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30 Days of Blogging - Day 3: AFOMFT, Driving
Say hello to my new type of post:
A Few Of My Favorite Things
Today's Episode: Driving
I love, love, love driving!
I love short drives, and road trips, and taking the long way on purpose!
I love driving standard and feeling the car attached to my feet!
But even more than just driving (okay, not more, but very close to the same, which is to say, a LOT) I love the things that happen in the car.
Some of the best conversations I've ever had have happened in the car. Seriously, I love in the car talks.
Music sounds different. And I usually like the things that stand out differently in the car. (Not to mention I am unashamedly a belt-it-out-in-the-car singer which probably helps.)
The camaraderie of road trips, and travel buddies, and the car filled with everything but the kitchen sink and feeling so cozy until you get out and realize how tightly you were packed in, then feeling so weird when you re-enter until a couple kilometers down the road when you've finally settled back in. (Lather, rinse, repeat at every stop.) (Just me?)
I also really enjoy watching vlogs where the person is just talking in the car. I don't know why I like it so much, but I do. Almost enough that maybe someday I'll try it. Who knows?
But mostly I really love being behind the wheel. I'm savoring this joy of my singledom and the liberty it gives of allowing me to always (or at least, frequently) be the driver. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll find a guy who doesn't mind taking turns ;)
But now it's certainly bedtime and I must go dream of road trips with a vague manshape. Will he be in the passenger seat sometimes? We'll see :D
Goodnight, Lovelies!
30 Days of Blogging - Day 2: I'm Weird, Episode 1
Lesson learned today:
When you have an opportunity to write your daily blog entry in the middle of the day, do it. Otherwise you will only have 30 minutes until the day is done and you will feel rushed.
Aaaanyways, on with the (rushed) show.
I am very weird. This is a fact.
3 Ways That Emmi is Weird
(not even close to a complete list, trust me)
1. I prefer my pop flat.
Seriously. I have a friend who now just immediately pours my pop in a glass and stirs it for me. It's strange, I know, hence why it is making this list.
2. Sometimes I crush my potato chips.
On purpose. I like the texture. And also, more chips! Who doesn't like more chips? I'm just going about it in an unorthodox way...
3. I like to watch all the movie credits.
It takes a village to make a movie and every single one of those names is someone who played a valuable role. I think that's really cool.
Bonuses: you get to hear good credits music, sometimes there's a secret at the end, and you get to be the last one leaving the theater which is my favorite because I'm short and crowds make me feel a little claustrophobic.
That's all for now lovelies :) I'm sure there will be more weirdness from me in the next 28 days!
Toodles!
Dear Love, (A Collection)
Dear Love,
It's been a long time since I wrote to you last. (I just reread that post... some of it is facepalm worthy...)
Turns out it has been a couple months less than a year, but really, what's so special about anniversaries anyway? Today is the 283rd day-versary, and I think that's as good as any reason to celebrate :)
And by "celebrate", I mean sit alone on my bed and begin to write a series of mini-letters to someone I don't yet know of (or at least, not as Love yet).
Someday I won't have to write mystery letters to you, I will be able to just talk to you.
That will be nice, don't you think?
Yours,
-Em
Dear Love,
Have we met? Did you like like me? Did I like like you?
Oh gosh, you probably witnessed my failure to flirt... that's embarrassing.
Do you think about dating me sometimes? Have I wondered the reverse?
This is confusing... and occasionally stress-inducing.
Yours,
-Em
Dear Love,
Your absence has been of note lately.
Normally, I can be objective and understand that loneliness is not always negated by the presence of another person; I understand that loneliness is usually just a perception of isolation that anyone (regardless of relationship status) can perceive and believe.
But still, it's hard not to miss your potential presence when I frequently find myself being the third, fifth, seventh wheel... yeah... that's not so fun for single Emmi...
Not to rush you. Seriously, take whatever time you need!
...But also (if convenient) hurry up already, would you?
Yours,
-Em
Dear Love,
Today I experienced a huge God-filled ministry high that I wish I could tell you all about!!
Somehow this makes me more sad than feelings of loneliness -- to not be able to share my excitement with you on this! The people that I would normally drive crazy with my overflow of words were THERE, which doesn't mean that I can't talk to them, but it's just not as exciting, you know?
I love exciting talk! And today was so exciting!
Gah! This is annoying!
Yours,
-Em
Dear Love,
I have this idea of something that I think would be fun and challenging and probably foolish and maybe even reckless, and I wish I could run it by you and stop it from turning into brain crack!
The worst part is that the longer I sit in daydreaming singledom, the more I get deluded by this head-version of you that just magically likes and is excited to do all of the same things that I am! But without the ability to get your feedback, I have no way of knowing if the idea is good, or bad, or absolutely ridiculous, or possible (with a little bit of convincing).
I haven't told the idea to anyone but my car, because, well, I have a pretty strong suspicion that it's possibly not good...
But the point is that in your absence I get to contentedly to live with my head-version of you.
He's very agreeable. And he's totally on board with everything I suggest! Imagine that!
Oh my gosh, head-version you is dangerously close to brain crack status!!
I guess I may have to break up with head-version of you soon... Darn. I really thought we had something special, you know ;)
Yours,
-Em
Dear Love,
A short-list of things I want to know:
Do you like Disney movies?
and YouTube?
and cuddling?
and intelligent discussions?
and nerdiness?
and silly things?
and walking?
and not running too much or otherwise being overly active?
and roadtrips?
and board games?
and playing video games that I'm good at? (Basically: was it designed for children, is it mario, does it involve a race car, or is it Portal?) (I'm actually pretty bad at Portal, but I make up for my deficit in excitement and passion.)
and not minding me watch you play the video games I'm bad at? (It's weird, I know, I like it anyway...in moderation and with explanations of what's happening)
and general weirdness? (Because I have that in SPADES!) (Seriously, everyone is better off if we just accept that I'm weird and move on.)
ooo! and camping?
and adventures? (casual ones, or active ones so long as you don't mind semi-frequent stops to admire the everything that you miss if you're of the "get to point B as fast as possible" variety of adventurer)
and singing?
or otherwise music making?
or at the very least, Disney sing-alongs?
and swinging? (I love swings!)
also slides?
and roller coasters? (That escalated quickly... Eh? Eh? See what I did there?)
and lame jokes?
Answers requested as soon as possible :)
Yours,
-Em
I've got more half-formed mini-letters in my head, but now it's tomorrow already and I'm tired from the busy yet satisfying day that was today :)
Until next time, Love.
Sorry I'm Late, Rick Riordan
Dear Rick Riordan,
(I sincerely hope you never read this)
I'm sorry that I'm late.
The thing is... Your timing sucks.
Your books became popular just as I stepped out of the age group they were geared towards. You know how it is, 15 year olds are desperate to separate themselves from the so immature 13/14 year olds and be accepted into the ranks of maturity-abounds 16/17 year olds. Harry Potter was the "cool" book series (and I loved it, duh) and Percy Jackson was "childish".
But I'm older now, and the critics be darned, I'm reading your books!
I'm 9 years late, but I hope you'll forgive me :)
Now I rant.
What the crap movie makers?? In my ignorance, I liked the movies! In my naivety, I thought the book lovers were blowing things way out of proportion! "Movies made from books always disappoint," I said. "It can't really be that bad," I said.
BUT IT IS THAT BAD!! Oh, the injustice that such a talented author has drawn such a short straw that it can hardly be called a straw! The movies are great, but they are so loosely based on your books they shouldn't even share their name!!! I honestly really enjoyed the movies, but now that I've read The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters, I feel torn in my loyalties. It's like loving two people with the same name... They are completely separate individuals and you love them for that, but you constantly have to differentiate between them when you talk about them (brother Steve, other Steve) and everybody ends up confused.
Sigh... This is where I stop ranting.
To sum up: Your books are awesome, I look forward to reading the rest (and conveniently catching up right as the finale to Heroes happens, that worked out nicely). The movies based on your books are also awesome, though horrible adaptations of your stories. And I'm sorry I'm so late to your party.
Best wishes :)
When a door closes...
Long story, short: I was not accepted into the GCPT program.
Long story, long: At least, that is the conclusion I have come to.
It's a fair conclusion, since I didn't get an acceptance letter.
I have to "come" to it only because I missed a critical piece of information on the letter I did receive telling me that my application was being reviewed. This particular piece was login information to the school's student portal, which would give me access to the status of my application.
I threw out that letter... so... oops.
I'm okay with this though :) for serious. I prayed that God would close/open that door according to His will, and I am at peace with the closed door.
Long story, extended: Now I upgrade.
Tricky thing I'm finding about closed doors is that it can mean so many things!
Does it mean "Closed: Open again next year" or "Closed: Try other door" or "Closed: Stop trying this kind of door" (by which I mean this type of program)?
I'm prayerfully trying to sort this out. At the moment this is what I've got...
-- It's not option 3, I like this area of study and I feel that God has given me the skills and desire to do this as a career, would probably take another rejection to make me consider this an actual option from Him.
-- I have no idea which of the other two options is right. At least, not yet.
-- What I do know is that I now have the time to do research into other schools that offer similar programs and maybe try this one again, or maybe find another even better.
-- Minimal research so far has taught me that most of the programs of this nature require at least English and Math as prerequisites, so I will upgrade those as I continue my hunger games of the contending schools.
This I also know... This gives me more time to get my life in order. Because it isn't. And this reason, above any academic reason, I believe, is why God has closed this door right now.
Just one more thing that lets me know He's got this. If not for pursuing this door, I would have been just as overcommitted as every other year that I didn't give time to focus on fixing parts of me that have been busted for a while. By leading me here, God forced me to step back from being so busy.
I don't know for sure what this next couple months holds, but in the midst of all the unknown I have peace.
I'm going to upgrade, seek some inner healing, and make time to conquer the unknowns one at a time. "Real" adulthood is intimidating, knowing that everything ahead is my responsibility, but thank goodness it would seem God can see the bigger picture.
Toodles, my lovelies. I leave you with a nerd game joke.
Dear Love,
This is a letter for you, Love. Not like the feeling of love, but the actual someday-I-will-call-you-Love person.
I have absolutely no idea who you are... but I miss you.
Not like I'm-sad-you've-left miss you, but I-wish-you-were-here-how-much-longer-will-we-be-apart miss you. If you read this in a sad way, I will punch you. This is a hopeful letter; smile while you read it, if that helps...
How do you write a letter to someone you don't know, about things you've never experienced? I've no idea... but this has been floating in my head like a song I can't shake and I feel like the only way to articulate how I feel is to write it out.
I miss everything that I've never known about who you are, and who I am with you, and how we fit together.
I miss what it feels like to lean into you, and to feel your presence hug mine.
I miss the awkwardness of our first kiss, and the slow mastery of every kiss after that; of making out, and pushing away, because if I keep letting you do that... ...that's for later, and I miss that too.
I miss having you by my side for every adventure. And making every day an adventure: chasing rainbows, and sunsets, and moonrises, or just marveling at fingertips touching.
I miss getting butterflies just seeing you've sent me a text, and learning how to keep those butterflies alive long after we're married and texting is relegated to grocery lists.
I miss wanting to tell you about that thing that just happened, even if you were standing beside me the whole time.
I miss being embarrassed by you, please don't do it too often :)
I miss cuddling. (I hope you like cuddling, because if you don't I will punch you.)
I miss the easy comfort of just walking together, not needing to fill the air with anything other than footsteps in synchrony. (With a dog? I hope there's a dog.)
I miss caring enough to fight with you. And from what I've heard, making up can be pretty sweet :)
I miss learning new things with you, and always seeking to learn more together.
I miss reading the Bible with you, and studying it together, and how you encourage me to be more Christlike even without saying a word (and hopefully likewise).
I miss talking excitedly about things that few people are excited about!! And our general nerdiness that no one else needs to understand.
I miss wanting to do something crazy that we've never done before like start vlogging, or go on a road trip, or get married, or start a family, or buy a house, or build a tree house, or sleep under the stars (at least until the bugs get too bad), or I don't even know what but I want to do it with you!
I miss making music together (if in fact you are musical, fingers crossed).
I miss learning why people say love is hard, and why they say it's the best thing, and everything in between... with you.
I miss what you smell like, and feel like, and taste like, and the sound of your heartbeat with my ear pressed to your chest.
I miss the feeling of your fingers on my neck, in my hair, on my face, my back, my waist, my hands, and us leaving fingerprints on each other that can be felt for days.
I miss knowing your favorite things, and having you know mine; reading your favorite books, and sharing my favorite dessert.
I miss making all kinds of mistakes, but then figuring out what reconciliation, forgiveness, and love really mean.
I don't know who you are, but I really wish I did. I miss you, Love.
I miss a lot of things, but I know that this list only scratches the surface. I probably got a ton wrong/off, but I look forward to learning that in person.
-Em
Is he out there God? Can you let him know that I'm waiting? And, you know, give him a kick in the pants... from me? Thanks :)
Random Things: Episode 2
It's been a while since I've posted so I decided to do another "Random Things" post in order to tell you about all of the things that have been on my mind lately. You can find the first installment of "Random Things" here, if you are the curious type.
Here we go! In no particular order...
Edited to add: And in the lengthiest of lengths! Sorry... maybe I should have tackled these in separate posts... too late now!!
Thing the First: No-Poo (is a horrible name for this)
No, I'm not constipated, but thanks for the concern. No-Poo is basically not using commercial shampoo, hence "No-Poo". However, I think that is a terrible name and if I use it (which is rarely) I always follow it with "is a horrible name for this". Not to be confused with not washing my hair (which I still do), this is simply not using the shampoos available on everyshelf, everywhere. Those shampoos pretty much across the board have Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) as the second ingredient (water is the first). Now I'm not one of those people who is typically concerned with the "chemicals" I'm putting on my body (because EVERYTHING IS CHEMICALS), but when researching my loss of natural curl, greasy everyday, frizzy, and itchy scalp issues, I came across this alternative which claims that SLS is the cause of my problems. I think it's pretty hilarious that the most common No-Poo (is a horrible name for this) method is baking soda (as shampoo) and apple cider vinegar (as conditioner)... which is SUPER harsh on the hair of like half the people who try it! My method currently is a shampoo from the health food store, and once that runs out I'll be trying J.R. Liggett's Shampoo Bars because they seem totally awesome :)
Thing the Second: Camping
It's finally summer!! I really want to go camping!!!! ... The End.
Thing the Third: School
I'm going to be applying for Graphic Communications & Print Technology. AAAAAAHHHHHH (is the sound my anxiety makes). I'll keep you posted on that journey.
Thing the Fourth: Communication Fail
I read (actually listen to, because audiobooks are conveniently hands-free) a lot of Young Adult Fiction. I generally find them to be more engaging, entertaining, and diverse (also, less pornographic and/or wild west) than Adult Fiction, so they are my go-to. But right now, I'm listening to a series that is basically "The Bachelor" for determining the wife of a Prince in a dystopian America-esque place. [For the record, this is a bad way to prepare for marriage.] The characters are young and for the most part have not had very much relationship experience -- which isn't in itself bad... after all, neither have I -- but OHMYGOSH their communication with each other is horrible!!! I just listened to a whole conversation (probably the fourth of this type in this book alone) between two lovebirds where neither of them is willing to be the first to admit that they love the other, both are no-at-all-subtly trying to steer the conversation so the other would say it, and the scene ended WITH NEITHER SAYING "I LOVE YOU" (or even "I really like you", or "I can't imagine life without you", or some other way around saying any kind of commitment to how they were feeling)!!!!!! No, no, no. Bad, bad, bad. Based my years of collecting do's and don'ts of communication (of which I am still not an expert): If you can't even communicate the nice things in a relationship, how do you expect to be able to constructively communicate the negative. Say what you feel, and say it as eloquently as you can; if the other person has to read between the lines, you have not communicated effectively. </Rant>
Thing the Fifth: Packaging
I recently saw this new packaging of Tic-Tacs...
Which at first glance makes the average person go, "Holy Stink!! That huge container must hold so many Tic-Tacs!!! It says 200 and that this is limited edition!!! And isn't so cool how they made this little window so you can see all the lovely uniform pieces?!?"
But it makes me go, "Holy Stink!! Those product designers are geniuses!!! They have perfectly created a product that looks super tempting to the consumer!! Isn't it so brilliant how they made this huge container and this little window to manipulate the average person?!?"
Don't be fooled average person. That container is only half filled with Tic-Tacs. I'm tempted to say "Packaging: Win", but it makes me sad that people are so easily manipulated in our society. And that members of that same society actively work to deceive people, and go even so far as to wrap it up in a pretty package.
Thing the Sixth: The Endeavor
So yeah... about that Endeavor that only happened for two days... oops. It was a cool thought (possibly overshare-y?) and I may or may not bring it or something similar back. I'm still in need of something to help keep me accountable to myself... we shall see!
Thing the Seventh: The Purse
I finished the purse! Quite a while ago actually...
I did take pictures! I'll make a post of it soon, I promise.
(Part 1 and Part 2 if you need to catch up)
On a related note: I have a lot of crafty projects on the go and will probably post about those as well...
Thing the Eighth: TV Show Finales
Why are all the shows I've been watching lately ending at the same time?!?! No, no, no. Bad, bad, bad.
Thing the Ninth: Feelings Chart (where have you been all my life?)
Found this on the internets... Wish I could physically refer to it in every conversation about "feelings" without that being weird....
Thing the Tenth: Hyperlinks
... Is it obvious that I just learned how to properly use hyperlinks? I'm sorry that I'm a little obsessed, I promise to try to be less hyperlinky in the future.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's Thing the Eleventh: Teal In My Hair (must be read in the tone of Finding Nemo's "Fish in my hair!!!") Just highlights, but boy am I stoked!!! I'm sure there will be pictures on Facebook :)
Toodles, my lovelies!
I may have to make a legitimate gold star for anyone who actually reads all these page-and-a-half posts. If this be you, comment and I will at the very least give you a virtual high five, and quite possibly work on a way to actually give you something (possibly handmade)... ;)
Here we go! In no particular order...
Edited to add: And in the lengthiest of lengths! Sorry... maybe I should have tackled these in separate posts... too late now!!
Thing the First: No-Poo (is a horrible name for this)
No, I'm not constipated, but thanks for the concern. No-Poo is basically not using commercial shampoo, hence "No-Poo". However, I think that is a terrible name and if I use it (which is rarely) I always follow it with "is a horrible name for this". Not to be confused with not washing my hair (which I still do), this is simply not using the shampoos available on everyshelf, everywhere. Those shampoos pretty much across the board have Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) as the second ingredient (water is the first). Now I'm not one of those people who is typically concerned with the "chemicals" I'm putting on my body (because EVERYTHING IS CHEMICALS), but when researching my loss of natural curl, greasy everyday, frizzy, and itchy scalp issues, I came across this alternative which claims that SLS is the cause of my problems. I think it's pretty hilarious that the most common No-Poo (is a horrible name for this) method is baking soda (as shampoo) and apple cider vinegar (as conditioner)... which is SUPER harsh on the hair of like half the people who try it! My method currently is a shampoo from the health food store, and once that runs out I'll be trying J.R. Liggett's Shampoo Bars because they seem totally awesome :)
Thing the Second: Camping
It's finally summer!! I really want to go camping!!!! ... The End.
Thing the Third: School
I'm going to be applying for Graphic Communications & Print Technology. AAAAAAHHHHHH (is the sound my anxiety makes). I'll keep you posted on that journey.
Thing the Fourth: Communication Fail
I read (actually listen to, because audiobooks are conveniently hands-free) a lot of Young Adult Fiction. I generally find them to be more engaging, entertaining, and diverse (also, less pornographic and/or wild west) than Adult Fiction, so they are my go-to. But right now, I'm listening to a series that is basically "The Bachelor" for determining the wife of a Prince in a dystopian America-esque place. [For the record, this is a bad way to prepare for marriage.] The characters are young and for the most part have not had very much relationship experience -- which isn't in itself bad... after all, neither have I -- but OHMYGOSH their communication with each other is horrible!!! I just listened to a whole conversation (probably the fourth of this type in this book alone) between two lovebirds where neither of them is willing to be the first to admit that they love the other, both are no-at-all-subtly trying to steer the conversation so the other would say it, and the scene ended WITH NEITHER SAYING "I LOVE YOU" (or even "I really like you", or "I can't imagine life without you", or some other way around saying any kind of commitment to how they were feeling)!!!!!! No, no, no. Bad, bad, bad. Based my years of collecting do's and don'ts of communication (of which I am still not an expert): If you can't even communicate the nice things in a relationship, how do you expect to be able to constructively communicate the negative. Say what you feel, and say it as eloquently as you can; if the other person has to read between the lines, you have not communicated effectively. </Rant>
Thing the Fifth: Packaging
I recently saw this new packaging of Tic-Tacs...
Which at first glance makes the average person go, "Holy Stink!! That huge container must hold so many Tic-Tacs!!! It says 200 and that this is limited edition!!! And isn't so cool how they made this little window so you can see all the lovely uniform pieces?!?"
But it makes me go, "Holy Stink!! Those product designers are geniuses!!! They have perfectly created a product that looks super tempting to the consumer!! Isn't it so brilliant how they made this huge container and this little window to manipulate the average person?!?"
Don't be fooled average person. That container is only half filled with Tic-Tacs. I'm tempted to say "Packaging: Win", but it makes me sad that people are so easily manipulated in our society. And that members of that same society actively work to deceive people, and go even so far as to wrap it up in a pretty package.
Thing the Sixth: The Endeavor
So yeah... about that Endeavor that only happened for two days... oops. It was a cool thought (possibly overshare-y?) and I may or may not bring it or something similar back. I'm still in need of something to help keep me accountable to myself... we shall see!
Thing the Seventh: The Purse
I finished the purse! Quite a while ago actually...
I did take pictures! I'll make a post of it soon, I promise.
(Part 1 and Part 2 if you need to catch up)
On a related note: I have a lot of crafty projects on the go and will probably post about those as well...
Thing the Eighth: TV Show Finales
Why are all the shows I've been watching lately ending at the same time?!?! No, no, no. Bad, bad, bad.
Thing the Ninth: Feelings Chart (where have you been all my life?)
Found this on the internets... Wish I could physically refer to it in every conversation about "feelings" without that being weird....
Thing the Tenth: Hyperlinks
... Is it obvious that I just learned how to properly use hyperlinks? I'm sorry that I'm a little obsessed, I promise to try to be less hyperlinky in the future.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's Thing the Eleventh: Teal In My Hair (must be read in the tone of Finding Nemo's "Fish in my hair!!!") Just highlights, but boy am I stoked!!! I'm sure there will be pictures on Facebook :)
Toodles, my lovelies!
I may have to make a legitimate gold star for anyone who actually reads all these page-and-a-half posts. If this be you, comment and I will at the very least give you a virtual high five, and quite possibly work on a way to actually give you something (possibly handmade)... ;)
Random Things...
Hey there! I've just come off of a week of cold-and-flu and my brain is still a little bit mush so... this is going to be random. These are all things that have been floating around in my brain lately, in no particular order...
Thing Number One: Puffs Tissues
With my fore-mentioned cold-and-flu, I have become very attached to these wonderfully soft things! I haven't really expressed my love very nicely (think about it for a second...), but I hope that they know how important they are to me.
Thing Number Two: Crayola Twistables
I have long wanted to be one of those people who highlights and makes notes in their Bible, but I've been too chicken to actually do it. UNTIL NOW!!! I have discovered the perfect highlighting tool! These crayon-not-crayon things are amazing! No bleed through, no rub off, not too dark, no page ripping or rippling, so cheap (yet essentially the same thing as what is marketed as a dry bible highlighter) ...I can't think of anything much else to say about them, all I want to do is use exclamation marks! !!!!!
Now that I've got the highlighting part down, I feel like my next step is to work up the courage to use my pen. I've researched it to death and have my archival ink pens (temporarily misplaced, but somewhere in my room)... soon, I think I'll bite the bullet soon.
Thing Number Three: Missions
I have some friends who were just on (I have trouble keeping track of dates in general and it goes completely out the window when I get sick, so... possibly still on?) a mission trip, and it's got me thinking about missions again. I haven't been on one in a couple of years and would love to go on one again, but even more than that, I've been thinking about the impact they've had on my life already.
I never did have the same reactions that most have on their mission trips. The only culture shock I experienced was in the airports and possibly with the food, I didn't feel my heart breaking at every turn, and I have always been disappointed with my lack of ability to communicate through the communication barrier.
But that's the bad news.
I always just saw people who were filled with more JOY than most people up in North America can claim to have, who loved Jesus more ENTHUSIASTICALLY than any Christians I had ever met, and who lived with more UNDERSTANDING of what evangelism is than I had ever understood. Rather than giving all of the blessing, I always felt more blessed -- I was the one receiving the life-changing!
Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that my assistance in building their church, painting their pews and shutters, doing some children's features, and heartily thanking the ladies that cooked every meal for us, was a blessing for them, but... I can't help but feel that I still got the long stick, and that is what I've been thinking about...
I am reminded of how every time I came back home I was even more grateful for the abundance that I already had, and that I didn't care at all about gaining MORE. I was abundantly grateful for the love of family and friends and church. I felt inspired to live joyfully and simply, thanking God for each day.
Those feelings had faded (some quite a bit) until I was praying for my friends and their trip. I'm grateful for these reminders and I'm trying to live by those understandings again.
Thing Number Four: My Youth Group <3
We've had some younger teens join our group in the last couple of weeks and I gotta tell you, it has given me a brand new perspective on how awesome my "regulars" are! I am so proud of those teenagers, I feel like a parent, looking at them and thinking, "That's my kid!" The amount of growth and maturity I see as they welcome these younger (and more annoying) kids and make them feel like a part of the group... I just can't stop telling them how awesome they are and how proud I am of them. They rock and I'm so lucky to get to witness that!
Thing Number Five: Meaningful Friendships
Friends I can have deep talks with, do stupid things with, and be my usual quirky self with, all within a couple of hours, are awesome. I'm grateful for every one of those friends and what they add to my life.
Thing Number Six: Sherlock
I was introduced to BBC's Sherlock over Christmas break. I watched the season 2 finale with the same "WHAAAAAT!?!" reaction as everybody who has seen it, and resigned myself to waiting in sorrow for who knows how long until season 3 became a reality.
BUT I have recently discovered something that has sparked my excitement again! I won't bore you with the details (if you want to know them, ask me sometime), but the short story is that I realized while watching an episode of Murdoch Mysteries that the BBC show is not just a loose interpretation of the character known as Sherlock Holmes, but that each episode very closely ties into a specific Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writing! !!!!!
Needless to say I am preparing to get a little nerdy about all things Sherlock :)
Plus! The creators of the BBC show just released three words as clues for what is coming up in the 3rd season (one for each episode, I assume) so... yep, (of course) now I just HAVE TO figure out which original story they refer to.
And lastly...
Thing Number Seven: Preparation
God is always teaching me something, but there are moments in time when I suddenly realize how several different things in my life (friendships, sermons, Bible study, etc.) have been combining to teach me the same thing.
I just had that "Aha!" moment yesterday in church, when I realized that God has been teaching me what He expects of me in relationships.
I'm not really sure how to put this next part... What I've been learning is certainly useful right now, but all of the learning has been specifically... wife-related...
Uh... you may recall that I am not currently in (nor have I really ever been) in a relationship, so... perhaps you will join me as I say "????" (with just a little bit of "!!!!!" thrown in there)!
I'm not really sure what to make of this yet, but I've always been convinced that God will lead me into a relationship when I was "ready", so it's been kind of fun to learn about and embrace (more now, than ever before) His design for marriage.
And maybe (just a little bit) begin to get excited about what He has in store for me.
Though I should mention that, even with this "Aha!", He hasn't really given me (or I haven't properly understood) any indication of who/when. I'm just in the preparation stage :P
That's all for now my lovelies :) I hope you've enjoyed this snippet into my brain. It's a little crazy, even to me, that ALL of those things were simultaneously on my mind! Brains are amazing, God is amazing.
// 2 Timothy 1:12 // ...for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him... //
Thing Number One: Puffs Tissues
With my fore-mentioned cold-and-flu, I have become very attached to these wonderfully soft things! I haven't really expressed my love very nicely (think about it for a second...), but I hope that they know how important they are to me.
Thing Number Two: Crayola Twistables
I have long wanted to be one of those people who highlights and makes notes in their Bible, but I've been too chicken to actually do it. UNTIL NOW!!! I have discovered the perfect highlighting tool! These crayon-not-crayon things are amazing! No bleed through, no rub off, not too dark, no page ripping or rippling, so cheap (yet essentially the same thing as what is marketed as a dry bible highlighter) ...I can't think of anything much else to say about them, all I want to do is use exclamation marks! !!!!!
Now that I've got the highlighting part down, I feel like my next step is to work up the courage to use my pen. I've researched it to death and have my archival ink pens (temporarily misplaced, but somewhere in my room)... soon, I think I'll bite the bullet soon.
Thing Number Three: Missions
I have some friends who were just on (I have trouble keeping track of dates in general and it goes completely out the window when I get sick, so... possibly still on?) a mission trip, and it's got me thinking about missions again. I haven't been on one in a couple of years and would love to go on one again, but even more than that, I've been thinking about the impact they've had on my life already.
I never did have the same reactions that most have on their mission trips. The only culture shock I experienced was in the airports and possibly with the food, I didn't feel my heart breaking at every turn, and I have always been disappointed with my lack of ability to communicate through the communication barrier.
But that's the bad news.
I always just saw people who were filled with more JOY than most people up in North America can claim to have, who loved Jesus more ENTHUSIASTICALLY than any Christians I had ever met, and who lived with more UNDERSTANDING of what evangelism is than I had ever understood. Rather than giving all of the blessing, I always felt more blessed -- I was the one receiving the life-changing!
Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that my assistance in building their church, painting their pews and shutters, doing some children's features, and heartily thanking the ladies that cooked every meal for us, was a blessing for them, but... I can't help but feel that I still got the long stick, and that is what I've been thinking about...
I am reminded of how every time I came back home I was even more grateful for the abundance that I already had, and that I didn't care at all about gaining MORE. I was abundantly grateful for the love of family and friends and church. I felt inspired to live joyfully and simply, thanking God for each day.
Those feelings had faded (some quite a bit) until I was praying for my friends and their trip. I'm grateful for these reminders and I'm trying to live by those understandings again.
Thing Number Four: My Youth Group <3
We've had some younger teens join our group in the last couple of weeks and I gotta tell you, it has given me a brand new perspective on how awesome my "regulars" are! I am so proud of those teenagers, I feel like a parent, looking at them and thinking, "That's my kid!" The amount of growth and maturity I see as they welcome these younger (and more annoying) kids and make them feel like a part of the group... I just can't stop telling them how awesome they are and how proud I am of them. They rock and I'm so lucky to get to witness that!
Thing Number Five: Meaningful Friendships
Friends I can have deep talks with, do stupid things with, and be my usual quirky self with, all within a couple of hours, are awesome. I'm grateful for every one of those friends and what they add to my life.
Thing Number Six: Sherlock
I was introduced to BBC's Sherlock over Christmas break. I watched the season 2 finale with the same "WHAAAAAT!?!" reaction as everybody who has seen it, and resigned myself to waiting in sorrow for who knows how long until season 3 became a reality.
BUT I have recently discovered something that has sparked my excitement again! I won't bore you with the details (if you want to know them, ask me sometime), but the short story is that I realized while watching an episode of Murdoch Mysteries that the BBC show is not just a loose interpretation of the character known as Sherlock Holmes, but that each episode very closely ties into a specific Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writing! !!!!!
Needless to say I am preparing to get a little nerdy about all things Sherlock :)
Plus! The creators of the BBC show just released three words as clues for what is coming up in the 3rd season (one for each episode, I assume) so... yep, (of course) now I just HAVE TO figure out which original story they refer to.
And lastly...
Thing Number Seven: Preparation
God is always teaching me something, but there are moments in time when I suddenly realize how several different things in my life (friendships, sermons, Bible study, etc.) have been combining to teach me the same thing.
I just had that "Aha!" moment yesterday in church, when I realized that God has been teaching me what He expects of me in relationships.
I'm not really sure how to put this next part... What I've been learning is certainly useful right now, but all of the learning has been specifically... wife-related...
Uh... you may recall that I am not currently in (nor have I really ever been) in a relationship, so... perhaps you will join me as I say "????" (with just a little bit of "!!!!!" thrown in there)!
I'm not really sure what to make of this yet, but I've always been convinced that God will lead me into a relationship when I was "ready", so it's been kind of fun to learn about and embrace (more now, than ever before) His design for marriage.
And maybe (just a little bit) begin to get excited about what He has in store for me.
Though I should mention that, even with this "Aha!", He hasn't really given me (or I haven't properly understood) any indication of who/when. I'm just in the preparation stage :P
That's all for now my lovelies :) I hope you've enjoyed this snippet into my brain. It's a little crazy, even to me, that ALL of those things were simultaneously on my mind! Brains are amazing, God is amazing.
// 2 Timothy 1:12 // ...for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him... //
Carnegie Hall!!
Well, I could have saved myself some time with yesterday's post if I'd have only remembered that THIS was happening. Awesome people doing awesome things at (aaaaaaahhhh!) Carnegie Hall!!! (stompstomp)
If you have two and a half hours to spare, grab some popcorn or something and enjoy the show.
(You can skip all the way to 35:10 right away...)
(Also, sorry for Kimya's language. I mostly just like the John and Hank related stuff.)
Goodnight Lovelies!
P.S. Hello new stalkers :) Sorry to overwhelm you with the nerd factor lately! I'll probably post about something that ISN'T YouTube related tomorrow morning.
P.P.S I am open to you being less "stalker" and more "friend", ya know, if you are. Not that I'll judge you if you stay hidden, goodness knows that I have never revealed my presence on others' blogs! But if you're feeling brave, leave a comment, I'd love to start a discussions and/or whatnot.
If you have two and a half hours to spare, grab some popcorn or something and enjoy the show.
(You can skip all the way to 35:10 right away...)
(Also, sorry for Kimya's language. I mostly just like the John and Hank related stuff.)
Goodnight Lovelies!
P.S. Hello new stalkers :) Sorry to overwhelm you with the nerd factor lately! I'll probably post about something that ISN'T YouTube related tomorrow morning.
P.P.S I am open to you being less "stalker" and more "friend", ya know, if you are. Not that I'll judge you if you stay hidden, goodness knows that I have never revealed my presence on others' blogs! But if you're feeling brave, leave a comment, I'd love to start a discussions and/or whatnot.
Once again...
Hmmm... it's seems like Mondays are going to be the day that I feel I should blog in order to not fall out of habit. (By "seems" I mean that this is the second time... that's enough right?)
Now I just have to decide again WHAT to blog about...
... it's hardest to come up with something when I start with the thought to blog, rather than start with the idea to blog about. Whodathunkit?
There's also the dilemma of my brain not remembering the "things" that I've added to my mental list of things to blog about... That's also a problem.
Okay. This won't be for everyone (because, you know, there are SO many of you, right?), but it's all that's floating around in my head right now. If you aren't interested, I don't mind, just ignore this post.
NERD SONGS!!!! I was listening to these at work today.
Now I just have to decide again WHAT to blog about...
... it's hardest to come up with something when I start with the thought to blog, rather than start with the idea to blog about. Whodathunkit?
There's also the dilemma of my brain not remembering the "things" that I've added to my mental list of things to blog about... That's also a problem.
Okay. This won't be for everyone (because, you know, there are SO many of you, right?), but it's all that's floating around in my head right now. If you aren't interested, I don't mind, just ignore this post.
NERD SONGS!!!! I was listening to these at work today.
Nerdiness (Nerdyness?)
I'm kind of addicted to YouTube at the moment in the most nerdy of ways.
Of my 29 Subscriptions (Gah! 29 Subscriptions),
13 are EduTubes (Basically educational videos, which sounds lame and boring, but SO IS NOT!)
7 are basic Vlogs (Including Vlogbrothers, which is part of the reason I'm addicted to Youtube. See an example below, but be warned... it starts with one video and then BAM 29 Subscriptions.)
4 are web series (Why is the plural of series "series"?!)
2 are Let's Play channels (Which is a crossover from my "real life"... I like to watch OTHER people play video games.)
1 is an a capella group (5 voices, full sound, 1 adorably deep-voiced bass vocalist *sigh*)
1 is some guys who play piano and cello (and are awesome!)
and 1 is just a cat (Maru should never be described as "just a cat". Shame on me.)
Yep. *looks at list* I have a problem.
There was a time (not so very long ago) when I looked at my list of priorities and compared it to a pie chart of what I spent my time on... and well, it wasn't pretty. Things like time with God, time with family, time with/preparing for Youth, and time spent on everyday responsibilities had just slivers of the pie chart even though they were clearly top of my priority list.
I've been intentionally working on this over the past handful of months. Some of my priorities seemed more vital at the end of August, when suddenly, I was preparing to be the sole Youth Leader. I really had to be critical of my pie chart, because I couldn't afford to slack off anymore. I got consistent with God fast and found that it was much easier than I ever thought it could be to stay that way (turns out I had a great many useless excuses...). There were other things that I changed (for other blog posts), but that's the big one obviously.
And I can only be thankful. God knows. I needed the threat (so to speak) of "responsibility" to necessitate my no-excuses-allowed consistency with Him. My own desire for it took over at some point in early September, but I needed the kick in the pants to get me over the initial hump.
// Ephesians 3:20 NLT // Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. //
And now, nerd jokes. Remember my warning.
Of my 29 Subscriptions (Gah! 29 Subscriptions),
13 are EduTubes (Basically educational videos, which sounds lame and boring, but SO IS NOT!)
7 are basic Vlogs (Including Vlogbrothers, which is part of the reason I'm addicted to Youtube. See an example below, but be warned... it starts with one video and then BAM 29 Subscriptions.)
4 are web series (Why is the plural of series "series"?!)
2 are Let's Play channels (Which is a crossover from my "real life"... I like to watch OTHER people play video games.)
1 is an a capella group (5 voices, full sound, 1 adorably deep-voiced bass vocalist *sigh*)
1 is some guys who play piano and cello (and are awesome!)
and 1 is just a cat (Maru should never be described as "just a cat". Shame on me.)
Yep. *looks at list* I have a problem.
There was a time (not so very long ago) when I looked at my list of priorities and compared it to a pie chart of what I spent my time on... and well, it wasn't pretty. Things like time with God, time with family, time with/preparing for Youth, and time spent on everyday responsibilities had just slivers of the pie chart even though they were clearly top of my priority list.
I've been intentionally working on this over the past handful of months. Some of my priorities seemed more vital at the end of August, when suddenly, I was preparing to be the sole Youth Leader. I really had to be critical of my pie chart, because I couldn't afford to slack off anymore. I got consistent with God fast and found that it was much easier than I ever thought it could be to stay that way (turns out I had a great many useless excuses...). There were other things that I changed (for other blog posts), but that's the big one obviously.
And I can only be thankful. God knows. I needed the threat (so to speak) of "responsibility" to necessitate my no-excuses-allowed consistency with Him. My own desire for it took over at some point in early September, but I needed the kick in the pants to get me over the initial hump.
// Ephesians 3:20 NLT // Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. //
And now, nerd jokes. Remember my warning.
To blog or not to blog...
Well I guess it's obvious that I've decided (at least for now) to blog.
I'm honestly a little skeptical about my ability to maintain a blog. I keep trying to tell myself that if I can be consistent about stalking others' blogs then I should be able to consistently create my own.
Oh the lies I tell myself.
Nonetheless, I'm gonna give it a try.
Step one: Create a blog. Done. Step two: Create content/schedule/whatevers. TBD.
Wish me luck! (She says to no one.)
I'm honestly a little skeptical about my ability to maintain a blog. I keep trying to tell myself that if I can be consistent about stalking others' blogs then I should be able to consistently create my own.
Oh the lies I tell myself.
Nonetheless, I'm gonna give it a try.
Step one: Create a blog. Done. Step two: Create content/schedule/whatevers. TBD.
Wish me luck! (She says to no one.)