It’s a New Year!

Hello out there!

It’s a New Year, and my computer is running slower than ever.

Break was wonderful, I spent most of it in Colorado, but about a week was spent with Anthony’s family traveling around the Northwest. It was so great and relaxing–just what my heart and mind needed. I certianly wasn’t ready to come back to university and start back up with classes and homework again.

Colorado was a time of real healing and confirmation in a lot of ways. I was supposed to work a bunch, but that ended up not working out, for various reasons. Obviously, God wanted me to take a break, and learn to trust him to provide for my needs financially. I had a lot of time to knit, read books, drink lots of hot chocolate, and just spend time with my family. It was exactly what I needed, and I didn’t even realize it. I love my parents even more than I already did, and I realize how blessed I am to have such a good relationship with both of them.

The Northwest was a lot more activity, but still very good. Anthony and I had some time to ourselves, usually on walks or drives through the cute downtown of the area we stayed. But we also had a lot of time with all of his family, and that was good too. Plenty of card games, some Wii fit, and movies all made for a really good time getting to know people better.

Overall, the people I spent break with meant a lot to me. They were incredibly affirming, something I didn’t realize I was lacking in until four weeks ago. It was a huge blessing to be surrounded by people who cared about me, and to be encouraged a lot in my relationship with Anthony–it can be awkward being the only couple in our group of friends.

I don’t have much else to say. I’m back at the grindstone. I’m researching again this quarter, taking a heavy load, mentoring for a freshmen class, and trying to maintain relationships even as I’m prepping for graduation this year. break was a very encouraging time, a really boost which I think I needed to get me through the next couple of quarters.

I love you all. I hope that your New Year is full of blessings and laughter.

sara

 

I’m sitting in the library

without shoes on. I didn’t wear shoes today. Oh no, I wore my galoshes. The brown ones with aqua blue/teal coloured polka dots. Yep, those ones. Because it is drizzling quite steadily today. And at one point, if you stood really quietly in the wlak in closet in Anna and Caitlin’s room, it sounded like rats were running on the roof.

at least, that’s what Caitlin says. I’ve never heard rats running on the roof.

But galoshes, let me tell you, are horribly uncomfortable after sitting at a desk in the library for 3.5 hours. NOw I’m just waiting for Caitlin to finish up whatever she’s working on (nursing? Anatomy? UFDN? Stats?) and then we’ll head home, just as the library closes.

It’s so awe inspiring to me, to sit in this building surrounded by so many books. for a couple reasons: we write books and books and books, and what do we even do with our lives but read other people’s books and then critique them and then write our own? Really, I am at this point in my life where I am all about action. I can’t talk theology with people anymore. I’m tired of talking and reading and writing. I want to go out and live. Second, holy cow! There are a lot of books, and none of them say the exact same thing! We have so much going on in our heads, so many things to say, and we are finite beings! How many books could God write? A LOT! Third, how much money do we spend on these books, and how could that go to so many other people in so many different ways? Not that all the books we have is wrong, I think it’s good to be educated and learned. But really, I think it’s interesting to imagine all the ways this money could have been spent outside of these books. We did this in my political/economic development class today. Did you know, that with the money we’ve spent on the war in Iraq, we could have bought everyone on the planet an iPod? I’m not discounting the good things done in Iraq, but still. That’s just an interesting way to look at the money, and think of it.

that’s all folks. I got nothin else. The library closes in 12 minutes. They just flashed the lights again. I think they want us to leave. They want to kick us back out into the rain.

Where did my galoshes go?

 

Prayer Request

Hi all.

school is going well. I just got back from yet another awesome trip to Vancouver. This one was just for two nights, which is obviously very disappointing. I always want it to be longer. But it was still AMAZING becuause my best friend flew in to visit her brother and sister in law (Twaan was the best man in their wedding) so it’s a super small world, and it was wonderful to see her.

it’s been hard coming back. I am struggling with things at my apartment. I’m also having a hard time with God/Christianity. I just feel like I am surrounded by hypocrites (myself included). It makes me want to drop this whole faith thing and move on. I’m not going to, obviously. I still love Abba and Jesus and I think that everything the Lord does is great. But I am still incredibly frustrated by the church, and all of the failures. We have lots of holy books on the shelves of my apartment and yet, I feel like none of it has impacted us.

it is driving me NUTS.

I’ve also had some roller coaster emotional days and am having a difficult time controlling my thought life. Basically, I’m exhausted and feel all over the place emotionally. I want even my internal thought life to bring glory to God, and lately, I’m pretty sure it’s falling quite short of that.

on the sunny side of the street, Twaan and one of his roommates and I have decided to get together on a regular basis and talk about spiritual stuff. We are also going to attend Prayer and Communion every Friday monring together. I’m really excited for this. I already felt better tonight after hanging out with them once. See? It’s amazing the things that God can do in one evening. Glory be.

 

Well well

It’s one of those days. Yeah for up and down emotions.

The good news is, according to Dr. Downing, we aren’t going to have another Great Depression. That was deflation. What we may (and probably will) experience will be inflation. Something more akin to the 1970’s.

 

The lights of ballard, fremont and wallingford

are all outside my window.

I haven’t much to say. Portland was fun. We stayed with Caleb and Kat and helped them pack up. And then we moved them in to Jared and Teresa’s. These are the kinds of people that I love. Jared and Teresa have taken Kat and Caleb in for a few months. Then, Josh and Jonathon are in between leases so they have moved in for 10 days. Jana is coming to visit in a couple weeks, and of course, Twaan and I will be back down for that.

All the while Teresa makes chocolate dipped strawberries in the kitchen and delicious chocolate chip scones. I even get scolded for doing dishes.

This is generosity. And hospitality.

Classes started up a couple days ago. It’s been okay. I like them all, it’s just a really random mix. My Marxism class is a strange group of philosophy, sociology, psych, sociology, latin american studies, business, and, oh yeah, the token polisci majors. Like me. What? How did that happen?

Tonight I had an “intense dark mocha” with a shot of hazelnut. Twaan brought it to me, after I called him. I was having a bad night, and my wonderful pacar came all the way down the hill to me. He took me to the canal, gave me delicious coffee from Tully’s and sat with me as we watched a tug boat push a barge down through the black water.

Now it is late. Nick just left, after a nearly completed crossword. I’m listening to Celtic music, and the sound of Kelsie texting. And I can see all of ballard, the canal, fremont, and wallingford from our windows. Today is a better day. Or a better night, after a rollercoaster day.

Thanks to Jesus.

Thanks to Twaan.

(And thanks to Will, and his delicious mochas…)

 

You Know? I kind of like the exercise-ball-as-chair-phenomenon

It’s true. It’s starting to grow on me. Not to mention all these nifty exercises that Kelsie taught me. Which is handy, because my normal situps just weren’t hurting enough recently. But these moves on the exercise ball, well, they really help me satiate my masochistic tendencies. Ha.

Anyway. Nothing to say, I’m just really trying to make good on the promise to update. I’m thinking that once classes actually start, I will probably only post once a week. None of this three posts a week nonesense. That simply won’t do when I have things going on other grocery shopping and a million emails for MuKappa.

I’m leaving tomorrow for Portland/Vancouver. I”m excited, but also really nervous. Would you mind praying? I’m nervous for lots of reasons. A. I’m always a bit nervous about new modes of transportation. I’m taking the bus to meet Twaan before we catch the train down. I’ll just feel better once I meet up with him downtown. B. I’m nervous to spend this much concentrated time with all of Twaan’s friends. Granted, I actually know two of them from Colorado–but those are actually the ones who make me most nervous. C. I’ve been doing much better lately at this whole relationship thing, but I still have moments where I freak out about commitment and long term things. I feel like this being the third trip to Portland/Vancouver says something about me being committed. Don’t get me wrong–I am. But things in the future still make me nervous. (Like: oh my gosh. I have to get a job and be responsible and be on my own this time next year. hello? this realization=terrifying)

so if you’ll pray that God would just give me peace and encouragement for all these things, that would be great. We’ve been doing pretty good, me and God. I’m more trusting lately, and I don’t freak as much. But still. I have moments. (I guess we all do, though)

 

It’s Raining Today…

…for the first time since I came back to Seattle two and a half weeks ago. It’s the nice drizzle that I like about Seattle. I walked home from housesitting last night, with only a brown sweater over my blue Henley. I got back to the apartment, my jeans soaked all the way up three inches from the ground, but the rest of me was pretty dry. That’s one of the wonderful things about Seattle rain. I didn’t own a raincoat until an awesome sale took place this summer, and yet, I’ve lived in Seattle for two years! Two years and no raincoat.

I’m sitting here now, at my secretary which we affectionately named Rhonda earlier this week. Instead of a chair I’m using Kelsie’s exercise ball which was recently pumped up. Supposedly this is going to give me better posture or a strong back. Right now I just feel a little sore from not having anything to lean up against. I have a steaming mug of Indo tea with far too much sugar in it. Cars are racing along the street below our apartment, the noise is softened today by the wet pavement. The whole sky is grey and there’s a sort of fog in the air, the kind that makes the whole world lazy and sleepy.

I think I’ll make soup for dinner tonight.

On Thursday I went to Fred Meyer with Anna and August. On the way home, we passed this long row of blackberry bushes, with no obvious owners (they were attached to a fence that enclosed a business which sells different kinds of landscaping/rock/pavement materials). Anna emptied her Fred Meyer bag in to her back pack and we started picking. WE estimate we got 2 pounds of fresh blackberries—for free! It was wonderful. We trudged back home with sticky red fingers, and later that evening we had people over for desert: blackberry tarts. Several rounds of catch phrase later, and we still have a lot of blackberries, and left over custard. I think we’ll have people over again soon.

There isn’t much else to say. It’s a lazy, quiet day in the neighborhood. There’s still steam coming off my tea, wafting up into the open room before disappearing into the chill air of our apartment. Anna is reading a book in the chair behind me. I think I might do that as well.

Ciao mes amies

 

Portland… Vancouver… that place on the border

Look, updating! I’m trying to make good on that promise!

Next week Twaan and I are going to Portland/Vancouver. We have friends that live down there. Jared and Teresa, who we’ll probably be staying with. And Caleb and Kat who we might help move depending on when exactly we do go down.

Vancouver/Portland is home to a lot of the missionaries from Indonesia. From Jared and Caleb as MK’s, to the Pust family, it’s like going down to see Twaan’s extended family. It’s feels even more so that way since the adults get called Aunt and Uncle. In Indonesia, it’s a sign of respect, and the missionaries adopted it.

I think we are (hopefully) going to hike Multnomah Falls. I’m looking forward to it. I saw it when we drove past in June on our way to Idaho. Even such a short glimpse was enough to make an impression, I love waterfalls, and these looked really pretty. It’s only a 1.2 mile hike, but we can go the extra 6 to the top of the “mountain.” We’ll see. I haven’t run since I’ve been back to Seattle, so I’m not sure how I’ll be feeling about 7.2 miles. (And now that I think of it, that might be one way too…)

Today is nothing exciting. If you are out there and you read this, please pray for me. There are three of us living in the apartment now, and it’s hard to not have someone feeling left out. Usually, it ends up being me. It’s actually quite exasperating, because these are two of my really good friends. But we just don’t always do very well as a threesome. Drives me nuts when I want this to work so well.

blessings.

oh! PS! I wrote a whole two paragraphs today! WOOHOO. I hadn’t written anything since June before today.

 

Oh My.

I haven’t updated in quite a while. Not since January. and it’s September. I’m about to embark on a whole new school year. I’ve completely forgotten about this blog. I don’t know that anyone even reads it anymore.

Hm. I think, maybe this year, I will try to be a better updater. Here are some basic things going on right now though.

Classes start on the 29th of this month. That’s really far away, and yet right around the corner. I’ve been back in Seattle moving in to the apartment for about a week. I still have a couple more boxes to get from random people, and my couch as well, but I have mostly moved in just about everything I own in the SEattle area. It’s been interesting. Kelsie was already here, and I feel like I have moved in to someone else’s home in someways. Anna comes tonight, and Caitlin just before school starts again. I’m sure it will feel the same for them. But One can never say exactly what anyone else is feeling. (Half the time I don’t know what I’m feeling.)

I’m president MuKappa this year–it’s the club on campus for MK’s (missionary kids). I’m excited for it. It’s going to be a great ministry. The club is going to meet at our apartment each Sunday night for dinner and hang out. I’m so excited to get to know the girls (and guys too). We’re having a girl’s small group made up of MuKappa people also, and I think that will be fantastic.

Twaan and I are still dating. Which is amazing after the hellacious year and summer that I’ve been through. I feel like some of the original passion has died down, but I also think that’s normal. I appreciate our relationship in quieter (but no less important) ways now. I appreciate having someone to just be with, and not have to always be doing something, or feel the need for activity. Last night we finished a movie, walked back to my apartment where he collapsed on my couch while I had tea and sat beside him. And it was probably one of the nicest nights since I’ve been back.

Other than that, life goes on, much as it always has. I’m tired today, because I walked up to Safeway and walked down with a whole bunch of groceries (if you live in Seattle or know Queen Anne you can understand that it is a bit of a hike to the grocery from Nickerson Street). Tonight I am going to make sloppy joes, see a friend, welcome Anna home, and just hang out. Very cowish (to those who understand that). Very lovely.

love and blessings

 

Hi Again

He told me what it was.

I mean, it was lots of things. It was a whole bunch of stuff that I was holding onto.

But the future one was definitely it. Just, not exactly. God does want me to let go of my future plans, and let him handle it all. But those plans are far distant from the onese I was really holding onto with tigthly clenched fists. Nope. He had things a bit sooner in mind.

Like apply to be the SPU equivalent of an RA next year.

Which is a quarter long process. So if you don’t mind praying, that would be nice.

ciao mis hermanos. Ustedes son en los manos de Dios.

sara beth.