It's raining and i'm overjoyed. I love the heightened colours and the change in scents and the chill bite of the air when it rains. I'm sitting on my bed looking out the window and listening to music and i heard this song and thought I'd post the lyrics. :) It's a good call to think. And repent and love our God for all he's done for us.

"Hosea's Wife"

I just spoke silence with the seeker next to me
She had a heart with hesitant, halting speech
That turned to mine and asked belligerently
"What do I live for?"

I see the scars of searches everywhere I go
From hearts to wars to literature to radio
There's a question like a shame no one will show
"What do I live for?"

We are Hosea's wife
We are squandering this life
Using people like ladders and words like knives

[CHORUS]
If we've eyes to see
If we've ears to hear
To find it in our hearts and mouths
The word that saves is near
Shed that shallow skin
Come and live again
Leave all you were before
To believe is to begin

There is truth in little corners of our lives
There are hints of it in songs and children's eyes
It's familiar, like an ancient lullaby
What do I live for?

We are Hosea's wife
We are squandering this life
Using bodies like money and truth like lies

[CHORUS]

[Bridge]
We are more than dust
That means something
That means something
We are more than just
Blood and emotions
Inklings and notions
Atoms on oceans

Ooh, I think I'm in love. :D

Well, the time of the year is here when even the most staunch resistors will allow the playing of Christmas music. :D My life this week has been pretty much consumed by Christmas music, as my choir, The Collegiate Singers, is holding Christmas concerts every night this week and a few of the daytimes too. :D But with all the old favorites coming out this month, I stumbled across a new favorite...yes, i'm completely revealing my extremely nerdy side, but here it is, (and i haven't heard all of them yet, but here are a few.... Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you..... (drum roll please...or at least the stomp of stormtrooper boots)....

Christmas in the Stars!

A Star Wars Christmas
(they got Anthony Daniels as the voice of 3PO!!)









(That one actually had a young Jon Bon Jovi singing in the choir...yah, this is a rather old album)





(There's a few more at imeem if you look, Christmas in the Stars, or The Star Wars Christmas Album)
Heehee :D

and the things of earth will grow strangely dim...

{Warning: Citizen Kane Spoilers ahead}

Do you ever have one of those times in your life when it seems like everywhere you go you get some saying or concept repeatedly pounded into your head? Like the preacher on sunday morning will say a phrase, then you visit a different church that night and the preacher there says the exact same thing, and you read a book that happens to say something about it, and it just keeps showing up over and over again?

For me lately the concept I can't seem to get away from is summed up in the phrase "You'll never see a hearse pulling a U-haul." As cliched as i feel that phrase is getting because of the fact that I've heard it 3+ times in the last few weeks from totally unrelated sources, familiarity doesn't diminish the truth.

I just finished watching Citizen Kane for my Film History class. Each week i watch 2 movies and sometimes write a paper on them. Citizen Kane is a film that I have heard often referred to, or seen it linked in passing on wikipedia. I think once I read the summary or in reading a list of famous movie quotes read up on the quote "Rosebud." Regardless of having known something about the movie in the past, when I started watching the movie today I didn't remember almost anything about the plot. I had heard varying reports about the movie, i know that it was nominated for 9 Academy Awards, but i had also heard that it was not a very enjoyable film. I settled in to--very objectively, of course--discover for myself an opinion on this classic film. As I watched the life story of Charles Foster Kane unfold, I enjoyed it, in the way that i might enjoy reading a biography...my pleasure in reading those fluctuates...I watched with some interest and was happy to see that the film was not boring as I'd feared it might be. As the film builds it tells the story of this man who is in many ways living the "American Dream." He starts low, has a Horatio Alger like adoption by a wealthy benefactor, builds businesses, gets women, and basically has everything he could want, which is of course the definition of utter happiness, right? Of course right. Thank you Yente. (excuse me...where was I? Ah, yes.) As Kane nears the end of his life (and incidentally the beginning and end of the film) he amasses huge amounts of art, jewels, and even builds a mountain palace that he dubs Xanadu after Kublai Khan's great palace in ancient China. By many standards he has reached the pinnacle of success, his riches are great, his grain silos are full, he can eat drink and be merry with no fear for a tax on his wallet, he probably owns the people that make the money.
Charles Foster Kane has built a kingdom, he has the woman he wants, he uses the people around him, he basically has everything he wants, but in the last 15 minutes of the film, something changes. His kingdom does not satisfy, his wife leaves, and he dies. After his death, his vast fortune is catalogued by appraisers, and it was all worth so much money. Yet, he died alone and sad. Like they said in another movie I saw this week (Quantum of Solace) "Everybody dies alone." (Regardless of what they had or who they were) What did his kingdom give him in the end? Does wealth make one happy? If money can indeed buy happiness, Charles Kane should have died of laughter or of pure bliss because he had everything he ever wanted. He didn't though, he died a sad mean old man hated by many and beloved by none. In the end his posessions are sold and some are burned. They'll all burn eventually.
I was surprised by such a powerful message from this film. The verse came to mind from Matthew 16:23 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?" Kane had everything, the money, the relationships, the palaces (literally), but he didn't ever know the truths found here. In Matthew 16:20-21 "Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." A life without Christ is worthless and a life without knowing His love and the joy and peace He gives is breathtakingly sad.
Don't live your life in pursuit of posessions and "the American dream." That's not life. They won't last. "Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing" [Luke 12:23] Seek after God's kingdom and his righteousness and He will freely supply everything you need. Serve Him with every fiber of your being and give every bit of your life over to His control. An eternal reward is a good motivator. "One's life does not consist in the abundance of his posessions" [Luke 12:15] Don't lose eternity for things that don't matter. And don't be tied to the things of this world. No thing here matters eternally. Our home is above and our life is seated at the right hand of the Father on high. Don't remember this on your deathbed. Live it out today!

Pure Genius

I'm Sure most of you saw the Dark Knight this summer like i did. Well, today i found something related that i think you'll all enjoy. :D

I love discovering new song/artists that I really like.
Tonight my new find is Brooke Fraser. She's a Hillsong Australia member, and a recording artist in her own right. :)

This is a great song; Lead Me to the Cross

Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
You are
Te word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen



To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart

A call to love the lost

Well, I've been back here at school for 2 or so weeks, and I'm loving my classes, hanging out with my friends, visiting a new church, and making new friends. :)

Last night I had the opportunity to go to Skid Row, the only place in Los Angeles where it is legal to sleep on the streets. A group from my school goes down every Friday night, hands out tacos, prays, and attempts to hold conversations with the people down there. I'd been before on a trip down there for my outreach week last year, but not in this context. We went in a large group, but then split into groups of 4-6. My group included me, Ashley from Mexico, a guy named Dan (MK from Mexico, so he's fluent in spanish), and a seminary student named Travis. We handed out tacos to people we met and then Dan and Ashley talked to this one lady in Spanish for almost an hour. It was really neat, she was very open, and they were able to open the Bible with her, and go through talking about where she's going when she dies, and show her John 3:16 and overall just show her the love of Christ.
Travis right off the bat started trying to evangelize this guy that is actually a street preacher down there, and the guy, Chris, acted like he'd never heard the gospel, but kind of led Travis on, then showed Travis how he does street evangelism. They ended up talking about the whole time, because Chris walked around with us.
I hung around the whole time Dan and Ashley talked to the lady Maria, attempting to follow along with the Spanish, and towards the end this guy showed up and cussed us out in turns for about 20 minutes for all the sins of white people. Being cussed out wasn't the hard thing for me, for me the hardest thing was that my heart was breaking for this man, wanting to show him the love that I've been shown, and to tell him that Jesus loves Him, and that many of the things he was ranting about that people have done in the name of Christ through History were wrong and not at all what Jesus wants. i just wanted to show him the love of Christ, but i didn't know how.
I can't wait to go back next week. This is officially on my heart now, please pray for the homeless people on Skid Row, and that God would use us in their lives.

Another update

I'm on my way back to school tomorrow, and i couldn't be more excited. :)
I'm taking some fun classes this semester. Video Production, Basic Production Principles, Film History, New Testament Survey 1, Principles of Biology and Lab, and Collegiate singers.
I got my license last Friday, thanks for praying for me if you did. :D
I've been driving myself around a little bit, and it's been fun and convenient.

My friend Whit, who went to Israel with me in the Spring made this great video of our semester, and i wanted to share it. :)

prayer and update

Well, this week we're all busy recovering from Vacation and camp, and getting ready for me to head back to school next week. Yep, busy, busy, busy. :D

I thought, because i can't really think of anything to write right now, i'll post my current favorite song. :D

Pray for me this week as i take my driving test, i feel slightly underprepared, but if i don't get it now i won't have a license all semester. :P
And also that i'll be able to pull it all together for my return to school next week. :)
God Bless!

VACATION 1

Hi guys, this is Vevy. :D (okay...duh)
Well, I have 5 minutes to say hi on here and then i hafta go...I'm using a library computer.
We're on VACATION!
We left our house sunday at 4, and we had safe travels to my grandparents house in South Carolina. We're driving 2 rental cars, one bright blue, one white, Jeep Patriots. We're just hanging out with cousins and grandparents. Please pray for my grandparents, cause my grandad has a lot of health issues, but my great-grandmother also lives with them, and she's 90 and has developing Alzheimers, so my Grandma has the weight of taking care of both of them. We're all helping out how we can, but the situation can use a lot of prayer. It's hard to see my Great-Grandmother (granny) like this. Her mind's always been very sharp and she always had great stories to tell about growing up in the depression and WWII and factory work and lots of family history, but now she can barely remember names.

I miss you guys all a ton, I'll ttys!
Bye!

Tale of a blessing

Let me preface this post by saying that I love Emily Dickinson's poetry, its rythm is very pleasing, and much of it is deep and I love how she says things with very precise words that go perfectly in the verse. :D

So the other day I went up to a theatre nearby to get my ticket to go see The Dark Knight. (for Saturday) My dad let me drive up there (I have my permit now), but once we got there at about 9:45 AM we went in and found that the box office doesn't actually open until 10:30. Thankfully there is a Barnes and Noble nearby and so we hopped back in the car and drove on over there. I walked in and paused next to a table loaded with Barnes and Noble's signature collection of hardback classics. What should my hand pause on? Why it's a book of the collected poems of Emily Dickinson!!! How exciting. I flip through it happily, when suddenly the fact comes to my attention that these books are all on a table because they are all on sale! So i pop open the cover to see the price there inscribed: $7.95. Ooh, this is actually cheap for a book! I realized. Then I looked at the sales percentage. 30% off, with a subtext of 10% off for members. Providentially my dad happens to be a member of this illustrious store. :D So I hopped over to where my dad was, and showed him the very good price on the book i'd found and added "She's my favorite poet!", along with some pleading eyes that i'm sure completely won him over, because he smiled and said, sure, you can get it. We weren't leaving right away and as I browsed--book tightly clutched in hand--it occurred to me that I had a Barnes & Noble card in my wallet...although i didn't know the balance on said card. So i gave it to my dad as ahe stood in the checkout line. He came an handed me my book, and said that there had been $5 on it. Pretty much exactly what i needed to pay for the remnant of my book. :D Praise God for free Emily Dickinson books! :D

Here are 2 of my favorite poems of hers.

LXXXIII

Not one by Heaven defrauded stay

Although He seem to steal,

He restitutes in some sweet way.

Secreted in His will.

XXXII

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That couold abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

Praise to Jesus Christ

This is my favorite chapel song from School. :D
I really wish i could find the chords to it. :P



You were left, despised, forsaken
man of sorrows, grief unspoken
to the cross our sins you carried
struck by God so it was finished there

Pierced alone for our transgressions
crushed for our iniquities
we like sheep have gone astray
for our debt the price you paid

Praise to Jesus Christ in heaven
you in love for us were given
God's great mercy coming through you
Lamb of God who takes away our sins

Holy God was pleased to crush you
as the guiltless sacrifice
raised in power you give salvation
God's good pleasure prospers in your hand

Final Lord of all creation
heaven and earth will sing your praises
Lion of Judah, lamb of slaughter
of your worthy name we'll always sing

Friend Photoshoot

A few weeks ago my good friends Esther, Rachel and Charis came over from their homes about 2 hours away, to stay with me for the week because Esther's brother, and Charis' dad were taking the Summerim class at the Seminary. The first day we all did our makeup and hair and then i took a photoshoot of the girls. :) Photography is one of my favorite things, and this was a very fun shoot. Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot.

Birthday parties, bike trip, and other summer happenings

Hello all, I'm sorry, i've been somewhat absent from the land of blogging for some while. :) And yes, i am fully aware of the fact that a few videos and song lyrics do not count as a true post. 5 could perhaps equal about one real post, but at that point you're already pretty tired of the shallowness, and the purpose is rather defeated. Anyway, i digress.

Our church has an overflow of toddlers who all seem to have turned 1,2,3 or something in the month-point-five that i've been back. I love candid photos of kids, and i got some good shots of TJ and one of Luke at one party.

Another thing i've been doing is coaching Volleyball for our youth group summer ministry. Basically in the summer, instead of normal youth group meetings, we have a volleyball tournament put on by our church. It's about half kids from our church and half kids who come out from the community, and friends of the church kids from school. They have one practice a week and the tournament night on Friday. I played as a student for the last 4 years and it's very exciting to be on the coaching end of it now. It is a very Gospel oriented ministry, with a Bible study every practice and a very clear presentation of the Gospel through the word for about 45 minutes between matches on Tournament nights. God has used it greatly in the past 20 something years we've had it, many of those who now serve in our church and even in the actual ministry were saved through coming out to the volleyball ministry and summer camp. So I'm really looking forward to all that, and the culmination of the entire thing in SUMMER CAMP, which will be completely awesome. :D
I'm helping coach my siblings' team, Supersonic, which was my team under several names for the last 4 years. Here's a few pictures of our practice times.

I've been hanging out with my friends from the college group here at my church, COV (Christ Our Vision). Saturday we caravaned down to Monterey and those of us who didn't bring bikes rented them there. It was so much fun, we biked part of the 17 mile drive, stopped for lunch on a lovely beach, walked around a bit, and then biked back to Cannery row ad spent the afternoon walking around a bit. Click on the below picture to go to an album of pictures from the day.

And thus ends my tale (for today) of the college student and the summer...
Tune in again soon for new stories, and please pray for my summer ministry and for my continued growth. :)
<3 you all.

I'm voting for Batman. :D

I'm a big Batman Fan...:D I'm voting for Batman.

www.batmanforpresident.com

Beautiful Song

If you've been reading my blog long, you've probably noticed that I love poetry and song lyrics. Especially the ones that have great meaning but are still very much poetic. Here's a beautiful one for ya of the Celtic Worship cd. I love Celtic music too . :D

Stones and Sea lyrics

In the beginning,
I was counting the stones on the seashore,
Looking for the precious ones.
Among the stones, I found many pretty things
While the sea rolled on beside me all the time.

Time moved on.
I had collected many stones 'til I tired of them,
And I think they tired of me.
Some were lovely, but I was never satisfied,
And the sea rolled on beside me all the time.

And the wind rose, east and cold.
Whisp'ring sweetly to my soul.
And it said "Look you fool,
You are missing precious things:
Raise your eyes and look towards the sea."

So I looked:
It was as if I saw the sea for the first time,
And it's power captured me.
All the time I had wasted seeking stones,
I had missed the rolling glory of the sea.

And the sea
Devoured a mighty swathe of heart, overwhelmed me
In a way I couldn't know,
And the price for the love of greater things
Was surrender to the great and cruel sea.

And it stole me, and I feared the aching sea,
It consumed me, drowned my mind.
The wind said "Look, you fool,
No matter what you do,
You can't contain the ocean like a stone."

Hallelujahs Rewritten

Yes, i explain it in the vid...but once again, pardon the bad guitar playing and the muffed lyrics. :P
And COMMENT! :D ♥ya

i've fought this fight for so so long
and i've walked this road without a song
but my heart was broken empty with no purpose

and i tried to love or live or win
to right the dead and to save a friend
but it all was just a torch thrown in the ocean

hallelujah...hallelujah...

hallelujah...hallelu-u-u-u-yah

well i stumbled on a marble stair
and the hellfire wasn't burning there
and i knew at last i'd found a way to do this

and my heart was filled with holy light
and the flames so different burned so bright
a song was heard a joyful hallelujah

hallelujah...hallelujah...hallelujah...hallelu-u-u-u-yah

and i know there is a god above
and i found out what i need to love
and you gave me everything i needed, thank ya

and now i'm on a narrow road
that leads to grace and life and love
and all you've done provokes a hallelujah

hallelujah...hallelujah...hallelujah...hallelu-u-u-u-yah

Liesi and Khail

So today i babysat again, but this time for 3 kids and rather than a couple hours, from 8-6. :D
I had Nikolai, Anneliese and Mikhail. Their brother Alexei has been in the hospital again, so please pray for him. After naptime today Liesi and Khail were playing by the sliding glass door, so i took some pictures of them. :)

Audrey Hadassah

Today I babysat for my friend and former discipler Jennie. Her daughter Audrey was born in December on my birthday. :D So Audrey and I had fun having a photoshoot, and playing, after which she took a nap and i watched You've Got Mail. :D Yah, fun, I know. Here are a few of my favorite shots. :)

And one random cool picture i took. :D