It has been an eventful break, to say the least....
Montana. Christmas extravaganzas. Catching up with friends and family and a fair share of curve balls to top it all off. Just last night, for example, I hit a deer. I knew it would happen someday. Living where I do it's pretty inevitable, but it was still a shock nonetheless. After three bullets from a policeman, the poor deer is out of her misery but my car, on the other hand, is still feelin' the pain...
Now I'm back in Marietta with moms car and feeling exhausted from the whirlwind of events these last couple weeks....and there are still a few more surprises to come before class starts. I wouldn't object to another break to recover from this one. But hey, "the world spins madly on" (credit to The Weepies for their lyrics) and all we can do is make the best of each day.
This isn't The Weepies' song just mentioned, but it's another of my favorites by Sara Bareilles:
...the countdown to when I will be flown away from Bozeman, Montana and the amazing people that live here. The short five-day visit couldn't have been better and I will leave feeling even more in love with this place than last year. Even as a warm-weather person, I would love to call this home. Unlike the gloomy winter months in Michigan and Ohio, Montana is alive as ever during this time of the year. The sunshine and beautiful mountain landscape draw people outside to play, in spite of the cold. There is just so much to do! Check out all of the awesome things we did!
Day 1: a beautiful hike through the foothills, followed by a Holsinger Christmas party with great food, great drinks and great company (one can always expect a good time with the Holsinger's...especially when there is chicken jalapeño soup and homemade eggnog involved)
Day 2: I LEARNED HOW TO SKI!!! ON THIS MOUNTAIN!!!
Day 3: Amy Luke got here! And we went snowshoeing on this mountain:
THEN! we went swimming at a hot spring where we were served beer and organic pizza. SO COOL! AND THEN! A girls night out on the town!
Day 4: Hanging out in downtown Bozeman, followed by another beautiful hike up what Katie Holsinger called a "hill"....yeah right! Then after hiking this so-called "hill", we had to catch our breath with drinks at a local brewery and a yummy dinner at home.
Day 5: After a battery malfunction with the Jeep this morning, Amy made it to the airport on time and the Holsinger's made it to work. Now I sit here waiting to go home. I look forward to the holidays with family, but I will be sad to say goodbye to my friends and mountains. Until next time, Montana....
I'm a very proud mommy of the cutest dog ever. The fact that I love Gabbie is a well-established fact that I'm not afraid to share with anyone and everyone. She's the best thing to ever happen to me...
...and this is one of the many, many reasons why I love this silly girl so much (sorry its a bit dark):
How am I supposed to study for my Pharmacology final with such cuteness taking place in my living room! But I must admit, it's a welcome distraction.
(I was hoping I would catch her burying her toy in the couch. Some days, she will bury all of her toys in the cracks until her nose bleeds from covering them up with her pretend dirt....cracks me up!)
No matter what or where I am in my walk with God, this song always convicts me to want more....
For what do I have if I don't have you, Jesus? What in this life could mean any more? You are my rock, you are my glory, you are the lifter of my head.
I had 4 exams this week (yuck), with 6 more to go before break (double yuck). But since it's Friday, I'd like to take the opportunity to focus on a few things that make me happy :)
Like this lovely Trader Joe's advent calender! Mmmmm chocolate and Christmas spirit. I love it! (A big thanks to Meredith Hester for this great gift!)
Another favorite is served in a long-stem glass that contains red wine. Yup. I foresee this happening in my near future....
I've also been ambitiously seeking/trying new soup recipes lately. They're perfect for the cold weather and are great for a quick and healthy meal for the entire week. AND I can drink wine while cooking them! Winning! The one below is by-far the best I've made so far: Lentil stew with ham and greens. Look it up!
And last, but certainly not least, the thought that I will be in MONTANA in 2 WEEKS with my favorite girls Katie and Amy makes me VERY happy. We have lots of girl-time to catch up on since our last visit :)
For the first time since being in PA school, I have free time! I don't have any tests before Thanksgiving break and I hardly know what to do with myself! I made some soup, played guitar, watched Big Daddy, played some more guitar until my fingers hurt, and now I'm at a loss for what to do next except go to bed....and I'm completely at peace with that! However, I'm afraid that all of this free time will only make the time between now and being home-sweet-home feel much longer than I would like. I am already planning my contributions to the Thanksgiving feast....
First and foremost, my absolute, most favoritest dish in the entire world - sweet potato casserole:
I'm pretty sure I could make an entire Thanksgiving meal of this dish alone, but since it's not Thanksgiving without turkey and stuffing, I also found this recipe that I can't wait to try - mushroom and rosemary stuffing:
I'm generally not a huge fan of stuffing (gasp!), but I'm hopeful that this fun twist on a traditional recipe will change my mind. And then to top things off, I simply MUST have the best apple pie on the face of the earth. It's granny's special recipe and you'll never taste an apple pie to rival it. Mmmmm....I can't wait!
Of course during all this gluttony, I will be so very thankful to be surrounded by my amazing family. It's crazy how being 5 hours away at PA school makes me appreciate my time with them more than ever. I can't wait to be home. :)
Yesterday, I confessed my severe lack of motivation. BUT! After a great day today, I am feeling very motivated to stop being so unmotivated! As Coach Otterbein unrelentingly quoted at the beginning of every single morning practice, every single year (and I'm sure the football boys are haunted by this):
"This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it! When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, and not loss; good, and not evil; success, and not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price I have paid for it."
So let me tell you why today was a good day:
I made it through another exam in PA school (although, at this point, tests hardly seem to faze me anymore).
I had previously spoken with Marietta's head track coach about getting back into competition-shape while also helping him out at practice. So today after class, I got to strap on the ol' sprinting spikes that have been sadly moping in my closet for the past year and a half. I must admit that after so much time off, I was a bit terrified of the outcome - but I was very pleasantly surprised to find that I've still got it (well...some of it)! And it felt soooo GOOD!
I was already in a great mood after running, but the night has continued to get better and better as my phone continues to ring. First, a conversation with Heidi about her latest trip to Gulu, followed by a much-needed catching-up with Mrs. Anna Dunham. I've said it before and I'll say it again a million times more....I have the greatest friends in the world. So if anyone else wants to call, I would be more than happy to chat :)
And this is completely unrelated to all of the above, but I recorded another song today....so if you're not already bored by the rest of this post, maybe you'd like to listen to some Norah Jones - Sunrise.
Lately I've been doing a very good job of procrastinating and being, well....just plain unmotivated. It has involved a lot of movie-watching, ipad-playing, house-cleaning and guitar-playing. I should be studying right now, in fact, for my test in the morning. Yet, here I sit playing guitar and blogging. And although I'm not Buddy the Elf and I'm not really in a store....I am singing!
So here is my all-time favorite Ingrid Michaelson song - Giving up. In my opinion, there's just nothing better than some Ingrid to make your day a little bit better.
And while I'm fearlessly flaunting my very humble musical skills (that kinda sounds like a tongue twister), here is another favorite by A Fine Frenzy called Near to You.
...but not the townspeople (aka "townies") as the Hillsdale welcome-sign implies. In fact, if you were to judge Hillsdale by the quality of most townies, you may not leave with the best of impressions. But if you were to base your judgements upon the character and community of Hillsdale College, the statement truly maintains it's integrity.
I believe I will always remember my four years at Hillsdale College as one of the best experience of my life. It is where I learned the value of education, where I practiced my love of track, and most importantly, where I met my closest friends. I've become much more appreciative of all of this in the year and a half since graduation. Now that I'm in the "real world" and outside of Hillsdale's comfortable bubble, I've realized that the people of Hillsdale College truly are of a unique variety.....
And all of this just to say that it was great to be back for Homecoming with the people that I love and have shared this amazing experience with. All the hugs and shared laughter was refreshing, even if I am feeling a bit nostalgic in the aftermath. So to all my fellow Hillsdalians, thanks for making Hillsdale College the best school in the nation (Yeah, I said it...we're the best and I don't care if it's arrogant). I look forward to seeing you all next year!
Have you ever had that feeling after having 6 exams in 10 days that you just needed to get away?! Hopefully, outside of finals week, none of you have ever had 6 exams in 10 days, but I think you know what I mean.
So this weekend, Clay and I packed up the tent and drove away to Hocking Hills State Park for some R&R and a much-needed visit with mother nature. She was beautiful as ever:
Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls pouring into my skull....
my mountain man :)
I call this one "droplets," although you can't
see them very well in the picture...
Unfortunately, I failed to get a picture of Clay in his irresistible red onesy that he wore to bed...butt flap and all. I'm such a lucky girl ;)
I simply can't resist when their little eyes turn around and give me a shy smile. It's so serious that I should probably avoid sitting near children on Sunday mornings. No matter how great the message, I never fail to spend more time flirting with an adorably innocent baby than listening to the Word. ESPECIALLY when little guy, Eobe, is in sight:
Eobe is the Ethiopian name that means "Job." He is the adopted son of an elder my church and I simply can't seem to take my eyes off him! This morning he was happily driving his toy car all over his fathers face while I sat watching in complete rapture and joy at his preciousness.
Yes, I am a complete sap, but it is the children who will receive the Kingdom of Heaven, right? Therefore, the more I love kids the closer I am to God, right? I think that's pretty logical reasoning. Good enough for me, anyway!
Growing up, I lived for the fair. "Fiske" french fries, snowcones, elephant ears, concerts, the fair-dance, horse shows, crazy carnies, and a whole week to run around like hoolagans with friends. It's like summer camp for hicks, and it wouldn't be fair without a summer romance....
So during this fair-week, I'm especially excited to have the honor of dating a Texan (note: I kinda like dating him during all the other weeks as well). We planned on attending the fair rodeo tonight, and in honor of the occasion, I convinced him to "get all Texan" for me....
When he put on those ostrich-skinned boots and pearl-snap shirt, I thought, "Oh, yeah....that's my cowboy!" :)
I'm sure he's going to kill me for this, but he's too cute not to show-off...
After taking my final exam of my first semester of PA school, I hopped in the car and raced to Michigan where friends, family and the beautiful Michigan-lakes awaited me. The drive itself was torturous. I got stuck in a traffic jam for an hour and a half with only 5 minutes to the Michigan border. It nearly drove me to insanity! I was so close! But of course, it was all forgotten as soon as I was finally able to see very best friends that I have missed so much. It was wedding time!
Will and Anna Dunham's wedding was a perfect celebration. Everything and everyone was beautiful, the food and beverages were delicious and the band was fantastic. This winning combination of elements led to 6 hours of non-stop, unrivaled dancing. How I managed to walk the next day is still a mystery.
Aren't they gorgeous?! I just wish it had lasted longer than a day...
Yesterday was a fun day, as well. We went to my brother's to celebrate my nephew Nathan's third birthday. He and his big sister have more energy than any children I've ever met in my life and they love their Aunt Katie. I sure slept good last night!
What a cutie!
After all the running around, I was really looking forward to a quiet day on the lake with Gabbie. I have always loved the water, but I never knew how much I would miss it after moving to lake-less Ohio. Being away has made me think that Michigan winters might not be so bad as long as I can have a summer on the lake. Nothing compares to this...
While we were there today, Gabbie and I made some new friends. Two little girls named Anna-Sophia and her sister Emerson. They were 6 and 3 years old. We played for 2 hours, laughing at Gabbie, swimming and building sandcastles. I could have played with them all day and I'm pretty sure Gabbie would have liked the same. She was so good with them. Every time Anna-Sophia would swim away from shore, Gabbie would swim out and bring her back. It was precious :)
I'm just not sure if 5 more days of this will be enough!
In celebration of this great event, she is currently enjoying a goody-filled-hoof and a looking pretty in a new, stylish collar. All the other dogs would be jealous....
[She also received a new water-bowl for her birthday. Apparently, there are some who think the toilet bowl isn't quite up to par....]
What is the most obvious thing to do when one is 23 years old and sick of studying anatomy? Build an awesome fort, of course! Yup. Best idea, ever.
[This was our second fort of the day. Our first was more conducive for keeping out monsters, a.k.a. Gabbie, but this one worked much better for watching movies]
Over the past few months, I have been slowly (emphasis on sloooowly) reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It's a phenomenal book that echoes so many of the cries and struggles within my heart. Today's reading was no different....
It is tempting to believe that the people [in the Bible] were superhuman, or supersaints, and that you and I could never do the kinds of things they did. But did you know that Abraham was afraid for his safety, so he lied about his wife, Sarah, and said that she was his sister...twice? Consider Jacob, who stole his brother Esau's birthright, tricked his father into blessing him, and then fled in fear of Esau. Or did you know that Moses was a murderer...? Also...we see Rahab, who was a Gentile and a woman, not to mention a prostitute! Then there's Samson who had so many problems I don't even know where to begin. And of course, David, a "man after God's own heart" who was an adulterer and a murder, whose children were evil and out of control.
-Francis Chan
Too often throughout my walk with God, I have allowed my sins to come between us, believing the lies of the Devil that I am worthless to God. But who am I to think my sins are bigger than God's grace? God loved David the most and he was a murderer and an adulterer! How encouraging it is to know that one doesn't have to be a supersaint to be a good disciple. All He wants is our love and reverent submission and He will save us from death. Praise God!
I've made a lot of jokes in the past year about my rapid transformation into being an old woman. Maybe it's because I spent a lot of time with elderly people, but I'd like to think I've actually started to figure things out. Like the fact that I really, really like a gentleman, for example. Someone who respects a woman's dignity and calls her "beautiful" instead of "hot." Someone who opens doors and walks on the road-side of the sidewalk. Someone like Mr. Darcy, for example.
Oh, Mr. Darcy....
Sadly, now that I'm a grown-up, this poster no longer
hangs on my wall....but it's still my favorite :)
And I can't help but love this quote from Easy A....even if the movie itself was highly questionable:
Whatever happened to chivalry? Does it only exist in 80's movies? I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me. Just once I want my life to be like an 80's movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent reason.
Unfortunately, a gentleman in today's society is pretty hard to come by, but I know now that they're definitely worth waiting for :)
PA school makes my head hurt. Literally. I race home for lunch every day, starving for some brain food that I hope will eliminate the ache inside my noggin caused by excessive cramming. I'm happy to say that it actually helps, too. This salad worked a miracle to get me through the second half of Friday:
Later, after spending two hours in lab playing hide-and-seek with some very elusive veins, arteries and nerves, I was all too happy to go out for dinner and drinks with a few classmates. Marietta has the coolest little wine cellar where you can drink your fill of homemade wine and enjoy the musical talents of a live band. [Strangely enough, they also serve the most delicious popcorn with their wine. That was definitely a first....] It felt good to put aside the stress of memorizing every intricate detail about human anatomy to share a few laughs about our awkward experiences in health care. By the end of the night, I was a very happy camper, indeed.
But now Friday night is over and the plan for today is to study, study, study. I haven't even started but I'm already looking forward to the scheduled breaks to play Tarzan on the rope swing at 1:00 and ultimate frisbee at 7:00. Wish me luck!
Today was another great day in Marietta. Clay and I drove out to one of the national parks nearby to hike the 9.4 mile Archer's Fork Loop. It was seven hours of beautiful wilderness and good conversation. I will be amazed, however, if I escaped without poison ivy....but oh well! Ice cream is next on the agenda. Maybe it will help to ease the ache of my tired legs :)
lots of really cool rock formations to climb on
Clay is a pro tight-rope-walker so this fallen tree was no big deal
I'm all settled into my new home in Marietta and I've met a few of the people in my program. It is so beautiful here! Historic homes, brick roads, pretty landscaping...I love it. And today was a blast! Clay, one of the guys in my program, found a rope swing going into the river while he was walking the other day. So three of us went out there and had some fun! The river was absolutely disgusting, but it was worth it....we'll definitely be doing that again.
Anyway, here's a few videos/pictures of my new place!
...was hard. Over the past year, my residents and their families have become an important part of my life. I knew I needed more than a quick goodbye as I walked out the door. So during my final week of work, I visited the homes of family members and spent nearly six hours saying goodbye to my residents at the home. For the first time, I was able to sit and talk with them without interruption. I also received a quick lesson on the steel guitar at Don's house (Don is the man who gave me my guitar). Let me tell you, those things are crazy! There are three pedals for your left foot, a volume pedal for your right foot, four different knee levers, plus picking and muting the strings! Holy cow, I now have a great appreciation for steel guitar players! Here's a short video of him playing the acoustic guitar he gave me:
Leaving Amy...
...was also hard. I'ts going to be an adjustment not living with her after these five years. But she, Alison and Janay made it a little easier by surprising me with a going-away party...on Amy's birthday nonetheless! We painted pottery (Alison is pretty amazing at this btw), went out for dinner and then had skype dates with Anna and Katie. I have the best friends ever!
Now I'm all moved in to my new home in Marietta! It will be weird living so far away from everyone, but I get the impression that I'm going to be too busy studying to worry about it too much, haha. Pictures and videos to come!
I have been feeling very Acholi lately. I wore my custom African dress yesterday and today I figured out the chords to an Acholi lullaby. I don't know the exact translation, but it's about standing, walking, and dancing before Jesus on the day of judgement. This song was pretty much the only spoken language that Heidi and I could share with the children because they didn't understand an ounce of English. I'll always remember singing it with them over and over while we did art projects in the HEALS classroom. I miss them so much.
So here it is! Dress, beads and all (although the guitar is totally blocking the dress)!
An a bi cung, a bi cung inyim la ngol kop pa yesu
An a bi cung, pira kena
Pe tye ngatimo ma twero cung pira
An a bi cung pira kena
An a bi wot, a bi wot inyim la ngol kop pa yesu
An a bi wot, pira kena
Pe tye ngatimo ma twero wot pira
An a bi wot pira kena
An a bi myel, a bi myel inyim la ngol kpo pa yesu
An a bi myel, pira kena
Pe tye ngatimo ma twero myel pira
An a bi myel pira kena
*DISCLAIMER: The girl who wrote this out for me didn't appear very confident in her spelling....so if there's anyone out there who is fluent in Lwo, I could use some help.
I took Gabs to the lake today to work on her fetch-while-swimming techniques. She was a little timid at first but it didn't take long before she was swimming out after them. She even started to dive her head under the water! She'll be a dock-jumping, stick-fetching superstar in no time! :)
(Please ignore my annoying voice, I was trying to be encouraging....pressing mute is another good option....)
After working in a restaurant since I was 15 years old, I am delighted to say that my last day at Mongolian Grill, as well as my last day serving tables EVER, came and went last Friday. I can't even begin to explain how wonderful it feels to say that! A chapter of my life has officially ended and I'm about to start a new one as a PA student, but during this short intermission between chapters, I am taking advantage of every moment. Carpe diem! Seize the day!
Before I share what I did on my first day of freedom, I have to tell you about a childhood dream of mine. It stems from my love of the water and the many weekends spent at our family's lake cottage up north. Our neighbors up there used to have a very enthusiastic springer spaniel that was absolutely crazy about fetching sticks off the dock....so naturally, I was crazy about him. Since then, I have always wanted a dog that loves the water just as much as I do and would leap off the dock to fetch his or her prized stick. Well, after a lifetime of dogs that don't like to swim, I finally have Gabbie....and she loves the water! So on my first day of freedom, I took her to my grandparent's pond for a swim. It was her first time swimming in anything other than the swamp behind my parents house so she's got some learning to do, but someday I'm determined that she'll look like this! (minus the boy-dog parts)
My second day of freedom was just as much fun. I played tennis with my amazing dad for two hours, followed by a trip to the lake with Gabbie for some more swimming and then finished up with an awesome home-cooked dinner. Yummm.
On my third day of freedom (don't you just want to end this by singing: "my true love gave to me..!"), my parents and I spent the morning kayaking through the lakes and channels near our house. The water was perfectly calm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was perfect.
Today was one of those great days at work that I will always remember.
As soon as I got there, I didn't even have to go inside! I was pleasantly surprised to find all of my residents sitting outside on the patio, taking delight in this glorious day. So.....I joined them! I sat down in the sun with my guitar and played a few songs for my biggest fans, and then when my playlist ran out, I enjoyed nearly two hours of conversation with the people I have grown to love so dearly. I can't think of any job more wonderful than that.
Last week was a busy week. I made a lot of phone calls and a lot of plans to meet up with my future classmates and look for houses in Marietta. So after a long, exhausting weekend of house-hunting, I found my dream house......but I don't know if I can make it mine or not yet. To this date, the owner has not allowed pets in the house, but he said that he would consider it and I'm praying that he comes around, otherwise, I'm still homeless.
So here she is! 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, washer/dryer, a DISHWASHER!, and a yard for Miss Gabbie. I have always been a huge fan of older homes, and this one is perfect!
Oh, and to make it even more perfect, one of my future roommates who is currently going to school in California is really good friends with someone that Amy knows from Saline! Her parents are even in Amy's parent's small-group at church! It's a small world and God is good!
This passage has come up three times in the last three days. God must be trying to tell me something important....
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour fourth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Nothing special today. I was just reminded of one of my favorite songs of all time by Ben Harper and I've been listening to it on repeat....so I thought I'd share! Enjoy! :)
Not talkin' 'bout a year
No not three or four
I don't want that kind of forever
In my life anymore
Forever always seems
to be around when it begins
but forever never seems
to be around when it ends
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do From you
People spend so much time
Every single day
Runnin' 'round all over town
Givin' their forever away
But no not me
I won't let my forever roam
and now I hope I can find
my forever a home
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you
Like a handless clock with numbers
An infinite of time
No not the forever found
Only in the mind
Forever always seems
to be around when things begin
but forever never seems
to be around when things end
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you
Oh I almost forgot! I do have something exciting to share....AMY, ALISON, AND I ARE GOING TO DC TOMORROW TO SEE ANNA!! Whoot whoot! I can't wait!! :)
My good friend Jesse Norris came to visit me this weekend and he introduced me to my new addiction: http://www.stumbleupon.com. It's seriously the most fun way to waste time! Just enter your interests and start stumbling upon random websites to suit your likings! For example, I like food, humor, and exotic animals....so these are a few things that I have stumbled upon today:
yummy in my tummy!
another mouth-watering treat: chocolate peanut butter torte
:)
this reminded me of 4th grade and it made me happy
In the past couple days, it has come to my attention how incredibly sad it is that some of the most profound verses in the Bible have become cliché to so many. For example:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- John 3:16
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts always hopes, always perseveres.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
It's like we have become calloused to the greatness of God and the amazing gift of Jesus Christ....a gift that not a single one of us deserves.....a gift that was given at an incredible price....a gift that was given because God is love. And he is patient. And kind. And slow to anger. And he is everything that we are not.
I hope to always be reminded of this and never take for granted the miracle of my salvation.
I used to be the pickiest eater growing up. I lived off of spaghetti, pb&j, chicken tenders, cheese pizza, and McDonald's (with lots and lots and lots of ketchup). Then this miraculous thing happened in college.....I started eating anything and everything.....turning into the human garbage disposal that I am today. (It's truly amazing that I'm not fat.) So in order to make up for my 20 years of terribly boring and unadventurous eating habits, I now jump at the chance to try anything new.
Well while I was at work tonight, I had such an opportunity. One of the other caregivers was snacking on Doritos and cottage cheese, so I gave it a shot. Result: DELICIOUS! You should seriously try it. And if you don't try it then you will probably annoy me because unadventurous and close-minded people do that to me. I think it's due to the fact that I, myself, used to be boring but have seen the light....so now it is my goal to give everyone the same joy that I have received from this new lifestyle. I mean, why would anyone consciously deprive themselves of goodness? I just don't get it! So go ahead.....try it out!
Eddie Vedder has a new ukulele album coming out! I'm so freakin pumped! This is his cover of Pearl Jam's "Longing to Belong" (I love the lyrics):
I'm falling harder than I've ever fell before
I'm fallin faster, hoping I'll land in your arms
Cause all my time is spent here
Longing to belong to you
I dream of circles perfect, eyes within your face
My heart's an open wound that only you replace
And though the moon is rising, can't put your picture down
Love, it's a frightning way to fall
And when the time is right, I hope that you'll respond
Like when the wind gets tired and the ocean becomes calm
I may be dreaming but I'm longing to belong to you
I passed out while watching 127 Hours. For those of you who don't know, this is a true story about a young man named Aaron Ralston who survived 127 hours in a canyon with his hand trapped between a boulder and the canyon wall. After being stuck for five days, Aaron finally comes to terms with the fact his only chance of survival is to amputate his arm. He does this by applying enough force on his arm to break his radius and ulna, and then proceeded to hack away at his flesh with a dull pocket knife. You think that sounds bad? Well what came next was what really did me in....he had to dig deep in his muscle tissue and rip through the nerves and tendons with his fingers because the knife wouldn't cut them. Now, this was simply more than I could handle. I started to get the familiar pre-pass-out tunnel vision, something that I have learned to recognize and manage in other circumstances, but I didn't even have a fighting chance this time! I was literally out within seconds, falling onto the shoulder of my friend sitting next to me. I awoke from dreamland moments later, all sweaty and nauseous and feeling sooooo embarrassed that I passed out in front of my friend....while watching a movie, hahahaha! I am already looking forward to the numerous blackouts that will occur during PA school....I only pray that I get over it quickly!
I "competed" in an indoor triathlon. The reason I put "completed" in quotations is because I didn't really go into it with the intention of anything other than surviving. It was only a 10 minute swim, 30 minute bike and a 20 minute run, so I knew it wouldn't be too difficult.....but since I am historically a sprinter and had never done anything like this before (or swam or biked in a year), I decided to play it safe. For each event, I settled into a comfortable pace and stayed relaxed, not wanting to overexert myself. Well as it turned out....I succeeded in under-exerting myself, haha. I mean, how does a person do any kind of triathlon and not even feel tired or sore afterward?! I would have liked to at least feel a little pain to show I did something! So in the end I placed 6th out of 8 competitors total, all of whom were at least 10-30 years older than I. Looking back, I wish I had pushed myself....but at least now I know what to expect for the next time!
One of my very best friends, Anna Louisa Leutheuser, got engaged to Will Dunham!!! ("I could not have parted with you, my Anna, for anyone less worthy"). I am so so so so soooooo excited for them and I simply cannot wait for their wedding this fall! After living with Anna for four years, I am certain that it will be the most beautiful wedding of all time because she has been planning it for years....believe me, I've seen pictures of "the vision" and they're stunning! I love you, Anna. Someday I will be calling you to come help my mother plan my wedding....because I am clueless!
I GOT A GUITAR!!! And it's a GIBSON! WOOOHOOOOO!!! I have always wanted to learn how to play the guitar but have never had the opportunity. Now, I am so very grateful to have been given this amazing gift by a great musician that I have come to know during my time in Okemos. I wish I knew how to repay him for his kindness. I feel so blessed :)
I don't allow myself to do this very often, but over the last couple of days I have been shopping online.....it has led me to these two items that I really really really want! And to be fair, I honestly need one of them....
I am trying to learn some more complicated songs on my uke that have a lot of picking in them. Well, I've discovered that my budget ukulele doesn't exactly measure up in sound-quality when things start to get technical.....so here is my dream uke:
Isn't it pretty?! :)
Also in my dreams, I would have the musical talent to be able to translate guitar tabs into ukulele tabs because it is very difficult to find the songs I want to play for the ukulele. For example, I would love love love to have the tabs for:
Another annoying thing about the ukulele is that people who play the uke apparently aren't country fans. I can't find ANY country songs for the ukulele. I mean, come on now! Seriously?! I guess Hawaiian and country don't naturally go together....but I'd like to make it work.
I'm starting PA school in three months! WOOHOOO!!!!! And that means I need a new laptop. I found an AMAZING deal on this Toshiba Satellite for $579 (originally $899)......but the deal only lasts for three more days! Ughh! Why does everything cost money?! Maybe a rich man will come into Mongo tomorrow and leave me a $600 tip?!
I wanted to share/reflect on one of Oswald Chambers' devotions from his book My Utmost For His Highest. I had actually dog-eared this particular page last year, but it's impact on me was no less profound this time around.
[On a side note...one of my many odd obsessions applies to the condition of my books, where it literally causes internal pain when any crease, bend or mark alters their perfection....but I'm proud to say that I'm slowly overcoming this strange phobia for ease of referencing quotes/pages of interest]
"The woman said to Him, 'Sir, You have nothing to draw [water] with, and the well is deep.'"
- John 4:11
"Have you ever said to yourself, 'I am impressed with the wonderful truths of God's Word, but he can't really expect me to live up to that and work all those dtails into my life!' When it comes to confronting Jesus Christ on the basis of His qualities and abilities, our attitudes reflect religious superiority. We think His ideals are lofty and they impress us, but we believe He is not in touch with reality - that what he says cannot actually be done. Each of us thinks this about Jesus in one area of our life or another. These doubts or misgivings about Jesus begin as we consider questions that divert our focus away from God. While we talk of our dealings with Him, others ask us, 'Where are you going to get enough money to live? How will you live and who will take care of you?' Or our misgivings begin within ourselves when we tell Jesus that our circumstances are just a little too difficult for Him. We say, 'It's easy to say, "Trust in the Lord," but a person has to live; and besides, Jesus has nothing with which to draw water - no means to be able to give us these things.' And beweare of exhibiting religious deceit by saying, 'Oh, I have no misgivings about Jesus, only misgivings about myself.' If we are honest, we will admit that we never have misgivings or doubts about ourselves, because we know exactly what we are capable or incapable of doing. But we do have misgivings about Jesus. And our pride is hurt even at the thought that He can do what we can't.
My misgivings arise from the fact that I search within to find how He will do what He says. My doubts spring from the depths of my own inferiority. If I detect these misgivings in myself, I should bring them into the light and confess them openly - 'Lord, I have had misgivings about You. I have not believed in Your abilities, but only my own. And I have not believed in Your almighty power apart from my finite understanding of it.'"
Wow. How many times have I said this! "Oh, I don't doubt Jesus....I doubt myself." Ugh! What a load of crap! And God is just so amazing; He really wanted to drill this point through my thick skull today because after reading that this morning, I read Acts chapters 3-4 this evening. In these chapters, the apostles Peter and John performed a miracle in the name of Jesus Christ by healing a crippled man outside the temple. Then later the believers prayed, "...enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus"....and after they prayed "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly" (4:29-31).
Okay, Kate, where are you going with this?! Well, how many times have we limited God because of our own incompetence? Even today, I don't give God enough credit to heal my wounds and answer my prayers, let alone use me to perform a miracle! But why not?! Peter and John did it! Over and over the Bible tells us to pray and we shall recieve, but we are a society of doubting Thomases. Lord, give us faith although we cannot see. Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness and perform miraculous signs and wonders in Your Name. Amen.
I'm at home right now and it is wonderful! I've been able to spend time with my parents, celebrate a friends birthday, play with my niece and nephew AND I have enjoyed more than enough good food :)
So in honor of being home, I made my first ukulele recording of the song "Home" by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes. It's an amazing song introduced to me by Katie Holsinger. The video quality is kind of crappy and the sound is a little off but I promise to get better! :)
[Oh, and be sure to notice my new chairs in the background! Love them!]
Ask just about anybody, I am a nice person....not to mention extremely non-confrontational. However, there are two things that I would happily enter into a friendly debate with anyone about: God and evolution. Yup, they do exist! Both of them. And quite happily I would add.
I am currently reading/rereading a book on the matter.....it's the best "textbook" that was ever assigned to me in college: Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search For Common Ground Between God and Evolution by Kenneth Miller. In this book, Miller convincingly constructs an argument against both those who deny evolution as well as those using science to justify a materialist worldview. I absolutely love the way that he uses the mechanisms of evolution to point to an all-powerful creator. It makes me even more awestruck that we have such an amazing God.
There are soooo many incredible arguments that I wish I could syphon straight from the book to your brain, but since I can't do that, I will share a sample from my last night's reading (it's kinda long....but you should stick it out anyway):
"To an anti-evolutionist, when new species appear in the fossil record....it must be a product of design. This makes the fossil record a tool for recording the actions of the designer. We must say, then, that it pleased the designer to design only microorganisms for nearly 2 billion years of earth's history. He then began to tinker with multicellular organisms, poducing a bewildering variety of organisms that survived only briefly. In the Cambrian era, roughly 530 million years ago, the designer produced an extraordinary variety of multicellular organisms, many of which were the first representatives of what we now regard as the animal phyla....Even in the Cambrian, he was not yet interested in designing a vertebrate....That came later.
Then, as we have seen, the designer produced one organism after another in places and in sequences that would later be misinterpreted as evolution by one of his creatures. And just to compound that misinterpretation, he would ensure that the very first limbs he designed looked like modified fins, and that the first jaws he designed looked like modified gill arches. He would further ensure that the first tetrapods had tail fins, like fish, and that the first birds had teeth, like reptiles. So thoughtful was this designer that after having designed mammals to live exclusively on the land, he would redesign a few, like whales and dolphins, to live in water - but not before he designed creatures that were literally halfway between land and swimming mammals. In working this magic, the designer chose to create forms truly intermediate between walking and swimming mammals.
It would be nice to pretend that this description is nothing more than an irreverent polemic, a nasty poke at the opposition. But it's not. It is a fair description of just a tiny bit of what any advocate of intelligent design must believe in order to square such beliefs with the facts of geological history. And this is just the beginning.
Intelligent design advocates have to account for patterns in the designer's work that clearly give the appearance of evolution. Is the designer being deceptive? Is there a reason why he can't get it right the first time? Is the designer, despite all his powers, a slow learner? He must be clever enough to design an African elephant, but apparently not so clever that he can do it the first time. Therefore we find the fossils of a couple dozen extinct almost-elephants over the last few million years. What are these failed experiments, and why does this master designer need to drive so many of his masterpieces to extinction?
Intelligent design does a terrible disservice to God by casting him as a magician who periodically creates and creates and then creates again throughout the geologic ages. Those who believe that the sole purpose of the creator was the production of the human species must answer a simple question - not because I have asked it, but because it is demanded by natural history itself. Why did this magician, in order to produce the contemporary world, find it necessary to create and destroy creatures, habitats, and ecosystems millions of times over?
I have no doubt that some will read these questions as blasphemous. How dare I (or anyone) question the motives of God? But keep in mind who is really reponsible for dragging the designer into the crucible of science. If we wish to make sense of natural history by invoking the miraculous to account for life's every twist and turn - and that is exactly what [believers of intelligent design] wishe to do - then it is the invoker himself who has presented in court the motives of the Creator. It is the advocate of design who wants to hold his designer responsible for every detail of life. Ironically he's the one, not the evolutionist, who has made these questions necessary.
In the final analysis, God is not a magician who works cheap tricks. Rather, His magic lies in the fabric of the universe itself. The fossil record is not a series of sequential tricks fabricated for no purpose other than to mislead. The fossil record represents, with all of its imperfections, an epic of evolutionary change, the history of life on this planet grand in its range and diversity and magnificent in its detail. It is the record of the historical process that led to us. It is the real thing, and so are we."
I mean think about it! Isn't a God that designs the mechanisms of evolution smarter than the God that an advocate of intelligent design depicts? Seriously! Read this book! Come to understand how ingenious and amazingly cool evolution is and know that GOD set it all into motion for HIS glory....and that all things, including evolution, work for His ultimate good plan.
