Not Even Getting a New Purse Would Make Things Better

I am not talented and I am not popular. But, let me go into detail.

I am not talented. My brother is amazing, he made a totally kickin' yearbook and there's no way that I could ever match his mad skills. He is just way better at that kind of stuff. Of course, I choose to be in journalism the year after him, so I could never possibly match his greatness. That just makes me realize that I am not that great of writer (so why would I go into Mass Communications? Obviously it'd be something I would be no good at). Seriously, I have no original thoughts. The only good short story that I have ever written I was given the idea by a friend and I just googled it and now realized how incredibly more pathetic I am, because I have been thinking sock gnomes are a new thing and apparently everyone else has seemed to know about them already. And, and, and. MNU doesn't want me. Not that a college should really be like begging people to come there, but I don't know what I am going to do. Jeremy really seems to be the only one that thinks I am at all talented. And I enjoy preaching, but I am not really extremely talented when it comes to that. I mean, again, I don't really have very many orginial ideas. I am not very creative. And by not very, I mean not at all.

I am not popular. Not that popularity in high school matters a whole bunch in the grand scheme of things, but I am not populary. I don't drive a cool car. I don't have pretty hair. I know it doesn't matter and I wasn't thinking that I was going to (which explains why I didn't even vote for myself), but I didn't get on the homecoming court. And who cares really? I don't really like any underclassmen (there are some I like, so if you are reading this, don't worry, you're one of my friends), so why should they like me? Anyway, I am so not cool. I don't know how to talk to people. I am quiet, but I hate being quiet, but I don't ever know what to say to be not quiet and so everyone thinks that I am quiet all the time. Which really isn't true, I mean, just look how I ramble on and on here, I am sure I could ramble like this in person, just try me sometime when I am really angry or on the brink of depression, like I am now. And why am I posting this? Honestly, who cares? Who cares what is going on with me? I am not popular enough for anyone to care.

And I do not text too much.

Man, when it rains, it pours.

I've Only Been a High School Senior for a Month

or

Olivet decided to throw a wrench into my college making decisions. My mind was already made up, until I realized that my mind shouldn't already be made up and I should keep my options open. And at first I was like, "This scholarship isn't a sure thing." My mom looked at me and said, "Yes, it is." How come Olivet wants me when MNU doesn't really seem to care at all?

Old People Make Me Happy

I don't really take care of my computer. Seriously, I haven't ran a scan in like over 30 days. (Of course I would not be surprised if by over 30 days that it is actually over 60 days.) So my brother, Kyle, came home this weekend and looked at my computer and said, "You really don't care about your computer at all." But, my dear friends, just because I apparently don't care about my computer does not mean that I do not care about my blog, because even though I know I don't have many readers, building a community does not happen unless there is a little work put into it. Or something. Is a blog really a community? How about we make it one.

Working at the nursing home, I have learned that I really do enjoy old people. There are times when I really don't want to go into work (for whatever reason: I am tired, I won't be able to see someone, I would rather be not working), but I walk in, fill the pitchers with ice and water and go out into the main dining room, and put a smile on my face. Not because I am happy about being there, but because no elderly person wants to look at an unhappy teenager. (How do I know this? Well, there have been times that I have been told, "Be happy you're cleaning up and not sitting at this table," while there were two people besides her still at the table and "You're so lucky you are still able to work" are both kind of signs that being happy is how they would rather see me. And of course, there's the obvious that no one would prefer an unhappy person.) So eventually, my forced smile becomes a real smile and then I actually become happy. Of course, I am sure not all the nurses or CNAs would be as happy, but still. I work in dietary and it makes me a little happier. Or at least it makes my feelings genuine.

This Blog Will Make Me Late for School

My mother just told me that Kyle and I need to learn to be more politically correct. And so apparently me responding by saying, "Native Americans" wasn't what she was looking for. You see, my mother is going to pick up Kyle from college and she knows that he won't say he has been missing her (which, according to my mother, the politically correct term is "I missed you, Mom"). Kyle is my brother, by the way. Also, since I am talking about what to say, it is apparently not a smart response to say to someone who is talking about how they look forward to the end result, "So, you stop at red lights a block too soon, too?" Foot in mouth, goes like this.

I really shouldn't be posting a blog. I really should be getting ready. You see, normally in the morning, I wake up with plenty of time to get done and then I eat breakfast and take my sweet time drinking my coffee, so in the end, I always end up rushing around. And then I make it to school, just in time. And so my non-routine has become my routine.

Bowling started last night. I didn't do that well. Hopefully I did well enough to at least make a 97 or so average, of course, I didn't stay last night to find out how I did, because I was getting to the point where I was too tired to do anything but say, "I'm tired" over and over. (P.S. My average was 96.)

Yesterday wasn't a bad day, though. Underclassmen weren't all being total jerks. Some kid told me to have a nice day, so when he later asked me for a Peach-O, I was like, sure, why not? And then I was walking in the hallway and some kid ran into the side of me, which caused my calculator to drop on the floor and the kid picked it up. And not that Shamee is underclassmen, because she's not, but she also told me that I was cute. I also got hit in the side with a ball in P.E., which kinda hurt and caused a giant red spot to appear on my side, at least Mr. T was like, "Anna, you get an A for the day." Yes, Anna. Because even thought Mr. T has known me for like a long time, he is apparently too old to remember that my name is Annie.

I have more to say, but I really don't like being late.

Making Headlines

Go here to watch the video.

ELLENDALE, N.D. - The 12 youth and adults from the Church of the Nazarene in Ellendale, N.D., didn't exactly get what they expected on a recent trip to South Africa and Swaziland.

"We were ready for huts and dirt floors," said 19-year-old Cole Adema, of Barnard. "But it wasn't really like that."

The group went on the 10-day trip to Richards Bay, South Africa and Manzini-Swaziland in July. In South Africa, the group ministered to a church, and in Swaziland, they worked with children at a school. They sang, delivered messages of hope and faith and learned lessons along the way.

While the countries' development surprised the group, what was learned on the trip didn't.

"My hopes for the trip was that the kids would be exposed to something much bigger than they are," said Youth Pastor Jeremy Johnston. "And they were."

The group was made up of five adults - Johnston, the Rev. Tim Brown, Rick and Laura Adema and Renae Martin - and seven youth - 17-year-old Krista Martin, 15-year-old Levi Adema, Cole Adema, 17-year-old Annie Kee, 15-year-old Erika Ketterling, 19-year-old Rebecca Dalstein and 16-year-old John Dalstein.

Johnston said he approached the youth group about going over to serve about two years ago. But the planning began extensively about a year ago. More than $30,000 was needed for the group to go, and each person was responsible for his or her share.

Money was raised through donations, fundraisers and even baby-sitting jobs, Brown said. The group also took extra money to give to the church they ministered at in South Africa and to the school in Swaziland.

While in South Africa, they stayed with host families, and in Swaziland, they stayed at hotels. The church they served at was the same one the Ellendale church helped in 1994. That year, a group went to South Africa to put a roof on the church. Brown was part of the original group.

"It's really cool to go back and see how they've grown," he said. "Once you build a church there, it fills up in six months."

The church is now 150 to 200 people strong, and they're hoping to expand, Brown said.

He said he was proud of the youth who went on the trip. They prepared lessons well in advance, played and sang music and ministered to the people of South Africa and Swaziland.

While Cole Adema said the entire trip was life-changing, he said it's the people of the countries that he'll remember the most.

"It's like we knew them all of our lives," he said. "It makes you realize that the body of Christ isn't just here; it's everywhere."

Levi Adema, Cole's brother, said the people were also his favorite part of the trip.

"I learned that I have another family out there that I didn't even know I had," he said. "Africans have pretty much close to the best hospitality I've ever seen."

I'm a Slacker

Raise your hand if you think I should blog more.

Death and Taxes and the Like, or Really, Just Death

I am preaching on September 28th. I think I am preaching in the morning and Jeremy is preaching in the evening (for two reasons: one, I am probably working in the evening and two, Jeremy has a class that he is taking and won't be back until the 27th, so even though I feel that Jeremy, who is actually a pastor, should get more chances to speak in the church, I am still doing the morning service). I was talking to Jeremy last night and I was like, "So I'm going to preach about death. Is that depressing?" He said it wasn't, because it happens to everyone. Of course, it also probably isn't normal for a seventeen-year-old to be preaching about death.

So far, here is what I know about death:
1. Ten out of ten people die.
2. When you take biology with Mr. Schlecht, he will tell you about how both of his parents died.
3. Nursing homes aren't that bad, even if you go there to wait to die.
4. To live is Christ and to die is gain.
5. You don't die by getting your foot stuck on a scaffolding (even though at 8 or so, you think you will die).
6. I know more about death than I thought I did.

Monkey Gland Rump

You guys! You'll never guess what happened?

I stopped posting for several days.

I know, you're like "what?!"

Oh, you're not like that.

You're really like, "Yeah, I can see that, so stop being lame and post something."

Well, fine. I will post something.

I know, my post satisfies your craving just about has much as Monkey Gland Rump. I guess you will have to come back tomorrow. I am tired and am not able to think full thoughts or sentences.