Wedding pics

So one of my favorite girls got married this weekend. A few wedding pics - hopefully there will be more to come:

Current soundtrack

1. "Lost" by Anouk

Yeah, the video's a little creepy, but the song is brill. "My hands longing to touch you, but I can barely breathe, Starry eyes that make me melt, right in front of me..." Love it! I can't get enough of this song these days.

2. "Another Day" (or anything) by Steven Delopoulos

This man is pretty genius. First there's the brilliance of his guitar playing, then there's the depth of the lyrics. I'm not usually a fan of Christian music (am I a bad Christian for saying that?) - at least not 90% of what they play on the radio - but this is good stuff. L.P. once said something about how rare it is that Story (capital S) and Truth (capital T) coincide, but his music is one of those rare examples, I think.

3. "If You're Out There" by John Legend

I can't make a list without Mr. Legend; y'all know this. "The future started yesterday and we're already late..." It's a little on the cheesy side, I know, but it's still the kind of song that gets to me. There's a hope in the song, a call to action. Good stuff.

4. "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds Five

I love, love, love this song. "And in a white sea of eyes I see one pair that I recognize, and I know that I am...the luckiest." Mmmm...

5. "teachme" by Musiq Soulchild

Even though the title irks the grammar nerd in me, I'm a fan. "Teach me how to love, show me the way to surrender my heart...how I can get my emotions involved." I kind of love those lines....

6. "Father and Daughter" by Paul Simon

This video has both that song and "You Can Call Me Al" - another favorite. Maybe it's because I miss my Stinky, but everyday I realize how much I love this song. Plus, those lyrics! I mean: "I'm going to stand guard like a postcard of a golden retriever", who can't imagine that?!

7. "What a Good Boy" by Barenaked Ladies

"I go to school, I write exams; If I pass, if I fail, if I drop out, does anyone give a damn? And if they do, they'll soon forget, cuz it won't take much for me to show my life ain't over yet." Love those lines....

8. "Hay amores" by Shakira

First, I'm happy to see Shaki with darker hair - still blonde, but a natural shade of blonde. (I'm still a fan of the crazy haired Shaki of the 90s.) Second, I love the old school bolero flavor of this song. "There are loves that are resistant to damage, like the wine that gets better as it ages, so grow my feelings for you." Again, translations don't do it justice.

9. "Hoy te permito odiar" by Tercer Cielo

Speaking of things that don't translate well.... The part when they say "Odio el mismo lugar" gets me EVERYTIME! I can't even begin to translate this one well.... It's about not selling God short, basically, about trusting Him enough to push us beyond our human limitations.

10. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley (ah, technology)

To echo Kanye: "I wish her heart still was in rhymin'" This song is just good stuff: chill, not boring, summery.... I do miss summer. Hahaha.

Things I'm thankful for

In no particular order:
1. Field trips
2. Meeting some interesting people - interesting in a good way.
3. People who challenge me to think in different ways/about different things.
4. That sweet, sweet boy. :)
5. Hablar español.
6. Provision.
7. Family.
8. All those people who love me, in spite of me.
9. Soup.
10. My car, because even though it's a little finnicky, it gets me where I need to go. Most of the time. ;)

Blue toothin'

Because phone convos aren't the only things that distract the average driver.

Self censorship

I'm really struggling these days. Wednesday I totally fell apart. Class left me feeling emotionally exhausted, even though it was pretty stinkin' wonderful, and I pretty much dissolved into tears right after it. Combine that with a lot of thinking on Tuesday about my grandparents getting older and the loss of my grandfather over ten years ago, some family related stress, and the fact that I had to share my testimony in ProSem on Thursday. It was all too much and I fell apart Wednesday.
To be honest, I feel better since Thursday, but at the same time I kind of feel guilty for feeling better because of the family related stress mentioned above.
So I'm struggling. I had to really think about everything that has happened in my life to bring me here to Eastern as I was preparing for giving my testimony. There were a lot of good things and a lot of bad. As I look back, I see how God really worked all the terrible things for good, and I'm glad for them. I wouldn't go back and change a single thing. There's that verse in John where Jesus says something like "This illness won't kill him, it's so that God can be glorified through it." Obviously, I'm paraphrasing it, but the point is, I can see that in so many of the crappy situations that have come my way. They didn't kill me, they have been opportunities for God to be glorified. Which is not to say that they didn't suck at the time - having my wallet stolen in Costa Rica was pretty awful - but I can see now how God moved through those situations. (That particular situation forced me to realize that I couldn't keep "playing church".) God grows us through the good and the bad. He reveals Himself to us as individuals and as a body in those moments.
The thing is, when these situations involve others, what I see as a time of growth and of the greatness of God can be perceived quite differently by the others involved. And here is my dilemma. There has been great freedom and healing in me because I have been able to own my crap - I've talked about my sins and (some) of my struggles and have also talked about the grace and mercy of God in these areas, His salvific powers.... It's a good thing to share some of that, to know that you're not alone, to be a testimony of God's fullness and healing, and to let others around you know that they aren't alone either.
There have been some issues that I've never really talked about, though. Things that I'm too afraid to mention because I don't want others to think negatively about people I love and care for. The point is, I might have mentioned one of those things here recently. It was mentioned in passing, and was really not the point of the entry, but I feel like it brought up a lot of hurt for someone else. That was not my intention. I know that God has really healed the pain I carried around for a long, long time. I know that I have forgiven. Forgiving doesn't erase the past, but it does shape the future; it means that I've decided it's not my place to judge or retaliate; there's no need for judgment or retaliation. I am the chief of sinners, and I have been forgiven; that's the example I wish to follow.
All of this to say: I took down the last entry. Because, while it was therapeutic for me to write, I don't want it to hurt anyone I sincerely love. And since it did, I apologize.

The Bible or the Bard?

Someone needs to read the Bible in English....

The Bible or The Bard? Score: 70% (7 out of 10)

Dance overload

I <3 this show and Youtube for letting me enjoy it.

Twitch and Kherrington's contemporary routine


Twitch and Katee's contemporary routine

That Mia Michaels! Unbelievable!

Joshua and Katee's lyrical routine


Twitch and Kherrington's Viennese waltz


Finally, Will and Courtney's hip hop routine

Things I wish people knew

• The opposite of "democracy" is NOT "communism", the opposite of "democracy" is "dictatorship"; the opposite of "communism" is "capitalism".
  The first pair describe political systems, the second pair refer to economic models.

• "It's" means "it is", "its" is a possesive pronoun meaning that something belongs to "it". It's a mouse. That's its tail.

• I know this is not the first time I've mentioned this here, but it bears repeating: an apostrophe DOES NOT make anything plural, for the love of all things holy! Stop telling me to "buy book's" or whatever. Buy book's what?! What belongs to this book that I must buy?!

That's the end of my rant for today.

¡Sí se puede!

Yes, we can. Yes, we did. People showed up, people voted, and Barack Obama is our president-elect. I watched election coverage and waited for the results. They trickled in, and just when I thought it couldn't possibly be that easy, it turned out that they called the race. Who knew? The polls were pretty much on point. I sat on that couch next to B., wondering which states had tipped the balance, watching the crowd in Grant Park cry and cheer, and I just shook. I shook because I knew I was watching something so much greater than me, greater than B., greater than Barack Obama himself. This is another step in that march towards a more perfect union, towards equality and justice in this nation. This is part of the history of this nation - a point on the broken road - and a step towards the future. It's taken me a while to put my thoughts in order. I mean, of course, I'm thrilled that Obama won because I voted for him, but this goes beyond that.
I feel like I'm standing on the verge of this swell of public participation, like there is this lovely hope visible on the horizon, like I'm part of this unbelievable mobilization to make this nation MY nation. Does that make sense? I'm a part of this. Besides my $25 contribution to the campaign, my attendance at a rally, my Obama t-shirts, and my vote; I am now expected to participate in this change. It's an invitation that resonates with me as I'm studying community development; I mean, this is what I want to do. I want to participate and I want to invite others to do the same. Barack Obama makes me feel like I can do just that - like it's my patriotic duty to do so. This is my nation, my government: by the people, for the people....

And then there's the obvious: this issue of race, of knocking down this barrier, of making me believe that this country can really begin to heal the deepest wounds of race and ethnicity.... This is the idealist in me talking, I'm sure. I don't by any means believe that this proves that race is no longer an issue. I'm too smart and too brown to believe such foolishness; this will not change overnight with Barack Obama, but there's something visionary about it. This is the nation taking the steps necessary in a post-civil rights movement era - an era characterized by a change in demographics. Power is not going to be centralized soley in the hands of the old money, WASP establishment. The outsider has found his way into the White House. It's the kind of thing that brings hope to a fellow outsider.

This is a beautiful thing, the verge of something greater.



Four years ago, a coworker told me that at church they prayed for candidate that they were supporting and also prayed for the opposing candidate. Today, post-election, I remember that story and I pray:

I pray for Barack Obama and his beautiful family. I pray that he will have the grace and humility to create relationships and partnerships that will benefit the nation and the world at large; I pray that he will have the wisdom and discernment to make sound decisions; I pray that he will have the strength and courage to stand by his convictions. I pray that God will keep him and his family safe.

I pray for John McCain. I pray that he will continue to be a man known for working across party lines; that he will continue to be gracious; that he would have the foresight and the vision to keep working for change in Washington. He is a good man, too.

I pray for Bush. I pray for wisdom in these final months of presidency. It struck me today that he can't possibly feel very good about himself in light of record low approval ratings, so I pray for him....

Today's the day!

Go Barack the vote!

Or vote.

Whatever....

Do it.

Tomorrow's the big day. I mentioned Barack Obama here in early March of 2007, which pretty much makes this the longest campaign EVER. That's about a year and a half ago! But this is the last day of that longest political season, and to be quite honest I'm ready for it to get there.
I already cast my absentee ballot, and I know countless others who have done the same. For the rest of you, go out and vote! Y'all know where my sympathies lie, but the important thing is to actually make it to your polling place and vote. Whatever your politics, whatever your issues, take your stand. It does matter; the last few races have been a testament to what a few thousand votes can do.
When I think about all that people have suffered in this country so that they could vote, it makes me feel like voting is not just my privilege, but my responsibility. As a woman, I have to recognize the long battle of the suffragettes who marched and were often arrested to have their voices heard. As a woman of color, I have to look at the struggles of African Americans who were disenfranchised first by slavery and then by Jim Crow laws that prevented them from exercising their legal rights. Theirs was a double struggle, and we should honor that as fellow minorities, by voting. Finally, as a Latina, I feel like it is important for me to vote because so many of my people cannot vote because of immigration issues or citizenship issues (not exactly the same thing). I vote for the millions who came before me who could not. I vote for the millions around me now who still cannot.

Besides, I'm ready for change. ¡Sí se puede!


Here, Ben and I demonstrate a little Democrat/Republican tension; though this is not our actual situation, I would like to say that I still talk to staunch Republicans on a daily basis, and they're not all bad people. ;) There's hope for bipartisan conversation!



Represent! Gotta give it to Obama's marketing team - Puerto Ricans love ANYTHING with our island and our flag on it. I begged for this shirt, folks. That is dedication!

Oh, that Sarah Palin!

Seriously? This woman? The Republicans couldn't find a better candidate for VP for the oldest freakin' presidential candidate EVER?!



Oh, but she's funny, in a not on purpose kind of way.

Um, hilarious.

And the original - a classic - is also hilarious.