white_mexican's Xanga

May I Present to You...

Wed, 30 May 2007 10:41:01 GMT

The future Mrs. Briseno!

That's right! Kayla and I got engaged at the foot of the Pyramids on Wednesday, May 16th!
I totally surprised her by sneaking into the country, riding up on a camel dressed in a turban, and popping the question right then and there! Needless to say, she totally flipped out; it was the cutest thing ever!

Here is the camel I rode in on. His name was Mickey!

Let me just say that I am engaged to the most amazing, beautiful, sincere, fun-loving, Christ-centered, creative woman on the planet. She loves the Lord with all her heart, isn't afraid to speak her mind, and loves to live life to the fullest. Oh and she also is oh so beautiful! I cannot begin to express how much she means to me, but if my words can somehow express my feelings, it would be that I am a blessed man. As it says in the proverbs, he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and I must say that I found the absolute best one out there!

So here is to Kayla Rose, my finace and future bride, I love you so very much, and I cannot wait until you return home!

Thanks for reading, everybody! I would post video, but they are too large, but if you want to see it I can e-mail it to you!

Peace out,

Stephen

WHOAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 02:28:35 GMT

I graduate in 18 days...
The day is quickly approaching! Praise the Lord!

Stephen

Hmmm....

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 01:07:18 GMT

Ready to graduate.

That's about it, really.

Enjoying the job still. Pray for me and all the people I work with.

And God is beautiful.

Hope everyone is well.

More to report later, once all the riff-raff of school has settled.

Praise Him,

Stephen

Amazing

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 20:26:56 GMT

That's what life is right now! I've been very busy, between student teaching full time, working at Starbucks part time, and other various activities, but all in all the Lord has blessed me with His presence. It's been an amazing and challenging semester, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Praise the Lord for all that He has done!

Uh...that's pretty much all I gotta say. I'm greatly looking forward to Kayla coming home! And I like passion tea. Oh, and I passed my English Content test to become a certified teacher! And I went to Ecclesia on Sunday and it was one of the best sermons I've ever been a part of; I'll tell you all about it laters. And I like/miss sleeping.

Peace out,

Stephen

p.s. Thank you all for praying for my family and my grandma. It was a very emotional time, but a very good one nonetheless. You guys are amazing!

Life and Death

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 13:06:54 GMT

For those of you who may not know, my grandma passed away on Thursday. She was 75 years old.
It has been a very emotional few days here in Fort Worth, taking care of everything with my family. I will miss her very, very much. No one could cook like her, make us laugh like her, or brighten our day like her. I don't think I've ever met a more passionate, vibrant, energetic, and loving woman than her. She had 9 children, 20 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren, and she usually wore US out! Her and my grandfather had a "rough" life, living all over the US and taking their children with them, usually in poverty. But they proved that no matter what, if you have love, you are richer than any man.

So if there is one thing that I've learned from this, it's that NOTHING MATTERS, no possession, no car, no iPod, no house, no computer, no clothing, nothing matters except for relationships. And the most important relationship being with Jesus Christ. The life we live is just a short breath and then its all over. It's what we did, who we loved, Who we pledged our life to, that really counts.

So here's to Grandma Cano, one of the sweetest, most vibrant woman I have ever known, who is worshiping Jesus in heaven as we speak.

much love,
Stephen

Spanning the Globe

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 17:46:36 GMT

So, I've been watching the Travel Channel. I really want to travel all over the world, like really bad, and experience Egypt and Morocco and Turkey and Lebanon and Israel and Greece and Italy and India and Brazil and Guatemala and Australia and New Zealand and back to Scotland and Romania and Kazakhstan and off to Russia and Czech Republic. What a beautiful world with so many cultures. How cool...

In other news, please pray for my grandma. She's in the hospital and she isn't doing so well, but I believe that the Lord is in control.

Hope everyone is having a great Spring Break!

Stephen

Newness

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 13:55:59 GMT

For the first time in years, literally, I have written a new song. Just got done working on it; it just started pouring out of me. It's a habit that has long been lost in my life as of late and it feels so good to have it back. I make it sound like a drug, but in a way it is.
Maybe some of you will be lucky enough to hear it one day.

In other news, it's Spring Break! Time to sleep and watch movies and be lazy and read books.

Starbucks is still the best job ever. It's so cool to see what God is already doing with my co-workers. It's amazing how serving and loving people has an impact on them. Who knew? Jesus, maybe....

We had the best Chi Alpha this past Thursday. The worship was beautiful, and everything that Eli said was dead-on what I needed to hear. Amazing!

It's been beautiful outside; spring has come and I'm actually diggin' it.

Missing Kayla, but that is to be expected. She comes home soon!! Yay!

I graduate soon too!!! Yay!

That is all. God is a God who never lets go.

peace out,
Stephen

Ugh...

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:47:30 GMT

So it's been a long two weeks. I'm not complaining or anything; I'm just venting.

I haven't slept-in once in two weeks with student teaching, new job at Starbucks, a drunk-driver plowing into my house and moving because of it, cleaning my new house, taking an education test at 8 in the morning in College Station therefore getting up at 5, and my Teacher Work Sample (basically a long paper about what I teach and why I teach it and alot of stupid graphs) that is due tomorrow. I long for nothing but for a few things instead of doing this silly project at this moment.

Those things are as follows in no level of importance or significance:
1) See Kayla and just be with her(ok, that's up there...)
2) Sit down and watch a great movie and take a nap afterwards
3) Sleep
4) Read a great book with a cup of coffee
5) Go to work even and make a few bucks
6) Work on my mess of a room and actually make it a clean and inviting place to live
7) Relax in my super cool new back porch
8) Hang out with my room mates with no pressing matter hanging over my head
9) Go to Houston to go to Ecclesia, eat at Niko Niko's or Le Fende, and go to the new exhibit at the HMFA
10) See Kayla

That is all. I have now wasted 15 minutes of my time, now it's back to work. Enjoy your Sunday all ye who have it easy.

Much love,
Stephen

Life Thus Far

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:38:02 GMT

This was my house, but praise the Lord we're all alive and ok and no one was hurt or died.

I work at Starbucks now. It's the best job ever! I serve and drink coffee for a living!

I'm done with my first session of student teaching, but have tons of projects and an Education test this weekend, so life is still extremely busy. Pray for me.

Life is amazing because the Lord is so good to me and all of us. His goodness knows no bounds. Where can I hide from His Presence?!

Anyways, Chi Alpha in 20 minutes, then off to work on homework and projects and such. Hope everyone is well!

much love,
Stephen

Long time, no update

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:47:07 GMT

So nothing can quite thrill a guy more than when he hears that his girlfriend has been proposed to by taxi drivers, on more than one occasion.

But for reals though, I have the best, most beautiful, and caring girlfriend in the entire world! She just can't be beat! So I don't blame those creepy taxi drivers. I'm sure life must be sad and lonely and they need a bright and beautiful young woman such as Kayla in their lives.
Well too bad suckers!

In others news, student teaching is going amazingly well. I have job possibilities at Starbucks, Office Depot, and Home Depot. Pray that the Lord will provide a good job for me so I can continue to eat.

I've been reading this amazing book by John MacBeath called The Face of Christ. Really good. One quote for your reading pleasure: " 'You do no love Him,' urged Tolstoy to a Russian artist who asked the great man's impression of the central figure in a painting of the Last Supper. 'You do not love Him, or you would paint Him better.' The poor workmanship of our lives, the feeble quality of our service, the poverty of our unconvincing discipleship depicts before men a Saviour in whom they behold no form or comeliness. When they see Him there is no beauty that they should desire Him. Love is the secret of likeness; the greater the love the greater the likeness. On earth, at best, the dim reflection; in heaven, at last, the perfect resemblance."

That's good stuff and so very true. If I loved Him, my life would paint Him better. It truly all boils down to a love relationship with Jesus Christ and if I have that, it would be evident to those around me.

Also, I've been listening to Pierce Pettis. Amazing Christian singer/songwriter. One lyric of his has been moving me in particular from his song entitled "Something for the Pain." He's talking about how messed up the world is and how Jesus offers not a removal of the pain, but something for it that we can learn by, and it goes like this:

"Can't make the bad stuff go away/but I offer shelter from the rain
And the same wind that blows the candle out, it also fans the flame
Let me give you something for the pain."

Isn't that an amazing lyric. I love it, can't shake it. So good.
Well, that's all for now. I love you all very much and I hope that your lives would paint Hiim better.

much love,
Stephen