1000 Reflections

WordPress

2009-02-08T19:15:00.001-08:00

I've moved. Go to gadventure. wordpress. com. if you'd like.

When bored went a little too far

2008-11-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

There was a picture in a magazine and I showed it to the hairdresser... this was not it.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

2008-10-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

I get bored with my hair.

Our Kids

2008-10-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Email we sent to various family and friends:

"How's it going? We hope all is well your way. We're good here. It's starting to feel like fall! We woke up this morning and Mitch finally had to kick the heat on (for about five minutes--oil prices are steep--or else the husband is cheap--that was a rhythm by Mitch, by the way). :)

Well, anyway, there's another reason we're writing besides the cost of heating a home and the beauty of autumn.

We've had a burden on our hearts these past few months. Even though we've only been here a short time, we've come to realize that family and friends really are an awfully long way away. It can get pretty lonely around here. Yet we know we can't move back right now; we really feel God wants us in this place, for some time, anyway. (Who knows, maybe next month, we'll be back around. Anyone have a spare room? Ha ha, just kidding.)

So....we've decided to take a big step. (Are you sitting down?) To get to the point, we have decided to adopt a boy and a girl.(!) After talking with a local agency, we visited Dixie and Neil (Cornelius) at their home this week. It went really well. They are so sweet! But it's a tough situation for them as well; their dad left and their mom has been raising them alone. We feel blessed to be able to help and to enlarge our own family by welcoming Dixie and Neil.

We realize this will be a big responsibility, and a financial commitment as well. Mitch still plans on finishing his education, but we feel (after much prayer) that this is the right time. Please don't feel that we are asking for any help, we just wanted to share our big news with you! They are going to be such a special addition to the family, and we hope you all can meet them soon. We'll call later with more details. For now, we would appreciate it if you would keep the situation in your prayers. Hey, does anyone know: should we feed them Iams or Purina?"

Pictures of our kids (the black one is Dixie; the other, Chloe):

Originally Dixie Rose and Clovis Cornelius, we changed Clovis/Neil's name to Chloe Cordelia (in honor of Anne of Green Gables). He's a girl!

Weekend Off

2008-09-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's so quiet.

Last weekend, we had a group from Friday to Monday. Not much of a holiday, but we made sure our guests enjoyed theirs. ;) We had a large group (for us) and while it was rumored to be a crazy weekend, it really wasn't bad.

(Kristina's tale of the frizzy-hair girl reminds me of a Winnekeag story one of our old-timers told us. Seems there was this group who had appliances going in their tent--cookers or something?--by way of a plug connected to a bathhouse outlet. The ranger at the time unplugged the cord, but when he went back awhile later he found it plugged in again. This time he threw it out the bathhouse door. Still, the next time he came around, the cord had been plugged in again. This time he got smart. Before continuing his rounds, he took off the plug on the end of the cord, leaving wires dangling, and threw it out the bathhouse door. "This should do it," he thought, sauntering away. His final time by the bathhouse, however, he found that the camper--who was way more persistent/crazy than I'll ever be--had taken the bare wires and wired them into the outlet! Now, if this had been anything like the parable of the persistent widow, the ranger would have left things alone. "Ha ha!" he might have chuckled to himself. "Let these women [how does he know it was women?] have their power, they're so determined!" But no. Instead, the ranger took the outlet out of the wall!)

Anyway, this weekend is a nice change. We have a group staying in the lodge who is doing their own cooking, so our only duties this weekend are checking in on them every now and then and hanging around in case of emergency. They were going to take a jaunt around camp this afternoon, but it's been gray and rainy all day. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little nicer.

Mitch and I took a couple kayaks out on Thursday after work. First time I've been on the lake! Beautiful.

Potpourri

2008-08-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

This week has been light; cleaning on Tuesday and then working at home. One of the cafe workers will stay with us this weekend, so it’s been extra motivation to get the guest room neater.

We talked with family some today. Sometimes we forget that we live on the east coast and can’t jump in the car and drive home.

Side note: Isn’t it funny how many homes you can have? There’s the home you grew up in, and the home where you went to school, and (after you get married) the home of your new family and (of course) your own home. And it can get quite confusing in conversation.

Anyway, family are doing well, overall.

We have office furniture! Black. I nearly got a hernia helping Mitch lug it into the office. Maybe I’m exaggerating a little. Not much. But it is pretty and finally we will have all our paper junk organized, hopefully by Christmas. (Some sarcasm used here.)

And this girl cut my hair this afternoon.

Tomorrow, mini family camp begins!

Reflections

2008-08-25T13:39:00.001-07:00

I haven't reached the 1000th post, not by a long shot. But I suppose it doesn't really matter. Today I read through old blogs and it was good. Remembering where God has been in the past, reflecting on friendships and growth experiences--it is always a good thing when it encourages you in the present.

Today I also created a new space for Mitch and I, where he can post if he wants to... That would be something new, too. :) No matter if he does or not, though, I wanted to make something for "us" and here's the result: gadventure.wordpress.com.

Take a moment to reflect: where God has led you?

Peace.

Band Camp

2008-08-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

On the way home from work today I watched marching band practice. The leaders pushed, the kids responded, and the field was a mass of color and noise flowing into patterns. It inspired me and made me think, “There is hope.” Mostly because I feel we don’t ask enough from today’s youth, don’t give enough either. Sure, we give “freedom” and material goods and individuality, but what about our time? Our dependability? What about teaching kids to live as a team? Band camp gives me hope because I know that when kids are pursued by Christ followers, and when they decide to become true disciples themselves, there will be no stopping the Word of God. God is raising up an army of youth. He will raise us up if we simply take His hand, get to our feet, and start marching, too. Awesome.

TeeterTotter

2008-08-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in awhile, but not really because I haven't had time. I just don't feel like it.

But you can't live life based on feelings. Even if I don't want to exercise, or clean a bathroom, or experience the sometimes awkwardness of new friendships, there are just some things I need to do.

This epiphany comes when things are new. It's a lesson God teaches me over and over, probably because I haven't ever learned it fully. Just when I congratulate myself on doing "well" something else comes along to remind me that, oh, maybe I could use some more work. Thankfully God doesn't give up.

Do you ever struggle between pride and inadequacy? I was thinking that today as I swept Headquarters' porch. I worry about fitting in here. I worry that I won't make the deep, close friendships I had in academy and college. I wonder if the academy kids who work in the kitchen will ever warm up. Will I warm up? Will I stop disliking this job? Do I have what it takes? Then, after a few sweeps, I actually started feeling puffed up as I watched the dirt fly. Obviously sweeping doesn't take too much--commitment, mostly--but I need that affirmation: I do have what it takes! Then God reminded me that my thoughts were way out of line...unbalanced. I didn't need to swing that far in either direction. First, I do have value--look what Jesus did for me! Second, without Him, I am helpless and hopeless...change my heart, oh God!

So that's where I am at, right now, in a nutshell--working in a beautiful place with Mitch, overwhelmed. Anyway, that's why I haven't felt like blogging. Every time I try to write, the blank space overwhelms me. I don't even know where to start.

But (five paragraphs later!) you can't always go by feelings.

Chili

2008-08-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

Every Sabbath we make haystacks for lunch. Yesterday, the beans blew up in my face.

We have horrible can openers, me being one. I can never get a full lid open without leaving spots untouched by the ineffective can opener, which means that the lid remains stuck to the can in several places. I usually have to pry the lid open with my hand, or, if I’m trying to put safety first, a spoon or something. Even then the can’s contents hide inside.

Needless to say, the cans of beans were no exception. I was tugging at a lid with a spoon, hard, when–suddenly–it gave way. Beans took flight.

They splattered my apron and the shirt I was wearing, but I really didn’t notice that until after a quick trip to the bathroom to get beans off my face.

2008-07-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

We are now in “our” home in Massachusetts, our first “together” home. Mitch no longer feels like leaving at 7:00 p.m. It’s a good thing. We like this.

Trees, trails, and a barn with hay surround the house, and inside… I have never unpacked this much stuff, ever. How much is needed?? I mean, really. I look at the piles of boxes and junk and yet, with all this, I can think of something else I “need” within the space of 5 minutes’ time. Honestly, it makes me somewhat queasy. People survive with a hundredth of what I own. Please, self, in 5 years, remember this: pack, pitch, and purge. Share with those who have less. There will always be the “something more” but… Self, remember the “but.”

Today I did not work in the kitchen. I enjoyed that. I did some ServSafe reading online, put some laundry in, goofed off a little, and put together a brochure for Cross Street Christian School. I had so much fun fitting the pictures and text together, matching the fonts, and finding stuff at stockxchange. There is so much I’ve lost, though, within a year’s time of teaching! I used InDesign, and I couldn’t remember how to wrap text! Horrible. Thankfully it comes back; thankfully there’s a “help!” engine.

6-29-08

2008-06-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't think Iowa would worm its way into my heart, but it did. I really miss the drive to Lincoln.

I didn't think that a freshman IRR major would ever be more than an acquaintance. So much for that. ;)

And a year ago, I would have laughed if someone bet I'd be living in Massachusetts, working at a summer camp year round.

Isn't God cool.

It Was an Accident

2008-06-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

So now that I know we're moving, and because our house looks like a storage unit, I haven't felt too inclined to cook dinner at home. Really, why go grocery shopping for food that I will have to throw out in a couple days? Especially when there is good food for the having right down the road.

Mitch and I can usually find a good excuse to run to The Nile or Panera Bread, but now we don't have to look for one. We just go. And while we were out this weekend, we saw something crazy.

We sat at a table outside Panera, talking and savoring our sandwiches and soup when it happened. A limo pulled into the parking lot. Long, black, stretch. It pulled into a space, then slowly crawled back out and started to turn, just a little too close to a shiny new SUV. Oh, you can guess what's coming.

SCCREEECCHHTTHCHH.

Can you imagine what the driver must have been thinking? Oh. No. Unemployment looms.

Mitch and I watched as the limo pulled away to reveal the SUV's crunched metal bumper hanging crazily to one side, as the limo driver got out, as she grinned in disbelief and called her boss. We never did figure out who owned the SUV.

Crazy. But I didn't think about it again until yesterday, when Mitch and I saw the limo pass us on the highway, dent and all. Same driver? Too dark to tell.

Sales

2008-05-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

I usually dislike asking people for money. But at least today was for a good cause. The teachers drove around town, stopping at pre-planned (and very random) places to ask for t-shirt sponsors. Since the money will help community students with financial aid, I felt bold enough to ask. To smile. To share the pitch for funds.
Now I'm home, sitting on the floor, feeling thankful sales is not my full-time job. Still, it wasn't a bad day.

Working

2008-05-26T13:12:00.001-07:00

The desk hides under sheaves of papers. It was my desk. Will be, I guess, until next week. Strange to think how I can spend a year at a place and then leave, the school still going on much as it had before. It's a good thing.
It was a good year. Not a great year, or an easy year, but a good year still. I look at the rows of textbooks on the shelves across from me and remember. I see my students trying to succeed, or sometimes even trying to get out of succeeding, and I hear their concerns and triumphs echoing in the almost-empty classroom. I will miss them.
It will be strange, this new work; no work to grade, no school programs to prepare for, no staff meetings every Wednesday. And yet, amidst the reluctance to leave teaching after only a year, I find my heart hopeful. Excited. Expectant.

Massachusetts

2008-05-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon Mitch called the school.
"What are you doing tonight?" he asked. "Would you like to go out for dinner?"
(These are words I love to hear.)
We ended up at the Nile, this tiny, incense-filled Greek restaurant that has amazing falafels and spanakopitas. While we were waiting for our food, Mitch pulled some papers from his pocket.
"I brought something for us to play," he said. "Do you want to play a game?"
(I am always up for games.)
"Okay. Each of these papers represent a sound," he explained.
Like a rebus, I thought, and looked at the first picture he laid out. The pope?
"No, but what do popes go to?"
"Mass?"
"Exactly."
The pictures he laid out were these: the Pope (Mass), a pouch of snuff or (chu)ing tobacco, and a (set) of tools. Massachusetts has been on my mind. Easy. Then he spread out the rest: tents (camp), a runner (win)ning a race, and (a keg) of beer. I hope that one never gets out. Here, honey, think of a beer keg. But honestly, how else could he have played it?
A couple months back, we applied for a job at Camp Winnekeag (assistant ranger and assistant cook). We visited near the end of April, and May 15 was the final decision date. Somewhat nervously we prayed for God's will. I was tempted to check Mitch's email yesterday, and almost did, but God asked me not to. "Let Mitch tell you himself," was the thought that came into my mind. Well, okay, I said, and closed the window.
Now here Mitchell was playing games, and when we hadn't heard yet!
Then, from his jacket pocket, he pulled out another piece of paper. It was white, with words typed in black. "We extend to you a welcome..."
God, what are You doing? I started to cry. Looking up, I saw tears in Mitch's eyes.
"Looks like we'll be heading east," he grinned.

Happenings

2008-05-05T05:52:00.001-07:00

Last night, I finally finished my Union classwork!
(Yes, it's true that I marched down the isle almost a year ago this month and finished my internship in July. But just the end was in sight, I found out I needed to complete several more things before grades and diploma could arrive.)
So... now I hope to see proof of a degree in the mail!

Thoughts of Union bring nostalgia and the desire for fellowship like I remember it. Don't you think heaven will be something like Union? Or, for those alum of other institutes, just like college in general. That is, I mean, learning and growing with friends and family. Not to idealize college in any way. But that part of it I loved, and I miss it now.

Regarding the last posting, I have nothing to add and probably won't for another couple of weeks. Prayer is good.

Meanwhile, I prepare for class trip (Chicago!) this Thursday, and 8th grade graduation in just two weeks from tomorrow! My "lone ranger" graduate chose black and silver for his colors, and we're working to put together videos, speeches, and special music for the occasion.

Then it's off to Michigan for Eric's academy graduation. College already? Eric, here's to you. Congratulations, little brother!

Sparrow

2008-04-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

I saw this picture of a little sparrow singing his heart out while around him a storm threatened to blow off his wing feathers. Right now I feel a bit of the storm. Life is somewhat unsettling, and it's only by remembering that spunky sparrow that I'm not discouraged. I'm thankful for a God who keeps our hearts calm if we ask and choose to sing the song He puts on our lips.
Anyway, I know this is cryptic. :) It's meant to be, a little. And meanwhile, I am enjoying the spring weather and the thought of only three more full weeks of school and the anticipation of a trip out of town this weekend! I love fresh starts, all kinds: newly sharpened pencils, a just-filled glass of water, the way a soft-serve ice cream cone has that little swirled tip at the top. So spring and a different routine and new places are great.
God just reminded me of those things, and now I have more to sing about. Isn't He good?

Hat Thief

2008-04-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Here's something amusing from school today:
N (to G, his "special friend"): You've taken my hat like thirty times today!
G: No I haven't! Only five.
J: Well, five times six is thirty!
C: Where'd you get six?!
(My thoughts exactly, as I tried to pretend that my giggles came from the work I was reading.)
J (mumbling, looking confused): I don't know. (His face clears.) She stole it six times yesterday, I think.
Truly, my students' logic astounds me. :)

The Library

2008-02-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

The Anderson library inspires me. When I lack creativity or feel like a sole-less shoe after a long day of teaching, a walk through the doors of the library is a breath of fresh air. I think it's the knowledge of all the knowledge inside. Redundant. But for a recovering sick-ee, it's about all I've got. Which is why I'm returning to the library. Tonight. Plus, two overdue books are putting pressure on my spleen.

My Favorite Picture

2008-02-12T12:18:00.001-08:00

Updates

2008-01-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

Downstairs, Mitch relaxes in dreamland. Upstairs, I sit in the "spare" bedroom full of junk and sunshine.

Time for an update. At the very least, I'll have this to look back on in five years...if the Internet does not implode.

In the last year, much has happened. New job, church, and home. New roommate. New name! Much has been amazing. Some not so great. I think of family who are sick, out of work, discouraged. Yet joy lurks, and the space around the darkest shadows shines. Life is not colorless.

Best events of 2007:
Communication & design learning at Union
Graduation weekend (again)
Guide internship
Finishing the first semester of teaching
Gettin' hitched!

Ah, the wedding weekend and its overwhelming emotions: stress, joy at seeing loved ones and friends, awe as you stand before the one you love and promise your lives to each other, shock when it is over and regret for the moments you missed with others.

And then, the honeymoon...

Hail, the conquering hero comes!

On the beach by the lodge.

And on Christmas morning!

More later.

Drifting

2007-11-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

Probably blogging has slowed like the housing market because (unlike the housing market), I am busy. But even as I write this my head starts to shake because busyness should never bury me.

Right now sickness is threatening to bury. I feel myself slipping underneath the mountain of aches and sniffles, and in the back of my mind lurks the temptation to call a sub...until I remember that it will be more work than to go to school. Ah but I am thankful for my work, even when I can barely make it there.

I hung snowflakes and snowmen in my classroom as soon as the students let out for Thanksgiving break. Kristina, if you read this, know that I pine for snow like you have on the mountain, snow to run in and build forts out of and get stuck in so that I can't make it to school. Ha.

I love baskets. Did I ever mention that? Not too long ago I went to Hobby Lobby and purchased some baskets. Now writing this I feel guilty. Why? Because I recently read an article about the "buy nothing new" outfit/campaign/way of life. And I know that somehow I supported an evil industry. We'll see if "buy nothing new" makes it onto this next year's list of things to do. I'm on the fence, still. But right now I do like the way these baskets sit on the shelves Mitch built, holding fruits and pasta and beans and potatoes.

Also, I can't believe I missed Miss van der Molen and Greg Leavitt's duet. There are few opportunities in life to catch something like that, and the Boyds are some of the few/proud/strong/brave to enjoy/listen to/hear/endure it.

School

2007-10-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

I should be grading. Instead, I am vainly trying to update this blog, a place to which my thoughts have dug in their heels and refused to go for awhile. Stubborn. Anyway, I type an update on my life, with some pictures to prove that there are people here in this "new" place. (It doesn't feel quite so new anymore.) The ones below are in my charge for eight hours each day.

Grandparents' Day! We played the chimes and did a skit. I felt like Miss van der Molen, my music teacher thru high school.
All right, must go. More later.

Indiana!

2007-07-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

In the kitchen of my Anderson apartment, I found counter space! I've been unpacking on and off this week, and now almost everything has a place of its own. Except my mountainload of books. Those are stacked in boxes in the living room.

I'm not sure what I think of Anderson yet. I'm taken with the church, the school, the people. Not sure about the town. I haven't done much exploring so I'll hold off on any opinion yet except to state that it's pretty flat. :)

Guide Magazine

2007-07-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

I realize my previous posting about Guide was rather cryptic. Mostly because I wrote thinking everyone would know what I was thinking. That never works too well.

So, if you scroll down, you'll see I've revised it somewhat. I briefly considered making up all of the details and laughing silently while reading the comments about my obviously gargantumly unrealistic account, but it's been done. So I stuck with the facts.

Friendly

2007-07-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

Starting over in a new place makes me thankful for good friends. Or rather, it reminds me, "Don't take them for granted." It's easy to do that with people you've been around for years, who you feel comfortable with, who you'd think nothing of calling in the middle of the day for a chat or to get together.

New places mean building relationships all over again, from scratch, easier said than done.

Blast from the not-so-distant past

2007-07-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Go look up Jonathan Meharry and listen to his song "To the End."

Now, some pictures from Guide.

This summer I spent approximately seven weeks at the Review & Herald offices in Hagerstown, Maryland. There I was given a kind welcome as the newest Guide intern. I enjoyed eating lunch with the staff, writing, and siphoning creative juices off of Randy and the Guide team. Here I sit in my office at the Review & Herald. When they revamped the previously (mostly) empty room, Randy and Rachel kindly and ingeniously replaced a heavy, somewhat morose painting with these colorful Guide frisbees.

The illustrious editor, Randy Fishell, in his campsite/office.

You'll notice with some surprise that I've taken over (all that siphoning was put to good use). Randy and Rachel, the assistant editor, seem mildly amused.
Okay, well, this part isn't entirely factual. Randy let me sit in his desk like he would any other huge Guide fan. Seriously. All the kids that visit his office get to do that if they want, and get their picture taken. So as you can see, I'm still a kid at heart.

And part of the bi-daily walking crew. Such a suave group of hopefuls.
(I don't even know what I meant by that phrase. But this really is part of the walking crew. Every day around 10am and 3pm, staff takes a break. This was part of the group with whom I took my break--we'd walk around the building in the sunshine. When it rained, we'd walk through shipping and the bindery and the hallways. Once we went through "paper roll storage.")

Last, but certainly not least, Frank and Dolly DeHaan. A pleasant stay thanks in ginormous part to this wonderful couple! I stayed with them while I worked at Guide. They made it homey and often offered to take me places or showed me things that were going on at church or in town. A wonderful Christian couple.

Appalachia

2007-07-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

Crikey! It's the Appalachian Trail!

Which way to Georgia?

Lost

2007-06-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have come to the sad realization that I will forever be getting lost. It's what I have to look forward to everytime I visit or move to a new place: getting in the car, directions in hand, then ending up in quite a different spot than I'd imagined, or taking three times as long as I should have to get there.

Case in point: Sunday, I took myself off to Antietam Battlefield, the great expanse of hilly fields and woods where the bloodiest battle fought on American soil took place. I made it there fine, but soon realized 1) I had not entered at the beginning but in the middle, 2) I was on a one-way driving tour road, and 3) I had lost track of the tour signs somewhere in a tiny town and had no way back.

That's when I took Harper's Ferry Road through the moutains, into West Virginia, and finally out again by route of a freeway whose sign miraculously matched one I could actually locate in my spiral RandMcNally road map. Home to Hagerstown!

I love exploring. But I did get a panicky feeling in my chest when I realized I was somewhat low on gas and had no idea where I was.

One first-rate event was that I walked down to the Burnside Bridge (historical sketch, top right) and felt Mr. Reichert's chalkboard diagrams come alive. I was hoping to go to Harper's Ferry, as well, but that was before I got lost.

P.S. I just realized that the last several posts have been made on dates that are multiples of seven. Ah, well. If you add up the 2 and the 5 from today's date, you can still end up with the perfect number! Ha.

Engaged!

2007-06-21T04:57:00.000-07:00

I still haven't found free wireless internet, but . . . I'm taking a slight break from work anyway.

Mitch and I are tying the knot!

December 23, 2007
Cedar Lake, MI

Una Postita

2007-06-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

I shouldn't be blogging from work, and I can't blog from home. That does it. Tomorrow I'm hunting down free internet.

Wishes

2007-05-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Regarding dandelions, I feel ambivalence.

Cons:
Dandelions are considered a weed.
They stink.
They grow profusely, taking over yards and fields and highway medians.

Pros:
Dandelions are bright.
They scream, "It's spring!" after what has usually been a very long, very cold, very dark winter.
They grow profusely, taking over yards and fields and highway medians.

Plus, I love how dandelions seed. I like looking out over a field of smoky dandies in sunset, feeling the silky fuzz between my fingers, blowing hard on the seeds in hope of a thousand wishes.

I think the pros win. Except, why, oh why, must people be allergic to dandelions?

Happy Easter!

2007-04-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

In tradition's (and Jesus') honor:
Carrie, Vanessa and I sat down to an Easter picnic breakfast.
It was amazing.
(Note the monkey bread.)

Ecstatic

2007-03-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

Right: NOT the first picture to come up after Googling "ecstatic". But so worth scrolling down for.

Teach

2007-03-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

At right: The first image that came up when I Googled "teach".

I have sent three resumes, complete with cover letters, this week. Really, I could have sent a few more, but trips to the post office and library and walks in the neighborhood and fields around my house have taken up a lot of time. Plus, I spend forever trying to find information about the schools and their surrounding countryside.

Then, too, my mom and I went shopping on Tuesday to look for a suit. I remember sitting in an education class my (first) senior year at Union, listening to Yolanda Blake tell how she, suitless, would have missed out on a potential job. Point taken, Mrs. Blake. Suit boughten.

Query: is boughten even a word?

Anyway, T.J.Maxx is a wonderful place. God found this suit, in my size, of an amazingly soft fabric, for a reasonable price. I put it on, hoping it would make me look older. It didn't. I tried squaring my shoulders, raising my chin and squinting down my nose at the reflection in the dressing room mirror, piling my hair on top of my head. The hair trick worked, a little. No wonder the stereotypical teacher wears a bun.

Auugh. What am I saying? I don't want to be a stereotype. Or old.

I want to teach, like Jesus. Radically.

...The Rest of the Story

2007-03-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

I like Paul Harvey. I listen to his radio show and it makes me happy, like tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with pickels and french fries on the side. Yum.

Anyways, the point is that I have my own "rest of the story."

It started Friday, when I realized I couldn't drive on I-80 due to closings. I read that they actually put gates up and that since I wasn't in a movie, it probably wouldn't work out too well to drive on past or try to fly or tunnel underground to get to Muscatine, IA.

So I sat cozily in my apartment, curled up with a mug of hot chai tea, my fuzzy blanket, and a good book. I even went to bed early.

Sabbath, I enjoyed the sermon and visited the Something Else Sabbath School class. I was very blessed. (Thanks, Kristina, for your hopings.) For lunch, my roommate and I were welcomed by the Nazarios. Amazing food and company, by the way. There, I found out the news of Krissy and Jeremy's engagement. Woo hoo! I think you might be able to read about it on her blog.

Then, Saturday night. Mitch called. We had sundown worship together and then worked on a work proposal for an assistant ranger position at Camp Heritage. I looked up some examples online; I'm not sure any of them fit. But we went through generals and I told him I'd work on it later. It was difficult to do over the phone. He couldn't see what I was doing and it was confusing. The proposal is important, and it was by the grace of God that we stayed calm and collected.

Afterwards...

I felt as blue as a blueberry. It had been a wonderful weekend, but...

I checked the roads and found I-80 was open and yellow and green across the state of Iowa. No reds, pinks, or closings anywhere. It was nine o' clock, and I started to get this half-baked plan.

"Mitch?"

"Yeah?"

"If I started driving to Iowa right now, would you kill me?"

"Yes."

"How badly?"

His voice changed. He said I was crazy. But there was hope and excitement and a little bit of joy. I think my insanity rubbed off on him.

So, that's how I ended up in Muscatine, IA at 3:00 Sunday morning.

Amazing...

No Go

2007-03-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

It's just me and Mr. Snowman this weekend.

Ah, well, I really have a lot of things to get done, anyway.

Ha. That's not true. For once, I'd done all Sunday's laundry and Monday's homework ahead of time so that I wouldn't be rushed to get back to Lincoln. Stooge.

At least I know I won't be stuck, freezing and alone, on the side of the road!

Moping Blizzards

2007-03-01T19:51:00.000-08:00

This is Mitch.

I figure it's high time I posted a picture of him on my blog. He is my amazing boyfriend, and there aren't really words enough to tell you what he means to me.

I am thinking of him right now, especially now, because I am crazily thinking of driving through a blizzard to get to him tomorrow. Dangerous, I know. If he saw that I was even writing this...

I just miss him like crazy.

So I was looking online at the weather, at the roads, at the warnings, and I realized how many people are out of power or missing work or missing friends and family who are trying to get home. I have no right to complain.

Plus, this weather makes me think of the end of the world. When I put everything into perspective, into eternity, this weekend shrinks in comparison. It's a moment, a blink of the eye.

But oh, how I hope the roads are miraculously driveable by tomorrow!

Snow Day!

2007-03-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

I didn't think we'd have one this year. Goes to show you pessimism is overrated.

My roommie and I woke up this morning to a world covered in white. Let me tell you, as we galloped through parking lot drifts to the Lifestyle Center for a morning treadmill jog, ours were the first footprints in the snow! It was beautiful.

Now the sun's behind the Thunderdome and the lot is mostly clear. Wind has swept a lot of the snow away; the grounds workers have shoveled and the plows have piled mounds of it, mostly, so school can resume tomorrow.

As for me, I've enjoyed sitting by the window, candles burning on the sill, clothes tossing in the dryer, and fingers typing...homework, job searches, e-mails. I've been thinking, too.

For those of you sometimes visitors who read my blog, I'm happy to say that, at long last, I have plans for an internship this summer! It probably doesn't seem like such a big deal; after all, I haven't blogged about it, and if I haven't blogged it, it isn't worth reading right? That's one fallacy.

So...I'll give you three guesses. Nope, I'm not raising alpacas in Montana. No, no newspaper job for me, either. Not even the amazing camp counselor/writer/designer position that Wendy dreamed up for me (thank you Wendy, Katie, and God). No, it looks like I'll be working (volunteering) at Guide magazine for a couple months this summer. Amazing! It's been my dream since...okay, well just since last semester. But it's proof that God works with dreams, even gives them to us in the first place. And, it's been an inspiration to me as I've seen one of my teachers work to make this happen. That's what I want to be for my students: an empowerer, a possiblity-maker. The cliche is true: it's not what you know, it's who you know. Which includes God, of course.

Before you go, here's a couple more pictures from this morning.

Snow!

Have you met...

2007-02-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

Check out my other blogs.

Intercultural Communications: It's there till the class ends. Go now, before it's too late.
(jimneycricket.blogspot.com)

1000 Words: Wait, why does that sound so familiar? Anyways, its description says it all: "one picture, once a day, for one year". Yeah, let's see how long I can keep that one up.
(1000wordsapiece.blogspot.com)

I can't figure out how to post links.

Sleeping

2007-02-17T15:24:00.000-08:00

Mitch has been lying on the floor, asleep, for over an hour. He looks so peaceful.

It's time to wake him up.

I know, I'm heartless.

It's just that it's Sabbath, he is here, and there's a few minutes left for a before-sundown-walk.

He's moving.

That's a good sign. Maybe it means he won't be adverse to a stroll...

(Note: This picture is NOT Mitch. I repeat, it is not him. But they're both so...zonked. Ha. I don't know this man, but I like the way he sleeps.)

Succumbed

2007-02-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. Camp Counselor
2. Cardboard box partitions assembler
3. Library...
4. Day care teacher

Four Movies you would watch over and over:
1. Pride and Prejudice
2. Braveheart
3. Anna and the King
4. Sound of Music

Four Places you have lived:
1. Kettering, OH
2. Munising, MI
3. Collegedale, TN
4. Lincoln, NE

Four of your favorite foods:
1. Grapefruit
2. Tofu
3. Kale salad
4. Traverse City Cherries

Places you’d rather be right now:
1. Lying in a hammock in the breeze
2. Kyaking on a woodsy river
3. Floating on my back in the ocean (PR)
4. Hanging out in Muscatine, IA

People I hope will respond by posting on their blogs:
1. I may be the last in a long line.
2. If not...
3. Anyone who hasn't posted.
4. Like...you.

Beans

2007-01-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight, my roommate made burritos. She grabbed a can of refried beans out of the cupboard, some salad mixin's out of the the fridge, and a can of olives out of...somewhere.
The olives were ginormous. She offered me one, but I was incredibly full of my own burritos.
Then, as she started making her last burrito, she noticed her beans smelled a little iffy.
"These smell kind of weird," she said. Her nose wrinkled and her eyebrows drew down close together, huddling.
"They should be ok. They haven't been opened, right?" I asked her.
"No," she said.
Then I thought of something...
"Are those vegetarian?"
My roommate looked at me, then back at the can of beans, turning it around to see the label.
"No..."
(gasp)
(giggles)
"I'm a porker!" she said, mouth open in horror. "I'm a lard lover!"

Five Minutes

2007-01-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

How many things can one do in five minutes?

You can...
Get up.
Eat.
Grab clothes.
Jump in the shower (leave your clothes on the floor, preferrably).
Get out.
Brush your teeth while dressing.

Leave for class.

Apparently Beau Snyder can do these things. Krissy says it's multitasking.

I, on the other hand, would be stuck on step #1.

The Buzz

2007-01-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

It's more of a resurrection, really. Today Union College came back to life.

I came back to school early, only to find the campus dead. There were no signs of life anywhere. The Dick Building? Its windows were dark, blinds drawn. Engel Hall? Locked, with a sign on the door informing me it would be closed until January 8, 2007.

And that's today.

So the campus came alive with students, faculty, and staff. And lo and behold, new neighbors!

That's right. Carrie and I now have bottom-dwellers living underneath us. No more jumping jack parties or tap dancing on the kitchen floor, but hopefully a lower heat bill. Woot!

We might start up a "Reflections" type meeting for the apartment complex...I don't know my neighbors all that well so we'll see how it goes. Just a once-a-week meeting, some time to relax, to reflect, to study the Bible or share God-things with each other.

Whatever happens, I am excited. It's good to be back, starting new classes, and knowing that this is the last semester!

Rock on.

God and Money

2007-01-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

Free and Clear: a book I'd like to finish reading.

I started reading this book while I was doing laundry at Mitch's, looking for something to pass the time. Back in the day, when laundry had to be scrubbed by hand, people didn't have this thing called boredom. My boredom didn't last long, though, because I found the book.

(Even if I had never found the book, there are always so many things to do. Breathe. Stare at the wall. Mow the lawn. Shovel snow. Sing a song. Do a dance. Make faces in the mirror and scare your socks off.)

This book contains the most amazing thought: Money is a big deal to God. Not because He's a miser or a penny-pincher. He owns it all and yet He lets us choose what we do with it. (While requiring tithe--1/10--He encourages every money decision to be brought before Him since He's the owner. Hmmm. What about that division between "secular" and "sacred"?) Anyways, since He has the corner on the money market, He's shared with us His money secrets.

Get this: there are over 2,000 verses in the Bible that talk about money. I wish I had the exact number, but that figure alone boggles my mind. It's just such a relief to know that God understands. He knows how important money is, and He's got it covered.

Main point: Debt-free living--freedom by truth. Thank you, Jesus.

Alive

2007-01-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

How much that one word means.

More than breathing.
More than brain waves.
More than wiggling a toe.
More than feeling raindrops on your forehead.

I was thinking today about being alive.

See, God wakes me up each morning with the blessing of breath. He gives me a new day, a whiteboard squeegeed free of yesterday's problems, and prepares a meal for two in the breakfast nook.

I have this choice: eat, fellowship, knit my heart with His throughout the day, and be wholly alive.

Or, I can rush by. My day after that? Brain dead. It's choosing to die, except that for some reason, God has me hooked up to the respirator. Maybe it's because there's still hope. Maybe it's just some coma that I'll wake up from. Maybe my analogy is falling apart.

But the point is, being truly alive means living abundantly.
I've seen how meaningless life is without Him. I see the effects of soul death every day.

God does, too, and all the while He reaches out to point us to Himself.

"Look!" He says. "You'll find it in Me!"

"Find what?" I ask, tired of looking and afraid of another dead end. "Who's going to be able to see me, and love me, and make me alive?"

"I Am."

Disappearance

2006-11-18T16:59:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday night. My Big Fat Greek Union is probably full swing in the gym. The VonTrapp family singers are performing in Omaha. Numerous movies are being watched. And I am doing laundry.

I haven't figured out why.

On the way to Wilderness Park this afternoon, I asked myself what has changed. Where am I? Or, where has my sophomore self gone?

I used to come up with things to do with other people. Now, I end up driving to the library alone, walking by myself at the park, or (horrors) doing laundry on a Saturday night.

I like solitude. But when did I lose the desire to be part of a group? I miss it. I want it back. But I don't want it back without first realizing what's happened.

Tap Dancer

2006-11-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

Vanessa stood on my kitchen floor, a little embarrassed at all the attention. The rest of us cheered convincingly.

“Come on, show us!”

“Yeah, you can do it!”

Grinning, Vanessa agreed. Her feet began to move across the floor, and even muffled by her socks, I heard the rhythm of a true tap dancer, soul-dancing, uninhibited and free.

Grapefruit

2006-11-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

I love grapefruit.

I like citrus, and I like pink. Grapefruit are perfect.

The best way to eat a grapefruit is to cut it in half and scoop out the fruit with a spoon. My roommate has grapefruit spoons, spoons with sharp metal teeth on the end made for scooping.

This is beginning to sound redundant, but--like a thirsty man without water--I can't stop thinking about grapefruit.

The problem is simple: I ate my last grapefruit on Monday. And I'm hungry. And SuperSaver is too far away when class is in ten minutes.

Shaped

2006-10-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

"Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand."
Isaiah 64:8

How is God shaping you?

Autumn

2006-09-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

At home, the sumac bushes burn with color. I take a walk in the field behind our house over school break, trying to capture fall with a camera. But my lens can't hold autumn.

The acrid smoke, the cold, the crunch of leaves under my feet, the foggy puffs of my breath: my lens fails.

I love fall. I like to watch Nature stretch as God tucks her in for the night, lowering His voice to the whisper of winter. I see her bare and break and freeze, and I hear her rustling as she settles under the covers, trusting.

Frankly, I'm a little envious of autumn. It's a struggle for me to trust so simply. It is hard to die each day in want of rebirth. I don't like baring my soul.

But I want to be broken more than anything. And I see the leaves, falling.

It's time.

Creator

2006-09-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

How do you see God as Creator?