Holy Song Consecrated to God

His Love

2009-08-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

What is this Love that I have found?
I have been searching all around
And here I stand before You now
Knowing You love me but wondering how
You have pursued my heart and my soul
Tirelessly, patiently making me whole
I did not even know what to do
But You suddenly had me in love with You
Oh God of my heart and Bridegroom of my dreams
You filled up my heart and stitched up the seams
And though I know it will be broken again
I will come back to You no matter where I have been
For Your love is never-ending and is truer than true
And there is no one I would rather be in love with than You.
I love You,
Carmen

Strong Suggestion

2009-04-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

Watch the movie Faith Like Potatoes...just trust me.

HAPPY [Late] EASTER!!! :)

2009-04-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! :) Jesus is risen! He's alive and working in the hearts of His people! :)

I'm back! Yay!

2009-02-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

Every year in January my pastor requests us to fast movies, tv, and as much internet as we can for 40 days. I did so. Okay, so I watched Fireproof once. Well, I fasted facebook, myspace, my friends' blogs and my blog. I didn't fast yahoo and gmail so I could keep in contact with friends. Anyway, my point is...I'm BACK! So, be checking my blog more often if you want to. :) As for me at this point and time, a nap is necessary. God bless you all and have a great one!!! :)

FrankenCamera

2009-01-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

So, I killed my camera on New Year's weekend. I got sand all in it. I unscrewed it today and took it apart to blow out the sand with one of those appliance air things. Well, I had all but the last screw out and I was getting extremely frustrated because it was NOT budging. Well, it was the last straw, and if any of you know me at all, you know that I have a temper and tend to use small acts of violence against objects to vent my anger. It's not right and I know that's one of the things the Lord doesn't like about me. So, I am not condoning it. However, God's grace is sufficient to cover us even when we are being idiots and giving in to very human acts of rage. For, after throwing my camera down on my desk out of frustration, I came back a short time later and lo and behold, my camera started to work! I think when I threw it, the sand was knocked loose and fell out. Thank you God for allowing my camera to work even when I was acting like a 2 year old. I deserved to have my camera break into a million tiny pieces but God allowed it to be salvaged and I praise Him for that!! Anyway, this is the picture I took when testing it. My face is ridiculous...and it kinda matched the "I can't believe it's working" thought in my head. So, here it is...proof that my camera has resurrected by the grace of God and God alone. FrankenCamera...

The Wonder of Vulnerability

2008-12-22T22:40:00.000-08:00

I was driving down 45th Street the other day thinking about the people I care about. Not just the people I naturally care about but the ones I choose to care about. Not just the people I care about in general but the amount of which I choose to care. And, I was marvelling at the close connection of love and vulnerability. For each person in your life that you care about there is a natural baseline of love. You care about the person, which brings about a certain amount of vulnerability. However, what is amazing is that we generally can choose the amount of love and vulnerability we give. For example, I am an aunt and I naturally love my niece--it's human nature. However, the amount of love I give to her and the level of vulnerability in my heart I allow is my choice. I can choose to be an uninvolved, love her at the natural baseline kind of aunt OR I can choose to be as involved in her life as possible--which opens my heart to more love and vulnerability. Vulnerability-the risk of hurt for the sake of love. That's my definition. But what astounds me even more is the love we have for our friends or others in our lives. Family stirs a natural kind of baseline love that we choose to expound on or not to expound on. But friends? We are to love all people. Which offers a baseline of love for humanity and God's creation. However, once again, one can choose to increase love exponentially or leave it as is. It is amazing to me when we choose to open our hearts to love and vulnerability with people outside of our families when there is really nothing to be gained but the love of the other person, which is often accompanied by hurt because of the level of vulnerability that comes, inevitably, with love. It's such an amazing concept! I can hardly put it into words! I mean, what a priviledge for someone to choose to trust you with their heart--whether it be family, friends, or other. If there is ever anything a person guards about himself, it is his heart. And yet, when we open our hearts to loving others and expounding our love for others, the guard is let down. Sometimes there is hurt and it is painful. And this may sound naive or utopian but, truly, love is worth it all. I guess that's what they mean by "love hurts"--in every form--Agape, Phileo, and Eros.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! :)

2008-11-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! God bless you all. And Praise God for everything good and perfect! He is such a good God and I love Him!!

Buzzing Refridgerators and Sausage Biscuits

2008-11-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

I forgot one important part of our hail storm night. So, Sam, after realizing that both of us have an addiction to thinking, suggested that we try not to think. She told me to blank my mind and not think about anything and that she would do the same. Okay...haha...yea right. And I told her so too but I still had to try it. So, we started on our non-thinking journey. Silence. We sat there for a few moments and then we shared what went through our heads. Sam said that she was thinking about not thinking and that the buzz of the refridgerator made her ponder the annoying noise. I, on the other hand, started off my non-thinking moments with "Hmmmmmmmmmmm..." This was my thought pattern in my head, "Hmmmmmmmmm...I wonder how long she wants this to take? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Are we almost done? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....Sausage biscuit." Sausage biscuit?!?! I don't even LIKE sausage! Sam, let's do it again next time and see what random things pop into our heads again.

Pro-Life and Positively Lonely in a Hailstorm

2008-11-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

"Ka-dunk! Ka-dunk! Thunk!" The hail hit my car like no other. I thought to myself as I drove down the very narrow (too narrow in a raging thunderstorm) road leading to the "big scary castle building" (as Sam likes to call it) at St. Greg's, "Good thing I have insurance." I pulled up to the building where Sam was going to come out and I saw her running through the lightning and hail like a warrior on a mission. The mission was to stay alive. And....she succeeded. We drove, in the pleasant, car-denting storm, to my apartment so that we could be idiots and stay up til 2 am instead of going to sleep like we should as responsible adults. As I neared my apartment, I thought it looked awfully dark and I realized...the electricity was out. Up we went on those steps to my apartment and I was very much reminded of another time we went up and down those stairs in the pouring rain...forever rain...that followed me on a 1500 mile trip. 'Twas a fun trip. Anyway, hello, talking about a Rabbit Trail. So, we entered my apartment and I knew my trusty roommate would have candles lit. I have to share my joke. After I got in my apartment and was safe and cozy I said, in reference to the storm, "What in the hail?" HAHAHAHA!! (Jamie, surely you can appreciate that one if no one else can. Remember our conversation on that phrase?) It was interesting because me, Sam, and my roommate just sat in the dark for a good hour, hour 1/2 and talked about one main issue: Obama and abortion. It was a very good conversation. A debate was occurring. Sam and I were on the same page (both VERY pro-life) and my roommate was on another. I said several things until I thought the debate might get decently heated and then I munched away on Nutella and saltines while listening to my cohort and opponent go at it. I get irritated and angry when such an important issue arises and someone is opposing me and I don't debate too rationally so it was probably good to let them have their time. :) Sam was much more kind and patient, while still taking a strong stance, than I would have been. I need to work on debating with kindness and patience... Anyway, so this sparked my in-depth talking mode in my soul...if you know me at all, this means that I am more than likely analyzing myself and others around me in a very dramatic, but possibly accurate, way. "Oh brother..." is probably what one would think of me if they could just see this mode of mine coming on. For when I get in this mode I start thinking and thinking and thinking and can't stop. Which in turn makes me talk, talk, talk, talk and I won't shut up. But, anyway, the electricity finally came back on and almost burned out my eyeballs. Sam decided she was going to sketch the Care Bear I bought for Elia. His/her name is actually "Share Bear". So, Sam was sketching this bear and I was talk, talk, talk, talk, talking and I was thinking as I went on and on and I realized something last night. I have always found it strange how very important my friends are to me. Not strange in a bad way. Strange in an unusual way. And it dawned on me: I, being de-parented, single, and somewhat alone (not alone in Christ, but in the human since of the word) find my support and my happiness in being the best friend I can be to my closest and dearest friends and hanging around them as much as possible. I realized this by talking to Bear-Sketcher (Hey, Sam, you are the cotton stuffing to my bear...) because I started out saying, "How is it that all my friends are so busy but I'm not?" Sam kindly said to me, "Carmen, you are busy...you just make time for your friends." And, it hit me. I leave a lot of time open for my friendships...for relationships in Christ...for they are what help me thrive. And, I realize, that is not a bad thing. Maybe it's good that I am a "loner" right now. First of all, to spend more time with Christ. Secondly, I am the friend that, when my closest friends call me to hang out, I usually can. And, while almost always being available can come across as loser-ish, it is not. Because sometimes people just need or want a friend to sit and talk with or just be around. And, it is so nice to be able to be that friend. So, from now on, I need to consider that a blessing and not a lack. Right, guys? Right. So, if you are feeling bored or lonely or something give me a call at 1-800-LOSER. Haha. Just kiddin'. 1-800-YOURBESTFRIEND/50 bucks a minute(another Jamie/me email joke...remember?). Haha. Just kiddin' again. Hey, Sam...you're the breast cancer awareness ribbon on my Yoplait yogurt cup. AND the cheer in my Cheerios. Whatdaya say to that?!?! Huh? HUH? So, to conclude this, I just want to say: I am so happy to have my friends. You are my God-given support in time of abundance and need and I appreciate all of you and I praise our Creator for bringing you into my life. Love you guys. And thanks for reading my incoherent story/analysis on life. :)

Scrabble and Tarantulasaurus Rex

2008-11-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

I played a brutal game of Scrabble with Liz and Josh.

So serious...

"Jaded". Yep, that's a word. Mwahaha!

So, while we were playing, Mr. Tarantulasaurus Rex decided to make his debut in Josh and Liz's kitchen. Dude, seriously, that spider was gigantic! When Josh squished it, he said "orange pudding" came out of it. Gag. Eww...

Gotta Love BSMP :)

2008-11-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

I took my camera to work one day about three weeks ago and came away with some interesting but commonplace (for BSMP) pictures. So, here we go. There might be a few that will leave you thinking, "What?" But, hey, that's what we do best at the good 'ol Marketplace, right? ;)

A normal but somewhat rare view on a fine Oklahoma BSMP Saturday mornin':

Suzie gives me this look quite often... Chuck is meandering around as usual making sure everything is a-okay. I think he has found that something is out of place here: my work ethic (seeing as how I am taking pictures instead of working...)

So, I was making sandwiches as usual. The main reason I took my camera to work was to take pics for our pal Jamie so I couldn't resist the following. Note to self: never use horseradish sauce to write on bread for it doesn't work.

This other bread creation was an accident but I thought it was totally stinkin' cool!! Bread art...what a concept! Look!! It's a heart made from Russian dressing. Made with love for our customers. Only at BSMP.

Bathroom break. I had to be dumb and take a picture in the mirror before getting back to work. I know. I'm weird. But, it seemed awfully creative at the time.

Meet Monica. She's just as weird as the rest of us... :)

Maybe even weirder. But, hey, that's a good thing, right?

Aww...Whitney. I love Whitney. Hey, Jamie, she got engaged! You may already know that but it's news worth repeating.

Suzie decided to stop looking at me like I am scum of the earth and joined in on the coolest camera mission ever.

And then she decided we should make sad faces that express how much we miss our friend in Austria. So, we did so. Starting and ending a sentence with "so" cannot be grammatically correct.

This is Tori saying, "Hi, Jamie." She really said it too. Ain't that sweet?

And here's Paula doing the same. I'm gonna put both pics on here cuz their both just really cute.

Galen. He's so funny. Oh, and Jamie, to your left is the OTHER Jamie who, no doubt, you will be confused with incessantly when it comes to which of your names Paula is calling.

Hey, do you know Amy? She's really nice.

And last, here's a picture of the million calorie cookies. They aren't mint chocolate chip or pumpkin chocolate but they're just as greasy and tasty. And you KNOW it. Ye-ah. A bit of down-home goodness right here!

Kristin...Enough Said

2008-11-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

My cousin Kristin is creative, funny, very intelligent, and a graduate architect student at Yale University. All around, she's pretty impressive. To show you just a glimpse of how clever and creative she is, I have included the following picture. I was on Facebook and happened to notice that she changed her profile picture. I clicked on it and laughed out loud when I realized what it was. She's genius!! No doubt. Just look at it. Take it all in. This is my cousin in a nutshell.

Billy: The Early Years

2008-10-10T21:52:00.001-07:00

I just went to see the movie Billy: The Early Years. It is the story of Billy Graham and his beginnings of becoming one of the greatest evangelists on earth. I went thinking, "This will be interesting. I love biographical things!" But, on my drive home, I found myself crying. I asked God, "What do you want me to do? How can I make a difference?" This movie really puts the weight of winning people to Christ on your shoulders as a Christian. Today, I put my bid in for a Nintendo Wii on ebay. Is that bad? Not necessarily. But after watching that movie tonight, I realize...the importance we put on stupid things. I rushed home from work early JUST to check the status of the Wii. I'm more excited about that than I have been about winning a co-worker or a friend to Christ! How does that happen? I am willing to spend hundreds of dollars on video games but I can't spend 30 minutes showing someone the love of Christ? What? For real? And yet we are so stuck in the rut of Americanized Christianity that we don't even stop to think, "If I don't open my lazy mouth and speak words of truth to this person, they might end up in hell, apart from the greatest love ever known--the love of--the Person of Jesus Christ." How is that okay?
God, precious, precious Savior! Help us! Help me! May I love with Your heart, oh God! Unless I do, I will not see the people who need You. I know I fail, but may I not be so self-centered as to focus on my failures. Imagine how much could be accomplished for Christ if we didn't focus on our failures--but instead we focused on the victory we have in Christ. Imagine that!
I feel like a huge hypocrite writing all this because I struggle SO much. But I want this to be my heart. I want to hunger for God with a burning passion and desire and I want to spread that to other people who need it as desperately as I do. I don't want this to be my whim this week. I want a heart change--I desire a heart change--I HAVE to have a heart change!!!!! Should I post this? I don't want to...I feel like maybe it's too personal...but someone might need to read this just as much as I need to.

Fireproof

2008-10-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

If you liked Facing the Giants at all...like even just a little sliver of liking, you will definitely LOVE Fireproof! It has such a good message AND the acting is even a little more advanced than Facing the Giants. I cried...in the theater...right next to Melissa...and I couldn't help it. Tears just started freely gliding down my face as if King Kong were in my eyeballs and they were trying to get away from him. They didn't even ask my permission, they just started flowing. Let's just put it this way: I saw the movie Thursday night and I am hoping to go back again next week and see it again. Kinda pathetic but that's how much I liked it. And I am seriously buying it the first day it hits the shelves. I can't wait to own it. It's really good. I could watch it a lot. Okay, I think I have given this movie enough kudos. Now go watch it for yourself! Wait...I'm not done. Isn't it great that we now have movies with Christian themes in them? And not only Christian themes--these movies are solely BASED on Christianity and the importance of knowing Christ!!! I LOVE it! Yay!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Stefan William Pischedda

2008-09-29T15:29:00.001-07:00

My brother is married! And with that marriage, I gained a sister-in-law, two nephews, and a niece. Cool stuff. Anyway...here are some pictures.

Stefan and Amy were crying which made Marcus tear up which in turn had him looking at me mouthing, "Why are they crying?" All I could do was laugh at the fact that everyone was crying. I mean, I teared up a little bit but for the most part, I was just smiling and laughing at them.

This is the car that Amy, Gabby, and I piled out of to walk down the aisle. In this picture, Stefan and Amy are being wisked away to the reception. It's a pretty cool old car--a 1938 Lincoln. Apparently, Amy saw the guy driving it one day and followed him until he stopped just to ask if they could use it for the wedding. Funny. :)

I don't have very many pictures of the actual wedding ceremony because I couldn't take them. I had someone else do it. I have more pictures of the reception, etc. Anyway, here are some pics of before the wedding.

So, I realize the next few of these photos are of Elia but I can't help it. She's so cute. Look at that face! And, on one of these pictures she looks like she's trying to sneak something. And on another one she is just lounging like she belongs on the steps of Stubblefield. So cute.

She looks so much like Liz in this

one:

She skinned her little nose. I don't know if you can see it or not but it's red. Cute but sad.

The only reason I included this post-wedding picture is because of the look on my aunt Edna's face. She is directly to the right of me and she is making such a goofy face. You can't really tell in this picture but when it is enlarged, it is pretty humorous. It is totally her personality. :)

Now for the reception.

Mr. and Mrs. Pischedda:

There is one picture I really wanted on here because it's cute. He's carrying her down the steps. But, it won't load. So, I will have to skip it. However, there are more random pictures below of the reception. We kinda made fools of ourselves but it was fun.

We all have cake on our mouths/faces if you can't tell. Marcus is picking his nose. Cute.

Crazy, crazy!!

I said this to Teffy and Amy: "I want a picture with each of you for my blog!"

So, I got one of each.

Teffy, being the sweet brother he is, grabbed my camera, started to take a picture of me alone, and said this: "Put this on your blog. You're a beautiful woman, Kermy." Aww... So, I will put my loner picture on here for my brother Teffy.

Not feelin' too beautiful in this pic but okay...thanks Teffs. :) Kermy wuvs Teffy. MOOOOOOOO!!!

Marcus and Pam.

Elia and Elizabeth.

The Mr.

Gina, who does this remind you of?

And the Mrs.

That's all for now. It was fun and very joyful. The only thing is that there were four very important people missing: Gina, Raphael, my mom, and my dad. It is accepted that our parents couldn't be there. Kind of impossible and quite frankly, the norm. But, I wish that Gina and Raphael could have come. They couldn't. But Teffy was okay with that. He understood. Love you Gina and Pel.

The Wedding Rehearsal and Dinner

2008-09-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

The wedding rehearsal was to start at 6:15...and I think it did. But, for once in my life I was early. So was Teffy. So, we took a picture together before anyone else got there. I like his face...he was trying to get the camera straight. Right after this picture I noticed a tiny speck of something on his shirt collar. Thinking I would be a big help, I decided to try to get it off. Little did I know, there was a smudge of mascara on my thumb...hehe...oops.

Okay, so I finally got to take a picture of the two of them together. Ain't it cute?

And then Uncle Marky (aka-best man) showed up and entertained Elia for a few minutes...except she kinda looks bored in the first one.

Gabby posing unbashfully (is that a word?) for the camera. Her comment while looking at the first photo: "That IS cute!"

Gabby and Elia--soon to be cousins. Gabby is very excited about this fact.

Me and my brother Marcus. The first picture we took, Marcus decided he wanted to cross his eyes. I woulda put that one up on here just to show you his personality but, heck, I felt like I looked fatter in the other picture. So, this is the one you all get.

I captured Amy Burk capturing someone else...

The shadows look WAY cool. Too bad I didn't mean to do that.

So, during the rehearsal (while I was suppose to be listening) I got distracted by this hearty little laugh coming from behind me. I turned around and Elia was laughing very hard at something very simple: a leaf. I tried to capture it but, as usual, she moved before I could.

Okay, now to the stars of the show...

This sitting down picture is while we were waiting to start. Amy: "There go the shirt sleeves." Apparently, she knew this was going to happen. Not surprising...Stefan is pretty predictable.

Randy, Marcus and Pam listening intently to Pastor. Marcus looks kinda angry. And Pam looks kinda happy with her finger smashing her cheek. And Randy is half there.

As I was walking down the aisle during practice, my sweet little Elia walked past me and right before she was snatched out of the way her little hand reached up and gave me this. The first flower she ever picked for me. :) Not thirty minutes later she decapitated it. Good thing I got a picture.

Is this not one of the cutest things you ever saw?
He's so sweet to her. He protects her from the other kids. I like how she's looking at him.

Just some pics of the dinner. No captions needed:

Wow. That took forever. I am tired, I have a cold, and I need to go to bed. SO, the pictures of the wedding will have to be posted later. Probably tomorrow night. Until then...

My Piano...and the Dorks Who Play It

2008-09-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to ask...do you like my new glasses? ;) Sam, I posted this picture for you. I look like a complete dork. I was by myself in this picture. It was almost 2 am. I had been "playing" on my piano and right before I got in bed, I decided I would take some pictures of my piano (for you, Jamie). As you can see, that is not what I accomplished. I started making weird faces and taking pictures of myself. I was tired...forgive me. Anyway, so Sam came over Monday night and spent the night with me and she was looking at the pictures on my camera and said, "I like this one! I want one!" Why? That is beyond me. But, here it is especially for you, Samantha, dear friend and sleepover buddy. Cheers with E.L. Fudge. By the way, did you like those cookies? I never asked you.

So, who do you think the following is? a) Carmen or b) Sam

Sam seriously asked me this question: "Is this you or me?" She went on to explain how it looks like her kind of. While she was explaining, I thought to myself, "HAHAHAHAHA!!! That's funny Sam! Because I'm CROSS-EYED!" But then, she proceeded to tell me that it was in the nose area. How in the world she came up with that, I do not know but it was definitely funny. Worth sharing? I don't know. But, I live in Shawnee, Oklahoma and one has to scrape for interesting things and pictures to share, okay?

Okay, that's enough of the photos I took of myself. NEXT!

Here she is, Jamie. One of a kind...

Look at it! All nestled in my room as if it actually belongs there(cuz it does)! Yay! I even took some videos for you. Will they play? I do not know. However, it is the thought that counts, right? The first video is self-explanatory.

This next video is kind of weird. My hand looks like the hand off of the Addam's Family. Creepy. Oh well. The song I am playing is actually not a song at all. I made it up (although it sounds strangely familiar). However, it is so easy, Bilbo Baggins could play it with his big fat hobbit toes. But, I personally think it sounds pretty in real life. Anyway, who really cares? Here it is!

Okay, so, Sam and I had a sleepover Monday night, right? We were tired...but far from cranky. It was 1:30 am and we were banging on my piano and telling stories in word and instrument. I must say, we were pretty good. This first picture is of Sam post-playing piano with her nose while she was listening to me trying to convince her to do it again so I could get a picture of it.

Yay! She did it!

And this is Sam playing with every thread of emotion in her Beethoven-like heart:

And I, with my hair in my face, am Mozart-like:

Now, it is storytime. Sam is the narrator and I am the musician. Warning: the following story is not verbatim--but close enough. Sam: "Once upon a time there was a leprechaun(sp?) that jumped out of the bushes in the forest." I followed with some high-pitched notes which implied that the leprechaun was bounding through the forest with innocence and glee. "He found a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end of it." Three very quickly played high notes instrumentally illustrated the sparkling gold. "Suddenly, it began to hail..." To which I responded with some very dark, deep, low notes all the way at the other end of the keyboard...danger is on the way...an ominous sky and sudden large, icy precipitation dropping from the sky. "...Skittles. He was catching them on his tongue." Whoa...I jumped all the way to the higher notes on the keyboard. 'Twas hailing SKITTLES not hail! Sam abruptly stops the story to laugh and ask me this: "Does it help you to act it out?" Why did she ask that? We discovered me doing the following during the Skittle Hailstorm:

"We" discovered me. I say "we" because I hardly realized I was doing it...I was really into the story. Weird, huh? Anyway, this was a reinactment. I bet the first time was way better.

Okay, next it was my turn for narration. Sam sat down at the piano and got prepared to play according to my story. Me: "A stork flew in..." The look on her face was priceless as she just took both of her hands and put them on some high and low keys. I SO wish I coulda captured that face! I mean, how DO you personify a stork with piano keys? I couldn't tell you...

Needless to say, I am very happy with my piano (whose "cosmetic scuffs" barely exist!) Look how happy I am pretending like I can actually play:

And, look at Sam's cool photography! (Ignore the improper hand posture...)

Okay, that's all.

JESUS! The most powerful and weightiest name on earth!

2008-09-17T21:31:00.001-07:00

Jesus...what a sweet, wonderful, healing name. Just simply thinking of the sweetness of it makes me want to cry. The name "Jesus" when really thought of in the way we ought to think of it, with great thought and heavy meaning, is very moving. The name "Jesus" has probably crossed my mind 10 million times since the day I was born--and most of the time, it is just a household name and nothing more. What? WHAT? A household name and nothing more?! WHO do I think He is? An acquaintance I met in the grocery store while buying asparagus and broccoli? A good friend that I sit around and laugh with over brownies and milk (or even Cherry Pepsi)? NO, NO, NO!! He is Almighty God! King above every king! There are not enough names to give Him the praise He deserves! And yet when His name crosses my mind several times in one day, I just think, "Oh, yea, Jesus." Is that not using His name in vain? Speaking it(or thinking it) without the weight of it's meaning? I don't think using it as a swear word is the only way to speak it in vain. We become so used to it...so familiar with it that it is, in our minds, almost equivilant to the commonality of "broom" or "milk". I mean, think about it. When I think of my family and friends, there is meaning to their names: Elizabeth, Elia, Gina, Stefan, Marcus, Raphael, Pam, Josh, Amy, Jamie, Sam, Heather, Katie etc. etc. etc. Each of those names hold a heavy weight to me because of the people they represent in my life. Should Jesus' name not be that and more EVERY time He is thought of? Don't get me wrong, there is a weight to it in my heart or I wouldn't be so offended and feel like going into convulsions when someone uses His name as profanity. I mean, if someone said, "Gina Pischedda! I hammered my finger!" I wouldn't be offended. I would just think the person was really weird. But to use the name of Jesus, JESUS, so lightly is disturbing. And yet everytime we think of His name with such familiarity and commonality, are we not doing the same sort of thing? Granted, it is not intentional and it is not profane but we tend to dismiss it like it's just another everyday word sometimes. I think that hurts God's heart too. What do you guys think?
Anyway, what brought this all on was the fact that we were singing, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus. Like a fragrance after the rain. Kings and kingdoms will all pass away but there's something about that name!" I couldn't bring myself to sing it without getting distracted or somewhat bored with the song. And I realized that my familiarity with the name of Jesus was a dangerous familiarity. How dare I sing that song without realizing the weight of His Holy name? And yet I did...and it was in vain because it wasn't coming from my heart. He is so Holy and Just. Yet He is so merciful and loving. And, I can stand there repeatedly singing His name as if I am singing about college-ruled paper? Shame on ME! I hope and pray I never, ever do that again! Oh, God, forgive me for not only doing that in song but in everyday life over and over again!
Your name heals and restores and brings life! It is the most amazing, most astounding, the sweetest, most consuming, the greatest, GREATEST name on earth! May we, as Your children, never, ever, ever forget the power and the might that lies within even a whisper of Your precious name. Whether it be Yahweh, Jehovah, God, or Jesus. No other name compares to all the names that describe what You are worth! May this be so in our hearts. Help us do only what honors You and brings You praise for You are our Audience of One. To God be all the glory and honor!

Praise God!

2008-09-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

I, after several months of neglecting the issue, have finally come to realize that I must play the piano. Not because I so want to(although I do) but more because God wants me to. My dad(a classical violinist) had me in violin lessons at approximately age 5. I had no interest and I regret it now. When I got a little older and my mom(a very accomplished pianist) had passed away my dad tried to get me to play the piano. Once again, I had no interest. However, after my dad died, I decided I wanted to play the piano. My thought pattern was as follows: "I look like my dad. I act like my dad. I am the spitting image of him. I want to look like my mom. I want to be like my mom. If I can't be like her and look like her, I will most assuredly play the piano like her!" With that, I fell in love with playing the piano. And, after about 5-8 years of lessons, I was pretty good. I learned that playing was an escape--it was soothing. It felt so great to sit down and play with such feeling and such skill. Fastforward about seven years to present day. I have hardly practiced at all since that day I had to quit because of my mistake in being dishonest about something. I remember that day. I cried. My heart hurt. I look back on these seven years and I regret that I did not practice and so now I have hardly any skill. However, one day I was standing in church and I asked God, "What can I do?" and my heart was guided to playing the piano. I was glad to feel that is what He wanted me to do. But, I went on about my day. My brother decided to come home with me and just hang out for a few minutes. He sat down and he said, "Carmen, I need to tell you something. I think you are suppose to be playing the piano." Whoa! I didn't even tell him about what I had felt in my heart at church! Talking about confirmation on a conviction! Wow! So, it has been several months and here I am finally about to begin. I have purchased a digital piano so that I can practice in my apartment with headphones and I won't disturb anyone. It's pretty...I like it. Can't wait to get it. Can't wait to worship God with this instrument.

Music is a sweet escape

From a chaotic world

A place within a place itself

A place for the heart to unfurl

If music moves my soul like this

I can only imagine, Lord,

How much it moves Your heart

When we worship You in note and chord

Ain't it purdy?

I got a grand 'ol deal on it too! God really blessed me! I prayed and said, "God, if you want me to have this then make it possible. " I didn't want to just jump in and pay almost 3000 dollars for it. So, I decided to wait and be patient and see what God might do. I waited and kept looking for any price under 2,299 dollars. Ebay? I was leary of that. But then I stumbled across a website of a music store I had never even heard of. It said they had the Yamaha nocturne n100 digital piano for 1, 396 dollars. "Haha...yea...something must be wrong with that!" So, I contacted the company. All that is wrong with it is that it has a few cosmetic scuffs! It doesn't affect the playing at all. The reason they are selling it is because it has been on their floor for months and they still haven't sold it and they want to make room for other smaller digital pianos! It comes with a full manufacturer's warranty because it has never been purchased and a 30 day return policy! I got the piano for about 50% off just because it was basically a display on the floor of a music store showroom! What?!?! Tell me that wasn't God looking out for me! Thank You, Lord, for every blessing, big and small!

"I wonder how much space we take up in our brains with dumb memories..."

2008-09-10T19:49:00.001-07:00

Sam looking at a school book? Come on now.

Normalcy is the key

To picture-perfect insanity

Sam being normal

Gave me a whim

To be uncommonly

Abnormal again

Bet you can't guess what's comin'...

WHAT in the stink is this? Well...

Vacuuming tile?

What a curious thing

The disco is important

In doing chores with za-zing

Come on now

You know you've

Heard of it before

We vacuum the ceiling

And not the floor

(Remind me to never fight Samantha for I would lose. She seems to be holding the vacuum upside down with ease.)

It's you or me

Or both if you please

"Girls killed by fruit"

The headline reads

"Police report that two girls were found in apartment 308 allegedly bananaed to death. Investigators say that a self-inflicted banana mash occurred by the girl wearing the 'I give blood. What do you do?' shirt and that the bananacide was indeed committed by the same girl. The victim of the bananacide (not pictured) was indeed in the wrong place at the wrong time. Officials are discussing banning bananas, unless the armed person is licensed.

The Dow has gone up 15 points since yesterday..."

Insanity minus normalcy

Is a possible state

No wonder I never

Get a decent date

(I have reverted back to being 18 months old...this is no surprise. What is a surprise is that I didn't break the little chair...okay, I almost did...but I didn't.)

Strawberry Shortcake

In Grim Reaper wear

Can give little girls

Quite a big scare

(When I took the picture, I could not see the face

Sam was making. When I looked at the camera after I snapped it, I literally fell to the floor laughing...yea...it was THAT funny.)

She is laughing

Because I snorted

Insanity rampage

Is officially aborted

And now back to normalcy...

My phone is a banana

And if you think that's normal at all

I can have you clinically placed

By just one simple call

(Sam was laughing when she took this picture(that's why it's blurry)...don't ask me why...it's not funny. I'm just going about my daily chores and phone conversations. I hate it when people laugh at me and I don't know what they are laughing about.)

And...a non blurry one...

I call this my "slip

phone"...HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Get it? Flip phone? Slip phone? Cuz people slip on banana peels! Whoa...that was good. But, not really.

On my banana I slip

On my cord I trip

A displaced hip

And a busted lip

I sincerely hope that NEVER happens...

So, we were suppose to take pictures of us eating brownies and being goofy with them. However, we got wrapped up in the movie we were watching (27 Dresses) and we mindlessly munched away on our brownies without taking a picture. Actually, I recall being perfectly mindful of the fact that Sam had cherry pepsi in a cup and was dipping her brownie in it. Whatever...if that's what she likes that's cool. Me? I had milk with my brownie--but didn't I say earlier that normalcy makes for insanity? So, based on our eating habits, I am the insane one. Here is a picture of our brownies. Want one? I have both milk and pepsi--normal=insane, insane=normal.

Amy's Personal Shower

2008-09-06T21:42:00.001-07:00

So, you should never let me take a camera in a car when I am driving by myself. I am on the way to Amy's shower here. I couldn't help myself. And, for once, it's not a horrible picture. The car I am in is quite nice. I like to call her Hondaleeza Ride. PRINCESS Hondaleeza Ride.

AND, you should also never leave Elizabeth and I alone with anything that is slightly fascinating. For, we will goof off with it as long as we can. This is at the very beginning of the shower...it had barely started. Elizabeth and I were focused on ourselves and a little gadget the modern world calls a "camera".

We decided to be serious for a moment and take a somewhat decent picture. ;)

The two Amy's. Aren't they cute?

Amy and Jess! :)

Okay, so we were playing pictionary, right? Well, this particular picture had me jumping up and practically screaming, "Wait! Don't erase it! I want a picture of it!" This piece of art is suppose to convey the term "kiss the bride". Notice the grooms lips (which we all named "Go-Go Gadget Lips"). They are flying off of his face and onto the bride's. Wow. This is TOO good! It had me laughing pretty hard. The artist is Amy's sister-in-law, Jackie.

Amy B., Jess, Amy S., me, Liz. We were pretty crammed on that couch.

Amy's first gift. PJs. How nice. :)

Amy Burk PAINTED this picture! I know...whoa!

Here is a closer look. Amazing is an understatement. This is phenominal!

This gown was absolutely gorgeous! Look at the length and the beautiful fabric!

Perfume.

This bag made me laugh. What a perfect gift bag for a personal shower. It almost looks a little naughty. I had to get a picture. Just for the record, this bag is the representative of all the other pieces of lingerie she got that I didn't post pictures of for the sake of her privacy. If you want to see what else she got (and you are a personal friend of Amy's and not some creepshow just wanting to see something you shouldn't be seeing), I will be more than happy to send you an email with pictures attached. This blog is public, I think...hence the creepshow (anyone could look at this blog) comment. ;)

Ahh...but a list of some of the things she got won't hurt, right? The comment on the very bottom...yea...the one I made as a side joke to Elizabeth...well...Elizabeth started laughing really hard at what I said and she decided it was so funny that she needed to share it with the rest of the women there. My face turned red and my eyes were watering from embarrassment but I was still laughing.

Didn't Amy decorate this table in the most beautiful way? I think it is so pretty! :)

This is a picture of all the women who were there. Aww...

We wanted to do a goofy one so we did. Elizabeth is embarrassed of this picture. She was pretending to lick Amy's face but Amy leaned and it kinda makes the picture (at least between the two of them) a bit odd.

This one is one of my favorites. I was telling Amy that I wanted a picture of just me, her, and Liz. She was going on and on about something (I honestly don't remember what) and she was almost kind of whining. I took a picture of her and look at her face! I think this is so cute!

And then I took this picture. I love this picture. It's so pretty. She is going to make such a beautiful bride on her wedding day.

So, Elizabeth got severely distracted and I still hadn't gotten to take a picture with just her and Amy. So, in the meantime, I asked Jess to take a picture of just me and Amy. I was smiling for the picture, you know, just being normal when suddenly I hear this kissing noise in my ear...and then I knew...this was not going to be any sort of a serious picture. Look at it! Amy looks like she's the villainess from a creepy Disney cartoon.

This is Amy and her mom. Sweet. :)

Already so much like family. Soon to be sisters by marriage. I kinda look like the one that's not blood-related, huh? They look more alike than Liz and I do!

Elia and Gee-ma. But, according to Elia it is "Gee-ga". This is my pastor's wife(also my fourth grade teacher and my current mentor). She loves Elia--and Elia loves her...a lot. Perhaps it's because Gee-ga is the source of sweet things for this cute little baby bear to snack on. ;) At one point during the shower, I looked over at Elia and I saw Gee-ga shoveling cake into Elia's mouth. Hehe...

This is the picture display. Cute, huh? Amy did well.

And, to end this on the sweetest note possible:
Elizabeth had that clipboard pressed up against Elia's face after the shower and it made her look like a little piggy. I tried to catch it in time because it was so cute but I missed because Elia moved (as usual). BUT, this sweet face is so cute I just had to post it on here.

The End.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice...That's What Little Girls are Made Of

2008-09-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

Elia and Elizabeth came over tonight just to hang out. It was quite fun as always. :) Sam went to the mall with us and seemed to enjoy chasing the Little Terror around Dillard's. ;) Somehow Sam got mistaken for Elia's mother by the Dillard's lady. I thought that was pretty humorous. :) I think Elia got pretty used to Sam (don't you think so, Sam?). She even reached for her towards the end. When we got to my apartment, Elia was into everything of course. And I got some good shots of her being the little Angelic Devil that she is. I love this baby!

This one is my personal favorite. I caught her picking up my phone and playing with it. This is the face she gets when she knows she is not suppose to be doing something but she's too curious not to test her limits. I looked at her and said, "Elia, put it down." And, like any "good" aunt would do, I rebuked her as I snapped a picture of her being a disobedient, yet simply irresistible, child.

Umm...so...I didn't know she was gnawing on a battery until I uploaded this picture on my computer. Hehe...oops. They tend to fall out of my remotes. And, little Eagle Eye here always seems to find them. Eagle Eye was also a nickname for Elia's curious mother as a child. My grandparents always knew to ask Elizabeth where to find a misplaced object because she could almost always find what they were looking for! It's amazing just how much Elia is like Elizabeth...SO much like her!

See? Look at her mother! You can just see the same mischief twinkling in her eyes.

Look at these pigtails! Ahh...SO cute! She reminds me of the little girl on Monster's Inc.

Call me crazy, but I think that this picture could make the GRINCH'S heart melt. In this shot, she actually looks a lot like my mom did in her baby pictures.

AHH!!! Oh, sorry, I scared myself with this picture (I must be really good at taking creepy pictures). Look at the cute little smirk on Elia's face. Hehe...how cute!

Okay, this one is better:)...except she had just gotten in trouble and was crying right before.

Seriously, what is it with kids and glue? I remember my first taste of glue. I was in kindergarten. It just didn't taste as good as kids make it look. Okay, so she wasn't actually eating the glue here. The lid seemed tasty enough for her.

Alright, that's all for now. One last one. A close up.

Katie, Carmen, Ben & Jerry

2008-09-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

Jamie, we took this picture for you. I suggested it for this simple fact: when you get home, I am going to buy you a pint of Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked ice cream because you totally need to try it. And, if you don't like it or don't wish to try it then you are the one missing out. I had my friend Heather try it and she loved it. And then tonight, I had Katie try it. I point-blank asked Katie, "So, is it 'wow' good?" And she said, "Yes, it's good." And when have I been wrong when I have suggested you try something? Okay, probably many times...

Gelato? HAHA! Yea...I bet it's nothing compared to this! Do you know I was at Olive Garden the other day with Stefan and I asked him, "Have you ever had gelato?" And, he kinda looked at me weird and said, "Ice cream?" And, I was like, "Uh...whatever gelato is." He was like, "Yea, it's pretty much just a softer ice cream." Boy, did I feel like a dumb idiot. I thought it was some sort of special jell-o or something. Funny thing is, I had just looked at the dessert menu and it had a picture of ice cream with the word gelato next to it. What gives? I had a blonde moment, okay? Kinda like, "Well, how is the person going to get in the car if they don't have the keys?" "It's a convertible, Carmen." Remember that? Haha...yea.

Here's another picture for you: I said, "Okay, let's put stuff in our teeth now and smile." I did--obviously--and Katie is kinda looking at the screen like she is somewhat amused by my immaturity. Me? Immature? Nah!

And then, Katie decided to join me. Only she doesn't seem to have anything in her teeth, does she? She has betrayed the club of immaturity. I will forgive her this once...but only because she looks genuinely crazy in this picture:

I look like something off of a horror movie in this one. I like it...it's creepy. And, Katie, well, I'm not sure what she is doing. But, to tell you the truth, her priceless face is the real reason I put this photo on here. Although, my real-life Chucky face was definitely a plus.