.: Self :.

Having a blog to write about myself seems a little narcissistic. I'm taking a new spin on things... Please see ishowerdaily.blogsot.com.

.: Whirlwind :.

So... about a month and a half just disappeared into thin air. Did May really happen? Some highlights... (reconstructed memories through photographs... a fun journey through May!)













Lake Tahoe (end of April) - MH staff retreat!

Every spring, the full-time MH staff get to go on a sweet retreat- this year we went to Lake Tahoe! We stayed at Zepher Point Presbyterian Conference Center (in Zepher Cove, NV), where we run a week of family camp when the JEMS are at Mount Hermon. It was amazing! Ingrid (who's hubby wasn't able to make it this year) was a fantastic roommate, and everyone just had a great time.















Tyrone Wells & Jason Reeves Concert in SF



















DISNEYLAND!!















Sunny CA days

.: Today's Worship Set :.

Infinite Divine - Ish

Infinite Divine
With all my mind I praise You
God I thank You
Lord of ancient days
To You I raise my hands
To worship You
For all my days
Your name I'll sing
To give all glory to my King

Lord of all that's right
With all Your might
Please hold me
Father take me into Your arms
Save me from harm
Be Thou my God
Keep my steps right
To Your glory
I will live by Your word only
Bound to Thee

(Repeat)


Song of Hope ­- Robbie Seay

All things bright and beautiful You are
All things wise and wonderful You are
In my darkest night, You brighten up the skies
A song will rise

I will sing a song of hope
Sing along
God of heaven come down
Heaven come down
Just to know that You are near is enough
God of heaven come down, heaven come down

All things new
I can start again
Creator, God
Calling me Your friend
Sing praise, my soul
To the Maker of the skies
A song will rise

I will sing a song of hope
Sing along
God of heaven come down
Heaven come down
Just to know You and be loved is enough
God of heaven come down, heaven come down

Hallelujah, sing
Hallelujah, sing
Hallelujah, sing


Everything - Chris Tomlin

With rain, with sun
With much, with less
With joy, with pain
With life, with death

The only things that satisfy come from You
They come from You

Everything that's beautiful
Everything that's wonderful
Every perfect gift comes from You

Your grace, Your heart
Your voice, Your touch
Your word, Your peace
Your hope, Your love

A thousand words could not explain
A thousand worlds could not contain
Every perfect gift comes from You

It comes from the Father of Lights
It comes from the Giver of Life
It comes from the Heavens above
It's coming straight from Your heart
To the people You love

.: Brian Regan :.

The man is funny.


Emergency Room Part 1


Emergency Room Part 2


Doctor


Food Labels


Pop Tarts


Working Out


Moving - UPS Boxes


I Walked on the Moon


Walkie Talkie


Airports Part 1


Airports Part 2


Airports Part 3


Horses / California / Driving / Bilingual


Etch-a-Sketch / Baggage Claim / Greeting Cards / Dora


Reading to Babies / Butterfly / Dinosaurs / String Theory


Antiques / Golf / Politicians


Kennedy's / More Politics

.: Disney! :.

Okay, so I'm a sucker for Disney movies. I loved all of the princess movies growing up (my favorites being Beauty & the Beast and The Little Mermaid, of course)... one of my new favs is definitely Enchanted.

This song is stuck in my head (which I think I'm okay with).



Me gusta mucho!

.: Coffee Worth Paying For :.

Saturday. Berkeley. The Western Regional Barista Competition.

My taste buds will never be the same. Have you ever tasted a latte and thought to yourself, "meh." Not acceptable. Some coffee shops consistently offer better quality coffee and service than others. I have officially become a "coffee snob". If I can't order a Cappuccino and thoroughly enjoy it without thinking "well that's a little bitter" or "the milk's not very creamy (I'll give a little grace w/ soy, which doesn't froth nearly as well as milk)" on a pretty regular basis, chances are I won't be ordering coffee there anymore.

Part two of this train of thought...

I spend a ridiculous amount of money on coffee in any given month. I have recently been challenged with many social justice issues. We live in a very broken world that needs help, and I choose to spend my money on not-so-great to downright crappy coffee. What the heck!

One thing I really appreciated about the WRBC was the emphasis on the origin of the beans. In many developing countries, coffee is a main source of revenue. Many job opportunities exist in this industry; farmers grow the coffee cherries and hire people to pick them, then extract/dry/prepare the beans to be exported to other areas. One really cool program that was featured is called Bikes to Rwanda. Their goal is to "improve quality of life in these communities through a bike workshop and maintenance program that provides transportation resources for basic needs and enhances production of quality coffee."

Seeing things like this prompts me to really look at what I support simply by living life the way I do. Being patient and seeking out quality is important. I can feel good about going to a coffee shop that supports farmers in these countries and is willing to pay them a fair price for their beans. I appreciate the Baristas' willingness do their best to produce a great cup of coffee that will make customers want to support their business and prove that it is worth it to provide quality product and service.

I am challenged to think twice about what I choose to purchase - is it really worth it?

Shameless plug - check out the Verve Coffee Roasting Company in Capitola. They're great!

.: Affection :.

Gosh, who would have ever thought that adding the "C.S. Lewis quote of the day" to my Google homepage would wind up being so thought-provoking?

Today's quote:
"Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives."

Profound on several levels. I was having a conversation with a friend today and she is one who LOVES physical touch/affection. I have always considered myself to be on the opposite end of that spectrum - I don't like to be touched. As we discussed this, she said something really hit me; she never feels quite as safe and happy and at rest and at home as when she is being held by another person. I suppose this may be true of all people (after all, there is that whole study about the chimps who gravitate toward the soft cuddle mom-robot with no food over the stark cold mom-robot who provides food... as well as other studies).

What I realized was that she and I are actually very similar in this way - I do get a safe/happy/restful feeling from physical touch - but only with a select few trusted individuals. Our differences come in frequency and variety.

This is not to say that physical touch is the only form of affection, but it is the one that comes to mind most readily.

Anyhow, that was my thought-of-the-day.