It was a dark and stormy night...

Literally, it was. The Houston area gets some pretty good thunderstorms throughout the year, so when it started thundering and raining last night we didn't think much of it. Suddenly we start hearing very loud CLUNK sounds above and seemingly all around us. Michael jumped up and said, "Get in the closet! No wait, let's go to the bathroom!" He basically thought it might've been a tornado ripping stuff off the house or hurling things into it. That same thought also crossed my mind when the crashing sounds first began. So I leapt out of bed, fell to my knees and shrieked, "TAKE ME TO OZ!"

Not really. But I should've.

Before we got anywhere though Michael realized that it was just hail. Wait, not "just" hail, but massive golf ball and bigger sized hail replete with howling winds, driving rain, and thunder and lightning. I've seen a number of hail storms in my life but never hail of that proportion. It crashed down, sounding as if someone was taking a sledgehammer to our roof and throwing fastballs against our windows. After just five minutes or so though the hail stopped and things quieted down a bit. We went back to bed and Michael suddenly says, "Our cars..." Oh yeah. Well, there was nothing we could do at 11:30 p.m. about it, so we just went to sleep.

This is what we awoke to - several large cracks in the truck's windshield, a number of cracks in the siding on our house, about a kajillion dings and dents all over both the truck and my car, and oh, what's that? Yes, a massive hole in my car! Poor Max. His butt is broken.

It's all a bit of a bummer, but it was also a bit of excitement in our boring lives. We had no idea such a severe storm was going to roll through. Plus, guess what we received in our bank account today? Our tax refund! It'll more than cover everything, including enough for a down payment on a new car sometime over this next year. (Oh Max, you are dying and I am powerless to stop it!) See? God provides. I was also reminded of how thankful I am to have shelter and a roof over my head. There are so many in the world who cannot say the same and who would've suffered much more serious damage in such a storm.

I guess I should start checking the weather forecasts more often...

Things to Come

So I obviously failed to get a post up last week, but I'll claim the excuse that Michael was on spring break so we were off our normal schedule. Onward and forward.

So Michael's been in school since last August to get an Associate's in Instrumentation. Since he already has a Bachelor's degree he will hopefully be able to finish the program by summer's end. Instrumentation is a great field to be in, good pay and no shortage of job opportunities. As a result, we really have no idea where we'll be in six months or so. While it's most likely that we will stay in the Houston area or somewhere else in Texas for at least his first job, we're open to moving anywhere in the U.S. or overseas. For some people, that prospect would be unsettling and scary. Me? I absolutely can't wait to see what God has for us over the next few years.

I've said this in the past, but I enjoy change. I get bored pretty fast and look forward to the next big thing. My opinion would probably change if we had kids, but I think I wouldn't mind moving somewhere new every few years. Regardless of where we end up, we are resolved to move from our current address sometime in the summer. So even if we move just 30 minutes away from where we are now, it will probably sate my craving for change for awhile.

The hard thing in all this is I know I should be content wherever I am, and it's a constant struggle for me to take advantage of the opportunities God gives in the moment instead of looking to the future and idolizing change and excitement. I know there will probably come a day when we are more stationary and I will have to be content with that.

I don't know where I'm going with all this except to say I'm excited to see what God has for us but am trying not to get too far ahead of myself. I don't want to be the fool who forgets that life is a short mist and everything can change in an instant. Pray for me and pray for direction for us.

Life is a grand adventure.

Garlic, I Think I Love You

What better way to start blogging again by talking about the health benefits (to me, anyway) of raw garlic!

But first, some background information. Throughout elementary school, I got sick ALL the time. Never deathly sick, but I would have to stay home for a day or two once every couple of months. And yes, sometimes I wasn't really that sick but it created a good excuse to ditch school. From about middle school up until the last few years I hardly ever got sick. I honestly can't even remember being sick more than two or three times in all of college.

Fast forward to the last few years. My perfect health streak has faded. I've been so used to not being sick...ever, that it's kind of a shock when I do get sick. I blame the fact that I'm working from home and thus have not been exposed to various organisms that would test and strengthen my immunity. That plus the fact that Michael is in school right right now, bringing thousands of wonderful germs home each day. Anyway, this winter has been a doozy. I got some stomach flu bug when I was out in California visiting family, and since coming back to Texas have gotten a mild to medium cold THREE times in the past two months or so.

And this is where the garlic comes in. This is not going to be a super technical post about the actual scientific and nutritional properties of garlic because A.) I don't know about any of that and B.) I'm not going to take the time to research it just for this post. All I want to say is this: If you are sick or feel like you are getting sick, eat some raw garlic and you will be better the next day. Continue eating some each day until you're completely better.

Michael's sister had mentioned awhile ago that garlic is supposed to help when you're sick, but we always kept forgetting about that when we'd get sick. This last time we got sick we took her advice. I was basically already sick. My throat hurt whenever I swallowed, I head some serious pressure in my head, and my body was just tired and lethargic. That day I ate about two cloves of raw garlic and by the next day I felt fine. From prior experience, I know that normally if I feeling the way I was, I would NOT have been better by the next day. Michael can also attest to the same experience.

So that's it, folks. Just try some raw garlic next time you're sick and I hope it works for you!

p.s. Yes, you will smell very garlicy for a few days, but there are worse smells in the world.
p.p.s. I just chopped up the raw garlic and sprinkled it on toast or my food just before I ate it. I did try just eating it straight but it's so acidic I had to drink three or four glasses of water so my stomach wouldn't go crazy. And yes, I believe it must be RAW garlic for the health benefits to kick in.

Let's Try This Again

Well, friends, it's that time again. Time for another attempt at blogging regularly. I'm gonna shoot for one post a week. We'll see how it goes.

Best of 2012 - Books and Movies

Thanks to technology, I can now easily keep track of what I read and watch. Does the fact that I take the time to record such things scream, "I have no life!" and "I am a nerd!" Absolutely and without question. That established, let's move on to my list of the best things I read and watched in 2012. By the way, this is not a list of the best things that were released in 2012, but a list of the best books and movies that I experienced in 2012.

Books - ***For a complete list of what I've read, friend me on Goodreads!
In just the last couple of years, I've gotten back to reading a lot. I read voraciously (see, reading does increase your vocabulary!) as a kid and in my middle school years. But starting in high school there was this 10 year gap where I didn't read much. Yes, that means that 95% of the time I did not do the assigned reading in high school and college.

But I digress...

In 2012 I read 24 books. For the most part, I enjoyed all of them. Since books are such a time investment, I tend to only read books I really want to read and ones that I think are worthy of my time. But of those 24, three edge out the others as favorites:

• Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

This technically counts as seven books, but I loved them all. The world Rowling created was just enchanting and it was a joy to return to it with each book. The series's themes were also very compelling and made for great storytelling - good and evil, courage, friendship, family, and sacrifice. I just generally like the fantasy element as well. Rowling expertly crafted these stories with just the perfect amounts of reality and fantasy, just enough reality for the reader to understand and connect, and just enough fantasy to make it fun and imaginative. I look forward to re-reading the series someday.

• The Reason for God by Tim Keller

I have been reading and listening to a lot of Keller lately. I've admired him in the past, but the more I read and hear, the more I like him. If you don't know anything about him, he is the teaching pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. In a city where you'd think there would be little place for a church who holds firmly to the authority of Scripture, the deity of Christ, the supreme importance of the Gospel, and other orthodox Christian beliefs, Keller and Redeemer continue to reach large numbers of people. Keller's appeal is in his intellectual and un-gimmicky way of speaking and preaching, as well as in his ability to intelligently articulate spiritual truths to secular audiences. The Reason for God was published in 2007 and rose to #7 on the New York Times Best Seller List for non-fiction in March of 2008. The book is split into two parts. The first part addresses common objections to Christianity - why would a good God allow evil? Christianity is culturally irrelevant and dated. It's narrow-minded to say that your religion is the only way. Etc. Keller graciously examines each objection and provides an intelligent and careful rebuttal, using a wide variety of sources both Christian and secular. In the second part of the book, Keller explains why he believes Christianity provides the best explanation for the big questions in life, and explains what Christianity is (and what it isn't.)

I loved this book because it is a reasoned, well-researched, and well articulated book about Christianity and the big questions in life. If you're not a Christian, this book is an intelligent treatise on Christianity, and you may find that it answers some of the questions and objections you may have. If you're already a Christian, the book is a great distillation of the Gospel and provides calmly reasoned answers to common objections to Christianity that may help you as you talk to people.

Anyway, I really got a lot out of the book and would encourage everyone to read it, regardless of what you believe. You will not find an angry, ranting, religious lunatic in these pages, merely a thought-provoking discussion of some of the big questions and a careful explanation of what Christianity is all about.

• The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

I read this book after seeing the trailer for the movie. I don't really have anything profound to say about this one except I enjoyed it very much. The story was interesting, the characters well-drawn, and there were a lot of very thought-provoking elements to the narrative.

Movies
I've come to grips with the fact that I am a movie person. I just love movies. I thoroughly enjoy the stories, the visuals, and exploring the worldviews they present.

Here are 10 favorites from this past year, in no particular order:

• Bernie - If you want to know what life is like in Texas, watch this movie. It truly is the most accurate representation of how people think, talk, and live here - not so much in the urban centers, but certainly everywhere else.
• Looper - This movie BLEW MY MIND. We saw the television commercials for it and it looked so lame. But then I started hearing that it was getting crazy good reviews so we went and saw it. It was incredible, definitely one of the most unique films of 2012.
• The Guard - A quirky, dark comedy that we really enjoyed. Brendan Gleeson was perfect and the dialogue was quick, sharp, and hilarious.
• Boy - We watched this one while in New Zealand because it's a Kiwi film. It was like a Napoleon Dynamite slash Wes Anderson slash coming of age film, but New Zealand style. Really good.
• Life, Above All - Foreign film about a young girl in South Africa. Well-acted with a strong story.
• The Hunter - A tight, well-acted film with an interesting story and a dark, broody tone.
• A Separation - Iranian film spanning a few days in the life of a couple Iranian families. The story is realistic and compelling, and the performances are fantastic.
• The Dark Knight - No explanation needed here. I just really enjoyed it and thought it was a great finish to the Dark Knight trilogy.
• Little Dorrit - This one's a BBC miniseries based on the book by Charles Dickens and it's SO good. We've been watching a lot of BBC stuff, but this one is probably our favorite.
• Take Shelter - An indie movie about a guy who is convinced an apocalyptic storm is coming, and who may or may not be mentally unstable. Well-acted little story.

Any suggestions for things I should read or watch in 2013?

Four Movies for Your Consideration

I love movies. Not ALL movies, but as a general rule, I love movies. Here are four I recently watched that I felt like blogging about. Two I've seen before, and two were new views.

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”

I own this film and have seen it quite a few times, but haven't watched it recently until last week. Not much to say that hasn't already been said, but I'd forgotten how beautiful this movie is, mostly in the visual sense. Like “Hero,” the use of color and different landscapes is absolutely gorgeous, and the score is fantastic. I think this was also the first martial arts film I'd ever seen, so it's somewhat nostalgic.

“The Constant Gardener”

If you haven't seen this movie, you should. I've read about a third of the book by John Le Carré that the movie is based on, and I have to say this is one of those rare instances where in many ways, the film adaptation outshines the book (well, the little I've read of the book). In the special features, even Le Carré said something to the effect of, there are not many scenes in the movie that you can find exactly in the book, yet this is still one of the best adaptations to film he's seen. Anyway the film is great. Great story, great acting, and it's another beautifully shot film. (You may be able to tell the visual aspect is kinda a big deal to me.) Most of the Kenya footage is shot documentary style too, which makes the look and feel of “TCG” very unique to bigger studio movies. I felt like they also did a good job of touching on some of the humanitarian issues in Africa without being preachy or throwing the story off track.

“The Help”

Michael and I finally saw this one at the Dollar Theater. I finished the book just before the movie came out, so I've been wanting to see it. I thought the film was a decent adaptation and generally captured the spirit of the book. It was also very well cast and well acted. However unlike "The Constant Gardener," the film didn't really break any new or creative ground in relation to the book, so my verdict is that the book is superior to the movie.

“Exporting Raymond”

I'd seen a trailer for this little documentary awhile back and it's been on my list of movies to see. We finally got around to renting it and I was not disappointed. It's basically the story of Phil Rosenthal's (creator, writer, and executive producer for Everybody Loves Raymond) experiences in helping launch the Russian spinoff Everybody Loves Raymond Kostya. He documents his journey as he travels to Russia and wrestles with the culture clash and resulting conflicts with the Russian crew and network that's trying to get the show off the ground. I don't want to give too much away because you really should see it, but i'll just say the people he meets, the experiences he has, and his commentary (verbal and facial expressions)  are all hilarious. I also enjoyed that the story is tightly woven. The documentary is only an hour and 25 minutes long, and it's perfect. It also doesn't try to be smarter than it is. I feel like a similar documentary would do some lame little Russian history or politics montage as background information slash filler, but this film is basically, hey I'm in Russia! Here's what I'm doing, meet some of the interesting people I met, and here are some observations and insights I gained from the experience. Anyway, definitely one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen this year.

So there you have it, four movie recommendations. Well, three and a half. You really should just read The Help.

Things I'm Learning About My Teenage Self

Hindsight is 20/20, they say. I've always known that to be true, but it is never more true than when I look back and read past journal entries of mine. I am not a "journaler" now at all, but I used to be. Starting in my sophomore year of high school and ending somewhere in the college years, I journaled pretty much daily. Nowadays, I'll journal maybe once or twice every few months. Going back and reading those old entries from my hardcore journaling days is...interesting. Back then I journaled the actual events of my day, my thoughts about those events, occasionally journaled prayers and spiritual insights, and whatever else popped into my head at the time I was writing. All that makes for a pretty vivid picture of my life at that time. I've been going through my entries chronologically over the past couple months and am up to the end of my junior year of high school. I have smiled, winced, been encouraged, been discouraged, remembered some things I'd forgotten, and forgotten things I should have remembered. Here are a few brief observations regarding my teenage self...

First and foremost...boys - obviously this is some of the discouraging and wince-inducing stuff I was talking about. I was SO boy crazy and yet so completely clueless about then at the same time. I'm embarrassed to say boys take up a significant portion of most entries. I was "in love" with so many guys who didn't know I even existed, and I interpreted every interaction I had with them to mean they felt the same way. There were also guys who I was convinced liked me, but looking back I really don't think so. Then there were guys that obviously liked me (based on my looking back more objectively at the interactions I detailed), but in my entries I totally did not see it or believe they were interested in me. All that to say I am grateful that my completely whack ideas and feelings about boys at the time only manifested themselves in stupid teenage girl journal entries, and not something more serious, like unhealthy relationships and the like. I'm also grateful to be married and done with the whole guy thing!

Second - My memory is not as good as I thought it was. There are significant things, events, and people that in my entries that I had totally forgotten about. Even worse, there are significant thing, events, and people that I still don't remember at all even after reading detailed descriptions of them. On the flip side, things I do remember come back to life in vibrant color as I read, and that's pretty neat.

Third - I really have no idea when the exact moment was that I became a Christian, but it's encouraging to read some of my prayers and spiritual insights from back then. I was no Christian superstar or anything, but at the least I can definitely say (based on the entries) that I was trying to maintain a biblical worldview on things (even with the boy stuff), there was a clear desire to trust God in hard situations (even if I didn't always succeed), I cared about people around me and their spiritual state, and I was learning and growing in little ways here and there. It's amazing to see how God has both grown cemented things that began in high school and also reminded me of some things I was doing then but not doing now (and should be).

Fourth - I am so blessed. I had such a good and rich and peaceful adolescence. Of course things weren't perfect then or now, and it's not because I was so great or anything, but in God's goodness and sovereignty, He has blessed me with such a great family and upbringing. Reading about past things I did, people I knew, friends I had, family experiences, etc., reminds me of how blessed I was/am. I am so thankful to Him for all the blessings and little trials of those years, and even more thankful for His guidance and love in that time.

P.S. Fifth - I'm so, so, so glad I don't have to study for any more AP tests or worry about homework and tests and papers!

Harry Potter! (Yelled with a British accent)

Okay so I know I'm about, oh, ten years late on this debate, but oh well. Michael and I recently saw the final Harry Potter movie at the dollar theater. It was the culmination of several weeks of watching all the HP movies in chronological order. Having not read the books, the movies were entertaining and it was fun to see the kids growing up in each movie. Anyway, watching the movies brought to mind the past outcry from many Christians about the series. "Burn it!" and "You and your children shouldn't be within 500 miles of it!" seemed to be the sentiment of many. I didn't really agree with those ideas at the time the debate was raging fiercest, but having watched all the movies now and gained a better sense of the themes and story arc, I can safely say that I still disagree.

The series was rejected by many Christians because of the witchcraft and wizardry contained in the story, and of course there's the appalling fact that those kids drink butterBEER! Gasp! Now granted, I absolutely agree that there are numerous and very clear commands against witchcraft, consulting mediums, etc. in the Bible, but my goal isn't to exegete those passages to figure out if the HP series truly qualifies as witchcraft or practicing it, etc. (By the way...I don't think it does) I personally believe that this, like many things, is a matter of Christian conscience. As such, here are my two main thoughts about the whole thing.

First, the overall themes and elements of the HP series seem to be quite universal to any and every epic story - good vs. evil, courage, redemption, grand quests, friendship, learning from your mistakes, pressing on in the midst of adversity, etc. The HP series even includes the more overtly Christian theme of self-sacrifice for the good/salvation of others. So to me, HP really doesn't differ much from most grand tales with which most Christians have no problems. Specifically, the HP series did not seem much different (in theme and scope) to those other two works HIGHLY venerated by most Christians - The Chronic - WHAT! cles of Narnia (sorry, couldn't resist) series by C.S. Lewis and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. Witches and wizards and magic and supernatural arts are central to those series. Why then is the HP series verboten and Lord of the Rings celebrated?

I think the answer to that question is related to my second thought, which is that this whole debate raises the larger issue of Christians and media. I could rant for hours about the often arbitrary "sacred"/"secular" lines Christians draw when it comes to movies, tv, and music, but I won't. I'll just say that I think it's taking the easy and let's be honest, lazy route to take one look at something and throw it on a "Christian - good" shelf or a "Secular - bad" shelf. Obviously there are certain things that are firmly in one camp or another, but I generally think that more of us Christians could be more discerning and think more critically as we evaluate things around us to determine the bad and good in something. To ponder the elements that can be redeemed and used for loving others around us, and/or how those elements can help us further awe in and glorify our creative, beautiful, and just God.

Summer Update Part II

In our last electronic one way conversation, I still had my trips to Seattle, LA/San Diego, and Austin ahead, and Michael had just started a new job. Picking up where we left off...

Seattle

Girls weekend! It was so refreshing spending time with good friends - catching up, eating delectable food here and here, exploring Ballard. I've been friends with those girls since my freshman year of college, and even though all of us have gone down very different roads, we remain close.

Los Angeles/San Diego

As settled in Texas as I am, I still breathe a sigh of contentedness and just feel "home" when I go back to Southern California. I treasure my time with family when I'm home. This time around I also got to enjoy my first bridesmaid experience for my dear friend Erin's wedding. It was such a fun few days, and her wedding was fun and beautiful.

Austin

Just a couple days after I returned from California, I was off again for a week to the Lake Travis/Austin area with Michael's mom, aunt, and three sisters. We stayed in a gorgeous house with an unobstructed lake view and negative edge pool. Ahhh I miss that pool. It was quite an exhausting week to be honest though. I get along great with Michael's family, but still as the only "in-law" present, I'm still getting to know everyone better and it's just tiring staying on your toes the whole week, trying to be intentional with every conversation, etc. I think I was also just missing Michael. So it was tiring, but I do feel like I got to know them better and it was still an enjoyable trip.

Michael's job endeavors

So Michael's job I told you about? He quit that one after about a month. It just wasn't working out. Michael has also wanted to start his own business for some time, and we figured if we're going to do something like that, now is the time. We have the time, money, and kidlessness to pull it off (with God's help). So, through a series of circumstances, Michael has now bought a big truck and 3-4 car hauling trailer, and he'll be hauling cars around the Houston area for dealers and auctions and such. It's been a lot of work for him - getting a business license, insurance stuff, registering with the city/county/state, etc., and spending all our money haha :) but it's exciting! I'm glad that he'll be able to choose his hours and do something he enjoys!

Busy Bees

This summer has been a whirlwind! We're normally pretty boring and hardly ever busy, but it seems like so much has happened in the past few months. Here's the rundown in a few chronological bullet points:

• Hawaii/LA trip & Michael news - At the end of May we headed off for a vacation to Hawaii then LA with my family. While on this trip, Michael found out he did not get into the physical therapy assistant program he was going for. I guess a Bachelor's degree, observation hours at a good hospital, and straight A's in all the pre-reqs just isn't enough. It was disappointing news after he had worked so hard the past two semesters, but we trusted that God had it all figured out - in His sovereignty, nothing is wasted.
• Bryan housebuilding trip & Cheryl news - A week after getting back from LA, we were off to Bryan/College Station for two weeks to help frame a house for a church who has a ministry to women in need. Michael and some guys from our church worked tirelessly for two weeks to get this house framed to perfection. It was a really fun and productive trip. We made some new friends and strengthened existing relationships. While on this trip I found out that my hours with CHF would most likely be cut back from full time to part time starting in August. We said, "Okay, Lord" and started praying for a job for Michael. It's actually all worked out though. Even though my hours are being reduced, I'm going to independent contractor status, giving me more freedom in when and how I work - a definite plus!
• Schlitterbahn! - A week after the Bryan trip we took a short overnight trip to Schlitterbahn, a giant waterpark near San Antonio, with a family from church. We hadn't spent a lot of time with them and enjoyed getting to know them. The husband is an astronaut and Navy pilot, so it was neat hearing about some of his experiences. Oh and we had SO much fun at the waterpark. Who doesn't love waterslides? Only crazy people.
• Family time - Michael's parents came in from Saudi Arabia around this time so we spent a couple weekends hanging out with family.
• Moving! - Throughout all this, we've been putting together plans to move onto Michael's grandma's property. She lives about 45 minutes south of us on about two acres with a house and a couple large storage spaces separate from the house. Through a long process, it was decided that we would clear everything out of one of the garages (which is about the same square footage as our current apartment) and build out living quarters so Michael and I could move in and be just 50 feet away from his Grandma if she needed anything. The whole deal will be a blessing for her and us! Michael got to draw up the plans and everything, and it's been fun to design the space. It's exciting because it'll be the first "house" Michael and I live in. We've been in apartments since we've been married, so I'm looking forward to having our own place, even though it's not "ours" and we'll have to move out in a few years when they sell the property. Anyway, the construction will be done in the next couple weeks and we'll be moved in by September 5.
• New job - God is gracious and has (relatively) quickly provided a job for Michael. It's a job with an oilfield services company and we'll see where it goes. For now though, we're just thankful that Michael has a job! We just returned from a three day trip to Victoria, Texas, (there's nothing to do there) where Michael got some preliminary safety training for work. Safety first!

To be continued...So that's been our summer so far, and we've got more adventures ahead! Over the next month or so, I'm helping out with a VBS kids club at my apartment complex, we're packing and moving, and I've got trips to Seattle, LA and San Diego, and Austin planned. With everything going on, I'm actually thankful for the reduction in my work hours. I'm looking forward to all my trips and also just having more time in general.

In all this we've been thankful to God for his faithfulness in providing so many things over the past few months and look forward to whatever lies ahead!