I'm Back :-)

Tonight I had dinner with Maura Byrne, founder of Made In His Image, Tim S, male writer and contributor for MIHI, Kayla Mertes, Executive Director for John Concorron Foundation and a passionate speaker and director of Wonderfully Made and Chris Hazell, a very talented writer and blogger. I am completely inspired by these friends of mine and their accomplishments in their various ministries. Meeting with them sparked my thirst, desire, and passion to learn more and share my passions through my blog, and hopefully though my own non-profit someday. I am going to start writing and blogging again and I am going to make some real goals manifest in 2014 :-) It was amazing to read through "Rendezvous" again tonight and to recall how much I have grown in the past 2 years. When I started Rendezvous, I was so in need of healing and God's true presence in my life :-) And, boy did He truly come into my life. He healed me and provided so much peace and grace and ignited a relationship with Mary, our Blessed Mother, that has never been stronger. I am so thankful and I am in awe of His Love. Now, I want to spread that hope, peace, and love. He provides abundantly. 

Bloom- Zen

This company, Bloom, shows us where the stroller industry is headed...

Will parents give in to the robotic trends or will they stick with comfort and safety and stay away from robotic, car-like featured strollers?

That is the question :-)

Audrey Hepburn was a wise one

• Your heart just breaks, that's all. But you can't judge, or point fingers. You just have to be lucky enough to find someone who appreciates you.
  
• I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it.
  
• Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm, as you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.
  
• People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
  
• Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you're exactly the same.
  
• I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people's minds is not in my mind. I just do my thing.
  
• I probably hold the distinction of being one movie star who, by all laws of logic, should never have made it. At each stage of my career, I lacked the experience.
  
• Pick the day. Enjoy it -- to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come... The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present -- and I don't want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future.
  
• Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering -- because you can't take it all in at once.
•  
• For attractive lips,
  Speak words of kindness.
  For lovely eyes,
  Seek out the good in people.
  For a slim figure,
  Share your food with the hungry.
  For beautiful hair,
  Let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
  For poise,
  Walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
  People, even more than things,
  Have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed,
  And redeemed; never throw out anyone.
  Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,
  You will find one at the end of each of your arms.
  As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands;
  One for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

It's Hump Day!

The "Aww" Aspect of the Baby Industry

Many of you know that I work for Bumbleride, but I wanted to share our lifestyle video (an older one) and Matt and Emily's story. Matt and Emily are the founders of Bumbleride and lovely active San Diegans with 3 children. Although the industry is competitive and we must meet the competition out there in product development (yay-optimistic for 2013) our company's story and company values / culture never cease to amaze me. Check out our lifestyle video and Matt and Emily's story of how they started Bumbleride 9 years ago out of their home.

Interview with 2 Modern: http://www.bumbleride.com/updates/?p=715 

Jackie Francois

This woman is an inspiration. Jackie Francois is a speaker and traveling Catholic enthusiasist. She is a singer as well. She is so inspiring and her talk with her boyfriend Bobby last night at Phil's BBQ for San Diego's Theology on Tap Series- topic: Love, Dating, and Relationships was one of the best talks I have ever been to! She was also a Sociology major, she loves to sing, and she is so funny, smart, beautiful, and faith-filled.

Check out her site, and her music!

http://www.jackiefrancois.com/blog/

She has so many valid points about the church's views in contrast to our society's views on love and how young women and men are innundated with the media's messages of love. Not only, are we taught to use each other and our bodies but how many times are we told that sex is bad? Sex is not bad. It is a beautiful act of love that is meant to be shared between a husband and wife. 

She even brought up scientific research on the chemicals that are released in a female's body 8 times stronger than in a man's body when sexual innercourse occurs. 

I do not bring this topic up to tell people they need to be chaste or change your views on sex, as mine have been altered, but I want to share this woman with all of you because she is exactly what I have become passionate about. Ever since I took Women and Men in the Workplace in college, I knew that I had a call to help young girls. In today's world, it becomes increasingly harder for young girls and women to really listen to their inner voice, to be proud of their bodies, to love themselves, to not be influenced by the saturating and persuasive media and images that surround us every single day. When we listen to Rihanna and Britney Spears, as I totally have and still will, how are we helping oursleves? The message we get from Rihanna's S&M lyrics, movies like Magic Mike, 50 shades of Grey, even 7th Heaven, Friends, Sex and the City, and soooo many magazines are to get a boyfriend, make love, and it is totally fine to get drunk, expose yourself, be free, and try new things. You will never know until you try right?

One in every four college-aged
women will be the victim of a rape or attempted rape.

And so many more women are victims of sexual assault. If 1 in 4 college aged women are victims of rape, and girls keep maturing and are exposed at a younger and younger age to the world- as they are! :-) Rape and sexual assault is only going to increase at a faster rate and to younger girls. We need to make a change. I am proud to say I was able to expose knowledge about these types of issues at Santa Clara University through Vagina Monoloues and "Every 2 Minutes" but we need to keep spreading the message of love, and what true love is.

I am not trying to say that all these songs and movies will lead to rape...I know that is a big jump but what I'm saying is : It is wonderful that women like Jackie and others are such a blessing in this world because young girls need to realize how WORTHY they are.

We all deserve true love and real love that stems from loving yourself and being patient with God. We do not need to go out and call guys, and text guys. If God wants you to find a man he will bring that man to you when the time is right. In the meantime, grow in yourself, in God, and work on your virtues. Find your passions, and motivations in life. Strive to experience real love, God will provide that. He may even bring a holy virtuous man into your life someday and call you to marriage when the time is right.

If you are interested in learning more about Jackie Francois check out her media outlets:

www.jackiefrancois.com

spiritandsong.com

twitter.com/jackiefrancois

Info on Sexual Assault and Rape:

http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/rape-sexual-violence/welcome.htm 

On a lighter note, she has an amazing sense of humor!!!

And she links some utube videos on her site mocking "words of Catholic girls"

There is hope and I want to help spread that hope and knowledge of real love and women's empowerment at the same time. Being a Catholic feminist to me is showing how you can support women's rights by also learning that we are worthy of true love and that does not stem from casual sex or flaunting our bodies and approaching our feelings casually and without regard for how that puts a lack of respect and use between us and a man.

OZ

OZ...

Spring 2013

Can't wait!

:-)