I'm going to Mexico today, so there own't be much activity on this thing for a few weeks. Not only am I going to Mexico today, but it's my 25th birthday today! AHHHHH!!! I'm a quarter of a century old. Old. Boo hoo. Anyway, I'm still leaving this country, which is a beautiful thing and although I'm travelling with 18 15-18 year olds this is still the best gift ever.
Well, cheers folks! See you on the flip side!
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Alien-esque
I was in my friend's wedding this last weekend. Despite my incredible dislike of weddings I really enjoyed this one. I don't know what it was that made this different, but it was really nice and I had a great time. All of the bridesmaids had their hair done and all our hair seemed very characteristic of each of us. The bride had this brilliant nest of hair flowing up the side of her head, Melanie looked like the bride of frankenstein, Kendra had a cute little bob, and I had alien hair. It was puffed up and swooping, much like that of an alien's head.
Almost every conversation I had with people turned to God...I can't even explain how. But every person that I spoke to had either been hurt by the church, or had become really jaded to God. It was so interesting. I spent the greater part of yesterday just listening to people. The last thing that they needed me to do was speak at them and try to convince them that God is actually brilliant and wonderful and that he lives in us and works through us. My silence said enough.
It's amazing to me the amount of damage that we as believers can bring about. We are entering an era of Christians who don't agree with church anymore. A time where people are trying to figure out exactly what church and community looks like, and are allowing their hearts and souls heal from all the abuse they encountered where they were at. It made me so sad to see so many people who didn't know who God was anymore as a result of their interaction with people who claim to know who God is.
Jesus, please be in us the grace and love and hope that this world needs in order to see you and know you for who you really are...
Almost every conversation I had with people turned to God...I can't even explain how. But every person that I spoke to had either been hurt by the church, or had become really jaded to God. It was so interesting. I spent the greater part of yesterday just listening to people. The last thing that they needed me to do was speak at them and try to convince them that God is actually brilliant and wonderful and that he lives in us and works through us. My silence said enough.
It's amazing to me the amount of damage that we as believers can bring about. We are entering an era of Christians who don't agree with church anymore. A time where people are trying to figure out exactly what church and community looks like, and are allowing their hearts and souls heal from all the abuse they encountered where they were at. It made me so sad to see so many people who didn't know who God was anymore as a result of their interaction with people who claim to know who God is.
Jesus, please be in us the grace and love and hope that this world needs in order to see you and know you for who you really are...
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Eat Great, Even Late
I went to my friend's bridal shower yesterday and on my way home I stopped for gas. I happened to stop at a gas station that is directly beside a Wendy's. As I was pumping my car full of delicious petrol these three tough, and large guys started coming towards me. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I decided not to start screaming and frantically kicking until they did something that warranted it. The big one came up and said, "Excuse me," (that seemed polite enough), "can you do us a huge favor?".
Now, I wasn't sure what a 'huge favor' meant to these guys...perhaps they wanted me to solicit some illegal drugs for them, or perhaps it was getting into their truck without screaming and frantically kicking. Anyway, I said, "What kind of favor?" (clever Jess).
They proceeded to ask me to go through the drive-through of Wendy's for them and buy their food, for which they would give me the money. Wendy's was now closed and wouldn't let them in, nor would it let them walk through the drive-through, and they couldn't possibly drive their giant truck, so I complied.
I finished filling my car and pulled around the corner to where the drive-through speaker box, and the trucker guys were situated. As I sat there in my car, they crouched over the box and shouted into the little speaker ordering heaps of food (as I said, they were big guys...hefty appetites). It didn't stop there though...they also made me order.
"Would you like something?" he asked.
"No thank you"
"Aw...come on. It would make us feel better" he insisted.
"No, that's alright"
"Seriously, what would you like?"
"Alright, I'll have a small frostie" I said, giving into his pleas.
"She'll have a small fry" he said into the speaker box. "Would you like something to drink as well?"
"A small frostie", I repeated.
"She'll have a frostie", he said into the speaker box. "What size?" he asked.
"Small", I stated for what I hoped to be the last time.
I pulled the car around to the little window where you pay, while my new friends walked alongside. They handed me the money, and I handed the money through the window. I drove up to the next window and the guys walked beside me. The Wendy's employee handed me the food through the window, I handed the food to the truckers, then they handed me my small fry and small frostie and I went on my way, but of course not without getting some photos. Ask to see the video sometime.
Now, I wasn't sure what a 'huge favor' meant to these guys...perhaps they wanted me to solicit some illegal drugs for them, or perhaps it was getting into their truck without screaming and frantically kicking. Anyway, I said, "What kind of favor?" (clever Jess).
They proceeded to ask me to go through the drive-through of Wendy's for them and buy their food, for which they would give me the money. Wendy's was now closed and wouldn't let them in, nor would it let them walk through the drive-through, and they couldn't possibly drive their giant truck, so I complied.
I finished filling my car and pulled around the corner to where the drive-through speaker box, and the trucker guys were situated. As I sat there in my car, they crouched over the box and shouted into the little speaker ordering heaps of food (as I said, they were big guys...hefty appetites). It didn't stop there though...they also made me order.
"Would you like something?" he asked.
"No thank you"
"Aw...come on. It would make us feel better" he insisted.
"No, that's alright"
"Seriously, what would you like?"
"Alright, I'll have a small frostie" I said, giving into his pleas.
"She'll have a small fry" he said into the speaker box. "Would you like something to drink as well?"
"A small frostie", I repeated.
"She'll have a frostie", he said into the speaker box. "What size?" he asked.
"Small", I stated for what I hoped to be the last time.
I pulled the car around to the little window where you pay, while my new friends walked alongside. They handed me the money, and I handed the money through the window. I drove up to the next window and the guys walked beside me. The Wendy's employee handed me the food through the window, I handed the food to the truckers, then they handed me my small fry and small frostie and I went on my way, but of course not without getting some photos. Ask to see the video sometime.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
I'm the lamest blogger
I've come to realize that I truly am the lamest blogger. All my friends put me to shame. I'm one of those people that comes online and looks at everything and then, at the end of the day, I do and write absolutely nothing. I swear I read all the emails I receive, I just never respond to them. So if you are one of those people in which I have not recently responded to, or have never responded to, I apologize. Please forgive me. I know I am lame. I can't even promise to do better because then I'll just come on and read my promise online, and then feel really bad that I haven't yet written anybody. So, I reckon in my case it is just better to publically announce how terrible of a communicator I really am, and then do nothing about it.
Anyway, my dear Korean friends moved away on Sunday. It was a really sad time...the kids had really warmed up to me, and had been affectionately calling me "emo" which means "auntie", and letting me hold them and play with them. I had also developed a great relationship with Song Eun, their mom...she was my "onnee", my sister. My heart broke for her when she told me that I was her only friend here in Linden. They are absolutely beautiful. I had a wonderful last day with them, said my goodbyes and the kids bowed to me as I walked away.
Anyway, my dear Korean friends moved away on Sunday. It was a really sad time...the kids had really warmed up to me, and had been affectionately calling me "emo" which means "auntie", and letting me hold them and play with them. I had also developed a great relationship with Song Eun, their mom...she was my "onnee", my sister. My heart broke for her when she told me that I was her only friend here in Linden. They are absolutely beautiful. I had a wonderful last day with them, said my goodbyes and the kids bowed to me as I walked away.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Always the Bridesmaid...
I went to a wedding this weekend. Just one of a million that I've been to in the last 7 years. Will it ever stop? I'm told that it doesn't. After I'm done going to my friends' weddings, I'll have to then go to my friends' kids' weddings, and so on and so forth. The truth is I don't forsee my own anywhere in the future, but if there is going to be one, it's going to have to be in the future. You know, those time restraints and such.
Anyway, during the incredibly long and arduous reception there was a brief and beautiful reprieve...the groom's grandparents got up to speak. Suddenly, I had this hilarious thought of them singing a duet together, and I turned to my reception neighbour and said, "Are they going to sing?".
"No.....that's impossible", he replied.
Before anyone had anytime to think further on the subject, grandma started humming to find her note. They sang a long and shaky duet, to which everyone gave a standing ovation, and for reasons unknown to me, someone yelled, "Sing it again!!".
They did.
I wish that I was able to put a sound bite of their brilliant voices mingling together in an off-key cacophony of song. Alas, I do not know how to do that, so the old people music will have to wait.
Anyway
, I reckon that I'm on my way to becoming quite a bitter and skeptical person when it comes to weddings. I mean, I've been to so many. At the end of the day I am genuinely happy for my friends because it's awesome that they have found someone and it's so great to see them so elated. It really is...it's just that sometimes, as my friend mentioned to me, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". In my case that would be true. It doesn't help that all the movies in our society equate happiness with 'love', or what they depict of love. And it definetly doesn't help that the Christian community, though would never say so, thinks that if you aren't married by the time you are 23 that you are doomed to eternal lonliness. Ok, that's not totally true, but there are hints of that in places and from certain people.
It's so strange how much things change in just a matter of years. But I suppose that we are at a time in our lives where we will make some of the most important and life changing decisions. My question is, why are a bunch of twenty-somethings left to make those decisions? You'd think that really, those who had a bit more life experience under their belts, experienced true sorrow, knew happiness, and actually knew who they were would be able to come to a better decision than someone who's still trying to figure everything out. Maybe that's the point. Maybe all this comes with maturing and becoming an adult. Maybe this is just one more thing that God places in our lives to draw us to him and make us realize that we need him. Being completely incapable and knowing it. I haven't one friend who is now a parent who thought that they could do it when they found out that they were pregnant.
Now let's be serious...I have it pretty good. I live in an awesome place (although it is dubbed "the convent"), and I have two fabulous roomates (who I've dubbed "Patty and Selma"). I love my job, and I do, at the end of the day, love the town that I live in. I guess it comes down to the fact that sometimes events come along that make you look at things a little differently, like weddings.
A dear Thai friend of mine, maybe because she felt sorry for me and reckons that I need a Thai man, gave me a great book called "Thai For Lovers". It teaches you useful phrases like, "I'm single", "I don't have anyone in my heart", "I like your outfit", "I will pay for your plane ticket to Canada"...you know, just the common phrases that you'll need to know when you go to Thailand. It's a nice light read before you go to bed. So, I'm off. Laa-goon, yindii tii-daai ruu-jak.
Anyway, during the incredibly long and arduous reception there was a brief and beautiful reprieve...the groom's grandparents got up to speak. Suddenly, I had this hilarious thought of them singing a duet together, and I turned to my reception neighbour and said, "Are they going to sing?".
"No.....that's impossible", he replied.
Before anyone had anytime to think further on the subject, grandma started humming to find her note. They sang a long and shaky duet, to which everyone gave a standing ovation, and for reasons unknown to me, someone yelled, "Sing it again!!".
They did.
I wish that I was able to put a sound bite of their brilliant voices mingling together in an off-key cacophony of song. Alas, I do not know how to do that, so the old people music will have to wait.
Anyway
, I reckon that I'm on my way to becoming quite a bitter and skeptical person when it comes to weddings. I mean, I've been to so many. At the end of the day I am genuinely happy for my friends because it's awesome that they have found someone and it's so great to see them so elated. It really is...it's just that sometimes, as my friend mentioned to me, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". In my case that would be true. It doesn't help that all the movies in our society equate happiness with 'love', or what they depict of love. And it definetly doesn't help that the Christian community, though would never say so, thinks that if you aren't married by the time you are 23 that you are doomed to eternal lonliness. Ok, that's not totally true, but there are hints of that in places and from certain people.It's so strange how much things change in just a matter of years. But I suppose that we are at a time in our lives where we will make some of the most important and life changing decisions. My question is, why are a bunch of twenty-somethings left to make those decisions? You'd think that really, those who had a bit more life experience under their belts, experienced true sorrow, knew happiness, and actually knew who they were would be able to come to a better decision than someone who's still trying to figure everything out. Maybe that's the point. Maybe all this comes with maturing and becoming an adult. Maybe this is just one more thing that God places in our lives to draw us to him and make us realize that we need him. Being completely incapable and knowing it. I haven't one friend who is now a parent who thought that they could do it when they found out that they were pregnant.
Now let's be serious...I have it pretty good. I live in an awesome place (although it is dubbed "the convent"), and I have two fabulous roomates (who I've dubbed "Patty and Selma"). I love my job, and I do, at the end of the day, love the town that I live in. I guess it comes down to the fact that sometimes events come along that make you look at things a little differently, like weddings.
A dear Thai friend of mine, maybe because she felt sorry for me and reckons that I need a Thai man, gave me a great book called "Thai For Lovers". It teaches you useful phrases like, "I'm single", "I don't have anyone in my heart", "I like your outfit", "I will pay for your plane ticket to Canada"...you know, just the common phrases that you'll need to know when you go to Thailand. It's a nice light read before you go to bed. So, I'm off. Laa-goon, yindii tii-daai ruu-jak.
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