mood: happy
music: I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin
Yesterday, God answered my prayers about getting a guitar. I was so worried about working and saving up for one. I met Simon Haxby at Wheatstone and he had offered to give me his guitar, since he has no use for it anyway because he will be traveling along the coast for the next year. I didn't really believe it, but I finally picked up the phone and called and he just said to come right over and pick it up. It's amazing how God provides. I'm naming it Providence! :) I can't wait to start learning how to play! After vacation in Texas, then the move to Yale, I'll go get myself a tuner and start learning :) Can't wait!!!
Simon lives in Irvine, and anytime that we are in Irvine, it's inevitable that we get lost. That city has so many loops and it was like I was seeing the same structures again and again! We finally found the freeway and got on our way home. On the way home, mom and I actually had a very heart-felt conversation. By the end, I felt as if our relationship had opened up a little more. Praise God.
Today, my plans are to crack down on the Blue Book and start choosing my classes. I'm thinking Astronomy might be the direction I want to go in, and picking up on my Vietnamese again since I really want to go back to Vietnam and do something good like build a school or something. Well, that would be a waste of 4 years of spanish in high school, but then again, I'd like to master my native tongue.
Swim lessons again today for my brothers, then 2 horrendous hours of soccer at Jordan Intermediate... or is it Elementary. whatever. I'm bringing a chair this time so the stupid ants won't bug me. It's going to be a long day, but a good one, hopefully. :)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Summer Reflections
So, today is the 25th. August is right around the corner and I found out recently that I’m leaving earlier, four days earlier than I expected. I was a tad angry about that. I’ve been putting off thinking about leaving for college. It should be a glorious and happy thing, going to Yale, but why is it that I feel so melancholy and negative about leaving? Before the summer started, I was gung-ho college and ready to leave at a moment’s notice, but now, after all that has happened, I don’t want to let certain things go. Gah!
Yesterday was a rough day turned great! Praise the Lord =] I was upset that I didn’t get to go to the beach with the Youth Group, but things weren’t as bleak as they seemed. To cheer myself up, I watched the Wedding Date (a delightful movie because I’m a hopeless romantic. ahaha), shot baskets for an hour and a half, and mom made it up to me by cooking spring rolls. Yum. And we ended going to the beach in the evening and it was beautiful and relaxing, and I got to drive too. So, it ended up being a good day. Nothing like a chick flick, basketball, good food, and the beach to cheer Christina up =] And, on the way to the beach, I took Goldenwest down instead of the usual Brookhurst route, so it was a nice change in perspective. I realize that I want a house near the beach, so I guess after Yale, back to California it is! Haha we’ll see where God takes me.
Okay, so summer has been fantastic! It started out with VBS with the Korean Church. It was good to help out and I met great people like Debbie, Mrs. Kwon, and James and I had a great time even though I didn’t know anyone.
Then came the much anticipated Centrifuge trip! What a trip it was! Everyday, I felt as if God had prepared the message for me, for my life. Faith to let go, faith to take a stand, faith to go into the unknown, and ultimately and the one that hit the hardest was “faith to wait.” Boy did He take me out of my comfort zone, and if I’m not mistaken, I think He will continue to do so for the years to come. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out my friends and making new ones. Explosion is bomb! I love my Bible Study crew! Fuge had so much to offer, but my favorite part was being able to be in nature and to see the stars so clearly. What beauty! I also love my van – my posse :] they were a blast to have for eight hours on the way to Fuge and back. To Tom, Aaron, Kevin, Tory, and Maggie – you guys rock, I’m still laughing at all of our inside jokes – and how the boys tried to read Plato and imitate Socrates and how Tory hit me on the head so many times and how… man the list goes on and on! To our leaders, Wes, Mary, Tom, Sandy, and Bob – thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time and commitment to our group. I pray that Fuge is not going to fade into our past like another Christian camp, but will remain with us to hold us to the commitments we made there, to help us remind ourselves that God is good and that He cares. I’ll never be able to forget my personal moments, and I’m glad I have them in my memory to cherish them. To Will, you’re so special to me and I know our friendship will continue to grow. To Justin and Maggie – that prayer was so special, and I am so glad I got to share it with you two. To John – you’re in my heart as well, and thanks for making me cry. To Nikki and Jared – you guys rock, and you know why. Thanks for listening to me and being there and understanding. I support you and love you both. That last night was emotional for me, and I was overwhelmed by love from you guys. Thank you for your kind words and love for me – I love you, too.
And so I learned that it’s okay to venture into the unknown – as long as I have faith and trust. I believe everything happens for a reason, which may or may not be known to me, but there is a reason, there always is. The next four years will be challenging emotionally, but I know I’ll pull through. Like Tom said, sometimes, all it takes is that first step of faith into the unknown. Until I take that first step, I’m keeping myself from all that God has planned for me. Everything has to put on hold now, and that was so hard for me to accept, but gradually, He showed me that things will be okay. And if they end up happening in a different way than I imagined, it will still be okay. Life goes on.
Then, after Fuge was Wheatstone. It was by divine intervention that I was there, honestly. The cost was way too much and I had not even considered actually going until randomly, a great person decided he wanted to sponsor me and another student to go. If that’s not God’s work, then I don’t know what is. Wheatstone was exceptionally good and by the end of the week I was brain-fried from all the discussions, all of which are fuzzy to me, but it was all about the experience and engaging myself in the dialect. I shared great conversations with people I had never met before and enjoyed it. I found a great friend in Megan and we had a lot of great talks. I completely enjoyed her company. Ellie brought spunk and individuality to my eyes. Josh, he was great to be around and to talk to because he always has “you know, I read in this article once…” and he is down to earth. Goodluck in Hawaii man, and try to not go too crazy! And, I take your advice about boys to heart, thanks. Jared, oh Jared Poppins, you’re hilarious! and Clint! you’re a great leader and I enjoyed being in your group! John Mark Reynolds was also really insightful and I wish I had more time to digest and analyze your lectures. Overall, this week has opened my eyes to more beauty – in everything! It has also increased my appreciation of the arts and culture, and live music. Disneyland is not just a place of amusement anymore either. It’s amazing to me how a group of strangers can get together and just be able to discuss and converse naturally and insightfully within minutes. It’s hard being in the real world and trying to have a “Wheatstone conversation” with someone. Sometimes, things change you and you’re never the same and that makes finding peer company who understands what you’ve been through so much more difficult. I absolutely enjoyed my week at Biola, but I was also annoyed that the Bible was not as present as I thought it should be and there was also no worship songs played, which really bugged me. But that problem was resolved with a couple of guys started to play their guitars, and we just had our own worship time. It was splendid! And, Glen let me play with his guitar, and even taught me the G – oh my goodness I can’t wait to get my own!
Then after Wheatstone was VBS – this week. It was so much fun! I love my class and I love working with Cuqui, Jessie, and Elisa! It was nice to hang out with friends too and serve together. The songs are still ringing in my head and sometimes, it’s the kiddie songs that help me remember most that I need to keep Jesus first.
Here’s a couple of quotes I liked from the movie:
Jeffrey: Kat could I have a word? It'll only take a moment.
Bunny: Well, let me think. You stole seven years of her life with your bullshit and your charm and now you'd like just a moment?
[pause]
Bunny: Sure, go right ahead.
Nick Mercer: I'd rather fight with you than make love with anyone else.
Airplane Passenger: Your first time flying?
Kat Ellis: My sister's getting married and the best man is my ex. In case I chicken out, I want to know where all the exits are.
Nick: The hardest part is finding someone that you love, and having the courage to let them love you back.
Nick: I'm allergic to fabric softener. I'm majoring in comparative literature at Brown. I hate anchovies. And I think I'd miss you even if we'd never met.
Hmmm <3
So now off I go to tidy up my mess of a room and get together my packing list. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll start the Blue Book. Haha it’s so daunting! so many classes!
Oh, and on Tuesday, I went to Arby's with Mr. Romano and Robert to reflect on Wheatstone, and we had a great time. I am so very thankful for these two people.
On Wednesday, Mindy and Trong paid me a surprise visit at my brothers' swimming lessons and even got me ice scream. What did I ever do to deserve you two? :) Thanks for making the effort to hang out with me in person - you guys rock!
On Thursday, I spent two hours on Jordan's (the school) soccer field as I watched my brothers practiced. It was beautiful, the sunlight, the green grass... I had my mp3 with me and so I danced around and sang out loud like no one was there. It was great :) Although, the soccer guys gave me wierd looks afterwards... ahaha whatever! I hope my brothers survive, they are the youngest ones there! And they older guys were so nice to them! I also spent forty minutes talking with Trong on the phone about random stuff in our lives, so it was nice to catch up and to hear a friend's voice. He says I'm too sentimental - and I guess I am sometimes :)
Okay, toodles for now!
Yesterday was a rough day turned great! Praise the Lord =] I was upset that I didn’t get to go to the beach with the Youth Group, but things weren’t as bleak as they seemed. To cheer myself up, I watched the Wedding Date (a delightful movie because I’m a hopeless romantic. ahaha), shot baskets for an hour and a half, and mom made it up to me by cooking spring rolls. Yum. And we ended going to the beach in the evening and it was beautiful and relaxing, and I got to drive too. So, it ended up being a good day. Nothing like a chick flick, basketball, good food, and the beach to cheer Christina up =] And, on the way to the beach, I took Goldenwest down instead of the usual Brookhurst route, so it was a nice change in perspective. I realize that I want a house near the beach, so I guess after Yale, back to California it is! Haha we’ll see where God takes me.
Okay, so summer has been fantastic! It started out with VBS with the Korean Church. It was good to help out and I met great people like Debbie, Mrs. Kwon, and James and I had a great time even though I didn’t know anyone.
Then came the much anticipated Centrifuge trip! What a trip it was! Everyday, I felt as if God had prepared the message for me, for my life. Faith to let go, faith to take a stand, faith to go into the unknown, and ultimately and the one that hit the hardest was “faith to wait.” Boy did He take me out of my comfort zone, and if I’m not mistaken, I think He will continue to do so for the years to come. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out my friends and making new ones. Explosion is bomb! I love my Bible Study crew! Fuge had so much to offer, but my favorite part was being able to be in nature and to see the stars so clearly. What beauty! I also love my van – my posse :] they were a blast to have for eight hours on the way to Fuge and back. To Tom, Aaron, Kevin, Tory, and Maggie – you guys rock, I’m still laughing at all of our inside jokes – and how the boys tried to read Plato and imitate Socrates and how Tory hit me on the head so many times and how… man the list goes on and on! To our leaders, Wes, Mary, Tom, Sandy, and Bob – thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time and commitment to our group. I pray that Fuge is not going to fade into our past like another Christian camp, but will remain with us to hold us to the commitments we made there, to help us remind ourselves that God is good and that He cares. I’ll never be able to forget my personal moments, and I’m glad I have them in my memory to cherish them. To Will, you’re so special to me and I know our friendship will continue to grow. To Justin and Maggie – that prayer was so special, and I am so glad I got to share it with you two. To John – you’re in my heart as well, and thanks for making me cry. To Nikki and Jared – you guys rock, and you know why. Thanks for listening to me and being there and understanding. I support you and love you both. That last night was emotional for me, and I was overwhelmed by love from you guys. Thank you for your kind words and love for me – I love you, too.
And so I learned that it’s okay to venture into the unknown – as long as I have faith and trust. I believe everything happens for a reason, which may or may not be known to me, but there is a reason, there always is. The next four years will be challenging emotionally, but I know I’ll pull through. Like Tom said, sometimes, all it takes is that first step of faith into the unknown. Until I take that first step, I’m keeping myself from all that God has planned for me. Everything has to put on hold now, and that was so hard for me to accept, but gradually, He showed me that things will be okay. And if they end up happening in a different way than I imagined, it will still be okay. Life goes on.
Then, after Fuge was Wheatstone. It was by divine intervention that I was there, honestly. The cost was way too much and I had not even considered actually going until randomly, a great person decided he wanted to sponsor me and another student to go. If that’s not God’s work, then I don’t know what is. Wheatstone was exceptionally good and by the end of the week I was brain-fried from all the discussions, all of which are fuzzy to me, but it was all about the experience and engaging myself in the dialect. I shared great conversations with people I had never met before and enjoyed it. I found a great friend in Megan and we had a lot of great talks. I completely enjoyed her company. Ellie brought spunk and individuality to my eyes. Josh, he was great to be around and to talk to because he always has “you know, I read in this article once…” and he is down to earth. Goodluck in Hawaii man, and try to not go too crazy! And, I take your advice about boys to heart, thanks. Jared, oh Jared Poppins, you’re hilarious! and Clint! you’re a great leader and I enjoyed being in your group! John Mark Reynolds was also really insightful and I wish I had more time to digest and analyze your lectures. Overall, this week has opened my eyes to more beauty – in everything! It has also increased my appreciation of the arts and culture, and live music. Disneyland is not just a place of amusement anymore either. It’s amazing to me how a group of strangers can get together and just be able to discuss and converse naturally and insightfully within minutes. It’s hard being in the real world and trying to have a “Wheatstone conversation” with someone. Sometimes, things change you and you’re never the same and that makes finding peer company who understands what you’ve been through so much more difficult. I absolutely enjoyed my week at Biola, but I was also annoyed that the Bible was not as present as I thought it should be and there was also no worship songs played, which really bugged me. But that problem was resolved with a couple of guys started to play their guitars, and we just had our own worship time. It was splendid! And, Glen let me play with his guitar, and even taught me the G – oh my goodness I can’t wait to get my own!
Then after Wheatstone was VBS – this week. It was so much fun! I love my class and I love working with Cuqui, Jessie, and Elisa! It was nice to hang out with friends too and serve together. The songs are still ringing in my head and sometimes, it’s the kiddie songs that help me remember most that I need to keep Jesus first.
Here’s a couple of quotes I liked from the movie:
Jeffrey: Kat could I have a word? It'll only take a moment.
Bunny: Well, let me think. You stole seven years of her life with your bullshit and your charm and now you'd like just a moment?
[pause]
Bunny: Sure, go right ahead.
Nick Mercer: I'd rather fight with you than make love with anyone else.
Airplane Passenger: Your first time flying?
Kat Ellis: My sister's getting married and the best man is my ex. In case I chicken out, I want to know where all the exits are.
Nick: The hardest part is finding someone that you love, and having the courage to let them love you back.
Nick: I'm allergic to fabric softener. I'm majoring in comparative literature at Brown. I hate anchovies. And I think I'd miss you even if we'd never met.
Hmmm <3
So now off I go to tidy up my mess of a room and get together my packing list. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll start the Blue Book. Haha it’s so daunting! so many classes!
Oh, and on Tuesday, I went to Arby's with Mr. Romano and Robert to reflect on Wheatstone, and we had a great time. I am so very thankful for these two people.
On Wednesday, Mindy and Trong paid me a surprise visit at my brothers' swimming lessons and even got me ice scream. What did I ever do to deserve you two? :) Thanks for making the effort to hang out with me in person - you guys rock!
On Thursday, I spent two hours on Jordan's (the school) soccer field as I watched my brothers practiced. It was beautiful, the sunlight, the green grass... I had my mp3 with me and so I danced around and sang out loud like no one was there. It was great :) Although, the soccer guys gave me wierd looks afterwards... ahaha whatever! I hope my brothers survive, they are the youngest ones there! And they older guys were so nice to them! I also spent forty minutes talking with Trong on the phone about random stuff in our lives, so it was nice to catch up and to hear a friend's voice. He says I'm too sentimental - and I guess I am sometimes :)
Okay, toodles for now!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Good Day
mood: happy
music: I Can Only Imagine - Mercy Me
I was able to talk to Nate the other day via Gmail Chat and we had a good catch up. I really enjoyed it and I love talking to him about life and faith.
We had to switch Andy's class because he couldn't handle the bigger boys' class and the director that I talked to commented that he wished every parent that called was as nice and cheerful as I am. Haha, what a compliment! :)
my day...
i woke up, brushed my teeth, ate cinnamon toast crunch with apple swirls (that you can see)
and rushed my two brothers to sports camp
sat in the sun frying my head for four hours waiting for Andy
then we all went home
i took a shower
teresa came over
we watched 27 dresses which was hilarious
then we played with thekids
then took Andy and my cousin to swim lessons
then went home so i can change
teresa braided my hair
and we went to bible study
almost fell on my face
tripped over my own two feet
took out the trash
mopped the house
washed my face, brushed my teeth, put on my retainers
and signed on to facebook
:):)
whew.
Fuge is coming up fast and I am tooooootally stoked :)
music: I Can Only Imagine - Mercy Me
I was able to talk to Nate the other day via Gmail Chat and we had a good catch up. I really enjoyed it and I love talking to him about life and faith.
We had to switch Andy's class because he couldn't handle the bigger boys' class and the director that I talked to commented that he wished every parent that called was as nice and cheerful as I am. Haha, what a compliment! :)
my day...
i woke up, brushed my teeth, ate cinnamon toast crunch with apple swirls (that you can see)
and rushed my two brothers to sports camp
sat in the sun frying my head for four hours waiting for Andy
then we all went home
i took a shower
teresa came over
we watched 27 dresses which was hilarious
then we played with thekids
then took Andy and my cousin to swim lessons
then went home so i can change
teresa braided my hair
and we went to bible study
almost fell on my face
tripped over my own two feet
took out the trash
mopped the house
washed my face, brushed my teeth, put on my retainers
and signed on to facebook
:):)
whew.
Fuge is coming up fast and I am tooooootally stoked :)
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