rocky beach
I don't really have anything to say this evening. I just wanted to put up a picture for whatever reason. So there you have it. One picture just for you.
Jun 7, 2005
a post, in two parts, take two...
I just got done writing up this post and then when I hit the publish button there was an error and it didn't publish, nor did it save. I hate that. And it only happens with posts that I'm really excited about posting. Not that this one is really important or anything, but I was still in the mood to post it. So here goes take two. Hopefully it will be as good as the first go-around. I have made myself a pb&j to ease the pain of having to re-type it!
The first part of this post is a little random. Over the past few days some random quotes have stuck out in my mind, all relating to the feelings associated with being in love. I just thought I'd share some of them with you. I relate to them. They make me smile.
****
I really like hymns. I was thinking about that a little this weekend. Tonight I was flipping through a book of hymns that I have and singing through some of them. I like doing that sometimes. It reminds me of songs I haven't thought of in a while, and it's a fun way to spend some time with God. I find myself drawn to songs (whether praise choruses or hymns) that talk about nature or creation worshipping God and showing His glory. Tonight I was stopped by "This is My Father's World." I didn't sing this song much growing up that I remember. I first came across it when I got a Chris Rice CD where he plays a bunch of old hymns on the piano. I liked the tune, so I looked it up in a hymn book to learn the words. Here it is.
I just got done writing up this post and then when I hit the publish button there was an error and it didn't publish, nor did it save. I hate that. And it only happens with posts that I'm really excited about posting. Not that this one is really important or anything, but I was still in the mood to post it. So here goes take two. Hopefully it will be as good as the first go-around. I have made myself a pb&j to ease the pain of having to re-type it!
The first part of this post is a little random. Over the past few days some random quotes have stuck out in my mind, all relating to the feelings associated with being in love. I just thought I'd share some of them with you. I relate to them. They make me smile.
One of the amazing things about Rachel was that I wanted to kiss her every time she was talking about something interesting, which was all the time. It was sexy. It was weird.
-Will (Hugh Grant), "About a Boy"
I'm thinking it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned. I have to speculate that God Himself did make us into corresponding shapes like puzzle pieces from the clay.
-"Such Great Heights" by Postal Service (I don't actually know who wrote the song, but the Postal Service does one version of it. Rob can tell me who deserves the actual credit for it.)
****
I really like hymns. I was thinking about that a little this weekend. Tonight I was flipping through a book of hymns that I have and singing through some of them. I like doing that sometimes. It reminds me of songs I haven't thought of in a while, and it's a fun way to spend some time with God. I find myself drawn to songs (whether praise choruses or hymns) that talk about nature or creation worshipping God and showing His glory. Tonight I was stopped by "This is My Father's World." I didn't sing this song much growing up that I remember. I first came across it when I got a Chris Rice CD where he plays a bunch of old hymns on the piano. I liked the tune, so I looked it up in a hymn book to learn the words. Here it is.
This is my Father's world,
And to my list'ning ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world!
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father's world
The birds their carols raise;
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world!
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass
He speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father's world
O let me ne'er forget
That tho the wrong seems oft so strong
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father's world!
The battle is not done;
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and heav'n be one.
Jun 2, 2005
rude...
I struggle with the line between being straight-up with people when they need it and being rude. I was thinking about that this week. Tracy and I discussed it a little. When such a situation arises that calls for being straight-up, I don't think I generally wind up being rude because I typically have seen the situation coming for a while, so I've already thought about it a lot and have decided what I should say. The problem comes when a situation arises too suddenly to give it much thought. If I act in haste, I'm rude. Also, if a particular situation comes up repeatedly, I tend to lose patience for it, so then I'm more blunt with the people involved, which comes across as rude. None of this has actually been an issue too much recently; it's just something that has been on my mind. And it's something I can see that may be an issue in the near future. Okay, well there was this one instance this past week where I made a comment that was a little less tactful than it could have been and it was overheard by people who were not intended to hear it, and I think they may hate my guts now (not that I've ever been too concerned about who hates me or not). Had I been speaking to those people, I wouldn't have changed WHAT I said but I may have changed HOW I said it. What I said was true and needed to be said, but I suppose for the sake of not hurting feelings or stepping on toes, it could have been said in a gentler way. For my lack of tact, I apologize. I am sorry if people were offended. I have been reminded by this situation to consider the effects of what I say, and hopefully this lesson will help in any upcoming situations.
I struggle with the line between being straight-up with people when they need it and being rude. I was thinking about that this week. Tracy and I discussed it a little. When such a situation arises that calls for being straight-up, I don't think I generally wind up being rude because I typically have seen the situation coming for a while, so I've already thought about it a lot and have decided what I should say. The problem comes when a situation arises too suddenly to give it much thought. If I act in haste, I'm rude. Also, if a particular situation comes up repeatedly, I tend to lose patience for it, so then I'm more blunt with the people involved, which comes across as rude. None of this has actually been an issue too much recently; it's just something that has been on my mind. And it's something I can see that may be an issue in the near future. Okay, well there was this one instance this past week where I made a comment that was a little less tactful than it could have been and it was overheard by people who were not intended to hear it, and I think they may hate my guts now (not that I've ever been too concerned about who hates me or not). Had I been speaking to those people, I wouldn't have changed WHAT I said but I may have changed HOW I said it. What I said was true and needed to be said, but I suppose for the sake of not hurting feelings or stepping on toes, it could have been said in a gentler way. For my lack of tact, I apologize. I am sorry if people were offended. I have been reminded by this situation to consider the effects of what I say, and hopefully this lesson will help in any upcoming situations.
home again, home again...
So here's a recap of the events of New York City. (For any details that I leave out, see Rob's posts.) The train ride up was delayed and long. Not horribly unbearable, though. We arrived in the City Thursday night and got to see the last inning of a Yankee's game, which was cool, even for a non-sports-fan. We then returned to the hotel for a much-needed night's rest. Our hotel, by the way, was the Mariott in Times Square. You couldn't ask for better accomodations than that! Friday morning we went to Rockefeller Center where they were filming the Today Show. Some people hung around and watched that while others walked around to see nearby stuff. I had hopes of going in H&M clothing store because I've been there every time I've gone to NY and it's awesome, but they weren't open yet, so I went across the street into St.Patrick's Cathedral. I love that place. It was nice to be in there that morning... I circled the interior to admire the incredible architecture and windows and statues; I "played Catholic," as Chistina and I say, by lighting a candle near one of the statues... I really needed the prayer that was posted there... it was about being kind and patient with others... it was appropriate for that day; finally, after admiring everything, I sat down in one of the front pews and prayed for a few minutes while my group finished up. It was so peaceful. Rob and I have talked before about this, but I was reminded of it as I sat there staring up at the vast ceiling of the place: Cathedrals are cool because they are designed to awe you with their enormity (is that a word?). They're so huge, so magnificant, that you are instantly taken back by them. That's how we should be about God. Every time we're in His presence, we should just be blown away and amazed. Having even the briefest of opportunities to worship in a place like St.Patrick's reminds me of that.
Anyway, after that, we ate Chinese and then went to work at a food pantry. I like doing that type of service work because (a) I feel really humbled by it, and (b) I feel like I've really been able to help out in a big way. It's very satisfying. We then went on to do this subway evanglism thing, which was an interesting experience. At first I was really appalled by the activities that the evangelist guy was proposing to us. I mean, I'm not really big on evangelism being something obnoxious, and that's what this was sounding like. The more I heard him talk about what we were going to do, the more negative my attitude became. But we got on the subway, and, to my surprise, it worked out better than I had expected. (What we did is sort of a long story, so I'll skip that part, but to say the least it was unconventional.) We got done with the actual evangelism activities, and then we stood in the hallway of the subway station and the choir sang "I'm Proud to be an American" and handed out tracts to those who passed by as we sang. It's cool how quick people were to take something from us as long as we were singing, but if we stopped, there was no chance they would take anything. It was interesting. Friday night we saw a show called "All Shook Up" which surprised us all with how good it was. It was all Elvis music with a story line put to it. It was really fun.
Saturday morning we had some free time first thing, but most of the kids opted to sleep in. My girls went with Mrs.Nettles (PRAISE GOD FOR HER!) which left me free to go out to breakfast with Rob, Tracy, & Phil. That was by far the most relaxing point of the week. Tracy was my sanity on the trip! I'm so glad she was there. The four of us have decided that now that the craziness of their wedding is over we all need to hang out more. It's funny how well Tracy and I get along in combination with how well Rob and Phil get along. Definite potential for some good times. Anyway, after breakfast, we met back up with everyone and headed toward the harbor where we were supposed to take "The Beast" boat ride. There was a bunch of miscommunication, however, so that didn't actually work out, which I was fine with because I wasn't looking forward to getting soaked, which is supposedly what happens on that boat ride. So we killed a little time (I don't actually remember what we did) and then went to see "Phantom of the Opera." It was good I guess, but that's just not really my show. We had dinner at John's Pizza Palace, which while I am not all that excited by New York pizza, it was a really cool building. I think it was origionally an old church (it has a really cool stained glass ceiling) and may have been a theatre at one point. Immediately afterward, we went to do a church service at a Crisis Center in Brooklyn, which was by far the most awesome part of our trip. The worship was just amazing, despite any shortcomings on our part. The whole thing was just completely annointed by the Holy Spirit, and that was evident to everyone. Devon mentioned to me the verse that talks about I believe it's Isaiah's vision where he says that the train of God's robe filled the whole temple, which represents His presence, and she related that to what took place that night. She's so right. I always describe situations like that as being "thick" with the Spirit. It's like when it's really humid outside and you can feel the air sort of pressing in on you because the air is thick. The Spirit was so thick you could feel it pressing on you. It reminded me of when I was in Chicago in ninth grade. We ministered at the Pacific Garden Mission in downtown Chicago, and it was the same way. In both cases, it was the end of a long day in the middle/end of a long week, we were exhausted, and that was the last thing in the world we felt like doing. But we did it, and God moved mightily. I love it when God does that. I love that He is not limited by our meager expectations of Him. We left the Crisis Center and went to see Ground Zero. It was a very solemn time, as to be expected. That was the last event of the day, and then we headed back to the hotel.
Sunday we did a church service at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Manhattan. It went pretty well. We went to lunch at Carmines, an Italian restaurant. That was the best food I have had in a long time! I was completely impressed. We then did a prayer walk and delivered some gift boxes to the fire and police departments. That night we went to see "Stomp" in the Village. It was awesome! I have been wanting to see Stomp for years, and I was finally able to. I think what's most impressive about the show, aside from their obvious musical talent, is their endurance and stamina. That's a really long time to do what they do. They all had the arms of body-builders, and while hidden by baggy pants, I'm positive their legs were tree trunks! Also enjoyable was how they got the audience involved at the end of the show. They would clap/snap/stomp a rhythm and we had to repeat it. Thanks to Mr.Cordell and my many years of "counting and clapping" I was able to keep up quite well! Anyway, that was it for Sunday.
Monday morning started somewhere around 4:00am. We had to leave the hotel at 5:45 to go sing on "FOX and Friends" morning TV show. That was pretty cool. While there, we got to see the Oscar Meyer weenie-mobile. They also gave us free hotdogs, which really doesn't excite me at 6:00am, but all the guys were really psyched. Back-tracking a little, the first event of my morning was around 5:00 when I decided to go downstairs early in hopes of getting a Venti Chai Latte from Starbucks to help me wake up. (It turned out that they don't open till 6:00. I was bummed.) Anyway, when I was waiting for the elevator at 5am, I was weirded out to see two guys there, one with beer in hand. In my delirious 5am state, I thought to myself "who drinks a beer first thing in the morning?" But as I stood there waiting, I deciphered through their f-word-laden conversation that this was not, in fact, morning for them, but rather a very late night. The three of us entered the same elevator, and upon entering, the dude with the beer apologized to me for swearing. But in their drunken haze, I doubt they realized that following the apology, the frequency of the word in question did not diminish whatsoever. Back to the TV show. We finished singing/filming and headed for the Intrepid, which is an air craft carrier turned museum that stays in NY harbor. We got to sing for the Memorial Day service that was going on. As cheesy as it can make you feel singing in a public place like that, I thought it was cool that we didn't just sing patriotic songs, but also sang worship songs. That was the last major event of the trip. Later that afternoon we gathered up our luggage and headed for Penn Station to board the train to go home. The train was on time, and the trip home was much more bearable than the ride up.
So that's my story for now. I'm sure I will remember other little interesting things and post about them later, but this is most of it. New York is awesome, but I'm glad to be home.
Peace!
So here's a recap of the events of New York City. (For any details that I leave out, see Rob's posts.) The train ride up was delayed and long. Not horribly unbearable, though. We arrived in the City Thursday night and got to see the last inning of a Yankee's game, which was cool, even for a non-sports-fan. We then returned to the hotel for a much-needed night's rest. Our hotel, by the way, was the Mariott in Times Square. You couldn't ask for better accomodations than that! Friday morning we went to Rockefeller Center where they were filming the Today Show. Some people hung around and watched that while others walked around to see nearby stuff. I had hopes of going in H&M clothing store because I've been there every time I've gone to NY and it's awesome, but they weren't open yet, so I went across the street into St.Patrick's Cathedral. I love that place. It was nice to be in there that morning... I circled the interior to admire the incredible architecture and windows and statues; I "played Catholic," as Chistina and I say, by lighting a candle near one of the statues... I really needed the prayer that was posted there... it was about being kind and patient with others... it was appropriate for that day; finally, after admiring everything, I sat down in one of the front pews and prayed for a few minutes while my group finished up. It was so peaceful. Rob and I have talked before about this, but I was reminded of it as I sat there staring up at the vast ceiling of the place: Cathedrals are cool because they are designed to awe you with their enormity (is that a word?). They're so huge, so magnificant, that you are instantly taken back by them. That's how we should be about God. Every time we're in His presence, we should just be blown away and amazed. Having even the briefest of opportunities to worship in a place like St.Patrick's reminds me of that.
Anyway, after that, we ate Chinese and then went to work at a food pantry. I like doing that type of service work because (a) I feel really humbled by it, and (b) I feel like I've really been able to help out in a big way. It's very satisfying. We then went on to do this subway evanglism thing, which was an interesting experience. At first I was really appalled by the activities that the evangelist guy was proposing to us. I mean, I'm not really big on evangelism being something obnoxious, and that's what this was sounding like. The more I heard him talk about what we were going to do, the more negative my attitude became. But we got on the subway, and, to my surprise, it worked out better than I had expected. (What we did is sort of a long story, so I'll skip that part, but to say the least it was unconventional.) We got done with the actual evangelism activities, and then we stood in the hallway of the subway station and the choir sang "I'm Proud to be an American" and handed out tracts to those who passed by as we sang. It's cool how quick people were to take something from us as long as we were singing, but if we stopped, there was no chance they would take anything. It was interesting. Friday night we saw a show called "All Shook Up" which surprised us all with how good it was. It was all Elvis music with a story line put to it. It was really fun.
Saturday morning we had some free time first thing, but most of the kids opted to sleep in. My girls went with Mrs.Nettles (PRAISE GOD FOR HER!) which left me free to go out to breakfast with Rob, Tracy, & Phil. That was by far the most relaxing point of the week. Tracy was my sanity on the trip! I'm so glad she was there. The four of us have decided that now that the craziness of their wedding is over we all need to hang out more. It's funny how well Tracy and I get along in combination with how well Rob and Phil get along. Definite potential for some good times. Anyway, after breakfast, we met back up with everyone and headed toward the harbor where we were supposed to take "The Beast" boat ride. There was a bunch of miscommunication, however, so that didn't actually work out, which I was fine with because I wasn't looking forward to getting soaked, which is supposedly what happens on that boat ride. So we killed a little time (I don't actually remember what we did) and then went to see "Phantom of the Opera." It was good I guess, but that's just not really my show. We had dinner at John's Pizza Palace, which while I am not all that excited by New York pizza, it was a really cool building. I think it was origionally an old church (it has a really cool stained glass ceiling) and may have been a theatre at one point. Immediately afterward, we went to do a church service at a Crisis Center in Brooklyn, which was by far the most awesome part of our trip. The worship was just amazing, despite any shortcomings on our part. The whole thing was just completely annointed by the Holy Spirit, and that was evident to everyone. Devon mentioned to me the verse that talks about I believe it's Isaiah's vision where he says that the train of God's robe filled the whole temple, which represents His presence, and she related that to what took place that night. She's so right. I always describe situations like that as being "thick" with the Spirit. It's like when it's really humid outside and you can feel the air sort of pressing in on you because the air is thick. The Spirit was so thick you could feel it pressing on you. It reminded me of when I was in Chicago in ninth grade. We ministered at the Pacific Garden Mission in downtown Chicago, and it was the same way. In both cases, it was the end of a long day in the middle/end of a long week, we were exhausted, and that was the last thing in the world we felt like doing. But we did it, and God moved mightily. I love it when God does that. I love that He is not limited by our meager expectations of Him. We left the Crisis Center and went to see Ground Zero. It was a very solemn time, as to be expected. That was the last event of the day, and then we headed back to the hotel.
Sunday we did a church service at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Manhattan. It went pretty well. We went to lunch at Carmines, an Italian restaurant. That was the best food I have had in a long time! I was completely impressed. We then did a prayer walk and delivered some gift boxes to the fire and police departments. That night we went to see "Stomp" in the Village. It was awesome! I have been wanting to see Stomp for years, and I was finally able to. I think what's most impressive about the show, aside from their obvious musical talent, is their endurance and stamina. That's a really long time to do what they do. They all had the arms of body-builders, and while hidden by baggy pants, I'm positive their legs were tree trunks! Also enjoyable was how they got the audience involved at the end of the show. They would clap/snap/stomp a rhythm and we had to repeat it. Thanks to Mr.Cordell and my many years of "counting and clapping" I was able to keep up quite well! Anyway, that was it for Sunday.
Monday morning started somewhere around 4:00am. We had to leave the hotel at 5:45 to go sing on "FOX and Friends" morning TV show. That was pretty cool. While there, we got to see the Oscar Meyer weenie-mobile. They also gave us free hotdogs, which really doesn't excite me at 6:00am, but all the guys were really psyched. Back-tracking a little, the first event of my morning was around 5:00 when I decided to go downstairs early in hopes of getting a Venti Chai Latte from Starbucks to help me wake up. (It turned out that they don't open till 6:00. I was bummed.) Anyway, when I was waiting for the elevator at 5am, I was weirded out to see two guys there, one with beer in hand. In my delirious 5am state, I thought to myself "who drinks a beer first thing in the morning?" But as I stood there waiting, I deciphered through their f-word-laden conversation that this was not, in fact, morning for them, but rather a very late night. The three of us entered the same elevator, and upon entering, the dude with the beer apologized to me for swearing. But in their drunken haze, I doubt they realized that following the apology, the frequency of the word in question did not diminish whatsoever. Back to the TV show. We finished singing/filming and headed for the Intrepid, which is an air craft carrier turned museum that stays in NY harbor. We got to sing for the Memorial Day service that was going on. As cheesy as it can make you feel singing in a public place like that, I thought it was cool that we didn't just sing patriotic songs, but also sang worship songs. That was the last major event of the trip. Later that afternoon we gathered up our luggage and headed for Penn Station to board the train to go home. The train was on time, and the trip home was much more bearable than the ride up.
So that's my story for now. I'm sure I will remember other little interesting things and post about them later, but this is most of it. New York is awesome, but I'm glad to be home.
Peace!
May 24, 2005
make you banana pancakes...
It's been a while since I posted, which is not to say that nothing exciting has happened, but rather that I have been WORKING! (I know, it's amazing.) My temp job wound up lasting four days instead of just two, which was cool. It was basically data entry, so nothing exciting, but it definitely kept us busy the whole time. "Us" referring to myself and a lady named Emily who was placed on that job with me. She was really nice and I enjoyed working with her. She had been teaching at UF, but is going to be teaching at Flagler starting in the fall in the psychology department. Like I told Rob, she's the most normal psychology professor I've ever met! Very friendly; asked a LOT of questions, but not in a nosy way. I got to talk with her about church a little, which was cool. Cool parts about the job were (1) we got paid for our lunch breaks, (2) they bought us lunch, (3) we got off early twice but got paid for full days. You really can't beat that. (The phrase "couldn't beat that with a stick" was in my head, but I didn't think it fit well enough!) Wednesday and Thursday we ordered lunch from this sub place that was really good. They sold your normal coldcut subs, but the ones we got were hot chikcen subs. Wednesday I had a chicken teriyaki (sp?) sub and it was incredible! Thursday I had cajun chicken, which was good, but I'm not such a fan of my lips being on fire when I'm done eating. So enough about the job.
Wednesday was Krissy's 21st birthday. Also on Wednesday, we led the high-schoolers at Powerhouse, and that went really well. I can't remember if we did anything specific Thursday evening... I just remember everyone was over at the house, which isn't out of the ordinary. But later that night us girls took Krissy out to Fridays for a drink and dessert. I'm not a big drinker, nor will I ever be, but I am starting to draw specific conclusions about what kinds of drinks I like. Fruity is fine but really sweet isn't, etc. Anyway. Friday was mine and Rob's six-month anneversary. I got off work early by chance that day, which was perfect because I was cooking dinner so that gave me plenty of time to get everything done. I made chicken enchiladas and spanish rice with beans. Rob brought a bottle of white wine, which I found out I enjoy far more than red. We just hung out around his house and had a relaxing evening, which I think was exactly what both of us needed. We played music for a while, and then rented a movie. When I say "we played music" that means he played and I sang along. We watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" which is really good. Overall, it was just a wonderful day.
Saturday was a busy day. Rob had to work in the morning, but then he came with me up to Jax for Christen and Bobby's wedding. Then we had to be back here for the Saturday evening service. Then we went back to Orange Park for Krissy and Jenni's birthday party at Krissy's parents' house. We had intentions of everybody going skating afterward, but Skate World closes too early. So we came back and bummed around here and watched a movie. Sunday, in contrast, was a nice relaxing day. After Sunday school, we went out to eat, and then me, Rob, Krissy, Marilyn, and Greg (and occasionally some others) spent the entire afternoon on the front porch. It was nice. Monday after work I ran around doing errands for the NY trip, and then got to go to Lisa and Luis' new house for Bible study. Their house is very nice. And Bible study was awesome! Then there was more porch time. Today I got to sleep in late, but I actually have several things that need to be accomplished today, so I'm gonna go get on that now. I will be headed to NY tomorrow, so posts for the next week may be few and far between as I am not taking my computer. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Peace out!
It's been a while since I posted, which is not to say that nothing exciting has happened, but rather that I have been WORKING! (I know, it's amazing.) My temp job wound up lasting four days instead of just two, which was cool. It was basically data entry, so nothing exciting, but it definitely kept us busy the whole time. "Us" referring to myself and a lady named Emily who was placed on that job with me. She was really nice and I enjoyed working with her. She had been teaching at UF, but is going to be teaching at Flagler starting in the fall in the psychology department. Like I told Rob, she's the most normal psychology professor I've ever met! Very friendly; asked a LOT of questions, but not in a nosy way. I got to talk with her about church a little, which was cool. Cool parts about the job were (1) we got paid for our lunch breaks, (2) they bought us lunch, (3) we got off early twice but got paid for full days. You really can't beat that. (The phrase "couldn't beat that with a stick" was in my head, but I didn't think it fit well enough!) Wednesday and Thursday we ordered lunch from this sub place that was really good. They sold your normal coldcut subs, but the ones we got were hot chikcen subs. Wednesday I had a chicken teriyaki (sp?) sub and it was incredible! Thursday I had cajun chicken, which was good, but I'm not such a fan of my lips being on fire when I'm done eating. So enough about the job.
Wednesday was Krissy's 21st birthday. Also on Wednesday, we led the high-schoolers at Powerhouse, and that went really well. I can't remember if we did anything specific Thursday evening... I just remember everyone was over at the house, which isn't out of the ordinary. But later that night us girls took Krissy out to Fridays for a drink and dessert. I'm not a big drinker, nor will I ever be, but I am starting to draw specific conclusions about what kinds of drinks I like. Fruity is fine but really sweet isn't, etc. Anyway. Friday was mine and Rob's six-month anneversary. I got off work early by chance that day, which was perfect because I was cooking dinner so that gave me plenty of time to get everything done. I made chicken enchiladas and spanish rice with beans. Rob brought a bottle of white wine, which I found out I enjoy far more than red. We just hung out around his house and had a relaxing evening, which I think was exactly what both of us needed. We played music for a while, and then rented a movie. When I say "we played music" that means he played and I sang along. We watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" which is really good. Overall, it was just a wonderful day.
Saturday was a busy day. Rob had to work in the morning, but then he came with me up to Jax for Christen and Bobby's wedding. Then we had to be back here for the Saturday evening service. Then we went back to Orange Park for Krissy and Jenni's birthday party at Krissy's parents' house. We had intentions of everybody going skating afterward, but Skate World closes too early. So we came back and bummed around here and watched a movie. Sunday, in contrast, was a nice relaxing day. After Sunday school, we went out to eat, and then me, Rob, Krissy, Marilyn, and Greg (and occasionally some others) spent the entire afternoon on the front porch. It was nice. Monday after work I ran around doing errands for the NY trip, and then got to go to Lisa and Luis' new house for Bible study. Their house is very nice. And Bible study was awesome! Then there was more porch time. Today I got to sleep in late, but I actually have several things that need to be accomplished today, so I'm gonna go get on that now. I will be headed to NY tomorrow, so posts for the next week may be few and far between as I am not taking my computer. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Peace out!
May 19, 2005
Holy Sonnet XIV (14) by John Donne
Batter my heart, three-person'd God; for, you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force, to break, blow, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurp'd town, t'another due,
Labour to admit you, but oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betroth'd unto your enemy:
Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
Batter my heart, three-person'd God; for, you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force, to break, blow, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurp'd town, t'another due,
Labour to admit you, but oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betroth'd unto your enemy:
Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
May 17, 2005
because it's tuesday...
self-portrait, beach
self-portrait, beach
Today I feel productive. I had an interview this mornig with the tourism bureau. I was the first interview of four, so I have to wait a few days to find out if I get a second interview, and then if I get the job. It seems like an interesting job. I think it would suit me for the summer if I got it. A little later this morning I went by the staffing office to give them my tax information and get directions to my job for tomorrow and Thursday. It's a bit of a drive, but it's only two days, so I'm fine with that. I'll be up far earlier than I have in a while though! As for the rest of today, as I have now completed lunch, replied to emails, and written a post for your enjoyment, I believe I will go read for several hours. Then I will enjoy a wonderful dinner prepared especially for me (those are the best kind). Tomorrow is Krissy's birthday, and I have a little something planned for her, but I will not divulge what that plan entails in case she reads this today. Tomorrow night the Fusion leadership team is leading the Powerhouse service (the high school service) before doing our regular Fusion. That should be fun. I'm singing with the worship team as well as giving a testimony. I'm looking forward to it. That's all for now. Happy Tuesday to everyone!
May 16, 2005
beautiful rain...
It has been an incredibly pleasant Monday at the Oviedo house. Good news of the day: I have a temp job for Wednesday and Thursday (and possibly Friday, but probably not); I passed my FTCE exam; and I have an interview tomorrow morning. Additionally, I met with Mrs. Johnson today, the teacher I will be interning with in the fall. She is such a nice person. I am really looking forward to working with her. She gave me some books to look over for the summer. I got my forms all filled out for the New York trip, which I am also looking forward to. Oh, and when I was at Target I discovered the new Reeces Peanut Butter Cups that only have one gram of sugar! They're really good! Well, that's all my news for today. Looking forward to Bible study tonight. Ephesians is so good! Much love!
It has been an incredibly pleasant Monday at the Oviedo house. Good news of the day: I have a temp job for Wednesday and Thursday (and possibly Friday, but probably not); I passed my FTCE exam; and I have an interview tomorrow morning. Additionally, I met with Mrs. Johnson today, the teacher I will be interning with in the fall. She is such a nice person. I am really looking forward to working with her. She gave me some books to look over for the summer. I got my forms all filled out for the New York trip, which I am also looking forward to. Oh, and when I was at Target I discovered the new Reeces Peanut Butter Cups that only have one gram of sugar! They're really good! Well, that's all my news for today. Looking forward to Bible study tonight. Ephesians is so good! Much love!
May 14, 2005
05-14-05...
Blue sky, porch shade. Breeze-shuffled branches. Hammock taut, suspending me. Tiny spider resting suspended amidst hanging plant. Now and again the mosquito, clearly confusing mid afternoon for dusk. Afternoon of Eggers. A Heartbreaking something-or-other; Ends with Genius; First half, last half... never the whole thing at once. Two chapters in, pause to write this. Flops on chair for easy access. Phone close for who knows why. Pens, just in case... always.
I like our seashells.
Why is that one getting dried out?
Odd chairs... like marshmallows.
Hawks circle on wind currents. Far removed from the surface. I like hawks. Small birds twitter and chase. The ones that wake me at 6am.
Tires sound funny on brick streets.
Music --live maybe-- drifts from the Winery. Maybe not live; too varied. Circular, fountain-esque sprinkler in neighbor's yard. Like the ones I ran through... that was forever ago... getting old. Flippant striped awning of sprinkler house. Detestable honeysuckle blossoms asymmetrically draped across needless archway. Who really likes the smell anyway? And it really is pointless. Like that gate with no fence in Canton.
**phone call**
Unexpectedly good day. Never noticed that bird-feeder. Enough writing, more Eggars. I like him. Maybe two books in one month. Unprecedented! Right word? Don't know. Don't care. Back to reading now.
Blue sky, porch shade. Breeze-shuffled branches. Hammock taut, suspending me. Tiny spider resting suspended amidst hanging plant. Now and again the mosquito, clearly confusing mid afternoon for dusk. Afternoon of Eggers. A Heartbreaking something-or-other; Ends with Genius; First half, last half... never the whole thing at once. Two chapters in, pause to write this. Flops on chair for easy access. Phone close for who knows why. Pens, just in case... always.
I like our seashells.
Why is that one getting dried out?
Odd chairs... like marshmallows.
Hawks circle on wind currents. Far removed from the surface. I like hawks. Small birds twitter and chase. The ones that wake me at 6am.
Tires sound funny on brick streets.
Music --live maybe-- drifts from the Winery. Maybe not live; too varied. Circular, fountain-esque sprinkler in neighbor's yard. Like the ones I ran through... that was forever ago... getting old. Flippant striped awning of sprinkler house. Detestable honeysuckle blossoms asymmetrically draped across needless archway. Who really likes the smell anyway? And it really is pointless. Like that gate with no fence in Canton.
**phone call**
Unexpectedly good day. Never noticed that bird-feeder. Enough writing, more Eggars. I like him. Maybe two books in one month. Unprecedented! Right word? Don't know. Don't care. Back to reading now.
May 13, 2005
a jumbled mess...
So I think this being bored and by myself thing that I've got going on lately is really taking a toll on me mentally. I'm for real. As an introvert, I already spend too much time over-analyzing situations and drawing inaccurate conclusions in my head and what-not, but leave me by myself with nothing to do for twelve hours a day and it becomes far worse. Multiply that by three weeks and you have Megan starting to lose her marbles. So that's where I am right now. So for anyone in my life who thinks I've been a little weird lately, you're right, I have. And I apologize. As for the over-analyzing thing, that really is something I'm struggling with. It's everything, even the tiny little insignificant things, everything's getting to me right now. And I'm overly emotional about everything, too, which is very unlike me. Emotionally right now I feel just like I do during horribly stressful times like finals week. And from the logical viewpoint, I have no reason to be that way. I think I just don't know how to handle such a drastic change in routine. I'm used to being crazy-busy with hardly any down time, with a house full of equally busy people. Now I'm bored out of my mind, the house is empty most of the day, and "to add insult to serious injury" I'm broke as a joke, so there's not even a lot for me to do. I know, the logical advice, first off, would be for me to spend the time I can with people. Like tonight, the girls all went out, and I stayed home. I don't do groups well. I can only tolerate any group of people for a short period of time before the simple fact of being in a group stresses me out. That's odd, I know. I've only ever met a few people who feel the same way as me about that. The second part of the logical advice that people are likely to give me is the part that I should pay more attention to. There are things that I could find to do... things that don't even cost money. My big plan for tomorrow is to go to the library and check out a book and read it. I successfully completed a book already in my time off, which is a big accomplishment for me. Hopefully I'll find another good one that will keep my interest. Additionally, I need to be reading my Bible more. I've been semi-consistent with my quiet times, but not as much as I would hope. And even beyond my quiet times, if I have all this time on my hands, why not get in the Word more?
Okay, so this post is more like Megan giving herself advice, and potentially not very interesting for everyone else to read, but I think it may have helped me to put this in writing. Thanks for listening.
So I think this being bored and by myself thing that I've got going on lately is really taking a toll on me mentally. I'm for real. As an introvert, I already spend too much time over-analyzing situations and drawing inaccurate conclusions in my head and what-not, but leave me by myself with nothing to do for twelve hours a day and it becomes far worse. Multiply that by three weeks and you have Megan starting to lose her marbles. So that's where I am right now. So for anyone in my life who thinks I've been a little weird lately, you're right, I have. And I apologize. As for the over-analyzing thing, that really is something I'm struggling with. It's everything, even the tiny little insignificant things, everything's getting to me right now. And I'm overly emotional about everything, too, which is very unlike me. Emotionally right now I feel just like I do during horribly stressful times like finals week. And from the logical viewpoint, I have no reason to be that way. I think I just don't know how to handle such a drastic change in routine. I'm used to being crazy-busy with hardly any down time, with a house full of equally busy people. Now I'm bored out of my mind, the house is empty most of the day, and "to add insult to serious injury" I'm broke as a joke, so there's not even a lot for me to do. I know, the logical advice, first off, would be for me to spend the time I can with people. Like tonight, the girls all went out, and I stayed home. I don't do groups well. I can only tolerate any group of people for a short period of time before the simple fact of being in a group stresses me out. That's odd, I know. I've only ever met a few people who feel the same way as me about that. The second part of the logical advice that people are likely to give me is the part that I should pay more attention to. There are things that I could find to do... things that don't even cost money. My big plan for tomorrow is to go to the library and check out a book and read it. I successfully completed a book already in my time off, which is a big accomplishment for me. Hopefully I'll find another good one that will keep my interest. Additionally, I need to be reading my Bible more. I've been semi-consistent with my quiet times, but not as much as I would hope. And even beyond my quiet times, if I have all this time on my hands, why not get in the Word more?
Okay, so this post is more like Megan giving herself advice, and potentially not very interesting for everyone else to read, but I think it may have helped me to put this in writing. Thanks for listening.
May 12, 2005
the little allison...
allison harper lee
This is my baby niece Allison. The picture was taken when she was only three days old. She is now nearly four months... and has taken a liking to screaming. Mom, who has been baby-sitting weekdays, is not such a fan of that. But Mom is done as of tomorrow. Next week the other grandma will be in town watching her, and after that it's summer for Amy (my sister-in-law) because she teaches.
Here are a few things I am looking forward to in the near future: getting a job; trip to NYC with the youth choir; trip to Atlanta for the 4th with Rob (and seeing the Briants); tonight's episode of the O.C.; potential of going to Cornerstone on Saturday; potential of going to the Bright Eyes concert in June; the up-and-coming six-month anneversary. All terribly out of order. Things I am not looking forward to: attempting to get my finances in order; writing an essay for my scholarship; going to Jacksonville tomorrow to do a chore requested by my mother; baby screaming at me when I get there; conflict of interests and events next weekend. Sorry nothing remarkably interesting to write about today. Such is my life. Erica has departed for New Jersey and won't return until the end of August, so we are down to four for now. Marilyn is trudging her way through Design 1 for summer term. Krissy and I are both looking for jobs and are enjoying the sleeping in late, although she has her internship, so she legitimately has more to do with her days than I do. I hardly see Nicole. Christina sounds like all is well in Orlando. And last we heard, all was well for Jess in New York. So that's the room mate update. Peace out.
May 10, 2005
number three...
look what the tide brought in...
look what the tide brought in...
Okay, I think this is the last picture post of the day. This was taken near the pier here in St. Augustine (you can see the pier in the upper right corner). I want to put together an online album of all my photos and then put a link on my blog... if anyone has any suggestions of what program to use, please let me know. I'm clueless. I guess I could check out other people's blogs and see what they're using, but if you have a suggestion let me know.
photography...
self portrait, mirror
self portrait, mirror
So this is me. I don't guess I've posted a picture of myself before. I finally decided today to scan in a bunch of my photography so that I could post some of it here, so more photos will appear in days to come.
Info about my work, for those who care:
Info about my work, for those who care:
I do traditional gelatin-silver prints (meaning not digital). My camera is a Nikon N75. I use Agfa 400 film. I prefer printing on Ilford RC pearl paper, but I also print on Ilford Fiber, both glossy and matte. (The paper makes a world of difference.) I use both condenser and cold-tone enlargers, but generally prefer the cold-tone. That's about all the technical information. For now, all my printing is done in Flagler's dark room. Maybe one day when I grow up and have my own house, if I'm still really into it, I'll be able to have my own dark room. For now, I just make do.
May 5, 2005
dance...
Happy Cinco de Mayo! I would have said the whole greeting in Spanish, but I couldn't remember what the word for "happy" was and neither Christina nor Erica is here to ask. Speaking of which, Erica is with the group from church in Mexico right now. How cool to be in Mexico for Cinco de Mayo! Well I think it's cool anyway. I'm looking forward to Phil and Tracy's party tonight. It should be lots of fun. It's at Habana Village Cafe, which I think is more Spanish (as in Spain) than Mexican, but that's close enough I suppose. I don't think there's really any true Mexican places around town anyway. I would say I'm looking forward to a nice Sangria as well, but I'm not sure how the crowd that will be there tonight feels about such things, so maybe that will wait until another time. I'm sure the menu is all wonderfully planned out anyway.
It's been raining for the past... oh I'd say 36 hours. I am, consequently, thoroughly unmotivated to do anything at all. I do, however, like how the leaves of the tree outside our window twitch when impacted by the raindrops. It's interesting. It's not as though I have by any means had a lack of sleep this week, but all I want to do when it rains is sleep. I'll try reading instead. I have 40 pages left. I'll finish today.
For those who didn't get the official memo, this is David Crowder's blog. (also linked on the side as "rock you like a hurricane") As much as I love David Crowder, I wanted to check it out a few times before I really avidly recommended it, but I have now and it is indeed worth-while. So if you're a fan, or if you're into the technical stuff that goes into recording music, or if you're just bored, check it out. He even talks about Bhor's model of the atom, although I'm not quite sure why. To be expected, I suppose.
That is all for now. More to come later, I am sure.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! I would have said the whole greeting in Spanish, but I couldn't remember what the word for "happy" was and neither Christina nor Erica is here to ask. Speaking of which, Erica is with the group from church in Mexico right now. How cool to be in Mexico for Cinco de Mayo! Well I think it's cool anyway. I'm looking forward to Phil and Tracy's party tonight. It should be lots of fun. It's at Habana Village Cafe, which I think is more Spanish (as in Spain) than Mexican, but that's close enough I suppose. I don't think there's really any true Mexican places around town anyway. I would say I'm looking forward to a nice Sangria as well, but I'm not sure how the crowd that will be there tonight feels about such things, so maybe that will wait until another time. I'm sure the menu is all wonderfully planned out anyway.
It's been raining for the past... oh I'd say 36 hours. I am, consequently, thoroughly unmotivated to do anything at all. I do, however, like how the leaves of the tree outside our window twitch when impacted by the raindrops. It's interesting. It's not as though I have by any means had a lack of sleep this week, but all I want to do when it rains is sleep. I'll try reading instead. I have 40 pages left. I'll finish today.
For those who didn't get the official memo, this is David Crowder's blog. (also linked on the side as "rock you like a hurricane") As much as I love David Crowder, I wanted to check it out a few times before I really avidly recommended it, but I have now and it is indeed worth-while. So if you're a fan, or if you're into the technical stuff that goes into recording music, or if you're just bored, check it out. He even talks about Bhor's model of the atom, although I'm not quite sure why. To be expected, I suppose.
That is all for now. More to come later, I am sure.
May 4, 2005
big deal...
Cat's Cradle
I am nearing what is possibly one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. Yesterday I began reading Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle and completed half of it. If I follow in a similar fashion today, I may very well finish a book in only two days! That will be monumentus as it will be a first for me. Even if I don't finish today, the mere fact that I read half a book in one day is huge in my world! Anyway, just wanted to share my excitement. (Sorry for the tiny picture.) Later.
Cat's Cradle
I am nearing what is possibly one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. Yesterday I began reading Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle and completed half of it. If I follow in a similar fashion today, I may very well finish a book in only two days! That will be monumentus as it will be a first for me. Even if I don't finish today, the mere fact that I read half a book in one day is huge in my world! Anyway, just wanted to share my excitement. (Sorry for the tiny picture.) Later.
May 3, 2005
settled...
I think I've decided on what I'm talking about tomorrow night. Unless, of course, God has something else in mind that He drops in my lap by tomorrow. But I finally feel fairly confident about the topic. It's a combination of the two I mentioned in a previous post. I had one idea all planned out and everything already, but I just didn't feel any peace about it, so I went out to the porch today and read through stuff again, and it finally came together. Speaking of the porch, the weather these days is just incredible! I wish it would stay just like this.
Looking forward to:
1. Fusion on Wednesday
2. Phil and Tracy's Cinco de Mayo rehearsal dinner on Thursday
3. Phil and Tracy's wedding on Friday
4. The Edge on Saturday
5. Mother's Day on Sunday
I think I've decided on what I'm talking about tomorrow night. Unless, of course, God has something else in mind that He drops in my lap by tomorrow. But I finally feel fairly confident about the topic. It's a combination of the two I mentioned in a previous post. I had one idea all planned out and everything already, but I just didn't feel any peace about it, so I went out to the porch today and read through stuff again, and it finally came together. Speaking of the porch, the weather these days is just incredible! I wish it would stay just like this.
Looking forward to:
1. Fusion on Wednesday
2. Phil and Tracy's Cinco de Mayo rehearsal dinner on Thursday
3. Phil and Tracy's wedding on Friday
4. The Edge on Saturday
5. Mother's Day on Sunday
headlines...
For all those who enjoy reading funny things online, the onion is a satire-type magazine that my quirky-yet-loveable new roommate Marilyn suggested to me. You might enjoy.
For all those who enjoy reading funny things online, the onion is a satire-type magazine that my quirky-yet-loveable new roommate Marilyn suggested to me. You might enjoy.
