"You need a new phone."
I've been told that regularly for the last two years. They're right: I do need a new phone. When I started college the question was always, "Is that the new model?" Now that I've graduated, same phone in pocket, the question has become "When do you get an upgrade?"
They want me to make the leap into the twenty-first century and go from a dumb phone that only texts and calls to a smart phone that does everything except brush your teeth for you.
"With as much time as you spend on Facebook and Twitter, you're going to love it!"
That's what they all say. And they're probably right. I wish I could Tweet on the go, always had my email at my fingertips, and my text message inbox didn't remain at 98 percent full. The upgrade won't break my budget and the thirty dollars a month data plan is feasible.
Weeks of second-guessing and questioning led up to the moment when I signed the check. Knowing full well what I was doing, I handed it to Brent. He handed me a receipt.
Smile* was mine.
My check was not for thirty dollars. It was for thirty-eight. If I could feasibly pay thirty dollars a month just to have the internet with me wherever I went, how could I not spend thirty-eight dollars a month making sure a child had food?
For years I have been the primary letter writer for Maria, our family's sponsored child in Columbia. That means the misunderstanding about us having fourteen grandchildren... yeah, I'm culpable.
I knew someday I'd sponsor a child through Compassion. The question that ragged on my heart was: Why is that someday not today? I was out of excuses.
For a dollar and twenty-five cents a day, I can provide Smile with food. That's not even the cost of one cup of coffee. That's one small fries from McDonald's.
Let's be real: I don't have a lot of money. But I have enough. I'm not worrying about going hungry. Smile is.
Katie: God, why are you providing for me but not for Your children in third world countries? Is food not a necessity?
God: I am providing. Katie, I am providing you.
It's going to be a sacrifice. I want (borderline need) a new phone, but it's going to have to wait.
There's a little girl in El Salvador who needs an education. She needs medical care. She needs hope, esperanza. She needs to know someone cares. That someone is an unemployed hispanohablante in the US. That Someone is her Heavenly Father.
Why not today?
<>< Katie
*not her real name
PS: This is my story of how God led me to child sponsorship through Compassion. It might be reckless to commit to $38/month with no income. But I know the Lord and saw His hand in this decision long before I signed the check. I trust He will provide, and I've seen Him do so already. If that means I have to eat peanut butter and jelly for a week (I hate pbj) so Smile can eat rice and beans, so be it.
Showing posts with label phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label phone. Show all posts
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
That's What Family Does
I was talking through some of my feelings and challenges on the phone with my friend Stacy. Basically, I melted on her. I don't understand why God has asked (forced) me to leave home to move across the country home. Among other things, she reminded me that my friends, though 900 miles away, are still here for me.
Next time I was bored and lonely, I picked up the phone.
It has been so good to hear the voices of the people I love so much. Sometimes we talk about our days, sometimes about superfluous things, and sometimes our conversations go deeper. Sometimes there is silence on the phone, just like there is in face to face conversation. But neither of us hang up.
Over the phone you can't have a sleepover with two twenty-somethings in a twin bed, you can't have children fall out of the laundry shoot, and you can't have a spontaneous dance party in the living room... but you can remember and laugh about them.
Over Skype, there are still quotes for Wacky Wednesday, still crazy facial expressions, and still people falling off the bed.
As I sat down to dinner alone, I plugged in my new Peder Eide Rescue CD. The first time I heard "That's What Family Does," I figured it would need some time to grow on me. It only took one more listening and it had grown! It had me almost in tears. (Though, I will admit: that's pretty easy these days).
"That's What Family Does" by Peder Eide
There are times when life is tough
and a yes to God is not enough.
When the hill is steep,
the summit high.
You wonder why.
You've lost your spark, your fight, your song
now wrong seems right
and right seems wrong.
Look around and see
the face of family
and lean into the love.
Lift each other up,
cheer each other on.
We do it all because
that's what family does.
The table's set
and the food is hot
reminding you what you've forgot
the warmth of home,
and a fragrant grace,
a holy place.
And all of us
can hardly wait
to hold you close
and celebrate.
Look around and see
the face of family
and lean into the love.
Lift each other up,
cheer each other on.
We do it all because
that's what family does.
They say out there that no one cares and you are all alone.
Seems they may be alone, well, we claim you as our own.
My spark, fight, and song are missing in action...
I can't physically look around and see... but I can see the face of family in my phone bill and my Skype's "Recent" log. I can lean into the love even if that means no hugs.
Though it's not ideal, I'm lovin' it!
<>< Katie
Next time I was bored and lonely, I picked up the phone.
It has been so good to hear the voices of the people I love so much. Sometimes we talk about our days, sometimes about superfluous things, and sometimes our conversations go deeper. Sometimes there is silence on the phone, just like there is in face to face conversation. But neither of us hang up.
Over the phone you can't have a sleepover with two twenty-somethings in a twin bed, you can't have children fall out of the laundry shoot, and you can't have a spontaneous dance party in the living room... but you can remember and laugh about them.
Over Skype, there are still quotes for Wacky Wednesday, still crazy facial expressions, and still people falling off the bed.
As I sat down to dinner alone, I plugged in my new Peder Eide Rescue CD. The first time I heard "That's What Family Does," I figured it would need some time to grow on me. It only took one more listening and it had grown! It had me almost in tears. (Though, I will admit: that's pretty easy these days).
"That's What Family Does" by Peder Eide
There are times when life is tough
and a yes to God is not enough.
When the hill is steep,
the summit high.
You wonder why.
You've lost your spark, your fight, your song
now wrong seems right
and right seems wrong.
Look around and see
the face of family
and lean into the love.
Lift each other up,
cheer each other on.
We do it all because
that's what family does.
The table's set
and the food is hot
reminding you what you've forgot
the warmth of home,
and a fragrant grace,
a holy place.
And all of us
can hardly wait
to hold you close
and celebrate.
Look around and see
the face of family
and lean into the love.
Lift each other up,
cheer each other on.
We do it all because
that's what family does.
They say out there that no one cares and you are all alone.
Seems they may be alone, well, we claim you as our own.
My spark, fight, and song are missing in action...
I can't physically look around and see... but I can see the face of family in my phone bill and my Skype's "Recent" log. I can lean into the love even if that means no hugs.
Though it's not ideal, I'm lovin' it!
<>< Katie
Friday, June 24, 2011
Sharing Life
They didn't know I was in town. I knew I couldn't leave without seeing them.
After dinner one evening, I gave them a call. No answer. I called their cell phone. No answer. I called the house phone again. Still no answer.
"What do you want to do?" Laura asked. "Do you want to go over there and check or just wait awhile?"
I hesitated. There are some people in my life that the best (read: only) way to get a hold of them is face-to-face.
"Do you mind if we just run over there?"
She didn't.
We figured they were having Family Time. The phone does not interrupt Family Time but Katie and Laura are welcome to Family Time.
We were wrong.
The phone went unanswered because Ruth was out walking the dog. When we pulled up beside her she gave us a small wave. Her eyes were teary. We parked and ran over to hug her.
"Jesus sent you to me!" She said. Twice.
Her father who, despite being in his 90s, had been doing relatively well had taken a bad turn. She didn't know if he had hours to live or weeks. She didn't know if he'd still me alive in a week when they made the cross-country trip home. She didn't know if she wanted the opportunity to say goodbye or if she would prefer he pass quickly rather than suffer. It had only been a month since her mother went home to heaven.
The three of us walked around the neighborhood hand in hand, tear in tear. Then we sat on the couch together, journeyed back through life, and cried some more. Sometimes we talked. Sometimes we blubbered. Sometimes we sat in silence. We shared life.
We prayed to God. We praised God. We questioned God. We said, "Thy will be done."
Thanks to her sons, we were the hill in a painful rendition of King of the Hill. We were drooled on by the dog. We cleaned up the kitchen.
Laura and I had no idea what to expect when we decided just to go over. But we're so glad we did. God was using us and, at first, we had no idea.
Be intentional. Life is messy: share it with someone. Drop in to check on a friend. Let God provide your shoulder, your hug, your friendship for someone in need. You never know when your smile is the highlight of their day. When your kind word is really the Holy Spirit speaking directly to their heart.
<>< Katie
UPDATE: Earlier this week Ruth sat at her father's bedside and heard him draw his last breath before he went Home to his Father's House. Please take a minute to pray for the family as they are grieving but also rejoicing that he's now healthy and whole.
After dinner one evening, I gave them a call. No answer. I called their cell phone. No answer. I called the house phone again. Still no answer.
"What do you want to do?" Laura asked. "Do you want to go over there and check or just wait awhile?"
I hesitated. There are some people in my life that the best (read: only) way to get a hold of them is face-to-face.
"Do you mind if we just run over there?"
She didn't.
We figured they were having Family Time. The phone does not interrupt Family Time but Katie and Laura are welcome to Family Time.
We were wrong.
The phone went unanswered because Ruth was out walking the dog. When we pulled up beside her she gave us a small wave. Her eyes were teary. We parked and ran over to hug her.
"Jesus sent you to me!" She said. Twice.
Her father who, despite being in his 90s, had been doing relatively well had taken a bad turn. She didn't know if he had hours to live or weeks. She didn't know if he'd still me alive in a week when they made the cross-country trip home. She didn't know if she wanted the opportunity to say goodbye or if she would prefer he pass quickly rather than suffer. It had only been a month since her mother went home to heaven.
The three of us walked around the neighborhood hand in hand, tear in tear. Then we sat on the couch together, journeyed back through life, and cried some more. Sometimes we talked. Sometimes we blubbered. Sometimes we sat in silence. We shared life.
We prayed to God. We praised God. We questioned God. We said, "Thy will be done."
Thanks to her sons, we were the hill in a painful rendition of King of the Hill. We were drooled on by the dog. We cleaned up the kitchen.
Laura and I had no idea what to expect when we decided just to go over. But we're so glad we did. God was using us and, at first, we had no idea.
Be intentional. Life is messy: share it with someone. Drop in to check on a friend. Let God provide your shoulder, your hug, your friendship for someone in need. You never know when your smile is the highlight of their day. When your kind word is really the Holy Spirit speaking directly to their heart.
<>< Katie
UPDATE: Earlier this week Ruth sat at her father's bedside and heard him draw his last breath before he went Home to his Father's House. Please take a minute to pray for the family as they are grieving but also rejoicing that he's now healthy and whole.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Life-Long Friendships
My dad's birthday was earlier this month, so while everyone else was out, I had the job of answering our home phone. I don't usually pay any attention to the home phone because no one calls me there. But this particular day I did and what I saw was an area code from Baptist Country.
Even though I knew the call wasn't for me, I got excited. Talking on the phone to someone in that state made me feel closer to my college friends. It was the wife of one of my dad's college buddies calling to wish Dad a happy birthday.
A few hours later we received another call from Baptist Country. This time it was the husband of the woman who called earlier. I answered the phone and passed it on to the Birthday Boy.
Even though he went into the other room, I could still hear their bantering, the inside jokes and stories that never get old, and the gut-busting laughter. I couldn't help but smile. Even though their relationship has been mostly limited to an annual dinner (thanks to having a daughter in the area... wait, that was me) and birthday phone calls, my dad and Mark still have a friendship.
That brought me an amazing amount of encouragement to know that even when we're not seeing each other every day, my college friends and I can still joke around, retell stories, and (yes, even) sass each other. While the miles between us will change, our friendship will remain the same.
<>< Katie
PS: College friends who thought they were finally free of me and my sassy, sanitary self... so sorry!
Even though I knew the call wasn't for me, I got excited. Talking on the phone to someone in that state made me feel closer to my college friends. It was the wife of one of my dad's college buddies calling to wish Dad a happy birthday.
A few hours later we received another call from Baptist Country. This time it was the husband of the woman who called earlier. I answered the phone and passed it on to the Birthday Boy.
Even though he went into the other room, I could still hear their bantering, the inside jokes and stories that never get old, and the gut-busting laughter. I couldn't help but smile. Even though their relationship has been mostly limited to an annual dinner (thanks to having a daughter in the area... wait, that was me) and birthday phone calls, my dad and Mark still have a friendship.
That brought me an amazing amount of encouragement to know that even when we're not seeing each other every day, my college friends and I can still joke around, retell stories, and (yes, even) sass each other. While the miles between us will change, our friendship will remain the same.
<>< Katie
PS: College friends who thought they were finally free of me and my sassy, sanitary self... so sorry!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Guilty Getting Gas
Sometimes I have a problem with the "You are now entering the mission field" signs on the edge of church parking lots. Can the church property not also be a mission field? Yet sometimes we need that reminder. Sometimes we forget worship does not conclude when we leave the parking lot.
I forgot that on Sunday.
After church and lunch, we said goodbye to the youth who had touched our lives for the last two days and prepared for our three-hour journey back to school.
First stop: gas station.
The university keeps a gas card in the twelve-passenger van was I driving. I plugged in the card and it said, "See attendant."
Trip into the gas station number one. She told me to try it again and if it didn't work I could pay inside after I filled up.
Back at the pump, it didn't work a second time. I filled up the van and went inside to pay.
Trip into the gas station number two. We ran the card and it was denied. We ran it again, still denied. We ran it as debit, but I didn't have a PIN.
Back at the van, I called Heather. No answer. We called Kevin. He said he didn't know the PIN and told us to call Neal. Neal was apologetic that we hadn't been given the PIN before we left campus.
Trip into the gas station number three. On the phone with Neal, I punched in the PIN he gave me. Still no luck.
That's when I started to get short with him. It was out of frustration but that didn't make it right. Had I learned nothing on our weekend of living to worship? I could have been worshipping at the gas station... thanking God that we had gas to fill up the van, that our only snafu was a misbehaving gas card, and the ability to reach someone who was willing to help us on a Sunday afternoon while he was spending time with his family. I could have been courteous to the attendant and the man on the phone.
Getting mad at Neal wasn't worship. In fact, it was the opposite. It was getting cranky with someone who was trying to help.
The chorus of the Casting Crowns's song "The Altar and the Door" saying, "I will not lose my follow through between the altar and the door." Not forgetting everything we learned in church between when we leave the sanctuary and when we, as the sign in the parking lot says, enter the mission field. Instead, we should take what we've learned home with us and implement it into our lives.
Well, fail, Katie.
I lost a fight with a gas card and I lost my worship mindset. A mile from the church and I had two apologies to make: one to Neal and one to God.
Thankful for forgiveness,
<>< Katie
PS: On the fourth trip into the gas station, I paid out of pocket and was reimbursed when we made it safely back to campus.
I forgot that on Sunday.
After church and lunch, we said goodbye to the youth who had touched our lives for the last two days and prepared for our three-hour journey back to school.
First stop: gas station.
The university keeps a gas card in the twelve-passenger van was I driving. I plugged in the card and it said, "See attendant."
Trip into the gas station number one. She told me to try it again and if it didn't work I could pay inside after I filled up.
Back at the pump, it didn't work a second time. I filled up the van and went inside to pay.
Trip into the gas station number two. We ran the card and it was denied. We ran it again, still denied. We ran it as debit, but I didn't have a PIN.
Back at the van, I called Heather. No answer. We called Kevin. He said he didn't know the PIN and told us to call Neal. Neal was apologetic that we hadn't been given the PIN before we left campus.
Trip into the gas station number three. On the phone with Neal, I punched in the PIN he gave me. Still no luck.
That's when I started to get short with him. It was out of frustration but that didn't make it right. Had I learned nothing on our weekend of living to worship? I could have been worshipping at the gas station... thanking God that we had gas to fill up the van, that our only snafu was a misbehaving gas card, and the ability to reach someone who was willing to help us on a Sunday afternoon while he was spending time with his family. I could have been courteous to the attendant and the man on the phone.
Getting mad at Neal wasn't worship. In fact, it was the opposite. It was getting cranky with someone who was trying to help.
The chorus of the Casting Crowns's song "The Altar and the Door" saying, "I will not lose my follow through between the altar and the door." Not forgetting everything we learned in church between when we leave the sanctuary and when we, as the sign in the parking lot says, enter the mission field. Instead, we should take what we've learned home with us and implement it into our lives.
Well, fail, Katie.
I lost a fight with a gas card and I lost my worship mindset. A mile from the church and I had two apologies to make: one to Neal and one to God.
Thankful for forgiveness,
<>< Katie
PS: On the fourth trip into the gas station, I paid out of pocket and was reimbursed when we made it safely back to campus.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wrong Number
It's Friday morning (ok, early afternoon). I'm sitting in the den blogging with my feet above the desktop keyboard to where I have to reach around my knees to type. No one else understands how I do it but to me it's surprisingly comfortable. My sister Laura's in the kitchen eating breakfast, something I should do any minute. The house phone rings. Yes, we have a landline. I pick up the waterproof yellow phone in front of me to check the caller-id. I don't recognize it, so I set the phone down. Since I only live here part-time no one calls me on this number. Even when I lived here full-time every single phone conversation went something like this:
Katie: Hello?
Caller: Hey, Sarah, it's Somebody Random who just keeps talking until I have to cut her off.
Katie: This isn't Sarah. Hold on, let me find her for you.
Caller: Oh, sorry, Laura.
Katie: Not Laura either.
Caller: Wow! Christina you sound so grown up.
Katie: Keep guessing.
Caller: Freddy?
Yeah. I don't answer the phone anymore because apparently I sound like a man... Besides, if it's not for me, why answer the phone? To take a message? We have this cool machine that does that for us.
I hear Laura in the kitchen also pick up the phone and check the caller-id. She must recognize the name because she answers the phone.
Laura: Hello?
Woman: Who is this?!
Laura: Laura.
Woman: Oh. Sorry. Wrong number. Bye.
Laura: Bye.
She hangs up and bursts out laughing. "The woman spazzed when a female answers the phone! It was so funny."
After chastising her for saying her name to a stranger (In my mind the appropriate answer is, "You called me; who is this?") we had a good laugh at this stranger's wrong number. Maybe it's because I'm a writer that I want to know what her thoughts were when Laura answered the phone. Was she calling home to check on a husband she suspects is cheating? Was she expecting a young child to answer (or not answer) the phone? Is she just a freak-out lady?
We laugh, and I return to my blogging.
<>< Katie
Katie: Hello?
Caller: Hey, Sarah, it's Somebody Random who just keeps talking until I have to cut her off.
Katie: This isn't Sarah. Hold on, let me find her for you.
Caller: Oh, sorry, Laura.
Katie: Not Laura either.
Caller: Wow! Christina you sound so grown up.
Katie: Keep guessing.
Caller: Freddy?
Yeah. I don't answer the phone anymore because apparently I sound like a man... Besides, if it's not for me, why answer the phone? To take a message? We have this cool machine that does that for us.
I hear Laura in the kitchen also pick up the phone and check the caller-id. She must recognize the name because she answers the phone.
Laura: Hello?
Woman: Who is this?!
Laura: Laura.
Woman: Oh. Sorry. Wrong number. Bye.
Laura: Bye.
She hangs up and bursts out laughing. "The woman spazzed when a female answers the phone! It was so funny."
After chastising her for saying her name to a stranger (In my mind the appropriate answer is, "You called me; who is this?") we had a good laugh at this stranger's wrong number. Maybe it's because I'm a writer that I want to know what her thoughts were when Laura answered the phone. Was she calling home to check on a husband she suspects is cheating? Was she expecting a young child to answer (or not answer) the phone? Is she just a freak-out lady?
We laugh, and I return to my blogging.
<>< Katie
Thursday, April 29, 2010
My life is awesome
Author's Note: All of the following is a collection of achronological stories that have all happened in the last two days. Minor creative liberties may have been taken but these stories are as true as I can put them to where a reader can understand without having actually been here. Please don't pity me. I am cranky, but I am not being sarcastic; my life is awesome. Enjoy. <>< K
My life is awesome
Katie: Guys, I just had another bloody nose.
Andy: I'm trained handle that.
Elizabeth: How many times do we have to tell you, Katie: stop getting punched in the face!
Katie: It was Allyson!
(side note: this is a whole lot funnier if you know Allyson because she'd never hurt a fly)
Allyson (butter knife in hand): Do you want me to cut off your nose? That would help!
Katie: Actually, I think that'd make it bleed a bit more.
Andy: Well, look at it this way: it would hurt and bleed a lot right away but then you'd never have to worry about it again!
Elizabeth: Yeah, 'cuz you'd be dead.
(insert big argument about whether or not it's possible to live after getting your nose chopped off with a butter knife)
My life is awesome
Nikki: Gah! Why don't I ever date my notes?
Katie: Because they're not male.
Nikki: I never send my notes in the mail.
My life is awesome
Katie: Is that your mom or Andy on the phone?
Elizabeth: Huh?
Katie: Is that your mom or Andy on the phone?
Elizabeth: I still can't understand Katie's man-voice.
Nikki: You mean Kenny's man-voice?
Elizabeth: Talk to me again when you sound normal.
Katie (in the most pitiful stuffy-nose voice I could make): Just because I don't have a sense of smell doesn't mean I don't have feelings!
My life is awesome
If you've never been in an ASL class it's hard to imagine twenty people sitting around in complete silence when no one has died. Please try to picture it for me. Oh, and we were watching a silent movie, so... well... we know what happens when videos are shown in class... Anyway, I was in desperate need of some Tylenol. This cold might kill me, my headache was not helping, and after watching 50 minutes of ASL storytelling on a small tv screen you'd be groping for Tylenol, too. I was trying to decide if it would have been socially acceptable to take it in the middle of class. Most classes I wouldn't have cared, but this one is completely silent, so all of my classmates will hear me unzip my personal pharmacy; the bottle rattle; plus, I dropped my Nalgene splash guard on the floor yesterday and haven't had time to wash it, so I'm going to make a noisy mess as I nearly drown myself trying to swallow the pesky pill; eventually I'll give up and the "crunch" will reverberate through the classroom as if we were in a tunnel. This was my very long internal debate. I finally decided I didn't care: I needed some Tylenol. So I uncrossed my legs and began to dig into my backpack, but before I got there I accidently kicked one of the desks in front of me. "That desk is going to fall and there is nothing I can do about it." It fell in slow motion and the clang rang through the previously silent classroom.
My. Life. Is. Awesome.
My life is awesome
Katie: Guys, I just had another bloody nose.
Andy: I'm trained handle that.
Elizabeth: How many times do we have to tell you, Katie: stop getting punched in the face!
Katie: It was Allyson!
(side note: this is a whole lot funnier if you know Allyson because she'd never hurt a fly)
Allyson (butter knife in hand): Do you want me to cut off your nose? That would help!
Katie: Actually, I think that'd make it bleed a bit more.
Andy: Well, look at it this way: it would hurt and bleed a lot right away but then you'd never have to worry about it again!
Elizabeth: Yeah, 'cuz you'd be dead.
(insert big argument about whether or not it's possible to live after getting your nose chopped off with a butter knife)
My life is awesome
Nikki: Gah! Why don't I ever date my notes?
Katie: Because they're not male.
Nikki: I never send my notes in the mail.
My life is awesome
Katie: Is that your mom or Andy on the phone?
Elizabeth: Huh?
Katie: Is that your mom or Andy on the phone?
Elizabeth: I still can't understand Katie's man-voice.
Nikki: You mean Kenny's man-voice?
Elizabeth: Talk to me again when you sound normal.
Katie (in the most pitiful stuffy-nose voice I could make): Just because I don't have a sense of smell doesn't mean I don't have feelings!
My life is awesome
If you've never been in an ASL class it's hard to imagine twenty people sitting around in complete silence when no one has died. Please try to picture it for me. Oh, and we were watching a silent movie, so... well... we know what happens when videos are shown in class... Anyway, I was in desperate need of some Tylenol. This cold might kill me, my headache was not helping, and after watching 50 minutes of ASL storytelling on a small tv screen you'd be groping for Tylenol, too. I was trying to decide if it would have been socially acceptable to take it in the middle of class. Most classes I wouldn't have cared, but this one is completely silent, so all of my classmates will hear me unzip my personal pharmacy; the bottle rattle; plus, I dropped my Nalgene splash guard on the floor yesterday and haven't had time to wash it, so I'm going to make a noisy mess as I nearly drown myself trying to swallow the pesky pill; eventually I'll give up and the "crunch" will reverberate through the classroom as if we were in a tunnel. This was my very long internal debate. I finally decided I didn't care: I needed some Tylenol. So I uncrossed my legs and began to dig into my backpack, but before I got there I accidently kicked one of the desks in front of me. "That desk is going to fall and there is nothing I can do about it." It fell in slow motion and the clang rang through the previously silent classroom.
My. Life. Is. Awesome.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Spring Break-ing
You know you're an out-of-state college student when you're hardly off the plane before being handed a list of appointments and interviews that fill your spring break. That's ok because once you wrestle with your two sisters for the one car you know these roads and can get to your destination without the GPS (named Goopus... it's "GPS" and "Doofus" combined). In fact, you know where the lanes end, the speed limit changes, and where the police officers hide.
One thing my family does together is watch House, MD. Dad and I started it, but my sisters have jumped on the bandwagon. I don't have time to watch during the semester, so I hadn't seen any episodes since I was home at Christmastime. One of the episodes we watched this week involved a woman who blogged literally everything. Even I'm not that bad! See, look. This is me sparing you every intricate detail of my spring break and summarizing it in ten highlights. (I'd also like to note that I don't actually post my blogs at 6:48am or whatever. I schedule their publication, so don't tell me my sleeping habits have changed so I can blog at 6am or something crazy like that...)
1. First and foremost, the term "spring break" is not at all what I have experienced. It's not a "break" when the first day you get to sleep in is the day before you go back. It's not "spring" when you wake up that day to find three inches of snow on the ground. Don't get me wrong, we had some nice warm days, but silly me, I thought in spring the warm days were supposed to follow the snow not precede it.
2. Seeing my sister's college and eating the only pancakes and pasta for four days. The only person brave enough to venture from this strict diet found herself at urgent care with food poisoning. Oops.
3. Drinking ancient champagne with Christian in the church copy room. Don't worry, April was there, too.*
4. Some of our windows need to be replaced, so we're restaining the hardwood floor first... "if you give a mouse a cookie" style.
5. My first trip to the dentist in five years. It's really not that I have dentist-phobia but rather my mother has phone-call-making-phobia. I think it's a genetic condition.
6.Driving through the morning rush hour traffic for an internship interview at a downtown coffee shop. However, it was an incredibly interesting, informative interview. The first of three that day.
7.My first pedicure ever. Enough said.
8. Translating at the food pantry and soup kitchen. A hard of hearing Hispanic woman told me (in English) that the first time she heard her family speaking Spanish she told them they sounded like a bunch of chickens. Love it!
9. Remembering that I live in a house where refrigerated black olives are guarded by rotten tomatoes and sometimes the toilet paper pukes cat food. Don't ask unless you really want to know!
10. Last but definitely not least was having the opportunity to read for fun! Gasp! What's that? Book review coming soon.
How was your break?
<>< Katie
* Christian's the pastor of an ancient inner-city church; April is his wife. No one knows where this champagne came from nor how old it is, so, no, we didn't actually drink it.
One thing my family does together is watch House, MD. Dad and I started it, but my sisters have jumped on the bandwagon. I don't have time to watch during the semester, so I hadn't seen any episodes since I was home at Christmastime. One of the episodes we watched this week involved a woman who blogged literally everything. Even I'm not that bad! See, look. This is me sparing you every intricate detail of my spring break and summarizing it in ten highlights. (I'd also like to note that I don't actually post my blogs at 6:48am or whatever. I schedule their publication, so don't tell me my sleeping habits have changed so I can blog at 6am or something crazy like that...)
1. First and foremost, the term "spring break" is not at all what I have experienced. It's not a "break" when the first day you get to sleep in is the day before you go back. It's not "spring" when you wake up that day to find three inches of snow on the ground. Don't get me wrong, we had some nice warm days, but silly me, I thought in spring the warm days were supposed to follow the snow not precede it.
2. Seeing my sister's college and eating the only pancakes and pasta for four days. The only person brave enough to venture from this strict diet found herself at urgent care with food poisoning. Oops.
3. Drinking ancient champagne with Christian in the church copy room. Don't worry, April was there, too.*
4. Some of our windows need to be replaced, so we're restaining the hardwood floor first... "if you give a mouse a cookie" style.
5. My first trip to the dentist in five years. It's really not that I have dentist-phobia but rather my mother has phone-call-making-phobia. I think it's a genetic condition.
6.Driving through the morning rush hour traffic for an internship interview at a downtown coffee shop. However, it was an incredibly interesting, informative interview. The first of three that day.
7.My first pedicure ever. Enough said.
8. Translating at the food pantry and soup kitchen. A hard of hearing Hispanic woman told me (in English) that the first time she heard her family speaking Spanish she told them they sounded like a bunch of chickens. Love it!
9. Remembering that I live in a house where refrigerated black olives are guarded by rotten tomatoes and sometimes the toilet paper pukes cat food. Don't ask unless you really want to know!
10. Last but definitely not least was having the opportunity to read for fun! Gasp! What's that? Book review coming soon.
How was your break?
<>< Katie
* Christian's the pastor of an ancient inner-city church; April is his wife. No one knows where this champagne came from nor how old it is, so, no, we didn't actually drink it.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Hello, Tokyo?
There's a banana sitting on my desk that I was supposed to eat for breakfast and didn't. I am strongly resisting the urge to pick it up and the conversation would follow something like this,
"Hello? Uh huh. Uh huh. Oh, you want Laura? Ok, here she is."
Even though I am a firm believer that Laura is a four year old somedays, her reaction would probably be, "What the crap?"
Although it would go perfectly both with what the speaker was discussing tonight and an "argument" Laura and I were having.
Laura and I were trying to decide who loves the other more. She said she loves me more and wins the argument because she's older (this is my friend Laura). I came back with the fact that I love her more because I am younger and come with the love of a child. I won even if I did have to call myself a child. Sometimes being a child is a good thing, sometimes it's not. Natalie would love to discuss how breast milk is perfect for babies but not so good for adults...
The speaker tonight was discussing Matthew 16:13-16 and how we need to go deeper with our relationship with Christ than just what we learned in VBS and Sunday School. VeggieTales only teach one so much. If you're still thinking the Babylonians prevented their wall from being knocked down by throwing slurpies, you need to think again. Great story for kids, not so good for college students. Dig deeper, respond to God. It's not just find "A", "B", and "C" plug them in and get "X" (Thank goodness because I hate math!), it's a lot harder than that and we need to search and answer who Jesus is for ourselves.
Good news: God doesn't need a banana "phone" to talk to you. That way it doesn't get all mushy in your hair! He's calling, go pick up!
In Christ,
<>< Katie
"'But what about you?' He asked. 'Who do you say I am?" Matthew 16:15 (emphasis mine).
"Hello? Uh huh. Uh huh. Oh, you want Laura? Ok, here she is."
Even though I am a firm believer that Laura is a four year old somedays, her reaction would probably be, "What the crap?"
Although it would go perfectly both with what the speaker was discussing tonight and an "argument" Laura and I were having.
Laura and I were trying to decide who loves the other more. She said she loves me more and wins the argument because she's older (this is my friend Laura). I came back with the fact that I love her more because I am younger and come with the love of a child. I won even if I did have to call myself a child. Sometimes being a child is a good thing, sometimes it's not. Natalie would love to discuss how breast milk is perfect for babies but not so good for adults...
The speaker tonight was discussing Matthew 16:13-16 and how we need to go deeper with our relationship with Christ than just what we learned in VBS and Sunday School. VeggieTales only teach one so much. If you're still thinking the Babylonians prevented their wall from being knocked down by throwing slurpies, you need to think again. Great story for kids, not so good for college students. Dig deeper, respond to God. It's not just find "A", "B", and "C" plug them in and get "X" (Thank goodness because I hate math!), it's a lot harder than that and we need to search and answer who Jesus is for ourselves.
Good news: God doesn't need a banana "phone" to talk to you. That way it doesn't get all mushy in your hair! He's calling, go pick up!
In Christ,
<>< Katie
"'But what about you?' He asked. 'Who do you say I am?" Matthew 16:15 (emphasis mine).
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
I spent about twenty-four hours with my friend Laura and her family. I had a lot of fun and I thought I'd share some thoughts with you all (although, I'm not really sure who "you all" are... LURKERS: IDENTIFY THINESELVES!)
A museum is nothing more than a zoo with dead animals. Ok, I did learn some fun stuff, and we took some fun photos. But really: think about it. Did you know giraffes have the longest intestines of any animal? Did you know kruos is the Greek word for "icy cold"? (Don't lie to me, even Natalie didn't know that!) I also learned about some lions that terrorized workers attempting to build a railroad in Africa in the 1800s.
A pregnant woman came up to us today asking for money. She said she was trying to get to a domestic violence shelter but was four dollars short. I always hate it when people come up asking for money because it's so hard to tell if they're telling the truth or if they just want to buy some crack... Even though her speech sounded rehearsed, this woman spoke quietly and did seem scared. We gave her five dollars, and she asked God to bless us. Laura's mom reminded us that $5 isn't the end of the world for us but $5 could mean the world to her. How she uses the money isn't up to us, but we can pray she was indeed seeking help.
Train and Trolley life is not for my family. Other than the germs, I didn't mind it too much. My dad, on the other hand, would have been going nuts today, and it made me laugh. It was fun to watch people run and mosey through the train station. It was kind of like an airport. Given my choice, however, I prefer airplanes to trains.
Little kids are adorable! Ok, I knew that, but still. I saw some kids today refuse an Oreo cookie from their aunt! I wanted eat their cookies for them! Some little American kid was using like the German word for "mischief" but I forgot it already, sorry!
If you're ever bored or want to see some interesting folk: ride the trolley around a big city for an hour and you will see a mass of people! There are people going every which way (and sometimes even loose). All with different things on their minds, different deadlines to meet, and different destinations. Yet their paths cross momentarily on the sidewalk and it's really fun to watch. In the words of Kutless, "I see the city lights all around me. Everyone's obscure. Ten million people each with their problems. Whys should anyone? and in Your eyes I can see I'm not just a man that is lost in this world. Lost in a sea of faces." Yup. That just about sums it up.
I overheard some guy telling someone else on the phone that he'd have to keep an ID on him at all times just in case he violated his parole. The man sitting near me remembered this (after hearing it from the judge? from experiencing it himself? strange), and he would take the man on the other end of the phone to get a wallet. Interesting conversation to overhear...
Happy travels!
<>< Katie
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
A museum is nothing more than a zoo with dead animals. Ok, I did learn some fun stuff, and we took some fun photos. But really: think about it. Did you know giraffes have the longest intestines of any animal? Did you know kruos is the Greek word for "icy cold"? (Don't lie to me, even Natalie didn't know that!) I also learned about some lions that terrorized workers attempting to build a railroad in Africa in the 1800s.
A pregnant woman came up to us today asking for money. She said she was trying to get to a domestic violence shelter but was four dollars short. I always hate it when people come up asking for money because it's so hard to tell if they're telling the truth or if they just want to buy some crack... Even though her speech sounded rehearsed, this woman spoke quietly and did seem scared. We gave her five dollars, and she asked God to bless us. Laura's mom reminded us that $5 isn't the end of the world for us but $5 could mean the world to her. How she uses the money isn't up to us, but we can pray she was indeed seeking help.
Train and Trolley life is not for my family. Other than the germs, I didn't mind it too much. My dad, on the other hand, would have been going nuts today, and it made me laugh. It was fun to watch people run and mosey through the train station. It was kind of like an airport. Given my choice, however, I prefer airplanes to trains.
Little kids are adorable! Ok, I knew that, but still. I saw some kids today refuse an Oreo cookie from their aunt! I wanted eat their cookies for them! Some little American kid was using like the German word for "mischief" but I forgot it already, sorry!
If you're ever bored or want to see some interesting folk: ride the trolley around a big city for an hour and you will see a mass of people! There are people going every which way (and sometimes even loose). All with different things on their minds, different deadlines to meet, and different destinations. Yet their paths cross momentarily on the sidewalk and it's really fun to watch. In the words of Kutless, "I see the city lights all around me. Everyone's obscure. Ten million people each with their problems. Whys should anyone? and in Your eyes I can see I'm not just a man that is lost in this world. Lost in a sea of faces." Yup. That just about sums it up.
I overheard some guy telling someone else on the phone that he'd have to keep an ID on him at all times just in case he violated his parole. The man sitting near me remembered this (after hearing it from the judge? from experiencing it himself? strange), and he would take the man on the other end of the phone to get a wallet. Interesting conversation to overhear...
Happy travels!
<>< Katie
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
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