Why, hello there, blogosphere.

It's afternoon. I'm sitting in my window sill - you know, the one that has worn spots from being occupied for long hours of study, and the smudges of less-than-clean feet. My window is open, and it's cool and nappish. 

Two weeks ago my family went camping. The gift of long, quiet hours on both trails and lake gave me time for much-needed reflection, thinking through events from this last summer, China, and life now. Those reflections may or may not manifest themselves in posts. 

But now I'm thinking specifically over the past year, my year of "18." There have been so many gifts, so many lessons…so much pain. Humbling me to the lowest valley, and exhilarating to the highest peak. A year of constantly going, going, going, so often feeling I could continue no longer, then uplifted by Grace and given the endurance to keep running. 

The first half of my 18th year I spent working full time. Balancing a job, my family, and other relationships was new for me, and definitely something I had to work hard through. I never felt like there was time enough during the day, always borrowing from Tomorrow's supply. And as I've gone back, reading the oh-so-few posts from this last year, I see the thread of God's teaching to me throughout even the fragmented thoughts from brain to fingertips to virtual paper. 

Following the Piper…for Jingle, realizing the gift my sister is…learning that rest at Jesus's feet is so vitally important, and that peace lies in acceptance. December flew by with my brother's engagement, photoshoots, and a a brief compilation of lessons from the year. 

Then this year to date I have posted 7 times. Yep, 7. Blips on a map…short quotes from conversations maybe? My brother's wedding (it seems as yesterday!) Then as June came, and I began to try to understand pain, process hopes, that I rediscovered the source of strength and joy, and the love like an ocean. An ocean full of tides tearing me away from the comfortable known into the unknown of love unmeasured. 

Drawing me further from my comfort zone was July and China. Students old and new, familiar streets, familiar sounds and smells. The memories, the stories, the answered prayers! Then California, a time of rest and packing up dear friends to move, then coming home, volunteering with kids…and leaving again for New Mexico. Then finally home. Then the restlessness of stillness, and learning to rest, and be content again with the mundane of college and life, and seeing the gifts and the glory of peace. 

My 19th birthday was last week. I am so grateful for my dear family and friends who made the day so special for me. From my mom's chocolate chip pancakes, to epic sibling car convos, birthday wishes via phone calls, texts, and messages, eating frozen yogurt and singing musicals under a bridge with my sister, it was a wonderful day. :)

And now, here are some things I've been reminded of today….

- I'm still using the temporary password for logging in for school that I was issued over two months ago.

- There will always be more homework, but people are what's important.

- It is definitely possible to analyze a movie for philosophy just by reading reviews and watching youtube clips…and get a good grade.

- There is no end to what can be cleaned and organized when I'm procrastinating.

- It's never smart to let a five year old "help" where there is bleach involved. 

- Automatic calendar prompts are life savers…unless your computer is set in a different time zone (I'd still like to know why my time was on EDT…)

- There's nothing quite as peaceful as riding into the sunset, barefoot and bareback.

- Exercise balls are far better than desk chairs - they bounce.

- Camping is still the best family vacation ever.

- It's never safe for others when I run across the "blackmail" photo file on my computer.

- "Busy" is relative. 

- God is always faithful.

Until the next post, whenever that may be!

{during a conversation about amounts of sleep}

Me: "I wonder how much sleep is really necessary to have human maximum function ability."

Rachel: "I'm not sure... It would be really nice if people could sleep like they drink espresso. Just a little bit is needed, but it goes a long way..."

I wonder...

If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?

{following the Piper again}

{on walking into the kitchen before I fully awoke}

"How did the unwashed dishes multiply since 10am last night?"

If I wasn't going to work, I would go back to bed. The good thing is, I'm not driving our carpool to work today. That small fact will most likely save the lives of at least four other people. Somehow.

I'm think I'm running late...or early...

{my thoughts exactly}

"Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appreared to them to be otherwise."

~the Duchess

9:05pm

{what goes through an ADD person's mind in the space of about 20 minutes...or is it time span? I'm not sure. Which reminds me...}

Today began the second week of being back to work after being gone for a month. From the looks of things, this will be another 40+ hour week. And somehow, I have a blister already, on my left pinky. This is odd for two reasons: 1, I'm right-handed; 2, it's my PINKY! How do you get a blister there?
 

At work last week, I forgot to bring silverware for lunch. I had pasta, which wasn't really an eat-with-your-fingers type lunch. After scrounging around the cabinets, all I found was plastic knives. So, I put my chopstick training to good use. I actually think that chopsticks with a serrated edge would be a fabulous invention. Not only would you be able to eat your food, you'd be able to cut it as well. Just a thought. Anyways, the two knife idea worked fabulously. But I still brought silverware the next day.

 

I love my job. It's wonderful manual labor. The only thing I don't really like is the whole items-being-backordered thing, then the catch up process after we get in the shipping supplies and/or items to ship. Last week we ran out of a certain kind of sign box. This is our biggest box, and is custom made. After several days of allowing the orders to back up, we finally got the boxes today, an hour and a half before quitting time, and in time to run out of 9x4 blue magnets. Not only that, but the phone/computer line was broken, so there was no internet, which means that the packages can't be labeled using FedEx's handy dandy system. Everything will have to be entered in by hand until the phone line is fixed. The first good thing is that that’s not my job. The second good thing was that I got my paycheck from last week, which made me immensely grateful to have a job, despite the glitches in the system. All things considered, I have a lot to be thankful for. :)

I've been thinking a lot about different things since coming home from China, and re-evaluating a lot of goals. I've been thinking a lot about this quote shared in church last Sunday:

"Ambitions for self may be quite modest … Ambitions for God, however, if they are to be worthy, can never be modest. There is something inherently inappropriate about cherishing small ambitions for God. How can we ever be content that he should acquire just a little more honour in the world? No. Once we are clear that God is King, then we long to see him crowned with glory and honor, and accorded his true place, which is the supreme place. We become ambitious for the spread of his kingdom and righteousness everywhere."
 ~John Stott

I'm wondering what ambitions I have that are insignificant and selfish? What ambitions should I have to further Christ's Kingdom?

Which reminds me again of China, and the fact that my 8 gb memory card is now finished downloading.  So, now I'm going to process and delete some of the photos from the trip.

 

                      This photo is in Pinghu, shot from a bridge over one of the many canals. Unedited.

And then there were crickets

Some neighbors and friends have been out of town for the past week and I have been feeding their animals. Before they left, SA was giving me the rundown of everything to do when she mentioned that I would need  to pick up crickets for the bearded dragon. "Crickets? Are you serious?" I said. She was very serious; but, it wouldn't be a problem, because the people at the pet store would get them out and tie the bag shut. The bag would then stay shut until I had come back to the cage to let them out.

So, yesterday I got crickets. Thirty-one of them, to be exact. Then I left the crickets in my car in the parking garage and went into Starbucks to study for a few hours.

That bag that was supposed to stay shut? The one that the crickets wouldn't escape from? When I got back to my car, that bag was empty.

 Totally empty.

And 31 crickets were hopping around in my car. IN MY CAR! You must understand, dear reader, that I just don't do insects. Don't pick them up, don't let them touch me, don't like them, etc. And now, there were 31 crickets in my car just waiting to attack me.

About half an hour later, 27 of the crickets were hopping around in the parking garage.Yes, I counted. There were still 4 at large. On the way to pick up my brother from work I found Number 28. He was thrown out the window at a stoplight in Houston.

After dropping my brother off at his destination, I went back to the pet store to purchase more crickets. I had a rather lengthy conversation with the manager explaining that the crickets escaped and that they needed to give me 31 free crickets. He wasn't amused. I asked if there was a female manager that would be more sympathetic, and was laughed at. No, I would still have to purchase replacement crickets. So I did. But not before having them double bagged and fastened shut with 6 rubber bands.

Those crickets managed to stay bagged long enough to get them to their cage, where they await certain death from the bearded dragon for their unfortunate brothers' crimes. I also found Numbers 29 and 30 in my car this morning. Number 31 still hasn't been found. Hopefully either the pet store person was incorrect in his counting and there was only thirty crickets to begin with, or Number 31 managed to escape into the parking garage. I may never know.

I do know, however, that I will not be purchasing crickets again.

Never.

I knew mopping was on my 'to do' list.

When I get in a hurry, I often forget important steps. Hence more work. But you know, sometimes you need to get things done and end up doing them without meaning to, and end up being very productive. For example, here's the steps to getting around to mopping the kitchen- even when you DON'T think you have time.
Step 1- Act like you're filling up a water bottle. Actually, fill it up.

Step 2- Screw the lid on. Just don't. Like, leave it so...(continue to next step)
Step 3- You pick up the water bottle (by the lid), actually only pick up the lid dropping the water bottle and spill a gallon of water on the kitchen floor.
Step 4- Mop it up. See, I told you you were being productive!

The only problem with this kind of productivity is, when I finish the task I didn't start out to do, I've forgotten the original task. The water bottle is still, as far as I know, downstairs on the kitchen counter.

Next, please...

It feels like a warm spring afternoon. One of those wonderful days when you have all day, and nothing to do. But I have a lot to do. A list a mile long.

I know I need to do-what I would say to some one else. "Do the next thing."
The next thing on the list of the importants.

So I'm going to turn off the computer. Right now.

And do the next thing.

Wrong again, unfortunately

The precipitation never got the memo to change from ice to snow. Oh well. This is Texas after all.

 My computer is telling me that it's freezing right now.

I could not have figured that out without help.

"Roomservice, Roomservice, don' send up any more ice." -W. C. Fields

Frigid with a possibility of precipitation-snow, to be precise.

Schools are closing. Which, in turn, means that everything of reputable knowledge of Houston weather will also be closing. (I've even heard rumors of snow days being incorporated into the Fort Bend County ISD schedule.)

You see, due to Global Cooling and the beginning of the 12.5th ice age, they've predicted snow.

Sometime tonight the 80% chance of precipitation will morph into 60% chance of snow. At least, so the experts claim.

Is it too much to ask that Texas be granted snow two consecutive years?

Because, if you're going to close everything, it at least should snow to make delays worthwhile.

Tomorrow may show the prediction to be one of the first examples of weather personnel being correct.

Or it may show the usual: people confusing the Unlikely with the Impossible.

Only time will tell.

Because I need one more thing to look for in the morning.

For those of us (ahem....that would be me) who have trouble getting up early, I may have finally found a solution--Clocky, an alarm clock that runs away from me!

"Can’t wake up? You’re not alone. Stats show that 40% of people ‘abuse’ the snooze. Typical alarm clocks just don’t work well. Ours never lets you oversleep again. Clocky runs away and hides if you don’t get out of bed. When the alarm sounds, Clocky will wait for you to get up. But if you snooze, Clocky will jump off of your nightstand (from 3 feet), and run around your room, determined to get you up on time. Clocky’s hip, innovative and charming. What could be better to wake up next to?"

Since I still don't have an alarm clock, this may be quite practial...Contributors? :)

A year I barely knew...

It's funny how things change. Some change is so slow that you don't notice it until you're looking back. Other change is in the blink of an eye. The gradual one is comfortable, like a warm summer breeze. And then it slaps you across the face like a face-first fall into ice cold water.

A great many things have changed this year. Some changes I predicted. Some I expected. Some I planned.

Some I didn't plan. Some...I couldn't stand. Some hurt beyond reason or explanation.

Yet life goes on.

There were times I cried, my world turned upside down. Facing future I couldn't plan for, wasn't expecting.

But there is strength in promise.

"With Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning*..."

The Giver of Gifts. The Giver of...yes, even change. And the Giver of pain.

With Whom there is no variation....

He doesn't change. He doesn't leave me in pain, in confusion. Through changes in my life, He remains constant.

Neither shadow of turning...

Not even a shadow of turning. How slight a shadow is, but He promises not even a shadow of turning.

And through change that knocks me senseless...or creeps suddenly in...I can trust that promise. That the Giver of all things won't give me something I can't handle. Won't change any outward thing that He's not walking beside me in.

I hardly know how to describe the last year. I hardly knew it. It came- and has gone. With the coming of 2011, I desire to live in the moment. To remember the little things that make life meaningful. To live life alive. To know this year. To be faithful.

Good morning.

*James 1:17b

Christmas Recap

Memorable. Crazy. Randomly fun. Green. Family frenzied.

Musical. Cold-at the last minute.

Beautiful.

Hope yours was wonderful as well.

Randomness, ect.

It's been awhile. Life happens.

I turned 17.

I got my driver's license.

My procrastination is 10 times worse.

I make faces with fruit snacks during math. Then take a picture. After all, it's math, right?

My family and another family went to a Civil War reenactment. We dressed up. :) My little brother was the cutest little guy there.

The guys died after the battle. Well, most of them.

We even made the paper.

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The longer between posts the harder posting is. Not really sure why.

I'm not going to promise updates any more-they may or may not happen.

My apologies to the 12 people I haven't emailed back in the last...well, little while. My philosophy for respondng to emails is:

1 line email- I'll probably respond within the day.

2 line email- I'll probably respond within two days.

3 line email- it may or may not take me a week.

More than that- call me. Otherwise you may have to wait a week or a matter of months.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Because Christmas is almost close, I'm hosting a contest on my blog! It's the how-random-can-you-be-in-one-sentance contest. The winner will recieve a random prize. The only way to enter is to leave a random comment. No extra entries, sorry. This contest will close December 17th at 7:32 and 1/2 p.m.

Good night!

Math must've gone to his head too...

"I know that two and two make four-and should be glad to prove it, too, if I could-though I must say if by any sort of process I could convert two and two into five it would give me much greater pleasure."
-Lord Byron

Gun Control- being able to hold the gun steady...

...and hit the intended target.

Overheard conversation...

...between my 5 and 1/2 yr old brother and my mom.

(J) If you bees a mother, you cook!
(M) What kind of things does a mother cook?
(J) Oh, bread, tea, muffins and waffles and pancakes, chicken, dinner, lunch, and cake.
(M) what kind of things does a father cook?
(J) Eggs, toast, noodles, jelly on crackers, and hot dogs.

Of course, we teach people not to stereotype in our family.

An attempt at a 'real' post...

I've been told that busyness is a choice. However, I believe that busyness is simply relative. What one person thinks is busy isn't for someone else, and vise versa. I think I used to have a lot more stamina and people toleration that is now entirely evading me. And just when I think I have my schedule maxed out, something else pops up. Amazing how that happens, eh?

Anyhow, this post is for all 14 people who have told me to post recently. My deepest apologies for delaying a 'real' post (what is a real post? please tell me why pictures and quotes don't count, I'd like to know). I hope this will suffice.

This week was insane. I had a great deal of school to do. I also started an online photgraphy class. This will be fun. :)

Yesterday evening through a few minutes ago I was babysitting 3 girls in my neighborhood. It was exhausting but good. I arrived at 4ish. We watched part of a movie (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in case you were wondering), then decided to play dress up (inspired by the movie of course). I didn't have any dress up; that was unacceptable. So, we walked a mile an a half to my house to retrieve a dress for me to wear. Actually, I ran most of the way. The kids biked. A dress was found and approved, and another mile and a half later we were back at their house. During the course of the play time I went from being Queen Susan to being a servant girl, which was fine by me. We ate supper in dress up. After a musical and Toy Story 2, we went to bed. The secret to no arguments at bed time is to keep your kids awake until they drop. 10:45 ended up being late enough.

The next morning consisted of chocolate chip pancakes with cool whip, more dress up, an impromptu photoshoot, and playing in the rain. Lunch was a picnic on the porch, since it had been raining all morning. The ideal way to get to the porch ended up being opening a window from the living room onto the covered portion of the porch instead of running through the rain.

(the view from the living room to the porch picnic)

During rest time the girls finished a movie and I did the accumulated dishes from the entire time I was there. Then we painted fingernails.

Home now, I'm appreciating being able to go into my room and shut the door. I'm appreciating the knowledge that I'm not responsible for making the next meal. It was fun though, and I'd do it again...

Hopefully that rambling was enough of a 'real' post for now. Off to do multiple random other things...

Good night!