It's your world, I'm just livin' in it...

Woops

2007-09-21T19:43:00.001-06:00

I was afraid this would happen. It doesn't look like I'll be keeping up with this blog so much...if you want to keep up with me in Brazil please go to my new blogging home, crisinbrazil.blogspot.com. I'll try my best to keep you just as entertained...

Pack Rat: Definition: Cris Carpenter

2007-08-23T09:51:00.000-06:00

(I copied this post from my Natal blog...so if you've already read it, sorry.)

I'm wondering how it's possible that over the last 10 years I have deemed so many different kinds of junk save-worthy. Not only do I get to think about what I will be taking to Brazil with me over the next week, I also get to go through all of the things that have accumulated in my parents' house since we have lived in the States and throw away a lot. And I mean A LOT. Apparently, I have kept every card, every letter, every little trinket, every postcard, every piece of foreign currency (including Italian Lire, which is odd, because I have never been to Italy?) etc etc etc. This is a task so daunting I would like to hire the crew from Clean Sweep on TLC, but I won't. It's my punishment for being a pack rat in my early years.

However, going through all of my stuff has been fun and has given me occasion to reminisce, which is one of my most favorite activities in the entire world! I read through most of the cards that I had saved (since literally around 3rd grade) and many of the letters. I was touched/convicted by two things. 1. I NEED to be better about staying in touch with people. 2. I am amazed by how encouraging and supportive my friends and family have been through the years, particularly when we moved to Oklahoma from Santa Barbara. I found so many letters from friends in California who wrote often to say "hang in there" or "I'm praying for you" or just letting me know they were thinking about me and hoping I was making friends. For a 13 year old California girl moving to the Midwest, I really wonder if some of those letters are what got me through the transition semi-smoothly. (I also must admit, however, that I made no secret of the fact that I was miserable and hating life at that point. I guess I kind of asked for it. No drama queen here, no sir.)

Anyway, what this all has to do with my move to Natal is that I am committing myself to not only stay in touch with people here in the States, but to stay in good touch. To stay updated on people's lives and take as much of an interest in everyone else as everyone else is taking in me. This isn't a promise, because I can't make that kind of promise before I even get there, but it's a confession and a plea to keep me accountable. Reading through all of those cards and letters was evidence to me for how crucial it is to one's well-being (well, at least to mine!) to be encouraged and supported. There's a reason that I didn't throw out any of those old letters, but put them right back in the boxes they came from, looking forward to going through them all again someday. They represent a special part of my life that I want to remember and cherish.

So, please hold me accountable. I can't promise letters through the mail, (one, because I'm good at writing them but terrible at actually putting them in the mailbox, two, because international postage is highly inconvenient) but I will send postcards. And I will send emails. And if you haven't heard from me personally in a while, please email me. One thing I'm really good at is responding to emails! And just knowing the way my mind works, if you leave a comment on here every once in a while there's a good chance it will trigger my commitment and you'll end up getting a personal message out of the deal.

Please keep me (and my family, and the people in Natal) in your prayers. I thank God for all of you and the appreciate your love and support!

Ode to my little Xavier

2007-08-18T15:38:00.000-06:00

Our relationship officially began in January of 2005, but our first meeting happened long before then. Her previous owners left her with us the summer of 2003 while they were in Brazil, and I got to pretend for a month that she was all mine. A year and a half later, when her owners decided to move to Brazil permanently, they called and offered me an incredible deal on her, knowing how much I had loved her. She was my first, very own car, and the first significant purchase I ever made. I had never-- and still have never-- written a check for that much money, but she was worth every penny.

It may sound silly for me to say how much I loved Xavier, but we've been through a lot together. She has heard many a conversation, some serious, some silly, some tearful, but providing comfortable seating for those conversations nonetheless. She patiently tolerated my incessant overplay of favorite songs, often allowing me to push her "repeat" button and literally listen to the same music for hours. Xavier had the road from Edmond to Abilene memorized, having traveled it with me so often, and she accompanied Steven, Heather, Alex and I to the lake in Tulsa one weekend for the best weekend of our lives. On the way home, when we were passing another car on the side of the road, a rock flew up and punctured her face, leaving a deep, acne-like gouge in the center of the windshield. Despite my tears, she shed none, and took it like a champ, enduring the repair process without any complaints.

Together we even endured the embarrassment of my first (and only) speeding ticket, less than a week after she had become mine. (Can you blame me for going 83 mph on the way to Abilene to show her off? Me neither.) Although Texas State Highway Patrol officer Xavier Perez is her namesake, sweet little Xavier the XTerra protected me from ever receiving a ticket again. We were a good team, Xavier and I.

This morning as I watched her drive away with her new owner in the rearview mirror, my eyes got a bit watery. Ok, a lot watery. (It's okay, my Mom's were too.) It's suitable that Xavier is returning to Abilene, where she has lived for the last two and a half years. We've had a good couple years together, and I know she'll continue to see many adventures. Take care of her, Abilene.

Earthquakes, tans, and Elvis

2007-08-15T21:58:00.000-06:00

You can add this summer's deadly heatwave and earthquake/potential tsunami in Peru to my list of reasons why the world is coming to an end.

Or to a list of reasons why global warming probably does exist. These aren't normal weather patterns, people. (FYI, all I did was Google "global warming doesn't exist" and found that article that's linked above. Scary.)

In a related note, in less than three weeks I will be moving to a city that is much, much closer to the equator than my present home. Staying indoors this entire Oklahoma summer will not prove to have been a good choice come November, the beginning of the Brazilian summer. I'll let you know how I do, but I can guarantee that if I was able to get the awesome tan I did last summer (during Natal's winter,) then my Christmas looks should be in tip top shape.

I'm beginning to get my things in order for The Big Day, which includes going through all of my files/papers/etc from the last few years and either throw them away or organize them so that I don't leave my parents behind with a warzone in my bedroom. Tonight, this prompted my mom to glance over to me, sitting smack-dab in the middle of my paper swamp, and say "So this is really happening, isn't it? You're really going to move." She has been saying something of the like about once a day, which thoroughly freaks me out. It's like a was just telling a joke up until a week ago, then SURPRISE! I actually am moving to Brazil. Don't get me wrong, she is very supportive, but she's also doing a lovely job of reminding me that I'll be missed. A lot, apparently.

Now I'm going to watch an exclusive tour of Graceland on Larry King Live. Elvis died 30 years ago tomorrow. I feel like I should be more emotional than I am about that.

Revelation

2007-08-09T16:15:00.000-06:00

I think the world is ending soon. Or maybe just the United States. My mom says bad things just seem to come in waves, but it feels like a tsunami. Crappy things just seem to keep happening, and it freaks me out. Here is my list, feel free to add to it:

-Execution-style murder of 3 people in NJ last weekend
-3 miners trapped in a collapsed mine in Utah
-Minneapolis bridge collapse
-endless 'Made in China' recalls on pretty serious product defects/hazards
-Tornado through Brooklyn
-7.3 earthquake in Indonesia
-Iraq
-Iran
-Brazilian plane crash

Ok, so when I list them all out (just the ones I can think of off the top of my head) I guess it doesn't seem that long, but given that the first 5 happened in the US and within the last couple weeks, it just makes me wonder. All I have to say is that if, in fact, Jesus is coming back soon, I'm pretty sure there's nowhere I'd rather be to receive the good news than in Natal, Brazil.

Yeah, this post was kind of weird. I'll admit it. My paranoia levels have been sky-high recently. Pray for those miners and Minnesota rescue workers. And for our government. They seem to need it.

Things you may not know about me, probably because I haven't told you. (Part 2)

2007-08-05T21:51:00.000-06:00

1. I hate crowds and crowded places. I avoid them like the plague. I have no problems with abandoning plans, even if they are of ultimate benefit, if it means I get to avoid fighting a crowd. (i.e. concerts with general admission, "first 100 in the door" type deals, day after Thanksgiving sales, tax-free weekend, etc).

2. I used to have a debilitating fear of bridges. Somehow, unplanned, this phobia (gephyrophobia, to be exact) dissipated in the last 6 months or so. Thanks to the recent bridge collapse in Minnesota, my phobia is back, alive and kicking. I'm already terrified of my family's trip to Arkansas next weekend, because I know we have to cross the I-40 bridge over the AR river that had its own tragedy a few years back (which very likely spawned my phobia in the first place.)

3. I have always fantasized about being an FBI agent. Yes, you can laugh at that.

4. I visited my sister and brother-in-law in Japan last year, and I did not like it. I experienced severe culture shock and am still embarrassed by how badly I handled it.

5. I have always generally gotten along better with guys than girls, and really wonder if that will ever change.

6. If I had things my way, I would wear a t-shirt and jeans every single day.

7. I had my belly button pierced for about 9 months of my freshman year at ACU. I don't regret getting it, and I don't regret taking it out...one of those things I just had to get out of my system.

8. Another thing I had to get out of my system was owning an SUV. Xavier has served me well, and we have had a delightful relationship, but I doubt I will ever own one again. I'm over the 17 miles per gallon.

9. My name is Cristina Michelle because my parents wanted to choose names that sounded good in both Portuguese and English. I don't like being called Cristina in English, but I insist on it in Portuguese. It just sounds prettier. :)

10. I want to work in Rwanda someday for an NGO.

That's enough for today. I started the book Wicked on Friday, but it's kind of messed up and I can't get into it. Any recommendations out there? You'll be featured in my summer reading power rankings if I read a book you recommend....

Tempting, I know. :)

Happy August!

2007-08-01T16:46:00.001-06:00

With the 2008 Presidential elections 15 months away, it's amazing how much I am already obsessed with the race. I have come as a huge surprise to myself, given that I won't even be living in the country for the majority of the campaigning process.

I watched the MSNBC debate back in April. I watched the CNN YouTube debate last week. I watched reruns of the YouTube debate any time CNN re-aired it. I read any and all articles I find on news sites online. I watch CNN and the Today Show all morning every day that I babysit. My dinner conversation with my parents last night was all about the democratic candidates (because that's who we have seen more of lately, particularly in the Clinton vs. Obama tiff. We're a Newsweek family.) I know who is ahead in the different states' polls, and who is beating whom in what order. I have my predictions on who will win the Democratic and Republican nominations. I have my faves*, and my not-so-faves*, and my theories on why my not-so-faves would fail miserably in the White House.

Who am I?

I didn't even vote in the last Presidential election (by conscious choice, not by ignorance, so please keep your comments to yourself,) but am very concerned that my absentee registration will malfunction while I am in Natal and I will miss voting in 2008. Seriously, I'm in a minor-panic about this.

On an entirely unrelated note, in two days I will be able to say "I am moving to Brazil in one month," and in 3+ days I will be able to say "I am moving to Brazil in less than a month." Weird.

Xavier is officially on the market, so if you would like to give a 2001 Nissan XTerra a good home, get in touch with me. Here is her senior portrait, taken yesterday:

*Yes, faves and not-so-faves in both parties. I will not express my political preferences and opinions on this blog, but trust me, that's probably to your benefit. I'm a passionate girl, what can I say?

Thanksgiving Thursday

2007-07-26T14:45:00.000-06:00

My friend Ann used to have a segment on her blog called "Thanksgiving Thursday." If my memory serves me correctly, she began Thanksgiving Thursdays in order to have a deliberate time of thanksgiving and gratefulness each week, probably in an attempt to keep her focus positive when things may not have been so easy. For the last 8 months or so, as I have been training and preparing to leave for Natal, God has showed up in the strangest places, blessed me in the most unexpected ways, and used people whom I would not have sought out to encourage me and help give me confidence when it was non-existent. With my departure 38 days away, (well, maybe. Delta cancelled my flight, so I guess it's possible we're 37 or 39 days away, depending on what ticket I get next...but I digress) I thought I should remember and share some of those blessings.

1. My mom and dad. I'm often unintelligible and irrational when I cry, and so I try to subject as few people as possible to myself when I'm in that state. My mom and dad fielded so many phone calls of panic and discouragement, and without their wisdom (missionary and parental) I don't known that I would be going, and going happily, in 38 days. I still have an email sitting in my Inbox from my dad, who, when I emailed with a joyful update on my fundraising, said "That’s wonderful. I say…you praise God and take this as one more sign that He really wants you to serve the church in Natal this next year." That was exactly what I needed to hear.

2. My friends. If you have so much as asked me "Are you excited?", then you are one of my blessings. It has meant so much to me to have friends who care enough about what I'm doing to ask simple questions. It sounds silly, I know, but even simple questions let me know you've thought about me, and who doesn't like to be thought about? I appreciate my friends who have consistently asked how my fundraising is coming along, and obviously my friends who have made the sacrifice to give me financial support. I have learned a lot about generosity through this time, and have been humbled by the conviction that I am nowhere near as generous as my friends. Nowhere near it. I'm definitely learning...

3. My friend Whitney. Do you know Whitney Mann? No? Then you're missing out. Whitney and I met last year as we were both preparing to go on our respective LST projects, mine to Brazil and her's to Thailand. We connected instantly, and since then we have had a special friendship like none I have ever had before. We both share a passion for missions, and through her encouragement and support I've learned how special it is to have friends who share the same interests and goals as you. She has become my go-to friend, the first person I want to talk to anytime something exciting happens with Natal. I know that when I call her (or Facebook her, or text her, whatever) that she will rejoice with me, understand me, and share her insight. Whitney and I are not friends by accident, and I know the Lord had special intentions for us when He got us both to go on LST in 2006. If you don't know her, meet her. She looks like this >>.

4. My doctor. Strange? Perhaps. Let me explain. I had been really concerned about how I would afford my medications while I was in Natal. I seem to have the most obscure conditions that require the most expensive of medicines (of course) that are definitely not budgeted for and would run my bank account dry. I went to a new doctor last week and talked to her about what kind of options I had for one medicine in particular that costs me $50 per month. She told me that she would give me some samples (what I was hoping for...) but that she didn't have any. Right then she got up and said "I'm going to call my drug rep right now, and if he knows what's good for him he'll get us some of those." First of all, what doctor gets up and does that right then and there? I love her. Second of all, I was praying that Brian the Drug Rep would have some good news for us. My doctor called me on Monday and said that Brian had brought her every last bit of this particular medicine he had left in the warehouse, 15 boxes' worth. Doing some quick math, that's $750 of FREE MEDICINE that she gave me, enough to get through my first 15 months in Natal. Don't tell me God isn't in the details...because God worked in my details in a way I never could have imagined.

5. My supporters. I've mentioned before that I had money come from the most random of places, but I need to mention again that I received money from the most random of places. My aunt's best friend whom I spent two hours with at Thankgiving. Friends from high school whom I lost touch with after graduation. (THANK YOU, Facebook.) My parent's friends. My friend's parents. Friends at ACU whom I never hung out with. My aunt and uncle's congregation. A mission's committee member at my church whom I have never met but who read my fundraising letter. I had no idea that so many people were willing to support missions, let alone me, and once again I need to mention how much the fundraising process has humbled me and convicted me. Thank you, if you are in this category. You are making it possible for me to go.

6. My friends in Brazil. I've copied some of the emails I have received from Natal on here before, but those are just a couple of the many encouraging notes and messages I get from the people in Natal, telling me how excited they are for me to arrive. They tell me they miss me and that I will have a lot of work to do, and how they are already recruiting readers who are excited and ready for me to come. They say "We are waiting for you," in each message they send, and that phrase alone means the world.

I could go on and on...but I'm wondering if anyone besides my mom is even going to make it this far in the list.

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to go to Natal, and I am so blessed to have such a strong support system encouraging me from home. I guess now would be a good time to let you know about the blog I will be keeping when I am in Natal, that will just be focused on reporting on the work I am doing. It's crisinbrazil.blogspot.com (for the record, I wanted to do something creative and in Portuguese, but I wanted it to be as easy as possible to remember. I didn't even spell Brasil the correct way, just for you.) It's not much now, but I hope for it to be hoppin with all kinds of pictures and stories as soon as I arrive. I'm going to try and maintain this one as well, but I'm not making any promises.

This post is so long. Sorry. Please be praying for me and the people in Natal. Bye!

Cris's Book Club Round 2

2007-07-24T15:49:00.000-06:00

I thought I would update you on my summer reading power rankings, since in my last post I had only been given a teaser of You Shall Know Our Velocity by one of my faves, Dave Eggers. I finished YSKOV and have since read 3 more books, preparing to read another. Also, a certain Miss Brenna Schartz requested identification as to whether or not these books are fiction or non, so I'll include that in my synopses from now on. Here we go!

You Shall Know Our Velocity, Dave Eggers. (Fiction). As I said before, good ol' Dave is absolutely one of my favorite authors. He has a spectacular writing style that makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me feel like I'm besties with the characters, makes me hate the characters, makes me see human flaws, and makes me want to follow him around like a stalker, just waiting for his next book to come out (perhaps the most beneficial to him of all). The story is about two friends who spontaneously travel around the world to impoverished countries in one week, trying to find creative ways to give away thousands and thousands of inherited dollars from their third musketeer who passed away. To me it was ultimately a story of mourning, and how the death of a loved one permeates your and taints even the simplest, obscure elements of everyday life. Confused? Intrigued? I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone, because it's kind of one of those you must have the will to trudge through, but it definitely made me think. I'd say a 7 out of 10.

Creating Community, Andy Stanley & Bill Willits. (Non-fiction). This was a quick read that I read to fulfill one of my training assignments for my internship in Natal. It is written by the the Director of Small Group Life (Willits) at North Pointe Community Church in Atlanta (a church of oh, a mere 12,000), with the help of the senior pastor (Stanley) on the effectiveness of small group ministry. It's very practical and informative, particularly if you are seeking to develop small groups within your church community. Willits' passion for small group ministry is evident, and his sincere belief in its necessity and unquestionable importance is inspirational. I will definitely use what I learned as I work with the missionaries in Natal on the small group culture of the church there. 10 out of 10, if you're looking to read up on creating community through small group life. :)

Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. (Fiction). I met this book randomly in Oxford while I was perusing the racks at Borders. I was concerned I would run out of reading material on the flight home (a travesty) and so I set out to buy a book I would hopefully enjoy. As I mentioned before, I never buy books without reading them first, but with the trusted advice of my well-read friend Kathryn, who had heard it was decent, I made the buy-one-get-one-half-off purchase and then didn't read it on the plane. Last week I picked it off my bookshelf, determined to get my money's worth, and was very, very pleased with my purchase. The book details the accounts of three different characters woven together throughout the Nigerian revolutionary crisis in the 1960s: a young houseboy, a wealthy Chief's daughter, and an English researcher. Adichie paints an incredible picture of the serene, even luxurious life pre-conflict, and then the turmoil and blow to quality of life that followed. Extremely interesting, and enlightening on the fact of how little we hear about conflicts like these in Africa's recent history. I'd give it a 8.5 out of 10 for it's amazing historical information, but if you decide to read it, be warned there is some strange gratuitous sex at the end of like every chapter. It's not even graphic...it's just obscure.

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. (Fiction). In the last month I referenced this book twice as one of my favorites of all time, so I decided that since I hadn't read it in about 6 years I should give it another go. Man am I glad I did. This book is even better than I remember it, and this is my third or fourth time reading it since elementary school. I am still in awe of Lee's creation of Scout, a precocious 8 year old girl whom I wish was my best friend. She paints a vivid picture of life in small-town Alabama, playing imaginitive games in the yard during the summers, going to the black church on Sunday with their housekeeper, Calpurnia, and following the rape trial of Tom Robinson from the perspective of the defense attorney's daughter. Each time I read it, I am amazed by Lee's commentary on race relations, ethics, prejudice, and social justice. Published in 1960, this piece of literature was definitely a courageous effort, and it's no wonder that librarians voted Mockingbird the best novel of the 20th century. I agree. If you haven't read it, READ IT. If you have, READ IT AGAIN. It gets better every time. 15 out of 10.

More thoughts another day on Natal. 40 days...

Brenna, I'll fiction/nonfiction the last list for you real quick:
Fiction: How We Are Hungry, Secret Life of Bees, Kite Runner, What is the What (well, it's a fictionalized biography...it's actually mostly true)
Nonfiction: Color of Water, Audacity of Hope, Reading Lolita in Tehran, What is the What, To Own a Dragon

41 Days? 41 Days!

2007-07-23T15:08:00.000-06:00

You may notice a new little addition to "It's your world, I'm just livin' in it..." over there up in the right hand corner. I should warn you that this is going to be an entirely-about-Natal post, so if those don't interest you, you may click on now. (But I do ask, if those don't interest you, what are you doing reading this blog?) So anyway, I have added a countdown application because my departure for Natal is getting CLOSE. 41 days may not seem close, but it's gotten to the point where, in response to the question "When do you leave?" I now say "In just a little over a month..."

HOLY COW.

There's a funny feeling in my tummy right now, and I have a hunch it has to do with the fact that LST called me this morning and said my flight itinerary had been emailed and they just needed my approval to make the purchase. So I came home, looked it over, and sent back the go-ahead.

HOLY COW.

A strange little phenomenon has developed over the last couple months in my life, and it involves me not actually believing that I'm about to move out of the country for years' worth of time. Yes, Natal is all I really think about (with a few exceptions, I do love Mexican food), yes, Natal is all I really talk about (with a few exceptions, I do love Eddie Izzard), yes, when my wonderful friends ask me questions I talk their ears off about how excited I am, but in this period of waiting and preparing I have somehow managed to remove myself from the actual process of leaving. Now that the ticket is bought, I have the details to think about. Which of my clothes and possessions will make the cut and end up in the two suitcases I take? (Believe me, that's a task I have gladly been avoiding.) Will my goodbyes be agonizing or just tearful? How miserable is that 4 hour layover going to be in Atlanta when I've left Oklahoma and am waiting to board the plane for Brazil? Who will be at the airport to pick me up? (Hey, just being honest with you. According to Marisa's email, a whole bus load.) Who of my readers from last summer will I be able to reconnect with? I'll quit now...there are hundreds more.

Last week my friend Sergio emailed and asked me to write a little bio about myself for them to post in the church building. Sergio has been a tremendous encouragement to me over the last year, telling me that everyone is waiting for me and can't wait for me to arrive in Natal. He continues to let me know that there are readers who are waiting for me to come and read with them and that I am going to have a lot of work to do. I can't tell you what an encouragement Sergio has been to me, and I am so thankful for his friendship. Below is what I sent to them, along with the picture that they printed off Facebook to post as well. :)

Hi! My name is Cristina Carpenter. I am 22 years old and live in Oklahoma, a state that is located in the center of the United States. I was born in Brasilia and lived there until I was 6 years old while my parents worked as missionaries, and so my family is very excited to be able to come and visit me while I am living in Natal! In May I graduated from Abilene Christian University with a degree in Psychology. I love psychology because I like to help people understand themselves better and learn how to get along with other people. In my free time I love to read books and spend time with my friends. I am so excited to come to Natal and join God's work at Communidade de Cristo. I have already been so blessed by your love and encouragement, and I hope I will be able to bless you in the same way! The things I am most excited about in coming to Natal are becoming part of your family at Communidade, bringing people from the community to Jesus through LST, learning Portuguese, and becoming just a regular Brasileira! (Hopefully!) I am always praying for you at Communidade, and am so excited to be with you very soon! God bless you!

Well, there's lots more to say, but I'll say it another day. Maybe when we're at T minus 39 days or so...tchau!

Just an FYI

2007-07-20T16:00:00.000-06:00

I'll write something more interesting and entertaining later, I just wanted to draw attention to a new dot that has appeared on my map over there >>. Do you see the little red dot on the far east corner of South America? The one closest to Africa? That's Natal. I don't know who is visiting me from there, (Oi! whoever you are) but I wanted to show you where my future home is located. That's all, talk to you later!

Things you may not know about me, because I haven't told you

2007-07-17T16:18:00.000-06:00

1. There are certain words in literature that I hate. One of them is "stride" or any of its derivatives. The phrase "...and he strode over to the..." is entirely overused, and usually implies something much for forceful than the situation calls for.

2. I love papaya. Brazil better get their papaya supply ready, because I'm going to eat ALL OF IT over the next year. Every last one.

3. I have serious issues with the song "Before He Cheats," not because I hate country (which I do) and not because they play it too much on mainstream radio (which they do) and not because it gets stuck in my head far too easily (which it does), but because all the things Carrie describes doing to her cheating boyfriend is not really letting Jesus take the wheel. I find it hypocritical, Miss Underwood.

4. I love cheap reality dating shows. I have no excuses and no explanations, I just do.

5. I have the strangest dreams in the world, and I dream about all of my friends all the time. Typically this freaks them out, but trust me, it's normal. If I say to you "Hey, I dreamed about you last night..." it doesn't mean anything, so don't give me a funny look like I'm a creep. I'm not.

6. I have a cat named Scout. Her name is Scout because Scout Finch, the protagonist in To Kill a Mockingbird, is a household hero in my family. Well, half of my family.

7. I have a list of famous people I have crushes on, and most of them are on it because they are, or appear to be, intelligent. And, as was pointed out to me, about half are Brits--that wasn't planned. Here's the list: Mark Ruffalo, Brian Williams, John Krasinski, Stephen Colbert, Eddie Izzard, Dave Eggers, Nigel Barker, Gabriel Macht, Anderson Cooper, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Hugh Jackman.

8. I love CNN, and have been disappointed recently at how much entertainment news they broadcast.

9. I like it when my parents and I think the same things are funny, i.e. The Office.

10. We moved back from Brazil when I was 6 and I began kindergarten halfway through the school year. By the end of that semester, I was voted "Girl Most Wanted to Sit By." That's still my proudest achievement...

11. I find frozen custard superior to ice cream.

12. I don't drink coffee unless it is Brazilian and served in a tiny coffee cup. I call this coffee snobbery.

13. I am selling my XTerra. Do you want to buy it?

14. I often wonder what it would be like to be famous, and if/how much I would change if I were. This in no way means I wish I was famous. I don't.

15. I am shy about speaking Portuguese, because I'm scared I will have an accent. I'm gonna have to get over that one...

Seriously...wanna buy my XTerra? Let me know.

NO WORDS

2007-07-10T14:10:00.001-06:00

That's right, folks. There is no longer a blue region on my little pie chart. Yes, it means what you think it means: THAT I HAVE RAISED 100% OF THE FUNDS NEEDED FOR MY FIRST YEAR OF WORK IN NATAL!!! If the new pie chart and the giant capital letters don't convey my excitement, how about you just call me right now and let me squeal with delight for oh, about 10 minutes, into your ear. God has been so good, and I couldn't have done it without my faithful community of friends and family supporting me all along the way. $18,000 is no amount of money to toy with, and we (yes, WE) raised it in just 7 months. Thank you so much!

(And, if you're wondering, any money that I receive now will be applied to my second year of work, so if you were planning on contributing please still do! I still need it!)

2007-07-07T21:51:00.000-06:00

Another week of church camp come and gone, and I slept 12 hours last night because of it. I am in love with a group of about twenty 7th grade girls and can't wait until I can see them again. Many hilarious conversations were had, many hugs were given, and lots of "Oh My Gosh Cris, your hair looks SOOOOOOO good!"s were exclaimed-- and if you know me well at all, you know that that's more 7th grade girlspeak and less my hair actually looking good in 95 degree heat and exorbitant humidity. Now a few pictures to show how precious they were. I hope this is legal...

My family for the week during the photo scavenger hunt. The pictures was supposed to be of the "scariest place at camp." Boys' bathroom was the overwhelming choice. Look at how tiny and precious they are. :)

Some of the girls from my cabin. Yes, they are all 7th graders, yes, one is on her cell phone, yes, several of them are taller than me. Also, the one in the middle didn't get the memo that we weren't taking a silly picture. Poor girl.

An unflattering picture of my leg against a leg that just spent a week in Cancun. My leg is looking forward to living in Brazil...

Sidenote: I've always said I would rather die than watch The Hulk again, but I'm pretty sure I would rather die while watching The Hulk than watch Transformers again. Do with that what you will, just don't say I didn't warn you...

2007-06-30T20:25:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I leave for a week of middle school church camp. Now most of you, having read that previous sentence, have immediately developed hives all over your body in response to the idea of spending a week with middle schoolers. I, however, by some kind of miracle, could not be more excited. In 2005 I spent the summer working camps at ACU, alternating weeks of middle schoolers and high schoolers. It was during that summer of 2005 that I discovered that either:
1) Middle schoolers are God's gift to the Earth
2) God gave me a gift of ministering to middle schoolers and loving them at the same time.

My hunch is that most likely we're working with option #2, but thankfully I believe #1 wholeheartedly. Middle school can be such a traumatic age, and I experienced both the best year of my life (7th grade) and the absolute worst year of my life (8th grade) during that period. I love how independent middle schoolers try to be yet are still so impressionable. And I love that they are not quite yet jaded by the crappiness of the world.

I'll leave you with an email that one of my middle school campers sent me the summer I worked camps. This still cracks me up as much as the first time I read it...I've highlighted my favorite parts in red. Enjoy!

Cris I already miss you, and ACU. You are so nice, and have a giant heart. Thanks for always being there when I was bored, wanted someone to talk to, or just needed your beautiful smile. What's your phone #? I'm so sad to be gone. I miss everyone so much I'm having trouble not crying. I feel like I can talk to you when I'm down, and know you'll listen. My e-mail address is -------- . Oh I miss you so much. You are the greatest friend I've ever had, and that's sincere not play. My phone # is ------- please call me. I wish so bad that you could come and visit, you are just soooooooooooo nice. Please write back or call.

Love Sophie (Sophaloaf)

ACU

Abeline Christian University

P.S. I sent you another e-mail but I don't think it went through.

P.S.S. I miss you so much

P.S.S.S. call me

I'm sad to tell you that, despite being the greatest friend she'd ever had, I don't think I ever talked to her again. Bummer. Stay tuned for more delightful tidbits when I get back next weekend...

My Summer Reading Powerrankings

2007-06-27T10:06:00.000-06:00

My summer reading total is up to 8.25 books, 1 magazine, and infinity blogs. Now we all learned and struggled with the idea in the 4th grade that "infinity" is not actually a number, therefore to say I have read "infinity" blogs is not exactly correct. We hated this idea because up until that point we thought that telling someone we were "infinity times infinity" cooler than them was a legitimate argument, or that when we grew up we were going to have "infinity dollars" and be a millionaire. (Figure that one out...) But I've told you before that I'm quite loose in my blog-reading, so infinity accurately describes how often I'm out perusing other spaces just like this.

Anyway, I thought I would share with you the books I have read so far and rank them on a little rating system (a rating system that is infinity times cooler than your rating system...) in case you're looking for some good recommendations to add to your summer reading list.

#1 Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Every person I know should read this book. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give Kite Runner a 15. It will give you a new appreciation for people from Afghanistan and other middle eastern countries and show you a side of their culture that Americans don't see very often. Read it when you have a nice chunk of time, though, because I didn't put it down for a straight day and a half until I was finished. I'm not the kind of person who buys books before I have read them, but I can go ahead and tell you that you will want this one in your library so it's safe to buy before reading.

#2 The Color of Water by James McBride. I'm in a big-time memoir phase, so I really enjoyed this one. McBride is 1 of 12 children who grew up in NYC. His story is really about his mother, a white woman of Polish descent, who married a black man in the 1930s and went on to raise 12 black children through the civil rights era and times of racial discord. The stories about being one of twelve are hilarious enough to read the book, but the stories of how his mom responded to criticism and hatred and the issue of race are powerful examples of what our country still needs to be striving toward. Out of 10, I give this one an 8.

#3 How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers. You will see this author show up 3 times on this list because I love him that much. He has become one of my favorite authors practically overnight because his stories are so intricate and believable. This book is an anthology of short stories he has written and published over the years, and it gets a score of 9 out of 10 because of one story in particular. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of literature ever written. :)

#4 What is the What by Dave Eggers. Big surprise, here we have Mr. Eggers again, only this time the story is about one of the Lost Boys of Sudan and his story from the time he was a boy fleeing his village and walking across the country to Ethiopia to his life as a resettled refugee living in Atlanta. The story is based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng and is an incredible picture of the life of millions of refugees we see and hear about. I definitely recommend this, especially if you always wonder who those kids are that Angelina Jolie is always seen loving on in refugee camps. My sister replaced To Kill a Mockingbird as her favorite book with this one, and in my family, that's huge. Read it. 8 out of 10.

#5 To Own a Dragon by Donald Miller. I mentioned this book about a month ago on my blog and credit it for the initial inspiration to dream of one day becoming a writer. I've been a consistent fan of Miller's for a long time and recommend all his books. Blue Like Jazz is and probably always will be my favorite, but To Own a Dragon offers good insight into the life of a boy growing up without a father. Miller describes his experiences of not knowing his father in addition to developing a father-like relationship with another man in his life. Good, quick read. 6 out of 10, and only because I can't as closely relate to his experience as, say, a guy without a father would.

#6 The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama. You've been hearing this guy's name a lot lately, and this book helps you get to know him better. He wrote this supposedly before he was considering running for president, but it gives a good history of his political career and where he stands on key political issues. It shows very clearly his vision for the United States and every American. All in all it's a good read, especially if you're interested in hearing more than "I opposed this war from the beginning." 7 out of 10 for its informational value.

#7 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Kidd. I'd been hearing about this book for a long, long time and it's always gotten great reviews, so I figured I would give it a try. I enjoyed it but wouldn't necessarily say everyone should read it. It's another book about black-white relations in sensitive times (are we noticing a pattern here?) and has very lovable characters. I don't cry when I read books, but other people who do cried during this one. :) Just giving you fair warning. 5 out of 10.

**FYI my new laptop just arrived so these last couple will be rushed due to the fact that I absolutely cannot contain my excitement to play with my new toy. It's like Christmas.**

#8 Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. Another memoir, slow to get started, but pretty great if you love literature. I would recommend having read at least one of the books she talks about in the recent past otherwise you will be very lost and very bored. Another good book for insight into the middle east and appreciation for their culture that was robbed from them. 5 out of 10.

#8.25 You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers. Just started this one last night, but 50 pages into it it already holds Eggers' classic storytelling and writing style. So far from what I can tell it's about two friends who intend to travel around the world in one week going only one direction. They started out intending to go from Greenland to Rwanda, but already they discovered Greenland does not fly directly to Rwanda (go figure) and that Greenland's bad weather will delay their trip by days. Their travel plans have changed and they are now waiting to board a plan for Senegal. Should be another good one...so far, the first 50 pages get an 8 out of 10, Dave's traditional score. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Time to play!

It's your basic, all-purpose garment.

2007-06-23T22:17:00.000-06:00

I have nothing exciting to share and the slow-pace of my summer schedule is to blame. The most exciting thing that happened to me this week was getting the chance to babysit the most awesome 5 year old in Oklahoma, maybe the world. He's not awesome because I am a good babysitter and pretend to be best buds with the kids I babysit-- he is legitimately awesome. He is 5 and a half going on 35, and in the two times we have hung out we have had a bevy of adult conversations. He is hilarious and knows it, and on Tuesday we had this conversation:

Sitting in the McDonald's play area at lunch time, a family he knows walks in.
Noah: "Hey! They go to our church!"
Cris: "Oh yeah? What are their names?" (just making conversation with a 5 year old)
Noah: "Uh...uh...hmm...well, the girl's name is Isabella... and I have no idea what the other kid's name is."
Cris: "Noah, you aren't particularly interested in learning people's names, are you?"
Noah: "Nah." (Keep in mind we have already been together for about 2 hours at this point.)
Cris: "Do you know my name?"
Noah: "Nope."
Cris: "Do you care to find out?"
Noah: "Not really."

Ok.

On a completely unrelated note, my mom and I attended a tea this afternoon for the women who are on a new mission team my church in Edmond is sending to Vienna, Austria. Usually I would avoid an event like this, but seizing the opportunity to a) leave the house, b) be in contact with more people than just my mom, sister, and brother-in-law, and c) being a soon-to-be-kind-of-missionary myself, I went, and was pleasantly surprised at how nice of a send-off it really was.

My mom read a blessing from Colossians over the women and I was reminded of how much I love that particular passage. When I was a camp counselor two summers ago, many of the nightly devotionals I led with my middle school campers week after week were over that passage, and I know that when I am in Natal it will serve as a source of strength, encouragement, and motivation for me. Just wanted to share it with you in case you're in the market for a new Favorite Verse. I'm willing to let you borrow it. :)

Colossians 3:12-17 (I'm partial to Eugene Peterson's translation, taken from The Message, but you are more than welcome to look it up in any translation you like. It's fantastic in all of them, I've checked.)

"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it."

"Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way."

Why I'm Excited

2007-06-19T15:53:00.001-06:00

Dear readers, there are many, many reasons why I am excited. For starters, my summer has gotten off to an excellent start, with some weddings, some nice little trips, and some good old fashioned family fun. I'll give you some pictures to look at rather than words, because aren't pictures worth 1000 words? Here are like...5000.

Here is a snapshot from wedding #1, my dear friend Brooke.

Here we have some of my favorite people in the world at the Brooke James-Tyler Tallon nuptials. The curly-headed boy on the left was actually a groom himself this past weekend. Congratulations, sir. (Don't know why this is blue and underlined...it doesn't link to anything.)

My dearest friends in the world, Daniela and Lara Morgan. I was destined to be friends with them since before our moms met our dads, and life has carried us from Brazil to Santa Barbara to Abilene together...and then to the British Library, where this photo was taken.

And here we are on the Cherwell River through Oxford, England, smiling so big because we didn't have to paddle. (Not at that point, anyway. Janine bravely took the oars later on into the trip and safely delivered us back our docking point. Hooray!)

Ok. Now for another reason why I am so excited...and another visual aid.
Now, my friends, if you are new to this space, you may not know what this is. But if you have been reading for a while....you have seen this before. Except last time you saw this chart, it had a much, much larger blue region. Out of the $18,000ish that I am raising for the first year of my internship, I only lack 1.5%!!!! Which equals between $200-300. This is AMAZING. This is the chart we've all been waiting for, and this is the chart that makes me not just excited, but elated.

And now, reason #3 why I'm excited. The very reason that the chart makes me so excited, actually. I would like to share with you snippets of emails I get from the missionary in Natal, and let you see why exactly I'm so jazzed to get down there and begin working with them.

"hi my special girl,
it´s very good to hear from you. everybody is waiting for you in september, 3rd. each month we are talking about you are coming and the people is asking me: are you sure cris is coming? and i answer: yes, i´m. then they ask me: can i go with you to the airport to take cris? i believe i´ll need to buy a bus until september. ah ah! we are very busy right now because we have many personal bible classes during the week and programs with the people at the weekends. we have cooking class, english class, class to read and write to old people. ladies bible class and girls bible class. i need you here...
the church is growing day by day and we have many new people. you´ll love them. they are very special people. please, pray for this new people.
we have a english conversation class waiting for you. i promise them you are coming to help us and they are very excited. they are not christian yet but i gave them an english bible to study for while....
i´m very proud of you about your graduation. congratulation baby! i´ll send you some pictures from us.
we love you. even when we don´t write you we have you in our hearts and mind. we want you here. God is sending you for us.
we love you,

marisa"

Mmm...beautiful, isn't it?

This is NPR...

2007-06-14T11:27:00.001-06:00

In my family there was one basic characteristic that distinguished the adults from the children. Typically this characteristic manifested itself on car trips, but on the occasional Saturday morning it could also be found in the Carpenter household. Once the line was crossed, that's how you knew you were no longer a kid anymore...you had finally grown up.

My friends, I crossed that line recently. No, it had nothing to do with graduating from college. It has nothing to do with moving out of the country (though every person in my family seems to think moving out of the country after is college is just what you do...hey, no complaints here!). It has nothing to do with, on average, how many fights per week occur between parent and child.

It has everything to do with National Public Radio.

If you've had your own NPR experience, you realize that the SNL skits that spoof the programming are actually dead on. The reporters sound like they are sitting in in a dungeon of a basement somewhere, reporting on news from around the world. On car trips I used to groan as I heard the monotone voice, that always sounds the same, come over the speakers, knowing that listening to my Walkman was out of the question due to the high decibel level of the spoken voice. I usually chose to fall alseep in protest. I hated NPR.

Recently I find myself growing bored with music on the radio. Top 40 stations seem to play the Top 3 same songs over and over, and usually it's some bad hip hop song that never would have made it in the 90s (aka The Decade of The Greatest Music of all Time). I tune to alternative rock and it's the same thing, just some guy singing who sounds like he's constipated. (Hinder, anyone? I rest my case.) So I've been left with silence-- *gasp!* -- or NPR. And I chose NPR.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially an adult.

Yesterday on NPR I heard a story about a man who is suing a dry cleaners for $54 million because they lost his pants. It helps that he's a judge, so he knows the legal system in and out, and under consumer protection laws he's figured out that since they displayed a sign that read "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and they lost his dockers he, naturally, should get a mere $54 million in reparation. The business is owned by a Korean immigrant family, and the report said that just in legal fees alone he has already cleaned them out. The trial began yesterday, and I wonder how long it will take this jerk to figure out that he deserves to never have any friends ever again for the rest of his life? I understand the need for fair treatment, blah blah, but when does doing the right thing and NOT suing an immigrant family for an absurd amount of money over a pair of pants cross his mind?

Listen and repeat

2007-06-10T06:09:00.000-06:00

In preparation for Brazil (in less than THREE MONTHS!) I have been trying to re-learn a little Portuguese so that I won't be completely lost when I get there. Although Portuguese was my first language, I lost most of it when my family came back to the States when I was 6. It just simply wasn't cool to be bilingual in Kindergarten, you know? Kids can be brutal, and I was self-conscious. I could go into how much I wish my 6 year-old self had had a little insight into the future and retained her Portuguese fluency...but I feel as though maybe my expectations can't be too high. Anyway, lately I have been listening to the Pimsleur language learning system in order to build my grammar and learn basic phrasing. I have it on my iPod and have decided that I will listen to one lesson per day, usually as I am laying in bed at night. So far...here is what Mr. Pimsleur has taught me.

Excuse me ma'am, do you speak Portuguese?
Excuse me sir, are you American?
Excuse me ma'am, do you have Reais (Brazilian currency) or dollars?
Excuse me sir, do you understand English?
Excuse me ma'am, do you know where the Flamingo Restaurant is located?
Excuse me sir, do you know where the Columbus Hotel is located?
The Columbus Hotel is located over there.
The Flamingo Restaurant located here.

These lessons have actually been good refreshers for me, as I generally have a basic knowledge of how to say all this stuff. I'm sure as I get farther I will be learning a lot that I didn't already know. My one question is this: what is the Columbus Hotel? Because I know where it's located. Over there.

I received good news earlier this week. I am only about $550 away from completing my fundraising for my first year in Natal! I can't tell you how HUGE of a blessing that is, and how humbled I am by everyone's generosity. With my departure less than three months away, it's comforting to know that I am so close. I also have been keeping up with the blogs and Facebook photo albums of the LST team in Natal right now, and it looks like they are having as great of a project as we had last year, if not better because they have twice as many people! I am so thankful that God continues to bless the church in Natal with great workers. I am so excited to join them and hope that I will be able to continue the great work that the missionaries and LST teams from the past have begun. Please keep them (and me!) in your prayers.

From across the pond...

2007-06-05T10:57:00.000-06:00

In the last 5 days I...

-finished one book, read one book, and began one book. I love summer reading!

-thoroughly explored a quaint little ancient town and casually tread paths that have been visited by tourists and scholars for hundreds (one thousand, actually) of years from around the world

-developed an unconscious mental English accent

-almost passed out in church

-had 2 Guaranas, 1 brigadeiro, and 1 coxinha, all at a French bakery

-met an old English man wearing a legit Confederate soldier's hat (as in from the American Civil War....I know...random.)

-found a 30 gig video iPod

I'd say my summer is turning out pretty well...what are you up to?

P.S. I'd also like to add this tidbit of what I find to be interesting information...my second book up there was again about someone who aspired to one day become a writer...is this a sign?

The first chapter of my memoir

2007-05-30T22:36:00.001-06:00

Over the last week or so I have a new hope, new dream, new aspiration for my life. For those of you who happen to know that I attended two and participated in one, coming to a grand total of three, weddings all in the span of one week, no, my new dream is not to be a bride. I am quite content with my consistency in being a bridesmaid and audience member and not yet being the bride, and am happy to keep it that way for quite sometime.

I have a new career goal, and it has nothing to do with my degree.

At the age of 5 I was determined to one day own my own bakery, essentially deciding that a baker must sit around all day and eat bread, therefore holding the title of the greatest occupation of all time. (For the record, if a baker does, in fact, sit around and eat bread all day, I still deem it the greatest occupation of all time.) I found myself mimicking my older sister's career aspirations all through elementary school, (interior designer? Really Cris?) and in 7th grade settled on the plan to one day become a psychologist. That plan carried me all through middle school, high school, college, and eventually across the commencement stage in Moody Coliseum last month. The only problem was that a few months before graduation I decided all I really wanted to do after I returned from Brazil was sell real estate. As much as I loved psychology, real estate seemed like a perfect fit. Still kind of does, actually. While you people are Facebooking and perusing blogs, (ok fine, not just you people, me people too) I am perusing real estate websites, looking at all the cool houses I would like to sell to you.

Well, parents who have graciously paid for my college education, never fear, the real estate dream has faded and a new one has taken its place. I want to be a writer when I grow up, whenever that may be. This new passion actually comes at quite the convenient time. Seeing as how I don't actually have a job for this summer, I can really take the next couple months to experience what life is like with no set schedule, and allow myself the time to brainstorm, organize, and pull together the ideas that will one day win me a Pulitzer.

I blame Don Miller and the author of The Kite Runner (I'm sorry, sir, that I don't know your name. Your book was wonderful and, obviously, inspiring) for this new obsession, for making the life of a writer seem so wonderfully attractive. I don't see myself making any progress on those psychology and real estate dreams while abroad, and writing is something I will be able to pursue in Brazil, writing to relax, to report, or just to practice.

I recently told a friend that I should be a professional life planner, because I think I have really good ideas for what people should do with their lives. Good to know I have not failed myself. Need some life advice? Need someone to encourage you to follow your dreams? I can help you. Hmm...maybe instead of being a writer I can just do that instead...

Don Miller and Adam Levine?

2007-05-22T15:48:00.000-06:00

I experienced the quintessential literary moment today. I only wish I was making this up, but in many ways I am nowhere near this mundanely creative to fabricate this kind of story.

As I was sitting in my backyard, enjoying the beginnings-of-summer, breezy weather, trying desperately to add some hue to my skin but dancing the line between brown and red, I was reading the latest Don Miller book and listening to the newest Maroon 5 album on my iPod. Sunbeams were poking in and out between the trees, every few minutes muted by a passing cloud. In the particular chapter I was reading, Don was talking about the life of a writer, not remembering what it was like to set an alarm and only knowing mornings that began with sunlight awaking him. He talked about how he writes only every few days, and how working for a publishing company before his writing career took off was a shaping experience. I paused for a minute and gazed off into the small ivy-weed-fern jungle growing in our yard below three towering trees. Adam Levine crooned in the background, some song sung in much too high of a falsetto to a beat perhaps slightly too poppy for my taste. I wondered what life would be like as a writer, being able to write your thoughts down and get paid for them, being able to say almost anything you wanted (until your editor got a hold, of course) and knowing people would want to read it simply because YOUR name was on the cover. I thought about if I could do it, if I would enjoy that life, and that perhaps by some stroke of luck someone will happen upon my blog while I am in Brazil and hire me as a travel writer, sending me around the world to write about exotic places some people only want to visit in a book. Then-- and this is the absolutely unbelievable part, and not in the least exaggerated-- a butterfly landed on the page my hand had been holding open during my daydream.

I kid you not. A butterfly.

This particular butterfly was brown with a badly damaged wing. Rather than take in the moment, I thought about how I once heard that butterflies only live for one day, and although I don't think that's even true, I thought about how he better get on with his life instead of waste his time perching on my book because life would be over for this little guy sooner rather than later. Then I thought about the last time I took the time to pay attention to a butterfly. I was about 9, and I remember walking past the playground in our apartment complex toward the direction of my elementary school. There were 2 butterflies, and in my mom's sex education words, they were "cuddling." I had never seen insects "cuddle" before, and I was fascinated when they flew away stuck together.

My wounded butterfly flew away before I had finished chuckling to myself over the cuddling butterflies, but I think he either came back for a visit later or sent his buddy to check me out. Either way, I became jealous of the life of a writer, the person who gets to create their office in Starbucks or their backyard. I'm sure some writer some place would have turned that very moment into a literary illustration about spiritual intervention or the fact that nature reminds us of something significant (this is the part where we see why Cris doesn't have a publishing contract), but all I had was butterflies doing it.

Next time I'll tell you about the unbelievable dream I once had about being married to Will Smith. It is a story of valiant loyalty and friendship. Until then, please keep the church in Natal in your prayers. Their LST team arrived today and will begin working tomorrow-- pray that God sends them lots of readers with open hearts and that that team has as wonderful of an experience as we did last summer!

Also, haven't reminded you of that link over there >>> in a while, so if you have it in your heart to contribute toward my internship, your generosity is welcomed!

From the barren wastelands of Oklahoma...

2007-05-19T21:05:00.000-06:00

Despite what all you Texans may think, my corner of the globe is actually much more good-looking than the majority of your state. This may come across as a fairly hostile way to begin a new entry, but recently I have received not one, but two comments on what a shame it must be to be from a "barren wasteland" or whatever clever words you people choose to make yourselves feel better about where you are from. These comments are nothing new, nothing original, and I willingly chose to be subjected to the Texan Snobbery when I made the decision to go to ACU. But I'm gone now, and I choose to put up with it no more. Texans, bring it on. (Before you get entirely, speechlessly offended, keep in mind that 1. I am not actually challenging you to a fight and that 2. I am half made of Texan blood. My father would be just as fired up at my fightin' words as you are.)

I've been home in Oklahoma for 2 days now, and for the first time since high school our family of 4 + 1 are all living under one roof. So far we are in the honeymoon phase, enjoying our time together sharing bathrooms, driveways, and lovingly poking fun at our mom. Hopefully it will be a long honeymoon, and we even have a few out-of-country trips planned to keep it interesting (not with each other, though, which might be the secret to familial bliss.)

It still hasn't hit me that I am a college graduate, and as I look for babysitting jobs to keep my cell phone bill paid for the summer, I don't make much progress in attaining that realization. Some of my friends are sending in resumes for big girl jobs, but not me. I'll be a nanny 3 days a week, thanks.

To my two special friends who leave on Friday for The Most Exciting Trip of Your Lives, GOOD LUCK! I'm already praying for you and can't wait to hear all about it. Take good care of South America for me, I'll be there soon.

Cheers, friends, and please watch this for the greatest laugh of your life.

Blog me this

2007-05-15T16:48:00.000-06:00

I have mentioned before on this thing that I am a bit promiscuous when it comes to reading other people's blogs. I'm not even ashamed that I am a blog stalker and I am not ashamed that on many, many occasions I begin a conversation with "So I read your blog, and..."

Although I find it curious that, as Facebook declares, perusing blogs really is a primary interest of mine, I find the reason for why this is even more curious. What is it about an online journal that I find so fascinating? A better question would be why do I, and the other members of my generation (I'm not only gonna incriminate myself, here), find this voyeuristic hobby so enthralling?

I think the reason I love perusing the blogosphere so much is that it invites me in to snippets of my friends' lives without an actual invitation. (Important disclaimer here: friends in the above sentence is a key phrase. I read very, very few blogs of people I don't know, and when I do it's usually because I have some connection to them. I'm not so much of a blog freak that I just click "next blog" for hours on end...my perusing doesn't quite go that far.) I get to find out about how their kids are doing, what great vacations they just went on, how they will spend their summer, how life since I saw them last has been turning out, what they thought of the most recent episode of Grey's Anatomy, and general life-tidbits that are much more interesting in writing. For example, the reason I love reading my friend Justin's blog is because he usually has something interesting to say about national/world events. He is very smart, very well-read, and always has a sarcastic comment or two to keep me coming back. I read Ann's blog because in order to be able to keep up in a conversation with my mom I kind of have to. (Haha, just kidding. Two and half of you will appreciate that. The other half of one of you will appreciate it but try to hide it with disdain.)

I don't enjoy blogging myself as much as I wish I did, but am already looking forward to updating once I am in Natal. After all, you who have been around from the beginning remember that was the sole reason I decided to begin blogging in the first place. I don't support subjecting innocent recipients to unwarranted mass-emails, so in order to keep up with my comings and goings in Brazil, my friends and family will be able to choose when they want updates.

One more thing. The list to the right is by no means a comprehensive list of the blogs I peruse. I would say that list represents about one-fourth. I just don't have the guts yet to admit publicly how many and whose blogs I am actually keeping up with on a regular basis. However, I would love to know who drops by this site, even if only occasionally, so please say hello when you do.

Fundraising update: As of this past weekend, I only lack $975 for my first year of work in Natal.In case you were wondering...that is INCREDIBLE. Muito obrigada!! (Thank you very much, for you non-Portuguese speakers.)

Three cheers for the purple and white...

2007-05-13T00:02:00.000-06:00

I graduated college today.
Weird.

Nothing compares 2 u

2007-05-10T13:10:00.000-06:00

I don't know why I have refrained from listening to the 90s channel on cable until now, but it has significantly improved the quality of two already very good days. Last night, after another rousing game of Life, I sat in my living room alone staring at the TV, soaking in the goodness that was coming from its very tiny speakers. I've known many a person who is obsessed with the 80s, but have yet to find someone who loves the 90s as much as I do. I would live that decade over and over and over again if I could, oversized shirts, grunge rock, TGIF and all.

I don't want to hog all the music to myself, so join me for a trip down memory lane as we look over some of my favorite tunes from the best decade of all time:

One Headlight- The Wallflowers
Basket Case- Green Day
1,2,3,4 Get Your Woman on the Floor- Coolio
Nothing Compares 2 U- Sinead O'Connor
All I Wanna Do- Sheryl Crow
Tubthumping- Chumbawumba
Pretty Fly for a White Guy- The Offspring
The Way- Fastball
Gangsta's Paradise- Coolio
Head Over Feet- Alanis Morissette
Kiss From a Rose- Seal
I Love You Always Forever- Donna Lewis
1979- Smashing Pumpkins
Killing Me Softly- The Fugees
Selling the Drama- Live
Lightning Crashes- Live
Roll to Me- Del Amitri
Fantasy- Mariah Carey
Love Rollercoaster- Red Hot Chili Peppers
Don't Speak- No Doubt
Semi-Charmed Life- 3rd Eye Blind
Truly Madly Deeply- Savage Garden
All Mixed Up- 311
Walking on the Sun- Smashmouth
Crazy- Aerosmith
Wonderwall- Oasis
Buddy Holly- Weezer
Runaway Train- Soul Asylum
Misery- Soul Asylum
Only Happy When it Rains- Garbage
Only Wanna Be with You- Hootie and the Blowfish
Freshmen- Verve Pipe
Bittersweet Symphony- The Verve
Kiss Me- Sixpence None the Richer
Big Bang Baby- STP
I Want You- Savage Garden
How Bizarre- OMC

I actually could go on and on...and on and on...but these are the first few that come to mind. You may notice that there is large representation from the years spanning about 1994-1997. That was what I qualify as the pinnacle of alternative rock, when Green Day, No Doubt, Stone Temple Pilots, Smashing Pumpkins, and most of the one-hit-wonders were in their hey day. Thanks to VH1's "I Love the 90s," I have also determined that 1997 was the best year of my life, period, and so that also explains why so much of this music comes from that time period.

Any additions, friends? Kelly I know you will have some input to share...

Lifetime Achievement Award

2007-05-07T09:16:00.000-06:00

Finals week is always my favorite week of the semester. "Is Cris deluded?" you ask. No. Quite the opposite. Consistently, for eight glorious semesters, finals week has been the most fun week of the semester because that's when the best hanging out is done. No matter that we all have ridiculously large tests to be studying for, (well, not we all, my 5 hour semester is turning out quite nicely for me during finals, and only throwing one my way on Friday,) we know it will be a long time before we have these chances to play again, so we make every minute count.

Last night, after organizing our own, very successful mind you, midnight breakfast at IHOP, some of us came back to our house to hang out further into the night...er...morning. It seemed like a good idea to turn on one of the music channels on cable as background music, and then it seemed like a really good idea to start playing The Game of Life at around 2 in the morning. I had never played The Game of Life, but given that we are all about to graduate from college in 3 short days and move on to "the real world" (except not really, we had 3 who are going to grad school, one who will be student teaching, and me, who is escaping the real world to live in Brazil for a year or two) it seemed like a good idea to get some practice on what real life is like through a board game.

I won, but that's rather insignificant. It took us an hour and a half to finish, (yes, Mom, 3:30 am during finals. Gasp!) and that hour and a half was some of the most fun I have had this semester. In addition to winning, I also won the Lifetime Achievement Award, discovered a Solution to Pollution, and invented a toy. My life turned out rather nicely if you ask me, and all while driving a little red car with my husband in the front seat.

All this fun we've been having just makes the quickly-approaching graduation ceremony on Saturday less and less exciting and more and more looming. As excited as I am about what God has in store for my future, I'm not ready to let go of this place that has been my home for the last four years.

Pulling from one the greatest television show of all time (tied with Arrested Development, of course) I now leave you with "Farewell Bayside," the graduation theme from Saved by the Bell's Bayside High School. Although I may not have spent time at the Max, and I think I went to one ACU football game ever, and most definitely never went on a double date, Zack, Kelly, Lisa, Jessie, Screech, and Slater sum it all up pretty perfectly for me:

It seems like only yesterday we started,
But soon we'll put away our books and pens.
We'll go on with our lives once we have parted,
But how can we say farewell to our friends?

The double dates, the parties, and the dances,
Crammin' for a midterm until three.
The football games, the Max, and the romances,
Soon Bayside will be just a memory.

Our four years here have all become unraveled,
And so our high school story finally ends.
But years from now, no matter where we've traveled,
We'll all look back and think about our friends.
We'll all look back and think about our friends.

Um now if you thought any part of me was serious in posting those lyrics, I encourage you to introduce yourself to me and get a grip. :) I am, however, dreading the goodbyes that have already begun and am predicting right now that this is only the first of many "I can't believe it's over" posts. Happy finals and cheers to you until next time!

Community

2007-05-05T01:05:00.000-06:00

From what I can tell, one of the big buzz words in the postmodern church right now is community. Perhaps the word has been buzzing for a while and I just started to hear it, but it seems as though every author I read has something to say about it and every sermon I hear mentions its benefits. Shane Claiborne has quite a bit to say about community, as does Mike Cope. I've heard more definitions of what community really means than I know what to do with, but over the last few months I have actually managed to conjure up a definition of my own of what community means to me.

My definition has no words-- not my own, anyway. My definition has come through experience. Through hugs. Through text messages. Through Facebook. Through contributions. Through questions. Through interest. Through the birthday/going away party my roommates threw for me tonight.

My community is the people who have cried with me in my sadness, confusion, and disappointment. They are the ones who have encouraged me to not give up. They are the ones who unquestioningly believe that "it's all going to work out," and make sure to tell me so. They are the ones who don't cease to be friends with me, even when I'm being irrational. :) They have offered to pray for me, with me, and over me. They have spoken godly words of wisdom and encouraged me to take even the slightest of positive events as signs of God's approval and delight.

I think the beauty of community (other than the fact that those two words rhyme...) is that, of the qualities I just described, they all have been effortless. My community did not make the decision to be encouraging, they just encouraged. They did not choose to share my tears, they just cried.

My community has shown me what it means to live in 1 Corinthians 13, always protecting, always trusting, always hoping, and always persevering.

Don't get your hopes up

2007-04-27T11:40:00.000-06:00

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??

Here I am, Lord. Send me.

2007-04-25T15:00:00.000-06:00

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. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I have now received $1,007 as a direct result of the Facebook group...YEAH!!!

Great News

2007-04-24T18:35:00.000-06:00

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:

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

So this past weekend. My little toenail has been diligently growing out, viciously shoving its late counterpart into the light and away from life. I've nurtured this little thing, protected it from further injury, nursed it when it got stepped on. Last Friday I cut off what seems to be the last remaining parts left over from that fateful day in July. And this, my friends, is GREAT NEWS.

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...

What do you want from me?

2007-04-19T23:24:00.000-06:00

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

2007-04-16T23:00:00.000-06:00

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.

Hiatus: Terminated

2007-04-14T13:08:00.000-06:00

Now THIS is awesome: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.

I have a vice...

2007-04-10T17:54:00.000-06:00

...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.

My own flesh and blood

2007-04-04T22:05:00.000-06:00

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.

No subliminal messages here/Photo Essay Part 2

2007-03-31T00:07:00.000-06:00

The last few days have been quite incredible. "Incredible" could be an overstatement, to which I say please provide a word that encompasses "humbling," "overwhelming," shocking," "emotional," and "blessed" all into one. You have until the end of this post to come up with an alternative.

Ever since I created the Facebook group late Sunday night I have been blown away (add that term to the above list, thanks) by the support I have received from my friends. The most shocking part of that process has been seeing where this support is coming from. I have received around 10 contributions as a direct result of the group, and most of those are from people I have not talked to in the last 6 months, some in the last year, and others in over 2 years. This is where "overwhelming" comes in. One of my biggest fears at the beginning of this process was that the people whom I asked to support me would not believe in this work as strongly as I do. Not only have I been proven dead wrong, but I believe God has used this to show me that not only do I have support, but I have support from people who are not even a part of my day to day life. Insert "blessed" and "humbled" and "emotional" here.

Now on to more introductions. These are my two teammates, Jeff and Ragan, and our tour guide extraordinairre, Sergio/Bob/Bobby. Sergio/Bob/Bobby is one person, the Brazilian-looking one in the middle. He was given his English names by the LST team of older ladies who came the summer before us. They had difficulty pronouncing his name, so they took matters into their own hands and named him Bob. Bob, a quadri-lingual university student who also teaches English on the side, embraced his new name to the point that even the other Brazilians from the church often call him Bobby. Bobby worked at a hotel, so he was immersed in the business of tourism and took it upon himself to jam-pack our days off (2 days per week) with "touristy" activities to do around Natal. In this particular picture we had just finished doing a little snorkeling. Bobby is one of the kindest, most generous people I know. He takes the call of servanthood seriously and delights in serving others. He always seemed to show up at the church building just as we were getting ready to break for lunch or dinner, ready to accompany us to the grocery store, local buffet, or just keep us company. He spent significant amounts of his free time helping us with anything and everything, and any time we commented that he didn't need to feel obligated to do so, he would stop us mid-sentence and say "it's my privilege to be with my brothers and sisters in Christ. There is nothing I would rather be doing right now." Most of my memories with Bobby involve laughing, laughing, and more laughing.

This is another of my most precious readers, Roberto. In the last post I said that when I think of Natal, Michelle and Patricia are the first two faces I see, but I would also add Roberto to that image. When I first met him, I could tell that he was very shy, very nervous, but very sweet. He usually showed up to every reading session early but sweating. I finally found out the last week we were in Natal that he was sweating because he would run to the church building from the bus stop, afraid he would be late. Roberto and I had amazing conversations about faith and what it means to follow God. He would come to the sessions uber-prepared, having read the lesson ahead of time and also having read the same passage from Luke in Portuguese to verify his comprehension of the English. He was so excited when he began doing this, telling me he had never read his own Bible so much. His hunger was very evident and I pray that it has continued. I can't wait to pick up with him where we left off!

I just realized that perhaps I should define some of LST lingo I have been using. If you know it all already, this post is over, so you can go ahead and comment, contribute, and move on to your next blog. :) Stay tuned for more introductions...

Definitions:
Reader(s): the locals in the community (not from the church) who respond to the advertisement for Let's Start Talking to practice their conversational English for free
Reading session: a 45 minute session in which the reader and worker (me) read one lesson from the Luke workbook together. Depending on what the reader chooses and what the worker's schedule allows, some readers come for a reading session every day, some come only once per week.
Luke workbook: the reading material LST provides, a simple English translation of the book of Luke bound into a workbook format. Each reader receives a workbook to keep for him/herself. Each "lesson" is a passage from Luke with a given message, or "seed thought." Each lesson also contains highlighted English vocabulary words and comprehension questions about the passage.

Photo Essay Part 1

2007-03-29T00:20:00.000-06:00

Once again I am too jazzed to fall asleep. I'll give you one chance to guess what's keeping me awake...What else? Natal, of course! However, it occurred to me that, although I can talk about how excited I am to no end, really you, my reader(s) (the singular is probably more accurrate...) have no earthly idea of specifically what I am excited about. Allow me introduce to you what, or, rather, who, keeps me awake at night:

These are my two friends, Michelle (left) and Patricia (right). They are my Brazilian soulmates. They were the first two readers I met at the Information meeting and they instantly became like sisters to me. Michelle is more sarcastic than I am...and clearly there will be no need for further explanation for why I love her so much. :) Patricia is one of the godliest women I have ever known. She is a breast cancer survivor, single mother of three boys, owns her own business, and still manages to pour love and kindness over everyone she meets. Michelle and Patricia are the first faces I see when I think about Natal.

This is Andre. Andre lived with us at the church building and basically kept us alive for the month we were there. He taught us how to quit blowing the fuse every day, avoid running out of hot water, showed us the cheapest but most delightful neighborhood restaurants, and served as an excellent bodyguard any time we needed him (that's a joke, Mom) simply because he's oh, about 6'4. Andre and I became good friends and laughed together A LOT! He is an engineering student at the local university and teaches English. He was very interested in American slang, and would pick up on any new word or phrase he heard us use. His favorite new phrase was "I'm coughing up phlegm." My favorite phrase that we taught him was "I'm blowing up" any time his phone rang. Hahahaha...it's still hilarious to me. :) This picture was taken the last night we were in Natal, about 4 hours before we left to come home. I was a bit emotional that night (as you'll be able to tell in future pictures) so excuse my appearance please.

Look forward to a continuation of this photo essay over the next few days. I want you to know my friends and the reason why I just can't wait to be with them again. Adios!

The Most Exciting Day

2007-03-26T16:47:00.000-06:00

In my quest to fundraise approximately $18,000 for a year's worth of missionary work, I can tell you right now that I will declare many different days The Most Exciting Day. However, you can be assured that this declaration will always, without a doubt, coincide with a jump in figures on my donation page.

It's just a fact.

Last night, at about 1:30 am, I was laying in bed, desperately trying to fall alseep but unable to rid my mind of racing thoughts surrounding my internship. It had been a while since this happened, so it was actually a welcomed, nostalgic dose of insomnia. Call me crazy, but I get the most excited when I'm losing sleep over it. :) Anyway, I've been thinking a lot lately about how best I can reach my friends to ask for support. I composed a mass email last week, but never sent it out. I knew that most of my friends, upon opening an email with oh, say 200 names in the address line, would delete it, assuming anything written to that many people must not be important. But oh, how important it is. So, I resisted as long as I could and then finally sold out, deciding to speak the language my generation knows best: Facebook.

I've created two Facebook groups in my life. The first, Chi Gamma Sub-T, was formed to poke healthy fun at the institution of social clubs on our campus. I won't go into the details of CGST, although it was wildly popular. Trust me. The second, With Your Help Cris Will Become a Missionary, I created last night, in the vain hope that my friends would join, see a precious picture of the little darling I met in Natal this summer, click on the simple link to my donation page, and begin supporting me. I invited about 350 of my closest friends to join, and by the time I woke up this morning at 9, my group already had 24 members.

By noon there were 45. By 2 there were 67. By 3:30 there were 85. Last I checked, at about 5:30, there were 96. This fact alone literally made my eyes well up with tears. I had no idea 96 people were willing to offer support, even if just emotional and prayerful, let alone join a group for it.

Now, remember what fact must coincide with a day being dubbed The Most Exciting Day? That's right, increase in monetary figures. Well. By noon I had received $10, by 4 I had received $30, and by 5 I had received a total of $130. From three people. Three people that would not even consider me one of their closer friends. I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me to have the support of my friends, let alone friends I don't even speak with that often. Today has been humbling, encouraging, happy, and, of course, THE MOST EXCITING DAY!!!!

If you give a Cris a book...

2007-03-25T17:06:00.000-06:00

Inspired by my roommate Melanie, the most avid reader in our house, I decided to catch up a bit on some pleasure reading this weekend. And, apparently, by "catch up" I mean triple the amount of books I have read in the last three or four months in a mere 20 hours.

Although back in the day I used to be able to tear through one or two Babysitter's Club: Little Sister series' books in a week, I was unsure that 1. my hunger for reading hadn't changed since I was 9 and 2. I would be able to find enough good books that would make me want read that quickly. In hindsight, my ignorance is comical.

Although Karen Brewer (the Little Sister) enchanted me as a young pup, she hadn't deceived me: I still do have the hunger, although I do an excellent job of supressing it 11 months out of the year. In the "New Arrivals" section of the Abilene library, I found three books that looked interesting enough to keep me occupied over the next three weeks until they are due back.

I promptly came home, read one in an hour, and read the second over the course of last night/this afternoon.

Hmm. Is this book-bulimia? I binge for a weekend then purge my intellect of any more stimulation of the literary-type for a few more weeks? I'll have to get back to you on that, after I see what "a few more weeks" turns out. Perhaps Mel has inspired me enough to have been cured of my reading disorder.

Anyway, allow me to share with you the first of two incredibly interesting and quasi-life-changing books which engaged me so. The first, Letter to a Christian Nation, was one I had heard of only by reading Mike Cope's blog. The author, Sam Harris, a staunch and vocal atheist, wrote this as a response to the responses he received after his first book, The End of Faith, was published. It is composed as a letter to your average Joe Christian living in the United States, arguing all of the reasons that faith in God, any god, actually, is ludicrous. I assumed that anyone who writes a book like this would write very intelligently, very compellingly, and very convincingly, almost to the point at which I would struggle not to agree. This alone got me excited to read what Harris had to say. I welcome intelligent oppositions to what I think/believe/feel, because they encourage me challenge and work harder to legitimize what I think/believe/feel and make those thoughts/beliefs/feelings more authentic (either way).

Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that, though some of Harris's arguments are piercingly legitimate and should make Christians think twice about the way we handle ourselves with respect to the rest of the world, he came across more as a child trying to argue why his dad could beat up my dad while we chewed on popsicles in a schoolyard.

Not exaggerating. Read here if you want some excerpts and responses to the book on a very well-read preacher's blog, but for now I'll spare you the specifics of what I really thought about his argument. Do I recommend it? That depends.

Yes, but only if you are in the mood to seriously contemplate (in a good way) the Why of your faith. No, however, if you're only looking for someone new to hate for persecuting Christians. Harris doesn't need any more hate mail citing chapter and verse of why he will spend eternity burning in hell. I recommend the book if you are capable of reading with a prayerfully open heart and mind, prepared to see the validity in some of the points he has to make.

Do I still believe in God? Yes. Do I still believe Jesus is the Son of God? Yes. Do I still want to be a missionary for the next two years of my life? Yes. Do I still want you to support me? Yes. Is my faith stronger after reading this book? Yes. Do I hope that Harris has a Saul/Paul conversion one day? Yes. Do I still hope that subliminal messages work? Let's hope so. :)

2007-03-19T21:01:00.000-06:00

Ooooh man I apologize for the whiney tone of that last post. I actually intended more of a sarcastic sound, but after reading it I realize it just sounded like I was complaining. Perhaps I was. :)

God definitely worked through some incredible ways this past week with my LST internship fundraising. I learned a tremendous lesson (as always) and learned once again that I can't box him in to the little mold I have for him. He is always, always faithful. And even when I'm pretty sure He's done being faithful, and I give him an out to peace out on me, he just doesn't leave! I am so thankful for a God who doesn't ever forget about me and takes the time to remind me of it.

Spring break was absolutely delightful. Seeing Molly, my roommate from freshman and sophomore year, was the highlight of the semester. There we are up there ^^ just laying around on the floor, you know. I also developed a new appreciation for the San Antonio area. I had no idea it was so pretty! I've always said Austin is the only place in Texas I would voluntarily choose to live, but folks you can now add San Antonio to that list.

This post is so lame. Sorry.

Cris-orama?

2007-03-14T18:33:00.000-06:00

WHY is it that when I go to create my new boring email address, cris.carpenter at gmail.com, it has already been taken? And WHY does Google suggest alternatives such as cris.carpenterorama, cris.carpenterernator, or cris.carpenterster? Am I 7? And am I a sleaze? These are questions that plague me in the internet world. I guess the two major league baseball players with whom I share my name have already taken the simple, straightforward email domains. Or the Cris Carpenter with whom I'm friends on Facebook. I guess it's back to the drawing board. Any new suggestions? I may just have to resort to the even more boring cris.m.carpenter. How do we feel about that?

At least it's not cRiScHiCkACU2007pie@gmail.com. :)

Shamed...?

2007-03-10T17:33:00.000-06:00

What word is in between shameless and shameful? There has to be one. Shameless implies reckless disregard to tact and modesty, whereas shameful implies embarrassment and/or a plea for attention to be diverted elsewhere. I don't think it can be shamed, because that's more of a verb than an adjective; a verb that makes me uncomfortable, mind you.

Anyway, I want to know what's in the middle because in my fundraising efforts I sit upon this unknown word. I am not shameful, because I believe so strongly in LST and the work that I will be doing and I know there are people who want to help support me, but I am not shameless in that I try to be very mindful of the fact that people have worked hard for their money and have mouths to feed and that fact alone makes me feel uncomfortable asking for it.

You will notice that I posted the link to my donation page over there >>, but I also posted a link to SearchKindly.org, (an excellent search engine that raises money for a different non-profit each month while yielding Google's search results) as well as a clock to tell you the current time in Natal, and a counter, perhaps because I'm vain about my blog and want to know how many have visited despite the lack of comments. You could say I shamefully cluttered the sidebar in order to not call attention to the link, but that I am now shamelessly devoting an entire post to my fundraising efforts. I'm such a little paradox.

My fundraising efforts for my internship in Brazil pose this problem: even though I feel ____ (this word I can't put my finger on) about my fundraising, what's the next step? Do I email my friends with the link to my donation page and ask for their help? Do I ask if their parents might be interested in supporting my internship, even if they don't know me? Do I ask the wonderful people who have already contributed so much if they could give again?

I don't want to send the wrong impression here: my fundraising has already gone extremely well and I couldn't be more thankful for the generosity and support that I already feel so strongly. God has shown me several times already that He is faithful and will continue to bless me throughout this preparation process. I have received encouragement in the strangest ways and in the most conventional ways. However, there is still more money to be pledged in order for me to be able to begin the internship in September. I've already learned so many lessons in the three short months I have been fundraising, and my prayer is that it will continue to be a learning and growing process for me.

And, if you have any ideas on how to get people to give me money, send 'em my way. :)

2007-03-06T11:26:00.000-06:00

Hey, look at me! Two posts in three days.

I need your help. As I prepare to leave this place we call college, or Abilene, or ACU, or the armpit of Texas (which, by the way, I do not agree with) I need to prepare for my life post-college. My preparations include many different elements, but one of them is how I will remain in contact with my friends and family. Hopefully, this blog will begin to serve as as a major source of contact for you to stay updated on my life in Natal, though I do need to build a stronger readership, because I'm pretty sure I'm writing to NO ONE right now. A major part of staying connected is acquiring a new name that will end in gmail.com rather than acu.edu. That's right, folks, I'm in the "get a new email" phase of my preparations. Come May 12, when I graduate, no longer will I (or ACU, eventually) allow cmc02f to serve me. This is where you come in. Any suggestions on what my new email address should be?

To save you some time, these are out:

any name pertaining to ACU (Wildcat, ACU, Purple, Judge Ely, Westheimer, etc)
any name including the word "girl" (ACUgirl, Brazilgirl, Crisgirl, etc)
any name including the word "chick" (ACUchick, Brazilchick, Crischick, etc)
anything including numbers (Cris2007, cris1985, Cris5, etc)
anything including interests (LipGlossGirl7, ILoveCats1985, White01XTerra)

I will now be accepting suggestions. FYI, I like the way my first and middle name, Cristina Michelle, sound together.

GO! (And thank you.)

Let's face it...

2007-03-04T19:04:00.000-06:00

If I played the Justin Scott "name that song that's the title of my post" game you could bust out the old but trusty Mighty Mighty Bosstones' album and win my contest. Too bad for you that I don't play that game, but I have an entirely newfound respect for you if you 1) know who the MMB even were and 2) knew them well enough to know that "Let's Face It" was the title of the album as well as one of the songs.

What I really wanted to say is: Let's face it. I am a terrible blogger. I've been a member of this little site for over a year now and have what seems to be less than 10 posts to show for it. It's not that I don't have anything to say...because we all know THAT'S not true...but I just can't seem to find enough things to write about on a consistent basis that will impress you. Because I want to impress you, despite what my previous post (note the date...) says.

However, with my upcoming move to Natal, Brazil I would like to be in the habit of blogging by the time I arrive in order to continue the habit to keep my friends and supporters informed on my LST internship there. (Shameless plug: if you or your parents or your friends are interested in helping contribute toward my support, PLEASE let me know. I'm posting the link as soon as I post this entry.) It hit me on Friday, March 2, that exactly 6 months from Saturday, March 3, I would be on a plane, headed to spend my year(s) in Natal. Now, while I am very, very, VERY excited, realizing it was a mere 6 months away gave me one of those deep, awkward feelings in the pit of my belly, the kind of feeling that tells me I wish it was tomorrow and I wish it would never come, all at the same time. Don't let this alarm you (especially if you were seriously considering a contribution,) because it's a good feeling. A very, very good one. It's the same feeling you get when you have been on an airplane for the last 3/6/8/14 hours, on your way to an exciting vacation or an exciting visit with family and the plane ride has gotten monotonous and miserable until the exact second the pilot tells you they have begun the descent and then all you can think about is the person you are about to see or the new place you are about to explore or how good it will feel to use the restroom in an area larger than 2 square feet.

THAT feeling.

On an entirely unrelated note, I find it curious how much I love using parentheses. I feel like parenthetical interjections are how my writing becomes a conversation with you. Leave a comment so it can feel more real. :)

Time to brush my teeth

2006-10-31T01:17:00.000-06:00

I told a friend tonight that I've been spending most of my time alone lately and that it's changing my perspective on a lot of things. I don't know if I said it because it's true or if I said it because I am trying to get accustomed to the fact that it might be true, but nonetheless I know I've been spending a significant time by myself lately and it definitely has altered my perceptions. I've spent so long, more than just these past years at ACU, always trying to be at the right place at the right time with the right people doing the most fun thing I could be doing at that very moment. The age of cell phones has gotten us out of making plans and sticking to them and carried us into an age of calling around until we find the best option. Anyway, my friend responded that spending most of your time alone is the best thing to do. I don't know that I agree, but I do know that, although I definitely have benefitted and grown from community, I think my leaps-and-bounds kind of growth comes from the times when I hang out with just me. I quit trying to impress myself about a year ago and so it's become rather refreshing to be able to be myself with myself and my thoughts and really get where I'm trying to go without an ego or false self perception getting in the way. I'm working towards the point where I'm no longer trying to impress anyone else, either, and though I'm getting remarkably close let's be real, I'm a 21 year old female. So I just started this book called Two Views on Women in Ministry for a class I'm in and it's making me realize that I have very strong beliefs and very strong opinions and rarely do I have anything concrete to back up those beliefs and opinions. Don't get me wrong, I can straight fool you into thinking that I do have solid research and conviction to back it up, but really all I have done is stolen someone else's conviction and plagiarized it as my own. Perhaps plagiarized is a strong term, but as I read this book that's how I feel. It's a good feeling, though, because it makes me want to study and learn more about why I think I believe what I do. Recently I have had this hunger for the Word that I have never before had in my life. A hunger for the Word has now replaced what used to be a hunger for a hunger for the Word. Now I've skipped the guilt and gone straight to seeking answers to questions, rather than wishing I had the desire to seek answers to questions. Get it? Doesn't matter. This post has lots of tangents and few readers. Time to brush my teeth.

I'm back...

2006-10-04T22:12:00.000-06:00

My favorite days are characterized by one very specific quality. It doesn't really matter the day of the week (though I tend to like Thursdays...) or the time of year (although nice weather does put me in the best of moods...) or who I spend time with (well, who am I kidding...that actually affects my choice of favorite days quite strongly.) My favorite days are actually the ones in which I realize how hysterical of a sense of humor God has. Some people resent the image of God as a puppet-master, but I tend to be drawn to it for this very reason. I appreciate and fully attribute those funny little situations that I learn from and am humbled (see next paragraph) by to God's supreme sense of humor. I hope it's not disrespectful to view God in this way, because for me it draws me closer to Him and helps me to relate to His loving nature.

Example of the day: tonight as I was studying for a midterm in my Women in Christian Service class (taught by Jeanene Reese, my hero, but THAT is another blog...) I was reading about spiritual disciplines and spiritual giftedness, the purpose for their practice, etc. I became inspired to really embrace the study of spiritual disciplines and to further study spiritual gifts. The discipline of Simplicity has been tugging at my heart recently and the gift of discernment has been weighing on my heart, so I marched my little self up the stairs to the new Theological Reading Room in our library and found three books related to these particular topics. As I walked out among the Theology grad students, the Spiritual of the spiritual, I was feeling rather intelligent and rather spiritual and rather wise with my three books tucked under my arm. I made my way to the check-out counter so I could get home to begin reading up on my newly-found passion. I assumed the girl at the counter would probably be pretty impressed, too, when she saw the subject matter and that I was checking out three of them...until I heard this:
Girl: "Um...you have a $5 fine on your account."
Me: "Really? Oh...well does that have to be paid before I can check these out?"
Girl: "Yeah...you have to get it below $3."
Me: (annoyed, because I need to get home to start increasing my spirituality) "Ok...well, what is it even for?"
Girl: "Sex and the City DVDs."

Simplicity? Discernment?
Got it. :)

Reflections from the Road/Spring Break

2006-03-19T17:10:00.000-06:00

1. Texas drivers are the worst drivers in the country. In the country. (I would say world, but I've been to Brazil...).

If you are from Texas and this statement offends you, you are probably one of them.
If you are not from Texas and this statement offends you, that's just weird.
If you are from Texas and you think "Well, maybe, but I'm not one of them," there is an excellent chance you are wrong, and until an out-of-stater deems you correct your opinion does not count.
If you are from Texas, you agree, and this statement does not offend you because it is true, you are probably not a "Texas driver." You are probably an exception, and that is an honorable title.

2. In a related story, I suffer from an extreme, but controlled, amount of road rage. If you have ridden with me you probably already know this. I tend to have conversations with my fellow drivers on the road. Comment of the day: "You suck at driving...and probably at life." I should ask forgiveness for that one...

3. My parents think "The Office" is absolutely hilarious. This strangely impressed me. I say "strangely" because either a) they're much cooler than they used to be or, b) they were always this cool I just refused to accept it. Something tells me it's probably the latter.

4. "Teenage Wasteland" has one of the best intros I have ever heard in a song. Thank you to Dr. Greg House for introducing me to this precious tidbit of information.

5. If he had been born 10 years earlier, Jesse McCartney would have enjoyed a very successful career with the Backstreet Boys. Maybe he and Aaron Carter can team up. They look like the same person anyways.

6. I consumed at least my body weight, possibly more, in strawberries this week. Ain't nothin wrong with that...

7. There are too many white trucks in Texas. On the Texas-half of my drive back to Abilene, every single vehicle I found myself behind was a white truck. Coincidentally, every vehicle I passed was also a white truck. Refer to point #1. If you live in Texas and have a white truck, paint it. White is boring. (Yes, I realize that Xavier is white. Although I love her, I wish she was green.)

8. Gas is too expensive. And with no good reason. Gas should be free. And water should be free. Actually, cars should run on water. And it should be free. Smart people, get on that.

9. Selling CDs back for cash, especially in the age of iPods, is an extremely lucrative business. Say hello to 28 dollars and say goodbye to Celine Dion. They didn't, however, accept my Creed cds or Backstreet Boys. Can you blame them? Insert embarrassed face here -->___.

10. I continue to hear from new people every time that the Coldplay concert was the best concert they've ever been to. Lucky for me I agree.

11. I don't hate the rain, but I hate driving in the rain. HATE it. Absolutely nothing good comes from long roadtrips in heavy rain. (Well, except that I don't have to give Xavier the traditional post-roadtrip bath. Ok, so one teeny tiny barely significant good thing comes from roadtrips in the rain.)

12. "Dookie" by Green Day is still one of the greatest albums of all time. Definitely on my Deserted Island list. "Nimrod" isn't too bad, either.

13. The more and more I go home, the more and more it isn't home anymore.

14. I hate the feeling of loneliness. I am codependent upon companionship. That's better than being codependent on alcohol...right?

15. Telling people you love them is important. Utilizing the numbers in your cell's phone book is necessary. If you think about someone, even for a second, whom you haven't talked to in a long time, call them up and tell them so. Chances are they won't think you're weird, like you might fear, and instead you will make their day. It's a shame that you have to go through losing someone to be reminded of that. Don't be scared to let someone know that they are appreciated.

16. Like my sister said, it's hard to accept when someone dies. Even if the chance that you would have seen that person again or even talked to them any time soon was slim, it's still comforting to know that he or she was still existing out there somewhere, doing good for someone. Please refer to #15 here and then do something about it. Carrie, we take comfort in the fact that your legacy, your incredible sense of humor, your joyful spirit, and your profound gift of friendship, will continue to do good for all of the people who passed through your life for a long, long time. You are unforgettable.

Parochial.

2006-01-04T22:17:00.001-06:00

We are currently in the midst of week 4 out of 5 of Christmas break. No, you did not read that incorrectly. 5. Count them. One-two-three-four-five. I know, right? How retarded. But not so retarded that I wish I was resuming classes this week, like Oklahoma public schools, or next week, like Oklahoma state universities. I just think it's weird. So in the spirit of academic nostalgia (it's rumored that Patty V actually wrote an essay to combat boredom over the break. While I have not checked on this--I'm trying to break myself of my blog-slut tendencies--it nevertheless amazes me, because I find myself doing the same thing. Not writing essays, but doing educational things to fill my time. But I digress...) I decided to give you a small test. Not the quizyourfriends.com kind of test, but the kind you are about to take:
1. Blogs are for _____ people.
a. self-involved
b. bored
c. too-smart-for-their-own-good-and-like-to-show-off
d. too smart, too stupid, and none in between.

2. Blog entries should be written _____.
a. every day.
b. at least twice a week.
c. once a month.
d. whenever revelations resembling genius-thought arise.

3. I, Cris Carpenter, choose to write in this blog _____.
a. whenever I feel like it, dangit!
b. when I remember it exists.
c. whenever I have something to write of which I can be proud, because I am a writing snob.
d. whenever there is something on my mind that I have to get out, so I cop out and do it on the internet.

Have you ever visited Iambored.com? That might have been a better use of your time than taking the test you just did. If you are still pondering the answers then I have a surprise for you: there were no right answers. And there were no wrong answers. Sucka! They were all right in their own way. I'm such a people pleaser. Geez.

Right now would be a terrific time for me to dive into some sort of intellectual thought and enlighten you on my opinions on certain matters, but let's be honest: I'm at the Cabin, they're watching the Rose Bowl, I just got my hair cut and feel like a movie star, and therefore have no great thoughts on which to enlighten you. But don't worry, as they come I will share. Instead, I think I am going to compose a sentence using the Word o' the Day from my 2006 365 Words a Year! tear-away calendar I got for Christmas (is saying "I totally banked at Christmas" wrong? Because I did.) It was most definitely in my top 10 of Christmas gifts, fo shiz. I'm such a nerd. And then I'm going to tell you that we all, as a community, need to start using the word "terrific" more because it is HIGHLY underrated. "Fabulous," "fantastic," and "tight," are out, folks. Terrific is in. Use it, love it. "Arrested Development," my new favorite show, is also in. Watch it, love it. See, told you I felt like a movie star. I'm telling you what to do and acting as though my opinion is commensurate to God's. It's not. His is way better than mine. Commensurate was not my January 4 word of the day, though I do hope it is in the calendar somewhere because I sure do love that word. Ok. Word o' the day time.

When seeking news, my top choice in news providers is either CNN Headline news or cnn.com, because their presentation and story-choice is far from parochial, unlike FoxNews--boo!!

Haha I just lost like 47 friends. Happy January! If you're smart and I mis-used my new word, please let me know. I'll be happy to change it.

2006-01-04T22:17:00.000-06:00

Sex, Drugs, and Blogging

2005-12-16T10:33:00.000-06:00

I am becoming a blogging junkie. And that's not something I'm proud of. Let me explain. Even though school ended last week, I have been in Abilene this whole week working. My boss left to go to Africa on Wednesday, so yesterday and today I am working 8-5 to cover for her, sitting at a desk, doing some work but primarily twiddling my thumbs. So, in addition to finishing a book(Runaway Jury by Grisham, I'd give it a 5.5 out of 10) and beginning a new one (Velvet Elvis by Bell, so far an 8 if you like the Blue Like Jazz genre), my never-before-present ADD has kicked in and I find myself being a blog slut. I have read more blogs by more people I don't know than I ever thought I would. Who does that? Sadly, I think a lot of people do.

So, I'm reading this one blog by this one guy I kind of know who has been going through a rough time lately so of course I read his blog to see how he's doing? (Sadly, I think a lot of people do that, too.) Anyway, the psychologist in me starts reading his blogs back in November to see if I see signs of the rough time approaching, and I see a link to another blog at ACU. So I click on it. I begin to read it, see that she knows some people I know, and wonder if maybe I know who she is. So I click on a link on her blog that links to another blog of a name I know but don't know this guy personally, and I start reading his. His blog is so captivating that I read the comments on it and find a link to another blog. If you are keeping track and are familiar with the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon game, I am now 4 degrees away from myself. Approaching whom, I don't know, but I'm 4 degrees away. Anyway. I stumble onto this other blog, where I find this:

"I know this may step on a few toes, but I have to let it out. I am extremely saddened by American churches who are spending millions of dollars on the wrong things. I recently read about a church that spent $19 million to expand their poperty and enlarge their buildings. How can this happen when.....

Nearly one in four people, 1.3 billion - a majority of humanity - live on less than $1 per day.
One in twelve people worldwide is malnourished, including 160 million children under the age of 5.
An estimated one out of 6 elderly people in the U.S. has an inadequate diet.
An estimated 40.3 million people worldwide are living with AIDS this year.
An estimated 12 million children have been orphaned by AIDS in Africa.
Today 6500 Africans will die of AIDS.
Today 4.1 million Africans need anit-AIDS drugs and only 50,000 will get them.
According to figures provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services, up to 600,000 men, women, and children go homeless each night in the US.

I just don't get it. How could something that started so good have gone so wrong? Please tell me that people are still more important than property and that big buildings will not be the greatest legacy of the church. Please."

So here's this guy 4 degrees away from me, I have no idea who he is. And if he ever reads this (maybe he's a slut too) I apologize for taking your entry. But I thought it was brilliant. (I'm the one who bolded and mega-capitalized that one sentence.) That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about people. Read my first blog, it's about 4 down I think, and this is another illustration to the concept that I think God views us moronic humans as a bunch of chickens running around with our heads cut off, passing harmful legislation and spending MILLIONS on church buildings, not churches (the church is the people not the building, remember? I learned that phrase by heart when I was four.) when there are far greater causes we need to be funding in His name. I think God might be ok with us not even having a dang milion-dollar roof over our heads when we gather to worship if it means that we're helping His hurting children. Rather than expand how 'bout we split up and plant churches?

You know what, I'll stop here. I can type real fast and I don't know if you blog sluts are ready for Tangents ala Cris. Given the incredible infrequency of my posts, I'm going to go ahead and wish you all (all 4 of you who read this) a Merry Christmas if I don't come back for a while. HappyChrismahannukwanzaakah! (I stole that one, too, from Justin who stole it from Virgin Mobile I think? I'm a slutty thief.)

BYE!

NSYNC

2005-11-30T10:25:00.000-06:00

My sister has a very keen sense of smell. That's her sense. When good food, or bad food for that matter, is placed in front of her, the first thing she does is smell it. She trusts her sense of smell to determine all kinds of things, and certain smells jog certain memories.

My sense is sound. Even though I swear that I'm deaf sometimes, nothing brings back memories like certain sounds, whether they be music or buses. Buses make me think of Brazil, music makes me think of the time in my life when I first heard that particular song.

Over Thanksgiving I was driving around Edmond in my old car, the beloved Tercel, listening to my old radio station and I felt like I was in high school again. I heard "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" and almost cried. How 8th grade is that? And sometimes I'll hear "What Would You Do?" by CityHigh, and it makes me think of the best summer of my life: summer between sophomore and junior year. NSYNC's "I Want You Back" reminds me of the summer just before I began the 8th grade, when my family moved to Edmond and I found out what boy bands were. That same summer includes the song "Crush" by Jennifer Paige. Freshman year of high school holds "Bye Bye Bye," for NSYNC's second appearance on my list, and "Hey Ya" will forever remind me of freshman year at ACU in Gardner dorm, where Molly and I would listen to that song every single morning as we got ready for class.

There are certain songs that remind me of certain people in certain places. That "I keep on falling in and out of love with you" song by Alicia Keyes makes me think of a happy little relationship I had in high school, both of us sitting in my car (yay Tercel!) outside of his work. "Breath In" by Frou Frou was the soundtrack to driving around Abilene with Mike sophomore year to find grub costumes. Anything by Jump Little Children or Phoenix makes me think of Mike, to whom I can attribute about 90% of my musical taste. And then there was that time freshman year when a bunch of us drove out to the Anson Lights and Frankie J's "Suga Suga" was playing...that song's for Alex. :)

Whatever your sense is, I hope that it brings back memories as vivid as mine. One of my favorite feelings in the whole world is for a song to come on that holds such significant memories and to be so overcome with joy that you actually feel it. I think I'll go listen to a little NSYNC now...

While that great heaven sits above us

2005-11-15T01:12:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been unimpressed with what God has to offer.

I don't know if I'm getting caught up with what I see the world offering to me or I'm just unimpressed. I've been reading Through Painted Deserts, Donald Miller's most recent book, which chronicles his "leaving home" journey across the Western half of the United States with his then-acquaintance now-best-friend. Last Saturday, between waking up at 1 pm and taking a nap at 4 pm (I better cherish these days as a college student...) I stumbled across this:

"I tend to think life is about security, that when you have a full year's rent you can rest. I worry about things too much, I worry about whether or not my ideas are right. I worry about whether or not people like me, I worry about whether or not I am going to get married, and then I worry about whether or not my girl will leave me if I do get married. . . and all of it, perhaps, because I bought into Houston, one thousand square miles of concrete and strip malls and megachurches and cineplexes, none of it real. I mean it is there, it is made of matter, but it is all hype. None of the messages are true . . . There doesn't seem to be any science saying any of this stuff matters at all. But it feels like it matters, whatever it is; it feels like we are supposed to be panicking about things. I remember driving down I-45 a few months ago and suddenly realizing the number of signs that were screaming at me, signs wanting me to buy waterbeds, signs wanting me to watch girls take off their clothes, signs wanting me to eat Mexican food. . . And it hit me that, amid the screaming noise, amid the messages that said buy this product and I will be made complete, I could hardly know the life that life was meant to be. Houston makes you feel that life is about panic and the resolution of panic, and nothing more. Nobody stops to question whether they actually need the house and the car and the better job. And because of this there doesn't seem to be any peace, there isn't any serenity. We can't see the stars in Houston anymore, we can't go to the beach without stepping on a Coke bottle, we can't hike in the woods, because there aren't any more woods. We can only panic about the clothes we wear, panic about the car we drive. . .We drive around in a trance, salivating for Starbucks while that great heaven sits above us, and that beautiful sunrise is happening in the desert, and all those mountains out West are collecting snow on the limbs of their pines, and all those leaves are changing colors out East."

I didn't know I was unimpressed with God until last night when I was sitting at Starbucks with Ragan and Andy. Ragan was telling us about a chapter she had read out of a book called 90 Minutes in Heaven. As the three of us talked about heaven and Ragan tried her hardest (bless her sweet little heart) to describe the description of heaven in this book, I became ashamed. I realized that I'm waiting for God to prove He is worth it to me. Someone came up to talk to Andy and he said "Hold on man. I'm in the middle of hearing a really intense story and there is nothing I'd rather be hearing right now." How often has the Lord tried to speak to me, tried to reveal little snippets of His glory to me, and in response I have I rolled my eyes and turned away to talk to someone else? Andy hit it right on: There should be nothing I'd rather be hearing right now.

How much have I missed out on by becoming consumed with everything that has nothing to do with God? How much has my skepticism that God really can do anything, really can reveal himself to me, really can answer my prayers, limited my ability to receive Him?

I am unimpressed with God, and it's my own skepticism that limits His power to work in my life.

Irony

2005-11-12T16:27:00.000-06:00

You know it's funny. I created this account last year when my good friend Justin Scott was running for Student's Association president. His opponent had created a campaign blog to discuss "issues" of the race and platforms of his campaign. Well, nothing he said made sense, so my sarcastic nature got the best of me and I found my fingers itching to post a comment. With no intention to ever use this as a real blog, I titled it "confused voter" and left my comments for the opponent. Little did I know how apropos that title would become when I outgrew Xanga and finally succumbed to the blogger world.

This might be a bit drastic for my first post, but ever since a long talk with a good friend last night I can't really think about anything else. Maybe a big girl blog will help me get out my ideas that I feel I can't really talk about with many of my friends, for reasons you'll understand right...now:

Did Texas really pass an amendment to their state constitution that prevents the institution of marriage from including any type of relationship other than one between a man and a woman? Really? Let me first say that in no way do I "condone" homosexuality. I believe the Bible just like you do, I believe God intended marriage for a man and a woman and He intended sex to be between a man and a woman, within the context of marriage. But right now I'm feeling that maybe I understand the Bible a little differently than a lot of my "vote yes to the amendment!" peers. When Jesus came to seek and save the lost, he never mentioned coming to "seek, save, and make laws to hurt the lost." If we are to emulate Christ, and Christ came to love everyone, all of us, all of us who are sinners, how does creating a law that prohibits two people who love each other from lawfully making a lifelong commitment to each other show them the love of Christ? I'm not advocating gay marriage. I'm not implying that Christ would support gay marriage. I don't believe that at all. I'm questioning whether or not voting for such an amendment even remotely resembles what Christ calls us to do: Love.

I hear often that gay marriage destroys the family. Hmm...I could have sworn that it's divorce that destroys families. A heterosexual boy and a heterosexual girl can stupidly but legally get married at the age of 18 without giving the seriousness of marriage much thought, have a child, then divorce three years later. That's all legal. But a homosexual man and a homosexual man commit to be together for a lifetime, perhaps adopt an unwanted child, and remain in a monogomous relationship for the rest of their lives, while giving that child a "family" who loves him and supports him, and we are up in arms, disgusted with such an idea, trying to pass leglislation to make sure that doesn't happen. Wow. Is that backwards?

I don't have answers, and I hope I don't claim to. But I do have a Bible. And last time I read it, it told me to love my neighbor as myself. It told me to put on love over all other virtues, because love binds them all together in perfect unity. It told me to love each other deeply. It told me not to love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.

I get the feeling sometimes that God sees all of us like chickens running around with our heads cut off, thinking we know what we're doing and where we're going but really we just make fools of ourselves. He sees us promoting such amendments from the pulpit and in church bulletins. I see Him maybe shaking His head, saying "You don't even get it, do you?" On issues like this, I think we've made a mockery of what Jesus was trying to teach us.

I'm not a Texas resident and am therefore not registered to vote in Texas. Thank goodness. How is a Christian supposed to vote on issues like these? Either you vote to actively maintain what you think God's intentions for marriage are, or you vote to actively maintain the love of Christ. Yeah, I get that it's weird to pit those two against each other. But maybe we should give this whole idea a little more thought before we vote to amend constitutions.

So I've come pretty far around the circle, (I don't think I can call an ACU election and a state election a full circle quite yet) questioning Justin's opponent to questioning amendments against gay marriage. Told you I was a confused voter...