Sunday, May 18, 2008

I found it!!!

My Honor Ring, which has been MIA for...months-since sometime in December or January-has been FOUND! YAY!!!!! *and the world rejoiced*

Thursday, May 15, 2008

101 things...

I’ve seen this done before, but have never done it myself. So I decided I would inform you, my four faithful readers, of a few things you may not know about me. One hundred and one things, to be exact.

  1. My sixteen-year-old sister and I are NOT twins, believe it or not :-)
  2. My favorite colors are purple, pink, and yellow, in that order, though I pretty much love color no matter what shade it is. But purple is and always has been my favorite color, since diaperhood.
  3. I am an artist.
  4. I am creative.
  5. I like to work with my hands.
  6. I’ve never figured out how to do computer-graphics-stuff.
  7. However, I make some really sweet paintings and jewelry. :-)
  8. I like fish. Not only are they tasty to eat, they also make fun pets (but please don’t eat your pets!). I have…several…
  9. I sleep on a pallet on the floor and not in a real bed. Why? It makes me feel like I’m overseas, doing what I’m supposed to be doing…and not “stuck” here in the U.S. That, and I’ve nowhere to put a “real” bed.
  10. I am astoundingly talented at disorganization and junk-collecting. By that I mean that every time I clean my room, it takes only 48 hours to undo the cleaning. I’ve never figured that one out. And I have enough junk to supply a small country. I’m trying to get rid of a lot of it…which will take a while.
  11. I love France. I love speaking French (what I can remember from my high school days) and I love eating French things, like baguettes and brie. I especially love the AMAZING city of Paris. :-)
  12. I love Asia. By that, I mean it is almost an obsession. I might even try to live there someday, even if only for a couple of months. South Asia, central Asia, southeast Asia—I love all of it. I was heartbroken when I couldn’t go to Sri Lanka a few years ago, thanks to a serious lack of funds. And I’ve been planning to go to India for a decade.
  13. I like to collect things from foreign countries. I like it the most when I’m the one doing the collecting, but having other people bring me back things is perfectly acceptable. If you’re travelling, you should bring me something! :-D
  14. I like to read. I have books stacked two deep on my bookshelf in my room, and a number of others boxed away in storage.
  15. I don’t date. Thanks to Ron Luce’s challenge at ATF my junior year of high school (to spend a year “dating” God rather than another person), I came to see relationships as an accessory rather than a necessity, and on my trip to Panama the summer after senior year, I made the decision not to randomly date around but to wait for the man I would marry. Five years down, ____ many more to go!
  16. My younger sister is married. Yes, it was a little weird at first. No, I do not know when I’m getting married, and no, there is not a “special someone” in my life. I’ll get married when I’m forty. So stop asking. :-P
  17. My youngest sister (she hates to be called the baby) is not married. If she were, I’d kill the guy (she’s only sixteen!). Well, maybe not kill him, but…
  18. I once had a great, wonderful, amazing little car named Baby. She was a 1989 BMW 325 and I adored her. And then she died, leaving me heartbroken and stranded. Now I drive my sister’s old car Simon. He eats more gas than Baby did, which my wallet does not appreciate.
  19. I have magic eyes. They change color depending on the lighting, my mood, what color I’m wearing, etc. The official color of my amazing, magic eyes is “gray-blue-green-hazel-with-a-gold-ring-in-the-middle.” I really do have a golden ring around my pupils. I tell people I’m rich. :-D
  20. I hate pickles. I think they look nasty, smell nasty and taste nasty. If you ever eat with me at Chik-fil-a and I get a chicken sandwich, you are welcome to my pickles. Do not ever put pickles in my food. I will not appreciate it.
  21. I like to cook. Actually, I love to cook and I hate to clean up afterward. I’ll cook for you if you’ll clean up the [[rather large]] mess I make. I can make ramen, Kraft mac & cheese, pb&j…
  22. Actually, I can cook more than pre-packaged foods. My creativity and artistry are not limited to traditional crafty things. I like to invent things in the kitchen (scary, I know), and 95% of the time, they come out right tasty! Yum! Usually my concoctions involve every spice in the cabinet, plus a few that aren’t…just kidding! But I use a lot of garlic and Italian seasonings so I hope you like Italian!
  23. I like chicken. I subscribe to the Chik-fil-a cow’s philosophy—eat more chicken!
  24. I love seafood. Yum! Shrimp, crawfish, calamari (YUM), clams, various types of fish—I like it all! Well, except those nasty stuffed crab things…yuck! I also love sushi.
  25. I like eggs. They are an excellent source of protein (one of the most complete sources of protein, in fact) and can be cooked a number of different ways. Mmm I am getting hungry describing all this food!
  26. I can bake some cakes and cookies from scratch. And they’re good.
  27. I’m hungry right now, hence the fixation on food. :-)
  28. I love to drive out on the open highway. Why do you think I’ve driven to Texas the last two summers—by myself? Though it would be great fun to have someone to drive with…
  29. I once scored evenly on all five love languages on a love-languages test. My response? “I guess I just love to be loved!”
  30. I am a silly, goofy girl, and I love me for it. You should as well.
  31. I am a pacifist. Deny it and I’ll beat you up.
  32. My room is a perpetual experiment on the state of messiness.
  33. I, unfortunately, got skipped when the organizational genes were being handed out. I like to call myself “organizationally challenged.”
  34. However, if you really want to freak me out, you are welcome to come straighten up my stuff. I won’t be able to find a thing, I promise. And that is a bad thing. Of course, there’s no way I have ever experienced this…
  35. I hated math all the way through school and then actually liked the calculus class I took at my community college after I graduated. Weird. Although, I did enjoy math back when it involved using m&m’s as counters.
  36. I am a sorority girl. I am a sister of Phi Mu [[Women’s]] Fraternity. And I love it.
  37. I do not drink alcoholic beverages.
  38. Tobacco smoke stinks.
  39. I have never had a boyfriend. It wasn’t entirely by choice, but it just kind of happened that way.
  40. I love to sing. By that I mean that I sing a lot. Practically every time I’m in the car, I’m singing. I also burst out into made-up-on-the-spot songs at random opportune moments.
  41. My three best characteristics are that I am amazing, beautiful, and humble. I’d have to say, though, that “humble” is probably the word that describes me best.
  42. You’re probably snorting with laughter after that last comment. That’s okay. I do it too. Hence the nickname “Snorty.”
  43. I have freckles. All it takes for me to get more is for sunlight to touch my skin. Just kidding…well, not really…
  44. I also burn easily. Thank you, fair skin. I like spf 60 or so in my sunblock.
  45. My life mission statement can be summed up into three words: love//revolution//consecration. You’ll have to ask if you want more details. ;-)
  46. Despite the massive amounts of junk I own (thank you materialism), I have a minor obsession with small cottages, simple living, and small cars.
  47. Actually, I just have an obsession with small things. I love miniatures—any kind of miniatures. Minature goats, miniature sheep, miniature horses, miniature chickens, miniature llamas…
  48. Did I mention I want my own mini-farm someday? Populated with miniatures of all kinds (including, hopefully, some “miniature humans”).
  49. I want to adopt from overseas—hopefully more than one child. I don’t want to have more of my own children than I have adopted children, because I don’t feel justified bringing children into this world when there are millions already here who have no home, no parents, and no one to tell them about Jesus.
  50. I love kids. I especially love babies. My favorite job ever was when I nannied for a five-month-old baby boy named River. That’s probably also why I want to work in the NICU, caring for newborn infants.
  51. In the Myers-Briggs personality tests, I am an ISFP. That stands for “Incredibly Smart and Funny Person,” which, of course, describes me to a T.
  52. I am a very, very laid-back person. Can you guess which of the four temperaments (sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, melancholy) I am?
  53. My name, Bethany, means any number of things. My favorite definitions that I’ve found are “grateful spirit,” “house of God,” and “disciple of the Lord.”
  54. My middle name, Erin, means “peace.”
  55. I adore Audrey Hepburn. I absolutely love her grace, her style, and her movies. My sister thinks I look like her, which I find very flattering.
  56. I don’t intend to kiss until I reach the altar. If a man wants to kiss me, he’s got to buy me a set of really pretty rings and make a covenant with me first. If I’ve waited this long for that first kiss, I doubt a few more years is really gonna kill me.
  57. Believe it or not, I do not have my future children’s names picked out. Though I do have fifty or so that I like. :-P
  58. I love turtles, especially sea turtles. I did a project on them my first semester of college, and made this amazing turtle mosaic entirely out of recycled papers. “Way to support the environment, Bethany!”
  59. I love animals. If I had my way, my house would be a zoo. Well, maybe not, but I’d sure like a lot of pets!
  60. I love to travel. By “love,” I mean that if I could do nothing else for the rest of my life, I would die a happy woman. And by happy I mean so ecstatic that words can’t describe it.
  61. If I have gotten to know you well, I can become…uninhibited…around you. If you’ve experienced this, I’m sorry…well, sort of. :-)
  62. I write. I’ve been told I write exceptionally well. Actually, one of my (non-English) professors remarked that the English department at my school thinks I “walk on water” or something because apparently the English department at school loves me?
  63. I write a lot of poetry. Not your traditional rhyming poetry, but lyrical poetry that resounds in my soul. I’ve never displayed much of my poetry online, but occasionally it appears.
  64. I collect wedding magazines. I have a lot. I’m following the old Girl Scout motto, “Be prepared.” :-D
  65. I plan to write a book someday. Have planned, actually, since I was 11 or 12 years old. When it’s published, you must be sure to buy a copy so it will become a best-seller.
  66. I like to take pictures (artist, remember?). Someday I will buy a nice camera so I can take sweet pictures whenever and wherever and not be constrained by the limitations of a little “point-and-shoot” camera. I especially like close-ups (remember the fascination with tiny things?).
  67. I sew. Rather badly, in fact, but I enjoy the satisfaction that comes from wearing something that I made myself. No matter that it takes me a good 11 months from start to finish on any given project.
  68. I love maps. Especially the old-world style of map. I like to look at them and dream of the day when I’ll visit all those places I see.
  69. I want to learn other languages. I once heard of a pastor (in Korea, I believe) who made an effort to learn about 4-5 other languages. His reasoning? “The more languages I can speak, the more languages in which I’m able to preach the Gospel.”
  70. I have a love-hate relationship with my hair. It is thick and blond and has a lot of curl to it. And it is as stubborn as its owner. Only on rare occasions can I get it to do what I’d like it to. I’m too lazy to fight with it all the time, so I just throw it into a clip or a ponytail and go. That’s also why I used to chop my hair off, because it’s such a pain to deal with 98% of the time. It also gets very heavy when it gets long. Speaking of which, it’s time for a haircut. Now where did I put those scissors?
  71. I’m a low-maintenance lady. I rarely wear make up and rarely mess with my hair. I brush it enough to get the tangles out and that’s it. And makeup is pretty much only worn on special occasions. Again, I am very, very laid-back.
  72. I’ve been told by people that I’m about the most laid-back, peaceful person they’ve ever met.
  73. I love vintage. If I could afford it, I’d always be buying vintage clothes off eBay and wearing them.
  74. I have a mild obsession with red shoes and purses. I wear my red heels more than all my other ones put together. Considering how rarely I wear heels, that says a lot.
  75. I love going barefoot.
  76. If I can’t go barefoot, I love to wear my Rainbow sandals. Those were a great investment.
  77. I can drive a stick-shift. My poor old Baby was a stick-shift. I miss her.
  78. I am absolutely fascinated with other cultures. The food, the dress, the customs, and the people all fascinate me. I love learning about new cultures, especially when I’m getting to see them firsthand. :-)
  79. I survived 40 hours and 45 minutes in Rita-ESOAL. Yeah, I’m awesome. :-) (The previous longest ESOAL was 42 hours). (ESOAL stands for Emotionally Stretching Opportunity of A Lifetime. And it was).
  80. ESOAL was also one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. At the same time, it was my favorite LTE (life-transforming event) out of the whole year at Honor Academy.
  81. Teen Mania’s Summer Volunteers are awesome. (I have done it 2 years in a row). Yeah, that means I’m awesome too.
  82. For the most part, I hated being a GE caller. It was definitely stretching for me to have to make all those phone calls everyday, because I hardly even use the phone at all. I did have some amazing conversations, though, and once I was even prophesied over. That was cool.
  83. I am a healer and a bringer of life.
  84. I love people. I really, really love people. I love to know them and befriend them and love them.
  85. I’m not much one for initiating conversation, but I love to talk. Let me, and I’ll talk your ear off. Both of them, actually. Bring band-aids.
  86. I am a warm and friendly person. But I have to “warm up” to you first. I have to get comfortable enough around you to really start to open up.
  87. I am very reserved. Until I get comfortable around you. Then all bets are off. :-)
  88. I am the only one of my sisters (I have two) who does not have brown hair or brown eyes. I am the odd one out. I’m also the oldest. I guess that makes me special.
  89. I do everything slowly. Actually, I prefer to think of it as “deliberately,” but everyone else calls it slow. I say life’s too short to speed through it.
  90. I collect passport stamps. It is unfortunate that I do this as I do everything else (slowly).
  91. I am quirky. Get to know me and you’ll see.
  92. I have an offbeat sense of humor. Sometimes I make obscure references to books or movies and I am the only one who gets them. Oops.
  93. I am also a little bit gullible. Things tend to go “over my head” a lot. Don’t you dare take advantage of that.
  94. I have a list of countries I want to visit. I think there may be three in the world that are not on the list. When I figure out what they are, I shall add them. :-)
  95. I also have a list of things to do before I die. It gets longer as time passes by. I guess that’s a good thing? Wait, does that mean time is moving backwards?
  96. I think I am different from anyone I’ve ever met.
  97. I am trying to learn to hear the Lord’s voice and discern His will. Sometimes it is hard.
  98. I have my doubts about the wisdom of “falling in love.” It sounds rather like when I get distracted, fail to see the obstacle in front of me, and successfully face-plant in front of a group of people on whom I’d hoped to make a good impression. In other words, not a good thing.
  99. I do, however, believe in the concept of making a conscious decision to love (which we should do everyday to one another). I think it’s entirely possible, with careful consideration, prayer and seeking, to “choose” whom it is you’ll marry. Granted, I’m a little inexperienced in this department, so I certainly don’t know everything.

100. On those rare occasions when I make a mistake, I own up to it.

101. I am a daughter of the most high God and he calls me Beloved.

Monday, May 12, 2008

a poem//a prayer

And there will come a day
When nations will dance before you.
In adoration, they'll bow
They desire only to see your face
And they have come to this place
Because of the obedience
Of children like me
To You, our King.

O God, take my life
I've messed it up royally
O God, take my gaze
I've lost my focus
O God, break my heart
For it's become hardened to You
O God, unstop my ears
For I have refused to listen to You,
My Lover, my Prince, my King.

I'm so sorry.
You've only my best interests
And those of the world
In the depths of Your beautiful, magnificent heart
And I've shied away,
Afraid it wasn't really You I was hearing
Afraid of mishearing
And making a mistake I can't undo
And I guess it all boils down to
I'm just afraid of trusting You.

I'm sorry.
I love You.
Take my life [[again]] and make it
Whatever You will.



[[teach me to know Your voice]]

Monday, May 5, 2008

it's getting hot in here...

Our air conditioning has chosen this, the time of year when temperatures are starting to climb, to stop working. It wouldn't be so bad if the house didn't already get warm when it's hot outside (thanks to a giant window on the front, west-facing side). So last night I was playing with the ceiling fan in my room, in hopes of cooling my room just a little (it is also on the front side of the house and gets lots of afternoon sun). My ceiling fan has three speeds: low, medium and high. After experiencing the gale-force winds created by the higher two speeds, I came to the conclusion that the three speeds should be renamed: gentle breeze; tropical storm; and cyclone.

:-D