following an unknown path

photo hunt: shadow

Cutest little shadow I've ever seen!! :)

This photo of gilby was taken by larina when she was doggy sitting for me.

Theme: Shadow(s) | See More Shadows

can you read chinese?

I get asked this question A LOT!!

I usually answer with "I can read on about a second grade level--you know basic stuff like signs and menus."

Apparently, my best friend thinks the answer to that question is "YES!"  She sent me a postcard, and it was written completely in Chinese. 

At first, I freaked out.  I was like "WHAT!?!?!  How I am supposed to read this!?!?!  How on earth did she forget that I was American!?!"

Then, after I looked at it a little more carefully it started making sense. The biggest challenge turned out to be that it was in handwriting and not "typed."  Apparently, my best friend knows my reading level right on. 

So, Ellen, what would say my Chinese reading level is?  Thanks for the postcard!!  It made me quite happy to get it.  I miss you and can't wait to see you too!!  And, once again, happy birthday, girly!!!

new from nestea (and 9 random thoughts)

This cool new carbonated apple tea drink can be found at your local Taiwanese 7-11, OK (known in the States as Circle K), Family Mart, or other convenience store. 

Random Thought 1: I can leave my house and walk for less than five minutes and within those five minutes I could buy this drink at 2 different 7-11s, 2 different OKs, 2 different Taiwanese "stuff stores" (almost grocery stores but not quite), and 3 (possibly 4) no-name, family run convenience stores.  Yes, yes, in only 5 minutes or not-so-brisk walking I could visit any one of those!

Random Thought 2: The convenience of all these convenience stores is of course thanks to the fact that I live in a highly people-dense area.

Random Thought 3: Notice that one side of the bottle is in English and the other side is in Chinese. One of the many benefits of being raised reading English--not all foreign products are complete mysteries even if you are not bi-literate.

Random Thought 4: Number 3 is true, but please remind me to tell you later the story of my sister and the "milk" that she bought me when she was visiting me here three years ago.

Random Thought 5: You know you are tired when the way you poorly attempt to spell "carbonated" is thought to be "caffeinated" or even "decaffeinated" by the spell checker with no mention of carbonated in site.

Random Thought 6: You know you are REALLY, REALLY tired and should call it quits when after four different attempts at trying to spell "convenience" the spell checker still doesn't know what word you are trying to spell.  So, you have to go over to google and google the misspelled word so google can help guess what you meant to type; but, sadly, even google doesn't know what you are trying to spell.  Yes, people, it took four different spell checking tries and three google tries for me to be able to spell "convenience" correctly.

Random Thought 7: Did you know that the thing I love most about the latest FireFox version is that it checks spelling inside of the WYSISYG boxes and other type input boxes??  I LOVE that feature!! 

Random Thought 8: This was supposed to be a really short post due to my being sick and tired; yet, because I am sick and tired (and unable to think clearly), it has turned into a needlessly long post. 

Random Thought 9: Good night.

i sick

As my sister always says whenever she is under the weather "i sick." 

It's weird, but at the end of every semester, I always have a cold.  It is like my body finally relaxes and gems have a party. 

On a good note, I got all the papers graded right before the cold hit!  So: Yipee!  Now, if I can just get over this cold, maybe I can begin to enjoy summer vacation.  Off to rest now. 

this made me LOL

“Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years, many foreign people still speak in foreign languages” (Dave Barry).

Yep.  They do.  I promise!

pray like a puppy

When Martin Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes.

Luther said, "Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish, or hope."

(story found at Grace Gems!)

open skies

Since we've continued to have random rain--sometimes light and sometimes heavy--for weeks now, we've also continued to have blue skies.

I am totally enjoying our blue skies.  They make me very happy.

I often find myself singing a David Crowder Band song whenever I'm on my moped:

Praise Him under open skies
Everything breathing praising God
In the company of all who love the King
Let us dance, let us sing
It could be heavenly
Turn the music loud and sing

And it's so wonderful
Just to be here now

It's a happy, joyful song that just fits my blue-sky-enjoying, moped-riding self!!  Too bad I have to keep my eyes on the road and my hands on the handle bars.

photo hunt: fake

I've actually posted about burning fake money before.

The money might be fake.

But the fire is real, as is the reality of lostness.

Theme: Fake | See More Fake Stuff

At first, I didn't think I had a photo of anything fake.  But, thanks to Jimmie and her photo hunt picture, I thought of this.  So, thanks for the prompting, Jimmie. 

80 down, 36 to go

Essays to grade that is.  I've finished 80 and have only 36 left to read and grade.  Oh, yeah, I also have journals, exams, and projects to grade.

Yeah . . . finals are over, so that means my work has only increased. :) 

But, I can taste freedom--it is just around the corner.  Summer break is  a-l-m-o-s-t  here!

Carnival of Beauty This Week

Being the week of 4th of July . . . I expect the CoB will be small this week.  But, I did want to remind everyone that you have till Thursday night to submit to the first ever "choose your own topic Carnival of Beauty." 

You can fill in the blank "The Beauty of  . . . " and write about whatever you want (as long as it still fulfills our mission or bringing glory to Christ of course). 

So, you can write about the Beauty of Peace, The Beauty of Freedom, The Beauty of Love, The Beauty of Holiness, The Beauty of Music, The Beauty of Smiles, The Beauty of Parenting, The Beauty of Ice Cream . . . yeah . . . just about anything would be ok!

So, go ahead, what are you waiting for?  Come join us as we reflect on the beauty that surrounds us!!

Submit your posts to Leslie at carnival.of.beauty[at]gmail.com by Thursday night. 

happy 4th of july!!!

In the last ten years, I've been in America to celebrate the fourth of July maybe only 3 or 4 of those years. 

For my family, the fourth of July is a huge Adams Family Reunion--my grandmother's sisters and brothers and all their children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren get together for this holiday.  The meeting place?  Friendship, Arkansas, my grandmother's childhood hometown.

Holidays are probably the hardest times to be away from family.  They are the days I feel most lonely or homesick.

On a side note, my mother has helped me keep my front door up date with cute signs for the different "seasons" of the year.  The picture in this post is what is on my door right now.  Thanks, Mom!!

Happy Independence Day!!

our newest houseguest

Let me introduce you to Troy, the little guy whose been visiting me and Gilby.

In Chinese, they call geckos 壁虎 (bi hu, ㄅㄧˋ ㄏㄨˇ), which literally means "wall tiger."

Troy is not my first "wall tiger" guest.  When I lived in Meinong, a gecko with no tail stayed with me for a very long time.  I called "her" Margo. :)

You might know this already, but most geckos have no eyelids and instead lick a transparent membrane which covers each eye.

And, I didn't ask Margo and haven't asked Troy to leave.  Why?  They eat insects.  And, well, they don't speak English or Chinese, and they move fast!!  (I suppose snakes could fit into the category too huh?  But, I'd make sure they weren't welcome.  So, uh, I guess I also let Troy and Margo stay because they are harmless.)

I think Margo stayed inside most of the time, but Troy likes to come and go.  He disappears over the front door whenever I try to get too close.

So, have you ever had your very own house gecko?

going to . . . Romania!!

No.  Not me--my former college roommate and her husband, Carrie and John. 

They leave on July 6th for Bacau, Romania for a week long mission trip. 

Would you please join me in praying for them?

Please pray for them in these next few days as they prepare to go that their hearts and minds will rest in Him. 

Pray for safe travel and that jet lag won't be an issue.  Pray for safety and health once in Romania as well.

Pray that as God directs their steps He will change lives . . . change families . . . change a city . . . change a nation . . . change the world.

This is Carrie's 5th time back on a short term trip and John's 3rd time!  Praise the Lord for people willing to use their time, talents, and money to share His Good News with others!!!

They are also about to apply for a Bible training program through their church. The program systematically teaches the Bible, study methods, and how to teach other people in various cultures the same things.

I love Carrie's attitude she says: "We are excited about how God might use us, possibly even overseas in the future. We are not certain about what direction He may be sending us in, but we know that it starts with being equipped. :)"

much ado about gilby

As I've read and visited blogs this past week I have run into so many "blogkitties" in bloggy world.  Don't get me wrong, cats are cute, but come on . . . where are the dogs?

I even read--but don't remember where--that for every picture of a child posted to blogs there are 2.3 cat pictures posted.

I can't do much about the cat to cute kid ratio, but I can help with the question about where are all the dog?

So, without further ado, I offer you a few pics of my own sweet Gilby with his new haircut.

Cute right?

...
Here he is (pre-haircut) with Karen and Christine, some friends of mine.

...
And, last but not least, here is where I found him a few weeks ago after I finished putting away all the groceries.

Yeah, that's right--inside the newly emptied sack. :)

the leprosy of the soul

Take heed of pride and haughtiness of spirit. Pride is the great master-scar of the soul; it will bud and blossom--it cannot be hidden. Pride is the leprosy of the soul, which breaks forth in the very forehead!

Pride is . . .
  the sum of all vileness,
  a sea of sin,
  a mother sin,
  a breeding sin--
  a sin which has all sorts of sin in its womb!
In pride, all vices are wrapped up together in a bundle!

"Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished." (Proverbs 16:5)

"I hate pride and arrogance!" (Proverbs 8:13)

God will have nothing to do with proud people.
He won't come near such loathsome lepers!

Therefore as ever you would enjoy God's presence,
  arm yourself against pride,
  watch against pride, and
  pray hard against pride!

(Thomas Brooks, 1675, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints." Public Domain as seen on Grace Gems.)