Perky-ness: no caffeine required.

Maybe it was because Thanksgiving break was one of the best Thanksgiving breaks I've had in a long time. But I was incredibly perky today. Then again, I was incredibly perky all of last week.

It was so good to be home. Last week at a glance:

-I enjoyed the potluck on Tuesday night with my college group and singing 80's classics with Pastor Paul after the small group ended. The funniest moment of the night was when one of the Russian guys asked if he could hug me, which he then followed with a request for my phone number. "What?" After college group, a group of us went to Megan Spain's HUGE house out in the country and hung out till 2:00 in the morning, playing guitar and singing random folk songs (or turning pop songs into folk songs).

- On Wednesday, I got to spend some downtime with my best friend, Cristi. And she insisted that we watch "Hope Floats," with Harry Connick, Jr and Sandra Bullock. Even though I gave her a hard time about the movie, I secretly liked it. But shhh, don't tell.

-Thursday: My family and I made homemade lumpia (or filipino egg rolls. click HERE to learn more) on Thanksgiving day. I know, so cute, right? My brothers and I had great conversations throughout the week and I am greatly encouraged by how they're growing up. Granted, they're not perfect, but it really means a lot to me when my brothers tell me, at random points of the day, that they love me a lot. I am a "words of affirmation" type of person. And my brothers were definitely very affirming. :)

-Friday: Broomball is always a fun time. My church goes once a month and we play at the Gateway Ice Center in downtown Fresno. I think I was being a little too competitive since I managed to knock a few people over during the game. After broomball, we hung out at In-and-Out. I started a small French-Fry fight (to which my new friend, Vlad commented, "I've never seen a girl throw french fries before." Funny). I also managed to spill Dave Ashjian's diet coke all over him and Cristi, who was sitting next to him. Oops.

-Saturday: Potluck at Russell, Mike and Garrett's place (a place I like to call "the Outhouse" because it is so "out there." hah). People brought different foods, including mashed potatoes from a box! Definitely a first for me. After dinner, we played team charades by a bonfire and I somehow, managed to be the prop for most, if not all, the scenarios given. FUN! After I left "the Outhouse," my parents and I and my brother Lenny (Lenard was working and was unable to join us), went out for sushi and then watched "Bolt" afterwards. I highly recommend that movie if you like cute and funny. Or if you like talking, obese hamsters stuck inside a ball. I give it 2 thumbs WAY up.

-Sunday: I was reminded that all good things in life come from God. Pastor Paul taught on this passage from James 1: 17-19:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from^(B) the Father of lights^(C) with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.^[a] 18^(D) Of his own will he^(E) brought us forth by the word of truth,^(F) that we should be a kind of^(G) firstfruits of his creatures.

This brings us to today: I truly am thankful to be in a place where I can sincerely thank God for His grace, even when life is hard. Life has not been easy for the past year and a half. And I know that it has not been always easy to say that God is good. But today, I was able to reflect on the goodness of God by taking a step back and looking at the good and wonderful things in my life and things that He has taught me. This blessed my soul and my spirit GREATLY. Just thinking back on the week I've had and the blessings I continue to have in my relationship with the Father, through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, I am SO SO SO blessed. I am grateful that God is faithful, that He is good and un-changing. He has blessed me with a loving family, encouraging friends, a reconciled relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, an increasing knowledge and pursuit of Him, the nursing program, children that I can hang out with on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, a great place to live and wonderful roommates to live with...the list goes on and on. It is days like these that make the trials so worth it, because God's glory shines brighter and clearer. His goodness is no longer something lofty that I cannot understand. His goodness and His greatness becomes more and more real.

And last but not least:



this video says it all.