Streams for Sunday: Wake Her

Next time I post I'll be a little old lady in Pasadena.

And You Turn Yourself Around

"Hello," said Jenelle will be undergoing some turns and revisions in the coming days. This blog's 1st birthday is somewhere around now, so I'm putting a new dress on her. (She does the hokey pokey and she turns herself around.)

In the meantime, you are hereby poked by me to share your most immediate memory of growing up and singing that "Hokey Pokey" song.

I remember doing the Hokey Pokey at the roller skating rink in Waldorf. I was never very stable on skates so I had to poise all of my inner thoughts on not falling down as we were "doing the hokey pokey and turn[ing]" ourselves around. I was nine and wore neon MC Hammer pants and had a crush on a boy named Israel.

(Photo by Fredo Alvarez)

Three's A Crowd

My dentist says I have three tiny cavities. Oh dear. Too many cupcakes.

The smiling news is that it won't hurt to fill 'em. And it'll only cost me $20. I'm very happy I decided to sign-up for the dental health plan, ma'am.

I sat down in the check-up chair and felt compelled to confess with great severity, "Doctor, I haven't been flossing." He was gracious and just sort of laughed at me.

My "Real" Age is 24.4?

So I was lured into this silly Real Age test because I wanted it to tell me that I don't have to grow up, after all. Survey says I'm actually 3 years younger, in terms of health. Wooo. The questions asked were really interesting: measuring health/stressy levels according to all sorts of things that we normally overlook. The most difficult survey for me to answer wasn't the "Really now, how often do you floss?" question. It was this one:

How many of your close friends and relatives do you see AT LEAST once per month?

X None
_ One or two
_ Three to five
_ Six to nine
_ Ten or more

(I guess I should've counted my parents and little brother, but the reality is that my closest friends all live in various other time zones. I realize that this is just the nature of the weird transition season I'm in. But it still really stinks.)

Some of their recommendations include: stop talking on your cell phone while driving, consume more potassium, please stop speeding, get your cholesterol checked, and own a dog if possible. (No thanks, I've already been converted to kind kitties only.)

I Just Want to Play

I am an eight year old trapped in a twenty seven-year old's body. I really just would like to play now, please. But I have 3 weeks of class and about 10 papers left to write. (Along with many, many other non-academic projects due.) I'm learning that I get things done most efficiently when I can do something fun at the same time. I have to con myself into finishing projects by multi-tasking play in the midst of the work.

For the last couple of weeks, I've been actually growing excited when it's time to listen to my online lectures! Do you know what I do while I listen to hour long lectures? I make recycled envelopes! It really does seem to help me listen more critically if I can simultaneously play with scissors, glue, and weird paper/maps/liner-notes. I'm afraid I'm regressing from grad school to pre-K.

Lately people have been mistaking me for much younger. A week or two ago, this lady said, "Oh! I really want you to meet my friend! She's just your age...wait...how old are you?"

"27."

"Oh! Well, she's about 20 or 21. But when are you going to start looking your age, darling!"

It doesn't bother me much. I'm afraid of growing up and growing boring.

(Kids playing in the rainbow photo by Brimley).

B-sides on Time - Take 1

When I was a little girl, I was horrifically afraid of throat cultures. I was really quite a sight to see. The doctor would be poised and ready with his long cotton swab, and I'd freak out and insist that we stop and that my Mama pray for me, the nurse pray for me, anyone! even you, doc, pray for me!

My doctors were always (understandably) irritated by my tantrums. Sometimes it'd take a half-hour to get me to calm down long enough for the guy to cotton swab the back of my swollen throat.

I distinctly remember what one doctor said about me after one of my freak-out episodes. I'm still unsure why he said this, except that maybe he'd never before encountered such an annoyingly strong will to resist the throat-swab.

"She is a type-A child."

Looking at myself today, I can't imagine a more imprecise description of me. (I even wonder if I've grown up rebelling against this doctor's assumption?) In fact, sometimes I'm such a Type-B personality that I can't seem to get anything done. (And it doesn't bother me much either, some of the time.) I pretty much think the Western world needs to relax a bit. Put on some reggae or something.

Maybe I'm more of a mix between the A/B worlds, but I'm definitely more on the B-side. What side are you?

Well, regardless, I've created a new project to begin managing my time better. I think I'm going to post about it over the next few days, because I finally feel like I'm beginning to grow up in this area of my life. And that feels nice.

(Photo by: Claudecf)

Growing Up A Little

I had such a nice day yesterday. There's nothing like sharing a good meal and a great band with dear friends. Especially friends who live on a different continent. I didn't sleep one singular wink Thursday night. I'm such a kid. I was so excited for it to be Friday that I couldn't sleep. Coffee + Jesus + adrenaline = Who needs sleep?

With all the changes coming in my life soon, I'm happy to just learn better how to be God's daughter. It's so much simpler. I really enjoy being a kid, but lately I feel like he's been helping me grow up in little ways. Like learning how to put money in my savings account and really actually following my get out of debt plan. He's so nice and helps me when I mess up. Great Dad, he is.

(Photo by B tal)

To Play Like a Child Again - Part 2

Tomorrow morning I'll board a bus with about 30 folks from our church youth group to go skiing, snowboarding, and snow-tubing in Pennsylvania. I'm going to play in the snow like a child again! I need it. And our group needs it. Communities that play together stay together.

I've always wanted to snowboard, and in my head I'm really good at it. Maybe because when I was 11 I also thought I was an excellent skateboarder, and I figure it's practically the same thing. (I still only have one move on the skateboard, and it's not really that impressive.)

For you praying-types, we'd love prayer for no-injuries and wild childlike fun!
Cheers.

To Play Like a Child Again

I am in a season of anticipation: trying to rest, learning to listen, and waiting on God. Right now I'm feeling like a mass of dots aching to be connected by a smarter crayon.

But today it was nice to take an hour long road trip with my Mama to the Trader Joe's in Old Town Alexandria. I had to show her how small and lovely grocery stores can be.

Last night I tried to talk to God about connecting the dots of my desires. And I felt like he calmed me down by nudging me to "just read a book for fun before bed." Maybe because with all of my overdue projects for Fuller, I've been taking myself way too seriously lately. (He's a good Daddy, he is.)

I grabbed a worn copy of Madeleine L'Engle's A Circle of Quiet, the first of her Crosswicks Journal series. I'd bought it at the public library sale for 50 cents a few months ago because I knew Lisa B. thinks that book 4 in L'Engle's Journal is gorgeous stuff, and I pretty much trust anything Lisa says. Plus, there's that sweet memory of reading Miss Madeleine's A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door as a kid.

If you didn't read Madeleine's A Wrinkle in Time you owe it to yourself to slip back into childhood and read the thing. Last night I was reminded just how carefully she puts words together. I smiled myself to sleep as I read:

"The concentration of a small child at play is analagous to the concentration of the artist of any discipline. In real play, which is real concentration, the child is not only outside time, he is outside himself. He has thrown himself completely into whatever it is that he is doing...His self-consciousness is gone; his consciousness is wholly focused outside himself...

...When we can play with the unself-conscious concentration of a child this is: art: prayer: love." -A Circle of Quiet, chapter 1

I'm Not A Big Old Adult

(This is Part 2 of the following post: Career Day at the Middle School)

It's official. I may be 27, but, I'm not a big old adult.

This week I received a thick envelope from Piccowaxen Middle School. Inside I found 28 full-paged letters from students saying, "thank you" for coming to their school to share about my "career." They were all from kids aged 10-13. Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

-I am extremely happy that you came...I am glad that you acted like our friend and not like a big old adult. Your friend, Bradley
-You inspired me to keep my hope towards being a youth director someday...I appreciate how you came in and the first thing you said was that your best friend's name was Jesus. Sincerely, Micaela
-I used to want to be a youth pastor, but I thought I would get bored with it. But when I found out you could travel to different countries and spread the Word, I thought that was really cool. Sincerely, Michelle
-I thought it was amazing when you taught us to speak Portuguese. Sincerely, Katelyn
-I've been trying since the 5th grade to tell my best friend about God, but she doesn't seem to get it. Hopefully she will know and love God...Hopefully soon. Sincerely, Taylor
-Thank you for coming in and sharing about your best friend, Jesus. Sincerely, Chris
-In my opinion, you had the best job...I've always wanted to have a job like you. Sincerely, Samantha
-I never knew or even heard of a Youth Pastor until last Friday. Now I know that there are people like you that watch over kids like us. Sincerely, John
-We really enjoyed you. Sincerely, Brittany
-After your presentation, I am definitely considering becoming a youth pastor as my future job...You are a true inspiration to me. A new friend, Timber
-It seemed pretty cool that by the time you are 13 in Portugal you know at least 2 languages...that shocked me! -Sincerely, Cheryl
-Your job could be hard because you have to build friendships with teens that might not be too nice. Thank you, Brett
-Your presentation was my favorite because while listening to you I learned how to be a great person...And as you know, I loved your hair. Sincerely, Monica

These thank you notes were the best birthday present ever. Jesus loves me, this I know.