so many things...

I really don't even know where to begin.

After the snow day, I had one of the worst weeks of my life.
My glasses broke, my car got stuck in the mud, I awoke to a stranger staring through my window (waving at me!), and my car got broken into... twice.
So to summarize, I completely lost both my identity (red hair/big glasses), and then lost my security.

The Lord did wonderful things with that.

The next week was uneventful, on account that I had contracted the flu. On that Friday I went skiing with some friends. It may not have been the best idea... but it was fun.


I watched a documentary that had me weeping. The Corporation.
Since then I have been scheming ways of releasing freedom and dignity back to the citizens of the world.
I am failing.

Maria, Charlie, Adam and I went to see the Thrashers play this past Wednesday. For free. I did a cartwheel in front of a crossing guard.

Yesterday was by far the most fantastic Valentine's Day I could have ever hoped for.
I officially have the most incredible friends.
For one reason or another we decided to dress ourselves in mysterious garb, created by things I had lying in boxes of sewing material. We painted our faces like Native Americans (or the way they are portrayed by Disney) with art supplies and make-up samples left over from younger years.
We ate veggie chili, hummus with pita, salad made of edible flowers, and chocolate cake. We drank sweet tea and lemonade. We played for hours. We sang hits from the 90s. Nathan and I took turns playing songs we had written.
It's been forever since I've been with a group of people who simply enjoy each other.


This is an official shout-out:
icanfly boys and cabbage town girls... you have been the best additions to my life.
The way you all love each other, and the way you all love Klaus... it really touches me. I cannot put into words how special everyone is. How gifted and how considerate. I'm actually trying, and I cannot vocalize it.



This, however, is not so special.
My room mate was driven home tonight after a party by a group of 4 Trinity goers. When they pulled up they realized that her car wasn't there. In fact, it had been stolen.

What strikes me, in not such a tender way, is that she was all alone when she called me.
Yes, it was awful that her car was stolen, but that's almost to be expected. Come to find out, we live in the most criminally active zip code in the southeast.
What's terrible is that in a group of believers, not one person stopped to consider how they could be a blessing to someone else.
I was in a restaurant with Maria and Nathan, who immediately dropped their plans so that I could get home. Not a moment's hesitation. They offered their homes, their energy, their time, etc.

This is me drawing a line in the social sand:
Kris has been right to call us out as the young congregation.

During the holidays I wasn't exactly the perfect example of sobriety or productivity.
That's hard for me to admit, but I wouldn't be honest if I ignored it.
It was a rookie mistake that has been corrected (no thanks to faithful peers encouraging me to "let loose every once in a while").
It's not a party if it happens every night.
I fail to see what's so amusing about stumbling through crowds of people or constantly having the micro-analyze your love life by saying "WHAT DOES THAT MEEEEEAN!?".

It makes me sad that what God intended to gladden the hearts of men and ladies has become a crutch by which we pass off responsibility.

If you're too consumed with your next move of the night to comfort a friend who just had her CAR STOLEN from the front of her home... if you said "oh that suuuuuuuuucks" and drove off... if you left your friend completely alone while knowing how vulnerable she is... you're a bad friend. Period.
Grow up.