True Ladies 1

In honor of the facebook group "The Society for the Revival of Ladylike Behaviour"
I think this particular lady should be considered, and added.

Mortenson: hero

I know I've talked a lot on here about being an mk. I've wondered, often, what the value of it is. Lately, I've been listening to Three Cups of Tea, the story of how Greg Mortenson began his career, building schools and relationships in Pakistan.
He's my new hero. I don't feel like going into too much detail, but in reading his book, occasionally when the narrator describes Greg's language ability, or his African sense of time (as opposed to American), among other things, I can't help but smile and think "mk skills" - or something to that effect. But, that being said, what really draws me to call him a hero is how he has built on who he began to be in Tanzania, as a kid. He's not just an mk. In fact, his name is mostly associated with things like "peace maker" and "schools" and "educating women," and the fact that he grew up in a country not his own seems to be only a curious side detail. I think that is beautiful: the way his upbringing has become a seamless part of his life, a building block , a background to everything else he is. It gives an important coloring to his life, but the color acts as a... a light, which shines over the person he has become, and affects the scene drastically, but without obliterating the actual picture. Does that make sense? I'm probably making it harder to explain than it actually is. :P Anyway, the point is, I would really like that for my life. I would like for my growing-up, though important to who I become, to be only a part of that person and her accomplishments.
For this reason, and for the fruits of his passion for people, for his amazing work, Greg Mortenson strikes me as worthy of the term "hero". He is what I think every missionary should be: loving people intensely, truly, in actions more than in words; bringing God's love and blessings tangibly into people's lives.
At any rate, I have blabbered on long enough. If you'd like to begin to get an idea yourself, have a look at the website about him and his work, or at his blog. =)
over 'n out.
E.O.

crafts & such

the cut-off gloves are now... COMPLETE! :D
They look much better as a pair than one by itself, hehe.
I'm definitely enjoying them though!
Next up: a scarf w/the remaining yarn. We'll see how long it gets.
over 'n out!
E.O.

ponderings

Questions:
1. how difficult was temptation for Jesus- really?
2. what does it mean to have the "mind of Christ" and how do we know/see it, practically?
3. what is God's opinion on masturbation?
4. what was my fourth question?
5. does anyone know anyone who goes caroling and would be willing to let me go along?
yeah, so... i had another good question, but i forget what it was. what a shame. good questions are so useful, sometimes. ah well, perhaps i'll re-stumble across the thought that raised it in the first place.

another thing to think about: the politics of gifts, presents, and the giving of said items.
Yes, God gave us Jesus, an immeasurable present, on Christmas. Yes, it is a time which society has set aside to remember to love one another in a Godly way. However, does that require us to give presents to one another? To as many people as society dictates? Ok, it's possible I raise the question merely because I suck at on-demand gift-giving, but truly, my motives aside, I think it's a valid question. Christ wasn't given to us on Christmas. This whole present thing has turned into something that is largely "political," if you will, a way to get into the good graces of others, or even just to fulfill their expectations. I am beginning to think that it may actually detract a great deal from the loving, family aspect of Christmas. Too many expectations and desires, too much greed and selfishness get in the way, and a family celebration of Christmas ends up being a get-together about opening gifts which were not necessarily given out of a heart full of love, but rather out of a somewhat empty pocket and in haste.
Also, on a different, but related train of thought, isn't the Easter holiday commensurately more important, since that's when the whole saving deal happened? I mean, really, in importance, Christmas should just be a build-up for Easter. So my question is, how important to the universally (across nominally Christian countries, anyway) acknowledged importance of Christmas is the fact that it has been positively blown up by all sorts of businesses? If Easter had more commercial applications, would it indeed be larger?
These, and many other ponderings are on my mind this Christmas Eve (for I suppose it is Christmas Eve, by this point).
However, please, feel free to set my cacophony of musings aside and simply enjoy your family and your loved ones, however you may choose to do so, in a spirit of love and compassion. I know I will (try to. hehe).
over 'n out.
E.O.

^ I always get mad at people who think in this way about things like going green, or politics, or Issues. But I guess I really can't say anything. :P

huzzah!

What a simply marvelous evening! Dad came home, he brought turron and Lebkuchen, I watched a splendiferamazinglywonderful movie, AND my GPA is, momentarily, until the rest of the grades come in, above a 3.5!!! :D After a year and a half's hard work to get it up there!!
As for the movie, you should definitely go find Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day, either online or in your local library (books, people, books. they still exist, you know, and they work quite well. There's even an entire sub-population in the world dedicated to preserving them and making sure they are kept nice and clean. These people are called conservators. Just FYI).
Also, I made a discovery today, which feels as if I may have made it before, so forgive me if I repeat myself, but this website, is quite fascinating. The linguist in me is titillated by the prospect of so much collected knowledge about languages and their writing systems.
anyway, enjoy! Or not, as your tastes may be.
gladness.
E.O.

status update

so I... just got called dysfunctional because I am "sadly afraid of becoming my mother"... and what's more, that was supposedly a positive thing, allowing the person who said it to relate to me better, and thus be able to be better friends. in the same conversation I was told that I should not let my bangs grow out, and that it was a bad idea for me to not wear glasses- by both of which comments she meant that a) i look better with bangs and b) i look better with glasses than without.
however.
i feel the need to record this as an example of the difference between two of my particular sets of friends.
sigh.
good night, world.


in other news, i've almost given myself carpal tunnel from knitting for hours on end. for someone who hasn't knitted in a year, and never knitted seriously, that was... strenuous and slightly on the foolish side. :P but i'm well into my second glove!

the kittens' mittens

so, in an effort to not be all gloom-and-doom, i shall tell you about my past two days.
i am home. or rather, what counts as home while being in the states. we've lived here for two, going on three years now, so i guess it's "home". anyway, point is, i'm here now, with the cousins and the comfy couch and the tv and the car. i've been out shopping, buying exciting things for christmas, and a project so that i don't go bored out of my mind. =)
how i ever developed this ability to be bored so easily, i'll never know. even living in europe hasn't been able to cure me of it. so, you may call me an old lady, but i have determined to knit a pair of cut-off mittens. yep. and, just so you know, knitting in the round is nothing to sneeze at! you have to have four needles going at all times, and woe unto you if you drop a stitch! :P it's more fun than i'd have expected, and requires a great deal of concentration. anyway, i'm pretty sure i've got the hang of all the basic stitches now, so all i have to do is put 'em all together. (easier said than done? i hope not.)
we'll see how this first attempt turns out. wish me luck! :)
over 'n out.
E.O.

P.S.: I FINISHED THE FIRST GLOVE!!! :D It's lovely, if a bit small. It's keeping my hand nice and cozy right this very moment. =) I've decided that this will be a "practice" glove, as I have plenty of yarn for two more. Then I can make those two bigger, and have them fit properly instead of looking like they were meant for my 6-year-old cousin rather than me. :P Also, I'm taking a break from knitting- my index fingers are sore, and my right pinky was cramping up from trying to hold the miniscule thread. Hehe. This was a good project idea. =)

finals: what you can easily guess, but i'll tell you anyway

I want nothing more right now than to go downstairs and watch a movie.
Instead I have to
a) finish making diagrams for my paper
b) finish writing said paper
c) study for my final tomorrow at 8:30 AM,(which is also when the paper's due)
after which the horror of finals week will be officially over, and I can relax. For the next three weeks. And then a week of pure beauty and travel. And then another week or so, and then...
back onto the hamster-wheel, for another semester of college.

If I'm honest, I really love it. I love college, I love the knowledge that we get to put into our brains, and how the air is chock-full of possibilities. I find this little bubble-world beautiful.
But I really, really don't like how hard & fast finals week makes me work.
=(

it's a secret...

... so unless you read my blog, you'll never know, but...
I've been actually dreaming about cameras. I've been dreaming, concretely, about getting to take pictures with one that was almost like my old one... only slightly better.... This is getting ridiculous! :S

So my conclusion is that, in order to preserve my sanity, i'm gonna buy a camera in the after-christmas sales, if my family doesn't give me one for christmas.
cameras. psh. you'd think i would use my dreams for something more important - or rather, I guess I didn't realize just how important having a camera IS to me. scary.
over 'n out.


*note to self: don't make a douglas. don't be that cruel.

Cantare

I think sometimes that I could sing 'til the world ended. It has a different quality from photography- I like for people to tell me it's pretty, but it's not important that other people hear me. I sing because it makes my soul glad. Does that make sense? I wish I were good at improv lyrics, 'cause then all I'd ever do is sing, sing my life, my heart. So i guess I'll just have to learn all the songs in the world, so that I'll have one for every situation... =)Surely, someone somewhere in the world has thought what I'm thinking and felt what I feel before, for every moment. So, I just have to find those songs.
hehe.
Tonight's song:

the hymn "In Christ Alone"

I am redeemed. And forgiven. And loved. As are you.
PTL!

can you hear between the lines?

I don't want you to die, says the Sovreign Lord. Turn back and live!
Ezekiel 18:32.

This right after God just finished telling Israel that they were **** SINful, and they would be SEVERELY PUNISHED as in DEATH AND DESTRUCTION if they didn't shape up.
I'm so glad that he tacked that on at the end. It makes God sound more like a person who wants your best but has been through the same thing with you, the same fault so many times that they're incredibly frustrated and don't know what else to say to you. But the love is there. It's ultimately, hugely, vitally importantly there.

that's all for now.
hopefully my thoughts will get going again soon, as they seem to be pretty er... dry lately. not too many musings.
sigh.
over 'n out.
E.O.