Goodbye, 2010!

2010, you were a pretty fantastic year. Just in case you forgot, I thought I would review our time together.
I started off January with a new job.
In February, I had an article published on one of my favorite websites.
In March, I had another article published on that same website.
It was in April that I went on a very cold camping trip that brought me a new appreciation for campgrounds with bathrooms and a new scar for my knee. Also, I was a seat-filler at the Dove Awards and turned 25.
There was a flood in Nashville in May which made me proud of my church and my city more than ever.
June was hot. I missed camp. I played a lot of ultimate frisbee.
My best friend got married in July and I got to be her Maid of Honor (an honor that is on my imaginary bucket-list).
I started my first semester of grad school in August. I also played some flag football.
By September, I was already procrastinating and sick of the heat.
October was wonderful, per usual, and included pumpkin-carving, Halloween, and fall weather...finally. Also in October, I went to Eastern Kentucky on a mission trip and hit up two weddings in 24 hours (not in KY).
I was in another wedding in November and had some crazy days at work. Then my family went to a cabin in the woods for Thanksgiving.
I completed my first semester of grad school in December and sighed in relief. I went to parties, family gatherings, and a concert. I shopped and wrapped gifts. I wrote an article, got it published, and did some creative stuff. Writing haikus also became a new hobby.

Good times. Thanks for the memories, 2010!

Things I Like Tuesday: Pictures

Pictures are so fun. Maybe they speak a thousand words, maybe only two, but I like to look at them. And they're great at capturing moments. As I'm looking back at the year we're finishing out, I thought I would combine this already-planned TILT with a look back at 2010.
Here are some of my favorite pictures/moments from this year (of the ones taken with my camera, not my favorite pictures I've seen. I don't have the rights for all of those.):

Haiti benefit concert with Darilynn. This is a picture of Andy Davis and Dave Barnes. They were two of many, many artists. One of the best concerts I've been to.

Camping/Hiking trip with Mary and Bryan. The hiking part was fun.

Dove Award seat-filling. I, obviously, didn't know how to look in this pic with Nicole Mullins. Mandisa took the picture.

I'm still very sad that the taped messed up during this filming. I think this script was some of my best work.

I don't remember what we're laughing about, but I do remember we laughed until several of us were crying.

Posing at Erin's wedding.

Wilson County Fair!

Family Portrait Session

Finals week--in the t-shirt I wore for three days, holding the mug that held countless cups of peppermint tea. 

Very Merry Neighborly Christmas concert

fun idea in action

Christmas Card Holder How-To

Remember this?

I know. You have two questions in mind:

1) Does it still look so sad?

2) How on earth can I make one just like it?

I am here to answer both of those questions, right in time for...well, right in time to put it in the attic for next year.

1) It now looks like this:

Thanks to everyone who sent me a Christmas card! 

2) Supplies: Ribbon, Dowel Rods, Clip-thingys, hot glue gun.

This was pretty simple to make. I just cut (well, my dad did) a dowel rod into three pieces of varying lengths. I painted mine because I wanted them to be white, but you could also leave them natural. I made three "branches" (oh, it's supposed to be a tree! yeah..) this year, but if I keep this whole growing-up, making-friends, keeping-in-touch thing, I made need more next year. Then, I glued the "branches" to the ribbon and glued another ribbon of the same length on top of the first ribbon, so it's kind of like a dowel-rod sandwich...kinda. Then, I made a bow with some more ribbon and glued it at the top. I hung mine from the top of the door with fishing line, but you could probably use something else if you so desired. Then, I slid the clip-thingys on and clipped the cards to them. Cheap, easy, useful, and it turned out to be pretty cute once it was filled up!

O Come, All Ye Faithful

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning

Jesus to Thee be all glory giv'n

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, 

and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father, 

full of grace and truth.

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord!

Merry Christmas!

John 1:1, 4, 9, 14

Suzy Eventually Learned She Had Been Led to Believe a Lie by Her Sunday School Teachers (and Most Nativity Scenes)

On the first Christmas,

wise men weren't at the manger.

Surprise! Christmas truth.

Haiku by me. Illustration by Mary Carlisle.

Friday Reads: Christmas Eve Edition

Two articles, two videos. Mostly Christmas-y.

http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/12/4161/ 

About the ordinary turning extraordinary. I love it towards the end..."God loves doing the extraordinary with the ordinary...."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvZhfFdXMzA

Fun video combining a YouTube sensation with the Christmas story.

http://www.youtube.com/user/stpaulsartsandmedia#p/a/u/0/zduwusyip8M

There may be some slight inaccuracies with this version of the Christmas story, but it's just adorable.

http://www.churchandculture.org/blog.asp?id=560

A Christmas Carol and the Christmas story--the true, un-romanticized versions.

Things I Like Tuesday: Winter

Today is the first day of Winter.
I like winter. It's not my favorite, but I like it.

Christmas...
coats and scarves and hats...
snuggling up under multiple blankets...
warm drinks (hot cocoa...cider...tea!)...
New Year and the Eve of the New Year...
parties, parties, parties with lots of tasty things to eat (and sparkling juices and Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash)...
snow...
taking deep breaths of crisp wintry air...
memories (I suppose this applies to every season, but winter memories seem so nice and extra nostalgic)...

I think winter is just a little bit magical.

Article on Saint Nick

So, remember when I wrote an article for Day 3 of the 7-in-7 challenge?

Well, here it is: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/features/23886-the-saint-behind-santa-claus

It's about Saint Nicholas--definitely Christmasy.

Just in case you thought I was cheating or something.

Upon a Conversation About God's Permissable Will and Perfect Will at Fido, a Popular Coffee Shop in Hillsboro Village, Nashville, Tennessee

Hazelnut breve

What's the plural of haiku?

Arranged marriages?

art by Mary Carlisle

illustrated haikus. this may become a regular feature.

Friday Reads: December 17 Edition

I read a lot of online content.

Some of it is not absolutely wonderful. Some of it is. Sometimes, when I read something, I am amazed to find that someone thinks the same as I do, and expresses it so brilliantly. Sometimes, I read something that I would have never thought of, but is lovely all the same. 

I thought I'd share these reads with you. Every so often, I'm going to post a list of links to the articles/blogposts/whatever that I have read and enjoyed that week/month/time period between these posts. Just for you.
And sometimes there will be videos. Like this time.

I decided to post them on Friday, because it's the end of the week, and also because my stats show that y'all like to read stuff on Friday. 

Without further ado, here's this week's (and a couple weeks in the past, too...since this is the first edition):

http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/12/the-soft-x/

I love this blog (I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that before). On Wednesdays, he blogs with a little less humor and calls them Serious Wednesdays. This one brings new perspective to a Bible story of blessing that I never even thought twice about.

http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/12/facebook-feeding-frenzies/
Another SCL one. This one's a little less serious, but also very true.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/deeper-walk/features/23211-art-isnt-supposed-to-be-safe

Safety vs. Creativity.

http://www.chattingatthesky.com/2010/12/14/how-writing-is-like-a-bell/
Beautiful description of what it is like to write--art, worship, necessary.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2010/#review
A year in review, Google-style; great video. Then, you can look at their lists of top rising searches and stuff. Kinda neat to see what we were looking for in 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZrf0PbAGSk
Just in case you haven't seen it yet, the Digital Nativity.

Feel free to add comments with links to cool stuff you've read/watched this week!

Small Observances

• People who say, "I just don't want the drama" or "I hate drama" usually cause more drama than people who don't say that.
• Lately, a bag of Maple and Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal is pretty much a staple in my purse...and my book bag (different than a backpack)...and my desk drawer. Good stuff.
• You know that moment, when you thought you clicked on a link (when really you didn't) and you're just waiting and nothing happens? There should be a term for that.
• I have to do a spell check every time I have to spell exercise. I have a mental block when it comes to s vs. c vs. z (I often mess up resource when I'm hand-writing things).
• Sometimes, I edit my sentences as I'm speaking them. Like a second ago, "Is this the hymnals that is...are...in the pews?" and then I was ashamed because that sentence was messed up from the beginning. I would have corrected it, but the question (poorly asked) had already been answered. Then, I felt embarassed. In a land where "I haven't eat yet" is a common sentence, I think my feelings are a little unusual.
• At least twice at work I have been called a perfectionist. I didn't know I was a perfectionist (though, I suppose that last point may have proved that I am a little bit of a perfectionist).

7-in-7 Last Day

For the last day of our first-ever 7-in-7, Mary and I were going to collaborate on some sort of creative project. Then, it snowed. Now, to some of you Northern folks this may not seem like a big deal, but let me point out a couple of things:
1. Tennesseans panic when we get an inch of snow.
2. The snow here almost immediately turns to ice upon contact with the roads.
Therefore, we chose to not meet for a collaborative project. Mary decided not to do a project at all, which is understandable since she had her non-surprising Surprise Birthday Dinner (the surprise was ruined, by the snow) to attend.
I only decided to do a project because a) I felt like I cheated a little on Saturday and b) I really needed somewhere to put the Christmas cards I've been receiving in the mail.
I made a card-holder. I think it will look better once it gets some more cards on it. I think.

Weekend Creativeness

This will count as day 5 and 6, okay? 

Saturday, I wrapped gifts for 3 hours in the mall...creatively. My church has a free (absolutely free, we're even turning down donations) gift-wrapping station set up in Cool Springs Mall, so if you're there, you should stop by. 

I am counting that as my creativity project, because I was not home long enough to do anything else.

Sunday, I made two headbands.

I'm not especially pleased with how they turned out, but they were finished. I'll probably hone my skills a little more before I wear one (or give one as a gift). Oh, yeah. They have to do with Christmas because I am planning to give them as gifts, if I can make them look better than these:

Christmas Cards

I have recently become aware that I am of the age to be sending Christmas cards. I mean, I've sent Christmas cards before, I think in junior high or high school or something, but I'm talking real, annual Christmas cards. [I actually came to this realization last year, when people began sending Christmas cards to me (and not my family + me), but I didn't realize it until too late to send out my own.]

But this year I am more prepared. I am 25, the time when the world actually considers me an adult, so I am sending out Christmas cards. I probably won't send out very many (let's not get carried away), and despite the trend pointed out to me in the office, mine will not be a picture card (also pointed out to me in the office: the hilarity of a picture card featuring only myself...thanks, guys). So, I bought one 12-pack at Target and then I decided to make a few for my Day 4 7-in-7 project.

I would not recommend this if you are making a ton of cards, but I'm making eight, so it was fun. And two cards took me about 5 minutes to make.

What you'll need:

blank cards, scissors, pencil, stencil, wrapping paper, and some sort of adhesive (not shown). 

This would be a great project for those small scraps of wrapping paper that are oddly shaped or too small to wrap anything in. 

I got my "stencil" off the internet. I googled "Christmas tree stencil" went to images and traced that onto a piece of paper. I suppose you could print it, but my printer takes for-ev-er when warming up, so it was faster to just stick a piece of paper up to my screen and trace it.

Now, all you do is cut the pattern out of the wrapping paper and glue it onto the card. 

It's easy and I think they turned out pretty cute:

Be sure to check back with Mary's blog to see her Day 4 project.

Day 3's Creativeness

You're just going to have to take my word for it. I wrote something Christmas-y, but it's for online publication (not a blog publication, but a real...online publication). I won't make any promises that it will actually make it to their website, but I can't post it here, because I'm pretty sure that's against their rules. I do have this picture:

Notice the date at the top. December 9th, people. Boom. Creativeness, Day 3.

Mary probably created something you can actually see. And my friend Daniel has joined in...sort of. He's following his own rules, but still creating some stuff.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

This is Day 2 of the Seven-Day Creativeness Challenge (which we will now be referring to as 7-in-7 because it's a lot easier to type...and more catchy. Mary's idea.). I wrote it last night and while there may be subtle edits today, but in the spirit of the challenge (and the rules), I will leave it largely as it was--finished--last night. Don't forget to check Mary's blog for her Day 2 project.

In church on Sunday, there was a special music/dramatic reading with the song O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The way it was sung--slowly, a capella, all verses first, intertwined with history, culminating in the chorus at last--was haunting and beautiful and thought-provoking. So, I kind of stole their concept. It happens all the time in art--ask Shakespeare. Hearing this song shortly after my Old Testament class helped to put it, and Christmas, in perspective a little more. [I have only taken an intro class in Old Testament, and it was only part of the Old Testament. And, let's be honest, I found some of it confusing (all the names look the same). I say that to let you know that some of the facts presented below may be slightly inaccurate, but they get the point across and aren't completely, totally untrue.]

O come, O come, Emmanuel

and ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appears.

Only for relatively brief moments in history has the nation of Israel been truly free. They were enslaved in Egypt, held practically hostage in the desert (their own fault, but still), captured by Babylon, given a little more freedom under the rule of Persia. At the time of Christ's birth, they were under Roman rule--somewhat free, but not really.

Besides being captive, they were among sinners, ruled by Gentiles. Surrounded.

Furthermore, they had not heard from God in a long, long time. I AM, who had led them out of slavery, through the desert, into the promised land, was silent. Yahweh, who had spoken through prophets, priests, judges, kings, and a donkey, had not said a word.

They were waiting for another rescue. They were waiting for another word.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might

who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height

in ancient times didst give the Law,

in cloud, and majesty, and awe

God had given them the Law. Realizing its sacredness, they made sure no one would sin by putting in some buffer rules. These buffer rules, meant for protection, became oppressive since they were nearly impossible for the common person to follow.

Israel was looking for help.

O come, Thou Key of David, come

and open wide our heavenly home;

make safe the way that leads on high,

and close the path to misery.

The Israelites began to hope. They hoped for another way, a lighter way, a better way.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer

our spirits by Thine advent here

disperse the gloomy clouds of night

and death's dark shadows put to flight.

God's people looked for rescue. They looked for a word, for help, and for hope. God's people were waiting for Emmanuel--God with us.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel

shall come to thee,

O Israel.

Rejoice!

Gift-Card Holder How-To

Day 1:
Okay, remember how we discussed that the quality isn't necessarily the goal of these Seven-Day Creativeness Challenges? Yeah. Just note that I began and completed the project within the span of one poorly-acted, made-for-TV Christmas movie (sans commercials).
With that disclaimer, here is a handy little guide to making your own gift card holder:

Step 1: Buy felt.

Why felt? It's cheap. And easy to work with (as in, you don't have to hem it. Always a plus in my book).

Step 2: Measure your gift card.

I'm guessing they're all about the same size. 2 1/4 inches wide. I only bothered to measure the width. The length doesn't matter so much.

Step 3: Cut the felt.

I cut a strip 2 1/2 inches wide, and however long the piece of felt was...I forgot to measure it.

Step 4: Fold the felt and pin in place.

Don't fold it completely in half; see how the gift card is sticking up a little? I folded mine like that on purpose, so that the card is easy to grab. The rest of the felt will make a flap to fold over.

Step 5: Get some thread (I used embroidery floss).

(It's important to keep your floss organized.)

Step 6: Sew it all up, cut out some flowers, sew them on, sew on a couple of buttons, cut a button-hole.

Mine ended up looking like this:



Ta-Dah!

Check out Mary's blog for her first project. She probably painted the Christmas equivalent of the Mona Lisa. 



Seven-Day Creativeness Challenge!

My friend, Mary, and I, we've got a lot in common. We're dreamers. We're creative. We're kind of weird.

Mary and I will sit and have entire conversations about completely fictional situations. The best part is, whereas some people would take those conversations somewhat seriously and think we were crazed-stalkers, or wonder about our sanity, Mary and I understand each other. It's all for fun (though, we would definitely not be opposed to some of those conversations becoming reality).

She's also the person I call/text/email when I have a crazy idea for something to do. It is not unusual for her to receive emails from me with the subject line: "Let's do this." She's usually game.

When I read this article, that is exactly what I did. Oddly enough, Mary had just decided to do something similar on her own blog. We decided to combine forces and thus you have:

The Seven-Day Creativeness Challenge!

Here are the rules:

1. You must do something every day for seven days that constitutes as "creative."

2. You must complete that creative work in the same day you began it. Thus, seven complete creative projects. They may not be fantastic, but they'll be finished (the thing we dreamer/creative people sometimes have trouble with).

3. You must blog about your creative feat (meaning, blog for seven days in a row...this is a challenge). 

4. You must stick to the theme (if there is one), though, thinking outside the box is always, always, encouraged.

The first installment of The Seven-Day Creativeness Challenge begins today.
The theme is: Christmas!

By all means, if you'd like to join in, leave a link to your blog in the comments on mine or Mary's blog. We'll link to it each day.

Mark Twain once said

“We write frankly and fearlessly but then we 'modify' before we print.”

so true.

AIDS and Christmas--Great Article

Today is World AIDS Day, as well as the first day in December, a month where we count down to Christmas.
I just read this article about Christmas and AIDS. It's beautiful. Read it.

HEY DECEMBER!

Everyone else was saying hello to this cold, Christmas-y month, so I thought I should too.

Hello.
Nice to see you again.
Let's have a lovely 31 days together.
And maybe in about thirty days, we'll plan a rendezvous for about this time next year?
Okay.

thankful

I am thankful for many things each day of the year, but since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day dedicated to eating tons of food before shopping with 1,000 other people at your local Target, I thought I'd list out a few things I am thankful for this year specifically. For the purpose of this list, I am leaving out the more usual suspects, though that in no way means I am less thankful for them. I just feel that they deserve more than just a bullet point on this list on my blog. Maybe someday I'll do a post for each of those important things..
Anyway, back to the list of Ten Things I Am Specifically Thankful for in 2010 (and Possibly Was Not Thankful for in Previous Years):

1. A job that provides me with endless amounts of Twitter material. And it's mostly fun. And I actually use my degree (who even knew that was possible?). And, hello! it's a job. I didn't have one of those at this point last year. (not to mention it's at a church, which means so much in terms of coworkers and purpose.)
2. Pandora. Free music that is catered to my taste all day? (and only $.99 when I run over 40 hours in the month?) Yes, please. And thank you.
3. My refillable coffee cup from Thornton's, along with their lovely selection of flavorings, creamers, and cappuccinos. I bought it for $1.99. Now every refill is $.69, and they don't care if half of my cup is filled with half-and-half. Every 5th one is free. Sorry, Starbucks (I still love you for the tea!).
4. Free Rent. I sometimes complain about living at home, but if I couldn't do that, I'd probably have to live in a bad neighborhood, or be in debt. Going back to school would have meant having to take out a loan.
5. Nashville. I love this city. I am so glad that my free rent is near such a place.
6. My car. Sure, it had a moment this weekend, and it has a few other small quirks, but it is newer than my old one. It has AC, too, which is nice. And fewer dents.
7. Twitter. Seriously, I have found out about concerts, music videos, blogs, coupons, free music, etc. through this social media outlet. Plus, it's entertaining.
8. Lamps for my office. Not having the fluorescent overhead lighting on has increased my productivity amazingly. They also have the added bonus of making the gray concrete block (they are actually painted gray...) walls look somewhat cozy.
9. School. While it is awful to have to do so much homework/read/watch lectures, at least it's fascinating stuff. It's good to at least have some general plan for my life, too. Even if that plan is extremely vague and flexible.
10. My iphone. Having twitter, facebook, the Bible, Spider Solitaire, a Dictionary/Thesaurus, email, voice memos, pandora (see #2), a camera, an ipod, the internet, google maps all handy is just worth it.

So, there you have it. Kind of unusual, but very true. I am thankful for all of those things.

What random thing(s) are you thankful for this year?

Things I Like Tuesday: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Seeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade live is not just on my bucket list, it's on my next-year-for-real-this-time list.

I have watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on Thanksgiving morning for many, many years. It's a tradition. Really, it's the one Thanksgiving tradition in my family that has endured for so long. We change meal times, menus, and locations, but I always watch the parade. While I'm really the only one to consistently watch the parade from the ribbon-cutting all the way to end, my dad and sister usually join in for at least a little while. I have told my mother, as she toils in the kitchen while I relax on the couch, that when I'm in charge of the cooking, we'll have to move the meal to a later time. I'll have to watch the parade first.

Why I like the parade so much, I'm not really sure. It is amazing, though...

The floats, the balloons, the bands, the Broadway performances, Harold Square, Al Roker, the Rockettes, the celebrity guests, the tradition, the excitement...

oh, and this guy:

This guy officially marks the beginning of the Christmas season. And as soon as he makes an appearance, usually around 11am Thanksgiving Day, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

the flute

When I was 10, I joined a band. [I would say "the band" to clarify that I mean more the marching type than the rocking type, but I'm not sure I can claim that, since we never marched and we were homeschooled. So, it was never really "the" band just "a" band.]
It didn't take me long to decide that I would play the flute. My parents and I went to the local music store and, because my parents are intelligent human beings, we rented a flute.
I went to the next band practice and learned the very basics of flute-playing. Armed with some sort of instructions (I don't think I even had sheet music at this point) on how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and my little flute case, I went home at the end of band practice with dreams of Carnegie Hall.
I practiced the next day. Two minutes after assembling my flute and beginning to play, I had to sit down because I had hyperventilated. I tried to play a few more times, seated, but continued to get light-headed. After the next band practice, I decided to give up on my dreams of becoming a world-renown flautist and quit the band (and the flute).

You know that song, "Everybody Plays the Fool"? For a long time, I thought it said "Everybody plays the flute...sometimes." At first I thought this was a very specific experience to apply to humankind universally, but after my flute playing days, I totally got it. I specifically remember turning to my dad one night as the song played on the car radio and expressing what I thought at the time to be a deep thought: "It's so true. Pretty much everybody does play the flute at some point. I mean, I did and a lot of people do in school..." Either my dad didn't hear me, misunderstood me, or thought I was joking, because he didn't correct me. So, my belief was cemented.
Upon learning the real lyric, I found that the song made a lot more sense. I did know a lot of people who had never played the flute, after all.

Things I Like Tuesday: my room

I couldn't decide what to write about today, then I realized that I'm sitting here, right inside something I like very much. 

I don't have a whole house, or condo, or apartment to myself yet, but I do have a room. And I like it.

Here are some of the things I like most in it:

These are some travel photos, all taken by yours truly.

The quote in the middle frame is one my roommate sent me when I was in England: 

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page." --St. Augustine

This is my desk. And my green chair.

I write here and watch lectures and sometimes waste time on facebook and twitter :-)

This is my brain.

My bulletin board hangs above my desk and holds lots of important notes--quotes I don't want to forget, Bible verses that are especially important in my life at this moment, ideas for stories/poems/essays--as well as a few bridesmaids bouquets, some fun stickers, and other memorabilia. Fun fact: I've had that button in the top right corner since I was 2 or 3. It says "A friend loves at all times. Prov 17:17" and was given to me by my best friend at the time.

My friend Jo gave me an invisible bookshelf. I hang my heaviest books on it, the dictionary and thesaurus (also my little rhyming dictionary)...I guess I like the danger it imposes on the helpless mugs below?

My mom bought me this typewriter somewhere one summer. She saw a picture or something of a famous author's house. They had the typewriter that this author used to type all of his books. She wanted me to have one for when I became a famous writer. I told her she could just save my computer. I really like the typewriter for decoration, though. It still reads "Welcome Home Elizabeth" on the top sheet of paper.

These hang above my bed. If I could somehow manage to only have paper lanterns for lighting in my entire house, I would.

what. a. week.

The last seven days of my life, in outline form. [btw, I do know the rules on outlines. I chose not to follow all of them.] You're welcome.

• At the wedding of my life-long friend, Joanna
• "Three times a bridesmaid, never a bride" please don't apply to me.
• My friend's mom told me "Yours [meaning my wedding, though it took a second for me to grasp that] is next year. Are you ready for that?" What?? (<-Which is, literally, what I said to her.)
• After the wedding
• I was asked at least twice what I was planning to do with my Master's degree.
• I surprised myself by knowing the answer
• That answer was extremely vague
• Sometimes you just need a friend to tell you you aren't crazy
• On the way to and from the wedding, I listened to a dramatic reading of Screwtape Letters. I highly recommend both dramatic readings for long car rides and the letters of Screwtape.
• At work this week:
• I was asked on Monday to write the intro to the sermon
• I was actually asked if I could "Script out the sermon." I later found out this meant the intro only.
• It's about lying. So, if you should ever need an intro for a talk about lying, let me know. There may or may not be a small fee.
• I made a Justin Bieber wig for a stuffed beaver.
• Justin Beaver--get it?
• I tweeted about it
• I got a Reply Tweet from one @elusivebeaver (whom I do not follow, nor does he/she/it follow me) accusing me of wrongly harassing the beaver population
• It was kind of a lame attempt at a wig, therefore, no picture
• I learned what a "gnome sky" looks like
• It looks like colored tissue paper wadded up and stapled to a wall
• This is not scientificly proven
• I spent approximately 20 minutes lodged behind a desk, sitting on a milk crate (because I'm short), with sock puppets on my hands, performing a puppet show with the children's minister.
• We had to literally slide on our stomachs to get under the desk. The one day I didn't wear jeans this week.
• Were there kids present? No.
• This is on film. Well, the puppet show is, not the sliding under a desk part.
• I went to a website training seminar all day on Thursday
• It was dumbed-down for church secretaries, so I understood everything.
• except the conversation between the media minister/graphic designer next to me
• I think they were making fun of my mac
• The seminar wasn't boring. 
• I actually enjoyed learning all the cool stuff we can do with our website
• I realized that if I actually did all of this cool stuff, I would have no time left in my work week to write scripts for sermons and put on puppet shows in the choir storage closet.
• All of this somehow falls under the "other tasks as assigned" category on my job description.
• This is the fourth blog post this week. 
• crazy.
• don't get used to it.
• most viewed post in one day ever on my blog? Things I've Learned Being Friends with Boys

So there you have it--the last seven days in my life.
How was your week? Anything exciting/interesting/completely mundane happen?

Things I've Learned Being Friends with Boys

I had three really close guy friends in high school/college. If they were girls, we'd be BFFs. But they're not, and really, I was always one of the guys, too. Lots of girls say that, but let me paint the picture for you with a few random scenes:

--Numerous conversations would be interrupted with a "Guys, I just remembered, Elizabeth is in here." "So?" "So, she's a girl." "So? It's just Elizabeth." (And yes, this entire conversation happened in my presence)

--One of the guys had a "man-cave" at his house. His dad said no girls/women were allowed in "except Elizabeth."

--I once hosted an all-boy sleepover. (I slept in a room upstairs, they slept in a room downstairs; doors closed; parental supervision. Just so we're clear.)

During all this time spent as one of the guys, I learned a few things:

1. Eat quickly. I am naturally an extremely slow eater. It is not at all uncommon for me to look up from my 1/3 finished plate to realize everyone else is finished. Girls will politely wait on you, because they really want to talk for a while anyway. Guys, not so much. As soon as the last bite was taken, they were looking for the bill. I think the first 10 or so times I ate with these guys, I probably only finished 3 complete meals. I had to learn to eat a lot faster or starve.
2. There is a difference between "hot" and "pretty." It was not uncommon for me to be interrupted when talking about a friend with the question "Is she hot?" Sometimes the answer was yes, and sometimes it was "She's really pretty." One is not necessarily worse than the other; they are just distinctive ways of describing someone. There is also the less-common "cute." I also learned to rate all three descriptions on a scale of 1-10.
3. Everything is a competition. Drives from one side of town to the other, grabbing a certain seat on the couch, getting everyone to agree with you, etc. To say that guys are competitive is an understatement. When I was hanging out with these guys all the time, I had to learn to compete, or just be left out.

4. Guys are more laid back. Whereas girls like to have a plan, these guys rarely had an "activity" planned. The whole of the afternoon would be spent watching TV or at the pool. Sometimes we'd play games, sometimes we'd do absolutely nothing. It didn't really matter.

5. Despite their reputation, guys get their feelings hurt, too. I have gotten the "she rejected me" phone call. (Just a note on this, please do not flirt with one guy if you're already seeing someone. I mean, seriously, how are they supposed to know?) I think I offered ice cream and my company as a consolation (and I kept my mouth shut on the "I didn't really like her for you anyway" matter for a few weeks). 

One thing I did not learn from the guys: how to burp on command. Despite their best efforts--about 30 minutes of 3-to-1 tutoring one day--I still cannot do it (nor do I really want to).

I love my friends that are girls and have had many girl friends throughout the years, but these guys have been constants in my life. I love getting a different perspective on things--it's entertaining and educational!

people-pleaser, please don't tease her

I am a people-pleaser. I'm not sure if I've mentioned that before. 

The thing about being a people-pleaser is that it can be a good thing. It's nice to want to make people pleased. However, I usually take it out of moderation and into the extreme. Then it is mostly not a good thing. 

Por ejemplo, I recently came to realize that a person in my life does not think as highly of me as I once imagined. I think that this is actually a recent development--I feel that this person did, until recently, think fairly highly of me, but now I have moved down their list of favorite people. Perhaps this is all a figment of my imagination, but I have my suspicions. 

Now, really, this is fine. It doesn't necessarily hurt my feelings that I no longer hold as high a place in this person's mind, but my problem is that I want to win my spot back. I have been obsessed with trying to figure out why I am no longer as liked and how I can be liked that much again. When I say obsessed, I mean that I sit thinking about it a lot--did I say something, do something, write something, not do something? I have even tossed and turned at night trying to figure it out.

This is not good. 

It is so not good that it is wrong.

I realized this sometime in the midst of my scrutinizing every interaction I have ever had with this person. 

Why, I thought, do I care so much? Because I am desperate for the approval of others. It sounds so silly and so sinful, not to mention a huge waste of time, when I just type it out like that, but it is the truth. And now it's on the internet. 

I also thought about how much (or how little) time I spend obsessing over whether or not I am pleasing God. I mean, it sounds elementary, but I had forgotten to put into practice what I know so well--I should try to please God rather than people. 

I'm not really sure why I am confessing all of this on the blog, but there it is.

[I was going to try to segue into these verses in a more creative fashion, but I need to watch about 100 lectures tonight (okay, maybe more like 4), and I've had an extremely creative week at work, so I'm zapped.] 

Here are some verses that I'm going to try to obsess over, instead of obsessing over whether someone likes me to the same degree that they liked me yesterday:

John 5:44

How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for me, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Things I Like Tuesday: Tea

Green Tea - Breakfast Tea - Chamomile Tea - Chai Tea

but not Earl Grey!

photo by Shandi-lee

At the age of three, I was invited to my first real tea party. Wearing a dress three sizes too big and plastic heels that clicked as I walked, I went, bearing my Fisher Price pink tea set. I had had my own tea parties previously, attended by my dad, mom, and uncle, along with various dolls and stuffed animals. But this was a real tea party, with real tea!

photo by pigpogm

There are many guesses as to when tea began as a beverage, but many agree that it happened about 4000 years ago in China. The story goes that Emperor Shen Nung was boiling water, for health reasons, when a leaf fell in the pot. He noticed the water smelled good, so he tasted it, and apparently deemed it yummy. This is how the Chinese say tea was "invented."

The Japanese tell the story a little differently. They say that 1900 years ago, a Buddhist priest named Drama decided to stay awake for seven years and think only of Buddha. He was able to stay awake for five years, but then he started to fall asleep. In desperation, he grabbed some leaves from a nearby tree and began chewing on them. The leaves refreshed him and kept him awake for the next two years. The leaves were tea leaves. 

Other stories include the introduction of tea by a Buddhist monk named Gan Lu in China, and that it came out of the eyelids of the patriarch Zen Bodhidharma. 

 I'm probably going to go with the Emperor Shen Nung story.

photo by ratterrell

What about that delicious Southern nectar known as Iced Tea (which is always, always sweet--no need to specify)? It was invented at the Saint Louis World Fair in 1904. A tea merchant named Richard Blechynden (what an amazingly fun name to say!) couldn't get anyone to drink his hot tea in the hot weather. So, he poured some ice in. Instant hit.

photo by prakhar

When I was in college, I fell in love with tea. I was born and raised on the iced, sweet variety, but I found a new reason to partake--caffeine! I don't like coffee (well, I barely tolerate coffee with my cream), but there are times in one's college life when caffeine is a need. I learned to drink tea and I haven't quit yet. 

I fit in perfectly when I went to England. There, tea is always served with some cream and sugar. I loved it. We made tea constantly in our flat, with our electric tea pot. Electric tea pots are often in place of the American coffee pot--even in the dorm rooms! 

photo by Mastery of Maps

My favorite tea I've ever had was Kenyan tea. It was actually from Kenya. I had it while staying at the house of a couple--one a British missionary's kid, one an American--in Switzerland. I'd love to get my hands on some of that tea here in America. It was like English Breakfast, but stronger and richer. Yum!

other people's weddings

"Oh," she thought,"How horrible it is that people have to grow up--and marry--and change!" 

--Anne of the Island

It's a running joke between me and even mere acquaintances: "What did you do this weekend, go to another wedding?"

This weekend, the answer was yes.

Between shoes, dresses, gifts, bachelorette parties, showers, and gas to get all these places, I have spent an estimated $800 on other people's weddings this year. 

Crazy.

None of those above statements are complaints (except maybe the first one, but Anne said that, not me), just a statement of facts.

I love my friends. I love that they have found love. I love being a part of their big day. [And I hope that someday, they'll get a chance to return the favor :-)] Also, I just love weddings.

I think I have been to my last wedding in 2010, but I already have at least two penciled in for 2011. Bring it on.