Personalities?

Dr. Kiersey's website tells me that I am a "rational." I am? That's nice to know. Some fun stuff in my so-called "profile:"

"Rationals, are the problem solving temperament ... Rationals don't care about being politically correct [YES!!!]. They are interested in the most efficient solutions possible, and will listen to anyone who has something useful to teach them, while disregarding any authority or customary procedure that wastes time and resources. [YESSS!!! Take that, Fear of Man-boy am I tempted to add another comment] ...They are rigorously logical and fiercely independent in their thinking--are indeed skeptical of all ideas, even their own--and they believe they can overcome any obstacle with their will power.[Umm...not so much :-P] ...Rationals value intelligence, in themselves and others, and they pride themselves on the ingenuity they bring to their problem solving.[I do? I'll have to work on that pride issue.]
Rationals are very scarce, comprising as little as 5 to 10 percent of the population.
The Four types of Rationals are: Architects, Masterminds, Inventors, Field Marshals"

Something I learned about myself while taking this 70-question exam: I am crazy. Okay, okay, so these types of exams usually just exaggerate the character quality differences between people, but after looking at my honest answers, it seemed that I value the unreal or abstract more than the real or the concrete. Though I do think that the two are interdependent.

New House

Everyone come tour our new house!!! The estate sale is from 9-1 this Saturday. Don't go to buy old, musty furniture, just pretend to look at the stuff for sale while you're actually checking out my family's new crib :-D Watch out for the holes in the backyard, though.

George Bush doesn't like black people????

OK, guys, you can accuse the President of a lot of things, but NOT for being racist against African Americans. The Democrats give us all this jaw about affirmative action, and why can't we get along, and minorities are underrepresented, etc. etc. etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I could debate any one of those points. But what have the Democrats done to promote minorities in offices of leadership? Other than a few local-government examples, few Democrat minorities have attained political offices. And yet, our REPUBLICAN President (who's more concerned with what the Executive Branch should be doing--i.e. protecting the country) has put two African Americans in high, nationally recognized positions that are also important positions of advisement. Hmm. Actions speak louder than words.

I am praying for all y'all hurricane victims down there, y'hear?

Condoleeza Rice, if you run for presidency, I will wear your t-shirts!! I will hand out your buttons!! I think you're great!! :-P

Switch

So, I was checking out the company that sells Pure Boss' CDs online, and I found another band using that company...and the band was called The Switch. Sounded pretty cool. They're having a concert on Oct. 1st at Rex Theater, and I'm kinda interested in going, except for the $10 price tag. Definitely a band to follow...perhaps purchase some music? I dunno.

I have this weird feeling that I can't explain...like I'm hanging on the edge of something big about to happen, but I don't know exactly what it is. Life sure is interesting...sometimes I can hardly wait to see what's around the corner, and I wish I could skip stuff right now. And I know that'd be "ditching" God's will and I'd miss out on some cool stuff. Like the Switchfoot concert this October. Oh...well, as the shirt says so biblically, Life is Good.

Music...'n stuff

One of the reasons why I love the internet...music is easily available, and I am therefore able to hear more artistis and discern those who are worth my $$ as an investment. Two such examples that I wouldn't have heard of if it were not for the internet and the music I heard there:

Sarah Brendel
She's a Christian artist from Germany, and if you know anything about Christianity in Europe, you'd be amazed at how well she's done. I love her attitude and humble spirit. Oh, and her music is excellent :-P Some of it reminds me of Silbermond (German for Silver Moon), but with much better lyrics.

Eisley
These guys were homeschooled!!! Huzzah! Oh, and they went to a Vineyard church in Texas, though they're not on a "christian" label. Their music is mellow stuff, and perfect for the T drive into school. We shall see how they perform live soon :-)

Definitely albums I'd like to own, and I'm waiting for Christmas :-P Oh, and the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou. But, everyone should have already known what a great album that is ;-)

Sin, Pride, and Edification

This was brought up in a recent (very recent) convo with a good friend. What, exactly, is appropriate to post on a blog? I consider this place to be an outlet of mine, whether creative or psychological. If others read my blog, then how can I put things on here that I consider to be deeply personal?

This incidence that I am thinking of involves specific sin and how I struggle with it. I realize that, before Christ, all sin is an offense, but this particular manner of sinning has a lot of social consequences that so-called "little white lies" don't. For my own sake, it would benefit me to write about this issue and discuss how I have dealt with it and what I have learned from hearing about others who have dealt with it, too. Who knows? Maybe close friends of mine have struggled with this and have also been afraid to discuss it. But I am afraid of the judgment of others, and concerned that, if they read about this area of my life, it would do anything but edify them. Rather, it might tear down walls that God put there to protect them.

My friend brought up pride. What an ugly word. Am I too prideful to confess this sin and deal with it? Am I too prideful to talk about it freely with others in order to edify them? Am I afraid of what confessing this sin would do to my reputation? In all of these cases, there is definitely an aspect of pride that I need to deal with. Though I deceive myself into thinking that my reputation really reflects who I am, I will definitely say that, if certain people heard of this, then I'm sure their skin would crawl and our relationship would diminish greatly.

In some cases, however, there is also the possibility that such free discussion would bring relief to a few of my friends.

I will seek the Truth presented in God's big letter to me, since my brain is obviously inadequate to tackle this problem.

Paint...'n' stuff

So, I think I have decided how to paint my new bedroom. Upon consultation with my mother, I've scrapped the idea of taking my huge painting of tiger lilies and trying to use the background as a model for the paint patterns on my walls. It'd make my room look too much like a swamp because of the dark greens and blues.

So, I've changed my idea from years ago that consisted of painting wide stone columns and patches of sky between the columns. Now I'm planning to paint white marble columns with some gold leaf at the top. Not only will this keep my room bright but un-boring or predictable, but since I'll have a wood floor and would like to cover at least one long wall with mirrors, the clouds and columns will blend in with the mirrors rather unobtrusively.

Of course, this will have to take place at a much later time than now.

Huzzah (sorry John) for the Eisley/switchfoot concert!

Et mea corpus et mens et spiritus gratiant Unum Deum

All of me thanks God's providence tonight. Thank God for a wonderful weekend, wonderful friends, wonderful food, and something else...I think I may be onto some sort of regular sleep schedule. Hopefully I'll be able to keep this up :-)

...In other news, I think I may still have the mind of a child. Not only would I rather run around with the Pierson/younger set of Hughes boys and bash each other with wooden swords and PVC pipe than sit around a table and talk (I don't know the subject of conversation...I wasn't there :-D ), but tonight I was watching the moon...it was on the Western side of the house. As I sat contemplating the night sky, I wondered..."I suppose we'll have to go to the Eastern side of the house to see the moon when we're in our new house. I mean, we're on the Eastern side now (and it's on our Western side), but we'll have to switch places since we get a new vantange point." It then struck me that such a big distance to me will mean hardly anything in relation to viewing the moon. Once again, I was struck by how large God is. The moon is so far away! But that distance means nothing to God, because he is not trapped by time or physics or biology or even being. HE JUST IS. So amazing.

Home life...and college

HUZZAH! I took a break from Chemistry to eat some cereal (drat...my food schedule is all messed up, thanks to insomnia) and bum around the internet. I found this FANTASTIC essay by some lady somewhere who teaches something (Jean Humphreys, Assistant Professor of Sociology @ Dallas Baptist University). Honestly, it's a great essay. READ...it's about women getting a Liberal Arts education even though they may spend part or all of their lives living at home and raising children. This really affirmed for me why I do what I do, even though many people have discouraged this path for me and have hinted at cooking and quilting classes.

http://www.leaderu.com/humanities/libmom4.html

This is my favorite quote in the essay, and the first part is from a lady named Joy Davidman (sound familiar?):

"Let us drop the disastrous cant that persuades women, often against their won hearts, that they have a "duty" to neglect their children for civic affairs, or broadening cultural activities, or even heaven help us, for "realizing their creative potentialities through self-expression in a rewarding career." Let us drop too the curious theory that the care and teaching of children are entirely women's work, and that their father should have as little to do with them as possible. Most of all, let us remind the innumerable Americans who don't seem to know it that begetting and rearing a family are far more real and rewarding than making and spending money (pp. 66; 69)."

A liberal arts education prepares a parent for a rich home life, where children can learn to ask questions and seek understanding. Again, one of the primary duties of a parent is to educate the child, and in that education teach the children to question. Through a true liberal arts education the child will be able to weigh anything that the world has to offer in the light of God's truth. In the Presence of the Kingdom, Jacques Ellul (1989) speaks of the practice of Christian hospitality in the details and the household. Ellul states "absolutely everything, the smallest details which we regard as indifferent, ought to be questioned, placed in the light of faith, examined from the point of view of the glory of God" (p. 122).

The home needs to have the atmosphere, the "homemaking" that creates an environment where children are able to ask questions. The home should be full of books and conversation and time for work and play.

Houses...

...I need to remember that they're just temporary. I just saw our new house. Mmm...an easterly facing bedroom window, a fireplace, outrageous closets, TWO sweet retro ovens!!!

God's providence is good.

The best part...a HOBBIT TREE!!!! No, seriously, it's by the front door and has cool twisty branches.

I have decreed that the graveyard is unsuitable for frisbee. Not because of the graveyard-iness, but the ground is not flat, both overall and the small pockmarks in the dirt. The high school is very close by, however. Oh, and the street is a dead end, so we can play basketball on the street!

Art...and its form in movement

Yes, I am speaking of dance. This article that I found on a really good blog made me think about it.

http://www.internetmonk.com/archives/2005/08/019998.html

I thank God every time I think of dancing that I met Mrs. Hoffman and heard of her wonderful dance ministry. For years I have carried around an ideal inside my head of what a dance MINISTRY looks like, and not just a dance company that calls itself christian because the dancers wear (mostly) modest clothing. Mrs. Hoffman has showed me that this ideal is possible, though it's a difficult balance and many people often reject it.

I pray that, should I start or lead a dance ministry some day, I would be able to balance the technical details needed for excellent art and the spiritual aspect that breathes meaning into the technicalities. To glorify God, one cannot exist without the other, and I need to learn how to communicate that ability to others.

I also pray that, for the same situation, people would be open to the idea of dancing as a form of glorifying God. I have seen God be glorified and use dance to minister in ways that no other art form could do. Dance has also been used to bring attention to the dancer, and this has evoked emotions that should never come out of dance meant to glorify God. Dance can evoke many powerful emotions in people, and sometimes its hard to know what exactly my audience will experience as a result of my dance.

Thank God for examples of how to glorify him, and encouragement to keep seeking the ideal.

Debt is looming...

...but somehow, it also is an investment. My parents have put an offer on a house not too far away from our present location...and their offer was accepted. Now we gotta iron out the details, pack, say goodbye to all our old friends & get their mailing addresses, and travel the long road (it's >1 mi.). I have a feeling that switching rooms with my sister 2 weeks ago was a rather fruitless venture, since I'm going to be moving again in less than a month.

So...my feelings on this...I haven't seen the inside of the house yet, but I have driven past twice. It looks nice, and my parents tell me that it's bigger than our present house. There are things I will miss about this house (the park, the stream, the neighbors, the close proximity to public transportation, etc.), but there are substitutes at the new house (a half-empty graveyard for frisbee :-)...also it's really close to the high school ). At this point, I waver between being excited and not really caring or unsure.

Eisley

Oh. My. Word.

I just found out that one of my favorite bands, Eisley, is playing with Switchfoot at a concert that I was planning to go to anyway. W00T!!!! Eisley isn't a "Christian" band (i.e. it's not on a "christian" label), but it is composed of 4 homeschooled siblings and their friend who went to a Vineyard church in Texas. They play kinda mellow stuff, but I really like it and have found nothing in their lyrics that I can't agree with. Plus, the band members...dress modestly (gasp!) which is more than I can say for some people on "christian labels." They were the opening act for Coldplay in 2003...dunno exactly what that means, except that Coldplay seems to be a popular band.

Anyone want to come with me?

www.eisley.com

Lord of the Rings

Yes, so, it finally happened. I hosted a Lord of the Rings MovieFest (not quite a marathon) at my house, along with a good friend named Domenica. 'Twas excellent, and I hope a good time was had by all. Not all dressed up, but here follows an account of those that did:

Wes (Balathar): Wore an Australian Duster, half-finger leather glove on his right hand, boots, and carried a bow. True to the nature of his character, he cleaned up a bit :-) and brought all the ladies flowers (mine are doing splendidly, by the way, Wes. Thanks!).

Domenica (Arwen): Wore a white dress modeled after the character in the movies and a long-haired black wig. Much thanks do I extend to her for co-planning this event!

Dan (hobbit): Wore a matching brown waistcoat, jacket, and pants rolled to above the ankle. He also went shoeless. Despite his lack of curly hair, his short hair was nonetheless profuse (and I like the buzz cut, Dan). Our only hobbit there, though he was about 6 feet tall.

Lisa ("Talking Tree"): Wore dark brown clothes with various vines and branches tucked into her belt and hair. Obi-wan and Anakin filled in for the roles of Pippin and Merry, and rode along perched on the arms of her glasses. Not only that, but she brought along "Talking Tree Root Beer" and some sort of elvish drink to the party. Her costume was my personal favorite, not only because I love the Ents, but simply because of the ingenuity. Way to go, Lisa!

Myself (Laedelas Greenleaf, who else?): For the first day, I wore a wine-red dress with elbow-length flounced sleeves, a wine-red shawl (only for a bit--it was hot!), black knee-high boots, and a ringlet for my forehead (which my parents purchased at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival). On the second day, I wore black pants, the black boots, a blue sleeveless tee, a lovely green silk shirt over that, a woven leather belt over the shirt (which was long), and the ringlet again. This outfit was much more comfortable :-)

Nathaniel (I can't remember the name of his character): Wore a black t-shirt, a blue crushed-velvet doublet, a belt, baggy-ish pants, boots, and carried a bow. That doublet was just killer! What perfect material for a warrior.

Katie (Elvish maiden): Wore a dark skirt and a lacy, wine and green colored shirt with an empire waist, v-neck, and those really cool bell-shaped sleeves. I'm not sure if she was playing the part of princess or not, but she certainly looked lovely!

My dear old brother (5stars.blogspot.com): Dressed as himself with copper chain mail shirt. I'm not exactly sure who his character was and what he was doing, but it looked and sounded cool (clinking chain links=manly)

Calvetti Children: Dressed up as various warriors and elven maidens. More crushed-velvet doubles, and the girls made such sweet ringlets out of ribbon-wrapped wire and flowers. Though they couldn't stay for the entire time, their presence was greatly appreciated.

Though he did not dress up, Rick also played a large role. Thanks to his technology, we were able to project the movie onto an approximately 6-foot screen. Much, much better experience! Next time we'll have to do a home-IMAX experience :-P

The food was fantastic. The Calvettis brought Balrog meat and Balrog drool, Nathaniel brought Balrog meat and sauce, Wes brought Warg (I think it was), Lisa brought her drinks, Domenica brought various foodstuffs, and....well, I made mostly Lembas (which was a great recipe! Thanks to whoever made it) and Rosie's Shire Pie. I think I ate wwaaaaaay too much. My pants...*grunt*...too tight...*gasp* :-)

Muchas gracias to all who helped make this evening memorable!





Oh, some comments about the movies...In this viewing of the extended edition, I saw much more of Ian McKellan's great acting skill and his particular style. Wonderful! I also HATED the death of Saruman. PETER JACKSON, what could have put such an evil thought into your mind??!?!?! What a gross and despicable thing to even SHOW!!! YOU COULD HAVE JUST ALLUDED TO IT, INSTEAD OF FILMING THE IDEAS OF YOUR GROSS MIND!!! Sorry, I'm ok now...I think. All of the hobbit actors seemed to have better acting than I remember, and the character of Arwen is still overblown. I WANT GLORFINDEL BACK! (ok, so maybe I'm not ok). The endings all seemed better, for some reason, especially the scene in the Healing House, though I miss the part where Sam breaks down because a bard wants to sing a song of Frodo the Nine-Fingered and his companion, Sam. Anyway, I like the movies now a lot better than I used to. However, I haven't read the books in a while (unfortunately), so we'll see how my opinion changes after another book read. First, I gotta finish "triss" though. Anyway.

Farewell, dear friends of Middle-Earth!

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

-- J R R Tolkien