Cheryl's Take on it All

Disobedience in Prayer

2011-04-30T19:56:00.001-07:00

God has been been trying and trying and trying and trying to get me to listen to him lately regarding my prayer life. To be perfectly transparent, I struggle with prayer. The Bible is so perfectly clear on the subject that I can’t really argue from an intellectual standpoint. We are to do it. End of story. Paul told Timothy – I urge, then, FIRST OF ALL, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone. How can I argue that?

But the reality is, when I look back on my life – and the hundreds of prayers I’ve prayed – I struggle to see the big reveal moments where I prayed and the miraculous happened. I selfishly want that miraculous and undeniable act of God as a result of my prayers. THEN I could believe. THEN I would fire up about prayer because I would know for sure my prayers weren’t in vain. This ugly secret in my heart has kept me from having the vibrant and effective prayer life I’m called to. Simply put, I’m being disobedient. My personal prayers are sporadic and not uttered from lips which deeply believe my words will be a vehicle of God’s purposes.

My exec director has been asking us to each be praying diligently and faithfully about a few key things regarding our ministry. She prays EVERY DAY as diligently as the sun seems to rise. As we study Experiencing God as a staff, Henry Blackaby continually reiterates the power of how God works and speaks to us through prayer. I think God is telling me – “Cheryl – It’s time to step it up. I have some things I want to do through you that can only be accomplished through prayer. It’s time child – time to learn to pray.”

I need to say here – I believe that our faith journey is just that – a journey. While I have always been called to pray, I have never felt the weight of my calling to prayer as deeply as I have recently. God seems to be raising the bar in my life at this time. He does that you know… he will teach me something today, and when I begin to obey, he will reveal the next layer of sin and disobedience. Something perhaps more subtle, that I never recognized as disobedience before. I mean – I pray at mealtime, in church, before bed – God do you mean I’m called to MORE than that?! Yes child. It’s a lifelong sanctification process.

When I feel a specific calling to grow spiritually in a certain area of my life, my disobedience – which I may have been oblivious to in the past – begins to weigh heavier and heavier. I feel the weight of my rebellion. It’s no longer me saying “I’d rather watch TV tonight”… it’s me saying “God – I don’t want to pray to you. I’m choosing the TV over you.” It’s like I feel my body utter the ugly words as I pick up the remote. Ick.

So, in addition to the prayers I’ve been asked to pray as a result of my career and ministry, God has placed several much more personal prayer needs on my heart recently as well. It’s almost as if He’s telling me that he has chosen my prayers as his means of working in these moments, and I need to get down to business. So - I am committing to pray deeply about these topics for at least 6 weeks. Every day. I am asking God to not only make this a time of intercession on behalf of The WorkFaith Connection and my other prayer subjects, but to make this a time of teaching for me. A time where he teaches me the value, importance, effectiveness, and power of prayer. In my ugly rebellious moods, I will commit to pray (whether I FEEL like it or not) until the cords of sin are broken and I can rest in the joy of obedience. I can’t wait for the day I DESIRE to find my quiet corner and cry out to God in stillness, knowing in the deepest and most convinced part of my heart that my prayers are strong and mighty weapons – leaving my lips and being used by God to effect mighty change! God may that day come quickly!

I crave a life changing experience – one that stirs up in me a new found NEED and DESIRE for prayer. One I can carry into my forever. Please Lord, make today the first day of a permanent change in me. I know you can do so much more through me if I will be a willing servant dedicated to deep prayer.

Ahem, tap tap, is this thing on?

2011-04-30T18:36:00.001-07:00

It’s been a while, but I’m still here! I have plenty going on in my life that I want to share with the world, but I sometimes wonder if the world truly wants to hear! I mean I don’t have babies to show off or world travels for you to envy. I typically don’t enjoy sermon blogs either (i.e. I’m going to tell you what the Bible says and why you should do it…) But the truth is, my mom said I should start blogging again and I really did miss it! I love to write, but just was a bit self conscious about the whole thing!

One thing I can say – God has been getting ALL up in my business lately! Much has happened in me since December when I last posted, and if there is any lesson I’ve been learning – it’s that transparency is a GOOD THING. Me being open and vulnerable with my brothers and sisters fosters an honest environment where you can see me for who I really am, and feel free to show your true colors around me. That’s all I ever really want in people… just let me see YOU.

At my office, I am so blessed to work in a Christian environment where we openly seek God as a group - praying together, studying the Word together, and handling office conflicts through a lens of “What is God trying to teach ME in this moment”? It’s real life, nitty gritty, heartbreaking, overwhelmingly joyful stuff. I serve under a leader who loves God with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s no utopia, but it’s God’s place. One of our former students wrote to tell us recently that they were mentioning The WorkFaith Connection to a friend of theirs and the friend responded “Oh! Is that that God place? I’ve heard of it”. Music to my ears and my heart!

So I realized – I do have a story to share! I won’t blurt the whole background in one blog post, but hopefully can share in the next few days. Just know that I have decided to rename the blog to more appropriately reflect this season of my life, the story I have to share, and my identity in Christ. God has me on an unusual and exciting journey – I want to share what God is teaching ME (not to preach to YOU) and help shed a little light on the beautiful mess that my eyes have been opened to. I will unveil the new name after I think of it, I just feel compelled to make it happen!

Love y’all so very much!

Cher

Angels we have heard on high!

2010-12-31T16:52:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite Cox family Christmas traditions is picking out my new ornament every year from Hallmark. We each have our "things"... dad gets a train, Lo gets a puppy, Mom gets a church, and I pick out a different angel every year. I love each and every one of my sweet angels and picked them each because they spoke to me in some small way that year. Since mom said tomorrow is the big "break down" day I spent some time this afternoon taking pictures of my beautiful angels so I can remember them until next Thanksgiving when they come out again. I have put a few of my favorites at the top with their special stories. The rest you can see towards the bottom of the post!

This pretty little angel was the first one I ever picked. I believe we started our collections somewhere between 1994 and 1996 after we moved to Kingwood. She is actually a sweet little bell. Her slightly crooked little halo and soft peachy lips make me fall in love with her!

This ornament was instant love at first sight - she is supposed to be a little girl in a church pageant with her tin-foil wings and her homemade dress. She recites the story of Jesus' birth from the bible in the sweetest little voice you've ever heard!

This is my all-time favorite angel (to date!) She is a Madame Alexander angel and she reminded me of a beautiful antique Madame Alexander doll my mom has in our house which I always thought was so beautiful!

The year I picked this little one I decided to veer away from the strict definition of angels and allow “winged creatures” in general to make the cut. Look at her adorable green eyes and mistletoe! How could I possibly say no?!

When you stroke her harp strings they play Angels we Have Heard on High!

She’s a little cookie jar… if you open her up there are 3 little cookie ornaments inside!

I LOVED this angel the year I got her (1997 as it says on her scarf). This year when I pulled her out of the box I decided to read her “story” – turns out she’s a Kwanzaa angel! Ha! I decided then and there she could be anything I wanted her to be – and she’s my beautiful little African CHRISTMAS angel!

Other beautiful angels I’ve collected over the years:

Home of Hope Orphanage Facing Shut Down

2010-10-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am writing this post with a lot of emotion in my heart.

Many of you may remember that about a year and a half ago I had the great privilege to travel to Kerala, India with my friend Raju Samuel. While there, I spent a week loving on the sweet children of the “Home of Hope”, a Christian home for orphaned boys which has been the salvation both physically and spiritually to 20 precious boys for the last seven years.

Sweet boys - they just love being hugged!

Without “Home of Hope”, these kids would be on the street, fighting for survival in the slums, working in the rice fields, or trying to subsist on pennies a day doing common labor. But more important that all of this - these boys are being given the knowledge of the true God who loves them and can save them.

"Cheryl Auntie! Picture!" - Abue

But in a devastating turn of events - the Hindu government has decided that they have other plans for the orphanage.

Orphanage licensing regulations changed last year; they will no longer be allowed to rent the home for the boys. The Hindu government of India has decreed that all orphanages must have their own property and building or lose their license. In response to these governmental rulings Raju purchased land last year but there were no funds for a building. Now he must go before the officials in India and ask for an extension.

“I will promise them that we will begin construction by this December if they will allow us until next June (2011) to finish the building. It will be large enough to house fifty boys plus our staff and will cost around $106,000. But to get construction started we need $50,000.”

Friends - it is the reputation of our God that is at stake in India. The false religions are watching closely. Can the Lord of the Christians provide for His work, or does He need Shiva, Vishnu, one of the other three million Hindu gods, or Allah to bail Him out?

If this work fails, what will that say to the Hindus and Muslims of southern India? What will it do to the lives and faith of the precious children who live in the “Home of Hope”?

But God -and Raju- have a better plan than failure.

“We’re going to show them that our God is the true and living God,” he says. “God provided money to buy the property last year and I know He will provide money for a boys’ dormitory this year. We’re going to focus on putting at least one stone on that property by this December, 2010. We will let people know that we are not just talking; we are taking action.”

My dear friend, Raju

I wish I could introduce each and every one of you to Raju - I have NEVER in my life met a man quite like him. I don't know how else to say it except that when Raju prays, God answers LOUDLY. That being the case, I have NO doubt that God will be glorified and the orphanage will be saved, but it is through the faithfulness of the church that God's plans will be accomplished.

Please consider doing something to help save the orphanage:

Most importantly, please PRAY PRAY PRAY. A million dollars can't have the impact of a faithful prayer. Pray not only for the success of the orphanage, but pray that God might show you if you are being called to help.

If able, please consider giving money to help the building fund. There are sweet lives at stake here - lives I've encountered, little bodies I've held in my arms, little cheeks I've kissed. To imagine my sweet Abue back in poverty breaks my heart deeply.

Pass along this post to your friends - especially those with a heart for Christ and the means to help.

Raju has laid out the situation in much more detail in a newsletter I would LOVE to send to you - please let me know if I can send you the newsletter.

I love you all - please send me a facebook message or call me if you want more information.

Patience

2010-09-17T05:50:00.000-07:00

So last night I was blog surfing and read the blog of a sweet girl from work... her and her husband have recently taken on the incredible challenge/responsibility/JOY of adopting a baby! In reading about some of their journey, I was reminded that I am NOT the only one dealing with having patience and trusting God this year! It was such a blessing to read about how strong they have been throughout this slow process... so if she reads this - THANKS :)

Basically – I’ve been dealing with some severe patience issues lately and while I hardly ever question WHAT God is doing in my life, I have REALLY been questioning his timing, which to me, is very illogical! But I have to remember, His ways are higher than my ways, and that I cannot lean on my own understanding. It will only bring heartache and frustration. I am effectively letting the enemy taint what God intends to be a joyful and sweet process – because in the end, God’s will WILL be accomplished. But when I look back on it 10 years down the road, will the journey to get there be remembered as a sweet time that I basked in the joy of God’s powerful and almighty hand, standing in awe and excitement at all he was accomplishing apart from me? Or will it be remembered as that time that I was filled with anxiety and grief over the minor details that didn’t sit well with me? I sincerely hope the former, but if I’m not careful, I am going to spoil one of God’s most radical moments in my life.

I prayed specifically this morning that God would give me a hyper-awareness of His love for me and a double dose of trust as I make the conscious choice to change my perspective!

Burn, baby, Burn!

2010-06-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

It's my long lost friend... the blog!! I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for the inspiration to come - and it showed up today! Woot!

Lately I've been experiencing what one might call a spiritual "slump". My mind has been in a funk and my heart was just riding the wake. This week I began committing this "slump" to prayer and really asking God for two things:

1. That he would reignite my desire to actively seek Him

2. That he would rekindle my passion for ministry and missions

I have always had a "thing" for missions. There is just something about seeing someones life be transformed by a sudden influx of realization that - oh my gosh - God loves me! When a person is given a leg up, and in the process experiences the full weight of God's love for them and the startling and beautiful reality of the free gift of salvation (how EASY it is to accept Christ's redemption) there is truly nothing sweeter. That is the purpose of life. The Bible calls us all to go and make disciples. But when we live day to day in OUR routines - our job, our money, our friends, our family - we tend to hit the cruise control on life's steering wheel and just sit back and let life roll on by.

I think this is where I found myself this past month or two. Not surprisingly, when I considered mission opportunities, the former flame wasn't burning as strongly as I had grown accustomed to throughout my life. Disconcerting!

In an effort to rectify this quite disarming realization, I signed up to serve on the Missions team at MetroLive on Thursday nights at my my church (Houston's First Baptist). Concurrently, I prayed that God would use this as a stepping stone to reignite that passion in my heart. So tonight was volunteer night #1. A few incredible things happened!

1. One of the ministries we are supporting is called Charasia. This ministry takes little girls out of the red light district in India and provides them with a safe home, an education, and a Christian upbringing that will help them break the cycle of prostitution in their families lives. I have long had a heart for India and the beautiful people of that country... I started feeling that fire start to burn. I also accidentally showed up early for volunteer training this week due to some email communications and ended up sitting through a leadership meeting. Just listening to the hearts of those leading these teams reminded me of God's will for me. I believe I did not show up early on accident. They kept apologizing for making me sit through the meeting, but it was just what I needed!

2. I was working one of the Charasia tables in the foyer (passing out fliers and promoting our Summer support programs) and one of my co-volunteers was a great guy from East Asia - the same country I had the privilege to serve in for 6 weeks the summer after I graduation from college. He couldn't manage to pronounce my name (the "ryl" is very difficult for most foreigners, apparently the shape your mouth makes is very unique to English) and it reminded me of the students I met that summer and the laughs we had trying to teach them to say "Cheryl". We got to talking about my summer in East Asia and he looked me dead in the eyes and said "THANK YOU for going to my country to share the gospel. I always tell people thank you when I hear they have gone there, because I was saved by an American missionary when I was in college". What a moment. I was reminded of just how important that work was, how much joy it brought me, and how it really did change lives. Here was a young man who was serving on a missions team in America and sharing the gospel in MY country because someone took the time to share Christ's love with Him. Beautiful! It made my heart swell - a familiar old feeling that I was so happy to experience tonight.

Anyways, there you have it. I felt a kindling in my soul tonight. A hug from my God reminding me of God's love for me, and reassuring me that even when we go through "slumps" (and we ALL do) God remains in control and all we need to do is ask and obey. Ask God for the fire. And then fan that flame by taking a small leap of faith. Join a team. Attend Sunday School this week. Just take it off of cruise control and see how God moves!

Amen :)

The Tyranny of the Urgent

2010-01-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

"We live in a constant tension between the urgent and the important. The problem is that the important task rarely must be done today or even this week. Extra hours of prayer and Bible study can wait. But the urgent tasks call for instant action - endless demands pressure every hour and day." - Charles Hummel on what he calls "the tyranny of the urgent".

Does this not hit you in the very heart? It's my constant struggle and my deepest frustration with being a woman, an employee, a daughter, a friend, and a christian!

My new years goal is very simple this year: Constantly remind myself that my purpose in LIFE isn't to meet a deadline, gain the approval of my bosses or the world, or even to read my Bible every single day... my purpose to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and strength. If God is for me, who can be against me?

At the end of my life, if I've loved my God and received His love for me with open arms, I will have accomplished enough.

That's the only goal I need. I pray that keeping this in the forefront of my mind will alleviate a portion of the stress and anxiety that I prescribe myself each day. The world's opinion of me pales in comparison to the accomplishment of having peace and joy through my relationship with Jesus.

Love y'all deeply - even if I'm too busy to let you know :)

Day 5,6, and 7... Night out, workshop, and blog!

2009-12-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

In high school they told me there was "no excuse" for tardiness. But now that I'm in the real world (so to speak) I have taken the liberty of taking a 2 day break and making a catch up entry today! If only my teachers knew about this... :)

Okie Dokie, onto the good stuff...

December 5 - Best Night Out. Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?
So this is weird - but in the process of writing several of these blogs, I thought about the topic and my mind immediately jumped to events which happened in 2007. That must have been a great year for me... I should have done this in 2007! But we're in 2009, not 2007, so I'll focus on the task at hand. One of my best nights out was recently - last week, actually. So I turned 26 on December 2 and my incredibly sweet boyfriend, Brian, managed to finagle his work schedule and get off early so that he could take me to dinner! I love date nights in the middle of the week! It was low key and wonderful - I put on one of my favorite dresses, he looked handsome as ever in his green button up shirt. We went to RA sushi (where I learned when NOT to try to share his food, ha!) and then he took me to one of my favorite Houston coffee shops, Agora on Westheimer. The best part - he didn't even want coffee! He just wanted me to have exactly what I wanted on my birthday :) How great is that?! I ended up having some de-lish hot cocoa and then we went to my apartment and joined the roomie and her BF for a riveting episode of So You Think You Can Dance! (Ladies - signs he's a keeper - he will watch your favorite dance competition show on TV with minimal snide remarks!) It was just one of those nights that started and ended well. We were both in remarkable moods, enjoyed each other without being too hard headed about random unnecessary things (if you know either of us, this is a feat, I assure you), and looked smashing whilst doing so :) What more can a girl ask for?!

December 6 - Best Workshop or Conference. Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?
Well, I was hoping to write this blog yesterday right after the close of the "Deeper Still" conference in Oklahoma City. I'm just sure it would have been my answer to this question :) Unfortunately, I didn't get to go (my flight was cancelled to due to snow) but I'm trying to reschedule and go to the June conference in Denver! That sounds like a more exciting destination anyways! Other than that, I can't say I necessarily attended a conference or workshop during 2009 other than annual work training, and I'm not about to rehash THAT on my blog! So I'm taking a rain check on the 2009 conference/workshop prompt. I will get back with you in June 2010 after I've finally gotten to go hear Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Priscilla Shearer speak in Denver!

December 7 - Blog Find of the Year. That gem of a blog you can't believe you didn't know about until this year.

I love when I discover blogs of ordinary people who have seemed to take their everyday lives and turn them into something exciting that people just keep coming back to over and over again! I think deep down, while we LOVE a good celebrity dish fest, what our hearts really love is seeing everyday people, who live ordinary lives, just loving their life. It gives us hope for our own futures and reminds us that we don't have to be famous, or glamorous, or have tons of money to truly love our lives deeply and fully! That's the "vibe" I get when I read the blog of Ree Drummond, the self proclaimed "pioneer woman".

Ree is an inner city girl who met, fell in love with, and married a rancher! Her blog chronicles everyday life on the ranch, her adorable family, and how she has learned to love a life 100% different from the one she'd always imagined for herself! And she's hilarious to boot - offering country recipes, tons of photo's, and her self authored Green acres-meets-harlequin romance love story (the story of how she met her husband - or as she calls him - her "Marlboro man"). Priceless! Check her out for yourself - you'll find hours of entertainment peeking into the life of this ordinary lady!

Her Blog: Confessions of a Pioneer Woman

Day 4 - Best Book

2009-12-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

December 4 - What book - fiction or non - touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies?

The book that has been most influential in my life during 2009 is a book I'm not quite finished with yet (it's been a long process with a few interruptions) - Breaking Free by Beth Moore.

I first heard about the book one Sunday night during church - a guest speaker encouraged everyone to read the book if they felt there was anything in their lives hindering them from finding complete freedom in their relationship with Christ. While I think that criteria pretty much encapsulates 99.9% of the general populous, I had a few specific areas of my life I felt I had not completely surrendered to God. These things were holding me back from finding true enjoyment and rest in my relationship with Christ.

Anyways, long story short, I bought the book and began memorizing the first verses which Beth Moore asks us to memorize - Isaiah 61:1-4. It was here that I discovered my favorite verse of 2009 (I wish that were a blog challenge topic)!

"They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

This verse hit so hard with me because it is such a beautiful picture of the role I want to play in the kingdom of God! I want to be an oak - tall (got that part down), outstretched, and magnificent - a reflection of God and his heart. I want my actions to be righteous and my life to be a display of just how good, and loving, and strong the God I serve is! I just love the idea that my purpose was to glorify God - a life he planted where he needed it FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF showing Himself to his children. An amazing concept - although the implications hit hard. That is a tall order for me and my constant ups and downs. Good thing God is glorified through my righteousness AND through his forgiveness of my many many sins!

Anyways - that was just one thing that I loved about the book. I'm sure I'll find more things as I work on finishing it!

On a slightly different - but still related - note... my flight to Oklahoma City was cancelled today due to (get this) SNOW in Houston! I was on my way to see Beth Moore (the author of this book), Kay Arthur, and Priscilla Shearer at the "Deeper Still" conference in OKC. Bummer! Luckily we were able to transfer our registration to the June concert in Denver :) But YAY for having an unexpected weekend to relax and get caught up of some things!

Oh, and no, I haven't given away multiple copies, but I've suggested others read it multiple times!

Day 3 - Best Article

2009-12-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

December 3 - What's an article that you read that blew you away? One that you shared with all your friends...

I have to admit that I’m not much of an “article” reader. I do however LOVE to watch online news stories, documentaries, etc. which is where I found this story. I think it still falls under the journalism umbrella, so I’m calling it good.

I’ll throw out the disclaimer right off the bat – I can’t be for certain I saw this is 2009, but it definitely has had a huge impact on my 2009 – and an impact on countless friends who I’ve force fed the message too! At some point either in 2009, or shortly before, I was introduced to the following little research study:

The Lemon in your Drink Study

Just go ahead and watch it – you’ll never ever be able to drink a glass of iced tea with lemon without images of… well you’ll see…

For those far too important to be taking 1:38 of your day to watch the news segment above, I’ll give you the highlight reel:

Researchers tested the lemons found on drinks in 21 different restaurants.
77%, or 2 out of 3 lemons tested were crawling with disease causing bacteria including the germs that cause Staph infections and my personal favorite… FECAL MATTER.
All in all, researchers identified 25 different microorganisms living on the rind and flesh of these fruit wedges.

All I’m saying is – think twice before tossing your beloved lemon into your iced tea. Unless of course eating poo is your thing, in which case, please knock yourself out.

You think it won’t bother you – but just wait until next time you're out and staring at that little yellow cess pool of germies perched so festively on the side of your drink. Your heart will scream yes – but your mind isn’t going to let you do it. Just wait and see. Now if only I could get you all to stop eating veal… :)

Cheers!

Day 2 - Best Restaurant Experience

2009-12-02T23:09:00.000-08:00

Day 2 - Share the best restaurant experience you had this year. Who was there? What made it amazing? What taste stands out in your mind?

My favorite restaurant experience of 2009 was in September when we celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday at Rudi Lechner's. I'm not normally a big fan of German food, but my dad sure is - so we wanted to go someplace he would really enjoy. If you are in the market for some really good German food, an authentic German atmosphere (down to the waitresses dresses), and live German polka music (every Wednesday through Saturday night) - this place is for you! We had such a blast!

Several things made this restaurant amazing - but the biggest thing was seeing how much my dad enjoyed my pick! It's always a great feeling when you do your research and try to find the perfect spot - and then the person you take there absolutely loves it! The taste that sticks out most in my mind was the cheesy spaetzle. It's like German Macaroni, but made with potatoes - I could have eaten that alone and been satisfied! But to add to it - the yummiest sauerkraut and red cabbage you've ever tried!

And finally, to top it all off, I got a blue balloon to match the uncontrollably cute blue dress I wore :) Need I say more??

Day 1 - Best Trip of 2009

2009-12-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

So I saw this on Jessica's blog (see Coffee and Blue Jeans link to the right...) and absolutely loved the idea! An (I'm assuming) pretty popular blogger named Gwen Bell proposed that everyone do 30 days worth of blogs related to certain topics she outlines... I think it's a great way to make sure we end 2009 really appreciative of all the blessings is offered... so I am joining that bandwagon!

December 1 - What was your best trip in 2009?

In May of 2009 I traveled to India for 2 weeks with Raju Samuel and several other amazing Christian men and women from Galveston/Texas City. This trip was "the best of 2009" for so many reasons. For anyone who knows Raju, he is truly the most shining example of a servant of Christ. In addition to founding and directing Mission Galveston (the local homeless ministry in Galveston), Raju owns 3 orphanages and an adult Christian counselling center in his hometown of Kottayam, India. If you ever doubt the power of prayer, spend 1 day with Raju and see what kind of mountains God moves when Raju prays. It will absolutely take your breath away. Raju asked me to join him and several other adults on a two week trip to lead a children's Bible camp for his orphanages, as well as several other local orphanages in southern India. Not fully knowing what I was getting into - I signed up, bought my plane ticket, and sailed across the world. I had the opportunity to teach 13 year old girls all about the fruits of the spirit and God's love for them (with the help of a translator - so intimidating!!) I remember at one point in the trip I walked by myself to the backside of the campground meditation chapel and just sat - I looked out over the rolling hills, the palm trees, the little huts with their smoke stacks, and just prayed out loud to God. He was there. I'm not sure there are many times I've felt that physically close to God. God is doing amazing things in India - his people are hearing His name and believing the truth. Their hearts are so ready to trust and so thirsty for knowledge. It really changed my world. I want so badly to be where God is working! I know he is working here in America as well - but there was just something different about India. Something powerful and indescribable. For the first time in their lives, 51 children and teenagers believed that nothing they could do would ever be good enough to get them into Heaven... but they had joy and peace because they knew and believed that Jesus had come and paid the price for their sins, they were justified. God was glorified and lives were changed - kids found a deeper peace and joy than they ever knew could exist, and I received some strong assurance of my life purpose from God. It's God's world - and it is my job to share Him with them. Amen!

The scoop...

2009-11-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

So here I am on the other side of another quarter review! I made it through yet another 2 weeks of crazy, and am still happy to be an accountant in this industry. In some ways, this was my best quarter yet, but in other ways, this quarter was especially tough. At one point this week I looked around my desk and started laughing... then I took a few pics, courtesy of the always awesome palm pre so that I could share my amusement :)

That is a build up of 4 caffeine sources, only one of which has zero calories, some always loved Aveeno hand cream (thanks for getting me hooked Karen!), and my new best friend - the white out. Don't think I haven't whited out a coffee stain on a workpaper before. (No worries, Lisa, there are no hidden coffee stains this quarter!)

Because we can't throw things away, and a walk to the shred bin would require too much energy, the floor around my desk has become a resting place for superceded and no longer loved workpapers. Pardon the blatant view into my purse! I just keep it right there so I can get to the quarters as quickly as possible when my coke addition suddenly hits me full force!

Just a few tools of the trade... sometimes I use them to do work. Other times I hurl them at Casey when he starts flinging rubber bands and my head. I have to keep the ammo readily accessible.

Well - around 2 pm yesterday we finally got another 10-Q filed, and I got to finish my week without work on the mind! How did I celebrate? I went and watched my favorite boy knock the crap out of some softballs in Missouri City! Kristin and Patrick joined in the fun this week... Kristin made cocoa krispy treats for the team! She's already a better "team mom" than me :)

Well I have a ridiculous amount of laundry to do - so I'm checking out for now!

xoxo - Cher

One step closer to figuring it all out...

2009-08-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

Goodmorning! Goodmorning! Goodmorning!

First of all, a fun video to capture the audience: this was a fun moment from my recent trip to India... I'm currently making a real "trip" video (it's started but not done, so just hang tight - it will be coming soon!!) and this is just a sneak peek into the awesomeness. Forgive the unflattering opening shot!!

Okay onto the blog. It's Sunday morning (okay - it's 11:19, but it is still technically morning!) and life is good. I slept in this morning (I'll be at night church) and woke up to a quiet apartment and hot coffee ALREADY MADE! Just one of the million reasons I love my roomate - she always makes coffee in the morning and it's just "ready" when I roll out of bed :) I was catching up on friends blogs and remembered something I had been meaning to share, but just hadn't slowed down enough to actually write over the past month.

As every year passes, I learn more and more about myself - about what I know, about what I thought I knew that I actually don't, and about what things I want to make a point to learn in the near future. This year a big area of "question" and searching has revolved around prayer - it's purpose, it's functionality, it's mechanics. There are certain Christian "disciplines" that every Christian knows should be one of the "biggies" to always rely on. I'm talking about reading your Bible, praying, going to Church, and serving others. 1, 3, and 4 make a great deal of sense to me. But because of my logical (accountant!) personality - 2 has always been a very real struggle for me. I solve problems using logic, and logic to me is "cause and effect." When I do A, B will happen. When I read my Bible, I understand God's will for my life. When I go to Church, I will build a fellowship of likeminded believers to invest in. When I go on a mission trip and speak the gospel, people will understand what God has done for them and believe and be saved. But prayer - it goes like this - "When I pray, I will talk/think what's on my heart then I will just sit there and hope it did some good. Hope that God will miraculously do something out of my control to rectify whatever situation was on my heart this time around." It's like a big A with without a B. Because of this I have struggled to no end with the desire and drive to pray. I always feel like I'd rather get off my bum and go DO something that will make a difference. Talking to air just doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere.

BUT (and there's a big but) the Bible is SO adament about the power of prayer and it's integral purpose in God's plan. So where does that leave me? Should I just pray anyways even if I don't understand why? I don't think so. So I went on a "journey" to understand prayer and I want to share specifically what I discovered, and why prayer actually DOES "make sense".

So I'll try to keep it fairly brief, but here's the skinny: You've more than likely heard of the several "types" of prayers... Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Intercessory. Adoration, we're good on. Confession, more than good on. Thanksgiving, love it. I narrowed it down and realized it was intercessory that was tripping me up. How can my prayer inspire God's action? This raises several questions/red flags:

If I pray, does God change his mind? Does God say, "Well, I was going to let Bobby Sue wreck her life, but since Cher prayed and asked me to intervene, I'm going to guide Bobby Sue in the right direction instead. Good thing Cher remembered to pray - that was a close one!"

How does "free will" factor into this? If Bobby Sue is actively running AWAY from God, is God going to do anything for her just because Cheryl wants Him to? Doesn't God grant Bobby Sue the right to free will?

Basically - Does God NEED my prayers? That seems to really belittle Him and his power. But then again, if he does'nt NEED me, why the HECK do I need to sit still and actually take the time to ASK God for these things?

But after much frustration and deliberation, it hit me. I am such a HUMAN! I think of everything in a cause/effect paradigm. God on the other hand, lives outside of that paradigm. For example, I have never doubted the value of going out and actively sharing the Gospel with a lost world. But I've also always believed that God doesn't NEED me to spread the Gospel - I am simply the tool he is using to get the job done. Because this involved me being active and "doing work" I didn't question it. But wait - isn't our prayer life the same way!? God doesn't NEED me to make a difference in Bobby Sue's life, but my prayer is the tool he has chosen to use to get there. Much like missions work, it is my privilidge to simply be a part of the work God is doing. In God's "world" he could do anything he wants, anytime he wants - he is omnipotent. But he has graciously chosen to allow me to participate, to offer my tools and time, to assist. Prayers, sharing the Gospel with a lost friend, it's all one in the same. It's God working under the hood, and me passing him a screwdriver. He could just breathe and make it happen, but instead he let me be a part of it - like a girl eager to help her dad out in the garage.

So my logic got me there afterall :) Anyways, I realize now the purpose of prayer and the impact it has not only on me spiritually (which I always could appreciate) but also on how it affects those around me. My prayers DO make a difference, because God uses them - whether he needs to or not!

Love y'all so much. It's thundering right now so I think I'm going to go sit on my porch for a while and just enjoy the mess outside. I'm glad I took the time to write this morning - I miss blogging!! p.s. Isn't my new layout awesome?? I fell in love with it when I saw it!

xoxo - Cher

Yesterday...

2009-07-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was July 4 - and in all the chaos and fun I forgot the reason that July 4 is such an incredible holiday, not only for our nation, but for me... July 4, 1996 was the day I gave my life to the Lord and began the amazing journey to where I am today! I still remember that feeling of finally letting go and choosing to trust... it was like a huge burden was just lifted off of my back. I can't imagine life without this hope I have! And how great is it that July 4 is the day I can celebrate my freedom as an American AND my freedom as a child of God?! So sweet!

Think about it...

2009-01-16T20:08:00.000-08:00

Guess what. Tomorrow is Saturday. And I'm working.

Thank you Jesus that I have a job :)

But in all seriousness... I am so thankful God provided me with an education that allows me to actually have a job in these crazy economic times. I am truly blessed. If that means working a couple months of Saturdays - I'll be the first to volunteer :)

I have a three New Years Resolutions... feel free to call me out on them. In fact I hope you will.

1. Do at least 2 loads of laundry a week (laundry is my nemesis!)
2. Get to work by 8 am, as often as possible.
3. Make a conscious effort not to complain as much as I used to.

Number 3 is the real challenge here, obviously. I've decided that when I list out the things I typically complain about, those are the exact things for which I SHOULD count myself most blessed. Just mull that one over for a while.

Anyways - in an effort to learn something new every day, here are a few interesting, albeit random, facts I picked up along the way today...

- Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's was adopted, and was a huge advocate of adoption - even starting his own foundation. Thomas also worked for KFC in his early career, turning the business around and can possibly be credited with their long term success. Hmm. Never knew Dave was such a revolutionary.

- All US Circuit City stores are going out of business. The company filed chapter 11 bankruptcy, and attempted to reorganize, but have been left with no choice but liquidation. The bad news: 34,000 people are losing their jobs, and we'll no longer be able to buy great electronics online and go straight to the store to pick them up (this is where I have bought all my cameras.) The good news: Massive Liquidation sales start tomorrow - now's the time to get in and see what you can grab... especially if you have a gift card you need to use.

Labor Day Weekend!

2008-09-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

So it's been almost a million years since I posted anything, but I wanted to share the amazing videos from the weekend at the Jamber's Ranch. My friends are amazing!!!

Jambers Ranch 1

Jambers Ranch 2

Jambers Ranch 3

Jambers Ranch 4

Jambers Ranch 5

Jambers Ranch 6

Hope you enjoyed them!

xoxo - Cher

A Beautiful Day

2008-03-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

I love listening to KSBJ... especially in the afternoon when Liz Jordan is dj'ing. If you've never listed to her... she sounds like she is always smiling when she talks. You don't meet many people who radiate joy, even when you can't see their face! That's something special. Also, from looking at her blog, I have been able to gather that she lives in my neighborhood (I think!). I just think that's pretty cool.

Anyways- this morning I had the chance to sleep in and it was FABULOUS! After I got up and took my time getting dressed I headed out for a while. I went for a 1:30 appointment to get my eyebrows waxed with my favorite new lady - Lily from Montrose Nails. This sweet little Vietnamese woman is so chatty and literally pays the most attention to detail of anyone I've ever been to. This is my second time to go to her, and I've been really happy both times. And for $8 dollars, you can't beat it! (That's just a little free advertising for Ms. Lily if anyone lives near here and is looking for a good place to go!)

Afterwards I went by Walgreens and dropped off my perscription for ACCUTANE! (Finally!!) It's been a long process getting here, but the doctor finally agreed to put me on accutane and I've waited patiently for two months making all the "preparations" I needed to to be able to take the medicine. (For those not aware, if women get pregnant on accutane the babies are born with SERIOUS defects... so they require any girl taking the medicine to be on birth control for at least a month ahead of time.) I am really looking forward to seeing how the medicine works - I'll keep you posted!

Finally - I went to Bookstop and bought two books I've been hearing about: "My Utmost for His Highest" and "Having a Mary heart in a Martha World"... then took my new books out to the park by Buffalo Bayou and read a while (I also listened to Amos Lee on my ipod :). I will admit I fell asleep for a LITTLE while. It was wonderful.

Now I'm back in the apartment relaxing and trying NOT to think about all the cleaning that needs to get done. Haha... I needed a relaxing day!

Just thought I'd share... hope your day was just as relaxing :)

Cher

Sunday Sunday...

2008-02-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

I've decided that this blog site really needs an overhaul. I would be more inspired to write in it if I actually enjoyed looking at the page itself. What was I thinking with this gray business? Be on the lookout for a snazzier design soon.

It is officially "the busy season" (or the "b.s." as certain non-accountant friends like to refer to it as) and work is in full swing. This time of year can be taxing (no pun intended) and overwhelming at times, but it's really what we work all year towards. This is the "big show" so to speak. I have been a bit out of touch recently due to the long hours, but we file on February 27th, so life will be back to normal shortly thereafter.

In other news, please be praying for my jaw - I have dealt with TMJ in the past, but recently it has come back with a vengance. I think the stress of the season is getting to me. I woke up last Sunday with my jaw locked shut and couldn't get it open until Monday night. I visited my TMJ doctor and he is making me a new splint, but it won't be available until early March. Meanwhile I'm getting by with muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory meds, but I don't enjoy taking medicine, so it's a bit burdonsome. My jaw is still locked every morning when I wake up, but I normally can get it open with a little massage and heat. Today though, it's being cranky and is staying stiff for some reason. Looks like we might have another soup day on our hands.

Final thoughts - today is going to be a great day (despite the jaw). I am using today as a day to reclaim my sensibilities by doing some cleaning, resting, and recovering. I am about to go make a cup of coffee and dive into finishing up some long neglected laundry and vaccuming. Then, later tonight, me and the roomates are going to have a pow-wow to plan our long awaited vacation! It's pretty exciting :) Oh, and most importantly, I plan to spend some good time with the Lord today. I have definitely let that fall to the wayside in the past couple of weeks, and that is just a shame. God deserves so much more of me.

Here's to quiet days of rest and relaxation - I havn't been giving anyone my best lately, and I need to make sure that changes, starting tomorrow. Today I will do the legwork to get there :)

Love y'all - Cher

P.S. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Congratulaltions on an amazing 29 years of marraige! You both have provided Lauren and I such a magnificent picture of what a loving marraige looks like - I couldn't ask for better parents who love each other more!

Christmas Time :)

2007-12-16T12:08:00.000-08:00

I am really loving this time of year - especially today, because it's chilly outside. I have no deep amazing insight into this holiday or anything, it's just Christmas time - and that makes me smile :)

I have been very busy the last few weeks, but for the most part (besides my apparent inability to keep my room clean - what's up with that?) I have really had some good times. Me and the girls had a great Christmas party at our apartment, I went to my first ever corporate Christmas party and wore a dress that made me feel beautiful, and last night I went to the wedding of one of my favorite people - Sarah Wolfskill. I'm telling you you have never met a more genetically blessed family than this one. Those are some good looking people. But the highlight of my night was spending time with a few girls who I rarely see anymore...

Jill Marie Hopson - my carpool buddy extraordinaire! This lovely meteorologist has a heart of gold AND can explain to why the wind conditions constitue mild hurricane conditions. Jill and I had such great conversations and caught up on some long overdue hugging. This girl has hugs that make my world go around. And the best part - I got to spend the night with her! Jill Marie is the best because she can shoot it to ya straight and will always be real... we will be spending much more time together from now on. I insist.

Jennifer Poole - I miss this lady and her ghetto fabulousness. No other Bible study partner I know can lead you to that verse in the Bible you can't put your finger on AND quote Kanye at the most opportune times. No, but seriously, this lady has a sense of joy that could power a large city. I laugh laugh laugh when I'm with her, and she makes me happy just to be around her!

Rebecca Sample - This girl has dance moves you have to see to believe. I love how real Rebecca is. She's pure loveliness, and doesn't put on airs of any sort. Rebecca makes me smile, and when she looks at you with her big sweet eyes, your heart more or less melts. It's hard to put my finger on - but she's one of those people that when your around her, you know you just want more. She makes you feel good, because she's just that great. I hope I can see more of her that I currently do, she is a friend that I know I want to keep close to me.

Meredith Meuth - I've never met anyone quite like Mere. Every word she says is SO deeply from the heart you know that there is no pretense there. When Meredith says she likes old people, the girl ain't joking. When Meredith says she's excited to be somewhere or doing something, she's not just paying lip service, you can rest in the assurance that the girl is truely thrilled. Meredith is such a great friend... she always makes you feel welcome and appreciated. She will always affirm with her words and actions, and someone like that is really worth her weight in gold.

So thanks to all my friends for being stellar people who make my heart smile when I'm around you. God has blessed me with so much - great girlfriends being one of my favorite blessings of all. Christmas is a time for friends and family, and I've got some of the best!

Love y'all - Cher

Sunday Morning Musings

2007-11-18T05:40:00.000-08:00

It's 7:40 am on a Sunday, and I am up in my sweats with a cup of coffee, checking up of the lives of friends via blogs and listening to the rain outside my window. These are the types of mornings you just want to take a snapshot of and keep handy for when you need a reminder of what it feels like to be content. Maybe it's just because it's Sunday (which means I am already predisposed to being in a good mood) or maybe it's because I know I don't have to go into work tomorrow (another very likely scenario.) That's right... Cher gets the whole week off for Thanksgiving :) I decided to take a little vacation time to finish studying for my last CPA exam, which I will conquer Wednesday. That way, I will truely have something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Just kidding :) I could be destitute, alone, and starving this Thanksgiving and still have plenty to be thankful for. My God has never left me or forsaken me, and for that I am eternally thankful.

I just read the blog of my sweet friend Holly Southerland (there's a link on the right if you want to see it) and it helped me solidify a train of thought that I'd been trying to put my finger on all morning. God wasn't joking around when he said "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7).

I just spent an hour writing a new blog based on a quote I pulled from a different friends blog, but ended up deleting most of it in the end... The quote was: "Even if there were no heaven and there were no hell, would you follow Jesus? Would you follow Him for the life, joy, and fulfillment He gives you right now?"

At first I was like... hmm, cool thought! But as I started writing about it I realized that you can't take eternity out of the picture, and you can never fully take "me" out of the picture, because God WANTS "me" to love the love he gives, and relish how good it makes "me" feel! Eternity with Him is a love gift from God, and there is no reason that it should be considered a bad motivation. You can't ever logically take God's universe and his being and "break down the parts" for further analysis... taking eternity out of the picture skews all the other variables and makes the whole journey fruitless. Anyways- I deleted everything I wrote, clicked over to Holly's blog and read what she wrote about a recently engaged friends comment to her. Her thoughts were a perfect example of the thoughts I'd been having...

"And she said to me, “I love watching him be in love with me.” And tonight I was thinking, wow, what a neat picture of how the Church, the Bride of Christ, should respond to Christ’s love for us! Sometimes I think we are tempted to push the love away when we see that God loves us. But Amanda just took it in. And enjoyed it. And I think it is so neat that God is already using their relationship to be a picture to me of the Heavenly Bridegroom and His Bride."

AMEN! That is just what I was thinking. And Holly put it so perfectly :) He loves us, and he wants us to enjoy that love. She inadvertantly referred to this "compartmentalization" of God that so many people attempt today. People feel like they should love others, but feel guilty about relishing in the love themselves... as if God called us to one, but not the other. God didn't give me love and ask me not to soak it in. My favorite thing about God is that he is so "fluid"... that sounds weird - but what I mean is that you cannot, no matter how you try, break Him down and try to explain one part of Him apart from another.

If you've never read the book "Knowledge of the Holy" by A.W. Tozer, run (no walking.) to the bookstore and pick this up. It is the most potent 117 page book you will ever read. In it, Tozer writes:

"The Father is made of none, "says the Athanasian Creed, " neither created nor begotten... ...God exists in Himself and of Himself. His being He owes to no one. His substance is indivisible. Hae has no parts but is single in His unitary being. The doctrine of the divine unity means not only that there is but one God; it means also that God is simple, uncomplex, one with Himself. The harmony of His being is the result not of a perfect balance of parts but of the absense of parts. Between His attributes no contradiction can exist. He need not suspend one to exercise another, for in Him all His attributes are one. All of God does all that God does. He does not divide Himself to perform a work, but works in the total unity of His being."

I'm honestly not sure if I've written this clearly or not - if it makes zero sense, let me know and I'll take it down. But, it makes sense in my head, and I guess that's good enough for me :)

Point being - God is amazing, you can't divide him up and analyze the pieces... he gave us Heaven and Hell, and if those are motivators for staying in the center of God's will, I'm guessing he knew that ahead of time and let it happen anyways. Just like his love - he knew we would give it and receive it... it's a fluid, seamless, synergy that can't be diminished by breakdown.

Okay - well that cleared out my head at least... I'm going to go grab some more coffee and dive into studying for the CPA exam. I've been doing the night church thing - so no worries - I'm not skipping :)

Love y'all - Cher

Houston Coffee Spots

2007-11-11T14:32:00.000-08:00

Hey-lo friends. So this weekend I set out to visit a few local coffee spots that would provide a good place for me to study for the CPA exam (1 left! Yay!)

Yesderday I visited Bookstop, which is technically a Barnes and Noble built into the old Alabama theatre on Shephard. The coffee was Starbucks, and oh so good! I got so much studying done there... I just love bookstores.

Today I looked on CitySearch for places with free wifi and ran across Taft Street Coffee. I decided to give it a shot. Upon walking up I was greeted by a man who shook my hand, asked how I'd come across the place, and proceeded to give me a tour of the whole place! Cool! As it turns out, the place is actually the Houston Ecclesia church which I had heard of before. They have built in a coffee house, bookstore, and art gallery. The man invited me to stay for the evening 5:30 service - and considering how I had just spent time that morning in prayer about where I should visit for church, I decided it sounded like a win win to me :) Plus, I ran into a guy who went to Grace with me and we chatted for a little while. God is so cool!

I have been visiting HFBC which I like very much - but tonight we are going to give Ecclesia a try. It is very different from other churches I've ever attended - very artsy and such, but sometimes you just need to let God help you reach outside the box!

Love ya- Cher

First Date in a Box

2007-10-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

I was making some changes to my myspace about me section and got to writing so much I decided I might as well make a blog out of it :) I also realized in reading over what I had written that with all the stuff that you are learning about me in this post, we might as well be on a first date! So lets pretend we're getting coffee and get to know each other... I'll go first :)

What am I like? I think a personality is best summed up by behavior:

I don't like clutter or having too much stuff (except maybe shoes and books!) because it makes me antsy. I think having one of everything you need is plenty. In most cases, I use up a whole product before I buy a second one.

When I get a bag of multi-flavored candies, I always eat all my least favorite flavors first and work my way to my favorite, saving the best for last... and that order is always and invariably yellow, green, purple, orange, red. The exception is sweet tarts, in which my number one flavor is blue :)

I don't like to cook because it's no fun working on a meal for an hour and then having it disappear in fifteen minutes. However I love to bake, because it lasts a few days and can be enjoyed more than once. If I do cook, I prefer cassaroles, chili, etc... things that will last.

Are you getting the hang of Cheryl? Thats just my nutty logical side - but there's more!

I love to read and and I love to write - scratch that- I love to read and I love to type. If I write I always write in cursive because I think I have very pretty handwriting, and cursive is a dying artform. I mostly get absorbed in Christian living books - I could live in that section of Half Price Books. But honestly, I'll read anything if it makes me feel uplifted.

I love to sing - and sing loud... and sing when I'm alone, and sing when I'm in a crowd, and sing in my head at work. I really want to be a wedding singer someday but I havn't quite figured out how to ask a group of people if they'd like to form a cover band! I'm keeping my wedding singing career in my prayers for now :) When and if God has need for that in his kingdom, I know he'll let me know.

I love red flavored things. If it's red, I'll eat it. Period.

My best friend always tells people "Cheryl isn't rude... she's just observant." I like to call things like I see them. If you ask a question, expect an answer. If I have a question, and I feel 98% sure there is a legitimate reason to ask, I probably will. (Ex: What happened to your nose, I noticed it's really crooked?) I would never ask if I just thought it was deformed. But if it's clearly injury related - I'm willing to take that bet. Or as a partner at my firm discovered today, if you ask me about the mechanics of my appendectomy, expect a anatomically correct discussion - he laughed at me and said I was unusually blunt. Ha! You asked mister...

I LOVE Sundays, and everything about them. I love going to church and spending time with all the people who get me and my passion for following Christ. I love all the give and get involved with a community of believers. I can't wait to make one of the Houston churces I've been visiting home!

I don't chew gum... the whole concept is nasty.

My love languages are words of encouragement and physical touch. Ladies, if we are having a girl chat, I'm probably wishing we could hold hands or scoot a little closer. Not in a gross way - just because I know that if we invaded each others space, we'd probably really get down to the business of knowing each other.

I WISH I was mysterious. I am not. My desire to tell you all about myself in a blog pretty much clears up any questions about that one. My heart lives right out there on my sleeve. I love reading about other people and what makes them tick, so I figure I'll tell a bit about myself for the others like me that like this sort of thing.

I love being tall... it's the bomb.com.

My number one goal in life is to serve my God and join Him in partnering to save our lost world. I am called to make disciples... and right now I have been specifically called to work in Houston as an accountant. I hope to someday work either as a missionary teaching the skills of money management or for a missions organization supporting the business end of things. But that's just Cheryl's big idea - God might have another one... and that's cool too :)

There is more, lots more, but this is the cliffs notes version for sure. When myspace asked me to write "about me" they really opened a can of worms!

Ouch!

2007-10-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

I need to blog more often, so lets start with NOW. Thanks and gig 'em :)

This past week has been quite a crazy ride. For those who aren't aware, I work for KPMG as an auditor, and my client is Anadarko Petroleum so I work out in the Woodlands every day... shopping anyone?) Tuesday morning I went downtown to get a free flu shot and drove back out to the Woodlands around 10ish - so far so good. The guys (I am the only girl out there) made an understandable amount of fun at the fact that I would drive all that way just to get a shot that will inject me with sickness. I assured them that I would NOT get sick, because I was Cheryl... the girl who NEVER gets sick. Sure enough, around 2 pm my stomach starts to hurt and the numbers on my spreadsheet are looking a little fuzzy. I stuck it out until 6, refusing to tell the guys that I felt like absolute crap. I would NOT be "that girl" right after I had gloated about my superior health. So I drove home in misery and immediately crawled in my big fabulous bed where I proceeded to call my mother 6 times over the next 3 hours to whine about my stomach. Calling your mom when you're sick is something I think you just can't grow out of. Anyways - at 9 pm I decided enough was enough and drove myself (much to my mothers chagrin) to the emergency room at Methodist Hospital. Of course, the parents met me there, and we sat in the waiting room for the next 5 hours. My only source of amusement during that time was watching my mother nearly lose it when the kid across from us blared "Crank that Soulja Boy" from his computer for the 50th (literally) time. Talk about a song to have on repeat. Anyways - long story marginally shorter - after they took blood, x-rays, did a CAT scan, and performed all of the other ER essentials I was informed I had severe appendicitis and I was being admitted for emergency surgery to have my appendix taken out! I spent a day or so in the hospital, where I was visited by some of the most fabulous people I know, and I've been taking it easy in Kingwood ever since!

I'm going back to my apartment today and going back to work tomorrow, but the few days of rest have been amazing. I mean, I was sore for 90% of it, but I just laid around and read a book! God is good at giving our bodies a rest when it's needed I suppose :)

It's been so long since I caught everyone up on my life... I'll have to update everyone over the next week or so, so keep checking back! I'll post some footage of the new apartment soon if anyone is interested!

I love you guys - keep me updated on your lives as well!

Cher

Sitting alone in a hotel...

2007-08-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hey friends. It's 11:55pm and I'm sitting alone in the Hampton Inn in Waco. I'm here to take my third and biggest CPA exam... here's praying I can pass this bad boy. I will just deflate if I find out I have to study all over again. This whole CPA exam crap seems like some cruel right of passage for all people crazy enough to attempt accounting as a major. There are moments when I really want to ask myself what I was thinking... but then I get over it and realize that I am SO an accountant and I really do enjoy this stuff. It's amazing how God builds some of us with the desires to do the even seemingly mundane jobs. (Seemingly being the operative word... this job is much better than it sounds.)

Here's a quick shout out to my super amazing couldn't do this without him friend Nathan Smith! He's coming tomorrow to meet me for lunch before my exam to give me a pre-game prep talk. He already took it and passed it, so that will be encouraging... plus I can't spend time with him without laughing my head off - so that will be a much needed stress reliever I'm sure. He even had the forethought to pick a place for lunch that was "light" so I could avoid having... er... stomach problems during my exam. What a friend :) Or maybe he just knows me too well.

I need to go to bed and just let the studying go. I have studied some today... played some today. I have become frighteningly good at the whole "denial" thing. I can actually sit here with books in my lap and surf the net and manage to suppress the feelings of panic and guilt. But then the clock strikes midnight and the sinking comes. It's bedtime - and I did not use today's time to it's best potential. Why do I do this? So what's my solution... guilt blogging.

I sign on blogger real quick and give you all the skinny on what it feels like to sit alone in a hotel room the night before an exam feeling somewhat prepared - knowing I could be more prepared. I half want to scream and get mad at myself, I half want to crawl in bed and forget the whole thing. I figure an hour or two more of studying won't add THAT much to my knowledge base and probably just make me groggy tomorrow during game time. Do you like my logic? This is how my brain works at 12:06 at night when I'm tired, but surprisingly alert due to a grande white chocolate mocha I just downed.

This is one major thing I've found changed about me during college. I still have a strong work ethic and will to succeed... but when it gets down to crunch time - I have become suprisingly mellow over the last few years. I used to panic, cry, get very angry and upset after 10pm, especially the evening before major tests, etc. Late night intense conversations were pointless with me. Now, I still wouldn't recommend it, but I have learned to accept that "what happens happens" and no amount of stressing or pulling hair is going to change that. If I have to retake an exam, I retake it... what is the harm in the big picture of life?

So what DOES happen now after 10pm? You are the prime witness. I get a little philosophic and decide to share my musings with the world via blogger. Hmmm...

Any prayers tomorrow would be greatly appreciated! Love you all - I'm going to bed now. Maybe a continental breakfast and a shower at 8 am will help me refocus and get my spirits up.

Cher

East Asia and such...

2007-07-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

I'm home!! East Asia was just as amazing as I expected it to be, and thanks to everyone who prayed for the team! We couldn't have done it without you! I believe 11 students came to know Christ and another 80 or so expressed interest in learning more and will continue meeting with the permanent staff that works over there. I'm not sure exactly what all I can say about it in a public forum, so if you are interested in the details let me know and I'll email them to ya!

The biggest shock involved with leaving the country for six weeks and having limited opportunities to call home is realizing that life goes on without you. By the time I arrived home my sister had changed colleges, got a car and a new boyfriend, my grandmother fell and fractured her ribs resulting in her moving in with our family for an indefinite amount of time, various friends of mine had relationships begin and end, and an assortment of other things that I suppose just couldn't wait on me to return. Well, it's a good thing that God is so soverign and is taking care of things with or without me :)

Today's post is short... I'm tired and sore from playing Wii for hours on end at Kris and Patrick's. If you need a good Wii tennis partner I'm your girl :)

Talk to you all soon!

Cheryl

I'm graduating today!! YAY!

2007-05-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

It's graduation morning!!! If you count pre-school, this makes 19 years of school finally drawing to a close!! Can you tell I'm excited? I am sitting here in my cap just for fun (as you can see from the photo, taken about 2 minutes ago with my cell phone.) Mom, dad, and Lo are coming up around 3 to kick off the festivities. Then tomorrow I am moving back home... wow! What a quick change. 5 years has FLOWN by, but I'm excited to keep going and discover what God has in store for me next!

I'll miss everyone here in CS but I refuse to get TOO mushy and upset... because I plan on keeping up with all of you.

Love love love!!!

Cher

Coffee and Cookies...

2007-05-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's all a girl really needs to gain a little perspective on life! I went out for coffee with an amazing friend last night and we had some major girl talk time. I'm pretty sure every patron at Starbucks now thinks we are undoubtedly crazy! Things got loud at points. There was definitely a point where our thoughts could only be conveyed by standing and demonstrating. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall last night.

Then cookies - after two failed attempts to go see a late showing of Spiderman 3 we settled on brake and bake cookies from HEB. Two midnight episodes of Fresh Prince and 3 oatmeal macadamia nut cookies later, I was feeling good and ready to go to sleep.

Thanks for the fun night LB... you make me smile :) I was having a rough week, but I'm feeling better now!

Much Love - Cher

Kinks in the Plan

2007-05-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Warning. Vague pensive thoughts ahead.

Today I have had cause to think a lot about my future and the things that I allow to come into my life and potentially affect that future. Somewhere along the line I decided on a way I wanted my future to be and I have successfully deflected every little thing that has threatened to alter that future in any way, shape, or form. I thought this was mature. I thought this was wise. Know yourself, know your plans, and be very goal oriented. Make the most of your future - in short - DON'T SCREW UP THE PLAN.

But today I had a slightly jarring realization... could it possibly be that I have been so committed to "the plan" that I was too afraid to let certain good things come into my life, simply because they threatened the future of the plan? WHAT IF life doesn't work like that. Well, I know it doesn't actually. We have to be open to the good things God brings into our lives. Sometimes that requires chance. Always it requires faith and trust.

I have always considered myself an optimist, but when it comes to matters of the heart... and the central features of "the plan" I find myself being decidedly pessimistic. I take this new curveball thrown into the mix and start to pick it apart piece by piece. I lay out the good, I lay out the not so good, and I weigh the parts against each other. I think I'm realizing, though, that I put way too much weight on the not so good. When one or two details seem to threaten the plan in a negative way, I begin the downward spiral. I become a pessimist concerning the situation and it's eventual acceptance into my life is most likely doomed. Is this how God has called me to live?

I struggle to understand the balance between fear and wisdom. When I am evaluating a situation, how much of my evaluation is healthy wisdom - discerning that something might be a good or poor fit for me. The scarier question - how much of my evaluation is simply fear - fear of the unknown, fear of lifestyle change, fear of having to exert any effort to make the plan workable. At which point is the line crossed? How am I ever supposed to know?!

I am afraid. I am afraid that I am letting good things pass me by. I am afraid that in my efforts to secure for myself the ideal future, I am forfeiting amazing things in the process... possibly things God has brought into my life. Things that I am looking at, and saying "God, thanks for the effort, but I'm going to have to turn this blessing down. It's just not in the plan. Try again later, maybe next time you'll be a little more on target." OH how I pray this is not what I'm doing!! Lord - forgive me if I am. But the Bible clearly tells me to fear not - to worry about nothing. And I can honestly say I have and am doing the very best I know how. I just pray that God will continue to refine my discernment!

The Bible says that if any man lacks wisdom, he should ask for it. Well, I am asking for it. And by the truckload if that's alright with you God. Lord, help me to embrace your blessings with open arms. Help me to see the positive more than the negative, and not be afraid of a challenge in life.... a kink in the plan. But at the same time, help me understand when my concerns are valid and should be heeded.

It's just been one of those days. But the funny thing was - this was an AMAZING day. But sometimes it is in the midst of amazingness we start to reevaluate things. Maybe it's time for a big reevaluation.

Aggie Dog

2007-05-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

Now that my friends, is one darn cute Aggie. The tent sale had doggie shirts on sale for $5.

Now before you bite my head off for being one of "those dog owners" lets just keep our perspective. For one, she lives with my parents, so I'm sort of like the grandma that gets to spoil her on visits. And I am really not the type to completely frill out her dog - but come on - for $5?! I just couldn't resist. Also, check out the double strand pearl "necklace" I made her for Christmas. Very Barbara Bush, no? What can I say... I love my dog :) Besides, I'm pretty sure that t-shirt came off about 2 seconds after this pic was taken.

Concluding a fifth of a life...

2007-04-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hi sweet friends :)

Can you believe I am finally down to 3 weeks until graduation? It feels like yesterday I was climbing over the bike racks with my dad to get a peek into the window of my first dorm room and imagining how adventerous and fulfilling it was going to be to have my own little space in the world, away from parents and friends and the life I had known in Kingwood. Those memories have become precious ones to me. I had no idea where the next 5 years would take me, and had I known, I would have probably been shocked and awed.

Now I am finding myself once again going through this process. I am again a wide eyed newbie looking into the windows of life after college - the prospect of renting my own apartment in the city, paying all my own bills, upgrading my car eventually to a safer and more spacious model, and most importantly - working in the field God has led me into and interacting daily with executives and professionals far my senior. I want to remember all the great times at A&M but I also want to embrace this new chapter with as much vigor and thrill as I took on the last. If as many landmark events and moments of growth are destined to characterize my new life as I've witnessed in my last, then I'm so very happy to dive headfirst into this new time.

But in wrapping up my time in Aggieland (I don't do change so well - so I'm trying hard to embrace this experience head on!) my goals are as follows:

Choose not to regret any experience gone through or foregone during my 5 years at Texas A&M. I lived the experience God designed for me to walk. All good and painful moments had a vital role in shaping the woman I have become.
Reflect on and be thankful for all the relationships that impacted my way of thinking and challenged my paradigms. College is as much about broadening your worldview and becoming a moving force in society as it is gaining the head knowledge to allow success in your eventual job.
Take the time necessary to go to the people who made a difference in my time here and thank them for the impact they left on my life. As cheesy as it may sound, this will really help me as much as them. People deserve to be told when they have been a positive influence - it motivates them to continue and reassures them that they were right to make the personal investments they did in people. For me, it will constructively help me tie that big maroon bow on the "box" I think of my time here as. It's closure, and I personally think it's healthy.

Needless to say - the numbers of people who influenced me are endless, so if I don't get to you, know that your impact is deeply loved and appreciated! What a blessing to have spent time at a university like Texas A&M. I wish every young adult could have the opportunity I have had. This school is a family. This school is my family.

“From the outside looking in you don’t understand it, from the inside looking out you can’t explain it.”

It's crazy, but it's just so darn true. But if you want me to TRY to explain it, don't worry - I will go to great lengths (and use hand motions if necessary) to get the point across.

In short - THANK YOU.

Proudest member of the Fightin Texas Aggie class of 2006,

Cheryl

Beauty is Fleeting

2007-04-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised" Proverbs 31:30

In an article I read today (located here) I read something that, although the concept is so simple, still struck a chord with me. As a woman, I am right there with the best of them as far as being self critical goes. Especially as a single woman, I notice that I am more prone to being self critical now than when I was in a relationship. Women are constantly concerned with how we are perceived. What are a few common questions that women have running through their heads?

Am I as pretty as the next girl?
Does this outfit flatter my figure?
Do I laugh too much?
Is my personality just a little too "out there"?
Am I anything special, or do I just fade into the crowd?
Am I the kind of girl guys want to marry?
Am I too stuffy and uptight?

I could go on for days, and I'm sure each girl has a few questions of her own that she could add. The article pointed out that each of these questions can be put into one of two catagories:

Questions of Charm (personality)
Questions of Beauty

How appropriate that God so directly focused on these two areas when he pointed out that charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting. But then he reminds us - but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised! As I come up on "wedding season" and graduation I am more conscious than ever about how I look and act! I will be meeting so many new people and have so many photos taken. It is a great reminder to me that my job here is simply to fear the Lord and work on my relationship with him. My somebody for someday will recognize that in me and be attracted despite the huge zit on my cheek and the fact that I go slightly psychotic after 10 pm.

And THAT my friends, is something to WHOOP about!

Ready to roll...

2007-03-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

Okay so this afternoon I posted the last few posts from my myspace blog on here, so at least now the place feels a bit more lived in :) The other site is always still available if you are interested in older stuff. (Although I'm not sure why you would be.)

In other news - I cut the grass today! The neighbor guy came and told me if I ever wanted him to mow my backyard with his riding mower to just let him know. Tempting. Also, I got my first support letter response for my East Asia trip in the mail today! Praise God - this thing is actually happening now, we are underway baby! I have my second training day saturday and then I get to go camping with my amazing coach group at McKinney State Falls Park. Fun shall be had by all. Although, I'm not sure if the crew is ready to meet the 2am, loses all her inhibitions Cher. Hmmm.

First blogspot post...

2007-03-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

Most of my friends are using blogspot these days so I thought I'd join in on the fun... I have all my old posts on my myspace blog, but maybe I can get those transferred here one of these days. If you want to see that blog click here.

In other news... I officially have my last college class ever tomorrow (WHOOP!) but to be honest it's a bittersweet moment. I have loved loved loved my time in Aggieland and I will always be an Aggie through and through! On that note, I need to go write my paper that is due at 8 am tomorrow. IT security is a fascinating topic and I need to dedicate four pages worth of thoughts to convincing my professor of this fact. :)

Love y'all!

Cher

The Beauty of Contentment...

2007-03-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

Hello Beautiful Friends :) Well it's been a while, but I havn't felt inspired by anything recently, so I just decided to wait until the inspiration came. Yesterday must have been like my "introspective catch up day" because all the thoughts flooded me at once. So I decided to share one of those thoughts with you :)

I have been learning the greatest things about contentment lately! It's amazing how God reveals sin in our lives at the most random moments. It's like a light comes on and we can finally start to climb out the hole we never realized we had even fallen in. I am reading "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow with an awesome christian woman at my church this semester. There are many things in life I have chosen to be discontent about, but until recently I never realized the weight my discontentment placed on me. A missionary mentioned in the book was quoted as having lived by her own "keys to contentment". These keys were as follows:

1. Never allow yourself to complain about anything - not even the weather.
2. Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or somplace else
3. Never compare your lot with anothers
4. Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
5. Never dwell on tomorrow - remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours.

I am convicted on EVERY one of those points! If we could train ourselves to adopt these life habits, imagine how much more peace we would have. It reminds me of when I was little and my mom would take me to mall and remind me to have "tunnel vision" - go in for what you want and don't get caught up in letting your eyes wander to the hundreds of sparkley things thrust in front of you - that will almost certainly end in discontentment! Personally, I struggle sometimes with fears about the career I've chosen (accounting) and how that will ultimately impact other areas of my life and my desire to pursue creative outlets (the jokes about the dull lives of CPA's abound, but just ask me if you want me to go off on THAT soapbox!). Then I stop and realize, that God made me just the way I am - and I believe he has guided me to the places I am today. I must choose to be content with TODAY, realizing that God blesses whatever I do, if it is done for his glory and with a right heart. I must give my tomorrows to God. My job today is to wake up every morning, and make good choices. Choices that glorify my heavenly father. I will pray and ask God to bring me the other desires of my heart in his timing - for his word clearly says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4. He does not make us with passions only to ask us to walk away from them. (Yes, there are circumstances where God does require sacrifice - but I find that sacrifice normally has more to do with our selfish desires and perversions than the actual passion itself). So I pray - then I breathe deeply and let all the stress and anguish of subconsiously fighting for something I don't have or havn't experienced dissipate away from me... it's like a strong cleansing wind comes over me and wisks away the ugly black cloud of discontentment that was holding my joy captive. And all of a sudden a new beautiful me - a me that radiates with the light and peace of the one who lives in me (that's God!) steps forward to take on today. Hallelujah!

Ultimately remember this - we are eternal creatures. Our time on this earth is short. If we have trusted in Christ and believe the truth of his sacrifice on our behalf, we will surely spend our eternity in the presence of our King! What is this life in comparison to an eternity in heaven? Nothing. I echo the apostle Paul in saying... "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." Philippians 3:8. Paul - you were SO the man.

Oh - P.S. I would like add a 6th key to contentment... take time every day to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings in your life. Not only does God long to hear from us - there is nothing that will keep your perspective in check like a good dose of counting your blessings!!

Love y'all more than you know-

Cher

What I've learned from the Amish...

2006-10-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

Lately there has been lots of talk about the terrible tradgedy that happened a few weeks ago when a local man murdered five amish school girls in the small town of Paradise, Pennsylvania. This morning I read a really interesting article that looked at this sad event from a new perspective.

The article is here if you want to read it before you read my blog.

The article shed some light on how the Amish have handled this tradgedy. Most importantly however, the article opened my eyes to an alternate way of viewing the difficult process of forgiveness. I have often raised questions about forgiveness and how it is actually accomplished. If we say we have forgiven someone for something, can we really claim we have forgiven them if we still harbor any grief of hardness in our hearts? The amish in the town of Paradise claim they have forgiven the murderer, and have reached out to the family of the murderer in more ways than one.

"Just hours after the shooting the Amish were already reaching out to the non-Amish family of Charles Roberts IV, who had barricaded 10 girls aged 6-13 in their school house, tied them up in front of the blackboard and shot them, fatally wounding five before killing himself. One Amish man went to the home of Roberts' parents and embraced his weeping father on the front porch, saying, "All has been forgiven." Members of the Amish community also invited Roberts' widow, Marie, to attend one of the girl's funerals, and many of the Amish were present at Roberts' burial. When aid began to pour into the community to help with medical bills, the Amish requested that a similar fund be established for Marie, who has three young children of her own to care for."

All has been forgiven?! I would have so much trouble forgiving any man who killed five innocent children whom I loved. But this is where the story gets good... the author of the article pointed out something great...

"...perhaps the willingness to forgive does not signify that the act is complete. It is more like a promise to initiate the hard work of beginning to forgive — a little bit like taking a wedding vow. When we promise to care for another person in sickness and health, we only know that we intend to keep our vows, but we cannot comprehend the weight of them or the way that their meaning will grow as the years wear on."

I love this. Forgiveness is a process, as very well it should be. There is no need to feel guilty for not being able to let go of 100% of the pain and effects of a heartache at the mere utterance of the words "all is forgiven." It reminds me of other spiritual phenomenon that I have discovered to be processes over the years, such as learning to let go of doubt. God is so gracious to love us even through the difficult times of growing and healing we must endure as humans. In fact, I believe it is in these times he holds us the tightest.

Finally, I want to mention an episode of Oprah I watched a couple days ago. Oprah and her friend Gayle visited an Amish community and interviewed a precious young family. When asked so many questions about how they manage to live their lives in the way they do, I absolutely fell in love with them. They refered to how their strength came from God, family, discipline... and how many things in life were just "givens" to them. It is given that there simply is no divorce, it is not an option. It is given that you respect the person you are dating and never even concieve of premarital sex before marraige. These things are less of struggles because they have decided on their values, and they hold fast to them. And the most amazing thing was that the joy and love eminating from their hearts and marraige was more than apparent, even in a brief 10 minute interview. This is how we should live... deciding the values we hold dear, and assuming them as given. We could all learn a thing or two from these fascinating people!

"Ultimately, forgiveness is not a denial of wrongs committed, but a willingness to accept that there are things that we cannot undo or even understand. It a deeply humble act, as we offer up the work of executing justice to God. The Amish realize that it is not their job to carry bitterness to the grave. As a child psychologist friend of mine, Russell Carleton, said, "When you forgive someone, their act no longer defines your life."

Can I get an amen!?!

James Taylor was on the money...

2006-10-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

"Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?" - James Taylor

I was laying in bed last night thinking about life (surprise surprise) and I had a certain thought that caused a sudden little flood of peace and joy to wash over me. This thought isn't new for me, by all means, but last night, it just popped in my head at such a sweet moment. I'll explain...

You know those new hp pavilion laptop commercials where the featured celebrity explains their life by pulling things out of thin air? If not, click here to see what I'm talking about. I started invisioning what life would be like if I could tell stories this way... but not just any story. I imagined being face to face with an enemy - the enemy of lonliness, the enemy of lies we tell ourselves, the enemy of confusion and despair. I imagined it was a battle, but before we started fighting, we got to form our teams. I started forming my team by looking to all the different groups of friends I have and handpicking them "hp commercial style" and placing them all together in front of my enemy. I looked at my family first... then moved onto church, then onto school friends. I thought of high school buddies, Aggie choir friends... and I started to realize something. I have so many people who I know are in my camp. We all do. I am surrounded by the love of people who support me, rejoice with me, take delight in me and I in them.

I want people to remember this - we all go through times in our lives when things are looking grim, but at these times some of the best therapy you can have is to pull out old photo albums... place pictures all around your room of those people who love you. Lonliness can leave you feeling stranded on an island, but if you mentally populate that island with the friends and family that stand behind you through life, your deserted island will quickly turn into the luau of the century .

Thanks to all of the beautiful people that make me smile every day - God couldn't have blessed me with a better team than y'all. Oh- and know that I am on your team. I'm on the front lines baby.

"I needed the shelter of someone's arms and there you were. I needed someone to understand my ups and downs and there you were. With sweet love and devotion, deeply touching my emotion, I want to stop and thank you..." - James Taylor

Videos and Photos from the TAMU v. ARMY weekend

2006-09-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

So google has the easiest way to upload videos, so I put a lot of videos on that site... the only sucky thing is that you can't send a link to a page with all my videos, you have to show each link individually. BUT... if you want to, once you open one of the videos, there should be a link on that page that says "from user" and if you click it it will pull up all my videos. Unfortunately they don't give me a link to this page I can send out. If anyone smarter than me can figure this out for me let me know!!

Just so you know what's going on... A bunch of friends and I went up to San Antonio for the weekend to see the TAMU v. Army game. We spent a couple nights at John Jamber's ranch about an hour out of San Antonio. The day of the game we went into San Antonio and watched a parade then went to a tailgate party, where the TAMU Mariachi band played. These videos are a diary of our adventures!

On a tour of the ranch in the truck...
Cheryl feeding the cows
Trying to catch an alligator
The alligator on the move
The Aggie Band on parade
The TAMU Mariachi Band sings "Twist and Shout"
The Aggie Band marching in block T

If you want to see the still photos click here.

And a couple other non-weekend related videos I put up if you are interested!

Mollie's new Kitten
Travis and Ashley's Wedding - The first dance

Happy Viewing!!!

Ahh! So Embaressing!

2006-04-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

I had the most embaressing experience ever at Sonic yesterday evening.

So I pull in to the little booth thingie, push the big red button (WHICH by the way is so fun... I love to push buttons, and big red ones are extra thrilling... although this tendency is along the sames lines as to how I got myself into this embarresing perdicament about to be disclosed...) After I ordered my two corndogs with mustard and a medium cranberry limeade, I decided to pay with my debit card at the new little machine attached to my speaker. Well they don't give you an option to leave a tip, so I went fishing through my wallet for 75 cents to give the carhop when she came. Then the waiting began. The college station Sonic is particularly slow when it comes to bringing orders, but I assume that this being a college town, they assume their clientele will be mature enough to patiently wait it out, or else find something safe and constructive to do in their waiting time. They made a big oversight in not counting on the likes of me. So these three shiny quarters are just sitting in my hand and I start to fidget with them... stacking them, balancing them on my fingers, and eventually I think... hmmm I wonder if they would fit in these funny little crevices on my steering wheel. Thus my middle school tactile tendencies emerge. Much to my immediate pleasure, and momentary horror, the quarter does fit in the hole. Oh it not only fits, it fits ALL the way in... as in it has now fallen somewhere inside my steering column and I can hear it rattleing around. DUMB Cheryl. So I start investigating a way to get the quarter out, seeing if I can somehow unattach the front of my steering wheel... nope. So I start turning my wheel trying to get it to fall out somehow (I guess I thought it may fall out like a guitar pick in a guitar) and as would be my luck the quarter shifts, lodging itself squarely behind my horn. Which proceeds to go off blaring. And I can't make it stop. I commence panic fest 2006 doing all sorts of measures of things to my steering wheel... i.e. screaming at it, hitting it, trying to pry it practically off... all while a crowd of fellow patrons grow increasingly annoyed and curious. Thirty seconds or so go by. Horn is still blaring. I begin to get very upset and decide the only thing to do is pull out of my spot and drive away, so that I won't be attacked by a vicious mob of irritated sonic-ites. Fortunately, this seems to do the trick... as I reverse out of my spot, a sharp turn of my wheel seems to dislodge the quarter and end the pandemonium. I throw the car in park and sit there in disbelief for a moment. As I look up I see a terrified car hop standing sheepishly in front of my car. I all of a sudden realize what she, and the other 6 employees must have been thinking as they heard my horn and witnessed my thrashing, screaming fit of panic that had happened moments ago. I look up and with embarresment and regret start apoligizing profusely... "I'm so so sorry ma'am... something is wrong... my steering wheel... it's messed up... I'm sorry!" She replied with a very confused look and a worried "We thought you were mad at us!" Soooo humiliating. I quickly took my corn dogs and drink and fled the scene as soon as I could. The thing is, that dang quarter is still stuck in my steering wheel and I can hear it rattle when I turn. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before this traumatizing episode gets a sequel.

Sooo... the moral of the story is... never assume just because a girl is 22 she is "grown up" and will know better than to stick small objects in dark holes just to "see if they'll fit." She will. And all hell will break loose. Bring her her darn corn dogs quickly before something goes terribly arwy!

Formal statement of apology to Sonic employees and patrons as of 8/3/2006: "I, Cheryl Cox, want to take this moment to formally apologize for any undue stress I caused you Thursday evening while waiting for my order. I promise next time to keep my hands folded neatly in my lap and wait patiently for my food."