Continuing to read Hole in our Gospel. Rick talks about the differences between most suburban American churches and most developing-world churches. He says the two reasons we are not doing everything in our power to bridge the gap of inequality and injustice are these: 1) lack of awareness and 2) self-absorption.
He says an easy way to gauge a church's values are to look at its bulletin. How many programs are inward-church member-focused? How many are outward-world-focused? If you pass that test, then the second is to look at the church budget. Is there a 50/50 divide between church needs and world needs?
I think that is all extremely important, but there is little I can do about it. So what I wonder is, what about all this on an individual level? Do I spend 50% of my time focused on my needs, and 50% on others? What about my budget? Do I allocate 50% of my money to my needs, and 50% to caring for others?
I want to make my budget 50/50. So I end with a question. Does putting money in a travel account, saving up for mission trips, count as personal or missional?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Changing
For the first 16-18 years of my life, all I wanted was to be a stay at home wife, raising kids and living in a mansion in the suburbs with one room dedicated to books.
From ages 16-20, I fell in love with traveling, and I started to fantasize about living overseas for awhile before settling into my suburban paradise. It was always a fantasy, and it was always a big, first-world, European city.
At age 21, I lived overseas for five months in a poor country in the world's poorest continent.
Now at age 23, Senegal isn't poor enough. I want to go to the places where people die of malnutrition, where water is scarce, and where disease ravages families. I want to live amongst people who have no education and no hope of having a better life. I want to help those people, to show them love and compassion.
And I want to avoid the suburbs with all my heart. I never want to upgrade to a bigger house. I never want to wonder, "Gee, I have so much money, should I buy a boat or a sports car?" There are people I respect who do these things, but for myself...the idea terrifies me. I don't want to give money a foothold in my life, because there are so many other ways I can spend it than on myself. If I start, I might never stop. And then the woman who could start a sewing business on a $50 loan might never get my money, and the family who received a goat might never get my money, and the AIDS prevention campaigns might never get my money.
And that's just money. What about my time? My presence? I know I am just one person, and I have no idea what I can do to make this world better, but I know that God wants all of us to do it, so...there must be something. I cannot deny the poor and the needy of my gifts and talents, when that is exactly what I was created to do.
I want to give up my money and my privilege in order to help those who have neither. I can't help but think God wants us privileged white Americans to stop talking about what we believe so much, and instead start living out our faith, bringing God's kingdom to earth. Why would Jesus ever come back to rule over a planet that is in far worse shape than when he first came? We are supposed to be changing that!
I want to stop talking and blogging, and start doing. I want Mongolia to hurry up and get here so I can take the next step after that. I know I am learning and growing in this waiting time, but I'm ready to stop waiting and start going! There are so many people who need help, and I want to help as many of them as I can with however long I will live.
From suburban housewife to wannabe-poverty-eradicator....there is no explanation for my complete change of life's goal other than the Holy Spirit. Kind of scary, kind of awesome.
From ages 16-20, I fell in love with traveling, and I started to fantasize about living overseas for awhile before settling into my suburban paradise. It was always a fantasy, and it was always a big, first-world, European city.
At age 21, I lived overseas for five months in a poor country in the world's poorest continent.
Now at age 23, Senegal isn't poor enough. I want to go to the places where people die of malnutrition, where water is scarce, and where disease ravages families. I want to live amongst people who have no education and no hope of having a better life. I want to help those people, to show them love and compassion.
And I want to avoid the suburbs with all my heart. I never want to upgrade to a bigger house. I never want to wonder, "Gee, I have so much money, should I buy a boat or a sports car?" There are people I respect who do these things, but for myself...the idea terrifies me. I don't want to give money a foothold in my life, because there are so many other ways I can spend it than on myself. If I start, I might never stop. And then the woman who could start a sewing business on a $50 loan might never get my money, and the family who received a goat might never get my money, and the AIDS prevention campaigns might never get my money.
And that's just money. What about my time? My presence? I know I am just one person, and I have no idea what I can do to make this world better, but I know that God wants all of us to do it, so...there must be something. I cannot deny the poor and the needy of my gifts and talents, when that is exactly what I was created to do.
I want to give up my money and my privilege in order to help those who have neither. I can't help but think God wants us privileged white Americans to stop talking about what we believe so much, and instead start living out our faith, bringing God's kingdom to earth. Why would Jesus ever come back to rule over a planet that is in far worse shape than when he first came? We are supposed to be changing that!
I want to stop talking and blogging, and start doing. I want Mongolia to hurry up and get here so I can take the next step after that. I know I am learning and growing in this waiting time, but I'm ready to stop waiting and start going! There are so many people who need help, and I want to help as many of them as I can with however long I will live.
From suburban housewife to wannabe-poverty-eradicator....there is no explanation for my complete change of life's goal other than the Holy Spirit. Kind of scary, kind of awesome.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Hole in our Gospel
Of course after writing yesterday about having my change-the-world mentality renewed, I would crack open the book Wendy lent me called The Hole in our Gospel. It's by the president of World Vision, and in the preface/introduction, not only did he mention the "let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" verse from the Lord's prayer, but he also talks about how we're meant to change the world.
I love when God teaches me something, then shows it to me again as if saying, "I'm serious about this, kay?"
I mean, come on. Check out this quote from the very first page.
What is God asking for, really, from you and me? Much more than church attendance. More than prayer, too. More than belief, and even more than self-denial. God asks us for everything. He requires a total life commitment from those who would be His followers. In fact, Christ calls us to be His partners in changing our world, just as He called the Twelve to change their world two thousand years ago.
It's like he is reading my mind, but stating my thoughts more eloquently.
And that's just page one. My arm is getting tired from all the air-punching I'm doing.
I love when God teaches me something, then shows it to me again as if saying, "I'm serious about this, kay?"
I mean, come on. Check out this quote from the very first page.
What is God asking for, really, from you and me? Much more than church attendance. More than prayer, too. More than belief, and even more than self-denial. God asks us for everything. He requires a total life commitment from those who would be His followers. In fact, Christ calls us to be His partners in changing our world, just as He called the Twelve to change their world two thousand years ago.
It's like he is reading my mind, but stating my thoughts more eloquently.
And that's just page one. My arm is getting tired from all the air-punching I'm doing.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Feeling Good and Reenergized
I've been down for awhile now. I looked up the symptoms to depression, and no, I'm definitely not clinically depressed. Too bad--"unhappy" just sounds lame. In combination with loneliness, I had a break down in the shower, and I realized that I am feeling spiritually drained. I love the stuff I'm doing at church, but other than sermons, there's nothing that fills me. There's no one teaching me. I realized this when I burst out, "I'm tired of serving You!" And I immediately felt like God responded, "I want you to rest in me."
That revelation--that I feel like I'm giving more than I'm capable, and I'm scared to talk to God in case He asks me to do more--helped me understand why I've been avoiding prayer and reading my Bible. So last night, I asked God to comfort me. I opened up the Bible, aiming for the Psalms, and my eyes fell on Psalm 73. It was....so not applicable. But I figured I should keep reading, and then I got to this:
When my heart was grieved and my spirit was embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Psalm 73: 21-28
YES. That right there. Is why I love God.
This morning Harold Booze talked about his trip to Niger. It ended with a video of people from around the world, and as the song (with lyrics about the all the nations rejoicing in God) built to a climax, video of people in Africa, Asia, and Europe being baptized played every few seconds. I was overwhelmed. I want to see that.
There was a call to prayer, and I went forward to our steps. I never go forward for things. I can make commitments in my head where I stand, thank you very much. But I think the importance of going forward is psychological. It is a physical symbol of your choice, and the action makes the belief more solid. I felt like I ought to go forward, and then my feet were moving and it was too late. As soon as I knelt down, tears just kind of exploded from my eyes. I couldn't pray anything other than, "Help me, God. I want so much. Help me." Images of Lamba and Mame Codou went through my head. I want to be a missionary. I want to fix the world. I want the friends I make to know and love Jesus. I want to be better at talking about the God I profess to love so much.
Then in Sunday School, we talked about the Lord's Prayer. When we got to "let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," I was taken over by this surety that we as Christians need to do more. How does God's will become practice on earth? When we live it! There is serious evil going on in our world. Harold mentioned sex trafficking briefly in his talk. WE SHOULD BE FIGHTING THAT.
I just...it made me realize what it means to be soldiers of God. Does it matter what worldly activities we don't do? Sure. But I think the things that will really make the world see God and worship Jesus are the pro-active DOING things. We need to get off our couches and out of our materialistic worlds, and actively fight against evil, and actively show radical love.
I need to get off my couch and out of my materialistic world. I want to change the world. I think God wants me to change the world. I think He's waiting for us to stop thinking about ourselves and start putting the rest of the world first.
Today was a good day.
That revelation--that I feel like I'm giving more than I'm capable, and I'm scared to talk to God in case He asks me to do more--helped me understand why I've been avoiding prayer and reading my Bible. So last night, I asked God to comfort me. I opened up the Bible, aiming for the Psalms, and my eyes fell on Psalm 73. It was....so not applicable. But I figured I should keep reading, and then I got to this:
When my heart was grieved and my spirit was embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Psalm 73: 21-28
YES. That right there. Is why I love God.
This morning Harold Booze talked about his trip to Niger. It ended with a video of people from around the world, and as the song (with lyrics about the all the nations rejoicing in God) built to a climax, video of people in Africa, Asia, and Europe being baptized played every few seconds. I was overwhelmed. I want to see that.
There was a call to prayer, and I went forward to our steps. I never go forward for things. I can make commitments in my head where I stand, thank you very much. But I think the importance of going forward is psychological. It is a physical symbol of your choice, and the action makes the belief more solid. I felt like I ought to go forward, and then my feet were moving and it was too late. As soon as I knelt down, tears just kind of exploded from my eyes. I couldn't pray anything other than, "Help me, God. I want so much. Help me." Images of Lamba and Mame Codou went through my head. I want to be a missionary. I want to fix the world. I want the friends I make to know and love Jesus. I want to be better at talking about the God I profess to love so much.
Then in Sunday School, we talked about the Lord's Prayer. When we got to "let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," I was taken over by this surety that we as Christians need to do more. How does God's will become practice on earth? When we live it! There is serious evil going on in our world. Harold mentioned sex trafficking briefly in his talk. WE SHOULD BE FIGHTING THAT.
I just...it made me realize what it means to be soldiers of God. Does it matter what worldly activities we don't do? Sure. But I think the things that will really make the world see God and worship Jesus are the pro-active DOING things. We need to get off our couches and out of our materialistic worlds, and actively fight against evil, and actively show radical love.
I need to get off my couch and out of my materialistic world. I want to change the world. I think God wants me to change the world. I think He's waiting for us to stop thinking about ourselves and start putting the rest of the world first.
Today was a good day.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Birthdays Past
I have been completely spoiled the last four years where birthdays are concerned. And since my standard is high, this year's 23rd birthday...sucked. My awesome mom tried really hard to make it fun, but it just didn't feel like a birthday. I told Roy this felt like the first step towards being a grownup, and he assured me you can still have fabulous birthday parties even when you're old. So...apparently I just need to move to a place where I have friends.
Moving right along to the birthdays that spoiled me:
19th: Freshman year
My roommates decorated the living room while I was asleep. Whitney wore my favorite color so my eyeballs would be aesthetically pleased. I was driven to my classes. When I came back to my room in the middle of the day, my floor was covered in balloons that had things written on them like "I love your Yankee/Southern accent." And, oh yeah, there was a life-size cardboard cutout of Spike just inside my doorway, which momentarily terrified me.
Shari and Nellene came over to take pictures with Spike. We ate a homemade meal and a cookie cake because they knew that was my favorite. We watched the Buffy musical. We watched Casino Royale, because I'd been bugging them all week to watch it with me, but they refused. It was really bothering me, but they were trying to save it for my special day.
20th: Sophomore Year
This was only a month after the tornado, so my roommates and I were now in the Walker apartment. It was raining, and I was still in a post-tornado funk. But when I got to our front door, there was a picture of James McAvoy greeting me with happy birthday wishes. Several of my friends came over, and we had a feast. We ended the night taking pictures and playing the Stupid Ninja Game.
21st: Junior Year
I turned 21 just a couple months after going to Turkey. It was momentous because ALL my favorite people went to Chick-fil-a for my birthday dinner. My Craig 3 Sisters, the Hughes family, and my Turkey team were all there. It was wonderful.
Then my roommates took me to the nearest ice skating rink, since that is my childhood birthday party place, two hours away in Franklin, TN. We skated and ate Panera (which wasn't in Jackson then).
22nd: Senegal
Liz shared my birthday=you are the only person who matters that day mentality, so I was treated to favorite TV shows (she even watched an episode of Fruits Basket with me, despite her complete uninterest), favorite foods, and free Vimtos. We rode her moto for miles out into the African wilderness because I love riding motos and I wanted a picnic. I forgot that the African wilderness is not very picnic-friendly, what with the sand and prickly ground. But we ate and read and tried to avoid thorns as best we could. Then a herd of big-horned cows came to our tree, and we were scared, so we left. Later that night we had dinner with Yayoi and Laina, and the power went off, but we had candles! After they left, Liz and I watched Buffy, and then we filmed some of our dance video. Perfect day.
Moving right along to the birthdays that spoiled me:
19th: Freshman year
My roommates decorated the living room while I was asleep. Whitney wore my favorite color so my eyeballs would be aesthetically pleased. I was driven to my classes. When I came back to my room in the middle of the day, my floor was covered in balloons that had things written on them like "I love your Yankee/Southern accent." And, oh yeah, there was a life-size cardboard cutout of Spike just inside my doorway, which momentarily terrified me.
Shari and Nellene came over to take pictures with Spike. We ate a homemade meal and a cookie cake because they knew that was my favorite. We watched the Buffy musical. We watched Casino Royale, because I'd been bugging them all week to watch it with me, but they refused. It was really bothering me, but they were trying to save it for my special day.
I can't find the pictures from my birthday DAY, but this is Spike.
Oh, the embarrassing fun we had with him.
20th: Sophomore Year
This was only a month after the tornado, so my roommates and I were now in the Walker apartment. It was raining, and I was still in a post-tornado funk. But when I got to our front door, there was a picture of James McAvoy greeting me with happy birthday wishes. Several of my friends came over, and we had a feast. We ended the night taking pictures and playing the Stupid Ninja Game.
21st: Junior Year
I turned 21 just a couple months after going to Turkey. It was momentous because ALL my favorite people went to Chick-fil-a for my birthday dinner. My Craig 3 Sisters, the Hughes family, and my Turkey team were all there. It was wonderful.
Then my roommates took me to the nearest ice skating rink, since that is my childhood birthday party place, two hours away in Franklin, TN. We skated and ate Panera (which wasn't in Jackson then).
22nd: Senegal
Liz shared my birthday=you are the only person who matters that day mentality, so I was treated to favorite TV shows (she even watched an episode of Fruits Basket with me, despite her complete uninterest), favorite foods, and free Vimtos. We rode her moto for miles out into the African wilderness because I love riding motos and I wanted a picnic. I forgot that the African wilderness is not very picnic-friendly, what with the sand and prickly ground. But we ate and read and tried to avoid thorns as best we could. Then a herd of big-horned cows came to our tree, and we were scared, so we left. Later that night we had dinner with Yayoi and Laina, and the power went off, but we had candles! After they left, Liz and I watched Buffy, and then we filmed some of our dance video. Perfect day.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Shipping Meme
Six ships you are into right now:
1. Damon/Elena (Vampire Diaries)
2. Sawyer/Kate (LOST)
3. Buffy/Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
4. Katniss/Peeta (Hunger Games)
5. Starbuck/Apollo (Battlestar Galactica)
6. Troy/Britta (Community)
Three ships you liked but don't like anymore:
7. Hermione/Ron (Harry Potter)
8. Buffy/Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
9. Puck/Rachel (Glee)
Four ships you never liked:
10. Harry/Ginny (Harry Potter)
11. Jeff/Annie (Community)
12. Rory/Dean (Gilmore Girls)
13. Veronica/Duncan (Veronica Mars)
Two ships you're curious about but don't actually ship:
14. Echo/Paul (Dollhouse)
15. Wesley/Lilah (Angel)
Why do you dislike 11 so much?
(Jeff/Annie) Because I just don't like Annie herself. She's too peppy and falls back on indignation too often to be funny. Her schoolgirl crush on Jeff makes sense, but whenever he starts to return her advances...gag me.
Who is someone you know that ships 14?
(Echo/Paul) Oh no! I don't know...it's not that I'm curious because someone else likes them. I'm curious because the show ships them, and I've never been 100% for or against them.
What would be your ideal scenario for 3?
(Buffy/Spike) I actually have high hopes for them in canon. I've always loved their partnership...that Spike is ready to back up Buffy, and she defends him in return. From what I saw in the season 8 comics, that camaraderie was still there. Now that Buffy is feeling the weight of the apocolypse on her shoulders, I think the playing field is a little more even. Spike's been behaving with complete maturity while Buffy is the one regressing. Hopefully that means any "You're beneath me" crap is totally finished. On with season 9!
What is your favourite moment for 1?
(Damon/Elena) Definitely the Miss Mystic Falls day, when Stephan is all blood crazy and therefore out of the picture. Damon steps in when Elena needs someone, and then they do the dance where they never actually touch because it's all in the anticipation. WHICH IS WHAT THIS SHIP IS ALL ABOUT. I won't lie, that was the moment I pulled my knees to my chin and squealed like a 12-year-old fangirl, because that is what I am at heart.
How long have you been following 6?
(Troy/Britta) Only a month or two. Don't ask me why, but it was this scene that cemented my love for them as a pairing. So much comedic potential!
What's the story with 8? What made you stop liking/caring?
(Buffy/Angel) Well...Spike came along. For the first season, I was super intrigued by the idea that she fell in love with the guy she was supposed to be fighting against. But once Spike showed that you could also be AWESOME in the process, well, the answer was easy. Send Angel to his own show and give him Cordelia!
You have the power to make one ship nonexistent. Choose from 10 or 12.
(Harry/Ginny) or (Rory/Dean) Ahhh I don't know! Rory dumped Dean on her own. And then took him back for some adultery because wut?? But she dumped him again. Harry and Ginny never realized how awful their love story was. So I'll go with Harry/Ginny, for their own good.
Which ship do you prefer, 2 or 4?
(Sawyer/Kate) or (Katniss/Peeta) Hm. I did really like Sawyer's relationship with Kate through season 3 of LOST. But it lost a lot of momentum, then hinted at a reunion, then just pretended it never happened. Booo.
On the better hand, Katniss and Peeta have an actual love story in which they, you know, fall in love. They go through hell together, then try to make a better life with each other in the aftermath. And since Peeta is my fictional boyfriend of choice, I pretty much have to choose them.
What interests you about 15?
(Wesley/Lilah) They are so screwed up! And that generally means awesome in my book. I like that their relationship was mutually selfish in the beginning, but turned into actual (mostly unstated) affection by the end. Of course, it was then cut short by tragedy, but this is Joss Whedon we're talking about. The reason I'm on the curious side is that I was always a Wesley/Fred shipper, and I just really wanted him to get the girl he'd been pining after for years.
Why did you stop liking 7?
(Hermione/Ron) I liked their bickering relationship in the first few books. It was very much a childish way to express a crush, which made sense because they were kids. But as they grew up and their bickering turned into full out fights...I just sat back and grimaced. How is hitting and screaming and bitter disappointment a recipe for a healthy, long lasting relationship? It was at that point that I saw how Harry and Hermione stood as equals, encouraging and uplifting each other, both actual threats in the war against Voldemort...and I was sold. Give me a love based in friendship over a love based in anger ANY DAY. Of course, J.K. Rowling does not share my opinion.
Did your waning interest in 9 kill your interest in the show?
(Puck/Rachel) No, because the relationships on Glee are always transitory. I watch the show for the music and the jokes, not the plot. And anyway, we got Puck/Zizes out of the deal, which is so much fun!
What's a song that reminds you of 5?
(Starbuck/Apollo) Oh gosh. I'm going to cheat and look online...brb. OH! Definitely Bad Romance by Lady Gaga. They are so screwed up, and they bring out the best and especially the worst in each other.
If you could have any two of these pairings double date, who would it be?
Spike/Buffy and Katniss/Peeta. I think they would have a lot in common, what with the girls being shouldered with the responsibility of saving the world, and the guys happily supporting them.
Have 2 kissed yet?
(Sawyer/Kate) Yes. Also their show is done.
Did 4 have a happy ending? If the show hasn't ended yet, do you think a happy ending is likely?
(Katniss/Peeta) They ended up together, but it wasn't exactly happy....but it was perfect! Mockingjay supporters FTW!
What would make you start shipping 14?
(Echo/Paul) Probably a rewatch. Knowing how it ends might make me more invested in the rest.
If only one could happen, which would you prefer, 2 or 6?
(Sawyer/Kate or Troy/Britta) This is hard because LOST is done, and they didn't happen, while Community still is going strong, meaning there's a shot. But if I could change LOST, I would definitely put Sawyer and Kate together. Juliet was meant for Jack.
You have the power to decide the fate of 10. What happens to them?
(Harry/Ginny) If we pretend the epilogue doesn't exist (DONE), then I say after graduation, they slowly realize their relationship is built on nothing. Ginny yells at him for treating her like a trophy, ignoring her his seventh year. Harry realizes he just wanted her to be his mother-figure. They break up, avoid each other for a year, then start hanging out as friends when Harry dates Hermione, Ginny dates Neville, and Ron finds someone who didn't go to Hogwarts.
Which do you dislike the most?
(Veronica/Duncan) I can understand her dating the stereotypical cool guy when she was the stereotypical cool girl. But then the world crapped on her and she took all that pain to become awesome....she became so much better than him! He is boring! And he doesn't even know it! And then she dates awesome Logan, so you think she's learned her lesson, but no. Back to Duncan. Ugh, Veronica. What were you thinking?
Which of these ships do you like the most?
Obviously Buffy/Spike is my OTP. But I love Katniss/Peeta as a real relationship, mostly because I actually know that they end up together and live with PTSD forever after. But in terms of current emotional investment, I've got to go with Damon/Elena, because their show is still running, and with each episode there is potential for shippy goodness!
1. Damon/Elena (Vampire Diaries)
2. Sawyer/Kate (LOST)
3. Buffy/Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
4. Katniss/Peeta (Hunger Games)
5. Starbuck/Apollo (Battlestar Galactica)
6. Troy/Britta (Community)
Three ships you liked but don't like anymore:
7. Hermione/Ron (Harry Potter)
8. Buffy/Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
9. Puck/Rachel (Glee)
Four ships you never liked:
10. Harry/Ginny (Harry Potter)
11. Jeff/Annie (Community)
12. Rory/Dean (Gilmore Girls)
13. Veronica/Duncan (Veronica Mars)
Two ships you're curious about but don't actually ship:
14. Echo/Paul (Dollhouse)
15. Wesley/Lilah (Angel)
Why do you dislike 11 so much?
(Jeff/Annie) Because I just don't like Annie herself. She's too peppy and falls back on indignation too often to be funny. Her schoolgirl crush on Jeff makes sense, but whenever he starts to return her advances...gag me.
Who is someone you know that ships 14?
(Echo/Paul) Oh no! I don't know...it's not that I'm curious because someone else likes them. I'm curious because the show ships them, and I've never been 100% for or against them.
What would be your ideal scenario for 3?
(Buffy/Spike) I actually have high hopes for them in canon. I've always loved their partnership...that Spike is ready to back up Buffy, and she defends him in return. From what I saw in the season 8 comics, that camaraderie was still there. Now that Buffy is feeling the weight of the apocolypse on her shoulders, I think the playing field is a little more even. Spike's been behaving with complete maturity while Buffy is the one regressing. Hopefully that means any "You're beneath me" crap is totally finished. On with season 9!
What is your favourite moment for 1?
(Damon/Elena) Definitely the Miss Mystic Falls day, when Stephan is all blood crazy and therefore out of the picture. Damon steps in when Elena needs someone, and then they do the dance where they never actually touch because it's all in the anticipation. WHICH IS WHAT THIS SHIP IS ALL ABOUT. I won't lie, that was the moment I pulled my knees to my chin and squealed like a 12-year-old fangirl, because that is what I am at heart.
How long have you been following 6?
(Troy/Britta) Only a month or two. Don't ask me why, but it was this scene that cemented my love for them as a pairing. So much comedic potential!
What's the story with 8? What made you stop liking/caring?
(Buffy/Angel) Well...Spike came along. For the first season, I was super intrigued by the idea that she fell in love with the guy she was supposed to be fighting against. But once Spike showed that you could also be AWESOME in the process, well, the answer was easy. Send Angel to his own show and give him Cordelia!
You have the power to make one ship nonexistent. Choose from 10 or 12.
(Harry/Ginny) or (Rory/Dean) Ahhh I don't know! Rory dumped Dean on her own. And then took him back for some adultery because wut?? But she dumped him again. Harry and Ginny never realized how awful their love story was. So I'll go with Harry/Ginny, for their own good.
Which ship do you prefer, 2 or 4?
(Sawyer/Kate) or (Katniss/Peeta) Hm. I did really like Sawyer's relationship with Kate through season 3 of LOST. But it lost a lot of momentum, then hinted at a reunion, then just pretended it never happened. Booo.
On the better hand, Katniss and Peeta have an actual love story in which they, you know, fall in love. They go through hell together, then try to make a better life with each other in the aftermath. And since Peeta is my fictional boyfriend of choice, I pretty much have to choose them.
What interests you about 15?
(Wesley/Lilah) They are so screwed up! And that generally means awesome in my book. I like that their relationship was mutually selfish in the beginning, but turned into actual (mostly unstated) affection by the end. Of course, it was then cut short by tragedy, but this is Joss Whedon we're talking about. The reason I'm on the curious side is that I was always a Wesley/Fred shipper, and I just really wanted him to get the girl he'd been pining after for years.
Why did you stop liking 7?
(Hermione/Ron) I liked their bickering relationship in the first few books. It was very much a childish way to express a crush, which made sense because they were kids. But as they grew up and their bickering turned into full out fights...I just sat back and grimaced. How is hitting and screaming and bitter disappointment a recipe for a healthy, long lasting relationship? It was at that point that I saw how Harry and Hermione stood as equals, encouraging and uplifting each other, both actual threats in the war against Voldemort...and I was sold. Give me a love based in friendship over a love based in anger ANY DAY. Of course, J.K. Rowling does not share my opinion.
Did your waning interest in 9 kill your interest in the show?
(Puck/Rachel) No, because the relationships on Glee are always transitory. I watch the show for the music and the jokes, not the plot. And anyway, we got Puck/Zizes out of the deal, which is so much fun!
What's a song that reminds you of 5?
(Starbuck/Apollo) Oh gosh. I'm going to cheat and look online...brb. OH! Definitely Bad Romance by Lady Gaga. They are so screwed up, and they bring out the best and especially the worst in each other.
If you could have any two of these pairings double date, who would it be?
Spike/Buffy and Katniss/Peeta. I think they would have a lot in common, what with the girls being shouldered with the responsibility of saving the world, and the guys happily supporting them.
Have 2 kissed yet?
(Sawyer/Kate) Yes. Also their show is done.
Did 4 have a happy ending? If the show hasn't ended yet, do you think a happy ending is likely?
(Katniss/Peeta) They ended up together, but it wasn't exactly happy....but it was perfect! Mockingjay supporters FTW!
What would make you start shipping 14?
(Echo/Paul) Probably a rewatch. Knowing how it ends might make me more invested in the rest.
If only one could happen, which would you prefer, 2 or 6?
(Sawyer/Kate or Troy/Britta) This is hard because LOST is done, and they didn't happen, while Community still is going strong, meaning there's a shot. But if I could change LOST, I would definitely put Sawyer and Kate together. Juliet was meant for Jack.
You have the power to decide the fate of 10. What happens to them?
(Harry/Ginny) If we pretend the epilogue doesn't exist (DONE), then I say after graduation, they slowly realize their relationship is built on nothing. Ginny yells at him for treating her like a trophy, ignoring her his seventh year. Harry realizes he just wanted her to be his mother-figure. They break up, avoid each other for a year, then start hanging out as friends when Harry dates Hermione, Ginny dates Neville, and Ron finds someone who didn't go to Hogwarts.
Which do you dislike the most?
(Veronica/Duncan) I can understand her dating the stereotypical cool guy when she was the stereotypical cool girl. But then the world crapped on her and she took all that pain to become awesome....she became so much better than him! He is boring! And he doesn't even know it! And then she dates awesome Logan, so you think she's learned her lesson, but no. Back to Duncan. Ugh, Veronica. What were you thinking?
Which of these ships do you like the most?
Obviously Buffy/Spike is my OTP. But I love Katniss/Peeta as a real relationship, mostly because I actually know that they end up together and live with PTSD forever after. But in terms of current emotional investment, I've got to go with Damon/Elena, because their show is still running, and with each episode there is potential for shippy goodness!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Different Kinds of Kids
Some kids crack me up. At the LEGO club at the library, I told everyone to make some kind of robot. When they presented their creation to the rest of us, I asked what it was (because, like most LEGO creations, it was not immediately obvious).
One boy said he made a boat.
"A robot boat?" I asked.
"....Yeees. A robot boat!" And he therefore learned that you can BS your way through all educational experiences.
A couple minutes later a girl came forward. She had also made a boat.
"A robot boat?" I repeated.
"No." She looked at me like I was insane. "It's just a boat."
I love those kids.
It's the ones that refuse to stay in line and grab others people's stuff, then grin like that will get them out of trouble, that make me want to approach their parents and say, "Hi. Are you aware of the fact that your child is obnoxious? Kthxbai."
One boy said he made a boat.
"A robot boat?" I asked.
"....Yeees. A robot boat!" And he therefore learned that you can BS your way through all educational experiences.
A couple minutes later a girl came forward. She had also made a boat.
"A robot boat?" I repeated.
"No." She looked at me like I was insane. "It's just a boat."
I love those kids.
It's the ones that refuse to stay in line and grab others people's stuff, then grin like that will get them out of trouble, that make me want to approach their parents and say, "Hi. Are you aware of the fact that your child is obnoxious? Kthxbai."
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