redemption

This is a word / concept that I've been learning a lot about lately.

David Ulrich told me about this band called Leeland...and they have this song called Sound of Melodies that I really like. (It's my profile song on myspace) Anyway, a line in the song says "We're lifted up from the ashes, and out came the song of the redeemed."

Redemption. Redeemed. Redeemer.

These are all words that I've heard around church for most of my life, and I always equated to salvation, saved, and savior.

However, I am learning that redemption is much more than salvation. My view of salvation has been merely forgiveness for my sin. Lately I've been learning that God wants to do much more than just save me from hell. He wants to REDEEM me!


In my brain...the only way I can explain this concept is through the brave little toaster. Now, mind you it has been a long time since I've seen this movie...but this concept always reminds me of the junk yard scene in the movie.

There's all these cars...broken and abandoned in the junkyard...and the mean magnet is picking them up and putting them in the crusher where they will be...of course...crushed. Picture this scene...picture yourself as a car...in line to be demolished. You're broken, forgotten, mistreated. All of a sudden some one comes and stops the magnet, moments before your death. That is salvation...being saved from destruction. Now what if that person doesn't just stop the evil magnet...but he calls a tow truck...tows you to his house...fixes your engine, gives you a new paint job and upholstery. He even decides to use you and drives you around everywhere. You're like brand new!

THAT is redemption. Being restored, made whole, like new. One definition says, "to restore honor, worth, or reputation of." That is what God wants to do for us. Restore our worth and reputation. We've all sold ourselves short, damaged our worth, made some really horrible decisions. God doesn't just forgive us...He REDEEMS us! This is amazing to me and I love experiencing God's redemption! I think that when you really get this...that is when we can join in the Song of the Redeemed! Joining in with everyone God has redeemed and singing out and thanking God for making us whole.

That's what I've been learning/experiencing lately.

Girls, Girls, Girls.

So...after being in traffic for about a total of 4 to 4.5 hours today, with no radio, and a car full of junior high girls...we successfully made it through...and I kid you not....the ENTIRE book of "Would You Rather"...without skipping any.

Here's what I learned:

There are two types of junior high girls: The kind that agree with everyone else just to be cool...and the kind that disagree on purpose just to be different. Both are equally annoying.

But, in all seriousness...I had a blast on Gurly and I came to love the girls in my van. Just imagine Erin Brady going in to 7th grade...but nerdy...and OBSESSED with Jesse McCartney...now times that by 5...give each of them a Monster drink...and THAT's who was in my van!

So much fun...I'm exhausted....good night.

terrible twos

ok...I have to share this story.

A few days ago, my mom and step-dad and my two year old brother went to eat at a Mexican food restaurant. The fun thing about Dustin's age is that he will repeat anything you tell him to, and he's been learning some spanish.

So, they decided to test out Dustin's spanish on the waiter. He was saying Hola Senor..and Vamanos...things like that...all good and cute.

Then when the waiter was leaving, the waiter said, "Adios"

To which my brother said, "Adios...Dumbass!"

How funny is that?

So, although its fun that 2 year olds repeat everything you say...the bad part is that they will repeat it at the worst times!

Note #1: He did not learn that word from me.
Note #2: I apologize for the profanity...but I just had to tell the story...
Note #3: There's a good chance this story would be way funnier in person. Dang it.

this makes me happy

I made this during band practice...well dillon took the picture...but it makes me happy.

I'm at band practice right now...and I'm gonna need some earplugs before I go deaf in the coming months.

look below....

I put some Hume Lake pics and highlights a couple blogs below. Didn't want you to miss them.

bumper stickers and graphic tees

Sounds like an album by Augustana or Teitur or something...

Running errands always results in me thinking that I am better than most people in the world. Now...we all know this is entirely UN-true...but I was at Wal-mart, so it's slightly understandable, right?

Anyway...on my way into wal-mart I saw a bumper sticker on a truck that said, "Silly boys, trucks are for girls." It was probably on a Ford Ranger or something. You see...although I have seen bumper stickers like this many a time before...it struck a new chord with me today. I asked myself, "Why would this girl think that trucks would be specially designed only to accommodate girls?" It was like she put the sticker on laughing at boys naivete (is that a word, Allison?) for thinking that trucks could actually be driven by boys. So let's think about this for a second...if trucks were only allowed to be driven by one gender, which would it be? Well...what are trucks used for?

1. Hauling Lumber.
2. Carrying Surfboards
3. Moving furniture
4. Hauling dirt
5. Driving your friends around illegally without seatbelts.

Now, although I'm a girl myself...I'm going to have to say that all of these 5 activities are TYPICALLY done by boys. Therefore, in conclusion (redundant much?) Girls...embrace your estrogen and buy a jetta.


Graphic Tees

In Walmart again...I saw a shirt that said, "Shh...that's the sound of nobody caring what you have to say."

I think we've taken this "t-shirts communicating with someone who's reading it" trend a bit too far. That's just mean. And besides...I wasn't even saying anything...I was reading the t-shirt. It's probably difficult to have a conversation with someone WHILE reading their t-shirt. It was probably being worn by the girl driving that truck...that would just figure.

Ok...I'm done being mean for the day.

shark fly.

Are flies attracted to blood?

I'm sitting at vocal practice right now and 20 minutes ago I scratched my leg and made a scab bleed. It stopped bleeding. But now there's this fly that won't leave me alone. It keeps landing on my wound. It's really grossing me out.

Praise God! Nikki Addams just swatted it and killed it. Thank you Nikki.

Shark Flies aren't the only thing grossing me out right now.

This is greatly disturbing me too. I just found out about this. I worked with him, at Melinda Heights for years. I'm freaking out a little bit right now.

go minga go minga go

Hume Lake...too many things to say...too many memories. So I'll just put some pics. All of them are up on this site. You can right click on pics to save them to your computer, or you can order prints from that site as well.

Anyway...

Hightlights:

1. Kids running away from Hume staff and diving in the grass.
2. Getting a free milkshake from Raymond <3
3. Great girls workshop...partially on emotional purity. Amen.
4. Clay.
5. The "contest" in our cabin. BTW...I won.
6. Nikki preaching to have a faith not based on emotions.

Ok sorry...enough inside jokes...I know how annoying those are. And I'm sorry it took so long to blog about Hume...or anything for that matter.

So here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Conquering my fears...

I did the most random thing last night...I went to the circus. I was a little apprehensive cuz I absolutely hate clowns...like a lot. But luckily we sat very high up so that the clowns couldn't spot me in the crowd. This is good because the last time I went to the circus was when I went with TLC (the after school program not the hip-hop trio) and we were in the front section where the clowns go up and down the aisle!!! So scary... In fact, the last time I shoved a kid into the aisle when the clowns came up so I could be safe in the middle of the row. Needless to say...the cheap seats are fine by me.

Anyway, the circus was so much fun! I really felt like a little kid...and I also learned some useful things...like...

1. Elephants are the only animal with 4 knees.
2. Elephants are pregnant for 22 months (well only the female ones of course)
3. You can do anything as long as you use your imagination. (I really wonder how many kids went home that night and tried to jump off their balconies...or set their dogs on fire...)

So...now I'll show you some pictures.







Captions for pictures are as follows:
1. Mike, Me, Annie (Mike and I are matching yes.)
2. Some elephants...
3. Someone taking a picture of the elephants with a camera phone from the 400 section (probably a good chance that one didn't turn out)
4. Ishii family bonding time.

All in all, I give the circus 2 thumbs up.

Milestones

you may be thinking to yourself, "Wow, Milestones...this is going to be a really great blog that makes me think about life." Well, your wrong.

I just wanted to inform everyone that I've reached my first milestone in saving up for my new camera lens. I've been saving/stealing change for about a month now...and today, I've reached $50. Pretty impressive. Actually, I have $50.15.

Much thanks and appreciation go out to Jared Moine and my stepdad for allowing me to steal their change.

If you would like to contribute to this fund, leave a comment, or leave some money...on my desk...or in my pocket.

Thanks and blessings,

Alanna

it's not a dog, you freak.

Tonight I saw my neighbor walking his cats. Yes, he had two cats on leashes...and he was taking them for a walk. Maybe it's just me...but I don't really think this is normal...are you with me on this?

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."
Proverbs 26:11

Dear God:

Please help me to remember how gross vomit tastes.

Amen.


P.S. I google image searched "vomit" and this came up. Hmmm...