All We Like Eggs.

Howdy folks.
It's mid-afteroon spiritual metaphor time, and this one is brought to you by the late, great C.S. Lewis.
From his book, Mere Christianity, when describing the Christian walk he states:

"When He said, 'be perfect,' He meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder- in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining in an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. WE MUST BE HATCHED OR GO BAD..."

Things that make you go "hmmm"...

Behind the Music

On Sunday, friend John (Garciiiiiiia!) and I headed out to the (909) to catch StorySide:B in action at Harvest Christian Fellowship. They have a great program for the collegiate/young adult crowd called "Day 7", at which various musical groups perform and a powerful message is delivered. I really enjoyed the worship set at the beginning, during which I could just marinate in the spirit rather than being distracted by worship leader responsibilities. Awesome. And, as expected, StorySide:B amped it up with some of my favorites, including the song "Be Still" off their new album.

Following the frenzy of young girls wanting autographs, John and I joined the crew at Applebees for a midnight snack before heading back to the LBC.

Ron is one of my favorites ; ) We always have a good time joking around and catching up on the latest in keyboard technology (though we could throw down a mean fight over which is better: the Yamaha or the Roland...)

Taking a spin on the motorcycle while Lu looks on...thinking, "please don't die".

John, Lu-cho!, and Jamiebella.

Temecula Ain't So Bad!

Hi friends! Thanks for stopping by...
Here's some new pics for ya (if I don't get them up now, I never will!) Last weekend, Phil & Roxeanne, Stephen & Steph and I cruised the Temecula Wine country. Our mission was simple: Teach Stephen and Steph "the ropes" of wine tasting (never been before!) and find a wine that we love!

Our first stop offered tasty Almond Champagne. I opted for the extra sweet treat of port wine in a chocolate shotglass...the port was a little (a lot) too sweet for me, but the chocolate cup sure was yummy!

The sun didn't spare us...it was a SCORCHER at over 90 degrees.

Phil is gonna have to help me remember the names of these places...I DO know that this winery had recently upgraded from a mobile home to an actual building. I give this wine a rating of.....meh.

THEN, we arrived at Mount Palomar for lunch and some more tastings. First, however, we enjoyed the billions of statues strewn around the exterior of the winery.

Victory de Stephencorns

Angelic, isn't she?

Calling it a day. Awww, look....Everyone is happy :)

Long Distance Relationships.

Obviously, this cell phone plan doesn't work for me. : )

RICH.

This morning I woke up in a cozy bed.

I brushed my teeth with clean water and drove to work in my own car. On the way, I stopped at Starbucks for a cafe Mocha. I sat down in my office in front of my Mac flatscreen computer to type this blog for you. At my feet is my purse, which holds my ipod, my digital camera, a cell phone, palm-pilot calendar and more cosmetics than I actually use. I just plugged in my bluetooth to charge.



I'm feeling rich today.

Positivity Defined.

It's unfortunate that Tammy Faye was renowned primarily for the scandalous actions of her former husband, Jim Bakker. Say what you will about her fake eyelashes and heavy makeup, but up until the very end, Tammy Faye was an example of hope an unashamed faith. This interview moved me. For those who say people with faith are naive (as in believing that God can work miracles), look at the peace in which she lived the final days of her life...her body may not have been healed, but her spirit absorbed divine courage and strength.

How Did I Miss These Movies?

What do The Breakfast Club and Braveheart have in common?
I haven't seen either of them.
There are certain movies that have become pop culture epics, of which we ASSUME everyone has seen. When you find someone who has NOT been exposed to such iconic films, it causes one's jaw to drop. In conversation this weekend, I was subject to such reactions as I fessed up to having skipped the following movies...

BRAVEHEART
GLADIATOR (This makes every GUY in the universe very unhappy)
THE BREAKFAST CLUB
SIXTEEN CANDLES
THE GODFATHER
FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE
LORD OF THE RINGS...all of them.
and, because of the current hype, I'll add the HARRY POTTER movies to the list, though they haven't proven themselves to be classics quite yet.

To all of you whose blood is now boiling....please forgive me. Perhaps it's time for a movie marathon weekend? All the old faves? Are there any movies YOU haven't seen, but the rest of the world has? Please share!

Shout outs go to Stephen and Steph (who NEED to watch ANCHORMAN soon) and Phil and Roxeanne (whose next movie rental needs to be THE CUTTING EDGE). I had a great time with you this weekend!! Temecula rules.

Welcome, Audrey Grace!

I neglected to issue a formal shout-out to the newest member of the Lapointe family...Audrey Grace, born on the Fourth of July. Congratulations, Eric and Ashley!

Things in my Mailbox

I got the strangest piece of mail yesterday. I was surprised to find the hand-written gem amongst the ads and coupons, and- believe me- I scrutinized it because some ads LOOK handwritten, but they aren't. This one was legit, and simply addressed to "Neighbor".

I will type verbatim what is included on my nicely handwritten letter:

(Return Address)

Dear Neighbor,

"My husband and I live in your neighborhood. We have not been able to speak with you personally, but we have some important things that we want to share with you. A sample of it is contained in the enclosed tract."

(The tract included reads: "Life in a Peaceful New World" and features the following picture. Some of you know where this is going already...)


"It is our privilege to share in a work that is being done by volunteers in upward of 200 lands. In all these lands, people are being invited to benefit from a program that helps people learn the Bible's answers to such important questions: Why do we grow old and die? What is the purpose of life? How can you find real happiness?"

"We engage in this activity because we are genuinely interested in our neighbors. OUR WORK IS NOT COMMERCIAL. It is our hope that someday soon we will be able to talk to you personally. Please feel free to get in touch with us at the above address."

Your Neighbor,
Diane

Look out, folks....the Jehovah's Witnesses are after me!! I'd better go prepare for my meeting with them!! Have any of you had a similar encounter?

Secrets REVEALED!

Those of you who know me well KNOW that I am no stranger to the J&J...the juice giant called Jamba... I'm always down for a Carribean Passion or Mango Maaaaadness. But my mind was BLOWN a while back when my friend, John GARCIA (there's your shout-out!) clued me in to the SECRET MENU that exists at the famous smoothie chain. Many of you already order your fries "animal style" or your burger "protein style" at In-N-Out. In the same way, there are modifications you can make to a smoothie! Often, you'll have to bring the recipe with you, but some- such as the White Gummy Bear- are well known.

I intend on trying the aforementioned "White Gummy" in the near future. Others that sound intriguing include the PB&J, Sourpatch Kid, Apple Pie, and Strawberry Shortcake. For a more detailed list of secret flavors and some recipes, click here.

Any other Jamba fans out there? Have you heard of this? Have you TRIED any?
Do tell...

(Christopher Lytle says the White Gummy is SUPER good, while the PB&J is "nasty".)

Here Fishy, Fishy....

On my last day in Minnesota, we ventured back to Minneapolis and met up with Chris' younger brother, Eric. Eric is a diver at Underwater Adventures, located on the bottom floor of the Mall of America. Fortunately, he was scheduled to dive while we were there, so I caught some video- they had just released a new stingray into the tank, so Eric spent some time monitoring it. This video was taken from inside the viewing tube, so Eric is actually swimming above my head at the beginning.

Here are some other stops at the aquarium:

Yes, that is a stingray VERY close to my boyfriend's head...

Eric, in all of his diving glory.

Careful! You remember Steve Irwin, right??!

Eric took us "behind the scenes," above the shark tanks and other pools.

How would you like to dive with THAT?!

Oh dear. See....that's what happens when you taunt a shark.

There...they just need a little love! : )

Major SHOUT-OUT to Will, who picked me up from the airport at an ungodly hour for my return flight. Thanks for being a trooper, and a friend! Oh...and don't read this word: D-E-N-T-I-S-T-R-Y! Ha ha. EOD.

Minnesoooooota!

Al-RIGHT! Stop harassing me!! Here are some pictures from last weekend's ventures in "God's country"!

Gettin' behind the wheel for a while...not so gracefully.

Chris and his nephew, Marcus, enjoy the sunshine on the lake.

Chris' sister, Carrie, gets up on the ski.

We then traveled to Duluth, and I got my first glimpse of Lake Superior via Skyline Drive. Across the harbor, you can see Wisconsin.

Chris overlooks the massive lake.

How's THAT for an encouraging sign...appropriately staring at me during lunch at the Brewhouse.

We stopped for a walk at a park in the middle of Duluth. It was gorgeous! I don't know that Duluth residents appreciate the fact that beauty like this is so close at hand. Living near L.A., it's quite a novelty!



On Monday, we "hiked" (more like...sauntered) up to Gooseberry Falls, about an hour outside Duluth. Breathtaking waterfalls- and the cold water felt good on the feet!







Cooling off...yep, it was HOT in Minnesota!

Loving this...

Nothing.

Q: How was your weekend, Jamie?
J: Grrrrrreat! Thanks for asking!
Q: Glad to hear it! What did you do?
J: Nothing.
Q: I'm sorry. What was that?
J: Nothing. I did nothing.
Q: Wow! That's so NOT you!
J: I know. And I did nothing on purpose, too.
Q: When you say "nothing", what do you mean?
J: I mean, I propelled myself into the anti-schedule and enjoyed my home all weekend.
Q: This is a phenomenal thought! So...you just, what? Sat around?
J: Well, I did get a FEW things accomplished. I did some laundry, made my own meals, watched some T.V., rocked some personal time with God, read a chapter of my book, talked some with Chris on the phone...you know. Stuff like that.
Q: I see. Anything good on T.V. these days?
J: Meh. I flipped back and forth between TLC's "What Not To Wear" and "America's Next Top Model". Both were running marathons. (giggle giggle)
Q: Why do you giggle?
J: I know Chris is cringing right now. (smile)
Q: You made your own meals?
J: I KNOW! I am SOOO Martha Stewart minus the conviction!! I even went grocery shopping for the first time in ages!
Q: Well, now, THERE'S an experience! Any favorite purchases?
J: I got some breaded chicken breasts and some killa BBQ sauce- I'm a sucker for the food samples at Trader Joes. They can sell me anything.
Q: So, is that the only time you left your house?
J: Of course not, silly. I had to be at church on Sunday morning, but I also met up with Jessie for dinner one night and Cheri for coffee. It was good girlfriend time. And it didn't stop there! I treated myself to an ice-cream at Coldstone Creamery. Did you know that they can use the waffle cone as a mix-in?
Q: I did not.
J: SO good. Then I went home and watched a couple chick flicks. It was great.
Q: Any "down" sides to the weekend?
J: Sure. My new neighbors downstairs are bachelors with too much beer and too much VOLUME. I'm kind of missing the loud family that lived there before. At least I didn't have to listen to satellite football day in and day out.
Q: Are you feeling refreshed?
J: Indeed. You should try it sometime, Q.
Q: Note taken. And now, you are off to...
J: Update my blog. I've been putting it off FAR too long.
Q: I look forward to reading it.
J: That's why I do it. (wink)

Currently Listening To...

It's just plain funky.

"Shake it...don't break it.
It took your mama nine months to make it."

This Blog is Rated...

Why PG? Apparently I mentioned "hell" one time.
Parents....beware!!!

HT: My Worship Revolution

The "Nader and Michelle Get Hitched" Party

A couple weeks late, I'm finally getting around to posting pictures from the Wedding festivities of my good friends Nader and Michelle. I met Nader my first week attending Revolution and he has been an encouraging and affirming presence in my life ever since. It made me happy to see him find Michelle, who will hopefully be around more now that she is residing in Long Beach!


(Laura and I were feeling rather tall with this bunch...)