Proof that I'm a Californian

We had an earthquake this morning about 10:45am. The online newspaper said it registered about a 4.3 not huge but not small. I felt it. Stood in my room, feeling the earth shake and waiting to see if I needed to move to a doorway and the earthquake stopped. I went about my business.

It is 3pm and I was just reading the online newspaper...and remembered "Oh, yeah, we had an earthquake this morning! Huh, wasn't that big."

Hello, my name is Brittany and I live in California. Earthquakes are no big deal. That is all.

Toes

In honor of finishing my New Testament: Gospels course, K and I had our toes done on Saturday. I love pedicures. I love having pretty toes. Of course ever since Saturday I've had my pretty toes covered up because, well, it's been a little too chilly for bare toes!

Until today. Today I decided I wanted to admire my pretty toes all day long. Flip flops for me. So here I am in my jeans, long sleeve shirt and flip flops with pretty toes...that are freezing! It may be Spring but it really isn't flip flop season yet.

(I would show you a picture of my pretty toes but I don't know where the camera went.)

The "C" word

Awhile back I decided that I no longer wanted to be a Christian. I told Papa Bear this and he almost gave himself a neck adjustment swiveling his head around to ask "What?!" I told Opinionated Friend and she just smiled and said "My mom decided the same thing too." I'm tired of being a Christian.

I came across this article today by John Fischer, a singer/songwriter and writer who has inspired me for years. The article reminded me why I don't want to be a Christian anymore...I don't want that label. I don't want the label that has been spread around that says a Christian only looks, acts or thinks one way. I don't want to be tied to a system that only sees people who are or aren't and judges accordingly. I don't want the label of Christian anymore.

I want to be a Christ Follower. Someone who messes up on a regular basis, who doesn't "get it" all the time, who regularly needs to be in contact with God for forgiveness and help. Someone who follows after Jesus, seeking out God, who isn't afraid to sit down with people who don't follow Jesus or seek God because I'm not threatened by their lack of belief. Someone who wants to be in conversation with many people, even those that don't think like I do, so that I can learn, grow and be changed and possibly help them learn, grow and be changed. Someone who sees hope and potential in all people. I want to be a Christ Follower with all of that attached to me and so much more. I just don't want to be a Christian anymore.

March 20th

29 lectures
1/2 Textbook
2 Exams
1 paper
ALL DONE!!!!!

Life can now return to normal!

Celebrate good times, come on!

The best sound of the day was the sound of the post office worker stamping that big envelope "March 20th" and throwing it in the outgoing mail. Woo-hoo! I'm done!...for now.

Wednesday Dots

• I have this theory. I can guess how close we are to summer by the driving habits of people in the Valley. Sounds crazy but I know that winter is soon to be gone because the so called "Sunday Drivers" are out in full force mid-week on south 9 and everyone else is driving like maniacs. My favorite one yesterday was the guy that attempted to pass the Sunday Driver on a blind curve. Smart. While we're on the subject of drivers can someone invent a scrolling LED sign that I can put on my bumper with pre-programmed sayings such as: I can only drive as fast as the car in front of me or seriously, if I have to buy a new car because of you I'm gonna be mad?
• How is that one wakes up in the morning with new lines on their face? I don't know where these things came from but I'm not happy with them. Not happy at. all.
• Meggie spoke about unbloggable stuff the other day. I went to post a comment on a blog yesterday and realized that I couldn't for privacy reasons. Do we call that uncommentable?
• There's a reality show that I've watched for a while now that has seemed relatively harmless...until I started reading all the back stories. Yikes! Even if there's just a smidgen of truth to the back stories, I think I'm going to stop watching.
• Tomorrow is writing day. I have the whole day to write a paper for my class. Everything must be postmarked on Friday. Yes, my middle name should be procrastination.
• This morning I woke up with a cold. Not super severe, just enough to make me slightly miserable. Add to that allergies, stress and other loveliness and, well, my housemates just might want to stay clear of me for a couple of days.
• Opinionated Friend is in Rome for a vision trip. She's going to move over there sometime in the Fall to do church planting. She's only been gone a week and I miss her. Not looking forward to the Fall.
• Train Guy and Adventure Boy stopped by yesterday for a couple of minutes. Adventure Boy had been sitting on a stool and left to play somewhere else, so I sat on the stool, to which he came over and got mad! "No sitting on my chair!" My response was "how could you say that nicer?" to which he responded "Please no sitting on my chair!" How can you refuse that? Especially when he has trouble pronouncing the 's' on sitting so it came out more like "itting". Love him.

Prayer part 2

Last week I wrote here asking for prayer for a school in the area. One of their students had died, the second student to die in 3 months. Today I write to ask you to step up those prayers a little more. Another student has died. Too much grief, too many questions, just too much in such a short amount of time. Words fail.

Studies as of today

3 lectures listened to--5 more to go I think.
Final chapter read in text book.
1 paper to write...that I still have no idea about!
1 Final exam looming.
1 week left.