The Life of a Bartending Seminarian

"I'm learning to surrender; I'm learning to forgive; I'm learning to recieve all the love; All the love You have for me." ~ Isa Couvertier

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Ditto

I am ditto-ing Stephanie's most recent post - if you are the praying type, I need you right now. I'll hopefully be able to post some more (exciting) details soon, but for now, just pray for wisdom and patience. The results of this prayer may be the outcome of a Liz you guys have never known before. *wink*

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Pics from Cali




Jess and I "cuddling" =)














The streets of Pasadena. I loved that you could have mountains and palm trees in the same view!















He totally asked for my number....=)

















Fuller Seminary's campus



















Leslie and I at Universal
















Sunset at the pier











Leslie, Jess and I at Howl at the Moon
(Jess is trying to a finger-dance)











Leslie and I soaked to the bone, play the true-sport tourists at the Chinese Theater on our first day in Cali.














A prayer garden at Fuller











California sunset

Stories from the West Coast

So I just spent the last HOUR creating this wonderful post, complete with pictures, about my trip to California. And my internet shut down! Booooo Internet Explorer. Sigh...so you guys are going to get the condensed pictureless version -- sorry.

When we arrived it was rainy and cold - not at all what we were expecting. We left Kentucky rainy and cold and had packed expecting warm and sunny. Needless to say, we spent most of the week in the same pair of jeans and sweatshirt. My dear friend from church and life group, Leslie, went with me so I didn't have to travel alone. We stayed with my friend Jess from high school. The week I moved to Kentucky, Jess moved out to LA to pursue an acting career, and we hadn't seen each other since the move. So it was great to get to see her and meet her AMAZING boyfriend Stud - I mean Stu. =)

We managed to hit all the major tourists spots. I think I had had let her, Leslie would have been decked out in a hawaiian shirt, orange shorts, and sporting a camera around her neck! hehe We spent a day at Universal Studios, which was fun, rode down the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) through Malibu, window-shopped on Rodeo Dr. (where we went to Tiffany's and I tried on rings that cost more than my house!!). We spent an afternoon in Santa Monica, went to the pier, Hollywood Dr., the Chinese Theater, and we were even interviewed on the street by Dr. Drew for his new show on Discovery Health!! We also got to go with Jess to an audition, which was really cool. We ate everything from crepes, to sushi, to gellato, to the world's BEST pancakes! (not all at the same meal) Jess and Stu live three blocks from the beach, so Leslie and I tried desperatly to lay out - but it was SO cold that I couldn't stand it - my skin was literally turning purple! We got to spend a lot of time just haning out with Jess and Stu, and relaxing with them. It was wonderful to not feel rushed to class or work. It was a MUCH needed week of rest and fun.

On Thursday we made a trip over to Pasadena (about an hour north west of LA) for an interview I had set up with Fuller Theological Seminary's SIS program (School of Intercultural Studies). My advisor here in Kentucky had heard that they had recently created a study program focused soley on children in crisis (which for those of you who don't know is what I want to do with my life - work with children in crisis.) She was hoping that I could somehow get in on the ground level of this new program and help with the research and development of the program. I met with the head advisor, who for some reason thought I was there to apply for the doctoral program!! Yikes!! No way - at least, not for now! I am pretty tired of studying for a living. So once we got past that miscommunication, he told me about the program and what kind of positions they would be looking to create in the future. I told him about my upcoming internship in New York this summer and he got really excited. He told me to contact him in the Fall and we would talk more about possiblities of working with them.

So...California is an option. Who knew? But to be honest, I didn't really like California. For all the hype about how cool it is - I wasn't all that impressed. It was brown, WAY to crowded, and people were the complete opposite of polite. I am not closing any doors, but I know that if this job were to become an option, I would have to live in Pasadena. I didn't care for LA at all. Pasenda on the other hand was a pretty decent city - not too big, not at all small. There were mountains as well as palm trees! The city was set up so that everything was within walking distance. And I counted at least 7 hole-in-the-wall coffee shops - so I'd be set!! =)

Overall, the trip was a success seeing as how it is being graded on rest and recreation!! I was ready to come back home though. Even though it was STILL COLD here in Kentucky, everything was green and beautiful. I guess I am a Southern girl through and through.

Favorite story of the trip: One night, Jess, Stu, Leslie and I hauled it out to Hollywood to go to Howl at the Moon - a dueling piano bar. We were sitting up front, and as I said, Jess is an actress, and Leslie wishes she were. So they were all about getting up and dancing and interacting with the band. Stu and I tried to melt into the background (as you can imagine) but before I knew what happened, I was out on the dance floor!! (some how Stu didn't have to get out of his chair though!) It was so fun to just let loose and dance and sing and make a COMPLETE fool of myself. One of the piano players asked Leslie to sing Uptown girls, which she tried, but he forgot how it went, so she had a hard time following!! It was a fun night.

So that is the quick overview. If you want to hear more stories, give me a call or drop me an email! =)

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Easter Hope

HOPE FULFILLED



Friday, April 14, 2006

Good Friday -

HOPE

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Where's the sun?

I just want it to be known that it is 6:41am. And I am yet to make it to bed. I have to be at school in 19 minutes. I am none to pleased.

Monday, April 10, 2006

My Little Brown Book








I have a little book in my purse - it goes with me everywhere. There are two stickers that decorate the plain brown cover, "Remember" and "Wisdom."









Write this down so you remember, wouldn't want to forget. There are lists: things to pick up at the store, appointments to make, numbers to call, dates to put on the calender. Remember not to forget. If it is important, it is in the Little Brown Book. There are also stories to remember to tell. Oh the places I go and the things I would otherwise forget: "Remember when we were walking in Hollywood and we got stopped to be interviewed for the Dr. Drew show. Remember the guy that came in and sat at the bar who knew all about Patty Griffin. Remember how your own reflection nearly scared you grey." My Little Brown Book contains the stories I tell others. If I don't write them down, I'll forget.

My Little Brown Book has lines of Wisdom. Quotes from professors, parts of prayers, books to read, things to think and ponder later. When I'm in a rush, but God is prompting me to work through an issue, I write it down, and come back. There His words are, ready for me to process. There are the beginnings of about 6 different posts - one day they may make it off the pages of the Little Brown Book on to the bright white screen of the Web World.

But for now the pages stay safe and hidden in my purse. I can be found at coffee shops, in the airport, in my car, at work, in class, or flipping my light on in the middle of the night, reaching for my Little Brown Book, writing down the next Memory, trying to Remember what not to forget next.