Help Find Haley Wilson

UPDATE:

I have a praise today!  Haley has been found!

The same day I posted the prayer request, Haley posted a status on her Facebook wall for the first time, saying:

Dear everyone,
I love you. I'm miss home and you guys so very much.
I'm sorry.
I'm fine.
Love,
me

On January 3, a police officer recognized Haley's license plate in California, pulled her over, and notified Haley's dad.  He posted on his Twitter that he was flying out to talk to her.  Haley chose to return home with her father of her own free will and the family is finally reunited.

Praise God!

Thank you for the prayers. 

---------

A family from my church is going through an incredibly hard time right now.  Seventeen-year-old Haley Wilson rann away from home on December 26, 2011.  Her dad is reaching out to social media to spread the word about his daughter and try to find information about where she is and if she is safe.

If you could help pass this information along, the family and friends would be so appreciative.   And of course, if you were to spot her, please contact the number on the poster.  Thank you all so much.

Click on the image below to see it in full-size. 

Before you bug out, READ THIS. (Changes on EmilythePerson)

As you can see, there are a LOT of changes on my blog right now.  I'm in the process of switching from Movable Type over to Blogger and I'm still moving files and pictures, so the blog won't be 100% ready until January 1. 

In the meantime, what do you think?  Do you like the overall layout?  Does everything run smoothly for you?  If you see any glitches or bugs, please let me know.

Here are a few neat features I have now:

• For those of you who read my blog from a smart phone, I created an iPhone format for you guys.  It should be a lot easier to read and function from your phone.
• You can easily share links to my blog on Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Google Plus, or Blogger.
• You can "follow" or "subscribe" to my blog using your Google account.
• A stream of videos from my YouTube channels are at the bottom of each page.
• All of my previous posts are archived on the right of the screen. Feel free to read through them while I'm fixing everything up.

On January 1, I'll be announcing a contest and giveaway to launch the new look of my blog.  Be sure to check back for more details.


I'm pretty excited about this, guys.  Please tell me what you think.  If you have any tips, don't hesitate to share them.

The Road Trip.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  I sure did.  Spending time with family and loved ones while praising Jesus is the best feeling in the world.

It's a ten hour drive from my university to my home, which is an agonizingly dull and long drive when you're by yourself.  However, my friend Stephanie lives only a couple of hours away from me, so we decided to drive together to try to make the ride a bit easier with each other's company.  I didn't bring my car.  My little sister is fifteen, so she can't drive yet.  However, she got a car about a month ago and I've been driving her little Mustang the last week or two.

Stephanie arrived at my dorm bright and early (7:30 in the morning!) so we could pack my things into her car and leave in time to make dinner at her house.  I left the remaining perishables in my fridge in front of some guy friends' door and we were ready to leave by 8:15.

Stephanie and I tend to spend many waking hours together during the week, but we somehow always manage to have enough to say that we can still talk for hours on end.  Although it was early in the morning (and I got less than five hours of sleep), we were eager and ready to begin our road trip. 

December 14 was a warm, rainy, sleepy day.  Although it was about seventy degrees outside, rain pounded against the windshield for the first five or six hours of our trip.  I adore rain, but it's definitely sleepy weather.

We were glad to have each other to stay awake.

As the first hour passed, we chatted about our high school proms, what it would be like if colleges had proms, and about terrible and funny dating experiences.  We laughed, cringed at awkward moments, and then turned on some Christmas Disney and Veggie Tales music.

After a few hours of driving, we stopped in a small town known for its amazing Dr. Peppers that are made with actual cane sugar.  Delicious!  Of course we had to stop at a gas station and purchase a couple.  They were sweet and tasted wonderful.

When we pulled into the gas station, a small circle of old men watched us intently from the window.  When we walked in, their eyes followed us wherever we went... they spoke to us when we left (and then again when we came back in to get someone to help us open our drinks).  At first, we were a little creeped out by the men, but the youngest was probably in his late seventies, so I think they probably wait all day long to say hello to a stranger.

After lunch, we were ready to continue our road trip, but the effects of drowsiness were finally taking their toll.  A warm lunch, a short break, sleepy weather, and little sleep were causing us to become a bit tired.  Without each other, I don't know what we would have done!  We talked about boys (like always) and about movies, and we worked through the sleepiness together.

Another hour passed and the rain began to fade a little, but the sky started to look increasingly... strange.

I'm guessing it was all the dust in the air (that's Texas, for you) and the storm combined that turned the sky an awful brown color, but it was bizarre to watch.  "Ahh, it can't be the end of the world before we get home to see our families!"

We stopped in another small town to grab gas and a snack (Sour Patch Watermelon candy and Coca-Cola).

Semi trucks were everywhere at this particular rest stop.  In fact, they filled up the road so much that it was hard to pull out of the gas station.  This made us pretty FURIOUS (joking, joking).  No one messes with Stephanie's car.  NO ONE.  Not even an 18-wheeler.

About an hour later, we arrived at Stephanie's house!  We were greeted with a warm welcome and I was able to meet Stephanie's brothers for the first time.  We were so excited to be out of the car after an 8/9 hour road trip!  We had to dance a little... of course.

About half an hour later, my parents and little brother arrived.  Stephanie's sweet mom made a delicious dinner for everyone and we sat and ate together.  It was so, so wonderful to see our families, but Stephanie and I grew a little dismal at the idea of leaving each other for an entire month.  I mean, this girl and I spend time together EVERY DAY.  How could we go an entire month without each other?!

After a few hours of conversation, food, and fun, my parents finally began to nudge us towards the door... after all, we still had two more hours left on the road before I was home.

Only a month, only a month, only a month. ;)  This is why Christmas break is a little bittersweet in some ways.  It's SO NICE to be back home with family and old friends, but there will always be that niggle of longing when I think of my precious friends from college.

I miss Stephanie so much already!  (But guess who is coming on Wednesday?) :)

We got to my house a little after nine in the evening.  My little sister was waiting for me, along with three very excited dogs.  One puppy in particular seemed especially excited to see me.

It felt so nice to be home.

Road trips are so much fun.  If you've never been on one, I highly recommend it.  (Be sure to bring a friend.)

I'm Young.

Day 30: How have you grown in your faith this month?

I feel like the Lord has shown me so much this month.  Several perspective-altering things have happened since the beginning of December, like my first finals week of college (and all the stress involving that), leaving new friends, coming back home to live with my parents again (for a month), and reuniting with high school friends.  It's strange, and I'm not sure if I can accurately express this all in words, but being home is so much the same that it's almost odd.  And then, little things are different that also make things feel odd.

Like my brother.  He has to have grown a foot in the last four months.  He's as tall as me now.

My friends are all a little different too.  Not necessarily in bad ways.  They've all grown and matured in these last few months, just like I have, but it's just a difference, you know?  Things have changed.  They have new friends, new habits, newly formed beliefs.

And for the first time in a while, I'm living back in my parents' home.  I'm being told to drink my milk, eat my veggies, clean my room.  And that's different to me.  It's not horrifying or anything like that.  It's just different.

I've always been terrified of change.  But in the last year and even in the last month, God has really formed my heart and shown me that change can be a good thing.  It'll be hard sometimes, but it isn't bad.  I have to change in order to grow in Him.  And He is a solid rock in my life throughout it all.
The Lord has shown me what it means to truly rely on Him.  During difficult tests and moments of confusion, He is there.  He is holding my hand.  He loves me unconditionally.

It's difficult to know what to say to answer a question like this because I feel like I have so much left to learn.  I'm so small and so young.  But I do feel like the Lord is constantly showing me things and that I'm growing.  Slowly, I'm growing.

Excited.

Day 29: What are you excited about?

Oh man, it's only three days until Christmas, so I feel like everything in my life is chaotic and busy and fun and exciting right now.

I'm excited to see Ali late tomorrow night when she finally comes home for her break.  It will have been exactly two months to the day since we've seen each other, which is rough.  We've already planned a book to write, crafts to create, movies to watch, and videos to capture.

I'm excited for my lovely friend Stephanie to come stay with me for a day or two next week.  We haven't seen each other in a little over a week, which has been torment for two girls who have enjoyed spending time with one another every day.  My friend Alex is also coming... it will be a mini-college reunion!

I'm so very excited to see Mission Impossible 4, which is out right now (but I'm waiting for Ali to see).

I'm excited to share my Christmas presents with my family in two days.  I'm so excited about everything I've gotten for everyone.

I'm excited to spend a couple of days with my family, relaxing and spending hours in conversation, board games, and feasting.

I'm excited because I'm getting into better shape over the break.  I found out I've gained no weight this freshman year, which is a relief... and now that I've been working out every other day since I've been home (for a week), I've actually lost a pound.  That excites me.

I'm excited to see what will be waiting under the tree for me on Christmas morning.

I'm excited to continue eating delicious food for the remaining time I'm home.  (Cafeteria food isn't the best!)

I'm excited for the premiere of the new season of Sherlock to come out on BBC on January 1.

I'm excited to make another yearly video with my wonderful friends on New Year's Eve.

I'm excited about life.  I feel like each day, the Lord is blessing me with something new and beautiful.  He fills my heart with joy.

And all I can say is... I'm excited.

What are you excited about?

Too Much Smiling?

Day 28: Five odd or unusual things about yourself.

This shouldn't be too difficult to think up.

1.) In a public setting, I have a nearly constant smile on my face.  I love to smile.  That's where the title "Emily is Smiling" came from... and I'm often teased about it from casual friends.

"Do you ever stop smiling, Emily?"

"No way!  I love smiling!"  And I do.

However, Ali and my mom call me a pessimist.  How can this possibly work?  Here's how I see things.  Perhaps I'm a happy pessimist.  Don't start arguing about this concept right away.  Let me explain.  I expect the worst to happen... but I figure I might as well make the best of it.  Does this make sense?  Probably not.  Oh well. :)

2.) I dislike chocolate immensely.  Chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, fudge, chocolate syrup, chocolate milk, a lot of fancy chocolates... but I DO like Hershey's Kisses, M&M's, and Reese's.  Don't ask me why.

3.) I'm not big on the idea of having my own children.  People always ask why and I always reply, "I'm not a nurturing person!"  But in some ways, I am, because I love inner city kids and children in Africa.  But raising a child of my own sounds terribly frightening.  And possibly even awful.

4.) I take pictures of EVERYTHING.  Ali calls me a picture hoarder because I probably have more than fifteen thousand photographs on my computer.  I am terrified of having a wonderful experience and not being able to capture those memories with a photograph.

5.) I'm a very nervous person when it comes to things like driving, water, fast objects, and... well, most things.  However, I'm quite brave when it comes to situations involving people.

I wasn't afraid at all when I was walking through the slums of Kenya and Mexico City.  I wasn't afraid at all when I hopped into the back of a pickup with a bunch of strangers who then, to my dismay, proceeded to take me to a liquor store... because I needed a ride.  (Long story.  Looking back, I know what I did wasn't the smartest... and I'll write about it if I get enough requests.)

Of normal things, I'm terrified.  Of certain pointless and even reckless things, I'm not scared at all.  (For another example, I ADORE scary movies.)

Well, there's my list of five odd or unusual things about me.  What's yours?

The Chilly Winter Air

Day 27: A picture you like of yourself.

One of the more recent pictures I like of me is here:

I love posing for pictures.  Don't you?

Africa.

Day 26: Where would you like to live one day?

I don't think I want to live here for all of my adult life, but I do feel a little calling to live here for a year or two out of my life, maybe more.

Where?

Well, my heart sings for a continent filled with huge smiles, big hearts, and incredible poverty.

Lately I've been aching to go back to Africa.

I would love to live there one day, at least for a while.

Christmas Gift Ideas (Part 3)

Here are the last few Christmas gift ideas for those of you who are running out of time, ideas, and money.

1. Magazine Subscription ($10-20): What's your favorite magazine?  It's pretty easy to give a subscription to a friend or family member.

2. House Shoes ($10+): Guys and girls both love house shoes.  There are so many different styles and levels of comfort.  Choose slippers, boots, or something fluffy and embarrassing.  You can purchase house shoes for fairly inexpensive prices at stores like Kohl's, Target, and Forever 21.

3. Coffee Mug, $5 Gift Card to Starbucks ($7-15): All you have to do to grab a Starbucks giftcard is drop by Starbucks.  You can buy an inexpensive coffee mug from Walmart or a craft store.  Paint it yourself or choose a Christmas design.  Stick a packet of hot chocolate and a peppermint inside along with the giftcard.

4. Several Colors of Nail Polish ($5): Walgreene's sells several different shades of nail polish for only a dollar each.  Pick out five different bright colors and wrap them up in a cute box or baggie.  You and your friends can have a manicure together.  A few colors that are trending right now are grays, deep blues, and bright orangey reds.

5. Snuggie ($15-20): This is kind of old news, but it always works as a handy and silly Christmas gift.

6. Favorite Candy Bars ($5): If you are running really low on cash, drop by Walmart and purchase several of your friend's favorite candy bars.  Wrap them up in a ribbon or stick them in a pair of fuzzy socks.  Candy will liven up any gift.

7. Picnik ($5-25): Picnik is an easy-to-use and incredibly handy photo-editing software.  I love Picnik.  Even handier, one-month subscription is only $5.  A year's subscription is $25.  If your friend loves taking pictures, a subscription to Picnik may be a great gift for them.

8. Little Pet ($15-20): This is only for someone you know well.  Last year, Ali and I banded together and got my little brother a couple of hermit crabs for Christmas.  Two crabs came free with the purchase of a $15 aquarium and then all we had to get was a little bit of food.  You can get hermit crabs at Earthbound Trading Co.  You could also get a friend a little goldfish or betta for only a few dollars... but make sure this little pet is wanted before you make the purchase.

9. Jewelry from Forever 21 ($1-5): Jewelry from Forever 21 is astoundingly inexpensive.  It isn't high quality, but it's inexpensive and very cute.  Earrings and necklaces are often only a dollar.  Pick out a few adorable pieces of jewelry and wrap them up in a cute little bag.

10. Donate to Charity ($20+): Nothing will make you feel warmer inside than knowing that you've helped someone else.  Use World Vision or Christian Relief Fund to donate money in someone else's name.  If you like, you could even purchase something specific in their name, like a chicken or goat.  Christian Relief Fund will send a letter to the person saying "_____ has been donated in your name to help ______."  What a great gift idea!

Any more Christmas ideas? Leave them in the comments below. If you used one of my ideas, let me know!

Christmas Gift Ideas (Part 2)

Here are some more last minute and fairly inexpensive (under $20) Christmas gift ideas:

1. Memory Box ($5): Go to a craft store and find a little box for a dollar or two.  Decorate it with stickers, ribbon, fabric, or paint, and then fill it with little mementos from your friendship, such as... movie ticket stubs, little photographs, inside jokes, a letter from you, a flower...  Fill this box with little inexpensive memories and it will never be forgotten.

2. Sunglasses ($5-15): In summer and in winter, everyone can use sunglasses.  Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe both sell sunglasses for less than $10.

3. Hair Clips ($1-5): These can be as inexpensive as you want.  If you go to a craft store, purchase a few fake flowers, ribbons, rhinestones, and clips.  Make sure you have a hot glue gun as well.  You can make adorable colorful (and inexpensive) flowers for your friends' hair.  Don't be afraid to go big with the flowers... or even branch out and use things like feathers and buttons.  And of course, if you're hesitant to make one, you can always purchase one from a store like Claire's or Forever 21.

4. Tree Ornaments ($3 or less): All you need is some ribbon and a few small craft supplies such as puzzle pieces, large buttons, photographs, foam, or cake ornaments.  You can also use cookie cutters, bells, and bookmarks.  If I have time, I'd like to make a few tree ornaments and make a blog post about it, but I may not be able to.  In the meanwhile, there is always Google.

5. Mix CD ($1): All that this costs is the disc.  Pick some of your favorite songs off of iTunes and make a mix CD for a friend.  This gift is thoughtful, hand-picked, and fun.  Everyone loves new music.

6. DVD and Popcorn ($5-20): Keep an eye out in Walmart and Hastings for sale bins of DVDs... and you can also purchase previously-viewed DVDs in good shape.  Find one or two fun DVDs for a few dollars and then purchase a bag of popcorn.  You and your loved one can have a movie night.

7. Pajamas ($10+): Old Navy, Kohl's, and Target all offer adorable PJs.  Most people love pajamas and you can make sure to either pick out an adorable set or something very embarrassing (like a onesie).  This is a useful gift that anyone would appreciate.

8. Something from Bath & Body Works ($5+): Almost everyone I know loves Bath & Body Works.  I sure do.  Go to their sale rack and purchase a few mini-bottles of your friend's favorite scent.  If you don't know their favorite scent, pick a popular one like Sweet Pea or Vanilla.

9. Board Game ($10+): This can range from a deck of cards to a bigger game like Apples to Apples or Monopoly.  Not only is this a thoughtful and entertaining gift, but it's also something that you can play with your friend.

10. Photo Collage (Under $5): This works best if you are a creative person.  Print out several pictures of you and your friend and make a collage.  Use poster paper, ribbons, stickers, fake flowers, feathers, and decorative writing.  Make sure not to make the collage too large... and be sure to use the colors your friend will like.

11. Creatively-Made Food (A Few Dollars): Everyone loves food, right?  Make a batch of fudge or cookies.  Give peppermint sticks and hot chocolate.  Give a fruit bouquet.  Make a pie.  How about chocolate-covered strawberries?  There are so many different things to choose from.

12. Cute Bowl and Ice Cream Toppings ($5-10): There are so many inexpensive cute bowls to choose from at Walmart, Target, Kohl's, and even your local thrift store.  Pick something cute and colorful and fill it with things like packets of: ground peppermint, chocolate chips, sprinkles, and even syrups.

13. Favorite Devotional Book ($0-20): Is there a devotional book you read every night that you absolutely adore?  Give away your own copy with a note inside or go out and purchase a new one for your friend.  A few I love are Jesus Calling, Extreme Devotion, His Princess, and Crazy Love.

14. Christian T-Shirt ($5-20): Christian stores like Mardel and Lifeway constantly have awesome Christian t-shirts on sale for a few dollars... and everyone loves t-shirts.  I frequently give away t-shirts as Christmas gifts.

15. Guess Who Board Game (Less Than $1): I saw something about this and was amazed and in love... but I don't know if I'll ever have the time or the energy to create something like this.  Use an old Guess Who board game and take out all the pictures of the funny-looking characters... and replace them with photos of your family members.  This is a great game for grandparents and people who belong to big families.  It's hilarious, but time-consuming.  You'd better have pictures of everyone.
Do you have any great Christmas gift ideas?  If so, share them in the comments below.  If you use one of my ideas, let me know!

Christmas Gift Ideas (Part 1)

Yikes, it's almost Christmas and if you're like me, you tend to wait last minute to purchase (or make) gifts.  As a typical college student, I don't have a lot of money (or time) to spend on gifts, so I thought I'd share a few last minute gift ideas over the next week.  All of my gifts are under twenty dollars... and most of them are under ten dollars.  A few are homemade.  Check these out.

1. Socks ($1-5): Socks are inexpensive, cute, and can be a great gift for a friend or family member.  Go to Walmart or Walgreene's and buy a pair of fuzzy or colorful socks for only a couple of dollars.  Forever 21 sells each pair of adorable socks for only 99 cents.

2. Homemade Calendar ($17.99-21.99): I love making homemade calendars with pictures of me and and my friends.  I make a couple of calendars every single year.  Shutterfly offers two different kinds of calendars: a desk calendar or a wall calendar.  It's totally worth the cost and very high quality.  I love Shutterfly.

3. A Book You Love ($0-20): The cost of this gift is really up to you.  If your book is hardly-used, wrap that up and give it to your friend.  Order the book off of Amazon or try to find it used or on sale at a book store.  When you share a book you love with your friend, you're giving something thoughtful and inexpensive at the same time.

4. Framed Photo ($5-20): Print out a cute picture of you and your friend or family member and then go to your local craft store like Hobby Lobby or Michael's or even Target.  They sell so many different options of picture frames in varying price ranges.  You can be creative and purchase a plain black or wooden frame and decorate it later with buttons, puzzle pieces, and ribbons... or you can find one of the many cute and classy frames they already offer.

5. A Flower ($2-15): Go to your local greenhouse or even Walmart and purchase a little flower in a pot.  It can be small and simple, but a flower is such a day-brightener.

6. Two Movie Tickets (Around $10): This can be a gift of sorts to yourself as well.  Purchase two movie tickets for an upcoming movie that you and your friend want to see... or purchase a giftcard to your local cinema.  You can go together and have a blast.

7. Cute Magnets ($1-10): Expect to see a blog post about this sometime in the future, but in the meanwhile, here are a few ideas: Glue buttons to magnets.  Glue puzzle pieces to magnets.  Glue fake flowers to magnets.  Glue polished stones to magnets.  Glue Scrabble pieces to magnets.

8. Journal ($1-5): A journal is always a handy little gift because everyone can make use for one.  Just about wherever you go, you can find a cute journal for sale.  Mardel has some great ones out right now.

9. Pillow Pet ($20): Most people will love a cuddly stuffed animal.  Pillow Pets are adorable and come in all shapes and sizes.

10. Scarf ($5-15): Scarves work for most girls and some guys and are fantastic inexpensive Christmas gifts.  Keep an eye out for cute scarves on sale.

11. Ticket Stub Diary ($10 plus shipping): You can make one of these or purchase one from here for a fairly inexpensive price.  My mom got me one of these a few years back and I've saved the ticket stub from every movie I've watched since then.

12. Watch ($5+): Everyone can use a watch.  Most stores have them available.  For girls, right now colorful, rubber (and often inexpensive) watches are trending.

13. Planner ($10-15): This is the time of year when people are getting ready to go shop for a new planner.  Target has some great purse-sized planners you could get for a friend, mother, or grandmother.

14. Blanket ($10+): EVERYONE loves blankets.  Target sells some great inexpensive fuzzy blankets in great colors.  BedBathandBeyond also has some great blankets for sale right now.

15. Letter Box ($.50-5): I love these.  I made one for myself, in fact.  For someone who loves to give and receive letters, a letter box can be the perfect thing.  Go to a local craft store and purchase a black or white letter box for less than a dollar.  You can decorate it with ribbons, stickers, and stick a letter inside.  Ali made a letter box for my mom out of wood and fabric.

Do you have any gift ideas you'd like to share?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.  And if you used one of my ideas, let me know!  :)

City Lights

Day 25: A worry or problem you have right now.

Finals are over, I made it home safe and sound last night, and I am here with my family and puppy.  My worries have all floated away.

I suppose the only shadow in my mind right now is the day.  December 15.

Four years ago today, I lost a friend to suicide.  I never thought it could happen.  I can't believe it's been as long as it has been.  And you know, I think this is the third year I've written about it on this blog.

Time flies by so quickly.

I've dealt with some sadness and tears today, but nothing that Jesus couldn't cover with His love.
And I know this isn't a whole lot to say, but I feel emotionally tired right now... and my computer is messing up.  I don't know what's wrong with it, I'll probably have to take it in, and I'm writing this from another computer.

Lately I've been enjoying the song "City" by Sara Bareilles.

(Also, just so you'll know, I'm not quitting the 30 Day Challenge.  I'm adding a couple of Christmas lists here and there in between a few days starting tomorrow.)

A Puppy-Less Life

Day 24: Something you miss.

What I'm about to describe is kind of a someone, but oh well.  I can't help myself.  I miss my puppy Jack so much!  Tomorrow night I'll see him for the first time since October!  (I'll appreciate the travel prayers as I have a ten hour drive with my friend Stephanie tomorrow).

There are so many things I miss about Jack.  I miss his smiles (yes, Jack can smile).

I miss his fluffy fur.  I miss how soft he is and how much he enjoys when I carry him around (okay, he doesn't always enjoy it, but he pretends to so I'll be happy).  I miss how small he is.

I miss playing with Jack.

I remember when he was a puppy and was the size of my hand.  He was SO SMALL.  Even now he's only four pounds.

Last night, Stephanie and I visited the Puppy Store at the mall.  Stephanie held a Puggle and I got my hands on a baby Yorkie who was soooo cute.  Check this little guy out.  Look at his tongue!

I really miss Jack.  Never in my life have I lived without a dog until now.  Only one more day.

Ohhh, I miss you so!

Day 23: Someone you miss

It's finals week and I am exhausted.  I had two finals today: one at 7:45 in the morning and one at 10:15.  So tiring!  I have one more tomorrow and then I'll be finished with my first semester of college.  Hooray!

Right now, I miss so many people.  I've been away from home since my birthday in mid-October, so I'm craving some family time right now.  Also, I'm really, really, really missing my friends.  Here's a list of SOME of my friends I'm missing so much right now.

Rebekah, my love, my fellow-Lost-fanatic, my partner in pranking, my former next door neighbor...

Zeek, the tallest and most talented and funniest person I know!

Muber... without him, who do I have to torment?!

Brently, one of the sweetest and most Christlike people I know.

And of course I desperately miss Ali, who I haven't seen since October as well.  Sadly, Ali has to work, so I won't see her for another week and a half!  But soon.  We will be together again soon.

Only two more days and I will be HOME.

Do you know what's different from the last time I went home?  This time, I'll really, really, really, really, reallllllly miss my friends here in college too.  When I come back in January, I'll have something to look forward to.

Handshakes

Day 22: A poem or song you've written.

If you want to hear songs I've written, check out my YouTube channel.

Otherwise, here is a poem I wrote about a year ago.  It's kind of... touchy, and I wrote it during a time in my life when I was pretty frustrated with the church as a whole and with the name Christians have been making for ourselves.  I actually wrote this on a day when I felt like church was becoming less of a fellowship experience and more of a routine (which I see now depends a lot on how I've prepared my own heart beforehand).

After I've had time to reflect, I don't know if I agree with everything I said in this poem, but I do agree with several parts of it.  I am pretty sure I've never posted it on this blog and I figured it could go with my last post.  Here goes.

Handshakes

When I walk into the church,

The lifeless people, empty ears,

All these sheep, bleating, bleating,

I wonder, "Are You here?"

We greet each other: plastic smiles,

Sometimes a brief embrace.

Why can't church be something more

Than meaningless handshakes?

Everyone is pressed and clean

And white and so content.

No one stops to truly see

The heavy price You spent.

Your assembly, God, it often fails,

Where are the seeds we've sown?

We need more than weak handshakes

To see Your children grow.

10-24-1

Crying at a Concert

Day 21: A quote or Bible verse you try to live by.

Now that I'm finally back to blogging (it seems like it has been an eternity), I'd like to share one of my favorite verses in the Bible, James 1:27, which says:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Let me share a story with you I don't think I've ever shared on this blog before.

About a year ago, I attended a Christian concert at a fairly large church in my city.  This church had recently made some huge renovations, apparently spending millions of dollars on building upgrades, including a huge circle-shaped auditorium created solely for concerts and performances.  While looking around, I was informed that the two huge screens on each side of the room cost half a million dollars... each.  The church had an indoor arcade, skateboarding arena, multiple basketball courts... I couldn't believe my eyes.

About halfway through the concert, they began to play a video.  It was for Compassion International and it contained typical tear-jerking scenes: African kids standing in the streets of their slums, ankle-deep in sludge and dressed in nothing but rags and flies.  Heartbreaking video footage, a couple of Christian celebrities asking the audience to sponsor a child... if you've ever been to a big Christian concert, you've probably seen something like this before.

Anything Africa tends to fill my heart with fire, but I rarely cry when I see those videos.  (Okay, I might tear up a little now and then.)  However, as I sat there and watched the Compassion video, I immediately began to cry.  Pretty obviously crying too (tears rolling down my cheeks, sniffling, lip quivering kind of crying).  My mom turned around and gave me a look like, "What on earth are you crying for?"

The reason I cried was because I was disgusted.  My heart felt like it had been snapped in half.  In that moment, I felt horribly embarrassed and was glad no one from the slums of Africa was there to see what was happening.

On two half-a-million dollar screens played a video sharing statistics about poverty and starvation.  The video was asking the audience to donate $35 dollars a month, but imagine how many children could be helped if they'd sacrificed one of their luxurious screens... or their arcade... or their Wiis... or their skate plex.

And you can say, "It's their business.  It's their church."  But we're the church.  Every one of us.  We are the body of Christ and as a member of this body, I'm calling a problem out into the open.  We're so focused on prosperity and the American dream... and serving the poor comes second.  How is that anywhere near what the Lord has called us to be?

I've been told that the reason all of these huge attractions have been put into churches is to attract more unbelievers, and I do believe we should keep our churches looking nice out of respect for the Lord.  But what I keep hearing, in a nutshell, is... as long as we focus on the things of the world--material possessions, the American Dream--we'll get more members?  Sure, if we act like the world, the world will eagerly embrace us.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.

We've kind of forgotten that part.  I wish I could plaster James 1:27 on the walls of every church to remind everyone (including myself) about what God intends for us and calls for us to do.  He has called us to help the needy.  His heart is with the hurting and the suffering.

After visiting that church, a song came to mind.  It's by Todd Agnew and it's called "My Jesus."  Let me share a few lines with you:

I want to be like my Jesus.  Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus. You see, I'm tired of living for success and popularity. I want to be like my Jesus.

It's Christmas time.  It's easy to become absorbed in gift-giving and possessions.  I'm not saying that getting and receiving gifts are wrong.  They make special memories and they are a nice part of Christmas, as long as they aren't put first.  Let's make sure to give some of our time volunteering this Christmas season without expecting anything in return.  Let's give a portion of our--or actually, the Lord's-- money to the poor.

Let's follow James 1:27.  No more forgetting.

What I'm looking for in a boy.

Day 20: What you are looking for in a significant other.

You know, I've posted lists about what I'm looking for in a guy before and not a whole lot has changed.

I'm really looking for someone who loves the Lord more than he'll ever love me.  He'll have high standards.  He won't cuss with his friends, just because it's the thing to do.  He'll stand up for what he believes.  He'll not back down from conversations about his faith.  He'll have integrity.

He'll respect me: my physical boundaries, my beliefs and opinions, even when we disagree.  He'll respect his mom and my friends and his sisters (if he has any).  He'll be a gentleman, willing to give his seat up for a girl or hold the door open for a lady.

If he doesn't play any instruments of his own (which would be preferable), he'll have a deep appreciation and a love for music.

He won't only see beauty in outward appearances.  I won't feel pressured to wear a lot of makeup or fancy clothing all the time when I am around him.  I'll feel comfortable being myself when we're together.

He'll be protective.  Not the "Edward Cullen" kind of protective where I'm protected obsessively like an object or a child rather than a human being, but he'll make sure I'm safe.

He'll know how to laugh, but he can also talk about serious things.

He'll have a passion for helping the needy and traveling, like me.  I want to be able to travel the world with whoever I end up with, so I'm looking for someone with a similar love.

This might be silly, but I'd like someone who appreciates the things I write, someone I'm not hesitant to show a new song or story and who'll enjoy getting a chance to see them, even if they're not always the best.

He'll be eager to spend time with me.  Not every moment of every day, but when we do spend time together, it won't be because he feels pressured to do so.  It'll be because we're friends and like to be around each other.

What are you looking for in a significant other?

Funny Words

Day 19: Five words that make you laugh.

1.) Bubble.  Why?  I don't know.  It just makes me laugh.
2.) Onomatopoeia.  Because for a word that means a word that sounds like what it is (this sentence is making no sense), onomatopoeia doesn't really sound like anything, does it?
3.) Discombobulate.  I've always enjoyed this word.
4.) Typhoon.  It's just awesome sounding.
5.) Smock.  Again, it's just weird.

The Embarrassing Picture

Day 17 and 18: Describe yesterday and an embarrassing picture of yourself.

First comes the describing yesterday part.

7:30 - I reluctantly wake up... I stayed up late studying the night before and don't want to get up for the day!  But I must, so I check my phone and Facebook for new messages and then climb out of bed and start to get ready for the day by getting dressed, fixing my hair, eating a bowl of cereal, and putting on some makeup.

8:30 - After I finish getting ready, I gather my backpack and books and leave for school.

8:50 - I arrive on campus a little early and go to the computer lab to work on an essay for ASL.

9:10 - My first class of the day, ASL, begins.  Today we watch a wonderful documentary called "Through Deaf Eyes."  I learn a lot.  I also get an evaluation by my professor.  He says my biggest strength in signing is sentence structure and ASL GLOSS and my biggest weakness is my facial expressions.

11:25 - Class is over. I run back to the computer lab and quickly write a few paragraphs over group efficacy due in an hour.  I print it out and slip it under my professor's door, which he told me previously that I could do if he wasn't there.

12:00 - Government class begins.  We are given the assignment of writing a typed essay by the end of class.  Panic ensues.

1:15 - Somehow we manage to write the essays and turn them in and class is over.

1:30 - I meet with a professor about an interest group some classmates and I have formed.  The first thing he says to me is, "I don't mean to be sexist, but are you the leader of your interest group or are you their secretary?"  Oh dear...

2:30 - I grab some Rosa's (one of my favorite fast food restaurants) and head back to my dorm to eat lunch.

3:00 - After eating lunch and watching an episode of "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," I take a much-needed nap.  I've been sick the last few days, so I need the rest.


4:30 - I wake up and finish reading a novel for my English Literature class.  It's called "Never Let Me Go" by Ishiguro.  Although sad, it's a great story and I enjoy it, even if the ending is sad.

6:15 - I go to have dinner in the cafeteria.  I sit and talk with friends for over an hour, even after I finish my grilled cheese sandwich and salad.

8:00 - I meet Stephanie at our favorite coffee shop.  Every Thursday, we have a Bible study/together-time together.  We figure out Stephanie's love language and talk about other things as well.  We pray together, share stories from the previous week since school was too hectic (and I was too sick) for us to spend time together.

11:00 - We've talked for a few hours and decide to start looking for adventure.  About this time, a friend calls and asks if we can pick him up and help him look for his wallet at a movie theatre.  We pick him up, sadly do not find the wallet, and take him back to his dorm.

1:00 - Stephanie and I spend a little more time together... and then see a shockingly scantily-clad girl (lingerie and fluffy boots only) walking by our car... and then a strangely hooded man passes by three times.  We decide it's too dangerous to be talking in a sketchy parking lot after midnight, in a car our not, so we leave for the night and plan to see a movie together tomorrow.

2:30 - After showering, checking Facebook, and texting Stephanie to let her know I arrived back in my room safely, I go to bed, tired and ready to start the next day.

Now after that long description of yesterday, here is the embarrassing picture.  Enjoy.

Yes, I was a strange child who loved my pet rats and had interesting fashion choices.  Oh, eighth grade, I do not miss you.