For the Love...

...OF LISTS!! Starting April 19, 2011 - my 29th birthday - I will begin checking things off my 30 before 30 list! 30 things to check of a list before the big Thirty, Flirty and Thriving Birthday!! (I can't believe it's a year from now! I hear 30 is the new 20!!)

1. Prepare a 3 course meal and make it a party!


2. Read my Bible from cover to cover


3. Spontaneous Roadtrip


4. Run a full marathon (please let it be the Houston Chevron Marathon!!)


5. Write HANDWRITTEN letters to VIP's in my life


6. Camp out on the beach


7. Ride a tandem bike


8. Paint Something(s) with purpose (like something someone would want to hang in their house)


9. More Picnics Please


10. Play in the rain


11. Get a gym membership and use it (complete as of 4.4.11 - a head start)


12. Get out of debt and stay out FOREVER AND EVER!! soooo close!


13. Take family pictures


14. Braces


15. Submit cards to Hallmark (I've gotta figure out how)


16. Begin learning about graphic design


17. Attend a professional football game


18. FINISH the DANG Christmas QUILT!!


19. Write and illustrate a kids book - homemade books are so fun!


20. Lose at least 10 pounds (no, i don't ALWAYS think I'm fat - yes, running is easier when you're lighter)


21. facebook less - JOURNAL MORE! (not sure how to measure this)


22. Parasailing! (been skydiving and paragliding...now I need to add water!)


23. Run the San Antonio Half


24. BUY A CAMERA AND GO PICTURE CRAZY! (yeah - I don't have one!)


25. Take a trip to someplace where I can HIKE at an incline rather than flatness (most likely Guate!)


26. Go to the Texas State Fair


27. ZIP LINING!! (if I can manage jumping off the platform!)






30. Plan and execute a FUN 30th Birthday Bash!

Okay - You noticed it's not finished. Maybe I'll do something cool, crazy or meaningful, add it to the list and then check it off! Does that count? Or maybe you could suggest something that is relatively inexpensive. 2 slots.

Ezra 2 - Places and People

I'll be the first to admit that I did not expect to get so much out of a list of names! There was an awesome girl who read through these names in chapter 2 as though she were reading simple names like John, Sam, Phillip, etc. Seriously. I was impressed and tried doing it myself, but - if I'm honest - I need loads more practice.

Anyway - yes, when we get to scripture like Ezra 2, we have a tendency to skip over it...okay, I HAVE THE TENDENCY TO SKIP OVER IT. But as my teacher mentioned - don't neglect their importance.

And seriously - I love this. Yes - after 70 years of captivity, God sent a ton of people to go back home to rebuild the temple. And not just people - He sent individuals and named them one by one to their HOME!! It was a promise kept from long before!!

In class, we discussed how places are where redemption happens. God meets us where we are. That is what distinguishes JESUS from any other god around. When God meets us in a certain place, it becomes sacred. Not for the place itself to become an idol but for it to provide a marker...or a stone.

He also calls us individually to the place where we are!! YOU! ME! My Neighbor!! Examples of that are all over scripture, but we stuck with John 20 when Mary is looking for Jesus at the tomb. She was desperate to find Him... The conversation looks like this:

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

Acts 9 shows how God called Paul (then Saul) by name:

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

He called Mary and Saul BY NAME! He did the same for every individual going back home to rebuild their place! He has called you and me INDIVIDUALLY! And the question stands - are we listening??

I don't know if it's true for you, but I have a place(s). And if you do PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT IT in the comments!! I love listening to stories like this.

My Places:

1. Bolivar, MO! Funny how I always say that I don't really want to go back - and maybe it's because it's the people who made it (most of whom I keep in touch with). But it is a very special place. It is where my faith grew exponentially and I saw my God do a great work in the most obvious ways in my life. He hit me with a ton of bricks there! And within Bolivar there are places - like Dunnegan Park, Woody-Gott Hall, Beasley Hall, the cross in the middle of campus, Brenda's Cafe! :O)
2. Guatemala! Where do I even begin with this one? My heart truly longs for this place. And sometimes aches. (tears...) Here is a place that was introduced to me while I was in college. I've had the privilege of going back since and will hopefully will continue to go as much as I possibly can! My joy in finding hearts EVERYWHERE began in Guatemala, on one of those days that I was desperate for confirmation on something. The confirmation came through a heart shaped leaf flapping in the wind! I still have that leaf! And I've found many more hearts since reminding me of God's faithfulness in the midst of struggle. Within this place are individuals that I love VERY much! I love their hugs, their laughter, their personalities, their struggles, their JOY...Hearing their stories and their strength through Christ alone and their resilience to endure what life has thrown at them...I could go on forever! Driving into the campus makes my heart skip a beat!!
3. The mountains in Korea! Gyeryongsan
4. PRISON! They call me "Trouble" there (at least a couple classes did). I haven't been since becoming a teacher... Anyway, there are AMAZING stories of redemption! Even now, that I'm not so involved, I still hear stories of redemption from both the brothers and the leaders and I praise the Lord for using this brokenness to bring this incredible beauty!
5. And most recently Austin, TX during the LiveSTRONG Half Marathon. Sharing it with Adela Cordova - someone I don't know if I'll ever see again in my life, and the Van Zandt's was truly special! He seriously MET me there on SOOOO many levels. I've been telling my family that I feel like I now have an emotional attachment to that race.

The coolest part about all this is that it really isn't about US!! When we are called to GO to the place where are called we are more than likely to come BACK home. And when we do we tell of the glory of God. The work that He does when He meets us where we are is something to be shouted from roof-tops!!

Even now, I have to remind myself that where I am is where God has me and He longs to bring redemption to individual people there right now! I want it too!!

So it's your turn! Share! Please!

Ezra 1 - History

(Pardon me - I've had the flu all week and this is an attempt to do something to work myself out of it if that's possible. I know that it's not. But anyway...)


Okay so before you go on and read what's on this blog, you should read Ezra 1.


The overly simplified version:

The Jews were in captivity. The King Persia - King Cyrus - was not a believer, however he was charged with rebuilding the temple of Jerusalem. Not only does King Cyrus lets the Jews go, but he provides the materials necessary for them to rebuild the temple. However, not all of them decide they want to return.


This is a reminder to the Jews that God fulfills his promises (Gen. 50:24).


Questions I have:
1. What is this scripture showing us about God?
2. Why didn't everyone go back? Would it be considered disobedience if they didn't? Can this/should this cause tension within the people?
3. What are the different viewpoints affecting the decisions being made? (King Cyrus, The Persians, The Jews who went home, The Jews who stayed behind)
4. How does this story in history parallel to what is going on today in our world? How are we supposed to respond?

EZRA - An Introduction

So - I started going to a brand spanking new bible study class at my church (in December) and we're going to be studying the book of Ezra for the coming weeks - okay - months. I volunteered to blog through the study...which I'm beginning to wonder what I've gotten myself into.

While the enthusiasm of blogging my way through the book of Ezra is there, it is slightly overshadowed by the fact that I don't really know about Ezra (perhaps that's the whole point) and that there isn't much exposure to it like let's say Philipians or something. The cool thing about this study is the structure the teacher implemented.

We are going to take each chapter and we are going to look at the history and look for current events that relate. And secondly, we're going to look at the theology, and look at how it's played out in church history.

I may be in over my head. But here it goes...

LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon and Half Marathon

Before I forget any details about a race that is already a blur, I want to write it all down! It's going to be in list form because seriously this mile by mile thing isn't going to happen this time around. The race was hard from the start!!

1. All of my plans prior to the actually race were falling through, I was really tempted to stay home. My very dear friend, my sistah Ang, was unable to come with me. I have taken many trips alone, but for not being prepared to be alone, I was in a bit of a crisis before leaving to Austin. During my drive, I prayed for consolation, for a new friend, to run into someone, for someone to somehow figure out a way to meet me in Austin...
   
   And lo and behold, driving down I-10 to Austin, the Van Zandt's honk and wave! I was SO HAPPY!! VERY HAPPY! My friend David Van Zandt passed away recently and I've known his family for a while, but never had much interaction with them as much as I did with David, except for his mom Patti. Anyway - it was really sweet how it was a divine dinner plan!
   
   The Van Zandt's are LOADS of fun! Their high pitch brother/sister banter and the teasing of their mom had me smiling the rest of the night while I prepared for the race.
   
   
2. I woke up at 3:45. Why? I have no idea. It was way before my alarm went off...okay, only 30 minutes, but still. I was out of the door by 4:30, ready to encounter serious traffic!! I mean, there were only 20,000 people running. Well, there was no traffic...and I was the first at the bag check...and probably one of four runners taking pictures at the Capitol Building at 5:30 in the morning. The good thing about this is that I got the BEST free parking spot EVER!!
   
   
3. There was a woman from Monterrey, Mexico that I ran into while we waited for the race to start. It started at 7. We didn't cross the starting line until 7:20. Conversation with her was awesome - we had a lot in common. That was the last I saw of her.
   
   
4. For the life of me, I cannot remember if we had just crossed or were about to cross the start line...This woman tripped and fell. She was going to get up and start back up, but her knee cap was off to the side. She cried for both the pain and the disappointment of not running this race. I felt so bad for her, and hope her recovery will allow her to run again!
   
   
5. A few minutes into mile one, I heard THE SONG! The song that makes me feel like I'm in a movie with me skipping around and doing twirls. Are you ready? ..........DANCING QUEEN! :o)
   
   
6. From here on out, I have no idea how each mile went. It's really all a blur. The hills are brutal! BRUTAL!!
   
   
7. Mile 9 is the only one I can remember! There were loads of people in the yellow LIVESTRONG shirts and yellow banners with a bold black font with words like: Strength! Courage! Finish! And the roads were written all over using chalk with stuff like: You're Stronger than You think! You can do this! Finish strong!
   
   At this point I thought, I can't believe I'm running another half. I was really close to doing a beauty queen cry!! The kind where you flap your hand and tears start welling up in your eyes.
   
   Races are amazing! (Which reminds me that there are a lot of people out there with amazing stories! This man wore a shirt that said: "One day I will not be able to run, but today I CAN!" He's been diagnosed with a muscle something or other and in a few years he'll be in a wheel chair.)
   
   
8. I ran into another lady from Monterrey! She was running the full marathon! We gave each other pep talks and got to talk a picture together before our courses split. I can't wait to see if they post it on the website!! She was a gem!
   
   
9. At mile 11, I think, there is a NASTY...I mean - NASTY incline! I didn't train very well for hills, so I wasn't going to fool myself into running this. I walked it. An older lady had her husband give her a piggy back ride. It was kinda funny because she was holding her boobs in place the whole time until she got on her husbands back...hahaha! Anyway - on that hill, I prayed for God to please help me get through this. I was ready to sit it out. I started singing Star Smith's Song - I am Strong in the Lord. When I got to the top, I did a little skip and started running! It was AMAZING to conquer that beast!
   
   
10. When I turned the corner and saw the finish line, I think I was in shock. I did a SPRINT for what it was worth! Where that energy comes from I have NO idea! But it's amazing!
    
    
11. Word of advice: If you ever run a race like this, take cash and wait for a massage! HEAVEN! I actually drooled!! HAHAHA!!
    
    
12. My car was only a few steps from the massage tent. PRAISE GOD! If you know me at all, you know very well, I'm directionally challenged! This was seriously the perfect parking spot!! I pulled out all of my food from my trunk to the passengers seat and headed for home.
    
    
13. The official finishing time for me was: 3:08:24. Sure, it was slower than my last half (Jan. 17 - 2.45), but I am seriously not at all upset by it! I am SOOOO very proud and thankful that I was able to finish.
    a. I didn't train as much for this one because I was recovering from my ever aching feet from the last race.
    b. HILLS KILL!
    c. The wind will slow you down.
    d. I FINISHED!
    
    
    AND - I have officially accomplished on of my 2011 goals!! YESSSS! I think I'll do another one in the fall. I'll stick with 5 and 10k's until then. :o)
    
    Running is seriously amazing! I encourage you to do it!
    

He called me FAT!

This morning, I had an activity for my students to practice their spelling words one more time before taking the spelling test. When we were finished, I asked them to go back to their seats. In the middle of it all, an uproar began and this what took over my classroom...

Girl: OH MY GOD! WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT!? (immediate downpour of tears)

Boy 1: blank stare

Girl: MS. MARQUEZ, HE CALLED ME FAT!

Boy 1: No, I didn't.

Girl: YES YOU DID!! DON'T LIE!!

Ms. Marquez walks toward the girl to calm her down.

Girl: MS. MARQUEZ, HE CALLED ME FAT! (she stomps her foot on every syllable for emphasis)

Boy 2: Why are you so upset? You're so skinny!

Girl: BOYS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO CALL GIRLS FAT! IT'S SO...RUDE!

Ms. Marquez pulls her aside and tells her she's right. That it is rude for someone to say mean things, but she needs to SIMMER. (okay, I didn't say simmer...but I almost did.) Ms. Marquez patted her on the back and asked her to go to the CHAIR (the one Ms. Marquez sends her students to cool down - it needs a name). And so, I get everyone back in their seats ready and situated for the spelling test. Once everyone is set, Ms. Marquez walks up to both the girl and boy 1 asking for an apology and forgiveness conversation.

Girl: Ms. Marquez, everything is okay. While you and the other students were getting ready he apologized.

Welp, there you have it. Don't call girls fat.

Wow, February! Wow!

Who would have thought that February would start with such a bang!?

I'm currently praying for a 3.5 day weekend. Shhh...don't tell anyone - the prayer consists of steady drizzle in freezing temperatures....and safety for the "I don't know how to drive in freezing temperatures" Houston drivers.

And let the record also show, I'm expecting to build a snowman this Friday! I don't care how big (or SMALL) it turns out as long as I get snow....mmmmk. Thanks!!

*******
My not so selfish thoughts have me wondering what in the world homeless people are doing to keep themselves warm. I remember hearing at the beginning of the school year of how some students in the district I work in are HOMELESS! Can you imagine being an elementary school student without having the security of a nice warm place to sleep? OMG! I can't!

So, along with my selfish prayers, I also pray that these little ones are shielded from the unforgiving gusts of pure COLD! That they and their parents wouldn't lose hope...