Break

So I just got back last night from an amazing 8-day vacation that took me to Seattle, back to SD, up to Sacramento, to Tahoe, to Nevada, and back to SD.

6 planes in 8 days

The best part was how little it cost me in relation to how much fun I had. I think this was a good time for me to get out of my SoCal shell and remember how big the world is (or at least this side of this country lol). It was also a good time for me to be able to remember what it’s like to mess around with friends and not worry about anything (thanks Andrew, Carla, and Robert for taking care of all the logistics haha). Definitely 8 days that I want to remember quite well.

Other than that, I have just registered for the GRE Yep, it’s what I anticipate to be my last real standardized test thingy. That’s on the 31st, so pray for me for that.

I’m finally going back to Anza. I can already see that my prayers have been working marvelously. Oh, prayer. How can we so easily neglect something so important?

My brother’s already here in Cali. Once I leave La Jolla (and my marvelous internet) here in about an hour, I’m gonna finally see him after 2 years. My family from the East Coast is coming Wednesday night (which is gonna be awkward considering I’ve only met them once when I was seven). And my family from Sweden is coming in a few days as well. I’m gonna see them up in LA after Christmas, since they’re traveling through wine country for a few days.

With that, I’ll leave you with a thought I have every time I fly on a plane. I think that it’s so powerful to look over an entire city, remember that it’s just one city, then realize that with so much going on and so many people, God still knows you. He still knows and cares and listens and delights and….loves.

Hello Seattle

So I’m currently on an airplane headed to SanFran. From there I’m headed on to the city that is known for rain, wind, and coffee. Seattle.

Last night as I was trying to fall asleep I was reminded of how lucky I am. How lucky to be able to take opportunities such as this. To live in a country with so much opportunity…even despite inequalities.

My goal for the next few days is to just take in everything. To be present in each moment and to make memories worth having for a long time to come

Oh, and I’m sitting next to someone cool. I was told to add that

Is it time to grow up yet?

So right when I was pretty much considering myself an adult I decided to head down to the DMV to renew the registration on my car (like most adults do) just to find out that my car insurance has been expired since May and I had NO IDEA. Can you believe how irresponsible I am? I guess I never told them my new address since I moved or something, because it hasn’t even been a thought of mine. And to think I got in a fender bender and luckily the guy took off.

Oh my, I think God takes much more care of me than I give Him credit for. I guess I’ll treat this as an opportunity to trust Him more until I actually get insured. Maybe I’ll do a little more growing up as well.

a quote and a song to tickle your fancy

I ran into this quote and this song today. They don’t have anything to do with each other, but they’re worth sharing anyway 

*click here for the song*

 

“The definition of success–To laugh much; to win respect of intelligent persons and the affections of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give one’s self; to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition.; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm, and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived–this is to have succeeded.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

interesting observation

A few brief moments of power outage usher forth whoops, grunts, and other immature sounds from about 50% of the neighbors surrounding us. What else is there to do without internet and tv?

Keep your head up high

You know those times where you hear a song that really resonates with you? I found another one This guy is on youtube, his name is CD, and I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before but I think he has earned the right to be famous.

The song I’d like to highlight is called From Here and I think the lyrics are pretty self explanatory. Enjoy

Standing on the edge of a mountain of decision
Taking a step is not so easy sometime
So I will wait for You to tell me what to do
I won’t even move from here….from here

I definintely know that what doesn’t matter is my opinion
And I gotta be careful about taking their advice
‘Cause all i have to do is open my heart and follow You
and You’ll tell what to do from here…from here

*Keep your head up my love
and keep on guarding that heart
Keep your dreams alive
and know that everything will be alright
’cause I am by your side

My past tells the story of Your faithful
and my present is no exception
My future’s in Your hands
I know You’ve got big plans
Just tell me where to go from here…from here

*Keep your head up my love
and keep on guarding that heart
Keep your dreams alive
and know that everything will be alright
’cause I am by your side

Silence the traffic and take away all the distractions
I will be safe here in devotion to the secret place
I wanna walk with You in the cool of the day
Where I can hear You say, I need to hear You say….

*Keep your head up my love
and keep on guarding that heart
Keep your dreams alive
and know that everything will be alright
’cause I am by your side…I’m by your side.

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” — 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

busses and angels

The man sat in the station, waiting for the next bus to anywhere. As he sat there, his mind was blissfully blank until he saw a lady with bushy hair and a little boy coming up to the bench across from him. The boy seemed quiet, and his eyes seemed to be deep and dark, as though they had seen much and were constantly watching for what was coming next. The mother spat at him, “You are a bad boy. Just wait till we get home. You are going to wish you never asked for that candy. Who am I, Ms. Damn Santa Claus? Do you think you’re special? Well you’re NOT!” Then with a cold grip on his shoulder she shoved him onto the bench and he winced. “Sit here! Maybe if I’m lucky the boogie man will take you and I won’t have to listen to your mousy little candy-begging voice.” She then headed off to the bathroom, or some other worthy destination inside the terminal.

The man sat there, not knowing what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, and he decided to go ahead and take a risk and do what felt so right. He reached in his pocket and went over to the boy at the bench. He knelt by him and asked, “Do you know who I am? I’m your guardian angel. Listen, I want you to take this quarter, it’s a magic quarter. Every time you look at it or touch it you will  remember that no matter what anybody says, you are special, and you are a good boy. If ever you lose it, you may take another coin and it too will become magic, and you will never forget that you are a good, special boy.“

Pressing it firmly into the boys little palm, he took a quick glance to the terminal. There was no tweaked out lady with bushy hair, so he got up and, taking his coat and his bag, briskly walked off. To where, he didn’t know, maybe it didn’t even matter anymore.

mondays are for starting the week right

So I promised an update on what is entailed at my new job. Well, I help at the afterschool program on Wednesdays, but Monday and Wednesday afternoons it seems that I’m being paid to be a friend. That’s right. All I do is hang out at lunch and talk to the kids and then play with them till they need to go back in to class. Say what? The “responsibilities” apart from that is making sure they eat all their food, don’t share food for the sake of food allergies, pick up their trash before going to the playground, and obey the playground rules. Pretty hard right? Hardly hard. The funnest part of today was playing with a little boy who was all alone, and watching his smile get bigger and bigger as he got more into it. Oh, and I was also asked whose dad I was and then why I don’t have kids. Yeah, now I know I’m old.

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Other than that I:

Ate at Popeye’s for the first time ever. Pretty good stuff.

Hung out with two people I hadn’t seen in forever.

Found out some of my family from Sweden is coming all the way here to visit over the holidays!

Decided that I really want to go ahead and apply myself to learning the guitar sometime in the near future.

Played jump rope with some random teenagers that I didn’t even know.

Realized that research can sometimes be enjoyable, but definitely not for a career.

 

Pretty good stuff. The middle of a quarter is only as draining as you let it be.

 

I heart craigslist and Jesus

I decided to change my job, and now I get to hang out with elementary kids 4 times a week. Be prepared for updates soon