There is a trailer park of sorts that I pass everytime I go into town from where I live. It's pretty dumpy looking. There's three trailers. They're all very small and only one of them-that I can tell-has air conditioning. It's a window unit in a window facing the street. The yard around the three trailers is littered with anything, everything: car parts, toys, broken trampolines, just everything. Right smack in the middle of the community yard is a car. It's jacked up on a box (I think) and is in pretty bad shape. The front bumper is hurting and there is something the matter with the general engine-area. I know this because in the last few months I have seen the inhabitants of these mobile homes out there working on it. They're always sweating it out, drinking out of plastic cups and cans, and looking generally raggedy, and there is always more than one of these people out there. That's what I like about them. They get it. They really get it.
Instead of insisting on quiet while he works, Mr. Fix-it is surrounded by his kids as he invests his time in this white car. Instead of staying in that one air-conditioned room, Mr. Fix-its brother sits on the porch talking to the Old Man of the Blue House, whose trailer has no air conditioning. Instead of telling her daughter off, Ms. Fix-it joins her thirteen-year-old outside on the trampoline. These people know; they see that it isn't about popularity, or education, or careers, or trades. They understand that concept which still manages to elude me, day after day: that people are the most rewarding way to spend your time.
As Victor Hugo says in his (fantastic, amazing, epic, life-changing) work "Les Miserables", There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.
Mr. Hugo, like the Fix-its sees that people are the most important things that happen to us in this life. So let's be the Fix-its, and get it. Really get it.
(Funny the way it is)
Lydia
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Check out my new sandals! I got them from some Hollywood store in Branson. The guy who worked there has had his for thirteen years! I'm hoping mine will stay around that long.
Now, there's a strong likelihood that if you read this blog regularly, or know me personally, you know about my foot problems. And these sandals just don't look like they would help relieve chronic foot pain, right? Yes. They are not going to correct my foot pain. Not at all. By buying them I'm not trying to be arrogant and say that I am to good to take advice, either. I just promised myself that even though I have a problem, even though it makes things kinda tough, I'm not going to change myself to suit my situation. I am who I am and I like what I like. I am not going to allow a little bit (ok, a LOT) of pain change me. I'm not running now, because of the pain, and I try and wear squishy and comfortable shoes most of the time-so I am trying to correct this problem-I just really wanted those sandals.
Lydia
Friday, July 23, 2010
There's a lot here. Like, right here: religions, and cultures, and books, and booze, and light, and transportation. It's all so dang available, and all so custom-made. There are twenty different colours of ten different styles. There are six different flavors for 3 different sizes. There are tall people, and short people, and happy people, and downers. And we are surrounded by this diversity. It is, once again, right here. What if it wasn't, though?
One day this planet has got to run out of oil. There just can't be an endless supply. Maybe there will be a day without taxis or buses or personal vehicles. A day without jet planes; big or small.
No matter which one comes first-my death, or the end of modern travel, there are a few things I want to experience before then, (i.e....)
I want to have flown helicopters over more rural villages than I can name.
I want to have seen life at it's best, I want to have seen life at its worst.
I want to have peed in at least thirteen countries.
I don't want to have spent my time being bored-I want to have been entertained by diversity.
I am going to be sure that I have listened to the music of the world without really listening to the tune stuck in my own head.
I am going see to it that all my relationships with those whose paths have crossed mine are one-hundred percent solid.
I want to be sure and see the things I need to see, and learn the things I need to learn.
I want to have climbed the trees, I want to have flown the kite, I want to have chanted the chanted, I want to have lept the leap, I want to have fought the battle, I want to have kicked the futbol, I want to have believed in the failure, I want to have tagged the skyscraper, I want to have fed off the earth, I want to have painted the sky, I want to have delivered the message, I want to have smelled the exotic flower, I want to have made the choice; I want to have lived the life.
Lydia
One day this planet has got to run out of oil. There just can't be an endless supply. Maybe there will be a day without taxis or buses or personal vehicles. A day without jet planes; big or small.
No matter which one comes first-my death, or the end of modern travel, there are a few things I want to experience before then, (i.e....)
I want to have flown helicopters over more rural villages than I can name.
I want to have seen life at it's best, I want to have seen life at its worst.
I want to have peed in at least thirteen countries.
I don't want to have spent my time being bored-I want to have been entertained by diversity.
I am going to be sure that I have listened to the music of the world without really listening to the tune stuck in my own head.
I am going see to it that all my relationships with those whose paths have crossed mine are one-hundred percent solid.
I want to be sure and see the things I need to see, and learn the things I need to learn.
I want to have climbed the trees, I want to have flown the kite, I want to have chanted the chanted, I want to have lept the leap, I want to have fought the battle, I want to have kicked the futbol, I want to have believed in the failure, I want to have tagged the skyscraper, I want to have fed off the earth, I want to have painted the sky, I want to have delivered the message, I want to have smelled the exotic flower, I want to have made the choice; I want to have lived the life.
Lydia
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverence, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me to to life is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more neccessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
Philippians 1:18b-26
Philippians 1:18b-26
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Life is progressing. That is the natural course of things in our world, and that's a good thing. Right now, though, it feels as if life for me is starting to move incredibly fast. This week and the next two weeks of my life I can tell you the three predominant things I'll be doing: go to church, volunteer at Children's Hospital, and work. All three of these things are great, but I can tell you that when this time is up, I'm going to be exhausted. I'm already really tired and it's only been one week of this.
My life is changing. I'm becoming more and more busy. I'm participating in things that are growing and shaping who I am, and who I will be in the future. I'm learning valuable lessons that will make me a better person. For this, I am grateful. The downside, it is HARD. It's NOT easy. I can tell you this: I will meet this stage of my life head on, feet dug hard into the ground, and with much prayer and encouragement from the Word. I will succeed and I will learn something from all of this. Life is not easy, it's not meant to be.
Brianna
My life is changing. I'm becoming more and more busy. I'm participating in things that are growing and shaping who I am, and who I will be in the future. I'm learning valuable lessons that will make me a better person. For this, I am grateful. The downside, it is HARD. It's NOT easy. I can tell you this: I will meet this stage of my life head on, feet dug hard into the ground, and with much prayer and encouragement from the Word. I will succeed and I will learn something from all of this. Life is not easy, it's not meant to be.
Brianna
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Somewhere there's a boy. His skin may be white, his skin may be black. He may have a T shirt on, he may be wearing a polo. He may be in the United States, and he may be in Ukraine, Uganda, or Uruguay. He may love the sea, he may fear it.
Wherever this boy is, no matter what he looks like, no matter what he fears, he needs to be told that there is nothing to worry about. He needs to be told that his eyes are the most beautiful when they are free of tears and hatred. This boy needs to know that the bad things his parents are a part of do not make him bad. He needs to be told that no amount of water or soap will wash away the guilt that he feels. He must know that his guilt is built upon an unreliable foundation. He needs to see that his sins can be gone; that they can be wiped away. He needs to know that he can look into the faces of all people, because no one is a better person than him. He needs to know that when he stands up, he does not stand alone. Somehow, the news must reach his ears that everytime he is hit, everytime he is yelled at, someone else is being hit and yelled at too. Other people have felt his pain, and also felt love.
A lifetime of darkness cannot erase the love that waits to shine from within you, Dear Boy. You need to know that love awaits you on the new side of your dark past. No matter what you have done, no matter what has been done to you, Sweet Boy, there is life and light awaiting you. Don't ever forget that. And don't ever stop waiting and watching for deliverance, and for your new day. There is hope. Do not give up. The dark will never overcome the light, though it may seem as if all light left your life long ago. Keep believing, Precious Child. You are a member of the kingdom, and you have nothing to fear.
Lydia
Wherever this boy is, no matter what he looks like, no matter what he fears, he needs to be told that there is nothing to worry about. He needs to be told that his eyes are the most beautiful when they are free of tears and hatred. This boy needs to know that the bad things his parents are a part of do not make him bad. He needs to be told that no amount of water or soap will wash away the guilt that he feels. He must know that his guilt is built upon an unreliable foundation. He needs to see that his sins can be gone; that they can be wiped away. He needs to know that he can look into the faces of all people, because no one is a better person than him. He needs to know that when he stands up, he does not stand alone. Somehow, the news must reach his ears that everytime he is hit, everytime he is yelled at, someone else is being hit and yelled at too. Other people have felt his pain, and also felt love.
A lifetime of darkness cannot erase the love that waits to shine from within you, Dear Boy. You need to know that love awaits you on the new side of your dark past. No matter what you have done, no matter what has been done to you, Sweet Boy, there is life and light awaiting you. Don't ever forget that. And don't ever stop waiting and watching for deliverance, and for your new day. There is hope. Do not give up. The dark will never overcome the light, though it may seem as if all light left your life long ago. Keep believing, Precious Child. You are a member of the kingdom, and you have nothing to fear.
Lydia
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Smell Like a Man, Man.
Ok so smells are a really important part of our human lives here. None of us (under the age of 75) can walk through a breeze that reaks of pig poo and not smell it. Smelling things isn't an option, it's something we just do. When someone walks past, we smell them. Sounds weird, I know, but we all do it.
My grandma works at a bar (she's a cook, alright) and said that one time after she got off work she walked past two ladies and one said, "I smell food". That lady smelled my potato-frying grandma as she walked past, simple as that. This post is about a particular aspect of smell though, not just smells in general.
This post is about deodorant, hygiene, cologne, whatever you want to call it. And not just any deodorant, hygiene, or cologne; we're talking man-hygiene (deodorant, cologne).
Brianna provided a great euphemism yesterday when she said, "I like a nice smelling man". I replied with a, "Most women do". I'd say both are totally true.
It's important that a man smell good. Very important. That is a completely objective truth. Now, though, I am going to be so bold as to interject my own humble opinion...an Old Spice man is a better man than an Axe man. I'm not saying that every dude who wears Old Spice is a better guy than all the dudes who wear Axe (just like there are stuck up jocks who use Axe, so are there strange old men who use Old Spice), I'm just saying that if it came down to random Axe man vs. random Old Spice man, my money would be on the random Old Spice man. Axe men...just aren't as manly, and usually they are drowning in their own smell. There is a happy medium between smelling au naturel and using two cans of Axe every morning. It's called Old Spice. Just kidding. Really, though, ladies like a man who smells like a man, Men.
Now, for me (Brianna) scents are pretty darn important. Lydia quoted me before, "I like a nice smelling man." A very true statement.
As for the question of Old Spice vs. Axe, I'm right there in the middle. Honestly, I like both. I guess you could say I prefer Old Spice, but then again I do like one of the Axe scents quite a bit.
In my opinion, as long as you, as a man, don't stink I'm happy. On the other hand, if you go through so much of this spray that there is a literal cloud of smell following you all day long, that is what I call excess. If this is how you roll, I will not jump in your ride.
Ok so smells are a really important part of our human lives here. None of us (under the age of 75) can walk through a breeze that reaks of pig poo and not smell it. Smelling things isn't an option, it's something we just do. When someone walks past, we smell them. Sounds weird, I know, but we all do it.
My grandma works at a bar (she's a cook, alright) and said that one time after she got off work she walked past two ladies and one said, "I smell food". That lady smelled my potato-frying grandma as she walked past, simple as that. This post is about a particular aspect of smell though, not just smells in general.
This post is about deodorant, hygiene, cologne, whatever you want to call it. And not just any deodorant, hygiene, or cologne; we're talking man-hygiene (deodorant, cologne).
Brianna provided a great euphemism yesterday when she said, "I like a nice smelling man". I replied with a, "Most women do". I'd say both are totally true.
It's important that a man smell good. Very important. That is a completely objective truth. Now, though, I am going to be so bold as to interject my own humble opinion...an Old Spice man is a better man than an Axe man. I'm not saying that every dude who wears Old Spice is a better guy than all the dudes who wear Axe (just like there are stuck up jocks who use Axe, so are there strange old men who use Old Spice), I'm just saying that if it came down to random Axe man vs. random Old Spice man, my money would be on the random Old Spice man. Axe men...just aren't as manly, and usually they are drowning in their own smell. There is a happy medium between smelling au naturel and using two cans of Axe every morning. It's called Old Spice. Just kidding. Really, though, ladies like a man who smells like a man, Men.
Now, for me (Brianna) scents are pretty darn important. Lydia quoted me before, "I like a nice smelling man." A very true statement.
As for the question of Old Spice vs. Axe, I'm right there in the middle. Honestly, I like both. I guess you could say I prefer Old Spice, but then again I do like one of the Axe scents quite a bit.
In my opinion, as long as you, as a man, don't stink I'm happy. On the other hand, if you go through so much of this spray that there is a literal cloud of smell following you all day long, that is what I call excess. If this is how you roll, I will not jump in your ride.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Hhhmmm, so I've reached a rough patch in life. Patch might imply to long of a time period because I really don't think these will all last very long, but sigh...it's lasted long enough already if you ask me. Anyway, I'm just going to put the not-so-happy things in my life into a list for now, because I don't want to sound like a winer by detailing them to much. Here they are:
1) My feet hurt.
2) Because of #1, I cannot do my favorite thing. Which is to run.
3) My parents and I are not really able to communicate in the least.
4) I don't have a job because no one in Little Rock cares to hire me. Trust me, I have tried.
5) Because of #4 I have not gotten my license, and therefore can drive myself nowhere, which complicates my life, and depressingly, the lives of my friends.
6) Friends. People. Me. Enough said.
I'm trying to take all this as a compliment from God, like, by making life harder for me He's showing me my great potential to grow, but it's still hard. And I would still love to be farther along in life right now, however great it is being young.
"Afraid? Of What?
To feel the Spirit's glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid-of that?
Afraid to see the Saviour's face
To hear His welcome, and to trace
The glory gleam from wounds of grace?
Afraid-of that?
Afraid? Of What?
A flash, a crash, a pierced heart;
Darkness, light, O Heaven's art!
A wound of His a counterpart!
Afraid-of that?
Afraid? Of What?
To do by death what life could not-
Baptize with blood a stony plot,
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?
Afraid-of that?"
-E.H. Hamilton (I am aware that this poem has little to no relevance to this post, I just like it).
Lydia
1) My feet hurt.
2) Because of #1, I cannot do my favorite thing. Which is to run.
3) My parents and I are not really able to communicate in the least.
4) I don't have a job because no one in Little Rock cares to hire me. Trust me, I have tried.
5) Because of #4 I have not gotten my license, and therefore can drive myself nowhere, which complicates my life, and depressingly, the lives of my friends.
6) Friends. People. Me. Enough said.
I'm trying to take all this as a compliment from God, like, by making life harder for me He's showing me my great potential to grow, but it's still hard. And I would still love to be farther along in life right now, however great it is being young.
"Afraid? Of What?
To feel the Spirit's glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid-of that?
Afraid to see the Saviour's face
To hear His welcome, and to trace
The glory gleam from wounds of grace?
Afraid-of that?
Afraid? Of What?
A flash, a crash, a pierced heart;
Darkness, light, O Heaven's art!
A wound of His a counterpart!
Afraid-of that?
Afraid? Of What?
To do by death what life could not-
Baptize with blood a stony plot,
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?
Afraid-of that?"
-E.H. Hamilton (I am aware that this poem has little to no relevance to this post, I just like it).
Lydia
Saturday, July 3, 2010
I want to apologize. I haven't been writing very much (as Lydia so bluntly put it, "Have you abandoned our blog?!") and I do realize I haven't been. I've sat down to write and the words just don't come. For now. In all do time, I know that they will return. But for now, my words will be scarce.
Brianna
Brianna
Thursday, July 1, 2010
It is the first day of July. Halfway through the year and for all intent and purposes, halfway through the summer. Sigh.
Lydia: I hope to continue spending time out in the sun and bettering myself physically (and spiritually, as always), as well as get started on school. I know that sounds extremely lame, but there may just be two different work oppurtunities coming my way this fall, and I wanna do the best I can to make time to take full advantage of both those oppurtunities.
Brianna: This month is kind of special for me. It's the first full month I'll be working. It's crazy for me to think about, but I'm really looking forward to all the work I can and will be doing. The other thing I'll be doing this month regularly is spending time with people. I've been so busy that hanging out with my friends has taken the back burner. I want that to end.
Lydia: I hope to continue spending time out in the sun and bettering myself physically (and spiritually, as always), as well as get started on school. I know that sounds extremely lame, but there may just be two different work oppurtunities coming my way this fall, and I wanna do the best I can to make time to take full advantage of both those oppurtunities.
Brianna: This month is kind of special for me. It's the first full month I'll be working. It's crazy for me to think about, but I'm really looking forward to all the work I can and will be doing. The other thing I'll be doing this month regularly is spending time with people. I've been so busy that hanging out with my friends has taken the back burner. I want that to end.
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