And 3 Things I Want To Do Before I Die:

I've been thinking about goals and little things I would like to do one day, just because they are something I love or something I am interested in. So I thought rather than trying to file them in my brain or write them on a piece of paper that I'll quickly lose.. I'll just start compiling a list here and add to it as things come to mind.

1. I want to go to a major outdoor flea market. I've read in magazines about ones that span an acre and I think that would be so much fun. Take a day and a wagon or backpack and set off to find amazing things and amazing deals. Such fun!

2. I want to go back to Israel. I would even love to go under the same leadership as before. So, next time Halstead is leading a trip ... maaaybe I will try and be on it. It was so much fun, such an experience, such a time of enjoyment and peace and so wonderful to be walking where Christ walked. It was beautiful and that first trip will always impact my life, so a second one would be awesome too. I didn't give my all on that first trip, I had reservations that I wish now I didn't have and going once has caused me to study and know my Bible in a different way, so imagine going back now and building off of what I have so far.

3. I want to write a song. Or collaboratively write a song. That question people ask, "If you could have any talent, what would it be?" My answer would be, "To be able to write songs." I love music and I love worship. I think in this past year I probably could have pulled some great songs out if I were able to write them, but I just don't have that knack. A lady at church, Marie Clark, is starting to disciple me. She plays guitar, piano and sings and writes her own songs. She said we could write some songs together because there are so many times she thinks, "Oh, if only I had a violin for this part." She might change her mind when she finds out I have no talent in this area, or maybe her skill and creativity will be absorbed into me and I will finally achieve being able to write a song.

The Other 3 Unique Things About Me:

4. I wash my face with baking soda.
5. I LOVE old western romance books. Janette Oke is my favorite. I've read her books since childhood so I hold them near and dear to my heart.
6. I broke my nose playing Scrabble.

My Testimony

I recently turned in an application at The Master's College and for part of the application they ask you to share your testimony. Since I took the time to write it all out I figured I would just post it here too.

My Testimony:

I was born and raised in a Christian home. My parents have been believers since their childhoods and my grandparents are saved and many of my great grandparents were saved as well. Based off of that, I have grown up with a strong Christian heritage.

My family attended Grace Community Church through my entire childhood. When I was very young I would pray every single night that Jesus would come into my heart so that I could go to heaven. As years went by things began to click and I made sense of the fact that I was a sinner and due to my sins I would go to hell when I died. I also understood that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and that if I would go to Him for forgiveness I could be saved from the certainty of hell and go to heaven when I died.

On my 7th birthday I was in tears when my mom came in my room to tuck me in bed for the night. I told her I was going to go hell and she helped me pray to ask Jesus into my heart.

When I was 14 and in 9th grade my family moved to Valencia, California. At that time we also began attending Placerita Baptist Church. I was involved in the youth group, a weekly Bible Study, and a Sunday School teacher for the 2’s and 3’s. When I was 17 I was baptized.

Growing up at 2 great churches I always saw the importance of developing my relationship with Christ. I loved the Lord and trusted Him and continued to pursue Him, but was always off and on with that pursuit. When I was about 17 or 18 I truly began to see how much of a box I was keeping God in. I began to see how HUGE He is and just how much He is capable of doing/accomplishing. I began to see the importance of prayer. Prayer that lets you know the Lord, prayer that lets you praise the Lord, prayer that lets you petition the Lord. From the age of 17 until now I can say that I have grown much in the Lord. I trust Him fully and completely.

When I was 22 I married a man named Kevin. We grew up together at PBC. We were involved in music ministry together and had a great and solid friendship. We planned on growing together in the Lord, being involved with music/worship at whatever church we would find ourselves at (Kevin is in the military), having an open home for people to know and experience the love of Christ, and planned to raise a godly family. Being a linguist Kevin even expressed desire to learn other languages and help to translate the Bible where it hasn’t yet been. Unfortunately, three months into our marriage Kevin turned his back on his Savior completely. Due to his full rejection of Christ, Kevin also rejected me and 16 months after our wedding Kevin filed for divorce.

The year I spent married to an unbelieving husband did more for my spiritual growth then any of the 22 previous years combined. I learned that Kevin had voided me of his protection so when I felt fear or vulnerable I had to trust the Lord for my protection. I learned that I will never doubt God or His existence or perfection or His Word due to the fact that through all the suffering I was still able to love my husband and pray and weep for him and that is only due to the grace of my Lord being put into my life. I learned that there were extreme parallels in my marriage and to Christ’s relationship with the world. Christ knows what it is to love and sacrifice and be rejected. The pain I had in knowing what Kevin was choosing was pain I had for one person, Christ has that pain for the world. I learned that the church is vital for support, counsel, wisdom, strength, help, encouragement and protection. I learned how much I cherish my family and friends and church. I drew relief in the fact that though my world was spinning and barely functioning I could fully depend on a God who promises to never change. I learned that I will hang onto Christ with every shred of my existence and when someone I am committed to and whom I wholeheartedly love tells me I am a fool because of it, I will love Christ even more.

I am now working on getting life back in order. I’m adjusting to being back in Santa Clarita again. I’m getting involved at Placerita again. I play the violin every Sunday night in the worship band. I am meeting new people and establishing relationships with them. I am so thankful for the elders and for Pastor Scott at Placerita. They have been a backbone of truth and encouragement to me during this time. They are supportive of me as I step forward with life. I trust the Lord in His purposes and what He wishes to accomplish and I am looking towards the future to see what His plans are for me.

Thrift Shopping

Last Thursday, Susan Coudsy and I went to Ventura to pay a visit to the thrift stores there.

I got a pair of brand new Lucky Brand jeans for $7.95.

But my most awesome purchase of the day was this fabulous vintage green below the knee coat! It came with a belt and this coat is so feminine and sooo cute! I LOVE it!! It was only $4.95. I am so thrilled!

I also got a smaller jacket that is sort of plaid for $1.95, a pair of hot pink with green, orange and white polka-dots fleece jammie bottoms, a hooded sweatshirt from University of San Fran, an adorable purse, and my parents each asked for one specific item.. my mom wanted me to find her a cute beige jacket.. which I found for $1.95, and my dad wanted me to find him Michael Crichton's Timeline hardcover book which I found for $4.95. I was so proud of myself because they each asked for one specific thing and I was able to find them exactly what they wanted.

The jeans and the coat were the best purchases though.

3 of 6 Unique Things

1. I hate infestation, or anything that looks like infestation, or extremely magnified things where it looks like infestation. Like a magnified cell and its all bumpy or ridgy.. Even a month ago I was out for a walk with some friends and we passed this grass that was a weird grass and all lumpy and rolly and it was continuous for the entire lawn and it was so sick.

2. I have always been prone to bronchitis. Every year for my parents anniversary they would go away and Jeremy and I would stay at Grandma and Grandpa's and every year I had bronchitis. Every year we would have a neighborhood yard sale and we would make notes on the notebook we kept track of sales in of the weather and what had gone on and every year it was recorded, "Erin has bronchitis." I cannot get wet (go swimming or into the jacuzzi) or get too worked up so that I sweat when it is cold outside otherwise I will get bronchitis. And we had a huge backyard and every so often my dad would borrow a rototiller and rototill the back and I always loved to run around and play in the fresh soft moist dirt and every time it gave me bronchitis.

3. My first job, working at Full Bloom/Rooms n Blooms was given to me because of a phone call from an angel. That is a story in itself worthy of a blog sometime.

and one more

This is a picture of the Coudsy Family so you will know who it is I talk about and hang out with so much:

Justin, Ben, Mikayla, Dannai with closed eyes, Susan and Kelly.

Pieces

So last night I was browsing through the channels because there wasn't really anything on TV and I came across PBS and was immediately humored by what was on.. A Tribute to Folk Music. That's right.. A Mighty Wind totally came to mind. It was old folk groups reuniting and performing their hits. It was called This Land is Your Land.

In other parts of life, I am babysitting the Coudsy twins. Tonight and tomorrow is the PBC Elders and Wives retreat. We had a Sunday night band pizza and movie night tonight so I brought the girls with me. There is gonna be another guitar player joining the band. We had fun. We all brought our favorite pizza toppings so we could have exactly what we liked. What I thought was interesting was that out of 9 people who came, nobody brought pepperoni. Guess it's not a favorite in our group.

There is a possibility that (the girls and) I might be going to Ventura tomorrow with Shay and Bethany to go to the thrift stores there. They are awesome.. Shay and Bethany and the thrift stores just in case you were wondering which thing 'awesome' was to be applied to. The thrift stores have awesome names like The Retarded Children's Thrift Store or The Battered Women's Thrift Store, or The Spayed and Neutered Pets Thrift Store.

I'm playing offeratory with Steph and Zane on Sunday morning. And big news, Zane is gonna teach me how to crochet so that I can make myself a beanie. I'm excited. Huger news, Steph got cast in Smokey Joe's Cafe. She rocks. There was a larger turnout of men at the audition so they haven't narrowed down yet for the part Zane auditioned for. So we are all praying that Zane will get the part, that way he and Steph can work together rather then trying to find and manage separate roles.

Nancy tagged me to write 6 unique things about myself. I've been thinking but haven't come up with much.. I have two that I've thought of but for one.. I'm seriously trying to figure out how to put it into words.