Slideshow of my work!

Some of my work!

Here are some pictures from my recent work (engagement photos):

5 Questions from the DaVinci Code

5 Big Questions from The Da Vinci Code
A brief guide.
by Christianity Today magazine editor Collin Hansen


Download this article as a Free One-Page Guide to hand out and discuss with your family and friends.

Already an international publishing sensation, The Da Vinci Code now is a feature film directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks. The compelling story written by Dan Brown blurs the line between fact and fiction, so moviegoers have joined readers wondering about the origins and legitimacy of orthodox Christianity. This guide offers brief answers to five important questions.

1. Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene?
No. Mary Magdalene was certainly close to Jesus. She wept at Jesus' tomb (John 20). Jesus even entrusted her to return and tell the disciples about his resurrection. But we have no reason to believe they were married. Brown says that Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper reveals the secret. He writes that the figure to Jesus' right, traditionally known as the apostle John, is actually Mary. Not true. Artists often gave characters feminine features to portray youth. John was the youngest of the disciples.

Brown correctly observes that few Jewish men of Jesus' day did not marry. But why, then, did the apostle Paul, himself celibate, not mention Jesus and Mary when he argued that apostles could marry (1 Cor. 9:5)?

2. What about these alternative gospels that aren't in the New Testament?
It's true that the Bible did not arrive as a "fax from heaven," as Brown writes. The New Testament canon in its current form was first formally attested in 367. Nevertheless, church leaders applied important standards when compiling the Bible. Authors of accepted writings needed to have walked and talked with Jesus, or at least with his leading disciples. Their teaching could not contradict what other apostles had written, and their documents must have been accepted by the entire church, from Jerusalem to Rome. Church leaders considered earlier letters and reports more credible than later documents. Finally, they prayed and trusted the Holy Spirit to guide their decisions.

The so-called Gnostic gospels, many discovered just last century, did not meet these criteria. Many appeared much later than the Bible and were dubiously attributed to major Christian leaders. Their teachings contrasted with what apostles like Paul had written. For example, many Gnostic writings argued that Jesus did not appear in the flesh, because flesh is evil, or they rejected the Old Testament.

3. Were there really competing Christianities during the early church?
Yes—in the sense there were many disputes about the nature of Jesus. And the church has done its best to vanquish challengers to orthodoxy. Once the church decided against the Gnostic writings, they gathered and burned all the Gnostic manuscripts they could find.

Later church councils convened to discuss other threats to Christian orthodoxy. Constantine, the first Roman emperor to make Christianity legal, called the most important of these meetings in 325. Leaders from around the Christian world gathered in Nicea, where they debated Arianism, which taught that God created Jesus. Brown writes that Constantine called this council so he could introduce a new divine Jesus on par with the Father. On the contrary, documents from before Nicea show that most followers of Jesus already called him LORD, the Yahweh of the Old Testament. The church leaders at Nicea rejected Arianism and affirmed that God and Jesus existed together from the beginning in the Trinity. This council produced the first drafts of what became the Nicene Creed, a landmark explanation of Christian belief.

4. What is Opus Dei?
A conservative religious group within the Roman Catholic Church. Opus Dei urges priests and laypeople to strenuously pursue sanctification through everyday discipline. The group has taken criticism for its conservative views, zeal, and secretive practices. There is no evidence that Opus Dei has resorted to murder; nor has the Vatican entrusted Opus Dei to violently guard the church's deepest secrets, as Dan Brown claims in The Da Vinci Code.

5. Does the Priory of Sion really exist?
Yes, but not as described by Brown. Researchers suspect that members of the real-life Priory of Sion, founded in 1956, forged documents that placed major historical figures—such as Isaac Newton and Leonard da Vinci—in an ancient secret society. There is no evidence for this group beyond dubious documents. Any story relating this group to a dynasty begun by Jesus and Mary Magdalene is a fanciful work of fiction.




Collin Hansen is associate editor of Christianity Today (www.christianitytoday.com). For more Christianity Today coverage, visit www.ChristianityToday.com/go/DaVinci

Car for Sale!

Well, since we bought our new car... we are selling my 1998 Ford Escort, runs good needs a/c repair $2000/obo. Let me or Andrew know if you would be interested in buying or know somebody that would be. I will post pictures of my car at a later date!

My first cake

I had some time on my hands today and I have always wanted to make a cake and use the fondant icing... so I actually made a cake using the fondant icing. Which it is pretty cool to manipulate but it actually doesn't taste like anything but sugar... next time I use it I am going to put a layer of regular frosting underneath. Take a look:

My new Car :)

Here is the picture of my beautiful new car :) YAAAHHHH! Also, we just found out a cool thing about the car too... when you drive at faster speeds the volume on the radio turns itself up and as you slow down it automatically turns the volume down. So awesome!

1 year anniversary and NEW CAR!

Hey Everyone, Friday and today we celebrated our 1 year Anniversary. We went to the Hilton Waterfront in Huntington Beach and stayed 1 night. Awesome view from our room, we went to the Palm Court in the hotel... Andrew ordered the duck which was awesome and I ordered the Salmon which was awesome and followed dinner with a banana foster. Which was very good also. Saturday we woke up late, ate breakfast at Mimi's Cafe in Corona and stopped by the Honda dealership in Riverside. We stopped just to look at the civic.... but after some thought and some coercion we ended up walking out the door with a 2006 Honda Civic sedan silver, such a smooth ride and it makes me feel like I am driving a lexus not a junked escort anymore. I absolutely love it and it gets better gas mileage than my escort...imagine that! It was a little bit more than we wanted to pay but we will keep the car for 10 years and we are looking to pay it off pretty quickly. I can't wait to drive it again :) Also later went hiking to a waterfall near upland, here is the picture:


A side note, I ended walking out on my ending job this last friday. My boss yelled at me for the last time, so on my lunch I decided to go to the President of the company and explain to him what happened. I already gave them my two weeks notice on Wednesday, but Friday she started retaliating against me for me leaving. So, I told him the situation and that I cannot handle this kind of stress for another week and half... it is so ridiculous. Through all my tears in front of him and telling him of my frustration with the position and her as my boss... we both agreed that it would better to make today my last day. I told him, you know I really tried to do this the right way so I could get a good reference and be re-hireable if necessary. He guaranteed me I would be getting a good reference. I told my boss that when I was up the hill I ran into Charlie and had a conversation with him and we agreed that today should be my last day. She said with an attitude, What do you want me to do with your check, I said you can mail it. She said are you sure? I said yes. She said with more attitude, I hope you represented the situation correctly. I said, I did. As of right now, this is my last moment here.
I will be getting a check this week for this last pay period, my two weeks in which I was trying to complete, and any vacation time I had in the bank that was accrued. Which was fair. I didn't want this job to end this way but I guess this is the way it had to happen. So now, I contacted my new employer and wanted to see if it would be possible to start earlier due to new availability. Haven't heard from them, but Monday I should hear whether or not they would start me early which will be like me working two jobs and only working one. So, any money would be nice to put towards my new car!

I gave my resignation today...

And my boss said "Oh... good, well Congratulations." Then the rest of the morning was speaking with my other co-workers about putting an ad in the paper and all that. So, I was kinda expecting a different reaction but I am glad she said what she said. It made it really easy on me. I am very excited for this new position but also very nervous, they are more formal and also have double the employee size of my current job. I will be very busy, but I thank God that he opened the door for this new position. My new boss was my mom's old boss when she first started in Human Resources and mentored my mom. I know she will be a fair and great boss from all the great things my mom has said about her. I know I will learn a lot from Cisca and I look forward to all the things that I think I can bring to Riverside Medical Clinic. Word travels fast because I already had people come up to me and ask me when my last day was and where I will be working. It is crazy, I have been with AFVW for a total of 3 1/2 years, but now I am moving on and looking forward to a much more calm and fair boss.
Thank you to all of you for your prayers for me and also for my sister. My sister is 5 weeks pregnant and has had cramping for about 3 weeks now. So needless to say she was very worried and scared. I thought she may have had a tubal pregnancy because of the pains but she went her 1st dr's appt today and they told her that everything looks fine and that the cramping doesn't concern the dr. So praise God, and thank you to all my friends that knew about this and prayed for her. God is working... just keep her in your prayers that things keep going smoothly.

From the Passion

Pilate asks his wife "What is truth?"
She answers, "If you cannot see truth right in front of you, no one can tell you what it is."

Ayiesha Woods "Happy"

Ayiesha Woods - Happy
From the album Introducing Ayiesha Woods

No record deal, no dream fulfilled, no three minute video
No catchy jingle, no big hit single playing on the radio

Can make me happy enough
Can make me feel the way you do
You make me happy
I wanna make You happy too
You make me happy
You make me happy

No flashy cars, no movie stars, no man, woman, boy or girl
No fancy things, no diamond rings, nothing in the whole wide world

Chorus:
Can make me happy
Can make me feel the way You do
You make me happy
I want to make You happy too
You make me happy
You make me feel the way I do
You make me happy
I wish the whole world knew You too

No I cannot count the ways You have made my life so blessed
All I know is that You came and made beauty of my mess
Said I cannot count the ways You have made my life so blessed
All I know is that You came and made beauty of my mess


Label: Gotee Records

Job update

I had my interview with the Riverside Medical Clinic this morning, and it went really well. I had the typical interview questions and the person that would be my manager seems really easy going and will not micro-manage. I also met with the VP of Human Resources (my mom's mentor) after and she asked me of course... Why do you want to leave the current company you are with. My answer was "There has been some restructering within the office and it is going a direction that is different from when I first got hired for the position." She asked, so how is it working out with the new Director? I said "She is a bit difficult, and it is different from the direction I am looking to go with the company." So, this afternoon my old boss ran into me in the hallways and said So, you are looking for a new job? I was like huh? She said someone called to ask for a reference for you. So, I explained what happened. The great news is that if they weren't interested in me they wouldn't be asking for my references no more than a few hours later than when I had the interview. They requested that I fax them a copy of my last performace evaluation... my only problem is I am not sure where it is. I am hoping it is in my desk at work but if not. Then I will 1) have to see if I can arrange some more references with the Riverside Medical Clinic or 2) Let my current boss know what is going on so she can give me a copy of the evaluation. I am just praying that my copy of my evaluation is in my desk... ugh.

Fake Prom Next Week

Hiking... WOW

Okay we went up to Marian Mountain Saturday and went hiking. What I thought was going to be an "easy" trail ended up being more of a trail for people who hike regularly. So, there was snow, which we were all not prepared for. My socks and jeans were completely soaked. By the time we got to walking down the trail, my legs and ankles started to give out and I kept falling in the snow. So, yeah I was frustrated and tired and my butt was wet on top of it because I kept falling. By the end of the night, my throat hurt from the breathing, and my legs ached from the hiking. We were dead tired. This morning after a mega dose of tylenol I feel a ton better. Will be sore for quite some time. I think I will keep hiking though, I want to keep losing weight.

Happy Easter

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter, Christ is Risen!

Heart Pains

I found myself crying in my car on the way home from work today. I was listening to "Ocean from Rain" by Seventh Day Slumber, and something just came over me. I was thinking about Andrew's co-worker Gina, her husband was diagnosed with polynueropathy along time ago. Basically, it's a painful disease that strips your nerves of the protective layers, not to mention he has sickle-cell also. He doesn't have good days, he has bad days and worse days. She works with Andrew during the day and cleans the church office above andrew's work to try and make ends meet for them and their 2 children. I was crying because I thought, man if I could get them on Extreme Makeover and they could have everything they need. Or I thought, if God had blessed me with money there would be no doubt that I would do what I could to help them out. It was very hard for me to think that there was nothing in my power that I could do to make it better for them. So, I cried out to the LORD in some effort to plead with the LORD to heal him. I don't know what the purpose is for either of them or for that family, I just hate feeling like there is nothing I can do to help them except for prayer. So I will keep praying for them and hoping that God will hear my plea and grant all of us that request. So, if you think about it pray for Gina and Brian.

I've been moved

I was reading through a friend's blog and saw this quote:

God hints at His purpose for you by planting dreams within your heart.

-Women of the Bible

Ever since I read this quote, I have such a hope. I have been touched by this quote and I don't know how to describe it. I have such dreams of being able to work from home and start a somewhat business from home so I can stay at home once we decide to have kids. That is my ultimate dream, something I so desire. Finding what it is that God wants me to do from home, well that it is totally different story. I know I am pretty good at Marketing Publications, so I might try and send out some flyers offering services for marketing publications for churches or church events. Ehhh, this has been a constant place of frustration for me, I need a business that will be able to make money and allow me to be home but also that won't totally consume me once I have kids. I thought about also doing daycare from the house we move into. So, I have a few ideas but I just need the answer from God on what He wants me to do about this hopefully within the next year because that's when we plan on having children. Pray for me that God will reveal his purpose for this to me. Also, I have an interview on Tuesday for an Human Resources Assistant for the Riverside Medical Clinic, starting pay should be a lot higher than what I am making. Pray that if it is God's will for me to get this job that I will and if not His will, will be revealed.

Addicted to "Lost"

Andrew and I recently bought the "Lost" 1 season when we were in Oregon to watch on the plane and we CANNOT get enough of watching these episodes. Each one is so intriguing and different. Everytime I finish an epidode, I want to keep watching more and more. Oh man, I am gonna finish the DVD set before the new episodes come out :)

New job opportunity

Please keep me in your prayers this week, I was doing some looking around for some jobs this weekend and found at Riverside Medical Clinic they were hiring for an HR Assistant. I read through the job details, and it's really similar to what I am doing now. So, ahwile ago before I started at AFVW, I applied there as an executive assistant because my mom's friend is the VP of Human Resources for that company. So, I checked their website and sure enough found that position. I am hoping to have a conversation with this VP today on my lunch to see I would be able to send my resume to her for possibly being considered for the position. I pray that this works out, I am putting it in God's hands. My current work situation has not gotten any better at all, and in fact last week it got worse with my supervisors attitude and dealings with us in the office. So, I have decided it is time for me to be considering other options at this point. It is too much stress for a job, and I am only 22. So, keep me in your prayers for my work environment to get better and for this possible new position. Also, I applied at Anchor Blue in Ontario for an HR assistant and Mag-Lite for an HR assistant.

Thanks All and Love ya!

Journal entry 4/7/06

I lift these heavy burdens with frail hands
to the heavens I give my every care
For only you, my Salvation. can carry them
I hide within you, my fortress and
I rest on your neverending love
Set me free from this thorn of empty frustration
Deliver me from the pain that haunts me
in the midst of this depth of despair I still cling to you
Don't let one finger lose grasp of what your love has done for me
How could I ever make sense of such chaos
You dear Father, calm the storms within me
I will never let go, I will not be taken over
I have not forgotten your mercies and I see your grace daily
I praise you my dear Savior, I worship you gracious Lord of my life.

Rain to wash away the dirt

God has shown me how sometimes our problems or worries can be like the dirt
on our cars. Sometimes when we forget to wash our cars, the dirt can get
more and more and become even crusted over and hard. Then a puring rain, of
God's love and mercy, flows down and can wash away even the thicker and
caked on dirt of our lives. When we surrender to Him, we allow Him to bring
all the good things that come from being a child of His. Our Father, dear
Father, opens up His arms and we crawl in. We rest in the strength of his
grace and gain wisdom and understanding of who God could be and wants to be
in our lives. Don't take lightly what He truly wants us to obtain... A saving
knowledge of Christ, our Adonai and El Shaddai.