Happy New Year!

Hey guys. Happy New Year!

I think that New Years is one of my least favorite holidays...right up there with Halloween. Well, actually, I like New Year's Day. But I'm not a fan of New Years Eve. Maybe that's because all other holidays are "family holidays," and New Years Eve seems like a day to spend with friends. The past two years, I've hung out with Brandie, watched the ball drop, and gone back home. This year holds little more promise. Plus, on New Year's Eve, I look back over a year at all my failures, thinking "There goes another year, and I still haven't learned."

New Year's Day, on the other hand, is great! It's like putting on a new pair of socks. It's soft, and welcoming and full of promise. Yay!

Well, to all of you, a Happy New Years, and a Happy New Years Eve.

Love,
Danielle
PS When do we hang out next? I think I'm still in school for Hannah's graduation...?

Danielle sent you a video!

Hello, Click on the photo to watch a funny video. This cracked me up...it may not be your cup of tea, but I thought it was funny! Love you!

Copyright © 2005 YouTube, LLC

Hi again.

First, Hannah, I'm sorry that I started this whole slough of posts right when you are away from a fast internet connection. :( It is, though, so convienent for me to post now as I have time off.

I have nothing to say to you all tonight...other than--I love ya'll! :) I'm going to bed now.

Oh, I just watched the Producers. There were parts that were hysterical...but more parts that were disgustingly sexual. Bleh. And all the high school girls love Rent. Have you guys seen it yet? Michelle, you mentioned it in LA--did you go?

Love ya. Gonna go sleep.

Christmas?

Hi loves.
Do you all find it as hard to focus on the INCARNATION OF CHRIST as I do at Christmas? I've been busy this year--doing my own shopping, my grandparents shopping, my wrapping, my parents' wrapping, helping my mom out here and there (admittedly not near as much as I ought to have been glad to do), crocheting (yeah, I'm trying again!) and of course Eating! But that leaves little time for dwelling on the simply astonishing fact that 2008 years ago the savior was born--fully God and fully man! How crazy is that?

How crazy is it that I still don't get this? That food and presents--and at my better moments, family--still take precedence over the Christ child?

I'm just venting at my own ridiculousness. In some ways I get frustrated over Christmas, over all the things we feel obligated to do this season. But perhaps it's good in that the lack of the right focus becomes painfully evident.

The rain is raging tonight. Yesterday was clear and beautiful. Today, the rain hasn't relented for hardly a moment. If I were writing a fairy story, I'd have to wonder if the weather today was the Evil's response to the birth of the Good.

Speaking of, I've been trying to talk to my family about dualism, Good v. Evil. I've come to this idea that there is no such thing as evil. That doesn't sound how I want it to, so don't freak about it--I mean, I guess, there's no such thing as created evil. That the evil that exists is a corruption of the good. I think I'm getting these from that session, Hannah, where you said that the devil was better than you. But what is the basis for them? Are they true or am I whacked? Any insight?

Michelle, how fun that all of your friends are back in town. :) Any new engagements? So what are you doing next semester now that you're done with the first set of classes? More classes or student teaching type stuff? About the emerging church, I totally know what you mean about being paranoid about stuff--I second guess my own intentions frequently. I'll talk more about the emerging church stuff later--I've been on the computer writing for more than an hour now and my eyes are all watery.

Val, good to hear from you again. :) Don't forget about us!! You definitely got more goodies from your kids than I did--I got just a few little bags of candy. Apparently, these kids just don't do presents with any of their teahcers. And I'm going to ignore the job question because I'm on break and currently in denial that I have a job. :)

Hannah, how are you? Glad to talk to you the other day and I'm eager to hear how the time up north went for you all. Send Matt our love, too.

I love all three of you immensely. Hugs!!
-Danielle

From me too...

A merry Christmas!

Hannah, as I told you today, I do read this--it just makes me angry that no one posts and then I'm so frustrated that I don't want to post. But I'll get over that for the love o' you!

Well...not that much has transpired since Thanksgiving, and yet it seems as though a lot has gone on. I've been doing a lot of research/thinking about the "Emerging Church." I still don't *really* get what it is, but it scares me! I'm afraid that today's church in America is falling prey to its culture instead of transforming it. But then, as part of that thought, I get worked up with my own two-facedness. I preach one thing, and yet are my actions where my words are? Sometimes it really strikes me to the core that my actions do not align with my professed beliefs. That scares me a lot. I try to justify my lack of action for the Kingdom by saying I AM acting--but am I? Is teaching and generally being a good person enough? Yeah, I hang out with high school girls and am a good friend when needed to some folks out here, but is that enough? I really don't think it is; I feel like I seriously need to get my rear in gear and serve the widows and orphans. But then the thought of how that will affect my life practically also scares me and I wonder...isn't it enough for me to love my family?

I am more confident in a few fledgling friendships. Courtney and I have a degree of honesty between us (because of her, not I!) that few of my seasoned friendships have. Kallie and I are still in the awkward getting to know you stage, but it's fun and I'm at least sure that she really does want to be my friend. Jenny--a girl I mentioned this summer (in reference to the boy J, I think. I told her I kinda liked him. Found out later that her best friend really likes him. Hmm. Oops. haha)--and I have reconnected this week. Brandie and I are hanging out a bit more often (good and bad--more on this later). And tonight I saw a bunch of old friends at a Christmas party. Warm fuzzies, really. Oh, and I saw Mike today. I'm so whacked. Really, I am. I found myself thinking about him all the way home, wondering if I passed up the only relationship I would ever have the chance to have. I do really miss having his input on stuff like Donald Miller and the Emergent Church. But I'm still not overly attracted to him, and I still think he and I would bicker like the dickens if we ever spent much time with each other, so I suppose that it was good of me to be honest with him. It just makes me a bit lonely for that sort of intellectual/affectionate companionship.

Well, chicas, I guess we have a bit of friendship housekeeping to do. (Leave it to me, Miss Confrontational to take care of this...haha). I just want to say that I love you girls dearly, but I am feeling a tad bit (understatement) neglected. I know that things are insanely busy for some of you, so I'm not discounting that. I just thought you should know how your silence is perceived on my end. I miss hearing from you and imagine that it will be more and more difficult to maintain a solid friendship with you (something I dearly, dearly hope for!) if there is no interaction. I also don't want to be a nag--so this will be the last time I mention it (I almost promise that. I hope once is enough!). (And note to Michelle: thanks for the email. No hard feelings whatsoever about the birthday thing (Val--that goes for you too) but I DO want to hear about/from you (Val--that goes for you too, too!).)

I think that about covers it. I don't think it sounds like I'm angry--I'm totally not. Just missing you and sad when I don't hear from you.

Catch my drift?

Well, again my dear friends--a happy Christmas to you!

Hannah, I'll do my best to remember to pray for you especially as you interact with your rents!!

Much love to all of you from your favorite Sactowner.

Merry Christmas!

apparently it really won't matter, since no one reads/writes here, but I thought i'd let you guys know i'm leaving for washington today. I probably won't be posting till i come back. if i don't hear from you all, i love you and wish you the merriest of christmas's. i'll be thinking of you all, misisng you all and praying for you all!

hannah

not title

the echo IS pretty bad in here. i cannot believe those other two so called friends haven't even bothered to say hello! are you even reading this brewski and love bunny?

sorry for any neglect, diz. i hope they called you on your birthday, at least. i still love you. i've been distracted, i guess. i'm trying to work fulltime, but there are still all these school demands and i am having a hard time thinking about them both. itwas easier when i only worked a few hours a week and focused primarily on school. but, i don't mean to complain. i am happy to earning dollars again. although i have to say the drive gets worse in december. its like everyone is going to the mall everyday or something.

anyone see Narnia yet?? Biola turned out en masse on Thursday. it was pretty cool-- the line was hecka long, but we had a little red carpet and lampposts outside the theatre and everything. our showing was the first, at 6:50. the 9:30 showing didn't start till 10:45 and the 12:00 midnight showing didn't start till almost 1!! wow, i was glad i chose the one i did!

thoughts? opinions on the movie??

how is christmas shopping for you all? must be nice to have money to pay for it for once, hey? I am almost done...just the nieces and nephews now. I got matt some basketball shoes, a button up shirt from Gap and some books (oh, and candy of course). i hope he likes it. he's so tough!! its not like i can buy him tools! i wish i could get him little stuff, like nailpolish and lotions that girls get. why don't guys have that sorta stuff? something is fundamentally wrong with that.

hey, i got the highest grade in my class on my last test in John!

k, nothing really interesting happening here. diz, i wish it was cold here too. sorry you dislike it so much. i wore my scarf and pea coat out last night for the first time. it probably wasn't all that cold, but i'm kinda acclamated to it now.

love and miss you guys! post soon!

HELLO?

HELLO?


Hello?


hello?


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is it just me or is the echo getting bad in here?

My other blog

Hey...I don't know if ya'll know I have another blog. I finally updated it--first time in a year! I plan on posting on it more regularly now. I know, blogs are silly. :) But you can check it out if you want.

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Love ya girls!