Day 87 - August 9, 2010 - Sick!

“Only in America do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front of the store” - Anonymous

It would appear that I picked up a little souvenir while I was in San Diego... one of my room mates had a cold. Well, I managed to wake up with one today! My nose is plugged, my throat is sore, i'm starting to cough... how pleasant! Well, the good thing is that I managed to catch this cold before school started. I need to be in tip top shape for the first week. There's a lot of stuff to be sorted out... that's for sure!

I think I'll go back to napping now... ugh!

Day 86 - August 8, 2010 - Evangelists

"Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us daily." - Sally Koch

Harvest Crusade occurred this weekend. I had never been, so when Casey asked me if I wanted to go, I was certainly willing. I've heard mixed views from all over the map about Greg Laurie's preaching. I wanted to make up my mind for myself. It was no surprise to me that, as we approached the entry to Angel's Stadium, there were picketers with signs that said, "Laurie Leads to Hell." People are always critical of large churches and the preachers who serve them.

As I listened to Greg Laurie speak, I heard nothing negative or blasphemous in his words. Nothing whatsoever. He spoke from his heart about reality. The fact that I had to come to grips with: large events such as Harvest Crusade are highly emotional.

When I was younger, I would attend youth camps. I remember some of the speakers would tell highly emotional stories meant to call people to action. The sermons were meant to tug at the heart strings and cause people to believe. Several times, the emotional pleas reached to me and I recommitted my life. This isn't particularly a bad thing, but I'm in a relationship with Christ. When you are in a relationship with a friend or significant other, you don't continually say, "oh, I'm re-committing to you because I'm scared I might lose you." No. You talk to them. Communicate. Spend time with them. When you struggle or fight, you work it out. They don't just drop you because you are having a difficult time. God won't just drop you because you are going through spiritual difficulties. He doesn't say, "Well, Megan wasn't very nice to that person yesterday... so she's not a Christian any more." Certainly not. I cling to God and he clings to me. Struggles are a natural part of any relationship and they usually indicate growth.

Now, I'm not saying that people shouldn't follow their emotions when it comes to re-committing their lives. I'm just saying that our walk with Christ cannot be ruled by emotions. We have to know in our hearts that we are a in relationship with God, and that He is holding on to us in good and bad times. That isn't something I truly knew in my heart when I was younger. There were times I was afraid that if I did one thing wrong, I would have to immediately re-commit my life for fear of losing God's love. He has told me that is not the truth. Fight temptation as it comes because God is right there behind you.

Ok, here's the point of that long, rambling entry. At the end of the service, as is customary at outreach events, there was an altar call. I'm glad there was! I support the calling laid upon the hearts of evangelists to tell the world about Christ. But, as I watched thousands of people crowding on to the field, I simply had to wonder: how many of these people are here to make a life change, how many simply need to communicate with their savior, and how many of them are following a mob mentality? I'm sure there were many who made real, lasting commitments to Christ. Others, it is hard to say.

I just wanted to write my thoughts down. My spiritual journey is different from any other, but much can be learned from sharing what we know. I know Christ has redeemed me and that he is hanging on to my heart as fiercely as I'm hanging on to Him.

That's all.

Day 85 - August 7, 2010 - Graffiti as Art?

"In the dime stores and bus stations, people talk of situations, read books, repeat quotations, draw conclusions on the wall." -Bob Dylan

Living near Los Angeles, I've seen a lot of graffiti over the years. Some of it is pretty trashy; a bunch of bright yellow lines intended to be a name or obscene word/gesture that, frankly, looks like nothing but a bunch of tangled lines. Other graffiti can look rather intriguing. I've often though to myself that if some taggers would look in to graphic design as a career, they might be relatively successful.

An artist that I was recently introduced to has made it his/her mission to make statements on walls. The artist is known by the name of Banksy and is supposedly from Great Britain. The artist maintains anonymity, but has left hundreds of marks around the world. Some of them are beautiful, others make a statement, and many are just plain bizarre.

I know this isn't particularly amazing artwork. It looks like stencil painting to me. I stumbled across it while walking around Young Hall around 7:30 AM today. I never knew it was there. It struck me as random. I wonder who did it? Certainly not Banksy... but it sure would be cool if Banksy DID tag one of our school walls!

Day 84 - August 6, 2010 - Becoming Real

"The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive.

But the Skin Horse only smiled." - Velveteen Rabbit

Congratulations Rose and Douglas! I hope you have a long and happy life together.

I used to love the story of the Velveteen Rabbit when I was a child. I always felt so badly for the poor rabbit, but when he became real, I was over-joyed. I think I'm beginning to understand that story in a lot of new ways as I get older. It is funny how fairy tales teach us just as much in our maturity as when we are young. Perhaps they teach us more.

Day 83 - August 5, 2010 - Photography Runs in the Family

“I am the family face; / Flesh perishes, I live on, / Projecting trait and trace / Through time to times anon, / And leaping from place to place / Over oblivion.” -Thomas Hardy

Yes, I know I didn't "take" this picture, but I have a reason! I promise that every other picture on this blog (besides the ones that were OBVIOUSLY taken of me from afar... and i think there's only a few of those) were taken by me. Well, in this particular case, I wanted to write about the past few days with my cousin. Today, we went to the mall and tried on some dresses and clothes... just for fun. We really enjoyed ourselves. =)

Ok, the point about the picture. My cousin decided that she wanted to invest in a nice camera. I decided to do the same thing during my freshman year. I didn't realize that I would enjoy taking pictures so much. I am by no means a photographer... but I love photography! It would appear that she feels the same way. I'm very glad to see/hear that.

Something else that I learned while we were at the camera store: my aunt used to be in to photography. While she was in college, she took photos for the yearbook and was pretty good with a camera. I never knew that. I suppose interests and talents really do run in the family.

Hopefully my raw love of photography will continue to improve my skill!

Day 82 - August 4, 2010 - Leapin' Lizards?

“Precisely the least, the softest, lightest, a lizard's rustling, a breath, a flash, a moment - a little makes the way of the best happiness.” -Friedrich Nietzsche

Poor little lizard! He has the misfortune of being born in our back yard. Oh, don't worry; he's still alive, just stunned. My mother found him after Chloe managed to snag him by the tail. We held him and splashed some water on him. He was looking at us and breathing... you know, the most important vital signs. lol

Our dog has made quite a name for herself as a lizard hunter. All I have to do is say the word "lizard" in an excited tone, and she's out the door! This has proven to be very useful at certain intervals.

Well, this poor little guy was released back into the garden. Hopefully this will be a valuable lesson for him: stay away from dogs.

Day 81 - August 3, 2010 - San Juan Capistrano

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." — C.T. Studd

When you visit the California coast, San Juan Capistrano is a must-see in my opinion. It is truly gorgeous! Most people think of beaches, surfing, Hollywood, and San Fransisco when they hear the word California. Those of us who live here have a slightly different idea of what to expect.

San Juan Capistrano is part of what makes up California in my mind. It reminds you that Spain had a pretty big influence on the state. It also reminds you that California is a desert; not a watery-wonderland. It also makes me realize how relatively young U.S. history really is. The cathedral collapsed in the 1800's. To most U.S. citizens, that sounds like a long time ago. There are buildings in Europe that are older than that by about 600-700 years.

Well, ok, you've got me pegged. I actually care about history. I guess if you don't really care about anything but beaches and partying, then San Juan isn't for you.

We took my cousin to San Juan Capistrano today. It was quite enjoyable in my opinion. Perfect weather, good food, great company and great scenery. That's what day-cations should be about, don't you think?

Day 80 - August 2, 2010 - Let's Bake a Cake!

"Let them eat cake." -Marie Antoinette


I've come to discover I enjoy baking things. Why? Well, I've thought about that too, of course! When it comes to cooking, it always seems to require time constraints. You make food for a meal, and everyone is hungry! Baking seems to me to be about pleasure. Relaxation. Whenever I get ready to bake something, I know that I have time. I don't have to finish it in 1/2 an hour for a hungry mob. The oven, somehow, is less demanding. Items on the stove top must constantly be monitored. Once you place something in the oven, you can set a timer and check on it periodically to make sure it is setting up properly. Also, baked goods make people smile. I know good food does the same (and it is healthier and nourishing), but cookies and cakes are a splurge gift. A way to say "I love you; i made you something!"

I made cupcakes the other day. Today I made a "devil's food" chocolate cake. This one wasn't from scratch... although I enjoy making things from scratch better. It seems to taste better that way, don't you think?

Day 79 - August 1, 2010 - A Rose by Any Other Name...

“But he that dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose.” - Anne Bronte

Flowers are one of my favorite things found in nature. I guess that is the case with a lot of women. I like orchids, daisies, lilies, irises, pansies, fox gloves, sunflowers, tulips, roses... well, really, you name it and i probably like it.

Roses are interesting, though. Arguably, roses could be called the flower of literature. It is almost cliche to compare love to a rose... it has been done so many times. Authors and play writes have written about roses. Many poets have written about roses. There are songs about them. They are considered to be the default "romance" bloom. What do you buy for your girlfriend on Valentine's Day? Red roses.

They certainly are beautiful, but I often wonder why popular culture has gravitated towards them so much. There are hundreds of types of flowers all around the world. It isn't really a question I know the answers to... just an afternoon's pondering.

Perhaps, like so many other things, roses should thank Shakespeare for their popularity.

Day 78 - July 31, 2010 - Bonafide Bookworm

“Let every bookworm, when in any fragrant, scarce, old tome he discovers a sentence, a story, an illustration, that does his heart good, hasten to give it” - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Behold: my stack of text books for the upcoming semester. If you look closely, you will see that a large number of these books are in fact Shakespeare's plays. Although I do enjoy Shakespeare from time to time, I am hoping that I can keep up with the reading load for this class! It will be a great challenge, certainly. I expect to become a better writer/teacher along the way. What better place to start than with the man who revolutionized English story telling as we know it?

It is still going to be quite the challenge, though. I'll hang in there!

Day 77 - July 30, 2010 - Time Winds and Unwinds

“Life is all about timing... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable... attainable. Have the patience, wait it out It's all about timing.” - Stacey Charter

Time has a funny way of winding up and down. As soon as one phase of life ends, another begins. This particular clock requires winding to work. As soon as it begins to slow down, the clock must be re-wound in order for it to keep working. Life kind of feels like that now... in this transitory phase. When one thing ends, I must rewind the "clock" and start over. As it ticks away, I know that, when it is unwound, I will be at the next phase and must rewind my "clock" and continue living.

This is by no means a bad thing. It simply means I have a certain amount of time in which to grow and learn in each phase of my life. I can't sit around a listen to the sound of the clock ticking, but when it is time to start over, I must embrace the future.

Day 76 - July 29, 2010 - The Way Art Speaks

"I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious." -Andrew Wyeth

When I close my eyes, I can be literally anywhere I wish to be. I can see the cliffs at Dingle or the Tower Bridge in London. Perhaps I will recall the streets of Chennai (and the smell might come back to me as well...) or my backyard in Texas. I could be sitting next to my grandparent's silver, retro Christmas tree or fishing at the lake with my Papa. Maybe I'm at the top of the Washington Monument or resting under a cherry tree in Tokyo.

But there is something profound about the imagination. I can also visit places that I have never seen; places that don't actually exist. I can create them; build them from scratch in my mind. Certainly, they will resemble places on earth and the physical world, but they are entirely my own. This place in the imagination is where art is born.

Not everyone loves art like I do. I can respect that, I suppose. And in all reality, I don't like every piece of art that I see. But sometimes, I see something that an artist has created and I realize something. Our minds are of one accord. I understand what the artist saw in his or her mind. Maybe I've even been to that place in my own mind; in my own way.

My aunt bought this piece of art at Michael's the other day. I was the one who found it, actually. She loved it as much as I did. I've seen a place like this one in my mind. The artist's skill brought it to life.

Starry Night by Van Gogh is one of my favorite painting. Take a look at it and see what you find. I was captivated.

Day 75 - July 28, 2010 - Room Number 9

"The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense." -Thomas Edison

Ah, Room 9. I've been working with kids in this room and on the playground all summer. Really, I have had an extremely enjoyable summer. I feel like I have learned SO much working with the kids. All of it is invaluable to my future. There is nothing like hands-on experience with kids to teach you how to be a teacher. I am discovering a side of myself I didn't know I had. I'm confident, but I know I still have a lot to learn.

This week has been exceedingly interesting. It has tested my growing skills and taught me even more about teaching! Unexpectedly, the administration dropped 25 Korean exchange students into our laps. I think it is great that they are visiting the United States, but MAN! There's just not enough of us (the workers) to go around. 50 kids is insanity when you are trying to organize large group games and crafts. My boss was also forced to take the week off (administration again...), so Casey and I were left with absolutely no plans and no direction.

We hung in there, though... and worked together! Monday was simply a mess. Rather than allowing the same situation to occur again, we went out for sushi after work and planned out games and crafts for the week. We also went by the dollar store and picked up several useful items: tennis balls, a baseball bat (plastic), some bubbles, and a beach ball. These have proved to be extremely helpful thus far.

Although it has been frustrating at times, I'm thankful for the challenge. I know it only gets harder in the professional work force. So, why not learn and try out new ideas while there's less pressure?

Day 74 - July 27, 2010 - Reunited!

"Natives who beat drums to drive off evil spirits are objects of scorn to smart Americans who blow horns to break up traffic jams." ~Mary Ellen Kelly

Finally! After nearly two weeks in the shop, I picked up my car today! They waxed it for me and everything. It looks brand new and I'm so so SO thankful for insurance right now! You can see my aunt's car in the background over there. That's another exciting thing that is occurring right now. My aunt is here in California! It has been wonderful to see her and to talk with her. I hope she enjoys her time out here with us, even though I know that circumstances are not the best.

Anywho, I'm sure I'll be driving like a little, old grandma for the next few weeks. Thank God for car insurance!