Speed Dating.

I ran across this blog today that is hosting a blogger "Speed Date" linkup party and I figured I would give it a try!  I mean the entire thing is one sided, and I don't have anyone staring back at me - so why not right?  Visit Nicole's blog today to link up with other bloggers and maybe even learn more about them!

Here are some tidbits about me that I thought you just might find amusing!  

My name is Hawaiian, but I am not Hawaiian.  My parents just figured it would be amusing to give their SECOND daughter the Hawaiian name that no one can pronounce.  And they lived in Hawaii for a few years, so I suppose the name is justified - plus it's a great conversation starter!

My parents met on a blind date, and it just so happens that they travel alot, and as a child I was blessed to tag along with them to all sorts of places.  One of the most memorable being Maui - we went there nearly every year when I was growing up!  I love it there, and maybe it's because it's one of the only places where people pronounce my name properly.

I can touch my tongue to my nose, but I can't whistle.  My husband finds the second one very amusing!

Speaking of my husband, I should probably mention that he is Irish.  And I don't just mean his parents or grandparents came over on a boat - I mean he truly is Irish, citizenship and all!  We are in the process of gaining US citizenship for him, and we have already been through the Green Card process, and it's nothing like the movies make it out to be.  We, or maybe I should say he, learned WAY more about the process than he ever wanted to.  So message me if you have any questions! 

I met my husband in Ireland, in 2004, when I was there on a mission trip.  And maybe I should mention that I was in a relationship with someone else at the time.  Somewhere along the lines I won his heart and I remember telling a friend that I was going to marry him!  And that I did, in 2009, 5 years after meeting him!  Our journey together is a beautiful example of God's goodness and grace.

I love all things Irish, but my husband definitely tops that list.   You can read more about our story here.

I absolutely love being married.  There is nothing more beautiful than true refinement and transformation, and God has used Peter tremendously in my refining process.  And although it's hard and sometimes I slightly despise Peter for holding me accountable and calling me out on things, it is so very worth it.  I have grown so much more within marriage than I ever would have out of it!  I have realized just how selfish I truly am.  And I have also realized that I love to control things, such as the cleanliness of our home.  And one of the most important things I have realized over the years is that it's not just about making each other happy, although that's important, but rather about making each other holy.   You can read more about that here.

I love Mexican food, and  I am a quarter Puerto Rican, but I don't think that has anything to do with my love for Mexican food.  I speak a bit of Spanish and probably understand more than I give myself credit for.  

I absolutely love to travel and get really excited about going to new places and visiting friends in the old places.  I love flying and everything having to do with airports and airplanes.  And I would love to travel to India someday.  

I work for a christian non-profit called CRISTA ministries.  And it is such a blessing to work in a Christian environment, but challenging all the same!

I am still friends with friends from elementary school, junior high, high school and college.  And I love the history that goes along with friendships that last the ages.  

I am all about the sweet things, while my husband, Peter, is all about the savory!

I am super frugal and get a high out of saving money. Some might even say that I'm a money hoarder.  One of my latest prayer requests has been about greed - how much to keep for self and how much to give.  And is there ever really a limit to how much you can give away?  And where do you draw the line?  These are questions we have been wrestling with.

I really love talking finances - and have been reading all sorts of financial books lately.  Maybe this has to do with the fact that my dad and brother are both wealth managers - so maybe on some level I am trying to relate to them?  In all honesty, I think I just like talking numbers and investments and retirement and I am slightly obsessed with checking our stock investments and account balances.

I absolutely LOVE a good deal and I think I get about 5-10 emails a day from the likes of groupon, amazon, living social, etc.  I very rarely purchase said deals, but I still love seeing what my options are.

I love asking questions and I am an extremely curious person.  And I love going deep with people, hence all the questions.  I love to read and I love movies, and I love getting both of those items for FREE at the public library.

According to the Strengthsfinder book, my strengths are WOO (winning over others), Harmony, Belief, Adaptability and Input.  I think they all ring true for me!  You can read more about them here.  My love language is words of affirmation and quality time (I can pick two can't I?). And according to my Myers-Brigg's assessment, I am an ENFJ.

We attend a non-denominational church, and my husband is a missionary, which simply means that part of our income comes from the abundant generosity of others.  This has forced us to truly rely on the Lord to provide for us through said generosity of others.  There were times when we went without a paycheck simply because we didn't have enough donations coming in!  God is SOO good though and He has brought Peter and I to our knees and ultimately closer together.

I have a humongous heart for all things Africa even though I have only been there once.  We plan to go back to Malawi in September, and I don't know if I can wait!

One of my biggest fears is that Peter will die before we get a chance to live our lives together (kind of makes me wonder what I think we are doing RIGHT NOW!).  But really, this fear sometimes cripples me and makes me cry uncontrollably.  And I have to fight it all the time and REMEMBER that if he does die, it only means he has gone on to a better place!! 

Okay now it's time for YOU to share!!  Ready, Set, GO!  And don't forget to link up!

Time Magazine.

One of my all time favorite magazines is Time.  Now, it's definitely not the best magazine for recipes, home improvements, or creative gift ideas, but I can say that when I turn that last page, I feel a bit more educated and knowledgeable about the world, and that is probably why I love it so much!  Peter bought me a subscription for Christmas YEARS ago and we have been renewing that subscription ever since.  I think it's only $15 for a year, which seems crazy considering each magazine costs at least $3 in the store.  And $15 is an amazing deal considering you get a magazine EVERY single week.  This weekly arrival is a beautiful thing, but it can also be a dreadful thing when the magazines keep stacking up and you don't seem to have time to read them all!

Over the past few weeks, I have been working through my stack, and this picture and these notes were in the January 9th magazine.  And I was intrigued by it all - and I thought you might be too!  So, I of course wanted to share it.

The picture reads...

Hello.  My name is Sophia.  I'm an American baby born in 2012, and I already know a few things about myself*

I am one of 4 million babies who will be born in the U.S. in 2012.

China will be home to 16 million new babies this year.

I can expect to live 81.3 years - until 2093! (American boys born in 2012 have a life expectancy of 76.2 years - five years less than girls)

An Indian girl born today can expect to live to 66.

My parents can expect to spend about $150,000 on my in-state tuition at a public U.S. college or $500,000 for four years at a private college (before financial aid, loans and scholarships).

But if I'd been born in Germany, my university education would probably be free.

If I finish college, I can expect to get married at about age 30.  I'll get married a few years earlier - at age 26 - if I don't earn a college degree.

By age 40, I'll be making $95,733 a year; by the 2070s, I'll have earned $4,033,688 after working for 40 years.

An Indian baby born in 2012 can expect lifeteime earnings of $494,241.

35% of my American peers will be obese in adulthood.

7.6% of Chinese babies will grow up to be obese.

There's a 60% chance that i'll live in the suburbs; 28% that I'll live in a city.

90% of Brazilian babies born in 2012 will live in an urban area.

I'll likely have two babies.  (Women born in the U.S. will give birth to an average of 2.09 chilren, to be precise)

Nigerian girls born in 2012 will give birth to an average of 4.82 children.

I've got a 23% chance that my marriage will end in divorce - and a 41% chance I'll never marry at all.

A Brazilian girl born in 2012 has a 25% chance of marrying before age 18.

*Actually my name isn't Sophia, and I wasn't even born in 2012.  But Sophia is likely the most popular American baby-girl name of 2012, as projected by expert Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard.

Hope you feel a little bit more educated and knowledgeable about the world today!  Thanks for reading!

xoxo, 

Malia