"All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not whither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be King."

- J. R. R. Tolkein

This has been on my heart lately. A line or two has been whispered to me while I'm walking from class to class or to a bus stop.

"Not all those who wander are lost..."

There is hope. There is hope even when there seems to be no hope.

Post-modernism says there is no hope. Toni Morrison (an author I've had to read) says there's no hope.

But there is hope...

"From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring..."

Maybe it's just because it's late fall--and Tolkein was just meant for fall. I don't know.

But I do know that there is hope. I do know that the post-modernists got some of the questions right, but most of the answers wrong. I know that academia has de-throned Christ in every way. But I also know that "the crownless again shall be King."

The night may be dark, the light may be bleak. Post-modernists may be king of the hill, but God wins the day. They may say what they like and try and pervert all that is holy and good. They may drink deep draughts of bitterness and anger. They may even force me to listen to their complaints and their perversions for 205 pages... but there is still hope.

I think I'm saying this "aloud" to remind myself more than to inform anyone else. I also think this turned into something much more deep and melancholy than I intended, especially since I only intended to post those two stanzas and leave them be.

Alright, I'm going back to finish my response paper.

Wish me luck...

I hope you have a splendid evening. I plan to yet =)

I really like! Ah! love love love this dress :)

I cannot stand post-modernism!!!!!! I can't! I just... agh! I'm reading the most horrid book right now for one of my classes and in this book there is NO hope! And there is no real truth. It is all darkness and depravity.

I had to go buy a few new worship songs before I started the book because I knew how bad it would be. I think those songs are helping... but 35 pages in and I'm totally grossed out. I have to finish the book by monday and write a response paper :-\

Jesus... help!

Ok... I'm going back to work, I just had to vent for a moment.

So... I just saw Fantastic Mr. Fox for the first time. Great movie... One of those beautifully random and creatively odd movies that have way deeper meanings than all of the hollywood formula ones put together. Plus it was funny :)

Well, I just wanted to share this one part. It's a toast that George Clooney makes that I reeeally liked:

"When I look down this table, with the exquisite feast set before us, I see: two terrific lawyers, a skilled pediatrician, a wonderful chef, a savvy real estate agent, an excellent tailor, a crack accountant, a gifted musician, pretty good minnow fisherman, and possibly the best landscape painter working on the scene today. Maybe a few of you might even read my column from time to time, Who knows? I tend to doubt it. I also see a room full of wild animals. Wild animals, with true natures and pure talents. Wild animals with scientific-sounding Latin names that mean something about our DNA. Wild animals each with his own strengths and weaknesses due to his or her species. Anyway, I think it may very well be all the beautiful differences among us that might just give us the tiniest glimmer of a chance of saving my nephew, and letting me make it up to you for getting us into this, this crazy... whatever it is. I don't know. It's just a thought. Thank you for listening. Cheers, everyone."

Beautiful, isn't it? Well, I'm off to have breakfast with my little sister in downtown kirkland, and we'll probably play scrabble :)

I don't normally do these... but this one looked interesting:

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child [SOMEDAY!!!!]
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (indoor)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain ...someday :)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s (eternal) life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

well, there you have it! :)

"All the fairest beauties in the human soul, its greatest victories, and its most splendid achievements are always those that no one else knows anything about or can dimly guess at. Every inner response to love and every conquest over self-love is a new flower on the tree of love."

- Hannah Hurnard

I really want this dress! ah... so pretty :)

So... today was adventurous. I seriously can't remember the last time we got snow-like real snow, not just a flurry-before Thanksgiving.

Let me describe my day to you:

5:30 - alarm goes off. I am wrapped in my usual winter blanket regimen: i'm wearing socks, sweat pants, and a sweatshirt; fleece blanket #1; sheet; electric blanket; comforter; fleece blanket #2. My toes are cold. I hit the snooze.

5:47 - after a few snoozes, I decide I should actually get up.

6:10-ish - I get out of the shower. I took an extra long time in the warm water knowing it would be the warmest I would get today. Now, wrapped in another blanket, it's Jesus time!

7:00 - after some reeeally good time with the Man, I'm up making breakfast, doing my make-up and planning the optimal outfit: two layers of socks (one really warm pair), new rain boots, leggings, jeans, a t-shirt, scarf #1, heavy sweater, scarf #2, pea-coat, and hat.

8:10 - I leave for the bus. My toes are cold.

8:18 - I get on the bus

8:48 - Our bus gets in line for the on-ramp from 405 to 520.

9:12 - Our bus is finally on 520.

9:30 - My Greek art class is supposed to start. I'm still on the bus.

9:38 - I finally reach campus.

9:45 - I finally reach my classroom. They've just announced class has been cancelled. My toes are really cold.

10:00 - Starbucks! By this point, my toes are so frozen that I can't feel them.

11:30 - A very intriguing Communication class

12:30 - lunch and reading in the library. Did I mention my toes are still cold?

1:30 - English class... another lovely class.

3:30 - the wait for the bus begins... it is snowing and cold.

3:35 - I ran into a former co-worker from officemax, David Moneymaker, and we were waiting for the same bus. I may be cold and stranded, but I am no longer alone :)

3:55 - Our bus finally came. The streets are dangerous and everything is slow going.

5:05 - A long bus ride and one new york cross word puzzle later, we are in the kirkland area.

5:35 - My brother picks me up from the bus stop.

5:50 - I am finally home safe and sound :)

7:00 - My toes are finally thawed :)

Whew! Quite an adventurous day... so glad to sleep safely in my warm bed. My dad is literally stranded in his office at work and is sleeping in his office tonight. God bless him.

Tomorrow should be an adventure all in itself :)

Guess what I just did? :)

I just finished filling out the first step to my study abroad application for Oxford next summer. Yippeee!!

I'm going next week to renew my passport.

I have a professor lined up to fill out my academic recommendation.

And... Prince William and Kate Middleton are planning a spring or summer wedding = I could possibly be there... maybe :)

do you ever find yourself in those seasons where you can't really articulate yourself properly, and yet, the Psalms seem to echo what you're feeling?

sigh...

Do you ever find yourself trying to write in, what I would call, an "intentional stream of consciousness" method? Like, you are trying to make a message, a facebook post, an email, or text seem very nonchalant and off the top of your head, but you find yourself editing and carefully considering each capitalization and punctuation? Do I capitalize i or not? Should I use a dash -- or an ellipse ...? Do I end my sentence with proper punctualization or an emoticon? But you're trying to sound young and hip and like you don't care--when you really do?

or is this just an English major problem? haha... i'm not sure. but i think there needs to be a word to describe this mental process because i think it's hilarious :)