Snapshots

My prefrosh, a family friend, arrived at the airport this morning at 10am. That was the beginning of today's adventure. Some snapshots from today.

10:40am - Wowed at the ability for artists to be able to depict different textures in their portraits such as lace, velvet and silk at the Art Museum. Saw a hilarious relic with the feet of Jesus floating in the air showing he was being taken up into heaven.

12:07am - Bathed in the warm sun next to the lake and watched the ducks as we ate at the Boathouse in Forest Park for brunch.

2:46pm - Witnessed a cheetah trying to cough out a hairball at the St. Louis Zoo. Then heard the zebras braying.

3:41pm - Bought a cup of bubble tea from the loop.

3:50pm Admired the talent of jewelry and handbag artisans in an art gallery on the loop. Whale earrings... so adorable.

4:13pm - Saw a HUGE Totoro stuffed animal at Starclipper the comic book store :) But was sad when I looked at the price tag :(

4:25pm - Contemplated buying a winter hat from Avalon Exchange, previously known as Rag-O-Rama. Prefrosh bought Sperry's for $15.

4:45pm - Found hilarious random objects at Pheonix Rising, such as bacon band-aids.

4:54pm - Sampled pistachio and cheesecake flavored FroYo then ran away.

5:11pm - Tried on cute headbands and big sunglasses at Tantrum boutique.

7:19pm - Enjoyed samosas, naan, veggie fritters and lentil momo dumplings at Everest Cafe with wonderful company. Saw God perform a miracle.

Twas a great day. Now I'm exhausted.

What A Man

At the check out at Walmart, there was a 4-quart SAE 5W-20 Pennzoil Motor Oil, oil filter, and 6 pack of Mike's Hard Lemonade on the conveyor belt. It was mine. I looked at my purchases and thought "Wow, I feel like a man." (First time buying alcohol! It is for a friend's 21st bday present.)

I spent the morning learning how to change my car oil, thanks to the help of Dennis. After putting my car on a tire ramp, we drained the oil and went to Walmart to buy the correct oil and filter. Then we got back and changed the filter, closed the drain, and poured in the new oil. Voila! It took about 1.5 hrs, which was longer than we expected, but it was a fun morning learning new skills. Perhaps I can help with auto ministry at New City Workday next time ;)

Words of Wisdom

"God's love for you never changes. His hate for sin also never changes. If you understand how great His love is, you wouldn't want to sin to hurt Him." -Eric Y.

I've always known the first sentence. But hearing that God's hate for sin never changes phrased like that was epic. I feel like the church today preaches love and grace, which is undeniable, but God does not change - He is the same God as the God of the Old Testament. Yeah, the one that has the earth swallow people up. The one that sends down pillars of fire. The one that wiped out cities because of their oppressive systems. God cannot tolerate sin. But at the same time, He's the same God of the Old Testament that accepted Rahab the prostitute as part of the line of Jesus. The God of Jacob, a screw up. The God of David who impregnated Bathsheba and murdered her husband, and also had David be in the line of Jesus. His justice and mercy blows me away.

"Watch His eyes. You'll know where to go and what to do if you follow where He looks." -Sharie C.

I went to Harambee's Visions Gospel Choir concert last night and saw Sharie from City Lights there. Every time I talk to her, she's filled with kindness and warmth and immediately speaks into me. How does she know what to say?! Certainly the Holy Spirit uses her. Now to figure out where He's looking...

Hi, I'm Martha

I need to stop Doing and just Be.
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I over analyze way too much. Just live.

Shocker

No puedo creerlo.

Autumn Beauty

WWIII?

Thanks to my friend whose parents work for Johnson and Johnson, I was able to get a free bottle of Aveeno hydrating body wash with fig and shea butter. It looks milky, feels silky, and smells delicious. Man, my skin feels so soft right now.

I recommend it.

On a much more random note, I bumped into an old friend of mine on the way back to the South 40, and she asked how being a vegetarian was going and other small talk. A few minutes later, she went on mentioning how she distrusts the the FDA and the government, which led to her theorizing that WWIII was coming soon since that's the best way to create jobs with this current economy. She advised that I go buy and stock up on a week's worth of food and water.

Granted, she admitted that she could be going crazy, and I'm not sure I buy into this whole thing, but listening to her talk about doomsday made me realize that yeah, our future on earth is unpredictable. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. And life will not always be hunky dory.

Although, if we get nuked anytime soon, at least my skin will be nice and soft thanks to Aveeno.

Forever is a long time

"Unwavering faith does not mean we won't doubt HOW God delivers His promise, it is knowing that God WILL deliver His promise." - Pastor Barry
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I was sharing with a friend back home of all the amazing things God is doing in the lives of recent converts at WashU. She praised God and said, "and how you pour yourself on them changes eternity :)"

That hit me pretty hard. What I do can affect a person's life FOREVER. Eternity. sideways 8. (Granted yes, God does all the work but uses us as instruments).

Wow. That changes a lot. The things that I hold onto so dearly now pales in comparison to the idea of more people being in life giving relationships with God for a long long long long time.

Possible transactions:

• Giving up one hour of studying to talk to a friend about Jesus ---> Eternity of understanding God's mysteries

• Giving up $10 at Forever 21 and buying a hot meal for the homeless ---> Eternity of being Fed and all the possessions I could want

• Giving up a life of hiding in my single and reaching out ---> Eternity of belonging and community

I really gotta stop being so selfish and controlling of my time and resources.
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Memo to self:
Joy, it is okay to doubt whether the hour spent with a non-Christian was worth less studying time. It is okay to doubt whether the money you gave to a stranger will actually be spent towards food.

But do not doubt the power of God to use you as a vessel. Just obey. He WILL deliver His promise.

Mas puntos para Missouri

Did not take advantage of the extra hour of sleep from Daylight Savings time.. instead, I watched many episodes of The Office, which I normally don't watch.

Did you know that Jenna Fischer (Pam from The Office) grew up in St. Louis? Yeah, she went to an all-girl's Catholic school in Webster Groves and went to Truman State.

AND Brad Pitt went to Mizzou.