These Last Two Months

Just a few more days to my wedding, and even less to finish all my class assignments for this session. It seems when I feel like I can't handle any more stress more is placed upon me. It is in these times when I feel the Lord's presence around me and the people of God covering me in prayer.

School began with me quitting my job in mid-June and from that point it has been nothing but school. Well except for half a week that I had off between sessions. This semester is going to be the same. I have one week off, this just happens to be the week that I am getting married, next week. My next class begins two days after the wedding and when my first assignment is due I don't even think I will be in the country. Sadly, this is why I will be having to bring my computer, and maybe even some books with me to get some work done. Because these are eight week intensive classes, getting behind is so easy to do, and catching up is next to impossible.

Some pictures of my life these last few months.

Notice my little window into the world (email, facebook, twitter, & yes even myspace)

These pictures where taken as I was preparing for my Old Testament class finals in my last session. As you can see I was having my great lunch of turkey on whole grain bread, half a cup of low fat cottage cheese, and a diet pepsi. The "desk" is really my dining room table because usually I have twice as much stuff out at once, this was a study day for the OT and my office desk is too small; and the office doesn't have a large HD TV in it with a DVD player to watch my lectures.

This next week will hopefully bring some relief before the big day. Lizzie went and got me some face "productos" so I don't look half dead.

Attractions at the Fair

As many fair goers found out today the concerts at the Paul Paul Amphitheater were cancelled meaning that those planning on seeing Michael W. Smith and Worth Dying For had to find other things to spend their time on. Well if you still have not gone out there, or still cannot decide, you still have a chance to see the home made crafts from Heritage Center of Fresno.

Here is Martha and her needle point cross.

If you miss them today they will be on display through October 19th in the 'Home Arts' Exhibit hall. So come out and support a great program and great local artist here in Fresno.

So Little Time

There are fifteen days until the the big day, and I cannot help but feel like I am going to forget something crucial, like my pants, sox, or even shoes, that would really suck, and at the same time make a repetitive dream of mine come true in a weird way. But I guess that is what groomsmen are for, to make sure I have pants on. My other concern is not being packed for our our trip to Florida and the Bahamas. Should I already put my passport and my bags in my trunk? Would that be weird?

A collage of Lizzie and I from the last six years!

(Thank you Googles Picasa.)

Beyond all the neurotic thoughts that cross my mind every hour of the day, I am really excited to have these two weeks pass by without a hitch. That is what I have been praying for these last few days. I know that when all is said and done God will be glorified through it all.

Just a heads up for people who may care. While we are gone we may not have phone access, but may still have access to internet. You can reach us through all our usually online hangouts and from time to time way may even reply, don't count on it. Twitter or Facebook are best.

Changes are Happening

Start of a new semester and a countdown to the end of another chapter in my life. This past week was my first week in my second semester at Liberty University. Thank the Lord I was successful in my first two intensives over the summer and now I am signed up for three more, two I am taking now, and the third I am taking starting the first week of November.

Not sure when I should start the countdown to the big day, but I think Lizzie started the day I proposed to her and we set the date of October 24th. If my math is correct, and it usually isn't it is about 1 month 20 days away... Wow, that is scary; no more bachelorhood for me.

My prayer:
That Lizzie and I to keep our sanity through all this planing; and that we keeping our eyes on the prize that is to honor God in all we do and in this show the love of God to all those whom we bless and bless us.

Thank you all who have been praying for us and assisting us with the planning, you have no idea how much this helps with our burden. When we set the date we knew we had our work cut out for us. Especially knowing that I would have to stop working and go back to school full time only weeks after our engagement making money tight. The Lord provides, we just have to get out of the way sometimes.

Mid Summer Blur

These last few weeks have been such a blur, it's hard to know where to pick up from where I left off. I'm now back in school, I quit my job, and finding that school is hard (again). I am currently at Liberty University doing distance learning at their Graduate School to hopefully finish a Masters in Theological Studies.

These last few weeks I have had a lot of time to get reconnected with the reason I went back to school six years ago. To be better equipped to teach, and train those who want to know their Bible more. I have also found time to get reconnected with my family. Lizzie and I will be baptizing our nephew this Saturday at Saint John's Cathedral, we have been really excited at this honor to serve my brother's family in this way as godparents for he and Lorena's second son Harvey.

It has also been fun to be able to actually stop to spend time with my mom and all my family that pack themselves into her small two bedroom house.

A video of my nephew Richie:

You tell me who is the one having the most fun. I think it is me, he just seems to be getting annoyed at me.

Lunch in Downtown Fresno

Just a nice afternoon in Downtown Fresno having lunch. Never found out the name of the group, but I had to give them some props.

AT&T DSL

Success! So I finally just now got my AT&T DSL service installed and working. This ends almost two months worth of pain and anger towards people half way across the country and even the world who explained to me constantly that my service would get fixed "as soon as possible." Well I guess ASAP to AT&T is about 25 days.

The whole thing started out the first week in March when I was looking to get high speed internet for my house. Comcast was not an option for me, not because they are bad but because of other problems that I'd not like to mention here. The only other real option I had was AT&T.

All was great, my connect date was set for friday the 13th. It didn't work.. so I called the 24 hour hotline that said they were closed and to call back during "regular business hours," or Monday! One problem led to another that led to another promise that led to another disappointment. Over a MONTH LATTER my internet is now working...

I have a rep from AT&T that is going to call me on Monday to see how I've liked the service so far. We'll see...

Lao New Year in Fresno

My Dell Mini 9

It has been about a week now that I have had my new Dell Mini 9.  I have been putting it through it's paces for a while now to see if it really will fill in the role I need it to.  I have an 8 gig set up with 1 gig of ram and windows xp home edition, and it runs really nimble for being a slower processor.  It is actually the slowest computer I use but I don't really notice it.  This may be because I type noticeably slower with it too.  

Two draw backs that I have found is that the keyboard is small, but I knew that going into it, the other is that the 8 gig set up is too small for serious use with xp home.  I don't even have MS Office on it yet and I'm already down to under 500 megabytes.  But the fact that it has a 4 in 1 card reader makes up for it cuz a 16 gig card is not too pricey. 

As I continue to see issues I'll continue to post more info.

He's not ashamed to let you know

These days it seems like so many are afraid to say they believe in Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I can name quite a few closet Christians, former worship bands now mainstream, Pop singers who grew up Christian now lost in a drunken world... I'll stop there so that I can point out a positive. Lately, I feel the Lord showing me famous people who aren't ashamed.

Today, it was Albert Pujols, first baseman of the St. Louis Cardinals. A few weeks ago, it was the Jonas Brothers. Before that, it was Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers, Kirk Cameron again, Miley Cyrus, Brad Lidge a Phillies pitcher, Tony Dungy, David Tyree to name a few... It's exciting to say the least.

As dark as the world seems at times, I see beacons of light that the Lord is using.

Check out Albert Pujols in this weeks Sports Illustrated where he unapologetically tells the world what he is all about...

____________________

"We're in this era where people want to judge other people," Pujols says. "And that's so sad. But it's like I always say, 'Come and test me. Come and do whatever you want.' Because you know what? There is something more important to me - my relationship with Jesus Christ and caring about others. More than this baseball. This baseball is nothing to me."

Sports Illustrated asked, So how can you be a baseball hero in 2009? They answer their own question with this last quote, "You know how I want people to remember me?" Pujols asks. "I don't want to be remembered as the best baseball player ever. I want to be remembered as a great guy who loved the Lord, loved to serve the community and who gave back. That's the guy I want to be remembered as when I'm done wearing this uniform. That's from the bottom of my heart."

____________________

And that I say is the real deal.

I am happy to say I believe him, and glad to say I wouldn't mind him breaking Hank Aaron's record, the original and true 755.

Where's the hand coming from?

These both came from a Disney Outlet Store, yet, one seems out of place. Can you tell me what's wrong with the keychain? It took a 13 year old to point out that the hand was coming out of the shorts...

Way Happy Fun Time

On my way to work I was going to stop by a vender's shop, I didn't know that would be a problem for my car. After meeting for an hour I went back out to my car and the key would not turn. The shop-owner and a few other workers try to help but there was nothing they could do, I need a new ignition. Three hours later At&t's road side service arrives to "whisk my car away."

So, I missed an afternoon at work and will have to make up for all my lost work this week, GREAT! I thought last week was bad, this week is not starting off that great.

But none the less, I have a car to break down on me.. while others struggle to make ends meet.

Quiet Sunday Afternoon

How easy is the life of a cat? Little Orange and I shared a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Update on My iBook

Well I finally got to bed about 3a.m. and just had to call it a night, mostly because I had to report in to work at 8a.m. this morning. I had a mixed bag of results from the iBook. I got the "all is good" sound that greets you when you turn on a Mac, then a brief flicker of the screen, all seems good.. then a high pitched whine and fan spinning, and no more. Yeah, I think the just decided to go out (hopefully), but I have another extra one.

I'll probably try to finish up tonight, and if I can’t get this 12" iBook to work it will just give me more of a reason to buy a 9" dell and put OSX on it.

Mad Computer Science

Two broken iBooks will hopefully become one good iBook. Yeah, I was wired off StarBucks.

Lent Season

Well it hasn't been christmas for a long time. Well it has already been 2009 for quite some time. It's like you just look around and it's another year and a whole new season. It's already the lent season, forty days away from easter.

For this lent season I'm going to be doing without a few things that I feel have been in excess in my life, and trying to commit myself to what I feel are the disciplines of my christian faith. Even while I say this I'm hoping I'm not biting off more than I can chew.

I'll try to keep updates here, on my Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace. Pick you drug.