Try this out – my answers are listed below – it’s so fun!
Google image search the following:
1. The age you will be on your next birthday.
2. The place you live.
3. Your favorite color.
4. The place you want to get married.
5. Your first love.
6. Your favorite fruit or vegetable.
7. Your favorite animal.
8. The last name of your favorite actor or actress.
9. The name of a pet.
10. Your favorite song.
11. A bad habit of yours.
12. Your middle name.
Email me (arockel@gmail.com) your answers if you try it out!
Why is it that relationships are so hard? What is it about us as people that makes it difficult for us to communicate well with each other? I mean, I assume it’s because we’re fallen people, and so our relationships can’t be the optimal kind until we reach heaven, but come on, it’s just down right hard sometimes! These kinds of problems go on in all kinds of relationships of course, but I’m specifically thinking now about guy/girl relationships, in which there is either the potential or the reality of a romantic connection… these seem to be especially tough, and I’m talking from my perspective now. We’ve been talking about relationships some in my Bible study group (young adults, mostly single – 20s-40s) and we’re going to have a sit-down-and-talk-about-relationships talk next week, specifically addressing the guy/girl relationship in the context of our group – which might seem like a good idea on the face of it, but once we actually sit down, I’m thinking it’s going to be rather weird, but maybe that’s just me… Part of my thinks it’s just so official and rigid to have to set up a time to specifically address something that could just come up in conversation, but on the other hand I don’t want issues like this to stay unresolved if people think it will drag the group down…hmph…
One of the best things about this group is the diversity of the ages, backgrounds, experiences of the people in it – we’re all coming from different places trying to learn things together and from each other – it’s good to get different people’s perspectives on issues and hear other opinions apart from the things I’m used to hearing – but it’s also what makes things like relationships difficult sometimes, since not everyone is looking for the same thing, both in the sense that everyone may not be looking for a guy/girl relationship and also that people are certainly looking for different things in a potential mate. So conversations about relationships can get kind of hairy, and it’s certainly difficult to make generalizations even about our small little group of people…
And maybe one of my friends is right – we should just go to non-verbal communication to indicate interest in a person – something like flashcards that would eliminate the whole awkward ‘wanna go out sometime’ conversation… but maybe I’m just a sap, but I think that would be horribly un-romantic – and maybe without the risk, there wouldn’t be as much contentedness with the relationship (should it develop)… but I don’t know, seeing as how I’ve never really been in love… maybe skipping the part with the potential for hurt would make more sense sometimes…
Sorry this has turned into a bit of a rant/blab on relationships – any insight from people would be helpful…
I’ll repeat a CSLewis quote from an earlier post since it’s appropriate here and I need to hear it quite often anyway:
Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want
to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an
animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all
entanglements. Lock it up save in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.
But in that casket–safe, dark, motionless, airless–it will change. It will
not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To
love is to be vulnerable.
C.S. Lewis
On a lighter note, and for Beth’s update purposes, I’m having lunch with nurse Pettitt (otherwise known as Amy!) and we celebrated Kari and Wendi’s B-days last night at YAF – well, except Wendi couldn’t be there, but we celebrated with her in spirit! Rebecca made cake and cupcakes and would have made you proud Beth! At least Becky and I are going to go to a Warthogs game tonight – and the summer students will be there too, so that should be interesting – thirsty thursday!
Also, my Dad will be back in the states from Africa next Thursday, so prayers for safe travel and a good finale for his trip would be greatly appreciated – I’ll be glad to have him back safe and sound!
I’m out…
I have seen a lot of movies in the last few weeks – new ones (Batman begins was awesome!), old ones (Blazing Saddles was, well, funny, but shocking…), and in-between ones (Tommy Boy and Happy Gilmore last night – both hysterical, especially with other people who enjoyed them!) – plus I saw Funny Girl for the first time – can’t believe it took me this long to see it – very depressing ending (I don’t think that spoils anything in particular) but really good music (ie Don’t rain on my parade, people who need people, etc…). Plus I’ve been watching the 100 greatest movie lines (AFI) that I taped last week, and I realized how many of the movies they listed I haven’t seen – like the Godfather movies, and Citizen Kane – some of which I’m not sure I want to see, but maybe…
Update for Beth: I didn’t do much with the group Fri or Sat, but we had a big group for Japanese lunch after church Sunday, and then David had people over to watch Tommy Boy and Happy Gilmore – actually he just had us over for the first movie, but we all stayed to watch the second – loads of fun!
Picture below is from Nertz (card game) Night at Kari’s last Wed – trying to use Rebecca’s camera timer, so that partially explains the funny looks on most people’s faces! hehehe
Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to my friend Beth, who is on her way tonight to spend the next week with one of her best friends before she gets married – I’ll miss you while you’re gone, but I’m sure you’ll have a great time with all your friends down there! Make sure you get lots of pics of you in that cute dress – we’ll expect to see them when you get back, ‘k?!?! I promise to keep this updated at least as long as you’re gone so you can keep up with what’s going on, although I imagine the emails will keep you going pretty well…
To everyone traveling in the next few weeks – have a safe trip(s) and good times while you’re gone – not sure what my plans will be for the 4th of July, but I hope to spend some quality time with friends and/or family (and maybe with my bed – sooooo tired still!)…
Happy Friday y’all!
Well, it’s been a long day and it’s not quite over yet – I’m working a volunteer shift at the Ronald McDonald Family Room in the Children’s Hospital – it’s actually quite peaceful and enjoyable for the most part – good time to get some stuff done, if I don’t waste too much time surfing the web (hehehe!). Several things:
– Great weekend! Got to hang with my bro and a few of his friends and see the show he did lights for (see earlier post) – it was very funny! He got me the 1st season of ‘That 70s show’ on DVD for my birthday (belated obviously) and we watched a few episodes – sooooo fun! Love the show! I came back Sat afternoon/evening and was all set to make some mixed CDs so that I could simplify my music listening, but I discovered that somehow my computer didn’t like the CD burning program on my laptop anymore, so I spent several hours trying to rectify this (with a dial-up connection at home no less!), with the end result being 11pm, no software, no mixed CD – grrrrr…
- Sunday was also fun, church, then lunch with friends, little power nap at home before going to the $3 movie theater in Kernersville to see the new Batman Begins – quite good, especially with Christian Bale (can we say, yummmm!) – and funny in the places where it wasn’t extremely dark…then some tasty treats at Arby’s, before continuing the party at Becky’s apt to watch ‘Blazing Saddles’ (it took a while to get the guys to let the girls watch it with them – very innappropriate in places, but funny!) – several of us ended up staying up talking til 4am! ACK! That’s the latest I’ve been up since college days while pledging a sorority probably… so let’s just say I’m running on less than a full tank of gas today! But we were having such good conversations, I didn’t want to stop talking and laughing…
- You have to check out this link, especially if you liked Napoleon Dynamite – Beth sent the link, which is promoting a festival in Idaho – all about NapDyno! It’s hysterical! Too bad Idaho is so far…
- I’m attempting to compile a list of books and movies that I haven’t seen/read but think that I probably should, in order to be a more well-rounded, pop-cultured person – any suggestions for necessary books/movies? Like I haven’t seen any of the Godfather movies, or any of the Matrix movies for that matter…
- I’m starting to re-read the Chronicles of Narnia, in an attempt to get ready for the Christmas release of Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, which looks like it could be very good – but seeing the trailer (on the Star Wars III previews) made me realize how little of the books I remember, so I’m going back to them – I bet I’ve read the LW&W several times, but I know that I only read the later books once, so I barely remember them at all – they bring back all kinds of memories from when I was reading them at a much younger age – the Chronicles and Madeleine L’Engle books for some reason – very strong memories attached to them…
OK, I’ll finish up now – and leave with another set of lyrics of a song, this time a Derek Webb song from ‘She must and shall go free’ – the words are great, but with the melody it’s absolutely fabulous! Quite vivid and strong language, but a wonderful picture of Christ’s redeeming work in His people, the Church – enjoy!
The Church(words and music by derek webb)
i have come with one purpose
to capture for myself a bride
by my life she is lovely
by my death she’s justified
i have always been her husband
though many lovers she has known
so with water i will wash her
and by my word alone
so when you hear
the sound of the water
you will know
you’re not alone
(chorus)
‘cause i haven’t come for only you
but for my people to pursue
you cannot care for me
with no regard for her
if you love me you will love the church
i have long pursued her
as a harlot and a whore
but she will feast upon me
she will drink and thirst no more
so when you taste my flesh and my blood
you will know you’re not alone
(chorus)
there is none that can replace her
though there are many who will try
and though some may be her bridesmaids
they can never be my bride
