Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are....

I often wonder about the individuals who come across this blog, especially those "invisible" readers who frequent my little corner of the blogosphere.  Now I know that I haven't had over 16,500 hits over the last five years for nothing.  Whenever I check my blog's stats on Stat Counter I know there are individuals who frequently return to read my oftentimes, nonsensical, musings. My curious mind wants to know who YOU are, so please....COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE....

I know you're out there....reveal thyself.

Sacred In The Ordinary Part 9

1. As I mentioned before in my previous post, the last few months have been nothing short of challenging. The summersaw the state of Pennsylvania in a budget crisis which affected state workers and its vendors. My place of employment is one of Philly's many vendors and so consequently, there was no cash flowing into my agency. Hence, I didn't get paid for almost a month. Then the fall brought in another set of challenges when my roommate decided to break our lease (which automatically renewed at the end of July) because she wanted to live by herself. Was I angry? Hell yeah. Unfortunately I was unable to find a new roommate to move in and so I had to scramble to find a new place to live It was heartbreaking. But in the midst of this chaos, God was working and moving. Even when I could not see it at the time, God, in His infinite love and mercy provided for me, protected me, and comforted me.

2. I almost moved back to Camden on my old street in a house with my former roommate and very close friend, Lisa. There was an empty bedroom available at her place as one of her roommates moved out and so it seemed like perfect timing when I needed to find a new place to live. Location wise, it wasn't ideal because that meant I would have to drive over the Ben Franklin Bridge every day into Philly and pay the $4 toll. Well, about a week before moving day, my friend Alissa, called and asked me if I was interested in moving into South Philly with her and another guy, Zach. Talk about a last minute decision! Thankfully Lisa was so gracious and supportive of my decision to stay in Philly.

3. I am so thankful for my community of friends, from church and outside of church, who walked alongside me and supported me through the insanity of not getting paid,and helping me pack and move into my new place. I felt so encouraged and loved by these amazing friends.

4. A bedroom I can literally call a "sanctuary" even in the midst of boxes and knick-knacks I still have yet to unpack.

5. Georgie, my faithful furry companion, who has remained my constant through all the changes and the craziness of the last 4 months.

Still Here....

Some have wondered if I've ceased to exist. I haven't. Just lots going on in the last 4 months and consequently my blog has remained untouched. The creative juices haven't been flowing therefore the motivation to post has been close to nil. BUT...I haven't given up on this blog yet! I am determined to be more consistent with this, really I am.

You've Got Mail.....

is one of my all time favorite movies. I know it's somewhat cheesy and totally predictable, but from the time I watched it in the big screen over 10 years ago, I fell in love with the quirky and lovable characters, Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox. I was thinking of all the great quotes from the movie, humorous, poignant, and yes, even identifiable. So right now I am identifying with this one particular quote from the move:

Kathleen Kelly: Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.

Cupcakes!

I baked chocolate mocha cinnamon cupcakes last weekend for my good friend, Laura's, birthday and I must say that I was quite proud of the results. So in response to my sweet friend Anna's request, I'm posting pictures of the butterfly cupcakes I baked and decorated for Laura. Here you go...

Better Late Than Never

I snatched this picture from my brother's blog because I don't have any pictures of my mom from her younger years. Lem, pictured here when he was about 2 years old, posted this picture up in his blog the other day and I have to say it's one of my favorite ones of her. It captures the essence of my mom - and if you look closely, you can see it in her eyes.

Happy Mother's Day Ma! I love you to bits!

Sacred In The Ordinary - Part 8

It's been a while since I've posted my ongoing "Sacred In The Ordinary", so here you go.....

1. My anxiety levels have shot up in the last few weeks and rightly so because it's that time of the year where I face the unknown once again. Will I stay or will I go? My work visa expires at the end of the month and so I will be once again trekking up to Niagara Falls to renew my Trade NAFTA (TN) visa at the border. This particular visa is good for only one year, hence, my yearly road trips up north. And of course each time I go renew it, I run the risk of getting a big fat NO from the Trade NAFTA Specialist at the border because the TN is only supposed to be a temporary visa.

I've been getting this visa for the last 6-7 years.

In my head I know that God is in control of the situation, however it's not resonating in my heart. I need to rest...I need to trust...I need to surrender.

"Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings
Thine is love indeed!" - Jean S. Pigott, 1876

2. Last night I got together with my friend Bethany who lives around the corner from me and also goes to my church. She is in the process of raising support to work as a long-term missionary in Mundri, Sudan. Bethany has lived in Africa, teaching in Uganda, leading interns through her job at World Harvest , while traveling back and forth from the US, preparing for the work that God is calling her to do there. What incredible grace that God has given this dear friend of mine as she moves forward in obedience to minister to the people of this war-ravaged county. It was so encouraging to hear Bethany's heart and her passion to work with the women and children who have suffered much trauma and loss in this country. It's also given me a fresh perspective of my own life here in North America, where I tend to get caught up in "stuff", complaining about not having enough "stuff", worrying about finances, arguing over petty grievances with family members, etc...and the list could go on and on. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" (Matt 16:26)
In looking at the bigger picture, attaining material goods or status is useless because it offers no certainties, not permanent security, or no lasting inheritance. Only Jesus can.

3. This will probably be mentioned quite a bit during the summer months, but I have to say that I am starting to have this love affair with Philly Flavors, which boasts the best of Philly's Italian Ice. And I concur! Move over Rita's Water Ice.......Philly Flavors, here I come! They also serve ice cream sundaes, soft ice cream, milk shakes, yogurt ice cream...the works!

4. Philly Flavors is about a good 15-20 minute walk from my place and so with Georgie in tow, Bethany and I walked over to Julie's place to pick her up for a water ice/ice cream run last night. Walking down Fairmount Avenue with my sweet friends gave me this sense of joy that can only come from Jesus. What precious gifts these women as they offer their friendships and share their lives with me. I am so thankful for them.

5. Friday nights when I can sit in front of the television in a vegetative state after a very long week. Sounds a bit loserish, but I really don't care. In fact, I was so excited to just be able to tune out life for a few hours and immerse myself in something totally unrelated to child welfare.

April Showers

I had my good friend Liz over for dinner earlier this evening, satiating our palates with this yummy new recipe that I found in my Real Simple magazine, chicken with tarragon and leeks. Before I went into work this morning I dumped most of the ingredients in the crock-pot and let it work its magic throughout the day. It was delish! Super easy to make and yet incredibly tasty. I am so in love with crock pots!

So I'm assuming the picture above has some of you scratching your heads. Yes, I know we look like a couple of missionaries in Afghanistan. But that is not the case. After dinner Liz and I decided to head out to Philly Flavors for some water ice, with Georgie on hand. Given that there were thunderclouds overhead, we were somewhat in denial that it would start raining during our walk down to Fairmount Avenue. Well wouldn't you know, it starts to pour as we walked along Brown Street, right behind Eastern State Penitentiary. We had on our scarves (both gifts from friends of mine who brought the scarves back to the States from Uganda and Kenya), so we wrapped them around our heads to avoid getting soaked. Smart, I know. Thankfully we were only a few blocks away from my good friends, Jonny and Laura's place, so we booked it to their block. Their house was a blessed sight and fortunately they were both home! We looked like a couple of drowned rats and Jonny in his Irish brogue stated that we looked like Muslim missionaries going door to door. That, of course, was not the case. All we wanted was an umbrella to borrow for the 6 block walk back to my place. It was all very amusing, for Jonny and Laura of course. And as we walked away with umbrella in hand, a fond farewell of "Goodbye Burqua girls" was declared by Jonny. Smart-ass that he is. :D

Laughter ensued for the rest of our walk back to my place. Both soaked and disheveled, we decided that it probably was a "kodak moment" which we needed to capture. It was good times. Good times.

Sacred In The Ordinary - Part 7

1. I just got back from home group and while the discussion was somewhat cerebral, I left feeling cherished and so delighted upon by the One who designed me.

2. Over the last 6 or so months, been feeling somewhat restless and discouraged with this season of life that I'm in. I had this idealized notion of where my life should be at this stage: married, raising a family, career mom, 2.5 kids, living the cultured and seemingly aware urban life, etc... But alas, these intimations have not come into fruition. And with that, I have questioned, "Has God forgotten me?" I know He hasn't. I suppose it's all about perspective. God has been teaching me how to look at things with a grateful heart, no matter what season of life I'm in. And for now, He has placed me here in Philly to give hope and joy to the children and families I am working with. With that, He has also surrounded me with this amazing community of believers who sharpen and challenge me, yet at the same time show me in so many ways Jesus' love.

3. Walks along Kelly Drive with Georgie.

4. "Creation Appreciation" along Kelly Drive. And I'm not talking about the flowers and the trees here. ;)

5. Silly emails and bantering back and forth with my good friend Iowagirl, (who also works with me). I think of Iowagirl whenever I read this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.

Sacred In The Ordinary Pt. 6

It was a very long work day as I had to give a training for prospective foster parents and adoptive families this evening. I just got home about 45 minutes ago. I would have arrived home earlier had it not been for the fact that I drove in circles around my neighborhood for about 20 minutes looking for parking. So all I want to do right now is complain about how crappy my day has been, rant about the people who've seriously annoyed me today, and bemoan the fact that I'm feeling like my life is absolute crap at the minute.

But, I won't.

I figured this is probably the best time for me to think about the "Sacred In The Ordinary", the grace that's been afforded to me today and even in the last few days, no matter how shitty of a day I've had. So here goes.....

1. So I had a dental appointment today, which I usually look forward to every six months. Yes, call me somewhat demented, but I've always liked going to the dentist. The crazy thing is, as a child, I had many dental problems which of course resulted in many trips to the dentist. Some of my dental issues as a kid were fairly serious, what with some surgeries and tooth extractions that I had to endure. (Hey, I was an immgrant kid coming from a country where I did not receive proper dental care!) Was I traumatized? No. I think it was my childhood dentist, Dr. Kennedy, who made going to the dentist a relatively "positive" experience. He specialized in pediatric dentistry, which in all likelihood is probably the reason why going to the dentist does not give me the shakes. He was that good. But I digress. I love my current dentist, Dr. Nepa, and his most awesome staff! They really do make going to the dentist quite painless and enjoyable, with their welcoming smiles and friendly chatter. Yes, call me weird. Anyways, after an x-ray, a quick scaling, a jiffy polishing, and a refreshing rinse, I was finished. And no, I do not have any cavities. My dentists loves me. :)

2. Drinking an ice cold Yeungling Beer with my friend Liz on Friday night, while she gave me a detailed account of what causes an inverted uterus. If you watched ER last Thursday night then you'll know what I'm talking about. And yes, Liz used to be a labour and delivery nurse at HUP (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania). Let's say that it was a gripping conversation. I really ought to think about becoming a nurse because I seriously find this kind of stuff fascinating.

3. Sunday afternoon naps with my sweet Georgie burrowed under the blankets at the foot of my bed.

4. My mom is on vacation at the moment, visiting with her youngest sister and her family in San Diego, CA. My brother and his wife are also with her on this trip. Mom called me the other day, just to let me know that she and Lem were driving through Sunset Boulevard on Rodeo Drive. As many times as mom's visited LA, she has never driven through Rodeo Drive. She had such delight in her voice, I found it so incredibly amusing.

5. It is now almost an hour after I started typing this post, where at the start I wanted to bite someones head off. Now, I'm actually smiling as I finish typing up this post. I guess this is another example of Sacred in the Ordinary? :)

Have a good night everyone!

Sacred In The Ordinary - Part 5

1. So Philly was walloped by a nor'easter last Sunday night, which lasted into Monday. We apparently got about 4-6 inches of snow. It's funny how the entire city shuts down when it snows and people stay in from work because of their fear of driving in the snow. I was one apparent "crazy" ones who braved the roads and drove into the office. My job is about a 5 minute drive from my place and I didn't think the roads weren't going to be all that bad; all I had to do is drive really slowly and cautiously. I arrived at the office safely around 9:30 AM and there were many a parking spots right next to our building!

2. The reason why there was so many available parking spots at work was because there only about 10 of us brave souls who drove into work. Yes, we are committed social workers. :) Nevertheless, it was actually really nice to work in a very quiet office that day. No distractions and no phones ringing off the hook.

3. Driving home from a client’s home last Wednesday, my car suddenly decided to break down in the middle of the 95. So lovely. What’s even lovelier is that my Triple A membership expired not to long ago and I kept putting off renewing it. Smart, huh? Nonetheless, my good friend, Iowagirl, came to the rescue with her Triple A card and a ride home. The tow truck came and towed my car to the garage.

4. The reason why my car decided to break down was because the timing belt needed to be replaced. So I am $470 poorer, but at least my car is safe to drive.

5. Phone calls from my younger cousin, Hormone Happy Boy (remember him?), checking up on me. This kid makes me laugh with his crazy antics. I love him to pieces.

Sacred In The Ordinary - Part 4

1. Sunday brunch with good friends this morning at Laura and Julie's place. Our friend, Jenna, moved back to Reading, PA (about 2 hours away) last September for graduate school and she was in Philly for the day. Laura had invited a group of us to head to hers and Julie's place for brunch after church so we could catch up with Jenna. There were seven of us seated around Laura and Julie's dining room table, eating this amazing brunch that Laura cooked for us. As we were sitting around the table, laughing and sharing crazy stories of dates we've been on, I was struck with this incredible feeling of thankfulness. As I looked around the table at each of these women, I must say that I am so incredibly blessed to have these wonderful friendships and to have them walk alongside me in this journey called life.

2. Watching Georgie running maniacally around the dog park earlier this afernoon and secretly amused that she can outrun most of the dogs chasing her. That's my girl!!! :D

3. Winning 3rd place on Eddo's trivia game on his blog. I was hoping for first place, which was a $100 dollar gift card to Best Buy, a $50 dollar gift card to iTunes, and a $50 dollar gift card to Target (total of $200!!!). I was blowing up his blog with senseless comments so I could win. I came in 3rd, which is a $25 gift card from Starbucks. Am I complaining? Not in the least. I am happy that I can load up on $25 worth of legalized stimulants! :D

4. While I am not a huge fan of snow, especially in the city where it ends up turning into this ugly grayish/black slush, I am currently enjoying watching the snow fall outside. Maybe we'll get a snow day tomorrow!

5. Serving communion at my church's morning worship service. Unlike most churches, my church, Liberti, serves communion every week as opposed to serving it on the first Sunday of every month. I love the fact that Liberti serves communion every week because I believe that we continually need to remember Christ's sacrifice for us and that it is an integral part of worship.

Sacred In The Ordinary - Part 3

1. Sharing a bottle of red wine with close friends, Iowagirl and Irishgirl. I had two and a half glasses of red wine and they insisted that I was a bit "happy". Not. :D

2. Loud and raucous laughter with said close friends.

3. Close friends who take an interest in yours trulys love life. Or shall we say, lack of a love life? Irishgirl and Iowagirl signed me up on Christian Cafe. Oh. Joy. Nonetheless, I must say that these two crazy women are my lifelines and I am so blessed to have them in my life.

4. When you're living and working in the city, parking is one hot commodity. Especially at my office. Fortunately my office has some parking spaces, although limited, they ARE spaces where social workers can park for FREE. The thing about these parking spaces, in order to grab a spot close to the office building, I would need to arrive at the office before 9:00 AM. Or else I would have to park at the parking lot two blocks away (which is almost always full!) or drive circles around the vicinity in order to find a parking spot. The latter is most frustrating, especially when the only available spots are meter parking. And naturally the longest you can stay parked at a meter parking spot is abut 4 hours. Which brings up another issue...I mean, who carries enough quarters to feed the meter so you can park for four hours? But I digress. So yesterday I arrived at the office around 9:30 AM and lo and behold.....I found an empty parking spot right next to my office building!!! RIGHT NEXT TO IT!!! Now that's what I call sacred! :)

5. A scrumptious dinner out with my sweet Irish friend, Laura, at the Olive Garden where we only had to pay $12 for a $35 dinner because of the gift card I received last November for being social worker of the month at my job. :D

Sacred In The Ordinary - Part 2

1. A long conversation with my dearest friend, Helen, who inspires and challenges me. She is an incredible mother full of grace and much love for those around her. She is my biggest cheerleader and my best friend.

2. Wednesday "Lost" nights with Kim and Bethany. Tonight was an especially sweet time of fellowship as we shared a meal together before the show and exchanged knitting tips. Yes, we are a bunch of old ladies!

3. A memory of my very first mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico when I was 16 years old. "Serve '89", what a life-changing experience.

4. Sharing my M&M's with my crazy cubicle mate, Roy, who has the most impeccable timing in making me roll with laughter with his crazy antics. It always comes at a time when I am most stressed and in need of an outlet.

5. Finally receiving in the mail the cookbook I ordered from half.com, Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson. My friend Becky has this cookbook and while I was visiting her in Chicago, we made many a meal from this cookbook. I can't wait to try some of the great recipes from this cookbook!

Sacred in The Ordinary - Part 1

So the last year or so has brought me to a place full of cynicism and apathy. It's somewhat depressing....no, it IS depressing to be so incredibly stoic and full of passivity. It's like I've shifted into some kind of survival mode. Not good. Not good at all. I currently live and work in a world that is harsh and full of demands which robs me of seeing how God works in even the most ordinary of circumstances. I don’t want to just see God in the mountain peak experiences, but I want to see how He brings to life the holiness hidden in the ordinary places of my life: through friends and family, through a walk along Kelly Drive, watching Georgie play at the dog park, through a delicious meal, a hug from a child, etc…I want to see beauty, truth and holiness illuminated through my everyday life and to see the ordinary circumstances as instruments to see God, even through the most frustrating moments. I guess the challenge I am posing for myself is to look at life's simplest circumstances and everyday moments, to find the Sacred in the Ordinary. So in essence, as I discover the Sacred in the Ordinary, I will start posting a list here in my blog with hopes that my heart will change from its cynical and apathetic state into one that is full of hope, joy, and passion. Here goes.....

Sacred In The Ordinary - Part 1

1. Kisses from my dog, Georgie. (Well, more like licks.) An obvious show of affection and unconditional love. Makes me think of God's love.

2. Listening to a foster parent’s life story of the circumstances surrounding his placement in foster care as a child and how he overcame adversity through a community of caring and strong individuals. He is now giving back to the community as a foster parent and an adoptive parent to some very challenging children. What an inspiration!

3. Attending my church home group for the first time since last June and feeling so blessed by the people in the group. I was somewhat nervous coming back to the group after such a long hiatus (From September through January, I did a book study every Monday evenings with a small group of women from church). The discussion was rich and the fellowship sweet.

3. Yummy leftover beef stroganoff, which was made from scratch! Hey, what can I say? Physical sustenance is also part of maintaining one's spiritual well-being! ;)

4. My ghetto-assed Toyota Corolla. As old as this car is and the amount of mileage I've put in it, driving all over Philly, I want to say that God is so good with his provision of this car. I am so thankful for this vehicle and how it continues to keep going and going and going. Kind of the Energizer Bunny. Seriously.

5. The privilege of getting to work with one of my closest friends, Iowagirl. It almost seems so wrong that our agency allows us to work together. Let me describe us in one word: Trouble.

Update

So I did get away and it was COLD. Nonetheless, I had a deliciously relaxing time with my wonder-friend, Becky. Two and a half days of girl time before her husband, Lars, arrived back to Chicago from a ski trip in Tahoe. Later in the visit, I was able to spend time with my very long-time and dear friend, Jana, jaunting through her favorite parts of the city and showing of Chicago's fine architecture and art. A few pics.....

Hanging out with Jana in the Windy City

Oh the sheer silliness of it all!

The Bean at Millennium Park in Chicago. It looks like a bean
but it's actually British artist Anish Kapoor's, "Cloud Gate".

Cold much? A very white Lake Michigan behind us.

A lovely family photo of Becky, Lars, and their sweet pup, Drexel.

It was so hard to leave but alas, real life was calling me back to Philly. I'm thinking that another visit this summer to Chi-town should suffice.

I really, really miss Becky.

Time To Get Away....

....and I wish it were some place hot. I'm flying out to Chicago tomorrow morning to visit with my good friends, Becky and Lars. Yes, I'm going in the midst of winter. And yes, I will more than likely freeze my ass off. Nonetheless, seeing my beautiful friend Becky's face and sharing a sweet time of laughter, hugs, great conversation, and just plain being together, is all the more worth enduring the frigid mid-west weather. Chi-town, here I come!!!!