Changes

So, I realized that I have not told you quite a bit about anything in my life so here are some big things that have happened!

-I did a year internship with my church that ended this past May. It was intense and I have learned a lot about God, others, our church and myself. A lot of growth was spurred on by it and I know I am not the same person I was before.

-I had a boyfriend of sorts and now I don't.

-I have a new job! I have finally become employed as a barista and it brings me great joy.

-Hi...

750 words plus a bit more.

   I know I haven't posted anything here for almost a year or so but I have still been writing. Bits and pieces, here and there but still it has been happening. I was introduced to a website called 750 words. It's where you sit and write anything you want to, no one can see it, and you attempt 750 words a day. [Click here if you want ] It doesn't have to make sense. You can rant or rave; anything you want. It feels lovely. It's not just that though, it also tells you your words per minute, the mood of your writing, most used words, introversion versus extroversion and a lot more. Anyway, I thought I would share what I wrote this evening.

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Work always rejuvenates me. I'm not even sure I can explain it.
    I'm home now; finished my shift from 3 to 9 and got off just as the sun was setting. It was beautiful. The pinks and purples were really visible as I was driving home and I was thankful that it's not storming tonight.
    I'm sitting on our porch in the lovely night air now. The three candles that aren't meant to get rid of bugs are on the outskirts of the deck and I have the one that is meant to get rid of insects closer to me. Crickets are chirping. Cars are driving by and all is peaceful in my land of dancing flame and tapping keys. Fireflies are out and if I look up the stars peek out from behind a patchy cloud cover. How wonderful it is to be outdoors.
    I've already drank my tea and slathered my legs with the coconut oil that makes my itchy red hives lessen their affect on my senses.
    Grandma just popped her head out and has left a beam of light on the wood where the curtain no longer covers the sliding glass doors. She informed me that she found the information she was looking for on Antrhopology and jobs associated with it. I'm trying to decide what to do with my life.
    Travel really catches my eye these days. I want to go everywhere. Venice, Japan, England, Scotland, South Korea, they all sound marvelous.
    I fear the light from inside may be attracting bugs. I'll be right back.
    I got more tea. I've reused this teabag three times but it still seems to be good. I don't think I had ever really looked up anthropology before. It might be interesting. I added some peppermind to my coconut oil slather. I've heard that bugs don't like peppermint. I see lighting in the sky. I hope it doesn't start to rain. I'm quite enjoying my time out here.
    I caught up with Grandma more. I felt I should make it really clear that I wasn't mad at her and I felt bad for how I've been while she's been here. You see, I've been positively exhausted and I haven't had any time to relax. This causes me to be practically silent and not very friendly. Headaches, muscle pains, fatigue and nausea all don't contribute to a good hostess. I'm glad that I was able to have the time with her tonight while I'm feeling well though.
    I bought a song on itunes today. I almost never buy music but this one has been stuck in my head for a long time. It's called Radioactive but it's actually a cover of it by an accapella group and a wonderful violinist. Quite epic in the end. I blasted it on my way home from work and sung my lungs out like a happy lunatic.
    Hmm. I feel the bugs have come out even more. I wonder if I should pack up and move to my room. It's just so lovely outside and I've stayed indoors most of the other lovely days this past week!
    I was going to work on my new story but I keep getting distracted. It's not too late, no. I wanted to write here and describe my evening. I don't write about myself much lately. I suppose that's good in a way.
    Do you think I'll become a successful writer? I mean, I am a writer but will I ever be published do you think? I wish the arts and creative things were more treasured in society. What if everyone had to have an art degree of sorts to have a succesful job? Business degrees don't seem to have an ounce of creativity built in. I don't think I could do it. Four years of technical writing, math and economics? No, I can't say I could do it. I wish the arts paid.
    I dream of a world where people were looked up to for expressing their true selves and exploring the world we live in to find more of it. There is so much to learn and so much to communicate. Why do creative people get written off while the mathematicians and scientists are labeled geniuses?
    Ah well, this is the world I live in. ' Better get used to it right?

HOURS WORKED: 6
SONG OF THE DAY: Radioactive
MEALS EATEN: One and a half or so
CUPS OF TEA: 3
MOOD: Satisfied

There it is interwebz,
Melina Rose

Finals Day

So.... I didn't study for my two finals today.

Thank God for coffee?

Do you ever feel like someone comes into your life and becomes a better friend to your friends and the people you're starting to be friends with than you? And it's not like you can be unhappy about it without feeling incredibly selfish and dumb. I feel so helpless to help the people I care about and yet there they are relying on you, running to say hi to you, hanging out with you. Honestly I'm happy you can help the people I care about. If they need help that I can't provide and you can, why would I want that withheld? It just hurts a bit. Actually more than a bit and I can't figure out why I don't just get over it.
I care too much.

Off [Jesus is Lord]

Tonight felt off.

I had high expectations for our youth-group meeting on Halloween night. I expected a powerful move of the spirit rebelling against the very reason of this holiday and it just didn't seem to happen.

Halloween isn't just kids dressing up in costumes and asking for candy. I personally love candy and jump at every opportunity to dress up. There's something darker behind it that a lot of people either don't realize or chose to ignore.

It has it roots in a Celtic Druid's holiday that celebrated a time supposedly neither in the current year nor the future one. Held in honor of the sun god and the god of death, the practices of this holiday were no pretty sight.

"The Druids believed that sins of the evil dead could be expiated through gifts and sacrifices to Sanheim, who had the power to decree in what form their existence would continue, as animals or humans. The sacrifices were grisly. Horses were burned, as they were sacred to the Sun God. Black cats, which were either friends of witches or transformed into witches themselves, were also thrown into the fire. But for Sanheim, Lord of the Dead, humans were sacrificed. Men were imprisoned in wicker and thatch cages built in the shapes of animals or giants, and put into the fire. By observing the way they died, the Druid priests saw and pronounced omens of the future."     -source

Obviously this holiday has a lot of spiritual activity associated with it. Unfortunately it is not spiritual activity in the sense that I (hopefully we) desire, but instead welcomes demonic activity and communicating with evil spirits.

Some people may make the argument that they celebrate All Saints Day which is a holiday that was developed by the Catholic church to celebrate....something. It was said that it was a day to recognize the work the saints in heaven were doing for those still in purgatory and those still on earth. In this way they "christianized" the holiday.
I do not believe that purgatory is Biblical and so this reason does not make everything okay to me. I also believe that we should be relying on God's power. His saints are not the ones we should pray to and we don't rely on them after they are gone but instead we should be focusing on Jesus Christ and His Heavenly Father who is ours as well. No one should be equaled with that power or attributed it.

One article I found says:

"Despite the Church's success in establishing a Christian foundation for the autumn celebrations, many of the ancient customs and traditions associated with them were still practiced by the population. The carving of gourds and the wearing of costumes and masks to scare away malevolent spirits are typical of the superstitions carried over from these celebrations into the All Hallows Eve observance. 

The custom of "trick-or-treating" has its origins in a ritual wherein the elders of a village or town would go from house to house and receive offerings of food and gifts for the souls of dead friends and relatives thought to visit on this night. This practice evolved during the Middle Ages, when beggars would travel from village to village and beg for "soul cakes". Villagers would offer prayers along with the cakes to those who had died in the past year for their transition to heaven."  -source

Most people have no idea where the traditions that go along with our modern-day Halloween come from and what they are encouraging by participating.
I'm not saying it's wrong to dress up and ask for candy but I would ask you, please understand what this holiday is about and think about it.

Ask God to work though you and use His power to cast out the darkness of this night. It might be after the time of trick-or-treating but I would ask you to consider praying.
Pray for your neighborhood, your friends, safety, the power of God, really anything you feel like, but just pray.

This isn't a panic post. I'm not freaking out. I'm not frightened or scared. I'm frustrated.

Have a blessed night  interwebs.

-Melina Rose

Music test

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Almost 2pm

Listening to: Concerto No. 21 in C Major for Piano and Orchestra performed by Finghin Collins composed by Mozart
Eating: Just finished eating a lunch of a tuna salad (and sour patch candycane)
Drinking: Had grocery store coffee drink with lunch and now drinking water
Working on: My systematic theology homework
Texting: Tortuga

1:49pm