Monday, January 09, 2006
sadder...
this'll probably be my last blog for at least a week or two. tomorrow-- actually, today (looking at the time)--i'll be leaving for Germany (where CP office/training is held). and then (most likely) it'll be back to Poland in February (yea!). meanwhile, i'm prolonging this packing process by getting distracted by one-last-time things like playing piano (--actually my first and last time this break) and now blogging.
i spent a lot of time with family this break and i guess it made leaving them a lot harder this time around. this time, big sis and i cried a little when saying goodbye and the hug was extra extra long. then it was mommy's turn (and mine again) when she came to pray w/me before turning in for the night. it was a really good prayer time. she's such a prayer warrior. i am blessed to know/see how much she's entrusted the Lord w/us. she doesn't even worry much about us anymore she says.
it's been a special break, i think. it was stressful a little stressful and hectic at first but it turned out well. it was especially nice to reconnect w/alot of my former youth choir members--now in college-- and to also become reacquainted w/some old friends. and it was a very special day. i had lunch w/my former youth choir director, Janet (--yummy yummy thai food) whom i admire (and enjoy) very much. ah, and this morning i had a chance to stop in at the children's worship for a few minutes just to say thank you to them for taking up a special offering to help fly me home. ( they called it "operation bring Amy home". cute, huh?) ah, and jesse preached a really good sermon. i had dinner w/family--STEAK!!!-- thank you! and i also popped in at the wai's to catch up on programs i've been missing out on (like "desperate housewives" and "supernatural").
and now, i think i've procrastinated enough and i should get back to packing if i plan on catching any "zzz's".
this'll probably be my last blog for at least a week or two. tomorrow-- actually, today (looking at the time)--i'll be leaving for Germany (where CP office/training is held). and then (most likely) it'll be back to Poland in February (yea!). meanwhile, i'm prolonging this packing process by getting distracted by one-last-time things like playing piano (--actually my first and last time this break) and now blogging.
i spent a lot of time with family this break and i guess it made leaving them a lot harder this time around. this time, big sis and i cried a little when saying goodbye and the hug was extra extra long. then it was mommy's turn (and mine again) when she came to pray w/me before turning in for the night. it was a really good prayer time. she's such a prayer warrior. i am blessed to know/see how much she's entrusted the Lord w/us. she doesn't even worry much about us anymore she says.
it's been a special break, i think. it was stressful a little stressful and hectic at first but it turned out well. it was especially nice to reconnect w/alot of my former youth choir members--now in college-- and to also become reacquainted w/some old friends. and it was a very special day. i had lunch w/my former youth choir director, Janet (--yummy yummy thai food) whom i admire (and enjoy) very much. ah, and this morning i had a chance to stop in at the children's worship for a few minutes just to say thank you to them for taking up a special offering to help fly me home. ( they called it "operation bring Amy home". cute, huh?) ah, and jesse preached a really good sermon. i had dinner w/family--STEAK!!!-- thank you! and i also popped in at the wai's to catch up on programs i've been missing out on (like "desperate housewives" and "supernatural").
and now, i think i've procrastinated enough and i should get back to packing if i plan on catching any "zzz's".
Sunday, January 08, 2006
"sad"...
my parents just took my sister, Bonnie to the airport just about an hour or so ago. sometimes it's harder to say bye than other times. sometimes you feel the rip and the tear of your heart a bit more. i dunno why. but this was one of those times. i miss my sister already. it was very interesting watching little two-yr old Aaron witness the parting as well. he could see it. he said "sad". his daddy said "yeah. sad. tia's (Auntie Bonnie) leaving."
my poor family. monday morning's my turn to leave but i'll have to say most of my bye's tomorrow cuz i'll have to leave the house before 7am.
tonight we had a very spontaneous and very belated birthday celebration for my dad and a slightly early one for my brother in law. it was not a big huge event but it was special. a very nice way to close out our time as a family altogether.
i'm glad i had a chance to go to the Emmanuel fellowship retreat this weekend. i could only stay one night and it was so short, but it was very special to me all the same. it was a beautiful thing to be able to reconnect w/those who are now in college that i haven't had a chance to connect with in the last 6 years i've been away with Covenant Players. i can't believe how fast they've grown up. i couldn't even recognize some of them at first because my very last interaction with many of them was when they were in youth choir and i was their director and they were still kids back then really. and now, they're wonderful, Godly young men and women who love and serve the Lord and they're vibrant. i'm so proud of them. thinking and writing about that right now is actually helping to take away a bit of the sting of sadness.
i hope i get more sleep tonight. i'm seriously sleep deprived and i know that's not exactly helpful for my emotional/mental state. and tomorrow i'll have to say a lot of goodbyes again. *sigh*
my parents just took my sister, Bonnie to the airport just about an hour or so ago. sometimes it's harder to say bye than other times. sometimes you feel the rip and the tear of your heart a bit more. i dunno why. but this was one of those times. i miss my sister already. it was very interesting watching little two-yr old Aaron witness the parting as well. he could see it. he said "sad". his daddy said "yeah. sad. tia's (Auntie Bonnie) leaving."
my poor family. monday morning's my turn to leave but i'll have to say most of my bye's tomorrow cuz i'll have to leave the house before 7am.
tonight we had a very spontaneous and very belated birthday celebration for my dad and a slightly early one for my brother in law. it was not a big huge event but it was special. a very nice way to close out our time as a family altogether.
i'm glad i had a chance to go to the Emmanuel fellowship retreat this weekend. i could only stay one night and it was so short, but it was very special to me all the same. it was a beautiful thing to be able to reconnect w/those who are now in college that i haven't had a chance to connect with in the last 6 years i've been away with Covenant Players. i can't believe how fast they've grown up. i couldn't even recognize some of them at first because my very last interaction with many of them was when they were in youth choir and i was their director and they were still kids back then really. and now, they're wonderful, Godly young men and women who love and serve the Lord and they're vibrant. i'm so proud of them. thinking and writing about that right now is actually helping to take away a bit of the sting of sadness.
i hope i get more sleep tonight. i'm seriously sleep deprived and i know that's not exactly helpful for my emotional/mental state. and tomorrow i'll have to say a lot of goodbyes again. *sigh*
Friday, January 06, 2006
old friends...
it was really nice to spend some good time w/old friends tonight. (uh, not old age-wise.) i felt so spoiled and special being able to have dinner at danette and richards and enjoying a very nice home-cooked meal....very thoughtful of them. wing cooked a scrumptious meal for me too last week. i must say, i have very thoughtful friends (and they're very good cooks too!).
i brought an ice-cream cake over for dan as a small belated birthday surprise and a few "mystery guests" showed up and it was just really nice to hang out w/people. very informal...nothing on the agenda. people are interesting enough without extra entertainment.
ah! speaking of entertainment...i was talking to another old friend of mine and the subject came up again tonight on how entertainment-obsessed we are in America--esp. California--esp. Southern California. coming back from Poland, i was really struck by this. i guess i never really thought about it all that much, but it is quite a strange thing. we have so many places to go and we're always looking for a new place to "hang out" and new and exciting things to do-- always looking for things and ways to entertain ourselves. and we blow so much money on it too. i'm not against going out or doing fun things... i still love disneyland (although it's been a long time) and i still love going out to eat and trying new things (like zip-lining in Mexico--geared twds americans, of course--) but it is pretty crazy how much time and money we through into the entertainment industry. and by entertainment industry, i'm not just talking hollywood-- i'm talking the whole gamut from places to eat, to shopping, to amusement parks, to extreme sports.-- the list could go on and on.
i think of how i used to go out about 3-5 times a week. no kidding. it was rare for me to be home at night. alot of my friends probably still remember. maybe i'm more boring now. i dunno. i just think we live in a really strange world here. and no, the rest of the world isn't neccessarily like this. in other places, people wouldn't think of blowing $50 just to go do something fun 'cuz they're barely struggling to make ends meet. alot of times, that's the whole week's salary. again, i'm not totally against going out and far be it from me to judge anyone. but maybe we've lost the art of being able to just sit down with people and talk and enjoy each other's presence without feeling the need to entertain or be entertained.
maybe that's one reason i really enjoyed tonight. it was just nice to enjoy being in the presence of friends. and i'm thankful for them.
it was really nice to spend some good time w/old friends tonight. (uh, not old age-wise.) i felt so spoiled and special being able to have dinner at danette and richards and enjoying a very nice home-cooked meal....very thoughtful of them. wing cooked a scrumptious meal for me too last week. i must say, i have very thoughtful friends (and they're very good cooks too!).
i brought an ice-cream cake over for dan as a small belated birthday surprise and a few "mystery guests" showed up and it was just really nice to hang out w/people. very informal...nothing on the agenda. people are interesting enough without extra entertainment.
ah! speaking of entertainment...i was talking to another old friend of mine and the subject came up again tonight on how entertainment-obsessed we are in America--esp. California--esp. Southern California. coming back from Poland, i was really struck by this. i guess i never really thought about it all that much, but it is quite a strange thing. we have so many places to go and we're always looking for a new place to "hang out" and new and exciting things to do-- always looking for things and ways to entertain ourselves. and we blow so much money on it too. i'm not against going out or doing fun things... i still love disneyland (although it's been a long time) and i still love going out to eat and trying new things (like zip-lining in Mexico--geared twds americans, of course--) but it is pretty crazy how much time and money we through into the entertainment industry. and by entertainment industry, i'm not just talking hollywood-- i'm talking the whole gamut from places to eat, to shopping, to amusement parks, to extreme sports.-- the list could go on and on.
i think of how i used to go out about 3-5 times a week. no kidding. it was rare for me to be home at night. alot of my friends probably still remember. maybe i'm more boring now. i dunno. i just think we live in a really strange world here. and no, the rest of the world isn't neccessarily like this. in other places, people wouldn't think of blowing $50 just to go do something fun 'cuz they're barely struggling to make ends meet. alot of times, that's the whole week's salary. again, i'm not totally against going out and far be it from me to judge anyone. but maybe we've lost the art of being able to just sit down with people and talk and enjoy each other's presence without feeling the need to entertain or be entertained.
maybe that's one reason i really enjoyed tonight. it was just nice to enjoy being in the presence of friends. and i'm thankful for them.
