Sunday, October 17, 2010

Refreshing Weekend at El Camino Pines

This weekend I went home to SLO to go to a retreat in Kern County up in the mountains with my mom and neice. El Camino Pines. Georgiana Rodiger was the speaker because it is basically her retreat - not her camp, but the retreat has been up there twice a year for more than 15 years! - we are her "Rodiger Girls."  :)

Anyway, it was very refreshing and I needed a tiny change of pace from the hustle and bustle of UCI-life. Re-connected with some awesome ladies I haven't seen since I was 15 and met some new people. One funny thing is, one of the young men who help out the staff up there said he knew someone who goes to UC Irvine and told me her name, but I didn't think I knew her, but when I got back to my house on campus and was imputing all the Clair de Lune contact numbers into my phone (Clair de Lune is the all girls a cappella choir I am now in! Woot!), I realized I knew this girl he was telling me about! That's so crazy! It's such a small world!

In the mountains it is very easy to give thanks to God and to just be in utter awe of his amazing work; at one point on Saturday evening, I just lay on the ground, gazing up at the starry heavens thanking God for His love and support and for always taking care of me even when I complain.

Every retreat, Georgie leads a "Jesus Walk" in which all the women will lie down in the main cabin/chapel and do a series of short relaxation exercises and then lead them through a type of vision/dream up to a meadow to meet with Jesus. You laugh, but it's dear to my heart and I know to many of the other women. In the "vision" - for lack of a better term - you are to fly out of the chapel through the huge glass cross on the main chapel wall and fly to a hill with pine trees - much like the pines surrounding the entire camp. Walking up the path, you reach a cave; don't go in; keep walking, you can go in on your way back; down the path, you reach a meadow and a stream. Cross the stream and meet Jesus on the other side, and when you are done, come back, but not before you have asked him for your gift, because he has a special gift for you. That is the essence of the "Jesus Walk."

I have a get-to-sleep-helper CD thing that I listen to at night when I am tired but can't fall asleep. It similarly leads me through relaxation exercises and then tells me to envision a peaceful place to which I've previously been. It's been quite awhile since I've been on the Jesus Walk, so I've always imagined the last Jesus Walk I went on for this "Speed Sleep."

This time, I allowed myself to have a new journey, seeing as I am now six years older and my life is different than it was before, as should my journey be.

If you would like to know what my Jesus Walk was this time, continue reading; if not, this post is done. Thanks for reading.


A little backstory:

If you've followed my blog for awhile, you know I've never had a boyfriend. It hasn't been an easy journey, going along without that male companionship that a woman is eventually supposed to have. On one of the mission trips I went on with Grace Bible Church to Mexico, a few girlfriends of mine and I were talking about this very subject and one girl picked up a small rock from the gravel road by which we were sitting and said, "You have been in many relationships, with men with women, platonic and maybe not yet romantically, but any different kinds of relationships and in every one you have given a small piece of yourself. And every relationship, another piece of you have been given away, in efforts to make the relationship work, or to keep it alive or simply in enjoying the journey. But now, all that is left is this rock. You have given away all of you but this rock. And when you meet the man you are supposed to be with for the rest of your life, you have only this rock to give him. And you say to him on your wedding day, 'Over the years, I have given myself away and all that remains is this rock; but I give it to you because it is all that I am. I have nothing to give you but all that is left; this rock.'"
I kept that rock with me wherever I went for almost a year. It now resides at home in a safe spot on one of my craft shelves where I could see it every time I went into the back room of my house in Oceano. But the point is, I've kept it. For awhile, I started getting discouraged that I will never meet the man God has chosen for me, but I am always praying, "God, please prepare me for my husband... And prepared him for me, cause he's gonna need it."


This is what i wrote down immediately after my Jesus Walk:

I flew up on hummingbird-like wings and flew over a yellow meadow with tall yellow grass up to about the knees or hips and a hill in front of me with pine trees popping up all over the place but just on the hill. As i walked up the path, covered mostly in dead, crunchy pine needles; it was shaded by the tall pines and had a butterfly and lizard roaming about.

Straight ahead of me was a black cave a little taller than my own height and it was surrounded by rock and branches of trees. It wasn't covered by anything but extremely dark inside and I really didn't feel like going in. I heard soft, deep drumming from inside.

Outside of the cave was the continuation of the path going left and going right.
The path to the right was kind of dark and I didn't really want to that way because I knew the stream was by the left path. It was extremely hard for me to look to the right where the creek was and I had to force myself to turn to look at it at the right. I've never really been able to look or turn right in my dreams/Jesus Walk. I wanted to move my creek to my left side by resisted.

So i took the left path and came up a tiny bit of hill to open space, not meadow or anything, just space and on the right was a tiny creek covered in grass and as i walked I noticed the sky became more blue, with tiny white clouds and a bird flying above and the creek started getting wider and the grass got taller until it was almost above my head and the creed's width was indistinguishable.

I begun to walk through it with the cool stream running gently over my toes and there were a few flies humming about but never bothered me and I squished through the creek, in between golf-ball-sized pebbles and mud because now there really was no more water.

I was very unfocused the whole time and it was hard to concentrate on the walk and meeting Jesus. And I kept narrating everything that was happening as if I was telling what was happening - like now - in the past tense.

It was disappointing that i just couldn't shut off my head. But I tried to stop and shout out to Him.
So i tried to stop and asked God to please prepare me for my future husband because I'm tired and I would like to start sharing my life with the man he has chosen for me.

Finally I started getting impatient with myself and started calling to Jesus, "Where are you?" Just before i got through the tall grass, I saw a really bright ball of light that just kind of floated to me and I thought, "Is it you? Why won't you should me yourself in human form?"

And I reflected quickly on previous forms I've met his as - a young man in a red t-shirt with yellow lettering and jeans with short, brown hair; a guy my age with shorter light brown/blonde hair and a big smile; a long, brown-haired man in a brown gown.

But the light came closer and encompassed me and there I was in a giant light bubble and Jesus was hugging me.
I kept getting unfocused but trying to stay with Jesus.

Then I tried to ask for my gift and I kept seeing a tiny pink/purple and blue box with a yellow daisy in a window on the lid - the box Amy had painted Saturday at the craft table - and I knew inside was my rock that I got from Mexico on a mission trip with Grace Bible Church. I knew it meant God was giving me back the only piece of me that is still left to give to my future husband. But I already knew that i had it so I took it but kind of asked shyly with a smile, "Do you have anything else for me?" And immediately he presented a long turquoise necklace but her wouldn't tell me what it was for. I don't wear necklaces and I've always like the color teal and can appreciate the jewelry but I would never actually wear it.

Then I said goodbye and Jesus took me through more tall grass like in the painting I made Saturday and it was very dark like in the picture and I came to a tall tree and looked up at the stars and they looked just like in my painting and I came immediately back through the cabin window and was back on the floor.

The whole time I heard myself narrating everything going on and a certain hymn was just playing on a loop almost annoyingly, but at some point I embraced it and it no longer bothered me.
Whenever I need to be reminded that Jesus loves me, I look up at the stars. And it's been awhile since I've done that. He knew that, too.

The rock I got in Mexico is a symbol of what is left of me to give to my future husband. Through out my life, I have put so much effort into relationships - many of which were/are on-sided - and have given myself away to so many people and to so many things and hobbies that now there is only a rock's worth left of me. I have given it to God and I think now he's finally giving it back to say, "You're ready." Maybe. Some kind of permission?

Hopefully. I don't know if I'm ready, but I sure wouldn't mind it much.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

22nd Year... sooner than I thought!

So, I forgot to post this when I first found out, but René has brought it to my attention that this year of my life is not ACTUALLY my twenty-FIRST year, it is my twenty-SECOND!

When you are born, you do not start out as a one-year-old; you are essentially zero plus how ever many day, weeks, months...

So, really I am 21 years old plus 123 days or two and a half months or so. But it's my 22nd year, not my 21st.

Clearly, I was mistaken.   ;-p

See you all soon, hopefully. I will be coming into town after my a cappella rehearsal on Thursday evening (leaving around 9pm) and then going to court in the morning-ish to get my name out of a certain case in which my name has clearly never belonged. And then, after Amy gets out of school, we're headed to --- ? --- for a Lutheran Retreat my mom and I used to go on every year, but this is the first year I've been able to take school off. So, yay!

A much needed rest and spiritual rejuvenation!

Love you all.

Pool Tournament ... Left Handed!!

I signed up for a billiards 9-ball tournament for tonight at the UCI Zot Zone, hosted by the Anteaters Billiard Club. It was pretty fun.

Another housemate (from Kaleidoscope House in Arroyo Vista) also entered, so we played last night for practice and we both SUCKED! It was terrible. But I knew that I normally play way better; and I knew that he probably did too. (I don't think he was trying to let me win or anything.) Anyway, when we got home, I called my sister, Rachel, who used to play in a professional league that played at Hot Shots in Pismo. So, I knew she would know the rules and stuff and any helpful hints that a not-so-professional pool player would never think of. It got me soooo excited! I wanted to play right then and there!

So, tonight, Gabriel (my housemate) and I met up at Zot Zone (they have eight or so tables) and waited to be put on the list. He was in Round C and I was on the last table of Round D, so it would be awhile, so we "rented" some Playstation 360 or whatever it's called and played some "Something - Warfare" ... eekk, I don't remember what it's called. You move around in some kind of warzone and shoot each other; it was quite interesting.

We got to start around the same time though, so I didn't have to wait too much longer. I said hi to my opponent and we started our game. Best two out of three was how they were doing it. I let the other guy break though, cause I suck at breaking. It was an EXCELLENT break; the 9-ball ended up pretty much on the edge of a corner pocket just waiting to be gently tucked into the pocket.

My first thought was, "I wouldn't even have had a chance!" If he had made the 9-ball, even on the break - especially on the break - that is an INSTANT win!

But it still took both of us about five minutes while we were sinking other balls, until I finally got the perfect combo shot... but it was in the worst place it could possibly be. If you're looking straight into the table width-wise, the cue and object ball and 9-ball were aligned perfectly, but so close but so far out of the right side of the table, that I dared to risk hitting it with my LEFT hand.

I am right-handed, but I've always tried to teach myself to be ambidextrous - in writing, using scissors, eating, and weirdly enough, pool. So, I knew I actually had a BETTER chance of sinking the 9-ball left-handed, rather than right-handed. I went for it... AND WON THAT GAME! Wooot!


Then I had to wait for the next round. When I started the second game, I was pretty sure I wouldn't get much farther, but still hopeful that he could make one wrong move and I could win. That didn't happen. He was incredibly good, and sank probably 3 or 4 balls at a time. He won the first game, then he won the second game. It was fun though, that's all that mattered. And I met some good guys with whom I wouldn't mind playing pool any other time.

One thing I know for sure, I will definitely be visiting Zot Zone more often; I didn't even know they had that many pool tables! (And I knew they had a Billiards Club, but I didn't know if I would even be good enough; but this gave me the confidence; I am good enough. There's room to improve, of course, but I hold my own.)

Saturday, October 9, 2010

... the littlest thing can prompt something great!

James 3:4
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.





It's weird to think that something so small can sometimes make the most impact on a person, or their lives or whatever project they are working on.


I started this blog around - my "auto saver" says 11:17am. It is not 12:54am... the next day. So, it is incredible when I say this is exactly what happened to Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. I just saw the movie The Social Network. Wow, that is an incredible story and such amazingly talented actors. He was dumped by his girlfriend because basically his social skills SUCKED and she decided she couldn't stand being offended by his condescension anymore. That small tilt of the helm of his ship led him to create a website that prompted his ingenuity for the website Facebook that is a billion-dollar institution! He's the youngest billionaire EVER!


So, I've got a secret desire that I've never really told anyone until this quarter. Not because it was embarrassing or anything, but just because I never thought I could do it. Since middle school, I've always wanted to be on a rowing crew. I don't really know exactly why or what prompted this desire, yet it has been instilled in me for so long that I think I am more serious about it now that I attend a school that actually has their own crew! 


I've always been really adamant about researching my choices and being absolutely sure they are the correct choices for me at that particular time. It hasn't always been easy, but I've always made sure to include God and ask him to be incredibly clear with me, because I am seriously stupid when it comes to choices. I want to make sure I'm trusting that what I do is what He wants me to do, not just what I want to do. Well, at the beginning of this quarter, I signed up for the women's crew as being interested and when I did a little race simulation, they said I did really well and that I should consider it seriously.


Well, I wasn't cast in any of the UCI season shows this year, so I don't have shows or rehearsals. And my classes are only Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the exception of working in the costume shop Monday and Wednesday mornings, which I refuse to acknowledge as "classes" since I want to want to be in the shop; I love to sew. That is just this quarter, though, so I could easily fix my schedule to work around crew practice, right? And isn't college supposed to be a time when you are supposed to try out a ton of things that you love? Just to do everything and anything?


I decided to give up on the crew thing because there is so much that i want to do right now. I got into the all-woman's a cappella group on campus, Clair de Lune, and I want to join the campus choir, SING!, and I was going to be one of my house's representatives (but CDL meets at the same time... eek.), I am planning - with some other housemates - the Arroyo Vista Haunted House thing for our house, and therefore a fundraising event, and I'm really hoping it works out. And so much more.


But then, for some reason, I think it's God - I'm hoping it's God - but something is nudging me in the direction of doing crew this Spring! On the bus across campus, some guy was wearing a crew cap. Then my House Advisor commented on my being in really great shape - hmm, okay... haha. THEN, as I'm watching The Social Network, the main guys who are suing Mark Zukerberg are on the Harvard Crew! What else can it be but some big guy up there saying, "Maybe you should do crew. Just for the quarter. You might like it." It's a huge change for me. Physically, I'd have to make sure I'm eating right, DEFINITELY have to make sure I'm taking my meds, working out consistently, all that fun stuff. And I wouldn't be able to be in a show. But I'm already not cast in anything UCI has to offer. There may be Graduate Workshops, but I have next year for that; I probably won't have next year for Crew.


It's somet to think about. A lot to think about. But I will save it for later. For now, Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1 finale with my next-door-roomies.      :)

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Home stuffs

So, I'm home in Oceano for the weekend. Yay!

I was planning this for a few days and was planning on leaving Thursday evening after my last class, so I bought an Amtrak ticket for Thursday at 5:41pm. I even found a ride to the train station. But I had class until 5pm so I knew it would be cutting it close, but I made sure I had directions, all my stuff packed and ready to go and I guess I just assumed that the girl taking me would have her car on the side of campus that we would be on. When I told her it only takes 20 minutes to get to the station, I meant from where we would be at the end of class and that was in no way to give her the impression we could take our time to get there. I admit it was my fault for telling her she had time to get a Starbucks, and it was my fault for not making sure her car would be ready, but whatever... it wasn't... and I was wrong.

So, we ended up getting on the 405 around 5:39pm and as were inching onto the freeway, I call the station hotline for "train status" and she says, "Well, isn't there a grace period?"

Big sigh. No, honey, if a train says it's going to leave at 5:41pm, there's a good chance they usually make sure they are gone by 5:41pm. Otherwise they would probably round off to 5:40pm or 5:45pm. But it was a sweet thought.

As it turns out the train was delayed 5 minutes. So estimated arrival time was now 5:46pm, but it was still 5:43pm and there was no way we would be able to get to a station that was ten minutes away in less than three.

Anyway, I missed the train.

I was going to get the 5:41pm train and get to Santa Barbara around 9:30pm, where Eric and Kassi would pick me up and we would head back to Nipomo, so I wouldn't have to take the bus. But I had to get a ticket for the later train and didn't know I also had to get a bus ticket. Ugh...

Long story short, I waited for and took the 7:44pm train, got off in Los Angeles around 9:10pm and caught the Amtrak bus to Santa Barbara by 12:30am, where Eric and the sleepy Kassi picked me up. I spent the night at Kassi's and my mom picked me up in the morning.

And it wasn't until later that I realized I left my old high school gym shorts on the bus!! I was using them as a pillow and I guess it was so hot in there with the heater on high that they must have fallen out and I didn't realize it.    :(    I loved those shorts. So comfy! And I've had them since Freshman Year of High School!

They are much like my hi-top black Converse! They've been MIA for about 6 months now, and I think I need to give up on them and buy a new pair.

But what happens if they come back and see that I've bought a new pair! They will hate me!

Converse, where ever you are, know that I will always love you, no matter how many pair I have. You will always hold a special place in my heart and on my feet. Bon Voyage. I hope where ever you are, you are happy.