More therapy than anything.

While people around the world are celebrating Christmas; I continue to pack. <> My hands are black with newspaper ink, and my back tired.- I know I am being dramatic and yes kinda a brat.... Yet as I write this I have my back to the fireplace. A fireplace is THE most important part of a house to me. I hope that the next house where my parents end up has a beautiful fire place or two. But its weird not having any Christmas cheer let alone any relaxation<>. But its GREAT to be around siblings and parents that you can be fully yourself around. Letting yourself be pissed, upset, tired and most of all weird. I think that is the greatest gift of all at the holidays- straight up just letting your guard down.

Migration

I have migrated. To Denver Colorado.

It has been such an adventurous time for me as I realize that I am now setting up roots somewhere SO new. But I am ready. I know that this is the time in my life to fly!

And the wind has taken me to beautiful Colorado.

No boarders: Just Horizons

I went to a lecture by Max Lucado this past Thursday. The day that it all started to come together. I know that in the next stage of life- I have to be fearless!

My last post is almost a month ago; and SO much has changed. And in one month my life in Waco- will be no longer.

The winds have changed and are blowing me to DENVER COLORADO!

The house in Waco has sold! And thats allows me to be free. To go....ahhhh Deep Breath.
THE WORLD IS AT MY FINGERTIPS.
{no boarders. just horizons}

This time last year. CRAZY!

Oh hey there! Just thought I would share some of the fun that went down last year. It was SO CRAZY QUICK- but looking back I can take in what a dream it was to be so involved in Homecoming 2008! Homecoming Parade! I love Texas! Homecoming Queen Nominee- never thought I would be a nomine for a crown. haha Livin it up in Hotel California! Down in Mississipi and up to no good! {last of the lanterns}Seniors- minus me- I was already on stage. Meet you thereMy Biggest fans! I love you all!Papa Bear and I at the football game! His first time to Baylor since my recruiting trip in HS for volleyball.
After a long long weekend. My favorite part was chillin with mom and dad by the firepit.

"communism is like the church"

Bob Roberts

A sample of his preaching, I took notes so I would be more disciplined ;)

1. Integrity
2. How do you handle money
3. Read moments accurately- when to speak- not to speak
4. Disapline yourself relentlessly
5. Overflow with generosity- not only about your thing
6. Keep your motives Pure
7. Create Unity Constatly
8. Work Hard- willing to do what it takes
9. Trust God

Jill my roommate has a dad that has a church, Northwood, I visted about two weekends ago. They work extensively with Vietnam. She has grown up with a understanding of that culture, and this past summer as well as other times before she has served and been a witness to the people that she encountered.

Vietnam sent diplomats over to the church- and it was a big day for Jill and her family. What was neat was the connection that might go down with Baylor. Baylor sent some Deans up to meet them. I rode up with Dean Garland of social work. Let me tell you how freakin excited I was when I figured out who we were riding up with. This lady is a BIG deal at Baylor, her husband happens to be the interum pres currently. I got a good dose of Baylor politics as well as conversation about things that social work majors do. I understand bethany, eva, bethann, andrea, and LM so much more now.

She is legit. And again I felt legit to be sitting at a table with some extreamly high up diplomats of Vietnam as well as the deans of Baylor. This one in particular said "the church is like communism- you sign up to serve". I don't think I agree- but this picture says he is a fun guy at heart. yeeehaw cowboy- yeeehaw.

Good for the heart.

Coconut Cream Cake. My favorite. Amelias has been good for my heart. not for my diet. Our chef Juanita, who is one edgy badass cook makes pies and cakes all day long. At the end of each day she gives pieces of cake that have been there more than 2 days, and everything else {One dollar} It is more than a blessing to have a delicious bite after a busy shift.



Pastor Edward came in from Kenya this past week. Let me tell you what a refreshment he was to my heart. From Wednesday to Sunday I was constantly reminded of the intentionality of kenyans. I felt so honored that after I saw him speak in chapel because he held my hand as he talked to other students that stopped by in the back congratulating him on his sermon. Here I am- I have never lived with him, I just have had the privlidge of working with him since 2006. And he holds my hand like a grandmother who won't let go. It was odd at first because that dosn't happen to me on a normal basis. But then I became quite fond and honored to be holding this mans hand.

Highlights from the week.

The HUB- where he outlined all the work that city harvest does. There are so many things because to the people of kenya the pastor/church is the doctor, therapist, mentor etc. The pastor is the first one called in emergencies and even when babies are being born. This was new information for me. My favorite fact from the evening was that 60% of kenyans live on less than a dollar a day. And out of that percentage- 80% claim that they are christian. That is one reason that the poor flood the church. Edward said one time that he was at the pokot tribe and all the people kept asking him if he had medicine. he had diahera medicine and pain medicine. he made two lines and the people waited till he past out the last package. kenyan healthcare- and we think that america is getting desperate.

We also laid hands on him and had students pray over his ministry and family. This was extremely important to do as a church family as it was a smaller more intimate scene.

Dinner at Teriki Park- on accident after the HUB- Ben and Edward went there. I ended up right behind them. THIS MADE ME SMILLLLLLE! whew- I was so excited- I had no idea that I would get alone time with him. Thanks Jesus!

Friday- {fall break} went to the woman's soccer game with edward and friends. But first we went to chilis too. I think that I can not get enough of eating with him. I always want him to say vege-tabl-es. Then he laughs with his Santa laugh. Its priceless if you know him. The soccer game was fun- and festive because he wore a Baylor soccer scarf- thanks to Ben Dudley.Well worth staying in town for.

Sunday- church- he spoke on being present. What was funny about this was that I wrote him a thank you note for coming this way- I didn't finish it before he started speaking. I wrote " Thank you fro coming. Your presence alone is a refreshment to anyone who has ever been to Kenya. You have been a piece of home that is so far away." Then he preceded to preach on the necessity of just being present.



"physical presence communicates. just your presence alone can be a ministry."
pastor edward


sunday lunch at nifas to say goodbye was AWESOME. my favorite part was sitting with donors who will make things happen down the road as well as debriefing and celebrating what has been done with my dear friend Brandon who went to Kenya this past summer, after I choose not to, to deliver the grant for 100 One Laptop Per Child for the Pokot tribe. Brandon never was able to talk to edward about what they accomplished. And to be sitting in between the two of them talking about how the Pokot children are now are learning to read and write, and that their laptop is the most precious possession that they have was truly a moment I will never forget. It was fun to tell stories of how hungry the students went- and how living in the bush changed Brandon's perspective on Kenya.

Lunch was fabulous. Edward celebrating a matching grant for 25,000 for a well in Pokot, as well as a possibly opportunity to teach at Baylor during his sabbatical {please join me in prayer for that oppertunity}. I love being apart of Kenya, even though it has almst been 4 years since I first stepped off the plane. The Lord is SO FAITHFUL!
This is not Brandon, its Matt. Edward showing us Kibera, the second largest slum in the world.

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace."
Luke 2:29

Kenya, as well as cake has been oh so good for my heart.

<>

Today I miss these two. To clarify this is pap bear. he found this motorcycle jacket at a garage sale- and put it on for the photo shoot. This is his baby girl-Wrigley- she came to replace me as a child. he loves her more than anything. Wrigley is THE BEST DOG- Wrigley get the rats get the rats.

Just a small snip it into the mambrino lifestlye back home.

on another completely unrelated note...

I am excited for Pastor Edward to arrive! AH! This is him in Kibera right outside one of the ministries that he helps conduct with City Harvest. I am excited to see him- I think I will bake him a cake. Anyways- it will be such a treat to see him!



And I am getting into Water lately. Understanding more about its chemical makeup- how it affects out body as well as conservation of it. Check this.

The Boy that harvested the wind

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-7-2009/william-kamkwamba

I think this is amazing! Way to start out my day- puts life into perspective.

"Where was this Google all this time".

Ha. I love people that take action.

One day...

This little guy. I hope to have one that looks just like him. Blue eyes with a albino fro. Yeah he would fit in perfectly.

Like I said- its just going to be a quick blurb of what I want to put out into the world.

Amelia's On Austin Ave

I am no longer working a cafe capp. My availability didn't mesh after all. But as this door closed I was already stepping into a great new place. Amelia' on Austin Avenue! This is a CUTE place. Very similar to Spice- I wear a cute bow tie!

http://foodio54.com/restaurant/Waco-TX/6df0f/Amelias

Other great servers in the past. I hope to live up the bar that they set so high.

Leslie Herwig
Frank Scobal
and THE Jess Graham.

Everytime I work...which has only been two days- I think of my dear frend Ashleigh Reuter. We used to eat here- and I would always gush how fantastic this new place I found is. We loved it. I remember her every time I step in the doors.

Blow out sale!!!!

The lanterns are all gone from SING 08...took long enough!



i had a garge sale this summer. it got my blood pumpin brough me back to the days of banie babies where its all supply demand and a little bit of baked goods on the side.

I took pictures of things in my house today. I need some cash. fast. and if that dosn't work- i guess i will resort to plasma. just kidding.

these items already sold!

The "Plan"

ok heres the plan.

Sell Liberty House. This semester.

What will I do this semester.

Plan and help orchestrate Omega Kids- concert and handown of the project.

Work- save money. Cafe Capp/Amelias on Austin. Possible Photo ish.


Intentionality with people around me.


Email and Inquire about jobs and internships in OC.

December- move to OC.

Dec- May. Get a job as a coach? Photography? Non Profit...or coffee.

May- reassess where I am at as a person. Denver? Texas? Etc...

All my "stuff" can be used for my parents next house.

one that has caught my eye

Job searching. Yep- I am all over the place. Devner. New york. SoCal. Austin.

One that has caught my eye is the surfrider foundation. I grew up down the street from its headquarters. I even worked evets when I was younger that benefited this enviromental non profit.

The pros- live at home- help parents move.

Be around and pour into brother and sister.

Beach. In N Out.

possibly coach volleyball.

Waco- you are rapidly leaving my heart....

room roomate

I wanted to let you meet my room room mate. Yes I now share a room. this is a HUGE deal for me because I never have had to share even freshman year- I had my own room because I was a athlete. This caused some aniexty because I am at times messy when things start picking up in my life. So I was worried about the transition.

But to my avail she has been wonderful. She laughs at almost eveything I say- which boost my self esteem. She always asks and genuinely cares about my day. She hugs me when I am sad and rejoices with me in triumph. And when I didn't have a car for a month- she woke up at 6 am to take me to my cafe capp job downtown. She is sacrificial and might be more easy going than a hippy drinkin a "dr pepper" at ACL-which I am going to this weekend{more on that later}

She has a passion for cooking chicken breasts. every time we open the freezer- we all- 9 of us roomates- see "Mindy's chicken breasts"- her mom labeled them but the house thinks it funny and we rag on her for it.

she has been SO MANY places in the world because her father is very well connected in missions. Its evident that she has been so many places because her worldview is so diverse and laid back. She understands the value of relationships and cultivates it within the house and with me.

I am so blessed by my new room roomate and friend mindy.

It will be a streakfest

I visited a friend in college station who is an avid blogger- she says- "you should blog"

my relpy- I HAVE-in a lispy spanish accent- I just don't show anyone because to me I feel that its a silent death of perception. and I want it to match up- especially to her cleaverly crafted cyber "space" that she has made a home in. but I have come to the conclusion that I can not- or will not care.

its just a blurb of me- hence blurbatim- you heard that blurb verbatim from my mouth.

my friend said it best :

i still feel like blogging is like running through cyberspace naked. in a move of some pretty extreme counter-intuition i started one. come visit me there. and start your own sometime soon, eh? it'll be a streakfest.

this post has no point other than this could be fun! :P

Good mornin' table for 2

Being a waitress is hard work. My whole life I have been waited on. Its about time that I get that apron on and do some work. Its only for the remainder of time that I am in Waco.

Cafe Capp/ Sironia Amelia's is where you can catch me. My hope is that I can stay on my feet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1PPmGgL0ic

brother for sale. only 50 cents

while my brother is not up for sale, the liberty house is . I have come to peace with this- and am now ready for the newness of the next chapter- I could not have sold the house with all that I was doing last year. I am grateful for the space that occupied my heart, passions, friends and silly dance videos.

i searched for the link. Eva or casen will have to send it to me later

Refreshed. Refocused and Ready for Action

Joy is a deep settled confidence that God is at work at everything in your life.

As I pack up in California headed back for good ole Waco- I am reminded that I am where I am, I am there for a reason.

I must be present, where I am, and whom I am with. However many times in my attempt to be present I fail at being proactive in my intentionality that are out of reach. To those I hurt with this- my sincerest apologies.

I am a new person. I feel a sense of urgency and excitement!

finally. peace.

I have come to some realizations lately.

I don't need to be part of the rat race. I have felt like I need the 9-5 job to prove my worth.

A lie indeed. I have been given a great gift with Omega Kids, WHY should I think that its is not worth the risk of stickin with something so beautiful and something that has OBVIOUSLY not come from my hand. 

I believe in the impossible. I will work with the tools I have, the people that I have, and do the best I can do to inspire and activate those around me.

Sounds like a pretty cool job to me. Eat that corporate america.

i should preview before i post

I just composed a post. I spaced it all cool. I published it- thought out space bars later....

mush below.

sincere apologies.

does this one work?

I needed to find the best name possible. because you are assigning coolness to my blog. is it worth your time? eh. most likely not. but hey some of you care about me- where I am-etc.

the names I tried-for whatever reason- that were taken. the good ones always are.
lowcoolant i see this everyday from the message center in my car. keeps me humble
realcooltitle
garagethoughts not everyone wants to venture in the garage. but sometimes thats where the best stuff lys
youwould
lockthedoorbehindyou creep
blurbin
don'tlookback somethings i would never ever pick
polywantacracker really- someone has this
tenfingerstentoes baby blog?
recalculating i want a garmin
burnsy
jburn
youplusmeequalsus chessey lyrics turn cool blog?
porchbanter
don'tbreakmyheart
occasionallystopby so you don't feel pressure to read all the time
ineedwhitestrips i really do
acasualshirt
cerealandmilk need to look this up for real to see who and what they did with this title
postitup
kapish


these ones were in the running for becoming THE name. in no particular order
lather.rinse.repeat.asneeded best song premiered on FRIENDS. I liked this one...
revertstokanye i really do
howboutitellyou kinda pompus- no one wants a jerk tellin them whats up
ponderinflowers never was in the running
jennelog
booboobands a tribute to my sisters nick name and bruce byers
noscruffs
forme I choose to do this why ppl when to scruffs. you have to be in the mood>

what's in a name?

Fresh Fire was my heart at the time I started the "blog". I didn't post for ummmm a month and a half. I have been REAL busy- what with my crazy schedule of being a grad with no agenda and all- so we will see if this second attempt works

BUt really I needed something eh- more universal in the name. you know.

all my ideas, swirl in my head when I shower. However I didn't wash my hair- so it was a quick one. in and out.

Bam. some people don't want to read a full blog. shoot you are a busy individual- a blurb should do.

someone took that "genuis"- the availability was not available. hence.

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