I got to talk to my mommy today on the phone! That always makes me happy. Also what makes me happy is Audrey Hepburn singing "Moon River" and it's been stuck in my head all day when I haven't been humming the Civil Wars' songs.
Anyhoo- for the past four weeks I have been jittery and shaking uncontrollably for the first few hours in the day and the shaking was getting worse each day. Which greatly concerns me since diabetes runs in my family. I didn't think it was low blood sugar though since I was forcing myself to eat and it wasn't calming down the way blood sugar does (I have lots of experience in this field sadly). After a few weeks of being in denial, I then had coffee at 5pm. During class. In which case I started shaking again. Ben Natrin was my witness.
Thus begins the saga. Cara is no longer consuming coffee-- which is tragic! I am known for my unhealthy addiction to coffee and am defined by many people. (Also note how I am self-diagnosing and not spending money on a medical bill when I think that I know what the problem is. If the problem persists, then I shall see a doctor.)
Today was Day 1 without coffee. Luckily, I have a wide selection of teas and since the caffeine in tea diffuses into the body at a more regulated and slower pace than from coffee, I think I can drink tea. So far, I wasn't that shaky today. So that's good! Shockingly, I didn't have a withdrawal headache either!! Hopefully I won't since I was only down to one strong large cup a day instead of my record of constant consumption. I was very lethargic and narcoleptic though. I'm told I'll get the headaches soon which is probs true but usually I get them within 2 hours of not having coffee so this is a great step for me. Yay!
Also- I was thinking of giving up coffee for Lent but Lent doesn't start for another 2 weeks and I've already given up coffee as of today. Suggestions for what else to give up?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
My dream
Everyone keeps asking me what I want to do with my life after I graduate and it's quite frustrating because what I know I want to do is not what they are actually inquiring about. Most people want to know what career I want to begin or if I want to go to grad school. I do not know what my career will look like but I do know certain things that I want to do.
I want to be a hippie. My dream is to have my own vegetable garden and grow a large variety of veggies. But not only grow and eat them but to freeze, can and store them so that ultimately I'll be able to feed an entire meal with food from my garden in the winter. All the while being able to give a portion of my vegetables and harvest to people who need or desire fresh vegetables. Forget whatever career I have, this is what I want to do. I want to live in a house (while I am still single) with people my age but also maybe an elderly widow who has years of experience, stories and wisdom but also wants to stay young and spry with me. I want to be able to either bike to my workplace or my church (or both).
Besides that, my dream is to live in a community that actually helps each other out. Earlier in January, Islamic fundamentalists from Pakistan and other radical regions were coming into Egypt and terrorizing Coptic Christians during their mass. (These were not local Egyptian Muslims but from other regions, mind you.) So Egyptian Muslims got together and surrounded the Christian's church during mass to protect this minority group. Later, during the riots in Egypt, the Christians got together and surrounded the Muslims as they stopped for their daily prayers. What a beautiful act of community!! Both groups did not believe in the same faith but in the same justice and bonded to protect each other. Even here in the US we would never see that happen. Here in the US where we have "diversity" and "freedom" we are too apathetic to even try to unify different groups for a specific cause.
My dream is to live in a town that does that. I've been attending two churches this past year and both of them are in the same rural region, maybe 10 minutes away from each other. Both have been saying in the past season how they want to reach more out to the community and how their community is growing in faith and in need. What would happen if the leaders and congregations of these two very different churches united together?? What would that look like and how could we outreach as a united body of Christ even if we come from different backgrounds?
What would happen if these two churches united together with the local Lions club or American Legion or Social Services and asked them what was needed and how they could help in different ways in the community? What would happen if local businesses approached the public school system in this area and asked how they could be a good influence to students in the middle and high schools? Or what would happen if farmers allowed the local rural poor to glean their fields after they finished harvesting their crops? What would happen if these two churches came together with these businesses, the local government and the American Legion and discussed local racism and the unspoken KKK in the area? What would happen if we spoke about immigration and instead of hating the illegal immigrants, we learned to love them and we learned the issues as to why they are here illegally and acted to help them but also the issues of being undocumented? What would happen if we opened up our hearts and homes to juvenile delinquents and abused foster kids who are ignored in the area?
This is my dream. There is a lot of Scripture to help me articulate my thoughts and a lot of controversy about these issues but I'm just pondering and dreaming at this point. This is what I want to do when I graduate. Not have a job. But to find and live in a community. That is more important to me than any career that I will begin.
I want to be a hippie. My dream is to have my own vegetable garden and grow a large variety of veggies. But not only grow and eat them but to freeze, can and store them so that ultimately I'll be able to feed an entire meal with food from my garden in the winter. All the while being able to give a portion of my vegetables and harvest to people who need or desire fresh vegetables. Forget whatever career I have, this is what I want to do. I want to live in a house (while I am still single) with people my age but also maybe an elderly widow who has years of experience, stories and wisdom but also wants to stay young and spry with me. I want to be able to either bike to my workplace or my church (or both).
Besides that, my dream is to live in a community that actually helps each other out. Earlier in January, Islamic fundamentalists from Pakistan and other radical regions were coming into Egypt and terrorizing Coptic Christians during their mass. (These were not local Egyptian Muslims but from other regions, mind you.) So Egyptian Muslims got together and surrounded the Christian's church during mass to protect this minority group. Later, during the riots in Egypt, the Christians got together and surrounded the Muslims as they stopped for their daily prayers. What a beautiful act of community!! Both groups did not believe in the same faith but in the same justice and bonded to protect each other. Even here in the US we would never see that happen. Here in the US where we have "diversity" and "freedom" we are too apathetic to even try to unify different groups for a specific cause.
My dream is to live in a town that does that. I've been attending two churches this past year and both of them are in the same rural region, maybe 10 minutes away from each other. Both have been saying in the past season how they want to reach more out to the community and how their community is growing in faith and in need. What would happen if the leaders and congregations of these two very different churches united together?? What would that look like and how could we outreach as a united body of Christ even if we come from different backgrounds?
What would happen if these two churches united together with the local Lions club or American Legion or Social Services and asked them what was needed and how they could help in different ways in the community? What would happen if local businesses approached the public school system in this area and asked how they could be a good influence to students in the middle and high schools? Or what would happen if farmers allowed the local rural poor to glean their fields after they finished harvesting their crops? What would happen if these two churches came together with these businesses, the local government and the American Legion and discussed local racism and the unspoken KKK in the area? What would happen if we spoke about immigration and instead of hating the illegal immigrants, we learned to love them and we learned the issues as to why they are here illegally and acted to help them but also the issues of being undocumented? What would happen if we opened up our hearts and homes to juvenile delinquents and abused foster kids who are ignored in the area?
This is my dream. There is a lot of Scripture to help me articulate my thoughts and a lot of controversy about these issues but I'm just pondering and dreaming at this point. This is what I want to do when I graduate. Not have a job. But to find and live in a community. That is more important to me than any career that I will begin.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Valentine's Day
Happy Belated V-Day everyone!
There is no greater sign of affection than stuffing your face with cupcakes while watching a movie called "Wrist Cutters: A Love Story" while working on your senior thesis with a friend.
Unless of course, Legos were involved.
There is no greater sign of affection than stuffing your face with cupcakes while watching a movie called "Wrist Cutters: A Love Story" while working on your senior thesis with a friend.
Unless of course, Legos were involved.
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| Lego love :) |
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Coffee Filters
My friend and I just got together for prayer and accountability. I love her lots and have never been so vulnerable with someone as much as her before. We were talking and blubbering and she made this analogy which I absolutely loved so I'm writing it down and sharing it. (I might have loved it because I have an unhealthy relationship with coffee.)
As Christians we need to line our hearts and daily routines with God. With a coffee filter, all the coffee grinds are surrounded by this liner. Water percolates through the grinds and the filter and out comes a beautifully delicious drink that can be as strong as intended. If there is a tear in the filter or if there is no filter, grinds would fall through into the coffee pot and make it difficult to drink coffee but also overtime, not filtering will change the coffee to become so strong it's overbearing or bitter tasting.
Our lives our are an example of this image. We are given tasks to do at school, work, church, home which are like the coffee grinds. If our hearts are lined with God's heart, He'll surround us, and filter out the daily grinds so that the end result is a beautiful end-product which was what He designed. If our liner has a rip, the grinds fall through, get into the coffee and ruin the taste or make it difficult to consume.
Is my life surrounded by a coffee filter? Am I allowing God to filter my life?
As Christians we need to line our hearts and daily routines with God. With a coffee filter, all the coffee grinds are surrounded by this liner. Water percolates through the grinds and the filter and out comes a beautifully delicious drink that can be as strong as intended. If there is a tear in the filter or if there is no filter, grinds would fall through into the coffee pot and make it difficult to drink coffee but also overtime, not filtering will change the coffee to become so strong it's overbearing or bitter tasting.
Our lives our are an example of this image. We are given tasks to do at school, work, church, home which are like the coffee grinds. If our hearts are lined with God's heart, He'll surround us, and filter out the daily grinds so that the end result is a beautiful end-product which was what He designed. If our liner has a rip, the grinds fall through, get into the coffee and ruin the taste or make it difficult to consume.
Is my life surrounded by a coffee filter? Am I allowing God to filter my life?
 |
| My bro-in-law got this cup of coffee when in Luxembourg on tour with his orchestra :) |
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Egypt
As if we thought the Middle East was already crazy, stuff happened. I can't even keep track of what all is going on because so many countries are having strife: Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan, Egypt. Specifically, my thoughts are prayers are going out to the people in Egypt as the riots have now turned violent.
My family knows a person in Egypt now. This person is a Christian working in an orphanage for Sudanese refugees in the capital. I pray that God will keep this person and the children safe and use this person as a vessel of hope and calm in the craze of these events. I'm sure that things will get ugly if they haven't already with the differences of faith and beliefs.
I'm used to not writing about missionaries in the field overseas because of their safety. Many a times friends have traveled and written in ambiguous and vague language in emails about their whereabouts and doings because of the governments and the safety of Christians in non-Christian nations. It's amazing that although here in the United States we complain that being politically correct means that we can't say things like "Merry Christmas" or witness to others in malls or on public streets and therefore we can't be free to profess our religious beliefs but compared to lots of other places, the freedom we are given to worship God is a beautiful and wonderful privilege. My prayer is that we don't ever take it for granted and we use this freedom in a wise and appropriate way for God's kingdom.
My family knows a person in Egypt now. This person is a Christian working in an orphanage for Sudanese refugees in the capital. I pray that God will keep this person and the children safe and use this person as a vessel of hope and calm in the craze of these events. I'm sure that things will get ugly if they haven't already with the differences of faith and beliefs.
I'm used to not writing about missionaries in the field overseas because of their safety. Many a times friends have traveled and written in ambiguous and vague language in emails about their whereabouts and doings because of the governments and the safety of Christians in non-Christian nations. It's amazing that although here in the United States we complain that being politically correct means that we can't say things like "Merry Christmas" or witness to others in malls or on public streets and therefore we can't be free to profess our religious beliefs but compared to lots of other places, the freedom we are given to worship God is a beautiful and wonderful privilege. My prayer is that we don't ever take it for granted and we use this freedom in a wise and appropriate way for God's kingdom.
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