la familia

[I started writing this post about a week ago, I'm sorry I somehow always fail to keep up with my blog. maybe I just need a new look or something...]

I've been living with the Mort family for about five weeks now. Five? Yeah, I can count. They have so generously opened their home and hearts to me, and I don't think I'll ever be able to repay them or thank them enough.

I did want to mention a few things...

Bryson, he's a 12 year old boy. So, as you can imagine, he is awesome. ;) He plays football and likes to watch animals get killed on TV, hunting is apparently cool? Okay. Also, when I dropped my phone in the river he totally ran and jumped in to get it for me. He's sweet like that, and as much as he has his 12-year-old-boy traits (tackling, being loud and...throwing things?)...he's usually nice to me =)

Kalla, first of all, every time I hear her sing it's like, "DUDE, WHAT THE HECK SHE IS SO AMAZING." Ahem. She's also quite delightful to talk to and hang out with, and I hope I will have more opportunity to do so for the rest of the time I am here.

Kelsea Mort is my best friend. I could write an entire blog post about how amazing she is. But I wouldn't want you all to get jealous. Her friendship means the world to me and the surety I have that I'll never lose that brings gladness to my heart. She is a near-constant encouragement to me in my walk with God, and the beauty of her spirit is uplifting to mine. I am not always the best kind of friend that I should be to her, but she always forgives me and for that I am eternally grateful.

Katy, she reminds me of Michael a lot, in the way that she is just incredible ;) She's very thoughtful and philosophical, but also has a quirky sense of humor (don't even ask about the time she threatened to eat me for dinner). Her love for the Lord (and of language) is inspiring, and I highly approve of her taste in music. I'm kinda sad she's off at school now because I won't have as much of a chance to get to know her.

Mrs. Mort, I don't even know what to say. She's beautiful and looks out for me in the absence of my birth mother. She's kind and generous and hasn't done a half-bad job of raising her children ;) (just sayin', see above). I know she's a wonderful friend to my mother. Also, she made delicious breakfast this morning. Points.

Mr. Mort, he's bought me Greek food more than once, so he's already on my good side there. He's a loving father to his children, provides for his family, and seems to me to be a generally awesome dude.

This isn't all to say that I don't miss my own family, of course I do. But I am also very blessed to be at least a small part of another family here in Idaho. I love the Mort family very much.

Song I can't stop listening to: Nine In The Afternoon - Panic! At The Disco [This video...is very trippy. also, definitely filmed wherever they film Bones]

Oh, hey everybody

I'm at school, and instead of reading the six-page short story I was assigned for lit class I am writing this blog post.

Hey. Be proud of my productive procrastination, okay?

Sorry I'm so terrible at blogging, it's so much easier when I have some idea of what I'd like to write about before I just open up a new blog post, but for one reason or another I haven't wanted to write much about anything as of late.

I'm taking Spanish 101, which has been fairly simple thus far. There's just a ton of stuff to memorize. I've had some practice memorizing so that shouldn't be too difficult :)

I also have Intro to Lit on Friday mornings (for three hours, you guys, three hours). So I've only had one class of that so far, and we just went over the syllabus and played games and introduced ourselves and got out super early...and ended up with a ton of reading to do. I have really enjoyed that so far, so I'm interested to see how discussions go this week.

Oh wait, did I mention I'm taking college classes? I think you probably gathered that.

The past week of reading has inspired me to write more, but apparently not enough to get me to take legitimate action. Hmph.

Speaking of which, I spent yesterday morning mostly on flickr looking through some awesome photography and it really made me want to go back to old-school picture taking, when it was fun and I wasn't all concerned with it being good or working in the CFC slideshow or whatever. So I took some pictures. I need to keep doing that.

Thanks for putting up with my totally unnecessary absence, please accept my apologies.

Song I Can't Stop Listening To: Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead

Sometimes I wonder where my creativity went

& then I remember that I'm very tired

& it's probably just taking a nap

In place of my blogging...

...you can watch me fill in for Friday on A Year of Questions:

also, that's basically all I've been thinking about :P

-Kmac

just so ya'll know...

the prep team is amazing.

uh

maze

ing

Thinking/Thoughtful Thursday

It's been a good one.

I feel like we should always do this.

I wrote more poetry today than I've ever written in a single day.

&

Catey made me write a sestina.

Doesn't that sound like a Mexican festival?
Seriously.

Prep week/prep month/tour prep is wonderful. & I'll be sad to go when I do. But being here reminds me of the possibility of finding this joy of community anywhere in the world where God is at work. (which is...everywhere :P)

Elastic bands on a wooden cross

find a home in the hands of a boy, lost

great heights & depths he finds

heart uplifted by joys of all kinds

Song I've Been Listening to Over and Over: Inside - Jennifer Knapp

to forgive or to overlook?

A few conversations I had this past week at ICC Summer Camp (which was awesome, by the way) brought this subject to mind.

When you love someone is it easier to forgive or to overlook?

Forgiveness is...cleansing. Complete recompense in spirit.

Whereas overlooking doesn't always mean the same thing.

"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:30-32)

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here, or what I'm trying to figure out, but I owe ya'll a blog BIG TIME, so, here you go, this is the best I could do ;)

Song I'm listening to: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf