Upside down, Inside out, and all shook up

So I started writing this post while the sun was still up, drinking a class of cola, listening to random YouTube videos trying to convince myself that I really am truly awake. I'm not posting this until tomorrow - when I've had the time to go through it and edit it. You'll see why this is necessary as you read this. Right now, I'm exhausted. So why am I blogging while I'm tired? Well, I think I can remember more of yesterday and its effects while I'm tired? Well I just wanna get it out while its still fresh in my mind. (Really I didn't know at the time, and frankly, I still don't)

So my post really begins on Tuesday. On Tuesday I started house sitting for some friends of mine. I was making myself some mac-and-cheese, real style (so real macaroni and shredded cheese, not that boxed stuffed) and one piece of cheese fell (unnoticed) under the element. The next night (Wednesday) I'm making dinner again and suddenly "whooof" the unnoticed cheese is on fire. Remarkably I don't panic (probably has to do with the fact that it was a small flame) but turn of the element and move the stove (no, I didn't move the stove. I moved the element, pot.) I moved the POT onto a different element. (This is why I shouldn't write when I'm tired) The flame died quickly. This is important.

Anyways, so Wednesday night was also a young adults night, and the plan was to go to a lighthouse and beach in Vancouver. I got a ride out with three of my friends (Eowyn, Katrina and Serena), but the directions we had were faulty. At one point it told us to turn right, so we did. We get ALL the way to the end of the road to realize it was the wrong way, back tracked and continued on. We were supposed to go left, not right. But anyways, we eventually figured it out and made it to the park.

We had fun. It was nice and relaxing, and the scenery was beautiful. Then we left for home.

Left being the key and operative word there. Remember we have faulty directions. And we are trying to read them backwards. It is also dark out, so we are reading these faulty directions - backwards - by the eight-seconds glow of a cellphone. So of course, we missed a step. Needless to say, we were lost. We tried to find ourselves though, going back to the last street we remembered thinking we just had to go the other way, which only got us more and more and more lost. Finally we decided we would go to the Safeway we had seen earlier (it was on one of the steps anyways) and go in and ask for directions. So we headed in the direction we thought it was and kept going
and going
and going
and going
all the way to the Marina. The Marina wasn't on any of the directions, nor had we passed it earlier. So we head back down the road. A few minutes later we spotted something, a sign. The sign telling us we were at the Lighthouse Park! We were back to square one. It was a miracle really. Cause then we went slower and carefully followed the directions (getting minorly lost only one more time) and we were on the highway home!

It only took half an hour, or so. Could have been longer.

So all we want to do now is to go home. There was two lanes of slow moving traffic (which we were in) and one quick moving lane. So of course, we go into the quick moving lane. Only to realize the reason it was going quicker was because they were all being forced to merge back into the lane we just pulled out of. So we were now FARTHER back then before. Whoops. And then both lanes of slow moving traffic had to merge into one lane. But we got through it and finally ended up back home.

All of that driving naturally meant that we needed to get gas. So we stopped at a local gas station in town, and while Eowyn was filling up the tank an ambulance went by - in the general direction of the house I am house-sitting (also my house and my church are in the same direction) and for some reason the first honest-to-goodness thought I think is "I really hope I didn't burn the house down." Eowyn assured me that I didn't burn the house down as we continued on our journey.

So we turn onto the street that I'm house sitting on and what do we see? Six to eight or so sets of blue and cherry lights (police and ambulances). Now, although there is no orange glow and no smoke I am now CONVINCED I have burnt down someone else's house! And Eowyn isn't sounding so sure when she says "No, you couldn't have" So we go the long way around - since you can't really just cut through a bunch of police cars that are just sitting there. By the time we get to the house - which is still standing, NOT on fire nor ever on fire - there is only one police vehicle left. We think it was an accident that had happened or something, but we don't know for sure.

Needless to say I went to bed just after midnight - and had to work at six in the morning.

So, I realized I was wrong. I didn't write this all on Thursday like I said I was going too. I was way to tired (and you can read why right above you) and ended up zoning out instead. And then the next day I was too busy going to the movies with my cousin. So I finish this now, and will edit it later when I get home. Not that it really matters, seeing as you get to read it all at once.

Anyways, thank you for sharing in the enjoyment of last Wednesday night.

Although for the record. It was a super fun night. And I would repeat it again in a heartbeat.

Well, go back to that night and go through it again, I would rather not get lost in Vancouver at night or think I have burnt down someones house. It was just a fun crazy night that I am going to remember for ever and tell all my grandchildren about when they complain their GPS (or whatever techno stuff they have then) breaks down.

Hollie

A poem

So I wrote a poem today. I didn't really mean to. I just got two lines, so I wrote them down. Then I got a few more lines, so I wrote them down. And then a few more, and so on and so on. And I had a poem.

Before I let you read it, let me tell you something random. If you ever want to confuse someone honestly answer the question "How are you today?" - especially if the answer is 'horrible' or 'not so good.' At work I always ask my customers how they're day is going and one day on of them asked "Do you really even care?" I thought about it for a moment and I was. I really do like to know how people are doing, and make their days go better.

Also, lots of times, even with people I know, I get told "I'm fine" even if their not. And I don't really know why. So this poem is kinda about that.

And no, it doesn't have a title.

Don't tell me that you're fine

When I see brokenness inside,

Your lips, they smile

Your eyes, they cry.

Desperately pleading

Silently screaming

Insisting always "I'm fine."

I have two shoulders, ears and arms,

Crying eyes and a healing heart,

Shoulders trained to hold your tears

Ears to listen, arms to hold

Eyes to cry cause you're not alone -

A healing heart that's not yet whole

I'm not fine

And you're not too,

But I know the One

Who'll bring us through

And that is my latest poem

Hollie

Three C's and a Katie

Hey everyone, great news! My dad has put anti-virus on the computer which now connects to internet. Which means I will finally be able to blog more. Yay! Starting today :) Which hopefully means less "bla" posts. Anyway, on to this one -

So the other day I was sitting at my dresser plucking my eyebrows and I had to stop and wonder, what had become of me? I mean me, WILLINGLY plucking my eyebrows. That is not something that I would have done before. Add that to the fact that cluttered around my mirror and fishtank and littering the desk next to the dresser was make-up and hair accessories and other such girly prettiness that old me would have balked at. Would have criticized me for. Old me would be leerly of my dresser and desk. And really there are four contributing factors to this, whether they really knew it or not. I shall call them, the Three C's and a Katie.

The first C would be my Cousin Kelli. Kelli was the cousin I lived with for a few months when I was eleven. I'm now a now the same age she was when I lived with her and for one I don't think I could be responsible for a  pre-teen. But that's besides the point. Anyways Kelli was like a really cool big sister. She would take me shopping, talk about clothes, make-up, girl issues, boy issues, friend issues.

(this is a girl related issue/clothing store/paragraph)
I remember one time she took me and my best friend at the time to La Senza Girls when we were both somewhere between 11 and 12. And we both, (this friend and me) found the underclothes equivalent of Best Friend Necklaces. We were both still pretty new to the whole thing let alone that they came in designs! Kelli was the one who explained the importance of designed understuffs even if/though no one but ourself was going to see it. Just because it would make you feel pretty, and cool, and older (we were still to young for sexy)
(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand safe)

This was important just for the reminder to feel pretty for myself, not for someone else. Whether she knew it or not Kelli had planted a good seed of feminine/girly/self esteem stuff that didn't really grow until I was older - with help from the other C's.

Definitively NOT Old Me

The second C would be my Cousin Kim. All through my teenage-hood my Cousin Kim would take me for hair cuts, take me shopping for clothes, trying to get me to wear make-up. Really out of all the three C's Cousin Kim was probably the one that pushed the hardest. Remember, I was that weird kid that hid behind her hair, and ill fitting clothes, and books. The biggest thing that Cousin Kim pushed for as I got older was for me to pluck my eyebrows. Just to shape them, and clean up the look a bit. Just to do something. ANYTHING.

That wasn't the only thing Cousin Kim tried to help me with, but it's the example I'm going to use. She even helped me get ready for prom. Although I didn't have my eyebrows taken care of (like she wanted) she did get me in make up (which I didn't want)

Cousin Kim took the seed that Kelli had planted and nurtured it. Watered it. Fed it. Begged it to grow.

The third C would be my Cousin Cynthia. Cynthia and Cousin Kim worked together it seemed. But Cynthia was the one who would try to do my make-up. Or get me into make-up. Or really, just try to bring home what Cousin Kim was trying to teach me.

So really Cynthia was like another gardener into this "Pretty Seed"

But really despite all their efforts nothing really happened. Until a Katie came along. And really I don't understand what Katie does, but she does it so well. Maybe it's because I already had this pressurized, watered, fed, ready to grow seed planted in me - but Katie managed to turn their efforts into a success. I can't really explain it. God just orchestrated it so well.

But as we know, I know wear make-up, pluck my eyebrows (not consistently, only when they look bad), and wear pretty clothes (just for me). And none of it would have happened without Three C's and a Katie.

And why is this relevant you ask? Well let me tell you. I was thinking lately. Lots of times when 'spreading the gospel' its called "Planting Seeds" and lots of people get discouraged because they're one of the C's. They either just plant a seed without really knowing what will happen. Or they'll be the ones really investing into the seed crying over it, begging it, praying for it to grow. Or they could be the one that helps the second. But then a Katie comes along and makes it look like childsplay.

But really I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for Kelli, Kim, or Cynthia investing into me. And it wouldn't have been that easy for Katie if they hadn't invested into me either.

36Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37For it this case the saying is true, "One sows and another reaps." 38I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.

John 4:36-38

So really my three C's and a Katie were just putting a spiritual reality into a physical workings. So just keep planting those seeds of faith if your planting. Or tending to them if your a tender. Or crying and begging and praying if your a cryer/begger/pray...er person. And don't begrudge the Katie's. They're all important.

Hollie.