…NIZA…

well, it’s finally here. the IMN and origins is over and the reality of moving hits me on the face. i have packed 1/3 of the downstairs and i haven’t either touched the four bedrooms upstairs. here are some photos of our first day:

—————> here’s crate #1 - this is the best moving invention ever.
—————> here - all 5 crates - we should be able to fit a 6 bed house in those.
—————> alex and lucas before the loading begins.

—————> staci joy happy as can be to be helping me move… haha.
—————> tina and cheryl packing the office.

—————> hard working gals - you guys rock =)
—————> nothing but muscles here - the guys are coming on thursday to load the heavy stuff… not that we need them or anything… lol.

A HUGE THANKS TO THE THOUSAND OAKS GALS FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND TO PATTY WHO CAME IN THE MORNING. IT WOULD BE HARD TO DO THIS ALONE… THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU… I OWE YOU.

my oldest son, michael, graduated from the INSIGHT program last saturday and i wanted to take this time to tell him:

“Son, I’m so proud of you. You are my oldest and it’s so hard to see you spreading your wings and getting ready to take flight, I know you will do great in life though. This planet is lucky/blessed to have you as one of it’s inhabitants… You make this world a better place. Keep your eyes on the only One who matters and may God bless you in your journey. I love you!”

michael and dr. ralph winter

some of his INSIGHT friends

michael receiving his certificate

keep dreaming!

you know it’s a different world when someone introduces him/herself to you by their real name and you don’t think much of it, but as soon as they say their blog name you smile real big and give them the hug reserved for the best-friend you haven’t seen in years.

keep dreaming =)

tomorrow i’m going to look at this house that i think could totally work for us. i already have the rental application and paperwork necessary to make it happen. now i just have to fight the fierce crowd of people dying to move to pasadena.

i want to ask you for your prayers as we continue to search. we have to be out of our current beloved home by may 30.

keep dreaming.

—- don’t forget VOXtropolis’ first live broadcast. see you then =) —-

a while back everyone was doing “My walk to Starbucks” posts and now i decided to share with you my drive to baskin robbins.

our ride, our friend and adopted family member who loves porkchops - octavio martinez.

alex and octavio engaged in deep spiritual conversation. actually, alex is just being a backseat driver… i love you honey =)

alex and octavio still blabbing away. the place is too busy so we go to another one… sorry, it was going to take an hour for them to fill all the orders in front of us.

we arrive at the next and final destination… i’m salivating.

mine is the big one… i was really craving a milkshake, ok?!

we get dropped off, everyone is happy and octavio drives home to his love - hi, lilia, we missed you =)

what’s your favorite ice cream?
keep dreaming!

— doSul at starbucks in düsseldorf, germany 2005—

so, the other day i went on my usual walk to starbucks and one of the girls who works there said to me:”i saw your husband earlier and… we were all outside and… one of the guys said: “look! that’s grande peppermint hot chocolate’s husband”"

i said: “cool! i got a nickname at starbucks”

too much of a good thing? what do you think?

keep dreaming!

the taxi pull up to our door as we were still trying to jam things into alex’s carry-on… he hates sending things underneath the plane. his plan: quick in/quick out. i said goodbye and off they went. the taxi door was barely closed before the driver was already moving. we kept watching and waving.

they’ll be gone for 10 days. i have about that long to find us a new place to live. the wonderful old house we live in is now being reclaimed by the university who owns it for a new staff member who is coming this summer… *sigh*… i’m so sad, i just got settled here and now i got to go… *siiiiiiigh*… oh well, good thing i have entrusted my life to God. i just know He must be up to something moving us so quickly, right?

i have to confess something to you though - i have been fretting a bit… alright - a lot. i really like it here. it’s right across street from where my son has been taking his college classes, it’s also right across street from mosaic (my church), now, that’s convenience =). we can walk to starbucks, the grocery store, blockbuster and a number of other cool places.

the older i get the more the tendency to fret. it’s not that i don’t trust God, but it’s that i don’t trust me. i often wonder how many opportunities i have waisted, i wonder if i have done and am doing everything i should have done and be doing. some tell me i do so much and some tell me i’m not doing the things i should be doing, but no matter who’s telling me what, i always feel like i should be doing more. when do we stop doing? how do we know we’ve done enough? i don’t know, so i guess i’ll just keep doing stuff.

oh, sorry… this post was supposed to be about alex and lucas leaving for kenya.

——guys, have a great trip.
——alex, i’m praying that God will speak through you like never before.
——lucas, i’m praying that you’ll see lots of cool animals.

keep dreaming.

i know i said my next post was going to be on the emerging church, but since so much time is passed, and i think everyone is moved on, i chose not to dwell on the subject but to honor my daughter’s birthday instead.

so, erica turned 16 and this past sunday was the big bash. lots of good friends came… thank you so much for making her celebration extra special. a special thanks to my pal evelyn who went everywhere with me this week getting things for erica and for the party. i also want to thank prague, jason and DJ flood for sharing their musical talents with us. YOU GUYS ROCK!

a good time was had by all and now that i’m rested i’ll be doing some house cleaning… yuk!
DJ flood

prague

jason sharp

happy birthday my angel, i can’t believe you’re so grown-up.

keep dreaming and make it happen.

This post is in response to a comment made by Jason Carlson on Tina’s blog, and also in response to an article written by Brannon Howse on Christian Worldview Network.
Jason,

I appreciate you wanting to defend your friend. He probably is a very nice guy and very zealous to keep the integrity of the gospel, so are we.

I would like to clarify something. The mystic language that Alex uses has nothing to do with Mosaic. Alex has a disclaimer on his blog (www.alexmcmanus.org) to the fact that his opinions and ideas are his and no one should connect them to Mosaic, thus hopefully, saving Mosaic a whole lot of trouble =)

The language is not misleading in any way, except maybe for sophisticated westerners who forgot the fact that our guidebook, the Bible, is in fact a book of mysteries. The events surrounding our Savior’s birth are very mystical to me. A young woman being pregnant without ever having sex? Did she not communicate with one from beyond - an angel? How about the three Wiseman? One of them was an astrologer, and they followed a star to the birth site, Etc. Are you kidding me? If it wasn’t for the mystic encounter I had with the Creator of the universe himself, it would be very hard for me to swallow these claims.

I wonder what Mr. Howse would say about these events if they weren’t in the scriptures we all hold so dear. Perhaps, next time he writes a piece that attacks people he doesn’t know and institutions he has never set his feet in, he might want to take the time as a columnist, to call the people and ask some questions so he can write an informed piece. I’m sorry he’s confused, but I see no loving Christian spirit in slandering others because he doesn’t fix his confusion by asking questions. I would have more respect for his article and him if he had asked questions, even if he had written the same article afterwards. At least I would have known that he tried to understand but his sophistication just wouldn’t allow it.

I think at this point, the only right thing for Mr. Howse to do is to write up a public apology to everyone he might, or might not, have hurt because of his mistakes and confusion, including defaming the good name of Bethel University, formerly known as Bethel Seminary, just as quickly as he was to write his article.

Btw, I am Alex’s wife and I know how much my husband loves Jesus. He was an atheist before he came to the realization that there is a God and surrendering his life into the saving arms of Christ. I am not angry with Mr. Howser… I just don’t like gossip.

Video Shoot

we’ll be shooting another music video in rancho cucamonga, CA in april. if you live in the area and want to be an extra, let us know. other shoots scheduled for this year include seville, spain and somewhere in florida.

orlando performance

also, we’ll be performing on March 4 at the House Blend Cafe a new “face-to-face” Voxtropolis Hot Spot in orlando, FL.

see you there,
niza

got the pics posted… still gotta figure out how to put them exactly where i want them and how to make them bigger without pixelating… enjoy. [figured out how to post pics. easy.]

above - the coldplay singer dude, singing to joaquim phoenix… yes, he was there too… woohoo…

keep dreaming,

niza