Friday, January 27, 2012

Burning Heart - Survivor



I think my favorite line from this song is:

In the warrior’s code, there’s no surrender.
Though his body says, “Stop!” His spirit cries, “Never!”

Already the first week and a half into the semester and I’m already tremendously busy. It’s been a hit the ground running kind of thing. I’m in Poland a week, that weekend I’m back home, the beginning of the following week I’m dealing with delayed flights, the latter part of the week I’m battling jetlag while trying to do homework.

I started crocheting another scarf to give away. It’s already 1/3 finished, maybe a little more. A project I would like to do in the near future make hats for the cancer kids at the hospital in Jackson.

I’ve been rewriting parts of Hanna’s prequel. I actually have a personality for one of the main characters now, who knew? For those of you who are interested in this news at all, I’ve rewritten/edited parts 1 – 3 so far. More to come as time allows.

I’m writing for the Bell Tower again too. They must be really low on writers or something because they asked me if I would be interested in writing for the paper again. They must have forgotten how late my last submission was. Note: it never even made it to the web page.

I’m super excited about this next project. One of my friends came to me and asked about any ideas I had for gathering a bunch of clothes to give away. Last year, I helped a Partners4Africa load a huge cargo truck with banana boxes (over 1,000 boxes, I forget the exact number). They gave us permission to gather clothes to send over to Zimbabwe through the organization. I’ve been had to jump through some loops to get this activity approved, but hopefully everything will work out.
Here’s the slide I made for the event.



*cough* Freedies *cough*


Of course, I’m still involved in most of the other groups + some. Usually, the only way I can tell if I’m too busy is if I suddenly realize a couple hours later that I missed a meal. So far, I’ve only done that once. No worries, I ate when I remembered.

Classes/homework – same old story. I just have to work hard to keep my head above the water. Finding enough time for my homework has been a killer though. Classes are fine, generally speaking. Ironically, the most logical class (which I am pleasantly surprised that there is more logic than math in this class) is at the end of my longer days, when I’m pretty much mentally and physically spent. Just another par for the course, I guess.

Ever the wandering wayfarer in this wearing journey through life. I’ve been told it gets worse the older I get. There’s a hopeful outlook for ya. Doesn’t help when you have that awkward moment where security is driving by and stops to ask if you’re ok because you were hunched over a trashcan with stress leaking from your eyes.
Ah well.
Ok, I’m done ranting.



Let’s end on a happy note.

I’m booked to work sound during lectureship week. That is going to be awesome and extremely busy at the same time.

Now for something a little closer to home.
Me: *tells a friend about my schedule*
Friend: It’s ok. You’re Savannah, you’ll get it done.
Me: I don’t understand why people have these great expectations of me. I’m not that great. I mess up too.
Friend: You’re not that great, but God is.

Just goes to show…

~ Always Hope! ~

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Humanity - Scorpions


Thought this song was the best fit for everything that’s been going on, especially my trip to Auschwitz.
I’ve been in Poland for the past few days. Due to the whole Ukrainian law/visa issues, my family had to leave the country, get a Ukrainian visa in another country, and then reenter Ukraine.



The point is we were in Poland.
We did not have time to see many things in Krakow (such as the Wawel Castle and Schindler’s Factory).
But we did have time to visit Auschwitz.








Auschwitz is more than one concentration camp, it’s a huge complex made up of many concentration and extermination camps (the most famous of which are Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II - Burenau).

The Soviet liberation was more walking into a camp of those who were left behind because they were frozen, dying, or already dead. There was no joy, only fear and hesitation from the liberated.

Broken.
Broken physically.
Broken mentally.
Broken beyond repair.

No person alive should ever feel that it is acceptable to break another human being.
But that’s what people do all the time, isn’t it?

Not to the scale of what the Nazi party did, but people still say things and do things that hurt those around them.
Apathy and pride kill inside.
Not just you, but others as well.

Cruelty knows no bounds.


Living conditions in the camp.
Three bunks (including floor)
8 to a bunk
No mattress, no pillow, no heat, maybe a thin blanket.

With the grueling labor and horrible treatment, people survived only three or four months (on average).

Humans were treated worse than animals. Everything was taken from them. Those who lived were forced to work without rest. The rest were killed. Everything was used. The hair (cloth and nets), the teeth (gold melted down into bars), and the ashes after incineration (fertilizer).

Gas chambers were created to kill off thousands of humans in 20 minutes.
People had to wait to be killed because the incinerators couldn't keep up.

Isaiah 6:5 "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

What makes people think they can get away with such atrocious and appalling acts of hatred?

~ Never Again ~