life is heat

i am all moved in! woah- and the apartment's ac is not working and its a trillion degrees. it kind of feels like home when i was little. my dad would turn off the ac at night and open every single window in the house. i would go to bed listening to the crickets and other creatures outside. i would wake up to the birds chirping and the light peaking through at six in the morning and then ride to swim practice. it kind of feels like that today.

i am in a new place with only a few friends. i am so glad to be living with my best friend. i am excited for this new little adventure and for making some new friends. in other news, we got gym memberships today and bought into the "promotion" that i am pretty sure they have every week.

yesterday i went to a scottish festival yesterday and had a delicious new castle since i am off contract. it was quite enjoyable as i listened to bad haggis and saw hundreds of men in kilts. lots of beer and a lot of happy people.

i am sorry these thoughts aren't flowing at all.  my brain has died a bit since finals. it will come back soon.

beer buying and a C

a word of wisdom: never take a distance LSU class.

i started taking geology last june and just finished it on may 14th (holler). it was a 9 month course that i intended on finishing last summer. due to working a bunch and having way to much fun, i didn't finish it. then i went to dc and decided not to bring my book. so because of that i worked on it all of winter break and spring break, thanks to my 3 month extension. since my dad is a geologist we would stay up late writing out my assignments/essays. when i got tired i would rest my head on his shoulder with my eyes closed and he would tell me the answer, as i typed. good dad, huh? i just love him.

anyways, i failed the midterm because i didn't study. science is so much different than studying something like intercultural studies, politics, sociology, etc. they are complex and you can talk your way through things. science is straight forward... which doesn't work out so well for me. concrete ideas and me don't work out so well.

i figured out that i couldn't pass the class unless i got a b- on the final. AH. so i studied hours upon hours.

and guess WHAT? i just found out i got a b- on the final... aka got a C in the class. who would of thought me, the perfectionist of grades, would be stoked to get a C? i freak out if i get a B. crazy i tell you.

i told my dad that i passed and he was STOKED. i told him to pat himself on the back, which he did, because without his help i would have not passed or would of had zero motivation. after all i took the class so i could understand his love for geology a little more.

in response to me telling him this he said, "well angela... since you are 21 you are going to treat me to a beer as a thank you. no better yet, buy me a 6 pack at bevmo of the 'world beers!'"

haha, okay dad. i will buy those for you and we will happily enjoy them together. you got it.

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in other news... i really like this music video. i think its funny that one of the band members of local natives is someone i use to play hide and go seek with when i was five. talented band for sure!

urban gardens

i am mildly obsessed with sustainable urban community gardens. i found myself trying to study for linguistics today and my mind wandered off into a a beautiful place:

imagine a city that is active, fast, and not time stopping. the city is vibrant, alive, and full of culture. diversity is knocking at its door. oh but wait, despite all of this movement, these people care and love their city and the environment. people can't wait to wake up on a saturday morning for farmers market to support their local farmers and the local economy. people have urban gardens right outside their flats on the patio and some within the city to support their people. people desire to learn about alternative health and the benefits of organic food.

i feel like the bay area does this well, but it is only in certain pockets. i am sure seattle has almost mastered it. i hope i can live to see the day where buildings are run by solar energy, people drive hybrids all the time, and fostering community through gardens is important. check out this article: best cities for urban gardens.

from the daily green on seattle:
"Seattle's P-Patch Program provides 68 gardens for residents throughout the city, with plans for four additional gardens by the end of 2009. The program was created by the Department of Neighborhoods and the nonprofit P-Patch Trust in 1973. Their volunteer-run community gardens offer 1,900 plots and serves more than 3,800 urban gardeners on 23 acres of land. With a youth gardening program and a 12.3-ton produce donation last year, Seattle is a city built for horticulturists."

representing socal- long beach:
"Long Beach Organic started as the vacant lot task force, identifying vacant lots and turning them into community garden spaces. Over the past seven years LBO has maintained many gardens, including three community gardens and one demonstration garden at the local nursery. LBO community gardeners come from many ethnicities and grow anything from sugar cane and lemongrass to sunflowers and tomatoes."

i really think God wants us to take care of our earth and our bodies in a way that glorifies Him.

while i was drifting off into this thought... i started thinking about how fun it would be teaching my kids (if i become a teacher) about environmental sustainability and teaching them about compost. maybe even taking them on a field trip to clean up whatever city we are in! hm, these are the kinds of things that excite me.

here is a fun site to explore: Urban Gardens.

ponderings

one of my strengths is "adaptability," which has proved to be both a blessing and a curse. i do really well with jumping into a situation, getting to know people, building friendships, and making them last. but when i have to leave i am so sad! i suppose it is just the cycle of life. once i leave, i get really nostalgic for about a week and then the cycle continues.

within the last year this cycle happened quite a few times.
leaving biola last year
going home and adjusting to home with the help of emily lee
leaving home to go to dc
dc to florida
florida to home
home to school (probably the hardest)
and now school to azusa (not necessarily a hard- besides the fact that i LOVE home more than anyone i know).

but there is much more to this cycle than just location; people make it all the harder and easier. i love making new friends. i love easily and get connected easily. i still get sad every time i think of my DC friends being so far away and my family being only 6 hours from me. i just love relationships and people.

the end of the semester is a time where people finally hang out because they realize how much they mean to each other. my weight training teacher had all of us girls over. it was such a blessing because it is very unusual for a PE class to become close. every single girl was there except for one. we bonded together as sisters in Christ. we encouraged each other as we struggled, prayer together, had devotional times together, and worked out booties off like no other. it was such a privilege.

a lot of my friends are graduating. my development loves are peacing out of here and are embarking on grand adventures for the cause of Christ, which i am so excited about. during our last class the other day (keep in mind we have gone through all the same classes), dr. greene started crying along with most of us tearing us. its special. being bonded together is so special! i think sometimes i forget that. friendships are so precious.

God places people in each of our lives to grow, serve, learn, love, and be molded by one another. we are friends with one another to edify and build up each other. it is so so so special. God in his kindness loves relationships. He LOVES them. we get to have a relationship with a real and genuine Him, it is so special. it is honest, real, loving, etc. our friendships here are just a glimpse of what our friendship and relationship with our Lord can be. it is so beautiful to me.

anyways, i am just reflecting on lots of lovely things. in other news my roommate just introduced me to Mumford and Sons. i am slowly falling in love with them, you will too.

a snap shot of this afternoon. christina was on all fours trying to be the dog but i almost fell over laughing and nearly peed my pants... so the picture didn't happen. too bad.

mika

i love community development corporations, like MIKA. check them out. they just make me so happy because their eyes are set on micah 6:8. they realize that healthy communities are built and sustained through systems that invite and welcome neighbors' participation. they are focused on building the capacity of neighborhood leaders to identify, design, and manage initiatives and projects that positively impact their neighborhoods in costa mesa. they want to see education increase, gangs decrease, people employed, and people transformed.

i just love this. i get so excited every time i think about communities being transformed through participatory evaluation and action. i just LOVE IT.

i am thankful

i am so incredibly thankful for how God works. i find it funny that God is ALWAYS trying to teach me patience. last year before i went to DC i found out three weeks before hand where i would be interning. i found out two weeks before summer started where i would be working this summer: world vision!

i have been frustrated and unsure about this summer. its funny that we let so much of our time be focused towards what we are going to do when its only two and a half months. since i am graduating next year and applying to teaching programs in the fall, i wanted to make sure i had some kind of experience this summer, either something with development or counseling some kiddos. within the last few weeks, despite not knowing, i have had a peace that has surpassed all understanding. i kept finding myself being like "angela, you need to worry," but God assured me that he would take care of me, just like he takes care of flowers in the field.

i applied for a humanitarian emergency affairs position with world vision first. three months later, i got referred to the head of the governance department to set up an interview. i had an interview on friday and got the job! i am still in awe. i did not even apply for this position yet the description of the job seems to be quite fitting. if you you want to know about it, as me, because it is kind of confusing to explain.

my boss is awesome and so full of life. i am really excited to be working with her. she was so encouraging in the interview and kept saying "oh great answer, great!" at the end of the interview she said, "lets just cut to the chase, you got the job!" i was in awe. no more waiting on e-mails, phone calls, or follow-ups. yes yes yes!

God really does put us where he wants to use us and our talents. i always have a certain ideal of where i want to see myself, but then God is like "Ha, you are good at this and know how to do it well... so I am putting you  here." That is exactly what happened.

i will be living with Christina in Azusa, 13 minutes from World Vision. i am really excited about that small commute. I am going to miss home though, I need to find some good hiking places near Pasadena to fill my thirst. i am a Bay Area baby so not going home might kill my soul a little bit.

this weekend i went to maggi's in irvine and hung out in laguna all weekend with x. it was so pleasant. lots of good food, beach, movies, window shopping (because lets face it i have no money), prayer, church, and giggles.

it is a blessing to have good friends who support you. so thank you friends for your support and love. it does not go unnoticed and i love you all very much.

never would have thought

Your Christian Hipster Quotient:
71 / 120

High CHQ. You are a pretty progressive, stylish, hipster-leaning Christian, even while you could easily feel at home in a decidedly un-hip non-denominational church. You are conservative on some issues and liberal on others, and sometimes you grow weary of trendy "alt-Christianity." But make no mistake: You are a Christian hipster to at least some degree.
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Find out if you are a "Christian Hipster" here.

This might be the silliest/kind of true test ever. I do not necessarily dress hipster, but I listen to music, read books, and probably react to situations that most "hipsters" would. Someone wrote a book about hipsters and Christianity- church meeting cool. It comes out this August. I think this is so silly that there is even a quiz. I can't get over it! I took it- so I guess I succumbed to the ridiculousness of it. All I know is that there are a lot of Christian Hipsters are Biola. I do not think it is bad that there are a lot of "hipsters," but just like anything in life I think it is important to make sure that you are not just following a trend or becoming too involved that it becomes some sort of idol or ideal that you are trying to fit into (which is actually kind of funny because people claim to be original but they all dress the same). I am not going to lie a lot of "hipster" dressing people are pretty darn cute. I think my favorite type of hipsters are in the bay though. That is probably because I am bias. Actually, it is most definitely because I am bias. Dessert hipsters are a good kind too. Hipsters from the bay have a different twist to them. They add in a little "yay" to the mix and add some Nike's. In ten years from now we will not be able to look back and say "Oh yeah, I remember all the good bands back then!" We all listen to lots of indie bands. P.s. speaking of that, I am obsessed with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I thought after four months I would be tired of them, but nope, I am not. I want to travel with them and become friends. Sounds like a good idea. Also love Florence and the Machine. Heck, I love the Avett Brothers too. Watch this music video. It will make you happy.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Home" from Edward Sharpe on Vimeo.
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In other news, Dr. Sleeth, an Evangelical Environmentalist, came to speak in chapel today. I was so stoked and others were groaning as they entered the gym. He walked around the gym and asked students how God usually spoke to them. Most said the bible, by listening to the Holy Spirit, prayer, etc. Some guy said "through the trees," and I was stoked. God speaks to us in powerful ways through being in nature. There is a stillness about it. There is peace and tranquility and our souls are more inclined to gratitude as we thank God for what He has made for us. Since He has made it for our pleasure that means responsibility comes along with it. There is something interesting about Christian's who do care about the earth. There is a sense of commonality with non-Christians when it comes to this. If anyone has a heart, feels that the environment is important, and is apart of the green bandwagon, they will want to know more about it. I think caring about creation is a great way to share about our faith. The reason I care about creation is not necessarily because I just want to take care of it (although I have always been in love with nature), but because God cares. God has told us to taek care of the earth too. Its all throughout scripture. Nature is all throughout scripture. The tree of life was in the beginning and the end. That has to say something. I want to strive to live a life that is more ecologically sustainable. P.s. As I was typing this I just got really excited about camping. I don't even know when I am going again, but I sure hope it involves water, swimming, and kayaking in the midst of it all.

hit it

I haven't necessarily hit rock bottom like this. But I am exhausted. I can barely type anymore. No more typingggg. I need some serious R&R.

walk in love

 ¹Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
 ³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them.
 ⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
   "Wake up, O sleeper,
      rise from the dead,
   and Christ will shine on you."
 ¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 ²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

i am so in love.


side note:
just as i typed this the Seneca Center in San Francisco called me about a summer counselor position. i found them on monster.com. who would have known it would lead to an interview. i got invited to go to the next level: the group interview. unfortunately, i will not be in the bay area until the end of the month. but if God wants it to happen- it will.
here is a brief synopsis about who they are:

Seneca Center sustains children and families through the most difficult times of their lives.

In many cases, we are the last hope for young people who have come to see failure and discouragement as a way of life. Here at Seneca, we offer each child a simple but profound promise: You will be supported every step of the way, no matter what challenges you face.

By supporting each child and family in identifying and building upon their resources and strengths, we enable them to approach the future with renewed optimism and a stronger sense of the possibilities for creating a new and different story for their lives.

prayer would be appreciated, as always :)

my crazy mother.

today is mothers day and i really wish i was at home with my mom. i know that we would be eating some good food, going on a hike, and then pampering ourselves. on days like today, i just like to reflect on the privilege of having a good mom. so mom this is for you.

happy mother's day. i know you got a card and all but this is a way that i can write a little more. i just love you. i know i tell you that you are crazy all the time, but i do love you. and you are crazy haha. for being 57 years old (yikes), you look way good. i hope your genes help me out. your love for life and spunk is a sure lot of fun and i feel like i am never hanging out with my mom when i am with you- except when you make me have good manners at the dinner table. i am glad you told me to "always reach for the stars" because it has definitely set in. i thought it was a cheesy saying growing up, but it has proven to make me an incredibly hopeful person. thanks for all your hard work and for doing everything you do for christina and i. your sense of adventure has definitely wore off on me. i am eternally grateful that i am among many in the Sutton family who has an incredibly loud laugh. for all your bloggers out there... if you met my family you would COMPLETELY understand me. thanks for loving me and all my friends. thanks for being who you are.

i love you!

call me crazy

camping was good- hiked 4 hours uphill by moonlight. as miserable as that sounds, it wasn't that bad. the only thing hurting was my hands from carrying something with a horrible handle and my stomach from laughing so hard. it was a great trip. there is something profound about being in nature, overlooking the ocean, and being in a place where you do not have the distractions of everyday life. no make up, sweat, and going pee in the bush... is always good. community was built, unity is on its way, and i am excited about working with as/smu next year.

as for crazy, i have been going a little nuts. school feels like a train that hit me. luckily, i am pushing through, seriously by the grace of God. God has been redirecting my focus towards America. it actually feels weird to tell you the truth. i cannot stop thinking about appalachia and west virginia. who would have known- i am praying about applying to lead a trip there for interterm. we will see if i end up applying or not. next semester is going to be crazy working and finishing up my senior year. memphis is another city i can't stop thinking about. along with LA. oh goodness, all these cities. something is up.

God is funny to me sometimes. he puts one thing on your heart to pray and then he puts something else. america- my home country- a place that i love, has been put on my heart. when i went to mexico a profound story was told to me that has been popping into my head recently. the missionary we were staying with in mexico told us of a story where she tried to cross the border with a truck full of clothes, food, etc. the mexican man at the border stopped her and said "you can't bring that into our country." she replied by saying "since you are not taking care of your own people, i am." bammmm.

lets just say God has been reminding me of that story daily.

life is crazy. its good though. i am up for an adventure.