It's Been Awhile

Yeah. Man, it's been awhile. But, upon somebody's request, I've decided to post again. Only, I don't know what to talk about.

Well... I'm procrastinating writing for a contest I'm in. My finished chapter is due in...(let me check)...18 hours and 32 minutes. I'm not going to win, anyway. But hope keeps me writing. Or, trying. First place gets a string of prizes. The $5,000 college scholarship being the initial reason for entering, and the trip to New York to meet with the publishers being the reason for me staying in the contest. Round one is over, and I missed the deadline because of a time mix-up. And I hate the first chapter. Which makes it all the more hard to write the second write the second chapter, because that's what it's based off of. The bloody first chapter. And, what's worse, I'm probably just bitter. Or jealous. Either one works. Whatever.

What else??....
I'm insanely excited for Christmas. You have no idea. I can't wait. I love Christmas. You all know that. But this Christmas... This one will be different. This one will be better. This one will be the best yet. I know it. I can feel it. I can hardly wait. I'm very, very excited for my Christmas present. It's going to be fantastic. Some of you know about it already. (And I'd like to keep it to just some of you. So you've now been sworn to secrecy. Dead serious!) I could go on forever. Talking about Christmas like this. I could just sit here and talk about Christmas in a ton of short, elementary-level sentences. Maybe because Christmas just makes me feel like a kid! Haha... I love Christmas. Oh, goodness. I'm so excited.

This...

Is What Christmas Is All About.


I found this blog while researching King George II for history class. This was my favorite picture, but there were others that had me in hysterics, I'm not even gonna lie. And some of them I didn't like so much. It happens. But...this one is good.

And I Thought I Had A Full Year...

My grandma took me out to breakfast this morning. I ate, quite possibly, the biggest breakfast on the face of the earth. And I had a really good time.
We talked a lot about school, and I was reminded again just how easy we Americans have it. My grandma said that in Indonesia you are required to take twenty-one different subjects. Twenty-one!!! You have to take French, German, and English. Have to. After two years, you're allowed to drop either French or German, but you still have to take English and one other language. My grandma told me that when she went to school, they didn't have books. Only the teacher did. So the teacher would write it all out on the blackboard and you would have to copy it down. And then she said that the tests were really hard.
Really hard. As in, sit down and the question asks "What happened in 1776?" and you have four hours to write everything that happened in 1776. All over the world. Every continent and country. How many of you could do that?

...*Cricket, cricket*...

Yeah, me either.


And so then she said that once you got to your junior year in high school you would decide what you wanted to do with your life. There were three options. A, B, and C.
A's were into history and language. (That's what my grandma chose)
B's were into math and science stuff. Doctors, lawyers, engineers.
C's were the ones who would grow up and be teachers or something like that.
And so you would chose, A, B, or C, and then you would take classes that were specifically designed for that choice.

...So...does this make you feel like a whimp for complaining? Because that's how I feel right about now.

I'm Dreaming Of A...

White Christmas!

Only 99 days, 11 hours, and someodd minutes until

Christmas!

And this is going to be a good one. I can just feel it.


I can't wait till

Christmas!

Because my favorite day of the year is

Christmas!

And I am just so very excited for

Christmas!

That I can hardly wait until

Christmas!



And, now stores are already starting to sell Christmas! things. Because even they can't deny how great Christmas! really is! I'll even give them the benefit of the doubt and say they don't care about how much money they make selling Christmas! decorations, and Christmas! presents.

Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!

Can you tell I'm just a little excited for


Christmas!?

Annoying Faith

"I am beginning to understand that faith is not the way around pain, it is the way through pain. Faith doesn’t get rid of the opposition, it invites it over for dinner. Faith doesn’t give you the winning point at the last second, it ties the game and sends you into overtime. Faith doesn’t give you the solution, it forces you to find it. Faith doesn’t teach you at the moment, it teaches in retrospect. Faith doesn’t provide a net to fall into when your fingers are about to give way as you hang suspended over the cliff, faith gives your fingers the strength to hang on just a little longer.
In other words, faith doesn’t do anything when it’s doing something. Faith doesn’t change anything when it’s changing things. Faith doesn’t make a difference when it’s making a difference. Faith makes itself known in life’s difficulties by making the difficult more difficult. Faith doesn’t comfort, it discomforts by forcing us to recognize its unwelcome presence. It is a nuisance, really, an interruption when we don’t want to be interrupted. It gets in our faces and reminds us that it is not irrelevant, even though it seems irrelevant. Faith is the annoying recognition that demands us to take our relationship with Christ seriously, when taking it seriously doesn’t seem to matter. It is God shouting to us in our circumstance, "Faith in Me does matter; you figure out how!" It is the persistent, nagging presence that feels like an absence."

-An excerpt from "Annoying Faith" by Mike Yakonelli.

Backpack's Back, Alright!

No, no. Not Backstreet. Backpack. Yes. Backpack. I went school supply shopping today. I can hardly wait for school! Oh man... I am such a nerd. I love it. I will most likely fail all my classes, but I am still excited... very excited.
I got a new backpack and it's pretty much bigger than I am. It's huge. I could sleep in it.
...Almost.

Only I can't... because all my school stuff is in it!!! That's right. Pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, paper, spiral notebooks, that portfolio thingy that I've had since freshman year that says "Follow Jesus, It Will Get You Killed." on the front.
(That quote, by the way [courtesy of James], had been quite the conversation starter... I'm pretty sure my freshman science teacher thinks I'm a nutcase. And lots of kids like to comment on it. It's amusing. I think I confuse people...)

So I went shopping, came home, labeled my classes on my dividers, packed everything away into my backpackthat'sbiggerthanIam and am now ready for school.
Pretty much, anyway.
I still have a little back-to-school clothing shopping to do, but... close enough.

Eek! I'm so dang excited!

OH! Speaking of eek... There was a spider in my house last night. Pretty much the biggest spider I have ever seen. Ever. In my ENTIRE life. It was HUGE. I was sitting here at the computer and all the sudden I heard Sarah go "WHOA!" and I turn... and there was a giant spider headed right for me. My parents were asleep. I screamed. My parents weren't asleep anymore...
Sarah told me to go get a shoe. So I did. But then I just stood there because I was too afraid of the spider to move. Sarah took the shoe, but then she didn't do anything either. Except say "Go get Dad..."
So, I went and got my dad, who was mad because I screamed and woke them up. He told me I would have to kill the spiders on my own someday. I told him the spider was the size of my hand. He didn't believe me... until he saw it. So, thankfully, he killed it. And then he went back to bed. And I went back to the computer.

And I know that has nothing whatsoever to do with school... but I just thought I'd let you know...

Beware of giant hairy spiders at night.

Romans 7:15-24

"For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"



Wrap your head around that.

I hate Trimesters.

I hate Trimesters.

And I hate my Junior year.

And I hate Marine Biology.

And I hate that I have to take Acting 1 over again because that was the only thing available.

And I hate that I have to drop Choir because there was no room in my schedule for it.

Because of Trimesters.



I am going to burn my school down.

...I probably shouldn't publicly anounce something like that, should I?

Oh, well.

I don't care.



I was all excited for school.

Now I don't think I'm going to pass a single class.
(Except Acting 1... but that doesn't count. Because I took *and passed* that class my FRESHMAN YEAR)

Okay... So I am still excited for AP US History. And Advanced American Lit. And I'm thinking I may like Sociology after all. Even if I was hoping for Psychology, instead. And I have Dilbone for Chemistry. And Lenderman for Pre Calculus. I like them. And, since AP US History is all year long, I get to start off every single day with my favorite teacher. Mrs. Kraft is pretty much awesome. And I love English. Not even gonna lie. I garuntee I will complain about English assignments... but, secretly, I love them. Ha.

Maybe this year won't be so bad, after all.

I just will be working my arse off.
But what's new?
This is school, after all.

Then And Now...

These are a must read. No lie.

The Good Wife's Guide - Housekeeping Monthly - May 13, 1955

The Good Wife's Guide - Rewritten by Yvonne M. Prince - 2005

Laughter, The Universal Language

So last weekend, I went up to Portland and stayed with my aunt, Kumi, and uncle, Tom. We went up to Washington for a couple days and stayed in a darling little condo there on some beach. Practically nobody was at the beach. It was wonderful.
And Kumi's niece(I don't know how I'm related to her... we're probably cousins removed somehow or something...) is here from Korea. She's staying with Tom and Kumi until September, and she's been here for a while. She's taking English classes at PSU right now.
Really, she speaks English very well, but she doesn't like to. So the whole time, Tom was trying to get her and me to talk to each other, despite our little language barrier. It was tough, breaking the ice... seeing as how I don't know any Korean(or didn't, at the time) and she didn't like to speak English. So it was a slow begining.
But then, while we were at the coast, Tom and Kumi took Alex to a park for about an hour and a half. That left Yoon Young and I. Well, and an elderly couple. But we were sitting there, in the room we were sharing, and we just sort of started laughing. I don't really know why. But it was enough to finally get us talking. So she talked, in English, with me for the whole time Tom and Kumi were gone.
Before we knew it, we were talking about everything under the sun. It was way fun for me, because I learned a whole lot more about Korean culture. Heck, I even picked up a few Korean words! I've been catching myself saying "no problem" in Korean lately. And we compared all sorts of things here in America with things in Korea. We talked about friends, school, what we do in our free time, boys... Haha it was like we were lifelong friends just chatting away a storm. It was pretty neat.
And then we went and saw Lady In the Water together. It was way good. I mean, I just about wet my pants a couple times. But it was really good. I say it was way better than Signs and the Village. By a long shot. And there were people in the movie speaking Korean. Which was slightly amusing. I had no idea... but then Yoon Young leans over and she's like "They're speaking Korean!" So it was pretty cool.
And Alex... Oh my. That kid is a crack up. He adores being the center of attention. And he would do just about anything to get attention. Like when we were riding to the mall. Tom was driving, and Yoon Young, Alex, and I were sitting in the back(me in the middle). Suddenly, Alex is like "Daddy, I want to go ice skating at the mall." So Tom says okay and Alex turns to me and starts talking again.
"I'm a really good ice skater. I go really, really fast! I go ice skating a lot." I'm nodding my approval when Tom cuts in.
"Alex, you've never been ice skating." So I'm sitting there trying not to crack up, but Alex isn't done yet.
"Actually, Dad, I have." I loose it. It was just too funny. But it didn't matter, Alex didn't take offense. In fact, he was only just getting started. "Me and Maxwell play hockey all the time. And he would try to hit it and every time he missed! And I hit it every time! It was so funny..." and he dissolves into a fit of laughter, along with the rest of us in the car.
But then Tom is like "Alex, I think this is just all in your imagination."
"No Dad. It's in your imagination!" Hahaha he just had to get the last word in... Regardless of whether or not it made any sense. But it was way funny. He's the funniest four year old kid I know. No lie. I say he's going to be totally into acting someday.
It was grand.

I think...

I am going to pass out from sheer joy.

Once again, God has set me rightfully back in my place. It seems like after all I've been through, I would learn to let him have control. Because we all know he would do a much better job with the reins that I could ever dream to. And he has.
Tonight, I was awestruck by God's absolute... control. The way he does certain things and they seem like mere coincidence. But I don't believe in coincidence. I believe in God.
And literally minutes after feeling fully renewed in this wonderful, amazing God that I serve, I received a message from the friend who I've been trying to lead to God for all these years. It was 4:oo in the morning. Coincidence? I think not. Godincidence. (That's right... you're allowed to make up words when you're ready to pass out from joy.)
So, he writes me and I ask what he's doing up so late. He was writing. He was writing... at 4:oo in the morning. And, though my heart is fluttering like a caged bird, and my stomach is in knots, I feel an odd calm. I know that God is in control of the whole thing, and whatever I say, it was in God's hands.
So I ask what he wrote, and if I could read it. He lets me read it and I tell you, he's so unbelievably close. It makes my head spin. But he wants to know what I think of what he's written. So I tell him what I think... But that's not good enough. He wants to know what it made me think. Not just my opinion of it. Against all better judgement, I tell him. I tell him that it made me think that he's so close. So close to embracing God. And his mind is so open. And that maybe God didn't make a mistake when he chose me to witness to him.
Whatever it is with me and doubting God's choices for me... I need to shake it. But, hoping against all hopes, I told him not to be upset and that I wasn't trying to push. I knew he told me he needed time... and it had only been a couple days. I really didn't want to push him away by seeming impatient. So... nervous but somehow sure I'd said the right thing, I sent the message to him. His response was not what I had expected. He actually said that, for some reason, he'd had a feeling I would say that. And that he feels he really will be ready to believe in God soon. "Not really soon... but soon."
My mind was reeling. I had to make sure I'd read what I thought I'd read. Nobody's but God's words were coming through me. Had I said anything else, his response might have been different. And then, despite my fear I would be pushing yet again, I told him he was welcome to come to church anytime. And he said it sounded very good to him.

I don't really know how to make sense of everything that took place. It's a bit like a dream. He needs time...

But God has all the time in the world.

And God, however he puts up with me, it trying very hard to teach me to just let him handle things. He did, after all, create the universe...

I think...

I am going to be sick.

I feel like I'm failing God right now and nothing I'm doing seems to be helping. My prayers seem futile and my faith is weak. As soon as something seems to come close to happening, it all comes crashing back down again. One of my friends is going to go to hell and nothing I'm saying is changing that in the least. Nothing coming from me is helping him believe. I feel physically ill with anxiety. We come so close to getting somewhere, and then he asks one simple question that rocks me. I stumble, and his defensive shield is back up in a flash. He needs proof. Proof he can see and touch. I don't have that. He wants answers. Solid, concrete answers. And I can't give them to him.

All I can do is sit here and try and figure out what to say to keep him from turning completely away, even if he's not willing to accept. All I can do is sit here and cry like an idiot who doesn't have the answers he needs to hear. All I can do is sit here and pray and hope and have faith that God has it under control.

But it's so hard...

Bittersweet

Los Angeles was amazing. It was way, way different than I thought it would be though. God and I definitely had two very different things in mind for me. God's plan won. Go figure.
I thought for sure I'd be working with little kids and, as much as I thought it would kill me, I was really excited. I love kids. But then I got there the first day and, sure enough, was in a group of kids. I was content. But I felt like my heart just wasn't quite in it. I didn't know why, and it bugged the heck out of me. The next morning during our devotions I prayed about it. Something just didn't seem quite right to me. I didn't like it. This was too different from what I was expecting.
So, we get to VBS and I'm hanging out with some of the kids and someone comes up and gives me my name tag. Houston, we have a problem. My name is written in yellow. Yesterday I was on the black team. I'm not supposed to be on the yellow team. This isn't what I planned. So I try and figure out what's going on, and I discover that the entire yellow team is now teenage girls. They needed another girl leader and I won the lottery. Huge red flag there. I'm terrible at coming out of my shell around people my own age. It takes me time. More time than four days would allow. God was making a mistake. I couldn't do this. No way, no how.
And next thing I know, I'm in the church with six teenage girls. I've only briefly introduced myself to half of them, and even that was a stretch for me. I'm not one to go up and start a conversation. But, for reasons unbeknownst to me, I walked up to those three girls and introduced myself. Selwanna, Avis, and Asia. And me. They were friendly enough. They weren't rude. They didn't blow me off.
But I still felt shy. Self-concious. Unsure. I felt like nothing on earth could make me come out of my comfortable little shell. But that's where I miscalculated. Nothing on earth, no. But God in heaven obviously wasn't going to let my stubborn shyness get in the way of his work.
I give credit to nobody but God for this. Somehow, God managed to shatter that cave I'd gone into.
I formed a bond with those three girls in particular that I never would have thought possible given the amount of time. It was nothing I can explain. It was a "God thing." By the end of the week we were laughing and joking like real friends.
I felt a strong pull to Asia in particular. She was the youngest of the three sisters in the group. Entering 7th grade. A year younger than my sister. But you couldn't tell by looking at her. She looked and acted my age. She went out of her way to say hi to me as soon as she got there everyday. She even crashed a couple of the pictures I was taking without my knowing it. I'm glad she did. Anything to help me remember.
It was so awesome getting to know these girls. But so, so heartbreaking when I had to leave. Selwanna even mentioned how people come and form these relationships for a week and then leave, never to be seen again. Just like we were doing. It was awful. But wonderful. Bittersweet.
And I wouldn't trade it for anything.


I got their address, and I intend to write them very soon. I have high hopes that this friendship will continue and deepen, even if we can't see each other.

God is Amazing.

Too Excited To Sleep!

I should be alseep right now. I have to wake up in about four and a half hours. But I'm too excited to sleep...

I leave for Los Angeles in less than six hours! I am excited out of my mind! I think I may spontaneously combust. Sorry if that's against the rules...

I'm too excited to care!

Ah! I can't wait! I can't wait!

I feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve, waiting for Santa and morning to come.

I love this feeling!

Ride 'Em Cowboy!

So.

I went to a rodeo today. With my family and my dad's boss. And my aunt and uncle and cousin. And a lot of other people I don't know. They started the event off with a Bible verse and a prayer. Which I thought was way neat. And...

I actually had a really good time. Watching people get trampled by mad cows. Seeing a guy do a handstand while he rode his horse. Laughing when the two guys were on their horses on either side of the calf, trying to keep up with it, and the calf stops.(They keep going....smart calf)

I did, however, get a sunburn.

It kind of burns.

I was nervous out of my mind. I didn't want to do something stupid and make my dad look bad in front of "The Man." But he was a really nice guy. His wife is a sweetheart.

His ranch is beautiful.

His horses are gorgeous.

Although we didn't get to go riding after all. I must admit I was disappointed. But I did go see the horses.

And pet them.

And feed them.

(I am like a little kid, it's true.)

And he said "We'll do this again."

...Next time I will bring sunscreen.

Do Go To The Light!!!! And, Yes, It Is Beautiful!

Yeah!! School is almost over! The light at the end of the tunnel!

Me? Excited? How could you possibly tell?

Church Work Day

So today was church work day. A bunch of us high schoolers went and helped out. I don't know about everyone else, but I had a blast. I helped out last year(I think...maybe it was the year before...) but I didn't have any friends there with me, so it was kind of boring. But this was way fun. We cleaned out the storage room in the youth house and organized the kitchen so it could be our new "hang out" spot. That should be pretty cool, we're usually in there anyway, but now it's set up so nobody's going to get hot mocha dumped all over them.
I had fun carrying everything on my head. I don't know why I do it...I'm just strange like that, but I was doing it so much that finally Elisabeth started too. I'm such a trend setter.... Ha.
And, after we were done working, I got into a bit of a water fight with James. See, there was a water gun... I thought it would be funny if I got James with it. And so I tried, but then he kinda got to the hose. Needless to say I got soaked, and he was convinced he won. But then I went into the youth house, to put the gun away, and got a cup of water. Well I don't even really drink water, so when I walked out and was standing there "drinking" my water, really I was just waiting. And then James turned around and my water just happened to find it's way down the back of his shirt. Really, I have no idea how it happened...

But it was way fun. Definitely the most fun I've ever had cleaning the church!

Oh My Gosh

If you need a good laugh...

http://www.dumbvideos.com/numanumadance.html

Day of Silence

Today at South some of the students participated in what was called a day of silence. They did it in protest of several things...I'm not totally sure what.(When I asked, the people who were silent couldn't exactly tell me...go figure...) I heard that it was for gay rights, minorities, protesting the graffiti that happened last week at school, and for the people who died during the Holocaust. So I was observing some of them and how people around them acted. Some people sort of just smiled and said "Oh, that's cool" and then went on with whatever they were doing. Some of the people waited until the silent students left before cracking a joke. But some were making fun of the entire protest right in front of the silent students, knowing very well that they couldn't say anything in retaliation. And so I'm thinking... these people can laugh all they want, but at least the others are doing something. When most people want something to change they just grumble about it, or bash the people who are "at fault."
And I think I tend to have this kind of attitude more than I'd like to admit. It seems like it's always someone else taking a stand for what they believe in(like today) while I sit back and grumble about how my non-Christian friends are going to go to hell. I intend to do something, but somehow it just doesn't happen. I don't say what I mean to say, even though I really want to. I don't cut in and tell the kids making jokes to knock it off, even though I'm telling them to shut up in my head over and over again. I don't give my food to the homeless man I see digging through the garbage as I walk by with my Nikes and brand new Old Navy purse, even though I'm screaming inside to give it to him so loudly that I'm surprised that my sister can't hear as she's walking next to me.

So why? Why can't I just do it?

Heck if I know.

Yeah!!

My internet is back up and running!! New and improved, etc. It's great! Haha I can communicate with the world again!

L.A. Baby!

I'm so excited! This summer my church youth group is going to L.A. for our summer missions trip. Last year we went to Vancouver, Canada, and it was absolutely amazing. It was such an eye opener for me. I could go on and on about it, but I already have a post on it.(I would put in a cool link thing, only I don't know how...the post is titled "Oh, Canada" if you feel driven to read it.)
We're going to be working at a place called Harambee Ministries, and I just can't wait to be back in the middle of things working and serving again.

Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful...Wait, What?

What's up with this weather?! Just last week it was beautiful, springtime weather, and now it's about 30 degrees out. You gotta be kidding me. I walked by a puddle today that was frozen solid, and do you have any idea how hard it is to golf when you can't feel your fingers? *Sighs* Well, hopefully it will warm up again soon, I don't know if I can handle this much longer. I'm moving to Indonesia if it doesn't get nice soon...it's warm there. And they have good food...and mangos!

It's A Beautiful Day

It is positively GORGEOUS outside! I love it! Spring has sprung. Who can't love this weather? I was actually HAPPY to be walking home today! All I could do in American studies today was look outside longingly. Hahaha it was really hard to focus, but no worries, because the teacher was having just as hard of a time as me(and the rest of the class). And, it's Friday(!) so I have all weekend to enjoy the weather.

Superbowl and Super-rumble

So the Seahawks lost...I would talk about how disappointed or excited I am...only I don't follow football(or any sport for that matter) and really have no feelings on the subject. Well, except that I feel bad for Venisa, who lost a bet to her dad and now has to buy him anything he wants from Coldstone.
But, the middle schoolers had a big superbowl party and I helped out, and had a blast! We had like 85 million pieces of fried chicken(ok so it was more like 100, but that's still a lot!) nachos, and wedding cake(Mal and Jeremy's). There were lots of balloons and(go figure) lots of helium...and middle schoolers. I think I've said enough...
Ok, so when Malory took Venisa and I to go get the chicken with her, we noticed that the highschoolers took our balloons out front. They were all on James' house and car and stuff, so Venisa and I stole them back. Of course, they saw us(me acutally) and so Logan and Andrew came back into the church and took off with some more of our balloons. Venisa decided we should wait a while before going back to claim what was ours, so we made a nice little sign that said "Balloon stealers go to Hell." Well, it did originally, but then we crossed out "Hell" and put "er...Heaven" and then signed it "With love, Chelsea & Venisa" (It was on two pieces of paper, so when we stuck it on James' window we had to make sure it had "balloon stealers" first.) So, we head outside to put up our little message and get our balloons back and who do we see but 3 or 4 guys out there with a broom(of all things) and an airsoft gun(Logan had the gun and I think Andrew had the broom). So Venisa and I head out there anyway and manage to get the sign taped to the window, and even get a balloon. Once we get back inside we decide if we can't have to balloons we'll pop them. We head back out armed with scissors, and I swear, it was like clash of the gangs or something. It was so freaking hilarious. Logan, Andrew, and Tim(I think?) are walking toward us all wannabe-gangster-like and Venisa and I continue forward with our scissors hidden behind our backs. We get to them and they're tryin to figure out what we have. Well, Logan sees what I've got and he turns around and says something like "OH CRAP! DON'T LET THEM GET TO THE BALLOONS!" I thought I was going to die, I was laughing so hard. So anyway, we get into this "rumble" in the church parking lot. Haha we were messin around...I got shot in the foot and Andrew had the gun pointed right at me but he wouldn't shoot. I even told him to, but he wouldn't do it. So we were messin around and Venisa accidentally kinda stabbed Andrew. Oh man, did we feel bad. But he said he was fine(a few times). We managed to pop almost all of the balloons, so mission accomplished, plus a few scrapes and such. But I totally had a great time! It was so dang fun.

I Am Never Drinking Again. Ever!

THE most traumatizing thing happened to me! I was just sitting at the computer, minding my own business, and I grab my glass and take a drink of my nice iced tea. My eyes are drawn to the odd looking, lone bubble floating in my tea. With horror, I realize that that "bubble" has 8 legs!!!!! I have a big, white, spider(!) floating in my DRINK. My first thought was to throw my glass as far across the room as I could, but seeing as how my house is ceramic tile throughout, I figured that would be a bad idea. So I quickly set my glass on the counter(it's still there, I won't touch it) and went to brush my teeth like 3,000 times. So this, my friends, is why I am never drinking again. EVER!!!

P.S. I HATE SPIDERS
P.P.S. I HATE SPIDERS!

Thank You God

Today has just been totally great. I've just felt so awesome all day long, it's amazing. It's like I'm on a God high or something. I guess it actually kinda started last night and snowballed...in a good way, not bad.
So last night at church was really great, just all around. It was my first night singing on the highschool worship team, and, as I've mentioned before, I always have a really great time on Wednesday nights. And I just got to totally unwind and have a good time and listen to questions be(almost) answered. And I feel like I really had a good connection with God last night. Then this morning, I somehow managed to not only get up on time, but I was ready to leave early. I got to school and managed a B on my Spanish final(much better than I was expecting once I actually took it). So then, feeling pretty good but harboring a little dread concerning my score on my biology final. I get to class and finally gather the courage to ask my teacher what I got, completely expecting a failing grade, only to learn that I got a 122, tying for the second highest score out of everyone. I would have been satisfied with that, but then later in class the teacher tells us he graded on a curve, so instead of the original 150 points, it was now out of 120, leaving me with a score of 101%. I tell you, that was a total God thing. Today was a total God thing. Thank you God.

Oprah's National High School Essay Contest

Ok...so in case you didn't get this from the title, Oprah's having an essay contest and my English teacher is making us do it. She says that while she's in the hospital(she's the one with cancer) watching Oprah she wants to see one of us on tv. Ha! It won't be me! But it's sorta easy for my class because here's the topic: "Why is Elie Wiesel's book Night relevant today?" Well my class just recently read Night, if you recall, I even had a couple posts on my thoughts of the book. So now we're doing essays on it. I considered posting mine when I finish, just to see what you all think, but it will be long...really long. Probably too long for my blog...so we'll see. And I would be writing it now...only I'm having writer's block. Hahaha...

End of the Spear

First off, let me say that End of the Spear was an incredible movie. What really made it...real for me was watching the movie and then going directly to a seminar where Steve Saint(Nate Saint's son) was there talking, and guess who was with him? Mincaye, the very same man who led the spearing raid of 5 missionaries in 1956- one of them being Nate Saint. The whole story was amazing, and then really seeing him and hearing stories about his people(the Waodani Indians) was really neat. Haha, we even saw a video clip of Steve and Mincaye blow gun hunting in Central Park.

But I think what really struck me was this. **Spoiler warning, for any of you who don't know the story**

In the Waodani culture, it was Steve Saint's right to avenge his father's death by killing Mincaye. Now, I don't think I could bring myself to kill someone, but Steve Saint not only let Mincaye live, but they're friends. How hard would that be? Being friends with the man who killed your father? As much as I'd love to say I'd be able to do it in a flash...I don't honestly know. I watched a movie or something over the summer, and there was this tribe of people who they talked about. And in that culture, if someone killed a family member of yours, the murderer would have their hands and feet bound and they'd be thrown into the river. You were the only one who could, if you chose, jump in and save them. Could I do it?? I don't know.
But even more amazing, Mincaye knew that Steve would grow up and have the right to kill him. What does he do? Does he try and kill Steve, just to get rid of the threat? No. Mincaye takes Steve in while he's a kid and teaches him the skills he needed to survive in the jungle where they were living. Now that is a life changed by God...

My Many-Subject Post

First off, I've decided that I'm very contradictory. It seems like for everything I feel, at the same time I feel the exact opposite emotion. Happiness and sadness. Confidence and doubt. Clarity and confusion. Forgiveness and...not-forgiveness(?). Calm and anger. One always ends up overruling the other when it comes to my actions, but it's a very...hmm....mind boggling feeling.

On a very different note, my English teacher has breast cancer. She told us yesterday during class, but we weren't supposed to say anything till today so she could tell her other classes. She's being very positive about it and she sounds sure that she'll be back, but if you all could keep her in your prayers...

So, last year(I'm being so random tonight) in youth group we got the Gospel of John in the Message version or whatever, and I hadn't really read it all...I'd sorta glanced at it, but I started reading it the other day and I'm totally hooked. I love how much easier it is to understand than my NKJV(New King James Version)

Ok, so I think this is all the randomness I'll make you suffer through tonight because I'm finished saying all I can think of...and I have a certain song from French Kiss running through my head and making me laugh...so I'm done for now.

Wednesday Nights

Ok, so I love Wednesday nights. I always have. Wednesday nights are like my little oasis in the middle of the week. They're a time for me to unwind and have fun and learn more about God, and they totally keep me from needing a room with padded walls. Seriously, if I didn't have that break from life I think I'd lose it completely(not to say I haven't a bit already). And I love how I can have so much fun and learn a lot at the same time. It's great.....

Wednesday nights: my anti-insanity

Ok...What to say...

I'm feeling confused at the moment. That's kind of all I have to say...but I haven't posted for a while so I figured I'd say something...uhm...yeah, my life is boring...nothing new...ok, I'm done before I say something about the weather(the official "nothing to say" topic)

Back To School

Today was the first day back to school...better than I expected, for the most part. Sure, waking up was stupid, realizing I had tonight to read half a book was kind of unexpected, but overall it was a good day. My classes were decent, I think the teachers wanted to be there just as little as I did, so class was pretty laid back today. Biology was freaking hilarious...we were supposed to be talking about photosynthesis, but ended up talking about Hooters and some guy my teacher knew who apparently felt no pain(we heard a story about him falling off of a roof and landing on his butt with a hammer in the back pocket and still being able to play at football practice).
On a different note, if anyone asks me my age I get to say 16 now! But I'll probably say 15, because I'm smart like that. I guess it hasn't quite sunk in yet. 16....two years and I'll be headed off to college...crazy...