So, I was watching some stand up comics on t.v. last night right before I went to bed. Well, I was watching them, and the news because a whole bunch of severe weather was rolling across the area last night. And it looked like it was heading for us, so I wanted to be aware of the situation. I even put some socks on so if the sirens went off, I wouldn't have to spend time doing that before heading to the basement. It's important to be ready because I live on the top floor. I wanted socks in the really off chance the building crumpled around me and I would have had to walk around. Who wants to do that barefoot? Not I. Anyway, I digress...
So, I was watching some comics on t.v. and none of them were all that funny, but I wanted to laugh anyway, so I gave them the opportunity to make me laugh. I did laugh, but none of them had me rolling. Oh well. Anyway, one of them talked about Canada and the Canadian Mounted Police for just a snippet. He made some joke about how they don't support/help the U.S. in the war in Iraq, and how people say, "Oh, put away the tanks; they've brought their horses!"
I watched one more comic, and then I went to sleep because the storm was dying down. Then, I had this crazy dream that Canada attacked the United States. We had no idea they were going to do it, but they did. They caught us totally offguard. And they were all around where I was and they were making my life miserable, it seemed, by tracking me down! I was at the mall, and these Canadian Mounties were trying to find me. So, there was this old lady grandma who was with them (she was Canadian), and I went up to her when she was alone and I took her hand and started singing "Kumbaya." She wasn't a fan of the war like I wasn't a fan of the war. So anyway, I went away and hid behind this wall and the Mounties came and found her again. Then, they went someplace else and I went to find the grandma lady again. I found her and went up to her again, but it was a trick! The Mounties closed in on me and I looked at the grandma and we started singing "Kumbaya" again, but they weren't having any of it. All of a sudden, I was in a forest with a guy who just graduated seminary. We were assigned to chop down a really thick tree with manual tools (no chain saws for us!). So, he was chopping at the tree really high, which I thought was weird because you're supposed to chop close to the bottom. He had one of those bigger bow saws and I had a hatchet. Since he was cutting parallel to the ground, and because I didn't have a ladder or anything, I really had to reach to chop in the same places he was sawing. And then I woke up.
The dream was incredibly bizarre, but I totally see why I had it. My late night t.v. viewing put the Canadian Mounted Police idea into my head, and I also did some yard work at Sis and BiL's when I was there early this week. So, all that was ruminating around a bit. And since I'd not posted on a dream in a while, I thought I would share. I hope you were at least mildly entertained.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Just Another Day
Today is another day in the life of Trish.
On this day last year, Sis and BiL brought Sunscreen home from the hospital. It seems a bit fitting that today is the day they are giving him his first birthday party. His actual birthday was May 21st, but because they both work and because life is busy, they postponed the party until the weekend. I am heading for "home" after I sleep a bit.
On this day eight years ago, when I was 17, my car was broken. It was a Wednesday, I think, and I was at work. Ma was supposed to come get me when I was done, but she forgot. I got a ride from a co-worker, but could not get into my house because it was locked. So, I had to walk all around town to try to find Ma to let me into the house. I was not a happy camper.
When I was a sophomore in high school, nine years ago, I had an Applied Biology/Chemistry final on this day. It was a beautiful day with sunshine and pleasant temperatures. I did well enough on the final, but science has never really been my thing.
Eleven years ago on this day, I graduated 8th grade at 1:00 in the afternoon. I walked with my boyfriend of the time because we were both the shortest kids in our class, and they paired us according to height. We were the first to walk because it went shortest to tallest. I was always the short kid, even until about 10th or 11th grade. Modern medicine is what let me grow to the height I am now (5 feet, 5 1/2 inches). I am the happiest person you will ever meet to be completely average.
Thirteen years ago, my part of Illinois was dealing with one of the rainiest Mays in several years. May 24, 1995 was a drizzly, cold, and gray day. So cold, in fact, that I wore a blue hooded sweatshirt with pink roses on it, with black jeans (it was cool to wear colored jeans back then). A friend YS and I shared had spent the night prior at our house, and was going to hang out with us and go on errands with us and our dad. This is the first May 24th that I remember, and I remember hours and hours of the day. It's really too bad it's not pleasant.
The point I reckon I'm trying to make is that "good" and "bad" things happen all the time. This day used to bring up horrible, awful, miserable images in my mind that led to horrible, awful, and miserable feelings for me, but I'm doing better now. I guess it's because I can see that May 24th is not a day destined for craptacularness; it's just another day, like all the other days. I remember this day for something bad, and I probably always will, but at the same time, I can look around me and see that good things happen on this day, too. I guess a lot of how a person feels has to do with how they look at what is around them.
The seesaw has gone the other way now, though. I was 12 on May 24, 1995, and here on May 24, 2008, 13 years have passed. It's just a little odd to think of what I was like back then, and on that day, and to think of me now.
Bad and good, indeed. But now, I need to get some sleep so I can celebrate a birthday later today. I love my boys.
On this day last year, Sis and BiL brought Sunscreen home from the hospital. It seems a bit fitting that today is the day they are giving him his first birthday party. His actual birthday was May 21st, but because they both work and because life is busy, they postponed the party until the weekend. I am heading for "home" after I sleep a bit.
On this day eight years ago, when I was 17, my car was broken. It was a Wednesday, I think, and I was at work. Ma was supposed to come get me when I was done, but she forgot. I got a ride from a co-worker, but could not get into my house because it was locked. So, I had to walk all around town to try to find Ma to let me into the house. I was not a happy camper.
When I was a sophomore in high school, nine years ago, I had an Applied Biology/Chemistry final on this day. It was a beautiful day with sunshine and pleasant temperatures. I did well enough on the final, but science has never really been my thing.
Eleven years ago on this day, I graduated 8th grade at 1:00 in the afternoon. I walked with my boyfriend of the time because we were both the shortest kids in our class, and they paired us according to height. We were the first to walk because it went shortest to tallest. I was always the short kid, even until about 10th or 11th grade. Modern medicine is what let me grow to the height I am now (5 feet, 5 1/2 inches). I am the happiest person you will ever meet to be completely average.
Thirteen years ago, my part of Illinois was dealing with one of the rainiest Mays in several years. May 24, 1995 was a drizzly, cold, and gray day. So cold, in fact, that I wore a blue hooded sweatshirt with pink roses on it, with black jeans (it was cool to wear colored jeans back then). A friend YS and I shared had spent the night prior at our house, and was going to hang out with us and go on errands with us and our dad. This is the first May 24th that I remember, and I remember hours and hours of the day. It's really too bad it's not pleasant.
The point I reckon I'm trying to make is that "good" and "bad" things happen all the time. This day used to bring up horrible, awful, miserable images in my mind that led to horrible, awful, and miserable feelings for me, but I'm doing better now. I guess it's because I can see that May 24th is not a day destined for craptacularness; it's just another day, like all the other days. I remember this day for something bad, and I probably always will, but at the same time, I can look around me and see that good things happen on this day, too. I guess a lot of how a person feels has to do with how they look at what is around them.
The seesaw has gone the other way now, though. I was 12 on May 24, 1995, and here on May 24, 2008, 13 years have passed. It's just a little odd to think of what I was like back then, and on that day, and to think of me now.
Bad and good, indeed. But now, I need to get some sleep so I can celebrate a birthday later today. I love my boys.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Fun Stuff
Well, tonight, a group of us from the Seminary went to the midnight showing of the new Indiana Jones movie. I have only seen one of the IJ movies, and it's been a LONG time. But, the new one was pretty good.
J and I went and bought tickets for ourselves and for two of our friends. They weren't sure if their spouses would be coming, so I only bought 4 tickets. We planned to meet at the theater around 11:15 because the theater was hosting a kickoff party with video games and drink specials and what not (this theater serves wine and beer and other adult beverages). When we went into the theater, a very popular X-box game was being projected up onto the big screen. Two other screens were down in the front row for different games. It was quite entertaining, although the people playing on the big screen were not doing what you're "supposed" to do in the game, and were just messing around.
When the theater people took the games down in order to prepare for the movie, an employee came in and was giving away raffle prizes. I assumed they would be giving them away according to the numbers on our movie tickets (which were not taken by movie attendants because they are mini-poster like things). I believe there were 4 or 5 prizes given away. The last number called was 54 and I was like, "That's one of the numbers I bought!" So, one of my good friends stood up and got a prize! It was exciting because it makes me feel like a winner. I don't win stuff very often, and I technically DIDN'T win the Indiana Jones hat, but because I bought the ticket (although my friend paid me back), I felt like I did win. AND, I'm not the one acquiring more "stuff," which is important to me because I'm somewhat of a minimalist. Anyway, I was excited, so congratulations, Friend!
The movie was pretty good. It's fairly ridiculous, you know, the whole plot line and stuff, but it was exciting. It also parallels the biblical story in a few places which I thought was amusing. J and I agree that there is not anything new to be come up with anymore. Very few things are completely original. Not that that's necessarily a BAD thing; just an observation.
Anyway, so it's now pretty late, and although I have nothing to do tomorrow morning, I don't like sleeping the day away. It makes me feel weird. So, anyway, I recommend going to see the new Indiana Jones movie. That makes 4 movies in the past week or so that I have liked which I didn't think I would: Episodes IV, V, and VI of Star Wars, and now the new Indiana Jones movie. Cool. Anyway, y'all have a good night.
J and I went and bought tickets for ourselves and for two of our friends. They weren't sure if their spouses would be coming, so I only bought 4 tickets. We planned to meet at the theater around 11:15 because the theater was hosting a kickoff party with video games and drink specials and what not (this theater serves wine and beer and other adult beverages). When we went into the theater, a very popular X-box game was being projected up onto the big screen. Two other screens were down in the front row for different games. It was quite entertaining, although the people playing on the big screen were not doing what you're "supposed" to do in the game, and were just messing around.
When the theater people took the games down in order to prepare for the movie, an employee came in and was giving away raffle prizes. I assumed they would be giving them away according to the numbers on our movie tickets (which were not taken by movie attendants because they are mini-poster like things). I believe there were 4 or 5 prizes given away. The last number called was 54 and I was like, "That's one of the numbers I bought!" So, one of my good friends stood up and got a prize! It was exciting because it makes me feel like a winner. I don't win stuff very often, and I technically DIDN'T win the Indiana Jones hat, but because I bought the ticket (although my friend paid me back), I felt like I did win. AND, I'm not the one acquiring more "stuff," which is important to me because I'm somewhat of a minimalist. Anyway, I was excited, so congratulations, Friend!
The movie was pretty good. It's fairly ridiculous, you know, the whole plot line and stuff, but it was exciting. It also parallels the biblical story in a few places which I thought was amusing. J and I agree that there is not anything new to be come up with anymore. Very few things are completely original. Not that that's necessarily a BAD thing; just an observation.
Anyway, so it's now pretty late, and although I have nothing to do tomorrow morning, I don't like sleeping the day away. It makes me feel weird. So, anyway, I recommend going to see the new Indiana Jones movie. That makes 4 movies in the past week or so that I have liked which I didn't think I would: Episodes IV, V, and VI of Star Wars, and now the new Indiana Jones movie. Cool. Anyway, y'all have a good night.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
So, my posts have tended towards less than happy lately...
But the thing is... I am doing alright. I wanted to throw that out there. Earlier last week, I was having a pretty difficult time because new things that happen with Ma tend to upset me a bit. Because I consider myself to be a realistic person, I recognized that she would probably not do well with the anesthesia from the hip surgery, and that this violence thing is a new part of her life. With all that, I'm doing better now. I have awesome friends who support me and who ask me how Ma is doing. People pray for Ma, my family, and me through all of this, and faith also helps me.
I just keep thinking about how weird it is that Ma is so far gone already. And I realize that other people have lives that are filled with much more heartache and loss than mine is, but sometimes it just weirds me out to know that I'm a twenty-five year old woman dealing with her mother's quick and steady cognitive decline. Sometimes, despite all of my awesome friends, it makes me feel a little bit alone. There are other people here at Seminary whose parents have dealt with dementia, but to my knowledge, I am the only one in my age group. It's just weird to know that Ma will never see this wonderful place where I live and learn in order to hopefully someday serve the church professionally. It's weird to know that she thinks my sisters and I are young children she has to care for and cook for, and what not. It's weird to think that it is quite possible that the end for her could be nearer than we think, although we do not know for certain. Weird and isolating, I suppose, although, the isolation comes through my own doing, and really isn't THAT big a deal. I think I'm doing a pretty good job with trying to be more open about what is happening. I'm still working on it.
And even in my own isolation, I reflect on the cross. Jesus cried out in Matthew 27:46, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus felt abandoned, isolated, and upset. The Word made flesh in Jesus Christ came and lived this sinless life, and yet, his life was not all kittens and teddy bears. Sure, he made friends, but he also made enemies of many of the religious leaders of the day. He even ticked off one of his own disciples by not having the costly perfume sold in order to give it to the poor. Many events in Jesus' life led to his crucifixion, but I think it is important to not gloss over Jesus' crying out because he believed himself to be abandoned. But the truth is, Jesus was not alone on the cross; he had the power of sin and death with him-unhelpful and uncompassionate companions. Galatians 3:13 says that Christ became a curse for us, and Martin Luther states that a piece of that comes from the fact that this sinless Jesus came and took the sin of every man, woman, and child into his sinless self in order for the Father to be able to see humanity as cleansed. That is how the powers of sin and death were overcome on our behalf. Jesus took every part of humanity into himself in order to redeem and offer restoration to us. He took our shame, our suffering, our hatred, contempt, envy, anger, sadness in order that he could share with us in all that it is to be human; in order that the one through whom all things were made (John 1:3) would be the one through whom all things would be redeemed. Christ shoulders our burdens with us and allows us strength, or better yet, even the ability to be weak, until at last we can set them down and they are obliterated in the eternal love and grace of God in Jesus Christ. In our strength, which is not even as strong as God's weakness (1 Cor. 1:25), and in our weakness, which shows that God's work is within us, upholding and strengthening us when we are unable to do so ourselves.
So, we do have these companions with us: joy, sadness, fear, loathing, anger, happiness, excitement, pride, and so forth. These emotions are a part of who we are and how we perceive and act to the people and the world around us. The Incarnation means that God cares about us enough to experience these things with us in Christ. May we recognize that we are never truly alone because God stands with us in Christ through even the worst of situations; not necessarily to make us feel better, but to offer a word of peace in the midst of turmoil. Thanks be to God.
I just keep thinking about how weird it is that Ma is so far gone already. And I realize that other people have lives that are filled with much more heartache and loss than mine is, but sometimes it just weirds me out to know that I'm a twenty-five year old woman dealing with her mother's quick and steady cognitive decline. Sometimes, despite all of my awesome friends, it makes me feel a little bit alone. There are other people here at Seminary whose parents have dealt with dementia, but to my knowledge, I am the only one in my age group. It's just weird to know that Ma will never see this wonderful place where I live and learn in order to hopefully someday serve the church professionally. It's weird to know that she thinks my sisters and I are young children she has to care for and cook for, and what not. It's weird to think that it is quite possible that the end for her could be nearer than we think, although we do not know for certain. Weird and isolating, I suppose, although, the isolation comes through my own doing, and really isn't THAT big a deal. I think I'm doing a pretty good job with trying to be more open about what is happening. I'm still working on it.
And even in my own isolation, I reflect on the cross. Jesus cried out in Matthew 27:46, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus felt abandoned, isolated, and upset. The Word made flesh in Jesus Christ came and lived this sinless life, and yet, his life was not all kittens and teddy bears. Sure, he made friends, but he also made enemies of many of the religious leaders of the day. He even ticked off one of his own disciples by not having the costly perfume sold in order to give it to the poor. Many events in Jesus' life led to his crucifixion, but I think it is important to not gloss over Jesus' crying out because he believed himself to be abandoned. But the truth is, Jesus was not alone on the cross; he had the power of sin and death with him-unhelpful and uncompassionate companions. Galatians 3:13 says that Christ became a curse for us, and Martin Luther states that a piece of that comes from the fact that this sinless Jesus came and took the sin of every man, woman, and child into his sinless self in order for the Father to be able to see humanity as cleansed. That is how the powers of sin and death were overcome on our behalf. Jesus took every part of humanity into himself in order to redeem and offer restoration to us. He took our shame, our suffering, our hatred, contempt, envy, anger, sadness in order that he could share with us in all that it is to be human; in order that the one through whom all things were made (John 1:3) would be the one through whom all things would be redeemed. Christ shoulders our burdens with us and allows us strength, or better yet, even the ability to be weak, until at last we can set them down and they are obliterated in the eternal love and grace of God in Jesus Christ. In our strength, which is not even as strong as God's weakness (1 Cor. 1:25), and in our weakness, which shows that God's work is within us, upholding and strengthening us when we are unable to do so ourselves.
So, we do have these companions with us: joy, sadness, fear, loathing, anger, happiness, excitement, pride, and so forth. These emotions are a part of who we are and how we perceive and act to the people and the world around us. The Incarnation means that God cares about us enough to experience these things with us in Christ. May we recognize that we are never truly alone because God stands with us in Christ through even the worst of situations; not necessarily to make us feel better, but to offer a word of peace in the midst of turmoil. Thanks be to God.
This thing is always badgering me to Title my posts.
But the thing is, sometimes, I can't think of witty titles, or titles that adequately reflect what I want to say. I digress.
A quick update on life:
My first full time seminary year is over. I got an A!!! on my Systematic Theology paper. The professors who read it said they enjoyed it and that it is creative and well thought out. I was thrilled, especially considering most of us were seriously freaked out about that class. I also got an "A" on my Pauline Letters final, not that it matters because I took that class for Credit/No Credit. The sermon I wrote for From Text to Sermon received several good comments and some constructive criticism. The professor didn't appreciate the humor I tried to interject. Oh well. I think he liked the thing for the most part because I got Credit for the sermon, and since I was there every class period and did everything required, I am assuming I got credit for the course. Really, I'm not worried about having failed anything. I'm fairly certain I did well this year. I'm happy with the academic work I did.
Many of my classmates have already hit the road for home, for CPE sites, or for wedding planning. I went to graduation this year because "J," who is no longer "just" my friend, but my boyfriend (officially since the Thursday before Easter), graduated. I'm so proud of him! He is so smart, he is so smart, S-M-R-T! I got to help for the Baccalaureate service as a communion assistant. The graduation ceremony was also quite nice. The pictures I took are less than stellar, but I never claimed to be a photographer. It was a good weekend, really. I pray God's blessings on all those who have graduated or who are otherwise leaving this place. I'm confident that God is working in them.
Tonight, J and I hung out a bit. We walked on a path near a body of water near here. It is quite lovely, really. It sprinkled just a bit, but I'm not a wicked witch who is bound to melt from a little water. We also had dinner and started watching Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi. We have been watching those movies because I'd not seen them before. I didn't think I would like them, but I really do. We got about halfway through the movie tonight, before we decided to finish it tomorrow or something. He has to wake up early for work, so hopefully he was able to fall asleep well. It was a really fun evening, though.
When I got home, I saw that I had a message from Sis. She told me a few various things in the message. She said Mom is getting even more violent and combative; so much so that the doctor at the Supermax is starting her on an anti-psychotic drug. I have mentioned before, but I think it bears repeating that Ma doesn't have Alzheimer's Disease. Rather, she has what is called "Vascular Dementia," aka Dementia without further differentitation, aka hardening of the arteries in her brain. The progression is a lot like the big A, but instead of the gradual decline in most Alz patients, the declines come for people with Ma's type in steps as different blood vessels get closed off in what are sort of like strokes. You can click here to see an overview of what dementia does to a person. Because it is so similar to Alzheimers, the symptoms/stages are pretty much the same, except for the way they come about. Here and here are places where there is some information on the symptoms of dementia, and this link discusses staging of Alzheimers Disease (and by extension, speaks to other sorts of dementia as well). It's disconcerting to see that Ma is moving more and more quickly toward the moderately severe (Stage 6) area. Even though AD and Vascular Dementia are not the same thing, they are quite similar. Similar enough, in my opinion (though I am not a doctor), to compare reasonably. Yikes. I keep praying for her to have peace. I'd appreciate your prayers for her, too. Thanks.
A quick update on life:
My first full time seminary year is over. I got an A!!! on my Systematic Theology paper. The professors who read it said they enjoyed it and that it is creative and well thought out. I was thrilled, especially considering most of us were seriously freaked out about that class. I also got an "A" on my Pauline Letters final, not that it matters because I took that class for Credit/No Credit. The sermon I wrote for From Text to Sermon received several good comments and some constructive criticism. The professor didn't appreciate the humor I tried to interject. Oh well. I think he liked the thing for the most part because I got Credit for the sermon, and since I was there every class period and did everything required, I am assuming I got credit for the course. Really, I'm not worried about having failed anything. I'm fairly certain I did well this year. I'm happy with the academic work I did.
Many of my classmates have already hit the road for home, for CPE sites, or for wedding planning. I went to graduation this year because "J," who is no longer "just" my friend, but my boyfriend (officially since the Thursday before Easter), graduated. I'm so proud of him! He is so smart, he is so smart, S-M-R-T! I got to help for the Baccalaureate service as a communion assistant. The graduation ceremony was also quite nice. The pictures I took are less than stellar, but I never claimed to be a photographer. It was a good weekend, really. I pray God's blessings on all those who have graduated or who are otherwise leaving this place. I'm confident that God is working in them.
Tonight, J and I hung out a bit. We walked on a path near a body of water near here. It is quite lovely, really. It sprinkled just a bit, but I'm not a wicked witch who is bound to melt from a little water. We also had dinner and started watching Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi. We have been watching those movies because I'd not seen them before. I didn't think I would like them, but I really do. We got about halfway through the movie tonight, before we decided to finish it tomorrow or something. He has to wake up early for work, so hopefully he was able to fall asleep well. It was a really fun evening, though.
When I got home, I saw that I had a message from Sis. She told me a few various things in the message. She said Mom is getting even more violent and combative; so much so that the doctor at the Supermax is starting her on an anti-psychotic drug. I have mentioned before, but I think it bears repeating that Ma doesn't have Alzheimer's Disease. Rather, she has what is called "Vascular Dementia," aka Dementia without further differentitation, aka hardening of the arteries in her brain. The progression is a lot like the big A, but instead of the gradual decline in most Alz patients, the declines come for people with Ma's type in steps as different blood vessels get closed off in what are sort of like strokes. You can click here to see an overview of what dementia does to a person. Because it is so similar to Alzheimers, the symptoms/stages are pretty much the same, except for the way they come about. Here and here are places where there is some information on the symptoms of dementia, and this link discusses staging of Alzheimers Disease (and by extension, speaks to other sorts of dementia as well). It's disconcerting to see that Ma is moving more and more quickly toward the moderately severe (Stage 6) area. Even though AD and Vascular Dementia are not the same thing, they are quite similar. Similar enough, in my opinion (though I am not a doctor), to compare reasonably. Yikes. I keep praying for her to have peace. I'd appreciate your prayers for her, too. Thanks.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Violence is bad, mmkay?
So, in talking with Sis, I have found out some new information. Sis called the home where Mom lives yesterday. She wanted to know how Mom got a big skin tear on her arm. I thought maybe Mom caught her arm on the door or something when she fell. It turns out that the REASON Ma fell is because she was in some other lady's room to say goodnight to her (the whole "Grandma" thing), and some nurse's aid was in there, maybe trying to get Mom to go to bed or something, when Ma decided to try to punch and kick the aid.
My mother is getting violent. First, there is that lady who she throws down with sometimes (we call that woman vinegar, and Ma Oil), and now she's getting narsty with the aids at the home. And, really, I think, anyone she doesn't know because she was giving some attitude to the nurses at the hospital. Thank goodness Pastor came in and was able to convince Ma they were trying to help.
Violence is a fairly new thing for Ma. She was always so meek. I mean, she'd swat us occasionally when we were kids if we were bad, but she was not really the disciplinarian of the family. It is scary to see her getting worse so quickly. Before this weekend, the last time I saw her, she still used "normal" words where they belonged, but she didn't make much sense. Now she is using words that don't belong and not making sense. And, when she's tired, she uses non-words. Just jibberish. And, she is getting violent. It just seems like she's going downhill fast. It's just a scary and frustrating thing.
Anyway, I guess I'm just trying to process through what is happening to her and what that means for her, my siblings, and me. Thanks for all your kind words and prayers and everything. I am very much appreciative. Peace to you all.
My mother is getting violent. First, there is that lady who she throws down with sometimes (we call that woman vinegar, and Ma Oil), and now she's getting narsty with the aids at the home. And, really, I think, anyone she doesn't know because she was giving some attitude to the nurses at the hospital. Thank goodness Pastor came in and was able to convince Ma they were trying to help.
Violence is a fairly new thing for Ma. She was always so meek. I mean, she'd swat us occasionally when we were kids if we were bad, but she was not really the disciplinarian of the family. It is scary to see her getting worse so quickly. Before this weekend, the last time I saw her, she still used "normal" words where they belonged, but she didn't make much sense. Now she is using words that don't belong and not making sense. And, when she's tired, she uses non-words. Just jibberish. And, she is getting violent. It just seems like she's going downhill fast. It's just a scary and frustrating thing.
Anyway, I guess I'm just trying to process through what is happening to her and what that means for her, my siblings, and me. Thanks for all your kind words and prayers and everything. I am very much appreciative. Peace to you all.
Monday, May 12, 2008
I don't care about a Title right now.
Saturday night, Sis called me around 10:30 or so. Ma was going down the hall at the home to say goodnight to some lady she calls, "Grandma," when she turned, lost her balance, fell, and broke her hip. They took her to the hospital and Sis and YS called me from the Emergency Department. Thankfully, she didn't break the whole ball of her hip; just the piece that curves around. That meant that she didn't need a whole hip replacement.
So, when Sis called, I was on MSN talking with a seminary friend. I told her what happened after I hung up because I was conflicted on whether or not I should go home, considering this week is Finals Week. Friend asked me what my gut feeling about it was, and I said I wanted to go. It's good to have people help you sort through these sorts of things when your mind is going around in circles and it's hard to tell which way is up. So, I decided to go, and so I realized I would need to email my extended family and some of Ma's old friends to let them know this happened. I also thought it best to email the profs I have on Monday in case something were to go wrong, that way they would know why I was absent. I also txt messaged a friend here at the Castle. I was going to tell her I was going home and would not be riding to church the next day. She called and came right up, which was helpful. When she got here, I was pretty much babbling like an idiot, trying to compose the email to the profs. So, Friend typed it for me. She also helped me pack, making sure I didn't forget anything important.
Then, I headed out. Packing Friend texted me on the way, and so did another friend who was with Packing Friend when I told her what was up. The drive from Seminary to "home" is about 3 hours or so. It downpoured the WHOLE WAY HOME! I thought I was going to die a couple of times. But, I didn't, thankfully. I made it "home," and Sis got back from being with Ma at the hospital about ten minutes after I got there. Ma was actually talking in non-words that night. But then, Sis and I made plans about Sunday's surgery; what time to leave and what not. So, we went to sleep. I was able to go to church because Ma's surgery wasn't scheduled until at least 11:00 or so. So, I went to church, and I'm glad. Since it was Mother's Day, I figured Pastor and his wife and sons would have something planned, so I didn't expect to see him at the hospital. However, I needed some sort of Pastoral Care. I got it at "sharing the peace" time. Pastor came up to me and put his hand on my arm in the "hey, I'm with you" way. I'm not big on being touched, and I think he knows that in some way (body language), but I appreciated it on Sunday. I am, however, working on this "personal space" thing. I'm very grateful for the hugs and shoulder pats I've gotten today.
Sis, YS, YSB, and I then went to the hospital after church. Mom was sleeping because they had given her some morphine. She woke up for a few minutes and I tried to make a joke about how if she wanted us all to come home for Mother's Day, all she had to do was ask. She just kind of stared at me. No laugh or anything. That was really disappointing because my mom used to have a really good sense of humor. I think I'm funnier than she is, but I also believe that her influence helped shape my sense of humor. My older brother (the one who is cool) and his wife met us at the hospital a little while later. Mom was so out of it, so we just stayed in the lounge about 15 feet from her room. Then, they came and took Ma for surgery. Sis and I rode down the elevator with her to say goodbye, although we were kind of confused about what was happening. I was disappointed that the rest of the family didn't get to wish her well.
The surgery took about an hour and a half or two hours. When all was said and done, the doctor came out to talk to us. He told us that she would be able to bear weight on it today, even because they only had to replace the piece of bone she broke. He also asked about her dementia. I got to be the mouthpiece of the family because I am good at keeping those sorts of dates and timeframes in my head. When Mom first became unable to recall this sort of thing and Sis had to do it, they had me write down all of her diagnosis and surgery dates.
So, we got to go back up to the Med-Surg floor after about an hour to see her. She was totally out of it. She was wearing an oxygen mask. She has problems with her blood pressure after surgery, and I think they probably gave her the oxygen to help that, too. She slept the rest of the day. We stayed in the lounge until about 6:30 that night, but then decided to go because the nurse said she'd probably sleep the rest of the day and into tomorrow. While we had been waiting, I went in to check on her once to see if she was asleep and I just looked at her. She's so small and frail. She looks just like her mom did when she was in the throes of Alzheimer's, except my mom still has dark brown hair, with very minimal gray. She's too young to have to be dealing with this stuff.
Pretty much, we're waiting to see how bad the anesthesia and the stress on her body messed her up. She'd been getting worse before the fall, and so I'm not confident that things will be good for her. It's so disconcerting.
But, instead of staying to be with my family, I came back to the castle early this morning so I could take a final and what not. I am conflicted. But, I'm here now, so I might as well make the most out of it. I would appreciate so much if you would (continue to) keep Ma in your prayers. I so much want her to have some peace. Alright, so I need to go have some lunch. Bye.
So, when Sis called, I was on MSN talking with a seminary friend. I told her what happened after I hung up because I was conflicted on whether or not I should go home, considering this week is Finals Week. Friend asked me what my gut feeling about it was, and I said I wanted to go. It's good to have people help you sort through these sorts of things when your mind is going around in circles and it's hard to tell which way is up. So, I decided to go, and so I realized I would need to email my extended family and some of Ma's old friends to let them know this happened. I also thought it best to email the profs I have on Monday in case something were to go wrong, that way they would know why I was absent. I also txt messaged a friend here at the Castle. I was going to tell her I was going home and would not be riding to church the next day. She called and came right up, which was helpful. When she got here, I was pretty much babbling like an idiot, trying to compose the email to the profs. So, Friend typed it for me. She also helped me pack, making sure I didn't forget anything important.
Then, I headed out. Packing Friend texted me on the way, and so did another friend who was with Packing Friend when I told her what was up. The drive from Seminary to "home" is about 3 hours or so. It downpoured the WHOLE WAY HOME! I thought I was going to die a couple of times. But, I didn't, thankfully. I made it "home," and Sis got back from being with Ma at the hospital about ten minutes after I got there. Ma was actually talking in non-words that night. But then, Sis and I made plans about Sunday's surgery; what time to leave and what not. So, we went to sleep. I was able to go to church because Ma's surgery wasn't scheduled until at least 11:00 or so. So, I went to church, and I'm glad. Since it was Mother's Day, I figured Pastor and his wife and sons would have something planned, so I didn't expect to see him at the hospital. However, I needed some sort of Pastoral Care. I got it at "sharing the peace" time. Pastor came up to me and put his hand on my arm in the "hey, I'm with you" way. I'm not big on being touched, and I think he knows that in some way (body language), but I appreciated it on Sunday. I am, however, working on this "personal space" thing. I'm very grateful for the hugs and shoulder pats I've gotten today.
Sis, YS, YSB, and I then went to the hospital after church. Mom was sleeping because they had given her some morphine. She woke up for a few minutes and I tried to make a joke about how if she wanted us all to come home for Mother's Day, all she had to do was ask. She just kind of stared at me. No laugh or anything. That was really disappointing because my mom used to have a really good sense of humor. I think I'm funnier than she is, but I also believe that her influence helped shape my sense of humor. My older brother (the one who is cool) and his wife met us at the hospital a little while later. Mom was so out of it, so we just stayed in the lounge about 15 feet from her room. Then, they came and took Ma for surgery. Sis and I rode down the elevator with her to say goodbye, although we were kind of confused about what was happening. I was disappointed that the rest of the family didn't get to wish her well.
The surgery took about an hour and a half or two hours. When all was said and done, the doctor came out to talk to us. He told us that she would be able to bear weight on it today, even because they only had to replace the piece of bone she broke. He also asked about her dementia. I got to be the mouthpiece of the family because I am good at keeping those sorts of dates and timeframes in my head. When Mom first became unable to recall this sort of thing and Sis had to do it, they had me write down all of her diagnosis and surgery dates.
So, we got to go back up to the Med-Surg floor after about an hour to see her. She was totally out of it. She was wearing an oxygen mask. She has problems with her blood pressure after surgery, and I think they probably gave her the oxygen to help that, too. She slept the rest of the day. We stayed in the lounge until about 6:30 that night, but then decided to go because the nurse said she'd probably sleep the rest of the day and into tomorrow. While we had been waiting, I went in to check on her once to see if she was asleep and I just looked at her. She's so small and frail. She looks just like her mom did when she was in the throes of Alzheimer's, except my mom still has dark brown hair, with very minimal gray. She's too young to have to be dealing with this stuff.
Pretty much, we're waiting to see how bad the anesthesia and the stress on her body messed her up. She'd been getting worse before the fall, and so I'm not confident that things will be good for her. It's so disconcerting.
But, instead of staying to be with my family, I came back to the castle early this morning so I could take a final and what not. I am conflicted. But, I'm here now, so I might as well make the most out of it. I would appreciate so much if you would (continue to) keep Ma in your prayers. I so much want her to have some peace. Alright, so I need to go have some lunch. Bye.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Some Thoughts
I was reading an article today in Christianity Today (the online version). The article is entitled, "A Little Office Humor Goes a Long Way." It speaks about how laughter is a gift from God, even though the Bible never explicitly says that Jesus laughed.
I for one, think that the mere fact that Jesus was a full human being means that, of course he laughed!
I think I've mentioned before that wherever I go, people tend to comment on my sense of humor, or my laugh, or the "impish michievousness right under my surface." The word, "impish" has actually been used multiple times to describe me. In a good way.
Anyway, I have been thinking about how laughter and a sense of humor is a spiritual gift. Sometimes I feel like I don't have enough "spiritual gifts," and I sell my sense of humor short. After all, what good does laughing REALLY do?
I think it does a world of good! When I am having a bad day or am feeling sad, a good laugh seems to reset me. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (emphasis mine). Laughter can be a good signature that one is joyful. And to go hand in hand with this verse, I think that a sense of humor can show these other fruits of the Spirit. When a friend can make me laugh, that shows kindness to me. I feel like I have received a gift from their generosity of being able to use their wit and charm to make me laugh. Also, I am far more apt to laugh at something said by someone I like or love than I am to laugh through jokes or some random person's comments. And I feel at peace when I am laughing. I forget the stresses and tribulations of life, if only for a few minutes.
So, that being said, I think I am really beginning to believe that my sense of humor is indeed a good and "valid" spiritual gift. It is a hope of mine that my sense of humor and my laughter blesses the lives of others in some way. In reflecting on this, I remember a time last semester, I think, when we were sitting in class and it was getting too intense or we were all getting really bored or something (I don't remember the specifics of the situation), and I made some silly comment and the whole class started laughing. I was slightly afraid it was timed improperly, but later, friends said that we needed that right then.
Laughter is a good thing. Frederick Buechner once said that there is "laughter of faith." What I think he was talking about is that even in the midst of the "stuff" of life, we can laugh because of the hope we have in Jesus. We can trust in faith that the promises of God in Christ are not willy-nilly, but are firmly bonded in the steadfast character of God, the awesome one.
Be blessed, my friends. And laugh. See you.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/workplace/articles/leadership/alittleofficehumor.html
I for one, think that the mere fact that Jesus was a full human being means that, of course he laughed!
I think I've mentioned before that wherever I go, people tend to comment on my sense of humor, or my laugh, or the "impish michievousness right under my surface." The word, "impish" has actually been used multiple times to describe me. In a good way.
Anyway, I have been thinking about how laughter and a sense of humor is a spiritual gift. Sometimes I feel like I don't have enough "spiritual gifts," and I sell my sense of humor short. After all, what good does laughing REALLY do?
I think it does a world of good! When I am having a bad day or am feeling sad, a good laugh seems to reset me. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (emphasis mine). Laughter can be a good signature that one is joyful. And to go hand in hand with this verse, I think that a sense of humor can show these other fruits of the Spirit. When a friend can make me laugh, that shows kindness to me. I feel like I have received a gift from their generosity of being able to use their wit and charm to make me laugh. Also, I am far more apt to laugh at something said by someone I like or love than I am to laugh through jokes or some random person's comments. And I feel at peace when I am laughing. I forget the stresses and tribulations of life, if only for a few minutes.
So, that being said, I think I am really beginning to believe that my sense of humor is indeed a good and "valid" spiritual gift. It is a hope of mine that my sense of humor and my laughter blesses the lives of others in some way. In reflecting on this, I remember a time last semester, I think, when we were sitting in class and it was getting too intense or we were all getting really bored or something (I don't remember the specifics of the situation), and I made some silly comment and the whole class started laughing. I was slightly afraid it was timed improperly, but later, friends said that we needed that right then.
Laughter is a good thing. Frederick Buechner once said that there is "laughter of faith." What I think he was talking about is that even in the midst of the "stuff" of life, we can laugh because of the hope we have in Jesus. We can trust in faith that the promises of God in Christ are not willy-nilly, but are firmly bonded in the steadfast character of God, the awesome one.
Be blessed, my friends. And laugh. See you.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/workplace/articles/leadership/alittleofficehumor.html
Monday, May 05, 2008
Cap'n Crunch!
Are you ready kids?
Aye aye Captain!
I Can't hear yoU!
AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!
OOOOOOhhh, who has lots of seminary papers due!
TRISHY, TRISHY!
Burnt out, and fried up, and zombie is who?!
TRISHY, TRISHY!
If THEO BABBLE BE SOMETHING YOU WISH!
TRISHY, TRISHY
Then pay attention to this girl named Trish!
TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHEEEEEEEE!!
Dooododooodoodoo DO!
So... In case you couldn't tell, it's crunch time here at Seminary. I'm not really freaking out; I just wanted to stretch my rhyming/creative part of my brain. Yup. I have a sermon due tomorrow. I finished and started today, and am happy with it. I need the pressure... Seriously. I tried writing this thing a couple of days ago, but to no avail. I'm bad. Then, I have my big Systematic Theology paper due Tuesday. The paper part is done, but I have to finish my annotated bibliography, yet. I only have a few more articles and a book to write about. The big assignment I'm slightly concerned about is for Parish Worship. It's a group project. The only reason I'm stressin' is because I am very chill about this sort of thing and grades, but I don't want to mess up my group, ya know.. I like to be responsible when people are counting on me. But, seriously, it shouldn't be too big a deal. That's pretty much all that is "due" this week. Oh, and this thing for Pastoral Care, but I've had that done forever.
Next week is another big week though. We have our Pauline Letters final, a Systematic Theology final (we have conversations with small groups), a bulletin/paper for Parish Worship, and hmm... we also have to redo our four small Systematic Theology papers. Next week is going to be slightly more stressful. Ah well. I shall live. I promise.
It's almost summer. Peace to you all who are gearing up for summer activities, or who are going through finals and end of the year projects of your own. Keep ya chin up!
Aye aye Captain!
I Can't hear yoU!
AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!
OOOOOOhhh, who has lots of seminary papers due!
TRISHY, TRISHY!
Burnt out, and fried up, and zombie is who?!
TRISHY, TRISHY!
If THEO BABBLE BE SOMETHING YOU WISH!
TRISHY, TRISHY
Then pay attention to this girl named Trish!
TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHY, TRISHEEEEEEEE!!
Dooododooodoodoo DO!
So... In case you couldn't tell, it's crunch time here at Seminary. I'm not really freaking out; I just wanted to stretch my rhyming/creative part of my brain. Yup. I have a sermon due tomorrow. I finished and started today, and am happy with it. I need the pressure... Seriously. I tried writing this thing a couple of days ago, but to no avail. I'm bad. Then, I have my big Systematic Theology paper due Tuesday. The paper part is done, but I have to finish my annotated bibliography, yet. I only have a few more articles and a book to write about. The big assignment I'm slightly concerned about is for Parish Worship. It's a group project. The only reason I'm stressin' is because I am very chill about this sort of thing and grades, but I don't want to mess up my group, ya know.. I like to be responsible when people are counting on me. But, seriously, it shouldn't be too big a deal. That's pretty much all that is "due" this week. Oh, and this thing for Pastoral Care, but I've had that done forever.
Next week is another big week though. We have our Pauline Letters final, a Systematic Theology final (we have conversations with small groups), a bulletin/paper for Parish Worship, and hmm... we also have to redo our four small Systematic Theology papers. Next week is going to be slightly more stressful. Ah well. I shall live. I promise.
It's almost summer. Peace to you all who are gearing up for summer activities, or who are going through finals and end of the year projects of your own. Keep ya chin up!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Random
Well, it's 1:00 a.m. and I'm still up. I took a ridiculously long nap today, and so... here I am unable to sleep. Ah well. It was worth it. I was tired.
I think I am going to try to go to bed soon, though. I have a 7:30 a.m. class, and I'm also helping with communion tomorrow because it's Ascension Day! Yay Jesus!
Last but not least, I have Facebook, and I love the application, "Pieces of Flair." It's where you get a corkboard on your profile and you can add "buttons" to your board, either by yourself, or people can send them to you. There are a whole lot of REALLY funny ones. One that I was laughing at tonight (although I wouldn't put it on my board) is, "Ask Me About My Explosive Diarrhea." I'm a huge dork, but I don't care. Peace out, y'all.
I think I am going to try to go to bed soon, though. I have a 7:30 a.m. class, and I'm also helping with communion tomorrow because it's Ascension Day! Yay Jesus!
Last but not least, I have Facebook, and I love the application, "Pieces of Flair." It's where you get a corkboard on your profile and you can add "buttons" to your board, either by yourself, or people can send them to you. There are a whole lot of REALLY funny ones. One that I was laughing at tonight (although I wouldn't put it on my board) is, "Ask Me About My Explosive Diarrhea." I'm a huge dork, but I don't care. Peace out, y'all.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
A fix, too
For my post about the Chapel Observation...
The Soli Deo Gloria setting was written BY Marty Haugen FOR Weston Noble for, like, the 50th anniversary of his leading the choir or something. My bad. We used that order of service again today, and I have to admit, I was laughing a little about the built in song when we got there. Maybe that's because I told some friends of my thoughts about it. Knowing that my musings may have been running through their heads at the same time they were running through my head is amusing to me.
However, I do have to say, the more I think about it, the less I like the particular song I'm thinking about. The verse us women folk sing basically says that we need protection and we need to be pure and spotless because we're women. And then, the men come in and sing all pretty much about male-power. Not overtly like that, and I thought perhaps I was being overly sensitive, but before I even said my thoughts regarding that, someone else brought it up. And I heard a couple more people talk about it today, too. So, I'm not alone in these, "This stuff is sexist!" thinking...
But, the rest of the service is quite lovely. It is one of my favorites, aside from that one song in there. And when there are people who are good at chanting/singing, it is made even better. So, with that, I'm out. It's Tuesday, and so a couple of us get together for Law & Order SVU and conversation, and perhaps some adult beverages. I think I finished my Systematic Theology paper today, but I still need to do a bunch of writing for the annotated bibliography that goes with it. I'm going to do some of that before I head down the hall. You all have a delightful evening.
The Soli Deo Gloria setting was written BY Marty Haugen FOR Weston Noble for, like, the 50th anniversary of his leading the choir or something. My bad. We used that order of service again today, and I have to admit, I was laughing a little about the built in song when we got there. Maybe that's because I told some friends of my thoughts about it. Knowing that my musings may have been running through their heads at the same time they were running through my head is amusing to me.
However, I do have to say, the more I think about it, the less I like the particular song I'm thinking about. The verse us women folk sing basically says that we need protection and we need to be pure and spotless because we're women. And then, the men come in and sing all pretty much about male-power. Not overtly like that, and I thought perhaps I was being overly sensitive, but before I even said my thoughts regarding that, someone else brought it up. And I heard a couple more people talk about it today, too. So, I'm not alone in these, "This stuff is sexist!" thinking...
But, the rest of the service is quite lovely. It is one of my favorites, aside from that one song in there. And when there are people who are good at chanting/singing, it is made even better. So, with that, I'm out. It's Tuesday, and so a couple of us get together for Law & Order SVU and conversation, and perhaps some adult beverages. I think I finished my Systematic Theology paper today, but I still need to do a bunch of writing for the annotated bibliography that goes with it. I'm going to do some of that before I head down the hall. You all have a delightful evening.
Something that has been on my mind...
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a "valued leader" for God's mission in the Church and in the world. I think that all people are valued and valuable, so what exactly does it mean for us who are in seminary to be working toward becoming a valued leader? Valued by whom? And how are we going to quantify or qualify the amount of value we have?
Some of the people I think are extremely valuable are people that others might think are completely expendable, or troublesome.
Society likes to tell us that we are defined by what we do. When we meet someone for the first time, often one of the first questions asked is, "What do you do?" But more importantly, aside from simply saying that you are a student or an airline attendant, or a pastor, or a sanitation engineer, or whatever, I think this question is getting more at the question, "What do you find valuable?" Or it could even be asking, "Who do you find valuable?" For example, what would the difference in thought be if you were to meet someone who said they were a CEO at a Fortune 500 company and someone who works with the Peace Corps or Doctors without Borders or whatever? I'm not saying that all CEOs are heartless jerks, but to me, different "personalities" are conjured when I think of these two occupations.
Anyway, what I'm meaning to say is, "How can we be valued leaders if we do not value each and every single person who comes into our lives; even if 'only' on the periphery?" If I see a classmate or seminary mate who is obviously extremely upset about something that is a big "hot button" issue, do I sit back and play the political game by not identifying with or comforting my schoolmate, or do I reach out with compassion and grace? And if I do play it political style, what does that say about me? Especially if no one else is reaching out either. What is that saying TO the person who is upset? "You don't count because you are at the root of this problem!" is what I think it says. And that's unfortunate. Really, it's more than unfortunate; it's sad and it's disgraceful because Jesus Christ did not come targeting any specific group (except for sinners, which is all of us, friends).
How can we be valued leaders if we're not cultivating the ACTUAL practice of grace and compassion? If we're trying to "play the game" to the extent that we are not ministering to people, but we're ministering at our own discretion and for our own gain?
Maybe I'm being naive, but I'm just thinking that when I start letting people tell me who I can and cannot minister to, I'm becoming irrelevant. I reckon that I'm going to continue to pray for those who are marginalized, and pray that my own inadequacies and shortcomings might be brought to my attention so that I might work on addressing them. Peace out for now, y'all.
Some of the people I think are extremely valuable are people that others might think are completely expendable, or troublesome.
Society likes to tell us that we are defined by what we do. When we meet someone for the first time, often one of the first questions asked is, "What do you do?" But more importantly, aside from simply saying that you are a student or an airline attendant, or a pastor, or a sanitation engineer, or whatever, I think this question is getting more at the question, "What do you find valuable?" Or it could even be asking, "Who do you find valuable?" For example, what would the difference in thought be if you were to meet someone who said they were a CEO at a Fortune 500 company and someone who works with the Peace Corps or Doctors without Borders or whatever? I'm not saying that all CEOs are heartless jerks, but to me, different "personalities" are conjured when I think of these two occupations.
Anyway, what I'm meaning to say is, "How can we be valued leaders if we do not value each and every single person who comes into our lives; even if 'only' on the periphery?" If I see a classmate or seminary mate who is obviously extremely upset about something that is a big "hot button" issue, do I sit back and play the political game by not identifying with or comforting my schoolmate, or do I reach out with compassion and grace? And if I do play it political style, what does that say about me? Especially if no one else is reaching out either. What is that saying TO the person who is upset? "You don't count because you are at the root of this problem!" is what I think it says. And that's unfortunate. Really, it's more than unfortunate; it's sad and it's disgraceful because Jesus Christ did not come targeting any specific group (except for sinners, which is all of us, friends).
How can we be valued leaders if we're not cultivating the ACTUAL practice of grace and compassion? If we're trying to "play the game" to the extent that we are not ministering to people, but we're ministering at our own discretion and for our own gain?
Maybe I'm being naive, but I'm just thinking that when I start letting people tell me who I can and cannot minister to, I'm becoming irrelevant. I reckon that I'm going to continue to pray for those who are marginalized, and pray that my own inadequacies and shortcomings might be brought to my attention so that I might work on addressing them. Peace out for now, y'all.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Chapel Observation
Well, here at Seminary, we have chapel every weekday. To keep things lively, students are assigned to help out every week, under a faculty member. Also, each day generally has a typical order of service matched with it, and the people who plan worship pretty much do "Filler work," meaning they choose hymns and whether or not we chant or speak the psalm and what not.
On Tuesdays, we do the "Soli Deo Gloria" order of service, which is really quite lovely. I think that it was written by Weston Noble, the man who used to conduct the choir at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. I'm not sure though, so don't quote me.
I've noticed something about this order of service that I think is amusing, though. The assembly sings a song that is built into the service, and in this song, there are 5 verses. Everyone sings the first two, women sing the third, men sing the fourth, and everyone comes back in to sing the fifth. This amuses me because when it is the women folk's turn to sing, it reminds me of that scene in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," when the girl's school is introduced and they come in all fluttery like and say, "AHH" in their incredibly high-pitched voices. Then, the guys do their verse, and it's almost like when the boy's school comes in, pounding their sticks on the ground and marching.
I don't know; maybe you have to be there...
I'm not sure if I like the actual word break up of the song though, but that'll be a post for another day. I'm not feeling the greatest again, and even missed class today. I think I'm going to have a can of peaches and go lie down for a while. Peace out.
On Tuesdays, we do the "Soli Deo Gloria" order of service, which is really quite lovely. I think that it was written by Weston Noble, the man who used to conduct the choir at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. I'm not sure though, so don't quote me.
I've noticed something about this order of service that I think is amusing, though. The assembly sings a song that is built into the service, and in this song, there are 5 verses. Everyone sings the first two, women sing the third, men sing the fourth, and everyone comes back in to sing the fifth. This amuses me because when it is the women folk's turn to sing, it reminds me of that scene in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," when the girl's school is introduced and they come in all fluttery like and say, "AHH" in their incredibly high-pitched voices. Then, the guys do their verse, and it's almost like when the boy's school comes in, pounding their sticks on the ground and marching.
I don't know; maybe you have to be there...
I'm not sure if I like the actual word break up of the song though, but that'll be a post for another day. I'm not feeling the greatest again, and even missed class today. I think I'm going to have a can of peaches and go lie down for a while. Peace out.
Monday, April 21, 2008
A couple quick notes on my life...
Last Friday was Howard's birthday! He turned two years old. I didn't call them on the actual day because I slept pretty much that whole day. I was siiiiick.... Ah well.
Sis called me today to ask how I was doing and stuff, and we had a bit of a conversation. Near the end of my conversations with my sisters, I always ask, "Is there anything else that we should talk about?" And Sis said, "No, not really." And then I said, "Has Ma's nursing home called lately or anything?" Well, Sis told me that the nursing home DID call. It seems Mom's arms got scratched up the other day. Some woman and mom had a throw down! The way it sounds, they try to keep this lady and my mom separated because they are just like oil and water, but they had an "interaction" the other day and Ma got scratched up. I don't know if she fought back, or if she was her usual meek and mild self. Who knows? My mom has never been a violent person, but I think she could bust some old lady up if she had to... Not that I condone violence, because I don't.
I guess I shouldn't tell you that I busted out laughing. It's not funny; but really... Old ladies fighting? Can't you just see it? Tell me that doesn't look ridiculous in your mind's eye! I dare you!
In other news, a seminary friend of mine ran THE BOSTON MARATHON today! He came in 4997th out of over 25,000 runners. I'm so proud of him! He completed the race in around 3 1/2 hours. I'm actually watching the race on t.v. now, trying to get a glimpse of him. I don't think it's gonna happen, though. Ah well.
And lastly, I'm working, working, working on my Systematic Theology paper. This is the "big" class we juniors (first years) have, and it has most of us pretty intimidated. I'm meeting with the professor tomorrow to talk about it. He told me he liked, "The daring approach I took on my paper." I just want to make sure that this "daring approach" can get me a passing grade!
And with that, I think I'm going to go now. The weather is beautiful, so I want to get to a satisfactory point with my paper so I can maybe go outside. Peace out, and enjoy the weather!
Sis called me today to ask how I was doing and stuff, and we had a bit of a conversation. Near the end of my conversations with my sisters, I always ask, "Is there anything else that we should talk about?" And Sis said, "No, not really." And then I said, "Has Ma's nursing home called lately or anything?" Well, Sis told me that the nursing home DID call. It seems Mom's arms got scratched up the other day. Some woman and mom had a throw down! The way it sounds, they try to keep this lady and my mom separated because they are just like oil and water, but they had an "interaction" the other day and Ma got scratched up. I don't know if she fought back, or if she was her usual meek and mild self. Who knows? My mom has never been a violent person, but I think she could bust some old lady up if she had to... Not that I condone violence, because I don't.
I guess I shouldn't tell you that I busted out laughing. It's not funny; but really... Old ladies fighting? Can't you just see it? Tell me that doesn't look ridiculous in your mind's eye! I dare you!
In other news, a seminary friend of mine ran THE BOSTON MARATHON today! He came in 4997th out of over 25,000 runners. I'm so proud of him! He completed the race in around 3 1/2 hours. I'm actually watching the race on t.v. now, trying to get a glimpse of him. I don't think it's gonna happen, though. Ah well.
And lastly, I'm working, working, working on my Systematic Theology paper. This is the "big" class we juniors (first years) have, and it has most of us pretty intimidated. I'm meeting with the professor tomorrow to talk about it. He told me he liked, "The daring approach I took on my paper." I just want to make sure that this "daring approach" can get me a passing grade!
And with that, I think I'm going to go now. The weather is beautiful, so I want to get to a satisfactory point with my paper so I can maybe go outside. Peace out, and enjoy the weather!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Get Well Wishes and Prayers
One of my good, good friends here at Seminary has fallen ill. Even though most of my readers are Seminary pals, some of them aren't, and so I'm going to ask you all to keep my friend in your prayers. May the peace and comfort of God hold her and her family at this time, and bring her to wholeness. Get better, friend.
Earthquake!
I was browsing around the Internet this afternoon, when I went to the website for the town in which my church is located. It's kind of a news outlet, but they also have birthdays, benefit information, pictures, and all kinds of stuff on there. Today, I was amazed to see news of an earthquake that was felt in my hometown and the surrounding areas! It originated in downstate Illinois, but was felt for miles and miles away. I'm kinda jealous I wasn't home to feel it, but I HAVE felt an earthquake before. A few years ago, when I was in Junior College, I was lying in bed one early, early, morning, right in the space between sleep and wakefulness when my bed started shaking. At first I thought that someone had hit my house with their car (don't laugh; it's happened before!). Then I thought maybe I was possessed like Regan on THE EXORCIST. But, I was too tired to get up and do anything about it. So, I went to sleep. The next morning, I was talking on MSN to one of my friends and he told me it was an earthquake!
So, today, around 4:37 or so, Illinois had another earthquake. Hopefully my home town doesn't get swallowed into middle earth sometime in the near future... If you're interested in looking at Illinois Geological Information, check out: earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/?region=Illinois
Happy Friday, all.
So, today, around 4:37 or so, Illinois had another earthquake. Hopefully my home town doesn't get swallowed into middle earth sometime in the near future... If you're interested in looking at Illinois Geological Information, check out: earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/?region=Illinois
Happy Friday, all.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
No Title Has Struck Me Yet.
Well, first thing is first! One of my dear, dear friends is having a birthday today! She is twenty-three years old. Happy Birthday, Friend! You rock!
This post is pretty much just going to involve me rambling, so no big changes on that front. Haha.
The presentation at church went well. I got to the church early so Pastor and I could make sure the stuff was all going to be compatible and what not. I set out a bunch of my informational flyers and stuff on a table while Pastor was putting up the screen and getting his laptop started. Then, I put my CD in the computer and it loaded up and was working fine. We wheeled the projector and laptop out of the way, took down the screen, and Pastor got ready to lead worship. He told me that he was sorry he wouldn't be able to view the presentation, but Other Church still needed him to lead worship.
After worship, Pastor said that he would be at the back to greet those who couldn't stay for the presentation. I was afraid I was going to be presenting to a very small group, and so when I turned around to go get something out of the fellowship hall that I'd forgotten, I was pleasantly surprised to see a large remnant of the congregation there. I'd say there were at least fifty people who stayed, and our average worship attendance is around 120 or so. And fifty is not a firm guess at all. I just know that A LOT of people stayed.
Pastor got the screen put back up and then he left. I thanked the people for staying and then showed them my presentation. They laughed where they were supposed to laugh, and I didn't hear any sighs like, "Hurry up already! We didn't know it was going to take this long!" When I had clicked the last slide and gave my closing comments, I stood up and the congregation clapped. I asked if there were any questions, and people actually raised their hands to ask me questions. There was a pew full of little kids who had been sitting right behind me, and they asked me some really good questions. And really, the kids were the majority of the question askers; not just the ones behind me, but the ones throughout the congregation. I fielded questions from the adults, too, but I was impressed at the quality of questions these kids were asking, and how well they had been paying attention, considering the presentation lasted about 45 minutes or so.
When I thought people were done asking questions, I said, "There is a lunch being served in the fellowship hall that you are welcome to stay for. Let us have a word of prayer." Then I gave a short grace, and they went out to eat. I was doing a few things before going out, and some more adults came up and asked me other questions. One man thought that all Palestinians are out to kill other people, but I explained that the majority of them want peace, and extreme right wing anything is bad. He said, "Wow. That's not the picture we get, is it?" And I said, "No, it isn't."
When I got out to the fellowship hall, I got a plate of food that some church folk had cooked up and supplied, and sat down by one of my cousins who had come from Peoria, Illinois to see me and my show. We also sat by a bunch of church folk, and they asked me more questions. I felt smrt. :) ha. It was a good time though. I'm so grateful that that congregation is so willing to support me in various ways; including showing interest in what I'm doing. I'm blessed.
Anyway, this post was more focused than I thought it would be, and it has taken a bit longer to write than I thought. It's all good though. But now, it is time to haul myself down to Audit's so we can do SGW. It's breakfast for dinner tonight, and I'ma walk because it is absolutely beautiful today. Peace out.
This post is pretty much just going to involve me rambling, so no big changes on that front. Haha.
The presentation at church went well. I got to the church early so Pastor and I could make sure the stuff was all going to be compatible and what not. I set out a bunch of my informational flyers and stuff on a table while Pastor was putting up the screen and getting his laptop started. Then, I put my CD in the computer and it loaded up and was working fine. We wheeled the projector and laptop out of the way, took down the screen, and Pastor got ready to lead worship. He told me that he was sorry he wouldn't be able to view the presentation, but Other Church still needed him to lead worship.
After worship, Pastor said that he would be at the back to greet those who couldn't stay for the presentation. I was afraid I was going to be presenting to a very small group, and so when I turned around to go get something out of the fellowship hall that I'd forgotten, I was pleasantly surprised to see a large remnant of the congregation there. I'd say there were at least fifty people who stayed, and our average worship attendance is around 120 or so. And fifty is not a firm guess at all. I just know that A LOT of people stayed.
Pastor got the screen put back up and then he left. I thanked the people for staying and then showed them my presentation. They laughed where they were supposed to laugh, and I didn't hear any sighs like, "Hurry up already! We didn't know it was going to take this long!" When I had clicked the last slide and gave my closing comments, I stood up and the congregation clapped. I asked if there were any questions, and people actually raised their hands to ask me questions. There was a pew full of little kids who had been sitting right behind me, and they asked me some really good questions. And really, the kids were the majority of the question askers; not just the ones behind me, but the ones throughout the congregation. I fielded questions from the adults, too, but I was impressed at the quality of questions these kids were asking, and how well they had been paying attention, considering the presentation lasted about 45 minutes or so.
When I thought people were done asking questions, I said, "There is a lunch being served in the fellowship hall that you are welcome to stay for. Let us have a word of prayer." Then I gave a short grace, and they went out to eat. I was doing a few things before going out, and some more adults came up and asked me other questions. One man thought that all Palestinians are out to kill other people, but I explained that the majority of them want peace, and extreme right wing anything is bad. He said, "Wow. That's not the picture we get, is it?" And I said, "No, it isn't."
When I got out to the fellowship hall, I got a plate of food that some church folk had cooked up and supplied, and sat down by one of my cousins who had come from Peoria, Illinois to see me and my show. We also sat by a bunch of church folk, and they asked me more questions. I felt smrt. :) ha. It was a good time though. I'm so grateful that that congregation is so willing to support me in various ways; including showing interest in what I'm doing. I'm blessed.
Anyway, this post was more focused than I thought it would be, and it has taken a bit longer to write than I thought. It's all good though. But now, it is time to haul myself down to Audit's so we can do SGW. It's breakfast for dinner tonight, and I'ma walk because it is absolutely beautiful today. Peace out.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
What's happening.
So, I came "home" this weekend because I am giving a presentation of my trip to I/P tomorrow at church. We are having worship, set-up time for the power point, the presentation, and a light lunch afterwards. Pastor is not going to be able to make it to the presentation because of the "other" church, but I told him I would show him sometime, or at least leave the cd and my notes so he could see. I'm excited to do the presentation and share with my peeps what I did in January, but I wasn't in the mood to come home this weekend. Ah well. I'm here, so there is no use whining about it.
Hmm. This past Friday was April 11; the day that my mom's friend, Dick, died last year. I don't know why I remember that sort of thing; I just do. I didn't get all weepy or anything, but I did remember with fondness the times I got to spend with him. I also hope that his daughters are dealing with the "anniversary" okay. They say that the first year is always the toughest, and I agree. It's okay to grieve and to not be "fine" all the time, even as others think you should buck up and get over it already. That's not the way human emotions work. I think it's a sliding scale sort of thing. Sometimes memories or situations or something comes up and brings that hurt up almost like new. I know I always get a little crabby around the "anniversary" of my dad's death, and so I empathize with Dick's daughters. I maintain that grief is a strange thing like that...Sometimes even "happy" things can make a person feel the grief anew. I have thought a lot about what could happen in my future, and I did even more so in my past, because I didn't want this or that situation to catch me offguard with grief. That being said, I invite you to pray for those who maybe feel like our culture is telling them to "get over it" already, or telling them that they don't have a right to grive; that they might be surrounded by unexpected grace and love.
Anyway, in other news, one of my cousins and her parents said they are coming to this presentation tomorrow, so I'm happy to see them. I love them and don't get to see them that often. I hope I am not kept too long though, because I also want to go see Grandma, and maybe Mom if time allows. My plan last time to get her to sing didn't work because we were in the hallway and not in her room, so I have a new plan this time to get her to sing. Not in a manipulative way, really, but in a, "I want you to 'feel normal' for a time, and your singing voice is still beautiful and might aid in that" way. I don't know.
But, I need to go because I hope to get some sleep tonight. I'm going extra early to the church in the morning so I can set up a table of stuff from J-term, too. Have a good Sunday.
Hmm. This past Friday was April 11; the day that my mom's friend, Dick, died last year. I don't know why I remember that sort of thing; I just do. I didn't get all weepy or anything, but I did remember with fondness the times I got to spend with him. I also hope that his daughters are dealing with the "anniversary" okay. They say that the first year is always the toughest, and I agree. It's okay to grieve and to not be "fine" all the time, even as others think you should buck up and get over it already. That's not the way human emotions work. I think it's a sliding scale sort of thing. Sometimes memories or situations or something comes up and brings that hurt up almost like new. I know I always get a little crabby around the "anniversary" of my dad's death, and so I empathize with Dick's daughters. I maintain that grief is a strange thing like that...Sometimes even "happy" things can make a person feel the grief anew. I have thought a lot about what could happen in my future, and I did even more so in my past, because I didn't want this or that situation to catch me offguard with grief. That being said, I invite you to pray for those who maybe feel like our culture is telling them to "get over it" already, or telling them that they don't have a right to grive; that they might be surrounded by unexpected grace and love.
Anyway, in other news, one of my cousins and her parents said they are coming to this presentation tomorrow, so I'm happy to see them. I love them and don't get to see them that often. I hope I am not kept too long though, because I also want to go see Grandma, and maybe Mom if time allows. My plan last time to get her to sing didn't work because we were in the hallway and not in her room, so I have a new plan this time to get her to sing. Not in a manipulative way, really, but in a, "I want you to 'feel normal' for a time, and your singing voice is still beautiful and might aid in that" way. I don't know.
But, I need to go because I hope to get some sleep tonight. I'm going extra early to the church in the morning so I can set up a table of stuff from J-term, too. Have a good Sunday.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Something I've been thinking about...
This semester, I am in a class called, "Pastoral Care with Adolescents." I also am finishing up a module tomorrow that also deals with faith in youth, children, and families. For the latter class, I had to read a book and write a paper about it. I chose the book, "Hurt" by Chap Clark. It was interesting, to say the least. The book deals with the issue of abandonment being the underlying cause for a lot of the things teenagers are having to face in today's modern world. Teenagers today are under a lot of stress, and it seems to be systemic from the family and other adults who are off doing their own things instead of being parents and mentors. I'm not saying all adults are hands off when it comes to the lives of teens, but it is a reality for many people.
Reading that book made me think about how teens don't have people to talk to whom they can trust to not just "tell them what to do" or to put all sorts of pressure on them. And that got me to thinking about how when youth approach us, it would do us all well to treat them with respect and love. Only with respect and love and grace are we showing Christ's love to them. We don't show the love of God in Christ when we beat them over their heads with our Bibles, or doctrine, or theology, but when we accept them, warts and all.
And then THAT got me to thinking about this time when I was in high school (the real point of this blog post). I was maybe a junior or so, when a young lady in the class below me came up to me one day. She was one of the girls who was not "popular" in the traditional sense of the word. She wore baggy clothes and didn't have "nice" hair or expensive jewelry, or this or that. She had a reputation for being a stoner/drinker/party person. She swore a lot, she fought a lot, and she skipped school a lot. But, we had P.E. together, and because I tried to be one of those people who would talk to anyone (The MAN isnt' going to tell me who I! can be friends with!), I guess we were on friendly enough terms. I guess I should also include the fact that there were maybe 350 people, tops, at my high school. Everyone knew everyone else, and everyone was always up in everybody else's kool-aid, but it was a pretty decent place to be. I also should include that, while I believed in the Triune God, I was not one of those students who was trying to be a "soul-winner" or whatever. That sort of thing is not my style. Instead, I just tried to live my faith, in the ways a 16-17 year old, mainline Protestant denomination, Christ follower can.
Anyway, back to the young lady. We shall call her "Jessica." She came up to me one day and said something along the lines of, "You believe in God, right?" To which I replied something like, "Yes, I do."
She said, "Well, this is going to sound weird, but I've never heard about who Jesus is. Who is he? What does he do? I've honestly never really been told about him."
And the class was over, so we were walking toward the hallway out of the gym and I told her a little bit about who Jesus is. That Jesus loves us; loves ALL people. That he gave his life so that we could be forgiven." And she said something like, "But what do you have to do to be loved like that?"
And I think I replied something like, "You don't have to do anything. Jesus loves all people." And then, we had to go to our different classes. And thinking back on it, I just think about how it could have seemed that I was dismissing her questions because I wouldn't STOP WALKING to class while she was talking to me. And I didn't ever follow up with her. And I don't think Jessica got the answers she was looking for that day, or that she ever changed.
But the sheer fact that she CAME to me to ask is something I am humbled about now that I have 7 or 8 years between me now and the me then. I wish that I could have been more patient, or more persistent (not in a crazy way, but in a, "I'd like to give you more time to discuss this if you'd like" way). I wish that my witness to Christ could have been more faithful in actions, instead of in just words. I wish that I would have just been more mature, and more cognizant that "rule following" and getting to class on time is not that big of a deal when someone wants to know what Jesus is like.
I'm thinking, "She saw me as someone she could talk to honestly and openly about faith." Holy Cow. Wow. It is my fervent prayer that I am still someone who teenagers can relate to, but I don't have much interaction with them (other than my old friends from Restaurant that I have on MySpace). And I am reminded to pray for Jessica, and hope and pray that she is still curious about this Jesus guy, and who he is. And pray that someone will be more gracious than I was, in order that the radical and life-changing love of Christ might be made evident to her.
Reading that book made me think about how teens don't have people to talk to whom they can trust to not just "tell them what to do" or to put all sorts of pressure on them. And that got me to thinking about how when youth approach us, it would do us all well to treat them with respect and love. Only with respect and love and grace are we showing Christ's love to them. We don't show the love of God in Christ when we beat them over their heads with our Bibles, or doctrine, or theology, but when we accept them, warts and all.
And then THAT got me to thinking about this time when I was in high school (the real point of this blog post). I was maybe a junior or so, when a young lady in the class below me came up to me one day. She was one of the girls who was not "popular" in the traditional sense of the word. She wore baggy clothes and didn't have "nice" hair or expensive jewelry, or this or that. She had a reputation for being a stoner/drinker/party person. She swore a lot, she fought a lot, and she skipped school a lot. But, we had P.E. together, and because I tried to be one of those people who would talk to anyone (The MAN isnt' going to tell me who I! can be friends with!), I guess we were on friendly enough terms. I guess I should also include the fact that there were maybe 350 people, tops, at my high school. Everyone knew everyone else, and everyone was always up in everybody else's kool-aid, but it was a pretty decent place to be. I also should include that, while I believed in the Triune God, I was not one of those students who was trying to be a "soul-winner" or whatever. That sort of thing is not my style. Instead, I just tried to live my faith, in the ways a 16-17 year old, mainline Protestant denomination, Christ follower can.
Anyway, back to the young lady. We shall call her "Jessica." She came up to me one day and said something along the lines of, "You believe in God, right?" To which I replied something like, "Yes, I do."
She said, "Well, this is going to sound weird, but I've never heard about who Jesus is. Who is he? What does he do? I've honestly never really been told about him."
And the class was over, so we were walking toward the hallway out of the gym and I told her a little bit about who Jesus is. That Jesus loves us; loves ALL people. That he gave his life so that we could be forgiven." And she said something like, "But what do you have to do to be loved like that?"
And I think I replied something like, "You don't have to do anything. Jesus loves all people." And then, we had to go to our different classes. And thinking back on it, I just think about how it could have seemed that I was dismissing her questions because I wouldn't STOP WALKING to class while she was talking to me. And I didn't ever follow up with her. And I don't think Jessica got the answers she was looking for that day, or that she ever changed.
But the sheer fact that she CAME to me to ask is something I am humbled about now that I have 7 or 8 years between me now and the me then. I wish that I could have been more patient, or more persistent (not in a crazy way, but in a, "I'd like to give you more time to discuss this if you'd like" way). I wish that my witness to Christ could have been more faithful in actions, instead of in just words. I wish that I would have just been more mature, and more cognizant that "rule following" and getting to class on time is not that big of a deal when someone wants to know what Jesus is like.
I'm thinking, "She saw me as someone she could talk to honestly and openly about faith." Holy Cow. Wow. It is my fervent prayer that I am still someone who teenagers can relate to, but I don't have much interaction with them (other than my old friends from Restaurant that I have on MySpace). And I am reminded to pray for Jessica, and hope and pray that she is still curious about this Jesus guy, and who he is. And pray that someone will be more gracious than I was, in order that the radical and life-changing love of Christ might be made evident to her.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
An observation and a wish!
First off, today is the birthday for a dear, dear friend! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I hope you have an awesome day!
Secondly, I was eating my Cocoa Puffs this morning, and I was thinking, "Why don't they put toys in cereal boxes anymore?" When I was a kid, every sugary box of cereal you bought had some weak little toy in there that was exciting as all get out to find. You remember the days: You stuck your grimy little hands down into the sugary goodness to fish around for the toy... That is, until your mom or dad came in and said, "Stop that! Wait til you get to the bottom!" And whoever found the toy at the bottom got to keep it. Fortunately, my sisters and I were not bad at sharing.
Nowadays, you either have to SEND AWAY with 8 BILLION box tops and $2.95 for the toy, or they don't even offer that. Weak. I think they should totally go back to putting the stinking toy in the bottom of the box. Sometimes we would ASK for a certain kind of cereal for the toy. Tell me that's not great marketing. Tsk tsk, General Mills, Kellogs, and Post. You need to take us back to the 80s. It'll be fun.
And so, that's what I have to say about that.
Secondly, I was eating my Cocoa Puffs this morning, and I was thinking, "Why don't they put toys in cereal boxes anymore?" When I was a kid, every sugary box of cereal you bought had some weak little toy in there that was exciting as all get out to find. You remember the days: You stuck your grimy little hands down into the sugary goodness to fish around for the toy... That is, until your mom or dad came in and said, "Stop that! Wait til you get to the bottom!" And whoever found the toy at the bottom got to keep it. Fortunately, my sisters and I were not bad at sharing.
Nowadays, you either have to SEND AWAY with 8 BILLION box tops and $2.95 for the toy, or they don't even offer that. Weak. I think they should totally go back to putting the stinking toy in the bottom of the box. Sometimes we would ASK for a certain kind of cereal for the toy. Tell me that's not great marketing. Tsk tsk, General Mills, Kellogs, and Post. You need to take us back to the 80s. It'll be fun.
And so, that's what I have to say about that.
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