Update

hi! just checking in for a quick update. Have you missed me? ; )

well, my hair is cut, & i just love it. :) i'm still working on getting a picture of it, though.

My parents came to visit on wednesday. It's always fun to see them. --esp. dad, who seldom comes out here.

Today, we leave to go to San Diego for a little family vacation. We're planning to go to Lego Land one day, which should be fun. We'll return on Tuesday, and then go celebrate the 4th w/Chris' family. Then I'll hang out w/my parents the rest of the week. I'm looking forward to that. :)

The next weekend, i'm going to a big homeschool convention in LA. I'm really looking forward to that. I'm hoping to find some great curriculum for the kids while I'm there.

My photography class is going well. It's SO technical! Very left-brained, which I'm not much good at. It's hard for me to use my right brain to take a creative photograph, when I'm busy using my left brain to figure out shutter speed and aperature and all those other things. Eek!

I've finished next week's assignments early, since i'm going to be out of town. The assignment was "rules and successfully breaking them." I was going to show you some pictures, but the uploader isn't working right now. I'll try again another time.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, & a fun 4th of July! :)

good-bye, long hair

Ever since Zachary was born, three years ago, i've been growing my hair out. I had decided that I would grow it until my 30th birthday. well, that day came and went, but I was enjoying my long hair, so i decided not to cut it after all. But the last month, or so, I've been HATING it. And today, I get to go chop it all off! i can't wait!! these are the best pictures that i could find of my long hair... 'll see if i can take a decent one after it's all cut!

Me

Here's the photo i took for my first assignment. My self-portrait:

Where the heck is Vale, California!?

okay... i just got off the phone w/Amazon. They hunted my book down, & told me that it's in Vale, California, and that I could expect it by Wednesday or Thursday!! WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY!? I made it clear to the LAST guy I spoke with over a week ago, that I needed it BEFORE the 18th! so the guy I spoke to today, said, "let's be positive, and hope that it get's there by wednesday." POSITIVE!? what??? I very nicely informed him that being positive wouldn't help me read four chapters with no book, & let him know that I wouldn't be counting on Amazon for anything of importance anymore... *sigh*

Now i'm off to call Borders in hopes that they'll have my book in stock.

overwhelmed

okay...today is the very first day of my new photography class! YAY! And while i'm so excited to be learning great things, i'm completely overwhelmed!!! because this is a summer course, she's cramming 15 weeks worth of stuff into 6 weeks. EEK! so i'm just a little stressed, esp. because the textbook that i ordered from Amazon.com about 3 weeks ago STILL hasn't arrived --and i have to read about 4 chapters this week. AK!

so... while i'm stressing w/my class, i'm not sure if i'll be able to keep up w/my 1 post/day on the blog. I know you're all addicted, & just LOVE hearing from me every day, but i promise to pick it back up when i'm done w/the class. & who knows, maybe i'll be able to pop in more of than i think, & tell you a little something that i'm learning. But if not, and you find yourself wishing you had something to read, may I recommend The Shack? ; )

okay....gotta run & call Amazon to find out where my book is!

Your Papa is Especially Fond of You

okay... here are some of my favorite quotes from The Shack. Most (if not all) are God speaking. Let me know if any of these touch you, too. :)

• "The real underlying flaw in your life...is that you don't think that I am good. If you knew I was good and that everything -- the means, the ends, and all the processes of individual lives-- is all covered by my goodness, then while you might not always understand what I am doing, you would trust me. But you don't...Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved. Because you do not now that I love you, you cannot trust me."
  
• "When all you can see is your pain, perhaps then you lose sight of me?"



• "Remember this, humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I have for them..."



• "That is the wonder and adventure of exploration, a piece of what you call science -- to discern and discover what we have hidden for you to find....The choice to hide so many wonders from you is an act of love that is a gift inside the process of life."



• "But without wisdom, imagination is a cruel task master...do you realize that your imagination of the future, which is almost always dictated by fear of some kind, rarely, if ever, pictures me there with you?...To the degree that those fears have a place in your life, you neither believe I am good nor know deep in your heart that I love you.



• "So many believe that it is love that grows, but it is the knowing that grows and love simply expands to contain it. Love is just the skin of knowing."



• "He chose the way of the cross where mercy triumphs over justice because of love."



• "Guilt'll never help you find freedom in me. The best it can do is make you try harder to conform to some ethic on the outside. I'm about the inside."



• "Faith does not grow in the house of certainty."



• "...religion is about having the right answers, and some of their answers are right. But I am about the process that takes you to the living answer."



• "To the degree that you resort to expectations and responsibilities, to that degree you neither know me nor trust me...to that degree you will live in fear."

Another great book!

the one person who I most respect in life is my mom. She has always been living example of Christ to me. I value the incredible wisdom, insight, and love that come naturally to her, and I admire her passion for God.

My mom is an avid reader, skilled at discovering the incredible treasures of wisdom that are waiting the to be found in the world of literature. The majority the books on my favorites lists have come from her. A couple weeks ago, when she told me about a new book that she was reading, I was intrigued. But when she told me that it was life-changing for her, I knew it was a must-read. My mom is so mature in the Lord, that I am surprised when she tells me about an area in which she's growing. I mean...I just don't think it's possible for her to grow any more! So if this book made her grow, it *must* be good.

So I ordered The Shack by William P. Young. I started reading it yesterday, and finished it today. And can I just say that it was life-changing? My prayer lately, has been that God would make Himself real to me, and reveal His love. This book did just that. It was God's answer to my prayer.


The Shack is the story of a man, who lost his daughter to a violent crime. But in the midst of his Great Sadness, God comes and speaks His love and life into this broken man, & makes him whole again. I don't know how to tell you any more about it w/out giving anything away. (let me just say that I hate any book or movie that makes me cry, & avoid them like the plague. This book was a bit of a tear-jerker, but i would [and plan to] read it again and again.) But I highly recommend this book to anyone!

Actually, here's the little "about-the-book" from the back:

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

That's true! :)

oops!

oh my gosh! I just looked at my calendar, & realized that i never wished Erik & Dawn a happy anniversary! :(

So... A happy belated anniversary to Erik & Dawn! 17 years, right? I can't believe it!!! Congratulations. :)

Did you do anything special to celebrate?

Alone

Here's a picture I took at the beach the other day. i just loved this little old lady's beautiful hat & bright red shirt, so i snuck a quick snap. This is my first time to do any cool editing with color (how she's in color but the background is black & white). I like how it turned out. --Thanks, Jay, for your help. :)

a little about me

do you ever get those emails from friends, where they answer a bunch of pointless questions, and then you're supposed to do the same and send it back? Well, I get them every so often, but I never do them. But I was a having a slow day when two different friends sent one to me, so i filled one out. Thought i'd post it here. If you would like, I'd love to see *YOUR* answers. You can copy & paste this in the comments section. Then just delete my answers and add yours. :)


WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?no. my parents didn't have a name for me for 10 days. Mom wanted to name me Carrie, & dad wanted Teklah (my brother wanted Cynthi) Finally they decided on Karina, & my mom would call me Kari. Later, Mom wished she had named me joanna after my grandma. that's why, when i got in trouble, she would call me, "Kari Joanna Jauchen Mugele!" --even though my name was Karina Anne Mugele. :)


WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? last weekend at a ladies' retreat. it doesn't take much to make me cry,though. i'll probably cry 3 or 4 more times this week.


DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING sometimes it's beautiful, an other times it's really sloppy. but i have no control.


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? salami, but only in small doses.


DO YOU WANT TO HAVE MORE KIDS? *sigh*.... yes.


IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?yes... i think i like myself. :)


DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? sometimes


DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS yep. don't think i've ever had tonsillitis or strepp.


WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? oh yah!


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Smacks --remember when they were called Sugar Smacks? Then they took off the sugar, & just called them smacks. now they're called Honey Smacks. :)


DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? nope. that's a pain.


DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? strong personality. strong opinions. emotionally fragile at times. weak physically.


WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? their smile


RED OR PINK? who woulda thought that i would ever say.. PINK! red is just... too.... RED.


WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? oh... there are so many things... i'm not a hard worker... i tend to give up easily. Not very persistent. easily disheartened.

DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? YES!


WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? barefoot.. but i'm about to put on my fuzzy blue socks because my feet are freezing! & i'm wearing my favorite brown sweatpants w/the hole in the butt. don't anyone come over right now. ;)


WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?a "letter cookie"


WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? my kids playing. microwave beeping, telling me that my meat is done thawing.


IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? as much as i hate the color, i'd probably be hot pink.


FAVORITE SMELLS? lilies, chocolate baking, spearmint


WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? chris


FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? dancing


HAIR COLOR?redish blackish brownish auburnish w/redish streaks


EYE COLOR?blue --but they look green if i wear a green shirt


DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?no


FAVORITE FOOD? not even a question: chocolate


SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? always a happy ending. it's must --even in a scary movie.


LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Fracture - which I thought was excellent!


WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?dark blue-green


SUMMER OR WINTER?since i live in SB, i choose summer. if i still lived in TX, i don't know....


HUGS OR KISSES?both


FAVORITE DESSERT? flourless chocolate torte w/raspberry sauce


WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? a thousand... the primary one is Victory Over the Darkness

WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Van Gogh's Starry Night --although it's pretty ratty. i need a new one.


.WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?nothing. haven't seen my husband since Thrs. night, so we just enjoyed each other's company.


FAVORITE SOUNDS the pitter patter of little feet... i'm sure there are more..just can't think right now, because evy's climbing all over my lap & i'm in a hurry to go get my meat out of the microwave.


ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?Beatles


WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Hawaii


DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?no. maybe photography...surviving as a mother of 4 little children?


WHERE WERE YOU BORN?Oaxaca, Mexico


WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?everyone. this is fun. :)

Photo Challenge: Red

I mentioned awhile ago, that I'm part of a group that does photo challenges a couple time a week. Thursday's challenge was RED. Here are the pictures that I took:

These are the two that I submitted to the contest. Voting starts today, & closes on Thursday, when they give a new challenge.

If you'd like to see the photos that other people submitted, you can go here.

MICAH!

Happy Birthday To Micah!!

Four years!

Yesterday, I forgot to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Heather & Eric!

I remember your wedding well. :) Sadly, this is the only photo i have. ;)

Heather & Eric are such a cool couple! I love them both. And i'm so grateful that they have eachother. --I couldn't have asked for a better husband for my best friend. :)

Congratulations on FOUR YEARS!!

Evelyn

Every time i put Evelyn in her car seat, she grabs her little pink blankie and rubs it with her fingertips as she pops her thumb in her mouth.

notice the floral print car seat? That's because Chris *insisted* that we get something girly for our baby girl. We looked in *many* different stores, for a pink one, but we had to settle on this. (which *I* think is just darling) :)

Another of Evy, sitting naked (except for the crown) on the table, eating leftovers. :)

As a side-note, i thought i should point out that we pronounce her name "eh-vee" (with a short "e") not "ee-vee" (with a long "e")

Wisdom that I am Reading

Well, today, I was just going to post a quick picture, but the uploader isn't working. So instead, I thought I'd share some things that I thought were interesting from my book, Victory Over the Darkness. I'll try to just post a picture tomorrow. That way if you don't have time to read this all today, you can finish it tomorrow. :)

*"You don't change yourself by your perception. You change yourself your perception. You change your perception of yourself by believing the truth. If yo perceive yourself wrongly, you will live wrongly because what you are believing is not true. If you think you are a no-goo bum, you will probably live like a no-good bum. If, however, you see yourself as a child of God who is spiritually alive in Christ, you will begin to live accordingly. Next to a knowledge of God, a knowledge of who you are is by far the most important truth you can possess.
The major strategy of Satan is to distort the character of God and the truth of who we are. He can't change God and he can't do anything to change our identity and position in Christ. If, however, he can get us to believe a lie, we will live as though our identity in Christ isn't true."

"I believe that the greatest determinant for how we treat people is how we perceive them."

"Studies have shown that, in the average home, for every positive statement, a child receives 10 negative statements...These studies go on to point out that it takes four positive statements to negate the effect of one negative statement."

" ...We are not supposed to recognize Christians for who they were in Adam, but for who they now are in Christ."

"Too many Christians are trying to show that the bible is true by the way they live. It will never work for them. We accept what God says is true and live accordingly by faith, and this abundant life works out in our experience."

"we should be able to say every year, 'I am more loving, peaceful, joyful, patient, kind and gentle than I was last year.' If we can't honestly say that, then we are not growing."

"We live as though the kingdom of darkness does not exist. Our naivete in this area is exacting a crippling toll that keeps many Christians from experiencing their freedom in Christ."

"We must learn to have enough self-awareness to know when we are living according to the flesh and to assume responsibility for our own attitudes and actions. We need to walk in the light and learn to confess our sins, which means to consciously agree with God. When a deed of flesh becomes evident, mentally acknowledge that to God and ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit. the more you practice that simple little discipline, the more you will live according to the Spirit."

"If you want your faith in god to increase, you must increase your knowledge of God."

"Those distortions often arise when the church is not living to its potential. Consequently, many people think the church is an infirmary where sick people go. We limp along in unbelief, hoping the rapture will come soon and take us out of this miserable defeat. The church is not an infirmary; it is a military outpost under orders to storm the gates of hell. Every believer is on active duty, called to take part in fulfilling the Great Commission (see Mat. 28:19-20)
Thankfully, the church has an infirmary that ministers to the weak and the wounded, but the infirmary exists only for the purpose of the military outpost. Our real calling is to be change agents in the world, taking a stand, living by faith and fulfilling our purpose for being here."

"The primary truth you need to know about god for your faith to remain strong is that his love and acceptance are unconditional. When your walk of faith is strong, God loves you. When your walk of faith is weak, god loves you. When you are strong one moment and weak the next, God still loves you. God's love for you is the great eternal constant in the midst of all the inconsistencies of your daily walk."

"Walking by faith simply means that you function in daily life on the basis of what you believe. In fact, you are already walking by faith; you can't not walk by faith. People may not always live what they profess, but they will always live what they believe. If your behavior is off, you need to correct what you believe because your misbehavior is the result of your disbelief. The writer of Hebrews said, 'Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. (13:7)"

"Happy is the man who wants what he has."

"We can't directly control our feelings, but we can control what we think."

"...take 'every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor 10:5). Practice threshold, first-frame thinking. Evaluate every thought by the truth and don't even consider tempting, accusing or lying thoughts. Should you rebuke every negative thought? No! That is like being in the middle of a pond with 12 corks floating around you, and your entire life's purpose is to tread water and keep the corks submerged. Ignore the stupid corks and swim to shore. Choose the truth and keep choosing it until it becomes the normal pattern of your life."

"your emotions play a major role in the process of renewing your mind. In a general sense, your emotions are a product of your thought life. If you are not thinking right, if your mind is not being renewed, if you are not perceiving God and his Word properly, it will show up in your emotional life. "

"Remember, if what you believe does not reflect truth, then what you feel does not reflect reality."

"The order of Scripture is to know the truth, believe it, live accordingly by faith, and let your emotions be a product of your trust in God and your obedience to Him."

"Emotions are God's indicators to let you know what is going on inside. They are neither good nor bad; they are amoral, just part of your humanity. Just as you respond to the warnings of physical pain, so you need to learn to respond to your emotional indicators."

"...unforgiveness is the number one avenue Satan uses to gain entrance to believers' lives."

"Forgiveness is to set a captive free and then to realize you were the captive."

"God is fully capable of cleaning His own fish. My responsibility is to catch them and love them the way Christ loves me."

Mighty Warrior!

Last weekend i went to a ladies' retreat w/my church. It was so great because the speaker spoke on some of the same things that we're learning in our "Victory Over the Darkness" class. The whole weekend was on "the keys of the kingdom" which dealt a lot w/spiritual warfare, and I was completely inspired. I've always had a passion for spiritual warfare, & the impact of prayer...but I'm not all that much of a pray-er. :( At the end of the end of the meeting on Sat. night, i went & asked someone to pray for me, & "commission" me to be a mighty warrior!

anyway... our speaker was Toni Kline, and she was phenomenal. Here are some things that I wrote down as she spoke:


*A physical trainer always pushes you further than you think you can go. But the next time you work out, you're stronger because of it. God does the same thing. If you feel you can't go any more, trust God. He's taking you further to make you stronger.

*You are in a war whether you fight or not. If you don't fight, you'll just get beat up.

*Complacency is the enemy of Growth

*One of the greatest lies that Satan tells us is that it's harder to live with Jesus.

*Our circumstances don't represent the truth.

*There are many pleasures in the kingdom, but if I'm always going for the lesser pleasures, I'll never know the fullness of joy in his Kingdom.

*Satan is more fearful of our prayers than anything else we do.

*The greatest spiritual weapon we have is LOVE.

*What difference could you be making with your prayers?

*Belt of truth: Know who God is. Brag on His greatness! Stop bragging on the enemy! (i.e. "I can't do it." "I'm just so unhappy" "it will never get better" --you're proclaiming Satan's lies, & proclaiming his greatness)

*Breastplate of righteousness: Who we are - comes from Jesus. He empowers us

*Shoes of peace - with God and Men. If we have bitterness, we will not be able to fight effectively.

*Shield of faith- for action and conquest

*Prayer is not part of the armor - it is the battle itself.

*Don't be too concerned with being comfortable

I had wanted to write the things I've been reading in my book, too, but alas, life is calling, and I must conquer it. Seize the day, and all that. :)

The Zoo

We went to the zoo awhile ago. Here are some pictures that I took.

The lion exhibit at our zoo has a big glass "window" so you can get up close. This one was napping right in front of the window. As she got up to turn around, all the kids squealed with excitement. I love how her tongue was hanging out. :)
Up close & personal. :)

Chloe's Top 20

The kids are eating lunch, and Zachary just spilled his milk. Chloe and Gideon were discussing how beautiful the milk was when it splashed on the ground. ("It looks like crowns!") Chloe said that it was number ten of the most beautiful. --Made me wonder what else is on her list. Here is what she told me.

Chloe's 20 Most Beautiful things:

1. Rainbows
2. Shining stars
3. Family
4. Bracelets and necklaces
5. Colors
6. soft music, like lullabies
7. sparkley purses
8. sunsets
9. roses
10. splashes in spilled milk
11. waterfalls
12. beautiful ribbon
13. the world
14. beautiful plates
15. pretty costumes
16. beautiful pictures
17. shining metal
18. colored lights
19. strawberry crabs
20. evy's pajamas

Pretty Posy

Chloe had her ballet on Sunday. She was a Pretty Posy, not to be confused with the some of the other children who were Precious Petals and Petal Pixies.

Summer Television

Well, now that House, 24, CSI, and Lost have all finished, it's time for our much anticipated summer shows! "So You Think You Can Dance" just started this week. Then next week, we're looking forward to "American Inventor," and "America's Got Talent." So fun!

More Winnie the Pooh

just had to share another excerpt that tickled me: That Eeyore. :)

"Nobody tells me," said Eeyore. "Nobody keeps me Infromed. I
make it seventeen days come Friday since anybody spoke to me."
"It certainly isn't seventeen days---"
"Come Friday," explained Eeyore.
"And today's Saturday," said Rabbit. "So that would make it
eleven days. And I was here myself a week ago."
"Not conversing, " said Eeyore. "Not first one and then the
other. You said 'Hallo' and Flashed Past. I saw your tail in the
distance as I was meditating my reply. I had thought of saying
'What?' - but, of courese, it was then too late."
"Well, I was in a hurry."
"No Give and Take," Eeyore went on. "No Exchange of Thought:
'Hallo--What'----I mean, it gets you nowhere, particularly if the other person's
tail is only just in sight for the second half of the conversation."
"It's your fault, Eeyore. You've never been to see any
of us. You just stay here in this one corner of the Forest waiting for the
others to come to you. Why don't you go to them sometimes?"
Eeyore was silent for a little while, thinking. "There
may be something in whatyou say, Rabbit," he said at last. "I must move
about more. I must come and go."
"That's right, Eeyore. Drop in on any of us at any time,
when you feel like it."
"Thank you, Rabbit. And if anybody says in a Loud Voice
'Bother, it's Eeyore,' I can drop out again."