Final Blog

I have really enjoyed being in Etymology class this semester. Surprisingly, even though it was a lot of work sometimes I really enjoyed and got something out of everything we did. I feel like my writing skills have improved a ton while taking this class. My vocabulary has definitely increased, and I see poems and writing in a different view now. Instead of just reading it, I notice diction, tone, and other things about it. Just knowing the new vocab words and other words that we learned helped me so much in improving my level of writing. My parents read a couple of my papers and were surprised at the change in my writing. I have never been a big reader so honestly that has not changed much for me. I tried to get into reading and blog a lot but it never seemed to click with me. Although I did enjoy the books I read while in this class. I think all of the books I read were non-fiction. Most of them were inspiring stories or ways to improve your life. I'm not positive but I would estimate that I read around 900 pages this semester. I really really have enjoyed this class and I am really sad its going to be over. Also, Mr. Hill you have been a great teacher and I really have learned so much from you. You also are a really cool person and so fun to be around, I'm pretty sure everyone I have talked to feels the same way too. So thanks so much for everything you do and have done for us!!

Soul Surfer

The day came when her doctor told her she could get back in the water. They chose a beach off a beaten path that they thought would be best for her first surf back. She decided to ride a long board because it is easier to catch a wave with this more stable board. Her brother Noah wanted to film her ride on video camera so he swam out with her. Her dad even took off work to come see her. Alana and a bunch of her other friends were also there.

She walked out to the water with Alana. She was not afraid of being attacked by a shark, she didn't even think about it. All her mind could think about was catching a wave and getting up on her feet. Her first couple of tries to get up didn't work and at first she was a little discouraged. Everyone around her told her to keep trying and not to give up. Then it happened. She got on her feet and after that everything was easy.

It was hard for her to even describe what she felt after she caught that wave. She was incredibly thankful and happy inside and out. All her doubts of not being able to surf again were gone, she even started crying tears of joy.

Poetry Project

My theme for the poetry project is Africa.

The poem i'm using for the video is Birth Place by May Miller.

My 6 poems are:

An African Elegy BY ROBERT DUNCAN

They ClappedBY NIKKI GIOVANNI

From the Artist's SketchbookBY ANNETTE M'BAYE

Durban, South Africa—Some Notations of ValueBY CHRIS ABANI

Birth PlaceBY MAY MILLER

Night in SineBY LÉOPOLD SÉDAR SENGHOR

Soul Surfer

After the shark attack, Bethany and most people around her thought she would never surf again. Everyone knew it took two arms to surf. She decided she would try to get back into soccer and get into surf photography. That was the only way she could stay close to the sport without directly participating in it. Although almost everyone was against her getting back into the sport, her brother Timmy knew nothing could keep her out of the water. Her parents also had no doubt that she could probably figure out a way to get up on a board.

A lot of people thought Bethany would be way to scared to ever get back in the Ocean again. But she thought differently. She really did not have a fear of it. Her doctor gave her a deadline as to when she could get back in the water. Her stitches had to come out first and things had to heal up, but he told her Thanksgiving Day is when she could get back in the water and try surfing again.

Quality Time, Redefined

It's true, our generation is quickly becoming overly consumed by electronics. The family in this news article spends their family time sitting in the living room with each one of them on a different type of electronic device. I'd like to say thats crazy and ridiculous, but my family does the same thing. My mom is so wrapped up in her cellphone and laptop and is already talking about the next ipad and how it would "help" her so much. My brothers are always concerned about the next big ipod, cellphone, or video game to come out. And I thought my dad was still with me, but he just got an iphone, so he is slowly falling into the trap himself. Although I don't have a big fascination or care too much about the newest and biggest electronic device that is coming out, I do agree that there are some pretty amazing things out there that people are coming up with. But for now I am satisfied with my non-smart phone and my nano ipod. Sometimes I think about how people survived and got along in the old days when cellphones, laptops, and other things weren't invented yet. But obviously the people turned out fine and are still here today, so it must have been manageable. But to picture a world without those things today is almost impossible to me. I mean I probably call my parents at least 5 times a day to ask them a question or tell them something, and of course I always have someone to text and talk about something with. Our generation is becoming so consumed with technology and electronics but in reality it is very hard to picture life without these things!

Soul Surfer

Bethany was given the chance to give out Dove awards at the Gospel Music Grammy Award Ceremony. They were given first class plane tickets to go to L. A. for the show. While on the plane, her friend next to her nudged her and told her to look at who was sitting next to them. It was Patrick Swayze. "He keeps glancing at you," she pointed out. She insisted on giving her a pen and paper to go get his autograph. Bethany said no though because she gets tired herself of people asking her for autographs.

It is not easy for Bethany being a celebrity. When she watches her interviews, she notices that she hems and haw and fidgets alot. sometimes she just istn in a good mood to talk and she gets bored telling the same story over and over again. Not being able to go anywhere without getting pointed out as the girl with one arm can also get a little old.

Despite all the fame and attention, at her home she doesn't get and VIP treatment and that's how she likes it. To her friends and family she is still just Bethany and nothing much has changed except her arm.

Soul Surfer- Becoming Famous

A few months after her attack, the interviews and TV programs started becoming more and more frequent. She would fly from one place to another, telling about her story. She was a guest on MTV announcing what videos were coming up next, rode in limousines, and much more. At first it was very nerve-racking to have tons of cameras pointed at her face, but as time went on she started to get used to it.

Next, she got the chance to go on Oprah in Chicago. She decided that being "famous" has been both a blessing and a curse to her. She loves that her life serves as an encouragement to so many people watching and observing her. She loves that she can tell people about her faith in Christ. On the flip side, all the attention and activities get in the way of her just doing what she wants to do. She can not go many places nowadays without getting asked for autographs or pointed out in a crowd.

The interviews and TV shows started to cut into her surfing time, friend time, and church time. She even started to get way behind on her schoolwork because of all the things she was doing. Even with all the chaos and hectic lifestyle that she has to put up with, she knows that God has put her in a place where she has a chance to help people all over the world. She constantly has to remind herself that life is not just about her being in the spotlight. There is a greater good, and if that means sacrificing a little to do several interviews, it is all worth it to her.

Lacrosse

I play lacrosse for Homestead and have played since I was in 8th grade. The Homestead team is made up of girls from many different schools including Carroll, Snider, Canterbury, and of course Homestead. Right now is lacrosse season and we have been playing many games all over the place. Because we are the only girls team in Fort Wayne and in all the surrounding areas, we have to travel to Indianapolis and other places for our games. This is a bit of a hastle and sometimes gets old but can also be very fun. This weekend we traveled to Indy on Friday right after school. We played two games that night and then spent the night in a hotel. The next morning we got up and played three more games. After those I think we were all worn out and our legs about couldn't take anymore. It turned out to be a very fun weekend filled with lots of running and swinging sticks.

Bloggie

I would like to nominate Hot Kool Aid as the best bloggie. Yes, she is my very good friend but that is not the reason why I am nominating her. She always makes her posts interesting and fun to read. She doesn't just explain the book she is reading, she tells her opinion and make its exciting to read. Go Hot Kool Aid!!

Pages Read

200 pages read of Lit

Easter

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. Of course the meaning of it is awesome because after Jesus died on the cross, three days later he rose again so that we can be saved. There's nothing about that that isn't amazing and doesn't make you happy. So that the first reason why it is so great. Secondly, I love going to church on Easter Sunday and celebrating with everyone else that He is risen. Everyone is so energetic and excited so the atmosphere is just great. Thirdly, I LOVE getting together with my family. Everyone usually comes to my house and we eat and just have a great time. Yesterday I spent most of my time with my two little cousins Ayden and Briana. We spent most of the day outside running around and swinging. We had a blast. Overall I love Easter and yesterday was a great day spent with family!

Soul Surfer

Leaving the hospital after her surgery and days of recovery, she knew her life would never be the same. They had to walk out the back entrance because of the mob of TV people who were waiting to shove microphones in her face and get every detail out of her. Nowadays everywhere she goes she hears people calling her name and asking for autographs. She does not like being in the spotlight and doesn't particularly enjoy all the attention.

Many TV shows and news channels started asking her to come on their shows and tell her story. At first she was hesitant and didnt know if she should do it. Her family left the decision up to her. She decided that if she could talk about her faith and share how Christ has helped her with others than going on these shows would be worth it. The first TV show she was on was 20/20 and then after that she started going on them like crazy. Next was Inside Edition, Life Magazine, Sports Illustrated, The Early Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and CNN Live. She got asked pretty much the same questions by everyone so she got good at telling her story.

Soul Surfer

Bethany was very moved by the number of people who supported her and wanted to help raise money for her family. A fundraiser was held to support Bethany and her family. Over $75,000 was raised. A family friend organized the event and Rip Curl spearheaded the event. Hundreds and hundreds of people attended. There was a silent auction held and surf movies played nonstop. Bands performed and there were even t-shirts made to raise money for her family. She felt so blessed that so many people wanted to reach out and help her.

The spirit of giving was not limited to Hawaii. People all over America started hearing about her story and sent notes, card, and cash to her. Kids sent her pictures they drew with their classes and get well soon wishes. Thousands of letters were sent to her and she was stunned by what was happening.

Soul Surfer - Faith

In this chapter, Bethany talks about her faith and explains how she stays so strong. She believes in God and has a personal relationship with Him, she says that is how she does it. She grew up in a home where her parents taught her about God and took her and her brothers to church every week. But the decision to follow Him was her own. When people ask her what her faith in Christ is to her, she answers in one word: everything. She truly believes that her faith is a big part of what got her through the attack. She believes God has a master plan and does everything for a reason and was watching over her the whole time.

Amazing Art

In Kristin Watrous's massive and over sized drawing a fun and playful picture is created. The use of overly exaggerated notebook paper makes it feel as if you are looking at a doodle out of Kristin's notebook. The sharp and whimsical lines make the dog look real and popping off the paper. The thing I enjoy most about Kristin's piece of art is the enormous size she made it. The size adds to the picture and makes it feel like you are actually with this dog.

Soul Surfer 103-112

Bethany did not remember many things about that day in the hospital but one thing she remembered was that she was very thirsty. The loss of blood and everything that was happening was causing her to crave water. She stayed in the hospital for the next couple days. She soon told her dad that she would become the best surf photographer in the world. This was her way of wanting to stay involved with surfing even though she thought she would not be able to compete again.

But a few days later, she had changed her mind and started thinking about going surfing again. Many people started to visit her and bring her things in her room. People from church, family, friends and her entire youth group came to see her. Since she was already talking about getting back in the water, the doctor told her she had to wait until the stitches were out first. A couple days later she had surgery and everything went well.

Soul Surfer

On the next Wednesday, the doctor told Bethany she could go home and she was beyond excited. After laying in a hospital bed for so long she was ready to get out of there. Her parents warned her though that she couldnt go home because there were tons of reporters and people trying to get information outside her house. So they decided to get their stuff and sneak off to a friends house on another beach for a while.

The next day a nurse came to change the dressing and bandage on her arm and they saw her arm like that for the first time. It made some of her family cry and freak out. The next part of the year was hard for her parents. Neither of them were able to work for almost three months which put a financial burden on their family.

Soul Surfer

The same day of Bethany's shark attack, her dad was getting knee surgery done at the same hospital. About to start surgery in the operating room, a nurse rushed in to tell the doctor that an emergency had just happened and they needed that room immediately. A 13 year old girl had been attacked by a shark. While the doctor went out to check what was going on, Bethanys dad lay in his bed worrying and picturing that it may be his daughter who got hurt. When the doctor came back in he had tears in his eyes and told him it was Bethany. The next hour in the recovery room was torture for him. He tried to get feeling back into his leg so he could go see her but he couldn't.

Luckily, the doctor in the emergency room that day was a family friend and also a surfer named Dr. Rovinsky. She had a good feeling about him and trusted that he would take good care of her. He reassured her that she was young and in good physical shape and her calmness had kept her heartbeat slow so she did not lose too much blood. He was also optimistic that she would be able to function and still do many things with just one arm in the future.

TWINZ!!!!!

Weird

Back to Reality

Spring Break 2011 was an awesome week and I had a blast. Of course, like the rest of the school, I was not ready to come back to school today. Waking up at 6 in the morning and going through my normal routine of school, homework, and lacrosse practice did not seem so appealing to me. But, you gotta do what you gotta do. So I am happy to say that I made it through my first day back at school and I am still alive. Although I am already dreading the rest of the week, I think I will be fine and make it through. To look on the bright side, next week is Easter which means we have Good Friday off and I will get to see all of my family. That makes it all seem so much better. If only next week could come faster though. Oh well, I guess there is nothing to do about it and so with that I will just be happy that summer is on its way and keep a positive attitude!

Soul Surfer

People started gathering around Bethany as she lay on the beach. She started to get very cold and very thirsty because of all the blood leaving her body. She then started to fell more and more pain in her stump of an arm she had left. It seemed like forever before the ambulance got to the beach. They decided they couldn't wait any longer and carried her to the car on the surf board. She barely remembers what happened in the ambulance but she knew that she was getting poked with needles and loud sounds around her. The last thing she remembers the paramedic saying was "God will never leave you or forsake you."

Jeff Waba, a friend who was also a surfer, made the call to Bethany's mom to tell her what had happened. At first she thought he was joking and playing around with her. After he said it again with a serious tone, she knew something was wrong. Of course, being a mom and hearing your daughter just got attacked by a shark was terrible new for her and she broke down. She became numb and did not know what to do. She then told her son Noah and they both rushed to the hospital. On the way there, Noah called a friend from church to come ride with him and help him get there safely while staying calm.

A few minutes later someone told Noah that she had lost her arm. He knew he couldn't tell his mom yet because it would be too overwhelming for her while she was driving there. He then started calling all of his Christian friends and telling them to start a chain of prayer for Bethany.

Soul Surfer: The Attack

Right after the shark attack, Bethany did not even scream. Many times people ask her if she was terrified or scared she would be eaten but she think she was in denial or shock. The first thing she did was swim towards the beach and that's all she could think about. She never saw the shark coming towards her of after he bit her. She is thankful she did not see him and is not sure if she could ever go back in an ocean if she had.

They had been surfing only about 30 minutes on that halloween morning, when they attack happened. She did not notice the shark coming up on the other side of her body until she felt a pressure and tug at her left arm. Surprisingly, it did not cause her much pain and was over in a few seconds. She remembers the water around her turning red and then saw her arm had been bitten off. The first thing she did was yell that she had just got attacked by a shark. She stayed pretty calm which is very unusual. Her mind was set on one thing and that was to get to the beach, so she started paddling as fast as she could. Byron and Holt, Alana's dad and brother, got to her in a flash and rushed her to the beach. While they were trying not to freak out to keep Bethany calm, Holt took of his shirt and made a tourniquet for her arm. Byron called 911 and Holt tried to keep her from passing out. Although Bethany was very scared, she stayed calm and prayed to God that everything was going to be okay.

Soul Surfer

Bethany, like most 14 year old girls, lives a pretty normal life. She likes music, movies, and doing normal things like that. But in some ways her life is very different. Living three thousand miles from the rest of the US is one example. Living in Hawaii is not like the rest of the country. There are much fewer people and pretty much everyone in her town knows each other. It is pretty much the opposite of living in a big city such as L.A. or New York. The things she likes most about it is that it's never cold and there's always something to do.

Another way she stands out is that she only has one arm. Of course that is a major difference than most people, but she doesn't let it stop her from doing anything that a normal person does. But besides the fact she lives so far away, she still loves to spend time with her friends and do normal teenager things. She is also very involved with her youth group and her church.

Soul Surfer page 40-50

Bethany's parents started signing her up for competitions while she was still in grade school so she had an early start in the competing world. They started traveling around the state of Hawaii to compete in competitions. As she started winning more contests, the idea that she could become a professional surfer one day was brought to their attention. Her brother Noah became here promoter and started filming her surfing. He set up websites and programs to get the word out about his sister. He contacted almost every surf clothing company and told them about her, in hope of getting her a sponsor. He was the one who helped her get her sponsor which is the company Rip Curl.

More and more girls have started surfing, which means that womens surf has become more popular and is being taken more seriously these days. Women on the pro surf teams are very close and tight knit. Before Bethany's competitions, she prays. She prays for safety for everyone and wisdom on the waves. Although surfing seems like a very dangerous sport, she says it is actually pretty safe. If you fall, you hit the water and besides sharks and surfboards, there is not much more to get injured by on the water.

Soul Surfer page 1-40

The book starts off with Bethany telling what she did the day of her attack. It was a Halloween morning just like any other and she decided to go surfing. Because the waves were not very big at the spot her mom took her to, she decide to go to a different beach and surf with her best friend, Alana, and her dad and brother. They were on a mission to find something good to surf in. With the approval of her mom, she decided to stay with them for the day.

Next, Bethany goes on to tell about who she is and what she is like. A lot of who she is comes from her parents. They are hard working people who always strove to reach their goals. They support her in everything she does and unlike many teenagers, she thinks they are pretty cool. Both her parents are surfers and have been all their lives.

Bethany has two brothers Noah and Timmy. They are the reason she has come to be so competitive and good at sports. Growing up with them and always being with them caused her to become very competitive. Like her parents, both brothers are surfers as well. She admires her brothers greatly and has very close relationships with them. They help her out alot with her surfing and her competitions and are always there to support her. They always pushed her to try new things or sports and how to be a good loser with a good attitude while still being competitive.

Spring Break!

Spring Break is finally here! I am so excited to be in Florida and having tons of fun. While my family sits at my brothers basketball game in a cold town of Illinois, I am soaking up the sun in Naples, Florida. I got to come down early with my friend Kayla until my family gets here and were are having a blast! Basically all we do is go to the beach, relax, and when we get bored go to the pool. It is very refreshing and relaxing. At night we have been going out to dinner and watching the sunset. When my family gets here in a couple days we are headed to Marco Island for some more fun in the sun. I'm looking forward to it but sad to leave my friend Kayla. I know we will have tons of fun though and it will be a great time. So far SB '11 is awesome and I can't wait for the rest!

Soul Surfer

Since Spring Break is almost here, I decided to start a new book and I chose Soul Surfer. This is a book I have read before but decided to read again to refresh my memory because the movie came out last week and I am so excited to see it. It is an autobiography, written by Bethany Hamilton, who was at the time a 13 year old surfer girl living in Hawaii. She tells the story of how she got her left arm bitten off by a shark while surfing in the ocean. The cool thing about her shark attack and her life after is that she had a very positive perspective and outlook the whole way through. She never gave up and even went back to surfing not long after her recovery. I know that if I was attacked by a shark in the ocean, it would take a lot for me to get back up and surfing again and I'm not sure if I ever would again. Bethany had determination though and was so in love with the sport that nothing could keep her away. The coolest part about this book though is the account Bethany gives of her faith in God. The thing that got her through the attack and the recovery the most was most of all her faith. She talks over and over again about how without God she could not have made it through and that he had a reason for this happening. She believes that He did this so that she can share her story and faith with others. This is a great story and I really recommend this book to everyone!

The Future

The interviews with high school seniors in San Diego was very interesting. They all had different goals and places that they saw themselves in ten years, but most of them seemed to feel strong and passionate about what they wanted to do. Some were undecided and unsure about where they saw themselves but the majority seemed to have goals. I think I related most with the people who said they wanted to interact with and help other people. The girl who wants to be a psychologist, the boy who wanted to be a school counselor, and others who simply just wanted to be interacting with others. The reason these interviews were so intriguing to me is because I like hearing and seeing all the different opportunities there are out there and seeing peoples different passions and interests. There are so many careers and opportunities out there and so many different types of people it just reminds you how diverse the world we live in is.

For myself, in 10 years, I have an interesting outlook on what I will be doing. I will be 27 years old and who knows where in the world I will be or what I will be up to. All I know for certain is that I want to be doing mission work somewhere in this world and helping others. Although a comfortable, stable life sounds nice, I feel like that is not for me. I want to be out of my comfort zone doing things to serve others. The cool part about it is that I have no idea where I will be helping others or how and that makes it all the more fun and adventurous. Where God sends me is where I'll go. But for now I am just waiting to graduate high school and eventually graduate college so I can get out there and start doing this as my full time job. Because I have been exposed to the continent of Africa so much already in my life and have fallen in love with the people there, I think that is a major possibility of where I may end up. But who knows, I guess I will just have to wait and see. All I know is that I am very excited about my future and my goal is to not sit around and make myself and my life comfortable but to go out and make a huge difference and impact in this world.

Stumble Upon

Zesto

Yesterday was my first day back at work at Zesto's! We closed for the winter and re-opened last Wednesday. During the winter I got a job at the movie theater Rave because Zesto's was closed. I quit my job at Rave a few weeks ago though because of some things that happened and because I was going to work at Zesto's again. I was excited to be back at work and not be the new person for once. Now I actually know how to do things by myself and can help the other new people. I love working there and I'm excited for it to get busier as it gets hotter!

Ana's Story

One morning when Ana woke up, she felt nauseous and got sick. For the next few weeks, she was queasy and sick almost every morning. During the day she felt like she had a fever and was very tired. At first she thought she may be pregnant but other things led her to rule that out. One day at breakfast she told Silvia about the way she had been feeling and Silvia took her to the doctor. She waited in the reception area while Ana went in. The doctor asked her what had been going on and she told her of her symptoms. The doctor decided to do an ultrasound to find out what the problem was. When the doctor turned off the machine, she turned to Ana and told her she was not sick. With a sigh of relief Ana thanked God. The next words she heard were unbelievable. "You are four months pregnant," said the doctor. She was sure that something was wrong and this could not be true. She started to panick and the room began to spin. Questions like how she would finish school and what would Berto think started running through her head. The next thing that came to her mind was what if the baby had HIV? She stuttered when asking the doctor this question. The doctor calmed her and told her if she took her medicines and remained healthy that everything should be fine and the baby should be healthy.

She put on her clothes and left the room. She was only sixteen years old, way too young to have a baby. She decided not to tell Silvia yet and told her everything went well. That evening, Ana went to Berto's room to tell him the news. She started laughing nervously and told him he was going to be a father. He seemed more happy than her and began to laugh. His enthusiasm comforted her. They decided that they would have to tell Silvia and Pablo so the next morning they asked to meet with them alone.

When they sat down, they told them there was something they needed to talk about with them. Nervously, Ana proclaimed that she was pregnant and Berto was the father. Silvia was very surprised and asked her how she could have done this. "You both are HIV positive, you can make each other sicker," she said. She asked them what they were thinking and told them they should have been using protection or not even doing it at all. Pablo then told Ana that she and her baby were both in danger and they could not keep a baby at the hogar. Ana's heart stopped. She had never considered having to move out away from all her friends and away from Berto. Where would she go? She began to sob and Silvia comforted her by saying they would figure things out.

"Let Kids Rule The School"

This article about letting kids rule the school is very prominent and relevant to our education at Homestead. Many people and students feel that information is being shoved down our throat and we are not even learning anymore. The way teachers try to fit all the information and units in before tests and deadlines makes students less willing to try their hardest. The idea of "letting kids rule the school" is a great way to get kids involved and learn how to do things for themselves. How they were responsible for critiquing and commenting on each others work rather than just their own. The kids got to give feedback to each other at the end of the semester instead of getting grades. They also got to pick their own books and go at their own chosen pace which helped them to work harder and be more determined. The studies and observations of the "Independence Project" showed that this process really does work. Students who were failing and about to drop out started doing well in school and wanting to participate. Like the article says, schools everywhere could take on a project like this and could transform their school. All it takes is students who are dedicated and teachers and faculty who support the kids in what they are doing.

Ana's Story

Some nights Ana would slip into Berto's room so they could watch TV alone. They usually watched comedies or soap operas, but one night he turned on Law and Order. In that episode there was a man attacking a young girl. Ana felt very uncomfortable and asked him why he watched that trash. He did not know anything was wrong and teased her about being scared. This reminded her greatly of Ernesto and the times he molested her and her sister. She became more and more tense and more memories kept coming back to her head. He finally asked her what was wrong and she told him about the night with Ernesto many years ago. She started crying and he held her and told her it was going to be okay. He told her it was not her fault and she should not feel bad about it. Now Berto and Ana knew everything about each other. All their secrets were not hidden anymore and nothing was between them to separate them.

The next week after they attended Mass together at the hogar, Pablo and Silvia took all the residents out shopping at the supermarket. Ana and Berto decided to stay back. They again sat next to each other on the couch while watching TV. They started kissing and going farther. Ana asked him if they really should be doing this and if they should be using protection. They were too caught up in the moment and let things happen without using protection. This became a usual thing at night, Ana would sneak to his room and they would make love. Every night but the first they used protection.

Ana's Story

Berto and Ana still did everything together and became closer and closer each day. Every night they would sit together on the couch and watch TV. Ana loved the warmth of Berto's skin. One night when they were alone, Berto leaned over and whispered the words "Me gustas (I like you)." Those words changed everything for her.

The next day was a big day for Ana, it was the first day of her ninth grade school year. She had transferred to a new school and was very nervous about her first day. When she returned from school that day, Berto was waiting for her. He asked her to go on a walk and so they walked through the neighborhood talking about Ana's new school. She was glad to have someone who wanted to know how her day was and was interested in her. They reached a bench in the park and sat down. Berto leaned over and kissed Ana. She had kissed other boys before but this one she felt a connection and it made her smile.

For the next several months, everyday when she returned home Berto was waiting for her. She now considered him her boyfriend but they tried not to act like a couple back at the hogar. They did not want Pablo and Silvia finding out and being disappointed in them so they kept it a secret. She felt a connection to Berto that she had never felt with another person besides her sister Isabel. She could not imagine either of them doing anything to hurt one another.

Ana's Story

All the residents at the Hogar went to meetings of an HIV/AIDS support group. Ana went to her first meeting about a month after she moved in. She had got the chance to learn about her disease before but never truly listened and took the time to think about it. She finally realized how the virus weakened the immune system and the importance of being safe.

That night when Ana and Berto were watching TV together, they started talking about their disease and about dying. Berto asked her if she ever thought about dying. She replied by saying "No, don't be morbid. Besides, everyone dies. I prefer to think about living." She had seen so many people that were special to her in her life pass away that death was the last thing she wanted to think about. She was not afraid of death but respected it. She knew that death was waiting for her and she would die one day, but for now she planned to live as long as she could. She had every intention of taking her medicine, staying healthy, and fighting her disease until the end.

Ana's Story

The first meal at the new place Ana was staying, called the Hogar, was at a long table with all the residents who stayed there. Silvia and Pablo, the administrators, were the only ones who did not have AIDS. They managed and ran the facility. Before eating, everyone held hands and prayed. Ana was amazed by the quality and tastiness of the food. It was nothing like the food they ate at the reform center. Around the table, everyone asked Ana questions about herself and her life. They then went around and introduced themselves, telling how long each one had been living with AIDS. She was so surprised about how open everyone was with their disease, this was the first time she had experienced anything like this. After dinner everybody, not just Ana, got up to take their medicine.

After dinner, Silvia showed Ana to her room where she was staying with four other women. She did not have many clothes so she took her to a large closet filled with hand-me-downs from other shelters. She picked out some new outfits that she was excited to wear.

Ana and Berto were the youngest residents at the Hogar. They both were fifteen years old and instantly became best friends. They did everything together. They did their chores, ate meals, watched TV, and everything else together. Berto told her about his childhood and why he was also an orphan. His story was very similar to Ana's in some ways, both of them leading them to the same place.

Dirty Duckers!

Dirty Duckers is a dodgeball tournament for junior and senior girls at our school. You have to make a team of 6 players and 2 coaches to compete. The tournament is tomorrow night and we are so excited! My friends and I are really hoping that we won't get out in the first round because that would be really disappointing. We are going to try really hard to do well and make it far, but who knows what will happen. We have two coaches who we are hoping will lead us to victory. One downside though is that we have not practiced at all and basically are going to go out there and wing it. But you never know, we could be amazing and surprise everyone with our awesome throwing and dodging skills, I guess we will find out!

Spellbound

In the movie Spellbound, kids are training and competing to win the national spelling bee. They all have different strategies and techniques they use to lead them to success. The parent's of these middle school aged kids play a big role in their journey to the national bee. I observed many different parenting types throughout the movie and saw the different ways these parents encouraged, supported, and pushed their kids. Neil's father was a prime example of a parent who is almost more dedicated then their child. Neil's dad trained him and made him practice as hard as he could. It almost seemed as if he wanted Neil to win more then Neil himself did. His motivation for Neil to win was for him to succeed and come out better than the rest. He was into education and was very smart himself. On the other hand, Ashley's mom was different. She was less into it then he was and was not pushing and excelling her daughter to practice and learn as much. Ashley's mother was motivated for her daughter to win but for different reasons. She was not unsupportive of her daughter, she was just less focused on helping her succeed as Neil's father was. Her motivation was just to see her daughter happy and to win something. Overall, the different motivations and strategies used by the parents of the kids in this movie vary greatly and create many different types of characters.

Ana's Story

One day Ana went down to breakfast and noticed Berto was not there. When she asked around, she found out that he had left the center. Someone slipped Ana a note a lunch that was from Berto. The note told Ana that he had left the center to go to a place with people for AIDS. He told her he would try to get them to take her too and he would never forget her. Ana was confused and didn't know what to think. Her only friend had left her. She tried to forget about Berto but she couldn't, he was all she could think about.

A few weeks later, a woman stopped by the administration office at the center. She heard a guard walking to her room and soon after tell her that she was being transferred. She had no idea where she was going. She gathered everything she had and did as she was told. She was not too upset because she did not really have any friends to say goodbye to. Ana got in the car with the lady who came to pick her up. She told her she was taking her to a new home especially for people with HIV/AIDS . When they arrived Ana walked in and notice how nice and much more appealing this place was compared to the reform center. On the other side of the room, Ana saw a teenage boy sitting with his back to her. When he turned around she saw his face, it was Berto. She screamed his name happily and asked what he was doing there. He told her he promised he would take her to a better place. She could not speak. Everywhere else people with AIDS were outcasts and not welcomed, but here she felt welcomed.

Ana's Story page 122-140

Ana is still living at the reform center and is about to turn 15. In the hispanic culture, at age 15, girls have a celebration called a quinceanera to recognize them as becoming a women in the society. The day is supposed to be filled with family and traditions. Women from the church arranged parties for the girls at the center who turned 15. On her birthday, they took Ana to get her hair and makeup done. Shen then came back, put on a fancy white dress, and had a celebration with all the other kids. For once, she thought of herself as beautiful.

A few weeks later, while outside playing volleyball with all the kids Ana noticed a new boy sitting by himself. She went over and sat next to him and asked him his name. His name was Berto. He was very shy and quiet but Ana felt a connection to him. She felt safe and comfortable around him. Over the next few weeks they started writing each other notes at meals and started opening up more. One night Ana unexpectedly told him about her disease. She was very scared to see his reaction. The next morning at breakfast, frightened she walked in and dreaded seeing the look on his face. Surprisingly he smiled at her and passed her a note that said "I have it too." Ana felt all the tension go away and finally felt accepted by somebody. She was so excited to finally have a friend who shared one of her secrets with her and who she could talk to about anything.

3.1 Diction Exercise

Once Upon a Time by Jack Gilbert

A) incidentally
stumbling
accidentally
intensity
innocent
baffled
tender
sweetness
melody

B) Connotation: poetic and imaginative
Elevation: monotonous and familiar

C) In Jack Gilbert's poem Once Upon a Time, the monotonous and familiar elevation of language juxtapose the poetic and imaginative connotation to create a poem about young love.

Ana's Story page 111-122

At the reform center, Ana meets a girl name Pilar and starts to spend time with her. She comes to find out that Pilar got caught working the streets as a prostitute. She was kicked out of her house and the only way for her to make money to eat was to be a prostitute at the age of 12. Pilar was about the only person Ana talked to at the center. She was afraid of telling any of the girls too much about herself. After about a month went by, Ana had to meet with a psychologist named Maria. Everyone at the center had to do this twice a week. She was angry and did not want to tell a stranger about her problems. The first session, they sat in silence for twenty minutes because Ana would not speak. As time went on, she started to get more comfortable with Maria. She appreciated that Maria did not tell anyone about her HIV and kept things private. As the weeks passed she started to open up more and told Maria all of her secrets. She started to leave the sessions feeling happy and as if a weight was lifted from her.

Ana started talking to the other girls and opening up. Like all girls, she enjoyed seeing the boys at lunch. The other girls and Ana passed notes secretly when the guards where not watching to get the boys' attention. Ana passed notes to a boy she liked named Jose who was tall and handsome. In March when the school year started, Ana was excited to be able to go back to school at a place near the center.

Ana's Story page 79-110

About a week after Ana had her first communion, a policeman knocked on the door at her house. Her grandmother answered the door and he told her the Priest had contacted them because of what Ana wrote in her letter. While at first abuela was angered, she finally gave up and told him just take the girls if they didn't want to be there. Isabel and Ana gathered all their things and went to their Aunt Sonia's house. She was their only relative left alive who could possibly take care of them. The house was very small and had to be shared with eleven other family members. Ana was enrolled in 7th grade at a nearby school and made a best friend, Yolanda. Ana went over to Yolanda's house many days after school. She felt welcomed and happy there because Yolanda's mom showed her love and affection, unlike anyone at her Aunt's house.

Things started to get worse at her Aunt's. Whenever Ana arrived home a few minutes late or did something wrong, her aunt started to beat her and ridicule her. She was placed in the corner while the rest of her family laughed at and mocked her. She felt so ashamed and worthless. She was even more embarrassed when they would hit her or kick her in public in front of other people. She started to get used to the pain. One of Ana's favorite teachers at school kept her after class one day to talk. He told her that he noticed several bruises on her arms and legs and wanted to know if everything at home was okay. She finally opened up and told him of the abuse that she had to put up with. He promised he would do the best he could to help her.

Senor Garcia, Ana's teacher, gave her the courage to try to change her situation. As soon as she left school she went to Yolanda's house and asked her mom if she could stay with them for a while. She gladly welcomed her. The only problem was Isabel, Ana's sister. She did not want to leave her alone but she knew this was the right choice and the first step in getting them both away from the abusive house. Senor Garcia told Yolanda's mother he would help in filing the papers if they were considering adopting Ana. They had to go to court first though and talk to a judge. When Ana got there, the judge told her this could not happen because her family members would have to agree on the decision. She knew her aunt and grandmother would not be happy with it. The only choice was to send Ana to a Reform Center. Very unhappy and confused as to why she was going, Ana went to live there. It was basically a jail. They had uniforms, pulled weeds, ate terrible food, and slept in beds like rocks. Ana felt alone and lost there but tried to pretend that everything was okay. Inside she knew though that everything was certainly not okay and wished more and more everyday that her mom and dad were alive.

Hope College

Well we had another cancellation Friday, no surprise. Although lately I have been dreading more snow days because I do not want to keep adding days on to the end of the year, I was actually excited to get Friday off. My mom, brother, and I were planning to leave right after school on Friday to go up to Michigan to Hope College. Because we had a snow day, we got to leave much earlier then planned and got to spend more time there! We went with some families who we are good friends with. We all drove up together to watch a friend, Chris Ray, play basketball. He is on the team at Hope and is a very good player. My friend Riley and I spent most of the night with two college girls who we are friends with. They took us to their dorms and introduced us to their friends. We sat with them in the student section at the game and then went to a surprise birthday party for a friend of theirs afterward. We got to see a little bit of college life which was pretty awesome! Riley and I both liked the atmosphere and people at Hope and are definitely keeping it as one of our options for college!

2.23 Diction Exercise

a)
momentary
cynicism
spectrum
debilitating
coup de foudre
pessimism
throng
strenuous

b) 1. elevation: elegant and learned
2. connotation: foreboding and pessimistic
3. sound: bleak and grim
4. concreteness:

Ana's Story page 56-79

After a few long weeks of Ana's papa being very sicked, he passed away. The last thing he said to her was "take care of your hermana (sister)." Ana felt terrible when he said that to her because she knew she had already let her sister get hurt and there was nothing she could do about it. Ana and Isabel hugged their fathers bony body one more time. After papa died, Ana wanted to run away. She felt as if she had nothing left.

At her father's funeral, it finally hit her that Papa was gone forever and this was permanent. She did not want the moment to be real. She heard people tell stories of her father and what a happy and fun person he was. She decided to go in front of everyone and say something as well. She called out to God and asked him why he had to take her papa. When she finished she was overcome with anger and was very mad at God.

In the days after Papa died, Ana noticed her grandma looking older and drearier. She always looked tired and worn out. Things started becoming worse between the two and fights became a usual thing. It was not just yelling though, Ana's grandma hit her and abused her. She had bruises and welts all over her legs. One beating turned into many.

While Papa was still alive, Ana started taking a first communion class at her church. Ana enjoyed being there with her friends and found comfort there. She started to no longer feel anger towards God for taking her mom and dad and for the other things. At class one day, she accepted God. Although she did not accept her situation at home she trusted God to protect her and get her through it. At the ceremony, each child had to write a note stating their hopes and expectations for the future with God in their life. Ana wrote how she wants to be in a home without abuse, she is tired of the bruises that cover her body and the darkness in her heart. She asked God to protect her. After the ceremony there was a celebration with the whole family. She was proud and beaming with joy. Her Aunt Aida gave her a hug and told her she was proud of her. Those words were rarely heard by her and she felt special. She started to feel that maybe things would be different now.

Ana's Story

As I read on in this book, it seems like things are just getting worse. I fell terrible for what Ana and Isabel had to go through living with her grandmother and Ernesto. Ana tries to comfort Isabel and tell her what happened was not her fault, yet she is struggling herself to remain together. A couple nights after Ernesto did things to Isabel, Ana accidentally left the door to their room unlocked. Early in the morning, after her grandmother had left, Ernesto came in and molested Ana. Once again he threatened her by saying "Don't tell anyone." She now had another secret to keep. She wanted so badly to tell someone about what was happening, but she had no one to tell.

It was the middle of Ana's sixth grade year and her father became very sick. They moved a bed into the grandmother's house for him to stay. He became very small and sickly and could barely talk. Ana remembered all the good times they had together doing homework or dancing and wished that he was okay again. Once their papa moved in, Ernesto left the girls alone. He suddenly lost interest in them and did not even pay attention to them. To them this was a blessing.

Valentines Thrift Dance!

Tonight I attended the Valentine's Thrifty Dance for Campus Life. It was definitely awesome. You had to dress in the best outfit you could find from a thrift store like Goodwill or Salvation Army. There were some pretty awesome outfits I must say. My friends and I went to Goodwill before to get our clothes and we had so much fun. Then we got there and danced the night away. It was a great way to take your mind of the idea of not having a valentine when all your friends do :) Although I was dreading this day, It turned out to be a great Valentine's day with lots of fun, friends, and dancing!

Impassioned Sunset

In the painting “Waterloo Bridge,” Andre Derain reveals an exuberant scene depicting a view of a river leading up to a city at sunset. The vibrant and energetic colors express a lighthearted and cheerful mood. The sun beaming down on the river develops a static and jovial movement, suggesting that the sun is setting. The intense texture and use of constant stippling portrays a majestic explosiveness, almost as if the sun is bursting out onto the city. Derain’s passionate and whimsical use of color, movement, and texture collectively come together to illustrate his enthusiastic and cheery view of the city of London.

Ana's Story page 24-46

Although Ana and her sister Isabel don't live with their father, they get to spend time with him during the week. Ana feels safe with him unlike she does at her grandmother's house. Everything is an adventure with him and they have great times when they are together. In his world she was safe, in her grandma's world she felt vulnerable.

Her grandma never wanted to talk about AIDS to Ana so when was ten, she took her to a children's hospital to the nurses could teach her what she needed to know. At school she heard her friends making fun of others with AIDS and she felt ashamed. She didn't say anything though because she was afraid of being rejected and losing her friends.

Ana's grandma lived with her boyfriend Ernesto. He is described as looking like Humpty Dumpty. When he came home from work he stripped down to his white tank top with his gut hanging over his belt buckle. He had black greasy hair and heavy eye brows. Ana and Isabel did not feel safe whatsoever around him. They were always afraid to be left alone in the room with him. Many nights their grandma and Ernesto drank heavily and smoked, ending up in big fights with doors slamming and screaming. The girls would stay in their rooms afraid of what was going on. As time went on, Ernesto became more and more scary to the girls. Sometimes he would pull them close and touch them in bad areas. It got worse and worse as time went on. Ana didn't know what to do or who to tell. She finally got the nerve up to tell her grandma what he was doing to them. She did not believe her. She told her to stop lying. The next time she saw her dad, she told him about it. He became angry and said if it ever happened again he would hurt Ernesto. A couple days later, Ana woke up to the sound of a slamming door. She sat up and saw Isabel leaning against the door sobbing. Her hair was tangled and her skin was red and blotchy. Next Ernesto walked into the room and threatened Ana. "Tell your father and you'll never see him again," he said. She screamed for her grandma but she was not there.

Ana's Story pg 9-23

I finished the book Crazy Love and so now I have started a new book called Ana's Story. This book was written by Jenna Bush, the daughter or President Bush. The story is told in the perspective of Ana, a young girl who was born with HIV. It is a real story about a real girl. When she was very young, her mother died. Her sister and her were sent to live with their grandmother because their father was too young to take care of them alone. Ana never knew why she had to take a pill every morning that her grandma gave her, but she did it anyways. Finally one day she was told why. Her grandma told her she was born with the disease HIV but that she was not allowed to tell anyone. It was to be kept a secret. From then on, Ana worried about the way people looked at her and was scared they knew. She feared the secret was bad and something to be ashamed of, so she never told anyone.

So far this book has been interesting to me. Most of all it has been sad. I feel bad for any young girl that is going through so much and is so ashamed of herself. At that young of an age you shouldn't have any cares in the world. Unfortunately for her, she has a lot to deal with. Her home situation and her disease are keeping her from enjoying her childhood and just being a kid.

Profile of the Obsessed

Obsessed: To have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic.

This chapter of Crazy Love is about being obsessed with God.

It starts off by talking about lovers. Only loving the people who love you back will get you no where. Of course everyone loves their friends, their family, and the people that love them back. Even non-Christians do that. There has to be more to our faith than friendliness, politeness, and even kindness. In Luke chapter 6 it says "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even "sinners" love those who love them. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back." Francis Chan says that "True faith is loving a person after he has hurt you. True love makes you stand out." Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for them. He commands that we give to people without expecting them to give us something in return. People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure. They love those who hate them and who can never love them back.

Next he talks about risk takers. We are so consumed by our safety and make it our highest priority. Often times we pray to God and ask him to keep us safe on this trip or drive. In the words of Chan "we have elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God's best is, whatever would bring God the most glory, or whatever would accomplish His purposes in our lives and in the world." People who are obsessed with Jesus care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.

The humble. Too many people in our society today who have faithfully served Christ and praised by others and start to believe they are really important. What is more important than anything else is giving God the glory. Without Him none of it would be possible and through HIM we can do all things. Pride and selfishness is something that keeps us from being the best we can be and giving Him everything. I find myself struggling with this a ton. If I do something good or praise worthy, I first think of myself and how great it was. In reality, I should be giving all the praise to God because without Him, I am nothing and can do nothing. A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that sin of pride is always a battle. They seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known.

Teenagers, Friends, and Bad Decisions

This article about teenage driving is very interesting but not very surprising. It is no surprise to me that teenagers are bad drivers. I see it every day in the parking lot at school. When teenagers get around their friends, things change. Everyone wants to look "cool" in front of their friends and be a risk taker. Obviously this is getting people nowhere. So many car crashes and deaths are caused by teenagers these days and their reckless driving. This article reinforced the idea that teenagers are influenced greatly by their peers and friends. Our driving changes when our friends are around which is not a good thing at all and is making the roads less and less safe.

Ski time!

I'm in the airport right now waiting to board the plane to Utah! I'm so excited to go skiing for the weekend in one of the most scenic places ever, Salt Lake City. The mountains, the snow, the trees, and everything else about it there is beautiful. My dad is taking just me skiing for two days and I'm so excited to spend time with him! I'll try to put some pictures on if I get a chance!

ONE

                                                                       http://one.org/us/



This website is called ONE. ONE is a organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by public awareness and pressuring political leaders to support smart and effective policies. Their goal is to provide programs that save lives, help put children in school, and improve futures. This organization is really cool and is doing awesome things. If you go to the Issues tab you can see all the different areas that the organization deals with and read a little about each one. On the Hot Topic tab you can see the latest projects that ONE is working on. There is also a Blog tab where you can read what people have to say about the issues and you can also blog yourself. I really enjoy this website and this organization because they really are out their to make a difference. Money isn't their main goal, making people aware of what is going on in the world is. It's really interesting to see all the different places and issues that ONE is helping and supporting.

Giving

In Matthew 25 Jesus is talking to the people, he says "I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me." The people responded by saying they never saw Christ in any of these positions. Jesus responded "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."

Jesus is telling us that we need to think of every person we come in contact to as Him. The two greatest commands he gave us where to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind and love our neighbor as ourselves. So by loving others we are ultimately loving God. When you think about it this really hits hard. You never consider the people that annoy you or make you mad as Jesus himself. But as Jesus says in this verse whatever you did not do for them, you did not do for Him. It really makes you think about the way you treat other people.

In the same chapter of Matthew Jesus is talking to the people who did the right thing, they ask him when they saw him hungry and fed him, thirsty and gave him something to drink. He replies "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." In this verse he is saying that we can show love for God by caring for those who are poor or those who are suffering. We should be treating these people as if they are Christ himself. True love requires sacrifice, Jesus layed down his life for us on the cross and our love for him is shown by how we live our lives. One of my favorite verses is from James chapter 2, it says "Faith without action is dead."

Francis Chan tells several stories of people that gave to the poor and were blessed beyond compare. People that sold their home to buy a smaller one and people that gave more when the economy was terrible. All of them trusted God to come through for them even though they were sacrificing themselves. All of them were blessed more then they could have ever been with keeping it for themselves. 

This is a video of the orphanage that I help support and raise money for in Kenya, Africa. I got the chance to go to the orphanage twice and I fell in love with all of the kids.  The kids are amazing and all have dreams to become doctors, teachers, pilots, and lots of other things. My goal is to help them reach their goals and most importantly show them God's love and acceptance because they orphans. It's the best feeling in the world to be able to help these kids.

Serving Leftovers

Poor, Rich People. Those words don't seem like they go together do they? How can you be poor and rich? In this chapter called "Serving Leftovers To a Holy God" the idea of being rich materially but poor spiritually is talked about.

Chan tells the story of a blind boy who lives in Eastern Uganda. This boy is not unique because of his blindness or where he lives but because of his love for Jesus. One of the first things you would hear him say if you met him is "I love Jesus so much, I sing praises to him everyday!" He has very little of what "counts" in our society but has so much of what matters most, God.

If you make $4,000 a month,  you automatically make one hundred times more than the average person on this planet. Chan tells you that just by purchasing this book,Crazy Love, you spent what most people in the world will make in a week. Then he asks this question: which is more messed up-that we have so much compared to everyone else, or that we don't think we're rich? So many times people walk around saying they're "broke" or "poor." This is something that has always bothered me. And if it wasn't for my opportunity to go over to Kenya and see first hand the poverty and poorness that exists, I would probably find myself doing the same thing. But after seeing the way the people live their and how little they have, I would never go anywhere near calling my self  poor. I would never call pretty much anyone that I know living here in America poor. Poor is not having a house to live in, not having a car to drive, not having food to eat, and only having one pair of old clothes to wear. That is poor and nobody that I know here lives like that. Francis Chan says "we are rich, filthy rich," and its so true, we are.

Although being rich is what a lot of people are after, the reality is that being rich is a disadvantage spiritually. Jesus said "How hard is it for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God?" He says it is as hard as a camel to go through the eye of a needle. That is impossible. But then he says "What is impossible with man is possible with God." Our materials, money, and desire for earthly things many times get in the way of our relationship with God and cause us to lose sight of the ultimate goal. Although it is extremely hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God, with God it is very possible.

Lukewarm

Halfhearted, partially committed, safe, balanced. These are some of the words that Francis Chan uses to describe a "lukewarm" Christian. The definition of lukewarm is: Lacking conviction or enthusiasm. At first it may seem weird to compare the word lukewarm and the word Christian but after it is explained in this book, it makes so much sense. 


Some of the things Chan uses to describe what the life of a lukewarm Christian who just is not fully into their faith or on fire for God are given in this chapter. A lukewarm Christian may attend church regularly because its the "right thing" or what is expected of them. They might give money to charity or the church as long as it doesn't hurt their way of living or make them feel uncomfortable. They desire to fit in and care more about what other people think of them then what God thinks of them. They do not do extreme things for good because those are only for the "extreme" Christians. They rarely share their faith because they do not want to be rejected or feel uncomfortable. They compare themselves to other people to feel satisfied about how "good" they are. They only give Jesus parts of their life and not all of it and do not love Him with everything they have. They think about life here on earth much more then eternity in heaven. These are just some of the examples that Chan uses to describe the so called "lukewarm" Christian.


 He makes it very clear that he is not saying all these things to make people feel guilty or bad about themselves but simply to help people examine their own lives and see what they could change. He wants this to move people to not just be part way in love with God but fully, all out, deeply in love with Him and show it by the way they live their lives. Jesus says in the bible that he will literally spit out lukewarm Christians. Wow, thats pretty powerful. Again Chan says that this chapter is not to make people feel bad or judge the lives of others. We are all lukewarm in some ways and we are all sinners. Nobody on this earth is perfect. As I read through some of these things I related greatly. Some parts of my faith and walk with God are lukewarm and not where they should be. This helped me to evaluate myself again and think about how I could be pleasing God more by being on fire for Him and not lukewarm. I don't know about you but i surely don't want to be spit out of God's mouth! So I will do all that I can to live for him and love Him and others with all I have. 

You might not finish this chapter...

I've gotten a lot farther in the book Crazy Love and am enjoying it just as much as the first time I read it, maybe even more. There is so much in this book that makes me think, sometimes it can be overwhelming. Every now and then I have to stop reading, put the book down, and really think about what I just read and how it applies to me.

The next chapter i started to read is called "You might not finish this chapter." Even though I have read this before, I could not remember what this one was about and so I was very anxious to know what Francis Chan meant by this title. So I read on and came to find that he was talking about how nobody knows how long they will live or when they will die. You could die tomorrow for all you know and today could be your last day. He tells a story about a 14 year old girl, Brooke Bronkowski, who was so in love with Jesus. When she was in middle school she started a bible study at her school. She spent her babysitting money on Bibles for people who did not have them. When she was 12 years old she wrote an essay which was written out in the book. As I read the essay I was amazed that a 12 year old wrote these things. She said things like "I will live my life to the fullest, I will tell others about Christ, I will be bold, I'll set an example for others, I will pray for direction, I will follow the footsteps of God, I will be one of those people who are history makers at a young age." Wow. That's all I have to say.

During her freshman year of high school, Brooke was in a car accident while driving to the movies, her life ended when she was fourteen. Nearly fifteen hundred people attended Brooke's memorial service. Everyone spoke of her love for God, her joy, and her great example. Francis Chan, the author of this book, did her funeral service and decided to share the gospel. There were around 200 students who stood up and for the first time accepted Christ into their lives. Brooke once said "I'll be one of those people who live to be history makers at a young age," and that she did. Her short life was not wasted, she led more people to Christ just by setting an example then most people do their entire lives. This story was just a reminder that we need to live every day full out for Christ because we never know when it could be our last. Brooke's story inspired me so much and reminded me of one of my favorite verses: 1 Timothy 4:12 "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity" Obviously Brooke did not let people look down on her because she was young, she definitely made an impact and changed so many lives. 

Rafiki

So i haven't explained the name of my blog yet so I thought I should do that now. Rafiki is one of the characters from the movie Lion King which is one of my favorites. Rafiki also means "friend" in Swahili, which is a language that I'm planning to learn one day, possibly in college. I have been to Kenya a few times and I want to become a missionary one day in some part of Africa so i think learning Swahili would be very useful. I already know a few words in the language....Jambo=Hello, Habari=How are you, Asanti=thank you, Tafadali=Please, lalasalama=goodnight, Rafiki=Friend. I know a few more and I hope to keep learning!

Crazy Love pages 1-38

So I started reading a new book a couple days ago called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I have actually read this book before a couple years ago and I really enjoyed it so I decided to pick it up and read it again. It's one of those books that you can read 10 times and still not pick up everything. It is packed with so many things that you need to hear over and over to really sink in. The whole book is about how God is love and how powerful and amazing His love is for us. Francis Chan's point in this book is to inform people that they might be missing out on the whole God is love thing and not really getting it. He tries to reinforce to the reader that your faith should be authentic and set apart, a faith that others can see how in love you are with God. I actually got the chance the summer before my freshman year to hear Francis Chan speak at a youth conference I attended in Florida with my church called Big Stuf. He was probably one of the most amazing speakers I have ever listened to. He really knows how to get a point across to people and he is not shy about it, he doesn't cut corners.

 The book Crazy Love starts off which is called Stop Praying. What Chan means by this is stop praying AT God and start praying TO him. With the world we live in today and the technology we have, sometimes words come too easily and mean nothing. We sometimes pray empty prayers that are not even directed to God. The next section of this chapter talks about how amazing and mind blowing our God really is. He talks about the 350 billion galaxies that are in existence, how a caterpillar has 228 distinct muscles in its head, how there are 3,000 different species of trees within one square mile of the Amazon forest, and other amazing things that exist on this earth. God created all of these. He had no reason to create all these intricate things but to remind us of how glorious and powerful he truly is. 

The next section of this chapter talks about our view, as humans, of God. There are many questions that we ask sometimes because we do not fully understand everything about our God. Francis Chan reminds you in this section what some of the most basic but most important attributes of God are. The first is that God is holy. He is "perfectly set apart, with no one and nothing to compare Him to." The next is that God is eternal. God has been here all along since the beginning of time and will be here forever into eternity. He "exists out of time." The next attribute is that God is all-knowing. He knows each and every one us us deeply and intimately and we cannot escape Him. Hebrews 4:13 says "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight." Next is that God is all-powerful. We were created for God, he was not created for us. Finally, Chan's last attribute is that God is fair and just. God is the only being who is good and therefore he is the only one who can decide what is fair and just. God hates sin and never excuses sin. Just think about the cross, where Jesus, God's son, was tortured and beaten because of Our sin. If God beat his one and only son who He loved more than anyone else because of OUR sin, obviously it is a big deal to him and he truly despises it. 

So far after picking up this book again I have already learned a lot. Even though I have read it before things are being reinforced and reminded to me. Francis Chan does a great job writing this book. One of my favorite parts is how he doesn't sugar coat anything. He tells you straight forward who God is and how we should be living for Him. Too many people these days sugar coat their faith and view of God and this is a great reminder of how we should not be doing that, how we should be living so everyone around us can see that we are Christ-followers and we serve a truly amazing God. 

Snow day and more reading! pages 60-70

Snow day! I was so happy to wake up to no school this morning. After hearing we had a delay last night i was pretty sure that everything would pass over and we would still have school, but i was wrong! I have been waiting for a school cancellation so I could get the chance to go sledding. I have not been yet this year so i was super excited to go today. A bunch of friends and I went to Franke Park where there is a HUGE hill. We did some really intense sledding and I even snowboarded down the hill a couple times. After sledding we went  back to one of my friends houses and had some warm hot chocolate. I must say it was a great day.

Back to the book that I have been reading, Three Cups of Tea. I have read a little more since the last time I posted and a lot of progress is being made on the school in Pakistan. Greg Mortenson is now in Pakistan for a while until the school is built. He left everything he had in America (which wasn't much) and flew to Pakistan. Everyday many people are putting in time to help build the school. He gets more excited about it every day.

I have to admit I was a little surprised to find out that Mortenson was not a Christian missionary. All along since I started the book, I thought he was doing all of these things because of his faith. The book told about how he grew up in Tanzania with his parents who were Christian missionaries there so I must have just assumed he was the same. The first time I realized I was wrong was when he started to pray and worship willingly with a group of Muslims. They were praying and shouting to their god Allah in a worn down gas station and he was amazed at their way of worship. He felt accepted by these people and finally not looked at as an outsider. As the days went on he starts worshiping and proclaiming "Allah Akbhar" or "God is great" with the other Muslims around him.

Three Cups of Tea page 1-60

I started reading the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin last week on Wednesday. Normally i am not a person who likes to read or even has time to read but after i started this book i have been enjoying reading and making time for it. This book is about a man, Greg Mortenson, who has a hobby of climbing. He has climbed many mountains and started climbing at a young age with his dad when they lived in Africa as missionaries. He attempts climbing one of the worlds largest mountains K2 in Pakistan and fails to make it to the top. On his way down the mountain he drifts into an impoverished village in Pakistan made up of many people. They openly take him into their homes and treat him as family. He is so appreciative for their kindness and generosity and feels that he should do something to help. When he asks one of the leaders of the village to take him to the village school, he is amazed at what he sees. There is no school building, no teachers, and no supplies for the children to use. They are having school outside, teaching themselves, and using sticks and the ground to write. He promises the village that he will be back soon and that he will build them a school.

This is a video trailer that gives a summary of the book and explains the story very well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMxL0x7l4BU

The reason Mortenson climbed K2 in the first place was because of his sister who had passed away. He was climbing it in honor of her and planned to leave on of her necklaces at the summit of the mountain when he reached it. When his attempt to reach the top did not work out and he stumbled upon this village, he decided this would be something even more meaningful to do in honor of his sister. I think what he is doing is so awesome. After failing to reach the top of the mountain that he tried at for so long he could have just left and gave up and been upset about it but instead he is finding another way to honor his sister by helping others and doing good. After reading on a bit it told more about his past and his life in the states. He did not have very much money at all and had to join the military for two years so he could pay to get into college. Once he finished college he lived out of his car for a long time. Another thing that is cool about him is how even though he has barely anything himself, he is doing all that he can to help these people in Pakistan.

Obviously he does not have enough money to build this school with his own money. Once he returns back to the US he starts fundraising. His goal is to send out 500 letters to celebrities, famous people, and others who he think will donate for the school. Once he gets all of the letters sent out he waits around six months and still has no reply from anyone. He starts to get down but he doesn't give up. A friend told him about this man who was very wealthy that he should call and tell about the school he is planning to build. So he called this man and starts to tell him about the school. The man does not want to talk about the school or the plans but asks him how much the total cost would be. Mortenson tells him around 12,000 dollars and a few days later he gets a check in the mail for that amount and a note saying "Don't screw up." Ecstatic, he took the money and as soon as he could returned to Pakistan to start building the school. One thing i really like about Mortenson is how he sent out 500 letters and only got one reply, but that did not make him give up. I have been to Kenya, Africa three times in my life and started a project at an orphanage there. Once I came home from Kenya and had gone to this orphanage I wanted to support, I started writing letters and telling friends and family about what i had just seen and what could be done. Many people were generous and donated money for me to use to help the kids there. About a year later before i was going to over again, I decided to write a few letters to some corporations that I thought would be able to donate some items to these kids. Just like Mortenson, I wrote them telling them about the orphanage and what I thought could be done. I waited a few weeks and ended up getting one letter saying they could not give anything and no replies from the other. I was discouraged for a while about it. Seeing how Greg Mortenson kept going and did not give up when this happened really inspired me to do the same thing.

I am really excited to keep on reading and see what happens once the school starts getting built and how it impacts the village and what happens next. I'll keep you updated!