OK...if you only have time to look at one of my photo postings click on, "Americans stay home" that's my all time favorite!!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
new photos...
ok, so i updated some of the links to the right with photos. Click on "Feeling like a Bon Bon" and choose your favorite sunset background and click on the single photo to enlarge it...it makes it panoramic (sp?). Also, "Honey Mummies" i added some more photos and comments.
"Back to LIFE back to ReeAlity"...la la la!
Home Sweet Home
So, after a thirty hour travel day, missed flights, lost and broken luggage, and 100 movies...Erin and I are home. We had so many laughs that I'm pretty sure I won't need an ab. workout for quite some time. We spent 20 of those 30 hours in the air! The flying wasn't so bad though mostly because we followed the sun and it was daylight for about 29 hours! Haha! We were able to stay awake the whole time which I believe is a reason why our jet lag is so minimal. We also bought compression stockings in Greece (for like 30 E's!) and as a result neither one of us have ANY swelling!! Soooooo nice! I think i'm going to start wearing them to work as they also prevent varicose veins...something I would like to avoid as I get older. Who the heck discovered compression socks? I want to kiss them forever!!!
So, for me jet lag is wayyyy worse going to Europe then coming home. I have been able to jump right back into my routine of bed early and up early, working out hard wednesday and yesterday and sleeping through the night without any problems. Granted I keep missing out on family dinners because I'm out cold at 7pm (and again, last night I fell asleep with 2 jackets on).
So, after a thirty hour travel day, missed flights, lost and broken luggage, and 100 movies...Erin and I are home. We had so many laughs that I'm pretty sure I won't need an ab. workout for quite some time. We spent 20 of those 30 hours in the air! The flying wasn't so bad though mostly because we followed the sun and it was daylight for about 29 hours! Haha! We were able to stay awake the whole time which I believe is a reason why our jet lag is so minimal. We also bought compression stockings in Greece (for like 30 E's!) and as a result neither one of us have ANY swelling!! Soooooo nice! I think i'm going to start wearing them to work as they also prevent varicose veins...something I would like to avoid as I get older. Who the heck discovered compression socks? I want to kiss them forever!!!
So, for me jet lag is wayyyy worse going to Europe then coming home. I have been able to jump right back into my routine of bed early and up early, working out hard wednesday and yesterday and sleeping through the night without any problems. Granted I keep missing out on family dinners because I'm out cold at 7pm (and again, last night I fell asleep with 2 jackets on).
My only complaint about this jet lag thing is that I can't seem to drink enough water!! I made sure to hydrate on the plane but apparently it wasn't enough?? I mean seriously yesterday and wednesday I downed at least TEN large water bottles. I'm starting to feel like I have SIADH...for those of you who are medical.
Anyway, that by far was the greatest vacation I could ever imagine! I love my new brother-to-be and am totally confident and excited for my sister who will be sweetly and lovingly cared for by him! Awe....smiles. (and visa versa).
Stay tuned over the next two weeks as I muster up the motivation to post more photos. I just can't get over how much fun it was...very likely could be the most fun trip in my life! All is well.
Anyway, that by far was the greatest vacation I could ever imagine! I love my new brother-to-be and am totally confident and excited for my sister who will be sweetly and lovingly cared for by him! Awe....smiles. (and visa versa).
Stay tuned over the next two weeks as I muster up the motivation to post more photos. I just can't get over how much fun it was...very likely could be the most fun trip in my life! All is well.
*update*
I did it! I did it! I posted the photos in order of the descending sun! Check it out...click on "FEELING LIKE A BON BON" and pick a photo with the best background and click on each photo..it will feel like you're there!! UGH!!! I can't believe how amazing it is/was!! Then the writing below describes the dinner we ate there...and reading it through takes me there so that I can even recall the smell and taste of the AMAZING dinner! wow! I'll keep posting more photos when time allows.
J
J
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Stuck in France
So, here we are, Erin and I, sitting in the airport happy we were able to get another flight home. Our first flight from Greece was literally one minute late and Air France would not wait. We even arrived at the terminal and they wouldn't open up the gate. Oh well, so instead of a direct flight home we will spend all day flying and then waiting at the Atlanta airport and then flying some more to sfo. Such is life. Otherwise, we would have had to get a hotel here. Of course Air France has been on a four day strike and I think today is the fourth day. Pretty funny. This trip has been amazing, and very well rounded to even include the US Embassy in Athens bombed yesterday, airline strikes, just to add a bit of excitement to all the endless list of things we've done and seen.
Anyway, I only paid for 15 minutes on this internet computer. Air France gave us wonderful coupons for a sandwhich and a drink. haha! Oh brother. One lady lost her 84 year old mother as an Air France attendant took her away in a wheelchair to meet us at the departure gait...only to be found MIA! Scary! Not too sure I'll ever fly Air France again. Though, the plane from Athens was comfy and spacious enough.
Well, this concludes my first trip to Europe. It was an incredibly fun, laughterful, painful/tearful, hardworking, relaxing, piggin' out, spiritual and historical time that I will never forget! I'm thankful I wrote so much to have those day to day memories and took pictures like a banchie!
Love ya all!
ps-my throat is horrible! Stratos too! Total bummer but perfect timing...as long as it goes away in time for Sacramento CIM that is. :)
Anyway, I only paid for 15 minutes on this internet computer. Air France gave us wonderful coupons for a sandwhich and a drink. haha! Oh brother. One lady lost her 84 year old mother as an Air France attendant took her away in a wheelchair to meet us at the departure gait...only to be found MIA! Scary! Not too sure I'll ever fly Air France again. Though, the plane from Athens was comfy and spacious enough.
Well, this concludes my first trip to Europe. It was an incredibly fun, laughterful, painful/tearful, hardworking, relaxing, piggin' out, spiritual and historical time that I will never forget! I'm thankful I wrote so much to have those day to day memories and took pictures like a banchie!
Love ya all!
ps-my throat is horrible! Stratos too! Total bummer but perfect timing...as long as it goes away in time for Sacramento CIM that is. :)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
"AMERICANS STAY HOME TODAY"
Ok, check this out...Erin and I were driving back in the smart car from the sea and we were talking about November 17th and how all the Americans are advised to stay home. This was Nov. 16th (the day before the US Embassy was bombed). I saw the Embassy and the US flag and wanted a really good picture of it. So, I took this first one and thought I could get a better one...
Awe man! The flag is great but this guy got in the way (we were driving on the main highway in Athens).
"Darn iiiittttt!" (Kip in Napoleon), this guy got in the way was my first thought, but as I looked closer to his helmet...DANG! What the heck!!! What a shot!!!! Haha! I love it!!!
Well, today, our last day here, is a holiday...kind of like a celebration of Greek Independence (I think from Turkish rule). So, many of the stores and gas stations and restaurants will be closed.
In addition, every November 17th is the "i hate America day" and all the US Ambassadors and Americans are encouraged to not go downtown Athens. This is mostly the university students who want to riot.
In addition to that wonderfulness, there are enormous amounts of communist protesters who want to usurp the current government.
People are hungry for a cause and will like sheep follow whatever the crowd is doing. What this does for me is make me LOVE AMERICA all the more....it proves to me that the US is the best country in the world and truly has done many many great things! Certain groups of people do not like to believe or discuss anything positive about America. They find excuses for terroists and college rebels behaviors. They empathize and pity the terrorists.
Then there's Obama's wife, the first lady, who said this is the first time she's "proud of US history". I was thinking about her the other day as I was climbing these cool but windy staircases here in Greece that solely lead to the bathrooms. This is how people get to the bathroom in every restaurant, store, or cafe. What about the handicapped? What about the elderly? What about little children? What about pregnant women? These stairs were incredibly hard to climb and dangerous nonetheless. I thought about America, the melting pot of all cultures, the land of opportunity...to even go pee or poo is made accessible for all. But Obama's wife isn't proud. Regardless, I will pray hard for Obama as our leader and for his safety, well-being, and wise choices.
As for me, I love America and find it greatly disconcerting to listen especially to those Americans who live off of our forefathers great sufferings and sacrifices and talk ugly about our home and people. Those are the same people who will rarely lift a finger to help others and surely don't have any world vision for the needy. God help them. God help us. Today, I think I'll stay home and eat some ice cream.
ps-there's a billboard here which seems to repeatedly appear all over Athens. This is a picture of a girl with no shirt on, no shoes, but has jeans on and she's bent over on all fours lapping up water from a dirty stream like a stray dog in the appearingly dark and dangerous night. In the picture she looks haggard and roughed up. I love America!
Awe man! The flag is great but this guy got in the way (we were driving on the main highway in Athens). 
This was almost perfect, but I wanted better...so I tried again...
"Darn iiiittttt!" (Kip in Napoleon), this guy got in the way was my first thought, but as I looked closer to his helmet...DANG! What the heck!!! What a shot!!!! Haha! I love it!!! Well, today, our last day here, is a holiday...kind of like a celebration of Greek Independence (I think from Turkish rule). So, many of the stores and gas stations and restaurants will be closed.
In addition, every November 17th is the "i hate America day" and all the US Ambassadors and Americans are encouraged to not go downtown Athens. This is mostly the university students who want to riot.
In addition to that wonderfulness, there are enormous amounts of communist protesters who want to usurp the current government.
People are hungry for a cause and will like sheep follow whatever the crowd is doing. What this does for me is make me LOVE AMERICA all the more....it proves to me that the US is the best country in the world and truly has done many many great things! Certain groups of people do not like to believe or discuss anything positive about America. They find excuses for terroists and college rebels behaviors. They empathize and pity the terrorists.
Then there's Obama's wife, the first lady, who said this is the first time she's "proud of US history". I was thinking about her the other day as I was climbing these cool but windy staircases here in Greece that solely lead to the bathrooms. This is how people get to the bathroom in every restaurant, store, or cafe. What about the handicapped? What about the elderly? What about little children? What about pregnant women? These stairs were incredibly hard to climb and dangerous nonetheless. I thought about America, the melting pot of all cultures, the land of opportunity...to even go pee or poo is made accessible for all. But Obama's wife isn't proud. Regardless, I will pray hard for Obama as our leader and for his safety, well-being, and wise choices.
As for me, I love America and find it greatly disconcerting to listen especially to those Americans who live off of our forefathers great sufferings and sacrifices and talk ugly about our home and people. Those are the same people who will rarely lift a finger to help others and surely don't have any world vision for the needy. God help them. God help us. Today, I think I'll stay home and eat some ice cream.
ps-there's a billboard here which seems to repeatedly appear all over Athens. This is a picture of a girl with no shirt on, no shoes, but has jeans on and she's bent over on all fours lapping up water from a dirty stream like a stray dog in the appearingly dark and dangerous night. In the picture she looks haggard and roughed up. I love America!
Bazookia me....Bazookia me not...
After church Erin and I headed over to her old teammates and we got to talk to some of her old peeps. I enjoyed talking with one girl Maria (from Russia) who was one of the best basketball players in Europe. She has the sweetest, most positive attitude and it was a joy talking and laughing with her. I'm glad Erin has her here when she moves to Greece next June!
Then, we headed over to Stratos' basketball game. I learned that most of the crazy fans are heavily drugged and that perfectly explains why they can rip the chairs off the cement and throw them down on the court, and why they can jump and down for 2 1/2 hours straight. The riot police with helmets and big plastic shields and sticks and guns always have to be there...quiet unnerving to be honest. One guy sitting next to me was absolutely CLUELESS in the personal hygiene arena and his breath and body odor made me want to throw up. He did not stop sing in monotone the songs with all the other crazy fans and then he'd light up to smoke and talk right in my face blowing his NASTY breath my way, asking us if we play volleyball and if we wanted to go for a drink afterward. Truly, I wanted to ask him if he could please close his mouth and keep his arms down. Erin and I were sitting next to Bautista's wife (played for TN in the NBA) and they just bought a house in Oakland. She was super fun, and we all laughed when I was pretty much leaning over Erin and her lap to get away from this incredibly SMELLY drunk next to me. I said to the two girls, "I understand that we don't speak the same language but do you understand this???" meaning the nonverbal communication that screamed..."YOU STINK!!" Oh brother!
So, Stratos and Erin and I went to a yummy pasteria...oh my goodness so good! Then to the Bazookia but Stratos' psychotic coach told them they weren't allowed out because they lost (seriously, he is Bobby Knight 10x worse). So, Erin still wanted to take me there. This is live Greek music that doesn't really start until 2 am and goes until 7 am. We got home from the very long day at 9:15 and I laid down until she awakened me at 11 and said, "Jen, the Taxi is coming in an hour." The little part of my brain that was trying to comprehend what she was saying couldn't even imagine trying to get dressed up (it's super fancy and a table is like 80 Euros) and going out to a smokey bar with people dancing on tables.
I really wanted to go out and see it up until this very point. So, I declined and fell back asleep for the night with two jackets on, without washing my face or even brushing my teeth. Sometimes, the body just shuts down at any given point and it always amazes me when it's against my will. Haha! Oh well, so I missed out on that...I guess I'll just have to come back. Plus, it'd be way more fun and safer if we had Stratos with us. I do love love really love Greek music though!
Then, we headed over to Stratos' basketball game. I learned that most of the crazy fans are heavily drugged and that perfectly explains why they can rip the chairs off the cement and throw them down on the court, and why they can jump and down for 2 1/2 hours straight. The riot police with helmets and big plastic shields and sticks and guns always have to be there...quiet unnerving to be honest. One guy sitting next to me was absolutely CLUELESS in the personal hygiene arena and his breath and body odor made me want to throw up. He did not stop sing in monotone the songs with all the other crazy fans and then he'd light up to smoke and talk right in my face blowing his NASTY breath my way, asking us if we play volleyball and if we wanted to go for a drink afterward. Truly, I wanted to ask him if he could please close his mouth and keep his arms down. Erin and I were sitting next to Bautista's wife (played for TN in the NBA) and they just bought a house in Oakland. She was super fun, and we all laughed when I was pretty much leaning over Erin and her lap to get away from this incredibly SMELLY drunk next to me. I said to the two girls, "I understand that we don't speak the same language but do you understand this???" meaning the nonverbal communication that screamed..."YOU STINK!!" Oh brother!
So, Stratos and Erin and I went to a yummy pasteria...oh my goodness so good! Then to the Bazookia but Stratos' psychotic coach told them they weren't allowed out because they lost (seriously, he is Bobby Knight 10x worse). So, Erin still wanted to take me there. This is live Greek music that doesn't really start until 2 am and goes until 7 am. We got home from the very long day at 9:15 and I laid down until she awakened me at 11 and said, "Jen, the Taxi is coming in an hour." The little part of my brain that was trying to comprehend what she was saying couldn't even imagine trying to get dressed up (it's super fancy and a table is like 80 Euros) and going out to a smokey bar with people dancing on tables.
I really wanted to go out and see it up until this very point. So, I declined and fell back asleep for the night with two jackets on, without washing my face or even brushing my teeth. Sometimes, the body just shuts down at any given point and it always amazes me when it's against my will. Haha! Oh well, so I missed out on that...I guess I'll just have to come back. Plus, it'd be way more fun and safer if we had Stratos with us. I do love love really love Greek music though!
Greek Church by German pastor and Yannis...
Church was incredible! Took place in a small quaint building and began with powerful praise music. The songs were familiar so I was able to sing in English while they'd sing in Greek. Did I mention that I think Greek has to be one of the most beautiful languages?! Anyway, there's an incredible bond that is like no other on this earth when you are unified in belief and praise to the same God with others around the world. The songs that I didn't know, well I was able to agree quietly in my heart with their praise and it was a beautiful thing.
Then, a pastor from Germany was in town and gave his talk in English (wow, imagine that?) and he had a very powerful message about self righteousness v. God's righteousness. Basically, that we are free to succeed and free to fail but that God's love for us will never change...it's unconditional. As humans it's difficult for us to imagine this kind of perfect love because we are so conditional and performance-based. But God is a different Being and He conveys His love strongly through the Bible (not a message to often relayed in church these days). When we look around at others, even those who we love and give love in return we can see flaws in how it is expressed. God is the perfect lover of our souls and when we understand even a glimpse of who we are to Him we will be less oriented on what others think of us and more concerned about what God thinks.
YANNIS
Six months ago there was the youth of this church were traveling to Thessonicki (a city that's in the Bible...pretty cool) for a youth retreat when a car swerved their way and one of their vans rolled off the road and down a hill. Many were injured but one 16 year old boy Yannis was in a coma for two months. My sister Erin received many updates over the past half year and had her WNBA San Antonion Stars team praying for him. They prayed faithfully together as a team during the summer months. As time progressed (he was intubated for much of the time) they were gearing up to "pull the plug" one day. Suddenly, they explained that the doctors saw a "flutter" in his brain waves and decided just for the sake of it to wait for two more days. His parents stood by and prayer was being offered fervently. He awakened.
He made slow progress and miraculously was at church yesterday in a wheel chair, able to converse and praise God for his life. I saw him and tears flowed as Erin got down eye to eye with him and told him of all the girls in San Antonio who prayed for him...he became teary too. His parents were standing behind him and thanked Erin dearly and it was apparent to me that this truly was Erin's home, this Greek church. The love there was strong and radiant and I cherished every moment there. Yannis is a very attractive young man who used to be active in a music band and Erin knew him before the accident. The Bible says that God hears the prayers of His children and in this case He granted the continuation of life for Yannis and we praise Him for it!
God doesn't always answer "yes" to our prayers. Erin and I will be visiting a girl today who is from Hawaii and whose younger sister died two months ago in a car accident in Seattle, WA. While we cannot answer why God says yes to some and no to others, we can know that an absolute truth is that He created every person on earth and loves each one beyond our imagination.
I was so touched by this church service.
Then, a pastor from Germany was in town and gave his talk in English (wow, imagine that?) and he had a very powerful message about self righteousness v. God's righteousness. Basically, that we are free to succeed and free to fail but that God's love for us will never change...it's unconditional. As humans it's difficult for us to imagine this kind of perfect love because we are so conditional and performance-based. But God is a different Being and He conveys His love strongly through the Bible (not a message to often relayed in church these days). When we look around at others, even those who we love and give love in return we can see flaws in how it is expressed. God is the perfect lover of our souls and when we understand even a glimpse of who we are to Him we will be less oriented on what others think of us and more concerned about what God thinks.
YANNIS
Six months ago there was the youth of this church were traveling to Thessonicki (a city that's in the Bible...pretty cool) for a youth retreat when a car swerved their way and one of their vans rolled off the road and down a hill. Many were injured but one 16 year old boy Yannis was in a coma for two months. My sister Erin received many updates over the past half year and had her WNBA San Antonion Stars team praying for him. They prayed faithfully together as a team during the summer months. As time progressed (he was intubated for much of the time) they were gearing up to "pull the plug" one day. Suddenly, they explained that the doctors saw a "flutter" in his brain waves and decided just for the sake of it to wait for two more days. His parents stood by and prayer was being offered fervently. He awakened.
He made slow progress and miraculously was at church yesterday in a wheel chair, able to converse and praise God for his life. I saw him and tears flowed as Erin got down eye to eye with him and told him of all the girls in San Antonio who prayed for him...he became teary too. His parents were standing behind him and thanked Erin dearly and it was apparent to me that this truly was Erin's home, this Greek church. The love there was strong and radiant and I cherished every moment there. Yannis is a very attractive young man who used to be active in a music band and Erin knew him before the accident. The Bible says that God hears the prayers of His children and in this case He granted the continuation of life for Yannis and we praise Him for it!
God doesn't always answer "yes" to our prayers. Erin and I will be visiting a girl today who is from Hawaii and whose younger sister died two months ago in a car accident in Seattle, WA. While we cannot answer why God says yes to some and no to others, we can know that an absolute truth is that He created every person on earth and loves each one beyond our imagination.
I was so touched by this church service.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
I want the Red Reflecter Pants!!
Today was yet another wonderful day here in Athens. Got a little sore throat (from all the smoke?) and from all the constant go go go. My friend once said, "I wish I could live my life twice through just because there's so much to do." That's how I feel. Besides the fact that this is my best vacation ever! I can't wait to come back! Then, we went to the biggest mall in life and met a missionary from San Antonio who has traveled all over the world and said Greece has the worst case of smoking and he hasn't been able to adjust to it. He said all of Europe smokes alot but Greece is the worst in this regard. Interesting. I guess in 2010 they will make it illegal to smoke inside public buildings.
So, I ran for an hour today on the treadmill and it felt wonderful! My hamstring is tight and my shin splints are sore but i was able to run so hard at the end that I pee'd my pants. Haha! I was just glad I had pants on and not shorts. Oh my. I was also so glad to be able to run...mostly because of my hamstring and also because I've eaten so much here! I'm gearing up for the training I'm about to enter into after the CIM (sac. marathon). It will most definitely be the most rigorous disciplined intense and challenging training I've ever had in my 35 years of life. I've decided to quit eating steak as it has made me thicker and heavier and while I feel strong I don't like the way it feels. So, as a hobby I'm looking foward to taking my weight down to 120ish lbs.
Regarding my hammy, I'm kinda concerned on how to train without making it worse. I think I will have to give in and fork over the moolah for massage. This marathon felt like I got as close to the fire as I could without really jacking up my hammy...it was so tight and so burning hot and so painful that I feel like it's a miracle that I can run with only tightness as the only bad sensation. But, I'm kind of nervous about messing it up through not enough R&R.
Well, that's it for now. My heart is glad and thankful. Here are some good verses I read today with Erin and Stratos.
Psalm 94:19
"In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul."
Psalm 94:11-12
"The Lord knows the thoughts of man that they are futile. Blessed is the man who You instruct oh Lord and teach out of Your law."
Psalm 149: 4
"For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation."
Jen
ps-as we were leaving a fancy coffee shop today I noticed this old guy with the pants I love (ever since I got here there are these ambulance drivers, firemen, car mechanics all who wear these red thick motorcycle pants with two reflector strips at the bottom and we've been looking for where we could buy them but haven't found any). So, this group of some beautified women in super fashionable clothing, and younger guys and this old fat man smoking a BIG cigar. I made Erin ask him where he got his pants and everyone at the table stared for a second and broke out in laughter when Erin said I really liked his pants. He had just gotten off work and was the only one who wasn't apparently dressed up. I'm glad I was able to make everyone laugh but I was totally serious! Finally he said in broken English, "Uniform Store" and they all started laughing again. It was quite a scene. I hope I can find the uniform store, and I hope they aren't 500 E's!
So, I ran for an hour today on the treadmill and it felt wonderful! My hamstring is tight and my shin splints are sore but i was able to run so hard at the end that I pee'd my pants. Haha! I was just glad I had pants on and not shorts. Oh my. I was also so glad to be able to run...mostly because of my hamstring and also because I've eaten so much here! I'm gearing up for the training I'm about to enter into after the CIM (sac. marathon). It will most definitely be the most rigorous disciplined intense and challenging training I've ever had in my 35 years of life. I've decided to quit eating steak as it has made me thicker and heavier and while I feel strong I don't like the way it feels. So, as a hobby I'm looking foward to taking my weight down to 120ish lbs.
Regarding my hammy, I'm kinda concerned on how to train without making it worse. I think I will have to give in and fork over the moolah for massage. This marathon felt like I got as close to the fire as I could without really jacking up my hammy...it was so tight and so burning hot and so painful that I feel like it's a miracle that I can run with only tightness as the only bad sensation. But, I'm kind of nervous about messing it up through not enough R&R.
Well, that's it for now. My heart is glad and thankful. Here are some good verses I read today with Erin and Stratos.
Psalm 94:19
"In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul."
Psalm 94:11-12
"The Lord knows the thoughts of man that they are futile. Blessed is the man who You instruct oh Lord and teach out of Your law."
Psalm 149: 4
"For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation."
Jen
ps-as we were leaving a fancy coffee shop today I noticed this old guy with the pants I love (ever since I got here there are these ambulance drivers, firemen, car mechanics all who wear these red thick motorcycle pants with two reflector strips at the bottom and we've been looking for where we could buy them but haven't found any). So, this group of some beautified women in super fashionable clothing, and younger guys and this old fat man smoking a BIG cigar. I made Erin ask him where he got his pants and everyone at the table stared for a second and broke out in laughter when Erin said I really liked his pants. He had just gotten off work and was the only one who wasn't apparently dressed up. I'm glad I was able to make everyone laugh but I was totally serious! Finally he said in broken English, "Uniform Store" and they all started laughing again. It was quite a scene. I hope I can find the uniform store, and I hope they aren't 500 E's!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Fotos of the Futbol game in the 2004 Olympic Stadium, Crazy 80,000 fans!!
Ok, so firstly, I have no idea how i managed to get this blue underlined color and can't get it off. Secondly, these pictures start at the end and end at the start because i can't seem to remember that youre supposed to insert your last pictures first and first pictures last. Thirdly, when i pick out the photos its so dang hard to see the photos so that's probably why the photos are repeated and i just don't want to spend anymore time fixing it all.
This game was absolutely insane! They don't even sell alcohol (sp?) at the games and they have riot police everywhere! These Panathainikos fans are insane and screamed and sang and jumped up and down and set off fireworks and started fires the entire game long! I think they must train physically to be one of their fans!! Anyway, their big firetruck came driving out on the field and they had to stop the game while they put out the fires and then the firetruck drove off and they started more fires. OMG!! Haha!! Anyway, we sat with all the pro basketball players which included some NBA players...but these Greek bball players are soooo much more famous than in the NBA!! It felt like everyone who walked by were awestruck by these players.
Looks like a toy huh! It moved as slowly as you could imagine! Haha!
This game was absolutely insane! They don't even sell alcohol (sp?) at the games and they have riot police everywhere! These Panathainikos fans are insane and screamed and sang and jumped up and down and set off fireworks and started fires the entire game long! I think they must train physically to be one of their fans!! Anyway, their big firetruck came driving out on the field and they had to stop the game while they put out the fires and then the firetruck drove off and they started more fires. OMG!! Haha!! Anyway, we sat with all the pro basketball players which included some NBA players...but these Greek bball players are soooo much more famous than in the NBA!! It felt like everyone who walked by were awestruck by these players.
Looks like a toy huh! It moved as slowly as you could imagine! Haha!
ahhh, today...
Well, today erin and I were running on the treadmill together at the gym and she got off at 13 minutes. I thought she just wanted to go lift weights but within 30 seconds she came back to me and said, "im getting a migraine." We were watching a soccer game on tv and she couldn't see the ball. Then, when she got off the treadmill she couldn't see the receptionist's head...just blacked out with some squiggly lines. So, I jumped off the tredmill, covered her head in the car and drove her home to where her meds were. She took them and they didn't work. So, Stratos and I went to the pharmacy and picked out some antiemetic med (metrocloperimide), natural sleeping pills, and propanolol in case this evening it persists. When we came back she was worse so we gave her the nausea med first and let her try and sleep. I feel soooo bad for her. So, Stratos and I are here in the living room, chatting quietly, reading the Bible, and updating my blog before heading out to Starbucks and maybe we will bring lunch back and hope erin is recovered. I hate when she gets those and i told her when we go back we should get her new meds and back up meds in case she missed her small window of time to take her meds.
I have ample opportunity to study now but absolutely lose the battle against my stubborn will to open the FNP study books. I haven't studied once and I struggle with answering the "why?" question. Grrr! Maybe it should be just so that I don't have to carry my heavy bag anymore.
Change of topic before heading out...dad, youre the one who took all the neighborhood kids out running and then invited them all to our family meetings. You're the one who became my total running buddy and workout partner in the gym and for that I am so thankful! You are such an inspiration and I thank God for your love of Him and us! You have made the best possible impact in my life than any father on earth could possibly make! Thank you and I love you dearly!
Mom your positive thinking, encouraging words, and dare to believe mentality has stuck and you have helped me in areas of strength, comfort, and love. Thank you and I love you! I can't wait to see you both!
And to the rest of my loving family and supportive friends...I cherish each one of you!
JEN
*update*--about 5 hours of sleeping after taking the antiemetic erin awakened and we all ate a late yummy lunch together. Stratos turned on the heater and we all crashed asleep on the couch for awhile more...it was a cozy sweet day after she recovered. Stratos and I talked for hours about all kinds of deep things and that boy is a sweet pure hearted gem in whom I am so glad will be my brother. Erin will be in such loving hands and so will he! They both will have God as their ROCK SOLID FOUNDATION!! Yahoo!
I have ample opportunity to study now but absolutely lose the battle against my stubborn will to open the FNP study books. I haven't studied once and I struggle with answering the "why?" question. Grrr! Maybe it should be just so that I don't have to carry my heavy bag anymore.
Change of topic before heading out...dad, youre the one who took all the neighborhood kids out running and then invited them all to our family meetings. You're the one who became my total running buddy and workout partner in the gym and for that I am so thankful! You are such an inspiration and I thank God for your love of Him and us! You have made the best possible impact in my life than any father on earth could possibly make! Thank you and I love you dearly!
Mom your positive thinking, encouraging words, and dare to believe mentality has stuck and you have helped me in areas of strength, comfort, and love. Thank you and I love you! I can't wait to see you both!
And to the rest of my loving family and supportive friends...I cherish each one of you!
JEN
*update*--about 5 hours of sleeping after taking the antiemetic erin awakened and we all ate a late yummy lunch together. Stratos turned on the heater and we all crashed asleep on the couch for awhile more...it was a cozy sweet day after she recovered. Stratos and I talked for hours about all kinds of deep things and that boy is a sweet pure hearted gem in whom I am so glad will be my brother. Erin will be in such loving hands and so will he! They both will have God as their ROCK SOLID FOUNDATION!! Yahoo!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
My inspiration...
I feel the same way as Ryan about running. If only I could get faster though. Haha! Check it out...
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e593f8eba239bada1a0c
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e593f8eba239bada1a0c
Faith confirmed by Mars Hill and Acropolis
Today was so fun and amazing! Erin and I headed out super early, grabbed some Greek coffee (we love it!) and met with a group of pastors from the States and Costas (a greek tour guide). Costas has the most incredible life story and I just watched him in awe as he spoke. Long story short, he was chosen in his village to become THEE high Greek priest and while studying the Bible on his own to take on the task he learned that the ways of the Greek Orthodox church didn't coincide with what he read in the Bible. So, he chose to believe the Bible. When his father learned of this he bought a pistol and was on a mission to kill him. So, Costas left his town in his teens and came to Athens. A man just happend to walk up to him and said, "are you a Bible believer and in need of a place to stay?" So, immediately he was housed and taken care of. He became a tour guide for the Acropolis and Mars hill and to this very day (which there are thousands of tour guides) he is the ONLY tour guide that includes the biblical history of this area, which is so rich in regards to Paul and his travels!! In the middle somewhere he left giving tours and went to Albania (a country where you are not allowed to talk about God...a very atheistic proclaimed country) and worked with orphans, many of which he watched die. While there he met his wife who worked in that very orphanage (Albanian woman) and they both moved back to Athens where he became a tour guide and they had a family of their own. The knowledge this guy has is astounding and it was wonderful listening to him give such outrageous history! I'll recap what I learned and post pictures.
The group from the states was fun and warm and receiving of erin and i. One pastor and his wife from Hawaii were there. In fact, Erin when she attended UCSB went to this HUGE Friday night bible study which was the very one he started. Turns out they knew a bunch of people in common and it was a joy to sit and talk with them during our break in the tour. We laughed and were encouraged and bonded in Christ as we discussed the happenings in our country and world...very real biblical predictions are coming true in our own lifetimes! An exciting time to be alive. An exciting time to meet other believers around the world. An exciting time to know what the Bible says and watch things come to fruition. An exciting time to not have my own children.
Anyway, this very pastor from Hawaii has started churches and seminaries all over the world and wants to hire Costas for double of what he makes to move to Fiji and become a professor at a Seminary which would allow him to see his family much more of the time. Currently, he misses his family and has to travel alot in order to bring enough income in for them. I was excited to know this and can't wait to find out what happens!
When I get home I will post more photos of the Acropolis and Mars Hill. But the Greek history is fascinating! During the 4th century we learned all about Athena. I guess Zeuss had a headache, someone hit him on the head and out of his head popped Athena which means, "the goddess of wisdom" and they built her a house (the Acropolis) where they worshiped her for 1,000 years. The Greeks were the first around the world to value the human spirit and instead of having slaves build "THE HOUSE OF VIRGINS" where the statue of Athena lived, they paid the workers for their labor. Then, the pagans came to believe that God can be in human form, also known as "anthropomorphism" and the Jews didn't agree, as they never could except this concept which is why they rejected Christ as deity. So, the pagans in Athens were receptive and Christianity grew like wildfire. They tore down the statues and made the Acropolis into a place of worship...of One God. Then the Ottoman empire came and took over and made it into a mosque for 1000 years. Then the British came and took over and made it all into a museum.
backing up a second. 500 years after the Acropolis was built Paul (the Paul who wrote Acts, Romans, and Corinthians, and Thessalonians, and Galatians, Ephesians...most of those books if not all) had a huge heart for the Greek people. He came to Athens 500 years after the Acropolis was built. So, there on Mars (we stood on the very rock) he preached about God and it said many mocked but many also believed. This was the very place where all those amazingly famous philosophers would go and think, and it was also a place they brought criminals and would judge them there. Anyway, I post pictures another time...just absolutely amazing!
I have more to say about the architecture (wow, that doesn't looked like i spelled it right) but I will wait until i can show the pictures...i just hope i don't forget.
So, all thish made me think about how I have been given a gift of faith. It's not hard for me to believe in God and that I need God in my life. It's not hard for me to believe the Bible and I've seen many who either just downright reject it, or those who want to believe but just can't. This tangible building, ground, history truly solidified my faith drastically! It awakened a new part of me that made it even more real! The gift of faith coupled with hard core historical fact makes me want to live each day with even more passion for my God! The God I know and love and want to serve is truly a God who cares for every single individual. He created every single person. He cares about every single person. He LOVES unconditionally every single person. I am so thankful that I choose to believe and want to nourish my faith more and more each day until I finish STRONG. The marathon is very analagous to my walk with Christ!
Ok, were off to the gym then to another one of Stratos' basketball games. After the tour I missed out on lunch with Stratos and Erin because my body demanded a 3 1/2 hour nap!!! Ahhh, nice!!!
Love you guys!
The group from the states was fun and warm and receiving of erin and i. One pastor and his wife from Hawaii were there. In fact, Erin when she attended UCSB went to this HUGE Friday night bible study which was the very one he started. Turns out they knew a bunch of people in common and it was a joy to sit and talk with them during our break in the tour. We laughed and were encouraged and bonded in Christ as we discussed the happenings in our country and world...very real biblical predictions are coming true in our own lifetimes! An exciting time to be alive. An exciting time to meet other believers around the world. An exciting time to know what the Bible says and watch things come to fruition. An exciting time to not have my own children.
Anyway, this very pastor from Hawaii has started churches and seminaries all over the world and wants to hire Costas for double of what he makes to move to Fiji and become a professor at a Seminary which would allow him to see his family much more of the time. Currently, he misses his family and has to travel alot in order to bring enough income in for them. I was excited to know this and can't wait to find out what happens!
When I get home I will post more photos of the Acropolis and Mars Hill. But the Greek history is fascinating! During the 4th century we learned all about Athena. I guess Zeuss had a headache, someone hit him on the head and out of his head popped Athena which means, "the goddess of wisdom" and they built her a house (the Acropolis) where they worshiped her for 1,000 years. The Greeks were the first around the world to value the human spirit and instead of having slaves build "THE HOUSE OF VIRGINS" where the statue of Athena lived, they paid the workers for their labor. Then, the pagans came to believe that God can be in human form, also known as "anthropomorphism" and the Jews didn't agree, as they never could except this concept which is why they rejected Christ as deity. So, the pagans in Athens were receptive and Christianity grew like wildfire. They tore down the statues and made the Acropolis into a place of worship...of One God. Then the Ottoman empire came and took over and made it into a mosque for 1000 years. Then the British came and took over and made it all into a museum.
backing up a second. 500 years after the Acropolis was built Paul (the Paul who wrote Acts, Romans, and Corinthians, and Thessalonians, and Galatians, Ephesians...most of those books if not all) had a huge heart for the Greek people. He came to Athens 500 years after the Acropolis was built. So, there on Mars (we stood on the very rock) he preached about God and it said many mocked but many also believed. This was the very place where all those amazingly famous philosophers would go and think, and it was also a place they brought criminals and would judge them there. Anyway, I post pictures another time...just absolutely amazing!
I have more to say about the architecture (wow, that doesn't looked like i spelled it right) but I will wait until i can show the pictures...i just hope i don't forget.
So, all thish made me think about how I have been given a gift of faith. It's not hard for me to believe in God and that I need God in my life. It's not hard for me to believe the Bible and I've seen many who either just downright reject it, or those who want to believe but just can't. This tangible building, ground, history truly solidified my faith drastically! It awakened a new part of me that made it even more real! The gift of faith coupled with hard core historical fact makes me want to live each day with even more passion for my God! The God I know and love and want to serve is truly a God who cares for every single individual. He created every single person. He cares about every single person. He LOVES unconditionally every single person. I am so thankful that I choose to believe and want to nourish my faith more and more each day until I finish STRONG. The marathon is very analagous to my walk with Christ!
Ok, were off to the gym then to another one of Stratos' basketball games. After the tour I missed out on lunch with Stratos and Erin because my body demanded a 3 1/2 hour nap!!! Ahhh, nice!!!
Love you guys!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Yitsis (God Bless you)
Today was incredibly fun!! This is by far my most fun amazing wonderful perfect vacation in all my life! I had no idea how much I was going to fall in love with Greece! I don't think I've ever loved a country (aside from my own) so much! The history, the food, the music, the smells, the fresh air, the pretty language, the athleticism, the elderly so part of everyday life, the beautiful buildings, the ruins, the romantic cafes, the exotic vacation spots, the FOOD! I could go on!
Today, we went with Stratos and had Greek coffee (which I love, and apparently is the the same as Turkish coffee) while he and his friends gave Erin and very interesting Greek history lesson about Turkey and Greece (did you know they ruled here in Greece for 400 years?). One of his friends is an NBA sportswriter here in Greece and it was fun hearing him talk about what he likes to write about.
Then we went to a fish lunch at the most favorite fish place in all of Greece and he said the famous Greek people go there. The pictures I have (i'll post them later) are UNREAL! I got a picture of me holding the fish we picked for our lunch (it had teeth!) and we ate calamari, fish, crab (my favorite aside from the fish) and OCTOPUS (i really liked it and chowed down on it!) We had theeeee best time! His friends are fun and we laughed and ate and laughed and ate and laughed and ate!! Oh man! We all came home and napped pretty hard!
Well, that's it for now. We have a Biblical tour of Athens tomorrow with about TEN pastors and then Stratos' game tomorrow night! The fun is never ending! What am I going to do when it's time to go home? Most definitely cry! I keep having these horrific dreams about work and dread about going back. I NEVER want to go back! I keep day dreaming about becoming a writer...i so badly want to become a writer! I wonder if it'll ever happen. I want to promote health through my writing. Erin and I were just watching tv while eating some yummy sweets (the best!...i've set a 15 lb weight gain limit but i may have to widen to 20! haha!...though i did have a great workout this am, i rode for 20 minutes, elyptical for 5, and ran for 10 minutes then did core and upper body weights...felt so awesome and exciting and hopeful that I may be able to run the Sacramento marathon in 3 weeks...a definite maybe with my pulled hammy). But back to what i was saying before my ADD moment...erin and I were watching a HILARIOUS tv show about these Japanese people doing these absurd obstacle courses and with a three stooge-ish like overtone they'd fall and wreck hilariously. I guess with such a serious and stoic people it was reeeeeally funny to see them. All this is to get to the long drawn out point that the first comerical for anti-smoking came on that erin has seen here in all her 4 years in Greece. It was of a little girl looking outside at her papa smoking banging on the window, until her mommy came and hugged her, then they showed an empty chair as if he had died. They then said in Greek that smoking kills. WOW! I think there just is NO info for the people here on the effects of smoking, and literally EVERYONE SMOKES HERE! Starbucks is the only antismoking place and that's why we keep going there! There's alot that can be done to spread healthly lifestyle habits to people at home and people around the world!
K, have your best day for it is truly the only one you know you have!
Jenny :)
My favorite picture
at our gym where everyone stares at us like were aliens! haha!
Elderly are everywhere, its probably my most favorite part of Greece!
At the soccer game, more pictures to come...it was unreal! So fun!
our one rest day yesterday, while it was also the only rainy and cold day so far! Today was bright and sunny.
Today, we went with Stratos and had Greek coffee (which I love, and apparently is the the same as Turkish coffee) while he and his friends gave Erin and very interesting Greek history lesson about Turkey and Greece (did you know they ruled here in Greece for 400 years?). One of his friends is an NBA sportswriter here in Greece and it was fun hearing him talk about what he likes to write about.
Then we went to a fish lunch at the most favorite fish place in all of Greece and he said the famous Greek people go there. The pictures I have (i'll post them later) are UNREAL! I got a picture of me holding the fish we picked for our lunch (it had teeth!) and we ate calamari, fish, crab (my favorite aside from the fish) and OCTOPUS (i really liked it and chowed down on it!) We had theeeee best time! His friends are fun and we laughed and ate and laughed and ate and laughed and ate!! Oh man! We all came home and napped pretty hard!
Well, that's it for now. We have a Biblical tour of Athens tomorrow with about TEN pastors and then Stratos' game tomorrow night! The fun is never ending! What am I going to do when it's time to go home? Most definitely cry! I keep having these horrific dreams about work and dread about going back. I NEVER want to go back! I keep day dreaming about becoming a writer...i so badly want to become a writer! I wonder if it'll ever happen. I want to promote health through my writing. Erin and I were just watching tv while eating some yummy sweets (the best!...i've set a 15 lb weight gain limit but i may have to widen to 20! haha!...though i did have a great workout this am, i rode for 20 minutes, elyptical for 5, and ran for 10 minutes then did core and upper body weights...felt so awesome and exciting and hopeful that I may be able to run the Sacramento marathon in 3 weeks...a definite maybe with my pulled hammy). But back to what i was saying before my ADD moment...erin and I were watching a HILARIOUS tv show about these Japanese people doing these absurd obstacle courses and with a three stooge-ish like overtone they'd fall and wreck hilariously. I guess with such a serious and stoic people it was reeeeeally funny to see them. All this is to get to the long drawn out point that the first comerical for anti-smoking came on that erin has seen here in all her 4 years in Greece. It was of a little girl looking outside at her papa smoking banging on the window, until her mommy came and hugged her, then they showed an empty chair as if he had died. They then said in Greek that smoking kills. WOW! I think there just is NO info for the people here on the effects of smoking, and literally EVERYONE SMOKES HERE! Starbucks is the only antismoking place and that's why we keep going there! There's alot that can be done to spread healthly lifestyle habits to people at home and people around the world!
K, have your best day for it is truly the only one you know you have!
Jenny :)
My favorite picture
at our gym where everyone stares at us like were aliens! haha!
Elderly are everywhere, its probably my most favorite part of Greece!
At the soccer game, more pictures to come...it was unreal! So fun!
our one rest day yesterday, while it was also the only rainy and cold day so far! Today was bright and sunny.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
BUTARES! BUTARES!!
I was able to post some pictures with each posting but just a few for now. Check em out, heehee.
I can't believe how fun it is here!! And so funny too! Erin being so tall and beautiful sticks out like a sore thumb! It's amazing to me how many funny things happen to her! So, she was in a taxi and the driver said, "how much do you weigh?!!" and she told him and he shook his finger 'no' while saying, "too much too much!" and when she went to get out he looked her up and down and motioned his hand back and fourth (like asi asi) and said, "wellll, is ok, is ok" HAHA!!! He approved...what the heck! So funny!!
THEN...she was getting into another taxi and the guy started yelling with his fingers in the air (like Italian style) "BUTARES'!!! BUTARES'!!!" Erin didn't know this word so she was going back and fourth with him trying to understand what he was saying but all he would say was, "BUTARE!" So, when she got out of the taxi she called Stratos and asked what butare meant and he said, "who said that to you?" and she told him and Stratos said it means, "BIGGGG THIGHS!!!!" AHHHHA!!! Stratos said, "he's a friggen' idiot" (Napoleon Dynamite). I could NOT stop laughing, seriously.
Ok, so Greek people have many kinds of sign language type expressions. At the games all the fans would throw both hands forward when they didn't like a call or a bad play by their own team which looked like they were casting a spell...and apparently it's the most offensive gesture, worse than the middle finger here. Interesting.
The other gesture is to raise two eyebrows and click your tongue which means, "no"...it seems super rude but it's just a socially acceptable way to say no in Greece. Well, there's an African American guy from LA playing on Stratos' bball team (there are guys from the NBA here playing) and when a Greek guy kept doing that to him he told erin at first he was confused, then angry, then finally said, "that don't mean nothing to me, quit!" Erin and I have been dying laughing at that!! I mean seriously, I think African Americans are theee funniest people on earth...their humor has no comparison!! UGH! Haha!! Haha!! Oh my!! But, on a serious note, it is so fun to see and know people from all kinds of varying cultural backgrounds. Anthropology fascinates me to no end.
Well, im going to cut it short for now. My legs feel awesome and i think im going to try and run at the gym. Erin was laughing at me as I seemed to have forgotten the servere pain I endured just a couple days ago and already feeling ancy to get running again. My hamstring is still tight so i will just jog easy and pay close attention to it. Were still sitting next to a fire, super cozy while it's actually raining out today and pretty cold.
Did I mention how much I LOVE GREECE?????? I DIDNT KNOW ID LOVE IT SO MUCH! I think there are two top reasons why i love it here. Firstly, the food is beyond belief! Everything is so flavorful and made with olive oil, unprocessed and so fresh, far better than the states!! My tummy is usually pretty sensitive and it has been 100% happy with everything i've eaten. The sweets are incredibly delicious! Secondly, the elderly are so a part of this culture and there's something so sweet about that, so much more secure having them all out and about active and healthy. I LOVE ELDERLY and at home we just don't see too many 80-90 year olds walking around doing their errands and such. Thirdly, I love the abundance of flower shops here...they are literally everywhere. Fourthly, I love that each restaurant is individually unique. There are only a couple chain restraints which one of course includes mcdonalds...grrr. But, the rest are amazing and different. Fifthly, I love the music here! Were going to hear some live music hopefully. Sixthly, I love how athletically minded these people are, granted the groupies/fans are absolutely nuts and sometimes downright insane, but it truly is fun to be around people who love sports so much! Seventhly, wait...i was going to cut it short...but i truly could keep going on and on.
Today I read my Bible and the prayer of Jabez was the chapter I just happened to be on...i love it! Check it out how cute and adorable this man's prayer was in the old testament...
1 Chronicles 4: 9 "Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying,'because I bore him in pain.' And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indded, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that I may not cause pain!' So God granted him what he requested."
What a cute prayer, he asked that he wouldn't cause any pain.
Ok, bye.
Jenny
and i also like that the air here feels clean, and there isn't any trash in the streets.
THEN...she was getting into another taxi and the guy started yelling with his fingers in the air (like Italian style) "BUTARES'!!! BUTARES'!!!" Erin didn't know this word so she was going back and fourth with him trying to understand what he was saying but all he would say was, "BUTARE!" So, when she got out of the taxi she called Stratos and asked what butare meant and he said, "who said that to you?" and she told him and Stratos said it means, "BIGGGG THIGHS!!!!" AHHHHA!!! Stratos said, "he's a friggen' idiot" (Napoleon Dynamite). I could NOT stop laughing, seriously.
Ok, so Greek people have many kinds of sign language type expressions. At the games all the fans would throw both hands forward when they didn't like a call or a bad play by their own team which looked like they were casting a spell...and apparently it's the most offensive gesture, worse than the middle finger here. Interesting.
The other gesture is to raise two eyebrows and click your tongue which means, "no"...it seems super rude but it's just a socially acceptable way to say no in Greece. Well, there's an African American guy from LA playing on Stratos' bball team (there are guys from the NBA here playing) and when a Greek guy kept doing that to him he told erin at first he was confused, then angry, then finally said, "that don't mean nothing to me, quit!" Erin and I have been dying laughing at that!! I mean seriously, I think African Americans are theee funniest people on earth...their humor has no comparison!! UGH! Haha!! Haha!! Oh my!! But, on a serious note, it is so fun to see and know people from all kinds of varying cultural backgrounds. Anthropology fascinates me to no end.
Well, im going to cut it short for now. My legs feel awesome and i think im going to try and run at the gym. Erin was laughing at me as I seemed to have forgotten the servere pain I endured just a couple days ago and already feeling ancy to get running again. My hamstring is still tight so i will just jog easy and pay close attention to it. Were still sitting next to a fire, super cozy while it's actually raining out today and pretty cold.
Did I mention how much I LOVE GREECE?????? I DIDNT KNOW ID LOVE IT SO MUCH! I think there are two top reasons why i love it here. Firstly, the food is beyond belief! Everything is so flavorful and made with olive oil, unprocessed and so fresh, far better than the states!! My tummy is usually pretty sensitive and it has been 100% happy with everything i've eaten. The sweets are incredibly delicious! Secondly, the elderly are so a part of this culture and there's something so sweet about that, so much more secure having them all out and about active and healthy. I LOVE ELDERLY and at home we just don't see too many 80-90 year olds walking around doing their errands and such. Thirdly, I love the abundance of flower shops here...they are literally everywhere. Fourthly, I love that each restaurant is individually unique. There are only a couple chain restraints which one of course includes mcdonalds...grrr. But, the rest are amazing and different. Fifthly, I love the music here! Were going to hear some live music hopefully. Sixthly, I love how athletically minded these people are, granted the groupies/fans are absolutely nuts and sometimes downright insane, but it truly is fun to be around people who love sports so much! Seventhly, wait...i was going to cut it short...but i truly could keep going on and on.
Today I read my Bible and the prayer of Jabez was the chapter I just happened to be on...i love it! Check it out how cute and adorable this man's prayer was in the old testament...
1 Chronicles 4: 9 "Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying,'because I bore him in pain.' And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indded, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that I may not cause pain!' So God granted him what he requested."
What a cute prayer, he asked that he wouldn't cause any pain.
Ok, bye.
Jenny
and i also like that the air here feels clean, and there isn't any trash in the streets.
Monday, November 10, 2008
No wonder Fiddipides died!!!
Reminder *this is a free write, with no proof reading or editing so just go with it* :)
I awakened an hour before my alarm clock (2am) and excitedly but surprisingly a little tired and headed into the kitchen to make my usual pre-marathon breakfast. The quietness of the middle of the night and darkness is a unique feeling and I opened the kitchen door to let in the pre-race whether. The air felt wonderful as I tasted the yummy oatmeal, raisins and banana, with a side of 2 egg whites a hot cup of coffee and some OJ. I only tried to let in postive "dare to believe" thoughts but noticed the negative ones trying to pop in at every chance..."youre not ready for this..." "you have no idea about the course"..."you're going to be alone the whole race" blah blah blah. I cut my meal short so as to knock out those anxiety producing bugs in my mind and took a wonderful hot shower, and then dawled myself up with lots of make-up...does wonders for a girl in training...it's trick I learned in a magazine and it works! Those of you know at work how much I rarely wear make-up but when it comes to working out it's a common feature (even those 3 am solo workouts at the gym...has nothing to do with "looking pretty" and all about how I feel about myself...well taken care of and feminine).
Once finally ready I tapped Erin on the shoulder to get going and she said, "jenny, my clock says 3:45) as we checked all the clocks in the house said a different time and I realized this meant I truly got less than 4 hours of sleep...haha! We laughed and slept for another hour (i woke up on my own JUST IN TIME before missing it all! haha!).
Erin hopped on the bus with me until it was time to go and then we were off. There wasn't a peep on the bus...usually there's alot of screaming, and laughing, and meeting new people. Maybe because there were people from all over the world there were few conversations. It was still dark out and it was hard to see during the ride to Marathona. I did notice alot of space and few country homes here and there and then we'd go through little towns with alot of cement buildings...nothing with inspiring beauty (to be honest).
They dumped us out in the freezing cold biting wind for two hours before the race started. I can understand though as they had to bus 10,000 people to the start. I was just hoping it'd be like Sacramento marathon where they let you stay on the warm buses until it's the start time. I had thoughts of not doing the marathon because of how cold I was. I was miserable. The rest of our time here in Greece was sooo warm and wonderful. I knew the whether wouldn't be a problem as soon as they'd let us start running. Anyway, there was a flame and a tombstone all about the history of the marathon...and for that I was very glad to see.
At one point before the race started I realized I didn't have any pins to attach my bib (race number) to my shirt. I went over to a bunch of guys and they didn't speak english but they all started talking and laughing and more comments and more laughter and it felt terrible, until I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder and turned around to see this young asian guy with a smile say, "here, take mine I only need 2 pins" and I wanted to hug him! He was so gentle and kind! And I was really thankful.
Starting time, I lined up with other like numbers as I saw the signs. Though, when the gun went off it seemed like I had joined a walking race because everyone walked through the start and I was so confused! So, I jumped in behind some guy who must have had similar confusion as me and we started in dodging all the people, up and down on the tall brick curb and then ran on the dirt to go around those who wouldn't let us pass and then through the people...this went on for the whole first 10k! Along with this frustrating experience (couldn't get into a pace for the first 6 or 7 miles...ugh!) I had sharp sharp chest pain and I interpreted it as an intercostal cramp because it really worsened with my breathing...which just made it really uncomfortable.
There were few girls scattered here and there but mostly men. I lost the guy I was tagging along behind and would try and excuse myself through the crowds of men to safely pass by and some of them stuck there elbows out so I couldn't pass. I was tempted to feel upset as I remembered the "goody" bag from the expo with porn, and gear all for men but I put those feelings aside and pressed on. I thought of Katherine switzer http://www.katherineswitzer.com/boston.html and was thankful to her that I even get to run a marathon!! I exchanged an unpleasant experience for gratitude. In fact, I've seen how the men here in Greece treat their women and it makes me feel sad. A quick side note--Erin and I were in the grocery store and there was a tired looking lady with a full cart behind us. A man walked up to me and said something in Greek and I just looked at him blankly but could tell he wasn't being friendly. So, when he saw that I wasn't getting it he pushed his cart right up behind me and cut in front of this lady. Then, when the lady said something he started yelling at her and it escalated between the two to screaming and the entire store was watching. Erin translated later saying that he just cut in front of her. There's no chivalrey (sp?) here. Often times I've been walking towards an exit and a guy will come and push over us to go first. Feels awful.
While running, I realized there were hardly any markers for how many kilometers we had done or had left to do let alone miles. I know up to about 12k in miles and then im lost after that. So, at one point I asked a guy next to me and he said something with an irritated tone and looked away. Erin and I have had lots to say about all this, which I'll finish these thoughts at the bottom of this post. But for now, I'll continue in my race experience.
There were three times I remember smiling in this race. That's rare for me, as usually I think I smile the entire time until that last few miles, which is when I usually get a little tear and marathonly emotional...tears of joy! The first smile was when I heard these young girls (three to be exact) running and talking behind me, about 20 years old or younger. After listening in on their entertaining conversations, "I do hot yoga and my body temperature is permanently lower now" or "I just joined a hot spin class..." I turned around and said, "are you guys from Minnesota?" They happily answered, "YEAH! How'd you know???" So, it was fun talking to them for a bit, then I took off. The second time I smiled was when there was this OLD YaYa (grama...at least 85-90 years old) short and like a cute little ball screaming in Greek, waving her arms, and cheering us on!! How so darn cute can you get???!!! I ran accross and held out my arm and we gave each other a high five and she yelled even louder, "OPA!!!" (Ya, like in the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding)! And everyone in the race, and her grand daughter started cracking up laughing! It was a highlight for me, I had so much love in my heart for this lady...being discouraged by the "all men focus" of this race, it was a sweet comfort to be encouraged by an elderly woman! I hope I can see her again in heaven and give her a big hug!
The third time I smiled was when the kids lined up with their arms out to give us "five" and that too was a sweet comfort...i love love love children, they bring so much joy, and energy, and love, and just everything good! There was even a childrens marching band that was precious!
The course was grueling! I guess what made it so freakin' difficult was the longggg endless gradual inclines which seemed to be the case in all but two of the steep hill climbs and a gradual descent in the end. My traps and upper back are so sore today and ive never had that from a marathon before. The hills in SF marathon were wayyyy easier than these long gradual ones. Plus ,there wasn't any inspiring beauty which im spoildly used to. There was a lot of desert terrain with mountains in the background (occasionally) and the towns were just with squared cement buildings...im very much mentally inspired by nature and the beautiful scenes. But it was fun to think of the soldier who ran this course with excitement, though now I can see why he died! Sheesh! The map didn't do justice to the level of difficulty of this race.
The men just pee'd right in front of us. I heard a few women talking about how they didn't want to drink any fluids because they had to pee. Well, I thought about just squatting and peeing to make a statement and let them know that women pee too, but i refrained. Along the whole route there were two outhouses. The first one I waited, and waited, and waited...and after what seemed like an eternity a man come out. To be honest, I wanted a baseball bat to bonk him on the head! The second outhouse didn't come until the very end, and there werent any trees or anything along the way to stop and pee...so that wasn't too fun.
I remember falling into rhythm with two older guys who had a pretty quick pace and it's amazing how little effort it takes to match your footsteps with someone who is going in the same direction and same pace. Otherwise, it's very disorganized and stressful to try and follow...kind of like real life, we do better in pairs I believe. I went far following right in this man's footsteps but then by 30k my left hamstring (which bothered me pretty much the whole time) started really hurting so I walked, and then I started crying...I hate crying! But, I manaaged to start running again through tears of strong physical pain and at 37k (Im guessing) and immediately after asking God for strength a man fell into my pace right behind me. His feet were loud, but his cadence helpful to me and we ran together for quite a ways. He eventually moved right in front and started picking up the pace and we must have been running 7min/mile pace as we were hauling. Mostly everyone was walking at this point. One guy yelled from the side, "it's all downhill from here" and a girl yelled back, "YEAH RIGHT! That's what they've been saying since the start!" So, I finally stopped due to severe hamstring pain, and the disappointment was truly overwhelming because I have yet to feel so strong in the end of a marathon. I had no idea of how close I was to the finish line either...as I walked the pain became worse and I almost started screaming, but all I could do was cry and dream of morphine! A man told me there was an ambulance down the way, and while that was tempting I knew my mind wouldn't let me quit as for the rest of my life I would have regrets, can you imagine?
I saw the 40k sign and looked in a building to see the time 1:08 (that's like 24 miles at 4:08 minutes) and so I tried to run, but absolutely couldn't and I told myself to let my hamstring dictate at this point. So, I walked and cried and cried and cried...so freakin embarrassing. My head was down until I finally had enough of it, and I started praying for all the people passing me by for a successful race, and for many blessings for all of their lives. That was wonderful! It took my focus off my pain. I walked for 3.5k total and my finishing time was 4:48...horrible but the ending was strong let me tell you what happened...
So, I came around the last corner, still walking and saw this guy going slow on his "cervelo" bike. I said, "nice bike" and he proceeded to tell me how he won all these races around the world but that he lives here in Greece and that he was helping his brother run his first marathon. I said, "yeah, this marathon was exceedingly difficult for me," and said, "Oh, my brother says it was so easy." I thought, "OH NO HE DINT!" So, I wished the biker guy good luck and started running past his brother, who then started racing me so as if to say, "no way!" so we started a full on SPRINT exactly as we came into the first old olympic stadium with all the people lined up screaming. Then, I saw Erin and Stratos and their new Texan friends all screaming for me...haha! Then, one of their new friends yelled, "NO WAY! SHE'S GOING TO KICK HIS ASS!" and I did!!! I dogged him so bad it's not even funny! Then, my legs had a huge kick and I sprinted with so much unknown gas in my tank for 100 meters to the finish!! I heard a BUNCH of people along the sprint saying, "NO WAY!" and it was a strong finish, a great ending to the race that almost made me want to quit forever! It was a wonderful race in mental strength, in pushing through when every cell in my body wanted to quit, in enduring pain that I've never experienced before. I've got shin splints, a tweaked right ankle, a sore right knee, and a pretty bad hamstring pull...but today I feel extremely mobile! In fact, after the marathon, we all went to an AMAZING soccer game last night! I LOVE IT HERE!! Oh ya, Erin said she never saw so many people crying at the finish line and bus loads of people pouring out at the end of those who opted out and couldn't finish. wow!
To finish my thoughts on the women thing...
So, I can see why women get hardened here. Erin said that many girls are ok with being, "the other girl" and it's so common. We talked and talked and it's so easy to feel like dirty toilet paper when really understanding how most men think of us. Women play a part in the problem too by feeding mens appetites for food and sex. I could then see why women go overboard in being feminists. Though, either extreme is truly not where I want to go with my life. What truly brought me comfort is knowing what God thinks of me, not the mere fickleness, shallowness and hollowed view of women by men. Jesus FIRST revealed His identity to a Samaritan woman, the lowliest of society, basically considered to be as valuable as trash...He loved her and cared for her and knew everything about her. I have so many thoughts on this issue but to wrap up this endlessly long blog I'll just say a few more thoughts. I hate when women demand to be treated with respect or extra special because they are "women" and yet I get very angry at the men who treat women so badly.
Knowing who I am in Christ gives me the freedom and confidence to know that I am valued by the most high being who made those very men who for whatever reasons are incapable of loving women in a way that is right (and visa versa). This allows me the freedom from demanding that I be respected, and the self respect to not be a doormat. It makes me want to love God more and love people more. I like this answer to a very complicated and complex problem. Let me just add that my sister Erin has found a diamond Greek man who somehow knows deeply how to love and care for a woman in a way that lets Erin know he loves her for her and not her for what she can give him! I can see it radiantly and it's the sweetest and purest thing when a man and a woman deeply and sincerely love each other with God as their first and strongest bond.
Lastly, I'm reading a wonderful book called, "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan (one of my favorites) and today Erin and I sat in a coffee shop and read it together. Here's some things I really liked,
"One greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter." -Tim Kizziar
"God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love. In our culture, even if a pastor doesn't actually love people, he can still be considered successful as long as he is a gifted speaker, makes his congregation laugh, or prays for 'all those poor, suffering people in the world' every Sunday." --Francis Chan
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends...faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1Corinthians 13: 4-8 (The Bible)
Uh, I need to read this every day to remind me and to move forward in becoming a more loving person. It's my desire, and it's truly one of the only things that matter in this life...this is how God loves us, unconditionally. Therefore, I can love others unconditionally, even men who have such hideously low views of women, and are downright rude. Again, not all men are like this but it was very much a part of my experience on this trip.
I have so many fun pictures of last night's soccer game. Can't wait to post them all!
Love you all, and wish I could live here!
Jenny :)
I awakened an hour before my alarm clock (2am) and excitedly but surprisingly a little tired and headed into the kitchen to make my usual pre-marathon breakfast. The quietness of the middle of the night and darkness is a unique feeling and I opened the kitchen door to let in the pre-race whether. The air felt wonderful as I tasted the yummy oatmeal, raisins and banana, with a side of 2 egg whites a hot cup of coffee and some OJ. I only tried to let in postive "dare to believe" thoughts but noticed the negative ones trying to pop in at every chance..."youre not ready for this..." "you have no idea about the course"..."you're going to be alone the whole race" blah blah blah. I cut my meal short so as to knock out those anxiety producing bugs in my mind and took a wonderful hot shower, and then dawled myself up with lots of make-up...does wonders for a girl in training...it's trick I learned in a magazine and it works! Those of you know at work how much I rarely wear make-up but when it comes to working out it's a common feature (even those 3 am solo workouts at the gym...has nothing to do with "looking pretty" and all about how I feel about myself...well taken care of and feminine).
Once finally ready I tapped Erin on the shoulder to get going and she said, "jenny, my clock says 3:45) as we checked all the clocks in the house said a different time and I realized this meant I truly got less than 4 hours of sleep...haha! We laughed and slept for another hour (i woke up on my own JUST IN TIME before missing it all! haha!).
Erin hopped on the bus with me until it was time to go and then we were off. There wasn't a peep on the bus...usually there's alot of screaming, and laughing, and meeting new people. Maybe because there were people from all over the world there were few conversations. It was still dark out and it was hard to see during the ride to Marathona. I did notice alot of space and few country homes here and there and then we'd go through little towns with alot of cement buildings...nothing with inspiring beauty (to be honest).
They dumped us out in the freezing cold biting wind for two hours before the race started. I can understand though as they had to bus 10,000 people to the start. I was just hoping it'd be like Sacramento marathon where they let you stay on the warm buses until it's the start time. I had thoughts of not doing the marathon because of how cold I was. I was miserable. The rest of our time here in Greece was sooo warm and wonderful. I knew the whether wouldn't be a problem as soon as they'd let us start running. Anyway, there was a flame and a tombstone all about the history of the marathon...and for that I was very glad to see.
At one point before the race started I realized I didn't have any pins to attach my bib (race number) to my shirt. I went over to a bunch of guys and they didn't speak english but they all started talking and laughing and more comments and more laughter and it felt terrible, until I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder and turned around to see this young asian guy with a smile say, "here, take mine I only need 2 pins" and I wanted to hug him! He was so gentle and kind! And I was really thankful.
Starting time, I lined up with other like numbers as I saw the signs. Though, when the gun went off it seemed like I had joined a walking race because everyone walked through the start and I was so confused! So, I jumped in behind some guy who must have had similar confusion as me and we started in dodging all the people, up and down on the tall brick curb and then ran on the dirt to go around those who wouldn't let us pass and then through the people...this went on for the whole first 10k! Along with this frustrating experience (couldn't get into a pace for the first 6 or 7 miles...ugh!) I had sharp sharp chest pain and I interpreted it as an intercostal cramp because it really worsened with my breathing...which just made it really uncomfortable.
There were few girls scattered here and there but mostly men. I lost the guy I was tagging along behind and would try and excuse myself through the crowds of men to safely pass by and some of them stuck there elbows out so I couldn't pass. I was tempted to feel upset as I remembered the "goody" bag from the expo with porn, and gear all for men but I put those feelings aside and pressed on. I thought of Katherine switzer http://www.katherineswitzer.com/boston.html and was thankful to her that I even get to run a marathon!! I exchanged an unpleasant experience for gratitude. In fact, I've seen how the men here in Greece treat their women and it makes me feel sad. A quick side note--Erin and I were in the grocery store and there was a tired looking lady with a full cart behind us. A man walked up to me and said something in Greek and I just looked at him blankly but could tell he wasn't being friendly. So, when he saw that I wasn't getting it he pushed his cart right up behind me and cut in front of this lady. Then, when the lady said something he started yelling at her and it escalated between the two to screaming and the entire store was watching. Erin translated later saying that he just cut in front of her. There's no chivalrey (sp?) here. Often times I've been walking towards an exit and a guy will come and push over us to go first. Feels awful.
While running, I realized there were hardly any markers for how many kilometers we had done or had left to do let alone miles. I know up to about 12k in miles and then im lost after that. So, at one point I asked a guy next to me and he said something with an irritated tone and looked away. Erin and I have had lots to say about all this, which I'll finish these thoughts at the bottom of this post. But for now, I'll continue in my race experience.
There were three times I remember smiling in this race. That's rare for me, as usually I think I smile the entire time until that last few miles, which is when I usually get a little tear and marathonly emotional...tears of joy! The first smile was when I heard these young girls (three to be exact) running and talking behind me, about 20 years old or younger. After listening in on their entertaining conversations, "I do hot yoga and my body temperature is permanently lower now" or "I just joined a hot spin class..." I turned around and said, "are you guys from Minnesota?" They happily answered, "YEAH! How'd you know???" So, it was fun talking to them for a bit, then I took off. The second time I smiled was when there was this OLD YaYa (grama...at least 85-90 years old) short and like a cute little ball screaming in Greek, waving her arms, and cheering us on!! How so darn cute can you get???!!! I ran accross and held out my arm and we gave each other a high five and she yelled even louder, "OPA!!!" (Ya, like in the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding)! And everyone in the race, and her grand daughter started cracking up laughing! It was a highlight for me, I had so much love in my heart for this lady...being discouraged by the "all men focus" of this race, it was a sweet comfort to be encouraged by an elderly woman! I hope I can see her again in heaven and give her a big hug!
The third time I smiled was when the kids lined up with their arms out to give us "five" and that too was a sweet comfort...i love love love children, they bring so much joy, and energy, and love, and just everything good! There was even a childrens marching band that was precious!
The course was grueling! I guess what made it so freakin' difficult was the longggg endless gradual inclines which seemed to be the case in all but two of the steep hill climbs and a gradual descent in the end. My traps and upper back are so sore today and ive never had that from a marathon before. The hills in SF marathon were wayyyy easier than these long gradual ones. Plus ,there wasn't any inspiring beauty which im spoildly used to. There was a lot of desert terrain with mountains in the background (occasionally) and the towns were just with squared cement buildings...im very much mentally inspired by nature and the beautiful scenes. But it was fun to think of the soldier who ran this course with excitement, though now I can see why he died! Sheesh! The map didn't do justice to the level of difficulty of this race.
The men just pee'd right in front of us. I heard a few women talking about how they didn't want to drink any fluids because they had to pee. Well, I thought about just squatting and peeing to make a statement and let them know that women pee too, but i refrained. Along the whole route there were two outhouses. The first one I waited, and waited, and waited...and after what seemed like an eternity a man come out. To be honest, I wanted a baseball bat to bonk him on the head! The second outhouse didn't come until the very end, and there werent any trees or anything along the way to stop and pee...so that wasn't too fun.
I remember falling into rhythm with two older guys who had a pretty quick pace and it's amazing how little effort it takes to match your footsteps with someone who is going in the same direction and same pace. Otherwise, it's very disorganized and stressful to try and follow...kind of like real life, we do better in pairs I believe. I went far following right in this man's footsteps but then by 30k my left hamstring (which bothered me pretty much the whole time) started really hurting so I walked, and then I started crying...I hate crying! But, I manaaged to start running again through tears of strong physical pain and at 37k (Im guessing) and immediately after asking God for strength a man fell into my pace right behind me. His feet were loud, but his cadence helpful to me and we ran together for quite a ways. He eventually moved right in front and started picking up the pace and we must have been running 7min/mile pace as we were hauling. Mostly everyone was walking at this point. One guy yelled from the side, "it's all downhill from here" and a girl yelled back, "YEAH RIGHT! That's what they've been saying since the start!" So, I finally stopped due to severe hamstring pain, and the disappointment was truly overwhelming because I have yet to feel so strong in the end of a marathon. I had no idea of how close I was to the finish line either...as I walked the pain became worse and I almost started screaming, but all I could do was cry and dream of morphine! A man told me there was an ambulance down the way, and while that was tempting I knew my mind wouldn't let me quit as for the rest of my life I would have regrets, can you imagine?
I saw the 40k sign and looked in a building to see the time 1:08 (that's like 24 miles at 4:08 minutes) and so I tried to run, but absolutely couldn't and I told myself to let my hamstring dictate at this point. So, I walked and cried and cried and cried...so freakin embarrassing. My head was down until I finally had enough of it, and I started praying for all the people passing me by for a successful race, and for many blessings for all of their lives. That was wonderful! It took my focus off my pain. I walked for 3.5k total and my finishing time was 4:48...horrible but the ending was strong let me tell you what happened...
So, I came around the last corner, still walking and saw this guy going slow on his "cervelo" bike. I said, "nice bike" and he proceeded to tell me how he won all these races around the world but that he lives here in Greece and that he was helping his brother run his first marathon. I said, "yeah, this marathon was exceedingly difficult for me," and said, "Oh, my brother says it was so easy." I thought, "OH NO HE DINT!" So, I wished the biker guy good luck and started running past his brother, who then started racing me so as if to say, "no way!" so we started a full on SPRINT exactly as we came into the first old olympic stadium with all the people lined up screaming. Then, I saw Erin and Stratos and their new Texan friends all screaming for me...haha! Then, one of their new friends yelled, "NO WAY! SHE'S GOING TO KICK HIS ASS!" and I did!!! I dogged him so bad it's not even funny! Then, my legs had a huge kick and I sprinted with so much unknown gas in my tank for 100 meters to the finish!! I heard a BUNCH of people along the sprint saying, "NO WAY!" and it was a strong finish, a great ending to the race that almost made me want to quit forever! It was a wonderful race in mental strength, in pushing through when every cell in my body wanted to quit, in enduring pain that I've never experienced before. I've got shin splints, a tweaked right ankle, a sore right knee, and a pretty bad hamstring pull...but today I feel extremely mobile! In fact, after the marathon, we all went to an AMAZING soccer game last night! I LOVE IT HERE!! Oh ya, Erin said she never saw so many people crying at the finish line and bus loads of people pouring out at the end of those who opted out and couldn't finish. wow!
To finish my thoughts on the women thing...
So, I can see why women get hardened here. Erin said that many girls are ok with being, "the other girl" and it's so common. We talked and talked and it's so easy to feel like dirty toilet paper when really understanding how most men think of us. Women play a part in the problem too by feeding mens appetites for food and sex. I could then see why women go overboard in being feminists. Though, either extreme is truly not where I want to go with my life. What truly brought me comfort is knowing what God thinks of me, not the mere fickleness, shallowness and hollowed view of women by men. Jesus FIRST revealed His identity to a Samaritan woman, the lowliest of society, basically considered to be as valuable as trash...He loved her and cared for her and knew everything about her. I have so many thoughts on this issue but to wrap up this endlessly long blog I'll just say a few more thoughts. I hate when women demand to be treated with respect or extra special because they are "women" and yet I get very angry at the men who treat women so badly.
Knowing who I am in Christ gives me the freedom and confidence to know that I am valued by the most high being who made those very men who for whatever reasons are incapable of loving women in a way that is right (and visa versa). This allows me the freedom from demanding that I be respected, and the self respect to not be a doormat. It makes me want to love God more and love people more. I like this answer to a very complicated and complex problem. Let me just add that my sister Erin has found a diamond Greek man who somehow knows deeply how to love and care for a woman in a way that lets Erin know he loves her for her and not her for what she can give him! I can see it radiantly and it's the sweetest and purest thing when a man and a woman deeply and sincerely love each other with God as their first and strongest bond.
Lastly, I'm reading a wonderful book called, "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan (one of my favorites) and today Erin and I sat in a coffee shop and read it together. Here's some things I really liked,
"One greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter." -Tim Kizziar
"God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love. In our culture, even if a pastor doesn't actually love people, he can still be considered successful as long as he is a gifted speaker, makes his congregation laugh, or prays for 'all those poor, suffering people in the world' every Sunday." --Francis Chan
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends...faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1Corinthians 13: 4-8 (The Bible)
Uh, I need to read this every day to remind me and to move forward in becoming a more loving person. It's my desire, and it's truly one of the only things that matter in this life...this is how God loves us, unconditionally. Therefore, I can love others unconditionally, even men who have such hideously low views of women, and are downright rude. Again, not all men are like this but it was very much a part of my experience on this trip.
I have so many fun pictures of last night's soccer game. Can't wait to post them all!
Love you all, and wish I could live here!
Jenny :)
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