And the Oscar Goes To....

Hi folks. Sorry...I failed you miserably on a creative title, but it's late and it's all I've got. Here's to another weekend gone by, and one that was fairly void of hectic activity (minus the 9-hour-class I attended on Saturday and a variety of homework assignments to submit). Sunday was a RARE chance to sleep in and, unfortunately, my last day waking up at the beach. Aw, shucks. I grabbed a coffee from the 'bucks and headed over to Revolution for morning service.

Later in the evening, I had the opportunity to reconnect with Christa and Mikey Hahn, catching also a performance by my little kiddos in COTW. Christa does such a fantastic job of leading the choir. I'm so proud of the ministry they are accomplishing together. Following the concert, I headed to Darrenn and Jenny Platt's house for a SMASHING Academy Awards party- complete with red carpet. With Jenny being the QUEEN of thematic parties, we all enjoyed an interactive BINGO game (which I won somehow. Thanks, Steph!), fantastic prizes, and a spread of food worthy of the nominees themselves.


(And like it hasn't already been earned in this post, a MAJOR shout out to Jenny and Darrenn...thanks a BUNCH for hosting! Jenny- coffee date. Soon. Let's finish our conversation!)

Go Go Gadget Flute!

This may be the coolest thing I've ever seen. Check out this unique remix...

LENT Does A Body Good

Ash Wednesday starts the countdown...40 days until Easter. And 40 days till I drink another sip of soda. Starting today, that sugary goodness is OUT and water is IN! I've learned from my Lenten mistakes of yesteryear...giving up elevators in 1998 (at the height of my college experience and having to climb 6 stories of stairs in the parking structure at Sac State every day...oy) and writing off soda, cheese, AND chocolate the following year (just plain stupid!). This is a manageable challenge for me, yet still a challenge. I accept.

A quick shout out to my readers in Minnesota: For the record, it's called "soda," not "pop". :)

How to Appreciate a Jelly Belly

I've been to the Jelly Belly factory over half a dozen times in the last few years, each time bringing a new group of 2nd graders to experience the sugary magic. They loved it- the smell, the colors, the jelly belly shaped hamburgers. And grown-ups love it, too- looking at murals carefully crafted out of the tiny beans is fascinating. And woven throughout the tour are multiple homages to President Ronald Reagan, who championed Jelly Bellies as a "national candy" of sorts, using them as gifts for foreign dignitaries and always within reach of a bowl containing his favorite flavors.

That's one of the many things President Ronald Reagan has left as a legacy, featured at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. My parents joined me for the weekend in Southern California, and per their suggestion, we braved L.A. traffic to spend a day there.

In recent years, Air Force One (operational during Reagan's administration) has come to rest in a larger-than-life exhibit hall, alongside the presidential helicopter and motorcade. Visit the museum and you'll get to walk through the plane in all it's retro glory- pretty cool.

And the large portion of the Berlin Wall that stands on the lawn pays tribute to Reagan's stand against the Cold War (the original "Can't we all just get alooong?")

It's hard to believe that while I was in grade school, our world was facing that challenge. Most remember favorably Reagan's years in office and, while Presidential Library's can be suspect in presenting history accurately, I enjoyed this walk through MY past.

A quick stop at Checkpoint Charlie (and I felt a need to help this poor mannequin, who didn't look quite assertive enough)

Reagan's final resting place overlooks his beloved Simi Valley, and displays his own quote: "I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life."


(It's been a while since I threw down a shout-out: What is UP, Willis' in Stockton! Yeah...you! I know you're reading... he he)

Life is Tough

Happy Valentine's Day, all! (and that's all I have to say on that subject!)

I've been such a slacker on the ol' blog lately, but with good reason! I started my MA coursework on Saturday and participated on the worship team for all three Sunday services. This week, I'll be LEADING all three, as most of our lead team is out of town. A group from our church is now in India, serving and ministering in Calcutta. Meanwhile, I'm housesitting (and fish-sitting) for one of the couples on the trip. This is VERY exciting, because they have a BEAUTIFUL condo in downtown Long Beach. I wake up to an ocean view. This morning I took a couple pictures at sunrise.


A view from the Living Room.
My new commute to work : ) It's like driving the Long Beach Grand Prix!

Not a whole lot of other news to report. (WHOA! I had to momentarily cease writing because one of my students just brought me a rose and a balloon....how SWEET!) Soon, it will be full speed ahead as I "formally" become Worship Leader for Revolution Bellflower. Stay tuned for updates.

And a major shout out to BOBBY, who hooked me UP with some great music last week. Thanks dude. It will be used.

Princesses Bust a Move.

Here's another short clip from our COTW trip to Disneyland. This time, the choir entertains an audience of Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine and Mulan...some are quicker to "break it down" with the kids than others, but all seem thoroughly entertained! And the kids LOVED it. (if the video won't play for you now, it will soon!)


Go, Jasmine, Go Jasmine, Go...

More Coffee, Please.

And She's Down for the Count...

First, my colleague in the neighboring office to my right caught strep throat. Then my colleague in the neighboring office to the left caught a nasty bug. I LAUGHED in the face of viruses....HA HA HA! This weekend I sang at Carlos and Michelle's wedding, and immediately following felt a little woozy. Still, made my way over to Cheri's birthday party for some fabulous pasta. Shortly after, it hit me.

So I spent Superbowl Sunday lying on the couch with a box of kleenex and a blanket. Thank goodness this is the one day a year where you CAN sit on the couch all day, and nobody calls you lazy....just "invested in the game." And I watched ALLLL of the game (minus the weak halftime show with Prince when I took an ice cream run). Despite feeling like hell, I actually enjoyed taking time to relax. Today...lots of decongestants as I'm back at work. Hopefully I'll clear out a little before I have to speak in several presentations tonight.

It's Called Punctuation. USE IT!

I used to read this book to my second grade students. It's called "Punctuation Takes A Vacation." Cute book. What would happen if punctuation didn't exist? Reading would be pretty stressful! THIS is what I was teaching second graders. SECOND GRADERS. For some people, this information seems to get lost somewhere in between childhood and adulthood, which is particularly distressing to me. I thought punctuation was a non-negotiable concept in writing, but some people view it more as an option: case in point, most e-mails I receive from Jr. High students and, now, the collegiate community.

Since this blog is read by literally millions of people worldwide, can I take a moment to advocate the use of proper punctuation? Perhaps this can be my lasting contribution to society (even though writing will eventually be a relic itself). PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, your teachers have been trained to instill knowledge in you for good reason. Included in your education was a subject we call Language Arts, which gives you all the tools you need to become a successful communicator as an adult. You may not remember, but you DID LEARN how to use funny little shapes called periods, commas, and exclaimation points. This was not busywork, but the acquisition of an important life skill.

When you fail to use this writing etiquette, you are not presenting yourself in the best possible way. Certainly, in business and academic situations, it can put you at a severe disadvantage. In contrast, using proper punctuation contributes to your appearing intelligent...even if you're not.

I beg and I plead. Honor your teachers. Use the punctuation keys. And while you're at it, "u" is actually spelled y-o-u.

A Visit With The Mouse

At 1:00 a.m. on Sunday night, I put the finishing touches on my research paper and was FREED mentally to enjoy a day at Disneyland with Christa, Mikey, and the COTW. These kids are incredible, and it was a blessing to be able to join them for their first experience at the happiest place on earth. Christa does a fantastic job organizing and keeping all the details together, which made the day really enjoyable. Not normally a "ride" person, I think I rode more rides this day than my last 5 trips to Disney combined. Sarah, my little appendage for the day, was a sensitive one...so it was fun being her therapy before and after each ride. :) She challenged ME to be more courageous, too! Our first ride of the day was Soaring Over California. I asked Sarah what her favorite part of the ride was...she said, "the heaven part." Gotta love that. And hearing kids like Solomon say "I'll remember this day forever" made it SOOO worthwhile. It was actually very convicting, knowing how much I take for granted every day. Here is some photo documentation from the FABULOUS world of Disney!

Heidi, Me, Jeannie and Nicole...some of the MANY chaperones!

The WHOLE gang in the Hollywood backlot.
The boys enjoyed their visit with Hercules...

While girls relished their time with the princesses...

We had a special performance for the princesses and they joined in the dancing!

Here's my little Sarah flaunting her "1st Timer" pin!

Jeannie and Solomon were fast buddies for the day.

Holding Sarah's hand on one of her FAVORITE rides of the day...Peter Pan.

There are all kinds of goodies at Disneyland!

...And then there was Mickey.

The kids performed a couple numbers for the Mouse...and Mickey put down some MOVES himself! (The audio seems to be a little off...sorry!)


Oh yeeeah....even the LADIES love Mickey!

We finished off the day with a 3-D movie. WHAT A TEAM!