10 things i learned this summer

Based on my friend, Emily's great (and creative) list, I have endeavored to list 10 things I've learned this summer. So, in no particular order:

1. Patience. Not something ever completely achieved, but something worth attempting to acquire.

2. Coffee. Who knew it could be so much fun?

3. People: Some are not forthcoming, thinking it will help you; others are entirely honest, thinking it will hurt you. Some take advantage, some give generously, some teach you, some learn from you, some stick close, others come and go. Everyone serves a deliberate God-given purpose on this earth and is important to me.

4. I can think of something creative to do with at least 10% of my paper trash (cards, cups, boxes, designs, magazines, unusual packing material). More often than not, I need to remember that it's trash.

5. There are certain places and people who make me feel at "home" no matter how long it's been or how far across the globe I've traveled.

6. I love being in Western Washington.

7. Where I am is exactly where God wants me to be.

8. I want to explode out of my own odd-shaped box; not conform to the even dimensions made by other people's assumptions, popular-culture, or general opinion.

9. I often try to avoid talking about Antarctica; but I often use it as a stalling tool if I screw up some one's drink at Starbucks!

10. I am usually a better talker than listener. I'd rather be a better listener than talker.

andrea

Womanly: I can't say that was what I wanted to hear from my dad at age 6. What 6 year old wants to be labeled "womanly?" How about "princess", or "flower" instead (those are the meanings behind the names of my two sisters, Sara, and Laura). I got Andrea; "womanly."

It took me awhile, but I actually like my name; and what it means. I dig some of these uncomfortable feelings out of my childhood because I've recovered and been using a bookmark that I received around that age with the following text:

Andrea
"Womanly"
"She will do good all the days of her life"
"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches."

-- paraphrases from Proverbs --

To be honest, I may have kept the bookmark because it was embroidered in pink; not because it defined my name.

In any case, reflecting on my name now that I've been a woman for awhile, I was prompted (by the bookmark) to read the Proverbs paraphrased. There are many women who, whether by intention, or not, have embodied these verses of womanly wisdom as an example for me; probably none so much as my own mom. Though they refer to a married woman, I've decided to aspire to as many of these attributes as are relative to a single woman today. It's a big task. If you read through the passage below, you'll see why.

These verses also popped out to me because, at work a couple weeks ago, a few of us were candidly chatting about what sort of wives we hoped to be. Our expectations of ourselves, I later realized, were all wrapped up in this text:

"Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.
Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes.
She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.
She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
'There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!'
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

-- Proverbs 31:10-31 --

finding old friends

Sometimes people come along side you in life who just "fit." You know, you need them right then and there. I am the first to admit that God has blessed me with these people throughout my life!

Earlier this summer, one such friend appeared in front of me as a customer at Starbucks: Kristin. In high school, I knew Kristin with Rachael. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. I met the two of them at summer camp. They were great, energetic people. I appreciated their relationship in light of not having any real close friends at my own school or church. They were refreshing.

Finally, this past week, Kristin and I were able to sit down at lunch and find out who we have become over the past 11 years. Amazingly, the two of us share and abundant amount of similar life experiences and we are both in the middle of a lot of change and uncertainty about direction in life. She invited me to Rachael's birthday party this evening so we were able to catch up a bit in the midst of her four boys running around with other friends and another 10 children!

I would have never been able to track these women down without Kristin's visit to my Starbucks store. It was so much fun to see how God has put the three of us in the same place at the same time again. Their strength of character and enthusiasm for life is inspiring! Who knew?

Ice update: 1 month and counting! I put in my order with REI for some last minute belongings, ordered some amazon.com books to be shipped down to Antarctica for me, and I'm in the process of using up this year's gift cards before I leave the country, have put magazines on hold, and am canceling junk mail catalog subscriptions. My clothes are half packed and bills are being followed up on and paid. The WINFLY (Winter Fly-in) flights arrived in McMurdo this past week. The next cargo planes in will be in October. I will be on the second flight of "Main Body," if nothing changes before then.

seasons

Last year, around this time I was thinking of chapters; this year, it's seasons. We're in the middle of summer, but it feels like autumn here, in Washington. Next month, I'll see spring in New Zealand, followed by another summer in Antarctica that feels like winter.

Seasons in life get mixed up, too. There's a passage (and a song) that have been important to me lately. It goes like this (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11):

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace...
He has made everything beautiful in his time.

Normally, I think of the song, Turn, Turn, Turn, and read over these Ecclesiastical verses and think, "Wow! What a great poem."

This summer I have reflected on these lines further. They have become a part of my life's story. I have had these times; if not literally, then figuratively in my life. For good, or bad, each "time," or each season, is eternally a part of my life, or year on this earth.

What I like about this passage is it's down-to-earth, human approach to our sinful world under God's rule. There is no presupposition of perfection. We can't even hope or expect a perfect world. There are certainly good activities; love, peace, laugh, dance...but attached, there is an expectation of bad things happening, too; war, hate, tear down, mourn. On this earth, there are still good and evil.

Around Western Washington, there is a strong contingency of uber-liberal democrats who hold up signs to "Impeach Bush" or "Stop the War." You may disagree, or agree with their sentiments, but there will never be complete peace and honest goodness in this world. As hard as they try, as many leaders as they knock down, there will still be tension, anger, and perhaps, a different sort of war to deal with; there is a time and a season for everything. As hard as that is to understand, it means there is a time for war; there will also be times of peace; as just as we are all born, we will all die.

There's a hope, too. It's at the end; in fact, it's tucked under a few verses: "He has made everything beautiful in his time." God's agenda is not ours. He redeemed the world, by sending Christ to cover all the bad stuff and carry that burden. And, when he comes again, in his time, everything will be as it should. We will then see endless beauty.

We see this redemptive theme throughout the world; the proverbial "happy ending." It's in movies, relationships, in life cycles, and in the art of patience. That's how God will close this story of the world; with a beautiful ending.

In the meantime, we can hope to see glimpses of that beauty by appreciating the season we are in; realizing that each individual season is not self-defining, but it's the entire calendar that puts together the person; for better times or worse times.

I do wish God had the same calendar as me. Although, I would have been a married interior decorator, with two children by now, and missed out on this adventure that is my life.

living live earth

I'm sure most folks have heard about the "Live Earth" concerts taking place around the world on 07.07.07. Last night, of course, the news had their little piece on the environmental awareness towards global warming. For once they posed a very valid point, and nearly issued a challenge to the global community in the same breath: Did the concerts really initiate people to change their behavior in favor of environmental stewardship, or was it just a great excuse to get out of the house and party with the rock stars, or be entertained on television in the name of a "good cause."

Don't get me wrong, I think humans have contributed to global warming with an incredible nonchalant carelessness and getting people to understand the problem is half the battle, but will people really care enough to change their own personal habits, or will everyone go on leaving it for someone else to do?

Before I move on, this is my call to recycle your junk mail, ask for fewer bags or carry a re-usable bag at the grocery store, and only run the dishwasher when it's full.

To spin this idea in a different direction, this sort of apathy towards a cause can be easily transferred over into the Christian's life. In Matthew 28:19, the (recently resurrected) Jesus says, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations..." I know I have been guilty of standing down on this commission. Do we really aspire do this, or do we leave it for someone else to do?

i didn't mean to

I recently heard someone use the phrase, "I didn't mean to..." Broken legs, broken dishes, hurtful words, bad business decisions, or poor judgments of character all contribute to that sinking horrible feeling that we did something wrong. As horrible as we make mistakes sometimes, I feel quite strongly that circumstances occur for a reason and, for better or worse, contribute to a much greater story of life. God can instantly reconcile our "I didn't mean to's" into a greater purpose for our life.

So, we make poor decisions and mistakes due to our human sinful self, but we are not stuck in that sinking horrible feeling forever! We live, learn, and move on from each experience; good or bad, with a new perspective on how to approach a similar situation later.

"We ask God: 'Where are you taking me? Where is the path?' And he...doesn't tell us. Oh, he may give us a hint or two, but that's all. If he did, would we understand? Would we comprehend our location? So, rather than give us an answer, Jesus gives us himself."
-- Max Lucado's, Traveling Light --

solitaire

The title of this post not only tells you about how I spent most of my day, but I intend it to offer a little hope, too.

I found my decks of cards when I was digging through a box of paper, glues, and tape. The only thing I could do with them when I found them was play a rousing game of Solitaire by myself. It struck me that a game can be going along so quickly and all the sudden, there isn't one card available to keep the game alive. There were also times when I was nearly ready to quit and reshuffle when I flipped over the one card that allowed me to make a tremendous amount of progress.

It's sort of like that in life, too. Right now, it seems like every day in the last week, I have heard one story of loss, frustration, death, sickness, or separation from a friend or family member; situations where none of the right cards seem to be available. I'm never sure quite what to say; funny, encouraging, commiserating comments can all be taken out of context from the sympathy or empathy I intend to express. But, I guess my hope for all these important people in my life is that they know the game isn't over. There is still hope. The right card is still somewhere in the deck; hopefully, that "card," in the context of life, is Christ.

In the last 24 hours, I've lost the king of spades in my deck. It's sort of hard to finish a game of Solitaire without a complete deck. I can get close (one card away), but can never "win" without that king. I'd better go looking for him.

rainy day success

Lest you think I'm only reporting the beautiful Washington days, I don't mind sharing that it rained most of the weekend. Rain may not be the correct term; drizzled probably fits the conditions a bit better. The precipitation sure makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning and motivate to do anything!

However, tonight, just as the sun was beginning to set, the sun peaked through the clouds in a warm glow. The wet asphalt made for a nice reflection down the street.

The drizzle continued while the sky cleared for a colorful evening in the neighborhood. And, now, as I'm writing this, the last of the warm colors has dipped below the hills and I'm left with a gray-blue evening sky at 9:25p.

Rainy indoor days should promote healthy indoor activity; like thinking, right? I've been thinking a lot about success lately. I have to admit, the thoughts have come to my head in light of my 10 year class reunion this summer. I am looking forward to it with some trepidation regarding how we will all calculate each other's success.

Wikipedia posts this: "Success has been defined by Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as 'the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence."

I enjoy watching people find success in life. Every time I get exciting job news, or hear of some one's engagement I get giddy with excited for them and their new opportunities. I've seen my friends & siblings all graduate from colleges and universities, I have friends who have climbed into amazing sales and marketing careers, and others who have climbed to the top of humongous mountains. I've enjoyed seeing families grown by means of weddings and births, I have seen people win races, and create beautiful art in many forms.

But, I'm glad I was a shuttle driver in Antarctica, because I have a new and very different idea of what success is. Wikipedia goes on to say this on the topic: "True success in life, however, is not about what you have, but how you've lived."

I guess I used to have this image of success as an upward-one-way path in one's life or career; by one-way, I mean that it requires taking on more responsibility, or making more money, or buying a nicer car, a house, or starting a family. I'll label this "the worldly view of success;" trying to obtain a goal and escalate in society while doing so. While, I won't deny that this is one way some people can achieve success (and may be a pattern I follow all too soon), I found that doing something smaller and less mainstream can also be a way of finding success in life.

I went from working a solid job in the Chicago area to driving vehicles in Antarctica. While it's great to say I've been to a fairly uninhabited continent, visited by only a few, it certainly was not the career move or successful business-venture the world would hope I would take. But, it was the exact place I needed to be. It gave me more joy than I thought I would have in life as a grown-up.

This morning, at church, as if to reiterate my thoughts from the past month, we heard about success. We were challenged to think about what God's idea of success would be; if he had one. And, when we determined what some of those goals and hopes of God would be, we were challenged to make those objectives to success our own. So, I don't need to go chasing down the worldly view of success, or live a life that even I feel is successful for my selfish edification (although, that may happen along the way). I need to live my life so when it's over I can say I was used by God for the fulfillment of his purpose.

When I go to my class reunion, I look forward to seeing how people have achieved their version of a successful life; families, careers, leisure activities. After listening in church this morning, I'm also looking forward to seeing how God has been successful in their lives.

familiar faces and comfortable places

On Sunday morning, I drove a bit further than usual to church in Lynden and experienced a familiar place with grown-up eyes. I enjoyed a beautiful sense of coming "home."

Driving up to Mountain View Christian Reformed Church is a trip down memory lane. First, there is the sign with the house I spent nine years of life in, tucked behind it and the much taller trees and bushes in the front yard. There is still a rose bush on the side of the house, but a large obtrusive fence closes in a small portion of the huge backyard. The old tree house dad had to built in two trees is still hanging on the side of the tree (a bit of a dilapidated gray color, rather than the fresh light brown when it was first put up), and a gazebo appears to be added in the small fenced in enclosure. The big maple tree we used to play in was chopped down, and the big hill, I used to be scared to ride bike down seems to have flattened out into nothing.

But, the view is the same. Mount Baker looks down on the area with his long nose and crooked mouth (I've always seen a face in this mountain). The trees are a bit taller, and a few more houses have gone up in the neighborhood, but it looks the same and the neighbors who I grew up with are still living in their homes. It almost seems like a miniature view of what I remember, but, I imagine, that is because I've gotten taller; not because the ground is any smaller.

The church has stayed much the same as well over the last 18 years since we've lived there. There has been an addition put on, but the building I was familiar with still stands with its' white steeple on top, the woods we used to play in still tower behind the building, and massive parking lot for our games of cops n' robbers is the same dimensions as when I whirled my spokey-doke laden purple banana seat around the parking spaces and sidewalks.

And, inside, there were so many familiar faces. Families have grown up. The people who I thought were old in the church when I was there are still around (and still old; or rather, are truly old now). A lot of familiar faces greeted me with recognition, or knew which family I belonged to, but couldn't guess which of the three girls I was. Most wanted to know what brought me through the doors and what the rest of my family is up to.

I made some good re-acquaintances. It's nice to move into a community where I have a loose connection to a few people. I was able to join some family-friends for lunch after church. I had a fun time meeting their new family members and catching up on some of the years gone by. In some ways it's almost like I can pick up where I left off. The day was a fun reminiscence of my past life, which is now my current place in the world.

At the end of the day, and the weekend, it began to rain. The cooler air feels refreshing and clean. While, I don't mind the relief from our warm sun, unfortunately, this weather is due up for the next few days. I suppose, it is Washington, after all!

being a christian, outdoors

Most of you know that I enjoy the outdoors. Viewing the mountains and oceans, fields and trees, or sunrise and nighttime sky, are all a part of my understanding of how big and intricate The Creator, God, is. I climbed a mountain once (I believe it was Pugh Mountain) with my family. At the top, my cousin, Rachel, looked over the North Cascade Mountain Range and said, "How can people come up here and see all this, and not believe in God." I concur. No random meeting of chemicals and molecules could create something so magnificent without the hand of a much more powerful author than "chance." I am inspired by God's creative nature.

I was surprised to see an article in an old National Geographic Adventure magazine about the Bible. The author, AJ Jacobs, writes a nice little candid piece on a new hearty Bible publication. It's worth a read, whether you enjoy the outdoors, or not: National Geographic Adventure: The Good Book gets Tougher. There's a Bible for everyone whether it's the typical plain text with no words but "The Bible" written on the front, or a fancy leather bound edition with notes and theological insights on the side.

happy easter

"Try as hard as we may for perfection, the net result of our labors is an amazing variety of imperfectness. We are surprised at our own versatility in being able to fail in so many different ways."
- Samuel McChord Crothers -

To those of you who celebrate the resurrection of Christ, Happy Easter. I am surprise, and a bit disappointed, that the more years I celebrate such holidays, the more the "festival" of the event seems to be numbed. Some of that has to do with the distance of the relatives who would travel to throw a huge dinner, some with the more casual society we live in today, or maybe that we take note of so many other events going on around the globe that the holidays just blend in with the rest. This morning the frost must have kept the cute girls out of their spring Easter dresses at church (although, how many of them would have worn one anyway?).

So, at risk of sounding a lot like the daughter of a pastor, here is a summation of what this holiday represents to me:

I may not have such an awe-inspired emotional response as I did as a child, but one thing is certain. The Bible. I have disagreed with plenty of people about the life and death and resurrection of Christ, why we are here and where we go after this, but I find myself at an impasse with these folks only when they do not believe the Bible is Truth. In short, I do. That is my argument.

And, so, believing the Bible is true, then I read and understand that God created the world, sin fell upon every part of it, and God was sad, so he decided to redeem it. To redeem something means that you cash something in, or exchange it for what you want; like bringing a coupon to the grocery store for edamame, a box of Good Earth Tea, or sushi rolls, or trading a Starbucks grande almond, 1/2 fat, no whip mocha for a toasted tomato, cheese and avocado sandwich on wheat bread at lunchtime (there's a price or trade value involved).

It's hard to admit I am imperfect, and need to be saved. However, it doesn't take much research for me to dig in the vast vault of my memory and find actions, thoughts, and words that were broken and wrong. In fact, the in the big picture, I'm a burnt crumb of toast off of that sandwich, and God's sacrifice would amount to a dozen venti mochas made from a Starbucks he bought and built on the coffee plantation in Sumatra, where the beans are organically shade-grown, and he had to buy a plane fare just to get there to purchase the drinks). I challenge anyone to admit they don't have (a lot of) actions they regret, or have never hurt anyone they cared about. We need a Redeemer to exchange our sin for us, or this sin will rot our soul.

It's God's sadness, and our recognition of our personal sin that bring us both to the cross. God seeks to re-perfect his creation, and communicate with us, while we seek the bargain for our sins and a promise of life with God. This is the place (a physical and historical place in Israel), and a deeply spiritual place (in our heart and soul) where, after God allowed his Son to be raised up in perfection, and murdered by the very sinful people just like me who he intended to save. On that day, Christ died to put to death the very sin that killed him. He also died to put every other sin to death so that our spirits may live on.

But, it wouldn't be complete if Jesus stayed in the grave. But, he didn't. How would he be able to defeat sin, if he let the murderous sinfulness defeat him? In fact, people saw him, talked to him in unbelief. And, then, when their lives and comforts were put in jeopardy, they still defended what they had seen and heard. Christ came alive again to give us hope. This hope is that, although we live in a world cursed by sin, God's Creation is redeemable. It can come back to life, just like we will live on after our physical death with God.

Now, sometimes I think this is fantastical and unbelievable. Well, it really is quite spectacular. But, even when my mind cannot fathom the spiritual and emotional side of my faith, I still hold to the evident Truth of The Bible.

Even if it "might" be true, isn't it worth investing some time into? If all it takes is an understanding, a belief, that Christ died so you could live, wouldn't you investigate, and find out more?

A Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. It's a good read over your next Starbucks coffee, or Good Earth tea, or that toasted tomato, cheese, and avacado sandwich.