why now?

I don't deny that God plays a bigger part in my life than i like to acknowledge. I somehow like believing that all my big feats are done out of my own power. The truth is much more somber. The truth is that i've done nothing but whine about how hard the journey is. I'm happy enough to take the credit when it comes to it, even though i've done nothing but drag my feet the whole journey!

How did i manage to get to this spot in my life? Simply by God's grace. How will i move forward....probably kicking and screaming.

i'm back

I have finally reached my destination. After a mere three days in transit, i arrived in australia. As is usual my personality, i hit the ground running.

After nearly a week of searching we've found a place we want to get married in. It is a small (key word small) church near Wahroonga. Its beautiful. A perfect place for the wedding. Now we just have to get the church board to agree to let us use the church. (Its a Uniting Church instead of a Seventh-day Adventist Church)

Hopefully in the next couple of days i'll know for sure.

FYI

This is just a quick note to let you know i'll be traveling from Seattle to Sydney during the next several days. So posts from me will be scarce for a while. If you miss me a lot, go to the wedding blog and read the super long story about why God made strawberries. by the time you finish reading it...well, i'll problably still be traveling, but i'm sure you'll feel better about strawberries.

The Simpsons Movie

I've only been a fan for about 3 years and i know the show has been running for many years longer than that. Still, i can't help but feel a bit excited at the prospect of a MOVIE. Will it be just as good as the TV episodes? Will it still use social commentary to poke fun at societies faults? I know the answer to neither of these questions. I suppose i'll just have to wait for 2007 to find out.

Easter warning

easter
Originally uploaded by narnia_k.

its all fun and games til the bunny gets hit by a car...

My trip

Have you ever wondered about the oddness of your family? These last few days I was reminded with full force of the strange lineage from which I come.

My mother's side of the family had a family reunion. The strangeness began when we picked up my aunt.

My mother and her are 15 years apart (my aunt being the senior of the two). My Aunt Diane heckles my mother to get her to do what she wants. "turn here....no you've turned the wrong way. Go back!" It was like watching an I Love Lucy episode. Very funny.

Then we got to my Uncle Allen...I mean, Joseph's house. (he grew up being called Allen, his middle name, until he married his second wife a few years ago and then started going by his first name, Joseph) Trying to remember to call him, "uncle Joseph" was ridiculously difficult. Finally I realised he would need a nickname if I were ever to call him 'Joseph'. I finally settled on "SIR JOSEPH". Once I settle on that, it was easy.

I have not seen any of my cousins for years. The last time I saw them was easily over 10 years ago. Some of us have tried to keep in contact, but its hard. On this trip, I spoke with all of them. It was fabulous.

Jonathan was out of the army and looking for residency overseas (he and I are kindred spirits that way).

Chad had gotten married and had a child. Cari was getting ready to jetset off to India. She travels to a different country almost monthly it seems. Matthew is doing great with school. We celebrated his birthday and his eyes lit up when we told him we had presents!

Jim is happy in his law enforcement job. He is very proud of his 5 foot 11 inch tall 8th grade son who is being recruited to train for basketball at the high school. Brian is doing pretty well. He brought his daughter, Jasmine, for me to get to know. He has spoken about her constantly but I'd never had a chance to meet her. I loved her almost instantly. Her and I are now "best friends".

My trip was fabulous. I had forgotten how much I missed my family. I had forgotten how crazy they all could be. I had forgotten to some extent, where I come from. It was good to get re-connected.

because i'm bored

[A is for age]:
24

[B is for booze of choice]:
not a fan of any of it

[C is for career]:
journalist

[D is for your dog's name]:
I don't have a dog, but my mother's dogs are Indy and Misha

[E is for essential item you use everyday]:
hairbrush

[F is for favorite song at the moment]:
smack my bitch up

[G is for favorite games]:
bejewelled

[H is for Hometown]:
Hometown implies that i have a home...currently i don't.

[I is for instruments you play]:
radio

[J is for favorite flavor of juice]:
kewi strawberry

[K is for kids]:
0...and hopefully it will stay that way.

[L is for last hug]:
mum

[M is for marriage]:
16 July 2006

[N is for name of your crush]:
Christopher Thiele

[O is for overnight hospital stays]:
None

[P is for phobias]:
creepy-crawly sorts of things that don't go away

[Q is for quote]:
"To everything there is a season..."

[R is for biggest regret]:
i don't think i have any regrets

[S is for State]:
New South Wales

[T is for time you wake up]:
7am ish

[U is for underwear]:
Yes, I do wear them

[V is for vegetable you love]:
califlower

[W is for worst habit]:
whinging

[X is for x-rays you've had]:
hand, chest, teeth

[Y is for yummy food you make]:
pick a pasta

[Z is for zodiac sign]:
aquarius

(thanks to lindsey for this little bordem killer)

Robots

If you clicked the previous link, you probably saw the huge church that used human bones as decorations. This link isn't nearly as depressing. In fact i find it much more on the side of amusing.
enjoy

strange...

Check this out

see why i don't want babies?

Taiwan

Today is the day for researching my tourist activities in Taipei Taiwan.

Due to a 16 hour lay-over there, i want to know the sorts of things i can go see!

So far i've already decided that a trip to the National Palace Museum is definately on the books. The shilin night market also looks interesting, although i'm not sure i'll be there late enough to catch it. I would also like to see some temples...but i'm not really sure if i'm allowed...

So help me out. what am i missing? Is there any place i should especially look into going while i'm there?

Prayer

A new study has found that prayer does not heal people who have just gone through heart surgery. There were three control groups. (Group A) One group of patients knew they were being prayed for. (Group B) One group who didn't know they were having prayer, and the last (Group C) did not receive prayer at all. The group that knew they were being prayed for had more complications from the surgery than those who either didn't know they were being prayed for or weren't prayed for at all. 52% of patients in groups B & C had heart complications. In group A, however, 59% of the patients had complications.

What are Christians taking away from this study? Some are saying that we can't use science to measure religion. Others are saying that we can't control God through prayer.

Outside the religious world, this idea of praying for the sick is being ridiculed as now "proven fact" that prayer doesn't work.

In a world based on "facts" I say there are too many coincidences for me to believe that miracles are accidents of nature. If prayer can not be quantified by science, I can still pray. After all, God is not a tame god that I can take out and play with. Neither is he a genie that gives be special favours when I pray, read my Bible, and pay tithe. My prayers, my spiritual walk, my God MUST be bigger than science or my prayers, my spiritual walk, my god are nothing more than trinkets.

check check

My to-do list before leaving to come back to Oz on 16 Apirl 2006

• finish all sewing projects
• Carefully pack wedding dress and computer in handy dufflebag
• Pack clothing and bridesmaid capes together in checked luggage case
• buy sexy swimsuit for honeymoon
• clean room
• return library books
• Send out invitations to USA reletives and friends
• don't panic