Sex on the Moon: A Book I Recommend

Before you think anything, it's not what you think. The book, Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich, is only 2% sex and 98% moon. But in our culture sex sells, and thus the title.

The book is the real-life narrative about Thad Roberts, the NASA intern who stole the moon. The story recounts Thad's life of overcoming familial and age-based obstacles to achieve his dream of working at NASA in hopes of being the first man to walk on Mars. Through reinventing his persona as as an audacious, reckless, and fearless co-op (NASA's name for the interns in their 3-year program), he impresses his peers by "breaking into" the space shuttle simulator and taking it for a spin. In the midst of getting high esteem from his professors, admiration and respect from his peers, and the silent treatment from his wife, who decided to stay behind in Utah, he was introduced to Dr. Everett Gibson and the Lunar Lab. After seeing some rock samples that were taken from the moon and the way Dr. Gibson talked about them as if they were trash, Thad began to fantasize what it might look like to "rescue them" and give the used lunar samples the respect and value they deserved. While mentally devising imaginary ways he could steal the samples, he involved Rebecca: his mistress and fellow co-op, Sandra: a flirty but platonic co-op, and Gordon: a guy he randomly met at the University of Utah, in his imaginary plan that quickly evolved into reality.

Meanwhile, Axel Emmerman, a Belgian rock collector, decides the email he got inquiring interest in buying Moon Rocks was not just a big joke, like the rest of his comrades in the small Belgian town of Antwerp. So, against the wishes of his wife, he got involved, contacted the FBI, and became his imagined super-hero, saving the world from a maniac criminal.

I really enjoyed this book. It has action, suspense, and I even learned a lot about science. It kept me captivated through every page as the story and history of Thad Roberts was built-up and as the heist took place. I won't spoil it for you, but instead, I encourage you to read the book about the "most audacious heist in history" for yourself. Plus the book is written by the same person who wrote The Accidental Billionaires which became the the Academy Award-Winning movie The Social Network. Based on his writing style and superior story-telling, this and the other works of Ben Mezrich's are now on my reading list.

I give Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The missing half star is because the resolution, following the amazing and spell-binding climax (which is only the final 7% of the book according to my Kindle), is such an extreme fall from the heart-pounding previous pages. The book came to a full-circle ending, which I liked, but it was hard to keep my attention to get there. However, the remaining 93% of the book is well-worth it. The story is so well-written, detailed, and unlikely, that I had to remind myself it was true. And it seemed like I read half of the book within minutes, because the action flowed seamlessly, and my anticipation followed.

All in all, I highly recommend Sex on the Moon. And I'll let you figure out for yourself the clever way the aforementioned 2% fits into this true story.

The Mysterious Muffin Man Strikes Again!

The house was hushed in the early morning hours as dawn began to break, and the oven was set to 400 degrees. Flour and sugar dotted the counter as the faint scrape of the spoon against the glass bowl echoed through the kitchen. An hour and a half later, a variety of muffins were set on the table as they cooled. There could only be one explanation... THE MYSTERIOUS MUFFIN MAN STRUCK AGAIN!

For two of my roommates, today is the last first day of school. For one of my roommates, today is the first day of first grade (in case you're wondering, today is her first day as a student teacher). And because I am the bum in the basement who is unemployed and looking for a job, I wanted to serve my roommates and make them breakfast. But breakfast got a bit carried away and turned into three batches of mucho mouthwatering muffins! And the best part was that I uniquely invented each one. I loosely based the ingredients on my dad's muffin recipe that he stored in his head (until I asked him to write it down for me, and even that was pretty vague), and they came out pretty great! I used creative ingredients like packets of flavored instant oatmeal, Grape Nuts cereal, Craisins, and frozen berries. And they got rave reviews! If I still can't find a job that fits, maybe I can be a baker... Alas, if only I lived on Drury Lane...

Triple Berry Muffins, Apple Cinnamon Muffins, and Secret Muffins :)

You Know You're out of Shape When...

...You spend two hours on a Saturday watching your boyfriend load up his stuff onto a cart, wheel it out to your car, load it into your car, drive two blocks to his new apartment, you finally help to carry it up one flight of stairs, and you consider all that enough of a workout for the whole week. This happened the Saturday before last.

After evaluating my physical condition and mentality about the whole moving situation, I came to the conclusion that I am pathetic, and may be suffering a bit (or a lot) from laziness. So, to combat these diseases, I renewed my membership at the local gym (and by local, I mean it's literally next to my house. If I tried to drive, it would take 15 times longer to drive around the block, into the parking lot, and walk around to the other side of the building, which is in the direction of my house). I have been every day for the last four days, and I feel that my body is in the process of spontaneous combustion. My muscles are on fire!! But practice makes perfect, which doesn't really fit here, but I keep telling myself that anyway, and I've somehow stayed motivated. So hopefully by this time next week, I'll be in the swing of things and won't hurt so bad.

(You also know you're out of shape when you go to write a blog about being out of shape and you realize it's been a month since you last posted.... The adventures in my life lately have felt less than average, so I will do my best to have a more exciting life so I can write about it more often.)

To A Woman Who Has Changed and Inspired Me

"I love inspiring people, and if I can make a difference in one person's life, 
then that's success to me!"

-Sasha Azevedo

A speaker that I heard recently encouraged me to think of moments of significant change and growth in my life, and as I was doing this, I realized that they all had one thing (or person) in common. Most all of them involved my friend Julie. So, in her honor, this is my...

Top Ten Reasons I Have Been Changed and Inspired By Julie

11. She let me borrow her car for three weeks when mine was in the shop

10.  She is a modern-day pioneer, always searching to "go where no man has gone before"

9. She loves accepts me unconditionally, even though I love Star Trek

8. She always (without fail) laughs at all of my stupid jokes and validates my bizarre humor

7. She was the first one to share the Gospel with me

6. She has always accepted the sinful realities of my past with truth and grace

5. She faithfully poured into me for three years, even though she probably knew I wasn't a Christian yet

4. She is a humble leader; She has always been honest about her struggles and short-comings

3. She has challenged me to do the unthinkable (and so far, I have ended up doing everything she challenged me to do)

2. She no longer sees me as just that girl she discipled a few years ago, but she has continued to love me as a friend and peer

And the #1 reason I have been changed and inspired by Julie is...

1. Seeing Julie live life and do ministry inspires me to want to live with a more passionate faith and serve the Lord for a lifetime.

Thanks for all you do Julie! I love you :)

*I know that's 11 reasons, but there was just so much, I couldn't stop at 10!

So You Think You Have a Deer Problem...

Well, if you live where my parents do, you're probably right! They live in the foothills of Colorado where deer, cougars, and bears (oh my!) run rampant. We don't see too much of the later two in the daylight, but the deer? Oh dear. Problem 1. The deer love to eat pretty flowers, baby trees, and beautiful landscaping in general. Problem 2. They're fearless. It wasn't too bad before our dog died. My dad trained Carrick (our Irish Golden Retriever) to chase the deer to the property line and then he would always come prancing back to the house, clearly proud of his accomplishment. But now that he's gone, my dad has been forced to be more creative.

Yesterday my dad and I took a tour of his blooming garden. It was a bright, hot afternoon in the front yard, and the flowers filled my senses. We walked out of the front door and walked right by the large lilac bushes, when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I turned to the side and was shocked to be almost nose to nose with a stag! It was lounging in the shade of the lilacs, munching on the petunias. I was close enough to touch it, and it didn't even seem to care one bit. I was able to snag a couple pictures before my dad got out the secret weapon. He came running and yelling out of the front door waving a plastic pink lawn flamingo who had lost its legs and was wearing Hawaiian leis. It was almost as epic as the famous battle scene in Braveheart. Best part? It worked. The deer ran away with terror in his eyes. But I don't blame him. If I saw my dad running towards me, waving a plastic flamingo, I'd be pretty scared too.

Three Things I've Learned

Today is my Jesus-birthday. Not Jesus' birthday, that's when Jesus was born (aka Christmas). But today is my Jesus-birthday, marking the day when I was "born again" (to quote the Bible... follow the link to see where it's from) in Christ. It's not my birthday, the day I was made alive in flesh, because that day is all about me and how I came into the world. Today is all about God and what he's done in my life.

Today marks three years of walking with Christ. I made the commitment three years ago to follow Jesus by receiving his free gift of Life to have a relationship with God through him. Over these past three years I have learned a lot and grown like wildfire. Through reflecting this, I want to share...

Three Things I've Learned From Three Years of Walking with Jesus


1. It doesn't get easier, but it does get better. Following Jesus is hard. Actively following Jesus on a daily basis is even harder. Because every day I grow a little more (and some days, waaaaaayyy more), and sometimes this growing hurts. But just as your body painfully heals to become renewed, so does my life. God grows and stretches me to make me better, healthier, and stronger. So, every day is always better (even if it doesn't feel that way).

2. There will always be distractions. Just like any friendship (or even marriage), I need time with God to foster our relationship. But spending time with a non-tangible being can be ambiguous. And there are always tangible people and tasks that ask of my time. Thus, distractions are always present. But it has been so valuable for me to make time in my day to pray and read the Bible, because that's how I grow. That's how I stay connected to my Creator.

3. Nothing is more important than my relationship with God. I learned this lesson the hard way. I tried the life where other relationships took higher priority, and I felt the ramifications. For months, I felt that something was missing from my life, but I couldn't place it. I was still connecting with God and following Jesus, but I wasn't doing it first. My heart was too distracted by other things. These things are not bad, I just put them before God. So when these relationships were taken from from me, I felt like I had nothing left. I knew that was not true, but I realized it was because of my priorities. God desires to be my first love, my first priority. And the only difference is who my heart loves more.

I have learned so much more, but I feel these have been the most important things. And maybe a year from now I'll make another list. But today, it's not about me, but today is about celebrating what Christ has done for me and what God has done in my life.

*I know what I have said may not make sense to most people. If you have questions, feel free to contact me. I'd love to talk about them.

When I was baptized in November 2009.
Check out more photos by Sawyer Pangborn at Anesti

In that day you will say:
   “I will praise you, O LORD.
   Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
   and you have comforted me. 
 Surely God is my salvation;
   I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
   he has become my salvation.” 
With joy you will draw water
   from the wells of salvation.
In that day you will say:
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
   make known among the nations what he has done,
   and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
   let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
   for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

-Isaiah 12

It's Good to be Home

I had the opportunity to take some of my roommates home with me today (mainly for free laundry, but also to get out of Fort Collins). My parents have lived here for a while, but I am always awed by the beauty that surrounds me in this place. No matter where I go in my life, this sight will always be home. And it's always good to be home. Ahhhh... :)