D Update

Man, it really has been awhile since I've written. I really have come to like blogs more and more but I guess I tend to do more posts on my other blog for my youth group. But since this is my blog and all about me, well, this is what I've been up to.

I've been getting more into music lately. My friends and I started a band, well I guess you could call it more of reuniting our band since we used to have a band in high school. I play guitar and sing backup vocals, my friend Jen sings lead vocals and my friend Kristen plays bass and sings backup vocals. We've been practicing a lot and finally had our first gig a few weeks ago at an open mic in Vancouver. It was so much fun and it reminded me of how much I love performing. It was really cool because since we had invited a lot of friends and family, they were cheering for us as we went up to the stage. They made us look like we were a really big deal...I mean, we are a big deal...

I've also been getting together with my friend Jenny to collaborate on music. She plays piano, I play guitar and we both sing. We played for the first time last week at a coffeeshop in Salem. I've been having a lot of fun playing music with her. She's very silly like me and one day we made a commercial for our gig in Salem. I think most people watch it and wonder about us. I just laugh.



The more i get into music, the more I want to spend on fun toys that will help me improve my musical abilities. The other day I almost bought a Ukelele because I thought it would be fun to learn. Right now I really want a loop station. I almost bought one today but then realized that I have no money. Eventually I will have one though. They are so cool. I mean just watch this video and you will want one too.

Here Comes the Sun

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's alright

Little darling
It's been a long, cold, lonely winter
Little darling
It fells like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's alright

Little darling
The smiles returning to the faces
Little darling
It seems like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's alright

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

Little darling
I see the ice is slowly melting
Little darling
It seems like years since it's been clear

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
It's alright

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
It's alright
It's alright

Hope vs. Optimism

So I’m writing today because I have writer’s block for a talk I’m writing and I thought this might be a more creative way to get out my ideas than in an outline. Here, my ideas can just flow out in whatever form they want to. So here goes…

Hope and Optimism
What is the difference between hope and optimism? They seem to be similar. In fact, when I googled the term “hope,” several entries came up with the idea that hope is a belief that one’s circumstances in life can turn out positive. But I think it goes deeper than that. I believe that the correct term for that definition is closer to optimism. Optimism is when you believe things will turn out great and life will get better. Hope, I feel is a more long term idea. Hope is knowing that not everything in life will turn out great, but knowing that there is good that will come in the end. Our hope is in Jesus, knowing that while we suffer on earth, there is redemption and salvation for us. We go through our lives with hope because we know there is good coming our way at the end. Jesus promised us this and Paul speaks about it in Romans 8:18, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” That is why if I didn’t have faith, if I didn’t believe in God, I would not understand this world at all. What would be the point of living? Why would I go through trials and suffering without hope of some kind that it would all come out good in the end? I don’t think I would want to live in a world without hope.

Suffering and Goodness vs. Free Will

OK, so it's been a long time since I've written a real post...something with substance and thoughtfulness. I guess I don't write that often because a lot of it would be too personal to post here (that's what journals are for!). But that's no excuse...there's plenty to write about, it just takes some effort on my part.

Anyways, lately I have been thinking a lot about the idea of suffering and goodness. I recently had a Theology on Tap night about, "how can there be suffering in the world when there is a good God who loves us?" The summary of the night was that God doesn't give us suffering but merely allows it. Sometimes people say when a loved one dies that "God wanted to take them, it was their time." I really don't believe that. God doesn't take people from us but he does know it will happen and he allows it. It all goes back to having free will. If God stopped suffering, he would have to take away our free will.

So then I got to thinking, if God doesn't stop suffering because he can't take away free will, then how does he work good in our lives? What I mean by this is, how does he have people do things to bring about good? For example, everyone has always told me that God has a specific person in mind that God's going to put in my life someday and it will be the person I will fall in love with and marry. But how can God do that if he doesn't interfere with our free will? He can't make that person do something or be somewhere at a certain time in order to meet me...can he? Then how does it work? Does he plant an idea in our heads and we have the choice to listen or not? It's hard to understand how it works because I know that personally I am not very good at listening to God sometimes. I bet I've missed a thousand suggestions from God. I guess God already knows that sometimes it will take a thousand hints until a person finally listens. Maybe he has already planned for that and somehow it all works according to his plan anyway. I still don't quite get it though...

Bread on It

LOL. My friends made a video spoof on the High School Musical 2 song "Bet on it." Check it out!



Just in case you have no clue what the song is actually supposed to be you can watch the actual video.



And of course don't forget that High School Musical 3 is out this weekend! Try not to get swarmed by 13 year old girls!

I Heart Tenth Avenue North

I just absolutely love Tenth Avenue North! I only recently heard about them this summer (see previous post about them) and ever since then they've grown on me more and more. I seriously start off my drive to work everyday listening to their song "Love is Here." For some reason it automatically makes me feel good inside and gives me the strength to get through whatever will happen that day. Watch this video to get a sense of who they are and what their music is all about.

Portland Adventures - Good Food and Good Company

Portland has a plethora of unique restaurants and hometown specialties. In every neighborhood niche there are local favorites and infamous eateries just waiting to be discovered by Portland newbies such as myself. I don’t often get the chance to try someplace new, nor do I always know where to go. But sometimes it’s the times when you’re not looking that can be when you find a treasure. At least it was true for me today. What was supposed to be a simple lunch in Portland to catch up with some good friends, gradually turned into a day of tasty discovery.

First off, I met my friends at No Fish! Go Fish! on Hawthorne. This local lunch spot had recently caught my eye on a Portland food blog. The description sounded unique and frankly, just what my stomach had been craving: hot soup and hot sandwiches. Their specialty is their $5.99 lunch plate, which includes a giant bowl of homemade soup of the day (4 soups you can choose from that changes daily), and two fish sandwiches. And no, they aren’t actually fish, nor do any of the sandwiches include any seafood. They are sandwiches in the shape of a fish, and grilled in a sandwich press. Sort of like a fish shaped panini…or maybe a cross between a calzone and a grilled cheese sandwich. Anyways, there are lots of delicious options to choose from for your sandwiches including ham and cheese, feta and spinach, curried vegetable, and even sweet fillings like apples and cinnamon, 

or nutella. All the food we ordered was great, filling up our tummies with warm goodness.

My friend wanted to find a coffee shop to get a little caffeine for the day so after chatting it up with the waiter and a No Fish! Go Fish! regular, we were directed to a coffee shop a few blocks down called Common Grounds. The place was friendly, not to mention very cozy and we instantly settled down on a comfy couch. Coffee drinks, or in my case, a tea latte, were served in mocha-colored mugs to enhance the cozy atmosphere. Decorations of old hardbound books were piled on various shelves and counters, and a bookshelf full of magazines and newspapers was nestled in one corner, inviting customers to take advantage of a relaxing afternoon to peruse through some literature.
So while one of my friends, who had insisted that she needed to get her homework done, busied herself in textbooks, my other friend and I entertained ourselves by looking through magazines to see what was happening around the Portland area. Browsing through a copy of PDX Magazine we discovered their section on happy hour places. 

As Portland is a big city, there’s bound to be many restaurants that have happy hour specials. However, I tend to go to the same old spots over and over again because I don’t know what else is out there. So this list that we found was a great resource and we began circling places that looked good. (I think our goal is to eventually visit all the places we circled on the list. Just maybe not all in one day lol). We chose a place in the Pearl district called Bartini that looked chic and fun. By the time my friend had finished her homework, it was almost time for happy hour.

Bartini turned out to be an upscale martini bar without the hoity toity nonsense. The selection of martinis to choose from was more than I could even read through, making decisions difficult. However, the plus side to the number of martinis is that you will always be able to find something to your taste. I tried the huckleberry martini which was my favorite (hmm I wonder why). We ordered several food items including a delicious cheese fondue. However, their food menu consisted mainly of fancy finger foods and we couldn’t find too many options that we could all share together so we brought out our friend, the PDX Magazine, to see what else was in the area. Out waiter happened to be walking by as we were checking out other places on the list. He was only too glad to give us some excellent recommendations. He took our magazine and circled the places that were awesome and crossed out which ones to avoid. He even told us about a new Matadors Restaurant that had opened up on 23rd, which serves great happy hour food. So thus began our next quest in the dining adventure. With only about 15-20 minutes of happy hour left we were anxious to make it to Matadors on time…but don’t worry…we got there in plenty of time to order a giant plate of nachos. Although very delicious, it was definitely more food than we could handle. And so walking back ever so slowly in sympathy to our full stomachs, we concluded that one happy hour place in one day would more than suffice. “The List” would have to be consulted another day because this girl was ready for a nap, or maybe a good run on the treadmill.

No Fish! Go Fish!
3962 SE Hawthorne Boulevard

Portland, Oregon 97214

Common Grounds
4321 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, OR 97215

Bartini
2108 NW Glisan St.
Portland, OR 97210

Matador
1438 NW 23rd Ave
Portland, OR 97210