life in the eyes of: ME!

in search of the perfect flats

2012-02-04T20:37:00.003-05:00

ok. some of you may or may not understand what im about to tell you...especially if you know me at all! lol!! for the past week ive been searching for the perfect pair of flats. not just any pair of flats but the perfect pair! ive been on almost every shoe website known to the US! LOL! anyways, my problem came when stores dont carry over a size 9. yes, i am a size 11! so tonight...i was on my last leg. i couldnt stand the wait anymore. i was about to cave in on a pair of flats that i didnt really like but just thought that i wouldnt find anything better. (i was on a budget too!)

so tonight. i discovered that i missed a website. deb.com!! :) Deb's became my favorite store last summer and i totally forgot about it. sohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif tonight i found 3 pairs of flats...THE PERFECT ONES!! although...one pair...they were sold out of my size. so...now im down to 2 pairs! :D below are the links...if you dont mind...please check them out && let me know which ones you think would go best with everything that i own. if you dont know me that well...its okay because chances are, you know enough to make an educated guess! :D

#1

#2

Thank you!!,
Kali L. Mock. <3

this year...definitely seems like new.

2012-01-06T15:27:00.002-05:00

welcome to the new year! yes, i know im late. this year has definitely already brought some different things. sure...with each new year brings new things. new experiences. new thoughts. && definitely new things to do.

today seems like any other day off. absolutely nothing to do. but in all reality, it is not normal. its different. its different than last friday because im no longer in Pennsylvania. its different than next friday because im not sure what next friday will bring. its not that i feel older but its the simple fact of knowing that things just arent going to be the same.

some would rather keep things the way they always were. me...well...i want things to be WAY different! im ready for new things. im ready for new adventures. im ready for new experiences. im just ready for things to be like nothing they ever were!

this may sound crazy and this may sound far fetched but this. is. me. im expecting greater things this year. im praying for new things. im praying for God dreams. im praying to be led by more than my mind & emotions. im ready to be whole-heartedly led by the Spirit of God. it is by this & only this that all of these new things will come. -- who's with me? --

~:~:~: out with the old & in with the new :~:~:~
--> Kali <--

New Doo. :)

2011-12-02T21:35:00.002-05:00

--> one of the girls curled my hair 2 days ago. here are some pix. i REALLY like it. hoping to make it semi-permanent soon ;)

You Are God Alone

2011-12-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

--> this is Rory Comtois. i have loved this song for such a long time but recently, it has become more of a strength for me. a reminder. reality. beauty. life. passion. & victory.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-25T12:28:00.003-05:00

i hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. mine was spent in VT. with snow on the ground!!! :) today, Black Friday, im spending the day inside with some friends & a whole lot of Christmas movies. today is the day for food coma #2! :] i hope everyone has a great week. 26 more days until Pennsylvania sees my pretty face. && i cant wait to see everyone! well...gotta go. Cool Runnings is on :}

Grandparent's Day Essay Contest

2011-06-21T19:26:00.001-04:00

http://www.ConsumerCellular.com/Grandparents/Gallery/602

--> please click on the link above and vote for my essay. thanks :)

Wednesday Mornin'

2011-06-15T09:29:00.007-04:00

*this post was composed last wednesday...morning ;)*

that would be today...mmmm....right.....
--> im just kidding ;) -- i really do have things to say. they may not make sense but afterall, whose blog is this anywayz? (LOL)

--> well, im already 2 weeks into the summer. the weather is beautiful & i love my job. im looking for a 2nd part time job so hopefully everything @ Ruby Tuesday's works out ;) im sure you would like to know what else ive been up to...i guess you could say a little bit of everything. last week was full of randomness & lots of ice cream! ;) hours at work are fluctuating. i havent really gone anywhere yet besides Mrs. Tammy's & wherever she goes :D

--> ok so as i am writing this i went to go prop my feet up & cross my legs. while doing so i forgot about my massive bruise! its been there for about 3 weeks now. i was carrying in some things for the thrift store & i knew our flat bed cart was there but i didnt clear it like i thought i had; sooo...my shin hit the corner square in the middle :( it shocked me at first but then turned really gnarly colors & now its yellowish with a red line where i hit it. its kinda shiny like most bruises do when theyre swollen. its kinda funny because you can see an indent where the swelling is not...LOL

--> sorry, minor ADD moment ;) ive been busy planning my sister's graduation party. my little sister!! her & i are only 3 years apart (shes kinda like MY 'little girl') && i love her so much. she is graduating high school 1 year early!!! GO LEXII!!! shes been helping me along the way && im so glad i can do this for her ;) here's a picture of my little girl, all grown up, in her senior pictures!

**added tonight***

--> i was actually at her graduation & her graduation party. when i originally wrote this post, i could not mention my plans because it was all a surprise for her! :D good news...i was able to surprise her & enjoy her special day with her!!

--> i will probably update again tomorrow with things coming up & how everything is looking these days...stay tuned!

~Kali~

Will Reagan & United Pursuit - Find My Own Flame

2011-05-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

--> listen to this song. listen to the words crazy close. get lost in them. get lost in the message. let God show you the "real thing!" <--

old revelation - new perspective {in the park}

2011-04-29T20:45:00.003-04:00

so last year God showed me something totally amazing about child-like faith. ever since then my eyes have kinda been more open to the way children act and then the way we, as adults, act; especially with our faith or our attitude towards God. Thus...i LOVE watching people...ALL THE TIME! :D

anyways, today we went to the park for prayer and a little bit of time outside for lunch. during prayer i was listening to my ipod, journaling, praying, & watching. as i looked to my right i could see two little boys (maybe 3 years old) running around in the open grass. then one of them jumped up on the summer stage and kind of walked over to where two of our guys were sitting. then he ran around on the stage for a bit then walked right over in between the both of them and walked down the steps. i could do nothing but laugh because the little boy was totally oblivious. seeing how his friend made out, the other boy did the same thing, this time he walked on the outside of where one of the guys was sitting. again, he didnt care.

he didnt care who was watching. he didnt care what other people thought. he didnt care what stood (or sat) in his way, he was gonna get to where he wanted to go. those boys didnt care how high the jump was from the stage to the grass. they were totally unhindered. they were free!

i then looked down @ my journal and decided that anything i had written didnt really hold a candle to what i just saw with my eyes. i turned everything i had just seen into something could be realized in my own life. how do we act when we are in the presence of a stranger vs. how we act when we are in the presence of our Daddy God???

do we care? do we care who sees when we worship our God? do we let obstacles stand in our way? do we jump no matter how high it is? do we care what the cost is? do we depend on the conditions to determine our worship?

--> these are just some questions that i took from my view in the park today. ask yourself these questions. do they ring true in your life? are you living out your faith like a child? child like faith is beautiful.

~learning to be like a child again~
Kali

bunny = Jesus?!?

2011-04-21T23:32:00.003-04:00

Easter is this Sunday.
WE signify Easter w. a bunny.
Easter is about Jesus.
Since when did the bunny represent Jesus??

think about this. leave a comment. share your thoughts. thats the best part!

--> this week as we have visited the stepping stones that led Jesus to the cross i have realized that it was more than just His destiny. it took more than the average "it's time now." it took courage, strength, and a will power that only God Himself could have instilled in Jesus.

Youth Convention 2011

2011-04-16T18:20:00.003-04:00

ive been asked a few times this weekend what my favorite part of youth convention was. my question following that question is; do i have to have one? so many things happened and youth convention, for me, is always a blast! but this year...

i got to do the best job EVER! (stage camera) i explained it this way to someone - i got to see things that other people couldn't. God used that little video camera to show me exactly what He loves. it was beautiful...& so indescribable. i got to see hundreds of teens and leaders be hit by the power of God and i got to see some students realize for the first time that even though their earthly father didn't exist, they had a heavenly father that wanted to give them EVERYTHING! the reason my job was the best ever is because i got to attempt to show everyone else what i was seeing. i got to catch it all through a lense to be projected onto a massive screen for all to see.

it wasnt easy and not all of what i saw did everyone else see but the things that i saw will forever be remembered. i mean, its not every day that you get to talk about being paid in mints and watching as teens receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit all in one night. (not at the same time i might add)

i was asked by someone if i was still blogging. that was a loaded question. i still blog. just not as much as i would like to. i journal ALL the time and post most of what i write on facebook. blogging just isnt a top priority...i mean, why would it be when i can update my facebook status by text message and say what i need to at any time instead of having to wait to write it all out. but then again, isnt that the point. for it all to be written out for others to understand?!

im going to try to stay on top of things. its april already....lets start there! ;D

ponder on this for a minute: God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac -> God asked him to give up what he was promised. would you do it? not only would you do it but would you do it without arguing? Abraham did. he went all the way to the point of putting Isaac on the alter when God made a ram appear. God knew what He was doing....oh, and He still does!

until next time,

kali

quick

2011-04-15T17:04:00.004-04:00

This is gonna be a quick post but mostly just to say hi and to let everyone know that once i get my computer fixed...i will start blogging more. i have written some stuff on paper but after a bit of unknown encouragement im gonna start putting up on the blog.

this weekend is NNED youth convention. my 3rd one!! :D wow, its crazy to think that i've been here for 2 full years. well. gotta go get dinner. gotta be back for service soon :)

much love and i'll be back later.

- kali

SNOW DAYZ!

2011-01-28T12:22:00.004-05:00

its been snowing quite a bit here in New Hampshire. Quite amazing actually. To just sit and watch the snow fall and be able to see how beautiful it makes everything.

It has been REALLY cold! last week it was in the double digit negatives. that is crazy! I am still working at McDonald's. Its fun and the people i work with are pretty cool. Every time i work im amazed at the opportunity i am given to show them Jesus. makes me smile actually.

two weeks ago we had Day In The Life here at NEMC. sooo much fun and God just totally did what He wanted. Jason Lee Jones and the Richest of Fare led worship for us on friday night and sunday morning and then on monday morning they led worship for prayer. They are amazing and i am so glad that we had the opportunity to spend some time with them while they were here.

We are getting ready to go to Massachusetts on the 6th of February to a church that we have been to before. They are going to be starting a masters commission there in the fall and we are sooo excited to be able to help them out. Then, on the 10th of February we all leave on our bus for Texas!! There will be some stops on the way, of course. We are leaving NH on the 10th and then it will go like this: DC, TN, TX, AR, DC, NH. There may be some stops added to this but im not totally sure yet.

so, on a more personal basis, i slept in until 10a this morning. yeah, that never happens!! its pretty cool because i just really wanted the rest today.

flashing back to Christmas time...i was able to go to Pennsylvania for Christmas and it was a blast. Seeing everyone that i have not seen since the summer. i got to spend some amazing time w. my mom, her boyfriend and my sisters and my little nephew!! he's getting sooo big and oh so adorable. my mom and baby sister had no idea i was coming for Christmas so my middle sister snuck me in the house at 530a and sat me under the tree with a bag over my head and a ribbon and a bow on top of my head. my mom cried a little and my baby sister took about 5 minutes to realize exactly what was happening. they were shocked and I WON! :)

well, this is all thats been going on recently or gonna be going on soon. i know i fail at this whole blog thingy...there are just some things that slip my mind. :)

peace out cub scouts,
Kali L. Mock
--> questions, comments, concerns?? email me @ kalirox@gmail.com

Crab Rangoons And A Penguin Friend Named Burt

2010-11-05T19:55:00.004-04:00

no, the title of this blog has nothing to do with what im talking about tonight and thats perfectly okay! :)

my new computer is pretty amazing! work is pretty steady and im getting along well with my co-workers. our schedule is picking up and im really excited about that. i got a really cool sweatshirt from a friend of mine's boyfriend that is in Japan with the Marines. he's pretty cool

i would just like to state for the record that everyday i am amazed by the fact that God has brought me to this place where He can mold me to be all that He wants me to be. we started reading a book about 2 weeks ago called "God Chasers"...its sooo good!! The book is eye-opening and stretching all at the same time.

Now, im off to watch a movie called "Planet 51" with Cindy & Teddi! :)

Love always,
Me ;)

umm...

2010-10-30T12:19:00.003-04:00

ok so its been since the 5th of august since i have updated and to be completely honest...I FORGOT! ;(

well, im doing fine. im working now (at mcdonald's). tuition is almost paid off but im still working on it. our traveling is starting to pick up and this weekend we are going to Wyndham, ME. Our dramas are mad sick and im sooo excited!! our passion is continuously growing.

i have sent out two newsletters so far and if you have not received them please let me know and i will be able to send them to you via email.

anyways, im learning a lot about exactly what God is doing in my life and what He wants me to do with my life. the burden that He has placed in my heart is continuing to grow and my life is changing forever. OH MY GOSH!! i just REALLY love Him sooo much.

more to come...updates will begin to come more frequently ;)
~Kali

2010-08-05T10:44:00.002-04:00

this summer has been crazy hot up here in New England. Last summer, it was only hot for about a week and then it rained most of the rest of the time. It started getting really nice the other day. breezy and cool in the middle of the day. then it got REALLY hot again. i can not wait for fall!!

MC starts back up for me on the 21st!! i am sooo excited too. back with my Master's family again. most of all, i am so excited for the 1st years that are coming in. im excited to see what God is going to do in, through, and with them. its crazy to see how far the 1st years from last year have come. just seeing how much we have grown and how much God has molded us is absolutely nuts.

as of now, i do not know any details of what this next year will hold but i can say one thing and that is that i am totally stoked! next friday i go to 6 Flags New England with the youth group and some other people and i am excited for that too. this summer has been a growing place for me and i'm not sure how ive done.

have i passed the test? have i just made it by guessing the answers?? i really dont know. its been so hard for me. after having an intense, crazy-long conversation with a good friend who is REALLY far away. i have come to understand that there are things to let go of and things to hold on to. and then came PC's sermon last night about being a deadliest weapon in God's hand. then the subtitle was 'are you able?' the last -able was pliable; like clay. clay can be molded and shifted and then once it goes through the fire it comes out stronger than ever before. can i please say how perfect that went with the week i've had?!

anyway, time is passing rather quickly and the days seem to be flying. i do want to say thank you to all of my blog readers for their prayers and support. if anyone has any questions please ask. i'm not hard to reach. kalirox@gmail.com

much love,
Kali

hi

2010-07-17T13:15:00.002-04:00

i know. updates haven't come and pix haven't been posted. i've been extremely distracted lately. between working @ 5Below and doing some microsoft shows to raise $ for my tuition its been rough. i'm ready for a slow down though. i'm working this week and next and every week after that until the year starts then it will probably only be 1-2 days a week. but, no more shows for us until september.

i dont have a phone as of now but if anyone needs to get a hold of me, email would be best. i can check that as soon as i get in a wifi area.

love you all.
~kali

busy weeks

2010-06-14T13:45:00.003-04:00

i will post an update soon of how things have been going since graduation on may 30th. Guatemala was amazing and pix will be posted. i have started working @ 5Below. i started last saturday after i got home from New Orleans. I worked my first official microsoft show.

as i stated. full updates will come soon! :)

~kali

...what?

2010-05-13T07:29:00.003-04:00

thats what i asked myself this morning when i woke up @ 7am. today is a mandatory day off so we can pack and relax before we leave for Guatemala at 4am on Friday morning. im sooo excited to be going but i was REALLY excited to sleep in today...

im not quite sure why but i can never sleep in when i want to but once i have to be somewhere i sleep in until the last minute. oh well, beggars cant be choosers.

this blog is the last blog i will be posting for a little over a week so, i wanted to update you on everything that has been going on.

this past week our 3rd year ladies along w. Tepy, Elisa, & Lindsey all went to New York City for a microsoft show. oh how i missed them so! the 1st & 2nd years have been running through dramas and songs like crazy. we all preached our final sermons this week. we started on Monday and then had a group each day. i preached on the last day (wednesday). i was so nervous but it turned out well...until i was done. PC counted me saying "um" 31 times. needless to say, i had to re-preach along w. taking my scripture test after church

i felt a little weird because i knew that everybody had already heard it. but that is quite alright. When i was finished PC said he took lots of notes. now i wasnt sure if he was serious or not. i walked over said "thank you" and grabbed my paper. i didnt look at it until i was about half way home. i opened that paper and there were no notes but it said this: "Kali-Awesome-A." i was slightly ecstatic but didnt really show it.

after last week my emotions have been kind of numb. ive had the urge to cry at the most random times but i wont. its really weird...

on a lighter note, i got a job. well, i may have gotten 2 jobs! :) I was hired @ Panera Bread and i had my orientation on Tuesday afternoon. Then, Old Navy called me for a 2nd interview!! im pumped!!! 2 jobs was my goal for this summer. if there was a way for me to finagle 3 i totally would. now, my next step in this process is to get a car. i need something to get me back and forth and with one job being in portsmouth and the other in kittery, i need something reliable. the only thing holding me back right now is money. it takes money to buy a car and i dont have any!

one of my aunts just sent me a check in the mail to help w. some last minute things on the trip. it is such a blessing because if she didnt then i would have nothing. no money to go w. or no money to get the last minute things that i needed.

anyway, thats really all i wrote for was to update you on the happenings of me as we prepare for Guatemala. oh...& graduation is only a little over 2 weeks away. but we're not talking about that right now.

any questions please email me or comment here and let me know! :)

~Kali <3~

lavished w. grace

2010-05-02T21:33:00.001-04:00

thats me. well...thats all of us but this morning it was me.

NEMC went to Derry, NH to minister @ Trinity Assembly of God. It was the last time that ALL of us would be ministering together this year. Not all of us are going to Guatemala so that doesnt count and we are doing something @ graduation but thats different.

PC preached on "interrupting grace" from Acts 9:1-20 and it was kind of funny because grace is something that ive been thinking a lot on lately. after our Romans 3 teaching ive had a new favorite word; lavishing. when you think about it, its kind of a weird word but it means so much in this relationship that im in. this relationship with my Abba Father, my daddy God.

He shows me grace that i need but totally do not deserve. ok so to make a long story short. PC preached this morning and then we had an altar call. i prayed for a woman and felt a connection with God the whole time. im always connected but after i stopped praying for her i was just silent. i was talking to my God and just asking Him "why me?" Why would He show me this grace that i dont deserve? PC & Mrs. Patty were walking through the altar and praying for everyone who responded.

I stood off to the side as i was asking these questions. i then closed my eyes and just began to worship. they were praying for more grace. for God to flood us and lavish us with His grace; and yes, PC did use my word this morning. (i smiled) as they prayed for me i just felt everything disappear. all of the sour emotions. the things that i held onto because i thought there was no way i could get rid of it. it felt like a wind was blowing everything clean inside of me.

i got this deep revelation today that God has already claimed me as His. i am clean & spotless in His sight because, to Him, i am covered in grace. i have been too overwhelmed in my own emotions that i have to stay as "strong" as possible as to not be caught off guard. ive had it all wrong. i have to be weak sometimes so that God can be strong in my life. ive heard that before but today it just rang something new inside of me.

so here i am...so amazed @ the fact that i am lavished in His grace and that in my weakness He is made strong; stronger than i could have ever been on my own. thank you Jesus for holding me when i need it. thank you for embracing me and showing me new things when You know i need it! ;)

--> Kali

embraced.

2010-04-29T19:44:00.005-04:00

that is the only word that can describe how i feel. ok...how i've felt for the past 2+ weeks now. it has a lot to do with my previous post. after i posted last, ive been more focused than ever on who my God is to me. in this past week i realized how peaceful it is to just sit back in the silence of His presence. God is just making Himself more visible to me and its in just the right way. He knows i need His embrace and recently that embrace has come in the midst of deep silence while resting in His presence.

im not one for silence. matter of fact, i cant stand it. im actually typing this blog right now with music on. i dont know why but it helps me to organize my thoughts. Monday morning in prayer the music turned off and everyone stopped praying. we all just sat there in pure silence. after a few minutes Tepy asked who disliked silence. i said "i did...until this morning."

im pretty sure that God is guiding me down this road where He just wants me to be silent. no noise. no talking. just listening. so this past week in prayer ive just been listening. i dont think ive ever pictured myself not singing a song that i know. its hard for me but when theres something else in your focus than just singing...it doesnt really matter.

less talking/noise & more listening/understanding.

i challenge you to try it! :)
~Kali~

Dearly Loved

2010-04-20T21:48:00.004-04:00

it's more than just a song...it's the truth. this past weekend i have felt the love of my God more than ever. we held the NNED youth convention @ C3 & it was amazing. Pastor Micheal Fernandez was the speaker & 11th hour led worship. even though i was helping out with either cameras or lighting during all the sessions i was still being engulfed in the Father's love.

i have this hunger inside of me that craves for more & more. i have been this way for quite some time now but ever since MC conference that hunger has just continued to grow. no matter how hard i pray or how loud i sing this hunger/thirst will not be quenched.

during convention i was seeing a lot of the teens receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and it delighted my heart. i remember when that happened to me and i wouldnt give it up for anything. at times i feel as though i have forgotten or lost the gift but i know its not true. He is never gonna leave me or forsake me. i know that for a fact!

last night @ Tehillah we had a time of reflection after Dave's message. i just sat there and well..."reflected." i just wanted to be embraced by my Father and sit at His feet while being wrapped in His arms. i walked over & sat behind Mrs. Tammy and just sat there with my head on her back. i peacefully sat there and i felt loved. i felt my Father wrap his arms around me and hold me tight. you see, its times like that when i just dont wanna let go. its times like that when alls i can do is sit back, let Him hold me, & let go.

i can let go of everything that is holding me back. the main thing: my emotions. i dont think i ever cry more than when He's got me safe in His arms. let alone when i know it! my prayer is that all of my days would be laced with His love. i dont want to spend any time at all outside of His reach. i want to continue to hunger/thirst for more & more of His love. i also want Him to continually hold me. oh how i long for His embrace.

--> craving more of Him<--
~Kali~

- "Dearly Loved" :Jimmy Needham
- "The More I Seek You" :Kari Jobe
- "Wrap Me In Your Arms" :Micheal Gungor Band

quick update

2010-03-22T17:08:00.003-04:00

this is just a blog to let you all know that i'm still alive! :) newsletters will be going out by the end of this week. I am sooo excited to tell you that i am going to Guatemala in May. My whole trip has been paid for but if you would like to support me in any way just let me know. Any extra money i receive will be going towards my masters commission tuition next year.

check out my facebook for more recent updates. www.facebook.com and search for Kali Mock. if you have any questions please email me @ kalirox@gmail.com

love yas,
Kali

Catching Up

2010-01-29T08:34:00.004-05:00

i guess i forgot! ;) lol

At the end of last months post i said that i would update you all; if i remembered...oops! i did forget & i'm sorry.

I'll take a few steps back so i can catch you all up. I flew down to PA for break instead of driving like i had originally mentioned. It is still so weird flying by myself & i've done it like 3 times now ;) Christmas break was fun. Seeing everybody was extremely awesome!! Some people didn't recognize me when i walked int
o the church for Christmas Eve service (Shmeil!) but that's cool i'll still love them forever!! I spent a few days, including New Years, with Tessha. We caught up & laughed for hours...omgsh it was sooo much like old times.

I got to hold my little nephew for the first time. He is so cute & he smiles & makes all kinds of faces when he sleeps. I baby sat a few times & got no sleep whatsoever. I will put some pictures at the bottom of the blog so you can get a glimpse. As far as Christmas day went, i got some great things. I got snow pants, sneakers, jeans, & a $25 Wal-Mart gift card. (yea baby!) Of course it didn't really feel like Christmas but i won't get into that right now...

I flew back to NH on the 2nd of January. Bundy & Stacie picked me up at Manchester, let's just say that the ride home was full of Facebook updates! :) LOL. It was so nice to be back. I went straight up to my room, got in some comfy clothes, & retreated to the living room w. my computer & new Tastykake mouse in order to wait for Shayna.

Since being back we started having "focuses." I am in youth which is absolutely amazing...i LOVE it! We have been remodeling some rooms in the church. We took the thrift store from downstairs & upstairs & put it into the fellowship hall. Before we moved everything in though, we painted the fellowship hall; it felt like record time. We then started working on cleaning out the old thrift store rooms in order to be used by youth & children. Downstairs now belongs to the youth & they have done an AMAZING job with it. At first, it was painted all black but now there's murals on the walls along with a lipstick red floor. The kids room is now a city with children & buildings painted on the walls & it is the coolest kids room ever! I will post pictures as soon as i get some.

We just finished working on those two rooms last week. We did not have sermons or scriptures last week & this week was newsletters so we have had some extra study time. That is absolutely okay because i had a chance to get ahead on some work. Yesterday was thursday & we had an immense amount of study time. I took advantage of the fact that i was ahead & pretty much gutted the drama closet. I took everything out, left the trash out, organized it, put the stuff back in & replaced our toilet.

I know, i know you're probably wondering why i had to replace a toilet. For some of the dramas that we do, we use a toilet that is attached to a wooden base. This toilet obviously is no longer in working order but it is a full toilet. Our "old" one was damaged during our Georgia trip & we've had this one since we started renovations but it hasn't been based yet. So, yesterday i took the old toilet off, cleaned the grease off of the nuts & bolts, cleaned the new toilet, & attached it to the base. In order to attach it properly i had to make a "ghetto" lift system. I didn't have any extra 2x4's laying around so i got two 10x10 cardboard boxes that were unopened & put the base w. the toilet on it atop the boxes. There was just enough room left under the base for me to put my arm so i could hold the nut while tightening the bolt at the same time! woot-woot!! ;) that made me so happy right there that i could do that.

After the closet was done there was still a little bit of time left for studying. One, the worship team, was finished practice so, Tepy, our assistant director, got all of us together & we started peeling off the colors from our church sign. We were inside so it wasn't cold but we were a little crowded in the hall. There were two signs (front & back) so we needed a few people to jump on board. It was pretty hard but we got A LOT done. We couldn't use anything but our fingernails because it would scratch the base. The whole thing was just clear plexi-glass & they are going to re-use it for our new sign. That was fun too especially when one of the students said, "alright, who asked God for a sign?" LOL omgsh i cracked up laughing for like 5 minutes!

I love working with my hands so yesterday was an enjoyable day for me. When we were done for the day, Elisa & Ally B. took me to Old Navy to do some shopping. They were having a mad sale, 50% off of clearance. I got a WARM vest, 2 nice T-shirts, 2 tank tops, & a dress shirt. After Old Navy we went to Market Basket to shop for the dorms. Elisa shops for the boys dorm & Ally B. shops for the girls dorm. By this time it was soooo cold & windy. I don't know how quick it happened but it was nice out in the afternoon. I mean the sun was out while it was snowing! :) (no, i didn't get any pictures)

This past sunday Jason Lee Jones came to our church. The service was amazing & totally more than what i had expected. That morning in prayer PC told us to have high expectations & i thought i did but what happened blew my expectations out of the water. God touched us on Sunday morning & He used Jason to speak into our lives. It was funny because something that he had said i had heard in the beginning of the year in a sermon but he put it into perspective for me. We wrote down the names of people that we are believing Salvation for. We prayed/roared over those names. I am totally lost for words to explain what the rest of the service entailed.

Since the beginning of the month we have been praying & fasting for our community. We are doing a 3 week deal the first week was a full fast & the last two weeks are giving up something of importance that God has showed you to lay down. I've never fasted before this but it has truly made my prayer life more in depth between me & God. Sunday is the last day but that doesn't mean we have to stop praying & fasting for what we are believing for.

Today is friday & we have a day off. Tomorrow we are going to Raymond to help out with their youth group again. I love being able to help them out & getting involved with their youth. One is leading worship , 2 of the first year girls are giving their testimonies, & PC is preaching off of Revelation 12:11.

Things have been going at a pretty calm pace but it will soon be picking up. The first years are going to Dallas, TX w. PC & Mrs. Patty, we have Day In The Life, we are going to Lincoln, ME, & up by Caribou, ME. We are going to TX for the Master's Commission Conference. It is the 25th anniversary of MC. I am so pumped because i wanted to go so bad & we just found out that we are!! We leave on the 7th of February & come back LATE on the 10th. Day in the Life is the weekend after we come back from Dallas. Then the week after that we are traveling around Maine. :) I am excited to get back on the road!...After GA that's all i wanted to do but there was other stuff that had to be done.

Oh i forgot to mention WarCry. That was a youth leadership & student leader leadership summit. It was very enlightening on the some ways to get through to the youth about how important their unsaved friends are & aspects of teamwork that everyone can enjoy. The speaker is a youth specialist at Southwestern A/G University (SAGU). On the first night i learned that he is originally from Kennett Square, PA & he knows what Tastykakes are!! I was thrilled because i lived in Kennett when i was little & nobody in New England knows what Tastykakes are...they are slowly getting acquainted- believe you me!

Anyway, I will not go any longer because this blog is already HUGE! Again, i will try to update more often but i can't promise that i will remember.

Leave a comment or email me with any questions or comments! :)

Love yas, Kali <3

December Update

2009-12-18T08:03:00.003-05:00

well, it's been over a month now since i've updated this blog. i got busy and sidetracked and by the end of the day i'm too tired to even think about sitting down and writing out the blog.

since the last post this is a little bit of what has happened: we went to Burlington, VT, i got REALLY sick, we went to Waterville, ME, we had Thanksgiving break and i went to a friend's house in Maine, the day after we got back from break, some of us went to Barrington, NH, my nephew was born, and i got my 2nd sticker on a scripture test! ;) i'll start expounding on each thing i mentioned. first, the Burlington trip. we left from N. Conway, NH @ the Women's Conference and just kept driving. we spent the night @ different home openers and ministered @ the sunday morning service and sunday night youth service. I did get really sick. i had a fever for a few days but never vomited. The swine flu was going around so PC told me that if i still wasn't feeling good the next day to go get checked out. The day we were supposed to go to Waterville, i got sent home because i had a fever. PC wanted me to rest.

The next day, i went to the clinic and they told me that the CDC told them to no longer test for it because it was too expensive. So they said that if someone comes in with the symptoms, than they are going to treat them as if they have it. I was taken to the clinic with a friend of mine from MC and she did have it but i did not! The Dr said that i could have but at this point i only had bronchitis and if i didnt take the antibiotics that she gave me, i would end up with walking pneumonia. so, needless to say, i took the meds & stayed home ALL weekend. i was so happy when i finally got out on monday ;) My Thanksgiving break this year was not spent in PA but in Sanford, ME. My friend Kristen & her family opened their home to me for the whole week of break. We had so much fun just relaxing, watching movies, and playing Apples to Apples.

Our trip to Barrington on sunday was not for ministry. However, that saturday ONE went to do the worship portion of the service. The same speaker was there on sunday so some of us went. His name is Jason Cooper and he is such an amazing man of God. People got healed @ that service! On the 4th of December my little nephew was born. His name is Kaiden William Davis. He was 8lbs 6oz and 19 1/4 inches long. he has sooo much hair and from the pix i've seen he is the most adorable thing! Last week I got another sticker on my scripture test. This past week I passed but by the skin of my teeth!

I am going to PA for my WHOLE Christmas break and i am sooo very excited to see Kaiden and the rest of my family. I miss them all so much...not to mention my church family. i'm totally going to jump on everybody when i see them! :) Our Christmas production @ church is this weekend. Another student and I are running the spotlights and we're getting better and better with each practice. today we have off but tonight is dress rehearsal. the times for "Imagine Christmas" are 7pm on Saturday night and 1030am on Sunday morning. we're so excited because it is a total modern twist on the normal Christmas service. Not to mention our color scheme is an awesome shiny blue and silver! :)

Tuesday is my last day before break. I have already sent out my newsletters and if you didnt get one but would like one please let me know. I'm not sure yet exactly when I am leaving NH for PA but Todd and I are driving down and then on the 2nd of January I am flying back up from PA. I am so stinking excited that i get to stay down there that whole time and catch up with people! :) i will try to update you guys right after Christmas but that all depends on if i remember or not...;p

anyways, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! its gonna be 2010! this is the year i turn 20!? OMGSH time is flying!

Love yas,
Kali <3

here it is...

2009-11-09T09:07:00.003-05:00

i know at the end of my last post i promised to update with info from the trip and i'm sorry i haven't. since we've been back we've been a little busy with normal schedule stuff and our harvest party and some minor traveling to upper NH and then this coming weekend we're going to VT. at the church we're gearing up for our Christmas services entitled "Imagine Christmas." it's going to be awesome! i'm running the spotlight which i'm so excited to do.

two weeks ago i got a sticker on my scripture test which means i got 100%!!! it was my first one. this past week i didnt pass so yesterday i had to stay after church and retake my test @ 1p and then study til 5p. that study time helped so i could get my SAGU work done and now any study time i have this week will go toward scriptures and my sermon...i'm preaching youth this week ;) last time i preached youth i didn't think it was that good but Edgar said it was my best one yet. Edgar is in my preaching group with 3 other people. We preach in front of each other each week along with a 3rd year who listens to all the sermons for a specific topic. There's youth, topical, expository, practical, and teaching.

this week we have off tuesday and a late in on wednesday. thursday is a regular day but some of us are leaving around noon to head up to N. Conway for women's convention. we're "working" the convention and doing dance and drama. i am REALLY looking forward to this weekend and what the rest of the weeks ahead have in store for me. i love where im @ right now and wouldnt trade it for anything! ;)

i love you all & to all my people back in PA...i REALLY miss you guys! my phone is always on...dont forget it! :)

~Kali

Made it home!

2009-10-27T13:29:00.003-04:00

we made it home last night @ about 830p. i slept in today until 1247p....thats more than 12 hours of sleep! i cant believe i slept that long. we have off 2day obviously but it will be used to do laundry...and lots of it! :) i don't have enough patience to sit and tell you guys everything that happened betweent GA and AL but just know that it was amazing and God is definitely more awesome each and every day.

I must say its nice to be home but i do already miss our GA and AL families! :) we start a busy month 2morow. i will update with bits and pieces from the trip as the week goes on...promise! ;)

~Kali

WE MADE IT!

2009-10-16T15:47:00.003-04:00

we made it to Georgia today. we left the church on Thursday afternoon @ 1230p...we arrived @ the house we're staying @ around 1215p today. the bus ride was awesome! we preached and took our scripture tests on the bus which was a "different" experience but its all good. i'm pretty confident this week about my scriptures; which is a plus from the past 2 weeks.

we are staying @ Rory & Michelle's house tonight and then we are going somewhere else to stay for the rest of the week. Michelle is Mrs. Patty's sister and Rory is her husband, he leads worship @ Free Chapel...they live in Gainesville, GA! :)

Anywayz, im just poppin in to say that we made it...i will try to continue updating throughout the week but im not sure if i'll get service everywhere we go. i forgot my camera so pix will not be available from me for this trip ;( last night on the bus i got a total of 4.5 hrs of sleep. i ended up with a bruise on the side of my left leg from the booth bin that my leg was resting against while i "slept."

God moved on that bus last night after we finished our scriptures and we all got something out of it. I am majorly excited for this trip and everything that God is going to do with/through and in us. This is only the beginning.

love you all
kali

longer than i thought

2009-10-12T21:56:00.004-04:00

ok so i just noticed i havent posted anything since my bday and im soo sorry for that...its actually has been longer than i thought. we've been very busy getting ready for Georgia & Alabama...we leave this thursday the 15th! :) this morning we had to be in by 715a to get an early start on the day. 2morow and wednesday are "normal" but all schedules are subject to change and im totally prepared

this week we are taking our sermon tests and preaching on the bus ride. PC is driving and we're driving straight through. its about 22 hours and its gonna be CRAZY! on sunday we did a drama that SMC did last year at youth convention; its called "The Battle Rages On." we incorporated all the 1st years and so now its more hectic, eye catching, and powerful! :) here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoyQjh4jxi8 just picture that with 16 more people!

well im gonna go to bed but i will try to update more with pictures of my fellow MC friends! :) i love you all and please feel free to leave comments...im in a bit of a rut where im really missing people from home...(even people that aren't here anymore)

much love blogosphere!
~Kali

you know what time it is?

2009-09-24T12:24:00.003-04:00

i know some of you do...come on....think a little harder...

ok, i'll tell you! ITS MY BIRTHDAY!! well...its my birthday 2morow, the 25th of September. i'm so excited but on the other hand im not. as some of you know, there are going to be 2 people that im going to miss tremendously but its okay. im in a place surrounded by people that love me & care for me.

i got my first card today! :) (thanks Judy Kephart!) 2morow i have off! (thank you Jesus!) going to dinner with Todd but i'm trying to find something to do during the day. im going to be 19 but i feel extra old!! just because im watching my sisters grow up sooo fast. one is 16 and the other is 11 now!! CRAZINESS!!!

ok well i'm on lunch right now but i have to go and get ready to keep dramatizing! its soooo awesome!

have a good day world!

~Kali

hi!

2009-09-20T18:21:00.004-04:00

hello blogosphere!!

im sooo sorry it has taken me so long to update (2 weeks!) i've been wicked busy and oh so tired! not to mention i had some issues with my computer that i REALLY don't want to talk about...Missy(my computer) might get upset @ me. ;)

anyways, im still surviving. we're working like crazy on our dramas and stuff because in a few weeks we're supposed to be going to Georgia! (fingers crossed) its not totally definite yet but we're praying it happens. it will be our first ministry trip. we took a trip to Washington D.C. on the 6th and returned on the 13th. we were staffing an event planning seminar type thing. we had a day off on thursday so we went to visit some of the sights. i had been there twice before but it seemed way different this time. we had fun!

the best part about a trip like that was the bus ride! especially the way back; shayna, kim, and i kept PC (Pastor Chad) awake. we laughed a lot...mostly because we were EXTRA tired! we left DC @ 3a and we got home @ about 430ish. only the first years and a select few of the 2nd & 3rd years returned. everyone else stayed in DC to work a show for the Air Force. we missed them so much and when they got home it definitely showed!

we had a weird week this past week...the DC people came home wednesday night before Ignite and then thursday we had off because friday we had to go to Scarborough, ME to help out with a youth event called UNITEmaine. saturday was supposed to be a chill day until about 4p then there was a wedding @ church we were all invited to. then, after the event on friday, PC texted us and said that he wanted us at the church by 830a. none of us knew what we were going to be doing but that didn't matter.

we got there like any other day but this time we were all REALLY curious. we had morning prayer and then PC wanted to talk to us for a bit. it was almost like he was preaching to us but it was mixed with a talk. i almost thought it was odd because there was no introduction as to why but he just started talking and then soon i understood. it almost seemed like he was "all over the place" with the points he was making but they all made sense in a way. it hit me hard!

in order to understand why i just said what i said, let me fill you in. over the past week, ive been feeling a little out of sorts. not so much physically but emotionally and i wasn't sure why. i felt like i had to talk to somebody about the way i was feeling but on the other hand, i had no idea what to say or how to go about it. therefore, i didnt talk to anybody. then my friend told me to take that confusion to God and let Him help me because He already knows how i feel. so i tried as hard as i could to give it over to Him. by the time saturday morning came, i was slowly coming around to understanding myself and what PC said to us was hitting me where i needed it most; my heart!

then last night was the wedding. it was sooo beautiful! (i cried...& i dont cry) the whole set up and ceremony was beautiful and then the party was sooo fun!! Todd took me out to dinner @ this local mexican place and then i came back for the dancing because none of the 1st years were invited to the reception but Ken said he wanted us to come and party w. them...so we did! :) then this morning was church. we showed up by 830a like we do every week for prayer & Jesus totally showed up and set a standard. not only for today's service but for the way we are to go after Him. church was amazing! worship was amazing (i cried-again!) then PJ(Pastor Jeff) preached like it was the last sermon we would ever hear...it was good!

you may have noticed that in some parentheses throughout this blog i mentioned that i cried. to some people that might seem weird and you might be thinking "okay, why would she put that out there?" well, to me, it matters. im not a crying person and most people that know me know that. i have a hard time showing my emotions in front of people...its a weakness thing. but im learning how to "break." im learning how to approach God with a brokenness so that i can let Him work in my heart and life. its gonna be hard but i am soo ready for it!

well, right now i have to study because tomorrow i have my first SAGU test and then this week was already forewarned as being "really busy!" alls i can say is: BRING IT ON! we have to work really hard on some dramas because next weekend we're going to Windham, ME to minister so we have to be on top of out stuff.

before i go, i wanna make a shout out to all my family & friends in PA. i miss and love you all! i may not have time to talk but i just wanted to let you all know that i haven't forgotten about you and that i REALLY do miss all of you! this goes to all of my blood relatives and church family! XOXO

~Kali~

where to start??

2009-09-04T09:44:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday was opening ceremony for New England Master's Commission (NEMC). i had moved into my home openers on saturday so sunday after church, i had somewhat of a free day; relaxing and hanging out with friends & family.

On monday we had to sign in by 845a. at 12ish, we were on the road for Keratunk, ME. Our first trip on the bus was to go white-water rafting. This trip was considered our "opening retreat" and it was so amazing. we stayed in little bunk cabins on monday night because we weren't due to go rafting until tuesday.

monday night we had a service in this attic of an arcade. except it didnt look like an attic, it was carpeted w. 2 window A/C units and bench seating. the service was amazing! it was a time for us to get together, pray, & worship God with our whole hearts. that, my friend, is definitely what happened. Our director, Pastor Chad (PC), told us that it was our time to make our hearts like a funnel and allow God to pour Himself out on us. when i tell you it was amazing, i mean it! sometime later, PC asked all of the 1st years to come up to the front and told us that it was our turn to receive.

a few minutes later, PC came up and placed his hands on my shoulders to pray for me. he started praying and i couldn't stand anymore. God's presence filled that place that night and as i lay on the floor, not able to move, i realized that i was in the right place. that this is where God wanted me. i also discovered some things that i needed to work on. OMGSH! God is sooo good! :)

tuesday we went rafting and it was soo fun! i have never been white-water rafting but i've always wanted to. there were some wicked rapids where we all got wet. then there were spots where we could get out of the raft and float/swim for a bit. we could only do that until our guide said "ok come back!" then they would pull us back into the boat by the shoulder straps of our vests. everytime i went to get pulled back into the boat, my vest would come up over my head! it was so annoying but one of the 2nd years thought it was funny; i'm glad i could make her laugh! :)

we arrived back to the camp @ about 230p and then had our covenant service @ about 4p. the covenant service was a time that we got together and the 3rd years shared with us what it meant to have this covenant and that no matter what happens, we are all gonna be family. in short, the covenant just stated that in these next 9-10 months we will not put anything higher than God and that we would not have an intimate relationship with anyone other than Him. that means no dating; which, i knew about & wasn't planning on doing anyway.

after our covenant service was over, we drove the 4 hours back to the church. on wednesday, we had to be in by 930a. that was awesome because i was tired! :) we started drama practice and i'm in a drama called "Hear Me" the song is by Kelly Clarkson. its fun but omgsh my thigh muscles are KILLING me!

yesterday, thursday, we studied a lot did drama and got introduced to some of the other things that we were going to be doing on a weekly basis. these things included sermon internalization and scripture memorization. we are going to be having a scripture test every week except for once a month and that's when we do our newsletters. sermon internalization is where we prepare a sermon based on one of our memorized scriptures and whichever group we're in. there are 5 different groups that determine the focus of your sermon.

as far as the memorization goes, im kind of doing okay...im a little nervous though. i haven't started my internalization yet though and that's due by thursday. i think i'll do okay on that too. today is friday...our day off!!! :) tomorrow we go apple picking, sunday is church, and monday morning @ 5a we leave for DC. we're going to be working a microsoft show. as for right now im so glad just to be able to relax.

i love you guys and i will try to keep you more updated so its not as much but ive been so busy and tired this past week.

~Kali~

Close Enough

2009-08-26T21:48:00.004-04:00

as of right now i have approximately 2 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes, and 30 seconds until i officially start New England Master's Commission. i am soooo excited! i know, i know...my last post said something about being nervous and i still kinda am. my mom and sisters have been in New Hampshire since tuesday afternoon and i have spent a lot of time with them. they want me to spend as much time with them as i can because i wont see them again until probably Thanksgiving. i see exactly where they are coming from but i just want to relax. Christina and the boys came up LATE monday night to surprise Todd. so no matter what i'm not totally gonna do what i wanted because theres just too much going on around me.

alls i really wanna do is relax downtown or at prescott park and do absolutely nothing...maybe even just sleep for about 2 hours longer than normal but in reality i know that wont happen. on friday night @ church there is a lock-in. i've always wanted to go to one and now is my chance. my only dilemma is the simple fact that saturday morning i have orientation @ 10a. the lock-in is from 6p on friday night to 8a the next morning. if i did go i would just take all of my MC stuff with me and then i won't have to worry about bringing it the next day, let alone going home @ 8a and coming back @ 10a. on the other hand, i have a feeling that it would be just too much rushing around for me to do thats all.

idk...im just trying to work it out. tonight @ youth group we just had a chill night. ken went over some scheduled events and then they talked about G5 (Element79?) and some other crucial ministry things. he also brought some things to my attention about MC that i didnt know about yet. there are some things that i have to look forward to in just the next few weeks; Aug. 31-Sept. 1st: White Water Rafting...Sept. 5th: Apple Picking...Sept. 6th-13th: DC Microsoft Show...October 2nd-3rd: Youth & Young Adult Retreat...Tuesday Nights: Evangelising.

so, needless to say, i will be a pretty busy lady come this sunday but i will make an effort to keep my blog updated so all of you readers out there will know what im up to. please leave a comment on what you would like me to keep you updated on the most. i love you all

Love,
~Kali~

faster & faster

2009-08-16T00:01:00.004-04:00

no, not literal speed. i can't run fast so its definitely not that but its the way these days/weeks are going. they're going by faster and faster. in exactly 2 weeks from yesterday, 8/15, will be my Master's Commission orientation. i am sooo excited but, contrary to the way i thought i'd feel, im starting to get nervous. yea, im excited for everything that God wants to do in and through me but im kind of uneasy. i dont know...it happens to all of us; teens that is. we grow up sooner than later and think we can handle it but when it comes to crunch time we can't.

i mean, dont get me wrong...ive experienced things in my life that have called me to be more mature than i wanted to be but now that ive come to the correct time to be grown, i dont want to. im confident that God wants me here so i must leave it all up to Him to show me what He wants me to see. i have a feel on some of the stuff that we are doing already as well as my first scheduled class. we are going white water rafting for our opening retreat on 8/31 than we're going to DC for a microsoft show the 1st week of September. towards the end of the year, we're planning on going on a missions trip to Haiti! how cool is that?! anywayz, its gonna be intense. my first class is going to be OT Hermaneutics.

as far as i go, im okay i guess. today was an okay day...i hurt my back and was still moving stuff from our upstairs apartment downstairs to our new apartment. its way better than taking stuff up but it still hurt my back. then we finished for the day around 6p and just relaxed for a bit until going to Panera w. Miranda for dinner. my back has been spasming ever since we got back from dinner and then i moved the wrong way and popped my shoulder out...ugh!

this morning i was having a "Pop" moment: a time where something clicks in my head that reminds me about Pop and i cry for a minute & then suck it up. i just miss him thats all. i know, its going to sound redundant but its so true. ive got so much going on and for the past week ive found myself sitting around wanting to call someone. i would call him and just talk for a bit about nothing and id usually get frustrated because he would ask me over and over again if i wanted something that he had or if i needed anything. but now i wish i could hear that again.

during the weekend i miss my grandmom. i would call her at least once every weekend just to see how she was feeling or how Bingo went the weekend before. we would just talk and the conversation usually didnt last past 5-10 minutes because i wouldnt know what else to say but it was nice to talk to her and hear her voice because she lived so far away. that is what i miss most about my Gram...just hearing her voice. heck...that's what i miss most about both of them...just being able to call whenever and hear their voice!

i dont know when this feeling will ever go away or even if it will but i dont ever wanna forget them. im not really sure how i will feel come orientation and my opening ceremony. my mom & sisters will be here along w. Todd & Tammi but i still just wish that my grandparents could be there or that i could send/show them pictures later. the rest of my family would be there, im sure, if they could but they have a foundation event in memory of my little cousin, Billy, who died 2 years ago.

i know the next two weeks will fly and my emotions will be on edge and i will be rushing around making sure all my things are together and im not missing/forgetting anything. but that doesn't mean that i cant stay focused. like i said earlier, God has placed me in this position for a reason and i intend on chasing that. "...for such a time as this." the Bible says and thats exactly what this is.

well...its after 12a on 8/16 in Portsmouth, NH and i should really go to bed right now because i have church in the AM and then we finish moving! im tired but im not...oh well...sleep is a good thing. good night all. updates will come as the 29th gets closer and closer.

much love
~Kali~

"Lost Generation" - a backwards poem

2009-08-06T07:26:00.004-04:00

Below is a video of this poem being read. it was made for an AARP U@50 video contest but has reached so much more. last night Ken showed the video and handed out the words so we could follow along. it does look slightly confusing when its written but when its recited; its amazing! i challenge you to read/listen to this poem and share it with other people, no matter how young or old they are. i dare you not to be a part of a lost generation but to strive for excellence and purity in everything you do. if not for anyone else than for Jesus, the one who created you to be excellent.

"Lost Generation"

START: I am part of a lost generation and I refuse to believe that I can change the world

FINISH: But I can change the world and refuse to believe that I am part of a "Lost Generation"

I realize this may be a shock but
"Happiness comes from within"
is a lie, and
"Money will make me happy"
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life
my employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
Is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
this is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now I will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.

And all of this will become true unless we choose to reverse it.

--> Go ahead; pass it on, share it with someone...i double-dog dare you! :)

Birthday Wishes

2009-07-31T00:28:00.002-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO POPPY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YYYOOOUUU!!!!!!!

today is the 70th birthday of the greatest guy i have ever met in my whole life. i know, i know...you're probably saying right now; "what does she know, she's only 18!" well, the truth is that i may know more about what i'm saying than anyone else. this man truly is the greatest guy i have ever met and will ever meet. he's my Poppy/Poop-Poop/Pop. no man can ever measure up to my standards if i were to base them solely on my grandfather.

you see, i love him and i will always love him; no matter how far down the road i go. of course its gonna be hard but im gonna make it. i know it may sound so weird coming from me because he was 'only' my grandfather but that is the farthest thing from the truth. he raised me up to be the woman i am today. everything i do, i know how to do it because he showed me how. those dayz of me asking him questions are over and now all's i have are pictures and memories which i pray will never leave me.

im writing this right now because im just so overwhelmed. for about the past week and a half ive been thinking about how id react to this day. ive kinda been dreading its arrival. if i was back in PA, id be waiting up til midnight with my mom and probably getting ready to go to his grave site. or...if he was still alive, no matter where i was, id be waiting up til midnight to pick up the phone and call him as soon as those hands on the clock came together. so now, im writing this @ 1116p; just waiting til midnight. i can't call him or go see him when i want but i sure can wish i could!

theres so many things that have happened so far this year that he's missed and i just wish i could pick up the phone like i used to and call him to tell him or just call him when i was feeling lonely...heck, i would just call him to hear the sound of his voice.

ok...im done because im crying way too much to keep telling it like it is. like i said, im writing this @ 1122p on 7/30 but it won't be posted until 12a on Friday July 31st, 2009.

New Look!

2009-07-26T19:34:00.003-04:00

ok so i thought it was about time for a new look. i tried to find a purple layout but all of the purple layouts had black backgrounds and light writing (not so good for the eyes). so, i ended up on orange. I also edited the background for my playlist so it would match the layout! on my playlist there is about 10-15 new songs that i have been listening to a lot lately. i will start the song of the week/month again soon. the songs that i feature will be on the playlist. to look through all of the songs on the list, you have to scroll right with the bottom scroll bar and use the playlist scroll bar to search. check it out...its awesome!! ;)

'A More Beautiful You'

2009-07-23T09:53:00.010-04:00

this is a song & video by a Christian recording artist. His name is Jonny Diaz (pronounced die-az). His brother plays for the Atlanta Braves. Jonny was on his way to a baseball career until God showed him his greater talent; the guitar!

Summary: This song tells a story of a little girl who wants to look like a magazine model. What she doesn't realize is that the models inside that magazine aren't all what they're cracked up to be. In the middle of the video it shows the photo editing process. I knew it happened but in this video it just really shows how everything isn't what its cracked up to be. The 2nd verse of the song is speaking to a 21-year old. It's saying that she's been through things that made her who she's become today and that she doesn't have to live that way anymore.

Check it out and pass it on if you know somebody who may need it. ITS GOOD! ;)

~Kali

p.s.: im back in NH and have been here since monday night @ about 10p. its been rainy here but other than that im soo glad to be home. MC starts on August 29th! thats exactly 1 month and 5 days from right now :)

what's new?!

2009-07-16T10:32:00.006-04:00

well...i'm still in PA. I'm planning on returning to NH by Monday. Little Nathan has come thru surgery and there are full updates @ his mommy's blog (www.redcupcentral.blogspot.com)

i got contacts on tuesday!! its soo awesome to be able to see without having glasses on! :) i went shopping yesterday and picked up some safety shirts and some cute clothes for when i start Master's in the fall. well, not really the fall. my orientation is August 29th...that is exactly 1 month and 1 day from right now!!! im soooo excited, i cant wait.

my Gram's funeral was last friday morning @ 11am. it was weird to see some people because for the last 6 months it seems that we only would see each other @ a funeral. first my grandfather's in january and now my grandmother's in july. ironically enough, they both died on the same day and their funeral was on the same day; the 5th and 10th. {freaky huh?!}

being in PA this time hasn't been as crazy as last time because i know when im going home. i miss all of my friends back in NH but this time we've been texting a lot more. last time i would text but they wouldnt get it...i found out later it was user error! ;)

upon my return to NH i will be bringing with me the rest of my belongings along with an inherited doll and a bunch of beanie babies. all of which i have gotten from my Gram. i miss her soo much and for the past 6 months i have been waiting for the day to come but i never thought it would. its just sooo hard for me because im still grieving over my Pop's death and now theyre both gone. the two staples in my family and now theyre gone. it's rough but Jesus is my rock and will continue to be through everything.

i wanna thank everyone who has helped support me through these tough times. i REALLY can't express enough gratitude to truly portray how i feel. THANK YOU!!

Vacation Buddies & So Much More

2009-07-06T10:36:00.007-04:00

^Gram w. 3 oldest granddaughters^

yes, we were not only vacation buddies but we were family. 2 weeks every summer was spent enjoying the sun together. Whether we were in Chincoteague, VA, Centreville, MD, or Pigeon Forge, TN...we were together.

this person was my grandmother. like my grandfather; she was one of the bestest friends i could have ever had. I would call her every weekend just to catch up and see how she was doing. I would see her on every major holiday and for 2 weeks every summer. most times we didnt go anywhere special we just hung out. i would help her do tasks at work like vacuuming the sanctuary, folding bulletins, cleaning bathrooms, stuffing envelopes or bulletins and just being with her.

^Gram & I: Easter 1995^

on July 5th she passed away. the last time i spoke with her or saw her was on June 20th. she was sick and she fought the best she could. my mom, sisters, and i all went down to her home in MD to see her and show her my diploma and some pictures from my graduation. she was tired yet, she asked us to stay. so, we did and gave her a hug and kiss the next day before we left.

i continued to call and speak to my aunt (Gram's sister) just to see if anything had changed; nothing ever did. she slept a lot and her body was getting tired. we knew the day would eventually come but its still so hard to accept. i mean, in 6 months i go from having both grandparents then just one and now none. it all just happens so fast that no one person can ever be fully prepared.

^Gram & I: October 1990^

on thursday july 9th, i will be going back down to PA for another week. i will arrive at my destination EARLY friday morning. im unsure of the definite service times but i do know that i will definitely be there. Gram, Grammy, Aunt Pat...every name that she had; fit! i love her and will always miss my Grammy!!

what i didnt post last night...

2009-07-02T08:59:00.004-04:00

last night when i was writing the other blog i had some things on my heart to share but wasn't quite ready to share. this morning i woke up and HAD to blog about it.

last night was youth group. i havent been there in 2 weeks and i was oober excited to get back and see some of my friends. i even surprised somebody who i was texting the night i landed ;) she was totally surprised! anywayz, i love youth group. i know, i know...im 18 and starting a higher education in the fall but i've still got a young soul and a heart for teens.

youth group itself starts at 630p but most teens show up before that and hang out in the teen center. well we started with worship that lasted about 35 minutes but it REALLY lasted til 930p. needless to say, God showed up! Danielle was going to share a message but God had His own plans and decided to take over.

we were just praying and loving on Him and then he came and wrapped His arms around us. i stepped out to speak w. a friend and then came back and sat towards the back and just got ensumed by His presence. that was 8p so from 8p to 930p i was praying for/with other girls and just worshipping God.

i must say, feeling that warm embrace and peace of His love is just amazing. i long for that everyday and i have to remember that i have to seek His face and stay in His word each day for that. its just soo amazing that words can't really explain the way it feels. oh how much i LOVE Jesus!!! below is a video that i watched yesterday morning. going into youth group i was praying that we would see more and more of Jesus in the mirror every morning instead of ourselves...check it out.

have a good rest of the week people. today's thursday and saturday's the 4th!! woot-woot ;)

much love,
~kali

HI!

2009-07-01T22:38:00.011-04:00

this is just a quick update because i know i havent blogged in a while. im in NH and have my orientation on August 29th for New England Masters Commission. I still have no job but i still REALLY want one.

I just spent the last 2 weeks in PA. what a trip that was!! i was soo happy because i got to see all of my friends. ok well almost all of them. 1 of them was down in OCNJ. i got to see my grandmom for a little bit and show her my graduation pictures and diploma. i was happy about that.

i will put some pix w. captions on the bottom of this blog from my graduation ceremony. the tagging goes from left to right. i gtg 2 bed but i thank you for reading. as of friday i will no longer have a facebook so please email/call/comment me and i will get back to you! :)

~Kali~

>Lexii, Jacqi, Me, Mom^

^Tepy, Ally-B, Elisa, Me,^
^Stacie, Edgar, Kayla^

^Me^

what?!

2009-05-30T09:31:00.003-04:00

yea...that's what im sayin'! i was working @ Subway to save up money for Master's this fall. well, the manager decided that he hired too many people and then decided to "let me go." not only that but the person that i helped train is still working there. may i ask why?!

anyway, i have to get another job or else this fall i wont have any spending money because any money i do have needs to be saved for the missions trip. its all okay though because i know God has it all under control. im not freaking out about it but im not slackin' either.

on another note, graduation is only 2 weeks away! i am ecstatic!! no, i haven't written the essay yet but i will. i had all the time in the world yesterday because it was raining so i was couped up inside. i had two choices; i could write the essay or i could watch some TV (which i never do). i chose the latter. ;)

today, im going downtown to see if anyone is hiring. it's sunny right now and the temperature is only supposed to go up to 69 so it looks like it's going to be a GREAT day! i hope it stays nice because im walking. oh and i got my hair cut a few weeks ago!! i'll post pictures either later today or tomorrow. im sorry, i totally forgot to show you guys ;)

Sunday is MC graduation. what that means is that all the Masters Commission students that were enrolled this past year (08-09) are graduating. some aren't coming back and some are coming back but not as students. the rest, are gonna be students w. me!! it's gonna be kind of crazy because since i've been here (late march) i've come to know a lot of the students very well. it's so sad to see them leave! im gonna miss them...A LOT!!

well, gotta run...have a good weekend ppls. i'll post pix later. <3

~kali~

p.s.- today i listened to a whole Jars of Clay CD...and liked it! i only liked a few songs before but now, i think i like them a whole lot more! ;)

GED Ceremony!!

2009-05-22T11:39:00.004-04:00

i just got my GED graduation details in the mail. thats right people, there's going to be a real graduation!! im gonna be wearing a cap and gown and everything. the test details are below.

the ceremony isn't until june 16th but man am i anticipating it. ;) not only am i going to be wearing a cap and gown but i get to keep it!! there's also an essay contest and just for kicks im gonna enter it.!!

i just thought i would post this quick blog to update everyone who reads my blog. and a quick shout-out to everyone from back home...I MISS YOU ALL!!!

any questions? comments? concerns? call my cell or email me at kalirox@gmail.com

much love
~Kali~ <3

to pass each individual test, i had to get at least a 410 and an average of 450 to pass the whole thing.

Writing- i scored higher than 31% of graduating high school seniors - 450/800
Reading- i scored higher than 99% of graduating high school seniors - 720/800
Math- i scored higher than 82% of graduating high school seniors - 590/800
Science- i scored higher than 97% of graduating high school seniors - 690/800
Social Studies- i scored higher than 82% of graduating high school seniors - 590/800

Average: 608

GUESS WHAT?!

2009-05-20T08:25:00.005-04:00

I DID IT!!!

i passed my !!! i got my results back yesterday morning. i am soo happy...i am officially a high school graduate people!! for the whole test collectively, i got a 608 average. to pass the test one would need at least a 450 average. to pass each individual test, there's 5 of them, one would need at least a 410. the following are the scores i received: writing- 450, reading- 720, science- 690, social studies- 590, & math- 590.

when i called for my scores, the woman on the other end of the phone explained to me that i would be receiving a packet of information. in that packet there will be details about my certificate and graduation. before i hung up the phone, she said that she would see me at graduation.!! do you know what that means?!? this means that i will have an official ceremony and everything. at least, that's what im guessing!!! i must say, knowing that i'm a graduate, it does feel good ;)

now i will spend my days working @ Subway and saving money for extras this year. by extras i mean spending money for masters commission! thats right, i got accepted into New England Masters Commission (formerly known as Seacoast Masters Commission)!!!!! my tuition is already taken care of so now im just working to save money. im soo happy that God has brought me here. it has been quite a ride but as my friend Kimberly once told me..."you've found the missing puzzle piece to life!"

any questions? concerns? comments? email me @ kalirox@gmail.com

~kali

im a future NEMCer

2009-04-28T16:16:00.003-04:00

i know i havent blogged since i came up to NH. well for those of you that don't know, im still here. i am going to be staying here. i'm getting my GED next month and today i had an interview @ Seacoast Masters Commission. guess what???...I WAS ACCEPTED!!!! thats right people I am going to be going to New England Masters Commission in August!!!!{the name will officially change in June}

since ive been up here everything has fallen into place. i've been attending the church where the MC is based out of and they have welcomed me with open arms. then, i went to their youth convention and on the 1st night the speaker asked if i was there because we had been talking on facebook. but i never told him that i was going to be @ the convention. either way that weekend was sooo amazing for me. God just showed up and wrecked a bunch of ppls lives.

i will be taking my GED test on the 6th and 13th of May. i am sooo confident that i will get it. my scores on both pretests were @ the college level. i'm working on getting a job as well. im going to start turning in applications tomorrow and for the next week or so. this whole experience has just been soooo amazing!! Jesus wuvs me! ;)

i called PB (Pastor Bob) and told him that i got accepted and he asked me if they were sure they were ready for me! ;) im sure they are...at the end of my interview, Pastor Chad (the director of the masters commission) gave me a hug and said, "welcome to the crazies!" ha ha ha - for those of you that know me, know that crazy is my middle name!

i won't lie, i do miss everyone back home...shout out to C4 & LCF!! i will be coming down sometime in June and i will be sure to stop by and say goodbye...PB said i didnt have a choice! ;) i love all you guys and i will be sure to keep in touch.

there's my update...any questions?! email me @ kalirox@gmail.com

~Kali ;)

Updating

2009-04-10T09:23:00.002-04:00

you're probably wondering why i now have ads on my blog!?! yep, i know you are...so, im going to tell you! ;)

i posted the ads because they will help me earn money. i have no control about what ads come up because they are based on the type of material that i blog about. so, if you find an interesting ad and click on one and something bad happens, let me know so i can disable this feature.

THANKS!! ;)
~Kali

mini-vaca!!

2009-03-30T15:39:00.005-04:00

^my shoes @ the beach...i went in the water!^

Okay so it's pretty apparent from the title that i'm not involved in my usual day to day routines. Actually, im not even in my usual day to day environment! I'm in New Hampshire & i've been here since Monday, 3/22. It was a spur of the moment thing for me to come up here. Todd & Tammi were leaving & Christina asked if they were taking me w. them. The next thing i knew, i was packed for 2 weeks & heading North on 95!!

The ride took us through New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, & then finally New Hampshire. We went in such a way that the scenery was soooo beautiful!! I actually got slept in the car! We left PA @ about 1p & got to NH @ about 1030p. It took us longer than expected but we got here; safe & sound.

^Sunset in Connecticut^

Tuesday i woke up @ the normal time but i didn't start school until 8a. You see, that's the plus side of being home schooled; you can do it anywhere!! ;) I spent the rest of the day catching up on school from Monday & relaxing. We had Chinese food for dinner! ;)

Wednesday i woke up & started school @ about 8a & was done by 2p. It was so nice to be caught up! For the rest of Wednesday I sat w. Tammi & me watched all of the shows that had been recorded while she was in PA. Corned beef & cabbage is what we had for dinner...omgsh it was sooo good!!

Thursday Tammi & I went out and she showed me the beach. It was only 10-15 minutes away! After taking some pictures and a little video, we came back to the apartment. The apartment is a cozy little place. The building where the apartments are used to be an old button factory. School on Thursday was 8a to about 1130a. It was an easy day. After we got back from the beach, i built a roller coaster for my science class.

^Beach @ the Hamptons^

Friday was a quick & easy day for me. My classes were easy & i was done by about noon. I walked to the store & then went to a place that makes messenger bags! If you know me than you definitely know that i am a bag feign...soooo, i walked into this store & they make the bags however you want. There's only one catch; the cheapest bag is $119!!

Saturday was a fun day!! We went to Lake Winnipesaukee. We thought that the movie "What About Bob?" was filmed there. I took some good pictures of the lake & some of the city as well. The city's name is Wolfeboro & it's this cute little private town. Todd, Tammi & i ate at a small diner type thing. You ordered @ the counter & then they called your name when your order was up. That's awesome...i love stuff like that!!

^1/100th of Lake Winnipesaukee!^

After we left the lake, we went to the beach again but it was REALLY foggy! You would never guess what beach it was...it was the Hamptons!!! I was in the Hamptons!!! ha ha ha i know, im overly excited right? Well, you think that's bad, you should get a load of this! In Portsmouth, there are crosswalks, like in every other city, but at these crosswalks, the cars actually stop for you!! I know, i know...it sounds a little to lame to get excited about but when you walk to work almost everyday & have to wait for no more cars its pretty awesome.

Yesterday was Sunday & a calm quiet day of relaxation. Heck, all week has been time of quiet & relaxation!! Anywayz, Todd & i went to the local A/G church; Bethal A/G. There is a Master's Commission @ the church as well. I have known about it for a little bit but haven't taken any steps to make contact. Well, Todd gave the pastor a card with his email on it & asked him to give that to the director. I was excited to see what would become of that. We went to the store & then came back to the apartment to chill. We all watched "50 First Dates" & then had "Taco Pizza" for dinner. I'll let your imaginations roam on the pizza...it's a secret!! (sssshhhhh)

This morning i woke up EARLY!! I went to bed @ 12a because i watched "Facing The Giants." I woke up @ about 615ish. I've been up all day. So, now it's time for a happy moment!! Today i got an email from someone in the support staff @ the master's commission from the church, it's called Seacoast Master's Commission. She asked me for my phone number so she could call me & we could talk. I got nervous because i'm not a big phone talker. About 5 minutes after i sent the email my phone rang! We chatted for about 15 minutes & she invited me to a young adult service tonight so i could interact with some of the MC family.

Needless to say peoples; i'm extra EXCITED!! I'm excited & nervous. I feel like a giddy little child. But, hey, it's worth it right?!? So anyway, i have to go get ready i have to be there by 730p and it's 630p now. Much love to my blog readers & i will try to keep you posted on how the rest of the week is goin and also to come is a little bit about something called Pray21. Good stuff! Good stuff! peace out cub scouts!!

~Kali~

"Surrender" by: Seventh Day Slumber

2009-03-27T20:43:00.003-04:00

this is the new video from Seventh Day Slumber. its called "Surrender" their new worship album. click the link & check it out... ;)

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7c79617810cccc01df2a

Thanks,
Kali

"One Day"

2009-03-15T19:37:00.003-04:00

ok so what a week...or 2 or 3...idk how long it's been since i've blogged & im sry abt that. im trying to stay on top of it but everytime i want to blog i can never figure out what to write. here's a poem that i wrote back in February. it came from a bunch of different thoughts i was having at the time. needless to say it is a filler. i want to blog about recent events in the life of Kali but this is all i can handle right now. hope you like it ! ;)

One Day

One day is not enough
It’s not enough to dream
To talk, To scream

One day won’t last
Last past the music
The fighting, The tears

One day won’t see
See the accomplishment
The goals, The fears

One day is not enough
Enough to remember
To try, To persevere

Can’t you see
One day is just not enough
It won’t last, It won’t see
One day is just the beginning
Who will you choose to be

Song of the Week(s)
Title(s): Permanent, Mr. Sensitive, A Daily Anthem
Artist: David Cook
Album: David Cook

FREE Bible

2009-03-13T22:53:00.002-04:00

Ok so I stumbled upon this blog from Pastor Chilly's blog.
www.boomerinthepew.com

His name is Dave and he's giving away a FREE calfskin ESV Study Bible. I entered to win and you can too!! All's you have to do is go to his site and do what I just did, repost it! ;)

*This is a real post and I know, that last line sounded a bit cheesy!*

I will write another blog in a few days to catch up all of my readers on the last couple weeks...so much to go over.

much love ppls!
~Kali

Quick Update

2009-02-26T23:13:00.005-05:00

this is a long awaited blog...i can tell from all the emails im getting telling me to blog. (jk jk, can you sense the sarcasm?) i'm actually just blogging because i feel i owe it to those of you who do read my blog.

everything here is going okay. school's fine, i mean im getting my grades up. i'm still working @ McDonald's. i got my raise a little while ago. i dont remember if i blogged that or not. i was sooo excited because i've been waiting for this raise for about 1 1/2 years. we now have 3 training mgrs so as soon as we get our new training materials, i will be able to take my test.

ok so to be honest, ive had sort of a rough couple weeks. im taking it day by day and trying to comprehend the daily events. certain things happen that trigger raw emotion. that raw emotion is the kind of emotion that i dont wanna neglect but i want to hide. im not really sure what to do with that raw emotion but i feel like im getting better and better at handling with every other curve ball that life throws at me.

i'm gonna end this blog because i dont wanna go on and on about nothing. im leaving you with 4 things...well 1 thing and 3 songs that have rocked my world over the past 2-3 weeks
1.) on Sunday, PB said he was gonna start updating his blog...im excited but still waiting ;) lol PB's the best!
2.) "You Said" By: Hillsong
3.) "Be Still" By: Storyside B
4.) "Outrage" By: Capital Lights

--these songs are pretty kool and are just totally AWESOME!! to listen to ;) you can find them on my playlist @ the right if they were on playlist.com-->

i will be back later...probably saturday or sunday night. Sunday night there's a prayer meeting at church so idk what time i'll be home.

peace & luv ppls, peace & luv
~Kali <3

i'm baaaaccckkk!!!

2009-02-18T23:19:00.003-05:00

that's right people...im back!! im back and better than ever!! actually, i just got unbanned from the computer...i have a blog in reserve but i am nowhere near ready to sit down and finish typing it all out. this is actually short because i'm tired and ready for bed (i have to get up early). so this is just a post to let you know that you are now allowed to bother me if i dont blog anytime soon!! ;)

Temporarily Disconnected

2009-01-25T19:52:00.004-05:00

ok so me and my computer have been temporarily disconnected. well, actually, i've been banned from the computer. i failed the first semester of Geometry and Study Island. idk what my deal with Study Island is. i finished all the lessons required and i completed them and handed them in by their due dates. i guess i just don't understand the system...

now Geometry, that's another story. i understand the material. i am thinking that i failed because my test grades we're below par. either way, i'm not allowed on the computer. when i will be back is unknown at the moment. i'm sure i will have a lot to write when i return so in the meantime please don't forget me & keep checking in for a new post. it will be the 2nd thing i do when i'm allowed back on. the 1st thing i will do will be to check my email, of course!! ;)

much love
~Kali

What a Week!

2009-01-21T23:51:00.008-05:00

-->hello...ok so i realized something the other day. i realized that it's been a while since i blogged. then, today i was chatting with someone who pretty much yelled at me for not updating my blog!! i understand i haven't been majorly on top of things but i'm trying. i think of ideas and then i get busy and forget or i just plain old forget.

-->Sunday was the big game! the NFC championship game, the last game before the SuperBowl! well, the Eagles blew it...yes, they lost...TO THE CARDINALS!! (whats up with that?) before the game started, my aunt and uncle sent me the following picture:

(^Leah & Bella^)

-->these girls are my two youngest cousins. The cheerleading outfit that Bella is wearing is what i gave her for Christmas...doesn't she look soooo cute?!? don't they both look sooo cute?!?!

-->anywayz, i've been neglecting the blog for no particular reason, i've just been a little busy...on monday morning i had oral surgery. i know it sounds gross but you really have no idea...so i'll tell you!

-->It all started in November of '07 when i got my last baby tooth pulled. my orthodontist said it had to be done so that adult tooth could come in and we could continue with the tightening of my braces. So, i went through with it. They pulled the tooth and after a year, the tooth never came down an inch, not even a centimeter! This whole oral surgery situation was totally stressful. I went from having to get a tooth pulled to having to get my gum cut open. needless to say, i got my gum cut so they could put a bracket on that tooth. Then, they put a chain on that bracket and now my orthodontist has to attach the chain to my brace wire.

-->during the procedure, they put me to sleep AND put novacaine around the surgical area. i dont remember much after i woke up. i dont even remember walking out to the car. when i got home, i layed on the couch and fell asleep until about 1030a. i was semi-out of it all day. the pain really didn't set in until about 12p. by that time i had taken my prescribed pain meds. my gums were still bleeding at 130p and im glad they stopped then. the picture below was taken the day after the operation...it's pretty small in case you don't wanna look.

-->they gave me Vicoden for the pain and it made me feel not like myself. i was drowsy and majorly out of it!! the last time i took them was Tuesday night and i've been taking Tylenol and Ibuprofen since. the swelling goes back and forth and the pain throbs every once in a while, especially when i laugh/smile. but besides that, i seem to be doing okay. tonight the chain unraveled and is now hanging from my top gums. which is sooo annoying, if i may say so myself! there's a picture of that below this paragraph.

-->so now my deal is to wait. i have to make the orthodontist appointment that will get this big ball rolling. when that will be for, well, i just dont know as of yet. so for right now i wait...on another note, let's talk about family. mine is a little hectic right now. im not gonna get into major details but i'm feeling a little confused, frustrated, upset, and just plain lost.

-->my major concern would be my grandmom. she has cancer and has been through a round of chemotherapy. her doctor has just recently told her that the chemo wasn't working or slowing anything down. so, she "made a big girl decision" (those were her words) and she just stopped the chemo altogether. i am unaware on the biggest details of all...what else the doctor said! she's not much for talking about it so i will just have to wait. we're not sure how long he told her she has or what she thinks about the whole situation. like i said, im just so lost & confused.

-->ok well now i have to go to bed before i start thinking too deeply into all these details. i will leave you with some verses that i've kept reverting back to all week and a song that i can't stop listening to!

~Sincerely,

KLM

Verses

Ecclesiastes 7:14(MSG): "On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won't take anything for granted."

Colossians 4:2(NLT): "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart."

Song of the Week (can be found on iTunes)

Title: The Motions

Artist: Matthew West

Album: Something To Say

What am i supposed to feel right now!?!

2009-01-11T23:04:00.004-05:00

this is a blog to follow my previous blog...needless to say im still a slight mess. my mind keeps wandering and i feel so down. i know, people might say not to fall into depression and im trying, really i am! i just cant fully comprehend exactly what this past week has involved. i mean seriously tho. my family means the world to me, really they do but sometimes i just dont understand why they do some of the things they do.

i dont really know what to think about my feelings. and i truly feel like im just blabbing right now but its starting to help. i need to talk to someone that i can feel comfortable enough with to cry in front of & they won't thing im being irrational. ya, that's just what i need...someone to tell me im exaggerating.

something i do need though is sleep...i'm trying to get as much sleep as i can at night but it's not working out. im tossing and turning and i wake up in the middle of the night and i think its time to get up but then its not so i go back to sleep and before i know it, its time to get up! let's take this morning for example...i woke up at like 7a and my alarm was supposed to go off @ 820a. then, jeremy knocked on my door @ 8a and i was like "oh no!" so i got up and got ready all by 820a...how ironic!

got off 2 church by 920a and felt a little out of place(idk y). got 2 church and typed up songs but i didnt get thru them w/o crying first. ugh! some people said they were sorry for my loss...some people didnt know. some of the times i wanted to say it was ok but then again its not...i mean it is okay, its great because he's not hurting anymore. but, idk i guess im being selfish, because im gonna miss him. im gonna miss him A LOT!!

its 1116p on sunday night after the Eagles beat the Giants 23-11 (Historic Record) and im crying while eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie ice cream...yum! i have to wake up @ 715a so i can start school by 730a. i have 2 papers to write, as well as a science project to do. i have to go to the store and buy the materials though. i keep forgetting while im at the store...ugh!

i seriously have to go to bed now so there will be no weekend wrap-up but i will give you a song to check out and i will leave you with a tad bit of good news. i became a member of my church today! how kool is that?!

Song of the Day/Weekend/Week (found on playlist to the right-->)
Title: You Can Let Go
Artist: Crystal Shawanda
Album: Dawn of a New Day

Here's More

2009-01-08T08:08:00.002-05:00

~~here is the link to Pop's obituary from the The Daily Local News. That is Chester Co. paper. It is also in the Daily Times and the News Journal in Wilmington. This is the link to the one that has a picture online...the other one's have the picture in the paper but not online.

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/01/08/obituaries/srv0000004451366.txt

The Biggest Fan i Ever Had

2009-01-07T07:58:00.007-05:00

This is gonna be a quick blog...it actually won't be a blog at all, it's a shout out! a rather big one.

My bestfriend, father, grandfather & mentor all died on the same night. Heck, they were all the same person. It's hard to write this right now bcuz im crying but i have to do it. He was my biggest fan as i was his. We spent ALL of our time together until i moved to Clifton Heights about 3 yrs ago. We were becoming distant and i didnt like it.

In June of '08 he was having problems w/ his leg and back...he thought he just hurt himself at work. He went to Canada and got in a fender bender that increased the pain. After coming home from Canada he went to the dr's and got an MRI. The results came back and his dr told my mom to get him to the ER right away. They then told us that this pain he was having is attributed to Bone Cancer. He started undergoing Radiation right away.

He was weak and his bones became very brittle from the treatments. He was home and in the bathroom when he fell and broke his femur. He was taken to the hospital and had surgery to repair the fracture. He woke up from the anisthesia not knowing what the date was or where he was or how he got there. He kept saying that he went to Venezuela and Guatemala. This was quite significant to me because i had just gotten back from being in Guatemala on a missions trip. I had told him about 1 week earlier that i liked it so much that him and i were gonna move there when he got better.

He was released from the hospital about 2 weeks later and we decided to place him at a Skilled Nursing Facility(SKNF). This was done so Pop could do his physical therapy on a daily schedule and gain his strength back. He was stubborn and ornery and everyone that knew Pop knew that too. He did what he could but just didnt gain his strength back. He would be VERY tired all the time and sometimes he didn't know where he was but that was sporadic and rare.

We had moved him from Riddle Village in Media to Broomall Manor in Broomall. He was there Christmas Eve until the 29th of December. He was then transferred to Naaman's Manor in Concordville. We knew that was best for him. He arrived and his pulseox level was in the 70's when it is supposed to be in the 90's. He was then hospitalized until Saturday, January 3rd. On Saturday he returned to Naaman's Manor and began to get comfortable. Oh and this whole experience was full of being uncomfortable...we just couldn't find the right spot or bed or amount of pillows to make him that way. Of course, like i said before, if you knew Pop you knew that too! ;)

On Sunday I came home from my dad's house in the Poconos and went to a friend's house to watch the Eagles beat the Vikings. We hung out after the game and played some UNO. We got to talking and then i had a break so i called Pop. I called and was able to talk to Pop. My mom and sister's and Steve-O were there. I told Pop that i just called to say "HI" and see how he was doing. I told him I didn't know he had company and that I would call back tomorrow. He then said "ya, I don't have any time." We both hung up by saying "I love you."

The next day i got a call from my mom asking if i wanted to go out with her to see him. I had said no and that i was gonna ask to use the car the next day(Tuesday) to go see him. At about 230p i got a call from my sister freaking out that we had to go. I said "Go where?" she said that my Uncle Rob had called and told mom to get out there NOW! So, she came and picked me up and we headed out there. It's about 20-30 minutes away from where we live. My mom called the Manor and asked what was going on. They just said that his pulseox level was low on 4 liters. Which i knew was bad. then my uncle called again to see if we were coming and he said just to get there. I then called the Manor to see what was goin on.

The nurse said to wait a minute and that she would put my Uncle Bill on the phone. Right then, i knew something was wrong if she couldn't tell me. He said "he's gone.' I asked when and he said about 15 minutes ago. I asked if anyone was there with him and he said that just the nurse was there. He also told us not to rush and that him and my Uncle Rob were both there. I hung up the phone and looked at my mom. she automatically knew from the questions i asked on the phone. so here we are on 322 in the smallest pick-up truck ive ever seen. We're all balling our eyes out and my mom's crying, shifting, and trying to talk on the phone at the same time. Yes, i know dangerous. So we finally get there and all run inside as fast as our legs and bodies can carry us. My sister who was home because she hurt her knee at school was beating us all.

We got up there and I went in first to be with my uncles and Pop. I'm not a big crier in front of people, even family but this time i couldnt help it. Then my mom came in and then my sister and then my aunts. This was all at 245p and we didn't leave until 6p. It was sooo hard to leave. My 10 yr old sister said she didnt want to. She was just like me at her age. She didnt wanna leave him and she was his partner. My mom, on the other hand, was a mess. I mean her and Pop were so alike in so many ways it was almost obnoxious. She kept beating herself up about it because she was there all morning until 130p when she got the call from Jacqi's school that she twisted her knee. After she picked up my sister and got her situated the phone rang with the call to come out there.

Now all this time all i can think of is how he was gonna be the one to walk me down the aisle and he said that if he didnt make it that long that he would at least make it to see me graduate. Which, he didnt make either. Another thing i cant get out of my mind is how my mom had just offered to take me out there with her and i turned it down. Until i saw him on Monday, hadnt seen him since Christmas Day.

***This post is dedicated to the best man i ever knew: Pop, Poppy, Poop-Poop, Bill, Dad. Anything that he might have been called. He will forever be missed and in our hearts."

Twitter Post Elaboration/Weekend Wrap-Up

2008-12-29T12:00:00.007-05:00

As some of you may know, i have a twitter. it's a social networking blog site but the blog can only be a maximum of 180 characters(including spaces). anywayz, i use it to blurb about my day or how i feel ALL the time because i can never think of enough to make a full blog. so i posted a tweet on the 27th of December and i need to elaborate, if not for you than for myself. here's the post:

"jst got hm frm werk & had a weird night full of out-of-the-blue feelings...i have no idea what my heart is doin!?! " 10:47pm

ya, oh man i wish i could explain, better yet, i wish you could've been there. all last week just felt so weird. it totally didnt feel like Christmas. everyday i felt like i was missing something or someone. yes, i realize i wasn't with the family im usually with because since last Christmas a lot has happened and ive moved out. so this Christmas was spent mostly with the Schoenrock/Stumm family.

but thats not what it was, i didnt feel like i was out of place. i just felt like i was forgetting.my emotions were running krazi. almost everything that happened made me cry. we went and saw pop and i cried, i almost cried when i opened my cell phone, i cried leaving gram's house in Maryland...etc. it never fails...i dont cry when it makes since to cry, nnoooo why would i do that!?! i cry out of the blue, when something that doesnt matter happens.

take this for example: saturday i had to work 2-10. i went to work feeling ok, nothing bad had happened. i was actually quite excited because i picked up my glasses. then it turned sour when a co-worker of mine and i got attitudes w/ each other. then i came off of break @ 7pm and then had to take orders in drive-thru for the rest of my shift. a little bit after i started taking orders Todd & Tammi stopped by to say goodbye. they were leaving to drive back to NH.

they stopped in the parking lot by the window and yelled "goodbye, we love ya!" i heard them say that and then i had to start taking an order. idk why but i turned around after taking that order and it took all i had to stop myself from crying. it was an out-of-the-blue type of thing.

ya, i have no idea what my heart is doing...it seems like it has a mind of its own, ya know? then sunday morning at church i arrived early to type up the songs for church. little did i know that my services would actually be needed. I hadn't been there since the week before so i had no idea what to expect. i got there, typed the songs, and stayed back there for the service. @ the end of service PB(Pastor Bob) said that he couldn't end the service without making an altar call. i was in the soundbooth praying and, again, almost crying. then i walked down to the front for prayer. PB prayed for me and i stood there & prayed alone for a bit then returned back to the booth. service was about over when Lisa came back and prayed with me. She prayed some powerful stuff.

so, do you remember that feeling of forgetting or missing something?!?! ya well let's just say i think i remebered or found it! that's right ppl, Jesus. i knew i wasn't praying or spending time in the Word like i should and then on Sunday God just grabbed my heart and threw that realization in my face. now i know what i have to do and i believe that God will give me the strength to remember to do it! ;)

wow ppls, what a week! i will begin something new, again. i will post a song that i have heard and it helped me or just a song that i found to be totally awesome & real! i will post it on my playlist if it's available to do so. i hope y'all enjoy.

Song Title: I Know You're Calling
Song Artist: Jeremy Camp
Song Album: Stay

Past/Reality

2008-12-13T00:06:00.002-05:00

IM BACK!! ya im back to reality!! ;) i'm sorry about my last post, it truly was an outrage post. i wasn't feeling myself & i was thinking about things that were totally crazy!

this week has been a bit of a doozy. last saturday night i worked as normal, came home, went to bed & woke up at 635a on sunday morning w. a wicked stomach ache! it hit me all of a sudden. then, i woke up at exactly 735a, an hour later. i couldnt believe it, exactly an hour. i promised i would be at church by 845a so i decided to just stay up. all morning in the sound booth i was wincing in pain...it was nuts.

i left church and came home, i had work at 4p. yes people i know it was a sunday and i usually dont work but i need the money and they needed help. i got home from church at about 1p and wanted to lay down but i couldnt. idk i was sooo tired and exhausted. i was home alone and there's just something about being home alone that kind of disables me. i went to work & almost didnt make it. my legs hurt like crazy and i was nauseous and dizzy all night, oh it was such a mess. all these feelings didnt go away until monday night when i was ready for bed but i was sooo glad it was over!

this week ive been mad busy: i worked monday, tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. last weekend i worked saturday and sunday so that makes 6 days in a row! i've never done that before! ;) ok so now REALLY back to reality! ha ha psych...these are my thoughts on reality.

Reality is defined in Webster's Dictionary as this: "a real event, entity, or state of affairs." i see reality as being here & now. yes, it is the fact of being real but on so many levels. reality is the time & place in where events occur. my reality is totally a major blur. i mean the past couple weeks have been pretty hazy and emotional but today just topped it all off.

i found out that Pop was back in the ER because he hasn't been eating/drinking anything. my mom says he won't even try to take care of himself. seeing and hearing that is just depressing, especially about him. Pop is the strongest guy i know, heck, he's Pop! i know he'll make it through, he always does. i mean that's reality!

then i have to realize that Gram really might not come up for Christmas! ya, how upsetting is that?? i was told that and i almost lost it, wait, i did lose it!! Gram has come up from Maryland for Christmas every year since she moved there in 1995. Now, all of a sudden, she's not coming. Now i have to ask myself: is this the start to a new reality?? a reality where things are never gonna be the way they used to be; EVER again?!?

there's some other things going on too that i would prefer not to discuss until I fully comprehend the situation myself but i will tell you that info will come shortly. its is now 12:51a on Saturday morning & i am not even tired. i will leave you now to ponder on these thoughts. well, my thoughts.

until reality finally sets in! ;)
~Kali

yea...that's what i thought

2008-12-09T00:17:00.003-05:00

this blog is about me, obviously...duh!! to be honest, i haven't really treated it that way. ive treated it like a daily news column or an advice column of sorts. yes thats all fine and dandy but according to my post last week, i gotta be real.

my status on Gchat for a couple days has been; "confused feelings are indeed confusing."
definition: "i dont know how i feel therefore im confusing myself just trying to figure it out!!"

literally, i mean come on. i understand that the human emotions are the most in depth concepts to understand but im a pretty straight forward kinda person, except for lately that is. nothing major. nobody got in trouble or passed away; its just little stuff that's been building up. ya know, the kinda stuff that we think won't make a difference later!? well guess what?...it does!! and the sad part is we don't realize it until we're at our breaking point.

i know im not the only one that lets this happen but i just have to let it out. here's how it goes:

Pop(grandfather) was in the hospital for Thanksgiving and now he's in a Skilled Nursing Facility(SNF)
Gram(grandmother) is planning on not coming up from Maryland for Christmas
my dad wants me to come up there but idk how that's gonna happen considering i dont have a car!
im still making minimum wage @ McD's where ive been working for 2 yrs!?!?
im supposed to take a test to get a promotion but its difficult to see that happening anytime soon because there's no training mgr.
im still a junior in HS @ the ripe old age of 18
i have no clue what my future looks like let alone what college imma go to

i think thats everything for right now but i feel like im bursting @ the seams. i just cant seem to find the right emotion to cover it all.

honestly, i wanna crawl under a rock like a worm and dig into the dirt and sleep for a living until some little 4 year old boy comes and digs me up to use me for bait while him and his dad go fishing. i know, i know, i know it sounds a little grim but thats how im seeing things right now.

as i feel somewhat accomplished because i have actually finished a blog in one sitting @ 1230a on a Tuesday morning, i think i can get some sleep now. oh yea did i mention its hard to do that too!?! sleep is so overrated!>! ha ha ha ya right i wish.

good nite cyber world & sweet dreams! ;)

somewhat complacent,

~Kali~

ROC: Real Online Christians

2008-11-19T21:25:00.004-05:00

ROC....yea i didnt know what it meant either, until last week. i was chatting w. Christina's father in law...his name's Todd. he's kool as kool can be. anywayz we were chatting on Gchat like we normally do and i couldnt figure out what to blog about. i asked him if he had any ideas bcuz he's full of really good ideas!

ok so back to ROC...Todd gave me these initials at the end of our chat and i was totally lost. he told me those were initials for something & for the life of me i couldnt figure it out! so then he slowly told me what each letter meant...Real Online Christians.

by this point of our conversation i was TOTALLY lost...i mean "Real Online Christians"...what's that mean?? then we began a mini-question & answer session; me asking a lot of the questions(it was a rough night for my brain!) i asked questions having to do w. what my basis would be. at first i thought he was edging towards how most people now adays don't know us personally but only by our online profiles. but i was on the wrong thinking pattern.

Todd then asked me the question: "do you think God wants us to be cyber...or his He kinda like old skool? you need to look into each other's eyes" he was referring to online chats, sermons, and full church services. in reply to his question & statement i made this statement: "so we're becoming disconnected while trying to connect w. God @ a convenient level?"

then it hit me...i could run far w. this, real far. then he told me that this was my generation, i agreed but then said that none of my generation reads my blog. i may be wrong but idk, i mean i dont get any feedback from any of my generation that acknowledge my blog even exists.

he agreed w. me and then said that they may not read my blog but they are indeed cyber. he noted some truths about my generation that are rather, well true. check this: Generation Y(1981-1994) are known as the "first digitals" or "echo boom." this is because we were born into the rise of the information age. we don't even "watch" the news to get the news we go online to Facebook or Myspace or even a blog to get the latest news/TRUTH. then theres Generation Z(1995-present) also known as the iGeneration because they are very young, active consumers and very connected being born into a world of digital technology. This is all very real considering that each generation is born into the most advanced technological periods in relation to their time.

here's the main point of all this explanation; you can't find the truth, the REAL truth, on facebook, myspace, blog or podcast. none of that can give you the information that you need to know or the direct contact that we, as humans, need. sure there are people in this world that would like to contradict EVERYTHING i just said because i know there are people that believe anything and everything that they read, see, or hear online is the truth and nothing but the truth.

on the other side of things, there are people that know the REAL truth and don't share it because they have an online personna. they are known online as being someone or something that they really aren't in everyday life. i admit that i say/do things online vs real life and they contradict each other but that's the whole reason i started a blog. to me, a blog is real life. whether its online or not, its kinda like laying it all out on the table.

there ya have it ppls...the blog ive been concealing for the last week or so. in closing i have 2 questions for you, my readers. Do we have to look someone in the eye to get the 'TRUTH'? my opinion: no, you just need to know the source. ive been transparent w. y'all tonight so would you be transparent w. me? does anyone else have two people behind one face?; one online and one in the real world? id like to know that im not alone here ppl! ;) hit me back

**thanks to Todd(chatting) & Wikipedia(generation info)

Just Thinkin'

2008-11-19T21:06:00.003-05:00

ok so i was just thinkin' today that i needed to blog and i had the perfect blog in mind...and then it happened, i forgot!!! that's right ppls, I forgot.

i know it happens but i dont like it. it could happen at the worst time too. i mean come on!!! well i do have some rather exciting news...i got my bottom braces off!! i now have a retainer. which means, that i cant chew gum. i have to take it out when i brush, eat, and sleep. it feels so nice to not have any metal blocking my bottom teeth! ;)

on another note, i still have my top braces. i cant get those off until i get oral surgery. i got a tooth pulled last november and it still hasnt come in yet. so, they have to cut my gum, attach a bracket to that tooth, attach a chain to the bracket, attach that chain to the wire that holds my brackets on my top teeth. then, while they tighten my braces, they will slowly pull down this obviously forbidden tooth!!

idk but i just cant wait bcuz i've had these braces long enough! im working on another blog...its coming tonite or tomorrow but either way...its coming!! ;) i promise

Weekend Wrap-Up

2008-11-17T22:28:00.002-05:00

okay so this will be a weekly thing. its gonna be a recap of how my weekend went and what kind of events occurred, if any!? i'm still gonna do blogs during the week but this will just give you an insight on what my days off are like! ;)

my weekend started early. i was done my school work for the week on friday. that was my goal considering i was going away. i went to Hershey,PA for a women's retreat. we left @ 10AM on friday morning and returned @ 330PM on saturday. theres a group of about 15-20 women from my church that go every year. this year there was 12 of us. the grand total of women @ this retreat was 3,000. that's right ppls there was actually 3,000 women in one room at one time! ;) it was an awesome time of worship, God, fellowship, & The Word!

after returning home on saturday afternoon, i had some chill time to check on web stuff. then, @ about 430PM i went to Scott & Debra's for Emma's 1st B-Day party. we know she's only one but celebrating any birthday is always fun. there was a mini-quiz that i thought i would win. i didnt but Jeremy did. the prize: a $25 gift card to Olive Garden! after the quiz we hung out for a bit then headed home...it was getting late and we had church in the morning.

we got home and sat around for a bit then, everyone went to bed. i was still up chatting on facebook. i was sooo tired but i couldnt sleep. i was up until about 2AM-230AM. thats a tad bit depressing when you know you have to get up early in the morning. i've been soo tired lately. soo tired and in a lil more pain than id like to handle. thursday night = 5 hrs...friday night = 5.5 hrs...saturday night = 7 hrs...all together this weekend i got 17.5 hrs of sleep...can you say ugh!!

on top of being tired beyone belief, my back and shoulder hurt. okay before i go any further, i want to let you know that yes, i am complaining. why?...bcuz its my blog and i can do what i want to, do what i want to...you get the picture. anywayz so my shoulder is killing me and yesterday the weirdest thing happened to my back. i was stepping over the boys' toy bin and a sharp pain shot up the middle of my back. i was debilitated for about 10 secs, it took the breath right out of me. it kinda scared me bcuz i didnt know what it was!

then, after church and the membership meeting, i was just standing there and talking to my friend Ian when it happened again. i had to walk it off so i excused myself. he wasnt sure what was goin on but i told him before i left.

speaking of church, it was pretty descent. PB hit some MAJOR points that we, as a church body, should all be aware of. he was being very transparent w. us and, to me, that's AWESOME! it always puts a smile on my face when PB is transparent or real w. us. he does it because he cares & idk how to explain it but its just soo kool. i mean come on, he listens to some of the music that we, as youth, listen to && he can talk to us and we can talk to him heart-to-heart as if we were best buds. yet, there's still that sense of superiority, ya know??

ok enough babbling...i gtg 2 bed. im sooo tired & exhausted & hurting. OMGSH i almost forgot to tell you...i get my bottom braces off tomorrow morning!! how kool is that!?!?! ok well im not sure what color im getting my retainer yet but i'll figure it out when i get there! ;)

peace out ppls
~Kali

Away

2008-11-15T00:44:00.002-05:00

thats right...im away. im actually in Hershey, PA @ the Women's retreat w. my church. awesome stuff...well its just a quick post before i go to bed but i just wanted to let you know that i didnt forget about you all out there in blog world! ;)

i'll be back as soon as i get home. i will start posting about daily life now that im done w. my Guatemala posts.

~peace out ppls! ;)
Kali

Last & Final Day: Day 8

2008-11-13T21:11:00.009-05:00

10/25

today was rough...i mean i knew today would be the day we left & i knew it would be hard but it was harder than Tijuana....we were more connected to the people in Tijuana but here i just felt such a heart-felt connection.

here's how it went: i woke up, had breakfast, & Fontaine shared w. us how he ended up in Guatemala w. his family...then we watched a short clip about how him and his wife adopted their son(video @ bottom of blog) -- i must admit, i started to cry then we parted & finished cleaning up. John arrived @ about 1015am so we could start packing the van. Fontaine took a picture of all of us w/John & we left.

on the way to the airport i had my music on & i was tearing up a little. then we got to the airport & went inside...i was okay after that. we got to the check-in and checked our baggage. we received our boarding passes and then had to pay an exit fee. John was with us until we went through the exit door...he hugged me & i started tearing up. then he looked @ my face & squeezed hi to make it look like a pouty face. (i was trying sooo hard NOT to cry)

i giggled & kept moving...i got my ticket checked and said "bye John!" and walked through the door to be w. PB & Lisa. then i looked @ Lisa and she hugged me and i started crying. PB asked if i was okay and i shook my head 'yes' because i couldn't talk. then we all started going down the steps & waving our final goodbyes. i was balling like a baby(i shouldnt have looked back)...we got to our gate and i was talking to Lisa @ the seats and i was telling her how leaving here is WAY different than leaving Tijuana...ugh!! just writing about it is hard.

i was looking @ my ticket and im in row 19 as i was on the other flights. i then told Lisa how i think that's my lucky #. she agreed with w. me and then i said that i'm gonna be 19 next year and she said that she was thinking that too (whoa!) then, i was on the plane before i started writing and i read my journal entry from the 19th of October. that's the day that it all came together for me. thats the day that God gave me the verse i was supposed to use in my devotional. that was it!...i dont know but for me, that's craziness.

well, we got on the plane and i started journaling. i had to cut it short because i started crying again. Batman w. George Clooney was our movie but i didnt wanna watch it. i sat in my seat and looked out the window, looked at some of George's pictures, slept, cried; yes, i was still crying.

i fell asleep before the landing and woke up when we landed. it was raining and i had my headphones on. when we landed i like jumped and looked @ Shmeil as every passenger began clapping. i asked him what happened and he told me we did a little fishtailing before we landed. i told him a warning would've been nice ;) he said he was thinking about it...oh well i guess its the thought that counts.

after we got off the plane, we went through reverse immigration, waited FOREVER for our bags and then met Inga, Kombole, and Judy K. @ the entrance. we all hopped in the van and PB drove, yet again.

we settled in the van and i put my headphones on and dozed off. we stopped @ a rest stop real quick and got right back in the van. my "anti-social" attitude, as Scott calls it, continued until we had a discussion about what we experienced. we all shared and then got home. Christina picked George, Josh, and I up. we dropped the guys off @ their places and went home. once i got settled at the house, i couldnt stop talking about the trip. Ian, Mike Lynn, Christina, and i all played Rockband until 2am and then i crashed just to get up @ 8am for church. its gonna be a big day tomorrow. we're all sharing what we experience in Guatemala.

-->gotta go now...im beat! ;)
peace,
~Kali

p.s. -- here's the link to the video of how the Greene Family adopted Kevin.

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/257443?fr=yvmtf

Day 7

2008-11-12T23:07:00.005-05:00

10/24

today is day 7 && the last time we'll wake up @ Agua Viva (Living Water). its the "compound" ive been speaking of the whole time. its a nice, quiet, peaceful, no-need-to-think-about-anything kinda place.

we had breakfast and were off to the mountains (a volcano) & the lake that surrounds it. we'll be getting a boat ride & that's the day...after that we will be going to Guatemala City for the night...we will be staying w. a host family from the south. i cant wait!! i LOVE southern ppls.

OMGSH!! so the volcanos & the lake were AMAZING! the lake was named Lake Atitlan & there were 3 volcanos. we took a boat out to the middle of the lake & jumped off, literally ;) we hung around and floated/swam around for a little while. then, John said it was time to go.

we got back on the boat & i asked Lisa for my glasses. she said that she couldnt see them so i just waited til we got back to the shore. we arrived @ the dock & i went to get my glasses but guess what!?!?! they werent there!! i was bummed...PB & John were helping me look considering i couldnt see anything. ;) they werent on the boat so we went & had lunch. during lunch, we sat & chatted about the week and everyone was saying how different i looked w/o glasses.then, Shmeil showed me his camera & proved that i REALLY did have my glasses on the boat...ok so i felt weird squinting @ PB, who was sitting right next to me.

then, we went shopping but first we had to drive about 25-30 minutes. we drove through the city where people were more traditional. John said we couldn't take any pictures. people crowded the streets like NYC and it was difficult to drive, unbelievable!. we finally arrived @ the spot where we were supposed to go shopping...John told us to stay in the van while he checked on the parking situation. as it turns out he was asking permission from the local A/G church (A/D en espanol) they were having their Bible school graduation at that time. the pastor said we could park inside which was pretty much a hallway but behind two locked doors.

we shopped for about an hour & i got some cool things. we were also able to buy some REALLY good chocolate. then, John took us to a coffee shop of a guy, Mike, who is from NY. he was soooo funny but dry. John had warned us not to start talking to him because we wouldnt be able to stop him. well, he started talking and saying jokes but i couldnt help myself. i was cracking up laughing!! Scott looked @ me and told me to calm down...i had to turn and face the wall so Mike didnt see me.

we left the shop and hopped in taxi's (motor bikes w/a shell) they took us back to our parking spot. the graduation was just wrapping up and it was about 2.5 hrs later. we hopped in the van and started driving. we left the shopping area @ about 4pm and had to drop John back off at his truck. PB got back in the driver's seat and we followed John back through the windy streets that we had driven the whole was to Quetzaltenango.

i fell asleep on the 2nd row seat of the van & everytime PB suddenly stopped i would jerk awake and pop up to see what was going on. the drive was about 2-3 hrs and the last time i popped up we were almost @ the host house. the first thing i asked after i woke up was if i was talking or doing anything in my sleep. Scott said i was talking but he was just joking but then someone told me i was whining! uh-oh...

we arrived @ the host house in Guatemala City and unloaded the van @ about 8pm. i was still drowsy from waking up, not to mention i couldnt see for lack of glasses ;) John showed us the way to the door and then the door opened. we were introduced to the man of the house, Fontaine. Him & his family live in this beeeaaaauuuttiifffuull!! house. we stepped inside & i was blown away. he told us where to put our stuff & then pointed us to the kitchen. he had dinner ready for us. (chili, salad, apple pie for dessert & sweet tea or coffee)

the house had about 4-5 bedrooms and like 3 bathrooms. each room had bunkbeds. there was 2 staircases that lead upstairs & in one bedroom there was a spiral staircase up to the roof. as soon as you walked up the steps to the bedrooms there was a music area, literally. a bass, acoustic guitar, keyboard, drum-set, & 3 microphones. there was also some cool posters on the wall. 100 best movie quotes & the official texting dictionary. it was neat. back downstairs there was a living room, a computer area w. a phone we could use & internet availability.

then, there was a souvenir table. it was a little side table w. some last minute souvenir knick knacks. it was based on the honor system; you take something and you leave the money in the basket. oh so nifty. then, after dinner & John left w. his wife & daughter, Abby, we all sat around and watched some college football and chatted. then, the guys started drifting off to bed which left PB, Lisa & i up watching sports info. we talked for a little bit about some random stuff...well not so random considering it was about the trip itself.

i went to bed @ about 1111pm. i layed in bed and wrote my journal entry by the light of my iPOD. Lisa was going to sleep so i told her she could turn off the light. i'm really not looking forward to leaving tomorrow. i just wish i could stay...& if i had the chance, i would come back @ the drop of a hat!!

so far, the plan is to get up @ 8am for an 830am meeting. then John's supposed to be here by 10am and breakfast is @ 9am. so as of right now, im laying in bed contemplating the fact that we are leaving Guatemala in about 12 hrs!! i cant believe it...12 hrs!!! somehow i dont wanna sleep because i know waking up will lead to us leaving...before coming upstairs i double checked w/ PB that i had to get on the plane...he said yes!! i was acutely bummed ;)

*side note* this is a direct quote from my journal before i fell asleep: "God knows my heart & why im starting to cry right now, i REALLY dont wanna leave...but that's all in God's hands...my prayer is that my life would equal God's will & that my heart would be in the right place to listen." *end side note*

well,,,im beat & i have to get up early.
peace & love ppls :)
~Kali

Day 6

2008-11-11T21:05:00.007-05:00

10/23

well...the Phillies won game #1 of the World Series(3-2) i was so exhausted im surprised i stayed awake although i did start dozing off by the 8th inning. i went back to our bungalow & went to bed...this morning we had devos & it was PB's turn, i took notes!! :) then we got ready to go and somebody broke one of our slatted windows w. a soccer ball (im not naming names) then Scott went to set down one of the thermos' and it broke!

work was lighter than it has been and we were done by 130pm. @ 11am we had corn that Vincente's wife made for us...they call it crazy corn. its an ear of corn w. mayo, ketchup, & hot sauce. it was soooo good, then we continued working & i was carrying H2O up from downstairs while they made cement & poured the castles.

i spent some time w. the kids after we were done & it broke my heart to leave - not like the orphanage in Tijuana though, i think that's because i know these kids have families & the kids in Mexico didnt, but it still hurt my heart to leave

John has been talking about wanting us to come back & i would LOVE that...i would also like to go back to Tijuana but i think here more & it would be neat to come w. a ministry team but, of course, that's all up to God ;)

we went to dinner & then John wanted to have a "debriefing" in the prayer tower. we did & i must say that's the best debriefing ive ever been in...John got emotional after sharing some things that he's seen throughout the week. then we all shared something that we've learned or have felt God speaking to us about & then John prayed over us & LCF

we went to the guy's place to watch game #2 of the World Series. the Phillies lost-we are now tied 1-1 in the series on a travel day w. the next 3 games @ home. hopefully we'll take Tampa down then!!

*side-note* theres just something about John where i feel connected: why?? i have no idea...throughout the whole week he's been telling me how i remind him of his daughter & he said "the only reason i dont miss her as much as i usually do is because you're here." WOW!! what kind of something is that...idk but to me it means a lot...this trip was just so AMAZING!! *end side-note*

tomorrow we leave the compound for the last time & head to Lake Atitlan for our R&R day...then tonight we stay in Guatemala City...more on the lake & where we stayed tomorrow!

peace & love ppls!

~Kali

Day 5...incl. pictures!

2008-11-10T22:41:00.012-05:00

today is the 10/22 and imma start off by saying that last night was my worst night's sleep so far...i was up once an hour starting @ 1am. i would wake up, look outside(still dark), & then check my clock. i couldnt believe it!!

i went to the prayer tower this morning & prayed for a bit. its so nice to be able to go in there & pray & feel God's presence...it's kind of awe-striking. (if that makes sense)

today we had some work ahead of us. Josh had devos and it was good.!! what he said was very inspiring. then after devos we found out we were going to stop work early(1pm) & go to some natural hot springs. how awesome is that!? i was so excited! when i went to CA 7 yrs ago we were supposed to check out some hot springs but that got cancelled. then, John said we were going to go to the city from the Transformation video, Almolonga. i was psyched for that too!
another cool thing is that we're in Guatemala & watching the first game of the World Series...DUDE!! ok so enough of that, on w. the day. @ 1pm we came back to the bungalows to get changed for the springs. the ride was about 45 mins to and hour & that was an adventure in itself. the road was narrow but supposedly made for 2 lanes!! ya right!! i was a little nervous considering i was on the side of the truck with the cliff! i got pictures...when we arrived i couldnt believe it. we were actually IN the clouds. did i mention i got pictures??
@ the springs there was 3 different pools. cool, hot, very hot...the very hot pool was the pool closest to the rock. John said that if we touched the rock where the water was coming out of that it would scold our hands. i went into the hot pool first and then the very hot pool...i didnt go as far as some of the guys did bcuz it was so hot it turned my legs red!...ouch!!we left the springs about and hour or so later and headed toward Almolonga. this city is the one mentioned in the "Transformation" video that we watched at church. in the video it claimed that the city was full of bars that were full all the time and the land was totally desolate. then God touched the city, its people, and the land. vegetables were oversized and the salvation rate was through the roof. watching this video and then seeing it all in person was so unreal. we saw carrots on the side of the road that were at least 3 times the size of a normal carrot. John said that carrots weren't in their prime right now so they weren't really full size!! wow! we were able to go inside of the church where the revival broke out...oh yeah, i have pictures of that too! ;) its sooooo hard to put into words how AMAZING!!!! today was, its actually just indescribable kind of but i got pictures & they should tell it all...we left the town and headed back to the compound...we ventured through the city-city of Quetzaltenango and saw exactly how many people there really was...& then we saw the McDonald's & they have Chips Ahoy McFlurry's---good stuff man!! oh and i forgot to mention that right after we reached the city limits (Almolonga & Quetzaltenango) i saw a sign w. my name on it! that's right ppl they know my name in Guatemala...i took a picture of that too! i translated some of the words and found out that it has something to do w. paint or painting...im not quite sure what else though.

rounding out the night w. dinner & WS game over @ the guy's bungalow...par-tay!! psych nah...well time to go.

ttyl

~Kali

Day 4

2008-11-09T22:52:00.006-05:00

today is 10/21...our 4th day. it is also the day that i visited the prayer tower. when i walked in the door there was music playing. it was something extremely familiar, it was in spanish so it took me a minute to totally figure it out. it was a song by MercyMe called "I Can Only Imagine." i say that is "my" song but its just because everytime i hear it my spirit stirs. (idk if theyre the right words) then i walked upstairs to pray...what a strong beginning to the day!

Shmeil did his devo @ breakfast & it was sort of an extension to mine...surrender. it was great! we left for the worksite @ about 815am. Lisa & i worked w. the framing of the windows. we had to cut & bend more rebar because we ran out. we got 4 more done and we have 4 left until they extend the doorway frames. we wrapped up, cleaned up, & started playing futbol (soccer) w. the boys. Lisa sat & played w. the girls & smaller boys. it was soooo awesome, it kinda reminded me about the orphanage in Tijuana. sure, i will play w. the kids but its sooo hard to leave. i get so attached & i cant stand that!!

i love kids i really do...but the discipline that needs to be done is something i cant do. i know that because of how i was raised when i was little. thats my major worry, thats why i say im never having kids...im just concerned about how i'll react to certain situations.

anywayz, the ride home was good & we got ready to go out. thats when we discovered our toilet was clogged. we went out to eat & the mall to come back and find it still clogged.

*side-note* this morning John said that today is usually the day where he sees teams getting homesick & such. well, i think thats what my problem was on Day 3. i wasnt thinking about it until he said something then i started thinking about somebody i like & how i should have brought my phone so we could text. oh well, i will see him when i get home ;)*end side-note*

dinner was good, we went to the mall & it was great. just like any other mall but in spanish! we ate @ Pollo Campero (camp chicken) here it means like country chicken or hillbilly chicken...oh man it was good!! @ the mall there was a wal-mart type store. i got batteries for my speakers, V8 Splash & 2 Sobe Adrenaline drinks. my Sobe's are for tomorrow in case i lose energy ;)

one more thing before i go to bed...the devos so far have been about surrender & submission. so....that means something to me. i feel like God is showing me something or just trying to tell me to shut up & give up(me that is). He wants ALL of me, not just some of me or the part i wanna give up. surrender...totally!

-->God show me & help me do what you want<-- until l8r...peace! ~Kali

Day 3

2008-11-06T22:21:00.004-05:00

day 3 was monday, 10/20. it was a full work day which meant i was up by 630a, breakfast @ 7a, and on the road by 8a. my devotion was after breakfast & i was nervous but it wasnt so bad. @ the site we met some new workers then we got to work...no sifting but i aligned the rebar for the windows. Lisa couldn't quite get the hang of it @ first(sleep deprivation), but that was okay because she was A LOT of help by cutting the wire i needed to tie the rebar together.

after i did two things for the windows i was feeling a lil discouraged. idk why but it hit me like a bull dozer!! i waas standing on a barrel so i didnt have to bend the rebar & i was sooo scared! i got down after i was done & i was actually crying...then i helped out w.some brick stuff & then did another thing but this time Vincente said i could pull them down (window framing)

we all got done a little late today so we couldn't spend time w. the kids like we had wanted to but we still had the next day. after we got to the compound, we cleaned up & dinner @ 6p then we were able to call home. i called but no answer, they didnt know the number i was calling from (John's cell)

that was okay though...for some reason i didnt wanna call but Scott told me i should...so i did. i know i will see them when i get home so it was all alright. one thing imma do before i leave is go into the prayer tower. its across the road from our place & its literally a tower, its so beautiful. i think tomorrow will be the day! tonight we go to the guys place for prayer...cant wait, last night was REALLY inspirational.

we went to PB's & we shared some things from the day. i was gonna say something but i couldnt because, well idk why. i figured my feeling of discouragement kept me from sharing...i wrote in my journal that it was okay because it wasnt the first time i've kept from sharing something just because i didn't feel right. i tried to justify it...y? idk but for the rest of the night i contemplated the thought of "what if?" what if i would have shared? what if somebody needed to hear what i had to say? what if sharing would have opened my heart? i guess i'll never know

stay tuned for day 4...tomorrow! ;)
~Kali

Day 2: hyper-extended

2008-11-05T23:43:00.007-05:00

day two was a nice day. we got to sleep in, go to church, and work. the sleep in part sounded REALLY good until i woke up @ 530a and then again @ 645a. it was chilly in the morning and rainy @ night but the view is unbelievable!! there's a volcano to the right after you walk out our door. personally, its nothing like i imagined it would be.

church was different. PB preached (did he ever!) very inspirational stuff...then he asked us to step up to the front so the congregation could pray for us but also so we could pray for them (connection) & that's what happened...then we sat, they took offering & then worship. i didnt recognize any of the songs & that's okay because the songs aren't what matter.

we worked for about 3 hrs and it seemed like we made some progress. we headed back to the compound & John made me slap a cow!! yep, thats right, i was sitting shotgun & he kept edging me on...elbowing me towards the window & everything. when we finally got back, we had 1 hour until dinner. i showered, changed, & headed to my stoop to write. the scenery is beautiful & the porch is a PERFECT spot to write. dinner time arrived so Lisa & i slowly walked to the hall...everyone showed up so we went inside.

dinner was good & then we headed to the guys place for reflection time (prayer & sharing)...we sang, prayed, & God was just so powerful. we spoke about some issues that ended up covering my whole devotional for the next day. before Lisa & i left i asked if i even had to do my devo because PB pretty much covered it...he said yes & i said ok.

this trip was just so eye-opening; for my devotion i didnt have any verses. i mean i knew what i was gonna speak about but i just didnt have any scriptural back up & i started journaling today & the first verse that was on the page as the PERFECT one!! alls i could say was THANK YOU JESUS!! the verse, Luke 6:38. translation, The Message. "Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing." like i said...PERFECT!

that's all for day 2...day 3 will come later tonite or tomorrow...enjoy!
~Kali

Day 2: extended

2008-11-03T23:18:00.011-05:00

ok so yesterday in my post i mentioned an event that i said would NEVER be spoken of EVER again! that event is actually quite amusing once you think about it.

at the time of this mishap i was terrified, embarrassed, upset, and frankly just plain stupified. the mishap in question is the knocking down of a wall. yes i said knocking down of a wall and yes we were there to build walls!! ;)

as i had mentioned in my previous post John had given me the task of making grooves in the wet cement of the new walls. i was working on my 1st wall and John had showed my how to execute my task he had also told me that i could use either the ladder or a stack of blocks to reach the top. i opted to use the ladder because the blocks were too unsteady for my liking.

so here's exactly what happened: i put the ladder against the wall (no problem), i rested at the 5th rung (no problem), i started to make the grooves (no problem) and then it started; i saw the ladder slowly start to move!! yes, my initial reaction was "OH MY GOSH!!"...then i dropped my tool and started to jump off of the ladder. as soon as i took one foot off of the ladder the 6^x5<> wall collapsed!! THATS RIGHT!... collapsed!

i couldnt believe what had just happened: i had just knocked down a wall that a team of about 3 men had just built in a matter of 20 minutes. it was hard work, no doubt and the fact that i just wiped it all out was a huge disappointment. as soon as it happened i could feel my heart racing, my eyes got watery and it felt like everyone was looking at me.

i looked at John and the workers as well as the members of our team, that i could see. a look of astonishment came over John's face. i told him i was sorry, he said it was okay. i looked at the forman, vincente, i said "lo siento" (im sorry) and he said "no problemo" (no problem). George was there w. his handy camera ;) and Lisa was there for a shoulder to lean on. PB laughed it off. Scott laughed...to make me laugh. Josh just looked at me and said "only you kal." John said "now we'll teach you to lay brick and you can fix the wall!" :)...we all laughed.

that's it!...that's the event that i swore wouldn't leave Guatemala. now its on the world wide web. on the plus side, John told me they could fix it in no time and they did. George took pictures but they were lost (oops!) i wont ever forget that event...needless to say, the rest of the week went on without so much drama! ;)

Day 2

2008-11-01T23:43:00.009-04:00

our first work day was saturday...10/18...i woke up @ about 630am because breakfast was @ 7am...they made breakfast for us @ the compound.

(^the Prayer Tower across the "street" from our Bungalow^)

we left the compound @ about 815am and made the journey to the worksite, which i must say was rather rough. the roads weren't really paved and we had to put the 4Runner into 4-Wheel drive. i totally thought that was kool, it felt like i was in a side car of a quad. we couldn't make it up the hill because it was all mud and so we had to walk but that was okay...we were there!! we were in Guatemala and still none of us could believe it!! as soon as John made his way up to the school we learned what it was we would be doing throughout the week and we started straight away

our first task, as a group, was to extend the rebar towers that already existed. cutting wire and twisting wire consumed most of the day. after we were finished John gave me the job of making grooves in the wet concrete of the new walls. midway through my first wall something happened that will not be spoken of EVER again! not even here.

after i was dismissed from my station, Lisa & i were shown how to sift sand - we had to sift so they could use the dirt to mix w. the concrete in order to make mortar...every little thing adds up to make something big!...the sifting of sand was a bit tedious, it hurt my shoulder and i kinda couldn't take too much of it. Lisa & i went back upstairs to find out what else we could do, John said we could continue to make grooves because outside of sifting sand & grooves there was really nothing else for us to do

we opted to do the grooves and finished out our day, in the rain, @ about 5pm...man did i get burnt but guess what...we didnt see a single ray of sun!?!? we got back to the compound @ about 6pm, dinner was @ 7pm and after dinner we went to the guys bungalow to watch the Rays vs. Red Sox game by the 4th inning i was dozing off and TOTALLY ready for bed! we left and went back to our place...i was laying in bed reading my Bible and i dozed off w. it on my stomach...i woke up, put it on my desk, turned my light of, my music on and CRASHED!

there it is...day two of my Guatemala experience. day three comes tomorrow...hope ur ready! ;)

~Kali

Day 1!

2008-10-31T22:39:00.014-04:00

tonight was Halloween and yes i went out ;) i know im 18 and i may be too old but i didnt go last year so im making up for lost times!! :) this blog is not about tonight...its about the first day of my missions trip...10/16-17...im sorry if its long! ;)

(^cloud layers during descent into Guatemala City^)

i know there are two dates but theyre both pretty much the same day because we met @ LCF (church) late Thursday night(16th) @ 12am so it was pretty much Friday(17th), we met @ the church and got our things together and we were on the road by about 130am - our flight was due to leave from Newark,NJ airport @ 530a...so we arrived by 245am and were plenty early - thats good considering it was for a layover flight and if we missed it we would be in major trouble

our layover was in Houston,TX and i was so excited to finally go to Texas!! we made it to the airport and boarded our plane flawlessly. we were more than 1/2 way to Guatemala City...before the plane ride was complete we had to fill out some papers. these papers were for immigration into another country...we unboarded the plane and headed for immigration - @ the Guatemala City airport there were police dogs and something about that airport made me feel so...uptight

the team made it through security, claimed our baggage (all of it), and proceeded outside to meet John Ramos (missionary)...we waited & waited & waited...we finally called him and found out that he thought our flight was coming in later, our original flight was scheduled to arrive @ about 130pm and it ended up coming in at about 1215pm-ish...he apologized for being late and we all introduced ourselves and said it was cool because it was...we were in no rush.

we loaded our luggage and hopped in the van (PB drove) and Josh rode w. John in the Speed-The-Light truck...we followed him FOREVER!! the drive from Guatemala City to Quetzaltenango (Xela) was about 4-6 hours...on top of the initial travel time it was raining and we ran into construction which totally stopped traffic...i wouldnt really know how long we were stopped for because i slept for most of the ride ;)

when we finally arrived in Xela we were told to leave our belongings in the van because the cooks @ the place we stayed had dinner ready for us! how awesome is that?? of course we were hungry because we hadn't eaten since right after the airport (Burger King). after we ate we had "orientation" about John's expectations and what our week was going to look like...it didnt seem so bad, because it wasnt!!

John explained to us that our week was going to be full of work and fun. He told us that he wasn't going to place a goal on our week because he didn't want us to be bummed if we didn't succeed. he also mentioned that our plans are meant for failure, God's plans are never failing. John wanted us to work hard and not rush so he just said to do our best and what we accomplished is what we could do and to work at the best of our abilities.

we went to bed && awoke the next morning (saturday 19th) prepared to start our work week...that was our week in a nutshell...okay a rather large nutshell! ;) any questions about details you can ask...im totally open to suggestions!! ;)

peace out ppls! ;) :p
~Kali

Guatemala Info...finally!

2008-10-30T22:05:00.010-04:00

ok so its about time i get around to this...you've all probably been waiting(right?) i've been wanting to update you all but i've been blog lazy ;) starting tonight, my blog will be a running series on my mission trip Quetzaltenango, Guatemala; Xela for short. This is just the intro and my next posts will include thoughts, pictures and events that occurred in Xela (shayla).

(^"Welcome to Quetzaltenango" sign outside of Xela^)

First, I will let you know why I went to Guatemala...it was for a short-term missions trip: 1 week. we were building up the second story of a Bible school. our task at hand was to put up the walls and form the outline for the windows...the walls were made of concrete block and the outline for the windows were made of rebar and twisted wire...but i must admit, it was enjoyable.

There's just something about working hard for Jesus that's just soooo addicting...okay maybe addicting is the wrong word its---okay well i dont know what the right word is but i do know for sure that it is a TOTALLY different feeling than just working at McDonald's

ALL of last week was just so memorable but i am really glad i journaled it...i mean memories can only last so long but if you have it written down they'll last forever right? either way Guatemala will be written on my heart for years to come as will the work we did and people we met.

(^team @ Lake Atitlan^)

(^a volcano shot from our bungalow^)

WAY TO GO PHILLIES!!

2008-10-30T14:08:00.006-04:00

our PHILLIES phinally did it!! we won the World Series last night for the first time in 28 years...tomorrow there is a parade at 12pm on Broad St. starting @ 20th & Market and ending @ the sports complex

we are planning on going and im REALLY excited. theyre expecting about 5 million people...im not sure if that would be an understatement considering the amount of hype i witnessed last night in a suburb of Philly...in Springfield, PA on Baltimore Pike there were tons of people running around and honking horns and yelling and cheering it was unbelievable.

Modell's was open & there was a line out the front door all the way to Baltimore Pike and then around the corner past FiveGuys. i took some pix and video before the camera battery died.

maybe this will be the beginning to a Philly team winning streak! ;)
here's to hoping!
~Kali
ps: Guatemala info and pix are coming soon...i've been a lil preoccupied w. work and school and stuff so i will update as soon as i can. peace!

Just The Beginning

2008-10-27T14:13:00.005-04:00

yes...this is just the beginning. i have a blog already but not on Blogspot so i thought id check it out...some people were surprised to know that i had one. i then explained that ive had one for quite a while...xanga was where it was @...back when blogs were just becoming popular! ;) here's the link in case you were interested in checking out my previous posts...www.xanga.com/kalirox4jc

as for me right now ive decided to create a Blogspot, yes i know it seems a little comformist but its just easier in the long run...it seems that all my friends have a blogspot so its easier to just keep track of stuff that way. below is just a glimpse of what's to come.

Guatemala Missions Trip pix and notes

Daily Thoughts

Concerns

Futuristic Notions (mine ;) )

i will be back later to update you lovely ppls on the adventures that occur; not only physically but spiritually and emotionally as well.

heres to a bubbly Blogspot beginning!

~Kali