Summer

Well, kids, it's been quite the school year. But that's all done and gone now. It's summer break and I'll probably not post much. I'll be off doing something more fun, more worthwhile. But, just so you know, here are my summer plans:

- I'm going to Maine (a 23 hour drive, by the way)
- I'm doing VBS at my church
- I'm going to church camp and World Changers
- I'm going camping with everyone like back in the old days (my aunt, uncle, cousins, cousin-in-law, siblings, brother-in-law, and the Beckers). I will be a classic Dobson-Schwartz-Becker camping trip, with Peeps and everything
- I'm going hiking/camping with my friends
- I'm doing more hiking with whoever
- I'm sleeping... alot

Well there you go. Hope your summer is grand! Sayonara!

Sarah

Pretty much...

 

I am officially ready for school to be over.

Sarah

Getting on my soap box...

Ok. I don't have a lot of time so I'm going to sum it up and preach my word and then go. So, this bad boy wants into my school, right? Inappropriate messages to girls, drugs, the whole kit and caboodle. His parents have nothing else to do but try to get him into our private Christian school and try to find someone there to almost mentor him as well as teach him. (I don't know the whole story, I'm just picking up bits and pieces). So here we are, deciding whether or not to let this kid in and some people are worried they'll let him in. They don't want that kid in our school because it will put the rest of the students around a bad influence, or they don't want to deal with him, whatever, whatever. My reaction: WHAT THE FREAKING CRAP???!!! Excuse my urgency but SERIOUSLY?! You call yourself a Christian???? I know I sound like I'm being harsh but honestly, HONESTLY! Of all the schools this kid could possibly go to, Fideles Christian School should be the best! What better place is there for a messed up teen to go to than a place where he is surrounded by Christians who can encourage him and help him??? That is what Christianity is about!!! Do you think the point of being a follower of God is to hole up in this secret club that no one else can join??? NO! We are supposed to be there for the broken and lost and  confused people! I don't care if it makes you a little uncomfortable (oh, heaven forbid holy us be uncomfortable), this is God's COMMAND! And do you seriously think all 100 of us are going to turn into Satan worshipers because this one kid came to our school??? A Christian school should be a refuge for the kids that nobody wants, not a desperate last resort or place of judgement. It amazes me all the time how screwed up our "Christianity" is  today. We are so flipping lazy and selfish and unconcerned with anyone but our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ (and hardly that!). I hope with all of my heart that this kid comes to our school. I hope God will give me the honor of encouraging him and maybe changing him a bit for the better. That would just make my life. Now please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to have a holier-than-thou rant, I'm just totally outraged right now and have to get all of this out. These people make me sick. These "Christians" ought to rethink who they truly follow. This all sounds harsh, and maybe it is, but maybe that's what they need! I am almost shaking with anger... I have never seen such hypocritical behavior...

I have to go finish homework. Sorry to freak out on you then leave, but I really don't have time. Bye!

Things I learned in New York City

1. Never, EVER ride stand-by at the airport (spending 12 hours in the airport waiting to get on a flight, getting stranded in D.C., yeah, it was a mess)

2. Don't try to walk down six flights of stairs while exhausted... you will get very dizzy

3. Dogs pee on the sidewalks in NYC

5. The only people who ever go to Times Square are tourists (that also goes for the Empire State, standing outside of Good Morning America, etc.)

6. Subways are a gift from God when you've been walking all day

7. It is impossible to find bagels in airports

8. Airports suck

9. Cities back at the turn-of-the-century were really, really dangerous

10. There is a way to be assertive yet polite

11. When you go into the back of a store in Chinatown, you do not come out until you have a Michael Kors bag, Chanel perfume, and Tiffany jewelry... all fakes, of course

12. Modern art is simply misunderstood... it's really very amazing and they say a lot

13. In extension, I love most modern art

14. Even recently constructed buildings don't have a level 13

15. There really isn't much great food in NYC... if you want some amazing food, go to Chicago :)

No time

Just a quick update while I have a moment. I've been super busy because of huge projects, tests, homework, etc., etc. Good news is that I'm done with the driving classes and I only have two more days until I am flying to New York City! The funny thing is, we keep finding these news articles about airplane pilots who flipped out and said there was a bomb on board (he had to be restrained by the passengers!), and a woman who went crazy and attacked the crew members, scratching and kicking them. It figures everyone in the aviation business would go insane right before we fly out. Oh well, we'll pray for the best and be ready to tackle whoever freaks out next.

I wish you all a good week and spring break!

Sarah

p.s. I got two new books: The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I'm reading Hemingway now and so far I'm loving it. It is so obvious that it is written by a man. It's great!

In time...

These next two weeks are going to suck pretty badly, but after that life is going to be so much better! For this approaching fortnight I'm going to have my hands full with school, stupid SAT prep classes, even worse driving classes, and bunches of homework and tests.

However, right after this interval of slavery comes a week of glorious freedom! Spring break is going to be so nice because it marks the end of my SAT prep classes, the end of my driving classes, a short reprieve from school (not to mention I'll be going to NYC! ah!), and the beginning of my 16th year. I am so ready to be able to drive by myself and give blood. Yeah, call me weird but what I'm looking forward to the most about being 16 (besides getting my license) is being able to give blood. After April 10th, I'm driving myself to the nearest blood drive. It'll be great! :)

Anyway, I need to go. Have a good weekend because the Lord knows I won't haha ;)

Sarah

Books are special friends

I was revisited today by an old friend, Lord of the Flies. It wasn't that long ago that I read it, but it still seems too long. I flipped through it, read certain parts that I love, and realized how truly good it is. William Golding is brilliant writer. His book is full of symbolism and morals and lessons to be learned, yet it is still an entertaining, adventurous and extremely well written story. It slowly grows on you as you read and eventually becomes a close, wise friend. You realize how much you love it when you pick it up. It's not like the Hunger Games trilogy which fills you with immediate, frenzied passion to find out the end of the story, but is a consistent, modest fondness that is easily forgotten (however it will resurface every time you pick up the book).

I don't know, it is something to observe. This year I am going to be reading plenty of classics and I am wondering if they will all have this effect. Do our books today give us temporary highs and show us different lives but don't teach us different lessons? I feel like classic books are wiser than the ones today. They say something, they have a purpose. Is that lacking in books today? I don't know. It's an interesting question that I hope I can find the answer to.

Sarah