It’s midnight, I mean, seriously, who isn’t blogging at this hour? Oh yeah, every other person in their right mind! :P
Today I was in Hobby Lobby looking for things to decorate a graduation cap when I over heard 3 women speaking quite loudly and excitedly. After overhearing bits and pieces of their conversation from a couple of aisles over it was obvious that these ladies were catching up, they had went to high school together and apparently not seen or heard from each other in quite some time. They were all talking 7,000 miles a minute about everything under the sun. As I walked past them, I found that they were all middle-aged and had each appeared to have made something of themselves.
After slowly walking through every aisle within earshot of them, without verging on the edge of “stalker” or “creeper,” I knew that life will be okay. Graduation will come and go, along with the friendships made over the last 4 years. But later on down the road, I will be able to bump into my old friends and talk about life and all the things that have happened since we parted ways and laugh and smile and just remember “the good ole’ days.”
Today’s expedition to Hobby Lobby brought this realization: maybe it’s not such a bad thing to let a few friendships fade so that they can be brightened and rekindled later on down the road when the Lord allows us to cross paths again. :)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
History: Revisited
Some history is fun to hear about and relive, like that funny time my brother’s shoe flew off into the pond at my great uncles funeral and a couple of guys in suits had to canoe out to get it (true story by the way). Other history isn’t always as pleasant, but it is often just as memorable. Think about it, in history class we only learn about the bad stuff; wars, depressions, and genocides.
It’s just like living life. We hope that everything is a pleasant and happy experience, but it often isn’t. Even when life isn’t the greatest, or even flat-out, down-right bad, our attitude can make it better. I’m all about attitude, but that’s not what this post is about. It’s about reliving history for the better.
Today, I finally got the chance to talk about some of my “history” with one of my really good friends. Of course we all have a “history,” but this “history” needs to be said in that special kind of way that lets everyone instantly know that we had a history.
Long story short, we got into a vicious deadly circle: I can’t trust you because you don’t trust me, well I can’t trust you because you don’t trust me…back and forth, until it ended with both of us unable to even be social toward the other. Why? Who knows. But I do know that we both look back on it in the same way, “I could have handled that soo much better. I wish it didn’t have to happen, but I learned a lot from it.”
Now how awesome of a friend is that?! She is amazing. (Notice the lack of names in all of my blogs, that’s for a reason, I don’t want creepers to know all about my life :) ) It is so refreshing to know that people like her actually exist in the world. People that are able to look back and say, “Wow, I really could have done better. My actions were horrible. I’ve got no excuses, it happened, and that’s the way it was. But I’m not that way anymore.” We should all strive to solve our problems in this manner.
But I think the most awesome part of this story is that even though this happened a couple years ago, we gradually started talking to each other again. We finally came close enough to the definition of “friend” that we both felt comfortable enough to refer to the other as friend. This whole time we sort of brushed this whole incident under the carpet and pretended like it never happened. It was hard to do, but it was worth it. Today’s conversation made everything finally seem okay. There was closure. Amazing, God given closure.
I challenge you to seek that closure in your life in whatever situation keeps coming to mind as you read this. Pray about it. God answers prayers, just not always in our timing. It took many years for these prayers to be answered, but they are answered. :)
It’s just like living life. We hope that everything is a pleasant and happy experience, but it often isn’t. Even when life isn’t the greatest, or even flat-out, down-right bad, our attitude can make it better. I’m all about attitude, but that’s not what this post is about. It’s about reliving history for the better.
Today, I finally got the chance to talk about some of my “history” with one of my really good friends. Of course we all have a “history,” but this “history” needs to be said in that special kind of way that lets everyone instantly know that we had a history.
Long story short, we got into a vicious deadly circle: I can’t trust you because you don’t trust me, well I can’t trust you because you don’t trust me…back and forth, until it ended with both of us unable to even be social toward the other. Why? Who knows. But I do know that we both look back on it in the same way, “I could have handled that soo much better. I wish it didn’t have to happen, but I learned a lot from it.”
Now how awesome of a friend is that?! She is amazing. (Notice the lack of names in all of my blogs, that’s for a reason, I don’t want creepers to know all about my life :) ) It is so refreshing to know that people like her actually exist in the world. People that are able to look back and say, “Wow, I really could have done better. My actions were horrible. I’ve got no excuses, it happened, and that’s the way it was. But I’m not that way anymore.” We should all strive to solve our problems in this manner.
But I think the most awesome part of this story is that even though this happened a couple years ago, we gradually started talking to each other again. We finally came close enough to the definition of “friend” that we both felt comfortable enough to refer to the other as friend. This whole time we sort of brushed this whole incident under the carpet and pretended like it never happened. It was hard to do, but it was worth it. Today’s conversation made everything finally seem okay. There was closure. Amazing, God given closure.
I challenge you to seek that closure in your life in whatever situation keeps coming to mind as you read this. Pray about it. God answers prayers, just not always in our timing. It took many years for these prayers to be answered, but they are answered. :)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
God, in the Police Car
God is everywhere, always. This can seem intimidating to some people, but I find comfort in this fact.
Yesterday, I went on a citizen ride-along. This means that I just rode along with a cop during their shift. It was way more fun than it sounds like it would be. But anybody can do it, you just have to sign a release form and go. It's pretty awesome.
So we got a domestic violence call so we got to "run code" (which is cop code for lights and sirens get there as fast as possible). We got to the house and the cop I was with, B, went and found the male and brought him to sit in the car. (I'm not racist, I'm just telling you how it is...) So, me, this little never-been-in-a-fight, I'm-scared-of-scary-looking-people white girl, is locked in a cop car, sitting not even 2 feet from a scary looking black guy who just got the cops called on him for domestic VIOLENCE in the back of the police car. Forget the bars and glass between us, I was scared and I felt too awkward to start up a conversation, so I turned on the radio. (When we were at the last call I got tired of listening to some junky song, so I changed it to a Christian radio station that plays more of the Christian Rock genre.) And here's what came on the radio:
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
At which point B comes back and starts to question this guy, and turns the radio down.
I couldn't believe what had just happened! Of all the songs on the radio, this song (Dare You to Move by Switchfoot) at this specific time! There were kids outside playing and they were the "everybody's here, everybody's watching you now" part of the song. "What happens next?"-logically question to ask yourself as your sitting in the back of a police car, now isn't it? God was in that police car at that moment when I turned the radio on. He was their with me the whole day, keeping me safe, teaching me many things about life and about this world.
From B's questioning we learn that this "scary looking black guy who just got the cops called on him for domestic VIOLENCE in the back of the police car" really was the victim of the domestic violence. He had a job. He had two twin boys who were 9 months old. He was trying to take care of them and the girl over-reacted. When B left to question the girl to see if the stories lined up, I started a conversation with him. I learned a lot about him too. He was super cool. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he was trying to do the right thing.
Yesterday, I went on a citizen ride-along. This means that I just rode along with a cop during their shift. It was way more fun than it sounds like it would be. But anybody can do it, you just have to sign a release form and go. It's pretty awesome.
So we got a domestic violence call so we got to "run code" (which is cop code for lights and sirens get there as fast as possible). We got to the house and the cop I was with, B, went and found the male and brought him to sit in the car. (I'm not racist, I'm just telling you how it is...) So, me, this little never-been-in-a-fight, I'm-scared-of-scary-looking-people white girl, is locked in a cop car, sitting not even 2 feet from a scary looking black guy who just got the cops called on him for domestic VIOLENCE in the back of the police car. Forget the bars and glass between us, I was scared and I felt too awkward to start up a conversation, so I turned on the radio. (When we were at the last call I got tired of listening to some junky song, so I changed it to a Christian radio station that plays more of the Christian Rock genre.) And here's what came on the radio:
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
At which point B comes back and starts to question this guy, and turns the radio down.
I couldn't believe what had just happened! Of all the songs on the radio, this song (Dare You to Move by Switchfoot) at this specific time! There were kids outside playing and they were the "everybody's here, everybody's watching you now" part of the song. "What happens next?"-logically question to ask yourself as your sitting in the back of a police car, now isn't it? God was in that police car at that moment when I turned the radio on. He was their with me the whole day, keeping me safe, teaching me many things about life and about this world.
From B's questioning we learn that this "scary looking black guy who just got the cops called on him for domestic VIOLENCE in the back of the police car" really was the victim of the domestic violence. He had a job. He had two twin boys who were 9 months old. He was trying to take care of them and the girl over-reacted. When B left to question the girl to see if the stories lined up, I started a conversation with him. I learned a lot about him too. He was super cool. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he was trying to do the right thing.
God was in that cop car with us both. I think I will remember this situation for years to come because it shattered so many of my previous thoughts about life in general.
Situations don't make you a bad person.
Black culture is not like white culture.
Bad stuff happens to good people.
I am blessed.
God is with me.
God loves me.
God love everybody.
You included.
Life's Expedition: My Official Bucket List
My best friend Katelyn encouraged me to make on of these, so I did, and boy am I glad! It is so fun!!! Here is my Bucket List, 100 things that I want to do before I die.
1. Guess the flavors of a whole box of chocolates
2. Ride a snowmobile (in Alaska?)
3. Go to a Disney theme park
4. Enter an eating contest
5. Go Trick-or-Treating
6. Fly an airplane
7. Stand under the Eiffel Tower
8. Witness to someone in another country or language
9. Decoupage something in Bible verses
10. Sneak out for a night to be with God
11. Have a photo collection worth a thousand words and smiles
12. Paint a room full of bright colors
13. Adopt an old lady/work/volunteer in a nursing home to listen to history’s stories
14. Buy something useful at a pawnshop
15. Give myself as a surprise gift in a box
16. Visit all 50 states and have something to show for it (Picture collage of each state shaped like each state?)
17. Be in four places at one time (state lines?)
18. Give a homeless man a gift card for food
19. Volunteer at a homeless Gospel outreach center
20. Be able to play the trust game and have someone catch me
21. Get into the habit of going for an early morning run
22. Invent a new kind of candy bar
23. See the Northern Lights
24. Go to New York City
25. Buy a random kid an ice cream
26. Go to the Olympics to watch
27. Sell a photograph I’ve taken
28. Use $1,000 worth of coupons
29. Eat a wooden chair
30. Keep a notebook for my kids and grandkids
31. Win a radio contest
32. Be in a magazine or write something that’s published in a magazine
33. Do everything on this list
34. Design a tract and give it out to people
35. Get a massage
36. Write something for Campbell’s Soup for the Soul
37. Be on a TV (game) show
38. Be an extra in a movie
39. Live in a poor third world country
40. Go on a mission trip
41. Get my ears pierced
42. Dye my hair red
43. Put “Jesus” or a reminder of Him on my nail
44. Show someone the “How Great is Our God” video by Louie Giglio
45. Go stargazing with a friend
46. Take my kid to soccer practice (or any other sports practice)
47. Paint a room for someone else
48. Start a fire with a magnifying glass
49. Bonneville Utah 130 club
50. Go skydiving
51. Own a starfish
52. Have a working ant farm
53. Pay $1,000,000 in taxes
54. Be my kids biggest cheerleader
55. Run a marathon
56. Take a picture of the Bellagio Fountains
57. Win money in a lottery
58. Buy something from Billy Mayes off a TV commercial
59. Dye an egg
60. Volunteer for Habitat 4 Humanity
61. Scuba Dive (on the Great Barrier Reef?)
62. Go to a New Year’s/Thanksgiving/Rose Bowl parade
63. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
64. Play tic-tac-toe in a crazy way
65. Write “Jilli was here.” in some random place with a Bible verse
66. Get a weird pair of glasses for me and Katelyn and make a photo album of us wearing them in random places and doing funny things
67. Go to the spa
68. Have a made up persons birthday announced (Flat Stanley?)
69. Wake someone up with “The Good Morning Song”
70. Bury something in the sand for someone else to find later
71. Write an encouraging letter and put it in a strangers mail box
72. Go on a road trip to see Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore
73. Burn a lot of great road trip CD’s
74. Put this list on a piece of paper so I can mark them off when done
75. Design and make a cute bag
76. Make a fun shaped candle
77. Speak in only questions for a day
78. Bet money on a horse race or professional game of some kind
79. Learn to be conversational in another language (Spanish?)
80. Get all my children purity rings that actually have meaning
81. Write a series of devotionals
82. Make a head covering
83. Go to or host a masquerade party
84. Make a rubber band ball as big as a softball
85. Sing karaoke in front of a crowd
86. Have something on a menu named after me (Jilli’s Chilli?)
87. Have a 12 hour movie marathon
88. Foster/Adopt a child
89. Learn to juggle and have 100 great moments
90. Help build a Habitat 4 Humanity home
91. Do a cartwheel
92. Weld a work of art
93. Make a huge domino trail (then watch it all fall down! )
94. Ride in a hot air balloon
95. Be in New York City to watch the Ball Drop on New Year’s Eve
96. Have a Seniors Only Pancake Breakfast at my house before Graduation
97. Take a computer apart and put it back together, in working condition
98. Complete my list of 10 things to do before graduation
-Make a priest laugh at confession (I'm not Catholic)
-Change a tire
-Go to a ROMCOM (Romantic Comedy) by myself and convince someone to sit by me
-Design and make a toe ring
-Prank call someone, like really really good
-Play Farmville
-Wear a pair of skinny jeans
-Call into the local Christian radio station to share my opinion/play a game
-Finish my t-shirt quilt
-Hot glue a card tower
*Bonus List*
-Ride in a police car with the lights and sirens on, without being in trouble
-Wear cute makeup to school
-Watch the winter olympics
-Win at Jenga
-Take a picture of my snowman
99. See the Seven Wonders of the World
100. Read over 100 books
1. Guess the flavors of a whole box of chocolates
2. Ride a snowmobile (in Alaska?)
3. Go to a Disney theme park
4. Enter an eating contest
5. Go Trick-or-Treating
6. Fly an airplane
7. Stand under the Eiffel Tower
8. Witness to someone in another country or language
9. Decoupage something in Bible verses
10. Sneak out for a night to be with God
11. Have a photo collection worth a thousand words and smiles
12. Paint a room full of bright colors
13. Adopt an old lady/work/volunteer in a nursing home to listen to history’s stories
14. Buy something useful at a pawnshop
15. Give myself as a surprise gift in a box
16. Visit all 50 states and have something to show for it (Picture collage of each state shaped like each state?)
17. Be in four places at one time (state lines?)
18. Give a homeless man a gift card for food
19. Volunteer at a homeless Gospel outreach center
20. Be able to play the trust game and have someone catch me
21. Get into the habit of going for an early morning run
22. Invent a new kind of candy bar
23. See the Northern Lights
24. Go to New York City
25. Buy a random kid an ice cream
26. Go to the Olympics to watch
27. Sell a photograph I’ve taken
28. Use $1,000 worth of coupons
29. Eat a wooden chair
30. Keep a notebook for my kids and grandkids
31. Win a radio contest
32. Be in a magazine or write something that’s published in a magazine
33. Do everything on this list
34. Design a tract and give it out to people
35. Get a massage
36. Write something for Campbell’s Soup for the Soul
37. Be on a TV (game) show
38. Be an extra in a movie
39. Live in a poor third world country
40. Go on a mission trip
41. Get my ears pierced
42. Dye my hair red
43. Put “Jesus” or a reminder of Him on my nail
44. Show someone the “How Great is Our God” video by Louie Giglio
45. Go stargazing with a friend
46. Take my kid to soccer practice (or any other sports practice)
47. Paint a room for someone else
48. Start a fire with a magnifying glass
49. Bonneville Utah 130 club
50. Go skydiving
51. Own a starfish
52. Have a working ant farm
53. Pay $1,000,000 in taxes
54. Be my kids biggest cheerleader
55. Run a marathon
56. Take a picture of the Bellagio Fountains
57. Win money in a lottery
58. Buy something from Billy Mayes off a TV commercial
59. Dye an egg
60. Volunteer for Habitat 4 Humanity
61. Scuba Dive (on the Great Barrier Reef?)
62. Go to a New Year’s/Thanksgiving/Rose Bowl parade
63. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
64. Play tic-tac-toe in a crazy way
65. Write “Jilli was here.” in some random place with a Bible verse
66. Get a weird pair of glasses for me and Katelyn and make a photo album of us wearing them in random places and doing funny things
67. Go to the spa
68. Have a made up persons birthday announced (Flat Stanley?)
69. Wake someone up with “The Good Morning Song”
70. Bury something in the sand for someone else to find later
71. Write an encouraging letter and put it in a strangers mail box
72. Go on a road trip to see Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore
73. Burn a lot of great road trip CD’s
74. Put this list on a piece of paper so I can mark them off when done
75. Design and make a cute bag
76. Make a fun shaped candle
77. Speak in only questions for a day
78. Bet money on a horse race or professional game of some kind
79. Learn to be conversational in another language (Spanish?)
80. Get all my children purity rings that actually have meaning
81. Write a series of devotionals
82. Make a head covering
83. Go to or host a masquerade party
84. Make a rubber band ball as big as a softball
85. Sing karaoke in front of a crowd
86. Have something on a menu named after me (Jilli’s Chilli?)
87. Have a 12 hour movie marathon
88. Foster/Adopt a child
89. Learn to juggle and have 100 great moments
90. Help build a Habitat 4 Humanity home
91. Do a cartwheel
92. Weld a work of art
93. Make a huge domino trail (then watch it all fall down! )
94. Ride in a hot air balloon
95. Be in New York City to watch the Ball Drop on New Year’s Eve
96. Have a Seniors Only Pancake Breakfast at my house before Graduation
97. Take a computer apart and put it back together, in working condition
98. Complete my list of 10 things to do before graduation
-Make a priest laugh at confession (I'm not Catholic)
-Change a tire
-Go to a ROMCOM (Romantic Comedy) by myself and convince someone to sit by me
-Design and make a toe ring
-Prank call someone, like really really good
-Play Farmville
-Wear a pair of skinny jeans
-Call into the local Christian radio station to share my opinion/play a game
-Finish my t-shirt quilt
-Hot glue a card tower
*Bonus List*
-Ride in a police car with the lights and sirens on, without being in trouble
-Wear cute makeup to school
-Watch the winter olympics
-Win at Jenga
-Take a picture of my snowman
99. See the Seven Wonders of the World
100. Read over 100 books
Friday, May 7, 2010
Expodition of the Week: Tearing Apart Technology
So maybe I'm not so great at this blogging-on-the-right-day thing, but I think I can manage to at least blog about events. But, pretty much, you shouldn't pay attention to the date it was posted on because it makes no difference :)
As part of the ciriculum in one of my classes at school with the awesome name of Indy Comp (Independant Computers) I took apart a PC and then put it back together again. This is something that I have always wanted to do, but never had the nerve to try myself.
And as any good blogger would do, I took pictures to share with you. Enjoy!
Step 1. Gather Materials.
This is what I started with...A standard PC, a screwdriver, and pen and paper to document where everything came from and where it went.
Step 2. See what your working with.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into....there was a lot of stuff going
on inside that little box.
Step 3. Disconnecting everything
It may not look like it, but there was a lot of stuff to take out of that thing. It involved lots of pictures, letters, and numbers.
Step 4. The Realization
I noticed a very important little metal plaque on the side of one of the CD drives, that read, "WARRENTY VOID IF REMOVED" good thing this computer is currently being stored in a deep dark place to wait for the recycle man to come destroy it.
For the record, I wouldn't recommend trying this at home...
Step 5. Everything has a place and there is a place for everything
And I found them all!!! I put everything back to the where it was supposed to be :)
Step 6. The Test
The final step was to test the computer to make sure that it worked. When everything is correct you get a beautiful screen like the one seen to the left :)
*Excitement followed this screen, for anybody who was wondering :)
These are my pretty pictures that I drew. Every little detail had to be labled and drawn out so that I knew where to put everything when it came to putting it all back together.
So I would say that this is my first offical blog, leave comments and let me know what you think :)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Explaining the Name
Northbound-adjective-northward (moving toward the north)
Expedition-noun-a journey undertaken for a specific purpose (some say in a faraway land)
These are both me. I will be moving several hours north for a specific purpose when summer comes to a close in a few short months. This blog will capture my journey to the North and life once I am there. It won't take much reading to realize that I am in love with the Lord. This is why I think the title of my blog fits my life so perfectly; I am Northbound when it comes to seeking the Father. I am constantly looking to Him for answers and guidence. He is the reason I am Northbound in geography as well as spirituality.
*And I like the name because my mom helped me pick it out :)
Source of definitions:
http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=northbound
http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/expedition
Expedition-noun-a journey undertaken for a specific purpose (some say in a faraway land)
These are both me. I will be moving several hours north for a specific purpose when summer comes to a close in a few short months. This blog will capture my journey to the North and life once I am there. It won't take much reading to realize that I am in love with the Lord. This is why I think the title of my blog fits my life so perfectly; I am Northbound when it comes to seeking the Father. I am constantly looking to Him for answers and guidence. He is the reason I am Northbound in geography as well as spirituality.
*And I like the name because my mom helped me pick it out :)
Source of definitions:
http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=northbound
http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/expedition
Today's expedition: this new and unknown world of blogging.
I've been flirting with the idea of getting a blog for quite some time now and never could actually do it...until today. I was viewing a blog design website when I found a banner (those cute picture things at the top) that said "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happend." I instantly decided that today was the day that I should start blogging.
With that I welcome you to my blog. Enjoy!
With that I welcome you to my blog. Enjoy!
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