Wii Reflections

My parents got us a Wii for Christmas. Or at least that's what they say. I think they really bought themselves a Wii. They even gave it to us early so I "have time to play before going back to school" (aka they couldn't wait to get it out from under the tree). Proof of my conclusion is that they even brought it to my grandparents' house this weekend.

We were bowling, playing pass the remote. My grandpa is a really good bowler in real life and in Wii world he wasn't too shabby either. In fact, he bowled a plethora of strikes. Boppy bowled a strike and my uncle (to be! Yay!) bowled next. He, too, bowled a strike and we were very impressed. (Greg's not a big bowler).

"I was just watching Jim," he said about my grandpa.

Next it was Grandma's turn. She bowled well but it was not a strike.

"I was just watching Greg," she said about my uncle.

We all laughed, but God spoke to me at that moment. No matter how great of a bowler Greg is, Boppy will always be better. Even if Grandma had made each move exactly the same way as Greg, she may not have bowled a strike. After all, Greg's strike was just luck (love ya, Greg!). If Grandma had watched Boppy instead she may have bowled a strike. His movements were true. Greg's were copied.

Sometimes we watch earthly leaders thinking they're good enough. True, they may be close to God. It's always important to fill our lives with Godly mentors, but we also need to look to our Heavenly Father for the best guidance. Everyone here on earth is just trying to be like God. Why should we watch them instead of watching Him?

<>< Katie

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Today was a pretty close to miserable day. It took me a over an hour to do a drive that should take less than 45. I dropped my sister off at the movie theater and had a nice lunch with a friend. We sat down, and he teased that it was going to take him an hour to eat, but I didn't need to feel compelled to stay that long. Well, his food was finish and our conversation still raging in full gear.

After lunch, I pulled back into the theater parking lot just as the movie ended. We then had to go to the mall. One day before Christmas. In a blizzard. Puke.

It was very easy for me to say, "If the glasses people hadn't broken my glasses the first time they tried to fix them, I could just go home now and finish making Christmas cookies. Wrap the presents? Oh, yeah, gotta do that, too." No. I had to be sitting in the mall... for an hour... while they replaced the lens of my glasses and then tried to tell me I needed to pay for it. In reality, they broke it, and eventually they replaced the lens for free.

While I was stalling for an hour, I ran over to a department store looking for a specific item. Well, apparently they don't make the size I need. Surprise, surprise. My entire body doesn't fit into the sizes made. Shoes, pants, shirts, you name it... it doesn't fit properly... After many hours (or at least many, many minutes) of searching, a sales associate approached me and asked if I was finding everything alright. I answered honestly (no) and told her what I was looking for. She then tried to convince me I needed to sign up for a charge card for that particular store. Well, if I can't find the product I want, why do I need to save money by signing up for a card? I told her no literally four different times. She then went to find another sales associate to ask if they make the size I was looking for. The second associate said no without offering any other suggestion. I walked away in frustration, and I heard the two sales associates making jokes. Maybe they weren't directed at me, maybe they were just having fun, but I highly doubt it. Needless to say, I promptly left the store.

My sister and I left the mall and I asked her where the package was. Her boyfriend is coming for Christmas and I didn't know what to get him, so she was going to go buy something while I was picking up my glasses. Well, apparently she couldn't find what she was looking for, so she bought nothing. Now I have no present for Boy. For tomorrow. Crap.

Drove home. Yeah, let's plow the roads.

Found a message waiting for me from a friend who wants to get together before break is over. Well, I had most of last week free, but she couldn't do anything. Now I'm booked and she's moderately free. I really, really want to get together with her, but there seems to be no time. It's frustrating!

Ok, awful day, eh?

So I come home, wrap the presents I do have (I figured out something for Boy), and took out my anger on our Wii. I bowled a 168! That's a personal record for me. I then upped my skills level on Wii Tennis to 606 (We've had this game for two days...).

At least the virtual world likes me.

Although, my shoulder wants to kill me.

I hope your day was better than mine!

Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow we remember the Savior of the world entering His creation in the form of an infant. Not just any infant, but an infant who was born in a stinky, smelly stable to a carpenter and his teenage wife-to-be. Perhaps my situation wasn't the only one that's less than perfect.

<>< Katie

Merry Christmas

Wait! I have a legitimate, good thought! (Maybe).

The other day at work, a mother came to pick up her son. Two of us went to get him (me and student). The mom yelled down the hall to her son not to put his shoes back on. He nor the other student heard her. "Mom said not to put your shoes on because you have to put your boots on instead," I told him and then he actually listened. She laughed about the incident and said, "At least someone listens to me." She went to go help her son find his boots and I went back to work.

"Katie," the mom called again. "Merry Christmas."

Simple words, yet they stuck with me the whole day. If I would have passed her at some other point in time and she wished me a Merry Christmas I probably would not have thought anything of it. Yet, she called me back to wish me a Merry Christmas. Not a happy holiday. A Merry Christmas. I knew her before I was working with her son, and we're both Christians, yet I think it made both of our hearts smile to be able to wish sisters in Christ a Merry Christmas without worrying about offending anyone. After all, Jesus is the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas!
<>< Katie

"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with Child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.'" Luke 2:30-33

"The Shortest Day Came..."

Melsa's been pestering me to update my blog with something more cheerful... so I've been trying to come up with something good... yet everything has been random stories (surprise surprise) with no real focus)... How about some random thoughts instead? Think, think, think...

Today's date is a palindrome and that makes me smile.

Today is also the shortest day. "The shortest day came..." and what's that speech about darkness that I've only heard nine times?

I had communion today for the first time since August 10th. And it was good. Actually, that's a lie. I had communion over Thanksgiving, but I only got a half a wafer ("Worship here on a regular basis and we'll give you the whole wafer" - Pastor Russ)

Last week I made up my offering envelope and left it in the cover of my Bible in the car. So I turned it in this week, crossed off the date, and wrote "oops". haha

I drove on the freeway today. Longer than just one exit, thank you. I'd like to once again point out: just because I choose not to drive on the freeway does not mean I can't, haven't, and won't.

It's is COLD! The hockey arena was actually considered warm considered to outside... Just because my mom (sorta) looks like Sarah Palin does NOT mean our weather must replicate that of Alaska...

I was on the jumbotron dancing to "Cotton Eyed Joe"... last time I was on the jumbotron I was wearing a Mrs. Potato Head Costume (and it wasn't Halloween...) My family failed at getting a picture yet again...

I got my glasses fixed the other day, but now the lens is warped... meaning I have to go the mall again tomorrow... two days before Christmas... because they didn't fix them properly the first time... (and this injury to the glasses was NOT my fault, haha)

Spiritual connection, oh yeah...

"Imagine the Creator of the Universe shoving Himself into a baby's body." - PT
"Every snowflake is different, yet look at what they can do together." - P Ras

In Christ,
<>< Katie

Adventures from the Flying Cesspool

Dear Fellow Compansions on This Flying Cesspool,

For the strangers who keep giving me the once-over, yes, I'm talking to you. No, you don't know me.

To the woman on the loud speaker, shut up.

To the man driving the golf-cart, I don't care how many times you offer me a ride. I have three hours and am able-bodied. I am good to go, thank you.

To the man complaining about his son, maybe we should trade books. You read Disconnect by Chap Clark and I'll read "Parents apparently don't play a role in their children's upbringing" that you've got your nose stuck in.

To the woman sitting in front of me, I don't care how many times you slam your body into the chair, it doesn't come back any further. In fact, those are my knees you're hitting. It hurts me just as much as it hurts you.

To the woman who can't get on this flight, I'm sorry the flight is full. Maybe next time it would be a good idea to book ahead of time.

To the woman with the small child, ever considered a sedative? (For yourself or the child)

To the man yawning while walking on the moving walkway, don't walk. It saves energy. Don't yawn, I've been up since 6:45am (in a different time zone), and I have four hours until I even get home. Twelve hours ago, I was finishing class for the day. My grades for that class are already posted. Should we compare long days?

To whoever thought it was smart to put flashing lights at the end of the moving walkway, you idiot. I'm very glad I don't have a photosensitive epilepsy.

To the people with the wheelchair on the moving walk-way, that was quite hilarious.

To the grounds crew who can't properly close the cargo door, thanks for delaying us 45 minutes. Just close it, let the pilot lie and say it's closed and move on. Whatever you do... DON'T CALL... Maintenance!

To the pilot who had the nerve to tell me we were flying right over my final destination, just let me off this darn plane! Give me a parachute, get me close, and we'll be good to go!

To everyone else who has caught my eye, thank you for your amusement.

Have a great day, here or wherever your final destination may be!
<>< Katie

Blog 100

I had a God moment the other day. I was sitting in my room being very productive and actually studying. When all of the sudden... BOOM... OUCH! I have a paper cut. I think God was telling me to do something more worthwhile with my time. haha Just kidding but only a little

This is my 100th blog, by the way!

<>< Katie

"I know your heart"

Today is Brian's birthday. Brian was my advisor for three years, but he did more than over see my grades. He fed me (homemade popcorn, doughnuts, etc.), supported me, prayed for me, prayed with me, stuck Bible verse in my locker, and let me hide in his office when the day didn't go well.

I remember one day in high school, I needed to collect 15 signatures to support me in running for an office. A mixture of those signatures had to be students of varying ages as well as teachers. I hated working up the courage to ask teachers to sign my paper. It's not that I didn't think they would, it's that I didn't want to ask.

One day, Brian came up to me and wanted to buy a candy bar I was selling as a fundraiser. I put down the piece of paper awaiting signatures and went to get Brian his candy bar. He yanked the sheet off the table and started pulling out a pen.

"Can I sign this?" he asked. Of course, I wasn't going to say no. Normally teachers were supposed to ask students about why they wanted to hold this title, what were their qualifications, could they be objective, etc. The awful interrogating questions that drive me nuts. Here, Brian had not only not asked me the annoying questions but offered to sign my sheet without me having to ask. He then added, "I'm not going to waste my time with the questions. I know your heart is always in the right place."

He walked away with his candy bar, and I walked away with my signature, yet my brain was mulling over so much more.

"I know your heart is always in the right place," his words echoed in my mind.

Was that true? Is my heart always in the right place? Of course not. But apparently it was in the right place often enough to convince them. Ever since then, his words still echo in my mind.

How many people know your heart? Are you being open enough and honest enough with people for them to know your inner-thoughts? Are you allowing them to see your true self? At the same time, is your heart true? Do you strive to make sure it's always in the right place (isn't that something we can all work on)?

Happy birthday, Brian!

In Christ,
<>< Katie

"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgressions, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:7-8

Life as a Double Major

It's crunch time. Two 5-page papers due this week. One isn't in English. Newsletter to be released... today... wait, where's Jack's article? Oh, yeah, he hasn't written it yet.... I did laundry two days ago, why is it still all over my room? The socks aren't folded and the shirts don't fit in the drawer. Half-finished Mountain Dew sits by the sink calling my name. The sink! The sink desperately needs to be cleaned. What's the noise? Oh, my stomach. Ooops, forgot dinner. That chocolate looks yummy. St. Nick brought it a day early and just in time. Just like that paper I finished last night. Turned it in at 11:59 and went straight to bed. Hence the heap of papers spewed all over my floor. Somewhere in the heap of junk on my desk is my study abroad form, mission trip form, and... crap... work forms? That's ok, I'm not officially hired yet. My future boss tells me I'm the slave who does everything and doesn't get paid. There's Jack's article! Plug and chug then to bed.

Morning comes all too soon. Do I really need a shower? Um... YES! Time for class. I still didn't finish the book we were supposed to have finished two days ago. It's going to be a loooong day. Where's that Mountain Dew? I knew I didn't finish it on purpose! Oooo... flat... my favorite.

Have a great day!
<>< Katie

(written around midnight one day this past week when I should have been sleeping...)

What does that mean?

In my small group a few weeks ago we were struggling over Romans 10:5-9. We read the NIV and it didn't make any sense. So moved to the ESV. Silly me, I thought the "E" in ESV stood for "English." Clearly not because that doesn't make any sense. This passage made my brain hurt. We mulled over it for probably ten minutes before quiet Stephanie sitting across from me said, "I don't know if this will help or not, but I could read my translation." She read her NLT and suddenly the passage made sense!

Sitting right there in the middle of small group I had a God moment. God used that confusion moment (or confusion moments) to teach me about searching for answers.

How often do we search and search unable to find what we're looking for? We're confused, frustrated, and uncertain. We're crying out to him not understanding anything and then all of the sudden... BOOM! There is your answer! And low and behold, it had been right in front of you the whole time. If we'd have asked Stephanie to read her translation earlier, the passage would have made sense sooner but nooooo... we had to do our own thing and struggle with it on our own until she piped up and offered.

Pay attention to what's right in front of your face! Ask others for help in clarification. You don't have to do it on your own.

In Christ,
<>< Katie

December First

There are few specific dates I remember of certain events (besides boring birthdays).
July 2, 2000, was when our basement flooded.
March 6, 2007, was when my cat died.
You know, the random things.

December 1 has two memories attached to it. I think it'll be a day I tell my grandkids about. I seem to tell someone every year. My mom has taken to rolling her eyes and groaning, "I know, on December 1st..." Sometimes I wonder if I'll have a child born on December 1st or something.

On December 1, 1998, we were allowed to take our jackets off at recess. That means it was approximately 60 degrees

On December 1, 2006, we had a snow day. Enough snow fell that they couldn't plow the roads fast enough to make them safe for school buses.

What a contrast.

Have happy day! I wonder what God has in store!

<>< Katie