Adventures at Spirit West Coast - Day 2 & 3

Friday and Saturday was all a blure. Troy and I are trying to recover today in Santa Cruz before going home.
Friday, we had most of the day free, and worked the late shift at the K-LOVE/Air 1 booth. I worked on homework for school most of the day, and took periodic breaks to walk around. Eventhough some of our favorite acts are at these festivals, we find ourselves not actually watching the shows. We're either eating, working or hanging out at the booth, or walking around the other merchadise booths. Friday, the only one I really wanted to see was Todd Agnew. He has such a great message and shares how important it is to not just have a religion - but have a deep, passionate relationship with Christ. Todd's music is so incredibly moving and really inspires me (and most) to be better stewards of our time in being truly Christ-like. We're suppose to stand out from the crowd and be a a light in this dark world.

Saturday was a different day. In spite of having not gotten home until after midnight, we had the morning shift on Saturday. This is due mostly because of the fact that we were originally suppose to have the afternoon shift, which conflicted with the time that BarlowGirl was playing. The ONLY group that we had asked that we not have to work during. I also brought my bass guitar to get signed by BarlowGirl, which after some doing (and a lot of patience) finally did.

We have built a friendship with the sisters of BarlowGirl and their parents, who happen to be their managers. I as able to sneak backstage for a brief second before sound check to say a quick hi and watched the full concert. They were awesome, as usual, and Lauren Barlow (the drummer) spoke from her heart and presented an a moving talk that was evidently inspiring to many people.

After the concert, the girls signed autographs before being taken away for a Q & A session. We were amazing and excited to see the the long for autographs was halfway around the huge merchandise tent! It was a huge accomplishment since the band has only been around for 3 years and this year was just their 2nd year at the festival. Their booth was packed full of excited teens wanting their merchandise so I jumped in a helped. I took off for the Q & A but returned when I saw that they were still very busy. Little did I know that I would end up there for hours.... five hours to be exact. The girls were whisked away constantly throughout the day to do appearances and interviews so I didn't get to see them too much.

About 9ish, I realized that I still had one more assignment to submit for my Psych class. Yikes! I had to have it in by 10 pm my time or it would be late. Troy luckily was with me at the merch table so he watched it briefly while I ran back to the K-LOVE/Air 1 booth to get online to submit it. Luckily, it was mainly done and I sent it as-is. During that time, mom & dad Barlow returned to the booth so Troy called me to come back. They were packing up and getting ready to leave so I finished submitting my assignment and literally ran back to their booth.

I was able to get there in time before they left and Rebecca Barlow (my coffee buddy) was there as well, although a bit in-cognito. I don't think anyone realized that it was her standing there at the booth. No one person asked for an autograph. :-) We packed the rest of the bags and we drove with them back stage to say our goodbyes. Lauren and Allysa was packing their stuff in their dressing room so I was able to see all of them one last time before they left. We chatted briefly, hugged forever before they piled into a suburban to head to their hotel.
I miss them already!! :-( It may not be til next SWC before I see them again. They don't plan any tour stops in CA. They left around 10ish, Troy and watched the rest of the Newsboys concert and was so glad we didn't miss the 'Breakfast' song. That's always such a great, entertaining performance. (Imagine lots kids jumping up & down with cereal boxes of Captain Crunch flying in the air, and throwing it onstage!) Quite an amusing event.

So, the 10th annual Spirit West Coast festival has come and gone for another year. It was a great year, and a very busy one. It also usually means the end of the usually busy summer music concert schedule. I'm probably out of vacation time now at work, so I must focus yet again on piling that back up for next year.

Keep music in your life & keepin lovin' God with all your heart!

Adventures at Spirit West Coast - Day 1

The first day of the largest West coast music festival was a raving success and boy, am I tired. For the 6th year in a row, Troy and I set out to Monterey, CA for the 10th annual Spirit West Coast festival. In plain terms, it's kinda like a Christian music Woodstock - three days of camping, concerts and wonderful speakers - all with a Christian message!

We worked the K-LOVE/Air-1 booth again this year. We're getting to be regulars and pretty well known by the 'higher ups' and the air personalities. We enjoy the ministry and I especially love talking to people that come by the booth

Day No. 1 began with us opening the booth at 8:30 am. Troy set up the sound stuff and I got the merchandise ready to fly off the tables. (ok, not literally fly... but they were being sold off quick.) We had to work double shifts today because since it's Thursday, we were short on volunteer staff. That meant we were working and on our feet until 4 pm with a short break to eat something. It was chilly at first today, but it warmed up. I got a little dehydrated so I was drinking a lot of water to get back my energy level. (Coffee helped with that too!!) :-)

I got to see a brand new artist, and got to talk with him a little bit. His name is Aaron Shust and he's new in Christian music with the popular 'My Savior, My God' that can be heard all over the nation on K-LOVE radio. (Ok, I know that's a shameless plug but it's an awesome radio station and I think more people need to be exposed to great Christian music!) Tonight, Casting Crowns will be playing (in about a 1/2 hour) and I look forward to hearing them... if I can stay awake that long.

Because Troy does not 'camp', we're staying at his parent's beach house in Santa Cruz, which is about 45 minutes away. We should leave soon because tomorrow will be another long day. We don't have to be here quite as early but it makes for easier parking, and we have the late shift tomorrow night.

At the moment, I am sitting in a back 'break room' at the booth, in the middle of Laguna Seca raceway with the wonderful technology of a wireless network! I was able to work on my homework for school, check emails and post of blog to all my adoring fans (ok, not that many 'fans' actually read this). I love technology!! And I'm so glad that I'm married to such a tech geek that has to bring his laptop, and wireless card to a music festival. :-)

Peace out from a chilly Laguna Seca. I'll write more on my wonderful adventures at SWC tomorrow.

Don't know what you got til it's gone.... :-(

SO, I learned first hand that that statement is soooo true! Especially when it comes to technology. Most importantly, my cell phone. Being that a cell phone is my only lifeline to the world since we got rid of our home phone a few years ago, I feel so lost without it. Here's the story.....

I took the day off on Monday to go to San Francisco with my mother-in-law. (Yes, I voluntarily spent the day with my mother-in-law!) :-) The day was spent well until on our way home. We stopped in the town, Los Banos, which is half way between S.F. and Fresno. There's a strip of the highway that goes right through town. We stopped to take a quick potty break at a nearby gas station. I had just talked with Troy a few minutes before we stopped so I had my phone then. When we got to the other side of Los Banos I realized I didn't have my phone anymore. We tried calling it and couldn't hear it rining in the car. We knew something was wrong.

So we turned around and went back to the gas station to check for my phone. It hadn't been but 15 minutes, and the phone was gone. The attendants hadn't seen it and it was nowhere to be found. We got back in the car and started driving home. I was distraught with worry about where I could have dropped my phone. I called Troy and told him to have Cingular (our cell provider) and have them suspend service on the phone temporarily. Within minutes, it wasn't taking any phone calls. That's good service!

So, I didn't sleep very much and worrying about the phone and all my 'life-lines' that I have in there. Since I have no home phone, my cell is my only connection to a lot of people. I cried and prayed myself to little sleep and was very quiet Tuesday morning when I returned to work.

Troy was running errands Tuesday morning and stopped by the Cingular store to get me a new phone. I needed a replacement since (1) I had bible study that night and expected phone calls from the girls involved; and (2) we were going to be out of town at our yearly music festival in Monterey so I needed to have communication ability. While he was browsing around the store, he gets a call from the Cingular shop in Los Banos telling him that a nice gentlemen had brought in my lost phone. He then made arrangements for me to pick it up, and then proceeded to call me to let me know.

Oh, PRAISE GOD!! HE DOES ANSWER PRAYERS!! When I got that phone call from Troy that they had my phone, my mood went from bummed to extatic! I drove all the way back to Los Banos (an hour away) after work on Tuesday to go get it, and drove immediately back to Fresno for my bible study. It was a long trip but I had my phone back, not to mention my phone numbers!

I've tried to call the nice gentleman who turned in my phone but haven't gotten a hold of him.
This experience taught me that God still answers the prayers of His children, and there are still some good, right-doing citizens in California.

Birthdays

When we're kids, we look forward to those special days when we celebrate the day we were born and look forward feeling loved by our family and friends. As we get older, our birthdays are just another day, and sometimes goes un-noticed by some.

Another day, another birthday has come and gone for me. Being 34 now, I don't feel any wiser, and wonder about where my life will be going. Most of my family remembered and called or wrote with wonderful birthday wishes. Only the special few (thank you Malia!!) remembered, and some of my closest friends didn't. But I'm ok with that.

So, this year has come and gone, and another year to grow older and hopefully wiser. It's not about enjoying the one day we were born, it's about enjoying every day of the journey that God has called our life to be.

July 22nd.

On July 22, 11 years ago on Saturday, my life changed...
11 years ago on Saturay, I married my best friend!

We've been through our share of challenges, laughter & tears. He's been patient with me. He's been loving to me when I definately didn't deserve it! He makes me laugh when he tries to be so goofy! He just wants t make me happy - eventhough that's easy... he gets frustrated that I'm too easy to please. ;-)

He's got a genuine love for serving, and has such a caring heart. He's got an emotional side that he doesn't let most people see. He loves to cook and he LOVES chick-flics! (Yes!!!!!!)

That Troy-boy of mine, is ONE OF A KIND!!
Happy Anniversary to my dear, husband and best friend!
I Love You - Always & Forever!

I lost my ice ceem!! :-(

Just had to share.. had a child-like moment today.
As I was on a break at work today, me and my coworkers walked over to get some ice cream from our campus bookstore. They have an assortment of ice cream to cool off from the summer heat. I got a king-size drumstick. As I unwrapped it and started licking the top, enjoying the delicious vanilla ice cream with the hint of chocolate fudge! Yummy!!

We walked back to the office, and I hadn't but got a few licks in when BAAAMMMM!! My ice cream fell off my cone and fell on the ground. I could have cried!!! I lost my ice cream (or ice ceem as I used to say!) I had very little ice cream left in the cone but did polish that off in a matter of seconds!

I was still somewhat refreshed but was saddened by how much more I could've enjoyed. Oh well, it was fattening for me anyway, right? :-)

Just had to share!

The Devil Wears Prada - a life lesson

Went to go see the movie, 'The Devil Wears Prada' today. From the previews, it looked really funny, and I love Ann Hathaway since her debut in the Princess Diaries.

In watching the movie, I was intrigued by the story behind the obvious plot line.
Without ruining it for those who want to see it, and haven't yet, I won't give away the story but the 'devil' refers to Glenn Close' character who is an editor of a fashion magazine. She's a tough and very demanding employer so Ann Hathaway's character (who is fashionably challenged) works for her as an assistant, trying to do even one thing right. Not the ideal job she wanted, she finds herself trying to fit in more with her environment, thanks to the help of mentor-type photo editor (played by Stanley Tucci). Her change in wardrobe and attitude hurts her relationships with friends and her boyfriend (played by Adrienne-somthing. He's been in a few movies & has a cable tv show Entourage, I think it's called).

After a trip to Paris with her boss (the 'dragon-lady'), Ann's character realizes that she's not happy, and most importantly, there's an actual person that's also hurting behind the rough exterior of the 'dragon lady's' demanding, personality.

This movie is a great reminder that it's the beauty within that is important, not the outward beauty. You can dress up in designer clothes, shoes and have flawless hair & makeup... it won't make you happy. It's also a great reminder of the importance of friends and being kind and friendly to even the most snooty or miserable person can make a difference in their lives. In having this positon with this magazine, she befriends two unlikely people.

I didn't really look into the depth of movies before, until a few came out that has great storylines and has an important lesson behind it.

I loved this movie and will definately buy it when it comes out on video. I'm sure I'll watch it at least a few more times before it comes out on video. It was a great film, with lots of great laughs and cool fashions!

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!
Have a great day!

Be sure to take a moment to thank, and pray for those that fought so hard to make sure we continue to enjoy our freedom!

Enjoy your BBQ's, fireworks, and fun!

Summer in Cali

Greetings from a very warm California.
The summer has been a busy one and I just barely have time to take breath (BIG BREATH).
Here's what's been up with us....
1. Women of Faith conference - I organized roughly about 80 ladies from our church to attend the WOF conference in Fresno. It was the first time in Fresno and we were all so excited. From those that I talked to, they loved the conference and I was truely blessed, once again. Can't wait for next year to roll around already. Unforunatley, a schedule conflict keeps them from returning to Fresno in 2007 but it's coming to nearby San Jose, which should be a lot of fun! Road trip!! Woo hooo!!

2. It's party time.... Well, my parents hit a milestone in their lives. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this last weekend. My sisters and I (mostly I) organized a grand shin-dig to celebrate. It was a lot of work but everything turned out well and mom and dad really enjoyed the entire evening... talking with old friends and family that we haven't seen in ages. My sister, Sandy, from NY came into town so that was an extra special gift for my parents. As a present, we had a picture drawn by a family friend, of them with a reflection of their wedding photo right behind them. It turned out fantastic! It was good times, although I'm so glad it's over. It was alot of work! But, I can't help but pray that I can see them last many years more! I am blessed to have such wonderful parents and great role-models for my marriage. I can only pray that I have 50 wonderful years with Troy, as my parent's have.

3. Camp WaMaVa remembered... speaking of 50th anniversaries, this year is the 50th anniversary year of WaMaVa in Virginia. It's been hot and humid here, with chances of thunderstorms, so I have been reminiscing about camp a lot lately. To celebrate the anniverary, they are throwing a huge reunion just after the camp season this year, which is the first weekend in August. I really wish I could go - I miss camp and all my friends sooo much! Unfortunately, it's the same weekend as our annual music festival in Monterey. I'll send my well-wishes to all the fellow campers.

4. School - it rolls on. I survived my Algebra class, but have Finance this session... and Accounting next. I am SO sick of math!! I'm halfway through my first year. Thanks to a group of classmates, we have all managed to stay afloat the last 6 months. I also have an art class this session. It's been fun, and quite interesting. I can't wait until January when the real fun begins, and I actually get to take classes related to graphic design. I get to create!!

Well, that's it from the living room of the Root home, in a somewhat sunny, and humid Fresno CA. Hope all is well with anyone who reads this. Would love to hear from you! Drop me a line to say howdy!

This, That & Everything

It seems like its been forever since I blogged... maybe because I have. :-)
Just thought I'd update my faithful readers (or reader) on the life that is Sheryl.
Well, first of all I can say that I survived the most stressful class session of my college life. I had to take College Algebra and somehow passed it with flying colors. Thanks to my awesome math tutors! I have a week off before I take on Art Appreciation and Finance.

Next on the 'what's Sheryl been up to', is that I cut my hair. Yah, this time it's really short! It's a brand new me, and a great summer doo.

Summer promises to be a busy one here. My parent's 50th wedding anniversary is in June and my sisters and I (mostly I) are organizing the party. We have family coming into town (including my oldest sister from NY) the few weeks prior to the party so we'll be busy with family as well. The week before the party is the Women of Faith conference in Fresno, in which I am leading a large group of women from church to. My list of women attending has been growing... and growing... and growing, so I've been trying to keep that all organized. Should be an awesome time of laughter and fellowship! I will also begin facilitating a 10-week followup study after the conference. July will be full of fun & fireworks as Troy and I celebrate our 11th year of marriage and my birthday.

August will hold our annual trek to Montery for the Spirit West Coast festival. This will be our 6th year going and helping out. We have become such entricate part of the KLOVE/Air 1 crew and we love being in ministry with them. One drawback to our commitment to the festival, is that I have to miss the 50th anniveray reunion at Camp WaMaVa which is the same weekend. Oh, how I miss all the good times and people I have come to love from camp. I still go through my yearly summer camp withdrawls and think about the 'good ole days' often. I wish I could be in 2 places at once but unfortunatley, that's not possible. I am very blessed to have kept in touch with most of those dear to me from my camp days. Whoever goes to the reunion, take lots of pictures and tell me lots of stories afterwards. :-)

Have a wonderful and safe summer ya'all! Hope to keep in better touch with the blog world.
Take care!

Life, school and stuff....

It's been awhile since I've posted. Not many people read this except for my dear friend, Malia. (Thank you, Malia!!)

I've had a lot going on and have barely had any moments to myself. Here's a quick update
School: After my marketing class, I made the Dean's List! I was so excited. I hope to continue on the Dean's List after my next classes - English and Computers Applications. While I though I'd do well in both, I have actually struggled with my English. My Computer Applications class is very easy, as it is an intro to Word, Excel and Powerpoint. I am already very proficient in these.

Work: Work is going ok. We have had some major projects lately which keeps us busy.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, and also the 5 year birthday of New Harvest Church. We're having a special service and ground breaking ceremony at our new facility which will begin construction soon. Yah! I'm so excited!! The following week, of course is Easter. Production times have always been hectic so this one has not been any different. It also comes at the same time as Troy's birthday. He turned 36 on Thursday with very little fanfare. We went out to a nice dinner together Thursday night. We had lunch today with my family. It was nice to spend the time together and laugh at old photos we were rummaging through.

I've also taken on the project of planning and organization my parent's 50th anniversary in June, which is why we were rummaging through old photos. It was so neat to see my mom and dad as they were growing up and their time together. My sister, my mom and I were laughing as we reminisced about the pictures we came across.

Destined to be friends

Have you ever met a person and automatically had a deep connection with them? I'm not talking about the chemistry between a male and female, I'm talking about the friendship connection between friends. God has blessed me with a few wonderful friendships in my life - both living close and living far away. I may not talk with the friends living far way as often, but when we do talk, we don't skip a beat.

I met two ladies this weekend that have already become cherished friends. I drove to San Jose on Saturday (a 2 1/2 hour drive) to attend (more like work) a concert. Troy had to stay in town for church on Sunday (one drawback with him being on tech staff) so I was on my own. I was introduced to two laides that were also volunteering at the concert.

When I met Ruth and Lisa, we connected immediately. Ruth, another red-head (I love my read-headed friends!! lol) is very energetic, full of life and has the passion for the ministry as I do.

Her friend Lisa, was just along from the ride, but she and I also clicked. We're both the reserved, quiet types. We LOVE coffee (that's an understatement) and are both singers.

I love my friends and I cherish my friends!

Marketing Grades

This class was by far my favorite so far... and my grades show it. I GOT AN 'A' BABY!! My overall percentage was 95% and I made the Dean's List! I am sooooo psyched!!

After a week off, I start 2 Classes on Sunday. Computer Applications and English Compisition. One class on computers and one class on writing. Ummmmmm, I think I'll do ok in these classes! ;-) Thanks to being married to a computer geek, I know a lot about Computers, and I've always done well in Writing. The computer book is HUGE, but it has a lot of illustrations in it, thank God!! :-)

I'll keep you posted!
Blessings, everyone!

2nd Class - Officiall DONE!!

I've survived my second month back in college. My second class officially ended yesterday a,d I think I did pretty well. Except for 1 crazy week when I submitted a not-so-great paper, I have gotten all A's in my Marketing class. I'll get my final grades in a few days, and hopefully make the Dean's list this month! :-) I really enjoyed this class and loved the professor.

Going through the last through classes, I've wondered.... is it the specific course, or a professor that helps a student be successful. Taking what would be 2 some-what easy classes for me, I found my first class (Intro to Business) difficult because of the professor. She INSISTED that we call her Dr. and her bio was more like a resume of all her creditials. She was unclear with her instructions, not very approachable when it came to questions, and nit-picked with every little detail. I barely made a 'B' average in that class. My second class (Marketing) was fun because of the subject material, and the professor was very friendly. We got to call her by her first name (she wasn't a Dr), grades us according to the effort we put into our assignments and encouraged us every step of the way.

Thinking of my early college years, I now understand how some 'kids' aren't quite ready for college yet... especially if they don't know what they want to be (which is the case with most incoming college freshman and graduating seniors).

Did you know what you wanted to do when 'you grew up'?? I had a few interests but didn't know what I wanted my career to be. My failure of a college career right out of high school has made me realize that eventhogh I was a good student, I needed a break from 'school' to figure it out. The last few semesters of college, I mainly spent with music classes (choir, piano, voice, etc). I didn't mean to take 1o+ years to get back, but I think me being older (and maybe a little wiser) now, I am realizing what area of study I want to pursue. I can now focus directly on achieving those goals.

So, back to my classes: I have a week break before I begin my next 2 classes!! Yes, 2 classes at the same time! It'll be interesting to see how I handle that, I was barely able to do one class at a time! I'll post my final grades for Marketing when I receive them in the next few days.

Hope all is well out there in blog-land!
Take care, ya'all!!

It's good to be free!

I am officially off of jury duty! Hallelujah!!
I started the morning out with questioning and by 10:3o, I was outta there! I don't know if it was the fact that I knew several people in law enforcement or my strong convictions. Either way, I'm free!

I made a quick stop at Starbucks and went into work for the afternoon.
I tell you, I appreciate my boring work far more now since I had to endure the even-more boring time of sitting in a courtroom listening to the same questions over and over again by an idiot defense attorney.

:-)

The Joy of Jury Duty!

The first day of jury duty is always the most boring, and the brain-deadening experience. I spent the first 2 hours waiting to see if I was getting called to a trial, or if I got to go home. The California court system has a 1 day/1 trial policy where if I'm not called to a trial on the first day, I'm excused for a year... I was so hoping!!!!!!

I'm sorry to say, I got called to a trial - allbeit one that is to last for 2 weeks. So I go up to the court room, where I listen to questions over & over (& over & over) again - for HOURS!! After lunch, they started again, with the same question with different prospective jurors. All afternoon long, I sit there and listen to these questions and the excuses of those who don't want to serve.

Listening to the 'hardship' of others in the group had, I feel so fortunate that God has blessed me with a good life. Some with multiple reasons as a relative's passing, many children to provide for, are self-employed and can't afford to miss work, and many, many other sob stories!!

So, FINALLY, around 4ish I finally get called up to go through the questioning process... and what does the judge do, she breaks for the afternoon. I sat up there for a whopping 2 minutes! So I have to go back tomorrow, sit and endure the pain of the boring, redundant questioning to see if I'm fit to be a juror.

Let's see how quickly they'll dismiss me tomorrow! :-)

It snows it CA!

Troy and I recently had an overnight stay up in the mountains. On the way up, it started snowing. We just got to the hotel in time before it started snowing so heavy that we needed chains on the car (which we didn't have)


It snowed the whole night and we woke up with a blanket of snow covering the outdoors - including our car. It was beautiful!

And the view outside our window was absolutely gorgeous!
It was a great reminder of the glory of our King!

Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all my wonderful family and friends, near and far away.
I pray that you all have a wonderful day remembering the incredible joy of 'L-O-V-E'!
Don't forget the ultimate show of love - that of our Father, God, in Heaven!
Many blessings for a love-filled day!


Update on my Marketing class:

I must have found my niche' in marketing. Week 1 was a huge success. I got an 'A' on both my discussion board assignment and my individual assignment. I was sooo happy! One huge reason, is that the professor (who likes us to call her by her first name) is very cool! Not so picky about the little things, and laughs with us like friends.

My first assignment was to choose a business and discuss how they have changed their marketing stategies to include the internet. I found this very interesting and had a hard time figuring out which business to choose. For my db, I used the example of Fresno State. It was close to home, and I could easily find out about their marketing strategies... especially in relation to their websites. For my individual project, I focused on the Disney Corporation... and how they have changed their marketing since the early days of Walt Disney. I found my research very interesting! ;-)

Thanks to some friends in marketing, this class is starting out well! I hope it keeps up! I have even assisted other classmates with their projects. It's going to be a good month!

My Grades

I am happy to say that I passed my first course as an online student! Yah!! My overall grade for the course is a 'B'!! It is a relief, considering the class was a struggle and the professor was a monster! :-)

For my Unit 5 assignments, I received 'A's across the board! That one, I was really excited about!

As I said a final goodbye to by Intro to Business class, I now look forward to a challenging and very exciting Marketing class. My professor for this class is completly cool, and laughs with us like a regular person!

Week 4 & 5

It's been a couple weeks since I blogged about my class. I'm glad to say that for I did well on my group project for week 3!! Overall, we got a 'A'!! Yah!!! Thanks to hard work and good conversation between me and another group mate (who basically did the whole thing on our own), we created a great presentation!

Week 4, we had to talk about financing. I ddn't think that would be too hard, being I'm married to someone in the financial industry. We had to talk about the different options for loans. Much to my surprise, I got one 'A' and one 'C'. Oddly enough, they were reversed of what I thought I would get. For my discussion board, I got the 'C', and for my Individual essay, I got the 'A'. So right now, I'm barely holding on to a 'B' average. I tell you, it's so tough to please this professor.

This week is the last week for this class. I'm so glad, in a way... but interested to see how I finish the course. I hope to continue with my 'A' standing. Considering it's difficult to please this professor, I will have to work really hard to accomplish that. I have three assignments this week. Results of this week, to follow next week.

Week 3

Wheew! I thought this week would never end! Week 3 was a hard one because we had to do a group assignment this week. We had to put together a powerpoint presentation, as consultants to help this company motivate their employees to work harder... the scenario was that they are a bit on the lazy side, get paid well and have lots of perks like monthly birthday lunches out, free bagels & coffee on Fridays, and the managers weren't managing very well.

Anyway, our group got off on a slow start, and five become three - although two of us really did most of the work. With my creative talents, I was the one that put together the powerpoint. That was fun!

After a lot of late nights, and chat sessions with the other two group members, we are DONE! Of course, the hard part now, is waiting for our grade.... Stay tuned!

Week 2 Grades

I got a 'B'!! Yah! I'm soooo happy! I worked so hard at it... to pull the grade up.

On to Week 3: The group project. Should be interesting!!

Check back next week for the ongoing saga of Sheryl: back in school! :-)

Week 2 Finished

School: Week 1 was a bear. I didn't to as well as I hoped on my assignments. I received a 'C' for both my discussion board assignment and my essay on the business we were to create. There was a lot of things she commented on, that I did not agree with... but she's the professor. I knew she would be tough... I gave this week's assignment extra effort to try to reclaim myself as a good student. With the help of my wonderful husband, I put together a more precise essay about my goals for the fictitious business. I can only hope something about that impresses her. Onto week 3, and it's a group assignment. Should be fun.

On a personal note, I'm very excited about tomorrow (Sunday), which will be my first Sunday on the vocal team. I have wanted to be on the worship team for quite some time and my wish finally came true! It is a bit scary though, because it's been a very long time since I have been on stage with a microphone directly in front of me. I'm used to singing with many voices in our choir. Should be a great Sunday!

My first week - Done!

I guess I can offically call myself a college student again. I completed my first week of my online class. It wasn't as overwhelming as I had originally imagined it, yet it was a bit difficult to get back into a study-mode. I'm not a big reader, and I had to read 3 chapters! Yikes!

I'm also back at work after a week off. It was hard to get back in the swing of things in the office. Thankfully, it was busy, with year-end stuff donations and stuff coming in. Students don't come back for another two weeks so it's pretty dead on campus... which also means that there's not many things open on campus for lunch.

Hope the next week goes just well.

A New Start for the New Year

In 2006, I embark on a place where I have not been in over a decade. The thought of it scares me, yet I am excited on where this will take me. Although for some, it's a drastic life change.. for me, it's just a matter of juggling all that my life holds. I'm going back to college!

Not just any college though, I am taking classes through an online university to get my AA degre, which I never finished, and on to get a BA degree - all in the matter of a few years. With the excellerated course, I will get my AA degree in just over a year. Then, it'll take another year to get the BA.

As I said, this new venure is both scary and exciting. I think Troy's more excited about it then I am though. ;-) My first class (Business & Society) begins on Monday. I have one week to finish my first assignment, which as I look at the assignment, I think to myself, "What in the world have I gotten myself into!" I have to do a tons of research and a business plan for starting up a new business, I have to read 3 chapters in the textbook they sent me (and I'm not much of a reader, so that'll be the greatest challenge), Talk to 3 different types of businesses - a sole-proprietorship, a partnership and a corporation, then write a summary of my findings from them. For this fictitious business, I have to find start-up capital, a place to locate my business and find out about my competition... as well as formulating a website for the business.
As I said.. "WHAT IN THE WORLD HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO!!"

So, as I do this homework, I also have to work 8 hours a day, juggle my responsibilities with church, the house, spending time with my dear, Troy, and somewhere in that mix... eat & sleep. I have taken on extra responsibility at church - I auditioned and made the vocal team for this year, as well as continuing in the choir. I also have committed myself to a one-year bible study with some ladies in leadership, in which we have to read a book each month (again, a great challenge for me) and then, do a study on the book when we meet. I'm in charge of taking the pictures at our meetings, and my job is to do a photo album of our time together. I'm so behind.

So, I pray that the new year brings lots of joy and happiness! For me, I'm sure there won't be a dull moment! I'll keep you posted!
Blessings for the new year!

Things that make you say, 'Why'??

Why, Why, why

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw
a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?

How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter why do we try to keep the hou se as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness.

Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.

Hope you had a Blessed Christmas!

I pray that all of you had a wonderfully Blessed Christmas!

May God grant you much joy for the new year!
Oh the weather outside is funny,

instead of snow, the sun is shining

it's foggy & it's gettin' cold,

wish it would snow, wish it would snow, wish it would snow....

original poem by Sheryl Root. :-)

Early this morning, we had an incredibly strong storm that came through the area. Lots of wind, rain, thunder & an incredible lightning storm woke us up at 5:30 a.m. I laid in bed and watched it from our bedroom window. It went on for about 15 minutes. It was an awesome site to see.
Hope you had a great holiday! Great things will come in the new year!

Blessings,
Sheryl

My Elf Name

Your Elf Name Is...

Twinkles Snowballer

What's" Your Elf Name?

Oh what a small world

The strangest and neatest thing happened to me yesterday at church.

It was a choir Sunday, and I was there early. First service was going on and I had just gotten back from a Starbucks run after the choir sang in our 1st service. Troy and I were hanging out in the church cafe' with some others from the worship team. The group was talking about Christmas programs and our upcoming Christmas Eve services when this guy (Ben), who was a guest drummer for the morning, was talking about how Pepperdine has a great Christmas program. I thought, "Pepperdine, huh..." I remember my friend, Wendy, that attended Pepperdine raved about them. I mentioned that I was going to Christmas program that night at my old church and knew it would be a great time.

My friend, Tsenia, was performing with the choir there, invited us to go. She's singing?? I wouldn't miss it. I was reluctant to go back to my old stomping grounds, but... I did. I haven't been there since Troy and I got married so I was a bit nervous. My parents came along too, so it helped ease the nervousness.

So, I was telling everyone how there would be awesome acappella music there. As we were all talking, Ben mentioned he was going to a Christmas program also, at his church. When I mentioned the place I would be going was College Church of Christ (my old church), Ben was so shocked. He burst out with, "That's my home church!!" I was like, "Really??" As we talked more, I realized who he was and that I remembred when he was just a wee lad. When I worked in the church office, his mom was a teacher at the on-site Christian school and we would talk quite a bit. She's now the principal there. It's been over 10 years since I was there, so Ben has grown up a lot since then. We found out that we knew a lot of the same people and talked about who all was still there. Ben also commented how there were quite a bit of skilled musicians that attend there, many of which have their own band. Hmmm... a bit ironic I think... that a lot of musicians attend a no-instrument church. We were both trippin' out all day because of what a small world this is. I couldn't wait to go see the program now.

So we went to the program that night, and we saw Ben. I went to say hi to his mom. She didn't recognize me at first, but I think she did once I got closer and told her who I was. (I've changed a lot too since I last saw her - 10+ years older, a 'few' pounds heavier, and my hair is shorter & redder.)

We enjoyed the program and the choir was great! Their choir was right on and sounded so good. The blend was awesome. That's one thing I miss about acappella. I think our choir, allbeit good too, would not be able to handle singing acappella. They are too reliant on music as their guide.

I was a bit jealous though, because their choir is bigger than ours. It's all good though, because we're all praising the Lord!

Christmas 20 Questions

ristmas 20 Questions

Got this off of Malia's blog. Looked like fun.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate!! And if I can mix it with coffee... even better!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? wrapped! Part of the fun is unwrapping the presents.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Well, currently... we don't have any... But I live colored lights. it's perty!!!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Don't need to. Can always get a kiss from my hubby!!

5. When do you put your decorations up? If we do, it's when I can find a free day to do it in our busy holiday schedule. Most years we don't have much time due to our church Christmas production.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? STUFFING!!! And sorry, I must add the dessert because no holiday is complete without Pumpkin Pie!!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Don't remember really. I do remember always having Christmas at my great-aunt & uncle's house and I was always so excited to hand out the presents to everyone.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth about Santa?? :-)
For me, I think Santa was just the spirit of Christmas. Jesus being the reason for Christmas has always been a part of my Christmas'.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. I was always so excited for the presents, I had to open one. Now, we celebrate Christmas Eve with part of Troy's family (the other side, we see on Christmas Day) so we still open up presents on both days.

10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? No cookies for Santa. He needs to watch his fat intake. I eat the cookies and drink the milk for him!! :-)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! With we could get more in CA. We're not likely to have a white Christmas in Fresno anytime soon. I need to go celebrate Christmas with my sister in New York! Then, I 'd have a white Christmas.

12. Can you ice skate? yes. it's been a long time though.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? no

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Ditto with Malia's answer!! Taking time to specifically remember Christ's birth and what an amazing gift that was for humankind. And being with family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pumpkin Pie with LOTS of whipped cream!!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I've been collecting one special Christmas ornament each year for our tree. Once we have children, I want to start the tradition of reading the Christmas story. And fromTroy's family, chili & cornbread is the official Root Christmas Eve meal! I plan on carrying on that tradition!

17. What tops your tree? If I had my tree up, an angel.

18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Giving. "It is more blessed to give, then to receive." That is soooo true!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? I have so many... hard to choose just one. Any Christmas carol that celebrates Jesus is a favorite.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? YUM!! Their especially good in hot chocolate or in coffee.

Great Inside from a Child's mind...

Thomas Kinkade and his daugher wa driving down the road and his daughter had some great insight, which inspired this paiting... Read on and be inspired.

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.
Suddenly, my daughter, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat.
"Dad, I'm thinking of something." This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.
"What are you thinking?" I asked.
"The rain," she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away."
After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. "That's really good, Aspen."

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I asked..
"Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?"

Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer: "We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.Isn't it distressing to know that when you forward this message you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.

Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.

In order to see the rainbow, you must first endure the rain!!!

Using your gifts

On Saturday night, I attended a friend's dance recital for her college dance class. I always knew she was an incredibly talented dancer, but it took watching her in person to see how naturally dance came to her. She was mesmorizing!
God gives us each talents and gifts to be used... and dance is Ellie's. She performed in many of the group pieces which were entertaining, and as her project, she choreographed her own dance. Instead of dancing to music though, she danced to a written poem, which she wrote. Not only is she a creative dancer, she's also a creative writer. Her poem was a look into her life and with every emotional word, she danced and moved to show that emotional.
As with any talent that is God-given or learned, it can be used for enjoying life, or it can be wasted. It can be used to enjoy life, it can be used to praise and worship God, who gave us that ability. God delights in His children who use the gifts He has given us.
Do you know what your gift or talent is? What is it that you are passionate about doing?
Ellie's passion is dancing... and she uses that gift to bring joy to God and to others.
With me? I love music, and I love to sing. God gave me the talent to sing, and I use it to His glory. That is my passion.

December 1

25 days til CHRISTmas!
Have you dont you're CHRISTmas shopping yet??
Do you have your CHRISTmas tree?
Have you put up your CHRISTmas lights?
Have you done your CHRSITmas shopping??

Don't forget the Reason for the Season!
Merry CHRISTmas!!

The Stump

So now, the stump was taken out this morning.
I was the lucky one to watch the front desk this morning while they were doing this outside the front door. Everytime the door opened (it opens automatically as people get close to it) there was a dust and diesel fumes coming into the office. Oh joy, what a wonderful smell! (NOT!!)

All that remains is a pile of wood chips.
The front of the building looks really bare now.

On with our day! Happy Tuesday!

What's so fascinating about watching something destroyed

Today at work, a tree came down from out in front of our office building. All of us in the office were so fascinating with watching this big tree come down... branch by branch, log by log falling to the ground. Over the holiday weekend, we had some windy weather that apparently broke one of the longer branches, which was sitting atop our building... but still attached to the tree.

Apparently, they are taking the entire tree out due to rotting going on in the wood. We all figured they'd just trim the branches... not take out the entire tree.

It got me thinking... how we as humans, like to watch things being destroyed. Guyslove their car chase movies where there's a dozen or more cars that get totaled in a pile-up. Even I must confess, that I do enjoy watching bad guys get beat up in movies... especially if its a girl beatin' the guys up! That's Girl Power!! You go girl!!

There's that sense of justice being served when someone gets what they deserve. i.e. the times I've had drivers race pass me on the freeway, weave in & out of traffic, and I wonder... 'where is a copy when you need one?' (I'm sure that only happens in California, right??) :-) Then down the road a mile or two, I see them pulled over on the side of the road with cop behind them, writing them a ticket. That's sweet justice!

I'm so glad that God grants us the grace and compassion not to give us what we deserve. I'm reminded of the passage in the Bible that talks about us becoming a new creation - "the old has gone, and the new has come." In this Fall season, when the leaves are changing colors, and falling from their branches - and knowing that new ones will grow in it's place with colorful blooms come Spring time, I know this verse is so true! God cuts away our old past, our old sins, and renews us! Like a potter with his clay, God shapes us into something beautiful that He can use for His will.

So, in front of office, only a stump remains. In time, it will become a beautiful tree again, providing shade for us and will shelter us from the wind & rain. Until then, we watch it grow and sprout new life from its foundation which is grounded deep.

Has God been pruning you lately?

Counting My Blessings...

A favorite church hymn of mine says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one..", so I will.
First & foremost, I am thankful for:
God, my father
I am also thankful for (not in order of importance):
My wonderful husband, Troy
my family
my wonderful friends at home & all over the US -
--Theresa
--Malia
--Jennifer
--Thad
--Jim
--Megan
-- Kindra
-- Ellie
my health
my job
my home
my church
my music
--KLOVE
--Air 1
--KDUV 88.9 (Visalia, CA)
living in freedom
the Fresno State Bulldogs
Email
Internet
Myspace friends

and much, much more!

I pray that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remind yourself of the many blessings you have. God Bless you all!

A Good-played game!

WE NEARLY BEAT THEM!!
Ok, so the Bulldogs did not win, but they did give USC a run for their money and it was really, really close!!!!

Final score: Fresno 42, USC 50.

The Bulldogs were ahead 21-13 at half time but the Trojans proved why they are the # 1 team by coming back in the 3rd & 4th quarters. USC has an incredible running back (to remain unamed) that our mighty defense just couldn't catch. I won't reveal his name because he's all the announcers could talk about and all who watched on tv pretty much got sick of hearing his name. We got the lead back late in the 4th quarter, but lost it again when USC got back-to-back touchdowns. A sold out crowd of over 90 thousand all cheered this incredibly exciting game.

We were the underdog, by far, by 23 points. Who knew that we (the FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS!!) could make USC work for their win and come as close to a one touch-down difference. Considering all who have played the 'mighty' Trojans have gotten blown away, I think it says a whole heck of a lot for our team that WE could nearly beat the # 1 team. It says a lot for our football program, our coaches, and our players.

Good game, boys! Always and forever, a Bulldog Fan!!

On to a new week.... a short week.... and Thanksgiving!
Have a blessed one!

The Next Big Game

Ok, so tomorrow is THE Day that all Bulldog fans have been waiting for.
The rematch of Fresno State vs. the No. 1 seated USC Trojans.
Not since the 1992 Freedom Bowl have these two teams met.... and the Bulldogs blew away the 'might' Trojans 24 to 7. They underestimated us!! Well, we're more prepared this time and I'm sure USC won't take us for granted this time.
Los Angeles Memorial Stadium will be a sea of Red - both Bulldog Red, and the Cardinal Red of USC.

The Bulldogs take their 'Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime' motto seriously, and so do the fans.
For fun, a local radio station made a special tribute song and have been playing it all week to get all of us fired up for the big game (Like we needed any help getting fired up!!!!)
Check out a special Tribute Song.

The game will be televised on cable (check your local listings). If you happen to catch it, say a little prayer and root for not-so-underdogs,
THE BULLDOGS!!

No. 20 Fresno State cruises past Boise State 27-7!

We won the # 1 spot in the WAC conference by beating rival Boise St. 27 to 7 in an exciting, but yet rainy game on Thursday night. It was televised on ESPN, so the whole nation (or all who watched) saw our awesome Bulldogs dominate Boise St. It was a sell-out crowd at Bulldog Stadium and no one could leave their seats for a minute!

Fresno State plays the USC Trojans next Sat., the 19th!! I hope the Trojans took notice and won't take us lightly! We're a serious team!! On second thought, I hope their conceated egos get the best of them... it'll be easier for us to come out with another Victory - case & point: the Freedom Bowl of 1992!!

GO DOGS!!!

The Farewell concert

This last Friday, we had an incredible opportunity to attend the Farewell concert for Petra, one of Christian rocks longest & best groups. After 33 years of rockin' for Jesus, the group is retiring their guitars.

It was especially a great pleasure for Troy, because Petra was the first group he began listening to when he became a Christian. He has been blessed by their music for years, and thanks to our connection with KLOVE and the promoter, we were able to talk with the guys and share Troy's story with them.

Besides getting a picture, we wanted something for them to sign.... the only thing Troy had on him was his KLOVE/Air 1 badge... so they signed the Air 1 side. It was very cool!

November 1st

Today is the 1st of November.
My, how the year has gone by. The leaves are turning, the weather's getting colder, and a nice, warm blanket now covers our bed! :-) I'm a happy camper. We've turned back our clocks, and we can put away all our Halloween candy for another year. We have just about a month to loose all the extra pounds put on by the candy, before Thanksgiving!

Of course, when we went shopping for all that Halloween candy, we couldn't help but find that Christmas decorations are already out. The holiday season comes earlier & earlier every year. I just pray that through all the busyness of the holidays, we don't forget that the reason we celebrate!

In our dry California, we can't freely use our wood-burning fireplaces (we have to make sure it's safe to burn first) More & more houses are being built with those fake logs! What's the point??? I guess you can still get the warm, cozy feeling with fake logs...

Have a Happy November!!

Two by Two

I thought this was cute. Thought I'd share:

Two Names You Go By
1. Mrs. Root
2. Sheryl

Two Parts of Your Heritage
1. Czech
2. German

Two Things That Scare You
1. speaking in public, and sounding stupid
2. Sing solo in front of people I admire (hopefully, that will change soon)

Two of Your Everyday Essentials
1. praying
2. singing

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now
1. jeans
2. comfy t-shirt

Two of Your Favorite Bands or Musical Artists
1. Barlow Girl!!!!!!!!
2. Amy Grant
and so MANY others!!!!

Two Things You Want in a Relationship
1. love
2. humor

Two Truths
1. God is Real
2. I am not perfect

Two things You hate (i prefer dislike with a passion):
1. Drinking & Driving
2. Rude people

Two Physical Things that Appeal to You
1. eyes
2. if they make me laugh

Two of Your Favorite Hobbies
1. listening to music
2. watching movies

Two Things You Want Really Badly
1. to go to Australia/New Zealand
2. my music ministry (to bring more Christian concerts & events to Fresno!!)

Two Places You Want to go on Vacation
1. Australia/New Zealand
2. Nashville

Two Things You Want to Do Before You Die
1. Go to Australia & New Zealand!!!!
2. Be able to bring my favorite Christian artists back to Fresno!!

Two Ways that you are stereotypically a Chick/Guy
1. I love chic-flics
2. I have my moments of 'blondness' (eventhough I am a true blonde).

Two Things You Normally Wouldn't Admit
1. Anything too personal - that's nobody's business but mine.
2. That, you'll never know

Two people I would like to see take this quiz
1. anyone who wants to
2. same as above

Halloween - Good? Or Evil??

In comment to my friend Malia's blog, regarding Halloween.

I agree that for the kids, it's all about the fun of getting dressed up and eating the candy! I know that was my favorite part! I dont like the scary or gory costumes but some I've seen in the past are very imaginative. I don't think we've gone to many costume parties but I would go if we were.

My mom, albeit a 'proper Christian' still LOVES to dress up. She's actually won awards for her mummy costumes! She's a crack-up! I love watching the kids come door to door. Some are appreciative and say thank you, others just take the candy and run. It's also a time that neighbors can actually talk to and socialize with one another. In our busy lives, we don't have the type of friendly neighbor relationship that our parents used to have with their neighbors.

Nowadays, I don't personally do anything as far as decorating outside, but Troy and I enjoy going over to his parent's house and handing out candy there. We sit out in the front patio area with our basket of candy, a talking skeletin and hackling (and moving) witch to greet everyone as they come in. The fun part for us is watching all the kids jump & scream when the witch goes off (it's motion sensored) when they get near her. It's very funny!!

This year, we have a concert on Monday night, so we won't be doing anything for Halloween.
But hope everyone has a safe one! Be careful out there!!

Coffee never tasted so good!!

Oh, the delicious aromy... the first sip of nice, hot, MOCHA! Aaauuughhh!!
It's been nearly two weeks since I had a cup of coffee.
Today, I had to go get one from the campus cafe. Oh, it was so good.
I caught a cold and have been on strictly hot tea and O.J.... until today. I didn't sleep much last night, so I gave in to my desire, no correction - my NEED - for coffee.
Oh, how I've missed that great cup of java!

Hello? Can you hear Me??

When God is really trying to tell us something, it's amazing how deaf we can be to His voice. Sometimes, it takes drastic measures to get us to listen. We're so wrapped up in our own lives, and doing what WE think is His Will, when in fact, it may not be.

For instance, the unfortunate accident of my dear husband. It took a stupid mistake like that for him to realize that he needed to slow down. We came off a busy weekend, got home late Saturday night, and was overly tired Sunday morning while setting up for church that morning. It took severe pain for him to take a day or two off and rest. Although he worked from home via his laptop, it was considerably low key and he napped off and on.

Then, there's when I get so run down, I get myself sick. I don't get sick very often but whenI do, it's usually when I least need it. When I'm busy with work, church, concerts, and just life in general. It's God's knock in the head that's telling me I need to slow down. You would think that after a time or two of realizing this, that I would get it. Blame the blonde hair, or blame just simple human nature. Whatever it is, I need to stop doing so much and just listen. Put aside MY will and do HIS will for me. With all the 'noise' in the world today, any amount of silence is uncomfortable. It's in those silent moments that God speaks to us and we can have such a great connection with God. We all worship and relate to God differently, but it is known that when in silence, God can tell you that He Loves You.

A favorite verse of mine, and a favorite worship song, Psalm 46:10
"Be Still, and Know that I Am God"

I know I am guilty of not being still for very long.... maybe I'm spiritually A.D.D.
Lord, Help me Be Still!

Here's a joke

This is cute... had to share. '
Little Old Lady "Speeding"
An older lady gets pulled over for speeding...

Older Woman: Is there a problem, Officer?
Officer: Ma'am, you were speeding.
Older Woman: Oh, I see.
Officer: Can I see your license please?
OlderWoman: I'd give it to you but I don't have one.
Officer: Don't have one?
Older Woman: Lost it, 4 years ago for drunk driving.
Officer: I see...Can I see your vehicle registration papers please?
Older Woman: I can't do that.
Officer: Why not?
Older Woman: I stole this car.
Officer: Stole it?
Older Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.
Officer: You what?
Older Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want to see.

The Officer looks at the woman and slowly backs away to his car and calls for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.

Officer 2: Ma'am, could you step out of your vehicle please!
The woman steps out of her vehicle.
Older woman: Is there a problem sir?
Officer 2: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner. Older Woman: Murdered the owner?
Officer 2: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please.

The woman opens the trunk, revealing nothing but an empty trunk.
Officer 2: Is this your car, ma'am?
Older Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers.
The officer is quite stunned.
Officer 2: One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving license.
The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a clutch purse and hands it to the officer.The officer examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.
Officer 2: Thank you ma'am, one of my officers told me you didn't have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner.
Older Woman: Bet the liar told you I was speeding, too.

MORAL:Don't Mess With Little Old Ladies!!!

My Space is your space

I've discovered a new way to meet new people, chat online and stay connected with my favorite people. It's called MySpace. Have you checked it out?
I've been able to find old friends, connect with current ones, and even get connected with my favorite musical artists... most of whom have a myspace site.
So, check out

Emergency? No Rush...

Sunday was a choir Sunday and I had every intention of singing that morning, after my several months of busy too busy to go to rehearsals. I had a hard time getting up, but I did and got to the church around 7:20 am for morning rehearsal. Well, I got to church and a friend of mine, Pennie, was hysterical. She was motioning for me to come over across the caferia (we currently meet at a HS cafeteria) and was mumbling something. I finally got out of her that Troy had severely cut his finger while putting up a banner and had to be rushed to emergency for stitches. Although it wasn't as drastic as she was making it out to be, he had cut it pretty deep, almost cutting the tendon, and had to have 4 stitches put in his left index finger. We only spent a few hours in emergency (only a few patients, but the staff was slower than snails and looked like only 1 doctor working), then I took Troy home to rest. I was able to make it back for our 2nd service, and of course, all the choir and crew was asking me how he was. He'll be off major load-in/load-out duty for a few weeks, which will give him some good time to rest.

Today: he's fine, but still in a lot of pain. He attempted to go to work this morning, but was in so much pain, he's working from home. He does have pain medication he's taking, as well as an antibiotic to prevent infections. He even got a note from the doctor to stay home for 2 days to recoop, but knowning Troy, he tries to go, in spite of the pain.. this time the pain won out! You never realize how much we take things like a finger for granted, til it's injured and it can't be used.

Please pray for quick healing! I'll keep you posted on the patient's condition.

Google me??

Ok, I tried to google myself. I found some interesting info. I actually googled my full name.

I received an MS degree in business through Stanford University's Sloan program.
I am achieving my PhD from the University of Warwick, Centre for the History of Medicine, in England. I am currently working on a research project on the careers and attitudes of women healers in Britain between 1890 and 1950, and will be looking at medical professionals, those involved with alternative medicine, and those with informal caring functions within the home. My rearch link

I have been a speaker at several women's organizations including the Women in Technology International (WITI) seminar and the California National Organization of Women.

I'm a leader in Stanford's Executive MBA Program, Director of Hewlett Packard's Executive Account Management for Business Strategy, Director of the Strategic Change office at HP, and owns a winery in Napa Valley. (I'm still researching which winery)

In my current role as owner of Root Analysis, consulting in business strategy creation and execution, I work with HP, PeopleSoft, Santa Clara University, Novell and Phillips. My projects have included developing strategy and process for defining business growth in Brazil, Russia, China and India for HP, and creating an organizational structure and new business strategy for Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. I am a visiting lecturer at Stanford University for marketing and engineering programs and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Stanford Institute on Research in Women and Gender.

My husband Tom and I are Florida distributors of Team Calibor merchandise, used in NASCAR.
Preferred Line Motorsports. We stock a large inventory of racing collectibles for Dale Jr,Dale Earnhardt,Rusty Wallace,Mark Martin,Jeff Gordon,Matt Kenseth,Jimmie Johnson,Ryan Newman,Greg Biffle,Tony Stewart,Dale Jarrett,Kevin Harvick,Elliott Sadler,Bobby Labonte,Kurt Busch,Kyle Busch,Kasey Kahne,Carl Edwards,Dave Blaney,Jeremy Mayfield,Brain Vickers,Joe Nemecheck and Scott Wimmer.

Wow! I'm pretty impressed with the other me! She's a busy woman!

If course, the famous Sheryl (spelled correctly with an 'S'), is the wonderfully, talented Sheryl Crow! She's musical, she's beautiful, she's engaged to Tour de France champ, Lance Armstrong. She rocks! Sheryl's website

No prize for 2nd place

Ok, so we didn't win the office decorating contest, but we are still in good spirits. According the the judges, we only lost by one point, and they even commented that we put in more time and effort into our decorating. We're a bit bummed but our potluck today will brighten our spirits.
There's always next year!

Looking forward to a great game tomorrow night!
Go Dogs!!

Ms. School Spirit

Ms. School Spirit
I was never a cheerleader in high school, but I always longed to be. I'm a super-fan when it comes to Bulldog sports. This week is homecoming and the campus has been all a buzz with activity. Monday, there was a mini-bike race, where many of the administration (the president and VP's) all raced to the finish on little bikes. It was quite a scene. And I'm proud to say that our boss, the VP for Advancement won the race to continue his title as champ!
Today, there's an office decorating contest and we've entered. We've really gone way out with the red and blue! If we don't win the contest, someone has WAY too much time on their hand! This is my way of showing my school spirit. Some of us even baked to try to bribe the judges! I made brownies with red frosting and little decorative letters that spell out GO DOGS! Another co-worker made cupcakes with red and blue sprinklers on them. Should be a fun time! (Will post pictures later)

There was a pep rally this afternoon at lunch. A group of us from the office went and cheered. I answered a trivia question and won a Cd case. Woo hoo!! The question was, "What 4 Fresno State quarterbacks are playing in the NFL." Actually, there are only three - Trent Dilfer (Browns), David Carr (Texans) and Billy Volek (Tennessee)... In my opinion, the 4th is on his way.. our senior QB, Paul Pinagar, is a rising star! Not as good, or as cute as David Carr, but he'll be a great player!

Friday, our office is having a little potluck, and Satuday is homecoming. We go up against the Utah St. Aggies. What the heck is an Aggie?? They couldn't figure out a good mascot name, so they thought of 'Aggies'?? Didn't know there was much Ag land in Utah!!

Anyways, should be a good game for another Bulldog Victory!! Go Dogs!!

A Picture Especially for Malia

As promised... here's the most recent photo of us. This is from our anniversary pre-party.

A Worldwind Weekend

Troy went to Promise Keepers in San Jose this weekend. While he was there, Our friend, Larrin, and I went to the Rock of Ages festival in Calistoga, which is near Napa, CA (aka wine country).

Troy left Thursday night, worked from Santa Cruz Friday, and attended the first session of PK Friday night. Larrin and I left Fresno right after work on Friday and drove to Santa Cruz.
Saturday morning, we all left and went our different ways. Larrin and I drove 4 hours to Calistoga to only spend a few hours there. I usually let Troy drive the busy highways because I hate driving around a lot of traffic. Since he wasn't with us, I drove the whole way. Thankfully, traffic wasn't bad. The main reason why were were going to the festival was to see our friends, the Barlow Girls. We caught a lot of traffic going into Napa, due to all the wineries having their wine tastings. Stop & go traffic on a two-lane road for about a 1/2 hour. We got lost in Napa and finally arrived at the festival at 1:30 pm.

We had hoped we hadn't missed Barlow's perform, and we hadn't... thank goodnes! We hung out with them back stage for a bit, then enjoyed some of the other bands there, including one of my other favorites, the Newsboys. (they're from Australia, so of course, I love them!) Picture is of me and Newsboys bass player, Phil Joel.

We left the festival around 5:30ish to head back down to Fresno. Yes, we drove all the way back to Fresno that night. Troy also was heading back that night, due to needing to be at church the next morning. Troy arrived home around 9:30 pm, and Larrin and I got into town around 11 pm. Boy, we were tired after that drive!! Troy was up at 5 to go set up for service. I slept a few more hours & joined him for 2nd service. We both left around 1:30 and went immediately to an open house for our new church office. This was the first step to our church moving to our new facility. We're so excited!! Following the open house, we had our Crown Mininstries bible study that we were leading. We finally got home around 6ish and Troy immediately started napping.

The weekend has come to an end and time for another busy week.
Many blessings to all my readers.

A chill has hit Fresno

Had to share this photo with everyone. I thought it was a crack-up! I would hate to get stuck behind these coffee drinkers! :-)

The Lowell Whiteman School riding club, led by instructor Trenia Stanford, rides through the Starbucks drive-through on Wednesday to show there is still a way to get a cup of coffee on horseback in the growing city of Steamboat.

Off to the gym I go

After months of talking about going to the gym, Troy and I finally got off our behinds and joined a gym. Believe it or not, we got the best deal, with the best facility at Gold's Gym. It doesn't even look like a normal gym. Very high society. We're movin' on up.. to the big time!

We went for the first time on Tuesday. Didn't overdue it too much, just the treadmill and bikes. We tried this one machine that simulates cross country skiing... our legs hurt after only a few minutes. We couldn't stand it. We'll have to work up to that one. :-) I did a little upper body pull ups but my wrist started hurting so I stopped. We still need to meet with the trainer and hopefully will do that soon. Troy's been really dedicated - I'm so proud of him. He went yesterday, by himself and spent about an hour there. I had a ladies bible study last night. I hope to go tonight.

One cool thing about this gym is that a local female boxer, Jennifer "All American" Alcorn, who is rather famous, boxes there and holds classes. The woman is built!! Oh my goodness!! If I could have half the muscle she has, I'd be so happy. I'll have to check out her classes. Now that we're involved in a gym, it's becoming a family affair. We took the initiative for ourselves, and now his mom and step-dad, dad and sister want to join. We'll see if they actually do.

Better Days... or is it?

The week has been better. The sun came out and the 'Dogs won a very impressive game on Tuesday. They pounced all over Toledo St. 44-14. Go Dogs! The days seem to be getting shorter, and cooler... a good sign that the holidays are nearly approaching.

I can't get over the fact that many retail stores are already putting out their Haloween and Thanksgiving merchandise. It seems that each year, they get put out earlier and earlier. Once the Haloween stores start coming up, I know that Christmas is just around the corner. Besides the crazyness of the holiday shopping, I love Christmas. The whole spirit of giving is a wonderful feeling. I wonder though... since we all have been giving to those effected by Katrina, and now Rita, will the giving at Christmas time be fewer, or stay steady? Once we think that all is ok in the world again, we go back to our self-absorbed lives. Thus we forget that day in and day out, there are many who are without homes, without food, and without the normals that we all take for granted. As we're giving so much to those in the Gulf Coast area, let us knot forget those in our own home towns that have been without for so much longer.

When I think about those, that are so less fortunate than I, my complaints about busy schedules, the weather, and my moods seem not so big. I thank God every day that I have been blessed!!!

Rainy days and Monday's Always Get Me Down

Isn't it interesting how the weather can really effect how your day goes? Or your mood? Today's it's really overcast and dreary. It's not quite raining yet, but thunderstorms are expected today, at some point. It was one of those days that you really want to stay in bed and hide from the dreary day that awaits you. Or if you must get up, you could stay home, make a nice fire in the fireplace, put on a good movie or read a good book under your favorite blanket and sip a nice hot cup of cocoa. Unfortunatlely, I can't live in my fantasy world and must make a living. My mood today as been very low... almost depressed. I've been really quiet and just sitting at my desk, doing my work. If it weren't for blaring my positive, encouraging KLOVE into my ears, I'd probably be in tears. Of course, there are some songs that just touch me to tears too... but those are good tears.

I find it so strange that yesterday, the Lord's Day, was nice and sunny, a bit breezy and a wonderful day to spend outside appreciating God's creation. It was a good day. Then, today, it's gloomy and those I see walking around carry an umbrella, for chance of rain.

So, How is it that something as minial as the weather, can effect our moods so? I am not wise in the ways of psychology, so those who are more educaded then myself, please let me know........
Hope your day has been much happier!

Oh what a crazy day

It was one of those days that I really wish I could have stayed in bed.

Oh, the morning I’ve had…
It started with not having a working shower this morning. The on/off dial on our shower broke off. We had to take our showers this morning in the guest bathroom. That was quite an ordeal. Then, because I was running late, I caught all the school traffic and a lot of slowpokes… and one late student who rode my behind all the way to school. He was really getting on my nerves. And to top it off, Troy and I have a concert to help with tonight. so I had to make sure I had my ‘get ready’ stuff with me because I will have to go straight out to the church for concert set-up.

But one thing happened that made all the madness of the morning go away. Today is 'See You At The Pole' Day where students and staff from all over the U.S. gather around their school's flag pole and pray for each other, their friends, their schools, and the nation. With such an uproar about the separation of church and state, I was comforted to see a group, allbeit small, gathered around an elementary flag pole praying. I said a quick prayer for them and went on my way. In all the rush this morning, I forgot what today was.

In honor of 'See You At the Pole' and all the believing students out there, say the pledge:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America... and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation, UNDER GOD, Indivisable... with Liberty and Justice for All!
Amen!

Where has the summer gone

The first day of fall is Thursday. We've had such a busy summer, it's flown by so quick. We got our first rain today. It was just enough to mess up the car, you kow how it goes. As I was driving home, I saw the wonderous sight of rays of sunshine peaking through through the storm clouds. Oh, the awesomeness of God! The lightning storm tonight was exciting to see.

You know how some churches will have billboards outside of their buildings? I drove by one day that make me think It said, "God Comforts The Afflicted and Afflicts the Comfortable." That phrease made me think..... We know that God comforts those you face afflictions. But does God bring us trials to remind us that we aren't to get too comfortable on this earth? When we get too comfortable, we get complacent, and forget the reason God put us on this earth.... to go out and reach the world for Christ. It's tough for us, as humans, to do anything outside of our 'comfort zone.' It takes disclipline and obedience to 'think outside of the box' as Jack in the Box's slogan goes. (at least, I think it's Jack in the Box)

Next time I face any affliction in my life, I will remember that He may be telling me, "Think Outside of the Box."

On my soap box

I'm usually not so politically out-spoken. But I wanted to share my thoughts on recent going's on in the world.

Sharing my thoughts from Malia's blog, I certainly agree with all she's said. I do have my two cents to share. People in today's society want to blame everyone and everything for what happens to this country. In Katrina's case, some are all too quick to blame the state governor, mayor and even Pres. Bush for not acting quick enough or blame God for letting the disaster happen in the first place.

The bottom line is that the attempt was made by the government to get people out in time... the PEOPLE did not want to go. They cared too much about their positions, then trying to save their own lives. It's the same with those who want to blame God for the bad things happening. Trying to argue with someone who had dead-set on thinking any other way is impossible. In a Christian's case, we just need to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, and show them the spirit of Christ within us. A good example right now, is to show how many people are rushing to the aid of the victims of Katrina. It takes devestation like this to make the US stronger. When the time arises, most of us can get out of our materialistic, self-absorbed holes and help our fellow Americans.

My Pledge: I Pledge Allegance to the Flag, of the United States of America... and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation, UNDER GOD, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All!!

Some of you may have heard of the gentleman from CA who is battling the courts to make it unconstitutional for the words, 'UNDER GOD' to be in the Pledge of Allegance. It's things like this that make me not too proud to be from California. This gentleman claims to be doing this for his daughter, but in actuality, his daughter (and his wife) are both Christians and are proud to say 'Under God'. He happens to be an atheist. One Judge agreed and said it was unconstitutional, but the debate still goes on. In my opinion, our Founding Fathers would revolt if they could see this happening now. They based this nation on their faith and values. It's because of the deterioration of this country's faith and values that we see the state that it's in. See what has happened to our schools because they don't allow students to talk about God, or even pray anymore.

I pray for those that fight against God... the battle is really within themselves. Whether we agree with the President's decisions or not, as American's we should pray for our leaders in government - both national and state governments. I know CA really needs prayer for our 'Governator' (said with a slight Hungarian accent) I pray every day for the direction of our nation and for God's guidance and security. God Bless America!!

You've been tagged - 7 things
I actually got this awhile ago, but kept it to use eventually. Life has been crazy... here's something just for fun. Here's my responses.

7 things to do before I die:
travel the world
start a concert promotion company
go on tour with a favorite band
learn to play the piano
learn to play the bass guitar
travel
travel

7 things I can do:
I can sing
I can design
I can organize
I can believe in God Almighty
I can love
I can be a friend
I can be a little lazy. (I love veggin' in from of the tv)

7 things I can't do:
I can't whistle anymore
I can't play the piano - very well (not coordinated enough to use both hands)
I can't help loving you!
I can't help but giggle at life's little instances.
I can't deny that God is real.
I can't think of anything else

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex:
I am only attracted to my husband so I'll say a few things about him
his humor
his love for me
his passion for serving
his love for God
he is a man of character and morals
his desire to please others
his helpful nature

7 things I say most often:
"Whatever?!?!" (with a big W made with my hands - from the movie Clueless)
"Totally!" (commonly used mostly in CA)
"I love you." (I need to say more often)
"Thank you, God!"
"Hello!?"
"It's Like" (commonly used mostly in CA)
"Oh my goodness!"

7 celebrity crushes:
Not really crushes, but people I admire and would most like to meet.
Most musical artists that I admire, I have met. So here are a few I haven't met yet...
Mel Gibson
Michael W. Smith
George W. Bush
Dr. James Dobson
Amy Grant - I've met her, but would like to talk more in depth with her.
Tony Vincent
Dr. Billy Graham

7 people I'd like to do my list:
Anyone who wants to.

In the Middle of Nowhere!

Labor Day - a day of rest for all who labor... unless that work is in retail, restaurants, or ministry. Troy and I, along with our friends Larrin and Kindra, journeyed up to Quincy, CA for JoshuaFest. It's a 3 day Christian music festival similar to Spirit West Coast, but not as big... YET. Each year it has doubled in attendance and from the looks of this year, JoshuaFest will be to capacity and may need to change venues next year. The music is more on the harder alternative side, but filled with great lyrics and messages about Christ. The best girl band of all time - Barlow Girls - were there! It was great to see them again. The crowd, full of mostly teenagers, rocked out and had a blast! There were some interesting looking people there, but if the heart is filled with the Spirit of Christ.. then I say Amen!! Pictures to come soon!

Despite the long trek, we had a blast, and will maybe make it again next year. Some of the artists did give me a headache but seeing how they witness to the young people, was awesome! It's worth a little headache to see more of this generation come to Christ! They may look a little wierd on the outside, but God loves them still!

Quincy is a little mountain town in Northern CA, just West of Chico and East of Reno, NV. It's mostly a camping spots but a few low budget motels around. There were no Starbucks around, but there were a few coffee shops that made a good Mocha! Thank Goodness! We dared to drive home on Monday (Labor Day) and with careful guidance from God, we avoided major traffic and a few spying eys of the CHP.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!
So it's a short week and I can't wait for the weekend! Football season is coming into full swing and Fresno State's first home game is THIS SATURDAY!! We're looking for a win against Weber St. (whoever that is???) Not that I'm a fortune teller - but I foresee a big winning season for our Bulldogs here at Fresno State! I'll keep you all posted. GO DOGS!!