Genius

I recently had the pleasure of reading the book "My Family and Other Animals" by the world famous naturalist Gerald Durrell. This book covers his childhood on the Greek island of Corfu and all the pets he collected and studied. My personal favorites were the talking Magenpies, Ulysses the owl,and Achilles the tortoise who was obsessed with strawberries. I watched the movie version of this book several years ago and loved it, but had no idea it was a true story. It wasn't until I read the book that I found out just how famous Durrell was, and how much of a pioneer he was in the area of endangered species conservation.

If you want to learn the fine art of adjectives there are only a few books that I would recommend, and "My Family and Other Animals" is at the top of the list. His writing is truly an art form; not to mention quite humorous and reminiscent of my childhood... It made me wish that I could have been born in the time when conservation was such a new and controversial subject, and its pioneers were still alive.

This quote made me laugh: "If naturalists go to heaven [about which there is considerable ecclesiastical doubt], I hope that I will be furnished with a troop of kakapo to amuse me in the evening instead of television."

What if life were an allegory?
If our old self were truly a man, to refuse or embrace?
If Satan were a beast to be fought with, or a beautiful creature to deny?
If despair were a looming giant?
If hope were our friend who sometimes felt close, and sometimes far away?
If we could walk through the Valley of Death?
If doubt was a place to escape from with the key of promise?
If the demons of temptation that plague us when we are at our weakest or most distracted were something to be wrestled with, or swatted away?
Would this life be easier or harder?
Would we have the courage to fight Satan in hand to hand combat?
Would we run from it all, and hide in the world that is sentenced to be destroyed?
Would we hold hope close, or ignore them?
Would we have the courage and persistence to fight the good fight, and finish the race?

I don't know. But I wish with all my heart that I had the chance to find out.

News Bites: some more important than others

1. I have prayed about it, talked about it, thought about it, and have decided that I will not be attending graduate school in New Zealand in February. I still really want to, but I don't believe that it is worth my peace of mind. Going $50,000 into debt at age 21 is not a good idea, at least not for yours truly.

2. That said, I'm looking into jobs in New Zealand. Lord willing, I will work there or go to school there, just not this year.

3. I have finished knitting my Gryffindor scarf, and it reaches my knees :)

4. I do believe that by the time I get back to Washington I will not have a tan.

5. It's looking like I will be going to Maui, but for longer than I thought (possibly until March)

6. As of yesterday, I have seen the 7 wonders of the Big Island of Hawai'i. Me and two other interns went up to the top of Mauna Kea ('white mountain') and saw the world's largest astronomical observatory. There are 13 observatories up there, run by 11 different countries. Some of the most famous photos of space have been taken by those telescopes. I was pretty much floored (the lack of oxygen at 13,796 ft. may have played a small roll in this)

My favorite space picture, the horse head nebula in Orion, was taken by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

Bethany and Amanda in front of the Gemini and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescopes!


7. Also yesterday we went mamane picking for KBCC's palila. It took awhile, but we got 5 bags full, and got to see a Hawaiian 'Amakihi and a wild sheep with two lambs :)

8. Written on my arm is 1 Corinthians 6:20, and I think it will stay there for a long time (although I think it's rubbing off on my keyboard)

9. I miss my friends in Pullman so much that it hurts sometimes

10. After discovering Dropkick Murphys, I have also discovered that I really like Flogging Molly. I wish I had known that last year when they came to Pullman :P

11. I'm once again working on a story that I began at age 15. The plot is exploding (in a good way), but the characters need development. Not sure how to do that...

12. is a good number to end on. I need to go get some milk at the military camp.

Creative implosion

Do you ever have those moments when you've got so much to think about and say that you just... can't. You open your mouth to speak volumes, and nothing comes out but a squeak. So many things to do that you do none of them. Yeah, me too...

*Is it possible to live big by living small?
*Does it honor our Father God when I keep my head down at work, and just work my hardest?
*What do I do with a roadblock that seems to be hindering my entire walk with God?
(especially when I've tried to destroy it, over and over again)
*How do I know for sure where God wants me to be?
*How do I become a fruits of the Spirit basket, when I just feel like a bruised banana?
*I wish I could eloquently express the greatness of my Father.
*I want to know what to do with my life, but every time I say that, a small voice says it's not your life, you gave it away a long time ago.
*I feel like a mealworm beetle, who stubbornly clings to the wilted and gnawed on old apple, when I just want to give it a fresh, new piece.

If we find this picture funny, how much more amusing do you suppose God finds us?

Mull is a good word

I'm reading through Mere Christianity (again) and found an interesting chapter that applies rather aptly to my life. Lewis was talking about how humans try something new a few times, and then the wonder of it wears off and transforms into a quiet interest. Some people spend their whole lives searching for that wonder over and over again (wonderlust). Some think that this is immature, and that life just isn't all its cracked up to be in adolescence. And Christianity believes that the things off this life are just shadows of the life to come, so this wonder is just a glimpse of the wonders to come.

After mulling this idea over, while sitting on a collapsed lava tube, watching the sun sink low in the Hawaiian sky, I came to an inconclusive conclusion. Maybe that is why I no longer find it glamorous to work with endangered birds; the wonder has tarnished. But, then again, maybe the Lord gave me this 'dream job' to show me that it is not, in fact, my dream; and maybe I'm meant for something else.

I'm not sure yet.

But in the meantime, the 'Alala chicks are pretty dang cute.

Hawai'i is a very pretty place


And God is God, and I'm not.

Thank God :)

Oh, ya know

Just chillin' in the library, realizing I haven't posted a blog in awhile.

*I got Lilo & Stitch in the mail today (got it off Amazon for $5).
*Figured it would be a good investment, since I am in Hawai'i

*The internet is being stubborn and won't let me post pictures
*I have so many good pictures!
*I need to find an internet cafe!

*I had Kara and Susan over yesterday to watch Kung Fu Panda, eat shortbread, and drink tea.
*It was lovely, almost like home.

*I hiked around Volcanoes National Park on Tuesday.
*Got very sunburned and sore, but got to see white-tailed tropicbirds for the first time!

*There was an epic thunderstorm yesterday, lasted ~3 hours, shook the windows, and soaked me in seconds.
*Beautiful!
*I wanted to dance in it, but alas, I have no one to dance with.
*I settled for puddle stomping.

*Susan and I have decided that the mapa girls should get on Twitter.
*Or that Mapa Girls should be the name of a band.
*Oh the things you think of when picking waxworms.

*Alana and Dani come out in 3 days.
*Eeeeeeeeee!! :)

*Miss y'all muchly

An odd realization

So I was sitting around with a bunch of coworkers a couple days ago, and a few of them were going on about all the birds they've seen and worked with, or seen, or studied. Made me feel remarkably inexperienced and insignificant. I came home, and while laying in bed, started thinking. I could achieve all those things if I really want to. I could spend a lot of money and time and study all the fascinating avian fauna of the world. But then again, why? I love them, yes. I find them amazing and beautiful, yes. But there is no actual significance to it, in the long run. And unless I can actually witness to these people who live for the birds (which, by the way, is very, very difficult), I feel like I'm wasting my time working with birds.

*gasp* did Emily just say that?

After thinking long and hard, and not getting much sleep, I've come to the conclusion that I want to work hands on with birds, and animals, but it must have some significance, or I just can't make myself care as much as I know I am capable of. That said, I've decided, one day, I will help start a self-sustaining orphanage somewhere in the world where I can teach people how to take care of their animals and lead a more productive life because of doing so. It's funny, the things that pop into our heads at 9:00 at night. But for some reason, this idea has stuck with me. Strongly. Anybody want to help make it come true?

Crazy? Yes.
Impossible? Nope. Not with God.