Commercials!

I had an assignment in soc to work with a couple partners to find homophobic commercials.  While we found some that were heteronormative (promoting distinct roles for men and women) as opposed to homophobic, I did stumble across this wonderful commercial.

And here are some things I don't like about it:

1. Heteronormative - men watch women playing with kids.
2. Sexist - "master of the house"?!?  Um, don't think so.
3. Stereotypes - "protector and provider."  Apparently women can't provide.  Interesting.
4. Racist - Confederate Family with a Black gardener?  Tell me how that's NOT racist.

Commercials are fun to analyze, what can I say.  :)

Signs of winter

It's pretty clear that winter is fast approaching little Grinnell, but thankfully it has not yet arrived.  I'm not particularly looking forward to the oodles of snow we're bound to get, but once winter overtakes I'll adapt and survive just fine.

In the meantime, I've created some clever ways to survive the colder, snow-less days:

1. Since I refuse to whip out my winter jackets until there's actually snow on the ground, I'm getting by with layers.  Lots of them.  Before I leave this computer lab to go to my dorm, I will add a sweater, a fleece pullover, and a sweatshirt to the t-shirt and long-sleeve shirt I'm already wearing.  It's pretty entertaining for other people, I think . . . whenever I walk inside a building I have to stop and wrestle off about three layers.  :P

2. I've whipped out the famous and well-loved purple hat.  In case you haven't seen this remarkable icon of fashion, I'll upload a pic tomorrow.

3.  I also refuse to use my heavy gloves, heavy scarf, and warm boots, figuring that if I can't survive the low 30s, I'll never survive the weeks of 10 degrees.

4. And now you all wish you were in Iowa awaiting winter, right?  :)

Go God!

We pray before worship each week, and then we've started a team cheer.  We all put our hands in the middle, and on the count of three we yell "Go God!"  Some might find it informal or too secular, but to me it really captures Grinnell.  We're finding time in our stressful Grinnell lives to put all of that stuff away and worship God.  I have never felt stressed at worship, even when the security guards forget to unlock the piano, when we realize we're missing lyrics, or when I forget to bring food for my amazing drummer (who comes straight from swim practice and doesn't have time for dinner!), and God makes that possible.

I honestly can't believe I don't get stressed.  Here I am playing music I've practiced maybe once the week before.  I'm literally looking at letters and turning them into chords and rhythms.  It's so awesome God is working through me like this!  I don't have the best personal relationship with God right now, but He's definitely still in my life.  Always reminding me He's there.  And that He's waiting.

This week I have one song in particular stuck in my head from worship.  It's another Hillsong song (we did two this week - the song picker (ME!) is ambitious sometimes, and just happens to find Hillsong songs more interesting to play on piano), and it's fabulous.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-afZJ9_TIM

The video refused to embed properly, so here's a link!  Listen to it . . . it's. so. good.

Mighty to Save

Two years ago I was a freshman at Denison University, living life on the Hill, stressing about classes, and ready to visit my family in Texas.  I was terribly academic and book-bound, so that particular Thursday night I was editing a paper for my FYS for the umpteenth time.  Like most good college students, I remained convinced that the paper would improve drastically if I spent more time on Facebook, and I was reading through the newest updates when I saw one from my cousin, Anna.

“what the hell just happened.”

I went to her wall.  There were already so many posts from friends saying they were praying for her.  I texted my mom, “What’s wrong with Anna Basso?”

Instead of a text back, I got a phone call.  My heart was already racing when I answered the call and heard my mom crying on the other end, “She has cancer.”

That moment changed me forever.  And I can’t begin to imagine how that moment when a sore hip turned into Ewing’s sarcoma changed Anna, her sister, and her parents.  In turns out Anna was transformed into a beautiful angel, heroically battling cancer, loving everyone around her, receiving boundless love in return, and eventually ascending into Heaven to be with Christ.  Her sister became a more powerful blogger, sharing her emotions, the trials of the battle, and all her fears with an engaged audience.  Her parents grew into terrifically strong people who suffered and fought with Anna every step of the way.

And throughout the journey, people reached out to Anna.  By graduation, 1,000,000 people had pledged to pray for her every day at 12:12. 

Recently that number passed 2,000,000.

The song that helped me through this challenging period was “Mighty to Save” by Hillsong.  It took awhile before I could listen to it without crying.

Every time I sang it I thought about Anna.  I was convinced God would save her.  Even when I heard she had months, then weeks, then just days to live, I still believed that miracle was possible.  I refused to accept the reality of cancer, because God was mighty to save.  So when my dad turned to me and my brother and said, “Your mom’s going to call to say that Anna passed away today,” I was in shock.  Stunned.  Devastated.  Where was God?

Well, He was busy welcoming His newest angel to heaven.  He answered our prayers, but not in the way we had hoped.  He ended her suffering.  He healed her.  And He made her perfect.  God really is mighty to save.

12.12.  Float On.

Things I Love

1. Sarcasm
2. Taking calculus exams that cannot be completed in the allotted 50 minute time period.
2. Waking up from an otherwise lovely nap to the realization that I messed up one of the problems on said calculus exam.
3. Calculus in general.
4. Reading 70 pages of a terribly redundant book about racism (I get it.  The housing market is unfair.  I AGREE with you, for crying out loud.  NOW SWITCH TOPICS).
5. My 8 a.m. psychology class.  I really love the chance to experience a high school classroom!
6. Grinnell.
7. Watching someone in an improvised mask, cape, and flag saying "campus bikes" run across campus while pushing a broken bike.
8. Supporting people who challenge social norms.
9. [GSC] worship!
10. Other Grinnellians who challenge the hypersexuality and hypermasculinity of ads.

It never fails

I wore my 12:12 t-shirt yesterday.  Most of the day I wore a sweater over it, as the temperature has been dropping considerably, but at worship everyone could see the t-shirt and the lyrics from "Float On" on the back. At the end of worship I explained to not one but two people who asked about the significance of 12:12.  I told them about Anna and her amazing strength, and how she's touched not one but TWO MILLION PEOPLE.

Whoever said God was dead (it was Nietzsche) was clearly wrong.

Float on.

Fun fact

If you walk confidently in the rain, it doesn't bother you as much.  Even if it is a cold, drizzly, otherwise miserable rain . . . just get your swagger on and you'll be fine.

Or you could buy a new umbrella to replace the broken 5 dollar umbrella you sometimes attempt to use, but where's the fun in that?