Sat. night adventure
this Sat. night, I don't have plans, but last Sat. night was an adventure. I went to a "going away party" for a woman from my old church, the E.V. She had lived in Chicago for a long time, but now she was moving back to Indiana. So, I went to the restaurant in downtown Evanston (I have to brag about the parking space I found--it was *right outside* the restaurant), Carmen's pizza.
I waited for a good ten minutes before anyone showed up! Then finally some people came, and the guest of honor, Susan. So, we ordered, only I didn't want to order pizza, because everytime I order pizza with people, I always eat one piece (pizza is really a lot of calories), less than everyone else, but then I have to pay, like $20 when we split the bill. I don't want to stuff myself though, just to "get my money's worth"--that is really unhealthy and a bad habit to do. So, I ordered pasta instead, b/c then I thought I could eat half of it, then take the rest home and eat it another day, since American restaurant portions are so overwhelmingly huge. (it turns out that the pasta there was *really* gross. I ate 5 bites and left the rest there. It was overly salty, or something. Also, the other people didn't get their pizza for 45 minutes until after my food, and I waited all that time, until my food was cold, b/c I didn't want to eat in front of them!)
Enough lamenting about the food though, it was all women at the party (and we talked about guys, or rather I should say "relationships") until finally two guys showed up, Marcel and Steve, yea. They are roommates from the E.V. and they live in Grayslake. They showed up two minutes before the rest of the food arrived, too, so they didn't have to wait for it.
Anyway, when they got there, I started talking to them, since I had never really met them before. Marcel is a third grade teacher for the CPS, and Steve does something computer related for a company (I'm laughing now, b/c don't we all do something computer related at our jobs? the working world usu. involves computers, these days) Anyway, I was asking him what he did, if he was a programmer or what. Also, one of the first q's I asked him was if he knew what a blog was, and he said "yes." which was funny b/c I had already asked everyone else and they all said "no." Then he asked, "What are you doing after this?"
It turns out that they were planning to go to a housewarming/30th b-day party for one of the programmers at Steve's company and they had wanted to find some women to go with them so that "people didn't think they were gay." So I told them I would go, as long as my friend, Lorna, came with. It was kind of near my old neighborhood, where I used to live, just over the Evanston/Chicago border in Roger's Park. Then Susan, the guest of honor, decided to go to this party, too. So, the total was five people: Steve, Marcel, Lorna, Susan, and me. The reason Steve said I should go was because this guy has a blog, too.
I told them I didn't want to drive because parking is so hideous in that neighborhood. So, Susan took her car home and the rest of us drove together. When we finally got there, they found this *tiny* parking spot on Sheridan Rd., which the driver, who shall remain nameless, was determined to squeeze into. It made me nervous! He finally got into the parking spot, but not without hitting the car in front and the car in back several times, I will put it in his words "to spread them out a little bit."
So, we went up to the party. We had also stopped at Jewel on the way to pick up some liquor for the birthday boy (I don't drink, by the way) and Steve also bought a plant for Lorna and I to give him, which was generous.
So, we get there. As soon as I walked in, I see, and I recognized her immediately, someone from my high school graduating class, Megan Z!!!!! The problem was, I wasn't sure if she recognized *me.* I mean, my hair is totally different, it's blon de and chin length and the last time she saw me I was a with hair half way down my back. And that was ten years ago, I graduated high school in 1995.
So, I spend the rest of the night avoiding her b/c I didn't want to have a confrontation of me going up and asking, "Don't you remember me!?!?!?"
It turns out that she is married now, to one of Steve's co-workers who is a programmer, and is studying to be a C.P.A., I believe.
I didn't really enjoy the party that much b/c I spent so much energy trying to avoid Megan so I wouldn't have to have an awkward conversation!!! It was a relatively small apartment, so it was difficult to do this successfully.
Mostly, I talked to Marcel. He even spoke to me in Spanish, I could understand his Spanish b/c he enunciates very clearly, and speaks slowly.
I also met a few other people, the V.P. of sales for this company, and someone from Nigeria who was a programmer. I talked to the birthday boy, Erich, for a while. His blog is http://www.porkfactor9.com It's a comic dealing with the muppets. Then his gir lfriend asked me how much money I make. I couldn't believe it! Isn't that rude?
Finally, we left. We were like the first people to leave. I really wanted to go though. Probably Erich was insulted that we left so early though. I think we stayed for like an hour or so.
On the way out, I told Steve that I saw someone from my high school, but I wasn't sure if she recognized me. He knew Megan, and he said, "No, she recognized you right away!" Apparently, he had talked to her about spiritual things and he said that she was pretty open, which I thought was interesting.
Finally, we wedged out of the parking spot and dropped Susan off at her place. I gave Susan a hug, because I probably will not see her in a long, long time.
ipod envy
two weeks back or so, I saw something on TV about ipod's, actually how they are being stolen on the El because they are such popular items. since them, I've learned that *everyone* has an ipod, and I have been struggling a lot with ipod envy, since I currently can't afford one. I'm not even sure exactly how much they cost, but I know it's not part of my pocket change.
anyway, it's funny because I feel like through this (wanting something, but having to wait for it. actually, I will probably have to be an actual medical doctor before I can afford one, so that will be, like, in ten years. By that time they will have invented something better than the ipod though) I feel like God has been teaching me about eternity, namely how in this life goes so quickly (it's a short dash) then all of eternity is, like, lots and lots of time. So, really, if I struggle in this life with not having an ipod, which goes so quickly anyway, it is like a short time to suffer, if that makes sense.
"Till the Heart Sings"
Against the institutional Judaism of his time, Jesus uphelp the humanity, the dignity, and the equality of womanhood. The name Father, which he favored as a designation of God, paradoxially reflected his radical overthrow of patriarchy. Jesus intended a metaphorical name that meant not master over slaves, nor tyranny over women and children, but on the contrary, tenderness and care and responsibility for the growth of a new family. Moreover, the notion of divine fatherhood did not at all mean for Jesus the physiological bond of paternity..., which depth psychology and anthropology have emphasized in our time. For him the name Father evoked a transcendence voluntarily curbed by self-immolation. [Julia's note: immolation = sacrifice]
The God who is compared to a father is, like a mother, the protector and the feeder, the one who tutors and nurtures, receives and forgives, supports and comforts, in order to lead from infancy to adu lthood.
From "Till the Heart Sings" by Samuel Terrien.
Love and Responsibility, from my hometown
So, the book "Love and Responsibility," written by the former pope, came in today through inter-library loan. I was wondering which library is would come in from, because it was listed in three different libraries in the region. Of course, it came from my hometown, which was the furthest.
I have absolutely no time to read it now though, but I actually have Friday, Sat., and Sunday off (April 29-May 1.) this weekend--I'm so excited!!!! So, I'll probably have some time them to read some of it.
I'm probably going to Madison one of those days, to visit my grandparents, as I have not seen them in a super long time, I think since Christmas, and they probably have forgotten what I look like.
dream a little dream
It's fun to dream sometimes. The Oak Park Vineyard is expanding. Ian (one of the pastors) and some of the planning committee people came to our women's Bible study this a.m., which meets twice monthly on a Saturday morning. Anyway, they came to explain to us the planning process, and to get our feedback of what our dream church would look like.
First they asked us, what are the things we like currently about the OPV. These are the things that *I* currently like about the Oak Park Vineyard (actually, I think I'm supposed to say VOP, but I like OPV better).
1) Fellowship
2) and 3) Commitment to the Poor and Evangelism
4) Worship
How this plays out in a new church building:
1) I would like "places to sit" near the entrance (Is that too much to ask???????) e.g. if one is waiting for someone before he/she goes into church.
2) I also would like to see (Is this too much to ask???), an Evangelism Pastor???? someone who works 40 hours/week and focuses on coordinated outreaches to the community, and also planning trips to foreign countries for different groups, such as women's groups, men's groups, youth groups, etc. (well, probably is too much to ask for now, but in 10 years, if the church is 1,000 or 1,200 people)
3) College ministry. (I can't take credit for this idea, it was Aimee's idea. I thought it was super though.)
And of course, women in leadership, but that is perhaps a minor detail.
One of the exercises we did was to picture what it would look like, walking into the church building in 5 years or so. (the church leaders continually felt the Lord say to them, the church is going to double in size). Some of the women said they wanted to see water, like a fountain, and trees, and lots of natural light.
A brief synopsis for the reason for the meeting: the church has recently purchased the home next to the original church building in Oak Park. It was a pretty amazing story. The home was appraised at 450,000 (gosh, houses in Chicago are expensive). The church bought the house for $462,000 which I though was noble, paying their moving expenses instead of trying to "squeeze a couple extra thousand" out of our neighbors, who is actually an ordained minister. Instead, the church chose to be a blessing to these people.
Through the years, the neighbors had a great relationship with the church, which is unusual. They even used to sit on their porch on Sat. mornings and listen to the worship band practice.
Then later that day, I felt that the Holy Spirit spoke to me about the church expanding. It was through verses 54: 2-3a in Isaiah, "Enlarge your house; build an addition; spread out your home! For you will soon be bursting at the seams..."
Happy Birthday, Aradayn!!!
Wow, the big 22. Happy Birthday!!!!!
the importance of being grateful
I read an interesting article on the difference that being grateful makes in one's life. Here is an interesting paragraph.
"According to results published in the March 2003 issue of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the participants who counted blessings -- whether they were the healthy students or the chronically ill s -- reported feeling more energetic and a heightened sense of mental well-being. The students exercised more; the chronically ill s reported
sleeping well and waking up more refreshed. The grateful groups also reported feeling optimistic and better about their lives as a whole -- they looked forward to making progress toward important goals. Gratitude also turned out to be measurable in the moral sphere. The grateful groups were more likely to help someone with a personal problem or to offer emotional support. "
The rest of the article is at
http://women.msn.com/1047829.armx?GT1=6367
Happy Birthday, Jeanne!!!!
Yup, my younger sister, Jeanne, is 26 today.
Happy Birthday, Peanut!!!!!!!!!!!!!
awesome vision
Sunday a young man from our church, Ben Husmann, explained a vision he had for the men's ministry at our church. It was so awesome because he showed this video first, of these men running in a city streets, and they were running over all of the obstacles... Then he explained what it was, in Europe they had invented "free running" they call it, where people train themselves run over any obstacle in their way (sort of running/jumping). He explained how this was the vision he felt God had given him for this men's ministry (they are starting it up in a couple weeks), to train themselves to go over any obstacles in their lives. I believe this was what he was saying.
Well, I think that you have to see the video to know what I mean, and why it was just so moving.
People think that because I am "pro-women" in Christianity, they assume I am "anti-men." And it's really funny, because somehow I turned out to be really "pro-men." Part of explaining to others that women were created "in the image of God" has also been a part of loving men. It's a paradox. When Ben explained the men's ministry theme, I was like, "That's what all men should be!!!" I was pumped.
questions, questions
I posted this on Cottonjane's journal, about the Catholic Church and women.
you don't have to answer if you don't want to, of course. I don't understand how you could be a part of a church (the Catholic Church) that oppresses women, because it does not welcome them into all of the leadership roles of the church. Do you ever think about that?
I know that God created me to be a woman, and that's good. It also means that he didn't create me to be a second-class citizen.
And I don't understand (besides that it is a part of tradition/history, and that in the Bible, God even states that women would be oppressed--it is a result of the The Fall) why Christians worship the y-chromosome. Are men supposed to be less sinful than women? Is there something in the y-chromosome that makes them this way? Because I know men, and *I know* they are not less sinful than me.
Also, I think it's silly that priests are not allowed to marry. For some people I guess it makes sense, but probably some people could be good priests and good family men also.
Luckily, in my church, they say that they allow women in be in any leadership role.
Tom Wright on forgiveness
But it is one of the core disciplines of the Christian life that, with certain things, we should intend to forget them, and succeed.
The things in question are of course the bad things that other people have done which have affected us is some way. If you cling on to them, if you turn them over and over in your mind, they will go on having a bad effect on you. You are, in fact, going on giving the other people power to change and harm your life. But if you learn to let them go, you are free.
no good deed goes UNPUNISHED
Sunday was a very beautiful day. Sunny, moderate temp.--the first really beautiful weather in Chicago was this weekend.
However, I woke up Sunday with a strained muscle. And I had to go to work that evening from 5pm to 1:30am. I must have strained it at work, I was on my feet for 12 hours the day before. To make matters worse, of all muscles it was my
groin muscle. I woke up Sunday morning and it was a 5 out of 10 on the pain scale.
I was planning to call in sick/injured. However, I was sitting in church that morning and I started to feel guilty about calling in, partly because it was a) a beautiful day and b) the weekend--they would never believe that I really was sick/injured, and also they would never have found anyone to fill in.
So, I called the charge nurse and explained to her my situation. It was Mary Lou and I told her that I felt that I could do everything except for that I couldn't do transports because I had a strained muscle. She said that was fine, and that she could work something out if I came in. For the sake of the team, I was thinking that I should come in and work, because I knew it was going to be super busy that night.
To make a long story short, someone complained, and I could probably guess who, obviously the lazy people, that I didn't do transports. And you know, I came in to work,
out of the kindness of my heart, and did everything else. I was super busy the entire last six hours I was there (the first 2 hours were a bit slow).
My manager called me the next day. Her main point was, even though some person/people complained that I requested not to do transports, when, hello, I could have been sitting on my balcony, enjoying the nice weather and
not have even came in at all, that I should not have been working while injured.
I can see her point. She said that I needed a doctor's note if I was injured, so I went to the doctor today. Actually, I am not working until Friday, a 12-hour shift. I don't know if I will be better by then, but today (Tues) is the only day that I am able to go to the doctor since Wed. and Thurs. I work from 8am to 6pm at a secretarial job. Until then, the doctor told me to take ibuprofin 2x a day, continue icing, and (gasp!) not to exercise, and to call her Thursday if I feel I am unable to work.
I felt like this was really unhealthy complaint, because what I learned from this was "don't think about the team" and "forget helping out." Every nurse and technician would have been
in trouble if I didn't show up Sunday night, because I was sooooooo busy when I was there. No good deed goes unpunished.
yea, my church rocks
Today, I was thinking about not even going to church. I'm glad I did though. Aparently, Channel 7 news was at the 9 a.m. service, and was interviewing some of the youth about the "30-hour famine" They will be on the 5pm news. Awesome! And the little kids were putting popsickle sticks in the lawn to symbolize the 30,000 children that die of starvation/year.
Then Anita, the female pastor, was saying, "In the Bible it says that the money of the world will go to the Kingdom." because apparently, for every one dollar donated to the 30-hour famine, the U.S. government will donate not $1, not $2, but $6--talk about return on your investment. And from all sources, the U.S. government????? Makes me feel much better about the U.S. government.
my dad
my dad was so happy last night, because everyone showed up for his birthday party. It was so difficult to shop for my dad though. His interests: politics, WWII, and hockey. He actually played in the minor leagues, and he left home at age 14 to play in the junior leagues in Edmonton. I could also add horses, but I don't want to get him any gift that reminds him of his work.
I think he liked my sister's gift better than mine though. She got him "Chicken Soup for the Father's Soul" and a little book called "The Meaning of Life." It's really cute gift book actually, it has pictures of animals. And she got him a really good card. My card wasn't as good as hers because it was just a Peanuts card.
My older sister got him a book also, "Retire on Less than you Think."
Enough procrastination though, time to do my taxes.
my dad is turning 60
tomorrow my dad is turning 60 and I've been dreading it because, well, 59 sounds sooooooooo much younger than 60, and I don't want my parents to grow old. It's all a matter of perspective I've realized, because when I told my women's group that my dad was turning 60 this week, they said, "Wow, you're young." Some of them are almost 60 themselves.
I'm still depressed about it. Because my dad has worked so hard all of his life, like 100 hour weeks, I think he probably has five more years of quality life before things start to deteriorate. (not that I'm going to tell my dad that tomorrow night). It would be foolish to think that working long hours like that would not affect his life span. totally stupid. He has purposely chosen to shorten his life.
We are having a surprise party (sort of, my step mom told my dad that she and my half-sister were going to take my dad out for dinner that night, so that he would not plan a surgery) tomorrow night. As the family hero, even though I
said I was planning to retire as the family hero last Christmas, of course it was my idea to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday as a surprise party, and I had to coordinate the entire thing and make sure that everyone would be there.
harassment?
this is maybe harassment, maybe not. For P.C.T class today, we had to attend a class on biomechanics, which is the correct way to lift people, etc. Anyway, this man who was teaching the class chose me for one of the scenarios, and I just feel violated because it's like he was touching my back, my shoulders, my butt, my entire body practically. I really feel that he didn't need to touch my butt so much to prove the points he was trying to make. It was excessive. He didn't touch any other person like this.
Why couldn't he have choosen someone else!!!! Why does he chose me?
then, to add fuel to the fire, he insulted me and told me that I didn't have enough upper body stength, which is just the way that God created me, and he makes me mad.
current mood: mad
the pro-exercise M.D.
if I ever become a doctor, I'm going to be the pro-exercise M.D. Only I'm not just going to tell people to exercise, I'm going to live it. I think people who exercise must be less irratable people. Surely there must be some research on this...
I think exercise, running in particular, would be the best way to cope with the stress of med school. Runners have lower incidence of all types of cancer except one: skin cancer.
A nun was martyred in Brazil
I don't want people to think that I totally disapprove of the Catholic church. When I was working out today, there was a news report on CNN about a nun who was martyred because of the work she was doing in Brazil. Surely this is positive thing that the Catholic church was involved with. Here is the article
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/02/16/MNGOLBBO611.DTLOne thing that I don't understand is the vast numbers of mourners the Pope has. I have a feeling they think that God has died.
And on the news Saturday night, a young Polish woman came out of a service--she was crying--and she said, "I wish that I had spent the last 26 years listening [to the Pope, I assume] instead of waking up one day and realizing it's too late."
GOOD NEWS: IT ISN'T TOO LATE. If she wants God to speak to her, then all she has to do is listen to the Holy Spirit.
However, I liked how Pope John Paul II was interested in young people, and waited for them.
reflection on the pope
The pope has passed away, yesterday at 12:45 (chicago). I've actually learned a lot about the Catholic church from this, since it has been on the news the last several days. For example, I didn't know that the pope decided if priests can marry, if women can be priests, about birth control, etc. I thought that those things were already a mandate by the Catholic Church, and could not be altered. Instead, a priest was saying on the news, the next pope could change those things, if he wanted.
I watched a special on the pope last night on Channel 7, which is ABC. Also, I have a book on Pope John Paul II, "An Invitation to Joy" which I skimmed yesterday.
As an evangelical, I don't know how I feel about the pope. When I graduated college, I believe I saw a World Youth Day (or some such event) on T.V. Already a very old man, the pope was traveling around in the "pope mobile" and raising his hands to acknowledge the crowds of people who were there to see him. Watching this on T.V., I was uncomfortable with it. Just the word "idol" came into my mind, and it seemed to me that those present were idolizing the pope.
From an evangelical perspective, the pope is a sinner, the same as everyone, and I don't know if Catholics are able to acknowledge the pope as a sinner. From an evangelical perspective, there was only one human who has ever lived his life without sinning and that was Jesus.
By certain things that the pope says (or reportedly said) near the end of his touched me. I can't remember the exact words, but while he was near and his closest companions were mourning around him, he said something--that they shouldn't be mourning, instead they should be rejoicing with him because he was going to be with his Father. Also, he was reported as saying (on the news), when he learned that St. Peter's square was filled with young people, "They are here now? I have been looking for them." (that last statement is very touching to me. I'm not really
that young, I'm 27, but for some reason it still is very touching). And, you know, I think he has spent his life looking for the young people, and waiting for them to come home.
Clearly, he was a really good man, a very moral person, BUT (from the evangelical perspective) he was a sinner, too. Of course I did not know the pope personally, so I can not comment on any of his personal sins, but I do know from what he said and did that he was se xist. So, that is my conclusion about what I know about Pope John Paul II: he was a very good man, BUT he was se xist.
I did not really like the ABC news special on the pope. Mostly, it focused on the pope's interactions with Americans and the times that he visited here. I did not like the way the news reported, Elizabeth Vargas, approached the subject of the pope, one could clearly tell that she was not a Christian and did not give a lot of credit to organized religion.
dental glory, part II
The last six weeks or so I have been very frustrated going to the dentist. For my $200 that I paid, I have been to the dentist like 7 times already, and have to go at least 1-2 more time to have it permanently sealed. The problem was that the temporary back that they put on my tooth kept falling off. I work for a doctor's office, so I know about the "annoying patients" that we have, but I now fear I am becoming that kind of patient myself.
To make matters worse, I thought that my dentist was harrassing me (Harrassment Mistake!) because they put me with the young guy. Usu. I prefer to go to a female dentist because their hands are smaller and they don't stretch out my mouth as much. Also, to be biased, I assume that female dentist would have a more gentle touch. I felt that this young male dentist was crowding over me too much, and I thought that he was harrassing me. So, I requested to have the female dentist work on my mouth, at which time she explained to me that this male dentist was left handed, therefore he had to hoover over the patients to reach for the instruments (the dental office is arranged and equipped only for right-handed people).
Then I went back to the male dentist b/c the female dentist was too difficult to get an appointment with anyway. I think that the young male dentist acutally is highly competent, I can tell that he is a perfectionist, so I have been sacrificing my personal space to go to him.
