can you do an ollie?

So today I had the precious experience of meeting 3 young girls around the age of ten. One was carrying a skate board. I was getting my mail, and the were chattering like young girls, and I noticed one of them peek around the corner and begin to stare at me. We said our hello's and I began to turn and leave. Then two more popped around the mailbox square where I was standing. I asked them all their names and if they knew how to ride the skateboard. All three claimed to be experts. I watched as one pushed the other out of the way grabbed the skateboard and prepared to show me her movies. And she got on it....then, she stayed on it....not rolling, in one place. I said, c'mon let me see an ollie. So the sister proceeded to go get the skateboard and she got on and a little ways down the path she said, I really can do an ollie, I just can't do it right now. So then another girl showed me how she could jump on it.

Before they left they asked where I lived and I told them, and I asked where they lived. She told me. They became pretty distraught as the oldest one began to tell me about my apartment. She said there was a sad story my apt, and I responded with, " about the lady who died? how did it happen?" She told me she hit her temple in the bathroom. Basically, I am on a mission to see if I can come to the truth about how this lady really did die, in my apartment, because it seems to me everyone has a different story. Interesting.

After hearing that invigorating story the two sisters of the group told me they were moving out Thursday, I asked why and they said they didn't know. Walking up the stairs, Danny stopped me and asked if I had met his friends(referring to the girls I was just talking about) I smiled and mentioned how sweet they were, and asked why they were moving. He began to tell me that, apparently they got kicked out of their apartment because they're dad started a fight or made a problem or something, so after two years of living here these 2 young girls will lose any stability they had in their life. It's so sad to me. These girls need someone to protect them, love them, and make them feel safe. To talk to them, ride a skateboard with them, and treat them as though they are princesses, and who will fight for them? The apartment complex won't, their dad won't, it should be us. People are getting missed in the shuffle, Lord make me someone who plucks people from that shuffle and moves them into Your path. It truly was a sad situation.

On a lighter note, I saw Ray today, he was play nerf guns with a 4 year old and got one stuck on a big trucks windshield. He asked me to get it off, but I couldn't reach it.

monotony.

Monotony- wearisome uniformity or lack of variety, as in occupation or scenery.

This is how I have never wanted to feel, but seem to feel as I begin living my life in my apartment. Everything seems so normal, but a new normal. My old normal used to look like hanging out with my parents, reading the bible, procrastinating on school work, watching movies, eating too much, and really not making a dent in the world. But my normal now is, sitting in my apartment, with one channel, learning to play my mandolin, reading my bible, finishing homework efficiently, working out, and having ongoing conversations with my neighbors. But can I tell you the truth, even though its new and probably more efficient, I am still not living out my calling.

MY NEIGHBORS NEED JESUS CHRIST, I am living in the middle of a mission field and I have an undying passion to change the world...or at least I say I do...but have I shared my faith yet? No, is it because I don't want to? Absolutely not! It's because I spend more time learning chords on the mandolin than I do talking to my neighbors and building relationships.

I am convinced passion is more than words.

I was watching a documentary the other day called "No Impact Man" it's about a guy who decided his beliefs were to go green and to make his ecological footprint smaller. Basically, he was married to recycling. And I don't honestly agree with his passions, he was a little overboard,in my opinion. He gradually began shutting off his electricity, never driving a car, making compost within his New York apt, becoming a vegetarian, never using plastic or paper sacks, making his child use cloth diapers, and the list seriously goes on and on, and though that's not my cause, I admire his passion.

He had values and beliefs that shaped his actions. And it caused a stir around the world. Within me I have the Spirit of the Living God, and my words say I'm passionate about it, but my actions don't always. This guy schooled me in turning my values into actions.

Dana, Lucy, and all my neighbors should know what I'm passionate about. This is my new goal.

Wherever you are reading this, I request you join with me in this "cause". When you turn your words into actions, radical change occurs.

Our world needs radical change, will sit back or join me in this fight?

To watch or not to watch: Power Rangers.

Sorry ladies and gentleman for the wait.

In the last week I have been to Little Rock, then to Tulsa, then back home...In the meantime, my place of work shut down. That taught me to never take a vacation ;) Just kidding. But that is the reason I haven't written, I have been gone, and stressed, and learning to trust God a little bit more.

Things are becoming more normal, like Peanut's loud barking and Dana's loud talking...I think I'm getting what I deserve for being a loud-talker. I have realized that, that Lucy must keep her grand-kids on some weekends, because every Saturday morning, a 9 year old boy or so, emerges from my her apartment and goes and gets the mail. I'm loving Saturday mornings at the apartment. Relaxing, peaceful, minus the barking (from both) of course, but a community feel, for sure.

Good news, I saw a person with a Christian T-Shirt holding a baby and walking with her husband. I have decided to find them, and be friends ;) Glimmers, yes, glimmers of hope.

So this morning, I opened my eyes after having a couple weirdo dreams, one about earthquakes(wonder why), and decided to have lunch at about 9:45 a.m. It consisted of Raisinetes and a turkey bacon sandwich. Don't judge me! Raisins are a fruit. I don't have cable but I get ABC. Turns out Saturday mornings they play Disney channel shows that I love...like I said don't judge ;)...so I began to watch and eat my sandwich and fruit, and my eyes got heavy, then I realized, Power Rangers was coming on next, and as enticing as it was, I decided to sleep...

What will this week hold? I don't know, but if Disney Shows are involved, I'm in.

My Friend.

I just thought I would share something that has touched me beyond anything I could ever have imagined.

Love is revolutionizing.

I was going to work out today and and I passed Dana while she was talking to someone, I waved and as I walked in to work out, I heard her say, "That's my friend, Emily."

I am truly the most blessed human being.

Who do you need to be a friend to today?

Peanut, go teetee!

I have noticed something that catches my eye as I secretly watch(stalk) my neighborhood. The mailboxes are like the office water cooler. As soon as the mail man comes, its like a swarm of people go out and wait for their mail, while he's putting it in. It's like what they wait for. I felt like the odd one not being down there. I thought it may be a one time occurrence, but this morning it happened again. Interesting.

So there is a ton of little stuff that I will never have time to write about, but I have a story today!

Dana has a dog. And I really think I should introduce him as a character. And I will use his real name, because it makes me laugh every time she talks to her dog. The dog's name is peanut buttercup. Between the hours of 9-10 am nearly every day, 2 or 3 times within the hour, Dana will take peanut out and begin to yell at him. "PEANUT, GO TEETEE. GO PEE! Go, I'm serious GO PEE, I don't care if you go on a car, just GO!"(I keep my car far from the curb) This interaction between Dana and her dog, really cracks me up. Today when she was doing it, I decided to talk to her the second time out.

I said hello, and within minutes Peanut was inside, and she was standing on my walkway talking to me. I ended up inviting her in and making her some hot chocolate. We talked about a lot of things. Turns out the lady who died in my apartment had drank too much alcohol and died in the bathtub. A little disturbing to say the least...

But there is something about my neighbors that I have known, but you should know too. These people are the ones that middle to upper class individuals don't give a rip about. My neighbors are the ones that no one notices. They aren't homeless so they are not at the forefront of peoples minds, but their lives have clearly been hard. A smile, and a cup of hot chocolate can really make a difference for any of them. For example today, while talking to Dana, she said hello to a person walking their dog, he looked a lot like me, he didn't look like his life was hard, he just looked like, a young man, probably single and working. Dana said hello to him, and he barely acknowledged her. I pray I am never that person, ever again. Because I have been.

So we continued our conversation. She asked me if I liked to read, and I told her I loved it. I asked her if she did, and she told me she couldn't read. I felt horrible. I asked if she knew her alphabet and letters, she said she only knew some. (Seriously, how blessed are you that you are reading this right now) I asked how she made it through high school she didn't give me a very clear answer, but I imagine she spent some time in special education classes. I offered to to teach her the alphabet song, and help her as much as I could.

Then she began to tell me about how much she loved Forrest Gump. She loves movies, she quotes them constantly. She asked if my DVD player was working, I said it was. Then she said something that I will never forget.

She said, "OH! Do you want me to go downstairs and get the Booty Call DVD?"

I chuckled to myself and told her that was not my type of movie.