The Little Things We take for Granted

No matter how hard life gets, one thing I learned is that we are still alive, and I know for us at Seattle Christian, we lived a very blessed life, which at times makes it easy for us to forget how blessed we truly are. I know as of lately I have forgotten how blessed of a life I really do live and so I am going to take a moment to list things I am thankful for.
1) I am Thankful for my family

2) I am Thankful for new life

 





















3) I am Thankful for new days

4) I am Thankful for basketball

5) I am Thankful for my friends

 

 6) I am Thankful for baking

 7) I am Thankful for Hawaii and the delicious food that comes from there :)

 

 8) I am Thankful for wakeboarding and boating

9) I am Thankful for snowmobiling and the views that come with it

10) I am thankful for being able to watch professional teams and go on the field. (Photo credits to Mike Fiectner).

 11) Lastly I am Thankful for being able to post this on the internet and have a computer to use.
 

A feast on thanksgiving day!

THANKSGIVING

The morning of Thanksgiving came, ‘twas bright

With autumn to see and leaves falling tree

But I know everything’s gonna be aight
‘Cause I know the warm bright sun’s for me  
‘Twas time to get the recipe cook book
Happy to see that the chef was possessed
And then the chief prepared the feast to cook
Now ‘twas time for the chef to have his test 
But then it was time to eat that dinner
Now time for a gourmet, delicious dessert
This was not the time to be more thinner
I was too full after eating to flirt  
Yet when the food came out it was a feast
One that was fit for a queen and a beast

I am sorry for my fathers wrong doing

My dear Antigone;

I Haemon, am in love with you and want no other. I am sorry for my father's wrong doing and stubbornness. I went to talk to him today and he did not listen to a single thing I said. At first I tried doing the simple thing and agreeing with him, being humble,  however he did not listen. I said "[Yes] I am your son, sir; by your wise decisions My life is ruled, and them I shall always obey. I cannot value and marriage-tie above your own good guidance" (143). Instead he responded to my humility by saying "Rightly said. Your father's will should have your heart's first place... Do  not be fooled, my son, By lust and the wiles of a women..." (143). He did not understand that what I said was not true and went on to say other harsh things that I shall not mention now. As for you my dear Antigone, I am doing all I can to get you out of that cave. I want nothing else than to be with you, and I hope my father can realize that. Its like he just does not understand me. I could not take being nice to his stubbornness and insincerity. 

After taking my father's crap I finally snapped. He thinks that what he is doing is right but I told him that the people of Thebes think not and he responded with the most ignorant thing I have ever heard him say. He said "Since when do I take my orders from the people of Thebes?" (146). I tried to stay as calm as I could saying "Isn't that rather a childish thing to say?" (146). He then had the nerve to say that he is a great ruler...!! What?! He would be "... an excellent king - on a desert island" (146). He is legitimately the most conceded person I have ever met and I am so sorry you have had to put up with him. I am coming to get the right women for me, you, my Antigone, and am planning on marrying you. I look forward to calling you my wife.

I look forward to seeing you soon

Love,

Haemon

My Journal on a Day about Mariah May.

I was given the task write down my observations of  Mariah for a day. Thinking that it would be easy, I was soon proven wrong! She lives such a crazy life, but very blessed, and I will do my best to show you her life, through my observations of one day.

At 6:55 in the morning on Friday, October 18, 2013, Mariah got nicely woken up by her mother who made a delicious breakfast and had all ready for her on the kitchen table with. It is how she likes it. She told me that everyday her mother either makes her a breakfast sandwich or bagel, and you cannot forget her tiny plastic cup filled with her orange juice and has the gallon carton next to her. After she ate breakfast she went back upstairs to get ready. In the process of getting ready, her younger sister, Makenzie, came in looking up at her older sister asking her "Is my outfit okay Mariah?" Tired and cranky, Mariah responds, "uhhh sure… I mean you are out of the ridiculous dress code for school, but it’s a spirit day so it’s up to you. I mean I would not wear that but I am not the one getting in trouble.” Makenzie with a smirk says okay and finishes getting ready. Today, Mariah was ready before her sister was and she sat down stairs yelling at her to hurry up. I have soon realized that she is not very nice in the mornings. Once she finally helps Makenzie look spiffy for school, or makes sure she is in the absurd dress code that their school gives them, they head out to the already warmed car that their mother started for them.

On Mariah’s way to school, Nik Klousmier called her and asked for a ride to school, so she went and picked him up off the side of the road. When she finally got to school she runs to class, hiding from the terrifying principle. When in class Mariah puts her head on her desk trying to ignore everyone as she tries to wake up and hopes that this is all just a long dream. Around second period she has to forcibly wake herself up to understand the concepts in AP English. After second period is break and she has to wiggle her way through the jammed packed, crazy middle school hallway. Trying to put a smile on her face so she doesn’t explode, she finally makes it to her classroom. Once setting down her ever so heavy school bag, she heads back out into the jungle. Since it is a Friday, her patience is running low, and she puts a smile on her face to keep herself from saying something she doesn’t mean. With concentrated eyes looking towards the end of the hall, she finally makes it through alive. When she’s through the mess, it becomes an easy dash to her locker to grab her UTT books and run back to study. While cramming all of break to study for the test the horrific sound of the class bell rings and her large brown eyes got wide. She prays that she remembers everything on the test and slowly puts her books under her seat. She speedily finishes the test and goes to her locker. From her classmate’s foolhardy remarks to her, I can tell she does not like to be in class much. (There will be more back up to this later on in my journal, during her online class).

 After that class Mariah makes a break to get out of that hall and runs into what I would say is a close friend or something to her named Austin. Their exchange was quite awkward and there was some tension between them but he attempted to give her a hug and apologize for her but she was not taking it. She was very short with her answers and walked away. (I wonder what happened). In math, Mariah woke up a bit and was very bubbly! She left with Ashley to get brownies and ate them in class! Mariah was quite a fatty today and chowed on those brownies. I was surprised since she claims she is going on a diet! Next, is her online class. She seems to hate that class quite a bit since she is constantly leaving it. (There are some kids in that class however, that are quite annoying and I can see why she would want to leave and not be in there with them). After that class, she sprinted to the office to sign out and go to lunch with her friend Nikki. They went to Wendy’s. Mariah is such a great sister that she brought back lunch for Makenzie and her best friend Lexi! After lunch is Mariah’s favorite class… Choir. She cannot hit a note for the life of her so she lip sings! I would say she is quite good at it and tends to have a happy attitude in that class, maybe it’s because it’s her last class of the day..? I’m not sure but she is sure happy!

After sixth period Mariah went home and relaxed and watched some TV before having to return to school for the pep assembly. On her return to school she was very cheery and happy! During the pep assembly she was full of laughter and had a genuine joy in her face! However, she kept looking back at Austin, with a look of worry. There was something bugging her. I have noticed that she likes her friends to be happy and if they aren’t she worries about them and tries to make them happy. She did not let that look of worry be seen by anyone else, she kept a smile on her face but her eyes were full of concern that no one noticed. She slowly passed through everyone in the halls and made it out to her car. Once her sister got to the car, Mariah ran some errands for her mom and Makenzie, sensing something was wrong kindly asked Mariah what was wrong. Trying not to burden her sister, Mariah responded with saying “Oh nothing is wrong. I am just exhausted from this week. It has been long and stressful and I am just ready to go home and sleep”. Makenzie just brushed it off and they finished running their errands. When Mariah finally got home, she went to her room and curled up on her bed, plugged her phone in and text her friends, then she fell asleep. Her phone suddenly rings, and Austin was on the other line. Trying not to ease drop, I did not listen to her conversation, but whatever was said, resolved her issues and she looked much happier afterwards.

Mariah then went downstairs and worked on her blog for Mrs. Myers class due at midnight tonight. Taking a break from her blog since it was going nowhere, Mariah went to the movies with Makenzie and her crazy family friend, Tyler… They saw Gravity, which they said was an amazing movie! When she got home from the movie Mariah went straight to the computer to finish up her blog.

This is the end of my day to observe Mariah, but I noticed many things about her, which Tyler gave me an insight on and I can see all of them in her. She can be mean and cranky, yet very caring. This might be from her bit of introverted side in the mornings and not wanting to see people, but slowly throughout the day she warms up to people and her extrovertious (yes I know not a real word, but I like it) side shows. She goes through her day battling her want to be in silence but to care for people and put a smile on their faces. Not many people know that about Mariah, but she loves to be in silence and have her “me” time to herself (that it was she calls the time she spends by herself) which she likes to get daily.

If you are wondering who or what I am… I am her large brown eyes. (Or as she would say her poop brown eyes haha)

Mariah's Lovely Personal Statements Rough Draft:

            Isolated in the kitchen, hearing the outbursts of laughter from the room next door, I soon found myself deep in a pity party. My friend Tyler, sensing my frustration, came in and asked
“How’s your reading going Mariah?” I burst into tears.
            I was doing the typical high school student thing, working last minute summer homework right before school started. Since I was “the designated baker” of the vacation group, I was put in charge of making some sort of dessert for everyone. Even though I was doing something I loved, the stress and regret of procrastination overcame me. For a moment I sat in silence, staring out of the window at the magnificent sunset. With my book half-closed in my right hand and my left hand clenched in a fist, I sat there choking back tears of failure. However, Tyler’s question snapped me back into reality and he offered peace in the midst of a storm. Tyler began discussing “Mere Christianity” with me, which is a dense philosophical text, and one of two of my summer readings I had to do. After a few exchanges, Tyler asked “What do you believe in?” I responded with what I had been taught to say, that Jesus Christ is my savior. That’s not what Tyler meant. He wanted to know what I thought of Jesus Christ in relation to everything in life. I soon realized that the simple question was not so easy to answer. Throughout high school it had been easy to mindlessly go through the motions, accepting my faith and beliefs passively, but not claiming them as my own. Growing up in a Christian school, going to church on Sundays, enjoying a supportive home life, and throwing myself into basketball every season, my life had been relatively good. It had been easy to accept what I believed and never question it. I had been a leader at school and was often sought out for advice, but that never really challenged my way of thinking. Suddenly, I had to choose what I believed – and more importantly, think about why. This had powerfully affected me in a way that has never happened before. I realized that I had just been nonchalantly going through the motions. Then Tyler said something to me that I will never forget. He said, “Why try to fit in and be someone you’re not, when you’re meant to stand out?” This went straight to my heart. In that moment I came to the realization that I needed to stop going through the motions, focusing on what other people thought about me, and I needed stop acting dumb to fit in. I came to the rude awakening that I need to be myself, try harder at school, and live up to all the potential that everyone sees I have.
            That last week of my summer, left my life drastically changed. My eyes were opened. This just left plenty of improvement for the future and has left me giving it my all to major in business financing and entrepreneurship to start with, and which will give me a good base for what my future may bring. My dream is to open up a successful restaurant and carry on my father’s legacy of successful entrepreneurship.

Personal Testing

When I took the Myers-Briggs test, my letters were INFJ.

Introvert(44%)  iNtuitive(38%)  Feeling(38%)  Judging(44%)

• You have moderate preference of Introversion over Extraversion (44%)
• You have moderate preference of Intuition over Sensing (38%)
• You have moderate preference of Feeling over Thinking (38%)
• You have moderate preference of Judging over Perceiving (44%)

Beneath the quiet exterior, INFJs hold deep convictions about the weightier matters of life. Those who are activists -- INFJs gravitate toward such a role -- are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power. INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress. INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless. The concept of 'poetic justice' is appealing to the INFJ. "There's something rotten in Denmark." Accurately suspicious about others' motives, INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words.
This first part of the description minus the "concept of 'poetic justice'" part pretty accurately describes me! I try to be there for people and help them get through their problems, however I am very picky on who my friends are and who I decide to open up to.

The next thing said was that INFJs have a knack for fluency in language and facility in communication. In addition, nonverbal sensitivity enables the INFJ to know and be known by others intimately.
This is a FAT lie... I am awful with language and communicating. I cannot read in front of people or give presentations without freaking out. I wish I was better at languages and communicating with other, but I am quite awful at it.

It says that writing, counseling, public service and even politics are areas where INFJs frequently find their niche.
First off, I absolutely hate writing (Sorry Mrs. Myers) and I cannot stand politics. I do like helping people with their issues, however, I do not want to sit behind a desk and ask people "And so how do you feel about that...?" for a living.

Honestly, I struggled with this part because I do not like looking at the good factors of my personality and I focus on the negative parts, so this is really hard for me to do.

The next thing I had to do for class was ask four people to describe my personality in three to five words with a little paragraph on what they believe I have going for myself. I had Mr. Ed, Mr. Coffey, Melanie and Keaton fill one out for me. The crazy thing was that Mr. Coffey and Keaton pretty much said word for word what the other one wrote. Kind of creepy right? Ill just say what Keaton wrote since it is shorter haha :) Keaton described me as personable, helpful, perseverant, outgoing and loyal.  He went on to say that "Mariah is very talented at being able to connect to an individual. She appropriately identifies times to help others and has a compassionate attitude. She is willing to stick her neck out to ensure the well being of others and couldn't car less what people think about her. Rather, she hopes to become her best self because she is individually motivated and driven. Willing to challenge herself, she will be able to accomplish more and will break any obstacle in her way once she sets her mind off." Mr. Coffey added on to this that "The best thing about [me] is [my] potential. [I] have all the ingredients to become a leader and encouragement in society."

Okay, so scratch my comment on me struggling on the last part, I struggled on this whole assignment. This is hard for me to look at the bright side of my personality and just focus on my screw ups and what I am horrible at instead.


Thank you for those of you who took your time to read this :)

"The Christian idea of marriage is based  on Christ's words that a man and wife are to be regarded as a single organism - for that is what the words 'one flesh' would be in modern English. And the Christians believe that when He said this He was not expressing a sentiment but stating a face - just as one is stating a fact when one says that a lock and its key are one mechanism, or that I violin and a bow are one musical instrument. The inventor of the human machine was telling us that its two halves, the male and female, were made to be combined together in pairs, not simply on the sexual level, but totally combined..." (104).

We did not really talk about marriage in class, but this quote stuck out to me. Now-a-days, people are uniting as one before marriage and are treating sex like a recreational everyday activity, which is not how sex is supposed to be. Marriage is when two people unite and become one, not only under God's law, but as well as the government. It makes me sad seeing girls give up their virginity to a guy because they think that the guy "loves them" and does not want him to leave her. If the guy really loved the girl and was not only with her to get some action, he would actually love her and marry her first.

This quote personally effects me because it makes me think about things before I do it. Not only through sex, but in other choices in my life as well. As Mrs. Meyers pointed out, "when a person is in conflict, both sides are equally represented," and as in the case of sex as well as other issues of morality, it is a matter of which side I choose to put more stock into that determines the outcome. And ideally, the decision will be made with the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Story with an analogy of my life

As I sit here, staring at this blank piece of paper, I try to think "what analogies can I relate to my life?" The only thing that came to my mind is how I am not good enough. The analogy that I came up with was a dollar bill. I am that dollar bill that everyone wants, but few truly appreciate it. I am tossed around to whoever needs it but once they do not want it, I am handed off to someone else. Over time, I fear that I will lose my worth and eventually be replaced.

Litany Rewrite

You are the wood and the fire,
the spark and the gasoline.
You are the light that illuminates the sky
and the glow of the pale moonlight.
You are the white of the Navy mans uniform
and the tide-to-go for stains

However, you are not the cold, dark gloomy nights,
the ruin to my name,
or the monster in my closet.
And you are certainly not the pitch fork to the fire.
There is just no way you are the pitch fork to the fire.

It is possible that you are the thunder in a storm,
maybe even the blood for my heart,
but you are not even close
to being the salt in a wound.

And the reflection in the water will show,
that you are neither the ripples in the pond,
nor the car in the garage.

It may intrigue you to learn,
that I am the eyes gazing into the fire,
and the biting of the pen.

I am the ant in a large room,
the mask of a hero (the hidden hand of kindness)
and the secret joy of sibling rivalries.

I am the lost translation
and the seeker to the light.
But don't worry, I'm not the wood and the fire.
You are still the wood and the fire.
You will always be the wood and the fire,
not to mention the spark and -- somehow -- the gasoline.
Mariah May