10 Years
Ten years ago tonight, I was a 6th grade tomboy. A child in both mind and stature, the events of that night were beyond me. However, they altered the course of my life.
Ten years ago tonight, 40-year-old Amy was plagued with inner turmoil. She attributed it to the fact that her parents hadn't called on Christmas or New Years Eve, but the problem went much deeper. She felt hopeless and incapable of change.
Ten years ago tonight, Amy cried deperately in the one small bathroom of her beachfront home. Her husband and children didn't hear, depite the bathroom's central location, but there is One who heard. To her surprise, a voice said to Amy, "Your Father loves you." She knew exactly what that meant and could not doubt it because of the rich peace that poured over her soul. Leaving the bathroom, Amy retreated to her bedroom to read the small Bible that someone had given her years before.
Ten years ago tonight, my mom, Amy, became a Christian and began 1996 in her new life as the Lord's adopted daughter. For the next several months, no one else knew of her newfound faith. However, in April of that year, her husband (my dad) also accepted Christ as his Savior, at which point the fabric of our immediate family changed profoundly.
Ten years ago tonight, I neither asked nor understood what was happening. Nevertheless, my life was also changed. I am who I am today because of the Salvation that Amy discovered ten years ago tonight.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Thursday, December 01, 2005
A Less-Than-Optimal Way to Say Goodbye
I laid in bed for eight hours, nervously tossing around as my portable alarm clock ticked away. And then the dreaded time arrived. At the sound of my alarm, waking up felt different than ever before. Usually the horrible sound rouses me out of my unconscious state. This time, however, I didn't need to be roused. I was semi-conscious, and it seemed that adrenaline was rushing through my veins even as I slept.
Everything went according to plan as I quickly got dressed, made a weird breakfast with the remainder of our food, and said goodbye to our once homey apartment. Because I was the last to leave, there was no one to say goodbye to... As scheduled, I left my apartment 20 minutes before the metro opened for another busy day in Athens, Greece. The streets were dark and unlively as I attempted to prevent myself from being run over by my suitecases, which eagerly rolled downhill. You see, our apartment was located halfway up Mt. Lykavittos, a prominent hill in Athens. Five minutes later, I was at the Evangelismos metro station, with hundreds of stairs to decend before reaching the ticket counters. A little old lady offered to help, but I declined politely in Greek. The next few minutes are fuzzy in my memory, but somehow I brought two bags, which were each approaching 100 pounds, down four flights of stairs.
Once my bags and I were safely underground, I had ten minutes to blow before the airport metro came. The metro ride was wonderful. Apparently, hardly anyone is insane enough to ride the metro at five o'clock on a Sunday morning. So I reclined on a couple seats and watched as the rising sun illumined the bleak, mountainous terrain. Once in a while, a couple of confused white people - sometimes speaking English, sometimes not - boarded the metro. They were obviously tourists, but not me... I was a temporary resident of Athens, not a tourist.
The metro arrived at the airport two hours before my plane was schedule to board, and I patiently joined the long line for British Airways passengers. In front of me, a couple of the CYA students loaded their bags onto the scale and were rudely told to get rid of some weight. Those poor kids. We had no way of weighing our bags in our apartments...how were they to know that their bags were overweight?
Thanks to the slow-moving Greek airline employees, the wait was over an hour. I didn't mind it though... Nothing could take away the excitement of finally going home, or so it seemed. But as I plopped by enormous bags onto the scale, something horrible happened. My luggage was a total of forty pounds overweight! With an already full carry-on, I had no where to put this extra weight. But just like the students ahead of me, I was told to "get rid of someting." Now, my family has had overweight bags while traveling to Belize in the past, so I knew that my dad just paid an extra $100 for the extra weight and asked for a box, which he then scrupulously duct taped. Admittedly, it sucks to fork out this extra money, but my mind was set on going home. Nothing could crush my enthusiasm. After attempting to reason with this lady and refusing to throw anything away, she handed me a small woven nylon bag with a poor excuse for a zipper. When I opened the bag - which was one cubic foot in volume - the zipper broke off. No joke. Feeling as if someone had thrust a knife into my abdomen, I prayed that God work "all things out for the good of those who love him."
And He did. Brad, a fellow CYA student, saw me struggling and helped pack two of those little bags with the heaviest items from my suitecases. When I asked the airline employee for tape, I received a blank stare in return. Ahhhh! But duh, of course they had tape, so Brad and I used sticky yellow "caution heavy" tape to completely cover my weakling nylon bags. Thank you Brad!! I needed that psychological boost of compassion and camaraderie.
The next thirty minutes are a blur. I remember being shuffled off to another desk (about 200 feet away) to pay for the extra bag, leaving the airline employee to watch my luggage. I decided to use the last of my euros and informed him that I would pay in cash (big mistake). When I asked the price, he glanced down at the 140 euros that dangled from my hand and replied, "140 evros" (that's how Greeks say euros). Although I knew exactly what was happening, I didn't want to confront the man who held my ticket home. Instead, indignation boiled within me. The man took 15 minutes to make a phone call and then told me that I probably woudn't be able to get on my flight because it was overbooked (despite the fact that I had just paid for an extra piece of luggage). Flustered, I grabbed a handful of papers, tickets and passport and ran back to the ticketing counter. (I must have been quite a spectacle.)
Now the British Airways lady had really done it... "Your flight was overbooked, and you should have been here on time," she stated waveringly. No, no, no! I reconfirmed my flight the day before, and my seat was reserved...my seat number was in the computers, and I knew that this woman was lying through her teeth. I fought it and tried to reason with her, but to no avail. And then I broke down, sobbing like a baby. I just wanted to go home. I didn't have enough money to buy another plane ticket (which I would not be reimbursed for, according to my newly-acquired adversary). I couldn't take this. Alone in Greece, alone in that airport, alone in my hopelessness, I couldn't take it. Again, I prayed.
And again, God delivered me. That callous Greek woman showed mercy, handed me my passport and boarding pass, and allowed me to take one of the small nylon bags as an extra carry-on. "Your plane leaves in less than five minutes. You need to run." Ignoring the fact that she could've made that decision ten minutes ago instead of lying to me, I thanked her and dashed for security. No one was in line. My student visa was quickly stamped, I hustled to the plane, and was warmly welcomed aboard. Plopping myself, two carry-ons and my "personal item" (purse) onto my window seat, I accidentally flung my loose passport (still out from the visa-stamping station) under my seat. CRAP! As the stewardesses went over the usual rescue mask and emergency exit schpeal, I searched for my missing passport. Minutes later, a man two rows behind me found it under his seat. Phew.
My first flight was uneventful and even peaceful. The Alps were visible on that clear day, and once we disembarked the plane I met up with several other CYA students traveling home. The London Heathrow airport is a horrible maze, but we were enamored by English: we could understand what people were saying and read all the signs. For the first time in four months, I could speak the native language. :)
The long flight over the Atlantic was fine. Needless to say, it was good to be back in the United States! When I arrived at the Continental ticketing booth for my flight to Cleveland, a kind elderly man voluntarily wrapped those despicable nylon bags in travel-worthy sacks, and he even let me check my second carry-on for free. Americans are so much nicer!!
Upon my arrival at the Cleveland Hopkins Airport, my amazing parents greeted me. Their presence assuaged my feelings of unrest after that 36-hour traumatic journey. Unlike the rest of my study abroad experiences, I had never written about my trip home until today. So congratulations...you just experienced the unabridged version of (one of) Libby's traveling fiasco(s). The good, the bad, and the ugly...
~Libby
Song of the day: "How Great Is Our God" - Chris Tomlin
I laid in bed for eight hours, nervously tossing around as my portable alarm clock ticked away. And then the dreaded time arrived. At the sound of my alarm, waking up felt different than ever before. Usually the horrible sound rouses me out of my unconscious state. This time, however, I didn't need to be roused. I was semi-conscious, and it seemed that adrenaline was rushing through my veins even as I slept.
Everything went according to plan as I quickly got dressed, made a weird breakfast with the remainder of our food, and said goodbye to our once homey apartment. Because I was the last to leave, there was no one to say goodbye to... As scheduled, I left my apartment 20 minutes before the metro opened for another busy day in Athens, Greece. The streets were dark and unlively as I attempted to prevent myself from being run over by my suitecases, which eagerly rolled downhill. You see, our apartment was located halfway up Mt. Lykavittos, a prominent hill in Athens. Five minutes later, I was at the Evangelismos metro station, with hundreds of stairs to decend before reaching the ticket counters. A little old lady offered to help, but I declined politely in Greek. The next few minutes are fuzzy in my memory, but somehow I brought two bags, which were each approaching 100 pounds, down four flights of stairs.
Once my bags and I were safely underground, I had ten minutes to blow before the airport metro came. The metro ride was wonderful. Apparently, hardly anyone is insane enough to ride the metro at five o'clock on a Sunday morning. So I reclined on a couple seats and watched as the rising sun illumined the bleak, mountainous terrain. Once in a while, a couple of confused white people - sometimes speaking English, sometimes not - boarded the metro. They were obviously tourists, but not me... I was a temporary resident of Athens, not a tourist.
The metro arrived at the airport two hours before my plane was schedule to board, and I patiently joined the long line for British Airways passengers. In front of me, a couple of the CYA students loaded their bags onto the scale and were rudely told to get rid of some weight. Those poor kids. We had no way of weighing our bags in our apartments...how were they to know that their bags were overweight?
Thanks to the slow-moving Greek airline employees, the wait was over an hour. I didn't mind it though... Nothing could take away the excitement of finally going home, or so it seemed. But as I plopped by enormous bags onto the scale, something horrible happened. My luggage was a total of forty pounds overweight! With an already full carry-on, I had no where to put this extra weight. But just like the students ahead of me, I was told to "get rid of someting." Now, my family has had overweight bags while traveling to Belize in the past, so I knew that my dad just paid an extra $100 for the extra weight and asked for a box, which he then scrupulously duct taped. Admittedly, it sucks to fork out this extra money, but my mind was set on going home. Nothing could crush my enthusiasm. After attempting to reason with this lady and refusing to throw anything away, she handed me a small woven nylon bag with a poor excuse for a zipper. When I opened the bag - which was one cubic foot in volume - the zipper broke off. No joke. Feeling as if someone had thrust a knife into my abdomen, I prayed that God work "all things out for the good of those who love him."
And He did. Brad, a fellow CYA student, saw me struggling and helped pack two of those little bags with the heaviest items from my suitecases. When I asked the airline employee for tape, I received a blank stare in return. Ahhhh! But duh, of course they had tape, so Brad and I used sticky yellow "caution heavy" tape to completely cover my weakling nylon bags. Thank you Brad!! I needed that psychological boost of compassion and camaraderie.
The next thirty minutes are a blur. I remember being shuffled off to another desk (about 200 feet away) to pay for the extra bag, leaving the airline employee to watch my luggage. I decided to use the last of my euros and informed him that I would pay in cash (big mistake). When I asked the price, he glanced down at the 140 euros that dangled from my hand and replied, "140 evros" (that's how Greeks say euros). Although I knew exactly what was happening, I didn't want to confront the man who held my ticket home. Instead, indignation boiled within me. The man took 15 minutes to make a phone call and then told me that I probably woudn't be able to get on my flight because it was overbooked (despite the fact that I had just paid for an extra piece of luggage). Flustered, I grabbed a handful of papers, tickets and passport and ran back to the ticketing counter. (I must have been quite a spectacle.)
Now the British Airways lady had really done it... "Your flight was overbooked, and you should have been here on time," she stated waveringly. No, no, no! I reconfirmed my flight the day before, and my seat was reserved...my seat number was in the computers, and I knew that this woman was lying through her teeth. I fought it and tried to reason with her, but to no avail. And then I broke down, sobbing like a baby. I just wanted to go home. I didn't have enough money to buy another plane ticket (which I would not be reimbursed for, according to my newly-acquired adversary). I couldn't take this. Alone in Greece, alone in that airport, alone in my hopelessness, I couldn't take it. Again, I prayed.
And again, God delivered me. That callous Greek woman showed mercy, handed me my passport and boarding pass, and allowed me to take one of the small nylon bags as an extra carry-on. "Your plane leaves in less than five minutes. You need to run." Ignoring the fact that she could've made that decision ten minutes ago instead of lying to me, I thanked her and dashed for security. No one was in line. My student visa was quickly stamped, I hustled to the plane, and was warmly welcomed aboard. Plopping myself, two carry-ons and my "personal item" (purse) onto my window seat, I accidentally flung my loose passport (still out from the visa-stamping station) under my seat. CRAP! As the stewardesses went over the usual rescue mask and emergency exit schpeal, I searched for my missing passport. Minutes later, a man two rows behind me found it under his seat. Phew.
My first flight was uneventful and even peaceful. The Alps were visible on that clear day, and once we disembarked the plane I met up with several other CYA students traveling home. The London Heathrow airport is a horrible maze, but we were enamored by English: we could understand what people were saying and read all the signs. For the first time in four months, I could speak the native language. :)
The long flight over the Atlantic was fine. Needless to say, it was good to be back in the United States! When I arrived at the Continental ticketing booth for my flight to Cleveland, a kind elderly man voluntarily wrapped those despicable nylon bags in travel-worthy sacks, and he even let me check my second carry-on for free. Americans are so much nicer!!
Upon my arrival at the Cleveland Hopkins Airport, my amazing parents greeted me. Their presence assuaged my feelings of unrest after that 36-hour traumatic journey. Unlike the rest of my study abroad experiences, I had never written about my trip home until today. So congratulations...you just experienced the unabridged version of (one of) Libby's traveling fiasco(s). The good, the bad, and the ugly...
~Libby
Song of the day: "How Great Is Our God" - Chris Tomlin
Thursday, November 24, 2005
One Foot of Snow...And Still Accumulating
This morning I woke up in my awesomely orange room once again, but this time the walls were a little brighter that usual. My first glance outside at the luminous, snow-covered woods explained the mysterious glow and reminded me of last Thanksgiving, otherwise known as "Day 6 of 9" in the bloggeroo.
I still feel the same way. The first snow of the year is beautiful...from my heated house, wearing pajamas, with chai in hand. But as soon as I catch a gust of that freezing air, my aestheticism turns to bitterness and I mumble to myself that this is the last Cleveland winter I will EVER experience. God only knows where I'll actually end up, but I sure hope it's somewhere with milder winters.
Happy Thanksgiving!
~Libby
Song of the day: "The Shadow Proves The Sunshine" - Switchfoot
This morning I woke up in my awesomely orange room once again, but this time the walls were a little brighter that usual. My first glance outside at the luminous, snow-covered woods explained the mysterious glow and reminded me of last Thanksgiving, otherwise known as "Day 6 of 9" in the bloggeroo.
I still feel the same way. The first snow of the year is beautiful...from my heated house, wearing pajamas, with chai in hand. But as soon as I catch a gust of that freezing air, my aestheticism turns to bitterness and I mumble to myself that this is the last Cleveland winter I will EVER experience. God only knows where I'll actually end up, but I sure hope it's somewhere with milder winters.
Happy Thanksgiving!
~Libby
Song of the day: "The Shadow Proves The Sunshine" - Switchfoot
Sunday, November 20, 2005
XXXX = Four-Bagger
I bowled a 182 this evening, beating my mom, dad and brothers. Six strikes. Although it was undoubtedly a fluke, I enjoyed my moment of glory. Not very often do I beat three men in one athletic contest. Muahahaha...
My other two scores from tonight, however, were...embarrassing. 87 and 112. But it was an evening to remember. I was especially entertained by Joe's ritualistic waddle before every ball and my mom's attempt to impersonate him. My immediate family is composed of five peculiar individuals who, when put together, are exponentially weirder. Needless to say, I love spending time with them.
We need to take advantage of the cheap bowling more often at GCC. Bowling is always fun, and somehow doing awesome just accentuates the pleasure of the ball-rolling experience. I vote for more bowling.
~Lib
Song of the day: "In Christ Alone" - Newsboys
I bowled a 182 this evening, beating my mom, dad and brothers. Six strikes. Although it was undoubtedly a fluke, I enjoyed my moment of glory. Not very often do I beat three men in one athletic contest. Muahahaha...
My other two scores from tonight, however, were...embarrassing. 87 and 112. But it was an evening to remember. I was especially entertained by Joe's ritualistic waddle before every ball and my mom's attempt to impersonate him. My immediate family is composed of five peculiar individuals who, when put together, are exponentially weirder. Needless to say, I love spending time with them.
We need to take advantage of the cheap bowling more often at GCC. Bowling is always fun, and somehow doing awesome just accentuates the pleasure of the ball-rolling experience. I vote for more bowling.
~Lib
Song of the day: "In Christ Alone" - Newsboys
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
The News You Will Never Hear
How often does the news need to be reported? Maybe once every two or three weeks... But we are constantly inundated with the latest on Brittany Spear's recent cosmetic surgery, the world's biggest hamster dying, and George Clooney's opinion of the presidency. (I'll deal with that one in a minute.) So why are we exposed to this continuous flow of inconsequential "news?" Because of commercials. If the news was only reported weekly or bi-weekly, billions of advertising dollars would be lost. Because reporters and anchormen tell us that what we are about to see/hear is important, many become obsessed with staying "in the know." Let me fill you in on something...most of what you see is not important. And even worse, by watching those news-creations, you are doing exactly what they want you to.
Next, George Clooney. I, for one, don't give a crap about his opinion on politics, or any other celebrity's for that matter. There are thousands of intellectuals (on both ends of the political spectrum) who have spent their lives studying politics, international relations, etc. Talk to them. Surely their opinions are better informed than those of the latest pop stars.
What are pop stars anyway? Who creates celebrities? Once again, the media.
I've heard that President Ford (Nixon's successor) was portrayed by the media to be incompetent. This man probably put in a solid 10-12 hours of work every day. However, the media presented the nation with an image of Ford hitting his head while exiting an airplane onto stairs. (The dude was tall...give him a break.) But the clip was played for weeks. Of course such an incident wasn't representative of his presidency...
I think the media does the same thing with the George Bush. They pigeonhole him as incompentent, and all of the political lemmings echo what they hear on TV. If you don't like his decisions as a president, that is one thing. But denouncing the man because he stuttered a couple times in front of a microphone is quite another. Get a mind of your own.
"Anchors Away" - Five Iron Frenzy
The advertising dollars buy the right to stifle antonyms, to sterilize the truth with fiction so we can sing their corporate hymns. And all of us were cowed and bought it, hardly anybody got it. While mergers made their spires grow taller, what they let you know grew smaller. And we were scared, or too bemused, and so we still turned on the news.
Tune in, tune out, goodbye, goodnight. They're buying you with fear and lies. Turn it off until it's right. That's the news, that's all, goodnight.
~ Libby
Song of the day: "Anchors Away" - Five Iron Frenzy
How often does the news need to be reported? Maybe once every two or three weeks... But we are constantly inundated with the latest on Brittany Spear's recent cosmetic surgery, the world's biggest hamster dying, and George Clooney's opinion of the presidency. (I'll deal with that one in a minute.) So why are we exposed to this continuous flow of inconsequential "news?" Because of commercials. If the news was only reported weekly or bi-weekly, billions of advertising dollars would be lost. Because reporters and anchormen tell us that what we are about to see/hear is important, many become obsessed with staying "in the know." Let me fill you in on something...most of what you see is not important. And even worse, by watching those news-creations, you are doing exactly what they want you to.
Next, George Clooney. I, for one, don't give a crap about his opinion on politics, or any other celebrity's for that matter. There are thousands of intellectuals (on both ends of the political spectrum) who have spent their lives studying politics, international relations, etc. Talk to them. Surely their opinions are better informed than those of the latest pop stars.
What are pop stars anyway? Who creates celebrities? Once again, the media.
I've heard that President Ford (Nixon's successor) was portrayed by the media to be incompetent. This man probably put in a solid 10-12 hours of work every day. However, the media presented the nation with an image of Ford hitting his head while exiting an airplane onto stairs. (The dude was tall...give him a break.) But the clip was played for weeks. Of course such an incident wasn't representative of his presidency...
I think the media does the same thing with the George Bush. They pigeonhole him as incompentent, and all of the political lemmings echo what they hear on TV. If you don't like his decisions as a president, that is one thing. But denouncing the man because he stuttered a couple times in front of a microphone is quite another. Get a mind of your own.
"Anchors Away" - Five Iron Frenzy
The advertising dollars buy the right to stifle antonyms, to sterilize the truth with fiction so we can sing their corporate hymns. And all of us were cowed and bought it, hardly anybody got it. While mergers made their spires grow taller, what they let you know grew smaller. And we were scared, or too bemused, and so we still turned on the news.
Tune in, tune out, goodbye, goodnight. They're buying you with fear and lies. Turn it off until it's right. That's the news, that's all, goodnight.
~ Libby
Song of the day: "Anchors Away" - Five Iron Frenzy
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Golden (Like freedom in spring)
Switchfoot
She's alone tonight with a bitter cup and
She's undone tonight, she's all used up
She's been staring down the demons who've been screaming she's just another so and so,
another so and so
(Chorus)
You are golden, you are golden child
You are golden, don't let go, don't let go tonight
There's a fear that burns like trash inside
And your shame the curse that burns your eyes
You've been hiding in the bedroom hoping this isn't how the story has to go
It's not the way it goes, it's your book now
(Chorus)
You're a lonely soul in the land of broken hearts,
Your far from home is a perfect place to start
So this final verse is a contradiction, and the more we learn, the less we know
We've been talking about a feeling, we both know inside but couldn't find the words
I couldn't write this verse. I've seldom been so sure about anything before
(Chorus)
This world is a dead man down
Every breath is a fading crown we wear like some debilitated king
The earth spins and the moon goes round
The green comes from the frozen ground
And everything will be made new again like freedom in spring
(Like freedom in spring)
Switchfoot
She's alone tonight with a bitter cup and
She's undone tonight, she's all used up
She's been staring down the demons who've been screaming she's just another so and so,
another so and so
(Chorus)
You are golden, you are golden child
You are golden, don't let go, don't let go tonight
There's a fear that burns like trash inside
And your shame the curse that burns your eyes
You've been hiding in the bedroom hoping this isn't how the story has to go
It's not the way it goes, it's your book now
(Chorus)
You're a lonely soul in the land of broken hearts,
Your far from home is a perfect place to start
So this final verse is a contradiction, and the more we learn, the less we know
We've been talking about a feeling, we both know inside but couldn't find the words
I couldn't write this verse. I've seldom been so sure about anything before
(Chorus)
This world is a dead man down
Every breath is a fading crown we wear like some debilitated king
The earth spins and the moon goes round
The green comes from the frozen ground
And everything will be made new again like freedom in spring
(Like freedom in spring)
A Weighty Decision
I've got nothing against my 3-year-old laptop. It may be obsolete compared to the wireless tablet PC's that are half the size with twice the memory, but that's ok. I'm the same way. As a senior, sometimes I feel obsolete. I look at groups of loud freshmen and smile knowingly: Just yesterday I was in their shoes. It seemed like college would never end. But little do they know, tomorrow they will be seniors with one foot out of the door.
Somehow during that short time, I morphed into an adult who is now responsible for making life-altering decisions. I suppose I've already made many important decisions, but the choices that lie ahead in the next decade will form a blueprint of the rest of my life. Where will I live? What will I do for a living? Will I get married? The future is both frightening and exciting.
Tomorrow I'll be thirty, and next week I'll have grandchildren. So as life flies by, always evaluate what you're living for. There's more to this life than what you see, an intangible truth that is worth seeking.
~Isabel (that was my Spanish name in high school)
Song of the day: "Gone" - Switchfoot
I've got nothing against my 3-year-old laptop. It may be obsolete compared to the wireless tablet PC's that are half the size with twice the memory, but that's ok. I'm the same way. As a senior, sometimes I feel obsolete. I look at groups of loud freshmen and smile knowingly: Just yesterday I was in their shoes. It seemed like college would never end. But little do they know, tomorrow they will be seniors with one foot out of the door.
Somehow during that short time, I morphed into an adult who is now responsible for making life-altering decisions. I suppose I've already made many important decisions, but the choices that lie ahead in the next decade will form a blueprint of the rest of my life. Where will I live? What will I do for a living? Will I get married? The future is both frightening and exciting.
Tomorrow I'll be thirty, and next week I'll have grandchildren. So as life flies by, always evaluate what you're living for. There's more to this life than what you see, an intangible truth that is worth seeking.
~Isabel (that was my Spanish name in high school)
Song of the day: "Gone" - Switchfoot
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Hurricane WILMA? They've got to be kidding me...
Who named that hurricane? That person should lose their hurricane-naming job. Ok, so maybe I'm a little bitter... But if my house is going to be taken out by a hurricane, the storm should not sound like a frail old woman.
Right now (Thursday morning) the storm is at about the same latitude as Ambergris Caye. We're hoping that it turns North because that causes the least amount of damage to the front of the island (and the reef). With hurricanes, the wind rotates counterclockwise and inwards toward the eye. So when they turn South of the island, we get the most damage in the front.
This is the second major hurricane scare of the year. My dad was just there to oversee construction on our house. The weather was perfect, but he left the island two days ago due to a tropical storm warning. He flew out of Belize yesterday, at which time a mandatory evacuation was issued for Ambergris Caye. Today, however, no planes or boats can leave the island because of the storm surge, so most people are stuck there. In the two major hurricanes that occured while I was in high school, San Pedro accumulated tons of horror stories. It's scary to think about the people - friends of my family - who are stuck there now.
But I know that God will work everything out for good. When Jesus calmed the storm, his disciples said, "Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!"
~Libz
Song of the day: "I Know Who You Are" - Ginny Owens
Who named that hurricane? That person should lose their hurricane-naming job. Ok, so maybe I'm a little bitter... But if my house is going to be taken out by a hurricane, the storm should not sound like a frail old woman.
Right now (Thursday morning) the storm is at about the same latitude as Ambergris Caye. We're hoping that it turns North because that causes the least amount of damage to the front of the island (and the reef). With hurricanes, the wind rotates counterclockwise and inwards toward the eye. So when they turn South of the island, we get the most damage in the front.
This is the second major hurricane scare of the year. My dad was just there to oversee construction on our house. The weather was perfect, but he left the island two days ago due to a tropical storm warning. He flew out of Belize yesterday, at which time a mandatory evacuation was issued for Ambergris Caye. Today, however, no planes or boats can leave the island because of the storm surge, so most people are stuck there. In the two major hurricanes that occured while I was in high school, San Pedro accumulated tons of horror stories. It's scary to think about the people - friends of my family - who are stuck there now.
But I know that God will work everything out for good. When Jesus calmed the storm, his disciples said, "Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!"
~Libz
Song of the day: "I Know Who You Are" - Ginny Owens
Monday, October 17, 2005
Ελλάδα και Αθήυα according to Libby...
Today I was reading through some of my emails from Athens. I journaled on my computer and sent everything to a few close friends and my parents. Here are some bits and pieces of my big fat Greek semester:
January 26th: "Call me crazy, but I am enjoying the language barrier so far. Today I went to a grocery store to buy some deli turkey (we don’t have very many groceries yet). I can't speak any Greek, so I pointed to a hunk of meat, put my thumbs in my armpits, and wagged my elbows up and down. The turkey wasn't great, but I sure had fun purchasing it!"
February 3rd: "I am in love with Coke Light. Addicted. All three of my apartment-mates have - on separate occasions - told me that I have a problem. I wonder if they have a 'Coke Light Anonymous' (CLA) group in Athens. My name is Libby, and I have a problem. Today I was talking to Kara as I sipped my Nalgene-full of Coke Light. I told her that I can’t imagine life without Coke Light and concluded that I will probably die of cancer. They are bound to discover that aspartame and Splenda, like all other calorie-free sweeteners, are indeed too good to be true and cause cancer in laboratory rats. Of course, they give those rats ridiculous amounts of artificial sweeteners before any problem develops. However, I consume ridiculous amounts daily, so I’m going down with the rats. Then we were talking about Nalgene bottles. Both of us have heard that Nalgene bottles can cause cancer, especially in women, when they are scratched. There’s no escaping my fate: Nalgene + Coke Light = cancer. Oh well, I'll be with Jesus when I die."
March 15th (Crete): "On Monday we headed to the bus station early and hopped on the first bus to Irakleio. (I’m not sure if the spelling is right on that, but in Greece it seems like there’s 80 different English spellings for everything, so I’m all about guessing instead of looking it up.) The drive was 1.5 hours. When we first got on, I sat down and put my book bag on the seat next to me. I was in one of those 'I need my personal space' kind of moods. Much to my chagrin, a girl who got on two stops later needed my extra seat. When I scooted over (in my mind, it was a very reluctant move) and shoved my (very full) book bag under the seat, one of my little FIF emo pins flew off and nailed me in the forehead. Then the girl whipped out her cell phone and started talking very loudly (as all Greeks do). I’m not gonna lie…at that point, I was getting really irritated. So I curled up against the window, taking up a lot less of the seat in order to avoid being touched by this girl's flailing elbows. I also put on my headphones (praise mix again) in an attempt to drown out her cell phone yelling. Then she got off the phone and started having a yelling conversation with her guy friend who was sitting 3 rows ahead of us. I turned up the volume. At that point, she heard my music and proceeded to lean up against me in order to hear it better. I'm not even exaggerating…she was leaning on me. By this point I had been listening to my music long enough and was relaxed enough to be alright with the situation, but experiences like that make me miss home. Americans respect personal space a lot more that Greeks do. This perfectly normal Greek woman in her early-mid 20's had no qualms about taking up more than her allotted space and leaning on a complete stranger. I felt really selfish for being frustrated with her, but I just wanted to be separated from my new siamese twin."
April 20th: "I called Marms (a.k.a. my mom), and it was great to talk to her. I didn’t tell Mom this while we were talking, but a dog pooped in the bushes near me. At first, the smell wasn’t noticeable, but then it came… For most of our convo I was standing in a cloud of poop molecules. Stupid dog.
[...]
Traffic in Greece is quite a chaotic experience. But now that I’m used to it, it’s just entertaining. Because they have no parking lots, everyone parks on the side of the road and the sidewalk. On many streets people can’t walk on the sidewalks because the cars are so close to the buildings. Instead, you walk in the street to get around them. So funny. And then there’s the motorcycles… Don’t even get me started on the motorcycles. They are obnoxiously noisy, and there are TONS of them. Motorcycles pretty much ignore traffic laws. Cars aren’t completely law-abiding either (akin to Greeks’ inability to wait in line), but motorcycles don’t drive in lanes. They either drive on the road lines (in between lanes) or on the sidewalks. Watch out pedestrians!
[...]
Oh man, when I was almost home, an old Greek man (who was driving by in a car) scolded me as I blatantly jaywalked. That’s right, pick on the American. Greek people could care less about jaywalking, laws, lines, or anything that imposes order on their chaotic society. Whatever dude! I’m partaking of the jaywalkage."
May 4th: "Ten days is probably the average amount of time that people come here to vacation, so now I can just pretend to be one of the tourists, with the minor inconvenience of two finals in the middle of my vacation. No thanks… I’m not into the tourist thing. My dad has always been anti-tourist-ish, and now I understand his reasoning. Tourists run around for the week they are here, take their pictures in front of the big monuments, and then hustle to the next site… They spend money unnecessarily b/c 'that’s what you do.' But in the short time they are here, they gain only a superficial understanding of the culture. And considering the fact that most of them stay in the touristy area of town, 'superficial understanding' is a generous term."
So there's a little bit of Greek culture according to Libby. Leave a comment.
~ Leebee
Song of the day: "Believe it ot Not" - Seinfeld (George's answering machine message)
Today I was reading through some of my emails from Athens. I journaled on my computer and sent everything to a few close friends and my parents. Here are some bits and pieces of my big fat Greek semester:
January 26th: "Call me crazy, but I am enjoying the language barrier so far. Today I went to a grocery store to buy some deli turkey (we don’t have very many groceries yet). I can't speak any Greek, so I pointed to a hunk of meat, put my thumbs in my armpits, and wagged my elbows up and down. The turkey wasn't great, but I sure had fun purchasing it!"
February 3rd: "I am in love with Coke Light. Addicted. All three of my apartment-mates have - on separate occasions - told me that I have a problem. I wonder if they have a 'Coke Light Anonymous' (CLA) group in Athens. My name is Libby, and I have a problem. Today I was talking to Kara as I sipped my Nalgene-full of Coke Light. I told her that I can’t imagine life without Coke Light and concluded that I will probably die of cancer. They are bound to discover that aspartame and Splenda, like all other calorie-free sweeteners, are indeed too good to be true and cause cancer in laboratory rats. Of course, they give those rats ridiculous amounts of artificial sweeteners before any problem develops. However, I consume ridiculous amounts daily, so I’m going down with the rats. Then we were talking about Nalgene bottles. Both of us have heard that Nalgene bottles can cause cancer, especially in women, when they are scratched. There’s no escaping my fate: Nalgene + Coke Light = cancer. Oh well, I'll be with Jesus when I die."
March 15th (Crete): "On Monday we headed to the bus station early and hopped on the first bus to Irakleio. (I’m not sure if the spelling is right on that, but in Greece it seems like there’s 80 different English spellings for everything, so I’m all about guessing instead of looking it up.) The drive was 1.5 hours. When we first got on, I sat down and put my book bag on the seat next to me. I was in one of those 'I need my personal space' kind of moods. Much to my chagrin, a girl who got on two stops later needed my extra seat. When I scooted over (in my mind, it was a very reluctant move) and shoved my (very full) book bag under the seat, one of my little FIF emo pins flew off and nailed me in the forehead. Then the girl whipped out her cell phone and started talking very loudly (as all Greeks do). I’m not gonna lie…at that point, I was getting really irritated. So I curled up against the window, taking up a lot less of the seat in order to avoid being touched by this girl's flailing elbows. I also put on my headphones (praise mix again) in an attempt to drown out her cell phone yelling. Then she got off the phone and started having a yelling conversation with her guy friend who was sitting 3 rows ahead of us. I turned up the volume. At that point, she heard my music and proceeded to lean up against me in order to hear it better. I'm not even exaggerating…she was leaning on me. By this point I had been listening to my music long enough and was relaxed enough to be alright with the situation, but experiences like that make me miss home. Americans respect personal space a lot more that Greeks do. This perfectly normal Greek woman in her early-mid 20's had no qualms about taking up more than her allotted space and leaning on a complete stranger. I felt really selfish for being frustrated with her, but I just wanted to be separated from my new siamese twin."
April 20th: "I called Marms (a.k.a. my mom), and it was great to talk to her. I didn’t tell Mom this while we were talking, but a dog pooped in the bushes near me. At first, the smell wasn’t noticeable, but then it came… For most of our convo I was standing in a cloud of poop molecules. Stupid dog.
[...]
Traffic in Greece is quite a chaotic experience. But now that I’m used to it, it’s just entertaining. Because they have no parking lots, everyone parks on the side of the road and the sidewalk. On many streets people can’t walk on the sidewalks because the cars are so close to the buildings. Instead, you walk in the street to get around them. So funny. And then there’s the motorcycles… Don’t even get me started on the motorcycles. They are obnoxiously noisy, and there are TONS of them. Motorcycles pretty much ignore traffic laws. Cars aren’t completely law-abiding either (akin to Greeks’ inability to wait in line), but motorcycles don’t drive in lanes. They either drive on the road lines (in between lanes) or on the sidewalks. Watch out pedestrians!
[...]
Oh man, when I was almost home, an old Greek man (who was driving by in a car) scolded me as I blatantly jaywalked. That’s right, pick on the American. Greek people could care less about jaywalking, laws, lines, or anything that imposes order on their chaotic society. Whatever dude! I’m partaking of the jaywalkage."
May 4th: "Ten days is probably the average amount of time that people come here to vacation, so now I can just pretend to be one of the tourists, with the minor inconvenience of two finals in the middle of my vacation. No thanks… I’m not into the tourist thing. My dad has always been anti-tourist-ish, and now I understand his reasoning. Tourists run around for the week they are here, take their pictures in front of the big monuments, and then hustle to the next site… They spend money unnecessarily b/c 'that’s what you do.' But in the short time they are here, they gain only a superficial understanding of the culture. And considering the fact that most of them stay in the touristy area of town, 'superficial understanding' is a generous term."
So there's a little bit of Greek culture according to Libby. Leave a comment.
~ Leebee
Song of the day: "Believe it ot Not" - Seinfeld (George's answering machine message)
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Post-concert adrenaline rush
After a day of insanity, I should have so much to write about, but my mind is currently a jumbled mess of inexpressible feelings and thoughts. Does anyone else ever feel like that? When people ask how I'm doing, I often have to stop and think about it, and even then I'm not quite sure. I should just say "I don't know" in order to avoid abandoning my [seemingly more important] train of thought.
It's silly to constantly keep tabs on your emotional state. Emotions fluxuate quickly, and thinking about how you feel only prolongs the current emotion and disrupts your natural flow of thoughts, feelings, and actions. The affect itself becomes the focus, preventing a change of emotion in response to environmental and cognitive alterations. (Does that make any sense?)
My venting just turned into a psychology lecture. I love my major. :) Before studying abroad, I wasn't as thrilled with psychology, but last semester I didn't have any psych classes and I really missed them. The plethera of history classes made me want to vomit (ok, it wasn't THAT bad), but all the Classics majors around me were totally stoked to be learning about rocks and dead languages. What put me to sleep amazed them. I realized a simple concept through those Classics weirdos...psychology isn't interesting to everyone, and history is intriguing to some people. (I know it's obvious, but it helped me to realize that psychology actually is a good fit for me.) But in all seriousness, I'm not sure about the sanity of those Classics majors...they are a weird bunch. They admit it, too.
I prefer to study revelent concepts, and as a human being, psychology is an extremely relevent discipline. Even when it comes to math, statistics is probably my favorite area of study. Unlike calculus, it's relevent. (Disclaimer: Calculus is probably relevent in engineering.) Speaking of irrelevance... This semester I am cursed with two history classes (Church History and Modern Civilization). I hate them. I absolutely hate them. There are much better things I can do with my time than memorize names and dates.
Man, sometimes I surprise myself in these blog entries. I'm gonna stop now, before I say something I'll regret. Thanks for reading. Adios.
~Libby the Stone(bridge)r
Song of the day: "My Offering" - Nichole Nordeman
After a day of insanity, I should have so much to write about, but my mind is currently a jumbled mess of inexpressible feelings and thoughts. Does anyone else ever feel like that? When people ask how I'm doing, I often have to stop and think about it, and even then I'm not quite sure. I should just say "I don't know" in order to avoid abandoning my [seemingly more important] train of thought.
It's silly to constantly keep tabs on your emotional state. Emotions fluxuate quickly, and thinking about how you feel only prolongs the current emotion and disrupts your natural flow of thoughts, feelings, and actions. The affect itself becomes the focus, preventing a change of emotion in response to environmental and cognitive alterations. (Does that make any sense?)
My venting just turned into a psychology lecture. I love my major. :) Before studying abroad, I wasn't as thrilled with psychology, but last semester I didn't have any psych classes and I really missed them. The plethera of history classes made me want to vomit (ok, it wasn't THAT bad), but all the Classics majors around me were totally stoked to be learning about rocks and dead languages. What put me to sleep amazed them. I realized a simple concept through those Classics weirdos...psychology isn't interesting to everyone, and history is intriguing to some people. (I know it's obvious, but it helped me to realize that psychology actually is a good fit for me.) But in all seriousness, I'm not sure about the sanity of those Classics majors...they are a weird bunch. They admit it, too.
I prefer to study revelent concepts, and as a human being, psychology is an extremely relevent discipline. Even when it comes to math, statistics is probably my favorite area of study. Unlike calculus, it's relevent. (Disclaimer: Calculus is probably relevent in engineering.) Speaking of irrelevance... This semester I am cursed with two history classes (Church History and Modern Civilization). I hate them. I absolutely hate them. There are much better things I can do with my time than memorize names and dates.
Man, sometimes I surprise myself in these blog entries. I'm gonna stop now, before I say something I'll regret. Thanks for reading. Adios.
~Libby the Stone(bridge)r
Song of the day: "My Offering" - Nichole Nordeman
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Facebook Stalkers Anonymous
Procrastination... It starts when I dread doing work. I welcome any and every distraction, and even while I study, my mind wanders until I get up and do something else. Somehow, every minor distraction seems worthwhile. That was the case yesterday, as I tried to read for my Church History class. Name and dates, nothing too interesting, and then..."Ooo, I should look up Bedford High School's facebook class of '02!" (I attended Bedford schools through third grade, after which my family moved to Bainbridge.)
I scrolled through "Beford '02" and vaguely recognized a few names, but I wasn't certain that I knew them. Then I came across my kindergarten crush, a name that I definitely remembered...
So I wrote:
"Hey, I know this is totally random, but I was looking through the Bedford class of 2002 because I went to Bedford through 3rd grade. Your name was the only one I recognized...probably because I used to chase you on the playground or something. Anywho, I hope you're having a nice life! Later, Libby"
And he responded:
"I can't believe you found me and I remember you distinctly. That's crazy. Kindergarten right? I guess you already know I am going to school right now. I live in Kent. I am engaged to a girl who I met at Akron. I am getting married January 7th! What about you?"
First of all, why are so many people getting married? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for my friends who are engaged. But when I think about the sheer number of people my age who are soon-to-be husbands and wives, it weirds me out. I can't be this old. I don't want to be. But anywho...
I was so bold in kindergarten. I chased this kid on the playground a lot, and one time on the bus I blocked the aisle and told him he had to sit with me! He was actually in my class for a few years. If my memory serves me right, he was always the fastest kid in the class, and I came in second. I think that inspired the playground chasing. I was one of those girls, the type that mothers shield their sons from for as long as possible... A playground chaser.
Well, thanks for tuning in. Leave a comment.
~Libster
Song of the day: "Worlds Apart" - Jars of Clay
Come to the Jars of Clay show on campus this Friday night!!!
Procrastination... It starts when I dread doing work. I welcome any and every distraction, and even while I study, my mind wanders until I get up and do something else. Somehow, every minor distraction seems worthwhile. That was the case yesterday, as I tried to read for my Church History class. Name and dates, nothing too interesting, and then..."Ooo, I should look up Bedford High School's facebook class of '02!" (I attended Bedford schools through third grade, after which my family moved to Bainbridge.)
I scrolled through "Beford '02" and vaguely recognized a few names, but I wasn't certain that I knew them. Then I came across my kindergarten crush, a name that I definitely remembered...
So I wrote:
"Hey, I know this is totally random, but I was looking through the Bedford class of 2002 because I went to Bedford through 3rd grade. Your name was the only one I recognized...probably because I used to chase you on the playground or something. Anywho, I hope you're having a nice life! Later, Libby"
And he responded:
"I can't believe you found me and I remember you distinctly. That's crazy. Kindergarten right? I guess you already know I am going to school right now. I live in Kent. I am engaged to a girl who I met at Akron. I am getting married January 7th! What about you?"
First of all, why are so many people getting married? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for my friends who are engaged. But when I think about the sheer number of people my age who are soon-to-be husbands and wives, it weirds me out. I can't be this old. I don't want to be. But anywho...
I was so bold in kindergarten. I chased this kid on the playground a lot, and one time on the bus I blocked the aisle and told him he had to sit with me! He was actually in my class for a few years. If my memory serves me right, he was always the fastest kid in the class, and I came in second. I think that inspired the playground chasing. I was one of those girls, the type that mothers shield their sons from for as long as possible... A playground chaser.
Well, thanks for tuning in. Leave a comment.
~Libster
Song of the day: "Worlds Apart" - Jars of Clay
Come to the Jars of Clay show on campus this Friday night!!!
Friday, October 07, 2005
The Superior Sport
This year my brother Brian is a freshman at GCC, and I've really enjoyed having him here! In the past three years, I had only played catch on campus a handful of times. I didn't know any girls at Grove City who would've been interested in playing catch, and I didn't want to ask guys. But now that my little brother's here, I can play catch all the time!!
(Playing catch is merely one of many benefits of having Brian here)
I love baseball. In my mind, it's in a league of it's own: no other sport can compare. While baseball can be boring to watch, this sport is so fun to play. Baseball involves a variety of skills. Throwing, catching, and batting barely scratch the surface... Smart base-running and fielding depend upon instantaneous judgments that require a deep understanding of what is going on in the game, and there's still so much more. Team sports in general should be distinguished from individual sports. Sure, a swim team is a team, but each swimmer's performance doesn't directly relate to and depend on his teammates'. Team sports involve an interdependence and comradery that individual sports do not. And from my experience, baseball is the best of the team sports. My brother Joe, on the other hand, asserts that football is just as great as baseball; he even goes so far as to say that it might be better. I can see how that might be true, but - being a girl - I've never played on a (real) football team, so I'm not in a position to make that judgment. Whatever the case may be, I'm loyal to the great American pastime.
What do you think?
~Libbz
Song of the day: "Stars" - Switchfoot
This year my brother Brian is a freshman at GCC, and I've really enjoyed having him here! In the past three years, I had only played catch on campus a handful of times. I didn't know any girls at Grove City who would've been interested in playing catch, and I didn't want to ask guys. But now that my little brother's here, I can play catch all the time!!
(Playing catch is merely one of many benefits of having Brian here)
I love baseball. In my mind, it's in a league of it's own: no other sport can compare. While baseball can be boring to watch, this sport is so fun to play. Baseball involves a variety of skills. Throwing, catching, and batting barely scratch the surface... Smart base-running and fielding depend upon instantaneous judgments that require a deep understanding of what is going on in the game, and there's still so much more. Team sports in general should be distinguished from individual sports. Sure, a swim team is a team, but each swimmer's performance doesn't directly relate to and depend on his teammates'. Team sports involve an interdependence and comradery that individual sports do not. And from my experience, baseball is the best of the team sports. My brother Joe, on the other hand, asserts that football is just as great as baseball; he even goes so far as to say that it might be better. I can see how that might be true, but - being a girl - I've never played on a (real) football team, so I'm not in a position to make that judgment. Whatever the case may be, I'm loyal to the great American pastime.
What do you think?
~Libbz
Song of the day: "Stars" - Switchfoot
Monday, October 03, 2005
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Awestruck
A purple sky to close the day
I wade the surf where dolphins play
The taste of salt, the dance of waves
And my soul wells up with hallelujahs
A lightning flash, my pounding heart
A breaching whale, a shooting star
Give testimony that you are
And my soul wells up with hallelujahs
When I was at home last weekend, my mom suggested that I start listening to Chris Rice. My previous impression of him came from his "What if cartoons got saved" song, which was pretty goofy. But, taking to my mom's advice, I started listening to some of his stuff, and now I'm really into it.
This week has been a little stressful, but listening to "Hallelujahs" has brought me peace. My situation is so small, so minute when compared to the big picture. And even though my stress is miniscule when put in perspective, God still cares: He still intervenes, providing for my every need and giving me peace.
The song "Hallelujahs" reminds me of God's sovereignty. The creation - especially the sea and stars - has always filled me with awe. I can't even express that feeling with words, but Chris Rice did well to say "my soul wells up with hallelujahs!" It's like there's something bursting out of me: feelings of love and awe for my Maker. Reverence.
~Libza
Song of the day: "Hallelujahs" - Chris Rice (DUH)
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
"Since we tend to become like what we worship, and since we were created in the image of God, the commandment not to worship 'any other gods but me' is not an expression of the jealousy of God for God's sake, but for ours."
This is a quote from The Cruelty of Heresy, by C.F. Allison, which I'm reading for Church History I. I really liked that point, so I thought I'd share it with "y'all." Lata gata.
~Lib
Song of the day: "Be My Escape" - Relient K
This is a quote from The Cruelty of Heresy, by C.F. Allison, which I'm reading for Church History I. I really liked that point, so I thought I'd share it with "y'all." Lata gata.
~Lib
Song of the day: "Be My Escape" - Relient K
Thursday, September 08, 2005
The Cult of Baal
The Old Testament often speaks of Baal. I don't know about you, but I never understood exactly what that meant. Baal's obviously a false god, but why did Israel to turn from the LORD to "Baal"? A sermon I heard over the summer shed some light on that question.
In Numbers 22, the kings of Mideon and Moab consulted Balaam for divination. After conversing with the LORD, Balaam could not curse the Israelites as the kings wanted him to. When he opened his mouth to curse Israel, he spoke a blessing on them. This didn't go over too well with the kings, so Balaam lost his job. But Numbers 31:15-16 suggests that Balaam devised another method of corrupting God's people...
(Numbers 25) "The men of Israel began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices of their gods. ...And the LORD's anger burned against them."
What happens when good is mixed with evil? Corruption. This compromise displeased the LORD and led to His righteous judgment. He called His people to be holy: "other." Israel was to be different than her neighbors...set apart for the LORD.
Most Christians today are surrounded by the world: unlike the Israelites, we don't all physically live together and avoid contact with our idolatrous neighbors. Rather, we find ourselves surrounded by a culture that is permeated with subtly enticing forms of idolatry, such as materialism. This problem may seem slight, but the LORD is a jealous God. We should take seriously what He said to Israel: "I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in foresaking me...and in worshiping what their hands have made." (Jeremiah 1:16)
As believers, we are to be holy as He is holy. I know that my heart - and I suspect yours too - is prone to wander from the Father. But it is in Him, and only in Him, that we have any hope of change. After all, God is in the business of changing hearts.
The point is: God wants us to be different. Avoid compromise and its resulting corruption; then, like a city on a hill, your light will shine brightly.
Peace out, y'all.
~Lib-B
Song of the day: "May Your Wonders Never Cease" - Third Day
The Old Testament often speaks of Baal. I don't know about you, but I never understood exactly what that meant. Baal's obviously a false god, but why did Israel to turn from the LORD to "Baal"? A sermon I heard over the summer shed some light on that question.
In Numbers 22, the kings of Mideon and Moab consulted Balaam for divination. After conversing with the LORD, Balaam could not curse the Israelites as the kings wanted him to. When he opened his mouth to curse Israel, he spoke a blessing on them. This didn't go over too well with the kings, so Balaam lost his job. But Numbers 31:15-16 suggests that Balaam devised another method of corrupting God's people...
(Numbers 25) "The men of Israel began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices of their gods. ...And the LORD's anger burned against them."
What happens when good is mixed with evil? Corruption. This compromise displeased the LORD and led to His righteous judgment. He called His people to be holy: "other." Israel was to be different than her neighbors...set apart for the LORD.
Most Christians today are surrounded by the world: unlike the Israelites, we don't all physically live together and avoid contact with our idolatrous neighbors. Rather, we find ourselves surrounded by a culture that is permeated with subtly enticing forms of idolatry, such as materialism. This problem may seem slight, but the LORD is a jealous God. We should take seriously what He said to Israel: "I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in foresaking me...and in worshiping what their hands have made." (Jeremiah 1:16)
As believers, we are to be holy as He is holy. I know that my heart - and I suspect yours too - is prone to wander from the Father. But it is in Him, and only in Him, that we have any hope of change. After all, God is in the business of changing hearts.
The point is: God wants us to be different. Avoid compromise and its resulting corruption; then, like a city on a hill, your light will shine brightly.
Peace out, y'all.
~Lib-B
Song of the day: "May Your Wonders Never Cease" - Third Day
Saturday, August 20, 2005
What an amazing summer!
Every year when we first get back to school, the obvious question is "How was your summer?" After answering that question a couple times it starts to get old, so in previous years I usually replied with a quick and appropriate "good." But this year those four letters fall short.
G-O-O-D doesn't express the joy of starting new relationships and watching them grow. It omits answered prayers and the thrill of novel experiences.
To start off with, lifeguarding was my favorite job ever. I spent all day everyday with my coworkers, Becky and Scott. The three of us were inseparable. Though somewhat different, we had a lot in common, and I enjoyed our conversations. Also, the kids looked up to us a lot, which made our job easier and lots of fun. But my favorite part of work was building relationships with Scott and Becky...hearing about their pasts, their families, their dreams, their troubles...and sharing mine with them. I already miss our lifeguard trio.
But I can't leave out another group that has been an amazing addition to my life: Real Life. (Well, some people who I met through Real Life) Anywho... It all started with Carner's graduation party, from which our little group blossomed. Brandon, Jared, Lindsey, and I started playing tennis doubles; Shawn and Lindsay occasionally graced us with their presence as well. For a while there, we were on the every night plan for hanging out. Tennis, swimming, stargazing on Carner's trampoline, riding in Shawn's car with the windows down while signing along with the music, line-dancing, talking around the fire for hours, watching the shortest fireworks display ever, playing cornhole, being a Sound of Music dork with Carner and a bunch of random old ladies, Steak 'n Shake, one looong bike ride, the Chipotle picnic... The list goes on, but unfortunately this summer is drawing to a close.
I hope we pick up the pace and end the summer with a bang before Carner, Shawn, and I head back to school. But whatever happens, I am so thankful for God's provision. He knows what His children need, and He faithfully provides. So...
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways ackowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
~Lib Master G
Song of the day: "Draw Me Close" - Kutless
Every year when we first get back to school, the obvious question is "How was your summer?" After answering that question a couple times it starts to get old, so in previous years I usually replied with a quick and appropriate "good." But this year those four letters fall short.
G-O-O-D doesn't express the joy of starting new relationships and watching them grow. It omits answered prayers and the thrill of novel experiences.
To start off with, lifeguarding was my favorite job ever. I spent all day everyday with my coworkers, Becky and Scott. The three of us were inseparable. Though somewhat different, we had a lot in common, and I enjoyed our conversations. Also, the kids looked up to us a lot, which made our job easier and lots of fun. But my favorite part of work was building relationships with Scott and Becky...hearing about their pasts, their families, their dreams, their troubles...and sharing mine with them. I already miss our lifeguard trio.
But I can't leave out another group that has been an amazing addition to my life: Real Life. (Well, some people who I met through Real Life) Anywho... It all started with Carner's graduation party, from which our little group blossomed. Brandon, Jared, Lindsey, and I started playing tennis doubles; Shawn and Lindsay occasionally graced us with their presence as well. For a while there, we were on the every night plan for hanging out. Tennis, swimming, stargazing on Carner's trampoline, riding in Shawn's car with the windows down while signing along with the music, line-dancing, talking around the fire for hours, watching the shortest fireworks display ever, playing cornhole, being a Sound of Music dork with Carner and a bunch of random old ladies, Steak 'n Shake, one looong bike ride, the Chipotle picnic... The list goes on, but unfortunately this summer is drawing to a close.
I hope we pick up the pace and end the summer with a bang before Carner, Shawn, and I head back to school. But whatever happens, I am so thankful for God's provision. He knows what His children need, and He faithfully provides. So...
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways ackowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
~Lib Master G
Song of the day: "Draw Me Close" - Kutless
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Sayonara Thumbnail!
Some of you might remember December of 2003 (first semester sophomore year), when my toenail was injured. It was huge and real bloody...an all-around disgusting sight. Over Thanksgiving break, I dropped a piece of firewood on my toe as I was walking barefoot on our brick porch. That was the most painful experience of my life thus far: when I think of it, I cringe. The only good thing that came out of that incident was leaving my toenail in Jon Roth's campus mailbox, and even that probably wasn't worth the pain.
You're probably saying to yourself, "who cares?" Well, it happened again! While lifeguarding at the lake, I was helping kids get out of their canoe and all of the sudden another canoe smacked into them, smashing my thumb between the canoe and the dock. The hilarious part was that I forgot all about it, and a couple days later when my thumbnail was throbbing and swollen, I had no clue why. Silly Libby. But after living with my swollen, fluid-filled thumbnail for about a week, the whole incident came back to me. Obviously, this injury came no where close to matching the pain of that horrible day in December, 2003. But now I'm losing my thumbnail, so it couldn't've been too wimpy. Aight, I'm out for the night. Catch y'all lata.
~Libyo
Song of the day: "Where Zero Meets Fifteen" - Five Iron Frenzy
Some of you might remember December of 2003 (first semester sophomore year), when my toenail was injured. It was huge and real bloody...an all-around disgusting sight. Over Thanksgiving break, I dropped a piece of firewood on my toe as I was walking barefoot on our brick porch. That was the most painful experience of my life thus far: when I think of it, I cringe. The only good thing that came out of that incident was leaving my toenail in Jon Roth's campus mailbox, and even that probably wasn't worth the pain.
You're probably saying to yourself, "who cares?" Well, it happened again! While lifeguarding at the lake, I was helping kids get out of their canoe and all of the sudden another canoe smacked into them, smashing my thumb between the canoe and the dock. The hilarious part was that I forgot all about it, and a couple days later when my thumbnail was throbbing and swollen, I had no clue why. Silly Libby. But after living with my swollen, fluid-filled thumbnail for about a week, the whole incident came back to me. Obviously, this injury came no where close to matching the pain of that horrible day in December, 2003. But now I'm losing my thumbnail, so it couldn't've been too wimpy. Aight, I'm out for the night. Catch y'all lata.
~Libyo
Song of the day: "Where Zero Meets Fifteen" - Five Iron Frenzy
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
I went to a bar with my mom!
My 4th of July weekend was spent in Port Clinton, Ohio, with my mom (b/c my dad and brothers were fishing in Canada). Port Clinton is a little town near the Lake Erie islands, Sandusky, and the infamous Cedar Point. We visited Middle Bass Island, swam, sampled the better part of 30 popcorn flavors at the amazing Great Lakes Popcorn Co. and even sipped margaritas together one evening. It was a relaxing weekend, and the idea of coming home to work on Tuesday was a major bummer.
Monday night we were too tired to go see fireworks, but as I sat at the computer replying to an email I couldn't help but go outside: there were four loud firework displays near our house. The trees were blocking our view, so my mom and I went up to the high school (higher elevation) to check out the fireworks. It was amazing. We stood at the top of the football stadium and marvelled at the 20 different firework displays that surrounded us. We thought that Geauga Lake's were the best, but Solon and Twinsburg were also very good.
Last night was like the cherry on top of a good weekend. Jen Allison was in town for a long weekend (studying at Johns Hopkins for the summer), so Amy, Andrea, and I met at her house in Grove City and the four of us went out to dinner. We sat in Rachels (the restaurant) for three hours, talking, planning, and reminiscing. I always love spending time with the girls. :)
Brian, Joe, and I had a great time cruising around Bainbridge this evening. I love each of my brothers so much! I'm stoked for Sunday, when the three of us will spend the day playing golf together.
~Libbz
Song of the day: "Holy Is the Lord" - Andrew Peterson (City On a Hill)
My 4th of July weekend was spent in Port Clinton, Ohio, with my mom (b/c my dad and brothers were fishing in Canada). Port Clinton is a little town near the Lake Erie islands, Sandusky, and the infamous Cedar Point. We visited Middle Bass Island, swam, sampled the better part of 30 popcorn flavors at the amazing Great Lakes Popcorn Co. and even sipped margaritas together one evening. It was a relaxing weekend, and the idea of coming home to work on Tuesday was a major bummer.
Monday night we were too tired to go see fireworks, but as I sat at the computer replying to an email I couldn't help but go outside: there were four loud firework displays near our house. The trees were blocking our view, so my mom and I went up to the high school (higher elevation) to check out the fireworks. It was amazing. We stood at the top of the football stadium and marvelled at the 20 different firework displays that surrounded us. We thought that Geauga Lake's were the best, but Solon and Twinsburg were also very good.
Last night was like the cherry on top of a good weekend. Jen Allison was in town for a long weekend (studying at Johns Hopkins for the summer), so Amy, Andrea, and I met at her house in Grove City and the four of us went out to dinner. We sat in Rachels (the restaurant) for three hours, talking, planning, and reminiscing. I always love spending time with the girls. :)
Brian, Joe, and I had a great time cruising around Bainbridge this evening. I love each of my brothers so much! I'm stoked for Sunday, when the three of us will spend the day playing golf together.
~Libbz
Song of the day: "Holy Is the Lord" - Andrew Peterson (City On a Hill)
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
The cops searched my closet
Last week I came home from work and found my closet doors open. I knew that I had left them shut, so I asked my mom who had been in my closet. She answered, "Libby, the police searched your closet today."
I looked at her to see whether she was serious. When I saw that she was, I laughed, knowing that I had nothing incriminating to find. (Except for my marijuana plants, but I guess they didn't see those :) Then she told me the story...
Apparently, my mom was home alone and heard a noise upstairs, so she called the police. In her words, "two young guys with guns" were looking all around my room. I found that a little strange, especially since my clothes were scattered all around. I wasn't exactly expecting company, if you know what I'm sayin'.
Yeah, I know that was a lame story, and I'm sorry you just wasted precious time reading it. I really just wanted an excuse to say "the police searched my closet." And just so it's clear with everyone...I neither smoke nor grow marijuana. Gotta be careful with sarcasm on the internet.
Hmm... What else has happened? I got a 2nd degree sunburn on my hands at the Indians game on Sunday. An antibiotic that I'm taking makes me "photosensitive," which really stinks b/c I never wear sunscreen and now I have to. Po po! (whiny phrase in Greek)
Well... My hands are covered in super glue right now (don't ask) and typing is a little weird, so I'm out like parachute pants. Lata gata.
~Libberoo
Song of the day: "Audience of One" - Big Daddy Weave
Last week I came home from work and found my closet doors open. I knew that I had left them shut, so I asked my mom who had been in my closet. She answered, "Libby, the police searched your closet today."
I looked at her to see whether she was serious. When I saw that she was, I laughed, knowing that I had nothing incriminating to find. (Except for my marijuana plants, but I guess they didn't see those :) Then she told me the story...
Apparently, my mom was home alone and heard a noise upstairs, so she called the police. In her words, "two young guys with guns" were looking all around my room. I found that a little strange, especially since my clothes were scattered all around. I wasn't exactly expecting company, if you know what I'm sayin'.
Yeah, I know that was a lame story, and I'm sorry you just wasted precious time reading it. I really just wanted an excuse to say "the police searched my closet." And just so it's clear with everyone...I neither smoke nor grow marijuana. Gotta be careful with sarcasm on the internet.
Hmm... What else has happened? I got a 2nd degree sunburn on my hands at the Indians game on Sunday. An antibiotic that I'm taking makes me "photosensitive," which really stinks b/c I never wear sunscreen and now I have to. Po po! (whiny phrase in Greek)
Well... My hands are covered in super glue right now (don't ask) and typing is a little weird, so I'm out like parachute pants. Lata gata.
~Libberoo
Song of the day: "Audience of One" - Big Daddy Weave
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Cuh-razy weekend!
Ahh...finally a break from the insanity. It's been quite an exciting weekend in the Greene household. Brian's graduation party was yesterday. But, because my mama is a crazy-awesome planner, there were like 80 million decisions to make in the past week. Seriously. So I'm a little relieved that the party is over. (But don't get me wrong, it was really fun.) Around 7:00 last night, the people were gone and we were left with TONS of extra food. The 5 of us were tired out from the long day, so we rested up for the next celebration...Father's Day and Joe's birthday!
This morning my parents went to the early service at church to teach Sunday school while my brothers and I slept in (skippin' church...wu-oh). When they got home, the five of us left for the Jake to celebrate the double holiday. The Tribe game this afternoon was awesome. We had a solid win against the Diamondbacks, and the weather was perfect! After the game we went to the flats and walked around on the boardwalk. Then we drove to Mayfield and went out to dinner for Yo-G's birthday (I've called Joe that for a looong time). Joe chose Tony Roma's, which is typical for my brothers...they are both crazy about ribs.
After dinner, we drove straight home and prepared for the present-opening ritual. My mom had bought an ice cream cake for Joe, but more importantly...she also bought 5 cans of silly string, which were sitting out on the picnic table while my bros and I played frisbee. Without warning, Joe left and grabbed a can. He and my dad started going at it with the silly string, then the rest of us joined in. The silly string fight went on until all 5 bottles were empty. My dad was into the ear-shots, so after a couple minutes both of my ears were full of yellow foam. The lawn was decorated with green, blue, purple, yellow, and pink string. So was I. :)
Then came the ice cream cake and presents. Brian and I gave Joe some "gift certificates" redeemable for 2 rounds of golf. Last summer the 3 of us played a lot of golf together, so hopefully we will this summer too. Yay for new sports!
The game was great, dinner was good, silly string was a blast, hanging out at night was a good time, but my favorite part about today was the car rides. My bros and I were having a blast quoting Napoleon Dynamite and laughing about random stuff. Days like today - when my family is together and having an amazing time - are precious. There were years of fighting in the back seat...kicking, whining, slapping, name-calling. But now the 5 of us are friends...it's suh-weet!
Aight y'all... Thanks for reading my boring blog once again. Shout out to Abby the Mexican and all of my GCC buds. I miss you guys, and I'm really looking forward to hanging out again. Ab, you'll be home soon. And Grovers, school will be here before we know it! Yay for GCC... I haven't been there since first semester, and I am STOKED to go back!! TTYL peeps.
~Lib Masta Rasta
Song of the day: "Erosion" - Switchfoot
Ahh...finally a break from the insanity. It's been quite an exciting weekend in the Greene household. Brian's graduation party was yesterday. But, because my mama is a crazy-awesome planner, there were like 80 million decisions to make in the past week. Seriously. So I'm a little relieved that the party is over. (But don't get me wrong, it was really fun.) Around 7:00 last night, the people were gone and we were left with TONS of extra food. The 5 of us were tired out from the long day, so we rested up for the next celebration...Father's Day and Joe's birthday!
This morning my parents went to the early service at church to teach Sunday school while my brothers and I slept in (skippin' church...wu-oh). When they got home, the five of us left for the Jake to celebrate the double holiday. The Tribe game this afternoon was awesome. We had a solid win against the Diamondbacks, and the weather was perfect! After the game we went to the flats and walked around on the boardwalk. Then we drove to Mayfield and went out to dinner for Yo-G's birthday (I've called Joe that for a looong time). Joe chose Tony Roma's, which is typical for my brothers...they are both crazy about ribs.
After dinner, we drove straight home and prepared for the present-opening ritual. My mom had bought an ice cream cake for Joe, but more importantly...she also bought 5 cans of silly string, which were sitting out on the picnic table while my bros and I played frisbee. Without warning, Joe left and grabbed a can. He and my dad started going at it with the silly string, then the rest of us joined in. The silly string fight went on until all 5 bottles were empty. My dad was into the ear-shots, so after a couple minutes both of my ears were full of yellow foam. The lawn was decorated with green, blue, purple, yellow, and pink string. So was I. :)
Then came the ice cream cake and presents. Brian and I gave Joe some "gift certificates" redeemable for 2 rounds of golf. Last summer the 3 of us played a lot of golf together, so hopefully we will this summer too. Yay for new sports!
The game was great, dinner was good, silly string was a blast, hanging out at night was a good time, but my favorite part about today was the car rides. My bros and I were having a blast quoting Napoleon Dynamite and laughing about random stuff. Days like today - when my family is together and having an amazing time - are precious. There were years of fighting in the back seat...kicking, whining, slapping, name-calling. But now the 5 of us are friends...it's suh-weet!
Aight y'all... Thanks for reading my boring blog once again. Shout out to Abby the Mexican and all of my GCC buds. I miss you guys, and I'm really looking forward to hanging out again. Ab, you'll be home soon. And Grovers, school will be here before we know it! Yay for GCC... I haven't been there since first semester, and I am STOKED to go back!! TTYL peeps.
~Lib Masta Rasta
Song of the day: "Erosion" - Switchfoot
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Monday, May 30, 2005
One day at a time...
Summer is kicking off. Bonfires, beach volleyball, graduation parties, and late nights...
Today was Abby's birthday, so a bunch of us girls surprized her by showing up at her house with a party (we asked her parents first). We brought fruit pizza, cookies, chips & dip, pop, a little alcohol, balloons, a movie, a dance party mix, birthday hats, you name it. It was a fun night with the girls, but recently stuff like that hasn't made me as excited as it usually does. I think part of the reason was that tonight we watched Napoleon Dynamite, which I saw last week for the first time. Before I saw it that day, I thought it'd be dumb...but after watching it with two guys who were really into it, I thought it was hilarious. It was my idea to rent that flick for Abby's party, and I didn't think that it would bring back memories from Wednesday, but it did. Maybe I should stop being vague... I watched the movie with Jason and my bro Brian last week. Jason and I broke up, and it has been a hard few days since then.
It's not like I lie around all day crying or anything... To the casual observer, I'm just the same old Libby. But a general feeling of sadness is draped over my life. I try to be normal by acting normal. I smile and laugh and play it cool, but the pain still lingers inside. Tonight when I got back from the par-tay I even blasted FIF in my car while shooting some hoops under the stars. Normally, that'd be an amazing ending to an amazing night... But even the fabulous combination of sports, FIF, and stars didn't succeed at boosting my spirits tonight.
But, man, there is hope. Jesus is all that I need, and He will use times like these to draw me nearer to Himself. So... May the name of the LORD be praised. Gotta' keep looking to Him for strength and comfort. Peace out y'all.
~me
Song of the day: "Prince of Peace (You are Holy)"
Summer is kicking off. Bonfires, beach volleyball, graduation parties, and late nights...
Today was Abby's birthday, so a bunch of us girls surprized her by showing up at her house with a party (we asked her parents first). We brought fruit pizza, cookies, chips & dip, pop, a little alcohol, balloons, a movie, a dance party mix, birthday hats, you name it. It was a fun night with the girls, but recently stuff like that hasn't made me as excited as it usually does. I think part of the reason was that tonight we watched Napoleon Dynamite, which I saw last week for the first time. Before I saw it that day, I thought it'd be dumb...but after watching it with two guys who were really into it, I thought it was hilarious. It was my idea to rent that flick for Abby's party, and I didn't think that it would bring back memories from Wednesday, but it did. Maybe I should stop being vague... I watched the movie with Jason and my bro Brian last week. Jason and I broke up, and it has been a hard few days since then.
It's not like I lie around all day crying or anything... To the casual observer, I'm just the same old Libby. But a general feeling of sadness is draped over my life. I try to be normal by acting normal. I smile and laugh and play it cool, but the pain still lingers inside. Tonight when I got back from the par-tay I even blasted FIF in my car while shooting some hoops under the stars. Normally, that'd be an amazing ending to an amazing night... But even the fabulous combination of sports, FIF, and stars didn't succeed at boosting my spirits tonight.
But, man, there is hope. Jesus is all that I need, and He will use times like these to draw me nearer to Himself. So... May the name of the LORD be praised. Gotta' keep looking to Him for strength and comfort. Peace out y'all.
~me
Song of the day: "Prince of Peace (You are Holy)"
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Addiction
Thefacebook.com is the most addicting thing on the face of the earth (no pun intended). If you don't have facebook and you want it...do yourself a favor and wait until you're finished with finals.
Five more days in Athens. I can't believe it! Kara and Jamie are taking off on Thursday, so it'll just be Kiki and me in the apartment for a few days. It hasn't hit me yet... Four months, tons of new people and places, "once in a lifetime" experiences...and it's all gonna be over soon. I have mixed feelings about that, but it's mostly good. I've learned so much in Athens (and other trips) and met all kinds of people. I miss lots of people at home, and it will be great to see them. I just can't believe that it's time to leave Greece. It's ridiculous how four months can fly by! I spent 18 months planning this trip, and now it's almost over. But God is with me wherever I am, and I know that I can trust Him with my life now and always. I knew that before I left for Greece, but it's been a theme during my time here. I can trust Him with my life...
Thanks for reading my blog, y'all. I'll cya in a week!! (Doesn't that sound weird?!?)
~Libby
Song of the day: "High Five" - Calibretto 13
1.5 weeks until I see my girls!!!
Thefacebook.com is the most addicting thing on the face of the earth (no pun intended). If you don't have facebook and you want it...do yourself a favor and wait until you're finished with finals.
Five more days in Athens. I can't believe it! Kara and Jamie are taking off on Thursday, so it'll just be Kiki and me in the apartment for a few days. It hasn't hit me yet... Four months, tons of new people and places, "once in a lifetime" experiences...and it's all gonna be over soon. I have mixed feelings about that, but it's mostly good. I've learned so much in Athens (and other trips) and met all kinds of people. I miss lots of people at home, and it will be great to see them. I just can't believe that it's time to leave Greece. It's ridiculous how four months can fly by! I spent 18 months planning this trip, and now it's almost over. But God is with me wherever I am, and I know that I can trust Him with my life now and always. I knew that before I left for Greece, but it's been a theme during my time here. I can trust Him with my life...
Thanks for reading my blog, y'all. I'll cya in a week!! (Doesn't that sound weird?!?)
~Libby
Song of the day: "High Five" - Calibretto 13
1.5 weeks until I see my girls!!!
Monday, April 11, 2005
Spring has sprung...
Score!! The long-awaited Mediterranean weather has finally come, and it brought endless varieties of wildflowers, purple and white blossoms, and bright green leaves, which are popping out all over the place! I'm down with the new weather. But it reminds of Spring semester at Grove City College...
Frisbee, frisbee, frisbee
Bike rides
Walks along Wolf Creek (sometimes involving wet tennis shoes and skipping stones)
Running
Walking to Walmart w/ the girls ...*ahem* every night
IM sports (oh, the days of Mango Shenango)
Procrastinating
Cookouts on Lincoln Lawn
Inner-quad full of sunbathers
And much, much more...
While Athens is cool, I miss GCC! One more year, guys...we better make it a great one!!!
~Li-Li-Libby
Song of the day: "Playing for Keeps" - Switchfoot
Score!! The long-awaited Mediterranean weather has finally come, and it brought endless varieties of wildflowers, purple and white blossoms, and bright green leaves, which are popping out all over the place! I'm down with the new weather. But it reminds of Spring semester at Grove City College...
Frisbee, frisbee, frisbee
Bike rides
Walks along Wolf Creek (sometimes involving wet tennis shoes and skipping stones)
Running
Walking to Walmart w/ the girls ...*ahem* every night
IM sports (oh, the days of Mango Shenango)
Procrastinating
Cookouts on Lincoln Lawn
Inner-quad full of sunbathers
And much, much more...
While Athens is cool, I miss GCC! One more year, guys...we better make it a great one!!!
~Li-Li-Libby
Song of the day: "Playing for Keeps" - Switchfoot
Monday, March 07, 2005
Like a sore thumb...
Yeah, that's me. I had a midterm this morning, and the lack of sleep put me in a light blue sweatpants, messy hair, and glasses mood. After living here for the past 6 weeks, I know when people are looking at me funny. And let me tell you...this morning was one of those times. People in Athens never wear sweatpants, and even American students dress up almost everyday. As I become more comfortable here, I'm regressing toward my Grove City norm...very scrubby all the time. Of course I chose the most pajama-like sweatpants that I own (duplicate of Andy's) this morning. But here's my rationale... Who am I trying to impress? "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Furthermore, Europe clearly doesn't understand the comfort above all principle. I'm just edumacating them. What are these women thinking, wearing stilletto heels and tight clothes? They really should reconsider. In my eyes, comfort is analogous to the free-spirit for which Americans are known. By the time I leave this place, maybe all the young Kolonaki-ites will be strutting the sweatpants, t-shirts, mesh shorts, and hooded sweatshirts. But sadly, I doubt it.
As I mentioned above, midterms are in the air here in Athens. It's hard to believe that this is week seven. I think that means that there are 10 weeks left! That's very exciting. Sure, living at home will seem much more restricting than I am used to here, but oh man... I miss America! I miss my family and friends! I miss being around people who know the real Libby and still love me. I miss deep conversations with people who are like-minded. I miss understanding the native language and fitting in culturally. Don't get me wrong, I really like it here...but now I appreciate home in a new way. For all those reasons and many more, May 16th is SO exciting!!!
I guess I didn't say anything about Istanbul on my blog. A couple weekends ago I went to Istanbul, Turkey. It was interesting, but very foreign. I'll be going to Cairo, Egypt sometime in April, and I'm sure that Cairo will also make Athens feel like the cleanest, nicest city ever!
If we haven't been in contact this semester, email or IM me sometime!! I love hearing from GCC peeps and other friends from home. Oh yeah...go to the upcoming Toby Mac, Audio Adrenaline, and Kutless concert at Grove City College! (There's my Stonebridge plug.) Keep warm and stay cool, y'all. Adios.
~Libbbbbb
Song of the day: "If You Want Me To" - Ginny Owens
Aaand because I'm indecisive:
Song of the day #2: "Psalm 25" - Justin McRoberts
Yeah, that's me. I had a midterm this morning, and the lack of sleep put me in a light blue sweatpants, messy hair, and glasses mood. After living here for the past 6 weeks, I know when people are looking at me funny. And let me tell you...this morning was one of those times. People in Athens never wear sweatpants, and even American students dress up almost everyday. As I become more comfortable here, I'm regressing toward my Grove City norm...very scrubby all the time. Of course I chose the most pajama-like sweatpants that I own (duplicate of Andy's) this morning. But here's my rationale... Who am I trying to impress? "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Furthermore, Europe clearly doesn't understand the comfort above all principle. I'm just edumacating them. What are these women thinking, wearing stilletto heels and tight clothes? They really should reconsider. In my eyes, comfort is analogous to the free-spirit for which Americans are known. By the time I leave this place, maybe all the young Kolonaki-ites will be strutting the sweatpants, t-shirts, mesh shorts, and hooded sweatshirts. But sadly, I doubt it.
As I mentioned above, midterms are in the air here in Athens. It's hard to believe that this is week seven. I think that means that there are 10 weeks left! That's very exciting. Sure, living at home will seem much more restricting than I am used to here, but oh man... I miss America! I miss my family and friends! I miss being around people who know the real Libby and still love me. I miss deep conversations with people who are like-minded. I miss understanding the native language and fitting in culturally. Don't get me wrong, I really like it here...but now I appreciate home in a new way. For all those reasons and many more, May 16th is SO exciting!!!
I guess I didn't say anything about Istanbul on my blog. A couple weekends ago I went to Istanbul, Turkey. It was interesting, but very foreign. I'll be going to Cairo, Egypt sometime in April, and I'm sure that Cairo will also make Athens feel like the cleanest, nicest city ever!
If we haven't been in contact this semester, email or IM me sometime!! I love hearing from GCC peeps and other friends from home. Oh yeah...go to the upcoming Toby Mac, Audio Adrenaline, and Kutless concert at Grove City College! (There's my Stonebridge plug.) Keep warm and stay cool, y'all. Adios.
~Libbbbbb
Song of the day: "If You Want Me To" - Ginny Owens
Aaand because I'm indecisive:
Song of the day #2: "Psalm 25" - Justin McRoberts
Friday, January 28, 2005
This is Susan Herrington, reporting live from Athens...
Ok, not really. There's no way I'd give Susan Herrington the password to edit my blog.
Athens is great!!! The kids on the program are all real cool, and although the social environment is very different from I am used to, I like it. There are so many different kinds of people, and I have made some good friends here already. As for the city itself, I really like what I have seen. However, it is huge, and the area where I am living is really well-off compared to most of Athens. Tomorrow I am hoping to set out early and walk for most of the day. Some other girls have also expressed interest, and we are planning to see as much as we can on foot in one day. One of my apartment-mates is Greek, and this is her second semester at CYA, so she knows a lot about the city and where to go. She has been a huge help.
Everything is really different here, as can be expected. The lifestyle change ranges from the little things - like not being able to flush toilet paper - to the major differences, such as city life and an overwhelming language barrier. It's really neat, though, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know this culture and its people.
Today there was a rally/protest in front of the President's house (which is across the street from our school), and they marched (loudly) to the front of the American embassy. A Greek woman who works for CYA said that most protests take that route, since America plays a big part in resolving Greece's internal problems. So much for Europeans not liking Americans! They are really friendly toward us here, and even the older people try so hard to speak English. I hope to pick up some Greek so that I can talk to them more. But yeah, this protest had to do with the legal business hours. The Democratic Party is in office now, and they are helping to resolve the excessive regulations that have been placed on businesses by the Socialist Party. I think it's neat how Greeks call the parties by their proper names, while in America we disguise the "Socialist Party" with the term "Democratic." How misleading!
Well, I hope y'all are having a great time in the good ol' freezing USA. I'm enjoying the nice weather here! Later.
~Libby G
Song of the day: "Lord Reign in Me" - Vineyard
Ok, not really. There's no way I'd give Susan Herrington the password to edit my blog.
Athens is great!!! The kids on the program are all real cool, and although the social environment is very different from I am used to, I like it. There are so many different kinds of people, and I have made some good friends here already. As for the city itself, I really like what I have seen. However, it is huge, and the area where I am living is really well-off compared to most of Athens. Tomorrow I am hoping to set out early and walk for most of the day. Some other girls have also expressed interest, and we are planning to see as much as we can on foot in one day. One of my apartment-mates is Greek, and this is her second semester at CYA, so she knows a lot about the city and where to go. She has been a huge help.
Everything is really different here, as can be expected. The lifestyle change ranges from the little things - like not being able to flush toilet paper - to the major differences, such as city life and an overwhelming language barrier. It's really neat, though, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know this culture and its people.
Today there was a rally/protest in front of the President's house (which is across the street from our school), and they marched (loudly) to the front of the American embassy. A Greek woman who works for CYA said that most protests take that route, since America plays a big part in resolving Greece's internal problems. So much for Europeans not liking Americans! They are really friendly toward us here, and even the older people try so hard to speak English. I hope to pick up some Greek so that I can talk to them more. But yeah, this protest had to do with the legal business hours. The Democratic Party is in office now, and they are helping to resolve the excessive regulations that have been placed on businesses by the Socialist Party. I think it's neat how Greeks call the parties by their proper names, while in America we disguise the "Socialist Party" with the term "Democratic." How misleading!
Well, I hope y'all are having a great time in the good ol' freezing USA. I'm enjoying the nice weather here! Later.
~Libby G
Song of the day: "Lord Reign in Me" - Vineyard
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Christmas break is wrapping up...
Dude, I can't believe I am leaving on Wednesday! The past three weeks (and change) here in Belize have been amazing. Not only is the weather absolutely perfect, but I have also spent lots of quality time with my family. I'm really gonna miss them while I'm in Greece this semester. After this Wednesday, I won't see them until May 16th, and that seems so far away. These feelings remind me of two major events in my life: leaving my family here when was a senior in high school, and going to college for the first time. I think I've figured out how these things work... Right now I know what is about to happen, but it hasn't completely sunk in yet. The really emotional aspect won't be full-blown until Tuesday night. I'll cry then, and I'll cry again when I reluctantly leave my family here. Leaving is really the worst part. Please pray that God will give me peace, comfort me during this coming week, and that I'll know Him better because of these experiences.
In the next seven days, I will be in four different countries: Belize, the US, England, and Greece. Ok, maybe that should be three countries, since I'll only be in the London airport (for a few hours) and not the city itself, but nonetheless... This is going to be one CRAZY week. Thanks for tuning in, folks. Drop me a line at GreeneEA1@gcc.edu if you want to. Later.
~Lib Masta
Song of the day: "You Raise Me Up" - Selah
Dude, I can't believe I am leaving on Wednesday! The past three weeks (and change) here in Belize have been amazing. Not only is the weather absolutely perfect, but I have also spent lots of quality time with my family. I'm really gonna miss them while I'm in Greece this semester. After this Wednesday, I won't see them until May 16th, and that seems so far away. These feelings remind me of two major events in my life: leaving my family here when was a senior in high school, and going to college for the first time. I think I've figured out how these things work... Right now I know what is about to happen, but it hasn't completely sunk in yet. The really emotional aspect won't be full-blown until Tuesday night. I'll cry then, and I'll cry again when I reluctantly leave my family here. Leaving is really the worst part. Please pray that God will give me peace, comfort me during this coming week, and that I'll know Him better because of these experiences.
In the next seven days, I will be in four different countries: Belize, the US, England, and Greece. Ok, maybe that should be three countries, since I'll only be in the London airport (for a few hours) and not the city itself, but nonetheless... This is going to be one CRAZY week. Thanks for tuning in, folks. Drop me a line at GreeneEA1@gcc.edu if you want to. Later.
~Lib Masta
Song of the day: "You Raise Me Up" - Selah
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Droopy Eyelids
Late-night blogging must be a strange form of self torment. Right now I am so tired, but I don't want to sleep quite yet. So what do I do? Blog. Why? Perhaps it provides an outlet for some of my thoughts, or maybe it's just a place to document my experiences. Either way... I enjoy my little orange blog, whether or not people actually read it. :)
Well, I've been in Belize for almost three weeks, and I will return to the overcast, frozen Chagrin Falls, Ohio next week. When I'm not here, I forget all of the little things about this place that I love so much. However, it all comes back to me so quickly. I love the gentle breeze, which feels like the humid air is being poured over my skin. I love lying down on the bow of our boat, looking straight ahead and motioning for my dad to go faster as we cut through the beautiful blueish-teal water (which my mom calls "blue jello"). I love snorkeling at the reef. Oddly enough, I feel at home there amongst the endless varieties of creatures that I have known most of my life. I love the hot sun and the bright blue sky. I love to the puffy white clouds, each of which has its own unique form. I love the sound of the breeze rustling in the palm trees and the sound of the reef and waves, which I wake up to every morning.
I don't love the bugs. But unfortunately, they REALLY love me right now. This computer screen is attracting them, so I'm gonna sign off for the night. Adios peeps.
~L Gree
Song of the day: "I Know Who You Are" - Ginny Owens
Late-night blogging must be a strange form of self torment. Right now I am so tired, but I don't want to sleep quite yet. So what do I do? Blog. Why? Perhaps it provides an outlet for some of my thoughts, or maybe it's just a place to document my experiences. Either way... I enjoy my little orange blog, whether or not people actually read it. :)
Well, I've been in Belize for almost three weeks, and I will return to the overcast, frozen Chagrin Falls, Ohio next week. When I'm not here, I forget all of the little things about this place that I love so much. However, it all comes back to me so quickly. I love the gentle breeze, which feels like the humid air is being poured over my skin. I love lying down on the bow of our boat, looking straight ahead and motioning for my dad to go faster as we cut through the beautiful blueish-teal water (which my mom calls "blue jello"). I love snorkeling at the reef. Oddly enough, I feel at home there amongst the endless varieties of creatures that I have known most of my life. I love the hot sun and the bright blue sky. I love to the puffy white clouds, each of which has its own unique form. I love the sound of the breeze rustling in the palm trees and the sound of the reef and waves, which I wake up to every morning.
I don't love the bugs. But unfortunately, they REALLY love me right now. This computer screen is attracting them, so I'm gonna sign off for the night. Adios peeps.
~L Gree
Song of the day: "I Know Who You Are" - Ginny Owens
Monday, January 10, 2005
Xanga rhymes with Tapanga
Carn-dogg gave me the link to her Xanga about a week ago, and I noticed the little "comments" link under her post and decided it'd be cool to leave a comment for my pal Linzeroo. Well, first of all...that is awesome. How come Blogger didn't give me the option of a "comments" link under every post? Anywho... I wrote a comment, only to find that it could not be posted unless I created a Xanga account. So I jumped through the hoop and created an account. After going through that trouble, I might as well give it a try, right? Well, I posted on my Xanga and basically said that I would never post again. It so happens, though, that Xanga provides another amazing feature that I think we Bloggers should rally for...the "currently listening to" option. For every post, you can choose any CD (or book, I think) that you are listening to. They have a huge database, and it even puts a little picture of the album cover at the top of your post. I thought that was nifty. Can I have a fancy little album cover pictures, too, Blogger?
Over and out.
~BLIBBY (Carner, that one's for you, and B-Gray too if you ever read this)
Second song of the day: "In Christ Alone" - Newsboys' version
Carn-dogg gave me the link to her Xanga about a week ago, and I noticed the little "comments" link under her post and decided it'd be cool to leave a comment for my pal Linzeroo. Well, first of all...that is awesome. How come Blogger didn't give me the option of a "comments" link under every post? Anywho... I wrote a comment, only to find that it could not be posted unless I created a Xanga account. So I jumped through the hoop and created an account. After going through that trouble, I might as well give it a try, right? Well, I posted on my Xanga and basically said that I would never post again. It so happens, though, that Xanga provides another amazing feature that I think we Bloggers should rally for...the "currently listening to" option. For every post, you can choose any CD (or book, I think) that you are listening to. They have a huge database, and it even puts a little picture of the album cover at the top of your post. I thought that was nifty. Can I have a fancy little album cover pictures, too, Blogger?
Over and out.
~BLIBBY (Carner, that one's for you, and B-Gray too if you ever read this)
Second song of the day: "In Christ Alone" - Newsboys' version
Answered Prayer!
Wow! Many people have been praying for God to provide me with another College Year in Athens student who is a believer while I study abroad in Athens, Greece. Since last May, I have asked God for that fellowship... And He has faithfully provided!! A couple days ago, CYIA emailed information about all 120 students who will be in Athens on their program next semester. My first reaction was to look through the colleges that they attend, since I had been praying for so long. Scrolling down the list, it was clear that most of these students must be very bright, since they attend incredible schools. Then, finally, I saw "Calvin College," which is a Christian college in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was so excited! I emailed Hannah (the Calvin student), noting that I am a Christian, and she replied with equal enthusiasm and relief that God provided her with the fellowship of another believer while studying abroad. Praise God!!! He is faithful, and there is nothing better than being blessed by the Lord in such a direct way.
Thanks for praying, peeps. :) I hope everyone is enjoying break... I'll be stopping by Grove City during the first week back, so I will see many of you then! Lata gata.
~Libby (yeah, it's the real thing)
Song of the day: "What If I Stumble?" - dc Talk
Wow! Many people have been praying for God to provide me with another College Year in Athens student who is a believer while I study abroad in Athens, Greece. Since last May, I have asked God for that fellowship... And He has faithfully provided!! A couple days ago, CYIA emailed information about all 120 students who will be in Athens on their program next semester. My first reaction was to look through the colleges that they attend, since I had been praying for so long. Scrolling down the list, it was clear that most of these students must be very bright, since they attend incredible schools. Then, finally, I saw "Calvin College," which is a Christian college in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was so excited! I emailed Hannah (the Calvin student), noting that I am a Christian, and she replied with equal enthusiasm and relief that God provided her with the fellowship of another believer while studying abroad. Praise God!!! He is faithful, and there is nothing better than being blessed by the Lord in such a direct way.
Thanks for praying, peeps. :) I hope everyone is enjoying break... I'll be stopping by Grove City during the first week back, so I will see many of you then! Lata gata.
~Libby (yeah, it's the real thing)
Song of the day: "What If I Stumble?" - dc Talk
Monday, January 03, 2005
2005
Christmas break in Belize sounds like such a relaxing, tranquil experience. And it has been, but so much more has happened...
Last week I experienced a huge trial. God pulled someone very close to me out of my life. At the time it was an indefinite separation, and I felt like I was mourning his death even though he was still alive. I guess it was as if our relationship had died. It was really painful for me, but God used it to open my eyes and work in my heart. The Lord pointed out to me that He is so much bigger than my situation, and I decided to follow Him instead of focusing on my own suffering. Since then, this friend started talking to me again, and God is healing both of us.
During hard times, true friends really stand out. One of my best friends from school gave me some wise advice, and the Lord really used her to comfort and heal my heart. Then there are those who just say what they think that you want to hear. And, of course, there are always those who further discourage a hurting person. An unnamed young man (who I happen to live with) was joking around and suggested that there is probably a "Libby-haters club" at Grove City, composed of 3 guys. Although he was just teasing and I knew that, his words kept coming back to me. I encourage you to be a light to those who are in pain. Speak the truth in love.
God is so cool. I love to sit back and marvel at His creation. I am listening to the soothing, yet powerful roar of the reef as I type. And that same reef is home to a huge ecosystem. Watching all those pretty little animals swim busily around the coral is so entertaining, and then at night I love to sit back and look at the stars. The sky in Belize must be really clear, because you can see TONS of stars. It's awesome.
Shout out to Carn-dogg, LMarie, Carner, or whatever weird little nicknames people give that sweet ace kid! She gets the funny person of the day award for our late-night IM conversation. Check out her new xanga at http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=LMarie4Me
Well, I'm out, y'all. Happy January 3rd. Go with God.
~Libbz
Song of the day: "Let Them Hear" - Ginny Owens
Christmas break in Belize sounds like such a relaxing, tranquil experience. And it has been, but so much more has happened...
Last week I experienced a huge trial. God pulled someone very close to me out of my life. At the time it was an indefinite separation, and I felt like I was mourning his death even though he was still alive. I guess it was as if our relationship had died. It was really painful for me, but God used it to open my eyes and work in my heart. The Lord pointed out to me that He is so much bigger than my situation, and I decided to follow Him instead of focusing on my own suffering. Since then, this friend started talking to me again, and God is healing both of us.
During hard times, true friends really stand out. One of my best friends from school gave me some wise advice, and the Lord really used her to comfort and heal my heart. Then there are those who just say what they think that you want to hear. And, of course, there are always those who further discourage a hurting person. An unnamed young man (who I happen to live with) was joking around and suggested that there is probably a "Libby-haters club" at Grove City, composed of 3 guys. Although he was just teasing and I knew that, his words kept coming back to me. I encourage you to be a light to those who are in pain. Speak the truth in love.
God is so cool. I love to sit back and marvel at His creation. I am listening to the soothing, yet powerful roar of the reef as I type. And that same reef is home to a huge ecosystem. Watching all those pretty little animals swim busily around the coral is so entertaining, and then at night I love to sit back and look at the stars. The sky in Belize must be really clear, because you can see TONS of stars. It's awesome.
Shout out to Carn-dogg, LMarie, Carner, or whatever weird little nicknames people give that sweet ace kid! She gets the funny person of the day award for our late-night IM conversation. Check out her new xanga at http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=LMarie4Me
Well, I'm out, y'all. Happy January 3rd. Go with God.
~Libbz
Song of the day: "Let Them Hear" - Ginny Owens
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
