Wars & Rumors of Wars

I've heard through the grapevine, that certain people are spreading rumors that I cannot be trusted to match my own clothes...

For those of you who doubted, I would like to present a simple piece of evidence that proves, beyond any shadow of doubt, that, no matter what level of fashion sense SOME (cough cough cough) believe me to have...erm, rather...lack, I have certainly, unquestionably, markedly, dramatically improved.

Voila!


HAHAHA "We're out in public and our clothes don't match, we're out in public and our clothes don't match!!"...

And my favorite:

Ian, my "heart brother," you were a wonderful monarch. I was The Queen, as it should be...and Amy...well, Amy...we all know you were a passable Public Relations Consultant. (For my Immanuel friends who are utterly confused, these past 3 were a trip down memory lane, specifically the Argentina block. I lived with Don & Gail Donell, ARBCA church planters in Carlos Paz, for 5 months, along with their then-6 years-old son, Ian (the love of my life), and Amy, my chum since *horrors!* 6th grade!)

*grin*

I've been debating this on & off... how do I say this? In cyberspace, no less? It's so much more involved...than a few trite words... but so amazingly uncomplicated that I feel silly making too much a deal about it... But how can I not share my joy!? SO...I think I'll borrow from my good buddy Ashley Elizabeth, substituting certain key words, of course... ;D

A lot has happend since I last wrote, one being that I'm dating now. Yes, me, the perpetually single girl, is dating someone. Actually not just "someone." His name is Ryan, and I think he's great. :)

...Yep... that about sums it up! ;D

--Edit:--
Pictures as ordered:


He swears he really is happy to be standing next to me, lol. ;D ...How I love the awkwardness of these first few days!! (Val, has my % gone up any, you reckon?)

Covenants

Hey Ash--
I went back & re-visited this post a few times recently (and sent certain other individuals the link... ;D), and I had another thought I thought I'd like to throw out there for group chewing-upon (ok, that sounded gross, and I just got an image of a bunch of dogs scrounging around one bone...but you know what I mean). My thought runs along these lines: covenant.
I've been reading through the OT recently, and have been learning a TON about Jewish culture through a variety of means, and "covenant" just seems everywhere. A binding agreement, a promise between 2 or more parties, regulating not so much results, as the behavior of those parties, especailly towards one another.
For a people formed by covenants (God's with us through Jesus), we Christians today don't think much of them. The only one most people experience these days is the marriage vows. When we join a church, we should covenant, too-- at Immanuel (and other churches) we read a "church covenant" every time a new member joins or men are ordained. It's a beautiful reminder of what our responsibilities to each other are-- what glorifies God in our relating to each other.
We enter into a covenant with other Christians through our covenant with Christ, though we don't often remember it, or act like it. But it's there-- we HAVE to act certain ways towards each other, right? But I wonder if it wouldn't be a good thing to make more intentional covenants with friends, or family members sometimes...though that'd be real strange in our culture.
Ok...so back to dating...what do you think about covenants then? I was reading one guy's view, that we should only go straight from aquaintances to engaged to marriage, and while I do NOT espouse that theory as wise, the covenantal aspect of it appeals to me. I asked my dad about this, and he pointed out that for a good many Christian couples, their dating IS covanental, often involving implied (sometimes stated) expectations for behavior, between guy, girl, and girl's parents (especially dad). Would it be a good thing, in your opinion, for dating couples to covenant with each other and any involved parents, regarding their motives, and actions, before God -- regardless of how the dating relationship "ends"? (marriage or parting of the ways) That sounds really strange, I know. But Jesus never promised to make His disciples "normal," lol. What are your thoughts?

Dancin' Comin' Up!!

Ok, friends... we need a little dance action in the Louisville Scene. SO, I present:

1) Louisville Country Dancers' contra dance. 8 p.m. Monday. Church of the Advent, 901 Baxter Ave. Community dancing; no partner required. Instruction available. Admission: $6. Information: 418-0558 or lcd@louisvillecontradancers.org.

2) Swing Dancing. THIS Friday, July 14th, at Arthur Murray Studio (on Breckinridge, across & a little down the street from Grader's). It's from 8:15-12, and refreshments & instruction are included in the $5 admission. I know most of y'all will be tied up at VBS until 9:30 at least, but we can still catch the tail end of things! If you can't make it this weekend, August 12th is the same thing!

On the 22nd, there's going to be dancing on the Belle of Louisville, if you've had any experience (or just get really into it on Friday). That's $15, but it will probably be worth it!! Again, it comes back in August, on the 17th.

Guys, this post is for YOU!! (and girls too, but y'all are far more likely to come out...don't know why. You'd think guys'd know that it'd be good for their standing, not to mention fun!) =D

----Edit:
This isn't about dancing, per se, but about another fun group outing Ashlea & I propose: Louisville Bats vs. Toledo Mud Hens
Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, KY, on Saturday July 28th, at 6:15.

Life. Like a river, Like a journey.

What I love most about rivers is:
You can't step in the same river twice
The water's always changing, always flowing
But people, I guess, can't live like that
We all must pay a price
To be safe, we lose our chance of ever knowing
What's around the riverbend
Waiting just around the riverbend

I look once more
Just around the riverbend
Beyond the shore
Where the gulls fly free
Don't know what for
What I dream the day might send
Jut around the riverbend
For me
Coming for me [Disney's Pocahontas]

God is showering me with Good Things. Wow. I have WAY more to say on that subject. Suffice for now that my Dad's words to me are ringing true: "Life has so many curves and corners that you can't see and don't expect. [so, don't try! Trust God and enjoy the ride!] And nothing is ever a waste." As Pastor Jamie put it, "Run to Jesus, and see where He takes you." Ashlea reminded me of a verse of JRR Tolkien's that seemed to fit my experience right now:

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither, then? I cannot say.

The past few days have been a bursting blaze of joy, pouring in from everywhere-- like when the sun finally breaks over the rim of the mountains at sunrise, and suddenly there's color everywhere! There have been letters from friends "back home," full of encouragement and genuine kindness, there's been the kindness of until-now-strangers, there's been the care package from my parents with a new shirt in it!, there's been moist, fluffy bread that I can eat (yesterday I was joking that I KNOW Jesus loves me when Sina Shuey bakes me gluten-free bread), there's the new job, there's the deepening friendships here in Louisville, there's the encouraging conversations with my family from back home, and more!... And that's just from outside my heart! The biggest sources of joy come from seeing the grace of God at work in ME! Me, who is so stuck on myself, who feels so broken and paralyzed by fears and hurts so often...being a blessing to others? learning to love others without fear? serving in a community of saints without guilt, fear, or pressure, only joy!? Is this what I saw in Amy's face when she told me of the joy of walking in the Will of God? Is this the joy of the Bride when finally she sees her Bridegroom? Is this the joy I remember, from other days when I have been content to rest, my hand trustfully in my Guide's, excited to see what's around the next bend, but content to hold his hand and wait until He takes me there, because HE'S WITH me?

Yes! Yes, this is a season of joy in following God, and while I love it, and am thankful for it, I know my heart is often far more prone to wander when I seem in Eden, then when I am plainly in the Desert of Zin. When I only have Him, it's a lot harder to stray! And there is sweetness in the cloudy times that sometimes is lost when all is clear. The Deceiver plots against the believer in every state and season. The blazing dazzle of blessed circumstances can so easily be mistaken for joy in the journey itself-- worship of the gifts instead of the worship of the Giver! Val [Powell] warned me last night to fight, fight against that! It's so easy to deceive ourselves, thinking that we're rejoicing in the love of Jesus, when really, we're just happy things are going our way.

My temptation this season of joy is to neglet the cultivation of a thankful heart, and patience. I want to run headlong, to see some of these circumstancial joys more fulfilled, instead of savoring EACH step of the path ordained for me. Some joys before me are only promised "soon." I can SEE them, but I must be content for now to WAIT on them, and to wait in patience. As I wrote someone earlier today, "I tend to get fretful and feverish, trying to “do, do do!” and “think, think think!” trying to figure out the BEST way...trying to work off my guilt, trying to SEE what faith looks like...which can real quick end up becoming a contradiction...basically, patience is a virtue I only ever display and enjoy after hard struggle. And lots of grace. "

My mom was so wise to share this with me, from Spurgeon's Morning & Evening,

"Lead me in Your truth & teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day." (Psalm 25:5)
When trembling believers begin to walk in the Way of the Lord, they ask to be led like children upheld by their parents' hands, and they crave to be further instructed in the alphabet of truth. [...]
"On You I wait all the day." Patience is the daughter of faith. We cheerfully wait when we are certain we will not wait in vain. It is our duty and our privilege to wait on the Lord in service, in trust, in worship, and in expectancy all the days of our life. Then our faith will be tested and true, a faith that will bear continuous trials.
We will not grow weary of waiting on God when we remember how long and how graciously He once waited for us.” --July 8th, Evening "A Teaching Faith" (emphasis my own)

This morning, what a sweet sense of rest & peace-- of realizing deep within that I most certainly do NOT wait in vain. And so I may wait patiently, calmly-- even joyfully. The savoring of every step of the journey is far more full of joy than a headlong rush to the finish-line.

"Pursuing it with eager feet, [...]
And whither, then? I cannot say..."

But I aim to love this bit of the road, this river, right now!

Still trying to learn to "possess my soul in patience,"

--Christina

YES!!

Hey-- I got a job! =D I go in on Tuesday to sign the paperwork, then start training Wednesday! The Grand Opening of The Patio (my new place of employment) is Thursday (we hope), and yes, Ryan, I'll ask about whether they want to buy your refrigeration equipment... .

Anyway, VBS starts tomorrow, and that's more on my mind than starting a job. I'm very thankful for this job, though! That means I DON'T have to leave here early. Whether I'll go down to Greenville for the Christa-Serge wedding/see everybody on July 28th is still uncertain. I want to see all youse guys down there! BUT...there are so many variables. Please pray that I have wisdom regarding that.

[It's also nice having the Davenport family here, giving me the inside scoop on my roommate. You know you're about to hear something juicy when they start out "hey...has Ashlea told you about the time...?" When they're not telling me all this stuff Ashlea needs to demonstrate for me, it's some hilarious story about her. Wow. They just made her do her "Keanu-dogding-bullets-imitation." And yes, she actually bends over backwards!!! Dang. That was almost manly. In a very womanly sort of way...]

OK, I'm rambling. Need. Sleep...

Lynn's Paradise Café

Check one activity off my list! =D Ashlea's parents treated us to breakfast at Lynn's Paradise Café, one of the only restaurants I've ever experienced that requires reservations for breakfast! "One of the four most fun restaurants in America," according to Esquire (June 2002) It really was fun, and good stuff. Gotta love the violently bright zinnias outside! And the "ugliest lamp" contest going on inside. We got there at the right time (8:30 Sat am): after us it was some serious line-age! Oh, I remembered half-way through the meal that I left the stove on under some rice! Ashlea's dad graciously took me back, and God was good-- I'd not put the pan exactly back over the flame, and had just added water-- and Tyler & Ashlea equally graciously did not tease me about it. I was quite embarassed, though, not so much for the rice, but for the fact that it was somewhat déja-vu. See, I'd left my cell-phone at Sonic's the night before, the camera in the restaurant (for only a few seconds, but still, it didn't help my record) and the keys into the apartment in the van when we got back...I blame the fact that I was using my messanger bag for the cell-phone (it doesn't close, so it slipped out "inaperçu"). The Davenports must think I'm COMPLETELY spacey But...maybe my mind was a little ...oh, ....elsewhere... ;D

On Pirates 2

Friday night, Ashlea, her brother Tyler, and her parents and I went to Tinseltown (yes, like in Monroe, where I always go with my grandparents! =D), after goin' to Sonic's. I love their raspberry slushies!!! Sorry, I digress. Ashlea dressed up, and several people at Sonic's just came up to us and began conversation "Oh, I saw that movie last night..." We thought about responding "what movie?" Just to see their expressions. =D

I spent the entire movie so busy trying to follow the plot that I had no idea what in the world was going on! I was quite disappointed by the end. It seemed completely disjointed...no perceived themes...and it seemingly undid everything the first one so dashingly did! All the good guys are...maybe not good anymore? And the bad guys are...undead? Nothing more than a shameless setup for the third in a trilogy-- like the overabundance of wheel scenes--with a few good lines thrown in here and there. I knew it would't be as good as the 1st one- how could it be? But...at least I liked the recurrance of the "use-real-sea-chanties-as-part-of-plot." And Mr. Gibbs.

And then, I went again last night. After a full day of babysitting, VBS-canvassing, Bible-club in the park, and painting (fun! =D), I wondered if I was crazy to go to see it again, at 9:30, but there were other people that wanted to go, so why not? Doug, Warren, Tyler (seeing it for the 3rd night in a row, poor guy), Ashlea, Val, and I had planned to go to the Steak & Shake beforehand, and to use our student IDs to get GOOD movie tix prices! Anyway, apparantly Doug & Warren know all the sales occuring all over the county, at all times, for all categories of items! They somehow knew about this 24-hr sale at Kroger, including ice cream. SO-- this lead to our greatest idea ever! They got Taco Bell, then each of us forked over a buck, and for $6, we got (get ready) FOUR CARTONS OF BREYERS ICE CREAM! [all-natural and NO fillers!] Including a LACTOSE-FREE ONE!! But I'm not finished! We wanted to enjoy our icecream, but the movie was lining up and sold out. AND, though Warren was prepared with a cooler, it only could fit 3 of the cartons! We looked like we were doomed to brain-freezes, and severe drippage, when Warren bravely spoke up-- "I have a man-bag." [Doug, *cough*purse*cough* Warren, decidedly ignoring that jab]. Gleaming eyes ensued "do we dare?"

Yes, we did it. Two cartons of ice-cream, each carrying his or her own bowl & spoon. [I think they're lax on their allowance of non-sanctioned food in there, anyway.] Oh yes, I will treasure memories from that evening forever. And the story is GREAT!


The movie is MUCH better the second time around. When you know what's coming, it frees you up to pick up on the continuity that actually IS there, and the themes that ARE there. Ok...I've got to get to bed...I'll finish this post later.

In Keeping With the Pirate Theme

Some of the fiercest scalywags you ever did see. Arrrrg!

[we later had a duel to the death. I lost, despite my cool somersault sword-swinging attack. I fought bravely despite getting my arm and one leg cut off by my worthy opponent. I got his arm and leg, too. The funniest part was when John made sure I was "dead" by staking me to the ground with his sword. I came back to haunt him as a tickling ghost, much to his dismay.]

Pirates!!

It comes out at midnight tonight!! If you are uncool, emotionless, and/or clueless enough to have NO IDEA what I'm talking about, ...I suppose I should love you anyway.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2 !!

And no, we aren't going... Ashlea's parents and bro are coming into town for the weekend tomorrow, and so we're waiting for them. This will NOT be missed for long, though!

If you're interested in going to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean tomorrow night (and aren't embarassed to accompany costume-wearers...no not me, I'm not that cool... the person in question is currently belting out "Would You Change?" while in a backbend, toes tapping all the while...lol), email or call! Let's GO!

Manliness

Sorry, my faithful readers-- another philosophical post...but hey! it's a much-debated topic, and I want to get some feedback! I've already noted the obesession of my Kentucky-friends with "manliness." I even asked Sina about it, and she laughed and said "it's the seminary thing."

In a teasing back-and-forth with a Kentuckian,
it was brought to my attention that manliness is a VERB, not an adjective. So the question in question (hehehe that was clever) would be "How does one do manliness?" That sort of set me back a little, girls-- I mean, sure, we all have our ideas, and we are convinced, deep down, that it surely isn't all about sweating and burping...but how exactly is it succinctly expressed? Though I'd guess most of us could recognize it when/if we saw it, I sort of wonder... how does one "do" manliness?

I had the chorus of the song "The Measure of a Man" stuck in my head, but didn't find it very helpful. Sure "what's in the heart defines," but what, in a heart, would define it as "good"? I decided to go to the professionals for help, and this is what I came up with:

From John Piper in Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, comes this summary of "manliness:"

“at the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man’s differing relationships.”

And the corresponding definition of "womanliness:"
“at the heart of mature feminity is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman’s differing relationships.” [Chapter 1]

And of course, I had to consult C.S. Lewis...in his mind, the medieval knight was the ideal man, because his character combines fierceness and gentleness:

“The important thing about this ideal is, of course, the double demand it makes on human nature. The knight is a man of blood and iron, a man familiar with the sight of smashed faces and the ragged stumps of lopped-off limbs; he is also a demure, almost a maidenlike, guest in hall, a gentle, modest, unobtrusive man. He is not a compromise or happy mean between ferocity and meekness; he is fierce to the nth and meek to the nth. […]The medieval ideal brought together two things which have no natural tendency to gravitate towards one another. It brought them together for that very reason. It taught humility and forbearance to the great warrior because everyone knew by experience how much he usually needed that lesson. It demanded valour of the urbane and modest man because everyone knew that he was as likely as not to be a milksop.”
~C.S. Lewis, Present Concerns, "The Necessity of Chivalry" Time and Tide, Aug. 1940

What do y'all have to offer?

Blue Acrylic Under My Nails...

Paint, that is. And I can't get it out! Actually, my entire arms are all covered in spots of various shades, from working on the murals for VBS. I was quite happy with the end result, though I'm not finished-- one more "tile" to go! After yet another job interview, I headed over to the church to help Sina & some of the other ladies with the artistic preparations for the event. I spent the afternoon there (*I* didn't have small children to put to nap), with my CD player-- two sermons, some Israeli music, and a new book on CD, A Gathering of Days. It's good! I was like "now THIS is why to not have a job: so I can paint for VBS, just me & Words, praying over the murals, all day, for as long as I want." Sina and I also decided that it's therapeutic to create, when both of us are feeling the overwhelmed-discouraged combo of having very LITTLE control, or even ability to foresee. You can control paintbrushes!! ;D

We're short on artisanry and craftsmanship these days, have you noticed? Ever since industrialization, it's become more about convenience and efficiency. Hmm-- I just thought of this, but to harken back to my previous post, we've become more interested in the destination (and fast!), and have forgotten about the journey. I've also realized that the way I read is way too much like the way I eat: I inhale it, rather than savoring it. Rather than noticing the craft of it... [those of you from IBC, think the spices and curries of the nations, from last Sunday's sermon]

The past couple weeks have had me re-digesting the Harry Potter series. Anna read some to me, I read some before I left, and now I'm HUGELY enjoying listening to The Goblet of Fire (#4) on CD. But beyond that, I've been researching the books on a more scholarly level. There's way more to those stories than little me, with my eye on "how will it turn out?" had noticed...and along the way, I'm realizing how much more depth there is to OTHER books I've enjoyed, too, like Pride & Prejudice (which I'm reading now) and CS Lewis' Space Trilogy (which I read last term).... It’s so cool to see the...there's no other word for it: craft... JK Rowling uses. I mean these books are so much more complex than I ever thought before. I want to learn what makes good stories so good; like, why CS Lewis was so compelling— why when you read him, you know he’s right. I want to learn to do that. Maybe someday I can write books that people can relate to...that help them realize that it’s Jesus they’re relating to. (I think these Harry Potter books will do that in the end, whether people realize it or not. They certainly are NOT Satanic, that’s for sure.)

On the topic of entertainment, which art is, here is some stuff I found very helpful, an excerpt from my friend's blog-- a pastor up in Philadelphia named Matt Foreman--hey! I marked this to post about a while ago, and re-reading it, I see that it has the "journey" motif I've been chewing on the past few days. Ashley-- what you think?

"...Our culture is so addicted to entertainment as escapism that it can be easy to assume automatically that entertainment is a bad thing. Edgar writes to redeem entertainment as a primary way of celebrating our creation in the image of God.

He notes that the word “Entertainment” comes from a French word meaning ‘to converse.’ Edgar writes, “To be entertained is to be maintain a conversation. With what? Negatively, it is mere babble or chatter. But in the biblical sense, it is a conversation . . . with eternity. Amazingly, while you are a sojourner here on earth, you may still keep a conversation going with heaven. C.S. Lewis reminds us of the hard journey of the Christian life. Like the man on horseback, we struggle along the rocky path. But then we come across an inn, and can take some rest. The inn reminds us that the journey is not the whole point, but the destination is. God has given us many inns along the way to our destination as so many reminders of His large purposes of grace. The duty of a good innkeeper is to entertain—to provide a warm bed, a good meal, and some music. Entertainment need not be simply comfort and rest. It may be instructive as well. The inns should be well stocked with educational resources, like books . . . Books and music carry a beauty, but are only images of the thing itself, which is glory. Real entertainment, then, is a profound reflection of the presence of God . . .”

A necessary and encouraging and liberating reminder. Perhaps the gift of hospitality is really an ability to provide entertainment that provides refreshment because it brings us into the presence of God."
--"Entertainment Can Be Godly" (June 16, 2006)

Any thoughts?
--Christina in Kentucky

Things I've Done So Far...Things I've Yet to Do!

[wow! That last thunderclap was so close that it woke Ashlea up (and that's saying something), and it set off a nearby car alarm! I'm glad I don't have a baby...he'd be screaming right about now...]



My time in Louisville hasn't been all handing in applications, not by a long shot! Here are some pictures of two Saturdays ago: "As You Like It" in Central Park (for free!!)


Some Immanuel-ers, down the row from me. That's Lynn turning her head-- she & Laura lead the Bible Club on Saturdays-- with Christen beside her and Doug behind her.




Making the face is Dave Devasto (just moved, waaah!), next to him are Rob (Ryan S.'s roommate), and Katie (I love her red hair).







The set.









My roomie (Ashlea) and I. I was going for the Furman-purple look.

Last Friday, Sina & I took the kids to the Waterpark on the Riverfront-- it's a bunch of imbedded fountains for the kids to run through, right next to several playground sets. It's free!! (yay!) and oh-so-appealing on a hot day. Sina finally admitted she wished she'd brought her suit, lol. I certainly enjoyed myself. However, the place was clearly designed by engineers who have never gone barefoot in the summer (I'll resist gender sterotyping). The playground ground was a nice springy-soft rubbery compound-- excellent-- but it was painted a bright blue, which, in the Kentucky summer sun becomes blisteringly hot! On more than one occasion, small children (strangers to me!) held out their arms to me, crying in pain "It's hot!" The play equipment was white wood, so it wasn't so bad...but the ground...ouch. Poor little Jens (that's Sina's youngest, 2 yrs. old and CUTE). It took one second for me to snatch her up after she came down the slide, and that was enough for her to start screaming "Hot! Mommy! Hot!" It was very sad. But beyond that, we had a grand ol' time, and splashed our way right through one afternoon.

Most of what I've done involves getting to know the best part of Louisville: its people. Especially the youngish people, about my own age, of Immanuel Baptist Church. I did go to a Bible study with my North Oldham buddies (those of you from GBC know most of them), on Tuesday nights, on "the Roots of Endurance." I'm excited about that!

Saturday I participated in "Immanuel Labor," which was very manly and sweaty-- hauling rubble and throwing heavy stuff around in the sun. My appearance, though, I'm sure was far from "studly." The Bible Club in the park on Saturdays, and the Read with Us on Thursdays have all been very well attended, but not with ness. the same kids consistantly. I'm starting to get to know some of the kids by name-- there's a Somali family whose little boys are trying to teach me some Somali! Middle-eastern languages just sound COOL. Of course, Ryan & Rob, who live right by the park, are way ahead of us in that area. Sunday we had a potluck after church, which was fun. Ashlea and I even tried our hand at frisbee afterwards (apparantly it's common practice for guys to meet up at the seminary green on Sundays around 4). I wasn't as bad as I expected, not having played since we had French exchange students in our home back when I was 11, who taught me how to catch and throw just about everything... but it still wasn't exactly ...impressive. What WAS impressive, however, was how allergic I am to Kentucky grass!! Yikes! As the Immanuel guys would say, it's been a "studly" weekend for me. ...if by 'studly' you mean salty.

David, Chris & Val-- you should be proud of me! I played Settlers of Catan Sunday night, the lone female against the males, and didn't completely lose!! (what does that tell you about my record?) The other girls were all too intimidated, I guess, hehehe. And yesterday, my friend K-ru (Katherine, to be proper) came to visit from Lexington!! A little bit of Furman's RUF right here in Loo-vuhl! =D

Ashlea and I are pumped about this weekend's outcoming movie (Pirates of the Caribbean 2!!)-- her fam's coming down for the event, and we're going to see it Friday night! I'm also trying to figure out cool (cheap!) "must sees" of Louisville for while I'm here. On my list are (Shakespeare in Central Park & the waterpark having been checked off...that will likely be re-visited):
-- fireworks off the bridge/Riverfront concert
-- progressive dinner through our apartment building, to get to know the neighbors
-- Mammoth National Cave
-- hiking
-- Baseball Game
-- Louisville Slugger Museum
-- Louisville Zoo (hehe...hoping someone will have a guest pass and let me take their kids or something...)
-- Louisville Science Center (see above)
-- Swing or Contra Dancing!!!!
-- Frazier Historical Arms Museum
-- Lynn's Paradise Café (for breakfast-- Ashlea raves about it)
-- something involving horses!! this is KENTUCKY, come on!

Any of y'all Kentucky-ers who read this and have other ideas/want to jump on board, e-mail me or call me and let's GO!!
All right, I don't dare plug this is for fear of surge in this storm, and it's about to die, so here's

Christina in Kentucky, saying "TATA!" =D

Perseverance and Providence

For all of you who are wondering what I've been doing since my last post (since I obviously haven't been blogging compulsively, lol), it's pretty simple, really.

I've been trying to strike that balance between perseverance, and trusting providence. Responsibility v. Entrusting. My sphere, or God's sphere... In other words, I've been hittin' the pavement lookin' for a job. =D (that's my trademark e-smile, for those of you who were wondering what in the world equaled a 'd'!)

Two days the past week were spent walking up and down Bardstown Rd., my favorite street in Louisville, applying at pretty much any place I saw. The list includes but is not limited to Arby's, Speedway, Heine Brothers Coffee (@ two locations!), Taco Bell/Pizza Hut, Café Mimosa (a Vietnamese restaurant), Café Raymsi, and Ditto's (that restaurant I loved so much when we ate at it in March), and that's just on Bardstown! It was actually pretty fun-- a nice walk in the summer sun (think natural tan) which wasn't too hot...seeing lots of cool shops, making mental notes of places to visit... and satisfyingly exausting. This past week was a new level of bike-empowered exploration. I've gotten a lot bolder and possibly stronger, and am going a lot further on my bike than before. I actually get there in about the same amount of time as in a car, for the most part, due to the abundance of one-ways, red-lights, and weird traffic patterns in Louisville. I'm not impressed with Louisville highway driving especially!! (don't worry-- I don't ride on the highways on my bike!). And there's something appealing about getting out a paper map, figuring out where you are and where you want to go, charting a course, hopping on a bike and getting there, all in your own sweet time, by your own exertion, in your own route. I like adventure, what can I say? ;D

But back to perseverance...I don't want to be lazy about getting a job. It's real appealing to come up with excuses and sit around all summer. I've got a lot of books to read, you know? But it's also a natural tendancy for me to exaust myself straining to get "the RIGHT" job, ASAP, to make sure I'm "being productive." And I can't do that, either. A couple of times, I've wondered if the job I finally find here in Louisville will end up being one that I totally wasn't looking for, and that all my pavement-pounding, mild frustration and confusion with "the systems," and cramped-arm-from-application-writing will have been completely absolutely a waste of time. I wonder if it requires MORE faith to just sit back and wait. I somehow don't think that's exactly it (woah that thunder was CLOSE!). I know it's like everything else: a balance. And that the journey is just as important as the destination. While I hope one of the earlier destinations is indeed some form of a job, ultimately my destination is "to attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature womanhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..." (Eph. 4:13), and more ultimately, my destination is Heaven. This walk is meant to make me fit for it. I guess my literal walking is a formative part of that "Walk" for sure. I know I will be FAR more sympathetic to the down-and-outs without work, that I before privatly thought of as lazy (because ANYONE can get a job, you know). And in the meantime, I'm trying to learn what it means to "posess my soul in patience." (Luke 21:19)

Small Group, Large Group

I went to my first Small Group at Immanuel Baptist church last night. One of the guys here, David Devasto, gave me a ride to the group that meets at the Marshalls' house, over the river in Indiana. (I'd gotten to talk a good bit with David, because he's a fellow music nerd!! Actually, he's a way more ACCOMPLISHED music nerd than I am. He just got his master's in composition from U of Louisville, and is a very good jazz and classical pianist. He left today for Iowa, where he'll be workin' on a Phd!) The Shueys, the Moodys, a SBTS student named Jennifer, and another family all are in that group, though not everyone was represented last night. It turns out Mrs. Marshall is a musician, too (which I knew but had forgotten), and I recognized a lot of her textbooks as the same ones we have! [Trin-- she actually used the same blue Form book we did!] Sunday was a rough day emotionally for me, but of course since it was David's last Sunday, and I was riding with him, we were there LONG after everyone else left, and the kids were in bed, lol. But I'm glad-- we had great conversation! I like the way they do small groups, though I was a little skeptical at first. Once you're in a small group, you stay in it, unless you move or the group gets too big, in which case you split. I thought that was a little narrow, but the people seem to really love each other! I guess you would get to know people that way!

Saturday night, Ashlea and I had a BIG group over to our not-so-big apartment! It was great! "As You Like It" (a Shakespearian comedy) was/is playing in Central Park, just up the block from us, for free, and a BUNCH of us went to it. It was good (though one actor, a very talented one at that, clearly had his mind in, ahem, the gutter), though it went a bit late ('til 11!), and after that, I was so tired I half-hoped no one came over, despite the big batch of chocolate-chip cookies & two loaves of bread I'd baked, all the cleaning we'd done, and the chips, salsa & tea Ashlea's gotten ready! But, oh, they came over all right. Rob played my guitar (he's a promising songwriter and singer, I will admit) and duly admired it. Warren kept reminding me of another SBTS student, John Patrick, and Doug kept asking me whether or not I could eat various food items. I talked a little more to Christen, Lisa, and Allison, and tried very hard to remember all the names of people I didn't know yet. I didn't do too well with remembering, though, because the next day Sina was asking me who all came, and I was at a loss for all the names. I know we had about 20 people, though, judging from the cups that were used! It was happy to have everyone here, to listen to people laughing and talking, eating and drinking. One thing about the members of IBC I've loved is that they seem to love one another very well. And that is SO sweet to see, to be a part of.

They're also obsessed with Canada. Saturday night Ryan kept insisting I was from Québec. heeheh, but then I turned the tables and started talking about how I moved from there when I was 7, and he got really confused and thought maybe I really WAS from Québec. [David, who was also a part of that conversation, kept talking about armpit pillows, at which time I stopped speaking to him.] lol Pastor Ryan Fullerton is Canadian (so, obviously, is his brother Nathan, who leads worship...and their wives are too). So is another elder, Pastor Chris Shipley & his family, and those of you who know Chris Powell would really laugh if you met THIS Canadian Chris. They are quite alike. And I think there are other Canuks in the mix. I can't seem to escape them. *sigh* Everyone has their crosses to bear... *wink wink*

If anyone has pictures from the Gathering Sat., I'd love to have them! I didn't take any once we got back to our apartment-- I was too busy making sure all the food was ok, and the cups were filled.

I still don't feel real comfortable going around milling about after church services yet, but I am feeling quite at ease in less formal group settings, and there have been PLENTY of those so far. So, see, Mom-- I am breaking out of my usually shy mold and making friends...sort of... ;D

Imagination

It's been hot and humid-- the kind of days in which you seem constantly to be...there's just no other way to say it: salty! Good training for the mission field, I keep telling myself. Still no providential blessing in the finding-a-job realm, although there are 2 babysitting possibilities, one companion position (5 hours or so a day with an elderly woman), and cleaning jobs that may still work out. I haven't heard back from the more traditional jobs-- the hotels, restaurants, coffeeshops, etc. We'll see. It's nice not having to work just right now. I've got PLENTY of work. =D

Part of it has been to re-kindle my own imagination. There is a need for good stories as the fountain of good thoughts, which can then spill over into poetry and music! Lately, there's been a lot more facts and numeric patterns filling my brain-- academia, you know. Somehow we lose the stories way too easily... But at prayer meeting on Wednesday night, Ryan S. (yes, in photo below), gave a passionate, winsom presentation I guess you'd call it. Pastor Ryan had him come up before the assembled body and share his burden for the neighborhood children. [Immanuel's building is across the street from Shelby Park, a large community park teeming with children, most unsupervised-- well, let's put it this way: the two-year-olds come with the five-year-olds.] Ryan's heart for these kids was jarred to life when he realized it's the drug dealers whom they greet by name...men who are quite happy to get to know these precious little souls, with the end goal of ruining their lives; putting them in bondage to the wares they sell. Should those who enslave be more willing to invest than those who would set free?? No!

What does all this have to do with Imagination? Getting there... basically Ryan's heart is going to come out into "Read With Us." Every Thursday from 7-8, we'll be in the gazebo at the park, reading with any kids who want to come. I went last week, and LOVED it! We had quite a group, and I think they'll all come back. We read to them, they read to us, both individually and in groups. We finished last week with Chapter 1 of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which I enjoyed at least as much as the kids! Besides the huge need that these kids have-- to learn to read fluently, confidently, even enjoyably (they all read far below grade level)-- there is a dearth of imagination in that park. And where will they get that without stories?

Ryan's points kindled further conversation between Ashlea and I at home. As she said so well, "Without imagination, you're essentially limiting yourself to what you can see-- a fundamental flaw of the Enlightenment and Modernism." I wanted to shout "Amen!" This was something that bothered me a lot when I was tutoring at Berea Middle school last year: there were so many books that were supposed to be "relevant" to the students. Books about fragmented families, about tough life, about divorce, about dropping out of school, about gangs, about divorce... supposedly to stimulate the kids to read more. While I understand the sentiment, it disturbed me. They already know about all THAT. They don't need anyone to tell them THAT exists. We all know our own stories waaaay too well. What they need, what I need, are stories to get us outside of ourselves; stories where things are the same, but different; where we learn that things aren't always this way; where we learn to think a little differently than we ever thought before. What I was trying to put my finger on with those vaguely disappointing books was this : imagination! It was what I was missing!

This sounds like something I've heard before somewhere...something about "not sight," about something that was nothing if we could physically see it before us... what was it? Oh yeah-- it was hope. It was Faith. Are they so different from imagination?

Without imagination, and the skill to dicipher meaning from letters, how can a person ever think about Jesus? How can someone without imagination-- the ability to infuse unfamiliar word-formed-descriptions with life and color-- ever read and enjoy Scripture? When Ryan was saying some of this sort of thing, it took quite a bit of self-restraint to keep me from running up and hugging him right there! =D

To close, here are some quotes that were fresh in my mind from Mark Buchanon's so-far-very-good book, Your God is Too Safe. He's got an exceptionally good chapter on Imagination, Mystery and Wonder (Chapter 5-- I highly reccomend it). Speaking of our loss of imagination in our cultural pursuit of the easily understood, the pragmatic, he writes:
"We fear imagination [today] believing it somehow undermines the purity of truth [...] There's almost no awareness that maybe imagination is the missing link between having a doctrine, and living it. What's at stake is our ability to know God and worship Him." (p. 53)

And, from his foreward to the same book,
"An accurate understanding of the formation of the Christian life requires three things: stories well-told, Scripture sharply imagined, and language skillfully used. All three are essential."

The three build on one another, it seems to me, and I think that sentence could serve very well as a summary of the goals of "Read With Us," and I hope, every interaction I have with other people. Especially children.

Mishmash post from Louisville, KY

For reasons unbeknownst to me, Louisville HotSpot (the community connection I'm on) blocks xanga, but not e-blogger...thence the switch. We'll see if I can manage it.

As many of you probably know, I’m in Louisville, KY for the summer (until August 14th, when I’ll have to be back in G’ville for student teaching!!)... Still not sure quite what I’ll be doing, but that’s why it’s going to be an adventure! =D I felt I’d been boring for far too long. I haven’t done any real exploring since Argentina in 2003!! No— that’s only half of why I’m here. Another thing I haven’t had much of since my stay in the Southern Hemisphere is thinking time. School (especially with overloading every term for the past 2 years) has been rather...taxing, and the summers have been taken up with stressful jobs each year. So I’m here, and so far, I definitely have had a fair share of both adventure AND down-time!

I've been wiped all day...all week... it's either the heat or something I've eaten or difficulty adjusting to sleeping in a new place, but I am really really zonked these days! I hope I can adjust soon. It's hard to stay motivated otherwise. Anyway, this is going to be quite a short post, mainly to see if this works. I practically have to hang out my window to get connection in the apartment, and this is the ONLY time of the day when we get more-or-less direct sunlight in the front window, so I'm really sweatin' (thanks a lot, Lori B., for wishing such a fate on me)! I'm not sure I can even manage the switch to this host, but I don't fancy paying $3 for a latte or something every time I want to post online! Although that little coffee shop 'round the corner sure is cute...

I should probably avoid all forms of coffee for a little while, anyway. Sina about killed me last night, with an (albeit wonderfully delicious and refreshing) iced mocha that was highly caffeinated. They didn't think I would notice if they didn't tell me... I wasn't so wired as I have been before, though... I'm looking forward to church tonight. Last time I went to Wed. night prayer meeting, I didn't know how to get there (and so finally arrived 20 minutes late), and felt highly agoraphobic and had to leave halfway through, to go sit in a more secure-feeling corner of the balcony! It's funny now, but it wasn't so funny then...

These are funny, though:

My roommate & I at the highly illustrious establishment, Dairy-Dell. [I call that Ashlea's demon-child face.] That's Ryan in the background.


And here are 3 of "the guys" here. Ryan, Rob, and Warren-- they were obsessed with being manly that night...even asked ME what the manliest thing I'd ever done was... You know what, though? Warren is the head of the deacon board at Immanuel-- all their church officers are quite young (except for Herman Vanderpool, who at 64 throws the average off). Dave Shuey was the youngest elder ever instated at Grace, and is now the OLDEST elder at Immanuel! It made me start wondering why we don't ever consider appointing younger church officers. Maybe if it was more expected, they'd treat their Faith and their God a little less flippantly?

Pictured below is the coating I ate [the bubblegum one]:
Yumm!, ay?

Not sure about this

So....about blogspots. I already have a xanga...do I really want to transfer over? Ahh, well. At least this way I'll be able to comment on everyone else's site...