my weekend, so i pretty much had no contact with the outside world (real social interactions) until sunday. pastor mac's sermon was really great and made me excited for heaven. like i honestly don't know what i do if i wasn't a christian/had Jesus b/c life really can be hard and everyone eventually experiences pain and trials. then in sunday school, i learned how faith shouldn't be "blind" and that faith is more like trust. after sunday school was bertucci's and then avery's party :) it was really fun- i love lyfers! there was some climbing windows, building fires, playing WOW (vlee is an addict now), and dancing involved hahah.
so yesterday was my last day of work of kumon. i've been there for the past year and a half and it's been a major part of my life haha. ok to be honest, at times, i've hated it...my boss, jean can be REALLY demanding. at the beginning, i felt like i couldn't do anything right-there would always be something she would say like "why isn't ____'s work corrected" or "don't talk about non-work related items." i think when jean left over the summer and especially once i found out the center was closing, i began to appreciate her more and realize where she was coming from and the stress she experienced. anyways, i really love and am going to miss all the kids and staff. i definitely learned a lot from working there like how to function in a high-pressure/demanding environment and deal with difficult people and be "professional" haha. though i think kumon is a cult, i hope jean will be able to open it again in the future.
afterschool, i went to the little barnes and noble's in downtown lowell and started to read A Thousand Splendid Suns by khaled hosseini. i really like it so far-- i love how hosseini's ability to convey emotion. i got through the first part which tells about the life of mariam, who is the illegitimate child of a rich business man and a servant. i don't want to give too much of the story away, but her story is really tragic. though this book is fictional, it breaks my heart to hear about abuse parents inflict on their children because of their own pain, fears, and broken dreams. also, though i know things have changed, i hate reading about arranged marriages, which are only for the benefit of the husband. i read The Kite Runnerlast christmas and gosh that book made me cry so much. i like how both of these books give insight to middle east culture and the constant struggle and strife from these cultures- back in the day until now. so i need to get this book and finish it during christmas break!
ok i need to finish all my college stuff this week! i've been procrastinating SO much and now i'm being owned. i hope there's a snow day tmrw!
song of the day: "relax, take it easy"- mika (haha it reminds me of like cultish "zoolander")
so i haven't blogged in a while, but it's a "freezing rain" day and i don't have school so i'm updating! i truly feel bad for those without electricity and whose trees are destroyed. so i didn't know that it was a "state of emergency" or that people were without electricity until like an hour ago...i just thought people weren't online b/c they were sleeping in. i've been able to do a lot of things i've been needing to do like cleaning, devotioning, praying, and replying to old emails and facebook messages. though i'm sad there's no lyf, i'm glad i have a day to catch up on all my homework and hopefully finish some college supplements.
thoughts from my week:
NHS induction was actually really nice :) i honestly will miss school people in college.
my friend henna got me all obsessed about tattoos b/c she's getting an ohm tattooed on her wrist during christmas break. and my friend maureen got a scorpio in the shape of an "M" below her collarbone. so in the past, i've wanted a jesus fish tattooed on my ankle, but not anymore b/c apparently it hurts pretty bad on your ankle as there's not much fat and i also think i want something a bit more elaborate. though i do think having too many tattoos looks trashy, after looking at some designs, i've decided i want to get a a small and black tribal sun on the back of my shoulder. my friend mikhaila are going to gets our tattoos together (she wants morning glory flowers along the side of her ribs and stomach) when we both turn 18!
i was reading an article online called "should christians get tattoos? it was really interesting- it wasn't biased, but presented both sides of the argument. so most people against tattoos (like my mother) believe the people explictly prohibits it. i.e.:"Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord" -Leviticus 19:28. however the article continues to say that verses must be read in context. other verses in leviticus prohibit things like draining an animal's blood and trimming beards b/c they were specifically associated w/ pagan practices (while today they're not). they also addressed important questions to consider like why do you want a tattoo? will it glorify yourself or God? will it cause other people to fall?
so some reasons i want that sun tattoo is that well i'll get on my 18th birthday and after doing some research, i've learned suns can symbolize "hope for tomorrow" and "looking towards brighter days." those are things i truly want going to college and as i become an adult. i also do love sunshine and the light that Jesus brings to our dark world :)
ok off to do some homework! what do you guys think of tattoos?
song of the week: "you" by switchfoot (yay for "walk to remember" clips :)