God in a handful of change

A few days ago, I took an awesome little mini-vacation.  I set out at Wednesday morning around 8:00am for Wilmington with my two dear friends, Eliza and Abbe (check out Eliza's blog--she's crafty and awesome!).  We headed to the beach with no real plans except for getting some sun and hanging out with one another.  So, we drove until the map turned blue.


As we drove into Wilmington, we had to pick a beach.  I picked Carolina Beach for us.  We were following the directions from my iPhone, and eventually, we just decided to pick a public access place and stop.  But there were only meters, and we didn't have enough change for the hours that we were going to be there.  So, we drove until we found one of those fancy meters that took cards.  Then, the ocean was all ours!


It was so fun to go to the beach with Abbe and Eliza.  It turns out that all three of us love to play in the water as much (if not more) as we do just laying out by the ocean.  We just floated and jumped over waves and talked about life and how much we love the movie Tangled.


After laying out some and reading our books (Me--Mockingjay for the second time, Abbe--Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and Eliza--Wuthering Heights), we decided to head into downtown Wilmington for some shopping/sightseeing/strolling.

We stopped and got some yummy lunch at The Reel Cafe.  We were very hungry and thirsty after spending all morning on the beach.  After eating lunch we headed out to wander around town.  We walked away from The Reel Cafe, heading to do some shopping and sightseeing.  However, as we were walking, we remembered our car.  Parked at a meter.  Which we had emptied all our change into.  And which would run out before we were done wandering downtown.  

Eliza, Abbe, and I stopped to ponder our predicament.  It really wasn't much of a problem--one of us just needed to go into a store and buy something, receiving some change in the process.  We pulled out our purses and looked at how much change we still had (approximately $0.23) and decided that one of us would go in one of the local shops.  

About this time the craziest thing happened.  A homeless man came up to us.  He must have heard our conversation, since he asked us, "Need change for the meter?" We didn't quite know what to say when all of the sudden this man who did not have a home began digging in his pockets for some of his change to give us.  All three of us were truly surprised.  The man pulled out approximately $1.25 in change and gave it to us.  We tried to give him a few dollars in exchange for the change, but he wouldn't accept it, and he wouldn't let us walk away without taking his change.  We thanked him and walked away stunned

As we walked back to the meter, Abbe said, "Okay, so who feels like a total jerk for taking change from a homeless man?"  Eliza and I both chimed in that she had expressed our thoughts exactly.  While previously we had been chatting and laughing, all of us walked rather silently down the streets pondering this man who had given so freely to us.  None of us were quite sure what to do.  Even though we proceeded on with our trip, I think I can speak for all three of us when I say that that man's generosity remained prominent in our thoughts throughout our adventures.

After putting the money in the meter, we continued walking around Wilmington.  We saw some awesome art someone had painted on a local building that had been boarded up:

Those windows and that storefront are completely painted on plywood that had been used to board up the building. 

We also went into my favorite used bookstore in the world in downtown Wilmington.  I adore used bookstores (and books in general) so I really enjoyed getting to wander through these stacks of books.  I saw this sign, which I will duplicate some day when I have a home of my own with a library that has a ladder.  Because I will.

We also got quotes vended to us from a bubble gum machine and saw Wilmington's first literary jukebox (which was turned off).  

After leaving the bookstore, we headed back to get some ice cream.  On the way, however, we stopped. The homeless man who had given us his change was doing a magic show that consisted of card tricks.  There were a couple of others gathered to watch, so we stopped and applauded as well.  After the others had left, we thanked him again for giving us the change for our parking meter earlier and showing us such generosity.  Then we were able to give him some money as well, repaying him and blessing him just as he had blessed us.  

As we walked away, we talked about how little the man had and how what he had shared with us would have been a major portion of his income for the day.  We all mentioned that we were grateful to have encountered him again.  As Eliza said, we felt that we were able to "complete the circle of blessing."  He had blessed us and we, in turn, were able to bless him. 

My words are failing me, blog friends.  But I doubt that Eliza, Abbe, or I will ever be able to forget how freely this man gave without expecting anything in return.  And he didn't give out of abundance--he gave out of the little bit that he had (kind of like the widow in Mark 12:41-44).  I don't think words do it justice--our giving to him in no way rivaled his generosity towards us.  I'm not trying to pat us on the back--I wish I could express how much we were challenged and reproved for our prior lack of generosity.  

I never expected that on a day trip to Wilmington, we would see God in a handful of coins for the parking meter.

With a dreamy far-off look, and her nose stuck in a book

Today I was more than stoked to receive my first blog request!!  My bud since birth Ashley Shelley asked if I would compile a list of books that I would recommend.  Before you go and check out any of these books, I think you should pop on over to Ashley's blog The Christian Wife Life and get to reading.  You see, Ashley and I have literally known each other since she was born.  We played in the church nursery together, went to school together from 2nd grade until high school graduation, and have remained friends ever since.  In March, Ashley married Jordan, the perfect man for her, and has been settling into newlywed life.  Ashley and Jordan have an amazing, Christ-centered relationship and Ashley's blog is honest, real, and inspiring.


So, now that I've put in a shameless plug for Ashley's blog (which is WAY cooler than mine), I shall proceed on to my list of recommended reading. :)  I really love reading, but I don't get much time for reading for fun when school's in session.  Too many theorists, rhetoricians and composition scholars vying for my attention.  This is a list of books I currently have already read and love.  Later on this week, I'll try to post what's on my shelf in terms of upcoming summer reading. :)  Here goes . . . (WARNING:  This will be rather lengthy).

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins 


You probably by now have heard of all the hype surrounding this trilogy.  Since it is a trilogy, and I don't want to spoil anything for you, I'll just set up the first book to pique your interest.  This series is set in a futuristic and dystopic society of Panem, which is a country formed out of what was left of North America after a series of natural disasters occur.  Panem is made up of twelve districts governed by The Capitol.  After suppressing a rebellion years before, The Capitol requires that each district provide two tributes to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death from which only one tribute will exit alive.  When Katniss' younger sister is chosen as tribute, Katniss volunteers to go instead.  What follows is an action-packed book in which Katniss fights to stay alive, not only for herself, but to provide hope for people in all the districts of Panem in ways that even she doesn't understand.


While this series sounds like it would be horrifically graphic, I honestly was impressed with the way Collins handled the violence of the setting.  The series moves very quickly, and it's honestly a series that, once I started, I didn't want to put down.  I finished the first book in a day and the rest of the series within a week.  The characters were compelling and Collins wrote in a way that drove you to keep pushing forward.  Also, be not deceived by the order of the books as you see them on the website I linked to.  The first book is The Hunger Games, the second Catching Fire, and the third, Mockingjay.  I just finished rereading the first book today, in fact.  If you want to read these books, I recommend you buy them or download the e-book as every young adult in the world is on the library waiting list. :)  Fun fact--the first Hunger Games movie is filming all over NC this summer!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan


Fans of the Harry Potter series will either love or hate Percy Jackson.  I, for one, love both Harry and Percy.  In the Percy Jackson series, the gods of Mt. Olympus are still alive and active today.  In fact, they still continue to parent demigods or "half-bloods."  Percy Jackson is one such demigod who seems to encounter trouble every where he turns.  He's constantly getting kicked out of school or causing problems.  However, once he comes to Camp Half-Blood he learns the cause for his problems. Each of the five books chronicles a different mythological challenge that Percy must overcome--everything from the Labyrinth to the Sea of Monsters. 


Riordan's series weaves lots of mythological tradition with a sarcastic tone in order to create a hilarious story.  The series is reminiscent of Harry Potter because each book documents another year in Percy's life.  The book is told from a first person perspective, allowing the reader to "hear" Percy's thoughts as he battles Medusa, Echidna, and so many other mythological creatures.  I love the series--it's a quick, but really fun read!

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels--A Love Story by Ree Drummond


I have rambled before about how much I love Ree (known through her blog as the Pioneer Woman) and her writing.  I was MORE than stoked when Ree announced that she was going to release her and Marlboro Man's (that's what she calls her cowboy husband) love story in book form.  Black Heels tells the story of how Ree, a girl who grew up on a golf course and loved the city, met, fell in love, and married a cowboy, and rode off into the sunset--almost literally.  At the same time that Ree was falling head over heels, her parents' marriage fell apart. Ree spins this genuine tale while providing honest glimpses into her life and what love takes.  


I love Ree's writing style.  She makes you feel as though you are there with her in the book.  Also, I imagine her telling me this story over coffee, just like she would a best friend.  She's honest about her faults and the crazy things she does (just wait until you get to the part about her yellow suit and the outdoor wedding!).  And if you haven't before now, you should check out her blog.  She's a woman of many talents--cooking, photography, writing.  And she's one of the main reasons I started blogging myself.  

Lowlands of Scotland Series by Liz Curtis Higgs


In this series, Higgs takes the Biblical account of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel and drops it into 18th century Scotland, creating the characters of Jamie McKee and Leana and Rose McBride.  Jamie has stolen his brother's blessing and inheritance and so must flee to his uncle, Lachlan McBride's home.  While there, Jamie hopes to pick a wife from one of his two cousins--Leana and Rose.  Initially attracted to Rose, the younger of the two sisters, Jamie does not notice Leana's love for him.  Through several instances of deception, Jamie's relationship to the McBride sisters becomes more complicated than ever.  Higgs weaves the Biblical account with Scottish lore in a way that creates a seamless story with characters you feel like you know.  


I've read this series through at least 3 or 4 times now--and that's saying a lot since each book is around 500 pages.  One of the most exciting things for me on my first read through was to wonder how Higgs was going to work in all the elements of the Biblical story--surely she wasn't going to have Jamie married to two women at once!  But Higgs shows a clear understanding of the narrative and how that narrative writes her characters' stories.  One word of caution with this series--while I believe that Higgs does a great job weaving a more contemporary telling of the Biblical tale, if you are familiar with the Bible story, you realize that the series might be suited for a slightly older audience.  But all in all, I really enjoyed the series. 

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang


I loved this book so much I wrote a seminar paper on it. :)   This is a graphic novel, which is different from a comic book.  Yang's novel is made up of frames that illustrate the dialogue of the story.  In American Born Chinese, Yang spins three apparently unrelated stories.  Yang weaves the stories of the Monkey King, who desperately wants to fit in with the other immortals, Jin, who seeks to avoid ties to his Chinese heritage, and Danny, an American boy who tries to live a normal life despite the visit of his hyperbolically stereotypical and obnoxious Chinese cousin Chin-Kee.  While Jin's story is primary within the novel, Yang uses the other two stories to question ideas of belonging, identity, and heritage.  I really can't tell you much more without ruining the ending, but trust me--it's awesome!


Don't underestimate this book just because it's a graphic novel.  It certainly has a lot to offer, even if it is filled with pictures.  This book is a pretty quick read--great if you just have an afternoon off or if you're laying by the pool.  I've read it at least 5 times, and I notice new things about it each time I read.  I also find myself identifying with different characters each time.  


Well, that is just a small list of books I would recommend!  I hope this gives you an idea of some of the things I enjoy reading.  Expect a few more blog posts in the next few days about other genres I have read and books that I am planning on reading or are currently reading!


Now, go find a chair to curl up in and read a book!

The Prodigal Blogger

So, I started off with grand intentions of blogging every day.  That quickly dwindled to a couple of times a week, which would up looking like posting 7 times and then slacking for a month!  Oh my!  I am sure my lack of updates really affect no one in this world except for narcissistic little old me, but after prompting from a friend, I decided an update is due.  And thus begins the conglomeration of strange thoughts that I think you might possibly care about.  :)


This semester has been crazy.  We began with snow days right off the bat, throwing all the professors into a rush of restructuring syllabi--cutting readings, keeping most, and flooding our inboxes with notices about what to do for the classes we missed.  This semester looks to be crazy.  I'm averaging between 250-300 pages of reading a week, weekly responses, and a collaborative research project for the university writing center.  Currently I am reading Aristotle's Rhetoric, a text that, while valuable because of its foundational place in the western rhetorical canon, is more than a bit vexing to read.  Also on deck for this semester are St. Augustine's On Christian Doctrine, Descartes' Discourse on Method, and Nietzsche's The Use and Abuse of History, to name a few.  Do I understand them when I read them?  Not necessarily--but amazing class discussions help with that.  


I also presented a wicked cool paper on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese at the university's annual English Graduate Student Association conference.  If you have not read this graphic novel, check it out.  Seriously.  And don't hate just because it's a graphic novel--it really is an amazing story that is cleverly told.


I've been working on cooking more, one of my goals on my list of New Year's Purposes.  I've been very excited to try some new stuff--some with better results than others--but it's been fun none the less.  On one of the snow days, I tried The Pioneer Woman's Flat Apple Pie, complete with homemade perfect pie crust.  I'm not sure exactly what happened, but the crust was the wrong consistency, the gooey goodness of the pie leaked all over the pan and the apples were undercooked.  Of course, I don't blame PW . . . I'm sure the fault lies with one "innovative" (read: scatterbrained and sometimes sloppy) grad student. :)  


My mother also got me a Trader Joe's gift card for Christmas.  I went on a shopping spree the other day and got some yummy goodies to cook with as well as enjoy.  One of my favorite purchases was the White Bean and Basil hummus--this is the stuff dreams are made of.  Well, my dreams anyways.  I don't claim to speak for your dreams.  But my dreams--ooooooooh yes! :)  I also decided to make this Brown Rice and Beans recipe.  As you can see, the recipe calls for a can of black beans, so I picked up a can as I was wandering around the store.  As I got home and began to prepare, I took a closer look at my black beans, and what did I find?  I had gotten a can of refried black beans.  Being hungry and having already bought the beans, I forged ahead.  What resulted was a dinner that, while delicious, had a very different consistency than I'm sure the original cook planned for it to.  Didn't bother me though! 


In the world of the arts, I recently went to see The King's Speech, which you can view the trailer for here.  In case you haven't heard, this small, originally independent and low budget film is garnering roughly a bajillion nominations for all the awards shows this year.  I have loved Colin Firth ever since his turn as Fitzwilliam Darcy in the BBC Adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (my oh my, I am quite the linking machine today!).  He is a brilliant actor who is very versatile.  His performance as Bertie was splendid, as were Helena Bonham Carter's turn as the Queen Mother and Geoffrey Rush's depiction of speech therapist Lionel Logue.  Even more fascinating is that this was all based on the true story of King George VI.  


This was the best movie I had seen in a LONG time.  It is rated R for language, but most of that language is contained within two scenes, where Logue pushes Bertie to unleash his frustration, realizing that Bertie does not stammer when angry.  Outside of those two scenes, this movie could have easily been rated PG.  The cinematography was clever, the way the score was handled was brilliant, and the acting was superb.  I am pulling for this film for Best Picture of the Year at the Academy Awards, as well as wins for Firth, Bonham Carter, and Rush in their respective categories.     


Well, I'm off and running once again.  Today I'm getting ready for a shower of a dear friend Ashley who I have known since she was born.  Seriously.  We played together in the nursery, and every childhood birthday party has a memory of her there.  I'm so excited for all God is doing in her life, how He has brought she and Jordan together, and the work He will do through them as the new Shelley family! :)  For her shower tonight, I'm trying Pioneer Woman's Pig Cake--here's hoping that it turns out better than the Flat Apple Pie. :)  I am SO SO SO SO blessed to have lifelong friends and a godly group of women who keep up with each other and encourage each other.  On that note, I'll leave you with a quote from my reading last week:


"And so in general we like those who are really faithful to their friends, and never desert them in time of trouble; among all the kinds of good men, they are especially liked who are good in the strength of their affections." ~ Aristotle, Rhetoric