A Gig at the Gig and a Birthday Party!

OKAY! A busy night, indeed, but I LOVED seeing all of my "Hollywood Friends" again as we celebrated Drew's nomination for the LA Music Awards and his wife Sara's birthday! We watched Drew's outstanding show at the Gig (Drew is a keyboardist like myself, so it's super fun to watch him rock out...and retrieve his runaway sustain pedal multiple times) and then headed over to a friend's house for Birthday cake! Carrie was bummed that only one piece of cake had been consumed by the end of the night (It wasn't ME!) and us gals must have set the record for how many inside jokes could come out of one night! (Don't try to figure out these pictures...) Drew and Carrie showed off how ripped jeans are back in style, while Sara had no problem blowing out the candles (all 28 of them) on her cake.







HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARA!!!

5 Years Later

I had been up all night. Literally. It was my first semester enrolled as a credential student through Cal. State Hayward, and I needed to finish my portfolio and run it across town before I went in to teach. I've never been one to chug coffee to stay alive, so I was running on a kind of supernatural fuel that I can't explain. Having taken a 45-minute cat-nap around 5:00 a.m., I was once again awake and putting the finishing touches on my portfolio. That's when I flipped on the television and witnessed history change.

It was September 11, 2001. My programming of choice was the Today Show. I was working feverishly at my desk because it was almost time to leave...I needed to be at my school by 7:30 a.m., and this detour would take me at least a half an hour. With one eye on the television, I remember thinking what an interesting day this was going to be...not because of what was to come, but simply because I was running on very little sleep. I remember glancing up at the television at the moment Katie Couric was notified of the first airplane hitting New York's World Trade Center. Shock. I turned my full attention to the television and watched on live T.V. as the second airplane was absorbed by the remaining tower. Sick. It's that feeling you get at the very core of your being that assures you life will never be the same. I remember an insatiable urge to know more, watch more, feel more but the demands of my work prevented me from doing so. Too much time already had been spent in front of the television, and now I was late. On went the radio in my car as I sped across town on this errand. It was then that I called my mom and dad to fill them in on the latest news. By the time I would reach my school, both towers would be piles of dust and debris.

My students had no idea what impact this event would have on their generation, our world....and neither did we. It is the hallmark of the new millenium and a new generation of people that will never know what a pre-9/11 world was like. It was crisis mode, and we were operating on a code red. Several parents expressed anxiety leaving their children at the school. Many were picked up early (including a student whose father was a military officer), and several didn't show at all. I can't blame them. I wouldn't have shown if I didn't have to. I distinctly remember one student reporting to me that the White House had been hit. WHAT? Was that true? I had no way of verifying this information, and the students had access to media reports more recently than I. And so shock turned to panic as I operated under the belief that our hub of government had been destroyed, until recess when I got the real story; it was the Pentagon, not the White House (though both ARE white).

On the agenda for our day was an art project including a lesson in drawing skylines. Intentionally, it coincided with our Social Studies lesson on the Statue of Liberty. It was an emotional teaching opportunity as I held up a laminated picture of the New York skyline. Over the next few days, students started picking up catch-phrases from the media coverage and including them in various projects. On a quilt our class put together one student drew two towers and an airplane, while another student crafted the phrase "God Bless You" under an American Flag.

I had the opportunity to visit ground zero less than a year after the tragedy. Once an insurmountable pile of rubble, now a large hole in the ground, visitors and locals alike flocked there to honor the victims of those doomed flights and the heroes that fought so hard to save them. Teddy bears, signs, and pictures covered the chain-link fence that separated us from the destruction. And I felt as ill as I did the day I watched Katie Couric tell me about this place.

For a brief moment in history our country stopped bickering, politicians were united, and God was invited into every public gathering. It was a weight that surely we could not bear on our own...even the godless needed Him. It was a fleeting moment. Here, five years later, we are wrestling again with partisanship and blame-placing. When I get home, I will once again turn on the television, on which the media coverage of this anniversary promises to be extensive. Unfortunately, if precedent is accurate, today's tributes will be littered with angry commentaries directed at this administration's decisions. I hope, for the sake of those who perished on September 11th, that is not the case.

1096

Hi folks!
I've been on a short hiatis from blogging...sometimes I just forget until I receive a comment in my mailbox! So it was this week. I have been a BUSY girl, spending most of my time at Revolution Church lately. We are currently rehearsing for a live CD project that will take place on Sunday night. The album will commemorate the three year birthday of Revolution. I'm fortunate to be a part of the team, and also to be leading worship again on Sunday Morning (dusting off the old sheet music...). It has been a trying week on many fronts, but God is the ultimate in provision-- this I've learned full well. Tonight is our rehearsal for Sunday morning. If you would, please pray for: unity in this team, a spirit of exuberant joy, a movement of the spirit and a peace in the details.

Just a side note...The album is titled "1096" because there are 1096 days in three years. I have been a part of Revolution for exactly 222 days. That is 20% of the life of this church. (Just making sure my math skills are still in tact!)

What Millenials Don't Remember

So, I've been reading this book called "The Millenials Go To College" in order to explore the student mentality I'm working with here. I read quite a bit of this book on the plane ride home from Morocco, and it caused quite a bit of good discussion across the aisles. It's detailed description of previous generations is shockingly accurate. A quick run down for those of you who aren't familiar with the generational divides:

The LOST Generation (born 1883-1900)- those who lived through "sweat shop" child labor, massive immigration and unregulated drug use. Their initial wage-earning years were spent as flappers and, later, surviving the Great Depression.

The G.I. Generation (born 1901-1924) enjoyed the "good kid" reputation. Their generation built suburbs, invented vaccines, launched moon rockets and plugged missle gaps.

The SILENT Generation (born 1925-1942) grew up as the suffocated children of war and depression. They were an early-marrying "lonely crowd" that came of age too late to be war heroes and too early to be youthful free spirits.

The BOOM Generation (born 1943-1960)- these kids were the proud creation of post-war optimism and "Father Knows Best" family order. The boom "awakening" climaxed with Vietnam war protests, the '67 "summer of love" and the first Earth Day.

GENERATION X (born 1961-1981) (THAT'S ME!!)- we survived a hurried childhood of divorce, latchkeys, open classrooms and devil-child movies. From grunge to hip-hop, our culture has revealed a hardened edge, and are widely criticized as "slackers."

The MILLENNIAL Generation (born 1982-now) first arrived when "Baby on Board" signs appeared. Hollywood replaced child devils with child angels, and educational/child-centered legislation became a political powerhouse.

So, the students that I'm currently working with were born in 1988! Here are some of history's events that Millenials (and sometimes late Gen-Xers) have no recollection of:

1. Grace Kelly, Elvis Presley and Karen Carpenter have always been dead.
2. Somebody named George Bush has been on every presidental ticket (except one) since they were born.
3. The Kennedy tragedy was a plane crash, not an assassination.
4. A "45" is a gun, not a record with a large hole in the middle.
5. They never played a two-dimensional Donkey Kong or Mario Brothers.
6. There have always been ATM machines.
7. They have no idea that "presidential scandal" once meant nothing more than Ronald Reagan taking President Carter's briefing book in "Debategate."
8. There has always been a national holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
9. Three Mile Island is ancient history, and nuclear accidents only happen in other countries, or on "24."
10. They have always been able to afford Calvin Klein.
11. Some were born the same year that Ebony and Ivory lived together in perfect harmony.
12. Woodstock is a bird or a reunion, not a cultural touchstone.
13. They have never heard a phone "ring."
14. They have never dressed up for a plane flight.
15. "Coming Out" parties celebrate more than debutantes.
16. They only know Madonna singing "American Pie."
17. They never thought of Jane Fonda as "Hanoi Jane," nor associated her with any revolution other than the "Fitness Revolution" videotape they may have found in the attic.
18. "Spam" and "Cookies" are not necessarily food.
19. If they vaguely remember the night the Berlin Wall fell, they probably are not sure why it was up in the first place.
20. They feel more danger from having sex and being in school than from possible nuclear war.

Contrary to MY generation, this book is a commentary on how optimistic we should be about what some dub the "Sunshine Generation." And it seems to be true. The era of the worthy, protected, wanted child is here.

Call me....Professor?

I told my students they could call me Jamie, yet all of them have referred to me as Miss Petersen so far.

Yes, today was my first day of teaching at the University level. All of my students are brand-spankin'-new freshman who are interested in pursuing a teaching career. The purpose of this course is to equip them with information about Biola and it's Education program, as well as allow them to form friendships in their cohort of students. These are the students they will see a lot of during their four years at BU. Today they partnered up and interviewed each other (some of them were quite humorous) and then we had a great discussion on the differences between High School and College. Some bulletpoints included:

~HS is mandatory and usually free. College is optional and EXPENSIVE (especially at Biola!)

~Testing in HS is frequent, and covers small amounts of material. In college, exams are cumulative and sparce.

~In HS, most of your classes are arranged for you. In college, you have control of your schedule.

~In HS, you are not responsible for knowing what it takes to graduate. In college, you are responsible for following requirements.

~In HS, you are expected to read short assignments that are then discussed, and often re-taught, in class. In college, you are assigned substantial amounts of reading and writing which may not be addressed in class.

~In HS, teachers impart knowledge and facts, sometimes drawing direct connections and leading you through the thinking process. In college, Professors expect you to think about and synthesize seemingly unrelated topics.

~In HS, courses are usually structured to reward a "good-faith" effort. In college, though "good-faith effort" is important in regard to the professor's willingness to help you achieve good results, it will not substitute for results in the grading process.

...THERE! All the info, and you didn't even have to pay $930 for the class! I think this particular task will be one of my favorite parts of my job.

Acoustic Madness!

Carrie, Chen and I have been busy this week, playing 2 acoustic shows in 2 days. We played Monday night at a venue called "Howl at the Moon," a cool piano bar on the second floor of the Universal Studios City Walk. It was a shorter set, and we had some sound isssssues (like the bumping of dance music coming through the open wall behind us), but we all had a good time regardless. I saw a familiar face in the crowd and realized that it was actress Sarah Silverman (Ned's angry girlfriend on "School of Rock"). It was nice to play on a "real" piano (it wasn't really real...it was a digital keyboard in a baby grand shell. Still nice to sit down.) I was thankful I didn't have to tote my Roland to either of these shows. The poor Roland is experiencing some health issues in it's old age...the imput jack is loose and crackles, the sounds don't compare to newer models, and now the A key is not working properly. Oy.

On Tuesday, we rocked out at Florentine's Tuscany Club in Downtown Fullerton. Our set started unusually late, and we played to an unresponsive crowd, so we threw out a couple songs we had planned to do (including a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time"). Carrie's mom and a couple others made the long drive down from Nor Cal to hear the show and surprise her (I think she saw her mom during our 5th song. Her response? "What's going on here?")
(Below...Carrie's mom, aunt, and lil' Jen)

Dreams Really Don't Come True.

Go ahead. Watch about 15 seconds of the Disneyland 50th Anniversary "Dreams Really Do Come True" Fireworks Spectacular. Then realize that this was ALL we saw of the show before it was abruptly cancelled in the middle of the program. WHAT HAPPENED? Did Tinkerbell fall to her death? (By the way, that moving dot on the video is Tinkerbell herself) Does Mickey have it out for me? This is the SECOND time I've been to Disneyland for the SOLE PURPOSE of seeing the fireworks show. And this is now the SECOND time I've left disappointed. However, it was a fantastic day on all other counts. I got to see my buddy Matt in costume and entertaining crowds at Aladdin's Oasis, and hanging out with Steph, Kaelyn and Angelina was the best. I'll get over the fireworks mishap soon...but you can bet I'll be making another trip to the Magic Kingdom!





This was Kaelyn's first trip to Disneyland (at 2 years old). Officially, her first ride was Pirates of the Carribean, followed by "It's a Small World" and Astro Blasters. It's no surprise that she LOVED the rides! While mommy and Angelina rode Space Mountain, I took Kaelyn for a drive (correction....she took ME for a drive) at Autopia. As you can see, she was thrilled with her driving skills, and clenched her souveneir Driver's License the rest of the night.


Oh.....and here is a pic from Astro Blasters. Check out the intensity in my eyes, and note the score : )

Say "cheese"!

What happens when you tell someone that you are going to take their picture, but hit the video button instead? Keith and I were discussing people's humorous reactions on a break during our band practice...here's what we came up with.

Before....

Thanks so much to Steph and Stephen, Jessie, Cheryl, Jeff, Suzanne, and Matt for helping me get my furniture and boxes from the Uhaul to my new apartment (and, of course, my amazing parents for hooking it up in Stockton and making the drive down). Moving is always exciting, but so stressful. Unfortunately, this past week has not helped any...I've had little time to unpack and organize. Yesterday, I upgraded our apartment status from "total disaster" to "making progress." It still smells of paint and carpet glue (not sure how to get rid of that...any suggestions?), but at least we can now see the floor.

Here are a couple pictures of the apartment as we started out last Saturday...hopefully "after" pictures will follow soon!

A Visit to the Staples Center

A group of us from Revolution enjoyed an evening in the VIP box at a Los Angeles Sparks game (WNBA) thanks to Steph and her connections.... We cheered, well...jeered is more like it, the Sparks to victory from our lofty seats- complete with icebox, sodas and peanuts.




Bobby and Chris had a great time watching the cleanup. Shortly after, they told us to leave. Darn it! We were set to stay all night!

Too Hard to Love You

Get this video and more at MySpace.com Here's a new little ditty from the fabulous Carrie Turner- Check out www.myspace.com/carrieturner for information on upcoming acoustic shows! (We're hitting Hollywood and Fullerton next week!)

Welcome, Anne Marie!

I forgot to throw down a mad shout-out to my peeps in the Lone Star State- Congratulations to Amanda and Daniel on the birth of their first child, Anne Marie Adelle Baker (August 8th).

CrossWalk, August 13th

Just a couple pictures from Sunday morning's excursions. I attended the "Big Church" at 9:30, and thoroughly enjoyed Pastor Dunn's message on "living with bad choices." I love being introduced to scripture passages (in this case, the deception of Joshua in Joshua 9 & 10) that I'm reletively unfamiliar with. The morning continued with great worship and Word at CrossWalk, where their series is focusing on "Getting in the Game," learning how to serve. Ironically, Revolution is going through a similar topic on our weekly "Equipping Nights" called "Get in Shape"- learning about how we can contribute to the body of Christ and beyond by using our Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experiences. We took a Spiritual Gifts inventory last week, and my results were no surprise to me; Creative Communication (arts), Pastor/Shepherd (concern for the lost/broken), Encouragement (exhortation) and Leadership (go figure, huh?). After church on Sunday, we enjoyed lunch at "Bob's At the Marina," right on the Delta. Great burgers: the quintessential stop for anyone who may find themselves in Stockton.

'Tis the Season for Gift Giving

Mom and brother both have birthdays during the first week of August, so I had a lot of catching up to do in the gift department. I planned WAY ahead on Derek's gift, and hooked him up with a highly-coveted Dwight Shrute Bobblehead, compliments of the NBC show "The Office." Here is my brother trying to make the bobblehead move by telekinetic power. Good job, D.

Before I left for Morocco, my dad expressed an interest in the city of Fes, and requested that I bring him an authentic Fes hat. I did. And we proceeded to see it modelled all around the house. My mom's face says it all.

Student Updates

While listening to the message at CrossWalk on Sunday, I heard "pssssst.....Miss P!" I turned around to find one of my very first second grade students, Sean, who I haven't seen SINCE second grade! He is now in Jr. High School, and was visiting First Baptist on the Sunday I was home. Another great surprise was seeing former student, Alexis, who is now entering fourth grade. During my last year of teaching, her mother was a tremendous blessing to our class, supplying us with all kinds of homemade goodies and catering for our parties. We talked often about her dream of opening a deli in Stockton...on Sunday, I stopped into her NEW DELI to look around! Plus, Denise hooked me up with some AMAZING cookies for the ride home. Yum!

If you are in Stockton, I HIGHLY recommend that you grab a bite to eat at Denise's Downtown Deli...and tell Denise that Miss Petersen sent you!

Any other former students out there??

It's MOVING TIME!

After more than a year of sadly sitting in storage, my "stuff" is THRILLED to be reuniting with me in Southern California. I'M pretty excited too: excited to be sleeping once again on MY bed, eating off of MY dishes, sitting on MY couches.... hopefully it will contribute to a feeling of "home," finally. I've been diligently recruiting some brute strength of both ends of the moving process (this may be earth-shattering news for those of you who think I am wonder-woman....unfortunately, I cannot lift an aromoire on my own. Yet.) THANK YOU to Richard, Brock, Nick and Chris, who will be helping on the Stockton end, and Matt, Larry, Jeff, Stephen, Jessie, Steph and Cheri who will be helping on the Cypress end. I'm so grateful for good friends!

If you would be willing to help on either end for a little while (Stockton- Friday night, or Cypress- Saturday afternoon), you will receive dinner and lots of thanks from me. : )

And so, the journey continues!
Lots of pictures of the new place to come!

Welcome, Kinley!

Congratulations, Jen and Kyle, on the birth of baby girl #2, Kinley Petrie Park!

Grrrrrrrreat.

Wouldn't you know....on the day that I'm scheduled to fly, a terrorist alert shakes up all air travel. I doubt that Long Beach Airport is a huge terrorist target, but I'm having to make the appropriate changes to my itinerary- no carry on luggage and a three-hour delay in airport security. There goes my evening.

Happy Birthday, Silke!

Okay, a little late on the pictures, but here they are nonetheless. Our celebration for Silke's 26th birthday was nothing short of "Silke Style"...lots of fun into the wee hours of the morning! We started in Seal Beach for appetizers and some Karaoke (during which Matt demonstrated his unusually keen knowledge of Spice Girls songs), then made our way into Long Beach to hit the Gaslamp (Bar and Restaraunt) where 80's cover band "Knight Ryder" was playing a Friday night set. LOTS of dancing, LOTS of laughing, LOTS of pictures! (Stephen took an inclination to my sunglasses a few weeks ago and hasn't taken them off, since...) Carrie, James and Kelly drove down from Hollywood to meet up with us at the Gaslamp, also.

Yesterday, Today and Forever

I attended a worship night/concert with Vicky Beeching in Pasadena this past Sunday. Her music is relatively unknown here (now), but she is a popular worship artist in her home country, England. She was delighted to be in Southern California (not much sunshine in London) and was thrilled about her first Jamba Juice experience earlier that day. In the past, she has recorded under the Vineyard label, and is now branching out as an independent artist. You can hear a couple of her songs, including the title track of her new album "Yesterday, Today and Forever," on Christian radio.

One of her songs in particular, "Captivated," has emerged as a favorite of mine. While in Morocco standing in the shadow of the Grande Mosque, a phrase from this song played over and over in my head...from the Holy Spirit, I'm sure; "No other could ever be as beautiful..."

I had the opportunity to talk with Vicky after the show. It turns out we're somewhat of Kindred Spirits! We both have a love for the Beatles, for Jamba Juice, and for the piano. Plus, we wore matching shirts.

Check out her website at www.vickybeeching.com!

Serve Day 2006

I took a LONG nap after all the festivities from THIS weekend subsided. No sooner am I back on American ground when my calendar fills up completely. One year ago, I participated in Serve Day on my first "official" day as a Southern Californian. This year, I was assisting with worship leading at the rally and serving with good friends from Revolution Church. I've come full circle....it was a moment (sniff).

Our project THIS year was facilitating a carnival for psychiatric patients at the Metropolitan State Hospital. We worked with adolescents and adults who had limited to full grounds access. The possibility of working next year with patients from the penal code section is in the works (patients who are doing time at the hospital for pleading insanity in a criminal case). We sure did have some characters this year...and I'm just talking about the volunteers from Revolution. CRAZY! We provided Karaoke (listened to a lot of "I love Rock and Roll" and "Rapper's Delight"), many carnival games and crafts, and an abundance of prizes. The experience of serving people "just because" is always so rewarding.