smelly cat

so there i was today trying to clean out some stuff to make my computer run faster (as if i have any real idea how to go about doing that), and i found a fabulous video of a little friend of mine. i just had to share. here's what happens when you teach things to little kids. you don't think they'll remember or glean from your wisdom, but they do. this little gal asked me to sing and teach her a song, so i did. and here is the result:

award winning, dont you think?

Modern day loaves and fishes story

so there i was this morning driving to the river 102.3 radio station to have a meeting with gary, the cool morning dude to talk about filling in some as a co-host. before i went to the station, i stopped by the post office to mail something.

when i came out of the post office, there was a sweet young gal leaning up against the wall. she asked me very kindly if i had a dollar i could give her. one of my problems is that i never carry cash. only credit and checks. so i stopped and explained to her of my financial mismanagement and unpreparedness. she understood, but i knew in that moment that God's heart was totally for her so i couldn't just walk away. i decided, well, i dont have a dollar, but i have ears and maybe she needs someone to talk to. (disclaimer: dont think i'm super mother theresa/spiritual person because normally i'm very selfish and oblivious to the needs of others... i dont want this blog to be a "hey look at me" piece, if you catch my drift) 

so i stop and talk to her. i asked her where she lived and her response confirmed her homelessness. as you read this, remember: Jesus was homeless. for we know He had nowhere to lay His head. and, though He was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, He was born in a feeding trough. manger is too sweet. it was a feeding trough. 

i asked her if she was hungry, and she said yes. she was very sweet and very shy. you could tell she was uncomfortable with having to beg. turns out she doesn't work anywhere but is looking for a job and just finished high school. after talking a bit more with her, i told her to wait there and i'd be back with some food. 

so i go to the river for my appointment and after i talk with gary, he takes me to the break room where Rudy's bbq joint has left tons of bags of breakfast tacos. he offered me some food and i wasn't hungry but i was thinking of post office gal. so i told him about her and he told me to take a whole bag which was filled with yummy treats.

with my bag-o-food in tow, i headed back to the mecca of mail. but she wasn't there. i parked and looked and searched, but she wasn't there. at first i was so sad, because i really felt the Lord wanted to feed her with these tacos. and i was really looking forward to getting to know her better. but she was gone. i was so sad because i was too late.

oh, but God's timing is perfect dont you know?

so as i'm sulking and feeling sorry for myself and the girl, i look over to my right and there is a group of about 10 homeless people all sitting in a group beside the road and next to the post office. 

i was speechless, to say the least. and as i saw them, our eyes locked and all i could think of was when Jesus said, "What you've done unto the least of these, you've done unto Me. When I was hungry, you gave Me something to eat..." so i walk over to them. they looked a little suspicious, because they probably thought i was going to through a bunch of tracks at them. lots of homeless people are used to being preached at but not provided for. they're used to being handed tracks, but not food and love. maybe some change here and there, but not the knowledge of how Love can change.

i asked them if they were hungry and suddenly 10 people became 15 people. they seemed to multiply and i thought, "crud, i dont have enough tacos for all these people." each person i met said they wanted a taco. well, except for one man. he declined my offer because he said we was on the food stamp program and wanted me to save that taco for someone who was really in need. that took me by surprise. how beautiful. he is on food stamps and wanted to save the food for someone who is really hungry.

i met each person, shook their beat-up wrinkled hands, and handed them a taco. when i got to the last few people i was certain i was running out. but lo and behold, God pulled a fast one on me. He did it old school, like back in the old days of the new testament when Jesus fed the 5000 with a kid's sack lunch.

i promise you, these burritos kept multiplying. it was amazing. i had enough for everyone and even extras for their friends. people kept coming and burritos kept appearing. 

they're response was beautiful. they were so grateful. i must admit, i used to look at homeless people and think, "go get a job. why are you begging when you could go work and get some money?" i had very little compassion. i figured they needed to help themselves. but when i think about Jesus, He never gave or loved based on other people's actions or abilities. He simply gave, shared, cared, and loved. He love wasn't dependent on what the person did. i doubt Jesus walked through the towns and only loved people He thought were worthy of love. He didn't give to people who deserved it. think of the cross. we didn't deserve any of that grace and mercy. but He gave it anyway.

so my challenge to you and myself is this: love without an agenda. try not to think of whether or not the homeless person deserves your love and care. sure maybe they aren't legit. maybe they are begging and maybe they can get a job. but they're still in need and they are considered the "least of these." so let's love them. be aware, care, and share whatever you have been given to share. in my case it was breakfast, but in your case it might be a smile, handshake, or "how are you?" just something to make them feel human and worthy of love. 

so like i said, they're responses were amazing. one guy offered me a pair of silver hoop earrings to express his gratitude. another older man said we'd make a cute couple and he asked me out on a date. i told him thanks and that he was the first date proposal i'd had since walking on the pyramids in egypt. (i live a very strange, unique life) and then another guy was totally a Christ-filled man. he started preaching, telling me about the power of God through Jesus Christ. he was quoting scripture left and right, giving God glory for how He's provided. 

before i left i asked them of their needs. water, food, anything? they simply said, well, we dont eat much so just come by ever so often and say hello and maybe give us a snack. 

we all want to be loved.  so... LOVE. 

it wins. 

Sudanese Refugee Church

If you're not familiar with the current situation in the Sudan, please educate yourself and make yourself aware of what's been going on. In short, the Sudanese government has been responsible for widespread genocide. Some estimates report that over 400,000 people have been killed, 2.5 million people displaced, and many more injured. This horrendous situation has caused many Sudanese people to relocate. Many of them have relocated to Egypt. My favorite part of the trip, as i said in an earlier post, was when our team got to go to a Sudanese refugee church. I had the opportunity to lead worship and it was one of the most humbling and surreal worship times i've ever been a part of. here is a video that someone recorded. as you watch it, think of how amazing it is that after all they've been through, these beautiful children of God still choose to come to church and worship God, amidst all the pain and suffering. We were able to sing "Hallelujah" together and i caught a glimpse of heaven. more to come later, on the sitaution in darfur and what we can do to help. but for now, i've been a blogging queen today, so i'll give you all a break! p.s. - the very high pitched screaming noise you'll hear is a coming noise that the people of Sudan make. at first, it caught us off guard, but then we ended up loving it. and at one point, i even attempted to mimic it, which the sudanese loved. we all had a good laugh. this is proof that joy is so not based on circumstances.

random egyptian sightings

here are some pictures from different things i found odd, random, or interesting

in a city with no traffic laws or anyone to enforce traffic laws, somehow we were the only car that ended up with a boot on it... luckily our "bodyguard" commanded someone to take it off. and i got in trouble for taking a picture. dictatorships are brutal.

no one in cairo seemed to carry anything with their hands. when in doubt, put it on your head. i tried to balance my camera on my head and i couldn't even do that. it almost fell and broke and i would've lost everything. but this lady makes it look easy.

just in case you want to work out, there is a gold's gym on the Nile river. think of moses floating down the Nile, stopping at golds to do some power clings. 

egypt stores are filled with the strangest and weirdest manikins. they were downright scary. like this woman who looked like she'd been beaten over the head with an ugly stick. and why wont someone fix her glasses?

you've seen many drug dogs i'm sure. beagles, german shepherds, dobermans, and other canines. but this was the very first drug dog i've seen that was a golden retriever. i have a golden, as i'm sure you all know because i blog about her quite often, and i can tell you for sure that this breed will not bust anyone. they will befriend the drug pusher and lick the person holding the drugs. i wondered at the success of this sweet golden retriever. it was like God was giving me a gabby-like dog to satisfy my need for loving on a golden.

apparently frito lay chips, other snacks and yes, even cars

and on these cars, people have zip tied their hubcaps to the wheels

this man was watering a pile of dirt while his friends looked alongside

this man is on a camel, yes, in the middle of the desert, and he is on his cell phone. i was thinking, "wow, those roaming charges must be crazy!" 

our "bodyguard" - more on this later - had the longest crack nail i've ever seen. and he totally busted me on taking a picture of the alleged nail. 

egypt experience (girls orphanage)

in addition to visiting and worshipping with the sudanese refugee church, another one of my favorite times in cairo was our trip to the girls' orphanage. i love love love orphans and they have always occupied a special place in my heart. after all, James 1:27 tells us that pure and undefiled religion (worship) is visiting orphans and widows in their time of need. so it was incredible to get to take part in what God calls pure and undefiled worship. especially me being a "worship leader." i really felt like i was leading true worship as i sang for these beautiful gals. i could see the princess in each of them, even if society had tossed them aside. i could see the reflection of Christ in each one. when we got to the orphanage, the gals were a little intimidated by us. every girl i walked up to ran from me! which broke my heart because all i wanted to do was love on them. so finally, after like the 5th girl ran from me (apparently i was wearing an "i'm a scary american" tshirt or something) i decided to sit down at a table and simply pray. i was like, "God, hell-o, you know all i want to do is love on these gals so please provide one or two for me to pour out Your love onto!" before my prayer was even over, a little girl came up very confidently and sat down right next to me at the table. she tapped me on the shoulder, smiled, and matter-of-factly said, "i love you." it was the sweetest sound to my ears. the broken english of an egyptian orphan telling me that she loved me! it was like God turned the tables and showed me a glimpse of His love for me. and that this trip wouldn't just be about what i did for people, but what they did for me, as well. i was ministered to, sometimes even more than i ministered. here's a pic of my sweet new friend making a silly face at me when i started rapping in english. they got a big kick out of that. 

after singing Titanic 9 times, literally and i exaggerate not, i sat down next to the gal who kept requesting that i sing "my heart will go on" - of which i know like one verse to. but i couldn't disappoint her. i would sing it and she would say "again" so i took about 30 minutes singing the same song. and they couldn't get enough of it! so, celine, your presence and influence extends even to egypt. after i performed the celine dion side concert, this sweet girl offered to paint my nails. there are two things that i never do: 1. get my nails painted and 2. run unless i'm being chased. but i felt like i should definitely let her. it was her way to love on me. so i sat down and she got out her professional kit of manicure stuff and she gave me the works: french manicure with a heart and cross and every other finger. it was actually a very nice looking manicure. and it was so interesting, for once, to hear arabic instead of an asian dialect when getting my nails done. i always love getting my toes done at the asian place near my house. by the way, if you want a good laugh today, check out this hilarious youtube.com video from comedian anjelah johnson. just search youtube.com for "nail salon - anjelah johnson - comedy time"

here's another picture of me and my sweet friend who said "i love you"... isn't she adorable? my favorite part was that i think i had that tshirt in elementary school back in the 80s. small world! 

to the girls at the orphanage: near, far, wherever you are... my heart will go on

egypt experience part 1

just got back from my mission trip to egypt monday night! sorry its taken me so long to get on the stick with blogging. i know some of you have been waiting patiently for an update! so i've decided instead of writing one big long huge blog about the entire 10 days, i'll just split up some significant moments and experiences in several different blogs! so stay tuned for numerous blogs on the subject of my mission trip to cairo! it was an amazing time and part of me is still in cairo with all the people we came in contact with. i absolutely loved the church i got to go with: indian river city UMC out of titusville, FL. i cherish my relationship with this church and it shows me how much God cares about relationships. me and irc have done many events and there are many more to come! here's a pic of the whole team in front of one of the pyramids!

each day we did something different, and each day was filled with its own incredible experiences. one day we went to a christian discipleship school where we got to fellowship with some other Christians who were attending this 10 day discipleship program. these people were amazing and it was so refreshing to spend time with other believers who are extremely different yet we all have the same God. praise and worship time with them wasn't too different than in the states. they had a keyboard, worship leader, and powerpoint slides. i felt right at home. though i didn't understand any word besides "hallelujah" in their songs, i could still worship alongside them. here's a pic of me and jenny and some gals at the discipleship school. they were adorable and we played games all day.

one day was tourist day. we went to see the pyramids and the sphinx. it was surreal to actually walk on the pyramids that i'd read about and studied about. well, mostly in school i slept during history so i didn't remember alot about egyptian history, but i was still completely enthused by what i saw. the rich history was enthralling. since i was a history major in college, people kept asking me questions. but i dont really retain alot of info, so i made up answers. no one bought it. i did get proposed to while touring the pyramids though. that was entertaining. i said no. i'm just not ready for that kind of a commitment. also, at the pyramids, i had to pay to use the restroom. ridiculous? i thought so too. 
one night me and the team travelled to a garbage dump community. it's called "dump city." we attended a church service with an orthodox coptic church in this community. the guys and girls have to worship separately, so the first night i performed a concert for the guys. the church was packed and i was so surprised that the guys actually listened. i had a translator, so basically i would share about what each song was about and then i would share the lyrics and that would be translated and then i would sing the song. talk about difficulty for someone like me with adhd. having to say one sentence, then wait for it to be translated, and then say another sentence. it requires tons of amounts of concentration, which God so graciously gave me. the concert ended up being awesome. except i was about to read eph. 2:8 about how salvation is by grace along. and then my translator informed me that i couldn't read that verse, because this denomination doesn't believe in salvation by grace, but by works. it was so strange to have my own personal filter there with me! i wish i had one for american concerts because who knows what i'll say sometimes. so i'm glad he was there to tell me what not to say, because apparently i would've caused a big commotion if i would've read that verse. here's a pic of me and some of the dump city cave church dudes. each one of them recorded the entire concert with their cell phones. everyone in egypt has cell phones, it seems. no matter what conditions they live in. 

my favorite part of the entire trip was getting to lead worship at a sudanese refugee church. i will go into more detail about this in my other blogs, but suffice it to say it was an unforgettable and overwhelming experience to be able to worship alongside people who have experienced so much pain lately. the members of this church were people who used to live in the sudan, but have been displaced along with millions of others because of the genocide in the sudan and darfur especially. i couldn't imagine what these people must have been through to even come to church. they came from tons of miles away and relocated to a region unfamiliar to them. they lost so much. who knows how many people they saw killed and who knows how many of their villages were burned and pillaged. yet, they still came to church to worship. and worship they did! wow. it was beautiful. in the midst of such pain and persecution, they were able to lift their voices in spirit and truth worship. we couldn't understand any of their songs, but we didn't need to. we saw their faces and their smiles and their hearts. we felt the Spirit and He was all throughout that church. i am convinced that the church is most powerful when it is filled with people who are real with their brokenness and pain. what an honor it was to lead these beautiful people in a couple of songs in worship. i had to think of so many other things, just to keep from completely losing it and ugly-crying. 

more info to come! but this will have to do for now... ya know, just to wet your pallet. 

scary blood pressure man

so there i was at HEB getting some groceries when i walked down a toiletry aisle. it was the same aisle as occupied by the people who sit in those chairs and stick their arms in the tube thingee that tightens your arm to get your blood pressure reading.

i hate those things because they always hurt my arm and i dont enjoy feeling my heart beat in my upper arm. it's also awkward because people stare at you. but i didn't pay any attention to it because i was there for my mission: toilet paper.

but then i hear a voice from an older gentlemen who actually looked alot like the dude in this picture. minus the tape side-burns. not really sure what that's all about. and i'm pretty sure he didn't have a pocket protector. anyway... out of no where i hear, "hey lady! you're messing up my blood pressure reading!"

i look around, hoping desperately he's not talking to me. but i was the only one around. it was as if everyone at that moment had been raptured, and i was left behind with blood pressure man. so he's clearly talking to me. i look at him and confusingly say, "excuse me?"

he says again, but louder, "you're messing up my blood pressure reading! it's not accurate!"

then finally i begin to realize this is maybe a horrible excuse for a compliment. 

so i say politely, "and why is that sir? why am i messing up the reading?" - and by this i really meant to say (but i kept it inside thanks to my filter): "broseph, if you're hitting on me, you've got another thing coming. at least stand up and get your arm out of that tight tube and face me like a real man" but i didn't say all that. i sheepishly retreated deeper into the toilet paper aisle. 

but he answered my question, with a very bazaar answer:

"welp, it's cuz you're just so handsome." in my mind i'm thinking, really? handsome? no, because dr. mcdreamy is handsome. i am... well... at least call me pretty! i'm a woman for God's sake! 

but the word kept ringing in my ear. handsome. really? i mean, i know i'm wearing a tshirt and my make-up is from this morning and i didn't straighten my hair, but handsome? at least say pretty!

luckily at that time, my dad walks up. (sidenote: me, mom and dad had a dinner/movie date tonight... normally i dont grocery shop with my parents, i'm just saying...)

so i tell the man, "yeah, you probably shouldn't say stuff like that especially in front of my father." and the man looks puzzled but didn't skip a beat and answered, while turning blue because i think he forgot to turn the stupid machine off, "oh! that's your dad? i thought that was your brother!"

i mean really, dude, are you planning on hitting on the whole family? 

then mom walks up and he says, "oh and i guess this is your sister!"

mom, dad, and me quickly grabbed the toilet paper and ran as far away from scary blood pressure man as possible. it was definitely one of those memorable family moments. one for the scrapbook. 

seriously? who does that? what have we learned here people:

1. don't use those blood pressure machines, they're scary and they eat your arm

2. if you do use said machine, don't stalk the girl in the aisle next you

3. don't call a girl handsome. it's just rude

4. don't flirt with the girl's parents when your flirting attempts with her fail miserably

5. buy toilet paper at sams. they dont have those horrible machines.