A Glimpse of Mi Vida...

It started with a missions trip to Camden, where my life and perspective were changed and where this blog began. Life has been a roller coaster filled with its ups and downs and I'm excited for the adventure and discovering what God has in store, even though I really dislike roller coasters... I am a Lady in Waiting...

Friday, April 29, 2011



Tonight I met YOU there again...
Amidst the tears I feel YOU stripping away my layers.
The pain and weight shed with each piece that drops,
Like a flower each petal withers away, it leaves the center bud raw.
Stripped.
Raw with emotion and tear stained cheeks,
the more that is released, the emptiness I feel,
But I know I must pour out all betrayl and brokeness in order to feel again.
To be filled once I must lay it all at YOUR feet.
Because as the petal wither away, a new flower can began to bloom.
Teach me and show me and help me to heal.
YOU mend the brokeness by shaping my heart because I've placed it in YOUR hands.
I'm ready for the bud to emerge and the flower to bloom and to see the growth that has be brought.
Because YOU have fought for me.
I felt YOUR presence wrapped around me, holding me tight.
A mournful sigh released, I know that healing can only come by YOUR will and way.
FOREVER AND ALWAYS.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Betrayal

This is the verse that I am currently clinging to:

"God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" -Psalm 147:3. 
After some things happen this weekend, I am clinging and holding onto God even more... below is something I wrote on my lunch break yesterday...


Betrayal is a funny thing because it brings me closer to you.
Amidst my tears you send someone to rock me back and forth in their arms,
Wiping my tears away.
I feel your peace rest upon me.
Settling my uneasiness is what I long for.
You teach me your ways
I cling to your word, you are my devotion.
Filled with the love I long for,
I regain my strength
You give me the courage I need to face the day.
You bind my wounds as you hold my heart in your hands.
I submit to you and you bring forgiveness.
And teach me forgiveness and you raise me up.
I feel you love through the warmth of the sun on my skin.
I feel your presence in the wind as it moves and swirls around me.
I lift my voice up to you in worship and prayer for continual comfort through this time.
Thank you for your everlasting never-ending steadfast love. Amen.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

In Print: Vagina Monologues and Planned Parenthood

 There it is... in print of our five newspapers for this week...
Check out our website to view the full edition of the paper.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

A New Insight

Planned Parenthood: A New Insight
By: Jennifer Elrod

Recently Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues debuted at the Sierra  Madre Playhouse. Performed and presented by Planned Parenthood Pasadena of San Gabriel Valley kicked off both Sunday and Monday performances to a sold out audience. The performance was in support of V-DAY 2011 Campaign to Stop Violence Against Women and Girls.

Proceeds from the two performances went to support the life-saving cervical, breast and testicular cancer screenings, contraceptive services, well-woman exams, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, education and counseling visits that are just some of the many preventative health care services provided by Planned Parenthood.
Going into the performance, I was a bit nervous because of the negative stigma and publicity surrounding Planned Parenthood in media. To my surprise, I discovered all of the services and good things that Planned Parenthood does provide and that they were established in 1933. Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure broad public access to reproductive health care and family planning through medical services, education, and advocacy.  Planned Parenthood provides birth control, life-saving cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, screenings for common health conditions, annual exams, vaccines, and more.  All services are offered at low-to-no cost to individuals and families, and 99% of our patients have no health insurance.  Our service area extends east to west from Glendora to Glendale, and north to south from the San Gabriel Mountains to the San Bernardino Freeway. Politics aside, I think it is extremely important to provide people with education and services in health care especially with the unemployment rate at about ten-percent. 


V-Day's Spotlight Campaign for 2011 will be on the Women and Girls of Haiti. The Spotlight will highlight the high levels of violence against women and girls in Haiti, and will focus on the increased rates of sexual violence since the devastating earthquake that took place in January 2010. All funds raised through the Spotlight Campaign will be used to support a revolutionary national program in Haiti lead by a coalition of women activists - including longtime V-Day activist Elvire Eugene - that will address sexual violence through art, advocacy, safe shelter, and legal services.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Milk and Cookies...

Milk and Cookies...

The ongoing saga of the flamingo-ing continues. After receiving a more than generous donation at the start of our fundraising, we told our donor we would flock any house they wanted. Well, they can't give us addresses because it would break some confidentiality with their position, so we needed to get creative. After a few weeks of flocking and not seeing a huge financial turn over for the team, we found gold. Well, not real gold that we can take in to the Gold Guys for a high turnover amount... our gold was.... (drum roll please!!!)... an old church directory. Complete with addresses. When your fundraiser is based on showing up at people's houses... that is gold for us. So our real saga began this weekend. We have decided to hit all of the elders and pastors of the church, BEWARE.

After almost getting kinda caught this week... that will be another blog update, we decided the more houses we hit the higher potential for generating more donations and business for ourselves. So this weekend we hit three pastors and two of the elders. Each of the poster's reads with my phone number and information and when we "flock" a house there is always a fear that it will not be well received.

Well, Sunday morning at 7am I got the sweetest phone call from the wife of one of the elders. She was so excited about the flamingos. We proceeded to play a short game of phone tag until I finally got to meet her. After picking up flamingos from her yard, I knocked on the door of their home. She proceeded to invite me in and we began talking about missions and serving and flamingos. She was one of the sweetest ladies that I have ever met. She not only invited me into her home, but she fed me milk and cookies. We continued talking about fundraising and missions and I just sat there thinking this whole time how blessed I was.

Since this happen yesterday I have began pondering about hospitality and just the greatness of God. You hear of stories of milk and honey in the Bible and remembering the sweetness of the Lord. Well, maybe milk and cookies are our milk and honey of this generation. I will always remember the conversation of that day and be reminded of it every time I now have milk and cookies. 

When I grow up, I want to be like this couple. And the couple who gave us the original donation. I want to just love others, to be in love, and to serve. One thing that really blessed me about my milk and cookies couple is that, they do not have a desire to serve in missions but God has really blessed them with the opportunity to serve in many other ways and to serve financially in sending people like myself and my team and other members from our church. They offer up milk and cookies... they offer up their front yard for yard sales and they open up their ears and hearts to hear my stories and they share theirs. Also there was such a joy in the way they talked, you could see it and maybe even feel it or sense the presence of God in their home and in their lives. I hope to have them and to show and share that with others...