com/ Yes...I started up the blog again! Plan to visit their weekly (Monday's) and see my progress! I will need your accountability and encouragement! Don't forget to comment!

Spiritual-

As basic as this sounds, I want to be consistent in my time in the Word and in prayer.

I also want to start fasting for South Asia the first of every month.

Personal- These are Really Random

I want to start cooking in my apartment most nights.

I want to be Soda Free in 2008

I want to make my bed daily

I never want to go to bed without doing the dishes

Less facebook time

I want to read a book a month at least

I want to look into graduate programs and figuire out where my life is going

oh...and a DATE in 2008! ha.

My dream for 2008 would be to see my roommate from India Lindsey move to Riverside next year! I am trying to convince her!!

So how did I bring in 20000008? I spent the evening with my college group at church! We had a semi-formal party with lots of fellowship, food, and dancing!

These ladies are in my Small Group. I love them!

These are small group leaders in my college group! It was their house where the party was!

Just a few minutes before midnight...we had a sparkling cider ready to toast!

PLEASE PRAY!

I would ask that you would please lift of my friends Jesse and Shanne. They are workers in South Asia whom I trained with a couple years ago in Virginia. Shanne and Jesse were expecting their first born daughter Priya, but due to complications their daughter went to be with the Lord yesterday morning. Shanee was 7 months pregnant. My heart is so broken for them. All you moms and dads out there, I know that you can understand their loss more than I. Please keep them in your prayers.

They share, "This has been, without a doubt, the most difficult thing we've ever been through. We are pleased that our daughter is through with the troubles of this world and in the arms of her Lord. And we praise Him. We praise Him. Job said it best in the wake of losing all that he valued on earth: "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." That conveys our feelings better than anything we could say. The Lord gave us Priya, and He has chosen by His gracious will to take her away. Blessed be his Name. Her life was an undeserved gift to us. We wouldn't trade one moment of the seven months we had with her. And we praise God for it from beginning to end. We don't know the reason why she was taken, but we know the God who made that decision.
And He is enough for us. He is our glory and our strength. We want to praise Him right now as the God of all grace and comfort. He has been our truest and most constant companion in the midst of all this... thank you so much for your prayers and words of encouragement. It is our desire that you would praise the Lord with us at this time. He is always worthy of it."

Here is a video of her few precious hours here with us.

Tsunami

Tomorrow morning, I am heading back for Southern Cal. I have been invited to take part of Tsunami. Tsunami is an annual youth conference that is put on by the California Southern Baptist Convention. There will be around 3,000 youth attending these conferences the next three days.

The conference is taking place in Long Beach so I get to explore another part of Southern Cal that I haven't seen.

I will be leading three break out sessions on missions, sitting at an IMB booth talking with students, and I also get to talk for 5 minutes in front of all 3,000 of them and promote IMB student missions!! I am excited to be a part and speak into the lives of youth concerning missions and their individual roles.

Please keep me and these students in your prayers over the next few days. Pray that God will do a mighty work in their hearts!!

www.studentwave.com Feel free to check it out for yourself!!

My Christmas Love tank is Filled

My Christmas Love tank is officially filled. I spent Christmas Eve with my mom and we got to go see a movie. I love all the great movies that come out at Christmastime. Today we saw "The Kite Runner". I read this international best seller book a couple years ago and have been looking forward to seeing it on the big screen. It was actually really accurate with the book.

Then I came home, turned on Christmas music, and started baking! It finally feels like Christmas!

I also took the initiative and called my family in India tonight. I got to talk to my old team members (bobby, elaine, and laura) and then I called Deepa and talked to her. I wish I wasn't missing India soo much this Christmas. But I guess it's good to miss something and people you love so much. That's why Christ gave Himself so we could love people that are so different than ourselves.

I guess you just can't have the best of both worlds because I am also soo excited to get to wake up tomorrow morning and spend Christmas with my parents and sister. This is something I haven't gotten to do in a long time!! There is still nothing more precious than your family!

Merry Christmas Eve from Texas!

Christmas Reflections

I have been reflecting a lot this year about the birth of Jesus. What is the significance of this little baby entering the world? I have been reading recently in the book of Isaiah and reading what Isaiah had to say about this "baby". It says that this baby will be a "Light to the nations." Jesus will be a light to the nations!! I have been meditating on this phrase all week.

As many of you know, I spent the last two Christmases in India. A nation where the foretold birth and person of Jesus is unknown. A nation that at one time was not apart of the Old Covenant promise. But because of the birth, life, and death of our suffering servant Jesus, India is now under the covenant of his blood!

Listen to what Isaiah says,
"I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices because my Temple will be called a house of prayer FOR ALL NATIONS. For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel says, "I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel."

This time of year, I haven't been able to get the nation of India out of my mind and heart. They have been on my mind and heart because they don't even know the name of Jesus to know that he is the one who brings Good News, the one who brings Peace, and the one who brings Salvation. They don't know that the Unconditional covenant love of Jesus is for them.

I long to be in India this Christmas season. The last two years, I got to share the significance of this virgin birth to a nation has never heard the story of Jesus' birth. I would ask you to please pray for the nations...especially India this Christmas season. Pray that they would understand the covenant love of Jesus and the significance of His death for them. Pray for the workers all over the nations that they would boldly tell of JESUS...THE LIGHT TO ALL NATIONS this Christmas season.

MY thoughts on E-harmony

I have a confession to make...I am an E-harmony user. I thought if I had you guys dialogue and think about it for yourselves you would have your own thoughts and views.

I was talking to Lindsey, my roomie in India, and how we are ready to be in a relationship and the lack of men or the lack of men to step up and ask us out. So we started to joke about e-harmony and what we thought about it. Realizing that it was a way to find single like-minded men . And then I found myself filling out a profile for the fun of it. There happened to be an amazing deal going on 3 months for $30 so I signed up without really thinking it through.

So immediately afterwards, I had all these thoughts about it. Was I desperate? Is it creepy? Is it safe? Do I like being single? Have I taken singleness into my own hands? Is it really just networking? Are people going to look down on me? Am I going to be judged by others?

These are my thoughts. I agree with my "commenters" it is a great way for networking and I think very culturally appropriate. However, it still takes the same amount of wisdom and prayer to move forward as any relationships does. The only red flag I had for myself is wondering if I was taking my singleness into my own hands. I think it's a legitimate concern, but I also think God can use E-harmony.

Let me just say, that in Christian circles dating is TOO COMPLICATED. I think more guys should be asking girls out and more girls should be open minded and say yes to guys when they aske them out. It's weird being single and realizing all the "unwritten" rules about dating and not dating. What is too forward, what is being passive, and why do so many girls let guys string them along? Why can't we just be adults about it? Anyways...being single these days can be complicated.

Basically...I am OWNING e-harmony. I am a proud e-harmony user. There is nothing wrong with single, young people dating... So ask me about it, keep me accountable, and pray that I would be wise.

E-Harmony...what are your thoughts?

So...I am writing this post with the purpose of DIALOGUE. What are your thoughts on e-harmony? What do you think of those who sign up? Good idea? Bad idea? Desperate? A good networking place? I would love to hear your thoughts on the topic!! Seriously...write a big fatty comment about it.

If you are married or have a significant other...put yourself in a context of a single girl or guy that is in a stage of life to get married but having a difficult time meeting people.....

Comment away my friends....

It was ALL worth It!

I received this email tonight. It's from my English student Deepa in India. My love tank is overflowing. I inserted blue for clarity.

"We miss you so much. We always remember our moments together. We are always talking about you. My mom asks me when will you come back. Mai bahut acchi Yishu bhakt ban gyai hu. I have become a very good Yishu bhakt (Christian). From Preety(her sister) she says Hi, and she misses you very much. We are always looking at your pictures. Suchin's (her brother)marriage is fixed on February 25th. We invite you to come. Please come. From Papa (her father) he blesses you and misses you. He's like your father (he's like your indian father). "

Love,
Deepa

This makes everything hard in India COMPLETELY worth it!! Jesus is so sweet to let me be a part of their family!!

A Little Bit of Texas in California

I have spent the last 10 weeks experiencing Californian things as a Texan. But tonight the roles were definitely reversed! Just to remind you Southerners out there, BUT Chick-fil-A is totally something of the south. The west has just recently in the past couple of years been given the amazing gift of Chick-fil-A. However, I feel like they don't yet appreciate it's true value.

A group of students and I went out to dinner tonight and TWO OF THEM HAD NEVER EATEN CHICK-FIL-A! Gasp. So it was settled then and there that Chick-fil-A was where we were going. I felt so proud to share such a joy of mine. California hasn't quite caught on to this land of cows, "my pleasure", ice dreams, sweet tea, and waffle fries, but my friends, tonight I help bridge that gap. It was a beautiful warm fuzzy feeling to share my Texas love with my new California friends!! God bless Texas and God bless Chick-fil-A!!

A Blast from the Past

Today I had the "Rehrer" PRIVILEGE of spending time with my dear friend Matt Rehrer. Matt and I have been friends for about a decade now. Matt and I had the joy of sweating our summers out with inner-city peeps in our high school summers AND we traveled over the seas to the country of Moldova together! Matt has always been such a faithful and good friend over the years. I am also proud of him because he just completed 4 years of med school!! That's actually why he was here in California...he was interviewing with schools for his residency. We happened to get in touch via phone just before he passed CBU! So he just stopped in for a couple hours!! I thought I would snap a photo of him while he was in my cottage! The last time I saw him was with his wife, in Houston, right before I left for India.

As many of you know, I am loyal to the core. The older I get and the more I move around, the more I cherish and appreciate time with good friends....even if it is for a couple hours. The Lord has been really faithful to bring close friends to me...

Let me show you what I mean...

• I saw Kelly, my accountability partner in India, in South Carolina in September!!
• My college best friend Sarah was in Anaheim for a work conference (just about 1 hour away)!
• I went to College Station for a missions conference and saw another college best friend Ashley!!
• Another college best friend Alison was in San Diego for Thanksgiving!
• Then in January my India best friends are coming to see me... Jules and Lindsey!!
• And God moved me where my Dad's sister and my cousins are only a couple hours away!!

This has all happened since September!! I feel like God fills my love tank every time he brings a sweet friend my way!!

Christmas Party Introductions....

This past weekend I had the joy of celebrating the Christmas holidays by attending Christmas parties!! I LOVE Christmas parties.... yummy food, warm clothes, gift exchanges, and social interaction!! Wahoo. I'm all over it!

I took my camera and got some shots of some really important people in my life here in Riverside. Let me introduce them to YOU.


This is the ISP (international service projects) staff that I work with. Kyle is another Graduate Assistant, Kristen- my boss, me, then Jeremy the intern, and Megan another Grad Assistant.

Here is a picture of just Kristen (my boss and Director of Global of Mobilization at CBU) and I. This woman is AMAZING. She has taken me under here wing and is definitely a huge mentor in my life.

This is Sarah G and I sportin' our cute vests. She is a friend of mine from Sandals.

This is Kyle again, me, and another ISP staff...Amy! They make working in the office FUN!

I can't tell you how many students and people I have met in the last 9 weeks. It has been really fun lately to have students on campus recognize me and love on me! I have thrown myself into soo many social awkward situations and it seems like lately I have really been reaping the benefits!! I thank God for friendship!! I really am blessed by the people here in my little bubble.

Happy Merry Thanksmas!

It has been FOREVER since I have posted! I can't believe it! I have missed you...have you missed me? I am excited to get back into the blog swing of things. My camera battery has been dead for a couple months and I finally resolved the situation...yay!


It seems that I have completely missed Thanksgiving and it's already the Christmas season. So the only thing I feel I should say is Happy Merry Thanksmas!! I have not been in America for the past two years, so I find myself returning to my youth and getting super excited over Christmas lights, reindeer, Christmas music, stockings, decorated Christmas trees, and seeing Christmas proclaimed everywhere! I know that some people get tired of all the excess of everything at Christmas,but I kind of think that Jesus is worth all the hype. I mean what other holiday gets this much attention? Seriously! People all over the world are outwardly and very elaborately celebrating HIS birthday. So decorate away!! It's all for Jesus and He deserves all the bling, the lights, and the hype!!


Here are some pics from Thanksgiving...these are mainly for the fam.

Erica (my cousin) and I at Lake Casitas

Me and my Aunt Celeste (dad's sister)

Leah (my cousin) and I camping...

Uncle Thom and Aunt Celeste and their new toys!

Happy Late Thanksgiving! I really am thankful for this new season (contrary to my last Debbie Downer post)! I love my CBU family and I love my Sandals family! I love that Jesus moved me only a few hours away from blood family!! That's good networking!! He is soo faithful and I can genuinely say...that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but Riverside, California!!

I have lots of posts in my mind...so be ready for some more...yay.

My Love Tank is Overflowing!

I am one loved woman! I love the body of Christ!! I feel like everything that I needed Jesus was faithful to give me today through His people... YOU.

Thanks for all the phone calls, words of encouragement, prayers, e-mails, text messages, and personal concern. My love tank is filled to overflowing. Love is a powerful thing and I never felt so loved as I did today! Thanks for watching my back family!!

Today was an awesome day actually! I got up at 5:30(yes AM) and ran with my small group leader at church! She is also a college graduate and I think she will become a very close friend and future work-out partner! I had a busy day of work, lunch with one of my favorite Texan CBU'erS, dinner with a good and dear friend that is also graduated, and watched Chuck and Heroe's on Tv!! It was a fun and great day of being relational!

Prayer is powerful! I definitely experienced that today! Keep them coming!

Culture Shock and The Messy Struggle

I have been told for months that reverse culture shock can be worse than the initial shock I experienced in India. I am here to verify the truth of this statement. Culture shock has hit and is in full force and it SUCKS! It's weird too because I have never felt so blessed and so loved. My community in California is nothing but loving and wonderful. So I can honestly say that I am doing great and at the same time I am a huge messy struggle. This weekend was kind of an ultimate low for me (eating dinner by myself in my car in the parking lot of Starbucks and going for a run and ending up laying in the grass crying for half an hour). Let me just say I am glad this weekend is over!

I am in a new season of finding my identity. I find that having been a missionary in a different country and having a heart for different nations and for lost people kind of makes you a social outcast and makes people really intimidated by you. You should hear the silence that follows when I tell people about my job and my heart. I get a lot of blank stares. I have never felt so much like an alien and not of this world as I have recently.

I can be honest and tell you that I wish that I was just a normal college graduate purusing the American dream. I wish I could take back the poverty and lostness that I have seen and experiened. Ignorance is bliss. Right? Now, I am held accountable to this knowledge. Sometimes I am embarrassed to even call myself a missionary. I hate the "M" word. It's a social killer. I am struggling with my passions and to know what to do with them and how to share them with people who just don't have a clue about God's global purposes and His heart for the nations.

I am also struggling with my identity as a single person. I would like to think that I am not one of those girls that has to be married. BUT I have never had such a season of complete loneliness. I spend most of my time alone these days, which most of you know, I HATE being alone. It's scary to think as I walk in the next season of obedience that I do it completely alone and without support! I am struggling with really understanding and knowing that Jesus is ENOUGH. Pray that I can honestly say this...right now, I am asking that He will be enough.

I am also struggling in my professional identity. What do I want to be when I grow up? Who am I? What is it that God is calling me to? Moving back overseas? Missions mobilization? Seminary? Professional grad school? Inner-city work? California? Texas? And as I make this decision and walk in obedience is this something I am prepared to follow alone as a single woman? A partner in ministry would be AWESOME!

I am also struggling in my personal identity. For the first time in my life, I don't have a sense of belonging. I don't have a group of women that are my ladies. I have lots of amazing friendships here but I have them through friends of friends. Does that make sense? Pray that God would provide some women to love me and bring me into their circle.

I understand that this post is kind of a "Debbie Downer" post. I am not writing for attention but rather asking for your prayers. I am really struggling! I know that I need the Lord to really work in my life and honestly, I just want to be real with my struggles and lay them out there. I feel like God is calling me to a season of intense discipline and honestly I am fighting it. I am pretty big messy struggle... and would really just covet your prayers for me!!

The Prayer Specifics-
-Discipline
-joy to be back- i find i have been pretty boring and serious these days
- a sense of belonging and a group of women to be in fellowship with
- I would find my identity in Christ FIRST

Where's the Love & Prison Break Madness

I have done two rather lengthy blog post BUT where's the comment love? I know I have been a slacker in the blogging world and am working on it...but your comments gives me the encouragment and drive to still blog!! So get comment happy!!! I will try to be better at commenting too...i have been kind of a slacker!

Prison Break Season 3 is just pure madness. I am slightly losing interest but it still keeps me begging for more every week. However, I was sad to see today that it won't show a new episode for 63 days!! What is a girl to do?! Anybody out there Season 3 addicts? I know Laura is!!

The Sweet-Schneider Wedding

The wedding is a done deal. The happy couple is off on their honeymoon and Angela said it was the wedding of her dreams!! Everyone raved how it was one of the best wedding that people had been to! It was a night of fun and lots and lots of dancing! Enjoy the pictures and meet my family.

Angela and I hanging out before we walk down the aisle.

The Bridesmaids

Introducing... Mr. and Mrs. Schneider

This is looking down from the brides room. The site was beautiful.

My mother and grandmother

Me and my Grandmother

The weather was perfect! Couldn't have asked for a more perfect day!

Angela and Uncle Lee

Shanny and I

Angela, her new hubby, and her brothers

Amber and I dancing...we had a lot of fun getting our groove on.


My cousin Andrew and I.

My daddy and his girls...all together in the same continent, country, state, city, and place!

I'm a Daddy's girl all the way!

The Family exhausted after the big day!!

All the pictures were taken by amazing sister...Shannon.

Reherasal Dinner

I am putting together this blog post while sitting in a lake house on beautiful Lake Travis. My Aunt rented this huge and beautiful lake house for us to stay during the wedding complete with pool tables, a lake side view, huge screen tv's, ping pong tables, and lots of huge areas for lounging!! I have a great time so far...it's so great to be with family!

Thursday night was the Rehearsal dinner! The dinner was incredible. I had grilled Salmon and cheese cake..yummy. The restaurant, Cool River Cafe, was probably the most amazing restaurant I have been to in years. We had a great time.


Cousins and my grandparents

Me, Nonnie, and Andrew

My Grandad kissing my cheek!

My Uncle Lee

Bridesmaids and the lovely bride in white- my cousin Angela

Cousins and the bride-to-be...isnt her dress fun?

My cousin David and I

My Aunt Peggy, Angela, and Me

It's Good to Be on Texas Soil!!

By the way... I am currently in the great Lonestar state! My cousin Angela is getting married this weekend and I have the privilege of being a bridesmaid in the wedding!! This past weekend in Cali was a pretty rough weekend so I was super ready to come home and see my family. I can't tell you how excited I was to come home...not because i hate cali or my new life there BUT because my sister came home for the wedding all the way from Korea!! Can you believe it? So my entire family was finally reunited after almost 1.5 years!!

The sweet reunion at the airport tonight...look all 5 of us together!! Beautiful and rare.

Shanny and I.

The Divers' sisters....what a beautiful site for the good ol' parental unit!

I leave for Austin tomorrow to start all the wedding madness.
Thursday- Rehearsal Dinner
Friday- Bridesmaid luncheon and chillin' with the bride
Saturday- The wedding!

The wedding is in Austin on lake LBJ! It's going to be beautiful and I get to wear a sexy strapless black number for the wedding! I can't wait. We have rented a few lake houses where my entire family (aunts, uncles, and cousins) will be staying! This is the first time I will have seen a lot of my family since I have been back from India! I wish you could hear the excitement and longing in my voice as I write this!! It's going to be some great family time!

Yay for family! I will definitely be posting wedding pics when I get back!!