Joshua Tree

So last night I decided that we would do something random. Thankfully, Katie trusts me enough to not have to ask questions when I decide to be fun. I had her put on some warm clothes, and we drove 3 hours to Joshua Tree National Park to watch the stars. That was simply breathtaking. We decided that we might as well stay the night and watch the sunrise together. Trouble was, we didnt have a tent or blankets or anything, so it made for quite a humorous sight as we became contortionists and attempted to sleep for a couple of hours at a time. Finally at about 5am the sun began to break over the horizon. We drove around a bit and really witnessed a beautiful sunrise. And as I am sure has happened thousands of times there, we finally broke out U2's Joshua Tree album and listened to it. Never has Where the streets have no name been more real to me. The best part was hearing that opening as the sun bore down brightly on my truck while we drove up a road that actually did have no name, and then listen to Bono sing about the desert plain. By the time the song finished we reached a spot at 5100 ft that overlooks the entire mountain valley of that area. Perfect.

So it was a great 12 hours or so. There were some crappy things that happened to us as we got ready to leave, but in all honesty, I would rather just remember the good parts right now.

We took some pics, but they didn't all come out very well. I will post some when I get them from Katie though.


Aside from that, I am still waiting to hear back on some jobs, and all that fun stuff. There are some rough moments trying to make things work out, but I know that it is not in my hands. At the end of the day it is God's actions that will remain, and not my own. Please pray that God would reveal his faithfulness to me and that I would recognize it and give him glory because of it.

This is probably one of my favorite pictures ever. This was last sunday in the mountains as we celebrated Valentine's Day Eve.
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This week has been pretty good.

Sunday Katie and I celebrated Valentines Day early.

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and drove up the Angel Crest Freeway into the mountains. Within an hour and a half we went from sunny Pasadena to the top of the foothill which was covered in large amounts of snow. It was my first snow of the year. I haven't seen it since last spring in Cincy. (I know that those of you in Ohio/Kentucky are rolling your eyes at this comment, but I have missed it - to an extent.) It was amazing though. The views were spectacular. It was a trip I will always cherish in my heart.

Later that evening I was finally able to work on my gift to her. I made her a book that tld the story of the decisions and events of my life that led me to Fuller, and eventually to her. I could only write the story up until we met though. After that I had her help me finish. It is complete with some very poor drawings of mine, including, probably the only image of a Gorilla pooping from a branch, that has ever been given as a valentines gift. (On our second date we witnessed that scene @ the LA Zoo.)

As for Katie, she gave me a very beautiful poem, as well as some other writings that brought tears to my eyes...

This week has been also very good in the world of classes. I got A's on my Early Church History test, as well as my first paper for my Gospel of the Kingdom class. I was stressin' over the early church history test, so I was pretty happy with things.

The best news was that I did my taxes and will be getting back 1200.00 ish this year. I actually worked all of last year so I made some money...New things for me lol. My money situation is still rough, but getting better. I have a strong prospect of a job at the Bookstore here on Campus.

Peace Out

Fred and Barney

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6934878/site/newsweek/

Ahh, this is such a funny article. It is a work of satire, but it sounds like something our friends James Dobson or Jerry Falwell might really pull someday.

Flintstones Are ‘Way Too Gay’

Fred and Barney should be banned because they are virtually inseparable, are never seen wearing pants and live together in the suggestively-named town of Bedrock, complains a conservative activist

WEB EXCLUSIVE

By Andy Borowitz

Newsweek

Updated: 12:51 p.m. ET Feb. 8, 2005

Feb. 8 - The ongoing campaign against alleged gay icons in animated cartoons continued today as a newly formed conservative group demanded that television stations stop broadcasting "The Flintstones" at once.

Harland Devane, leader of the group Focus on the Flintstones, said at a press conference in Washington, D.C. today that his organization was issuing the demand because, "Quite simply, everything about 'The Flintstones' is way too gay."

The conservative activist distributed a memo itemizing over 50 ways in which the self-styled "modern Stone Age family" series promotes homosexuality, but left little doubt that most of his concerns centered on the relationship between the two main characters, Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble.

"Their relationship is more flagrantly homosexual than anything in Oliver Stone's 'Alexander,'" Devane said.

He pointed out that Fred and Barney are virtually inseparable, are never seen wearing pants and live together in the suggestively-named town of Bedrock.

He also noted that the two men work together at a quarry wearing hard hats and construction garb, an oblique reference to the construction worker in the classic disco band "The Village People."

"Do I believe they are gay icons?" Mr. Devane said. "I abba-dabba-do."

He added that Focus on the Flintstone's efforts will not stop at banning the cartoon series from U.S. television stations, telling reporters that the group is also "taking a close look" at Flintstone-related consumer products such as Flintstone vitamins and cereal.

"We are very uncomfortable with Fruity Pebbles," he said.

Elsewhere, President Bush announced a budget of $2.57 trillion, most of which will go to paying for last month's inauguration.

Sing Me To Heaven

Sing Me to Heaven
Daniel Gawthrop (b. 1949)
(Dunstan House)

In my heart's sequestered chambers
Lie truths stripped of poet's gloss.
Words alone are vain and vacant and my heart is mute.
In response to aching silence
Memory summons half-heard voices,
And my soul finds primal eloquence and wraps me in song.

If you would comfort me, sing me a lullaby.
If you would win my heart, sing me a love song.
If you would mourn me and bring me to God,
Sing me a requiem, sing me to heaven.

Touch in me grief and comfort;
Love and passion, pain and pleasure.
Sing me a lullaby, a love song, a requiem.
Love me, comfort me, bring me to God:
Sing me a love song, Sing me to heaven.
-- Jane Griner

He had a Dream

He shared his dream with the world. A national holiday is a great honor for anyone, but I think it would be better if we realized that the best way to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to work on fulfilling that dream in our everyday lives. This is hard, especially for those of us from a priveledged race. We don't want to be made to feel at fault for what "happened in the past." Well the reality I am coming to understand is that its not about finding fault, or even righting wrongs. It is about how we treat our fellow brothers and sisters in this world. As Christians, I believe we have the responsibilty to seek out and meet the needs of our neighbors regardless of the cause. When Jesus met the woman at the well, he did not deny her his love because she was at fault for being an adultress, nor did he make excuses for her. She was what she was, but Jesus saw past that and shared what she needed. In her case it was spiritual guidance. In our day, meeting someones needs may take shape by enforcing affirmative action, or spending more money in predominantly black neighborhoods to ensure the same education is reaching these kids as is reaching the white kids of suburbia. It may even take shape in ways we dont understand. Regardless, it is our duty to love people. Here is the transcript of his speech. I pray that it will still find root our hearts today.

I Have A Dream:

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecutions and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. And this will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!" And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring -- from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring -- from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring -- from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring -- from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring -- from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that.

Let freedom ring -- from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring -- from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring -- from every hill and molehill of Mississippi,
from every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual,

"Free at last, free at last.

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

Catholic

Today in my Early Church History class our professor gave us a really awesome definition of what it meant for the Church to be Catholic in its beginnings. First he asked if we knew what it meant and the general response was that it meant "Universal." He told us how that definition was actually pretty weak.

A better definition was this:

"The whole of the Church is present in each place, and each church is present in the whole."

How cool is that?

God has really been prodding my heart in thinking about how the Church could be more representative of a single body rather than the many body parts we really act like. It breaks my heart that we even have to say things like "Oh I'm not protestant, I'm Christian" as if it is some superiority thing. We are Christians, that is what unites us. There are so many petty arguments we make to seperate ourselves from each other. Blah. It is my prayer that we would once again be known by the remark of Tertullian when refrerring to the Early Church: "See how they Love one another!"

Jesus has made me whole again.

"Lord, my body is tired, my mind is tired, my heart is tired, my spirit is exhausted. If I am running this race it must be by your strength. I remember the promises of Isaiah 40. I need you Lord, I need you to pour out your spirit into me. Break the pains and chains of depression. It is so weird, I must learn to be an independant being, but also a dependant one Something I don't even begin to undestand the workings of."

Journal entry April 9, 2004.

that entry pretty much sums up the state of my life for most of 2003/2004. I didn't really have much hope, or entertain the idea that I really could be free from depression or anxiety.

The other night as Katie and I were driving back from a party, I was hit hard with the realization that Jesus has come in power and brought me new life. If you have read my blog for the last month or so you can see that I was heading towards this realization, but it finally hit me like a ton of bricks. I am full of Joy again. Genuine happiness is something I possess. That night I spent over five hours at a party where I didn't know too many people and I was able to enjoy myself, without the social anxiety that normally sets in within a couple of hours. This is MAJOR for me.

My grandfather in Florida even made not eof a difference in the sound of my voice yesterday as we talked on the phone.
Hope does exist, it is a gift of the Lord. I still face many problems and issues, but I have a sense of what Jesus is doing now. Praise the Lord!



On a different note, Last night we went to see a performance by The Groundlings. They are similar to Second City and are an improv/sketch comedy group. People lke Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, Lisa Kudrow and others have all worked there in the past. It was so much fun. There were a few sketches that were a little over the top, but for the most part the show was quite clean which was refreshing. But anyway...things are going well here and I am happy. :)

New Quarter, New Classes, New Experiences

It has been a great week.
At first I was unable to registered, but God has provided and brought the help I needed to do so. I am officially registered as of today in some pretty awesome classes.

I am continuing with my studies in Greek this quarter.. we focused on nouns, pronouns and adjectives last time, this quarter we are going to work on verbs. I ended up with a 96.2 for my final grade last quarter and am pretty psyched about this one.

I am also continuing in a course called Foundations for Ministry. It isa class that is half seminars and half small group sessions. I enjoy the small group, but the seminars are very long and tend to be very boring and off topic.

As for my new classes this quarter, I am in Early Church History, and a class called The Gospel of the Kingdom: Ladd's Theology I am most excited abou thte class on Ladd's Theology. George Ladd was a prof. at Fuller for about 30 years I think and he has been one of the more prominant scholars in the NT, specifically in terms of eschatology(study of the end times) and the kingdom of God. My favorite prof. from last quarter, Dr. Hagner is teaching this class so I am looking forward to a great time.

Outside of class I am still trying to figure out what to do with work. I gave them my availabilty and then was scheduled at times when I cannot work as well as I now am in class on mon/wed mornings so that narrows down my availability. I have a pplied to a work study position here on campus which will be more flexible, and also be more consistent. But, I am praying, I do dislike the valet job very much, but I know that I cannot quit without something there to back it up with. argh. frustrations.


Mostly I am recoginizing the many blessing god has been showering me with lately. He has provided a great community out here in Pasadena that is still widening for me. I have also been blessed by many people from back east. Whether it has been a random IM conversation, a christmas card, a phone call or just a fond memory, I have been seeing the people god has put in my life at all stages and places as some of the most important things I know. God has blessed me with my job, regardless of my enjoyment level at the moment. He has provided me a place to worship in a good community on sundays and chances to start getting involved at church more. ANd yes, he has blessed me with a wonderful new relationship, but even more important than that, is that he has brought me to a much healthier mental state than I was in a year ago. Bad things happened then, and they still happen, but I am not in a place where pills or anxiety are the answer. I am much closer to him and have a greater sense of his peace in my life. For this reason, I am confident 2005 will be a trying year I am sure, but it will be a good and wonderful year as well.

New Years Blog

So it is now 2:17 am in Pasadena and I just got home from work a little while ago.

It was probably the most interesting/frustrating/weird new years I have ever had.

As I was watching CNN on my break at 8:30pm, I realized that the Ball drops at NINE FREAKING PM in California. That was not something I had even thought about before. They watch a REPLAY of the ball dropping at midnight. So that was my eastern standard time moment of the day.

As for the rest of my night....ugh


I was sent to take a Man, woman and their daughter to a restaurant. Taking them there was not a problem. Unfortunately the restaurant was located at the heart of the rose parade route down Colorado Blvd. So, when I went back two hours later to pick them up, I was suddenly being rerouted in a direction opposite of where the restaurant was. forty minutes of traffic later, I am able to get to the restaurant and thankfully they were running even later than I was and I had to wait on them. The parents were both a little inebriated, and the woman spent the car ride down Colorado Blvd. talking about how the people who were camping out on the sidewalk reminded her of homelesspeople and how it made her ill....yeah that was anoying. The man was also tipsy, but mre fun. He was talking to the people on the street and having a good time.

After we had a discussion on the origin of my name, the man turned to me and said "Richie, do you have to be any where in the next ten minutes?" I said not really and he then had me drive past the Hotel and towards this neighborhood where there some amazing christmas lights still up. The entire street was lined with huge trees that were all lit up. It really was a great display. when the guy ended up tipping me 30 bucks for the night, but that all goes into a pool and is split between all of us. He did give my bosses great remarks about me though. That was cool.

The actual count-down was non-existant for me and so I don't have anything to say about that lol.

I am now exhausted and will probably not get up to even watch the parade on tv since it is on at 8 am. I need my sleep so I can go back tomorrow night.

God Bless you, my friends


update...

I have now officially watched the ball drop...at 3 am pst thats 6 am for you folks out east.....

oh yeah, and I have been told I haven't mentioned how great my aunt kim is enough in my postings, so let me just say that she is awesome and I love her :)

Art and stuff

So one of the cool things about living in LA and Pasadena in particular are the museums that are nearby. In October I was able to visit the Huntington Library where I saw an original Guttenberg Bible, an original Canterbury Tales, as well as Thomas Gainsborough's "The Blue Boy" Which interestingly once had a dog painted at the boy's feet, but was then painted over. There is a cool x-ray of the painting that shows the dog.

Anyway, today I was able to go to the Norton Simon museum with Katie and her parents. It was so cool, to see paintings and sculptures by Picasso, Renoir, Monet, Degas (who has some weird sculptures like "Woman wiping her left armpit" [I'm Serious]), and other famous dudes. And being a student, I got in for free. How cool is that?

So, my artistic culture is being widened by being out here and it is fun.


The other thing of interest is the preparations for the Rose bowl are underway. The parade route is about two blocks from where I live. I will be working till 2 am on new years eve and then at 4pm the next day, so I may be able to see the parade. Some friends are possibly going to spend the night there so maybe I will join them. ALso, it appears that The Ritz Carlton is the home base for the business end of the Rose Bowl Parade etc... No teams, but lots of rich folks I guess lol

Happy New Year!

Richie

Christmas

The last week has been a fairly emotional one for me. A weird mixture of good and bad.

I have definitely had some wonderful quiet times and prayer with our Lord, and I try to keep focused on that, but there has been so many othere things affecting me too.

I have already talked about the stresses of the job, and so I don't need to go into too much more here. It has been rough. Since I thouhgt I would be working way back in october or november, all of my finances are pretty screwed up (which is unfortunately nothing new for me) so I am currently trying to make enough to finish paying for last quarter so that I can register for the upcoming quarter. This has been increasingly stressful as january approaches, I believe I am about half the way there, but everything depends on how much people are tipping. Rich people seem to be more stingy than the middle class in that area....
So there is that.

More troublesome was the fact that I am almost 2000 miles away from home at Christmas for the first time in my life. Thanksgiving was tough, but I still had friends around to be with and have dinner with, Christmas was the opposite. My friend Jon and I were the only ones in town, and I had to work both Christmas eve and Christmas day. When I called home last night to talk to my family it was a bag of mixed emotions. I was joyful because I was able to talk to just about every one in my family, but hearing the voices made me sad that I could not be with them. I am certainly blessed to have a family that is supportive and that loves me like they do. We went through a lot as a family this year when we lost my Grandma, so I have felt a lot closer to them all. All I really wanted last night was to give and recieve hugs from them. I never thought that would be the specific thing I miss, but I do. I miss giving my aunts and uncles a warm embrace that many families do not take the opportunity to share. I know I am rambling, but anyway..

To top that all off I have been looking at all of my photos the last couple of nights. I saw so many joyous occasions and such, but the things that stood out to me the most were the people who have passed away, as well as thefriendships in those pictures that have now become fractured. I have been a poor friend to many people and I know that part of it is moving on and such, but my heart still grieves for some of those friendships.

Blah

But I do need to mention the blessings as well. I have a job, that is a blessing. God has provided me with close friends out here, including Jon and so many people who are home for the holidays. God as also completely surprised me with an emerging relationship with Katie. We are still in a very ealry part of it all, but she has been such a blessing and one of the things that has kept me smiling this Holiday season. And finally, just the fact that I am in California right now is such a blessing. To be going to an amazing school and enjoy my studies at a level I have never known before is amazing enough, but the fact that I am constantly learning about Jesus is indescribable.

So, for those of you who have been around in the last year, I am not in the midst of a deep depression like I was before. I am just in an unsettling moment amidst a greater stability in Christ. He lives in me, and my knowledge of him (limited as it may be) is the greatest thing I have.

Peace to all

Christmas Cards

So lately I have been getting a bunch of christmas cards.

I think that is nothing out of the ordinary, I have always gotten a bunch at christmas time.

There is something different about this year though. I think being away from home has made things like that so much more special. I definitely miss spending christmas time with my friends from NR and Cap. I know there are some that feel the same, so I am not writing this to complain or seek pity, but I really want anyone who reads this to know that I miss them and care for them.



Work on sunday was so much better. I think it will all work out. :)

My Life as a Valet: Part II

Oy

So today was many things when it came to work. It was frustrating, stressful, even panicky.

The first hour seemed to go well, but then all of a sudden we were double parking cars all over and making new spaces I think we hold 600 cars and we had almost 650 or 700 to park tonight. Anyway, in the midst of it all I had a small accident. This was stressful enough without having a guy who is not my boss start yelling at me for which way to turn the steering wheel etc... I bumped a bumper to a bumper and then he freaked out. in the midst of turnin gin the direction he wanted me to go, I ended up scraping the passenger side door on a concrete pillar. It was at this point that I came even closer to panic mode than the other day. The next two r three hours continued to be stressful as I was trying to shake off the incident and then get back to normal. When the flow started going from incoming cars to cars being picked up to leave, I was able to get back on top of things and did well. In the end we made 43 bucks in tips a piece, but there were like 30 guys working so I guess that comes out to like 1,290 in tips for the dept. not too bad I guess.

My only other weird moment of the night was areminder of how cocky some people can be. I was being waved forward by my boss and began to pull forward when a couple who was completely oblivious walked in front of me. I of course hit the brakes. I was embarassed, but also knew that it was mostly his fault. Well this guy who was in his late 30's or early 40's gave me this death stare that was apparently supposed to intimidate me as he walked across and then made some comment on me being carless. I am not taking it to heart, and in reality most of the wealthy patrons are pretty nice. But man....I pray that I don't treat people like he treated me.


So continued prayer is of course always good. I would love to work inside as a bellman actually same stuff just w/out the cars which means less stress, but it seems to have very few turnovers so it prolly would be a while before I could do that.

so now it is 2am and I probably will not go to church tomorrow because I need to get some sleep...but I did actually have a lot of prayer time as I was working and have felt God close with me during all of this, so I am thankful for that. I am also thankful that I at least have an income. Someday I will be able to devote my career to him as well, but right now I know I must do what I can to make the money to pay the bills I have. He has blessed me and is so amazing in his faithfulness!

My Life as a Valet: Part I

So, I made it through orientation and started my two on the job training days on thursday. Basically all that means is I do the same work as everyone else but don't recieve tips - but whatever...

After my first three hours I was ready to look for another job. It wasn't that I had a problem with how hard the work was, or something like the guys who work there were really mean or rude(which they aren't), it was just a lot more stressful for me than I had anticipated. My anxiety was going up through the roof. It was the closest I have come to a panic attack in months. The width of the parking spots are literally just wide enough for cars to fit into, an inch smaller and there would be no room I think. Combine this with your second car to park being an Excursion and that equals high anxiety for Richie.

Fortunately things have gotten better and I am willing to wait it out and see how things go. I am still unable to drive stick and that sucks, because sometimes I go to pick up a car and find that it is a stick. That is not too often though.

My only other concern right now is whether I will have to work nights come classtime in January. Right now I am ok working anytime since I am off school, but when school starts again I need to be working days to keep my sleep under control and stay on top of my workload. Class is priority. Originally when I was hired, I was hired for the day shift, but the guy who hired me was fired and the guy in charge now may or may not honor that request... So any prayers you all have to offer up for me would be appreciated. :)

I am still very blessed to have the job and thank God that I have some income finally.

In other news, I have been praying a lot about things with Katie and am really excited about how they have been going. I feel like God has brought me to a healthy place in my relationship with him that will allow me to keep up a healthy relationship with her. After my year of Hell I have come to know that dependance on him for my well-being and needs is a necessity in all things. Anyway, the other thing is that we both have our own commitments so I think that we will be forced to refrain from spending huge amounts of time together which could cause problems. Space is a good thing! Once again though, I would appreciate any prayers for God's control and guidance.

:)

My Grandparents rock

So, my grandparents on my mom's side are pretty amazing folks. They have always been there even when my mom hasn't. Yesterday they sent me some money to help out with bills, and in the letter my Grandma snt with it she wrote "We're very proud of the man you have become." That one sentence has given me so much joy. I know I have a lot to learn and will always be growing, But to have them say that about me really touches me. In conversations about my move west to go to Seminary, they have been so supportive and have also let me know they could tell by how I was talking about it that this really seemed to be what my heart desired and that it was the course they thought was best for me as well. I have been blessed by them in so many ways before, money, advice, shelter etc... but the best blessing of them all has been their support recently. Thank you Jesus for Pam and Bob Zorens.

So you wanna work at the Ritz-Carlton do ya?

The last two days have been quite long.

On Tuesday I drove all the way across town at 6 am to go to an orientation for the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey. I am hired at the one here in Pasadena as a Valet Attendant, but they didn't have an orientation here this month. Or so I thought. When I got there I found out they had scheduled one at Pasadena and had never let me know. So I could have slept in and not spent four hours of my day in traffic. Let me rewind and say tha tagain so it can sink in. FOUR HOURS OF MY DAY WERE SPENT SITTING IN TRAFFIC.

So today I went to pasadena to complete my orientation. This time when I show up I am told that Iwill have to wait another month because I didn't attend the first day of orientation at Pasadena.

After the initial heart attack I asked why they had me sit through a whole day at the other Hotel if it didn't count. Apparently there was miscommunication(duh) and I was really ok.

But It was just really frustrating. The orientation sessions themselves were really great. The head staff led all of the sessions including the General Manager spending over an hour of his time with us. So I was impressed by all of that.

The hotel itself is amazing. So beautiful. I will be spending all of my time out front attempting to drive stick...which I can't do very well. But I suppose I will get is someday soon.

I would say that last night really ended up being the highlight of an already amazing week.

Katie and I got to hang out and watch Office Space before she left for home this morning. The best word I can think of to describe it was 'comfort.' I just feel at ease around her and I also feel at ease with the fact that God is in charge of whatever will happen between us. There is no need to rush things or whatnot.

One of the things I have struggled with in the past is the question of "Am I loveable?" God has really been showing me how that question is just bunk. When I realized that I am loveable for the simple fact of being God's child, I also realized that that can help eliminate the fear of rejection.

Anyway, the moral of the story is: God is in charge, and I have faith in his guidance.

OK, so this post was a little heavy, but I promise to post something funny soon. :-p

Date Jesus

Date Jesus

Ok..so not too many things on the internet make me laugh out loud much anymore, so this was a nice treat to find!

While this page is pretty funny....I don't recommend most of the rest of the site, so if you browse it beware.

Crucifixus

So tonight I had my final class in New Testament 1: The Gospels with Dr. Hagner. I honestly don't think I have ever enjoyed a class as much as I have this one. Dr. Hagner is one of those professors who are so passionate about what they do, that it really begins to rub off. I have learned many things this quarter, but I will just share one of them from tonight that I thought to be interesting.

Dr. Hagner was discussing The Gospel According to John, and he noted that while the Synoptics place a high emphasis on the Resurrection, a closer reading of John will reveal that for him the Glory and Exultation of the Christ comes on the cross at the Crucifixion itself. Some texts that point to this are John 3:14, 8:28, and 12:32-34 The word for "lifted" in the greek is hupsoo (hoop-sah-oh) On the one hand it means "to lift up on a pole" (i.e. the crucifixion) and it has a second meaning that is "to lift up in exaltation." John has a few of these double meanings, but this to me is the most striking.

Anyway, one of the points Dr. Hagner made was that a common view of protestants is that "My Jesus doesn't hang on a cross anymore so he shouldn't be depicted that way" While it is true that he doesn't hang on that cross anymore, a Crucifix is a valid portrayal for the glory of Christ. He then went on about radical Iconoclasts that knocked off the heads of statues in some churches in England and how even Luther would have been appalled. But he is funny like that lol.

That’s my theological insight for the day lol.

Sick is no fun.

So I am getting a cold, or having a cold, or facilitatin a cold or something.

Anyway, It has been an okay few days. I got a lot of work done over the Thanksgiving break so that makes me happy. I just have to make it 11 more days!

I am thankful for the random people who have said hello lately. It has helped my homesickness stay under control :)

Now that the election is over, the U2 album is out, and the LOTR special edition is almost here, I have been wondering what (Aside from the second coming of course :P ) I have to look forward to by way of my favorite things. And now, I know. They are turning The Chronicles of Narnia into Movies! Starting with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe of course. It is supposed to be coming out next year and is directed by the Guy who did the Shrek movies. Lewis' stepson Dougles Gresham is involved as a producer to help keep it true to Lewis' intents. (This means a pretty pro-christianity slant woohoo!) It would be really hard to have Narnia without the overtones of Christianity. It makes great stories on its own, but man.....that would be like removing the statue of Lincoln from the Lincoln memorial. Anyway. I am excited.


My friend Hikare (pronounced Hih-car-ee, not hickory) is from Chicago, and we have been venting on the differences between the midwest and SoCal lately. We have found that SoCal folks don't know how to just chill and relax. They have to be doing something everynight. We think this is because they have no winters here. When it cold and snowywe are forced to just hang around and we may complain after cabin fever sets in, but that relaxation is good for us everyonce in a while.
We have also noted that there is some weird need to dress up if they leave home for anything. I am a jeans guy normally so I don't notice it as much, but at home its no big thing if smeone left home in sweatpants or pajamas to go to the grocery or something. Out here that is a no-no.
And finally, sadly there is so much superficiality in relationships(no necessarily a surprise) out here. In general at home if someone says "we should hang out sometime" they include the possibilty of hanging out and may even pursue a coffee date or whatnot. Here that phrase is thrown around to the point that if you did try to hang out with them it would surprise them, and they would probably try to back out of it. We of course are not immune from that at home, but its really severly distorted out here.

Hooray for Advent!

Jesus is more real than the Holiday we have bastardized in this world. For that I am full of awe and happiness.