xapatotheworld's Revelife

Trivia

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:42:52 GMT

Sorry, this is a repost from my Xanga blog - xanga.com/pkcricket
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So, I've been listening to a podcast lately out of University of Detroit-Mercy called "Ask the Professor". It's one of the longest-running radio shows in America, going on more than 50 seasons, and it's really fun. The gist is that 5-6 professors from different departments of the uni get on the show and for half an hour they try their best to answer random trivia questions sent in from listeners. Depending on the grade set by the questioner, they might win or not win, at which time the questioner may or may not receive a prize for having stumped the professers. I'm not quite smart enough to send in my own questions for them (at least, to send in questions that won't have them annoyed by the end of the show), but here's some of my favorite things that I've been learning lately:

George Washington was the only president to lead the troops into battle while in office - the Whiskey Rebellion.

Pigs have 20 blood types. They are also considered to be the smartest animal ever by the Irish. In fact, they claim that pigs can even see the wind.

Calvin Coolidge was known as "Silent Cal" because he didn't like to give speeches or to talk much in general. He was the first president to have a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the White House. But back to the silent part, one time he was at a dinner party, and a friend's wife was sitting next to him at the table. She leaned over and said, "Mr. President, I have a bet going with my friends that I can get you to say more than two words in the course of the evening." He looked at her, smiled, and said, "You lose." He didn't say one more word the entire night.

Teddy Roosevelt put a ban on Christmas trees in the White House while he was in office because he thought that it was damaging to the environment to cut them down. His son, however, snuck one into the White House and hid it in a closet. When Teddy found out he was angry and he had a forest ranger come in to speak with his son. However, the ranger said that, if done properly, cutting down Christmas trees can be beneficial to a forest's eco-system. Teddy then changed his mind and allowed Christmas trees to be put back into the White House.

The Japanese airline, Air-Nippon, has big eyes painted onto the engines of the airplanes. This is to give the appearance of the airplane being a giant bird or hawk so as to scare away the birds from the runways and while the airplanes are in flight.

James Dean evaded the draft by saying he was a homosexual.

Brad Pitt's job before his big break was working at a chicken stall near the beach, dressed up as a chicken.

Cyndi Lauper worked at a dog kennel cleaning out cages before she made it (big???).

Ok...those are all the ones I can think of right now. I really like trivia though and I thought these were pretty fun and interesting. Oh, the longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched." Hope you enjoyed!

Tsk, Tsk, Israel

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:19:53 GMT

I don't have anything majorly dynamic or deep for this entry, just some thoughts I wanted to share concerning my thoughts on current events.

I'm not completely up-to-date on what is going on in Gaza, and I'm listening to some back-filed podcasts I had downloaded from BBC News (back-filed, meaning, prior to the New Year). Just listening to the interviews they're including in these 30 mins-long news briefs, it sounds like people are just mystified at the amount of effort that Israel is putting into attacking Gaza and Hamas. Now, I won't say that I agree with it or disagree with it. I'm of a different camp when it comes to world news. I don't like war, and I don't like violence, but God uses all things for His perfect plan, so when things happen, I can't really argue against them. I'm not saying that I think war is good, don't get me wrong at all. I would hope for their to be peace on earth...but no peace will come on earth without Jesus returning.

This kind of action that Israel is doing right now is just the thing that will turn the rest of the world against them. In ignoring the calls from surrounding nations and other powers in the world to stop the invasion (is it being called an invasion yet???) and military efforts against the Hamas, Israel is isolating themselves in such a way that I believe will usher in the end times. When I was younger, even just a few years ago, I would get so annoyed by professors or pastors or other Christians who would get all keyed up and begin talking about the End Times. But you cannot ignore what is happening in the world right now. The Russian/Georgian mini-war last year, economic disaster across the globe, a weak president being voted into office in the States, and now this "conflict" in the Middle East...it's all building up to and heating up the earth for the final World War.

What I see when listening to the information coming from the ME, is that Israel will be seen as a rogue nation, and though, the super-powers won't be willing to take action against Israel, they will remove their support. Israel will be by itself and then a country like Russia will see it's opportunity to strike down the tiny country. The other powers in the world will wag their fingers at Russia for this behavior, but they won't step up and do anything to help Israel (US included). Russia will attack, using all of their aerial forces, and miraclously, the entire force will be destroyed...without Israel firing a weapon. After this, someone will step in and broker a peace deal for 7 years between Israel and the world. It will happen. Someone like Sarkozy will jump in (I'm not sure if it would be Sarkozy though...maybe...but probably not) and take over, leading the whole world into a 3 1/2 yr time of peace...but he will betray the world and specifically, Israel, after that time is over.

I don't know...it's so interesting to feel like this. It's like we've been shown the score of a football game, and been told some key plays, and now we're watching it actually take place. But these are just my thoughts, and I'm sure others have said things similar to these and been wrong. I just think it's all very, very interesting. I don't claim to know the times though, just saying that these things are more than likely leading up to Biblical events prophesied so many years ago.

I'm Sorry, Mr. Collins. I Am No Charlotte Lucas

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:02:54 GMT

If you don't know what I'm referring to in the title, then this blog might not interest you much, except for the personal stories I will detail for you. If you do, then you and I are already friends. I love to read, and I probably spend too much time in the world of pages and printed words, but I really love it. It started when I was younger, and as I got older, I grew into older books...and I don't just mean for more mature audiences. I went back in time. I had to read Northanger Abbey in college, but somehow I refused to read and still managed to get a passing grade on the tests. I'm sad that I did. Sometimes I boycott things just because I want to be difficult...and everyone was raving about Jane Austen at the time, and I like to be different. So, I ignored any Jane Austen novels or movies...until I saw Pride & Prejudice with Matthew MacFadyen and Kiera Knightly and fell in love with the complexity, sweetness, and propriety in the story. So, last year I read through the top five Jane Austen books: Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Emma. I didn't get to Northanger Abbey...I still have a bad taste in my mouth with that one, but I will try again when I get home.

Anyway, back to the point of this blog. I have decided that most people I know can fit within the characters of these books. I mostly spend my time, like Eliza Bennet, drawing likeness between real people and the fictional characters here...but it's just a silliness and I don't put a ton of stock into it. I have taken to studying the guys that I've dated, and I've decided that I mostly end up dating the villains. Maybe if I eventually dated a guy who matched one of the heroes, I would be fine (although, Col. Brandon and Captain Wentworth don't really suit my taste...and Mr. Darcy, though he is an amazing character, I myself am prone to being introspective and stay-at-home, so would need the encouragement from my husband rather than being depended on it from myself. But, mostly, the guys so far have been a mixture of Mr. Collinses, Mr. Willoughby's and Mr. Elton's.

Now, the Mr. Collinses and Mr. Elton's are strikingly similar, except Mr. Elton is prone to insulting when his wishes aren't met, while Mr. Collins prides himself on being able to rise above disappointment by moving on to another object quickly. Mr. Willoughby is generous with his feelings until something better comes along, or he finds himself obligated to leaving the relationship for some reason other than sentiment.

One or two of these is no big deal. But when the bulk of your relationships (and even first encounters) have been discovered to be of these sort, it gets tiring. I'm not sure why Mr. Collins continually finds me in the faces of different young men (even older ones...yeah, I have some long tales)...and Mr. Willoughby is equally hard to face after a couple times. But I am not the sort of woman who can just give in and enter a relationship with Mr. Collins. It would be completely insensible.

Maybe I shouldn't really include particular stories. I could, and they would be humorous, but they would be kind of detrimental to the reputations of some men I know. So, I will hold myself back from sharing them here and just resign to say that I am quite through with these grim characters. I have decided that I would be most suited for a Mr. Knightly, or an Edmund Bertram. If you are still in the dark as to who these people are and their characteristics, I believe wikipedia has a pretty good synopsis of each of them...or maybe you should just read the books and find out for yourself. You won't be sorry.

I will conclude by saying that Charlotte Lucas marries Mr. Collins in Pride & Prejudice because she has no grand plans of romance or any hope of finding anyone better. I am not such a person. Though I am not prone to following my emotions first, I am still a very romantic person. Nothing pleases me more than the hero and heroine coming together at the end of a long dramatic tale. I also do not think that I should just settle for the next guy who comes along. That is completely wrong. Besides, even if there will be no one better out there, I have Jesus who is more to me than any other person could be. But I still have hope, and while I still have hope, I cannot resign myself to Mr. Collins, Mr. Elton, Mr. Wickham, Mr. Crawford, or any of the other silly men who Jane chose to make the butt of her jokes.

Slacker...

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:37:13 GMT

I have three really great posts in draft mode waiting to be finished and added to my blog...but I have no energy to finish them. Plus, I think I'm on the verge of getting sick... :( Apparently, there's a nasty strain of the flu going around...and it might be psychosomatic, but I'm really afraid I'm showing early signs of it! So, if you read this, please pray for me and that I'll have enough energy soon to finish these wonderful posts. :) Heh. I'm off to sleep!!!!

Journal Entry 11/9/08

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:21:25 GMT

I was contemplating today how I had heard someone in the ministry say that God called him into it because heneeded to be kept on a short leash. I realized, maybe a few years ago, that this also applies to me. While some would like to glorify what I am doing over here, itis not the truth. I am no holier than anyone else and these last two days prove it. We have not had access to the internet these two days and, while I thought it was only my computer, it's the whole Center. Also, my mp3 players broke on Thursday. Without these two things, my world continues to turn, but I'm having a hard time keeping up.

I began to wonder why and came to the conclusion that I have been neglecting God and so He's drawing me back in. Also, my sin has affected the whole of this building. What is funny is that while I was coming to this conclusion, in the next room over, the other teacher cam to it as well, but for herself. Even so, I have still refused to converse with God and I can sense Him outside my door waiting and wondering when I'll just give up and let Him in.

I have become preoccupied lately. Preoccupied with "good" things: my updates back home, building relationships with the lost, listening to sermons, and possibly falling in love with a man, a good, godly missions-minded man. But none of these are God! I had promised at the beginning that my mp3 player would not be used in transit, so that I would use that time to read the Bible or a Christian Living book. I failed that. I had decided that I would do a sketch on God's characteristics, but have failed that as well. I also decided I would go through all of Paul's letters...I'm still in the 1st chapter of Romans.

I fail and fail and fail. I wonder how my predecessors had done it before me. Someone like Amy Carmichael...was she such a fickle and uncommitted person as I am? All the beautiful and devited things she wrote, were those on her good days that came once a week? once a month?

Proverbs 2:1-15...specifically verses 4-5: if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

All will fall in place when I give God His due place in my life ---> #1!

Submit, even in the...Voting Booth??

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:56:26 GMT

I just had a thought and then I thought, this might make a good blog entry...esp. since it's been a while since I've updated this one. I, myself, am a single lady, and therefore, when I do a lot of things in my life, and make certain decisions, I don't really have to ask anyone else. It's between me and God. But, I am also a Christian, and I firmly believe in the commands in the Bible, "Women, submit to your husbands. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church."

So, when I get married, I know that my independence will change, and in areas where I think I know better, I will have to learn and readly submit to my husband in his decision-making. Not to say that I will follow blindly, but hopefully the marriage will be a forum, where my views and ideas are easily given and received, and then a more appropriate decision can be made for the family as a whole.

But this is all fine and dandy. What I was really curious about is everyone's thought on how much authority the man has in a marriage...does it extend to every day minor things (goodness, I hope I wouldn't be expected to call my hubby when trying to decide between a chicken wrap or a ham sandwich for lunch), and for even the globally big things? Like in America, we have the sovereign right to vote individually. We have an opportunity to declare our own beliefs, views, and thoughts on how our government should be run. When I go in the voting booth, would I be expected to follow my husband?

Some might think this is a weird question, but I really want to know your thoughts on it. Where do the lines of submission begin and end? There are some things you just don't agree with your spouse on...could you put those aside to submit even in the voting booth? It's a pretty big decision. Even if you aren't Christian, how much loyalty do you give to your SO? I can't say that I have my own established idea on this. I'm still hammering it out in my own mind, and probably won't be able to decide what I would do until I'm faced with the circumstance. What about you?! Please tell!

Mailing List

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:45:55 GMT

Hey everyone! Some of you who read my blog are already on my mailing list, but some of you I only know through Xanga or Revelife. So, if you would like to receive news each week about the work that's going on here in Shimonoseki, Japan, please use this block below to sign up. I would be so happy to have you on board and praying for things out here. I have 6 more months left and then I'll be home, but if they are anything like the 1st 6 months, you will want to hear about it. Since I send it out weekly, sometimes I'm a little dry for writing on here, so this is a good way to keep up to date about what's going on with me. Thanks!



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DJ AM...A Believer?

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:29:56 GMT

There are some parts of Hollywood that I just don't pay attention to, but when I see the title of an article including a celebrity's name and God/Jesus, or it might possibly shed some light on their spiritual beliefs, my eyebrows raise. If you haven't read, there was a plane that crashed during take off back in September in South Carolina. DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) and his buddy Travis Barker were on board. The pilots and two passengers died, and DJ AM and Barker received critical burns. After recovery they jumped back on the horse, so to speak, and have done at least one performance since.

I just saw this article from People saying that if DJ AM had not been hospitalized for the burns from this plane crash, he might not have found out about a blood clot in his leg from all the regular flying he does. He has over 2 million frequent flyer miles! Amazing. But, it could have found its way to his heart and that would have been it, cardiac arrest and he'd be done.

Before I clicked on the link, I wondered if Goldstein would acknowledge God or not. I don't know much of anything about him. According to Wikipedia, he has been engaged to Nicole Richie...which doesn't gauge too high on my charts, but who knows. At the end of the article, though, he makes this statement, "I have great faith that everything happens for a reason." (and the part that TMZ conveniently leaves out of its article of the same story) "I put my life in God's hands."

Now, I don't know what that means to him, but it sounds pretty good. Goldstein is an obviously Jewish name, but there's no way to tell if he adheres to Jewish beliefs or Christian, or any particular theistic belief system.

What I'm curious about is if anyone knows anything more about this guy. Like I said, I don't know much about him, but this is interesting to me. How do you feel when a celebrity begins to talk about God? How do you feel when one begins to talk the talk but remains in the immoral atmosphere of so many parts of Hollywood?

Links:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20233680,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines

http://www.tmz.com/2008/10/17/dj-am-plane-crash-saved-me-for-real/

"Knowing God" J.I.Packer

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:58:32 GMT

"This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort - the sort of comfort that energises, be it said, not enervates* - in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love, and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion Him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me. There is, certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that He sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow-men do not see (and I am glad!), and that He sees more corruption in me than that which I see in myself (which, in all conscience, is enough). There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, He wants me as His friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given His Son to die for me in order to realise this purpose. We cannot work these thoughts out here, but merely to mention them is enough to show how much it means to know, not merely that we know God, but the He knows us."

J.I.Packer
"Knowing God"

*enervates: to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality

Moses and My Finances

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:45:09 GMT

I really like Excel spreadsheets. They're so cool with their formulas and grids and table and whatnot. I know I don't know how to use them to their full-extent...but I really like them. Tonight, I decided to check out my finances for the remainder of my mission here in Japan. I added up my expenses for the month (bills back home...like school loans and card payments, etc) and then multiplied that amount by the number of months I have remaining here. Then I put the money that I have in my bank account (money that was donated for my trip before I even came out) and deducted my expenses. My jaw dropped...according to my figures, I wouldn't even have enough to buy my plane ticket home. I was shocked.

I'm pretty good with money, I keep a pretty good handle on things, but these past few months, I've kind of let things go without paying much attention on it. I'm really sad.

Ok, sometimes I feel like God owes me certain things in life. A lot of times, it's silly stuff...stuff that God is not obligated to give me...and even the things that I can legitimately expect from Him, He's not obligated to give them to me on my own timeline. But when looking at my spreadsheet, I felt a wave of obligation come over me. Seriously, I came out here to Japan for a year...I didn't want to come out here. But God set things up and I couldn't ignore Him...so I came. I came knowing that God works in amazing ways and that in my faith to follow Him even when it didn't make sense to me or others, God would do a good thing. He wouldn't leave me hanging. So I started praying to God...well, more like telling Him what's what and how He better get His act into shape.

I was reminded of Moses. Moses liked things to be on his own timeline, but he also walked in faith with God. Sometimes God would become fed up with Israel because the people would start complaining the God wasn't going to take care of them and they would often start worshipping idols. God would be telling Moses all these judgments that would be falling upon the nation of Israel. Moses, standing in amazement, actually held up his finger and said, "Um, God...don't You remember that these are Your chosen people? You promised that You would preserve them...and You don't want all these other nations to think that You are not a God of Your promises." It wasn't that God needed to be reminded of this promise...He knew it. He never breaks His promises. And because Moses, in his faith, petitioned God for mercy, God granted mercy (whether by turning away His wrath or postponing it). It wasn't that God changed His mind, in the way a person can change his mind...but because of Moses' faith and righteousness (and in other accounts, because the people repented of their sins), God's intense judgement was not necessary.

While praying, this came into my mind. I've always been at awe of Moses, that he was willing to "remind" God of His promises, but I suddenly thought that I have the ability to do the same. Whether in sin or in genuine petition, God knows my heart, and He wants to hear my thoughts. So, I reminded Him of the promises He made to me...not really specific ones, but the kind that, "If I follow God, with childlike faith, then He will not let me fall. He has only good for me. He has a plan for my life and will see it through, and it will be a good plan."

As I finished the prayer, I remembered that I made a miscalculation. I included about $200 extra in my expenses each month. So I changed that. I also realized that I multiplied my expenses by 7 months instead of the 6 months I have left. When I fixed that, I couldn't believe my eyes. The sum of my remaining funds came to, $2911. Now...this isn't a whole lot better. With the rising gas prices, airfare has really increased in price. BUT, the significance of these numbers is wonderful. It was a little gem of hope and love from God. When I see these numbers, I immediately think of Jeremiah 29:11. It says,

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Isn't that neat?! Even though the result of my miscalculations wasn't thousand of dollars of difference...I came to the wealth of goodness of God, that I am in His hand, that He truly does have a plan for me. Even when I act like a child with Him and complain that the things I'm seeing aren't what I want to see, He is still gracious to me and reminds me of His love and His promises. He does keep His promises. We have that amazing hope and peace!