being real

my dad directed me to the blog of this guy who's living in Uganda with his family working with the people there. while i only read a couple of his entries, i was refreshed by his incredibly witty, realistic, and brutally honest views. he says things that (in my opinion) are true but that most American Christians probably don't want to hear. i wouldn't take his views as biblical truth or anything, but i think he has some very valid points that everyone, especially American Christians should at least consider.

www.stonesinuganda.blogspot.com

that burqini is so hot right now...

So in approximately 12 days my family (minus Jon) is departing for Akumal, Mexico to spend a week lazing around in the sun, snorkeling, eating, and scaring geckos out of the beds. All of us are really looking forward to it, except...

My sister-in-law is white, and her Wonder Bread skin burns faster than you can say "ouch." So she went online and found this super sweet burqini.
While she's not Muslim, our family has agreed this is the best alternative for her. In attempting to maximize the appeal, she's decided that i should get one too, so we can match. i'm not too keen on the idea because that burqini is still WAY too immodest for me. i mean your hands, feet, and face are still showing! gosh put some clothes on! in any case, hopefully it'll prevent some sunburnage "inshallah." (Arabic & Turkish for "if God wills it")

Colorado, Chipotle, & Cavities

yesterday i went running for the first time in, oh...months. bleh i'm so out of shape. i cherish the memories of times past when i was regularly working out and in good shape. one of those times was that glorious summer in Colorado at STP, playing ultimate (translation: sprint after sprint) week after week in that slightly-higher-than-California altitude known as the Colorado Rockies.

speaking of Colorado...

that was the state in which i ate at and fell in love with Chipotle for the first time. it changed my life. i ate at Chipotle yesterday for the first time since Colorado. i scarfed down my fajita burrito with everything like a piggy and got food all over myself which i'm sure impressed my new friends with whom i ate. i think i had food all in my teeth too; i was a sight to behold.

and speaking of teeth...

on monday i had to get my first filling for a cavity EVER. i was devastated when i went to the dentist last week and was told i have my first cavities. 22 years of no cavities and there they were, between my teeth where i should floss more regularly. fortunately the filling is small because the cavities were small and between my teeth instead of right on them. the whole process has made me think a little about how easily our bodies fall apart and how fleeting vanity is. so many people are obsessed with fixing something that's already broken and that will only continue to deteriorate no matter what. i'm thankful that God has given us reminders even in our own bodies of how weak we are, so that we might see the grace and beauty of trusting in an eternal God.

Beer me those beans...

So i finally went to volunteer at CHF today. They have volunteer days on Wednesdays and Saturdays to pack food, bag product, etc., and even though i've been interning there for over a month now i hadn't been down to volunteer. Anyway it was a lot of fun. A very well-run volunteer program. So part of the time i was on the FoodPak assembly line next to these cute 10/11ish-year-old boys. One of them was putting cans of pinto beans in each box and the other one was responsible for making sure the cans were coming off the pallets efficiently. The one putting the cans in the boxes would yell "dude, i need more beans! bean me!" i realized later that i was incredibly amused by them yelling "bean me" because it subconsciously reminded me of that episode of The Office when Andy prefaces his sentences with "beer me" even though "it gets a laugh like a quarter of the time." hahaha. So funny. Hm i'm looking forward to the new season of that show.

Now that i'm working 5 days a week i understand why everyone (not students) value their weekends so much. And it's funny...i thought i'd be doing tons of cool stuff with my free time now that i don't have school, but all my free time activities have been very un-glamorous because all i feel like doing is sleeping, eating, reading, relaxing, or some other low-key activity.

Speaking of low-key activities...

i saw "Hairspray" last weekend. i think it's strange how movies can proclaim such a strong message of anti racism while being absolutely steeped in racial stereotypes. Granted the film is based off material that came from a less p.c. era, but still, this whole self-defeating thing isn't new or uncommon in mainstream movies. i guess i just think it must be weird for an actor/actress of color to be delivering lines about the evils of racism while their character dictates they be a sassy Black dancing sister...or something. Shrug. In any case, the movie was entertaining and the dancing was really good. And might i say i was pretty impressed with James Marsden. Who knew that Cyclops could sing and dance so well?

"Let me tell y'all what it's like
being male, middle class, and white..."

Cheryl news ticker...
i got a part-time job posting items to ebay for an antiques store; it should be a fun and quirky job and will provide a little much-needed income | i'm auditing Theology I at EBC and loving it. i'm in the process of going back to square one in a good way with God and the Bible, and i think the class (in addition to more time spent in the Word) will help me learn and re-learn some of the basics | "Bourne Ultimatum" is the best movie i've seen in a long time | i went to the beach and swam for the first time this summer (not counting Israel) in gross water, but it was still fun | i'm enjoying working for CHF so much and looking forward to finishing up the internship program project | i will (somewhat sheepishly) admit that i have now seen both High School Musical and HSM2 and (although i have NO idea why) really enjoyed both | i got to hear the testimony and story of a Holocaust survivor last night and now i want to read her book. (Pursued J. Vera Schlamm) | i need to work out or go jogging or something but it's so flippin' hot. not as hot as some places in Israel, but still over 100 and that's just too hot | i've been spending a lot of time with my sister and her family and that's been so fun | my nephew Micaiah is 7 but can kick my butt in nearly every game on the Wii.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3.16-17