Faith= Taking Risks

I'm going to say this first. I am a cautious person by nature. I guess all of us are that in a way. We always move toward the familiar because it's a safe place to be. However, I have learned that when this comfort invades our life, we never truly start to live. Sure I've gone on many adventures but not without careful planning and consideration before this so called adventure started out. I always knew the end result or knew what I was getting myself into.

I've never been sky diving, bungee jumping or gone deep sea diving. I've always have played it safe, I put my toe in and then once I know it's "safe" then I jump in or rather wade into a situation. This is going to be changing this year. I'm not one to make New Year's Resolutions because I know I will always fall short of any of them. I am setting goals that I am to accomplish this year.

These goals are not only attainable but goals that I believe in and have some risk involved in them. I have already completed one of my goals for this year and am proud that I actually stuck with it and followed through to its completion. I am going to start taking more and more risks each and every day even if it's uncomfortable.

When I put my faith in Christ, I gave Him my life to do what he wants to do with it. I however have been trying to play backseat driver and that's not fair to either one of us. It's not allowing Jesus to be fully involved and I'm not fully experiencing all the amazing opportunities that He has for me. There have been things that I have been thinking about and because they are sensitive topics, I'm not going to be sharing in this public area but leaving it up to God and sees what he does with them.

I'm excited about being more open and more willing to say yes instead of dragging my feet with a decision.

Sorry a short post but I felt that I needed to share and put it in the open.

Healthy Lifestyle

In the news and media today, you see a multitude of magazines and articles that have lists of thing sthat you can do to make yourself healthier, looking younger and being your best self. It can get overwhelming to most because a lot of those contradict each other. It's all about eliminating this or not eliminating that and adding this or doing one exercise and not the other. Even for me, I get confused at reading those articles. I know it's not a black and white area but rather a grey area.

What do I mean? Well there are some areas in life that can be right and wrong like the law or how to fix something but when it comes to our health, there isn't a one size fits all answer. Maybe one thing will work for someone but not for someone else. Maybe one person who eats grains can lose weight but for another person, it makes them gain weight. 

Being health (talking about physical health here) is not so cut and dry, you need to experiment what works and what doesn't work for you. It does take time to figure it out; sorry no quick fix here :) I know because I'm in the midst of figuring out what works and what doesn't work for me. I know for myself, if I remove certain types of food from my diet, I feel better and start to see changes taking place.

I am in the midst of a 21 day challenge of fitness and food. It's been interesting thus far. I call it the elimination diet because we have eliminated foods that most people have sensitivities to. When I first looked at the foods that we are able to eat, I didn't think it would be possible. However, I'm a week into this challenge and I have found that I have more options than I thought I had. I've discovered foods that I actually enjoy eating and can eat those foods in place of other foods that I'm used to eating. I have discovered that my cravings for foods that are on the "do not eat" list have gone down considerably and know that I'm able to survive without those foods in my diet.

It's a process that you can't go at it alone. You definitely need supporters and friends to encourage and guide you. For myself, two people that have been the source of encouragement are Trainer Travis and Trainer Jason; both of them are doing this challenge with the group as well. I know I can count on them for any concern or question I may have. Both ahve huge hearts to want to help people be a better version of themselves.

So while having a healthy lifestyle is hard and tricky at times, it is rewarding in the end because you know you are extending your lifespan and can do more than you thought you ever thought possible. It has given me a new found freedom and has spurred me to do other things that I didn't think I would see/do. Hope this serves as an encouragement to all of you. 

Christmas Time

It's December and I'm sitting in my apartment drinking all the yummy Christmas Drinks and watching Hallmark movies. Sounds fabulous right? Of course it's part of Christmas, however, that's not what I want to talk about this time.

I can't think of Christmas without thinking of being with family and celebrating with those that I love. It's always a special time of year when my mom and I bake cookies in the kitchen, when my dad and I make homemade fudge and the house smells like Christmas all season long. I feel fortunate that I have been able to spend each Christmas with my parents. Sometimes it's only for a day or so and sometimes it's longer. Every moment that I get to spend with the ones I love is special.

There are many families that have strained relationships, broken relationships and different family dynamics. To all the families no matter who you are, it's not about the presents or the decorations but it's about spending time with the ones that you hold near and dear to your heart. I know for me, I have gotten to experience things that others would only imagine to see/experience.

Throughout my life, it has always been about the experience and the other things are important but not the things that I dwell on. I am proud to say that I am a Christ follower and I get to celebrate him being born. There has been much debate on when Christ was born but all who follow Christ can attest to that he was indeed born and we do get to celebrate him. I don't just celebrate him on Christmas and on Easter but I get to celebrate him all year long.

Going back to spending time with family; we have specific traditions at our home; for instance, the Christmas Tree always gets placed in the same spot and we always get it the day after Thanksgiving. My dad and I always go to San Francisco (the only day that my dad puts up with going into stores other than the hardware or train store). We started this way long ago when the Emporium was still in existence and we would go to the rooftop rides. My mom and I take over the kitchen, baking cookies and other yummy Christmas Treats. These are things that have always been done and it's always an unspoken rule that these have to be done in order to feel like it's Christmas.

I am a family oriented person and have always treasured the times I do get to spend with family. The size of our gatherings have grown and shrunk throughout the years but it doesn't matter the size but the love that is always given each and every time this season comes around.

So to that end, I want to wish each and everyone a Merry Christmas and know that no matter who you are or what happens; know that God is always with us and he'll always be there no matter what!!

A California Girl Living in an Oregon World

The year 2008 was a year of change for me. It was going to be the first year that I would be moving out of state for school; it would be when I would be leaving the state I grew up in without knowing when I would be returning. For all I knew I would be going to Grad School and then return to where I started (Fresno).

However, that didn't happen, I came to become what I would say "a California Girl living in the Northwest". I am not going to claim I'm an Oregonian (though some may beg to differ), I still claim my Californian status. So with that being said, I have come to experience more up here than I could ever imagine. I have grown and changed in more ways than I can ever explain. I have had experiences and met people that I would never take back and never would have had experienced if I had gone back to the "comfort zone".

This season in my life has been full of up's and down's but would not change anything for the world. This season I have chosen to trust more than ever before and I have been able to fully embrace my independence. It's been a whirlwind and sometimes it's hard for me to know when I experienced a particular event.

However, I have noticed that I still keep some "Californian" in me. I'll try to tread lightly on this subject as to not offend anyone but one thing that I have noticed is the way that people drive up here compared down where I come from. I always joke with my parents that up here it's almost like the movie "Driving Miss Daisy". The cars up here don't know how to go faster than 55 or maybe 60 (if you're lucky). However there are plenty of people who actually know how to go faster than that and for that I am grateful. I'm still not used to the speed being 55 or 65.

Another thing about driving up here is the whole merging on the freeway. I'm used to merging onto the freeway going at or above the speed of traffic, as to not intterupt the flow of traffic already on the freeway.... However I have observed on many instances that the people merging or when I am merging it's a "I'm not going to let you in" or "I'm going to go as slow as possible to annoy those on the freeway". I guess it all goes back to the slower pace lifestyle we have up here.

Alright, it's not all bad and I do appreciate the slower pace that Oregon offers. I love the scenery and I have to say I would want to be stuck in traffic up here than the traffic in San Francisco anyday of the year. Plus people know how to drive in the rain up here (maybe even too confident). I love it up here. It's a great place to live during this chapter of my life.

So I'm still a person who claims to be Californian but would not change this chance in the world. If someone were to say to me "would you change anything that you have done or experienced"? I would have to say no because the experiences that I have gone through have made me who I am today. There are too many people who have helped shape my life thus far but you all know who you are so I want to say Thank You to All!

Giving

Looking back at my life, I have always been a person who gives of themselves without wanting anything in return. I would say that it has always been in my nature to give to others without any expectations of the recipient. I get joy when I am able to brighten someone's day (sometimes even without them knowing it was me). There wasn't a point when I was expecting anything back or even getting recognition of what I did for that person or that organization.

On Christmas Eve, our Pastor spoke about the topic of giving vs. receiving; very appropriate for that time of year. We give and we receive presents. SOmetimes though, it's hard to receive those presents and even those compliments that other bestow on us. As I was reflecting on this I did realize that I am one of those who fit that category; I feel ackward when people thank me for doing something for them or even when someone compliments me on something. So I guess you would say that I am in the majority in this respect.

One reason why I think I am this way and many of us are as well is that it is easier for us to give that it is to receive. It's easy for us to give our time, our money, our resources. When we are the recipients, it's harder; it's harder because we don't want to feel like a charity case, we don't want to seem like we always need something. I know for me, I want to be able to know that I am responsible for me. I don't want to feel like I am a burden to others (though I know I'm not) and want to be self sufficient. SOmetimes though, reality does come down and hits me on the head.

It's ok to ask for help; it's a normal part of life. Having been through Bible training; I am well aware that Jesus asks for help in many occasions. If he didn't ask for help, the gospel would have never been spread and we would probably not have been given the opportunity to help spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Looking at asking for help in this way does change my view about asking for help. So if Jesus can ask for help we are sure capable of asking for it for ourselves as well.

With all that being said, I know one of my words for 2015 will be gratitude, gratitude for friends and family who are always there for me no matter what. I hope that all will think about what makes it hard to receive rather than to give and also being able to practice something in the New Year that is positive in your life.

The Dash

Have you ever noticed that when a person passes away the years that are stated are the year they are born and the year that they died. I know it's not noticiable at all but have you ever wondered what happened in between those two numbers? This "dash" represents more than just a character on the keyboard or in a newpaper article. It represents someone's live that they lived and who they have impacted during their time here on earth.

What if instead we don't put those years in but rather described their life here on earth. What would people say then; I would think this would be more impactful than what year they were born and what year they died. Looking back at many funerals that I have gone to, I have had time to reflect on "a life worth living". One parrticular person comes to my mind first and that is my grandfather on my mom's side. He lived his life to the fullest and took nothing for granted.

My grandfather was born to Italian parents, they didn't have much but what they did have was enough for them. My grandfather went to high school but never earned a college degree. He worked for the Navy for 20 years. He has had experiences that one can only dream of. There were a lot of sacrifices though; he had a family of a wife and two daughters and most of the time until my mom was in 3rd grade; my grandmother was the only parent. My grandfather would be out on tour and would only be home on leave or when he was on shore duty.

I knew my grandparents lived simple lives. Both were frugal with their finances because they rew up in the era of the Great Depression and they wasn't much available. They saved their money and only bought nice things. My grandfather was smart about finances and when to invest in something. I'm not saying it was all about their money but they hardly wasted anything.

My grandfather was always a person who was likeable by everyone, he was outgoing but humble and always put someone else first. He would always give a hug or a piece of candy when he could. He made his time here on earth very worthwhile. He didn't invest in things that were meaningless and always knew when to say no.

No matter what he did, he did it with a sense of purpose. Whether it be playing golf with friends or helping my parents around their house. He did it to perfection. SOmetimes that drove people crazy but he got the job done. He knew the importance of an education and though he didn't go to college, he and my grandmother supported me throughout all my academic career.

I remember that when I went off to get my Bachelor Degree, he was a fan of both me and the school I went to. I would sometimes get in the mail articles that he had cut out about the football team and the game that they just played. He was invested in whatever I did. He passed away before I went to Grad school but I know that throughout it all he was with me.

So what's so important about that dash in the paper, it represents the time on earth. With this simple dash, people have a choice: to live life to the fullest like my grandfather or just be surviving. It's ultimately up to you. In fact, here's a better question.. what will your legacy be like? What will people say at your funeral? Now that's something to think about.

Update of Sorts

Wow, so I didn't realize that it has been one year since I've written a blog post. I promise, it hasn't been intentional but just a lot has gone on since then. I know, I know that shouldn't be an excuse but it is for now. I wish I had a grand topic to talk about but I don't really so I am deciding to talk about one of my favorite things (well a sport in particular) that some may think is boring but for me, it's anything but boring. So here it goes....

BASEBALL

Back when I was younger, my dad started taking me to baseball games. I remember going to the ball park, sitting in the stands and cheering for the team my dad was cheering for. At the time, I wasn't really up to speed on the details of baseball, all I knew was that if I didn't root for the Oakland A's or the San Francisco Giants, I was going to have a talking to. Fast forward a few years, I was finally starting to get a handle on the game, I started recognizing who the good players were and who the not so good players were. I learned that being from the West Coast, not to root for any East Coast teams (especially the Yankees), which at the time, I didn't understand but oh well.

I remembered the World Series of 1989 when the San Francisco earthquake hit and I remember how cool that both of my favorite teams were in the World Series at the time. Though, I remember those games, there are some players that I remember watching and remembering that they were some of the better ones. There were players like McGuire and Eckersley and Dave Henderson on the A's. There were players like Williams, Beck, and Kevin Williams on the Giants. Soon came the era of 1990's baseball and my love for the Giants became more and more evident. 

So it was fitting that I was the scorekeeper for the baseball team at my high school. I got to enjoy the game of baseball, while learning the in's and out's of scorekeeping. Learning the positions and the art of keeping score, I was hooked on the game from then on.

Oh, backpedaling a bit, one business trip my dad went on, he brought me back a baseball movie, "A League of Their Own". I think I must have watched it a thougsand times (that's what my mom and dad said). What better that to watch a baseball movie that was all about girls playing the sport I was coming to love.

So anyway, the experience of scorekeeping is one I'll never forget. Baseball has since taken on a new meaning for me and I look at it in a whole different way now. 

There was a stretch of time when I thought that the greatest pitcher/catcher battery was Rod Beck and Benito Santiago of the Giants. I still think those were an awesome duo and they were my favorites from the '90's.  Now for the 2000-present era for me, I would have to choose for the Giants the pitcher/catcher battery of Bumgarner/Posey. They are the up and coming stars of today's baseball.

I have developed a newfound respect for those positions as well. I didn't realize how much of an asset the catcher was for a team. I woould compare him to the Quarterback for a football team. He's the one who tells the pitcher where to pitch and what type of pitch to throw. The pitcher in turn has to trust his catcher and has to trust the calls that he is making. If they don't work well together, the whole game may fall apart.

So yes all in all I would say that it's my favorite sport to watch, I have since developed a love for an East Coast team (don't worry, it's not the team as stated above); the Boston Red Sox, one of the oldest teams in the Modern BAseball era. They also have one of the classic baseball stadiums of the day, still with bench seats and still all wood.

That's all for now, I hope that this is a starting off point for more regular blog posts.