Aren't You Lucky

Wow, two posts on hayk in the same day! That's unheard of. I was tagged by Amy, so I thought I would chime in while I had the time.

Jobs I have had in my life:
1. Concession stand worker at the Baseball fields
2. Church office secretary
3. OSHA Monitor at a chemical plant (lots of fun stories)
4. Assistant Director of Constituent Relations

4 Movies I’ve Watched More Than Once:
1. Once
2. Return to Me
3. Little Miss Sunshine
4. Old Yeller

4 Places I’ve Lived:
1. Amman, Jordan
2. Longview, TX
3. Waco, TX
4. Fort Worth, TX

4 TV Show I Watch/Watched:
1. The Office
2. LOST
3. Alias
4. Survivor

4 Places I have Been:
1. Jerusalem
2. Interlaken, Switzerland
3. Sur, Oman (talk about some good fish)
4. Beirut, Lebanon

4People who email me regularly
1. CDK
2. Traci
3. Mom
4. Robin

4 of my favorite foods
1. Mexican - Ninfa's fajitas rank at the top
2. Arab - specifically matlubbi and fetah de jaaj
3. Pizza King Pizza
4. Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream

4 Places I Would Like to Visit
1. South America (only continent I'm lacking besides Antarctica)
2. New Zealand
3. Italy
4. Some exotic island location with the straw huts out over the water

4 Things I am Looking Forward to in the Coming Year
1. Buying a home
2. Watching NGK discover and learn new things, and her calling me "mom"
3. Finding out what church will look like
4. Learning how to be "mom"

4 Friends who I’m Tagging
(I think everyone I know has already done this!)
1. Traci
2. J at Herd of Turtles
That's all I've got!

Giving In

Well I finally gave into CDK's requests for me to set-up a Facebook page. I hadn't jumped on that part of the "networking" bandwagon, so I did. It's amazing how many people I know are on there. I guess I was missing out! As I quickly realized this morning, after only spending a few minutes on it, it can be addictive, just like blogging.
I don't have too many thought-provoking things to say. My thoughts are constantly distracted by stuff going on in our lives right now. When I've had more time to process and organize those thoughts, maybe I'll blog about them, or maybe not.
Thanks for checking in. Here's a fun picture of NGK from about a month ago. She loves eating her toes. I wish I were that flexible!

For Sale

FOR SALE

2006 TOYOTA COROLLA
45,000 Miles
$11,500

(not actual car, it's dark blue with gray interior)

Details: Automatic; Power Windows/Locks; Six-Disc CD Changer; 4-door; GREAT Gas Mileage (30/38); Cruise Control; Key less Entry; Good Condition; Bought in August 2006 from a Toyota Dealer and was a Certified Used Car

The only reason we're selling it is because CDK got a company car. We were planning to drive it till the wheels fell off. It's a great car and our car seat fits in the back. And we were always surprised by how much we could fit in the trunk.

If you're interested or have questions, contact me. If you don't know how to contact me, leave a comment and we'll figure out how to get in touch.

Somebody... Anybody?

This famous quote above is brought to you by my "baby" brother who turns 24 today. Happy Birthday AKM! When he was really little he wandered into my parent's room during the night. My parents were awake but didn't answer as he said "Mom...... Dad....... Somebody...... Anybody?!?"

The quote also accurately describes the feelings regarding my blog lately. I've gone four straight posts with only one comment (thanks Amanda). So, am I boring everyone now or what? I'm not trying to be needy, but just wondering if anyone is still out there. To add to my "blog depression" is the fact that my Cluster Map on the sidebar archived, so now I'm starting over with an world void of red dots. It stinks too because I was only missing dots on two continents, South America and Africa. CDK says I'm just being vain about my blog. Oh well, I guess I am!

I'd love to hear from ya!

Young@Heart *Update*

This video always makes me cry, but today I heard the real story of the man singing it, and it makes me cry harder. Him and his friend were practicing it as a duet, but the friend was sick and in the hospital. The friend checked himself out of the hospital so he could get to rehearsal for his duet. He died two weeks before the performance, so the man in the video, recovering from a heart attack, sang it as a solo.
You may have seen this group,called Young@Heart, of senior citizens sing current "rock" songs on Dateline or some other news show. I absolutely love this video, it's amazing the difference lyrics can make, just based on who is singing the song. There are several videos of their songs on YouTube, so look them up if you want to see more.
There is also a documentary coming out about this group and I can't wait to see it. And hey, there's nothing wrong with a good cry every now and then.

*Update* Here's a link to the Nightline Report about this group: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4624199. Enjoy!

Do We Need a "New Earth"?

You may know of Oprah's new book club book, A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. When I first heard the name I suspected that it was a new age book, and the more I heard about it the more my thoughts were confirmed. Now my disclaimer is this, I haven't read any parts of the book or participated in any of the online classes, so I admit my knowledge of the book is slim, but what I have seen and heard is disturbing. The video above gives a little insight into the book and its classes. While it might sensationalize the situation a little, the basic issues are of great importance.
I don't view this book as disturbing in itself, I view the way people are grasping onto it and believing it, simply because Oprah does as the disturbing factor. There will always be books, beliefs, and teachings out there that don't line-up with Christian beliefs, so making an argument against the book itself would be fruitless.
My main issue is how we, as Christians, handle a situation where other Christians and such a large part of our society are buying into this system of belief.
If you watch this video you see Oprah denying that Christ is the only way, something she did years ago. Oprah professes to be a Christian, and though we can't judge her heart, we can take the overflow of her heart as evidence to her beliefs. Denying that Christ is the only way is in direct opposition to the Bible ("Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” John 8:12). From this and other evidences, we must seriously consider the source this book and these teachings come from.
In our current world full of political correctness and tolerance, we still can't be afraid or ashamed to stand-up and say that Jesus is the only way. As we say this, we must say it in love and know that not all will believe, but it is not our job to make others believe, our job is to proclaim the name of Christ Jesus.
I can see how it might be easy to slip into these teachings. They don't seem bad or harmful, and after all Oprah's a good person and professes to be a Christian. But we must constantly guard our hearts in this world that is constantly seeking to pull us away from the truth of Christ. We must “… hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful,” Hebrews 10:23.
I'm not saying boycott Oprah (I tried that during my senior year of high school, obviously not very successful). She has interesting people on her show and interesting topics, it doesn't hurt to watch her show. In fact it doesn't hurt to read the latest book. What does hurt is when Christians start to accept the teachings of anyone, and I mean anyone from Oprah, to Ghandi, from Billy Graham, to President Bush, over that of the Bible and Christ. We must diligently examine what we hear, read, and study and make sure it lines up with the teachings of Christ.
What am I saying? Guard your hearts, speak in love, and prepare yourself with prayer, scripture, and a community of faith. The Bible says Christians are waging a battle, and the hope is that we know who wins.

I Just Thought That was the Deal of the Century

CDK came home from lunch yesterday and we had this conversation:

CDK: I just got a car.
KLK: What?
CDK: I just got a car.
KLK: What?
CDK: I just got a car.
KLK: What are you talking about? (thoroughly confused considering he already has a car)
CDK: I just got a car. My company called and they're giving me a car.
KLK: What are you serious? Is this a delayed April Fool's joke? You've got to be kidding me.

The conversation proceeded as I tried to figure out what kind of joke he was playing on me. But, no joke, he's getting a company car. We were both in total shock and disbelief. We knew that after working there six months he might be able to negotiate a car allowance, but in no way were we expecting a car, with all maintenance and insurance paid. Woo hoo!!! Praise the Lord, what an unexpected blessing.

So, we're going to sell our second car. If you're looking to buy a 2006 Toyota Corolla, let me know!