I won't consider this a real post, just wanted to give some shout outs and make a few observations.
My apologies to Brenna Schartz for not including her in my list of readers in that last post. I know very well that Brenna is a loyal fan of crissallissa.blogspot.com and my oversight is shameful. She is a good enough friend to remind me that she was wrongfully excluded, and I thank her for that. Brenna and I go way back to the days of pledging season 2004, ACU Leadership camps 2005, Office of Admissions 2005-2007, Jeanene Reese's Women in Christian Service class 2006, and Karaoke 2007. If you know Brenna, you know that Karaoke 2007 is probably the connection we have that you would most like to be a part of. :)
Tomorrow I have a lingerie shower to attend. In a week and a half I take the GRE. In two weeks I graduate from college. In a month I am a bridesmaid in the second wedding to come from my group of best friends from high school. In about 4 months I am moving to Brazil.
Conclusion: I am growing up way too fast. I still feel 14, (and maybe even look 14,) and 14 year olds do NOT attend lingerie showers, do NOT take GREs (they don't even take ACTs), do NOT graduate from college, are NOT bridesmaids in weddings, do NOT move out of the country (well, not without their parents, anyway.)
In the spirit of cliche, WHERE DID THE TIME GO??
Friday, April 27, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Here I am, Lord. Send me.
Perhaps it's good to not leave that last post up for too long or I might lose my readership. (I say that like I have a little blog following, and though that counter on the right may have high viewing numbers, I don't actually know of anyone other than my mom and sister who read this. So...leave a comment.)
My sweet friend Deanna is also preparing for mission work in South America, but, unlike me, she is on a mission team that is committed to stay for at least 5 years. They won't be leaving for a few more years, but have an exciting survey trip planned at the end of this coming May. She wrote this on her blog yesterday and I was shocked at how eloquently she wrote exactly what I have been feeling:
"I desire with all my heart to do ministry in S. America but it is so scary to think of leaving awesome Colorado, my amazing family and friends, and the comfort of the US. But what is even scarier is thinking of what it would mean if I didnt go, knowing that God has called me to it. I dont want to be Moses, I want to be Isaiah. I dont want to say "Lord please, send anyone else" but "Here I am Lord, send me." (emphasis mine)
I just finished reading a missionary biography of a single woman missionary who spent her life working in India. When she first left home she was about my age, and she talks about how she listed all of the possible reasons she could think of why leaving all that was familiar behind to do mission work was a bad idea. I have to say I definitely identify with that, and have had plenty of sleepless nights where I myself list all the reasons going to Brazil is a pretty stupid idea. However, the outcome is always the same. I don't end with "Lord, send someone else," but with "Here I am, Lord. Send me."
I made another pie chart to show my fundraising progress. You will notice that the colors are the same (duh) but the proportions are different this time. Less blue, more yellow, just the way we want it to be! The 23.4% that I still lack is only $4,181 this time...and that is AMAZING. God is good..jpg)
Oh, and in case you were wondering, I have now received $1,007 as a direct result of the Facebook group...YEAH!!!
My sweet friend Deanna is also preparing for mission work in South America, but, unlike me, she is on a mission team that is committed to stay for at least 5 years. They won't be leaving for a few more years, but have an exciting survey trip planned at the end of this coming May. She wrote this on her blog yesterday and I was shocked at how eloquently she wrote exactly what I have been feeling:
"I desire with all my heart to do ministry in S. America but it is so scary to think of leaving awesome Colorado, my amazing family and friends, and the comfort of the US. But what is even scarier is thinking of what it would mean if I didnt go, knowing that God has called me to it. I dont want to be Moses, I want to be Isaiah. I dont want to say "Lord please, send anyone else" but "Here I am Lord, send me." (emphasis mine)
I just finished reading a missionary biography of a single woman missionary who spent her life working in India. When she first left home she was about my age, and she talks about how she listed all of the possible reasons she could think of why leaving all that was familiar behind to do mission work was a bad idea. I have to say I definitely identify with that, and have had plenty of sleepless nights where I myself list all the reasons going to Brazil is a pretty stupid idea. However, the outcome is always the same. I don't end with "Lord, send someone else," but with "Here I am, Lord. Send me."
I made another pie chart to show my fundraising progress. You will notice that the colors are the same (duh) but the proportions are different this time. Less blue, more yellow, just the way we want it to be! The 23.4% that I still lack is only $4,181 this time...and that is AMAZING. God is good.
.jpg)
Oh, and in case you were wondering, I have now received $1,007 as a direct result of the Facebook group...YEAH!!!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Great News
You might find this post odd, even disgusting, but if you have ever lost a toenail, you understand its blogworthiness.
It all began July 9, 2006. My team was on our way out of Brazil, stopped in Sao Paulo for our 12 hour layover. We had tearfully left our friends in Natal only to be greeted in SP with the news that, due to the bankruptcy of the airline we were supposed to fly home on, we had no flight to the US. A 12 hour layover quickly became the biggest blessing in the world, giving us ample time to figure out how we would get home. For 6 hours we traversed back and forth across the three terminals, going from airline to airline, repeatedly being told how unfortunate it was that we had no tickets to get on their planes. For 6 hours.
6 hours.
In what I recall to be about hour 3, we realized how much time we were wasting by pulling our luggage behind us. Did I mention that this particular day happened to be the day of the World Cup final? Gaggles of people were crowded around every single TV in the terminals, which made navigating our way around the airport for 12 hours pretty awesome. Anyway, in hour 3 we stopped to pick up some luggage carts to make our adventure easier. As I hoisted my big ol' bag up on my luggage cart, it happened to catch my big toe nail on my right foot and pleasantly detach it from my toe. However, because the injury gods knew how fantastic of a day we were already having, the nail did not come off entirely, only enough to bleed profusely and hurt for the next 9 and half months.
If you're doing some quick math, 9 and half months from July 9, 2006 happens to put us at about...today.
If you're wondering what other kinds of things happen in a span of 9 and half months, allow me to share the things I've thought of for the last 9 and half months:
If you take a moral from this tale, which I hope you do, it is to always, always, travel in close-toed shoes.
If you're entirely sicked out and never want to visit my blog again, I apologize, and promise to not write a follow-up entry about how this was actually the second time in my life to lose this particular toenail. Oh, 6th grade science camp...
It all began July 9, 2006. My team was on our way out of Brazil, stopped in Sao Paulo for our 12 hour layover. We had tearfully left our friends in Natal only to be greeted in SP with the news that, due to the bankruptcy of the airline we were supposed to fly home on, we had no flight to the US. A 12 hour layover quickly became the biggest blessing in the world, giving us ample time to figure out how we would get home. For 6 hours we traversed back and forth across the three terminals, going from airline to airline, repeatedly being told how unfortunate it was that we had no tickets to get on their planes. For 6 hours.
6 hours.
In what I recall to be about hour 3, we realized how much time we were wasting by pulling our luggage behind us. Did I mention that this particular day happened to be the day of the World Cup final? Gaggles of people were crowded around every single TV in the terminals, which made navigating our way around the airport for 12 hours pretty awesome. Anyway, in hour 3 we stopped to pick up some luggage carts to make our adventure easier. As I hoisted my big ol' bag up on my luggage cart, it happened to catch my big toe nail on my right foot and pleasantly detach it from my toe. However, because the injury gods knew how fantastic of a day we were already having, the nail did not come off entirely, only enough to bleed profusely and hurt for the next 9 and half months.
If you're doing some quick math, 9 and half months from July 9, 2006 happens to put us at about...today.
If you're wondering what other kinds of things happen in a span of 9 and half months, allow me to share the things I've thought of for the last 9 and half months:
- the conception, development, and birth of a child
- 2 semesters of school plus breaks
- Fall, Winter, Spring
- Winter, Spring, Summer
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- Summer, Fall, Winter
- the life cycle of a big toe toenail
If you take a moral from this tale, which I hope you do, it is to always, always, travel in close-toed shoes.
If you're entirely sicked out and never want to visit my blog again, I apologize, and promise to not write a follow-up entry about how this was actually the second time in my life to lose this particular toenail. Oh, 6th grade science camp...
Thursday, April 19, 2007
What do you want from me?
Question: What do you want from me?
Questioner: Jesus.
Setting: Wednesday night Bible class. 5 high school students and 5 college students sit in a sparsely decorated classroom. The high school students come from extremely low socioeconomic class, the college students all attend a private Christian university. The high school students are at church because the college students pick them up and bring them each week. The college students are freshly bathed, adequately fed, and there as "mentors." The high school students often scramble for meals in their homes and wear the exact same outfit every Wednesday. The discussion leader asks the group to imagine being with Jesus face to face when he asks,
"What do you want from me?"
Answer: A college student, on the verge of graduation and preparing to embark on a 2-year-long missions internship in an unnamed South American country (ahem) ponders the question. Of all the things she could ask Jesus for, she can't seem to narrow it down to just one. Finally, in admitted selfishness, she shares with her small discussion group consisting of 2 high school students and one other college student. "I would want Jesus to tell me it was all going to be okay, that I would be safe, my family would be healthy, my life would pan out in a normal course with no tragedy or bumps in the road."
After the college student's response, a high school student prepares her answer. "Surely her response will be parallel to mine," thinks the college student, "as she faces so much more instability in her daily life."
Then, contradictory to her typically loud and abrasive nature, the high school student timidly says "You know how in the Bible it says that Jesus baptized his disciples? I would want him to baptize me."
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:1-4
Questioner: Jesus.
Setting: Wednesday night Bible class. 5 high school students and 5 college students sit in a sparsely decorated classroom. The high school students come from extremely low socioeconomic class, the college students all attend a private Christian university. The high school students are at church because the college students pick them up and bring them each week. The college students are freshly bathed, adequately fed, and there as "mentors." The high school students often scramble for meals in their homes and wear the exact same outfit every Wednesday. The discussion leader asks the group to imagine being with Jesus face to face when he asks,
"What do you want from me?"
Answer: A college student, on the verge of graduation and preparing to embark on a 2-year-long missions internship in an unnamed South American country (ahem) ponders the question. Of all the things she could ask Jesus for, she can't seem to narrow it down to just one. Finally, in admitted selfishness, she shares with her small discussion group consisting of 2 high school students and one other college student. "I would want Jesus to tell me it was all going to be okay, that I would be safe, my family would be healthy, my life would pan out in a normal course with no tragedy or bumps in the road."
After the college student's response, a high school student prepares her answer. "Surely her response will be parallel to mine," thinks the college student, "as she faces so much more instability in her daily life."
Then, contradictory to her typically loud and abrasive nature, the high school student timidly says "You know how in the Bible it says that Jesus baptized his disciples? I would want him to baptize me."
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:1-4
Monday, April 16, 2007
Let me clear something up. Contrary to what my previous post may suggest, I actually do have a life. A productive one. "This is what I do on Saturdays" is actually a comment on my taking the opportunity to rest on Saturdays. (Observation #1: I am a nerd. I consider making a pie chart "rest".)
Contrary to what a coupling of the previous post with the post before that may suggest, I do not spend all my time blogging, making pie charts, and getting banana cream pie shakes from Sonic. Those are activities included in the restful part of my life, when I'm resting from the productive part. The productive part includes classes, a job, and involvement with the FROGS class at church (which really deserves to be its own subject of a post.) Primarily because of these three broad categories of activities, added to the random activities that come up week per week, Saturdays are my days to sleep in, lay around, and make pie charts, apparently.
Today at lunch I turned on CNN and was bothered to see the breaking news about the tragedy at Virginia Tech. When I left for class the count of fatalities was up to 22. When I came home three hours later and turned it on again, the count was up to 33. I have been physically nauseous since. As students described details of the day, I couldn't help but wonder what that must feel like for those students, trying to imagine something like that happening at ACU. I couldn't. I couldn't imagine hearing about some guy shooting his girlfriend in Gardner, or maybe actually hearing the gunshots, then finding out he crossed campus to the Sherrod building and opened fire on classes that my friends were in. I can't imagine him walking in to my classroom and shooting my professor right in front of my eyes.
My stomach is churning for the students who witnessed it, the students who got up for a normal day of classes and never made it home, the families who might yet not even know that their child, in fact, was one of the 32. My stomach is churning for the "6-foot tall Asian guy wearing a leather jacket" who woke up today and thought this was his best option.
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Contrary to what a coupling of the previous post with the post before that may suggest, I do not spend all my time blogging, making pie charts, and getting banana cream pie shakes from Sonic. Those are activities included in the restful part of my life, when I'm resting from the productive part. The productive part includes classes, a job, and involvement with the FROGS class at church (which really deserves to be its own subject of a post.) Primarily because of these three broad categories of activities, added to the random activities that come up week per week, Saturdays are my days to sleep in, lay around, and make pie charts, apparently.
Today at lunch I turned on CNN and was bothered to see the breaking news about the tragedy at Virginia Tech. When I left for class the count of fatalities was up to 22. When I came home three hours later and turned it on again, the count was up to 33. I have been physically nauseous since. As students described details of the day, I couldn't help but wonder what that must feel like for those students, trying to imagine something like that happening at ACU. I couldn't. I couldn't imagine hearing about some guy shooting his girlfriend in Gardner, or maybe actually hearing the gunshots, then finding out he crossed campus to the Sherrod building and opened fire on classes that my friends were in. I can't imagine him walking in to my classroom and shooting my professor right in front of my eyes.
My stomach is churning for the students who witnessed it, the students who got up for a normal day of classes and never made it home, the families who might yet not even know that their child, in fact, was one of the 32. My stomach is churning for the "6-foot tall Asian guy wearing a leather jacket" who woke up today and thought this was his best option.
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Hiatus: Terminated
Now THIS is awesome:.jpg)
Thanks to "Kids Zone" I was able to make this awesome pie chart illustrating the progress of my fundraising. As you can see, the chart, in Brazilian flag colors, shows you that I am 68.3% of the way to completing my fundraising for my first year of work in Natal. This fact alone made me so excited that I Googled "Pie Chart" and made one to show you precisely how far along I am. Then, not only was I excited about my fundraising, but I was excited about making a pie chart, because I meticulously chose the colors, font, font size, and chart style. This is what I do on Saturdays. (By the way, that 31.6% of blue up there represents $5,646 that I still lack. You know where to go >>.)
Things have been going remarkably well recently. As graduation quickly approaches, only 4ish weeks away, I am overcome with all kinds of conflicting emotions. I get excited, then I get sad, then I get really sad, then I think about Natal and get excited again, then I go to Highland and get sad again, then I hang out with friends and realize how much I am going to miss them, then I make a pie chart and forget my sorrows. I guess this is what happens when a phase of your life is coming to a close.
I'm sure all of you are anxiously awaiting the next installment of Introductions with Cris, so here we go:
These are the fabulous missionaries who live in Natal. Marisa and Roberto, in white and blue, and their daughter, Andressa, in black in the middle. I would call them "some of the most amazing people I have ever known" but then my mom and sister would roll their eyes at my use of superlatives. However, the Signorettis truly are some of the most amazing people I have ever known. They received our team like we were their own children and shared their lives with us like we were old friends. Before we ever even met them, Marisa was signing her emails to me with "I love you." Their only daughter, Andressa, shares her parents with all of the other young people in the church who don't have parents to look up to, and shares them willingly. They are kind, generous, hilarious, passionate, and an asset to the city of Natal. This family is one of the primary reasons I wanted to return to Natal. Working under their supervision will be a privilege and is sure to be a blessed experience.
.jpg)
Thanks to "Kids Zone" I was able to make this awesome pie chart illustrating the progress of my fundraising. As you can see, the chart, in Brazilian flag colors, shows you that I am 68.3% of the way to completing my fundraising for my first year of work in Natal. This fact alone made me so excited that I Googled "Pie Chart" and made one to show you precisely how far along I am. Then, not only was I excited about my fundraising, but I was excited about making a pie chart, because I meticulously chose the colors, font, font size, and chart style. This is what I do on Saturdays. (By the way, that 31.6% of blue up there represents $5,646 that I still lack. You know where to go >>.)Things have been going remarkably well recently. As graduation quickly approaches, only 4ish weeks away, I am overcome with all kinds of conflicting emotions. I get excited, then I get sad, then I get really sad, then I think about Natal and get excited again, then I go to Highland and get sad again, then I hang out with friends and realize how much I am going to miss them, then I make a pie chart and forget my sorrows. I guess this is what happens when a phase of your life is coming to a close.
I'm sure all of you are anxiously awaiting the next installment of Introductions with Cris, so here we go:
These are the fabulous missionaries who live in Natal. Marisa and Roberto, in white and blue, and their daughter, Andressa, in black in the middle. I would call them "some of the most amazing people I have ever known" but then my mom and sister would roll their eyes at my use of superlatives. However, the Signorettis truly are some of the most amazing people I have ever known. They received our team like we were their own children and shared their lives with us like we were old friends. Before we ever even met them, Marisa was signing her emails to me with "I love you." Their only daughter, Andressa, shares her parents with all of the other young people in the church who don't have parents to look up to, and shares them willingly. They are kind, generous, hilarious, passionate, and an asset to the city of Natal. This family is one of the primary reasons I wanted to return to Natal. Working under their supervision will be a privilege and is sure to be a blessed experience.Tuesday, April 10, 2007
I have a vice...
...and it's any dessert that has bananas in it.
Odd? Perhaps. Delicious? Of course. Be it banana cream pie shakes from Sonic, (order with caution, they are HIGHLY addictive) my mom's banana pudding, (which, I discovered yesterday, is the best banana pudding in the world) or a chocolate-covered-banana-on-a-stick from my favorite locally-owned Paleteria (Mary's), I just can't help myself. I love banana treats.
I did a little research on what the word vice actually means, because I'll be honest and tell you I've been throwing it around for a while now without actually knowing if I use it correctly. Wikipedia told me this:
"Vice is a practice or habit that is considered immoral, depraved, and/or degrading in the associated society... In more minor useages, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synomyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness and corruption. The modern English term that best captures its original meaning is the word vicious, which means 'full of vice.'"
Eh. I wouldn't call my love for banana desserts wicked, or immoral, or even depraved, but maybe it could be labeled as a fault, defect, or bad habit.
Fine, I'll just say it. Hi, my name is Cris, and I am a Banana Treat Addict.
Odd? Perhaps. Delicious? Of course. Be it banana cream pie shakes from Sonic, (order with caution, they are HIGHLY addictive) my mom's banana pudding, (which, I discovered yesterday, is the best banana pudding in the world) or a chocolate-covered-banana-on-a-stick from my favorite locally-owned Paleteria (Mary's), I just can't help myself. I love banana treats.
I did a little research on what the word vice actually means, because I'll be honest and tell you I've been throwing it around for a while now without actually knowing if I use it correctly. Wikipedia told me this:
"Vice is a practice or habit that is considered immoral, depraved, and/or degrading in the associated society... In more minor useages, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synomyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness and corruption. The modern English term that best captures its original meaning is the word vicious, which means 'full of vice.'"
Eh. I wouldn't call my love for banana desserts wicked, or immoral, or even depraved, but maybe it could be labeled as a fault, defect, or bad habit.
Fine, I'll just say it. Hi, my name is Cris, and I am a Banana Treat Addict.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
My own flesh and blood
Tonight my sister and brother-in-law arrived back in the United States after living in Mito, Japan for two years. Mark and Kelly lived like the Japanese, talked like the Japanese, and drove like the Japanese (definitely worth mentioning) for the first two years of their marriage while they worked as English teachers in elementary schools. I'm very, very excited to have them back and look forward to spending time with them before it's my turn to skip out on the U.S. for a while. It's gotta be a blood thing...
The third installment of "Introductions with Cris" is coming soon, I just don't feel writey tonight. Trust me, I'm doing it for your sake. Lest we forget what happens when I'm having an off day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
