A little wisdom from Anne of Green Gables

Last week, I went over to the wonderful Michal Rudolph's house to watch the first half of Anne of Green Gables (we need to finish it sometime next week, Michal!!) This was one of my favorite movies when I was younger and let me tell you, its even better all as a (sort of) adult.

Anne is such a character. What a sweet, innocent child. My friend, Ellen, pointed out, that despite everything that this little girl has been through, she is hopeful, imaginative, and happy. Somehow, she managed to avoid some extreme mental scarring.

But that's not really what I want to write about.

I was struck by something while watching the movie.

If you have seen it, then you will remember that sweet Anne hates her red hair. She thinks that it makes her hideous. Personally, I think that she is a beautiful little girl, and I used to long for pretty red hair like her's, but she hated it. She even tried to dye it black, but it turned out green.

At 2 points in the movie, other characters mocked her because of her hair. The first was her adoptive mother's friend and the second was Gilbert Blythe. In response to these comments (Gil called her "Carrots"), she verbally attacked the friend and broke her slate over Gil's head. It isn't until the end of the movie that she finally forgives Gil for his comments. (They end up married- but that's a different, wonderful story.)

Her responses seem extreme, right? Anne is just over dramatic, right?

At first glance, I would agree. But when I thought about it a little more, I understood.

These characters unintentionally picked on the very thing that Anne hated the most about herself, the things that she constantly was telling herself. When Gil called her "Carrots", he was repeated and cementing the thoughts that plagued her. He was validating the thing that she already thought- that she was ugly. That her hair made her undesirable and hideous.

Has this ever happened to you?

Has anyone ever unknowingly, hit that extremely raw nerve and confirm your worst fears about yourself?

Maybe, not. Maybe I'm just as dramatic as Anne, because I know that this has happened to me.

And I know how much it hurts.

I know how much I wish sometimes that I could break a slate over their head in response. (not really, you get my meaning)

But then I started thinking- What if I'm not Anne, what if I'm Gil?

Have my words unknowingly hit that raw nerve in someone's heart? Have I unintentionally found the thing that someone hates about themselves the most and then just flaunted it to the world? Have I done that intentionally?

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 
Proverbs 12:18


A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 
Proverbs 15:4

Believe me when I say, I am writing this more to myself than for anyone else. More times than not, but tongue is like sword thrusts, hurting instead of building up.

I need to think before I speak. I can't tell you how many times my mom told me that growing up, and not just saying mean things, just saying things in general- like Anne, I like to talk and don't always know when to stop.

Discernment in speaking is something that I need, its something that a lot of us need. So lets ask for it. Lets ask God to give us the wisdom to know when to not speak, when to just be quiet. Because even a joke, a little bit of teasing, it can be the thing to make a girl with pretty red hair do something completely stupid and end up dying it green.

I want people to say this about me:

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 
Proverbs 31:26

If you had no idea what I was just talking about, PLEASE go watch Anne of Green Gables. It is wonderful!

This song always makes me think of it. (random)

Last one!!

It was a tough night of babysitting- we had to make a mcdonald's run afterwards. The kids weren't bad- there were just a lot of them in a small room. 

Before the Brook Fraser concert.

Brook Fraser. love her

 

KG making cookies before bed. 

Packing up my life. 

And I finished off my year in pictures with a picture of me and my stuff. Since you all tell me that I don't put up enough pictures of myself. 

And I'm done!!! (sorry if you are using a google reader, especially Bemi in Senegal!)

Thanks for sticking around this year! I had a great time sharing it with you all. I hope that you keep checking into the blog every once in a while!!!

Love you all!!!

Almost done!

Studying for my Geol lab final. So very glad to be done with that class!!

I stayed up until 3:00 in the morning to do this project. I had to redivide the 50 states. Sounds simple- it was not!

My awesome friends that I worked with in International Friends. So excited for all that they are doing now!! 

Studying with the roomie for our Geol final. Can you tell that we were not enjoying this?

I think this is after a Nerts tournament at the Rudolphs house. My brain was pretty fried at this point from exams. 

Bemi and Becca at Torrero's in Durham- the best Mexican place around. then we went to Local Yogurt-- all things wonderful in one night!

Sweet KG getting baptized! Such a wonderful thing to see. Not going to lie- I teared up. Actually, I almost starting crying during JD's sermon when he was just talking about baptizing her. Love this girl so much and I can't wait to see how God uses her in years to come.

And some more

Bemi and I stuffed a whole bunch of Easter Eggs while watching the latest Harry Potter film-- is there a better way to spend on evening? I don't think so! 

This picture doesn't do it justice, but the Bell Tower at night is absolutely beautiful!

So happy that I didn't have to do this!!Another benefit of having an apartment/living off campus-- no more gross meal plan!

Cooked some of my friends Indian dinner, they wanted it and I needed a cultural event to write about for Hindi-- sounds like a win win to me!

Oval park covered in Easter Eggs, the hunt lasted like 10 minutes tops! Every year, the West Club campus does an Easter Egg hunt for the neighborhood. They love it and we love a chance to serve our neighbors!

Bunny cake for Easter Sunday. Not the point of Easter, but a fun tradition! 

More catching up!!

Don't know when this was from, but I love both of these lovely ladies!! I think we may have been watching 30 Rock. 

Can't wait to spend the summer with this girl!!

5 going on 16. Watch out Veronica!!

Geography paper writing. It wasn't pretty. 

Told you. 

Another bridal shower- this one for Emily, who I also love. I wasn't able to get a closer picture, cause I had to run back to school. Unfortunately, I will be missing her wedding when I'm in India. : (

Last month of my sophomore year

I've been out of school for almost a month, but I still have a lot of pictures to post. Clearly, I've been doing more exciting things than blog. Funny, during school, all I do is random blog posts-- I guess its my go-to form of procrastination. Guess I'll start posting more come the end of August.

Since it has been so long since taking these pictures, I honestly don't remember what day they are all from or what exactly was going on. I promise, the only day that I didn't take a picture was Good Friday, because that just felt wrong. I was thinking about other things. I did write a couple of posts Easter weekend, check them out here, here and here.

So I'm just going to put the pictures up in a pretty random order. It would take too long to try and go back and figure out specific dates.

Here we go:

Went through a weird, short-lived flossing craze. Should probably go back...

I have a really bad habit of picking the skin around my fingernails. Any suggestions on how to stop?

Took sweet H to the Museum of Life and Science and the sweet boy fell asleep on the way home. Too cute!! 

Went to my sweet friend, April's, wedding shower. To show you just how far behind I am on posting-- April and Jonathan got married on Friday. But anyway- I'm so blessed to have April in my life and I wish her and Jonathan all the best. April, I love you and you were absolutely beautiful!!

I have known these wonderful girls for years. We were in small group together in high school, but it wasn't until the end of high school and college that we became really close. It has been amazing to see God work in our lives and bring us together. I can't imagine my life without these precious girls!!

Just watched the finale of Lost again. I've been working my way through the whole series for the second time since December.

I didn't like it the first time through (the finale, not the show).

But upon finishing it for the second, I have to say that I LOVED the ending and I found it completely satisfying.



Now I have to find something new to watch...

Update

So its been about a month since I've posted pictures haha, the end of the school year got a little crazy. I am going to put them up!!

My picture project ended with the school, but the blog will continue. I have found that I really like writing and sharing my thoughts and the things that I have been learning. I hope that you will continue to check in!!!

More about chocolate

Reading through Sit a Spell archives again (one of the blogs that I stalk), and found this beautiful post about the chocolate industry and we can be a part of redeeming a terrible system that is daily hurting thousands of children around the world.

Check it out! Heather is great! (I don't know her, but I feel like I do! I know that's creepy, get over it!)

Then, if you want more information about the problems in the chocolate industry, check out this post by one of Heather's friends.

Also, check out this trailer for The Dark Side of Chocolate, which tries to bring to light the slavery and evils that happen in the chocolate industry. I already found the whole documentary on YouTube and will most likely be posting it on here once I watch it.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Today is the day when we celebrate the amazing moms  in our lives.

Thank you to all the moms out there who give of themselves everyday for their children. These women give up their own dreams of their careers and their own plans to pour their lives into the little ones that have been entrusted to them. Thank you for being an example to me and girls like me who can watch how you love and teach your children to love and worship God. Thank you for letting me be a part of your kids lives. For entrusting me with their precious lives and letting me invest in their lives. Your families are a constant blessing to me.

Thank you to my mom. You are amazing! The best mom I could ever ask for. Your love and support means the world to me. I wouldn't be who I am today without your guidance.


But while we are celebrating the women who bless our lives daily, I can't help but think of the children all around the world tonight who don't have the love and care given by a mother. There are millions of children around the world tonight who have never known what it means to be loved and cared for by the woman who gave them life. They are alone in this world without the one person who is supposed to protect them.

Remember these children tonight. Those who have watched their mother's life slowly be taken from her by disease. Those children who are now taking on the role of mother for their younger siblings because someone has to feed them. The children who watched their mother leave, some hoping to find a way to care for them and some just leaving.

I ask as you thank God for your mother, that you will pray for God's protection over these children tonight. Pray that God will be the comfort that they now lack and provide all their needs.

I think of the 25 Indian children who will one day live in my home. In my mind, they are always girls. I think about where they are right now. If they are alive yet, if they are orphaned yet. It breaks my heart to think of them already in danger and in pain and I have no way to do anything for them except pray. And so I do. I beg God to protect them, to care for them until He allows me to love them and hold them myself.

While you are celebrating and loving your mom extra today, take a second and say a prayer for the children who have lost their moms. They need to know that they are not all alone in this world. The God of the universe loves and cares for them more than any earthly mother could possibly imagine.

I want to add something else to. Another group of people, of women, to remember and pray for everyday but today in particular- women who's babies (young and grown up) are no longer here with them but are dancing with Jesus right now.

I can't even begin to imagine the pain that these women must be feeling today.

I know that there are a lot of women who today can be painful for, but can we all just take a second and pray for these moms in particular.

The women who know in their hearts that they are mothers, but have no earthly reminder, no child to love and care for everyday. No one to track mud in on the carpet or color on the walls, just a aching heart, a reminder of what they have lost.

In this past year, our church family has experienced this pain several times. In the past few months, two women I know well lost their babies in miscarriages. Last summer, one of our pastors' wife delivered their baby several months early. He lived for a day and then went to be with Jesus. During that same time, my roommates older brother was killed in a terrorist attack in Uganda. My heart breaks for these women that I know and love, and I know that they are not alone in this pain. There are countless other women at the church who have experienced this loss and are reminded of it on this day.

Please take a minute with me and pray for these mothers. Pray for comfort and peace for their hearts and souls. Pray for a renewed hope in their hearts that they will see their children again. They will worship at the feet of their savior with the babies that they never got a chance to know or the child that they lost way too soon.

Pray for them.

Albertine

Tonight, I went with my friends to see Brooke Fraser (from Hillsong) in concert at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro. This is one of my absolute favorites of her songs. As Bemi and I were saying tonight, basically all she has to do is right a song about orphans/children and we will love it! But seriously, this song is beautiful! I was literally crying tonight thinking about and missing my kids in India.

Enjoy!