I'm Glad I Didn't Die Before I Met You.

**Profanity Warning: some of the quotes in today's post contain crude language!**

There are two activists I admire in the world right now.
Banksy and Chuck Palahniuk.

Banksy is a street artist who uses his graffiti to make political statements. "I like to think I have the guts to stand up anonymously in a western democracy and call for things no-one else believes in - like peace and justice and freedom." His true identity is entirely unknown. Says Banksy on his own mysterious identity: "I have no interest in ever coming out. I figure there are enough self-opinionated assholes trying to get their ugly little faces in front of you as it is." Banksy has traveled the world with his art, which has been found from a wall near Bethlehem, a beach in Cuba and recently on an abandoned gas station in Birmingham. I have high respect for someone who isn't wasting his time just thinking about changing the world. There are far too many people who sit on their asses doing nothing productive; they strive for monetary success, for popularity, for fun at others' expense, for fame. Banksy says that "in the future, so many people are going to become famous that one day everybody will end up being anonymous for 15 minutes."

Chuck Palahniuk is an author, most well-known for the anti-consumerism film Fight Club. His books often revolve around a character who has been marginalized by society and reacts with self-destructive aggressiveness. Chuck offers "Maybe we have to break everything to make something better out of ourselves", as explanation for this destruction. Chuck begs for each person to do better than they are doing. "Our Generation has had no Great war, no Great Depression. Our war is spiritual. Our depression is our lives." Often, Chuck's novels are depressing in a terrifyingly true way; "Reality means you live until you die. The real truth is nobody wants reality."

I am so impressed by these two men who have taken non-conventional approaches to changing the world around them. There are far too many people who spread hatred instead of love. Especially, and sadly, in the Christian community. Neither Chuck Palahniuk nor Banksy are Christian. In fact, both are likely to take Ghandi's stance on Christianity; "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are nothing like your Christ."

One thing I have noticed at Redeemer is the lack of action. I know many people on campus, and enjoy the company of very few. Every other week I and a team of three other incredible people lead Deedz Ministries downtown. Often we hear that people are too busy to participate. And yet, some boys on campus have decided they have the time to create a fake personality "Jody Summers" on Facebook and harass other students with her account. That certainly sounds like good Christians trying to change the world around them for the better. I realize we all fail, but we could do much better than we're doing. If everyone chose one good act to do everyday, and in return eliminated one negative act, people might take Christianity a little more seriously. and maybe we could hope to inspire the change that Banksy and Chuck Palahniuk have.

Call Me a Safe Bet; I'm Betting I'm Not.

I have always valued honest music. Artists like Bob Dylan have had a major impact on me, especially where the lyrics are concerned.
It was almost three years ago that I discovered Brand New's song Jesus Christ. The lyrics portray a very real and honest struggle between Atheism and Christianity; between existing in inertia or changing.
But over the years, as I have changed, Brand New has evolved with me. and their lyrics are just as honest and real as before.
I want you to all encounter their songs. Whether you like them or not is not my concern, but check out these songs.

1. Jesus Christ -- about the struggle to believe. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSkccp5Hvgg)

2. Luca -- parallels Luca Brasi from The Godfather and a cheating significant other. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwneE3c8zkU)

3. Seventy Times Seven -- his side of the story of finding his best friend and girlfriend together. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfsZJ33fK4A&feature=related)

4. Limosine -- a non-romanticized portrayal of drunk driving. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDEhtmPd-o8)

5. Limosine (acoustic) -- this gives me shivers every time. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLac8jIIIeE&feature=related)

*6. Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades -- about moving too fast. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKDc2lkt_mE)

7. You Won't Know -- about making irreversible mistakes. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5mm8ex8Vd4)

*8. The Quiet Things No One Ever Knows -- about losing a lover to your own error. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMJIc9USE2U)

*Official music videos

The Day the Music Died.

50 years ago today. (Ok, since it's 2:20AM this was technically yesterday).
R.I.P. Ricardo Steven Valenzuela ("Ritchie Valens"), Jiles Perry Richardson Jr.("The Big Bopper") and Charles Hardin Holley ("Buddy Holly").

Take a Pill and Cook the Vegetables

Happy New Year!
Now onto the reason I am writing today -- celery.
Celery is one of the best vegetables ever. I don't care if you are a carnivore, don't tell me yo don't munch on celery from time to time. And everybody likes celery. Really, who can say they don't like celery. It's more water than food, so if you like water, you will like celery!
It's incredibly versatile. I don't like Cheez Whiz, but give me enough celery and I'll finish off the entire jar! It also goes with peanut butter, garden vegetable cream cheese, and every form of salad dressing imaginable!
Celery is nearly as easy to grow as hemp is. It only takes one ounce of celery seeds to produce an acre of celery. try and tell me that's not a fruitful plant!
As well, celery is good for those looking to lose weight. One stalk of celery has about 10 calories. But it takes your body more than 10 calories to digest. So every time you eat celery you are losing weight!
And that's pretty much all I have to say. Yay veggies!

A Perfect Christmas?

I wish I could trade this:


For this:


Sometimes I think Christmas is the worst season of the year for depression and suicides because Hollywood forgets the way so many people end up spending their holidays. While I realize that my situation is not as dire as I see it, I fear the unknown. I fear leaving Redeemer campus with only a few clothes and enough money to bus around. I'm afraid of taking the train somewhere and holding on to the slim chance that a friend will be home and able to take me in. Instead of telling me what my Christmas should look like, I wish Hollywood would show me what it could look like:


Then I might get over myself and enjoy the unknown.

As I'm Leaving.

It's been a confusing season in my life.

I took on too much this semester. Yes,I am actually admitting it. I had no time for myself. I also had very little time fro a lot of friends. But that doesn't mean I lost all contact with people. I made quite a few new friends this year, and managed to build on the relationships I had, especially with Dan and Austin, who made time for ME. I realized this semester that friendship is a two-way street and it's not always up to me to make the sacrifices.

I lost my grandma this semester, just three weeks ago. Not that I knew her well, mind you, but losing a family member is still a strange feeling. I also missed her funeral, due to my aforementioned busy schedule. As well, my family is very complicated and I knew my presence was needed for some and definitely not needed for others. I'm still not sure how I feel about what I did.

I also realized this semester that I have an irrational fear of all of my friendships peaking and eventually petering off. I can't tell you why I feel like this, or where this fear came from, but for the first time in my life I don't feel my friendships are indestructible. I feel like they are as fallible as I am... and I don't know what to do about it.

I had a lot of rough times this semester, but also a lot of good ones. All in all, I enjoyed myself, but feel as though I have more questions than answers right now.
Next semester I start brand new.

I Need You So Much Closer.

True friends...
-Leave their bed to stay out all night and think with you
-Drive all night long with you to see your friend
-Hold your hand when it's cold
-Watch the moon with you
-Are honest, no matter what the truth is
-Stop keeping track of who owes who
-Can take correction when they're wrong
-Can correct you when you're wrong