JUNE * 2* 2006

11:43 PM

ALMOST DIED :(

Hey ya'll! Well, it's taken me about a month to write about my recent near-death experience. Probably because I was still in shock...

About a month ago I flew from a speaking engagement in Fresno, California to Las Vegas. I missed my first flight out of Fresno by 2 minutes. Long story....regardless, I jumped on a flight 7 hours later to Vegas and soon after I landed my amazing friend Michelle came to pick me up close to midnight. Not more than 10 minutes later while I was on the phone with a friend from the east coast, I looked forward and saw a HUGE PALLATE in the middle of the freeway. Two cars in front of us ran over the pallet and totaled the car...it was undriveable. The car right in front of us swerved around it and my friend Michelle decided to take the same route. Let's just say we weren't as graceful as the car the in front of us. We wanted to put on a show for the other hundreds of cars flying down the 6 lane freeway going about 70 miles an hour. Michelle decided to show me some stunt driving she's been doing during her free time!

We did 2 360s in a row across 6 lanes of traffic and were going the wrong way backwards on the freeway at one point where a car literally missed us by about 10 feet. We then slammed into the median in the middle of the freeway. I couldn't believe we actually made it through that alive. The whole time I'm on the phone with a friend and he's asking "what's happening? what's going on?" While I was telling him we're in the middle of an accident, I was telling Michelle, "You're doing good. keep driving. keep your foot on the break. you're doing great...we'll be fine." while she's letting out a sound I really can't put into words. I can't believe there was only minor damage done to the car. By the sound of it...our car should've been missing the entire back seat and trunk.

I am SO THANKFUL I'm still alive and it's crazy to look back and see that I shouldn't have made it out alive. There were so many cars and trucks and some semis flying by us on both sides while we were doing our stunt moves. For days afterwards, it seemed as though we were watching life take place as though we were looking down at ourselves from above. People left me messages and I was thinking, "I can't go speak there...I'm dead." It was SO CRAZY!

I think the strangest thing about the entire incident is that I wasn't nervous during the whole endeavor. I remember thinking, "If I died there really isn't anything I haven't done or haven't tried that I could kick myself in the butt for not experiencing!" I was thinking, "OK Lord, this is a hilarious way of having me exit my journey here on earth."

I guess the Lord isn't done with me yet. Who knows what lies ahead. Maybe an amazing Christian man who wants to have tons of fun in life with a wild, on fire for God, woman who wants a bunch of kids ;) We shall see...we shall see....

I'm out...

T

MAY * 3* 2006

11:38 AM

LOOKING FOR - "WAITING FOR" THE RIGHT ONE!!

(my amazing friend and actress Yvonne Brown just emailed me this AMAZING article about finding or WAITING for the right one - couldn't have been better timing!! Thank you girlfriend!!)

First we must allow our Heavenly Father to do the picking. And second, the decision for a mate must be made on a spiritual and intellectual basis before it's made on an emotional one. "What about love? Shouldn't that be the third?" you ask. No, and I'll tell you why. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9). The heart is willful and is driven by its own agenda. It does not consider things rationally and intelligently - it just loves to love! Therefore you have to point it in the right direction: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23). Whenever you meet a man or woman, you need to get clearance from God, check out his/her attributes, and then allow your heart to engage.

Dating exists not for mating; it exists for collecting data. I believe that the biblical design would be friendship, courtship and then marriage.

Friendship is two people walking together in agreement and accountability, learning and growing together.

Courtship follows the mutual agreement to commit to one another exclusively - it is the decisive turning toward the agreed-upon goal of the marriage altar. It is a period of laying a foundation and preparing your life together after marriage.

But dating? Well, if you do date, use the time wisely to gather these facts.

1. Check out the fabric. Is the person mate material? Does this man or woman have an intimate relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ? Does he/she care what God thinks about their behavior? Are they accountable to God as well as another co-laborer in the faith? Accountability is an important factor. It is imperative to maintaining a committed relationship. Is your potential spouse a member of the same family - the family of God? You need to have common interests and values and agree on the essentials of living day to day. You have a similar spiritual walk. You eat the same spiritual diet. You enjoy a lot of similar things. You have like interests, like goals in life, like opinions on basic life issues. You have had like experiences in your background. Though there is some truth to the idiom that opposites attract, like-minded folks fare better together. Furthermore, does he/she want to get married? If you want to be married and your dreamboat isn't interested, don't waste your time. Remember, women fall in love and get married. Men decide to get married and then look for a wife. Note the difference in order. So if a guy says he's not looking for anything serious, take his words seriously. If he's not going in your direction, get off the bus and wait for the right one.

2. Does this man want you? Is he pursuing you? The man who is right for you will pursue you, and God's hand in the relationship will be clear. No guessing, no fleeces, no dead ends. Scripture says: "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives Favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 18:22). Note -who finds whom? THE MAN FINDS THE WIFE. From the beginning of time, God has transported men and women across the world in order to put them together. At the RIGHT TIME, He will bring that man (or woman) on the scene. In God's perfect design, the man is the one who recognizes his mate. Adam has no problem recognizing that Eve was his missing rib. You do not need to strategically place yourself anywhere. You don't have to help a guy out because he's shy! Men will do whatever they have to do to get what they truly want. The Man in your life should recognize you as the pearl of great price in his life and be willing to do whatever he must in order to gain your hand. If he is passive about gaining your affections, take it as a sign that he is not interested. Many a woman's mother has suggested that it is a good idea to marry a Man who loves you more than you love him. As cold as that sounds, it actually might be scriptural if you stop to think about it: "We love him because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Until then, take the ultimate chill pill. You don't need a bunch of men in your life to make you feel all right about yourself. You need only one man - your man, the one God has selected to select you. And trust me, the right man at the wrong time can be just as awful as the wrong man at any time. So trust God's timing in this. He is the ultimate matchmaker. Relax, sit pretty and allow yourself to be found. Again - WAIT until the man voices his intentions. He should take the lead in establishing the relationship. You may have an inkling that he is the one, but God will use the man to set the tone of the relationship. Allow him the opportunity to woo you - this is your first act of submission. Jesus set the standard for all men to follow. They should love us first. And they should lead the relationship.

3. The person in your life (especially the man) should not desire to move into your house, only into your heart. A man who prepares for your future has made his intentions clear. A man who is husband material has the means to take care of a wife. He is a responsible human being who understands he needs to have something to offer. In short, a man should have the means to be a suitable lover for you.

4. Check out his or her friends. Everyone knows birds of the same feather flock together, yet most men and women fail to see the connection between friends and the person. Whom a person chooses as a friend tells you things about them that you may not have seen yet. They reveal things about the person’s character that might be hidden when they are on their best behavior. Everyone knows how to put his or her best foot forward. Don't stay focused on the foot, check out the rest of the body as well!

5. Check out their parent relationships. How does he treat his mother? What kind of relationship did she have with her father? This is your preview of how he or she will treat or interact with you. There are lots of men who, because of a negative relationship with their mothers, really don't like women, yet say they do and visa versa for women. Unresolved issues between mother and son, son and father, daughter and mother and daughter and father continue between husband and wife.

6. Remember that the person’s family reveals the cloth from which he or she is cut. Take note and decide whether you want your future to look like the persons present family situation. Not to say that this will be the case, but it's always good to understand where a person came from and what they experienced because some of those past family experiences can impact their present day reality as it pertains to relationships.

7. Check out the patterns of life. Do you see repeated cycles of drama? Broken relationships? Do they have problems making commitments --including in the job market? Mood swings? Is a problem always someone else's fault? Does the man embrace responsibility or shirk it? Does he or she keep promises? Is he a man of good reputation? Remember all garments look wonderful hanging in the store, but with wear, some begin to unravel. Give yourself time and space to check out the person. Time will always reveal whether or not he or she is made of the right stuff.

8. Does this man have a vision for his life? Is he running with that vision? Remember, God decided Adam needed help once Adam got busy DOING his assignment. As we saw Adam, a man doesn't need help until he is busy doing what he was created and called to do. Is the man in your life guided by sense of destiny and purpose, or does he just allow life to happen around him? A man who is not certain of his mission can be a most miserable person - and you'll be miserable too if you know where YOU want to go in life. A man who has vision is not intimidated by a woman whose mission statement is clear. He will be your best ally, cheerleader and assistant because he wants you both to make it! A man who cannot be supportive of your achievements because he is floundering in a sea of uncertainty over his own life is not a healthy partner to have and to hold forever. Creating dependencies or feelings of obligation is not the way to get the best out of your man. Somewhere along the way, he will resent you and flee from the smothering burden of obligation he associates you with. You want a man who is firmly anchored in his identity in Christ. Remember, we are looking for a man who will be priest and leader of his home. His first instinct should be to want to cover you, redeem you, and provide for you. Your job is to decide if this is the man God has ordained for you to complement.

9. Complimentary. Do your talents and gifts complement each other? Do his gifts compliment yours? What about your temperaments? Do you see the two of you as an effective team capable of bringing blessing to the lives of those around you? Do your futures mesh? Can you coordinate your gifts in an attractive and effective way? This is why knowing your purpose is so important. Make sure your hearts beat for mutual causes. If the person you meet makes you feel that you need to completely reinvent yourself, something is wrong. This is where I ask you to consider the relationship in terms of cost. Is this relationship expensive spiritually, emotional or physically? Does your longing for a mate make you willing to forfeit who you are in the process? Or does he or she see you as the gift that you are? The man or woman in your life should consider you a rare find, a priceless jewel-because of you he or she is getting ready to get blessed big-time! Any relationship that causes you to feel unworthy, unlovely, unacceptable, undesirable or makes you think that you have to work for love, is too expensive! God has called the man to cover, protect and provide not only materially for a woman, but also emotionally and spiritually as well. And the woman is to be a compliment with her own strength and abilities. You should both be richer in mind, body and spirit because of your union.

10. Does he (or she) have a healthy love and acceptance of himself (herself)? Make sure the man/woman in your life has taken time to heal from past relationships and has made peace with themselves. How he or she cares for themselves is how he or she will care for you. A person’s relationship with God is crucial here. Love for oneself will only be as strong as their love for God. This is not something that you can impart. You cannot be his or her savior or teacher. That is out of spiritual order. A man's rightful place is as the priest, he should be leading you to a richer relationship with Christ. A woman's rightful place is along his side. If the man or woman is causing you to compromise your faith destabilize your walk, if he or she is leading you into sexual sin or causing you to be distracted from your commitment to Christ, the relationship is too expensive. Offending the Lover of your soul, who promises you eternal love, is too high a fare to pay for a ride that has a limited run. If you and your man or woman can't soar in the Spirit, when the force of your love for another is tested by the pull or gravity of the world, your union will not be able to survive.

YOU ARE NOT FOR SALE!!

So you decide. How much is your life worth? How much is your love worth? You will be able to accept only what you believe you deserve. God himself calculated the worth of your love and decided it was worth His life. He now pledges you His love for eternity Yes, Jesus sets the example for all others to follow when He paid a ransom for His bride. Should you expect less from a mortal man or woman? Throughout the Biblical age, men were willing to pay the cost for what they truly desired. The truth of the matter is, everyone knows that anything worth having, costs. And no one gets a ride in this life for free.

Our prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I confess that I have not always been as careful as I should've been with my heart. From time to time, my desire for love has caused me to leave my heart in the wrong hands. I now commit my heart into Your hands for safekeeping. Please help me to stop being so impulsive with what you deem so precious. As I learn to celebrate Your love for me, let me learn from Your example what a bridegroom and bride should really be like. Help me to never settle for less than what You desire for me. As I embrace You as the Lover of my soul, keep my affections in the haven of Your own heart. As I rest in Your love, make me more discriminating of those who approach me. I ask that You take over this area of my life. Keep me from those You know would hurt my heart. I invite You to set a hedge around me and keep me from all who would draw me into unfruitful relationships until the day you present me to the mate that You have selected for me. Grant me the discernment to recognize him or her as they recognize me. Cleanse me from the temptation to typecast the men or women I meet according to what I see. Help me to trust in Your knowledge and lean not on my own understanding. I know that You know what is best for me; therefore I yield to Your choice. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on. Hold fast. Hold out. Patience is genius.

APRIL * 17 * 2006

5:20 PM

DESPERATELY NEEDED VACATION...

I can't believe I actually spent 4 days on a mini vacation in San Francisco! I can't remember the last time where I didn't have to be somewhere every 5 minutes! It was SO RELAXING! I did a little shopping and got some new attire for my wardrobe. Nice biz attire and classy tops. My dad will flip when he sees the new classy look. I'm used to wearing t-shirts and jeans 24*7. I also got a really rad pair of gold Nike shoes. My other ones are falling apart. I'm so excited to wear them on my world-wide travels! I hardly ever go shopping! I have things that I wore in high school and that's over 10 years ago. Time to get some things that fit nice :)

I took some great pix of Coit Tower, the Golden Gate Bride, Oakland Bay bride, Lombard street (the curviest street in the world) and Fisherman's Warf. My long-time friend Deanna drove up on a whim last minute from Los Angeles and we got to see the sites together in her rental car. Whenever I drive a rental, I feel like I'm driving in the NASCAR races. I try tricks and do tailspins to see what unknown skills I possess (not recommended!!) When I was in San Fran over 4-5 years ago, the city looked so much larger than it does now. Interesting how a place looks smaller when you get older. I went to an Easter service at a church a couple of blocks north of my youth hostel and met an amazing couple - Chuck & Julie Atkins who took me to lunch today and were very encouraging. It's so neat to meet new poeple while you're on the road. It's like I have family all over the country. I'm never alone when I travel :)

I stayed with some amazing girls from Scotland who I hope to meet up with later in the year in Australia. They were doing a world-wide tour over the next year! I also met a journalist from London. I might go stay with her in St. Lucia next month and do some writing on the two books I'm working on. This whole entire year I've been living life to the fullest. Probably the first time ever that I've been this free in my social and work life. I've moved to Nashville, but traveled non stop speaking since mid Jan and taking this 4 day, last minute mini vacation, has helped me focus again on what projects I'd like to tackle next.

I'm currently on Amtrak heading to Sacramento, CA. to visit my friend Lisa who's getting married to my friend Ben in a month! CONGRATUATIONS! Both virgins and both so ready to have an amazing life together! WAY TO GO FRIENDS!! Have fun on your wedding night! I can't wait until it's my turn :) I'm also visiting my friend Denton who has cancer. I met Denton while working on a Steven Spielberg project called, "Taken" in Los Angeles about 4 years ago. He doesn't know I'm coming yet, but I know he'll be floored when he sees me :) I haven't seen him in over a year or maybe two! I don't have a phone number for him, but I'm hoping I'll track him down. The more focused I get in life and my work, the more chaotic my life seems. My parents never have a clue as to what city I'm in...or country. But for some odd reason, I like living this type of lifestyle! It makes life so exciting - like it's one HUGE ADVENTURE! I don't know where this traveling bug came from, seeing that I grew up on a farm and the only time my brothers and I got to see more than cows was when we'd jump into the car on a Sunday morning to go to church. Back then we were super excited to get the heck off the farm to see more of the world. Maybe because of my lack of travels during my childhood years, I've been trying to make up for it over the last 8 years.

I'm a HUGE believer in living life to the fullest and making your impossible dreams a reality. When you allow God to use your entire life...all aspects of it, I'm finding that he will open so many amazing doors of opportunity that you will be in amazement at how wonderful life really is. How many things you can actually do to contribute to society. The world desperately needs people who are role models and stand up for what is right, pure and holy. When you possess and demonstrate these qualities, you definitely stand out in the crowd. People are drawn towards the TRUTH! There's just a huge need for people to be bold and stand up for what is right. To stand up for LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Our country has lost the foundation it was built upon. To lose your sense of identity = great danger in the loss for a reason to press on...a reason to live...a reason to live out your calling.

If America continues down the road it's on...corruption saturated throughout the country at an all-time high, then we WILL lose our sense of identity and our very FREEDOMS we were founded on, will be lost! Many teens today do not have a clue as to what existed in our country even 15-20 years ago. That's what scares me. Less is more...I loved traveling throughout Europe where "tea time" consisted of a 3 hour conversation with 5 generations of family members preminicing about the "old times." Today, we live in a culture where by the time an average American kid turns 5 years old, he would've spent more time watching TV, than talking to his father for an entire lifetime! We need to take a good, hard look at what our life's driving force really is. What are we doing with our time, what are we focusing on, why are we doing what we are doing and what are we going to leave behind for our future generations. Since you can't hook a U-haul on the back of a herse, we need to ask ourselves these questions today...before we find ourselves in our own herse with nothing to show for it...

APRIL * 7 * 2006

6:27 PM

VIRGINITY - what it is & Tina's personal virginity history

Virginity - Abstaining from any pre-marital sex (including oral sex) until you are committed to another person through marriage.

My stance on wanting to remain a virgin until I am married started at a very young age. I would guess I was approximately 10 years old or so. I was growing up on my parent's farm, busy milking cows, bailing hay and picking rocks. While working in the barn, I remember having long conversations with myself on what kind of man I would love to marry someday and what he might look like. The top issue that always came to mind, would be that I would prefer to marry a virgin. I'm not judging any of you reading this, that might not be a virgin any longer, but that is one atribute I really wanted in my future husband. Remeber, I was only 10 years old thinking about these in-depth, philosophical issues. I knew God existed even before my parents shared with me about the Lord and Jesus dying on the cross for my sins. God and I were friends for as long as I can remember. I remember telling God, at 10, "I promise to wait to have sex with my husband on my amazing wedding night or shortly after the ceremony, if you (God), promise not to come back for your people until I have sex." I didn't think anyone would be able to have sex in Heaven, so I wanted to make sure God would come through on his end of the deal.

I would definitely have to say that my parents were the most amazing role models for me as a kid. They are like two peas in a pod. I can only remember my mom and dad having one fight when I was about 12, when my mom told me, "Tina, if you marry a farmer, I'll kill you both." I don't know what the arguement was about, but regardless, that's the only time I saw my parents upset at each other. Not saying they didn't have their disagreements, but they seemed to always die to their own selfish desires, in order to please each other. Because of this, my parents have such an amazing, close, relationship. They taught me at a very young age, to respect my body and keep myself pure for my future husband. I also know that my dad's gun closet by the front door of the house, helped instill some major fear in messing around with any boy during high school.

I didn't kiss a guy until I was 16!! It was a very scary time for me. I remember this boy Travis who actually made a bet that he could kiss me while at a wedding. Long story short, I wasn't too impressed :( I was always trying my best to protect myself and make boundaries that I didn't want any boy/man to cross. It's scary to know that approximately 20% of 8th graders today, have already been sexually active! I'm talking about A LOT more than kissing! I believe you shouldn't go pass holding hands with the person you are courting. Courting is when you are interested in one man (if you're a woman) and one woman (if you're a man). Courting someone is when you have the intention of marrying this person. The term "dating" today, seems to be so flippantly used. You date one person, mess around physically, get emotionally attached and then break up only to "date" someone new a few days or weeks later. When you know who you are and what you want, there's no need to date 20 people a year. Spend some time in groups to get to know others and know what kind of person you are interested in finding. NEVER SETTLE!! Life's too short for that...and we wonder why over 50% of the marriages today, end in divorce!! Many people settle or they don't know what kind of a person they're looking for, or worse, they don't know who they are as a person.

Back to my virginity status...now virginity, is staying completely pure and having no sexual contact with anyone. I'm a virgin in the sense that I've never had sex, however, I have crossed the "holding hands" line that I had wanted to keep my relationship at when courting a special person. I am NOT PROUD of what I've done. Thank GOD I have never been raped. It could have happend once, while I was going to college. I went out with a man, or should I say BOY, for our first date. He definitely tried to take advantage of me and try to have sex. It was NOT a good situation. He didn't seem to understand what NO meant!! That is why I'm stressing to you that you MUST go in groups to get to know other people and only when you truely know a person and feel absolutely safe, should you even think about spending time alone with the person you are interested in. I would NOT go to any secluded place alone or spend time in his/her bedroom. When you put yourself in certain situations, your emotions will take over and before you know it, you will be engaging in activities you will later regret. It only takes one time having sex that could end up in a pregnancy or with a Sexually Transmitted Infection, which could develop into a Sexually Transmitted Disease.

If the person you are currently courting is truely a Godly man or woman, he/she will respect your boundaries because they too will share those commonalities. If he/she is willing to wait until your wedding night to have amazing God-ordained sex, then you know you found yourself a keeper for LIFE! YIPPY! The one thing you can count on, if you wait until you're married to have sex, is that you can TRUST that other person completely. Many people who have sex before they are married, can not and do not TRUST the other person...why? because if they have sex with you, they now are physically and spiritually joined with you...however, there is NO COMMITTMENT that has been made and there is a very good chance, that this person will soon find someone else to have sex with....leaving you with guilt, fear, shame and a possible disease that could take your life.

A couple seconds of so-called pleasure is not worth a lifetime of regrets!!

I'm so thankful that I've had this stance on abstinence until marriage and even though I didn't live a perfect dating-relationship life, I am so glad I'm saving myself for the man of my dreams :) wherever he shall be :) A lot of people might tell you, "What are you waiting for?" or "Snap out of fantasy land," like a lot of my friends in high school would say....but you know what...do you know what real embarassment is? Real embarasment isn't that you're saving sex for your husband or wife on your wedding night. To have an amazing relationship with your soul mate and share one gift that hasn't been seen or used by anyone else....REAL EMBARASSMENT is telling the man of your dreams or the woman of your dreams, that you have an STD and it's incurrable...you have it for life. REAL EMBARASSMENT is having to look this person in the eye and tell them that you can't have his children because you had an abortion and now your uterus is scarred and you can't get pregnant. That's real embarassment. DON'T BE DUPED BY THE MEDIA, THE CULTURE, THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, YOUR FRIENDS! DON'T BELIEVE THE LIE ANY LONGER! Live your own life, make your own decisions and have the GUTS to let people know what you STAND FOR and WHAT YOU BELIEVE! GO GETEM! LIFE'S SHORT - LIVE IT FULLY!

(to be continued...)

APRIL * 9 * 2006

7:21 AM

VIRGINITY...

Let's try this again...what an interesting topic. Virginity...according to the "40 Year Old Virgin" (which I actually worked on last summer) is portrayed as something that's a disease. Thank GOD the poor lad actually waited to have sex until he was married and he actually was very excited and enjoyed every minute of his experience with his one and only true love! However, the garbage his so-called friends tried to get him to do or watch, was very unnecessary! The guy who actually took me to see the movie called to apologize the next day for subjecting me to such material. The other cast members were trying to have their virgin friend satisfy his wants and desires through cheap, fast, non-commital activities that would only leave him feeling empty in the end. He was smart enough to see that. You see, it's easy for people who feel empty and guilty to try to make others go down the same road. Who cares what other people think about your personal decision on wanting to wait or start over again if you've already had sex. I'm a HUGE fan of SECONDARY VIRGINITY! Many teens I meet throughout the years, share with me that they feel it's no use to start over...they already had sex, they aren't worth enough to matter...to start over again, it's too late, no one will respect them...it's become an addiction...you name it...i've heard it.

What matters is that you decided to make a huge U-turn and head the opposite direction. no one's perfect, but by living in denial or trying to justify our actions, we will never be able to achieve the best and fulfill our destiny here on earth. We will constantly be wondering "what if" or lost - without direction or a sense of purpose. By realizing what we've done and confronting our fears and regrets, we can start to forgive ourselves...and heal from the mistakes of our past. We will be able to realize that God sees us in a completely different light than what many of us see ourselves. Our identity is NOT who we were in the past or what we've done in the past. We need to ask God for forgiveness and realize the sun rises every day with a new dawn, a new day, a new chance, a new beginning. THANK GOD FOR NEW DAYS! A NEW CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND WANT SOMETHING MORE THAN WHAT WE CONSTANTLY LIVE OUT EACH AND EVERY DAY...CONSTANT ROUTINE WITHOUT THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX! Well folks, it's time we think outside of the box! To want something more, to dream something big, to live the impossible...to let God completely and fully use us in every manner...that's a life WORTH LIVING!

I could write for another 2 hours, but I'm so craving a really sweet, fat, 10 inch wide cinnamon roll with icing falling off all sides! There's got to be one here in the airport somewhere! I only got 1 hour of sleep last night. I wish we didn't have to sleep, there's too much to experience! anyway, off to my adventure in finding my cinnamon roll! YEE HAW!!

Someday the cravings of cinnamon rolls will be replaced with cravings for my husband....those will be the days! Can't wait to make up for lost time :)

APRIL * 7 * 2006

5:53 PM

TORNADO TIME...

Believe it or not, I'm currently writing this while on a plane - go figure. I think I've been in the air longer than on the ground for the past 4 months. I love to travel, but I'm at a point where I'm forgetting what city I'm landing in :) There's nothing as exciting as flying into what looks like a tornado cloud right up ahead. Nashville has been getting hit with some major thunderstorms over the past few weeks. I actually think it's rather exciting to see what powerful force of nature God can create in a matter of minutes. It's been a long time since I saw such dark clouds in the sky. I was lucky if I saw 2 days of rain a year while living in Hollywood. I left LA and the chance of dying in a major quake to the chance of getting blown 200 miles by a twister in Tennessee. I guess I can't get away from it.

I remember as a kid, when my mom would scream my name a couple of times in the middle of the night, to tell me, "Tina, get your butt downstairs now, there's a tornado headed our way." Those were the days...I still want to be a storm chaser someday and capture the tornado footage live from nearby overpass or bridge. I'd live some exciting last days :)

I'm headed off to speak at a Purity Conference for college-aged women in Minnesota...if I get there :) I will have 30 minutes to speak..that will be an all-time record for those of you who know me :) I usually need like 2.5 - 3 hours...I plan on sharing about my experience in Hollywood and my personal choice on wanting to remain a virgin until I'm married.

MARCH * 26* 2006

2:23 AM

THE BIG MOVE...

WOW! It's 2:23am and I'm still up working on this website....I think it will be a never ending process. I can see myself, 80 years old, hunched over this laptop working till all hours of the night to update the HELPFUL LINKS section for my great-great-grandchildren :) I'm addicted to researching and analyzing the impact media has on our society!

I recently made the move to Nashville, TN. from Los Angeles, CA. about 2 months ago, but I've only been at my new home for about 7 days. I LOVE sharing the TRUTH about today's so-called "harmless" entertainment with the youth and parents around the globe! I look forward to the days that lie ahead in this hard, but very rewarding journey. Leaving Hollywood was not easy! I miss working on movies and TV shows. I miss the lights, camera and action that exists in THE most INFLUENTIAL city of the world. I met many celebrities over the years and had some very interesting conversations with many of them. Usually regarding how many choose or are forced to say/do things in Hollywood that promote life-threatening behaviors without showing the consequences and this is the same "entertainment" they shelter their own children from.

Regardless of what is "produced" on a daily basis in California or the world as a whole, EACH and every ONE of us is accountable for our own actions. We need to use our VOICE to team up and speak up on the issues that are taking this world on a downward spiral. The YOUTH need us! COMPLACENCY is what got us here to begin with. HERE - as in a record number of teen murders, rapes and violent acts this young country - the United States of America - has ever experienced. HERE - as in over 43 million babies murdered through abortion (many times the woman/teen girl, not aware of what actually happens during an abortion). HERE - as in over 8,000 teens contracting a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) every day in America alone....

Now there is HOPE for CHANGE! I receive thousands of emails, hand-written letters, phone messages, etc. from the YOUTH crying out, reaching out for help. Wanting to know there's a different way to live than what the media is force-feeding them every day on a silver platter!! The youth today, do not know what it used to be like 10 years ago. They don't understand how the culture has drastically changed over the years. They only know of TODAY as REALITY, what NORMAL consists of. They see the hurt, pain, guilt, shame that is arising from our actions, from our parents' actions...from people minding their own business and not partaking in taking a STAND to stop key people, organizations, you name it, from telling US what to do, what to believe, what to engage in.

NOW IS THE TIME TO CREATE CHANGE! YOUTH OF AMERICA!! NOW IS YOUR TURN TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY!! DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE AND NEVER STAND DOWN TO TRUTH NO MATTER WHAT THE COST!!