Bread and Wine

...and then came Saturday! We were up early to meet friends Franse and Kim at Panera BREAD for some coffee and breakfast before driving to Napa Valley for some sightseeing. After our fix of pastries and egg souffles, we hopped in the car for a beautiful cruise through delta-land on Hwy 12. Our first stop was Sterling Vineyards, up in Calistoga. This winery includes an arial tram ride over the vineyards. WOW! You should have seen the morning sun shining on the grapevines (now golden yellows and oranges). The view from the winery is worth the cost of tasting/admission. Awesome. We enjoyed some time just relaxing on the balcony and talking. A good start to the day.

Following Sterling, we enjoyed lunch in St. Helena and a quick stop at Prager for a sampling of Port. Prager is a little hole-in-the-wall, infamous for it's walls covered in signed dollar bills. Franse and I quickly found our dollar bill on the ceiling, posted there during her bachelorette party!

My favorite...St. Supery...was next on the list. St. Supery produces Moscato, my favorite dessert wine. We enjoyed talking with the wine host, who was sporting a Hume Lake wristband and had some mutual friends. (Here's Kim screwing around! ha ha)

We strolled through the beautiful grounds of Peju Provence, but passed on the vino here.


Our final stop for the day was Domaine Chandon, producer of Sparkling Wines. There was a lovely ambiance in the tasting room (which is open to the vineyards) as the sun set and turned to a swanky evening lounge. We enjoyed a cheese platter and had some fun with the table next to us : )

Here is a HUGE shout-out to my Napa buddies Kim, Jessie, Franse and Brandy. Each of you inspire me in different ways. I'm so glad we got to spend this time together..."Take off your boots, Jessie," the blue-blazer, and our "sorority"...all cherished memories. I LOVE YOU GIRLS!

The Big Turkey Day Report

So much activity this weekend...these posts will have to be in installments. Sorry!

Ohhhhhh, I'm still recovering from a weekend full of food and fun- from a grueling, intense game of Capture the Flag with my Revolution buddies, to ice-skating on soap (yeah...I'll explain later) and hiking through Napa vineyards. I was treated to TWO Thanksgiving feasts...the first, and most traditional, being held with Jessie Pauling's family here in Southern California (complete with Jessie's grandmother dressed as a pilgrim). I have heard about deep-fried turkeys for a while now, and finally had the opportunity to taste one! The conclusion I came to: there is no difference. Not that I could taste, at least. Still yummy. Following dinner, the fam LOUDLY participated in some game festivities.

On Friday, Jessie, Brandy and I drove up to Stockton to have Thanksgiving with MY family, and to visit Napa on Saturday. We were impressed that all roads and freeways were virtually empty, making it a smooth 5 hour trip. Mom veered from the traditional Thanksgiving spread (fine by me!) to include tri-tip, cajun pasta, potato casserole and many others. In addition to the immediate family, my Grandma and her hubby Cliff joined us to eat. Grandma is always entertaining with her stories!

Gratitude

Gratitude

This dance was featured at our Thanksgiving Eve service, with my accompaniment on piano to Nichole Nordeman's song, "Gratitude."

Uninspired.

Hi all. This is more of a check-in than anything else. I'm alone at the office today. Most are out sick, some are at a funeral, and I'm overwhelmed with lots of work, lackluster motivation, and a killa migraine which I've been nursing the last 24 hours. It's a K-O-K-O day...our code for "keep on keepin' on" back in S-town. I'll rest my pen- thoughts- keyboard after sharing with you one of my favorite portions of the Bible....Psalm 16.

I said to the Lord,
"You are my Lord. APART FROM YOU I HAVE NO GOOD THING.
Lord, You have assigned me my cup and my portion....You have
made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.
Surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I WILL PRAISE THE LORD WHO COUNSELS ME; Even at night, my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord ALWAYS before me.
BECAUSE HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.
Therefore, my heart is GLAD and my tongue REJOICES;
My body will also rest secure, because YOU WILL NOT ABANDON ME.
You have made known to me the path of life;
YOU WILL FILL ME WITH JOY IN YOUR PRESENCE, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Have a blessed day.
Jamie

Yep....I Saw Him!

I intended to blog this info a LOT sooner, but the weekend just got away from me. My purpose in travelling up North last weekend was to attend a conference at the State Capitol with some of my colleagues at Biola. The Executive Director of the State County Superintendents Association is a Biola graduate and acted as our tour guide for the day. By the time we arrived back at the airport, we had met Sr. Policy Analysts for the Governor, the Director of Data & Tracking for the State (all of our state's test scores! Ack!), the Staff Director for the Senate Education Committee, and the Executive Director of the State Board of Education. We had also eaten lunch in the basement of the Capitol and taken a tour, during which we were allowed entry onto the Senate Floor and the Assembly room.
In the horseshoe, we passed Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office, which was full of balloons and staff members celebrating his re-election. It was a surprise party for him...and as we walked by, the door guard was kind enough to give us a little glimpse into the office. There he was!
Biola takes over the Senate Education Committee!

I'm Too Busy for You.

This might be the closest to "journalling" I've ever done on this blog. It's a venting of a personal frustration of mine, and it's time that the world knows it!

Those of you that know me are aware of the fact that I take great care in relationships. I value my friends and, consequently, I invest a lot of time and energy maintaining these relationships. To be honest, sometimes it gets tiring. Sometimes I don't want to...not because I don't value the friendship...but because being a good friend is work. It is. And in the end, it's worth it to me. I will always work to be a good friend.

This is why the phrase "I was busy" in response to why one didn't call me back is personal to me. Busyness is lame. I'm busy. You're busy. We're ALL busy. Let's just get that out on the table. But what IS busyness, anyway? Being busy is often an excuse for not doing something you should be doing. I know this because I'm often "too busy" for things. Too busy to pray. Too busy to sleep. Too busy to wash the dishes. Too busy to call you back.

But I'm really not "too busy." I'm just placing greater value on other things.

What else can I be "too busy" for? Too busy to vote? To serve? To hug a struggling friend?
Too busy to sleep? To eat? To exercise?
What if I didn't know Jesus? Would you be too busy to tell me about Him?

I understand that there are days that are legitimately busy. But when a friend calls you, is there REALLY NO TIME to call and say "I am really busy today....would it be alright if I call you tomorrow, when I can give you my full attention?" No five minutes while dinner is heating up? No five minutes on your way to the car? Wow. You are "busier" than me, if this is the case.

Don't call me a week later and tell me you were "too busy" to call me back. Unless you are Jack Bauer.

The Office brings Sexy Back.

Michael and Dwight are "bringing sexy back"! Hate the song, but love the clips. Check it!

I Had a Dream...

I had a dream last night...apparently my blogging activity has seeped into my subconscious. In this dream, I was telling Jack Paper about the wonder that is Bloglines, a service that allows me to check all the blogs I frequent in one stop. Since sometimes my dreams tend to be prophetic, perhaps this information will benefit one of my readers!

BLOGLINES.COM allows me to enter the blog addresses for webpages I read regularly. Every morning, this is my first internet stop. It's as routine to me as drinking coffee is for some. All of my favorites show on a sidebar. When a blogger has published a new entry, their blog name will become bold (this part makes me very excited!). All I have to do is click on their name, and it will automatically link me to their newest entry. This aleviates me visiting many different blogs with, perhaps, no new entries.

If you are an avid blog reader, I highly suggest taking part in this free service. You'll absolutely love it. Check out some of the blogs on my sidebar from time to time- I have some witty, creative friends that keep the world of blogging very entertaining and insightful! For all of you who read this blog, but never stop to say hello- please consider it! : ) I'd love to know you are out there.

Have a beautiful autumn day.
Christmas is coming...Starbucks cups have now turned to red.
Jamie

A Collection of Thoughts

My dictionary.com tells me that todays "Word of the Day" is CONGERIES (con-jer-eez), which means "collection." It prompted me to think about the various collections I've had in my life. I suppose some people are more prone to collect things than others. I am a collector. I blame this on my parents, who each had/have collections of their own (though they share the golf ball collection). My dad is a maniac autograph collector, and has boasted collections of both model trains and Three Stooges memorabilia in the past. My mom has collected authentic Navajo rugs and jewelry, as well as a brief obsession with Barry Manilow (that's right...I'm letting out all the family secrets!) At some point, I decided that my precious collectibles, the items that I worked so hard to obtain, were no longer worth my attention and usually ended up in a garage sale. Here are SOME of the collections I have had:



Barbies
Micro Machines
Communion Cups (that one ended quickly.)
Stickers
Precious Moments Figurines
Shells
Pins
CDs
Italian Charms
Eiffel Tower everything
Wine Bottles (full ones)
Hardcover childrens books
White House Christmas Ornaments
Brass Christmas Ornaments from travelling* (This is my current favorite)

What do YOU collect?

Reading is Fundamental!

Do you remember the RIF programs in Elementary School? Those were the best days! Our class got a special time slot in which we got to visit the school cafeteria, which was laden with tables full of books! We were ushered to our grade level reading and allowed to choose any book we wanted. One year I took home a Berenstein Bears book, and later I became the proud owner of "The Babysitter's Club." I read many of the books in that series. Following that exciting time in life, my appetite for fictional literature was curbed. Perhaps it was the mandatory reading of books like "A Brave New World" and "The Bell Jar" in H.S. that creeped me out. Maybe it was a newfound interest in Political commentaries and Christian Interest literature. Post-college, I returned to fiction by reading the Left Behind series, a highly-addictive sequence of novels about the Tribulation. I couldn't digest them fast enough! Then I started my credential program and again, reading was the first extracurricular leisure activity to go.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to join a book club, something that I have ABSOLUTELY no time for, but though it would be challenging for the mind. Our first book is a novel by Francine Rivers. As I read the back cover, I thought it would be a great read for me, as it discusses a Pastor's challenge with building up a dying church. So far, it's a great read- interesting characters and a plot that seems more real than it's fictional classification. What happens when you try to apply "mega-church" strategies to a church that a) is not a mega-church, and b) is not ready for it? The taxing life of this Pastor, his family, and the church congregants make it an interesting topic to read. Any other good books you'd like to suggest?

Here's a shout-out to WALLACE, my dear book-loving friend. I think you SHOULD open your own bookstore. You can call it "Barnes and Noble" and serve coffee. I think that would work out well.

Cool Dot!

I'm at risk of being labeled a "nerd" here, but I spent my lunch hour today standing in line to see planet Mercury transit the sun. This astonomical event occurs only a handful of times each century, and since the Biola Astronomy Club was in full-force today with special telescopes on hand, I thought I'd take a little peek! In scope, it was like looking at a tiny dot on a petrie dish. That dot is actually a planet the size of our moon. And earth...not much bigger. Is it possible that God has this giant universe in order, down to the tiniest of specks (us)? Inconceivable.

AHOY!

What does one do when it's 90+ degrees in November? They take to the water to cool off! Actually, there was dual purpose in this venture...the primary purpose being a celebration of friend/neighbor Jode's birthday. Suzanne and I boarded a private yacht for the occasion on Saturday, complete with teakwood and 10 types of fromage aboard. We took a relaxing tour of canals that run through Naples and Seal Beach. Back at the house, we enjoyed a catered meal (Jode is a food critic, which ensured a high-quality menu!) and live music.

48 Days Till....

Hi all! I was brutally reminded this morning that there are only 48 days until Christmas. Where has this year gone? I'm not ready for the chaos that is the holiday season quite yet. Between now and then, I'm already looking at 3 plane flights, not to mention shopping for gifts....

Although it's crept up quite quickly, I always anticipate the festive glee surrounding Christmas. If I could get a Christmas Tree right now, I would. Forget the pumpkins! Bring on the ornaments, the sparkle and the smells of cider and douglas fir. I was asking some friends at Revolution about their New Year's plans, and they looked at me as if I was crazy! Is it too early to be planning for an occasion such as that? I don't think so! If you want to make it special, that is. There's always the default plan of popping the bubbly in someone's living room...

Are you a planner like me? Perhaps it's the "Monica Gellar" gene I was born with. If you've got it, too, here's some holiday planning tips courtesy of "Real Simple" magazine to get your holiday season rolling now....

1. Plan your seating charts (this is for those of you who can afford to host dinners, and who have more than 4 chairs at your dining room table.)

2. Order stamps. (Who wants to wait in the long lines at the post office! You can order them online!)

3. Book beauty appointments. (Nails, pedi, hair- they all book up quick. Be careful!)

4. Plant emergency cleaning supplies around the house.

5. Make it a bill-free holiday. (Attempt to pay ahead some of your debts and clear some funds for Dec!)

6. Save the Date. If you are thinking of having an event, reserve the date with your friends. You can send out more detailed info later!

7. Prepare to take daywear into evening. Have lots of outfits onhand that you can accessorize and dress up without having to return home to change.

8. Organize table linens. (Ummmm....CHECK! It's already done! My Dec/Jan table settings are ready to go!)

9. Start a holiday binder. (Okay....I may be OCD enough to actually try this one. But not this year.)

Correction.

...Hey Bobby- I'd get you and Rachel one of the cool tables at the front of the bowl. No General Admission for you, friend.

WHAT IF??

SHOULD BE A FUN NIGHT!!!
Wow....that would be amazing if it were true! Unfortunately, Josh and I are taking a little hiatis from touring together so he can focus on the release of his new album, due in stores on Tuesday! (Mom...this should make you happy!) I MIGHT even take a break from my Shawn McDonald album long enough to check this one out! (Plus, Josh wants me to start learning the new music for our big return to the stage...) Look for "AWAKE" coming to a music store near you!

Get Out and VOTE.

This Tuesday is election day, as I'm sure you have become aware by the millions of political campaign ads currently running on television and by lawns decorated with colorful signs. I just finished mailing off my absentee ballot. It feels good to be a contributor to the democratic process. Be sure you do the same next week! Your vote COUNTS (and, you'll get a cute little sticker. Apparently, there are no stickers for absentee ballots....)

YODA-RRRRRRIFIC!

Here are a couple clips from our AWARD-WINNING BOOTH! (Yep....we're talkin' FIRST place. PIZZA is on it's way!!!) Our booth was a Star-Wars themed Wack-a-Mole game, with our own heads (masks) as the moles and a pool-noodle as a light-saber. Of course, Darth Vader was in full costume to represent.


This shout-out goes out to my FABULOUS, COMPETITIVE friends at the LBC Life Group! You are the best!!

Off to Neverland!

Here's a couple snapshots of pre-halloween fun with my girlfriends Cheri, Christi, Kara, and Silke. My actual halloween will be spent at our church's carnival, Bug-a-Boo, manning our booth. The concept is top-secret, so more to come AFTER the event is through (in case there are spies scoping out my blog for ideas), and we have proved VICTORIOUS in the booth design contest. Muaaahhh haaa haaa.....

Oy! Oy! Oy!

We experienced the German phenomenon that is OKTOBERFEST this weekend... No other way to explain it except one must really enjoy beer and polka. Since the drinking aspect really didn't appeal to any of us, we spent our time at the festival eating bratwurst and doing the chicken dance to a lederhosen-clad German polka band. Some things you do for the cultural experience- this was one of them! Here are a couple pics from the event- the Phillips sisters (Kara, Cheri and Christi) enjoying some Polish Sausage, and the musicians that kept the joint jumpin'.

Currently Listening To...

Shawn McDonald. Even my more mature readers would dig this one! Acoustic, mellow, kinda-jazzy-folk-vibe with a beautiful message and melodies that will stick with you all week long- if you like John Mayer, you'll LOVE his album "Simply Nothing." I predict that artist such as this will be the "next big thing" on the Christian Music Scene.

SHOUT OUT to my Portland/Carmel friend ASHLEY, whose fault it is that I am now Shawn McObsessed.

Professor's Last Day

Today was my last day as a "professor" with the conclusion of my First Year Seminar course. I had the best time facilitating this course, and absolutely loved the students I was working with. I'm really sad that it's over! Fortunately, I am retaining many of my students for academic advising, so I'll see them often. Today we chilled out under the trees and had a pizza lunch (which Biola provided for my students). I had the opportunity to pray for their years to come at Biola and to hear about their first weeks of college. Many of them are finding that they have more or less time than they expected, more or less homework than they expected, and are surprised that not all Biola students value the student contract. One girl said she is surprised that dating is taken so seriously here...as if it equals marriage (to which the one boy in my class responded, "hey...I just want to be your friend!)

Now, back to the daily grind. My current project is coordinating the Emerging Leaders Institute at the State Capitol in Sacramento. Some of our Biola Alumni and faculty (and me!) will be meeting with various legislators and policy makers in the Department of Education and Assembly. We'll get a first hand look at how educational policy is adopted and administered (the State Superintendent coordinator is a Biola alumni, as well). In previous years, our students have met with Governor Schwarzenegger's spokesman, who is also a believer. It will give me the opportunity to see a different side of Sacramento!

$15.07

My portion of our electric bill was $15.07. This, compared to what I was paying at my Stockton apartment, is a miracle. There are perks to living in temperate Southern California! Thank you, God, for small electric bills!

"His divine POWER has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

(Today's shout-out....to my good friend, and electrician, Chris! The chandelier you were supposed to hang for me is still on the floor of my dining room. Every time I see it, I think of you. It's alright...we're still friends!)

Diary of a Podcast Junkie

While listening to looping CD's and completing some mindless work, I realized that I could be listening to something of substance (not that worship music ISN'T refreshing). I've been craving something that engages the mind. SO, I became a podcaster. For those of you who are not familiar with a podcast, it's a vehicle to transmit audio messages to my itunes program...and it's free! Most of them are automatically sent to my itunes every sunday, which makes Monday a fun day to catch up! If you don't know what itunes is, I can't help you.

I was recommended several pastors who podcast regularly, and have been an avid listener (especially in these days when work is slower than normal). Thought I'd share some of my recent favorites with you!

THE VILLAGE CHURCH (Highland Village, TX);
www.thevillagechurch.net
Pastor- Matt Chandler
**They are in the midst of a series on the book of Ecclesiastes. Really interesting and entertaining messages! I particularly enjoyed "Communal Lessons" sermon. Another great thing about The Village Church is that they have a sermon database organized by topic. A great resource.

MARS HILL (Grandville, MI);
www.mhbcmmi.org
Pastor- Rob Bell
**Loving the series titled "Jesus Wants to Save Christians." Rob has incredible insight into Jewish/Hebrew history. Deep.

NORTH POINT COMMUNITY CHURCH (Alpharetta, GA);
www.northpoint.org/messages
Pastor- Andy Stanley
**These are on my list of "to-listen" podcasts. First up, Andy's series called "Twisted." Can't wait.

7:22 (Alpharetta, GA);
www.722.org
Speaker- Louie Giglio
**Louie is my all-time favorite. He has been a tremendous influence in my life. Although he is no longer consistently at 7:22, he did make an appearance this summer for a 3-week series called "Tattoo." I'm almost finished with this one. Check it out!

REVOLUTION CHURCH (Long Beach, CA);
www.revolution242.com
Pastor- David Trotter
**Can't forget my church home here in Southern Cali! I've missed quite a few Sundays due to my travel schedule, so podcasting has been pivotal in my catch-up! Our current series, "Bread, Juice, Water and Boxes" just concluded yesterday. These are also available in vodcast (video) format. Have fun!

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH (Stockton, CA)
www.fbcstockton.org/messages.html
Pastors- Jim Dunn and Brad Stahl
**Both Main Service and Crosswalk are posted on the web. Crosswalk features the summer series about the life of David. Pastor Dunn's messages are always powerful and full of surprises....


AND......my new fun thing.....
I figured out how to listen via online streaming to KHOP 95.1 in the central valley where my good friend and DJ, Jack Paper, is now hosting the morning show entitled "The Morning Paper." It runs 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., so getting to work a little early has a great incentive, now! And, you guessed it....today's shout-out goes to JACK (or, JP #2 as he is affectionately known)- keep up the good work, brutha. You are a warrior! Spreadin' the love for you down in LA...

Fighting for Joy

Hello all. It's been an interesting week for me. I've been ill, overworked, frustrated and tired. What bothers me more is that my friends are seeing this "crumpled-up" side of me that even I don't enjoy. Normally, I can sift through life's rubbish to find God's gift of joy (and it IS a gift...Galatians 5:22). But lately, I feel like my joy has been all dried up, like a forgotten peach at the back of a refrigerator (as John Piper would put it). It was today during my devotional time that I was reminded that joy must be fought for RELENTLESSLY, and because faith births joy, I must continue to fight for faith. Sometimes, to be honest, this continual push towards complete faith leaves my heart weary.

The song "Effortless," by Rita Springer, has been a stuggle for me. The song begins with "May my praise be effortless, may my words come easily, may my worship be pleasing to You." It seems to contradict scripture that calls for our SACRIFICE of praise, yet, ohhhh I can identify with that longing to just accept God for God and to have this inherent fountain of joy always bubbling.

So, today is a battle and my sword is the word of God.

"Not that we lord it over your faith, but we WORK with you for your joy." (2 Corinthians 1:24)

"I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and JOY IN THE FAITH." (Phillipians 1:25)

"I have FOUGHT the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called." (1 Timothy 6:12)

"And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who ENDURES to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:12-13)

"RESTORE to me the JOY of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing SPIRIT." (Psalm 51:12)

Shucks!

Those of you who were following my OLD blog may remember the hootenanny of fun from last year...Corn Maze 2005. Well, folks, this year's report is equally as thrilling. Last weekend I was up in the central valley for some harvest cheer which included traipsing through 40 acres of corn with a couple of my best girlfriends. Since there were no BOYS with us to throw us off course (somehow we ended up OUTSIDE of the maze last year....), we finished like pros, and in record time found ALL of the bridges seen in the picture above. We highly recommend going early in October, as there are less crowds and more pumpkins! To see the evolution of the corn maze since it's conception a few years ago, or for more info, visit www.pumpkinmaze.com.


(Today's shout-out goes to FRANSE and MONIQUE, who navigated those fields like they designed the thing. Well done, girls.)



Here's Mo examining the map...
We made it to bridge #4! (The three of us stand victoriously above the corn field)