Thanksgving

Yesterday I studied Thai for 4 hours and then ate alot of food at Our Team leader's Familie's house. It was fun eating Western food, playing games, and watching the Cosby show. It felt good.
We talked alot about Thanksgiving and food, Family and traditions.
Today I woke up--realized My family is still camping with colored leaves in California and I realized I miss them alot.
Tommorow I will take a government Thai test that I'm not ready for.

All that's to say I'm grateful this Thanksgiving season, but can't wait for it to be over.

Miss you Family.

Bed room pictures

So I finally finished my room and after the plees from many people about my color scheme I am posting pictures of my room.

Before:

After:

Poster board come in handy yet again. No more peep hole in my bathroom, Curtians were hand stiched by me and the flooring was a great bonding time with my neighbor.

I threw in Bathroom and bed for kicks so you quys can see a little more of my normal life.

Birthday reflections

Turning 25 was great. Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes, cards and or gifts. You helped to make it a special day.

I surprisingly felt very loved by my teammates and Thai friends as I celebrated with them. They all where so thoughtful and full of love

.

My desk was decorated with flowers, my friend made one of my favorite dishes from strach for lunch and we were invited by our team leaders house for home cooked lasagna and birthday cake. I felt loved. The gifts from the office staff and team where so thoughtful--a flower paint tray (Jin my Thai friend said "I noticed you like to paint and you've been using a cardboard box as your tray--Thats just sad. I feel sorry for you"--Great, Thoughtful and perfect gift. others made me jewerly by hand or put together a thing of my favorites. Pumpking Spice coffee ( I love anything pumpkin ) Chai Tea, Lavender to help me sleep, paintings in my favorite colors and so much more.

Then when I came home my good friend Gop, in the neighborhood, surprised me with a cake she bought herself and we had a mini celebration just the two of us.

I did have a party with the neighborhood-- kids and adults alike where excited about the cookies, brownies, Cake, and other snacks--oh and yes they enjoyed the karaoke.

It was a good celebration. And I'm so grateful that I was able to enjoy turning 25 with people I really enjoy hanging out with.

Ghettoness

In Pomona I thought I had reached a level of Ghettoness when my roomates and I put up cardboard boxes in our window to keep the house cooler. Don't knock it till you try it. It really helped us survive the extreme heat.

In Thailand I realize that I actually have become even more crafty. My sister in law has been adding accent walls to my nieces and nephews room. I, like my sister in law, have a value for nicely decorated walls and homey feeling rooms. That is why I added my own accent wall--with thin sheets of poster board and foam tape. A whole new level.

Before:
Posterboard accent wall
Diecut flowers boarder and a string with clips for the childrens art work.

Ahh to be resourceful.

Greatness

Recently my Grandma sent me a package for my birthday--it was filled with goodies and many fun things. One poster she made her self had the quote by Mother Theresa, " We can do no great things-- only small things with great love."
How true is this statement.
How deeply profound this statment is.
The more I live in Thailand the more I realize that I am not great or special. I don't have magic superpowers and I'm not beyond human. I get tired and thirsty and irritated. I have joy and hardship, but I'm often still a person who longs to be great. I want to do my best at what ever I do and when I fall short I'm often overly hard on my self. Yet as much as it is human nature to desire to be great ,I'm also overwhelmed with the desire to be normal. (I am coming to terms with the fact that this realty kind of went out the window when I decided to follow Jesus's call for me to live in a slum) I want to be remarkable and yet ordinary. This could be why one of the greatest books I've read is called "Irresitable Revolution" by Shane Claiborne.
What I love about Mother Theresa's quote is that it's true. I as imperfect, human, Christy can do nothing Great. Thankfully Jesus never called me to be Great he called Himself to be "I AM" He is Great. All he asks is that I would respond to His love and love those around me. Small things with Great Love.
If I live in this world longing to be great I will miss the chance to see Great things happens, but if I live in this world doing small things with Great Love I may actually see the Greatness of God--Which I believe to be much greater than the "Great" I could ever be.

OCD

Ever since I was a child, I have been obsessed with patterns. One of my chores as a child was to nightly set the table. Every night I picked out which colored cups I wanted and would arrange them in a "pattern"--sometimes a pattern only I could see--(this being made evident when someone else would want to change cups and I would strongly oppose or rearrange the cups to a different pattern so he could have the color he wanted. )
Recently my roomate has been noticing my "OCD" tendancies, --Silently rearranging the drying hangers to be color cordinated or eating pieces of candy in order of the pattern I've created. These are all things I don't have to do, but will admitt that there is a slight inner peace when they are done. When things around me are out of my control and or crazy (as ministry can be sometimes) there is a certain joy I get in my room being color ordered. Strange I know.
This weekend I officially moved into my own room (same house as Sara still-- long story, but my room is finally open) and it has been so exciting to start arranging my room based on the color themes I want. 3 colors= Royal darkish blue is the base. followed by light bright green and brown for accents. I'll post some after pictures soon, but for now it feels nice to have a some color order in my life. It feels nice to make my room feel like mine. I pray it will be a room of refreshment and deep intimacy with Jesus who is my real inner peace.

creativity

Creativity is something I've always had an interest in. I greatly appreciate creative art forms like painting, drawing, or poetry. Looking at well orchastrated and unique photography is something I find relaxing. I'm often the first to cheer someone on to develop creative outlets and I personaly keep an artistic journal. Living in the slums introduces a whole new set of creative outlets--Like how do you dry you're clothes in raining season or what's culturally the best way to handle difficult situations. I'm still praying for some wisdom in hard situations, but at least I've fiqured out drying clothes.