I had a couple of highlights to my week this week and I thought I'd share them with you.
On Thursday a couple of girls from the forum stayed afterwards and got into a conversation.
We discussed men, what it means to live as a woman in today's society, (especially within Christian culture), marriage, past relationships, and how our faith backgrounds affected our views on everything. It was very interesting and I loved getting to know them better. We voiced some uncomfortable questions and wrestled with some daring questions. These are some of my favourite moments in life. Random questions popping up and happening to find people who are struggling along with you. I love the push that many people in the church are starting to making these days for an open atmosphere where it's safe to ask questions and questions don't mean that you're loosing touch with anything; rather that you're grasping and pulling and fighting to get closer to understanding something. That is far more productive and growth-inspiring than sitting stagnant in your faith.
On Friday Becula and I went to the SLC to see a couple of our friends sing in an A Capella group, and not only was the singing fabulous, but there was free cheese and shakes there!
It was awesome! We had a blast. Thanks for making me go, Becula.
On Saturday, Gloria and I made up a language/secret code in which you can't use voice, and we sat on the couch and grunted at each other for about 20 minutes, then we make a video to document it so that we won't forget this cutting edge language development. Then later we were going to make apple turnover's so we went to the St. Jacob's market to purchase the apples and walnuts. It was so lovely. I love the market! I love the bustling atmosphere of local farmers and Mennonite culture with all the cute things to look at, not to mention the fresh orange juice and the apple fritters! I think I'm going to try to get out there as often as I can get out there to write. I love love love the atmosphere!
Saturday night was The View from Here at the Branches. It was my first time going and Elysha was a featured artist! Proud moment! Tear! She had her photography up and she read some of her poetry and she did a wonderful job. They had a couple of different musicians, one of which sounded like a more down to earth combo of John Mayer and Jason Mraz. It was fantastic. They're based out of Guelph; the band name is Wooden Chiefs, but they don't have a CD so they'll just have to live on in my memory. They are apparently an acoustic version of their other band, What She Said. I'll have to check them out.
Hmm. Sunday I hung out with my family and helped run a LifeChange Adventures DVD release party/ fundraisor for the Onzole River Community in Ecuador. It was amazing. They really did a fantastic job organizing and running it and they raised over $3000.00!
So yes. Fabulous week. Now it's finally time to do my homework...
Sunday, 29 November 2009
Kathleen's question
Kathleen asked me an interesting question today.
She asked what my three favourite things are, beyond God, family and friends.
I never thought about that before. Verbs, nouns... anything.
I basically tried to mentally take myself back to the last time I felt extreme satisfaction or joy, then place the memory.
It's such an interesting question. You get to reflect back to your past joys and realize the most beautiful things to you. I think it was a good question because it makes you think about the things in your life that you can go back to when you're drained or restless or stressed.
The three I came up with on the spot (I may give this more thought later), were:
1) Travel. Cultures, landscapes, historical stuff, people people PEOPLE!
2) Successful creative endeavors. (Inspiration--> followthrough--> a good and lovely result)
3) Good conversation. (Usually something I've been thinking about or struggling with and building up a store of question about, and then just explicating it all with someone I know and love and trust, or even just with someone who understands the questions.)
Feels good!
Try and answer the question for yourself? 3 favourite things aside from the obvious stock answers like religion, family, friends or... I was going to say shopping, but I think that if that's on your top 3 list then that's something you should know about yourself. And think very very carefully about it...
I'll post again if I think of some better ones.
She asked what my three favourite things are, beyond God, family and friends.
I never thought about that before. Verbs, nouns... anything.
I basically tried to mentally take myself back to the last time I felt extreme satisfaction or joy, then place the memory.
It's such an interesting question. You get to reflect back to your past joys and realize the most beautiful things to you. I think it was a good question because it makes you think about the things in your life that you can go back to when you're drained or restless or stressed.
The three I came up with on the spot (I may give this more thought later), were:
1) Travel. Cultures, landscapes, historical stuff, people people PEOPLE!
2) Successful creative endeavors. (Inspiration--> followthrough--> a good and lovely result)
3) Good conversation. (Usually something I've been thinking about or struggling with and building up a store of question about, and then just explicating it all with someone I know and love and trust, or even just with someone who understands the questions.)
Feels good!
Try and answer the question for yourself? 3 favourite things aside from the obvious stock answers like religion, family, friends or... I was going to say shopping, but I think that if that's on your top 3 list then that's something you should know about yourself. And think very very carefully about it...
I'll post again if I think of some better ones.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
I know this is my 3rd post today but I have a lot of catching up to do from the past year so.... so be it.
One last thing, we had a pizza dinner with coconut cream pie for supper at Janelle, Adam and Darren's house today. It was lovely. Their house has beautiful art and a kind cat.
Also, they are very nice people. I like them.
Also, they are very nice people. I like them.
Fireflies
Gloria, Becula and I listened to this song about 40 times today.
Becula and Gloria like taking good songs and wearing them out by playing them over and over until they are permanently emblazoned into your subcontious, never to be removed from the back of your mind, and until the song is completely old. Personal preference.
I prefer to listen to a variety of songs throughout the day to keep them fresh.
Today was different.
From various sources, Becula and Gloria found this song called "Fireflies" by Owl City.
It's adorable. There is a guy in it who pushes a magic button, and wonder ensues.
We decided, after about the 30th time playing it, that possible the reason we like it so much is because it has a happy magical sound to it, but it also has this subtle underlying quality of sadness.
It reminds me of those times in life where you're just so happy that you're a little bit sad because you know that it can't stay this way.
Like Kristen Kahle's Christmas parties in high school.
In grade 12, at that Christmas party I looked around at the young and irrepressible leaders of tomorrow, singing at a piano and making up stories... sledding down hills of ice and engaging in crazy snowball fights... and I knew that this was the last time that all of these amazing people with whom I had had so much joy throughout high school would be in the same room together.
It was like this song.
Becula and Gloria like taking good songs and wearing them out by playing them over and over until they are permanently emblazoned into your subcontious, never to be removed from the back of your mind, and until the song is completely old. Personal preference.
I prefer to listen to a variety of songs throughout the day to keep them fresh.
Today was different.
From various sources, Becula and Gloria found this song called "Fireflies" by Owl City.
It's adorable. There is a guy in it who pushes a magic button, and wonder ensues.
We decided, after about the 30th time playing it, that possible the reason we like it so much is because it has a happy magical sound to it, but it also has this subtle underlying quality of sadness.
It reminds me of those times in life where you're just so happy that you're a little bit sad because you know that it can't stay this way.
Like Kristen Kahle's Christmas parties in high school.
In grade 12, at that Christmas party I looked around at the young and irrepressible leaders of tomorrow, singing at a piano and making up stories... sledding down hills of ice and engaging in crazy snowball fights... and I knew that this was the last time that all of these amazing people with whom I had had so much joy throughout high school would be in the same room together.
It was like this song.
Greek peeps
So I was just reading Oedipus for class, and I realized something incredible.
*Ahem*
Famous Ancient Greek Philosophers:
Socrates & Aristotle
Famous Ancient Greek Playwrights:
Sophocles & Aristophanes
WEIRD!
ps. These names are so similar that when I originally posted them, I got Aristotle and Aristophanes mixed up, and it wasn't until Becula pointed it out that I noticed and was able to fix it!
See?? Told you!
*Ahem*
Famous Ancient Greek Philosophers:
Socrates & Aristotle
Famous Ancient Greek Playwrights:
Sophocles & Aristophanes
WEIRD!
ps. These names are so similar that when I originally posted them, I got Aristotle and Aristophanes mixed up, and it wasn't until Becula pointed it out that I noticed and was able to fix it!
See?? Told you!
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
9:48
Gloria and I were just sitting in a very full number 9 bus on the way home from Gloria and Becula's conflict resolution course. When suddenly, with a flash of light and a swirl of colour, the dimention of time was radically shifted into a different reality.
Sitting next to Gloria, I looked at my phone. "9:48," quoth I. I put my phone away and immediately took it back out again, expecting to see that time had progressed to 9:49. I was taken slightly aback when I saw the time. I showed my phone to Gloria again. "Still 9:48".
Gloria gasped, eyes wide, mouth open. "What if it's always 9:48?!"
Here's the revelation that ensued:
-You're right! It might be 9:48 forever!
-Good thing we're not in class! That could get boring.
-I agree. Being on a bus at 9:48 forever is a pretty good option for a place to be at 9:48 forever. There are lots of interesting people on the bus, we could spend forever at 9:48 getting to know them.
-I don't know, I might have to go to the washroom at one point during all of this.
-No, because if at 9:48 you don't have to go to the washroom, you'll never progress to having to go the washroom further because your having to go to of the washroom would occur gradually from 9:49 to 9:50 and so on.
-But I'm a little bit hungry.
-But you won't be any more hungry than you are at present at 9:48 later than now.
-You're right! And with a whole eternity of 9:48 spent on this bus, I'll bet we can make some pretty significant relationships, enough so that probably there will be someone on this bus with food who would be willing to share with me.
-Yes, I can well imagine people becoming quite comfortable and generous with each other after spending forever sitting with them at 9:48.
-I wonder if there are any Christians on this bus.
-Yah, we could get married if there's a Christian boy or two on the bus. We have forever to develop the relationship anyways.
-I don't think so though. Because you could only ever have as much of a relationship with him as you could develop in a minute.
-How deep could a relationship get within the span of a minute?
-You would have to grab the person and shout, "TELL ME YOUR INNERMOST SECRETS!" Maybe if you scared them enough it would actually work.
-It would certainly help speed things up a bit.
-Yah, he would only have about 45 seconds to pursue and woo me. I could deal with that!
-Whoa. There would be no consequences of your actions either!
-Wait, no, all actions have consequences. And we are able to do actions at 9:48 so there must be consequences then too.
-So there wouldn't be any long term consequences, anyways.
-The only consequences you can experience are the consequences that can be experience within a minute.
-Right, so you actually can't get married, it's too long a process. But you could just grab a guy and kiss him!
-Oh my! So every moment you live has to be lived right then and there because there is nothing beyond 9:48. I rather like living life at 9:48. I hope it's 9:48 forever!
-So will this bus ever stop driving do you think?
-I don't think so, the bus is driving at 9:48, so because it continues to be 9:48 the bus continues to drive.i
And so on and so forth. I can't let you in on all the other-worldy secrets of this new dimension, it's too bizarre and earth-shattering. You'll need to discover this magcal dimension by yourself. So next time it's 9:48... pay attention, you never know if you'll be transported away...
Sitting next to Gloria, I looked at my phone. "9:48," quoth I. I put my phone away and immediately took it back out again, expecting to see that time had progressed to 9:49. I was taken slightly aback when I saw the time. I showed my phone to Gloria again. "Still 9:48".
Gloria gasped, eyes wide, mouth open. "What if it's always 9:48?!"
Here's the revelation that ensued:
-You're right! It might be 9:48 forever!
-Good thing we're not in class! That could get boring.
-I agree. Being on a bus at 9:48 forever is a pretty good option for a place to be at 9:48 forever. There are lots of interesting people on the bus, we could spend forever at 9:48 getting to know them.
-I don't know, I might have to go to the washroom at one point during all of this.
-No, because if at 9:48 you don't have to go to the washroom, you'll never progress to having to go the washroom further because your having to go to of the washroom would occur gradually from 9:49 to 9:50 and so on.
-But I'm a little bit hungry.
-But you won't be any more hungry than you are at present at 9:48 later than now.
-You're right! And with a whole eternity of 9:48 spent on this bus, I'll bet we can make some pretty significant relationships, enough so that probably there will be someone on this bus with food who would be willing to share with me.
-Yes, I can well imagine people becoming quite comfortable and generous with each other after spending forever sitting with them at 9:48.
-I wonder if there are any Christians on this bus.
-Yah, we could get married if there's a Christian boy or two on the bus. We have forever to develop the relationship anyways.
-I don't think so though. Because you could only ever have as much of a relationship with him as you could develop in a minute.
-How deep could a relationship get within the span of a minute?
-You would have to grab the person and shout, "TELL ME YOUR INNERMOST SECRETS!" Maybe if you scared them enough it would actually work.
-It would certainly help speed things up a bit.
-Yah, he would only have about 45 seconds to pursue and woo me. I could deal with that!
-Whoa. There would be no consequences of your actions either!
-Wait, no, all actions have consequences. And we are able to do actions at 9:48 so there must be consequences then too.
-So there wouldn't be any long term consequences, anyways.
-The only consequences you can experience are the consequences that can be experience within a minute.
-Right, so you actually can't get married, it's too long a process. But you could just grab a guy and kiss him!
-Oh my! So every moment you live has to be lived right then and there because there is nothing beyond 9:48. I rather like living life at 9:48. I hope it's 9:48 forever!
-So will this bus ever stop driving do you think?
-I don't think so, the bus is driving at 9:48, so because it continues to be 9:48 the bus continues to drive.i
And so on and so forth. I can't let you in on all the other-worldy secrets of this new dimension, it's too bizarre and earth-shattering. You'll need to discover this magcal dimension by yourself. So next time it's 9:48... pay attention, you never know if you'll be transported away...
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Elysha
A couple of days ago my wonderful friend Elysha showed me a short blurb that she had written about me. It was such a beautiful blurb and so wonderful to read it that I decided to blurb back.
Elysha
I was so happy to see the flowy red dress gliding across the parking lot. (The red dress had pockets.) It was the dress of such a beautiful, loving heart.
What has always stricken me about Elysha is her ability to love every single person that she meets, no matter who they are or how unlovable they may seem.
I've always seen Elysha to be the sort of person who would daringly choose to stand in a field full of wind and daisies and listen to the tall grass rustle it's song over the silly choices that are supposed to make us happy in life.
I like that. Elysha's soul is a gust of wind and Elysha is a red pocket dress. Beautiful and deep and useful for keeping all my soul's secrets in.
I think that tea brings out the best in our conversations.
Bold, hot and flavourful in a homey happy face mug, Elysha teaches me me to leave the teabag in. I watch her smile at people I wouldn't normally smile at and love people I wouldn't normally love, and in that gesture, she teaches me something. Suddenly I want a red dress.
Throughout the years our innocence and protection has been our bond.
And now, suddenly, both her and I discover that to step beyond our boundries is to live a little. Taking our hands out of our pockets and putting our teacups down for a bit, we now begin to look around, stretch our legs, ready to maybe-- just maybe... take a risk? Do something perhaps a little bit uncivilized.
And yes. We are scared.
And yes.
Elysha
I was so happy to see the flowy red dress gliding across the parking lot. (The red dress had pockets.) It was the dress of such a beautiful, loving heart.
What has always stricken me about Elysha is her ability to love every single person that she meets, no matter who they are or how unlovable they may seem.
I've always seen Elysha to be the sort of person who would daringly choose to stand in a field full of wind and daisies and listen to the tall grass rustle it's song over the silly choices that are supposed to make us happy in life.
I like that. Elysha's soul is a gust of wind and Elysha is a red pocket dress. Beautiful and deep and useful for keeping all my soul's secrets in.
I think that tea brings out the best in our conversations.
Bold, hot and flavourful in a homey happy face mug, Elysha teaches me me to leave the teabag in. I watch her smile at people I wouldn't normally smile at and love people I wouldn't normally love, and in that gesture, she teaches me something. Suddenly I want a red dress.
Throughout the years our innocence and protection has been our bond.
And now, suddenly, both her and I discover that to step beyond our boundries is to live a little. Taking our hands out of our pockets and putting our teacups down for a bit, we now begin to look around, stretch our legs, ready to maybe-- just maybe... take a risk? Do something perhaps a little bit uncivilized.
And yes. We are scared.
And yes.
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