I have been a Christian since I was a little kid. I basically believed what my mom told me was true, but because of some unfortuante things that happened, I grew up with a lot of anger. It took me some years to start living a life where my passions were formed by loving God instead of resentment toward other people. I was very fortunate in that I found a solid church, where more mature Christans mentored me, stuck by me, and demanded accountability from me. I can't thank them enough.
Today, I'm a wife and mother of four kids, ages 6, 5, 17 mos and 9 mos (I said 7 mos on my newbie page, but I think I just kind of spaced out!) I am rejoicing today because it looks like we may be able to adopt my foster son (the 17 mo-old). My husband, who became a Xian in high school, teaches college English. This provokes some really really funny responses: every time people meet him, they start apologizing for their grammatical errors after they find out what he does. He is not the grammar police!
I attend a small, multi-ethnic, multi-racial United Methodist Church. I really belive that diversity--that is being intentional about creating diversity--is one of the most important things we can do to build the Kingdom of God and let other people know that there is something different about us because we really do love each other. After all, heaven won't be made up of just one group of people. So our little church works at including and respecting different races and ethnic groups, mixed families, different ages and people with various disabilities all as one body. We are theologically conservative and socially liberal, if that makes sense. We believe in pouring out all our resources into bringing people into the Kingdom of God. We have just merged with another Methodist church, so strictly speaking, we are not the same church any more. But the church we have merged with was founded by recovering alcoholics and has a real heart for prison ministry. Merging is hard work but worth the journey.
Now about me: I am a disability civil rights lawyer with a federal disability rights program. I work from home most of the time and commute to the central office a couple of times a month. I spend a lot of time training people about the law and how to advocate for themselves. I am also a foster parent whose home is certified as a medically fragile resource home. (That just means I know how to do stuff like changing trachs and feeding tubes, etc.) My husband and I work very hard to help birth families regain wholeness. We have foster parented many kids over the past 8 years, but we are now hoping to devote more time to providing respite for foster parents with medically fragile kids.
And I am a musician. I help lead worship at church and I like all kinds of music: old stuff, new stuff, ancient stuff, just no misogynistic or ually graphic stuff. I sing in a female barbershop quartet called Wink!, but I also sing Sacred Harp (basically 200 year old American songs and hymns with modal harmonies - if you've seen Cold Mountain, you've heard Sacred Harp). I also sing Shaker music, big band, pop and Xian music. I mostly play piano and keyboards and percussion, but I play a little guitar and am working on clawhammer banjo. By the way, if anyone is thinking of getting the Studio Ghibil easy piano scores (yes, the book contains the music from all the movies), it is worth the price. Easy arrangements, but not too simple and definitely not boring. I am researching getting Piano Stories scores from Amazon Japan. PM me if you want more info.
I got to CAA because of Miyazaki. I stumbled onto his flims and began sharing them with my family. I couldn't believe my good fortune in finding this beautiful, wonderful Miyazaki world that I'd never heard of before. And the stories were strong, with very important values like friendship, being true to yourself, and caring for the environment. So I began looking for other anime, but I wanted to find out whether the anime was good, true and beautiful in the Phillipians 4:8 sense. Through Google I found the CAA reviews. I was psyched!
Now I am beginnig to read manga and wanting to draw manga. After Tossing Tokyo Babylon (big mistake on my part), I am trying Fruits Basket. (yes, Mangafanatic, I have the first two volumes in my hot little hands!), I also found a reissue of The Cat Returns. I guess you could say I'm hooked. I also love Harry Potter, Narnia, Wrinkle in Time, Dean Koontz, Third Day, Donnie McClurkin, Etta James, POD, Sister Hazel (hey, they're from Gainesville), Beethoven, celtic music, Lost. . . .you get the picture. Although I could kill my sweet husband because he made me listen to Veggie Tales NSync/Boys2Men song: "Well, I need to tell you something, I don't have a belly button. . .." Now I can't get it out of my head.
And before anyone asks, yes I do know the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.
Buttercup: Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.'s?
Westley: Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.
[Immediately, an R.O.U.S. attacks him]
Later, dearhearts!
*heehee* ~_^
:)
