Summertime...

I'm finally finished with my HHMI paper-hallelujah! Thank heavens I'll NEVER have to think about that again-this was my third and last year.

Now on to my website for my OTHER summer school project.

Sadness....

I'm sitting in Panera working on my paper (due last Friday :( ) because the STUPID phone company is providing exceptionally POOR customer service to my parents and they currently have no Internet access. Frustration level: high.

The sad part?

The realization that I am technologically dependent.


*Addendum*

I wasn't very nice to my mum this morning. I am unhappy about this, too. My day has gone something like this: Alarm at 6am (I went to bed on the couch at 1am-my aunt is visiting), turned OFF alarm, slept till 9. Couldn't get in the shower because dad was there (he takes forever), and my mom wanted me to move all the paraphernalia I unloaded from my car in the dining room yesterday to her room(because my aunt is in the guest room where I stay, and mom has a friend coming over for tea this afternoon). I was frustrated, and I snapped at my mum. I'm SO sad that I did this.

I'm still frustrated. Mostly because of this idiotic paper. I just need to be FINISHED with it. Also, I am officially behind in my online class. I need to put my website together today, too. I hate feeling overwhelmed. Ugh. I have to remind myself of where my strength comes...cuz it ain't coming from me today.

*Addendum # 2:

I thought I could get away with going to Wooster and sitting rather anonymously in Panera to work. Not true. A guy I used to babysit for just came in for lunch and sat down next to me for a chat. Woohoo for never being able to leave your youth behind while you're at home. :P

Going Home

I'm going home to Ohio today, haloo-hallay!

So I'm part of a Yahoo group for middle school teachers, and someone got the bright idea for everyone to share when their summer break is over. So far, my kids go back to school LAST of all. Woohoo!! I guess there's ONE benefit of having gone till the end of June.

Happy Trails...

Tiffany Bling and Tiffany Blue

First, my favorite Tiffany jewelry:

Silver cuff bracelet-comes in either a left- or right-handed version










Silver ring-sleek and clean












Of course, the Tiffany diamond stud earrings











Then the Tiffany Blue accessories:

Leather Passport Cover









Leather iPod cover









Table Manners for Teens













Sketchers in my favorite color combo-Tiffany & Chocolate












Tiffany Nail Polish










Relaxing in Tiffany Blue












Tiffany Blue KitchenAid, for being domestic












Tiffany Blue guitar, for being musical













Tiffany Blue bike, for being sporty












You don't HAVE to match them, if in case you want to: shoes and bag, in Tiffany Blue:













And finally, for planning your Big Day, the Authentic Tiffany Blue Wedding Planner:

Justice and Worship

When I was about eleven years old, for a church girls program, I was required to find the story of a missionary and do a book report on him/her. I chose to read about Mark and Huldah Buntain, and their Mission of Mercy in Calcutta. Not to sound trite, but my life was changed forever by this story. The biographer presented such a vivid picture of the absolute despair of the lost in the Third World, I think I spent the entire book in tears. In my little Midwestern farm community, there was nothing that even came close to this. I don't recall how or to whom I expressed my feelings, but I think (though I don't quite remember) that I was essentially patted on the head and we went on with our lessons and Bible memory verses.

Several years later, when I was about 16, I found myself at a missions conference at my church with a broken heart for the nations of the world...not unusual, I suppose, for a church kid-but unlike the missionaries who were planting churches and preaching the Gospel, I knew that somehow I had a different calling to be involved in missions. I knew I wasn't a preacher, and Heaven forbid I would be a teacher...(ha.) With no strong direction, my understanding of how to be involved in missions faltered, and I put it on the shelf. With a heart for worship and a love of music, I went to college as a music major. When faced with the reality of my choices there (concert pianist-not enough talent, sacred music-not interested in church music leadership, music education-forget it), I checked out after two years, and took some "time off" to figure things out.

When I was about 26, I first was introduced to YWAM and their Mercy Ships ministry, and I thought, "Aha! Here's a practical way that I can become involved in missions, at last!" I went back to college as a premed, and was determined to serve as a medical missionary and give people tangible love and a true introduction to Who Jesus is, and His love. I was quite motivated and excited about the possibility of finally doing real missions work, and I loved medicine and the prospect of a medical career.

Do you know how easy it is to get distracted from your goals by impossibilities? Well, I do. And the long and short of it is that I got distracted by how impossible it would be for me to go to medical school-at my age, with my grades, thinking of all the time away from my family, thinking of all the loans, etc, etc...Bit by bit, the dream was snatched away, and with it, the opportunity was lost. Oh, I suppose not lost entirely, but lost enough that the trade-off for the dream now comes at too great a price, mainly to my family and finances. I've consciously decided to lay down the medical dreams, and to find other ways to work out my passions-and though it has been extremely painful to do so, I believe it is truly for the best.

So here I find myself-three states away from home (since there's essentially no life for me there, to speak of), teaching a subject I care little about to rather spoiled children at a school in a wealthy community where I can (even on a strong salary) barely afford to live, in a metropolitan area known for its ambitious and materialistic population, and wondering what to DO with myself. I know I am called to a great purpose-a global purpose- and I know that my heart is for the nations of the world to experience Jesus and to understand the joy that comes with true worship, but what on earth does that look like? I've always felt torn between my love of worship and my desire for the nations, and haven't understood how to reconcile those two areas of my life. Until now.

(Allow me to interject here: as I'm writing this, I am overwhelmed by how much more there is that I'm NOT writing down that contributes to my life and worldview. My only hope is that without too much more detail, this will still attain some level of coherent thought. If not, oh well-at least I'm getting it out of my system.)

I have been thinking about attending the annual HillSong Conference in Sydney, Australia for about eight years, I think, off and on-maybe even longer. I'm so intimidated by the cost of travel TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET, that it hasn't ever actually happened-yet. My desire has always been rooted in the love of worship, and inspired by the dynamic praise that flows out of this massive church (of 20,000 +), and the incredible leadership they exhibit. This year is different.

It all started on MySpace, actually. I happened to be googling the conference, and I found a link to the HillSong United Youth Band's MySpace page. Here they present the impetus for their latest project, The I Heart Revolution. What begins as a worship album recorded around the world, continues as a feature film chronicling the global situation experienced by the band as they toured recording the album. A snippet from Joel Houston's blog:

"It (the movie) takes off exactly where part one left off.. We have literally hundreds + hundreds of hours of footage.. We've documented the entire journey, and we're putting it together in a way that captures what we've been so blessed to experience; The passion, the hunger and the urgency of a generation across the earth desperate to live the life God designed for them... We've talked to the people.. We've documented some of the best and worst the world has to offer and have told the story in a way that inspires, but also challenges us all to live the worship life that goes beyond just the confession of our lips, but would direct us toward action - Reaching out to the lost and the broken.. Helping the poor and oppressed.. Pursuing justice and fairness for all people.."

And finally, the third part of this project, the movement. This is where the project takes a wild leap away from the usual artistic social awareness campaign, and gets personal, which I LOVE. Set to launch later this year, iheart//the movement is meant to be a global online collaboration to help alleviate injustice in the world, and to truly be what Christ has called the church to; that is, to be LOVE.

If you'd like to read more about the leadership's heart for this revolution, you can find more from Joel Houston here. There's my plug, now here's where it gets personal again.

My head has been spinning for about two, maybe three months as I have attempted to assimilate the iHeart with my own heart. This resonates so deeply within me, I don't think I can effectively describe what has been going on in my head and in my heart. I can only present what I am beginning to understand as an outworking of my calling in Christ.

You see, in addition to the iHeart project, HillSong has centered this year's conference (which has been playing this week on Godtv) about the theme of justice. Last evening, they broadcast Mike Pilavachi speaking of the inseparable connection between worship, evangelism and justice. Today, I was listening to Joel speak what is clearly HIS passion for the church to get involved in social justice as worship. I love this man's heart and passion-here's the relatively young, incredibly gifted and creative leader of what is arguably the most recognized youth worship band in the entire world, and he is using his position, not as a platform to promote himself or any agenda or pet project of his own, but solely to further the cause of Christ-that is, love of the Father and love for our brothers. It's commendable on a level I don't even think I can express.

What I love about this movement the most I think, is that the church (at least in some parts of the world) has picked up on the understanding they are presenting; that in order for the church to be Christ in the world, we have to care about what's happening in the lives of the people in the world. HillSong has put its entire support network behind this revelation and the teaching is fantastic. While I do realize that my excitement about this may be largely due to the fact that this is my passion as well, I truly believe that it is the calling of Christ to the Church right now, for such a time as this.

I loved Mike's teaching this week, and I actually received a book he's written on the subject of worship, evangelism and justice in the mail a few days ago. Th gist of the message is this: worship comes out of an expression of love-when you love someone, you tell him. Evangelism is the language of worship-no one makes you talk about your beloved to everyone in sight, it naturally flows out of your love. Worship without evangelism is self-indulgence (ouch), and evangelism without worship is legalism. However, Amos chapter 5 says essentially that, if you worship God without considering the poor, the oppressed and the broken, He will essentially plug his ears and not hear you. In other words, it's not enough to say you love Him, and tell the world how amazing He is...you must put actions to your love, and show His love to the world by caring for them, just as He does. This, then, is true worship.

So after meandering all over this post, what exactly is my point? Well, it's this: the Lord has called me to worship. He has given me a heart for the nations. He has called me to service. He has put eternity in my heart. To whatever end, He has given me skill to teach and a love of languages and the ability to communicate joy in song. He has given me a heart for the oppressed and the broken, and he has given me the intelligence and creativity to find ways to share His love in tangible ways with those who are hurting. He has given me the ability to encourage the hearts of His people, and to encourage the hearts of those He calls to Himself.

I have finally found a voice for the calling God birthed in my heart 25 years ago. Now is the time move out of the impossibilities and do something about it. It doesn't matter if I'm a doctor or a musician or a teacher-or all three of these. What matters is that it is time to take action, and show Jesus to the world in a language they understand. It's time to speak in the language of LOVE.

I heart.

The Ultimate List

If you've never heard of John Goddard, allow me to initiate you. This guy is the ultimate list maker; starting when he was a teenager in 1940, he made a list of 127 life goals to achieve...and he's almost completed the whole list. So what, you may ask? Well, you need to see his list to fully appreciate the incredible accomplishment it already has been: view John Goddard's Life List.

So, of course this has inspired me to start my own life list. I already have something like it in the works, but I listened to a very good teaching about this tonight, and got some good advice for making my list from a local DC pastor: Mark Batterson's blog. (Scroll down to the entry from January 8th) I like how he categorizes his goals.

Borrowing some formatting (but not the details) of both these men, I'm in the process of formulating my own list. The categories might be as follows (and of course, are subject to change):

From John Goddard:
Explore
Study
Photograph
Visit
Accomplish

From Mark Batterson:
Experience
Influence
Maximize my potential
Enjoy
Family
Travel
Physical

I like what Mark says about his goals: notice there is no "spiritual" goals title...he emphasizes that, as you prayerfully consider your life goals, they will all be spiritual. It's ridiculous to try to separate spiritual from life, especially from a Christian perspective.

Another point Mark made me recall was the SMART way of making goals. He says, "Get in shape is not a goal, it's a wish!", and that you must be specific in your goal setting. This reminded me of the SMART plan. When setting goals, make sure they are:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

I think that a few of these might require some adjustments from a spiritual perspective-mainly the last three. While one should be realistic, one also must allow room for Divine intervention that allows for dynamic results.

More to come...

Summer Reading List

We'll see if I get through HALF of it...

• Luncheon of the Boating Party
• Franklin and Winston
• The Remains of the Day
• Out of Africa
• Howard's End
• The African Queen
• A Passage to India
• The Red Pony
• Hunting With Hemingway
• The Jasmine Farm
• The Art of Travel
• Summer at Tiffany
• The Writing Diet
• Here's England
• Joie de Vivre
• The Piano Shop on the Left Bank
• Sweetness in the Belly
• The Book of Story Beginnings
• Spindle's End
• Love Stories of World War II
• Portrait in Sepia
• The Constant Gardener
• The Cook and the Gardener
• The Primeval Forest
• 20:21 Vision
• Ready For Anything
• Developing a Christian Worldview of Science and Evolution
• Intellectual Schizophrenia
• What Jackie Taught Us
• The Classic Ten
• How to Walk In High Heels
• French Women Don't Get Fat
• Your PLan For a Balanced Life
• Just Try It On
• Take a Closer Look for Women
• Better Than Beauty
• Falling in Love With Jesus
• The Kiss of Heaven
• When Necessary, Use Words
• The Supernatural Ways of Royalty
• The Life of Christ
• The Justice God is Seeking
• Strengthen Yourself in the Lord
• Nurturing the Nations
• Why Not Women?
• Visioneering

A Norman Rockwell Independence Day

I have only been away from home, to my best recollection, twice on the Fourth of July. I'm sure there have been other times, but I can only remember two. The first time was in 2003 when I spent Independence Day in the bush, in East Africa. I wouldn't trade that for anything. The second time is this year, as I spend my holiday with my dear friend Lizard at her parents' home in Philadelphia, PA. This might not be significant if it weren't for the fact that July 4 is the only time my sleepy little Ohio hometown wakes up and actually develops some personality. There is a week-long carnival, class reunions galore, the parade (in which my sister, my brother and I all marched), and the best fireworks for three counties around. (For a list of the festivities, so you can see what you are missing, click here.) It's the only time, in my humble opinion, that Orrville is ANY fun at all, and I hate to miss it. However, my experience this weekend is truly a Red, White and Blue one, and I'm not missing home at all. (At least not because of the holiday.)

We began our day by doing the most American thing to do on a holiday-sleeping in. We then lingered over coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts (I ate grapefruit), and then meandered one block down the street to enjoy the Aldan Parade. Though it was a much shorter parade than ours back home (I later found out that Aldan has just half the population of Orrville, with around 4300 residents), it was highly entertaining, and people here obviously work hard to contribute to the festivities. I'll try to post some photos later (Liz's dad had the camera), but some of the highlights were a troupe of very tiny cheerleaders, a string band of flamboyantly decked-out "mummers", and a range of the most patriotically costumed folks I've ever personally experienced. The whole thing was very fun and quaint, as people found "their corner" and adults and children all ran into the street to retrieve the candies thrown from the "floats".

After the parade, the whole town walked across the baseball field to the American Legion Hall where there was a festival set up in the parking lot, complete with sodas and grilled hot dogs (just $1 each), homemade pretzels, real Philly water ice (in a variety of fruity flavors), the local Dem and Republican parties, a soaked sponge toss, a local church booth, an Avon exhibit, and of course the ubiquitous Moon Bounce. Less typical than usual was a booth for a local Parrot Rescue endeavor, complete with several large birds. At 2:oo the ice cream truck came and gave away free ice cream sandwiches to all the residents (and their guests). We then walked back to the house, admiring gardens and (with me) listening to stories of local color. Lizard's parents grew up in this neighborhood, and they either know or are related to half of everyone.

We made potato salad for dinner (it was a group effort, with me, Lizard and Little Katie chopping away), then Lizard and Little Katie Skyped their Little Sarey, who is in London for school this summer. Their dad made us his famous iced mochas, and we played with the kitten. Later, we sat out on the porch enjoying the day with crayons and coloring books (as an aside, I also spent Thanksgiving with this family, and we colored then, too. ), then Lizard decided to find her Jem Doll. She pulled out her Barbie clothes trunk, and we spent a good hour laughing over the Barbies and their accessories. By the time we finished being little girls, Lizard's dad was grilling burgers, and we had the best burgers, potato salad and beans I've had in a long time. Lizard's nana entertained us all during dinner with stories about things like how she passed out cookies at the senior center at Christmas wrapped in Victoria's Secret bags, and told the recipients that she got the bags when she bought her thongs. (She entirely cracked herself up, and the thought of MY grandma-either of them, actually-even saying "thong" cracked me up. I don't think mom would even say it. Which is kind of funny, in itself, actually. )

After a hilarious dinner on the front porch with firecrackers starting to pop all around the neighborhood, we came in and watched the parade downtown on tv, with more "mummers", which apparently is a Philadelphia phenomenon. Then we saw National Treasure, which I hadn't ever seen (due to the abiding trauma of the weirdness of Nicholas Cage in Peggy Sue Got Married). It was fun, and very patriotic. The evening ended with views and sounds of the fireworks over the treetops. A perfect day.

Such a fun holiday! Today I think we get to go be tourists in Philadelphia, which should be a really super day. I think if you have to be away from home on the Fourth, the town where the Declaration of Independence was signed is the place to be. Off I go to eat a Philly Cheesesteak and admire the Liberty Bell!