my friend, emily, has a recent post on her blog that goes very well with the quotes from my last entry.

Read it here: http://littletons.blogs.com/theboys/2011/03/poser.html

the whole dang thing

on april 10th, my roommate was proposed to by a seemingly wonderful man, ben. i am not known to do this on my blog, but today, i'm going to promote his blog.

ben has a strong love of scripture (as does andrea) and is taking it to new levels. he is manuscripting the entire Bible from front to back. for those of you that are unfamiliar with the term manuscript or inductive Bible study, it is a way of studying scripture that strips back a lot of what the world says about the Bible and just uses the Bible and your brain (and a few resources) to see what is being said. the passage is printed on paper that often gets marked up as the reader makes observations and poses questions. here is an example.

as you can imagine, this inductive study of the Bible is quite a process. ben is hoping to finish in four years (if i remember what he told me correctly) doing at least 4 chapters a week. the coolest part of this whole adventure, in my opinion, is that he is letting the world benefit from it as well. he is blogging about each and every chapter; hence the reason for my promotion of this blog. ben has some great insight, allows the Lord to speak to him through his studies, and then writes about it in a way that often infuses pop culture and daily life with that from the days of the old testament, not at all an easy feat. his writings are relevant, funny, and challenging. each time i read them, i not only learn something new, but find myself contemplating the concepts throughout the day.

so, check it out.....the whole dang thing

bedtime story

i just spent a re-energizing weekend in detroit with an old friend

and a new friend.

we went to this little place where it is christmas all year.

we could partake of gingerbread houses,

speak many languages,

and spy on santa.

we also visited the silent night chapel (a replica of the real silent night chapel in austria) because christmas is really all about jesus.

then we visited a quaint german town

where i got to introduce my old friend to food from my ethnic heritage



the deliciousness made me happy.

the next day, we went over the bridge to canada.

we did not eat at a canadian mcdonalds,

but we did gaze at the detroit skyline

before taking the tunnel under the river back to the states.

i saw funny things while in michigan.

i saw impactful things while in michigan. (the bus rosa parks rode. ironically, i sat in the back.)

i had a great time while in michigan.

the end.

more thoughts of the serious variety tomorrow.

top fifteen things i like to do with my super cute friends

15. Associating cuss words with squirrels
14. Your mom or Your mom's?
13. In my mind, I'm already there
12. Sleepovers
11. Playing Loaded Questions
10. Being super cute
9. Filling bedrooms with random, small, really hard to clean up items, like tinsel or oversized inflatable pumpkins.
8. Lighting, or rather, putting out, accidental fires
7. "Demons, come out!"
6. Ringing the butler
5. "We" ness
4. What Lawanda would engrave on her bowling ball
3. Hyperventilating while listening to stories of hyperventilation
2. Discussing taxation without representation
1. Eating pancakes with Aunt Jamima

*Note: This blog is based solely on the inside jokes relevant to 7 individuals. My apologies to those of you who are not those 7 individuals, but it was necessary.

**Double note: This is the 200th post on yeah, like the fish!

I'm currently in Denver in the last 24 hours of my trip. Jake, Elizabeth, and I are watching Olympics, and I'm doing a bit of research for my next blog entry. Jake is being impatient and nagging about when I'm going to get it finished so that he can read it. I think he's nervous that I might say something that will make his mother think he is giving the family a name opposite that of which I normally give them.....

Be patient Jake..it's coming...

Chris, Lauren, and Daniel

It's Sunday night, and I'm working. I have a feeling that this could easily become a trend over the next few months as I learn to balance all of the jobs that life has thrown my way, or rather, God has been so kind to give to me. I'm struggling to work tonight. Partially because it's Sunday night, and I'm tired. It's also because the songs on my Pandora "mellow" station keep sending me on a nostalgic journey. Three of my good friends are leaving the country this week; all on trips unrelated to one another. They have all brought some sort of delight to my heart so I thought I would do some small tribute to them as they depart. (I know, a blog isn't much of a tribute, but it's what I've got at this time.) This is probably more for selfish purposes, but if anyone knows these three and wants to add on their own memories or blessings, please do!

Chris leaves tomorrow for Japan where he will be teaching English to middle school girls for two years. I've known Chris for over a year now. I first knew him as my supervisor at camp, but he quickly became a friend, confidant, and drinking partner (yeah, sometimes after being around 100s of kids at once, you just need a drink :) ) It's so much more than that though. I met Chris at a time in my life when I was revisiting and trying to work through my pain and insecurities brought about during a particular teaching position I once had. Chris, in his no-nonsense kind of way, often "put me in my place"; calling me on ideas I believed about myself that were really just lies. He helped me see myself as a woman with the qualities of a good teacher; someone who really did have something to contribute to the school world. As I walk down the path of memories with Chris, most vivid are the late night conversations over a drink, the grand opening of my day campers' garden (where Chris wore this ridiculous hat and tie and gave a speech that used the word "forefathers"), and showing him around St. Louis after Urbana. CHRIS - I will miss (do miss) seeing you interact with children, your honest advice, and your constant encouragement. You have been an integral part of some big healing in my life! May the Lord cover you as you search for Starbucks and Target in your new home! (hehe)

Lauren leaves for Barcelona on Labor Day. She will spend a semester there as a student and then move to Chile to work with a missionary for several months. Lauren is a relatively new friend, but in the short time I have known her, I have grown to love her humor, her smile, and her over uniqueness. She has a way of laughing about any situation, and she oozes an energy that infects anyone around her. Although I've only know her a short while, I've had the opportunity to laugh at least a million laughs and imprint memories on my heart. One of my favorite Lauren stories: We were playing a rather vigorous game of Sardines in a large, supposedly haunted building. Lauren and I were partners and had won the first round so we were searching for our own hiding spot. Where did we choose? A stall in a non-functioning bathroom on the 3rd (and scariest floor). We both stood on the toilet half bent over to avoid being seen. It doesn't seem that memorable in writing this, but trust me, it was. LAUREN - I am excited for the adventures that are ahead of you, and even more excited that I get to be around to hear about them! I have loved eating ice cream and having "stalking" text messages with you over the past couple of months. My prayer for you is one of protection, adventures, and sweet moments with Jesus in places unknown!

Daniel, like Lauren, is a fairly new friend. He is headed to Nanjing, China on Tuesday where he will be a student for a year. It is hard for me to pick just what to say about Daniel as I feel like he had a profound effect on my life without even trying. I cannot remember learning so much about myself from one person. Perhaps it was just a summer for growing and changing. Perhaps all of the self-knowledge was there, on the verge of being discovered, and he happened to be the catalyst that brought all to the surface. No matter the other factors, he was a large part of who I am becoming as I learn more about who I am (if that makes sense). I will always remember our very late nights working on bookshelves, the way he chops an onion, his love for classical music and Jane Austen, our brief friendship with Joe, and the way his servant's heart was always blessing different people. DANIEL - Thank you for showing me loved things once forgotten, reminding me of my "true" age, and allowing me to be real even when it was hard. May the Lord guide your studies and the decisions that come with your return to the States next spring!

I will miss all three of them very deeply, but will look forward to the e-mails about their adventures...and conversation over ice cream or margaritas or staining furniture when they return!

swimmin' in the rain, just swimmin' in the rain

As usual, I could feel the laughter. It began as air in my chest and worked its up my throat becoming a little giggle. The giggle was hard to suppress (as many giggles are), and I was quickly laughing out loud. I tried to hide the "haha's, hehehe's, and hoho's"....tried to bury my face into my towel, but the thought of the situation was just too much for me. The laughter couldn't be hidden.

The day was beautiful. A storm came through during church, but by the time it was over, the sun was shining and it was becoming rather muggy. My friend, Raina, and I had started the summer with this great plan of laying by the pool at her apartment complex every Sunday after church. The first two weeks, we were rained out. The third week was father's day. But today, well, it was going to be the day! Raina called and I drove out to her place...just imagining the bliss of the next two hours. We walked across the street, through the clubhouse, and into the....oh wait, the pool...it was a scummy green and had a "Closed for maintenance" sign gloomily hanging above it. We were doomed. A fourth Sunday with no pool.

Raina made a phone call and found a place for us to swim or...er....not swim. An apartment complex nearby. We arrived, staked out our spots, stripped down to our swimsuits, and settled into sun and good conversation. We had been discussing the state of men (which is another topic for another time) when we noticed a rather large, looming, gray cloud headed our direction.

"It's gonna blow over," I said. "Nothing is keeping us from our relaxing by the pool." A few minutes later, small drops of water began to land on us.

"It's just a little sprinkle," I said. "Nothing to worry about. The sun will be back in a minute."

Within a few seconds, people were scurrying to get underneath those tabletop umbrellas; away from the downpour. I merely rolled over on my stomach to keep it from pounding on my face.

"It's just a little sprinkle," Raina said in the same voice I had used. That's when the laughter began.

So there I was, roaring with laughter while lying on a towel by the pool; rain splattering on my back; the irony of the whole situation running through my brain. We decided that we didn't mind being the rain, but wanted our stuff to stay dry so we moved beneath an unoccupied umbrella. And then instead of returning to our towels...we did as the children were doing...we got IN the POOL! It was so fabulous! Swimming in a downpour! (the pool was actually warmer than the rain, too!)

I love rainy days. They make me feel refreshed, renewed; like starting something new. And today....it also made me feel like a kid...swimming in the rain. Raina and I could have run for the car....let the rain ruin the afternoon we had planned. But instead we embraced it and made it part of the fun!

I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain

the coolness of t-bones (the person, not the steak)

It's Wednesday night. Tanya is home early from house church and has settled on my bed with her computer. We just finished sniffing the rotten egg that her dad sent us in the mail (in his defense..it has scientific purposes as it has no shell) and have decided to blog. You may have notice that while I did give my blog a makeover, I have yet to actually post anything. As I contemplated aloud what to blog on Tanya remarked "Blog about how cool I am." So this, my faithful readers, is dedicated to the coolness of Tanya.

Top Ten reasons why Tanya is cool

1) I can call her T-bones
2) Her dad collects weird stuff like road kill and rotten eggs (ask her about it)
3) She likes to do dishes.
4) She is a total "P" on the Myers-Briggs, and we all need some p-ness in our lives.
5) She'll eat anything I cook...even the experimental flops.
6) She plays a mean trumpet. In fact, I think I saw it blow the wig off of the old woman in the front pew last week at church.
7) She likes to sleep on the couch on Friday and Saturday nights.
8) For every picture that Neil takes where I look stoned, there is a picture with her and some alcohol.
9) She has a rabbit and I have a turtle. Get it? The tortoise and the hare!! hehehe
10) She leaves all kinds of nice notes and is very encouraging!