MJ Trends

My favorite fashion trends...a la Michael Jackson

Strong shoulders...

Band Jackets...

SEQUINS!!

Oxfords

Gold Bodysuits

Yes, leather jackets and leggings

Magritte

Surrealist art project due tomorrow. Wanting to do something Magritte-esque.

Into The Wild

"The seas only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now, I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here, and I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong, but to feel strong, to measure yourself at least once, to find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone but nothing to help you but your hands and your own head."

"Some people feel like they don't deserve love. They walk away quietly into empty spaces, trying to close the gaps of the past."

"If we admit that life can be ruled by human reason, the possibility of life is destroyed."

"When you forgive, you love, and when you love, God's light shines on you."

A Way Out

The JC's Girls Ministry at the Rock ministers to strippers and prostitutes that are looking for a way out of the industry. These women go to all the strip clubs in San Diego to build relationships with these girls, to love them, pray for them, share the love of Jesus, and offer a way out of the industry if they wanted. Our all female small group felt called to do our service project to help the JC's Girls Ministry. The Ministry leaders let us know that they were in need of gift bags. These bags, usually have "girl" items such as nail polish, lip gloss, etc. and are given to the women in these clubs as a gift, to show them that Christ loves them, and if they wanted a way out of the industry, The Rock church was committed to help them. So our small group made bags for the ministry, and we all wrote a personal letter for each one.

Today, I went to my friend Nathalie's office to pick up the last two bags before I would go deliver the bags to the ministry. She told me she hadn't finished writing her letter, and was feeling unsure about what to write. She asked me to stay in the office, as she prayed that the Holy Spirit would help her write - and she wrote her letter. Afterwards, she shared with me what she wrote. In the letter, she said something like, "I know this may sound cucu, but God pursues you. I just want you to know that God loves you, He sees your joy and your pain, and if you want to turn to Him or seek Him, He will be waiting for you with open arms."

Afterwards, I took the last bags from Nathalie's office and I went into my car in the parking garage after work. I sat in my drivers seat and placed the bags on my passenger seat. I started to drive... then something flew by my face. I swatted my hand towards it and missed. As I looked at my driver's window, I saw that there was a lady bug on my window, crawling on the glass, trying to get out. I thought to myself, "How did a lady bug get into my car that was parked deep down in a parking garage?" Nevertheless, I drove to where there was fresh air, I rolled my window down a little, and quietly watched as this lady bug slowly crawled up to the top rim of my window then flew out.

Immediately, my heart sank. I asked, "God, are you trying to show me something?" And I heard God say to me, "There are so many more that are looking for a way out." What the JC's Girls Ministry does, from the letters of encouragement that Nathalie and all of us girls wrote... there are so many that want to be freed. This ladybug, flew straight to my window, it knew that my car wasn't where it was meant to live, meant to be. So to, have we found ourselves in environments and difficult circumstances where we want to be freed from, we want a way out. Like Nathalie said in her letter, Jesus truly pursues us because he is the way out! Jesus loved us so much, that he died for our sins, so that we may be accepted, while he was condemned. So that our soul could be counted free, while Jesus died and took the penalty, took the pain of our sin, our burdens. God offers us salvation, freedom from the fear of going to hell, the assurance of heaven - as long as we repent, believe and trust in Jesus.

The dictionary defines ransom as "The release of property or a person in return for payment of a demanded price." Jesus is our ransom. We are released. We are free. We are given a way out, while Jesus died on the cross to pay the price. Can you believe how much our God loves us? What an encouragement and blessing it is, that we don't have to be trapped to our sin or our circumstances, but that God has given us a way out.

Like the Mike Clark Band said at the Women's retreat, "What a privilege and great responsibility it is for us to be called Christ like, to be called Christians." Lord I pray that for those of us who are Christians, we would take that name with seriousness, that we would live up to the responsibility that you gave us - that we would continue to love others, and let others know about your love and your salvation.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

Make it 1000 Days of Summer!

Tom: What happens when you fall in love?

Summer: You believe in that?

Tom: It's love, it's not Santa Claus.

The real question of 500 Days of Summer is not, 'What happens when you fall in love?' but 'What happens when you fall in love with someone who doesn't believe in love?' 500 Days of Summer is a Fox Searchlight film directed by newcomer Marc Webb, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber (Pink Panther 2), and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun/10 Things I Hate About You) as Tom and Zooey Deschanel (Elf) as Summer. The film tells the story of Tom, a charmingly witty, and at times awkward yet romantic, greeting card writer who gave up on his dreams of becoming an architect. Tom falls in love with Summer, the receptionist at his work who is free spirited, constantly on the move, and not looking for love or commitment. 500 Days of Summer recaps the progression of their relationship - examining the joys and troubles of falling in love with someone who only sees you as a friend, but treats you like you are much much more than that. 500 Days of Summer is successful in it's ability to tell an unconventional story about love because it lets the audience into all the charmingly unique and personal moments and memories that a "couple" can have all with humor and insight.

The successes of the film rely on the script and direction - the counter dial takes you back and forth on the different days of their 500 day relationship. This romantic comedy contrasts between the seeming perfection of the relationship's beginning, contrasted to the struggles of the "falling out" and rocky periods of a relationship. Hearing Tom talk to his friends about Summer, hearing his thoughts about her, and seeing their charming memories of their everyday activities and conversations makes Tom a character to root for and Tom and Summer's romance something to root for. As an audience member you begin to feel for Tom, and want for Summer to change her mind of her pessimistic ideas of love and come to her senses and be with him. The film is a mixture between "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind," "Amelie,"  and the Jim and Pam romance of "The Office."

So what does happen when you fall in love with someone who wants everything to be casual, yet you let them deep into your life, and they let you into theirs? Is there really such a thing as a successful relationship with no title and no strings attached? Between the moments where you see there is hope that they'll change their mind and fall in love, and moments where you see that they don't want anything more than "friendship." 500 Days of Summer will answer it beautifully and have you laughing, hurting, and rejoicing along with Tom.

Like the trailer promises, it's not a love story. It's even better!

Blank Canvas

I feel like my head is full of ideas and thoughts and I just don't know how to express them!

blah blah blah.

 

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

Matthew 12:33-37

zannnng.