Frustrated and Annoyed

This is how I feel right now. I know that there are maybe 2 or 3 people who read this blog, if that many, but just in case there are others, I thought that I would let you know.....just in case you get the random urge to move to Texas and live at Hunter's Green apartments......DON'T!
This apartment complex is owned by Equity Apartments. The people who run this company and this apartment complex are idiots! I'm sorry if I offended you and I know that this is not nice, disrespectful, rude, uncalled for, and not very Christ-like to call people that, but right now it's very hard to come up with a nice word to say about people who:

1. have been working on the water for weeks and just randomly decide to turn it OFF WITHOUT WARNING and then when it comes back on, not only is the water pressure low , the only thing that come out of faucuts is SCALDING HOT WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean...please....who licensed these water people?!?!

2. allow marjuana to be smoked in their apartments. I mean, maybe Hunter's Green is allowed
to have illegal drugs smoked on their property, so if you know anyone who is looking for a
place to smoke any kind of illegal drug and not be put in jail, please send them here. Yes, we
have called the police and the "courtesy" officer and the apartment people, but no one does
any about it! The "courtesy" officer can never come b/c he has to take care of his child. This
is understandable, but if you are going to be a "courtesy" officer don't not be avaiable, the
police come and smell what we smell, but they just say that we need to stay on top of the
"courtesy" officer and the apartment people. Apparently smell is not probable cause anymore!
The apartment complex say that they cannot do anything about it!

3. also if you would like to get a new car, just bring it to Hunter's Green and without a doubt, it
will be stolen and MAYBE the insurance company will pay for you to get a new one. No, our
car was not stolen, but there have been 3 on our side of the complex in about 1 year. Now I
don't know about you, but if the same thing keeps happening on the same side of the complex
I think i would look into my tennents, but no, nothing was done. At least that I know about.

4. if you have a maintance request, be prepared to wait....a long time..... Get this, we call to get
air filter change and low and behold there is not one in the air duct!! I'm not kidding, the last
they "changed" it (which by the way was in JULY) they forgot to put a NEW one in!! Genuis!!!

So I think you get the picture. We would love to move out, but not only would we have to pay a riduclous amount of money to these people, our lease is up in July and we don't exactly know where we will be and to rent another apartment month-to-month or even just sign a 4 month lease is riduclous! So we are almost stuck. Plus we can't move further away, b/c the traffic is ridicous that we would have to leave at 7:00 in the morning just to make it to work on time!!!!

So here's the deal. don't move to Hunter's Green apartments and don't live in anything owned by Equity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now i know that America is extremely blessed in the fact that we actually have running water and all the amenities that come with that running water (dishwasher, clothes washer), we also do have nice policeman who protect us and we have breatheable air and we actually have a car and that other people in this country do not have the same blessings and other countries don't have the same blessings. But right now I'm frustrated and annoyed and fed up with apartment living!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps this is what Jesus was talking about when He said, "in all things give thanks."

Have a nice day!!!!

Centennial

Well this past Friday Southwestern celebrated it's 100th birthday! What a week! Our office is in charge of events and we were hoppin'! Thursday, we had 2 receptions, a women's coffee/tea, and an awards luncheon and then Friday was the centennial celebration all day!! We got to wear these "adorable" yellow t-shirts...but it was really a good thing b/c we could all find each other easily in the crowd! I think the Lord put our office together perfectly! We are a team, friends, and family. It's so great to work with these guys and gals!

Mr. and Mrs. Kitchens

Justin and Allison were married March 8, 2008. It was a beautiful wedding. Outdoors, white chairs with pink and white rose petals completely covering the center asile, guitar player and soloist, chilly and breezy, sand for the bride and groom to sand on (she originally wanted to get married at the beach), reception at Japanese Gardens at the Botanical Gardens. The bridesmaids wore brown dresses and carried white japanese-looking umbrella instead of flowers. The groomsmen wore brown pants and white shirts. The Lord came to the wedding and truly blessed their day. The bride requested that Brent wear his pink suit!!!

Vernon and Brent

Victor and BrentBrent and the new coupleFun reception table Awesome cake

Chuys

A few weeks ago, Brent and I went to Dallas with our friends Danna and Aaron. They are expecting their first child in May, Charis Erin (Charis is Greek and it means Grace). They were going to register at Pottery Barn Kids. They invited us to tag along because they were going to eat at Chuy's! The 2nd best mexican restaurant in Texas! So good in fact that I thought it was worth posting in the blog!! If you visit Texas, Chuy's is a must. Brent has eaten at the Dallas, Austin, and Houston locations.

Reflections of Christ

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road,

when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your

fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing

cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not

provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not

plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that

you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."

Deuteronomy 6: 4 - 12

I have been reading a book by Noel Piper called, "Treasuring God in our Traditions". It's a really neat book about why we have traditions, the differences between traditions, habits, and customs, teaching traditions and what traditions teach, teaching your children, etc, etc, etc. Noel also shares a few traditions that she and her family have. In one chapter Noel poses the question, "What habits and traditions do you enjoy together that express your family's character and help you see that facet of God?" For example, their family is a 'word' family. She says: "..we Piper's are a word-oriented family.......The enjoyment of words that God gave us helps us realize how important words are. God used a book full of word to tell us about Himself. God the Son is even called 'the Word'. If we didn't have words, how would we understand God and His world? What a precious gift to be a 'word family'!" She challenges her readers to: "consider how God is reflected in your family and in the activites you especially enjoy."

It got me thinking about me and Brent and what we do in our super-small, two-person family that reflect God. It is easy to see in my family and Brent's family. My family has music, and giving and hospitality as one way we reflect God and worship God together as a family. (although one member isn't exactly using her musical gifts at this moment in time!) Brent's family uses sports, humor (a lot of humor!), and their love for all types of people to reflect God and worship Him together as a family.

I'm not sure what mine and Brent's reflection(s) are. Perhaps, this is b/c we are just starting out...sort of. I'm not very athlectic and Brent's not very musical, which we both kinda like about each other, so there must be other ways. We both love people. That could be one way we reflect God together. I'm sure as time goes on different reflections will come out in our relationship with each other and ourselves. Noel gives a few examples of ways God is reflected in familes: art, building, traveling, fixing things, working on farms or in gardens. I think cooking could be there too. :) but i'm not in that group! I think I would be in the eating group! haha!! There is one couple I know of who reflects God in their relationship to one another. I have never seen more how a husband and wife should treat, respect, and love each other than in this couple. Their relationship is a beautiful expression on how Christ loves the Church and how He desires our marriages to flourish. They definitely reflect Christ in their marriage.

Well I'm not quite done with this book. I just read it here and there. I usually read 4 books at a time and never finish them! But hopefully these 4 books i'm reading now will actually be finished. I did finish one! Hooray! Hopefully this on is next! You should check this one out sometime!

Peace,
MC

Palm Trees in February

Yes, i love palm trees in February. We recently took a trip to beach for Brent to perform my cousin's wedding ceremony. It was lovely. The wedding and the trip! We ate a Leatha's BBQ, saw our family, my adorable nephew, our true friend, Bubba, Brent got to speak, and of course, we saw palm trees, waves, dolphins, and ate beignets on the beach! Also my birthday was this month!
Here are a few of my favorite snapshots!

Sad.....

"Sell you possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:33-34

I've been thinking the past few days about the death of Heath Ledger. The media has been calling his, a tragic death. I completely agree. But not only is it a tradgey just because he was only 28 and possibly took his own life, the tradgey lies in that there are no more 2nd chances for Heath. His life on earth is finished and from what I have seen, heard, and read about, his lifestyle conveyed no belief in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Maybe he did and the media did not show that side of him, but if he did not, then the world he is in now is far more horrific than any movie would ever be able to create.
It is so weird to think about how many 2nd chances we get on this earth to know God! Zillons! Every day! The Lord is very gracious and so patient with us! I wonder if Heath was searching for something. His last days were apparently not the a greatest. I cannot imagine what all he went through if he was indeed oppressed. It is sad that his 2nd chances are over.

His death reminds me to think about who am I living for, am I living for myself - trying to be voted "most popular", being selfish, putting others down and "beneath" me, having to have the nicest clothes, the best job, the most money, the most friends, etc.?? Am I living for Jesus - being selfless, putting other people first, helping those who are less fortunate than me, treating everyone with respect, showing love in tough situations to difficult people (this is hard sometimes!), etc., making sure that people understand their need of forgiveness and a relationship with Him??

I am sure that at times Heath was selfless, always put others first, helped those who were less fortunate, treated everyone with respect, and showed love in tough situations to difficult people, maybe he was even that way all the time because of his personality, but even in the very end, the only thing that truly mattered was the last part - did he have forgiveness and a relationship with Jesus? We won't know for sure until we arrive in heaven.

I am truly sad for the Ledger family, his little girl, and his friends. I'm sure they will always miss Heath. Perhaps his death will lead them to think about their own life and what they believe happens after you die and maybe it will lead them to the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and He will lead them to the Father.

But for now, where is your treasure?

Other hair pics

So a few weeks ago my mom came out to visit while Brent was in Mexico and she and I got our haircut! Jen at Goldwaves is so great!! :)

Here are the pics!! What do you think??

Haircuts

So some of the girls and I all got our hair cut pretty much the same week! So much change going on! It was fun! :) (usually my hair is not so frizzy like it is here!)



Jenn, Karen, Jen, and me!

Stepping Up

Well tonight I started a Beth Moore Bible study called Stepping Up. It's with some girls that I work with.

I don't mean to say I started it as in it was my idea, i just meant tonight was the first night.

So far the study is fantastic, but the first night always is, right?! We'll see how it goes from here. It's a shorter study, so this is good. 6 or 7 weeks. I get burnt out on the 12 or 13 weeks...goodness...that's a long time.

So anyway check it out. You might like it.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes.....