Sunday, December 11, 2011

Sushi Night, and Flashback to GC


Today!!!!!! It was going to be filled with essay-writing, all day every day forever(!!!!!!!). Instead, I ran away /was rescued was able to go see Evelyn's students' recital with Cat, and then have a sushi party at Gideon's.

It was so wonderful to see Evelyn and Alex again (and meet Alec's mother!), enjoy the lovely music, see all the children and their families, and eat delicious baked goods. Then, we made sushi, SO MUCH SUSHI. I learned how to make inside-out rolls and rainbow rolls, and I also learned that Sherri and Eri can rock the heart roll, that Cat is essentially an expert of all-things-sushi, that Gideon can plate beautifully, and that Ivan has a not-so-secret talent for interpretive dance. We also talked and laughed about so many different things, nerdy, insightful, heavy, silly, and just weird. I think it was one of the first times I've gotten to hang out with Ivan and Sherri in such a setting as friends since they counselored us as teens - which was wonderful - it was also the first time I've gotten to hang out with Eri in a long while (ok, since August), and with Gideon really in general - and it's always a joy to spend time with Cat :)

On the way home I was recounting to Cat the trip that Helen, Vaneh and I took to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Cat commented on how wonderful it is to be reminded that God cares for us through all situations, not just through what we might think of as rough times. And she reminded me again of how faithful God was during that trip.

The day we went to the Grand Canyon, it was completely foggy - you couldn't see a thing. We have some pretty sad photos. So we were a bit disappointed (though of course we sang our hearts out anyway (: ), and earnestly hoped for fairer weather the next day. We were greeted the next morning with pretty cloudy skies, and I wasn't so sure about it I admit - but we were actually able to see very very far out over the Canyon! A tour guide later told us that a day such as this was the best time to visit the Grand Canyon: on a completely cloudless day you wouldn't be able to see as far out because of the sun's glare. So, the heavy fog from the day before which we (at least I) had been so bummed about actually turned out to be a blessing, and provided just the right amount of coverage the next day to give us the best view.

Situations can change, but God doesn't. Perhaps certain concepts can't always be pulled from one context to the next, but I think in this case it can. Cloudy days and cloudy seasons will come and go, but our God remains the same. He is the Lord Unchanging, the Strong One Who Sees, Jehovah-Jireh, El-Shaddai. He is the Creator of my life, the holder of my heart. Soul, walk steadfastly with Him, for He knows where you are going, and He knows the path you most need to get there.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Butts

A co-authored post by Lulu, Alice, and Gabriel

It's good to be home! Each year I notice that the conversations among my siblings and me get a little more interesting - although we do talk about things like butts, stinky feet, and obscene bodily functions, we also have been talking lately about things like ethical business practices, systematic education reform, and societal and biblical gender roles.

We haven't solved the crisis of the United States education system yet (a heavy task for sure), nor have we completely finished defining either ethical business practices or appropriate gender roles - but here are some of the highlights from our conversations of the latter:

A Short Treatise on Masculinity and FemininityBy the Hu Baby-Sibs 
What A Man Should Be
According to Gabriel:
- brave (like swim with sharks)
- strong (like have beefy arms)
- loyal (to people they love)
- humble (like not show off)
- chivalrous [after learning the word from Alice]
- have an ancient battle cry [emphasis mine - you can ask him for a demonstration]  
According to Alice: 
- swift, as a coursing river
- forceful, as a great typhoon
- strong, as a raging fire
- mysterious, as the dark side of the mooooooon [emphasis mine]
but seriously,
- brave (doing what you know you should do despite the risks)
- strong (mentally speaking, I don't think physically is a necessity)
- chivalrous (which historically speaking, means to honor God, honor the king, and honor women)
- mature (i.e. know what is important and care about what's important)  
What A Woman Should Be
According to Gabriel:
- the boss (because they get to eat food first and they can hit a man but he can't hit her back)
- have nice clothes (and dresses and stuff)
- warm-hearted (like being nice and kind and stuff)
- can keep secrets (like where are all the Christmas presents??)
- gooey [I will leave this one to interpretation]  
According to Alice:
- gracious (i.e. forgiving, putting others before self)
- compassionate ('like being nice and kind and stuff')
- mature (similar to point before)

Well I hope that this brought you some laughs - it definitely did for us :)

Some of my thoughts - I was quite surprised at some of the things my brother said, especially about women being the boss and men having beefy arms, and I was not as surprised about some of the things my sister said, especially about men and women's roles as defined by tradition, modern society, and the Bible. I also found it striking that my brother has such a very clear view of what makes a man, though he was much more hesitant to say what makes a woman. The same could probably be said of my sister. It's funny (and at times even a bit scary) what kids interpret from what adults in either their own lives or the media do and say. From a very young age, they're told what they should and shouldn't be, and whatever that message is, it is often reinforced towards the negative as they grow older. Through these conversations, I was reminded again and again of how important it is to have godly men and women in our lives, both as examples to look to, and as mentors and friends to live with.

To close, here are a few ending highlights and words of wisdom:
"I think that men should be able to cry too. Because sometimes things are really important, and if they know it then it's ok to cry about it.. like if someone they love is hurt or dies.. but not if it's like all the time like about dirty shoes or something." -- Gabriel
"What's that word again? The one with the 'w'? Oh yeah chivalry! I think it's like when someone wants to punch the king so you go and block it. Add that to mine ok?" -- Gabriel 
"A man should not scan his butt. Neither should a woman. Or anyone else for that matter. Because then you'll have to get a new scanner." -- Alice
"To scan, or not to scan. Choose wisely." -- Gabriel  

Friday, December 2, 2011

Sovereignty

"If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you. God's experiments always succeed."
- Oswald Chambers

Thank you Cat!

This is God's sovereignty at work. People may fall, plans may fail, the careful devising and building of many years can go to ruin. But God's plans do not crumble, and His purposes do not weaken or change shape due to circumstance. He is unchanging and all powerful, and He is not so large that He cannot see and intimately love these little grains of sand that are us.