Angelyn's Revelation...from God

These past few weeks I have been finding a particular amount of brilliance in my friends. William even became a vegetarian...piscetarian...flexitarian. Angelyn was struck with a particularly impressive lightening bolt that I just have to share...

Brian, Jessica and I have been studying Isaiah, and, as often happens during our studies, I went way off topic when a sudden realization struck me: the Bible settles the argument for which is more painful, childbirth for women or being hit in the groin for men. This argument is as old as time itself, and I imagine even Adam and Eve engaged in a few heated debates regarding this topic on more than one occasion. Anyway, it’s not necessary to set my point up so I’ll get right to it. The passage we were reading was Isaiah 13:8 – “Their hearts will be full of fear; pains and sorrows will overcome them; they will be in pain like a woman in childbirth; they will be shocked at one another; their faces will be like flames.” It struck me that several times in the Scriptures, we find terrible pain associated with childbirth. In fact, I did a quick concordance search and found at least fifteen references to the pains of childbirth, most prophetically referring to some serious pain about to befall one nation. Another example for the sake of a loaded argument: Jeremiah 6:24 - "The news of it has come to our ears; our hands have become feeble: trouble has come on us and pain, like the pain of a woman in childbirth." So this is the crux of the argument, if being hit in the groin is more painful than childbirth, wouldn’t these serious prophecies of pain be equated to the pain of being hit in the groin? It’s a simple question, but I feel it makes a strong point. As a matter of fact, the prophecies were more than likely aimed at the male gender since they were the ones responsible for leading the nations back in the day. All the more reason being hit in the groin would be better to use than the pain of childbirth - it would be something the men could actually relate to. That is, unless, the pain of childbirth is so much more painful than being hit in the groin. While it’s true I will never understand the pain of being hit in the groin (as men experience it), I feel that the Scriptures make it rather clear that the pain of childbirth trumps the pain of being hit in the groin. That’s all.

The Manly Man

The events that transpired two nights ago must be recorded in history - a tribute to the manly man named Brian B. Neal - who bravely fought for my protection against the evil of an imagined intruder. This is his story (and mine...but my parts embarrassing...so lets focus on the manly man, shall we?)
Some of you may remember that my apartment was broken into in the middle of the night a few weeks ago. Yes, a little unsettling. Not much was taken from my home, and obviously we were unharmed, but it really shocked my unguarded system. I had let all my defenses down, naively forgetting everything I learned as a Criminal Justice major (Dr. Young, Mr. Shewan...I am appropriately ashamed of myself). So jolted from that naive dream land, I have taken to sleeping with a Louisville Slugger and the deadbolt on my bedroom door tightly locked. The only insecurity now resting in me is my overactive imagination...the most dangerous thing I could possibly encounter!
So two nights ago I was locked safely away in my room, working on my lesson for the next day when I heard some rattling coming from my kitchen. I freeze, my mind starts going a million miles a minute. I think my thought pattern went something like this:
Glass rattle -> Rat -> Too big to be a rat -> Burglar in my kitchen -> Burglar stealing all my foreign food -> Burglar actually rapist -> Rapist planning on stealing my foreign self, later using my body parts to sell on the Chinese black market at inflated price -> Panic -> Grab bat -> Should scream -> What if hears me screaming, and instead of running away like normal person, burglar/rapist/black market dealer is high on PCP and will have aggression/super human strength that he will use to break through my dead-bolted door and carry me off into the night-> BRIAN!!!
So in my calm, cool, infinite wisdom, I decide the safest thing for everyone involved was to send Brian a text message explaining my plight. I think it went something like this, "I think there is someone in my kitchen". I sent the message, but then worried that perhaps Brian was in shower/sleeping/already killed by the psycho in my kitchen, I decided to call him. However, I was too afraid to speak (lest the psycho hear me and the afor mentioned scenario happened) so I just sat there silently while Brain sweetly said, "Wei? Wei? Wei?" At this point I hear noises again from the kitchen...assured that intelligent, psychotic killer had spider senses and had heard me punching my cell phone buttons and was now going to ruthlessly murder me...I texted Brian the following message, "GET DOWN HERE!"
Can't imagine why he reacted the way he did...
Suddenly, I heard the unmistakable sound of Brian crashing down the stairs. I heard my spare key in the lock (but I had locked my front door deadbolt, you know, for safety reasons!) and the key didn't work on that. So then I hear: FRANTIC DOOR KNOCK, FRANTIC HAND BANGING, FRANTIC DOOR HANDLE RATTLING. Of course, my overactive imagination is too afraid to open my bedroom door, go to the front door, and let Brian in; obviously the psycho has run into my back hallway (frightened by Brian's obvious intention of kicking the crap out of him) and will take me hostage if I come out. So I sit in my bedroom, clutching my bat, and hoping Brian's adrenaline is enough rip open my steel door...suddenly all is quiet. Where is Brian...uh huh...sudden logical thought...Brian probably thinks I am murdered. But am actually alive and sitting in my bedroom...so I decide I should probably take the risk of getting to the front door to let him in so he can pulverize this guy. So I come running out of my room, but in adrenaline rush forget my bat...
Which turns out I didn't need...cause there was no one there. I run to the front door, open it, and find...no one there. "Brian?" Suddenly he is back, running down the stairs with fire in his eyes and a folding chair in his hand. "Are you okay!?!?" "Where is he!?!?" "What happened!?!?" He asked me all these questions as he barreled past me into my kitchen, turning in frantic circles like a wild dog who lost his prey. He was shaking with the force of purely defensive energy. He was magnificent...and I was a total fool. As Angelyn and Trip come running into my apartment, suddenly I was struck by my sheer ridiculousness...and burst out laughing! 4 foreigners standing in my kitchen in the middle of the night, with Brian ready to pummel anything that moved! Turns out that when I finally opened my front door, Brian was halfway to Angelyn's balcony fling himself down one story of our building so he could crash into my living room and rescue me from certain death. What a guy!
So I am a jerk...and countless, profuse apologies can't make up for the panic I set on Brian. Rice Krispie Treats only dull the memory. I don't want to be the girl who cries wolf, but I now know with full assurance that should there ever be sufficient cause for fear, Angelyn and I have the ultimate manly man who loves us to death and will absolutely annihilate anyone who dares to attempt harm. So this poem is for you, Brian B. Neal - Manly Man. You are so much more than the guy who puts our water bottles in, you are my real American hero! I love you, and I promise to cry harder than you when you leave!

The world has room for the manly man, with the spirit of manly cheer,
The world delights in the man who smiles when his eyes keep back the tear;
It loves the man who, when things are wrong, can take his place and stand
With his face to the fight and his eyes to the light, and toil with a willing hand;
The manly man is the country's need, the moment's need, forsooth,
With a heart that beats to the pulsing troop of the lilied leagues of truth;
The world is his and it waits for him, and it leaps to hear the ring
Of the blow he strikes and the wheels he turns and hammers he dares to swing;
It likes the forward look on his face, the poise of his noble head,
And the onward lunge of his tireless will and the sweep of his dauntless tread!
Hurrah! for the manly man who comes with sunlight on his face,
And the strength to do and the will to dare and the courage to find his place!
The world delights in the manly man, and the weak and evil flee
When the manly man goes forth to hold his own on land or sea!
~Unknown
(Angelyn found this poem in an old book she had, perfect)

Bricks Without Straw

I can relate…you have in your mind the idea of a promise, a grand deliverance, the revelation of His power. You can even see the manifestation in front of you (Moses), yet instead of your salvation…you are asked to make bricks without straw. You won’t, in fact, be rescued. Not only will you be staying where you are, you will be required to maintain your current pace and energy without the help you had been previously given. How disheartened, infuriated, and confused the Israelites must have felt! They were supposed to be moving forward, but for each step there were 8 backwards. Even the man closest to the Deliver turned to the doubts in his heart, “O L-rd, why have you brought trouble upon these people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people and you have not rescued your people at all!” Poor Moses, not only did he really not trust himself to do this job in the first place, but it is evident he felt (and looked) like a colossal failure. Wasn’t he supposed to be redeeming these people with the help of the Father? No one said anything about making bricks without straw. I understand his bewilderment…they were not supposed to be struggling…where was the promise?

This was not the awe-inspiring deliverance they were anticipating. In this moment, the Israelites weren’t seeing what they expected or desperately hoped for. They didn’t see Him act, but did He ever talk… “Now you will see what I will do…because of my mighty hand…I am the L-rd…I have remembered my covenant with you…I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians…I will free you…I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and a mighty hand of judgment…then you will know that I am the L-rd your G-d!” I read those words and I think…yeah…wow…I can wait a little longer to see all those things happen! Your time is my time Abba, I will wait on the L-rd to renew my strength, to lift me out of the pit. You promised redemption, so I trust that it will come at the perfect time. But I forget that the Israelites were tired. They were tired of waiting, they were tired of words, and they were tired of making bricks without straw…they were too tired to put their faith in His promise. Look at their response, “Moses reported this [G-d’s Promise] to the Israelites, but they did not hear him because of their broken spirits (discouragement) and cruel bondage.”

How scary are those words! As I read this passage and feel the pain and confusion the Israelites and Moses must have felt, that last part hits me like a K train. It’s a giant warning sign; I can see my future…and my present. They did not hear him because of their broken spirits…HIM. These past few months, the demons of discouragement and frustration have been overactive in my spirit. The constant wearing down of enthusiasm, keeping your mind in a state of exhaustion that can leave you barely recognizing yourself…it’s a powerful and deceptive tool. I have found myself groaning and grumbling, crying out to the Father to remember His promise to me...to deliver the relief I have in my mind. I have been entirely focused on the fact that I am being asked to make bricks without straw. I have to stop and ask myself a serious question: am I missing it?

Am I missing the hope that the future promise holds, am I missing the trust in my Father’s timing, am I missing the incomparable power of my Almighty G-d? Somewhere amongst bricks without straw, hardened hearts, and the seemingly miraculous acts the evil one is able to perform…I have missed the promise. The promise that my Abba gives to me: redemption, might, relief, power, glory. And I don’t want to miss it…I don’t want to miss the part where He speaks comfort to me while I make those bricks. I don’t want to miss Him coming down in his eternal glory and annihilating the evil one. I don’t want to miss Him redeeming me, and the people of China. I don’t want to miss the moment after salvation, when He wraps me in His arms and says, “See my precious one, my love, I always said I would come for you.” The Israelites received their redemption…the second most incredible story of redemption in history…and they waited 400 years. I ask only for the strength to wait a while longer – with open eyes and a fearsome spirit that trusts his promise completely. And it will come. Until then, I’ll be the one cheerfully making bricks without straw…

China Declares Mourning Period

Many of you have been contacting me, asking various questions about the earthquake. I'm sure you are all still checking the daily news reports, but I just wanted to let you know about this most recent announcement. For your information, 2:28 pm would be: 2:28 am Eastern Time, 1:28 am Central Time, and 11:28 pm Pacific Time. Please join in, lifting your hearts and words to the Father. They believe in the power of silence...but I think we can all offer something stronger than that, don't you?

"China declared three days of national mourning for earthquake victims and ordered a suspension of the Olympic torch relay, as the search for survivors of the disaster grew bleak Sunday. The State Council said the mourning period would start Monday and include three minutes of silence observed nationwide at 2:28 p.m., the time the quake struck. Beijing Olympic organizers said in a statement that the torch relay would be suspended "to express our deep mourning to the victims of the earthquake."

In the disaster zone, efforts appeared to shift Sunday from searching for buried survivors to clearing corpses from shattered buildings as the government said the confirmed death toll rose to 32,476. Another 220,109 people suffered injuries, according to a statement from the State Council, China's Cabinet. The government has said it expects the final death toll will surpass 50,000."

Dear Mr President...a foreign perspective

A few weeks ago, my junior English majors studied the film Across the Universe. I choose this film because it highlights a foreigner looking into the heart of America and its people in war time. As a response to the film, my students each wrote a letter to President Bush expressing their view of war. Their letters were incredible! When I return to the states in a few weeks, I'll be mailing them to the White House. They are all anxiously hoping for a response. The following is a letter compiled from highlights of a few of their letters. I thought you might enjoy their perspective.

Dear Distinguished Mr. President George W. Bush,

I am very honored to write to you. I am a Chinese student from Hubei Automotive Technology University. You have never heard of ir? Well, that'a all right. Actually, this letter is an assignment our teacher gave to us. I'm not sure whether you will read it or not. Anyway, I would like to tell you something I'm thinking, maybe you have guessed what I am thinking about: Wars. Yes, that's the point! (Abby)

Every time, when I read about that we two national leaders visit each other and exchange their ideas on bilateral political and economic relationship, I always feel excited and cheerful to me, as well as my fellow citizens: maintaining peace and becoming intimate friends is really our ideal dream! As we know, the US is the greatest, most developed power in the world. China is a thriving and unified country with 5,000 years history. why can't we speak out our sincere feelings and coexist friendly? (Jasmine)

Could I ask you a question? Do you like your family? The answer could be undoubtedly for a normal person. Although you are President, I believe that human nature takes the same effect on every body. If you love your own family, you would love the people in your country because they are also your family. Is that reasonable? It is well known that the deeper you love someone, the more action you will take to protect them from danger. However, Mr President, in my eyes what you did is to send them to the battlefield...you didn't consider the feeling of your family members...distressed mothers, crying children and solitary wives. (Isabella)

We all know that wars bring death and despair. As a leader, you may say that what you did is for the benefit of your country. But what is the government's first obligation? It is to give his people a peaceful and happy environment to improve their lives. But people don't need wars. People hate invasions. Violence are not involved in a civilized society. It disobeys the will of the people. Wars are not for freedom but for a desire to defeat others who are not obedient to you and to get your own benefits. Not all wars are wrong, some are meaningful only if they represent the will of the people. What a government does must be strictly the will of his people. (Ann)

Undoubtedly, some wars are justice, take World War II as an example, what kind of role my country and your country played was justice, we successfully defended the human rights but at the same time the war cost us a lot, took something unimaginably serious away. Your country is strong in military, and your Honor has strong power too. Your government's strategy would decide the pattern of military affairs, and your actions could change the pattern of the world. (Destiny)

I don't know why you put war in motion so easily. Yet, I heard that you do it just in order to stimulate the economy. That reason really hit me greatly. But I know the only reason is in your heart, Mr President. I don't want to guess what it is. But Mr President, have you ever thought if it is worth? What is like to benefit? Nowadays, America is the only real superpower in the world. Does it mean that America has endless power to invade another country? Or does it mean that America has the biggest duty to safeguard the peace of the world? And that, Mr President, all depended on you. (Dove)

War is a controversial issue. It's sure that war gives rise to both benefit and damage. However, according to the past wars, benefit is just temporary while damage is eternal. Pain always accompanies war. Physical suffering may make a disabled man, which may destroy dreams, but what about mental damage? Soldiers always wake up with a start because of the horrible memory of war they have experienced. The nightmare may go with them all their lives. It's more painful than physical suffering. (Trinity)

I believe all the young men around the world have dreams and all dream for our dreams to come true. But we should know that the most important factor that we need is the peaceful environment. We can imagine that just when a young men is ambitiously striving for his dream, the ware breaks out. Then he has to give up what he is doing and join the army. Have you ever imagined what is the effect he will get from the war? Maybe his dream will be simply a fair forever, I don't think its fair for him. I wonder where his human right is. (Wind)

Michael Jackson has a song, Heal the World: Heal the world, Make it a better place, For you and me, And the entire human race. Every time I hear this song, I feel hurt in my heart. We don't want to see the children crying helplessly. there's a place in your heart and I know that it is love. I hope you will listen to the song Heal the World when you get free. Thank you for your time, God Bless America! (Riley)

Yours Sincerely,
A Foreign Perspective

Can You Ever Really Have Too Much of a Good Thing?

Sorry for the long blogging absence...my head and life is still reeling from the last one. So just a quip for you:
Active April has been declared a miserable failure...I think our energy for self-improvement months has been stretched to the max and one's heart can only take so much. While we did embrace our activeness, a long stretch of a contagious bug and a chocolate fast left us without the stamina to finish what we started (Don't...). That's all right, that's what May is for.
So May has officially been dubbed "More-of-a-good-thing May". Meaning, we have stretched ourselves too thin in our constant quest for self-improvement, so May is only about more of good things. More exercise, but also more chocolate! More time with friends, but also more relaxation. More color, and more rainy afternoons. More deep conversations, more saying "NO" to unattractive invitations. Only things that bless the soul in May. Let's hope the end of this month finds us in better shape than April 31st did.
So I will keep you updated on the blog. I am officially in countdown mode: 44 days til my glorious return to the states for 2 months of family, friends, and foreign food! The next 6 weeks will fly: finals, trips to Xi'an and Hong Kong, and tearful goodbyes. Things are shifting...thank goodness He is refusing to let me be my neurotic controlling self. Actually, I should clarify. Thank goodness He is not letting my neurotic controlling self actually BE in control...

Here is my documentation of Active April. Check out what we did, lessons we learned, and people we enjoyed time with. I am so blessed.
Photo Album: Could we BE anymore Active? I submit that we could NOT!