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Comic for March 12, 2023
1 year ago
January 27, 2009
January 21, 2009
Faux Honesty
Don't you wish everything was this honest?? If you knew what was real and what was fake, life would be so much easier. Ironically, this tag was on a piece of fake cheese. Not fruit. How's that for honesty?
January 8, 2009
Saving the World
I think we all have a desire to save the world in one way or another. Some people want to be doctors that discover the cure for diseases and save millions of lives. Others want to bring clean drinking water to the impovershed world, saving millions of lives. Me? I want to save a few lives in a big way. I want to really make a difference in the lives of the people I help (not that the aforementioned ways don't do that, because they definitely do!), which is why I really feel for poorer people in countries without the social aid of America and many western countries. I know there are people here who are really suffering, but they are far better off than those in say, Pakistan or other countries where the government aid is strained.
I had this idea that we could get together and help the girls in Pakistan who are denied the education that will bring them from being treated as less than human to being the new doctors, teachers and politicians in their country. My friends and I have a group on Facebook to help get organized. We have raised a little money already, but I want to do so much more. It is pretty hard to get something like this started. I mean, why would anyone want to give money for a cause that they don't really know a lot about? Well, what I can tell you is that everyone has a right to be educated, and that no one should ever be killed because they wanted to learn how to read and write.
To me, this isn't a political issue, or a religious issue. It is just about young girls who have the right to learn. I don't want to be a crazy American, pressing changes on a culture I don't understand, but I do want those girls to be able to walk down the street safely and sit in a classroom and learn about history, language and math. I want them to become doctors, scientists, authors and businesswomen. I want them to be the best they can be. I guess I want them to be able to save the world.
I had this idea that we could get together and help the girls in Pakistan who are denied the education that will bring them from being treated as less than human to being the new doctors, teachers and politicians in their country. My friends and I have a group on Facebook to help get organized. We have raised a little money already, but I want to do so much more. It is pretty hard to get something like this started. I mean, why would anyone want to give money for a cause that they don't really know a lot about? Well, what I can tell you is that everyone has a right to be educated, and that no one should ever be killed because they wanted to learn how to read and write.
To me, this isn't a political issue, or a religious issue. It is just about young girls who have the right to learn. I don't want to be a crazy American, pressing changes on a culture I don't understand, but I do want those girls to be able to walk down the street safely and sit in a classroom and learn about history, language and math. I want them to become doctors, scientists, authors and businesswomen. I want them to be the best they can be. I guess I want them to be able to save the world.
December 31, 2008
Forward and Back.
Wow. 2009 is just a matter of mere hours away. How did this happen? How was it just the start of another semester, and now that same semseter is long gone? Seriously, these past few months have been the quickest moving period of time I have ever experienced. And boy, were they full! I mean, looking back, there was so much crammed into them that we should really only be in October now.
Here are some major highlights, just so you know what I'm talking about. I went to IL, had a couple of friends get married, started the semester, gotten a new roommate, seen many friends get engaged, had more friends get married, gone to Korea, hung out with friends, written papers, done projects, worked, taken millions of tests and quizzes, gone to the symphony, celebrated holidays, spent time with family, written a letter to the editor, gotten addicted to two shows, seen friends that I hadn't seen in forever, helped plan/ prepare to be in a wedding, worked out, etc.
You have to admit that that is quite the list, especially since it all took place in a matter of months! There are some things missing from that list, though. Things I should have done, but didn't. There are people I wish I would have called, books I really wanted to read, days when I should have gone out to take pictures, adventures I didn't go on, and more. But really, I will do my best to make 2009 a year where I do all the things need to do (well, not all. I would like to have a reason to go on living!).
Here are a few things just off of the top of my head that I really want to do in this new year:
1. Learn how to cook. Not just easy stuff, but medium to hard level stuff.
2. Read a LOT. For fun, not just school.
3. Finally pull off that 4.0 I've been wanting. I know, I'm a nerd.
4. Accomplish something in the save the world category. I'm working on this right now, actually. I will write all about it when I have something definite.
5. Write something really good. Something memorable.
6. Go somewhere I've never been before.
7. Blog more often.
8. Go to Austin
9. Take more pictures
10. To be determined at a later date!
I guess that's all for now, I've got a few things already on the agenda for 2009...my cousin is getting married, one of my friends is going to Denmark, and I've got my first 4000 level class coming up. It should be a good year. :)
Here are some major highlights, just so you know what I'm talking about. I went to IL, had a couple of friends get married, started the semester, gotten a new roommate, seen many friends get engaged, had more friends get married, gone to Korea, hung out with friends, written papers, done projects, worked, taken millions of tests and quizzes, gone to the symphony, celebrated holidays, spent time with family, written a letter to the editor, gotten addicted to two shows, seen friends that I hadn't seen in forever, helped plan/ prepare to be in a wedding, worked out, etc.
You have to admit that that is quite the list, especially since it all took place in a matter of months! There are some things missing from that list, though. Things I should have done, but didn't. There are people I wish I would have called, books I really wanted to read, days when I should have gone out to take pictures, adventures I didn't go on, and more. But really, I will do my best to make 2009 a year where I do all the things need to do (well, not all. I would like to have a reason to go on living!).
Here are a few things just off of the top of my head that I really want to do in this new year:
1. Learn how to cook. Not just easy stuff, but medium to hard level stuff.
2. Read a LOT. For fun, not just school.
3. Finally pull off that 4.0 I've been wanting. I know, I'm a nerd.
4. Accomplish something in the save the world category. I'm working on this right now, actually. I will write all about it when I have something definite.
5. Write something really good. Something memorable.
6. Go somewhere I've never been before.
7. Blog more often.
8. Go to Austin
9. Take more pictures
10. To be determined at a later date!
I guess that's all for now, I've got a few things already on the agenda for 2009...my cousin is getting married, one of my friends is going to Denmark, and I've got my first 4000 level class coming up. It should be a good year. :)
December 23, 2008
Beauty at DBU
I took this picture at sunset earlier this month at DBU. I think that it is really beautiful! I love how God creates such beautiful sunrises and sunsets for us to enjoy. No matter where you are in the world, you can see them and enjoy them.
This is from a storm at DBU. I really like the way the clouds sort of roll together. They brought a huge rainstorm!
December 3, 2008
Who goes there?
I have one very interesting thing to report about yesterday. Last night, Mark and I went to McDonald's for dinner (mmmmmmm...) and on the way home, we saw an OWL!!!!! I have never seen one "in the wild," so I was pretty excited. He was sitting on top of a road sign, looking very wise indeed.
The Internet still doesn't work in my room, so I am writing this from the library. It is interesting thinking of how people could see me searching for pictures of owls. I wonder what they would think. Maybe that I am a biology major. Anywhooo ('cause that's how owls say it), have you ever seen an owl in the wild before? What other interesting animals have you seen?
Picture from www.schlitzauduboncenter.com
I wanted to take his picture, but I couldn't as it was nighttime and the car was moving and I didn't want to disturb him. Anyway, I thought that seeing a real owl doing owl things was awesome.
The Internet still doesn't work in my room, so I am writing this from the library. It is interesting thinking of how people could see me searching for pictures of owls. I wonder what they would think. Maybe that I am a biology major. Anywhooo ('cause that's how owls say it), have you ever seen an owl in the wild before? What other interesting animals have you seen?
December 2, 2008
today
It was hard to wake up this morning. Really hard. I faced the prospect of getting out of bed at 7 and going to work with little to no enthusiasm. So I got up at 7:20. I slept hard last night, probably to forget how frustrating the night before was. See, the Internet decided that my dorm room wasn't really the best place to work. At least my side of the room wasn't. I didn't know before last night that the Internet could flicker like the flame of a dying candle, but trust me, it can.
Normally, the lack of functional Internet wouldn't be a problem. Last night, though,I needed the Internet to do a good third of my homework. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful boyfriend who was willing to come up at 11 to take me down to his townhouse where my chances at connectivity were better. I get there, and find that this is indeed the case. Unfortunately, I also discover that I left part of my homework on my desk. In my room. Across campus. I did what I could, then had Mark take me back.
I went to sleep hoping that when I woke up the situation would be better. It wasn't. This discovery was saddening, but I didn't have the time to mourn, as I had to get to work rather quickly as a result of that delay in wake-up.
Work was pretty good this morning. I had a few people call who were slightly sad that it was the morning, but nothing too bad. Work is always better when the callers are friendly.
New Testament went pretty well, except for the fact that I had to fight to stay awake. I really like that class, so I managed. We talked about the crucifixion in the medical sense, which was really hard to hear. It is so easy to forget that Jesus suffered like that for us.
The breakthrough moment came after NT, as I finally got my English paper turned in! :) Well, I have to go. More later.
Normally, the lack of functional Internet wouldn't be a problem. Last night, though,I needed the Internet to do a good third of my homework. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful boyfriend who was willing to come up at 11 to take me down to his townhouse where my chances at connectivity were better. I get there, and find that this is indeed the case. Unfortunately, I also discover that I left part of my homework on my desk. In my room. Across campus. I did what I could, then had Mark take me back.
I went to sleep hoping that when I woke up the situation would be better. It wasn't. This discovery was saddening, but I didn't have the time to mourn, as I had to get to work rather quickly as a result of that delay in wake-up.
Work was pretty good this morning. I had a few people call who were slightly sad that it was the morning, but nothing too bad. Work is always better when the callers are friendly.
New Testament went pretty well, except for the fact that I had to fight to stay awake. I really like that class, so I managed. We talked about the crucifixion in the medical sense, which was really hard to hear. It is so easy to forget that Jesus suffered like that for us.
The breakthrough moment came after NT, as I finally got my English paper turned in! :) Well, I have to go. More later.
November 26, 2008
Love
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is such a huge topic, but I have wanted to do a post on it for a couple of days now. It seems like love has been in the air lately. My friends Brad and Rachel just got engaged on Monday, and it is so wonderful to see their love for each other. Have you ever seen a couple who you can just tell that they are going to make it? They are one of those. When they are together, you see how happy they are and it makes you happy. :) They have such a good relationship with each other, but it is clear that they both love God with all their hearts. That is really the key to their relationship.
Another example of love is brought up by Tia from one of my favorite blogs. She talks about how in a good relationship, it is the little things that mean so much. I have to agree that heartfelt gestures that are really nothing are really everything. Tia is married to a man who knows this, and as she says, "Little things. Big difference." Speaking of the little things, Mark got me roses for no reason at all this week. They are beautiful and remind me how lucky I am to have someone that loves me so much.
Love is something that is so hard to define. Even in 1 Corinthians, Paul doesn't tell us what love is, but tells us what it does. I think that by taking a closer look at what love does, we can discover what it is. Love is patient and kind...being patient has never been one of my strong suits, especially when it comes to other people. I tend to think that my way is the best way, and have little patience for people who don't want to do things the best way. Clearly this is a problem that can only be solved by love. I don't struggle too much with kindness. I try to be kind as often as possible, but sometimes I'm not. Usually, these times are surrounded with sarcasm and blatant, tactless honesty. I love being truthful, but my delivery needs work sometimes. And as for sarcasm, it is part of my sense of humor. I try hard not to use it in a mean way. All in all though, I usually have good intentions, and it really pains me when I do something to disguise that fact.
Love isn't envious, boastful or prideful. Come on, we are all a little of these things every now and then. I'm pretty sure that everyone has been envious of someone, and I know that boasts and pride are a part of life that we all deal with. No exceptions here.
It is not rude, self-seeking or easily angered. This area is one that I struggle with as well. Sometimes I get pretty angry with Mark, and this verse really helps me to put things into perspective. I love him, I think to myself, so I should not be so easily angered by him. When I think about this, I usually calm down fairly quickly. The part where love keeps no record of wrongs is not helpful in an argument. Basically, it gives you no past you can use in a battle when all you need are a few good examples to prove your point. Sometimes I bring things up just for this purpose, but I try had to keep from doing this. After all, it isn't loving.
Love rejoices in the truth. A pretty clear statement, I think. If you suspect that there is something wrong between you and your loved one, ask. Mark is really great about this. If he thinks there is something wrong between us, he finds out what it is. Sure this makes me being angry about little useless things and keeping to myself so that he won't think I'm crazy pretty difficult, but several issues have been resolved thanks to his application of this verse.
Love protects, hopes, trusts and perseveres. This part of the verse is so important. In a relationship, all these things are key. You need to be there to protect one another, you can't let go of hope and trust, or your relationship will be full of secrets. And perseverance is so important. When things are tough, don't just give up. Keep fighting through.
The last part of this section basically says that love, to quote Brad Paisley, "is never-ending." Even though all of man's achievements will fade away, love is perfect and will never do so. Why is this? Because God so loved the world. God is the driving force behind true love. Without him, there would be no love. Sure, there would be plenty of lust, plenty of relationships where people thought they were in love, but there would be no perfect love.
So what is love? Well, my best guess is that love is doing what you don't always feel like doing because it is the right thing to do. Love is putting yourself second so that you can put someone else first. Love is, as the saying goes, a commitment, not a feeling. We love others because they are important to us. We value them and treasure them above everything else that we have. In this same way God loves us. How cool is that?
Love is such a huge topic, but I have wanted to do a post on it for a couple of days now. It seems like love has been in the air lately. My friends Brad and Rachel just got engaged on Monday, and it is so wonderful to see their love for each other. Have you ever seen a couple who you can just tell that they are going to make it? They are one of those. When they are together, you see how happy they are and it makes you happy. :) They have such a good relationship with each other, but it is clear that they both love God with all their hearts. That is really the key to their relationship.
Another example of love is brought up by Tia from one of my favorite blogs. She talks about how in a good relationship, it is the little things that mean so much. I have to agree that heartfelt gestures that are really nothing are really everything. Tia is married to a man who knows this, and as she says, "Little things. Big difference." Speaking of the little things, Mark got me roses for no reason at all this week. They are beautiful and remind me how lucky I am to have someone that loves me so much.
Love is something that is so hard to define. Even in 1 Corinthians, Paul doesn't tell us what love is, but tells us what it does. I think that by taking a closer look at what love does, we can discover what it is. Love is patient and kind...being patient has never been one of my strong suits, especially when it comes to other people. I tend to think that my way is the best way, and have little patience for people who don't want to do things the best way. Clearly this is a problem that can only be solved by love. I don't struggle too much with kindness. I try to be kind as often as possible, but sometimes I'm not. Usually, these times are surrounded with sarcasm and blatant, tactless honesty. I love being truthful, but my delivery needs work sometimes. And as for sarcasm, it is part of my sense of humor. I try hard not to use it in a mean way. All in all though, I usually have good intentions, and it really pains me when I do something to disguise that fact.
Love isn't envious, boastful or prideful. Come on, we are all a little of these things every now and then. I'm pretty sure that everyone has been envious of someone, and I know that boasts and pride are a part of life that we all deal with. No exceptions here.
It is not rude, self-seeking or easily angered. This area is one that I struggle with as well. Sometimes I get pretty angry with Mark, and this verse really helps me to put things into perspective. I love him, I think to myself, so I should not be so easily angered by him. When I think about this, I usually calm down fairly quickly. The part where love keeps no record of wrongs is not helpful in an argument. Basically, it gives you no past you can use in a battle when all you need are a few good examples to prove your point. Sometimes I bring things up just for this purpose, but I try had to keep from doing this. After all, it isn't loving.
Love rejoices in the truth. A pretty clear statement, I think. If you suspect that there is something wrong between you and your loved one, ask. Mark is really great about this. If he thinks there is something wrong between us, he finds out what it is. Sure this makes me being angry about little useless things and keeping to myself so that he won't think I'm crazy pretty difficult, but several issues have been resolved thanks to his application of this verse.
Love protects, hopes, trusts and perseveres. This part of the verse is so important. In a relationship, all these things are key. You need to be there to protect one another, you can't let go of hope and trust, or your relationship will be full of secrets. And perseverance is so important. When things are tough, don't just give up. Keep fighting through.
The last part of this section basically says that love, to quote Brad Paisley, "is never-ending." Even though all of man's achievements will fade away, love is perfect and will never do so. Why is this? Because God so loved the world. God is the driving force behind true love. Without him, there would be no love. Sure, there would be plenty of lust, plenty of relationships where people thought they were in love, but there would be no perfect love.
So what is love? Well, my best guess is that love is doing what you don't always feel like doing because it is the right thing to do. Love is putting yourself second so that you can put someone else first. Love is, as the saying goes, a commitment, not a feeling. We love others because they are important to us. We value them and treasure them above everything else that we have. In this same way God loves us. How cool is that?
November 25, 2008
A Kiley's-Eye View
For my fiftieth post, I would like to direct your attention to a different blog. This blog is written by the lovely Kiley Adams, the youngest sister of Mark Adams, the wonderful boyfriend of me. :)
Kiley has an amazing talent for putting into words some really deep emotions. She is truely gifted in a way that may make me a little jealous from time to time. She hasn't posted much, but what is there is real and honest and wonderful. I get the feeling that, like Kiley herself, her blog will always be interesting and fresh. I love Kiley because she is always honest. If you ask her a question, she'll be honest, like it or not. Maybe I like that so much because it is a personal trait of mine, but it works out great for her as well. ;)
Another thing about Kiley is her amazing photography. She is great at taking sweet pictures, so you should ask her to post a few. Especially her collection of Ralphie photos.
I highly recommend visiting her blog. It will be worth your time. Promise.
P.S. Kiley, I hope you don't mind the commercial. I just think everyone should know about you. :)
Kiley has an amazing talent for putting into words some really deep emotions. She is truely gifted in a way that may make me a little jealous from time to time. She hasn't posted much, but what is there is real and honest and wonderful. I get the feeling that, like Kiley herself, her blog will always be interesting and fresh. I love Kiley because she is always honest. If you ask her a question, she'll be honest, like it or not. Maybe I like that so much because it is a personal trait of mine, but it works out great for her as well. ;)
Another thing about Kiley is her amazing photography. She is great at taking sweet pictures, so you should ask her to post a few. Especially her collection of Ralphie photos.
I highly recommend visiting her blog. It will be worth your time. Promise.
P.S. Kiley, I hope you don't mind the commercial. I just think everyone should know about you. :)
November 19, 2008
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