A Husky Far From Home

Monday, May 26, 2008

The Old Has Gone and the New Has Come

The othersideofwashington seems only appropriate for when I'm ON theothersideofwashington, so from here on out, you'll find me posting at http://beccarrow.blogspot.com/

See you on the other side!

Monday, May 5, 2008

How Can A Year Be So Short?

They've graduated or moved home. I had everything I owned in Pullman in the car behind my seat on Saturday and moved it all back into my house. How it originally fit there I have yet to find out. But nothing like moving to make you rethink how much you actually need. Did I ever even wear that ... ?

So I'm back in Seattle. I no longer work for my beloved WSU INN team of Bill and Claire, but have actually been transferred to work for Janie (Seattle INN Staff) for helping with the Ascent conference that occurs in about 2 weeks. I'm pretty excited about that, since my job is basically a lot of creativity, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE.

But what a weird transition, and how I despise goodbyes. They're like 'see you later's but in a lying kind of way, because you don't really know if you WILL see them later, however much you hope to. And it felt like I was graduating all over again. Luckily I made some rounds, gave some hugs, ate some Ferdand's and made the most of it, only tearing up briefly when saying goodbye to the most amazing host family in the entire world (this is not an exaggeration). And now I'm home, independence out to lunch, life in boxes, and left to ponder life and what I've learned this year. That's another weird thing about returning home, it always begs the questions 'what has changed since last I was here?'. And I know it's a lot, it's just a matter of deciphering what exactly. I had a great conversation with a pastor at UPC, Allen Belton. He's like the favorite Grandpa you never had, who brags about you to people you don't even know. We chatted during UPC's Centennial Celebration (which in my mind really means free food and weird church entertainment, but most importantly free food) and he feels that freedom to ask me to give him 2 things I learned from the year. Really put me on the spot you know? But it got me thinking, I can map out quite a few things I've learned this year, and it would probably be good to do so. Anyway, the two I came up with were 1) Invitiation over announcements - you can announce the heck out of something but unless there is a personal invitation attached with genuine interest in the stakeholder, then good luck. 2) We have a people over program mentality, but a lot of times you need to have some program to create space and community opportunity to get to know the people, and for them to know each other. Just thought I'd share my bits of wisdom. :) Anyway, Allen is probably the biggest boost of motivation anyone would ever need to get through life. Lord, make me an encourager like you've molded him to be.

And now for the final final lap. Ascent is May 16-19th, and then it's officially over. Yikes! Time sure does fly when you're having fun.

My Freshman Core Group at the INN BBQ

Bill and Claire appreciated me by taking me to see High School Musical LIVE!!

Who would I be if I didn't take end of the year jumping pic's with friends ...

... and Family?

Monday, April 28, 2008

My Life, in Pictures.

Last INN at WSU! AAGGHHH! But luckily I still get to BBQ this Tuesday ...

TOBY!! He calls me 'ecca'. That's pretty close. And given his other words are 'woof' and 'yes' I'm pretty proud. How can I possibly leave this treasure?

We went for a hike! Kamiak Butte! Check out how AMAZING it was. PERFECT weather. And I mean PER-Fect.

I don't know why it's sideways, but it's still beautiful.

JUMPING PICTURE!!!

All of us. I love hikes. I love nature. I love sunshine. Speaking of which ...

A painted thank-you to the Moores. I love Art.

The End. OR is it??!?! Duh duh duuuuhhhhh ....

Sunday, April 20, 2008

I don't care, I'm gonna wear a skirt.

The temperature may range from 29-33 degrees, but the sun is out and that is enough psychological influence for me to decide to wear a skirt. So I am. And it is fantastic. When I'm indoors. It wouldn't be so bad if not for the breezes ...

I've done an absolutely terrible thing. I haven't used my camera in about a week. And I am SO bummed, because that worship night we put on last Thursday was absolutely fantastic (I really like that word). I spent most of Thursday setting up the fellowship hall to not look like a barren wasteland of church space. And it was beautiful! There was a station for lighting candles for someone (a tad catholic perhaps?), a station for writing prayer requests and posting them on a prayer wall (wheel-able bulletin board, but decorated), an area for those who worship through art (the water colors were pretty popular), and I converted the sanctuary's cry room - accessible from the fellowship hall - into a prayer room. This was all accompanied by great mood lighting (aka white Christmas lights all over ...) and it was all-around comfortable and inspiring. I was more or less inspired by the prayer room my host family set up for a 36-hr prayer project they created in my basement. Anyway, the night was amazing, and actually went for about 2 hours ... that's a long time, and people were still there! And every station was used, which just feels good. It was also amazing because I even felt refreshed from it even though I put on most of it, and usually when that happens I get overwhelmed ... but nope! It was fabulous. I hope they do it again next year. But I suppose that depends on the band next year, and this year a lot of them are graduating.

We actually held some tryouts this weekend, which I think went really well. It was good not only for a fair process of forming a new band, but to set a kind of standard for expectation and commitment, which I think is a healthy mentality that needs to be addressed for such things. Same thing goes for Student Leadership interviews - these things are so good. It causes me to call to mind those people who get upset over why there are rules and regulations, or a system for doing things, not realizing that most of the time those are created for the good of the individual/community involved. Don't get me wrong, legalism is dangerous for sure, but many times our Christian guidelines (most of which are set by God/Jesus) are very beneficial. Like why we follow certain ground rules as Christians - no sex before marriage let's say, and people blur the lines saying 'Oh I'll be okay with God, this is an old rule from the Bible, things have changed' or something like that. And I just want them to take a look and realize, 'hey, we believe in a loving and just God who wants the best for you, do you really think He tells you these things for you to cast them aside?' And we look at the ways that it can be damaging when we go against this Godly suggestion (as current culture seems to think it) contrasted with the deep blessing we get when we take Him seriously and live into the promise of true life when we remain in Him. That is a long tangent on why we have certain procedures, but that is the way my mind works, and I could go off again on the issue of drinking and Christianity right now, but this post is already getting long. Let me know if you want to hear me vent.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord ... and watch movies, or do crafts, or just be. I like that. As my time winds down (wind is a weird word - like the air stream or how you use a twisty tie? you decide ...) I like to just spend time with these people. My family, friends - will I get this chance ever again?!?! NO!! These are the people that are here, now, and it will never be the same. That's saddening, but also challenging to make the most of now ...

Sunday, April 13, 2008

"It's been a long time comin' but now, the snow is gone"

Have you met my family? Please meet Alex, Mae and Toby. They're pretty much awesome.

Nothing like a weekend of 70 degree weather to put you in the mood for some backyard jumping pics. This along with Mom's weekend (= WORST traffic in Pullman EVER), pruning rose bushes, afternoon tea, worship practice and my gospel choir concert, I'd have to say it's been pretty busy.

Up next: Worshipalooza. I think that's how you'd spell it. Thursday evening we're trying to put on a night of worship, honest to goodness I can only hope it will be as amazing as I imagine it will be. I can't believe it's already this week - I kept on having to keep up with the students helping to put it on, and now it finally approacheth ... My friend Amanda and I are going (to try) to lead some songs which will be fun because I realize I'm on a teeter totter of sorts with worship team envy - I'd love to be on one, but at the same time feel I would be drawn away from actually worshiping. I just LOVE playing music with other people. And we sounded good on Friday when we practiced. So prayers please that this puzzle fits together nicely. I see some trips to the dollar store, and possible yanking out of my hair at certain moments, but all should go well.

Friends (my use of this word is the direct effect of working with Claire), take up an instrument. Not for the sake of others but for your own benefit. I do not play the guitar so that others may hear me, nor tickle the keys to impress my peers. It is such a blessing to de-stress on an instrument and just enjoy the music made possible by chords, keys, quarter notes and treble clefs. I can't imagine what pleasure would come from actually knowing how to bang around on a drum kit, I only swoon at the very idea.

I dreamed a dream ...

This is ridiculous. I have the weirdest dreams, and mostly just lately they've gotten weirder. Ranging from being Harry Potter in a Gwen Stefani music video, to helping Rori Gilmore hunt down vampires, I think it might be time to keep track of them ...

4/20
I dreamed Princeton got a hold of me and told me they were making me vice president of some main student organization there ... it was all very flattering and important stuff, even though I felt I had no idea what I was getting myself into. And then I was already in the moving process, and our dorms were literally hobbit holes in the sides of hills. Don't get me wrong, those are pretty fantastic, but hobbit holes? At Princeton?

4/10
So my house is really a part of a large mansion, and we have decided to hold a great formal dance - everyone from the INN is coming, and I think it's the day of so everyone is kind of rushing around getting all the last minute preparations ready. I come home carrying a LOT of stuff, and as I head into the house I realize that there is an elevator where our actual office is, and since I need to get to the fourth floor, I start going for it. As I pass Mae, I ask her why she never told me about the elevator before, and she said (rather truly) something to the effect of, 'you never like taking elevators when there are stairs readily available/accessible.' So I proceed to the elevator, which is more of a warehouse elevator, and I end up having to share it with another lady from our church who's packed 4 shopping carts onto it, along with a lot of red lead paint ... this is a culmination of so many things ...

4/8
I was at some music practice in the church, playing guitar with a college aged choir, and I hear one of those high pitched noises, you know the ones you get in one ear and you try to shake your ear a bit to get rid of it - kind of like the high pitched noise the tv makes when it's on but muted. Anyway, I start thinking it's coming from one of the strings in my guitar, but it isn't, and we realize that it's coming from the piano. So we go to look into the piano, and suddenly the piano is now a separate room that we have to walk into. Each piano key is actually linked to multiple bags of bells (approx. 5 bells per bag) which are all hanging in rows from the ceiling. So we start searching the bads to find the bell that is making this noise. Side note - the bells don't look so much like bells as they look like old school microphones and kazoos, but they all sound like bells ... We find the bag that holds THE bell, and in the same bag is this other bell that when you ring it, it cuts out all noise ... very eerie. So I take the bag of bells with me and walk into town (I have no idea what town, I just know I'm supposed to get rid of the bell bag). As I'm walking along, I see this man up ahead who is half man and half bear (werewolf style). I duck into the nearest shop which happens to be a bakery, of the style of the 13th century or something. I see a friend of mine and they say to me, 'you know why that man's a bear-man? it's because of that bell!' and so I realize I have to destroy it! So I throw it into the oven in the bakery, and when I go back outside the man has turned back into a man.

2/26
I am addicted to avocados. I literally dreamed about them last night. In my dream I was on some sort of retreat with some friends, and there was a little grocery mart we stopped by, and bought 3 avocados. We were going to eat them, but put them on a counter in the kitchen, and next thing we know they are gone! I finally find some of my other friends in another room saying they NEED the avocados to help them get better - some sort of health/medicine recipe which stated that avocados have some sort of special healing natural ingredient in them (I wouldn't be surprised, they're so DELICIOUS!!). So I finally convince them they can keep the ones they took (they'd already skinned them, and I prefer to eat them out of the skins) if they agreed to by us new ones to replace them. So they agreed, but when we went back to the store, they were sold OUT!! I know, when did this dream turn into a nightmare!?! Then I woke up.

1/9
Wow. So my friends and I have discovered a way to get into literature ... literally. We have figured out that in pieces of artwork representing novels/fiction we are able to jump into them and become part of the story. We can't change anything, but we become side characters that witness the things that happen. BUT we THEN find out that under the right circumstances (like, when there's lightning) we can jump in and substitute a character - they end up in our world and we end up in theirs. And then we CAN change the fate of the book. So we get to it - a certain book we have read, we figure has a terrible ending so we orchestrate when and how to change the story so that it ends better. But it's all secretive because we have to work around curfews because apparently I've reverted back into high school. Hey, this could make a pretty sweet movie.

1/7
I'm getting picked up from Tully's by my dad in the good ol' Garfield Mini-van. I think I may have stolen a cup, but it's one of those mugs you get at retreat centers, and Tully's doesn't really have those even for purchase, so I'm gonna go ahead and say I didn't steal it. Anyway, he picks me up, we drive off in the direction of capital hill (it's all snowy too) and as we're heading up some hilly parts, I ask him, 'where are we going' and he replies 'oh, you'll see' and all of a sudden, we taken off into flight. The mini-van flies. We are free wheelin' through the clouds and off into the blue. It was fantastic.

12/27
All I remember was that I was on a mission trip with some people I didn't know, and we were on our way home, talking about how God had been so powerful in placing us on this trip. But one of the guys was mentioning how he used to be a dog and ended up coming on the trip, and everyone oooh'd and awweee'd at how God had orchestrated the whole thing, and then I just had to ask, 'How did you sign up for the trip if you were a dog?' because he had literally been a golden retriever. Well, let's just say the question was a moment killer. Apparently no one else was as curious as I.

12/9
Wow. So I dreamed that in my past I sold marijuana and never got caught for it. But then after I had turned my life around the police started coming after me, and my family and I decided it would be better if I ran. So they bought me a car - a really old buick or something, which I had to pick up at a Safeway. So I was on my way out of the parking lot and I had to slam on my breaks at some point and since they were less responsive than I was used so I ended up slamming into 2 cars instead. Finally I'm on my way (after instant car repair? and no insurance questions?) and headed out of town which is somewhere in the middle of Iowa. I think I had another dream in which I was on one of those ridiculous reality dating show. The whole time thinking 'I can't believe I'm on one of those ridiculous reality dating shows.'

11/11
So I'm in a grocery store, something like a Fred Meyer, lined up with the rest of the marching band. I come out to start a bit of drum majoring to lead the band in '76 Trombones Led the Big Parade ...' from the Music Man, and as we weave our ways through the aisles it also becomes a scavenger hunt for my sister. We are now rushing around in hot pursuit, but she has disguised herself with strange clothes. She does speak though, and I recognize her and find her. Then she and I shop for a bit but decide we'd rather take a walk to Fremont and so we do. I think I miss my sister.

11/8
Okay, it's been awhile, mostly because I haven't been remembering large chunks lately. But huzzah! I'm in a shopping mall, and I've decided to take my purse and bags and place them next to a wall in some main hallway with my thought process being 'I hope no one steals my stuff...' only to have that answered by a guy coming up and snatching my purse. So I start running after him, and I think to myself, 'man, I canNOT run in HEELS!' so I proceed to remove my red stiletto heels I'm wearing (I know, what?!?) and chase him down. I'm pretty fast, so I catch him in the parking lot and start beating him with my shoes. Then he takes a stiletto to the face, and it pretty much lodges inside his face. Like all the way in. And then we're really just standing there and he's like 'dang it!' and I'm like, 'well, that's what you get for stealing my purse.' And I take my purse back and walk away.

10/17
So, I'm robbing something. I can't remember if it's a bank, but seeing as the getaway vehicle was something close to a semi truck, we could have been stealing something huge. I'm with a bunch of people I don't know, and a few that I do, and we're sitting in the Semi on our way out, and I turn to a friend and say something to the effect of, "You know, I'm speaking at the INN next week, I really shouldn't be doing this. I mean, I'm going to be talking about obedience and I don't think this is at all what God had in mind ..."
--- can you believe that? a moment of reality within my subconscious. Good grief. And I really am speaking at the INN next week, you can be in prayer. Thanks!

10/11
1. First, I had a dream about the BEST used bookstore I have ever experienced. Makes sense it was in a dream. Seriously, I got this giant Beatrix Potter compilation of stories book for like, $1. Sweet.
2. I don't remember how we got to this point, but I and a few friends were back home, were in charge of a few very large versions of Pocupines we had on leashes (they were very sweet, just difficult to pet ...). We were tooling around town looking for something, and ended up back at my house. And then it got very 'Back To The Future' - we each had our place on a part of a miniature train set, and we had to speed up to a point on my front lawn that was lit up by sparklers so that we could jump into the future, porcupines in tow ... yeah, I have no clue ...

10/6
I dreamed I had tickets to go see Rent, the musical, live. In Bremerton of all places. Dreams are weird. Anyway, my whole family was also going but we didn't have enough room in one car (did my family expand? I thought they were shrinking ...) but it was okay because I was going to travel with a friend. But said 'friend' called me and said they couldn't make it to the show, but AFTER my family had already left - WHAT?!? I just remember it getting closer and closer to showtime and I had no way of getting across the water. AGONY.

9/28
First, if you've read my 9/30 post, you'll see this was partially due to A Thousand Splendid Suns. But it also was because of the movie Because I Said So because it had a lot of weddings in it. My dream was I was getting married - but it was arranged. Didn't know the guy, he was also already a father, and the dream felt kind of real. I just remember getting used to the marriage idea, trying to get to know who this guy is and who his family is, etc. It was strange, but wasn't scary, and was kind of an interesting challenge.

9/23
I took a nap, and dreamed that Toby could speak. Like, full sentences. Here's how it went - I sat down on the couch next to Alex and Toby, and Toby starts mumbling baby-like stuff, and then I realize he's talking. I say, 'did he just say candy?' and he had said 'I would really like a piece of candy' only it was mumbly. But then I said to him, do you know english? and his eyes got wide and he smirked, and then I asked him his name and he shyly replied 'Toby'. That's pretty advanced for 6mo. When I woke up I was kind of suspicious but I'm pretty sure he can't talk ... yet ...

9/18
Dream #1: Kate Maxwell has decided to move from Seattle to Minnisota, and plans to travel there on horseback, since she owns a horse (no i don't think she really does), and plans on camping places along the way. I and several friends meet her at the end of her journey to find riding on something more similar to a donkey, and she's been mugged, so she's broke. :(
Dream #2: I and several friends are rushing around looking for cobwebs so that we can coat ourselves in a sticky exterior in order to better catch the villains we are after. And no, I don't think my subconcious has very good ideas for catching villains.