Ode to MARTA

So, today we were hurrying down the escalator to catch the MARTA train, and I see a bunch of textbooks strewn all over the platform. I think to myself, "Self, who would strew their textbooks all over the platform?" Any guesses? Well, I found out pretty quickly. Clearly, I'm not thinking about anything except getting on the train that's flashing DORAVILLE in bright yellow letters because I don't want to wait at the 5 points station any longer than I have to. In my hurry to get to the train, I almost get punched in the face but they guy who's textbooks are strewn all over the platform. Someone insulted his girl, or his momma, or his hair, and he throws a punch RIGHT AS WE ARE WALKING BETWEEN THEM. Thank goodness I have catlike reflexes. I almost pulled out my pink pepper spray to give him a piece of my mind, but I got on the train instead (see previous statement about hanging out at 5 Points). The end.

Breakable

Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts
So it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess

And we are so fragile
And our cracking bones make noise
And we are just breakable
Breakable, breakable girls and boys

This song by Ingrid Michaelson is hauntingly beautiful. As I listened to the lyrics a few moments ago, I thought about what it meant to be fragile. It could mean that you are weak, or incapable, or vulnerable. All of those have such negative connotations. We are fragile, but I think that fragility allows us to be vulnerable in a good way, vulnerable to love. Think of all the references to a hardened heart. What type of image does that incur? To me, a hardened heart is one that cannot break. A heart that cannot break cannot truly love. To truly love, you must be vulnerable. You must open yourself to another. Love makes us hurt. Love makes us grieve. Love helps put us back together. If we can never be broken, we can never experience the goodness of the mending, for "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." And for that, I will hold my fragile heart in outstretched arms to love.

This Christmas

I know, I know...some of you are looking at the title of this post and yelling because you think it's entirely too early to be writing a post about Christmas. Keep in mind though, the official Christmas music season (according to Miriam and myself) kicks off in exactly 19 days. Yes, you heard correctly! On October 1st, I will play an assortment of my Christmas favorites, just because I can. But that's totally not what this post is about!

Anyone who knows me knows that I.love.Christmas. Last year, I bought the very first Christmas tree from Lowes. In fact, it didn't have the price tag on it, and they were still unloading half of the shipment from the truck. If you look in our spare closet and wonder what could possibly be in the 6 blue rubbermaid tubs, I'll give you one guess! Yep, they're full of Christmas decorations! 6 tubs, huh? And we live in a 1100 square foot apartment. I love walking through stores and hotel lobbies and houses decorated for the season. There's just something magical and wonderful about Christmas. But my favorite part has always been the Christmas Eve church service. I love walking through the cold into a warm church to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

This year, I am especially excited about Christmas because Charlie and I will be spending it in GERMANY! This has been a dream for Charlie and I to visit. His mom's family is from Germany, so he has always wanted to visit the "vaterland." I, of course, am drawn to the castles, cuckoo clocks, chocolate cake, and Christmas decorations!!!! (Wow...I just noticed my incredible use of alliteration in that last sentence!) It is so exciting for us to finally be able to travel to a place that we have yearned to see for so long, and at Christmas, nonetheless. Does it really get any better than that?!?

I thought I would give you a little taste of some of the must-see-because-I-have-dreamed-about-this-for-years sights:

Neuschwanstein Castle, which will hopefully be covered in snow!

The largest cuckoo clock in the world in Triberg

The Kristkindlmarkt in Munich

My mom is the greatest. I told her last week that we would be gone over Christmas, and she was so excited for us, even though we wouldn't be with the family. When Charlie and I went to their house last weekend, we had an early Christmas present waiting for us. Mom had bought me a German Christmas carousel after Christmas last year, and she was intending to give it to me for Christmas this year. I brought it home and decided that I would keep it out until we left for our adventure! I couldn't get a very good picture of mine, but it looks something like this:

This is a traditional German Christmas decoration that is powered from the heat of the candles. Just like cuckoo clocks, they can be simple or VERY elaborate:

We are also planning on doing a little passport stamping by doing a quick drive through Austria, Italy, Liechenstein, Switzerland, and France. I am furiously devouring Rick Steve's travel guide as we plan and plot our adventure. I still can't believe that we're actually going! So now that I've rambled long enough, gute Nacht!

Crime Blotter

Fridays at school are my earliest mornings. I have anatomy lab at 7:30 a.m., so I'm on my way about 6:15. Nonetheless, it's pretty quiet on the PT Penthouse (that's the 7th floor of Kell, for those of you none-DPT people). Yesterday morning, I arrived exceptionally early and found myself in the lounge with the GSU paper. I was flipping through and happened upon the CrimeBlotter. It chronicled the incidents from the week of August 21st. Mind you, it's a whole page of various incidents for just ONE week. As I read, I discovered 2 recuring themes. People are stupid. And people are mean.

Here's a quick recount of this week's events/incidences/violations of moral standards:

2 cases of students noticing various items were missing from their wallets.

2 criminal trespassing charges (apparently you can't be in GSU buildings if you're not a student).

3 cases of students locking their bikes and returning to find them missing.

1 girl left her cell phone unattended for 2 hours and was surprised to find it missing when she returned.

1 girl dropped her Crackberry over a rail and it was gone when she went down to get it. I don't know how it survived the fall.

1 man arrested for sleeping in a car that wasn't his. He broke the window to get in.

1 girl reported that someone entered the bathroom and took a picture of her in the stall.

1 idiot left his backpack and books unattended in the library. They too disappeared while he was gone.

1 well-intending individual had his wallet snatched when he took it out to give money to a panhandler.

And the icing on the cake (I must quote this one)
A non-Georgia State individual was charged with Theft. The individual placed a laptop computer in his pants and left the University Bookstore. Officers apprehended the man after a brief foot chase ensued [because everyone knows you can't run very well with a computer in your pants].

For the sake of brevity, I left out the individuals impeding traffic, selling alcohol to minors, dealing drugs, possessing drugs, harrasing students, and vandalizing cars, which accounted for a total of 13 incidents. :-)

And that, my friends, is why you don't leave your stuff lying around, carry pink pepper spray, walk with friends, and don't buy drugs. Duh. Be smart. The end.

On sorrow

The end is often closer than we realize. Sometimes it is unexpected. Sometimes we are waiting for the inevitable. We can be thankful for the small things. Holding a child for the first and last time. Relief that the suffering is over. Ushering in the end with a peace that surpasses understanding. Knowing that the Father's arms are waiting on the other side.

The hardest part is for all the others left behind.

A celebration of life

This weekend, I was able to share in such a special celebration of life. I am blessed to have a group of friends with whom I am celebrating 20 years of friendship, life, heartache, and joy. On Thursday, Rachel gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Miriam and I were able to share in Eve's homecoming this weekend. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have shared with these girls kindergarten, the ugly middle school years, high school graduation, all three of our weddings, and now the birth of a child. Holding Eve for the first time made me so grateful that, despite our different personalities and faults, these girls have loved and supported me. As I watched Rachel as she held Eve (which wasn't much, between me, Miriam, and Hugh passing her around!), I understood what it looks like to see the bond between a mother and her child. It was amazing to be able to rejoice with Rachel in her new bundle of joy!

Yet, my heart continues to be burdened for little Samuel. I find myself checking Bryan and Kathryn's blog hourly to see if there are any updates. While I rejoice with those who are rejoicing, I find myself mourning with those who are mourning. Bryan blogged last week that he is continually praying that their family would be on our hearts, and I am reminded of that every time Samuel comes to mind. One family who is rejoicing and celebrating their new life, and one family is handing their sweet baby to Jesus. Yet we can celebrate both lives, for each has such a special purpose, though we may be unable to see it right now. The Lord is the giver of joy, peace, sorrow, comfort. I struggled this weekend trying to reconcile my joy and my sorrow. As I held Eve, my heart ached for Kathryn, who hasn't held her child in four weeks.

As I think about life and death, I am drawn once again to one of Mattie's poems. It is amazing to read the thoughts of a child, especially on such a difficult subject. His poem may seem lighthearted, but to me, it's a picture of a child facing the reality of death with courage and hope.

Heavenly Greeting
Dear God,
For a long time,
I have wondered about
How you will meet me
When I die and come to
Live with You in Heaven.
I know you reach out
Your hand to welcome
Your people into Your home,
But I never knew if You
Reached out Your right hand,
Or if You
Reached out Your left hand.
But now I don't have to
Wonder about that anymore.
I asked my mommy and
She told me that You
Reach out both of Your hands,
And welcome us with
A great big giant hug.
Wow!
I can't wait for my hug, God.
Thank you,
And Amen.

What a sweet picture to see our Savior reaching out His arms for His children. I pray for an earthly miracle for Samuel. But I am so thankful for the eternal miracle that one day he...I...you...will be welcomed into the Savior's arms with a great big giant hug.

Let us be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Samuel and Mattie

My heart has been burdened for a little boy I've never met. His name is Samuel, and he's a miracle. His parents were teachers at my high school, and have two adorable, healthy little boys. And then, there's Samuel. Not only is he a miracle, but he's a medical mystery. The doctors are having trouble diagnosing and treating his conditions. I keep up with Samuel's progress through Bryan and Kathryn's blog, and each day, I'm hoping to read good news. Some days are good, and some days aren't. What amazes me most is the strength that Brian and Kathryn have shown through the whole ordeal. It is a strength that surpasses understanding. They have a unique compassion and yearning not only for the healing of their own son, but for the other children in ICU.

As I read about Samuel, I am reminded about another little miracle. His name was Mattie Stepanek. Mattie is another little boy I never met, but he is one of my heroes. He was born with an aggressive type of muscular dystrophy, as were his siblings. He coped with watching his brothers and sisters succumb to the disease by writing poems, or Heartsongs, as he calls them. Mattie's book, Journey Through Heartsongs, has become a source of comfort and encouragement. Despite having lost two siblings to the same disease that he was dying from, Mattie choose to look at his glass half-full, "because if you live life feeling like your glass is half empty, well, it might as well be empty all the way."

Mattie was very real about the pain he experienced. He never denied it, but he also didn't let it dictate how he would live. His life was full of hospitals and tests and doctors and disease. But it didn't beat him. As I read Mattie's writings, it reminds me of the strength Bryan and Kathryn show every day. My heart aches for them as they are navigating life with a sick child. But sweet Samuel is fighting. The doctors are fighting. Bryan and Kathryn are fighting. And we are fighting with them every day. I haven't seen Bryan and Kathryn in years, but little Samuel is in my heartsongs and prayers every day.

Mattie was just eight years old when he wrote the opening poem of his book. When I read it, I think of Samuel, and the miracle of his journey so far. I encourage you to join Samuel on his journey by praying for his healing.

Prayer for a Journey

Thank you, God,
Not just for life,
But for our journey through life.
Life is a miracle,
And a journey through life
Is full of so many more miracles
If we travel with our Heartsongs.
Thank you, God,
For blessing me with the
Gift of Heartsongs,
So that I can enjoy my miracles.

For Bryan, Kathryn, and Samuel...may you find strength and comfort for each day, knowing that you have a multitude praying for your little miracle.

Don't stop believing...

Pandora has become my new music obsession. I type in "Footloose", click a few thumbs ups, and BAM! I have a station full of 80's classics. Have you ever had "that song," the one you hear on the radio and it evokes that special memory or feeling? Now, it all fairness, I actually have a rotating jukebox of "those songs," but the current song of emotion-evoking is "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. One of my all time favorites. Also, it's in like 63 movies from the 80's. But whatever. They hit the chorus and I can't help but belt out those last lines! (What are street light people, anyways?) Most recently though, this song makes me excited for the GLEE premiere on Sept. 9th!!! (You'd think I was getting paid to promote this thing!) I must be releasing my inner show choir girl. But seriously, I'm admitting that I'm slightly obsessed. And I'm sure I'll need some good laughs this semester.

Check out the cast singing my favorite song of all time...

I'm here to audition for the role of kicker!

My 18th First Day of School

Charlie: Babe...you've gotta get up at 5:30! Why are you Facebooking?!?

Me: I'm not Facebooking. I'm blogging. A blogger can't go on vacation.

So technically, I'm not on vacation, but I did promise a first day of school blog. It's actually my (and I had to use my fingers to make sure I got it right) 18th first day of school. Since I'm in school for 9 consecutive semesters, I feel that it's safe to say that this is my last first day of school. I was planning on posting a first day pic from back in the day and then one from today, but in my rush to get out the door this morning, I neglected to document the momentous occasion. Plus, now I get to spare myself the embarrassment of digging out one of those old pictures!

Charlie: Lauren, it's 10:30.

So, in case you were wondering, nothing particularly exciting happened today. I spent the morning studying in the library (can you believe they give assignments before you've even started class?!?) and then had my anatomy lab. Dissection doesn't begin until Friday, so we reviewed bones of the lower extremities.

No drama until the ride home. Someone was robbed at the Five Points station and the police took off pseudo-running after him. And you know that guy from the Mad TV skit in the movie theater? The "the back a your head look ridikulus...can I have your number? Can I have your number?" Yeah, Darrell sat two rows back. And was drunk. I changed trains.

Tomorrow is get-mostly-naked-with-people-you-just-met day in functional anatomy. I'll let you know how that goes. :-) No pictures though!

Charlie: LAUREN!!! (Gotta go!!!)

Good intentions

The road to hell is paved with good intentions...

I "intended" to do a much better job blogging than I have actually done. In my head, I have written a post about the end of our trip to move Caroline up to Indiana, and a very witty and funny post about the bears we literally ran into on our hiking trip. But alas, I got distracted. Caroline moved into Briscoe Dorm at IU.

Of course, Briscoe triggered "Bristow", as in Bristow, Sydney. Arriving home, I find that Caroline has left seasons 1 and 2 on her desk (McKay wouldn't take them because the boxes are in Chinese!). What does a good sister do? Steal them, of course! Charlie and I are now racing through season one. TV shows on DVD's are glorious for two reasons. 1) No commercials. Just a 2 second blackout and we're picking up where we left off. 2) We don't have to wait a week while Sydney is falling down a hole on Mt. Anacongua to see what happens (BTW...her leg catches the bottom rung of the ladder and she miraculously climbs back up to save Dixon.) In fact, there have been several nights where Charlie tells me that we have time for "one more episode!" Music to my ears!

However, Alias too must go on a hiatus. I had my first day of orientation for PT school today, where they threatened my life if I show up late for class or don't pay my tuition on time. And, as a welcome to grad school, the profs have graciously posted our assignments that are due on the first day. So tonight, instead of Alias, I will be watching instructional videos on human anatomy dissection...which, honestly, is quite cool. I would hate to leave everyone else out, so if you want to join me, you can watch them here. However, the faint of heart can always check out Alias at blockbuster...