We are Reeds

Understanding Poverty

2012-02-03T19:14:00.002-06:00

It is the first Friday in February and both Morgan and I are sitting on our futon together. He's been at work since Sunday through Wednesday Nights and last night he had class til 12:30am. Yes. am. So, I'm really glad we're home together tonight, even though he's doing homework.

I have a headache, I think I need to get my eyes checked - it's been about 4 years. It's probably time. But, I am excited for tomorrow and I need to return some books back to a friend, but want to do a book review before then - hence this upcoming review. I just finished this book called A Framework for Understanding Povery by Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D.

I do agree with who the book is meant for, "A must-read for educators, employers, policymakers and service providers," because it clearly illustrated the differences in class structure in American society and how best to bridge those classes by case-studies.

What comes to mind when you think of poverty? Like me, I thought it is just a means of money or lack of money. But, Ruby explains that poverty like other classes in society have hidden rules and it is these rules of communication, dress, response to stress, relationships, cognition and so forth that can perpetuate a class structure. This book opened up my eyes to how best to bridge those who are often view less fortunate or who are viewed as given choices but who choose not to succeed. Ruby explains more on this topic of discipline and how students in poverty tend to look at their actions as something without choices. She also gives a graph of behavior related to poverty (p. 79)

Behavior related to Poverty

Laugh when disciplined. A way to save face in matriarchal poverty.
Argue Loudly with the teacher. Poverty is participatory, and the culture has a distrust of authority. Sees the system as inherently dishonest and unfair.
Angry Response: Anger is based on fear.
Inappropriate or vulgar comments. Reliance on casual register; may not know formal register (communication).
Physically fight: necessary to survive in poverty. ONly know the language of survival. Do not have language or belief system to use conflict resolution. See themselves as less than a man or woman if they don't fight.
Hands always on someone else. Poverty has a heavy reliance on nonverbal data and touch.
Cannot follow directions: Little procedural memory used in poverty. Sequence not used or valued.

There are a bunch of great ideas and suggestions she prompts the reader to become aware of for their classrooms, businesses etc.

I've benefitted from this book and I highly recommend it to others as well.

Have a wonderful friday evening and a great weekend. Will post more soon. Good night!

xoxo Ashley

Saturdays & Sweater Pillows

2012-01-21T22:50:00.000-06:00

Soo... it's Saturday & I've been saving Morgan's Sbux tip money for something special. Nothing in particular of course, but today was the day.

Morgan and I went to the Crooked Tree for his coffee and me for my chai and freshly baked everything bagel & cream cheese. We read, and hung out there most of the morning.

Isn't it homey? Well, it's because it is a home! I love this place - in fact we were originally going to the Pearl Cup. Morgan wanted tea at first, but then he changed his mind to coffee and I thought about the seats at Pearl Cup - they're uncomfortable after an hour so that's how we wound up at the "Tree."

After our time there, we came home for some grub and hang out time before he went to work. We like to watch shows. Currently, since it's Saturday, we were able to watch Kitchen Nightmares - with Gordan Ramsey on hulu.com and then watch two episodes of Numbers from Netflix. Then he was off to work. Bye!

I hovered over the laptop, my head spinning with ideas for what I should do for a pinterest craft - and I got some ideas. I needed to get some frames, an ugly colorful painting, some pillows and some thrift store sweaters. So, the thrift store I wanted to go to was closed - trying not to be discouraged - I set out in search of another store.

I first came to one that has always caught my eye, just not my time. This was finally the time. I went in, talked to an old man who led me to the back to take my time looking at the piles of frames. This is what I grabbed:

And I practiced my bargaining skills I learned from the farmer's market & got it for $12.50.

Then I went to goodwill and got two cable sweaters, two pillows, a mirror, a cork board (has a beach scene on it), a white frame & the ugly colorful painting. All for $32, after my cash, it was $16 on the cc. Not too bad. Thankfully, I have paint, fabric and loads of ideas to convert these pieces into lovely works of art to put either in the house or to give away. We'll see. :) This is what I got:

Pretty cool huh?

Sooo...I started on one project the sweater pillow. See the yellow pillow in the back in picture #2, I'm putting that in the yellow sweater...Look below: (yay!)

1. Start with your materials and cut into the sweater.

(sorry no pic's for this...it was a bit nerve racking)

Here's the sweater after the sleeves are cut off and a pillow inserted.

2. Turn the sweater inside out and sew the edges (bottom of sweater & where the sleeves were) Tip: try to make it a snug fit - this was my first try and I ended up having to re-stitch 3 edges with thread & needle.

3. Turn the sweater inside out & voila:

4. Insert the pillow:

5. and Stitch with Thread & Needle until it fits and the cables match.

6. This is the finished project -

As you can see - it's not perfect but I've seen people add cute buttons down the middle or little flower pins.

Our floor was doing a dessert night so after I finished this I ran down the hall to meet & mingle with friends. Now Morgan is home from work and guess what we're watching... Numbers. :)

Good night ya'll. (Because we're in TX) & I'll soon try another project.

#21 - Intentions this Spring

2012-01-17T20:49:00.003-06:00

So, I mentioned to Morgan my list and specifically this one:

#21. Be intentional about finding hobbies that Morgan and I will do together.

He came up with a great idea & I'm super excited to share it!

As a little girl I loved sports. I loved playing outside. We moved a lot growing up, but no matter where we moved, I loved playing with my siblings out in the fresh air. When we lived up North in Mendocino County, CA we would play outside with our yellow Lab, Rosie. We'd take walks with Rosie along the row of fences, near the redwood trees. If we were brave, we'd make the loop to where the baseball diamond and soccer field was and play there. It was at that baseball diamond that I was bribed (yes, with a bag of candy) to have my training wheels taken off and where I learned about the game of baseball - or in my case - softball.
My friends and I played soccer, where we mainly picked daisies in the field, but I loved playing catch with my dad. I didn't play softball on a team until I was in fourth grade and we had made our final move to Sonoma County, CA. I loved playing softball, but I wasn't especially good at it. I just enjoyed the game.

Now Morgan on the other hand played baseball since he was a little guy. His dad showed him everything about the game of baseball. And he was good. You see, Morgan is a pitcher. His father taught him all the pitches, had him sit with his elbow in a bowl of ice to reduce the swelling after some long sessions & he played all through his Sophomore year of High School. Even making it onto the Varsity Team his Sophomore year. It doesn't surprise me though. He loves to study - and he love to do things at his best - it is that zeal that has pushed him into so many curious things and that is precisely why I adore him.

And so, why did I take you down memory lane?

Morgan asked me last night, just as he asked me before we dated. He asked me with his genuine spirit and gentleness that I love. And I couldn't be happier to do this with him.
You may think it's rather silly but when your life becomes disjointed by school and other areas of your married life (not ready to spill on here), you should jump at the opportunities that as my friend Mags says, the opportunities that thread you together. So, I am.

Morgan asked me if I'd would like to cover Spring Training for Baseball with him and I said YES! :) So, we're going to order the spring training for the internet and cover the teams & he's going to teach me - well, I'm not sure. But he'll teach me what that means. haha. I'm really excited to be doing this with him.

So, I'll be covering more on how this goes...on my way to completing #21 this spring! Yay!

xoxo Ash

Tastespotting Recipe- from Basil Kitchen

2012-01-15T13:47:00.000-06:00

Source: http://basilkitchen.com/basilShrimpPasta/

So I felt like making some things today using what we've stocked in our fridge & freezer.
I've had cookies from last year sit in there. So I'm baking those up. And now that we're committed to making our own bread instead of buying it - I have a 2 pound loaf of Honey Grain Wheat Bread being made in our bread machine.

And now I'm going to cook up the basil cubes and the shrimp I have left in the freezer. I originally was thinking of making a soup - but, I really don't want to leave home to find some heavy cream so, I'm switching to pasta.

Ok So here goes...
We'll most likely be eating these for the next few days, since there's two of us. Yay!

Servings: 4-6 | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins

How to make basil shrimp pasta in chunky tomato sauce. This simple dish uses fresh, ripe tomatoes and basil to dress thin spaghetti noodles. Not cooked down and reduced, you still taste individual components that each have something to say.

• 1 pack thin spaghetti noodles, 12oz
• 1 lb shrimp, headless, peeled/deveined
• 12 roma or vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
• 1 bunch Italian basil, leaves and tips only
• 2 TBSP minced garlic
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, fresh ground
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• crushed red pepper (optional)

Boil water for spaghetti noodles and cook according to package instructions.
In the meantime, make the tomato basil pasta sauce. In a large pan, heat olive oil. Fry garlic and onion until translucent. Then add tomatoes, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir and allow to cook roughly 6 minutes.
Add shrimp. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occassionally. Check spaghetti. Drain, reserving some pasta water. Add spaghetti and basil to shrimp and sauce in pan. Add additional pasta water if needed. Turn off heat. Toss to coat noodles. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Plate basil shrimp pasta and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top. Serve hot with crushed red pepper on the side. Enjoy!

So, I've done one tastespotting item so far this month & tried to purge some of our freezer. :) Yay!

26 Things Before I'm 27

2012-01-14T17:35:00.002-06:00

So I'm here ~~sitting~~ lying on our futon, Morgan at my feet and updating my portfoli and reading my google reader on our lovely Mac. :) SNL is on in the background - the one with Charles Barclay. And I stumble upon a blog I follow called "A New Beginning." (http://www.heyitsjustine.com/ ). She had a cool thing where you basically create a list of things that you do before your birthday comes. For her it was :21 things before she's 22. It's been 4 years since I was 22 but it's never too late to start right? So...here goes.

My 26 things before I'm 27
1. Finish my table runners that I'm quilting.
2. Train and Finish a sprint Triathalon.
3. Make 3 things per month found on pinterest.com & document it - here!
4. Go on a short trip with Morgan outside of Dallas before we go.
5. Write more book reviews on here.
6. Write about my favorite places for where we've lived. (California, Chicago & Dallas).
7. Find an apartment for the Fall.
8. Get a dog (*crossing my fingers*)
9. Do a purge of our food items 2-3 times per year.
10. Try something that scares me.
11. Finish my cross stitch pattern I started when I was in HS.
12. Silly but would love to see my hair long.
13. Go on long bike rides with my new Schwinn.
14. Try 2 new recipes from tastespotting.com per month & document.
15. Have more skype dates with friends in far away places.
16. Write more letters - snail mail to friends & family.
17. Take a culinary class -even if it's a Sur La Table - taking at least one.
18. Tell Morgan I love him before work and before bed. Pray for him.
19. Get a tan this summer. And maybe a tattoo.
20. Go camping with friends.
21. Be intentional about finding hobbies that Morgan and I will do together.
22. Learn more about plants.
23. Create cookbook with favorite recipes found online.
24. Be silly more.
25. Do more jigsaw puzzles with friends.
26. Be honest more to myself.

Well this was harder than I thought. But I'm pretty excited to see how these things can happen. And who knows, we'll see if this starts a new trend. I know one thing - I want to write more and this semester I'm taking a class at DTS - hopefully I can audit it. It's a creative writing class. I'm hoping it will not only be cathartic-healing for me, but can really enhance something I used to do all growing up-which was write.

Tonight, Morgan and I and some of his friends are going to Midnight Praises to the Coptic Orthodox church. Morgan and I have gone before to it - and I thought it was a beautiful cultural experience. He was learning Coptic in school, and he heard of the church through a teacher/friend and thought it'd be cool to visit. Anyways, we're going again tonight at 8pm.

Any of you thought of some things you want to do before your birthday? Mine's in November - so I got 10 months left to try these 26 items. Wish me luck.

Acceptance & Future Dreams

2012-01-06T23:38:00.002-06:00

So we've been waiting and waiting and waiting to hear back from Catholic University of America about Morgan's application and heard the results....*drum roll*

HE GOT IN!! We were so excited!! We celebrated by seeing the new Sherlock Holmes movie with my Studio Movie Grill passes! One down, 11 left. We won't hear from the others until April - one school will tide us over. Even though there are 12 schools total that we applied to, the main ones that we are interested in are CUA (Catholic University of America) & Notre Dame (Indiana). Notre Dame usually accepts 1 out of 40 applicants each year - isn't that crazy?! And they base their admission predominantly upon GRE scores - I'm hoping that with all that Morgan's done that that will be taken into consideration, despite his average GRE score. I like both schools ( and really Morgan does too), but cost is a big factor towards us liking Notre Dame more. Catholic will be $18K/semester while Notre Dame has funding available - costs are significantly cheaper. God has allowed us to do school without loans - which we know is a considerable blessing, but we'd like to continue that for as long as we can.

It is crazy how this new step that we've been dreaming about since this time last year - is almost a reality. My search for housing in Washington D.C. area is becoming more and more real - and seems a bit out of reach. I have criteria for looking, primarily it is:
Location to Metro, and neighborhood; cost (we know it's expensive...), utilities, and option for a pet...(I've been wanting a puppy for the last 4 years, kind: Jack Russell Terrier). It's hard finding a place that has these criteria and that is recommended well (so thankful for yelp.com, google reviews and other apartment websites for their reviews). I need to ground myself in the promises that God provides-just as he has before--I need reminders constantly to guard my heart from worry.

I have little glimpses of my dreams for us -- it's funny because I always wanted to work in an office & I am now and I love it. I love working with youth program's and we are at our church - it is a huge blessing to me and our marriage. I'm excited for Morgan that he can be challenged in his academic pursuits - that he can be pushed and molded into being a theologian, and man who guides our marriage in the right things of God. Even though I don't always understand, or I get frustrated with his big words or big ideas - he is wonderful and I love him. My biggest dream is that Morgan will get a job at a school or schools as a professor - we have little Morgies & Ashley's running around with our puppies and we live at least 30 minutes away from the Ocean. I have a yard that I keep, I learn about plants from my father and I sew in my spare time things that I learned from my mother. I continue to bake delicious things and Morgan continues cook delicious things - it's a beautiful thing really. Morgan will teach our little ones different languages - I'll know bits and pieces since he says different languages currently here and there (I secretly want him to talk more in other languages so it will seep into my brain)-but we'll have bi or tri-lingual kiddos, or at the least some idea. It's fun to dream & see what really happens or what doesn't. God certainly keeps us on our toes. :)

But for now, we rejoice in knowing that Morgan knows one of his results and we wait for the rest.

Good Night!
xoxo Ash

Dallas City Gal

2012-01-04T20:31:00.001-06:00

Dallas City Gal by ashleyar1 featuring butterfly earrings

Beachy Chic

2012-01-04T20:10:00.001-06:00

Beachy Chic by ashleyar1 featuring crochet hats

Good News About Injustice - a review with reflections

2012-01-02T17:11:00.001-06:00

Over Christmas, we stayed with some good friends who lent me some books. I'm slowly going through them, and I thought why not do some book reviews for the new year. I'm currently reading Good News about Injustice -A witness of courage in a hurting world. By Gary A Haugen. I'm not done, I have about 70 pages left, but so far he has explained how injustice fills our world and he shows how we (Christians) can be part of the change against injustice.

There is the age old question, that finds every Christian stumped here or there - Why does God allow for evil to happen? Mr. Haugen doesn't try to satisfy the theologians query, but he goes through the answers in laymen's terms & he attempts to show that our God is more than just a man in the sky oblivious to our world hurts, pains and violence - but that He is a God who is personally attached, He is fully aware and he understands those pains as He had to endure them for us.

First a backdrop on who the author is:
"He is president & CEO of International Justice Mission in Washington D.C. He worked in the civil rights division of the U.S Department of Justice and was director of the United Nations genocide investigation in Rwanda."

This is man who does not shy from explaining what atrocities he has been a witness to. He shares how not only has he seen the carnage of flesh piled in mass graves due to genocidal hatred of another persons race, but he also shares the stories of men and women who work with the poor, the orphans, the widows, the disabled, the child workers, the young girls and boys who are taken into brothels as sex slaves and he urges Believers to not be pacified that they cannot do anything because of the thought that "I'm ordinary - what can I really do?" The back of the book shares how he "explains that God is in the business of using the unlikely to accomplish justice and mercy." We are the unlikely. We are unlikely because as Believers we have hope that the world does not have. We have a God who shows us his love and his grace to live in freedom for the glory of His Name! Mr. Haugen's book reminds us and gently kicks us to action.

My Favorite quotes so far have been challenging - I think not only for me personally to think about but also for the church, for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

You and I have often either been on or helped sponsor some High School teenager or adult to go on a "mission trip." I'd rather call these ministry trips - but that's another blog - another day. So, their on the trip and when they get there they have all these grand plans to say, put on a VBS, build a house, evangelize in the neighborhood, paint a room - these are all wonderful service -faithful projects that I'm sure will be wonderful for the people you minister to, but something else happens that you did not plan for. You come back from the trip, a week goes by and then that Sunday you give a report of what you Learned on the trip. I guarantee that most if not all youth/leaders will say something to the effect of, "I have everything, they had nothing (materially), but they gave me a wonderful meal with the only money they had for the month. I'm so blessed, and yet they blessed me with their love." We could have this same mindset living in America after hearing or "Looking at the millions of bonded child laborers in India or the thousands of child prostitutes in Asia or thousands of torture victims twisting and bleeding in the world's forgotten jail cells, we say to God, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for all the power, protection, freedom and justice you have granted us in sparing us from such fates. Thank you!'" But the best part of the quote is next -
"Or we can ask, "What have you given me, Father, that I might help those who don't have power, who don't have protection, who don't have freedom, who don't have justice?"

Think.

My next favorite quote is also convicting to me, and hopefully for you as well. In his Chapter called Anatomy of Injustice, he tells a story of a missionary asking a sunday school class for encouragement - not pat answers but true biblical answers for a problem she is having with her ministry in say Manila with street kids.
"She is worried, she says, about three young girls whom she has been getting to know in her ministry. They are between the ages of twelve and fourteen, and they used to come around regularly for a hot meal and to hear Bible stories with the other street children. But she hasn't seen them for weeks...she learned that the girls had been abducted into a brothel and that they were being forced to serve as prostitutes...the police run the brothel. She doesn't know what to do an she asks - Do you have any encouragement?" And this is where he dives in -
"As our Sunday School class tries to formulate a godly and loving response, what Scriptures would immediately come to mind - verses that tell how God views this situation? What sermons would we recall - sermons about the promises God makes in his Word about such situations? What bible-study lessons would spring to mind - teaching that would hep us encourage our missionary about what should be done? How long could our Sunday School class discuss this situation before running out of solid biblical material?

Where I come from, most of us simple would express horror at the situation and recommend prayer. But we might struggle to articulate what we should pray for and what Scriptural truths we should base our prayers on." (Emphasis mine)

This is what I'm talking about. As many believers - we don't know how to articulate scriptural truth to others but we do know how to give "Christianized" answers that bandaid REAL issues. I got frustrated the other day. I was having lunch with a woman from our church and I told her some things that I've been missing for a long time since we've moved one of which is hearing good teaching/preaching or exegesis of God's word. She listened, and then asked me, "Well, what is good teaching look like?" That's a fair question, but it was frustrating that I had to explain to her that it digs deep into God's word. She innocently did not know what that looked like, but it grieved me.

Morgan explains to me that teaching is like an hourglass. The top part of the hourglass is the hours/days/weeks/months spent on preparation for 1 message. It narrows to the middle to the point that acts like a thesis. And from the middle to the base it pulls from that one central message the application. Good sermons, studies, teaching & preaching follow this, at least it should. And it shouldn't matter whom it is being taught to. I work with youth at our church - and there are many who voice the opinion that kids just need to have a relationship with God first. I do see how a relationship with God is important, but if they don't know who God is or better yet, if they don't know who they are without God and if they can't base their relationship on any knowledge -then how will their faith look 5, 10, 20 years from now? When Mr. Haugen asked what material would I share with that missionary - I could think of a few examples - I want to know more and I want to act on that knowledge. I want the kids and other age groups to have this passion too!

I guess for 2012 - we can have our "resolutions," but I'm going to have my motivations drive me towards purposeful living. I'm going to have quite a bit of changes happen in the coming months, so I'm not going to bite off more than I can chew. :)

thanks for listening - and Next time I hope to share another book review.

2011 close

2011-12-22T11:00:00.000-06:00

i love this shot. I was walking with my siblings in San Francisco, it had drizzled earlier in the day leaving the ground moist and the air clear. This was in November and it was beautiful.

2011 is close to ending and 2012 is around the corner.

Yesterday, i was with my friend Mags hanging out at the Dallas Science Museum with her kids she nannies for W&H. it was crazy looking at these kids and seeing how well they are taken care of-how they have literally everything they could ever need + more & yet the desire to want more, or even the desire that they supposedly need more - was rampant. it was frightening. but their not our kids and what's more than that - they'll grow up, probably become like most of my peers who had money and wishing they never had money and love to live in the woods, drinking and taking pretty pictures. it is like a self-hatred of being rich so therefore - they become poor. it's so weird. There are some who use their wealth well. some who see their money as not theirs but use it selflessly for the promotion of other.

Anyways, not sure why i went there...oh well. So Christmas is almost here. Chanukah or Hanukah (depending on how you want to say it...) was yesterday. Or so, facebook posts reminded me of such a day. I had some time to take off at work, so this was the week that worked best. We've gotten a few gifts from the folks. Morg and I actually got into a little argument about gifts. Not really about getting gifts-that's not a problem for us, but it was really about the kind of gifts. All Morg wants is books. Now, if you know M now, that is or should not be a shocker to you. My problem was more so in the lack of creativity of giving him just a book. I mean, I love to give gifts. I love dreaming and planning and creating gifts to give others. Or finding what people's hobbies are and giving them something to help with that hobby. But, with giving books - it's lost its luster over the birthdays and past christmases. our fights are never big or crazy - and we easily came to a compromise. He'll give me other choices and I'll continue to get him books. It's win-win. So, with having work off, I've been able to be extremely lazy. how? i sit and watch tv - i sew my christmas gifts --shh...I'm not telling. I read some books...not sure if i like it - the history of love by nicole Kraus. a book mags let me borrow. i wanted to schedule a hair cut, mani & pedi today -but their booked. I'll try and call around 3 if anyone has canceled - i may have to wait for after the week or pay a little bit more for fri/sat appointments. i really wanted a gal from our floor to cut it. she told me in october that she wasn't giving cuts until after thanksgiving - but she leaves today. it just never happened. sad. tonigh morg and i will get to see a movie at the studio movie grill. we may not eat anything but say some popcorn & candy. it'd be too much. we originally wanted to go and sleep over somewhere - but their all real pricey and none work with his schedule with starbucks. but i'll take a movie. we'll either see sherlock holmes or girl with the dragon tatoo.
this was fun to write. maybe that's what i'll do the next few days off. I have off through monday and I return tuesday. but i need to run - i'm having lunch at work (I'm not working though) and i'm glad to have this time to get to know our new supervisor better.

bye!
<3

Songs of my life - now

2011-11-13T21:07:00.000-06:00

I'm listening to some Damien Rice, "Coconut Skins," Morg is sitting eating his toast with the peanut butter packets from Starbucks protein plates with the honey in it and his glass of milk next to me with Saturday Night Live on our hulu.com. I like seeing him laugh, his whole body moves and shakes the little futon we sit on. Missy plays now and I'm wrapped up in the blanket given us at our wedding -when in all reality it is probably 75 outside but the ac on makes it 72.

It's crazy to think Morg and I are both 26 - our birthdays came and passed and we're almost done with the semester. He has 3 weeks of school left, when in all reality the length of school will continue for a few more years, namely 6 more. Our timing is much better than this time last year, if he stayed here to graduate it would have been 10 years - Oh Me, Oh my by Imogen.

During the sunday school lesson today with the youth, one of the youth leaders brought in his dog. I just bout died. I realized that when I go home I can finally see Buster. And for that matter, see other dogs too. I can't wait to own a dog. But We Get On - Kate Nash says.

Work these days have been busy but enjoyable. I was reflecting with Morg this morning about how my job in Chicago was one of the most emotionally draining and physically tiring jobs I've ever had and how I prayed so much for a job doing administrative work. It's been great to see how through that time of weakness, God has blessed me with the job that I now have and how he brought me there. And not only that but with all the changes and challenges it has brought - I'm really thankful and very humbled. Say (All I Need), One Republic tells me is right.

Soon we'll be in California. I'll be on the beaches of Bodega, San Francisco and hanging out with family and friends. I hope to go running on the hills out there, maybe try a bike ride with my bike shorts and a friend if they want. See the Birds (Kate Nash) and the fall weather that only happens in Norcal. I can't wait to play with my niece and see how big she is. I can't wait to drive over the golden gate bridge - be stuck in traffic - yes traffic. It's different when your in a place that is beautiful. I can't wait to spend time with my siblings-all of us together. I want to take lots of pictures because Just LIke the Movies (Regina) we need little reminders of our travels. :)

And so, let the week go by quickly and let the next one linger.

Hot July

2011-07-24T16:12:00.003-05:00

My goodness it's hot here! Last summer it rained so much-it's interesting this summer because we are in the middle of a drought. It reminds me of living in Sacramento in the hot summer as a little girl. My siblings and I would run through the sprinklers to stay cool and peer through the fence of our neighbors who had a pool. They never let us come over...but boy, did we want to. Now, contrary to most Texans, I love the heat! I have the image of being bundled up with all the layers needed for Chicago winters and am so grateful to not have to do that again.

Morgan and I have not had the chance to do our summer trip...we're pushing it back to October. That's life for us. I think that it's alright. I'm actually excited for October to come. My good friend Charis said she is thinking of visiting & I'm soo very excited!! Morgan's birthday is in October too (can you believe it...we'll be 26!) and our friends Mags & Carson are thinking it would be nice to do a drive & camping trip to Austin & San Antonio with both of us. It's their last year in TX too, so I'm super pumped for October.

Other random things in life include Morgan finishing both his GRE and writing sample! Those are big accomplishments, since now all we have left are those lovely (*sarcasm dripping*) college applications. The first one is November 15 and the last is February 15. We're applying to roughly 12 schools...the spread from CA, WI, IL, IN, MA, Washington D.C & Toronto, Canada. It's always funny to hear the question asked from others, "Where will you be living at next year?" We look at each other, chuckle & say, "We have no idea." Haha. We probably look foolish, but we just know that wherever we end up is where we need to be. When we lived in Chicago and I worked for the catering company, I clung to the dream of being an office assistant. The Lord graciously allowed me to work this past year doing just that. Throughout the year, another dream has emerged. It's been a small dream that blossomed this year. When we first moved here, I taught swim lessons in a suburb of Dallas. I loved it! Now, that I've started swimming laps again at our gym meter pool, and sometime teach friends children, I realize I get so much joy out of teaching/coaching. I know there is a lot that goes with that job, but I would love to learn more. I'd also love to become certified in aquatic aerobics. I miss the simplicity of creating my own work schedule and really becoming my own boss. Flexibility is key.

ONE thing I'm super excited about is my friend Maggie & I both shared how we have always wanted to try and do a Tri! We may do one this fall/winter. We're swimming a lot now, but I gotta get back into the running and figure out how to get a road bike for training/racing. Any tips out there--suggestions are HUGELY welcome! We both have never done one and are thinking of doing the sprint Tri. Which is roughly a 500 yd swim (20 laps), 5 K run (3 ish mi), and a 10-15 mi bike ride. We have lots of questions about transitions, gear, techniques, drills, and sets, etc. We are excited to do something together-to get in shape & just to do something challenging and fun!

Well...Morgan and I have been chilling at the Crooked Tree Coffehouse in Dallas. I enjoyed a cup of Chai, he got some nice black coffee and I ate my edamame, yogurt + berries & a kiwi. If you've never heard of it, I'd check out www.livestrong.com. It's awesome! You can track your weight, fitness, input weight goals, and your nutrient intake. I've always been curious about what caloric intake I have each day and it shows that. I'm going to go log that & soon we'll head out as Morgan needs to grab a book. hehe.

Happy Last week of July friends!
xoxo Ash & Morg

Other Options

2011-05-23T19:04:00.003-05:00

Well, so much for keeping things a secret.

It gets a little hard to keeping track of things, so I'm going to just shout it out.

For these next finds we used--> priceline.com

If you haven't heard of it, you basically type in the things you want, price, stars, place, length of time, # of rooms and then hotels (or airlines, car rentals) bid on you. It's pretty cool.

So this is what we plugged in:

Price: $0-$100

Room: 1

Stars 2.5-10

Place: Austin, TX

The first one that came up that was in our range was: Drury Inn & Suites for $94. It is 2.5 stars.

6711 I.H. 35 North
Austin, TX 78752

Next that looked much more fun included:

Hilton Garden Inn, Austin North

12400 North Ih-35
Building C, Austin, TX 78753

Pro: $84, close to received 8.9/10 rating

Cons: said it was noisy due to locality to highway.

Hyatt Place Austin/Arborteum, Austin

12400 North Ih-35
Building C, Austin, TX 78753

Pro:

Gotta love a pool. :) And the price, $87!

Cons: couldn't find any

This one is really nice. Hmmm...

Last one for tonight is at

Embassy Suites Austin- Central

5901 North I 35
Austin, TX 78723

Price: $103

Well, if anything this was fun looking at. With your input, if you so choose, and our final decision. We hope to go on a relaxing trip, the end of June.

Bye!

Hmm...Where should we go? Option #1

2011-05-18T21:11:00.004-05:00

So, with the end of the semester we plan to go on a trip. But where? So... we're going to see what's out there and post it on here and widdle it down. We're thinking we'll go after his GRE in June or right before classes begin in August. Either way-we're excited to think of where we could go, sooooo...here goes!

Some of the sites we're looking at are:

hotels.com

travelzoo.com

travelocity.com

Living Social Escapes

If you know of any sites, please let me know.

Alright. I'll do what my work did for a contest and let you guess what each of the options are and then you can vote for which option that we may do.

For now-- Option #1

It is located in Burton, TX
Wineries like the Saddlehorn are close by to visit
Currently have a deal on living social escapes for $140. Half Off with the escape kit of:

A Two-Night Weekday Stay for Two, Daily Breakfast, and a $20 Dining Credit ($140)
Or, a Two-Night Weekend Stay for Two, Daily Three-Course Breakfast, and a $30 Dining Credit ($215)
Complimentary Soft Drinks and Free Wi-Fi

The Deal ends in 6 days that is by Tuesday, May 24.

Looks like we got to put up some more options before that happens! Yikes. :)

So long till next time. Bye!

Spring's End-Reflections

2011-05-16T21:25:00.004-05:00

The crazy spring semester here at DTS is DONE!!

Morgan worked the hardest I have ever seen--he completed 21 credits which included 2 long distance courses of Latin & German along with a full load of Syriac, Akkadian, not to mention pulling 25-30 hour work shifts at Starbucks as a supervisor. He amazes me!

We are relieved to be done. We really know that it is by God's grace that we finished this semester alive. We have a few scars from it but they're starting to heal. Morgan is working on hard on studying for the GRE. His test is June 17 and it is one of the few big hurdles we face in the coming months. He also is preparing a subject for his writing sample.

Now, if you feel overwhelmed by all of this--we are too. The Lord's been really showing us important lessons about life.

I've been hammered by the vision of what it looks like to be a seminary/academic wife. When Morgan was thinking of being a pastor--I had many women from home who I could look to as a model, a mentor, teacher, friend to show me how their lives function. But, now I have nothing. But that is a lie. This lie of nothing, brought me so much anxiety, unrest, anger, discontentment and the root of it all is FEAR. It took me such a long time to recognize-to even voice it to Morgan was daunting. And now to put this out in the open makes me feel so exposed. But it needs to be done. Honesty is good and I'd much rather have that the trap of lies.

Sure, I still don't have that mentor, teacher, friend who can show me how an academic wife's life looks like--but I can gain much from others around me. People who have strengths greater than mine, people who push me to follow Christ and live as he lives. People that serve God, and love to have fun and delight in the joys of life, living each moment.

So, I may not have it all figured out. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know that our God is mighty, His complexities are beautiful and change us constantly. And although we are burnt out, we hope for little goals to motivate us. As though are goals are like the carriage driver who puts the carrot in front of the horse, just a bit beyond the horse's nose--that's how we feel each day. And some of those "carrots" he has before us are celebrating our friend's wedding in Alabama in early June, and planning a weekend getaway to Austin-time for the two of us. We also are excited to see family in July and hopefully my siblings can visit sometime this summer. And the little rewards of seeing each other for an evening and watching our Criminal Minds or Hulu.com queue is wonderful as well.

So, if I've ever felt so bewildered about our future...I've also never felt such peace. And for this upcoming season-I hope we enjoy the little joys with the big ones--and continue to push through thankfully for just a little while longer.

This is our last summer in TX...

Hope-worth waiting for

2011-04-03T17:24:00.005-05:00

“O LORD, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in you.
(Psalm 39:4-7 ESV)

I have to say--the Lord surely does let us wait patiently for what he chooses to do for us. I've seen this in a variety of ways--here's a few examples:

Since our time of being in school, I've learned how to be a wife who encourages her husband in the things I do not comprehend. This was a sort of discouragement to me in the beginning-I wondered how can we once share so much and now-not be able to understand each other, especially with the truths of scripture. We had small victories here and there but I will say, that we've learned different ways of communicating. Most recently, when our car stereo went out because we changed our car battery, I've been without music in the car (besides the nifty paper speakers from crate & barrel hooked up to my ipod), and each morning on my way to work, Morgan and I talk about what I've read in scripture the night before. I've recently been reading Deuteronomy. I know it is a book of laws, but it is so fascinating! I really don't understand who some consider it boring, or not as profitable as other parts of scripture, but that is besides the point. I've begun to long for those morning talks on the phone where we talk about scripture together. Sure, it's not taken us that long, 3 years, but it is really exciting!!

Another thing that the Lord has been patiently teaching me is the value found in family. After my parent's divorce, nearly 3 years ago, I was reunited with my father's side of the family. I have 2 aunts, my grandma and all my cousins. Most of them are on the west coast-but others are spread out throughout the country. The Lord has really blessed me by talking to them and being encouraged by their Love for the Lord. Although it has been about all my life of not ever knowing them--the Lord has done a wonderful work and I am so thankful for this blessing.

On a more recent note-the Lord has turned my world upside down. In a good way. :) My work moved to Allen, TX. For those of you that don't know, Allen is approx. a 45 minute drive for me from DTS. With much prayer and guidance from friends-I am putting in my resignation tomorrow, in order that I can look for work closer to home in Dallas. I am terrified of doing this--I've NEVER done this before. Sure, I've put in notice's before for prior jobs-but never in this way or type of work. I know that the Lord has other plans for us and that staying in Dallas is what we need to do, but it is still a daunting task. I know that the Lord wants us to do this-he's made it ever clear, it is just the waiting part, that can be difficult, I guess.

But it is worth it. The Lord knows what he is doing in our lives and how he wants us to be molded. I'm grateful to him for allowing me to be apart of it.

In Jesus' name,

Words of my Mouth

2011-02-04T10:05:00.003-06:00

Ecclesiastes 5. 1-2

"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few."

Psalm 19.14

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."

1 Peter 1. 15-16, 22-25

"but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy...Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brtoehrly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever."

I've been studying 1 Peter with a girlfriend here in TX. It's been such a great time. We just started-and we came up with our own questions, provided by our husband's who are seminary students. I've learned, that the studies I enjoy the most with other women are ones that are centered on God's word, that have sound, tested doctrine (teaching) and are usually the messages that can be taught to any person. I mean, it's the bible-and it is meant for every person, so the best messages are the ones that can be initially meant for women, but can affect and change a man. My friend tells me that I am the person who prefers to read books where I learn. I credit that to my education in California, which stressed the importance of wrestling with the text. Sure, it was for secular books-but the idea can and is very much the same when applied to the Bible. Scripture is meant for us to see who we are-that we are on earth and it is meant to stretch our minds to the idea of who God is living in heaven and amongst us. I have found that this passion is not popular in bigger circles-or it can't always be tamed. There is a fear of exploring-of the unknown. That's natural-we all want to rightly handle God's word-but ask any preacher if their teaching/reasoning on a single passage is the same as when they first started-and the answer will usually be a no. We grow-we stretch-we push each other, minimize our weaknesses and embolden our strengths. I'm so glad to have that shared passion with another friend here-and although we feel like a minority-I hope that I can be humbled by his Word, that my words can be few and that my ears will be hasty to listen and that He can give me discernment.

I know that one of my weaknesses is the desire to have friends and lots of them. It's probably some sort of fear that I developed as a little girl from so many moves-but I've learned from some wonderful friends in Chicago-that often the best friends are when you not as many of them. It may not be true of everyone-but coming into Dallas-I've learned that time in a place is not forever and time is temporary so spend time with those who will build into you and who you can build into as well.

Chicago life-I felt such purpose. Sure, it developed over the 2 years we were there and implanting myself in ministry-God really taught me some valuable lessons our time there. Moving is hard when you are uprooted from the comforts and familiarities of everyday life-but it has taught me how to depend on our Lord for everyday-minute-by-minute concerns. Life is shown as perspective-We are but a vapor, we are like the grass that withers and the flower that falls--but the Word of the Lord stands forever.

Morgan is studying very hard. This spring semester he is taking 21 credit hours and working. I admire his work ethic and he helps me when I am studying. Our plans continue to change-and we are expectant of God to see how he will use us for his glory and work! We thought we'd have at least 8-10 more years of school, but God has opened doors for us to be done in max of 6 years, the possibility of us having children in the middle of those 6 years is upon us! We are blown away, shocked, thankful and humbled by his hand in our lives and our future!

What has God impressed upon you today? Are you blown away by something He's shown you?

February 4 2011

2011-02-04T09:41:00.003-06:00

Snow.

This week has been completely different from any other week here in Dallas.

We've been praying for all our dear friends in Chicago who have experienced one of the worst winter storms in it's recorded history and we've gotten the after effect from it. Early Tuesday Morning we had sleet that became solid ice. My work was closed for Tuesday. The roads looked awful, especially since they do not salt anything down here. They "sand" the roads-but it makes the roads have traction, but not much.

Morgan and I had a "marital moment" on Tuesday night. Monday after work, I left a towel on our windshield. My initial thought was it was going to just snow, I can remove the towel and get to work alot faster. I did not consider sleet and that night, trying to go to the store and get toilet paper and our own ice scraper, the towel held fast to that windshield. Morgan and I switched back and forth when we were scraping the windshield, since he forgot his gloves. It must have been a sight, when we eventually rolled out of the parking lot with a large towel stuck to our window!! Hahaha. We had a good laught about it. We eventually got the towel off our windshield and while riding in the elevator a little girl asked her dad, "What is that white thing they are holding?" We told her-it's a frozen towel. We just grinned-it was definitely a marital moment we'll remember.

Wednesday came and after texting my boss about when I should come in, I decided I'll come in at my regular time. So, I get there at 7:30, and 10 minutes there, the power goes out. I wait another 10-15 minutes with another rep and it powers on. Around 9:00AM, it goes out again. Apparently the whole city was experiencing rolling blackouts and we were not exempt from it. We were eventually told that it would be another day off of work! Woo-hoo. And to make it better, Morgan's starbucks closed early and he came home around 4pm. Later that night, we went out to Pinkberry (frozen yogurt place) and we got a $5 take home ( which are usually $10), of blood orange and chocolate! Mmm soo good!

Yesterday-Work day began at 9:30 and ended at 3. I came home and studied for an hour and then our lovely friends Maggie & Carson invited me over for a ham dinner, American Idol watching and possibly a game of Monopoly. Well...I wanted to make some mochi too. So Me and Maggie made mochi & it worked!!! I was so excited. When Morgan got home from work at 8, he came by with our take home yogurt and us four had mochi with the yogurt and talked about some of the founder's week speakers and their messages.

Today-we woke up to a snowy wonderland outside. It's snowing right now too. No one plows their snow here-totally different experience from Chicago streets. I don't think anyone has even a snow shovel. We have the view of the campus and we see mom's and dads out with their kids playing in the snow. The birds are flying from tree to tree-it's such a sweet moment to see. I called work to hear what the verdict is-and SNOW DAY!! Pretty pumped to have a 3 day weekend. And feel so blessed with having this time off to be with Morgan, to have time in God's word and to study.

2010-07-01T15:59:00.002-05:00

Happy July 1st!!

I felt like we just blinked June away and July is here already! Well, we are HERE!! Dallas has welcomed us quite generously with it's warm weather and friendly new floor mates at Swiss Tower on DTS campus. We have seen God's hand in numerous opportunities and it is so thrilling to see. He has provided for us abundantly and he continues to show us who he is as we read his word and try to actively pursue Him.

If anything, this blog is to serve as a reminder for me when times are difficult and to reflect on how our God is shaping and molding us into faithful servants for his kingdom. But, I sincerely hope that it can be that for you too. :)

This month I am reading 1 Timothy and I've been re-listening to old sermons from earlier this year from our pastor back home in California, who went through 1 Corinthians 12-14. I really miss hearing good exegesis (pulling from the text) given in exposition (teaching in a sermon), that goes through a text verse by verse. I've desired this for so long and to think that we have possibly found a church that is doing this is very exciting! This is huge relief to our daily prayers. One verse that has continued to stick out to me is found in 1 Timothy 1.12-16 which says:

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I recieved mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. ESV

I guess, I've just been really blown away by how Christ displays his patience in us and that we are examples to others pointing them to Christ who is empowering us. And how amazing is this to think that there is a whole corporate body, the church, full of people that Christ is displaying his patience with and through!! How much more do I need to have His patience with others in the church, with my family, with my husband and with myself, knowing that God will continue the work he has started in their lives as much as in mine. I'm sure there is much more in the original languages that stand out here, but I've been really thinking about this verse and it has really been impacting me. I hope it does for you too.

Well, I should run off...I got a book that I've been wanting for a LONG time called Frugal Luxuries by Tracey McBride (she's on blogger by the way...). It's such a great book, can't believe that I have it!! Yay! Ok...will write again soon. Have a Happy and Safe Fourth of July!! Bye!

Summer-time has begun

2010-05-30T08:04:00.003-05:00

Summer is finally here!! It was hard to tell since April had very little rain and May had alot, but it has reached the 70's and upper 80's and I am LOVING it! Our move is coming up quickly and part of me can't believe it while the rest of me wants to be in Dallas getting ahead on our new life there. But I am grateful for the time to spend here in Chicago and I wanted to re-cap on what the past couple of months have been like around the Reed household.

Following Christmas break, Morgan started his final semester in undergrad. He took on 18 units and it proved particularly difficult. Work was demanding as ever for him and my job was increasingly deteriorating. But we stuck our heels in and pulled ourselves out on May 15. Morgan graduated out of 400+ students with highest honors (only 22 students received such an honor) and it made me swell with joy for all the hardwork we put into this past semester.

During the semester, Morgan and I had the chance to hang out more with the Crossroads-college group during the Sunday lunch time out in the city. It was great being able to hang out and chat with them before the beginning of each week. I led a book study with two wonderful ladies as co-leaders on the book about Paul & his Prayers by D.A. Carson. It didn't go totally as I had wanted and there were a few distractions along the way, but I know I learned much and more about college dynamics getting a glimpse of what College ministry looks like for people involved in it full time. Since we were looking at prayer and the importane it has in our lives-I was really impacted and now Morgan and I pray together when we are able and I try to pray as each need and when praise arrives. To add, I started in January with a new 5-year plan to read the bible. The plan is each month you read a whole book or two small books and so far I have read 1,2 John, Zechariah, Numbers, John & I just finished 1 Samuel and I've started 2 Samuel. It's been really encouraging and I feel like I am really seeing Scripture. I hate admitting this--but I have never read the whole bible cover-to cover. So, even though this is a 5 year plan--I am going to do this and get the most from it. :)

On May 28, I had my final day at work. I had said earlier that work was increasingly deteriorating and it continued to get worse even during that week. While management was difficult, it was my peers-who I call friends, who helped make that day very special. I guess on Thursday my boss had fought with the chef and my peers about what to do for the send-off luncheon. He (allegedly) wanted to use old food and materials for the party (to save money), and everyone else wanted to pitch together and get pizza. The pizza won over and my boss the entire day was absent from any and all festivities. He didn't even say goodbye. I guess, it just further proved who and what kind of person he is and I found out later in the day that each staff member put a little bit of money forward for this day. I started to tear up because it was so sweet and I really felt loved by their generosity. If any of my peers read this blog, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I hope that my letter does you all justice in the long run. And please, keep in touch.

So, yesterday to celebrate the beginning of summer for me, I went to Oak Street beach and laid out in the sun. I must have had expired sunblock, b/c I got burned in splotches around my ankles, parts of my back & well-the back of my legs look the Coppertone baby-but much more red. When I got home, I didn't realize how bad it was until that evening. I am really feeling it now! But all I could do was laugh!! Morgan told me, "Your ridiculous-and I love you." Aww, thanks babe. :) haha.

And so, summer is here. It wouldn't be complete without a little sunburn. ;) And some free time. I'll be packing some this week and trying to go out in the city and see a few more sights. So far, Morgan and I have already gone to a Cubs game!! I got my Cubs t-shirt from Vicky's and this week I hope to go to the art museum off Michigan & the Holocaust museum out in Skokie and spend some time with my friends.

Well, I'm off to Walgreens for more Aloe Vera. And then church. Much love & will talk again soon!

Silly busy-Me?

2009-12-26T18:57:00.003-06:00

It was our second. Our second Christmas that was also in Chicago. We have had snow off and on all this week, and we were expecting there to be light dusting come Christmas morning, but instead we got rain. Not exactly what you would expect, but we were happy.

We normally wake up each morning at 5:25 am, due to the fact that I have to catch the bus at 6:05 each morning, so on Christmas day, we slept in until 7:15 am. We had a few gifts under the tree. I was still working on the scarf for Morgan, luckily he didn't mind getting it until later that afternoon, when it reached the right length. We opened our gifts while the Monkey bread I had made the night before was in the oven. When we were done ripping the packaging, we dived into the bread. I enjoyed having the craisins in it for a twist. As soon as were had cleaned up from our mess and were dressed, we walked together, in the rain to Caribou Coffee. Morgan worked from 11-3:30, and I stayed inside reading, writing and posting quotes on my other blog on tumblr. I talked with family and it was wonderful hearing their voices.

I didn't realize how the time had flown, since I was so preoccupied with what I was reading. (Which if your interested was, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, Priorities from Paul and his Prayers by D.A. Carson). I was famished. Morgan's coworker gave us a ride home, to where I was desperately wanting a sandwich from 7-11. Morgan came to my rescue and he made me a chicken sandwich at home. :) That night, we cuddled, kept warm and watched as the first bits of snow came down. We watched Law & Order and a Man v. Wild, and went off to bed.

And so, today came and went. We woke up, and Morgan was asked to come into work before his scheduled time. We decided that would be fine, so we both walked down Oak Street towards Michigan Avenue. We went into the Water Tower Mall and exchanged my shirt. I wanted to do some more shopping, so Morgan went to Best Buy and I stayed at Macy's. I found some delightful black leather boots that have a mini heel...what is that called? Kitten heel? Not too sure, anyways. I went across the street to H&M and got a messenger bag, the color that reminded me of my old Gap purse that was stole from my car 3 Thanksgiving's ago. From there I looked at Border's for a 2010 calendar and a journal, but they were too expensive. So, I talked to Morgan and he was on his way to work. Walking home, I made an unexpected stop in Urban Outfitters and was excited to see they had a 50 on 50% sale on ALOT of merchandise! :) I got 4 cute outfits fro $40! It was all quite a steal. So, feeling hungry, I went home and made some Chicken soup and watched an episode of house. After that, I went to Target and came back home. I made some pasta with Chicken, watched some more House, wrote in my new journal. (Which I hope to get back into once more), and now I am watching Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn. Which I should get back to watching. I haven't seen it before, and I feel pretty bad about not giving it my whole attention.

Tomorrow, Morgan works. It isn't his usual shift, but it's ok. Tomorrow I am helping out with both hours for the Pre-K/Kindergarten classes, so we'll see how we can see each other. I just may have to visit him at work.

It is nice having a 3 day weekend! And to think, there is one more of these I get to expect! It is just glorious! Well, I have to get to this movie and then my reading and writing. My, my!

Bye!

A Year Down, One More to Go!

2009-06-08T17:46:00.004-05:00

Coming this Sunday June 13, we have lived in Chicago for 1 year!

It is cool to see what we have done this past year and what awaits us in the next year.

Morgan has finished another 39 units this last year, which includes summer school. He was very close to getting his first 4.0, but for some reason the 1.0 unit P.E class has a very rigorous instructor and she gave him a B in Badminton. So instead of a 4.0, he got a 3.9! We were a little frustrated, but even more determined to get it for him in one of these last semesters coming up. :) Haha.

We keep busy with our work. I recently resigned from Caribou Coffee but I continue to work for the catering company. Morgan continues to be the coffee and tea master at Caribou Coffee where he supervises. We are very thankful for jobs. I can remember at this time last year, how I was running to interviews all over the city and now, we have stability and a routine. God is good as we are also patient.

Over the winter, Morgan and I were attending a church out in a suburb called Forest Preserve. Since we don't have a car for transportation we use the CTA or the Chicago Transit Authority. I always think of the California Teachers Association with the abbreviation..haha. Anyways, to get to the service on time we took 2 trains and a long bus ride to get to our destination. Round trip about 4 sometimes 5 hours. We did this for about 6 months during the dead of winter. Luckily, for our last month going, we met another Moody couple who were going to the church. They gave us rides in their car and it was great learning about them. They were in Moody's graduate program, training to return back to Croatia (their home) where they plan to minister the people in their church and the area. Well, long story short, we were planning on doing Morgan's internship there, but due to the obvious time and travel to get there, we felt we couldn't invest properly there.

So, now we are back at Moody church, wondering what we are to do there? Once summer session is over, we can start to hit the trail with what his internship this spring will look like.

This brings me to an update on what Morgan is considering to pursue with his studies post-Moody. Morgan is looking into being what is a called a "Textual Critic." He wants to learn a couple of languages like Syriac, Arabic, Aramaic and a few others I've never heard of and he is also studying Greek and Hebrew with school. We both have been thinking about getting our Masters and our PhD.'s. Mine would most likely be with Administration with Education, but I am still looking at it. Morgan has already applied to Dallas Theological Seminary and he is hoping to possibly do both his ThM and PhD there. So, we may be in Texas for about a decade! Seems funny that we will live in the place I was born. (It has always been a wish of mine to visit the place I was born.)

This summer, I've been going to the college group and meeting with the girls in it. I don't have a role in it yet simply because I'm waiting to see what Morgan is going to do. But I do have a heart for discipleship. For myself and for others. I've been meeting with a girl from the group and we've been studying 1 Corinthians together. It has been highly profitable for us both. We have recently started holding a study group here at our house on Friday nights with some other friends, some who work, some who are in grad programs at various schools throughout the city. With this group we are studying Isaiah and I am really excited to see what comes from our meeting. Finally in a week or two, I am hoping to gain an opportunity for discipleship from a woman who is a professor at Moody school and is also a wife to a linguistics professor, Morgan has had. I am really excited and a little nervous to meet, but I know that God needs me to have discipleship and I'm hoping it will go smoothly.

Lastly I will be going home for a couple of days this month. I am excited to make this visit home. I am very excited to see family, to see friends and catch up with them in person! Oh, that will make such a difference than phone, skype, or email. (at least we have those things though!).

Well, I hope this helps us catch up!

March Madness?

2009-03-17T18:59:00.004-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

It has been about 4 months since I've last given an update on what we've been doing, so I thought now would be a great time! :)

God has continued to show us how he provides for us. From January to now, despite some hourly cutback at my job in the LOOP, I've been able to pick up some more weekly shifts at Caribou. Morgan has been working faithfully at Caribou and he has found a great new hobby that involves Tea!! Not just your average Lipton, but loose leaf tea. The company has asked him in February to do demonstrations for other store managers about their tea company-Adagio teas. Which by the way has amazing teas on its website, for affordable prices! It is found at www.adagio.com. :)

Despite the cutbacks, we've been able to begin saving our money. We've been waiting for this day and now it is here! :) We are going to be living meagerly (like usual) but we hope to keep chucking away money into savings so that we can pay for the school semesters, our move next summer and tuition for Dallas.

Dallas?

Yes, Dallas, Texas. We've been looking at Dallas Theological Seminary for Morgan to get his Th.M and possibly his Ph.D and I'm hoping to get my MA. of Education. I'm still looking at options for my masters, but it will definitely be focused with Education. Needless to say, we are looking forward to Dallas for many reasons. 1) the weather! (oh, I just have to go through 1 more winter!) 2) friends who are there (The Petersons, Bakers, Webbs, etc) 3) and traveling through the states. (we go through Oklahoma & part of Tennessee).

Speaking of Weather. Today we had our first glimpse of "spring" weather. It was 70!! Unfortunately tomorrow will be in the 40's but, it was wonderful to wear a racerback shirt and NO JACKET, and not have to wear socks with my shoes! Oh the simple pleasures. :D I am definitely looking forward to more warm weather.

Which also brings me to say that I am coming to California soon! In June I will be coming home for about 4-5 days. I'll be traveling June 24 and I'll be leaving the afternoon of June 29. I am very excited to see family, to visit friends and make the most of the time I'm there. It will be close to the year when we left for Chicago--Which is just incredibly amazing.

Well Morgan and I hope that you are doing fabulous. The spring semester is almost done, Students (it's like 7 weeks away, can you believe it?). And then it is SUMMER-time!! Enjoy the rest of the winter/spring weather & I'll catch-ya later!

With much love!!

Ashley

Christmas is an Anniversary

2008-12-21T17:25:00.002-06:00

December 21, 2008

While in church this morning, a little old lady mentioned before prayer time a saying I thought was rather cute and true. She mentioned that there has only been one Christmas and for the past 2000 years we have only celebrated it's anniversary! How true is that! And how blessed are we to have this time to remember his arrival into this world to be our Savior by his death and resurrection!

The month of December has been very eventful and it isn't even done yet! After Thanksgiving, it is generally crunch time for any students in school. Morgan and I had a few weeks where we did not see much of each other due to obligations with school, work & his PCM or Practical Christian Ministry requirement for school. Of course we can do the days without seeing each other, but life is much more enjoyable and bearable when we can. :) Well, Morgan finished his classes this past Monday pushing through four finals in one day! Phew! It is wonderful for us to be done with school for a couple of weeks.

Last weekend I held a Cookie Swap at our little apartment. It was a lot of fun & we each were able to take a tin full of cookies of different kinds home. I had some ladies from our apartment building, some Moody Student Wives, some co-workers & some friends from Moody Church come over. I also went earlier that morning and got my hair cut! Ladies, if you are reading this, you know how wonderful it is to get your hair cut! Needless to say I was very happy and ready for the party! I had made some White Chocolate Cranberry-Walnut cookies and was delighted to see what goodies the other ladies had made. We played some "cookie-swap" games & it was just nice to hang out with some other ladies in our home. =)

Just yesterday, Morgan and I were given an opportunity to see a musical. Now if anyone knows Morgan, they would be amazed he would take this opportunity. He is not one to just go to a musical. I, on the other hand, have been in many plays and musicals before & enjoy them. One of Morgan's co-workers at Caribou is also a lawyer & a DJ. Strange I know, but he has connections and he wanted to treat us earlier this month when we weren't able to go & this time we were able to go. :) We were excited & we saw "Meet Me in St. Louis." It was a great play & it shot me back to when I was in middle school & high school helping with the plays our schools put on. We had fun and it was great weather outside--we had a wonderful time. We are going to have dinner with the friend and co-worker who got us the tickets and we are actually going to talk about the Bible with him. He is a homosexual man and he was scared that Morgan, being a Moody student would be a horrible-judgmental person. But what has been great is that we can have friendship with him and he is actually curious to hear what we believe. He knows our stance on homosexuality & is interested in what we believe. We are so excited for this opportunity! I am also excited because he has a dog named Joey & I absolutely miss dogs!! It will be really nice to be able to play with one, without it being a street dog. haha.

I have been very surprised lately by my tolerance of the cold. I thought I could never handle 20 degree weather, but I have! Yesterday it was lovely when it was 25-30 degrees and snowing. Today was manageable but it was C-O-L-D! It was 5 degrees when left around 9am and then as the day wore on it got colder. With the wind chill it reached -5! AAAHHH!! But it gets worse. As of now it is -10 with a wind chill that makes it hit -20 to -30!! I can't believe it can be that cold but Morgan just pointed out that we have frost or ice on our windows building on the INSIDE! Yah, I think it is cold. Well this is our winter wonderland & I am so excited for when winter is done and spring is here. But Tomorrow will begin the first day of winter, and I guess we are just getting a taste of what is to come.

So with Christmas coming this week, we are very thankful to be here & for being together. Although my family is dispersed this Christmas, I think about them alot and I miss them greatly. They are all in my prayers every day. I just cling to the hope that we have in the LORD. My study in the psalms have been greatly challenging and inspiring. I have been learning so much about who our God is and his word continues to give me strength to move through each day of work and through other various circumstances.

I really want to do Christmas cards, but I haven't gotten any cards to make some, so I may make one for the new year and send them out. We'll see what happens. =D

I hope that you all have a very blessed and beautiful Christmas. Whether or not you are with family or friends, I pray that you will meditate on the wonders of Jesus and who he is now and forever more.

With great love!

Falling into New~ness

2008-11-05T17:44:00.003-06:00

It is already November. Wednesday, November 5th to be exact. Halloween, my birthday and the election have passed and we are looking forward to many new times and beginnings to occur.

First, God has provided (yet again) a full time job for me. I am catering for an Investment group in the LOOP of Downtown Chicago. I work on the 37th floor and I take care of about 150-160 investment executives with their dietary needs. (sounds better than I give them food. etc..). This week has been my first week working there and my co-workers and management staff are very resourceful and helpful while I am still transitioning. God is so good. I have also been encouraged by the fact that Morgan and I will be getting paid every Friday! I have been working about 45 hours a week, yes 9 hour days, but it sails by and I really do enjoy working here. I thought it would be very stressful, but I really enjoy the fast-pace and the food we get to eat for breaks are a plus! :) Morgan is very content with Caribou Coffee and they have been wonderful to the both of us. I, may actually be able to keep my Caribou status current if I work at least one day in the whole month! I was surprised by this, but that is what the District Manager told me. So, I may keep Caribou and work one weekend to keep it up.

Second, God has guided us. Morgan and I have been involved in the Moody Church College Group since we both have been here this past June. Morgan has been involved on and off when he went to school the past year and half with the college group ministries. We are looking ahead at Moody Bible's requirement of doing 6 week internship program for your major and by the advice of a teacher, and much prayer, we are going to be checking out a church in Forest Park and hopefully be under the leadership and guidance of the pastor and his wife there for next semester. There are many unanswered questions, such as, "Will we go back too Moody Church?" or, "Will we stay at this church for the whole time?". These are some of the thoughts we have going through our brain now, but we know that God is guiding us away from Moody Church for a time at least. We both are desiring discipling just as we have had in the past by some great pastors and their wives of Santa Rosa Bible Church, Windsor Bible Church and Church at Petaluma have been to us. We are excited and ready for what God has in store for us in this new venture.

Although Morgan and I have been very busy the last couple of weeks, we are continually refreshed by God and what he has given us in his Word. Many things have hit us in the past 10 months we have been married, but we are strengthened and renewed by God and it is encouraging to be able to share that with others. God has put it on my heart to study his Word more carefully and I am also wanting to know more about the Old Testament. I have been doing a bible study/meditation in the book of Psalms and it has been very rewarding.

I often find though, that since I have been out of school, I have been wanting to study and read and examine many things that cross my path. In School, I had structure, deadlines, but in life without school, those don't always exist. I guess, you could say, I am in school-withdrawal, I find that I want to try anything and everything out, if I am able. This is a great thing to have, b/c it has kept life interesting and vivid, but I tend to not finish what I start. Hopefully this next season I can be more regular in my activities and finish what I start.

Well, this was fun. I enjoyed writing a little about myself and what we have been up to. I hope to hear how you are doing too!

God bless!!

Ashley Reed

2008-09-15T20:20:00.004-05:00

RAINY DAYS

When the rain comes into Chicago, it doesn't lightly trickle down, it pours. When it rains, you don't hear it patter upon the roof, you just watch it falling silently through the double glass pane. Many times you wish you could hear the rain, hitting the roof, because it is so silent. Sometimes you can see the Sears tower, most times it is clothed by the robe of clouds surrounding it. Clouds don't always signal rain or it being cold outside. All summer long, the clouds symbolized hot, stickiness within the air. But September is here and fall is just rearing to start. I have heard that the rain doesn't stay for long, but the next thing to look forward to is the slight flurry of snow. That will begin towards the end of November, usually after Thanksgiving.

And with fall comes a variety of changes. During college, change is such an illusive term. Sure, College is different than High School. Your workload (hopefully) increases, stress can run high, procrastination earns you a new record with each semester, you tell yourself, this is so hard, but you can push through it. Your friends change, you change, and within all of that, there is a part of you that stays the same as well, but you can't put your thumb on it.

School can be a haven for students. It can be the one place that they know they can succeed in, that they can thrive in and that they can develop within. For the first time, I am not in school and I actually miss it. I miss the readings from SSU and the discussions we would have about philosophy and other amazing and interesting topics. I miss the presentations, the research projects and the tireless nights studying for the non-Libs classes who had us take tests. So, for now, while I am living on a school campus and married to a Bible student and surrounded by students, I am a little jealous. But I won't let it thrive within me, but I will try to find things to do that I enjoy.

Thus far, I have taken up a few little things, besides being a wife and an encourager for Morgan. First, I am working a PT job at a different Caribou Coffee. It is a fun job, but it is just for now, until I find something else out there that is more stable. Second, I hope to be doing a Bible Study with my mom-in-law, which I am really excited about. Third, I am becoming a member of Moody church. Fourth, I am now officially a member of the Sanctuary Choir. We get all dressed into robes and I've been meeting some wonderful and welcoming ladies who are in the choir and who are putting me under their wing Fifth, I am helping out with the college group ministry with their hospitality and I am meeting some lovely ladies who are apart of this ministry. Sixth I am trying to take on some reading. God has put on my heart the need to read up on biblical counseling and to read some devotional books. I am excited to learn new things and especially to apply what I learn in my life. And finally, I am trying to go to the gym, to stay in shape.

Some prayer requests that we have had over the past several weeks have become very apparent to us. First, the need for a better financial stability which translates to me finding a full time job that will help us in meeting this goal. For myself, the need for a few good girl-friends who won't mind hanging out for a weekend. Sitting at home can be nice for a time, but it can be very boring and isolating after a while. Third, that we take this time and learn how to work with people who are not like us. I have realized yet again that CA is very different from IL. Californian's are typically laid back, and we have organization and it is peaceful. In Illinois, their is an ultra-structured rigidity, that strives for perfection. I am also learning that I am so familiar with smaller churches, that it is often overwhelming to be apart of a corporate body that is HUGE! Both can be blessings in their own way, but do pray that we learn somethings new from our time in IL and that we are changed by it for God's glory.

We love hearing from friends and if you ever want to drop us a note you can here or at our address:

820 North LaSalle Blvd, CPO 1216, Chicago, IL 60610.

Timing

2008-08-28T09:39:00.003-05:00

God has continued to surprise us and humble us the last couple of days.

Beginning of August, Morgan was undergoing his training for Shift Supervisor at Caribou Coffee. He passed the test this last weekend and he is now a Shift Supervisor at his store. :) I was undergoing some successful interviews with a company in the city and I was told that I would have to wait 2-2 1/2 weeks until the third interview. This third interview occurred yesterday morning and I believe it went well, but I have to wait until next week to hear the results.

While I was waiting to hear about the third interview, I helped with the VBS at Moody Church. The theme they had was called Power Lab, and the church was set up as a laboratory. I worked with the Preschoolers and helped in the skits and other theatric endeavors. It was great fun and it was nice to meet some other people in the church. Plus, I liked wearing the different colors for each day! ;)

After the week of VBS, Morgan and I had one more week before school started. Students were coming back on Monday. The freshman and their families were here on Wednesday and Friday, Saturday and Sunday is when the remaining classes came back. The parking lot is now full and every where we go in the city you can spot different Moody student groups. I have been meeting different people during this time and this week, and I have been surprised to hear how many people want to meet me, because of Morgan! I thought he was joking all the time, but he was serious.

And now, school has started and we are entering into a smooth transition period. Whenever Morgan is studying, I usually go to the gym and do some Pilates with swimming. I went to a job fair over the weekend and I got hired at a different Caribou and will be doing my first day of training this morning and for the next couple of days. While I am waiting to hear from this company in the city, Caribou will help us get some supplemental income coming in. Which we need after getting two bills.

Now, I know that most everyone (besides some well-off freshman) pay bills. We were stunned to receive two this week almost consecutively. Not only are these bills large, but we are unsure of how we can make it-even though we know that this is happening under God's sovereign hand. We are thankful for friends and family who offer us their prayers and their support during this time. We also know that although we would like smooth transitions, sometimes the bumpier transitions make for smoother times in the future! And that we are thankful for them.

As the time continues to push us forward and we continue to not always ask why, we are blessed to know that in this pressure -packed moments, God is working in us and through us.

I look forward to this semester with both fear and awe.

Summertime

2008-08-03T15:34:00.002-05:00

August 3, 2008

This summer has completely flown by! I am thankful that there is still a few more weeks left before Morgan hits the books after a semester break. Morgan took the past semester off, so that I could graduate from SSU. About 2 weeks after I graduated, we had to sell our couch and get all of our belongings packed. We took about 2 days to put everything we owned into our rented Yellow Penske truck and had a nice time saying goodbye to family and friends. The day came and we moved out east for a journey of crazy adventures. The first day out on our way, Morgan was very sick. He drove until we got to the I-80 and that is where I took the wheel on our way to Elko, NV. What a drive!! I have great respect for those truck drivers after driving that truck! The next few days we drove through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa and into Illinois. We witnessed a blizzard from Utah into Wyoming and saw the great floods of Iowa. We tried to navigate our way through the city with truck, which was a "treat." But we arrived at Moody Bible Institute on June 14, 2008.

We had the help of some Moody students and another Moody couple move us in which was wonderful. We were so tired but so thankful we had gotten here safely. Over the weeks, we bought a futon and we slowly ease ourselves into "Chicago life." The first few weeks, I was overwhelmed by the city. The city was huge with its great skyscrapers like the Sears Tower, and Hancock Tower and the construction of the Trump Tower. The streets seemed to blur altogether and so did the trains and busses. I was overwhelmed with missing friends and family and everything seemed to be in a fog. Morgan was a great support during all the transitions for me and he slowly helped me in learning the streets and the surrounding areas.

Morgan most recently got a job at Caribou Coffee. He has been there for about a month now and they are training him to be a shift supervisor. We praise God for this job and that He continually provides for us and our needs! :) I, on the other hand, am continuing to look for a job. I have had a few leads thus far and we pray much that God will open doors for where he wants us to be. Thank you to those who are praying.

July came and flew by. We came out for Meghan and Ryan's wedding and tried to see friends while we were there as well. We were so glad to have helped with their wedding and it was beautiful. It was a short visit out and I was sad to leave, but we needed to get back home. I have slowly gotten adjusted to life out here and met some people in the college group and from Moody school. Morgan is antsy to see his old friends and classmates who will be back towards the end of August.

I too am looking forward to meeting his friends and peers. We are both very thankful to God for his never-ending love and guidance as we are living out here. We have learned much in our time out here and we are thankful for the place that God has us at and the provisions he has given us.