The things you never cared to know...

(1) Link to the person that tagged you. (2) Post the rules on your blog. (3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website

My 6 things are.....


1) I collected rolly-pollies until I was at least 7 years old.

2) I am (for the most part) from Texas, but do not care for country music (though "she thinks my tractor's sexy" has to be the greatest song ever written).

3) I fill up a journal at least every month, but I don't like writing papers.

4) I've secretly always wanted to take dance, art, cooking, welding, and music-mixing classes/training.

5) One day, I'll have 17 kids--most likely all by adoption :)

6)If I weren't a Christian, I'd be a hippy in Santa Cruz california--dreadlocks, grass skirts, hand-painted VW van, a pet ferret, and a beat up guitar.


And I tag: Amy :) yes, just one person :)

Busted!

"Drink while you swim"

Or kill two birds with one stone? Literal translations sometimes make no sense. An encouraging thought while I study languages for missions. Oh boy...

Oh man, this has been the most frustrating few days, academically. My brain is looking at a mirror and seeing it's great lack of intelligence. I'm taking a philosophy class. Oh my goodness--I thought I knew how to think...I think i was wrong :D It took me (with a partner) 30 minutes to decide if we agreed on a statement about the universe. WHAT THE HECK!? The statement was by a man who believed that in order for divinity to have created existence, it would have had to exist, meaning that before there was divinity, there was existence. Uh...make sense out of that one if you can.

In addition to crazy philosophy, I've started my major-specific classes relating to missions. Cultural Anthropology and Intercultural Comm. If you ever want to be convinced that you DON'T know anything about people and SHOULDN'T go outside of your own, take these classes. They'll scare you pretty good :) On the other hand, if you know that you're suppose to be in cross-cultural work, be prepared for INCREDIBLE realizations. In the first 20 minutes of one class, I experienced the tiniest piece of what it means to be a minority--one that can't understand the language, can't ask for help, is dominated by the ruling majority, and has to play by that culture's rules. SOOO interesting to think through. Like the illustration above--the title is a direct translation to English of a common Sudanese phrase. To an American, "drink while you swim" is a strange phrase, and to a Sudanese person "kill two birds with one stone" or "straight from the horse's mouth" might cause incredible confusion! Let's not even begin to talk about minor tonal differences in languages that COMPLETELY change the meaning of what you're saying. In one of the Sudanese dialects, a slight change in tone could tell the difference of saying, "Fine weather today" versus "I'm pregnant"--not a mistake I want to make! Oh praise the Lord for the funny ways He can humble us in any culture :)

Since school is my life, I will continue sharing from what I'm observing here. Every institution has a statement of beliefs that are composed of the bare-bones, but they of course cannot include EVERY detail of their doctrine. So throughout your time in that institution, however long or short, they will infiltrate their classes, via books and opinion, the rest of the institutional beliefs. At first they're subtle--then not so subtle. It is, essentially, a method of brain-washing. Not necessarily bad, but something to consider.

*************************************
Share with me what your personal opinions would be about these questions. Please answer as simply or complicated as you wish:
**Is the Holy Spirit's work of illumination limited to that which is taken from hermeneutics and exegesis of Scripture?

**Just because a method of evangelism produces valid results (meaning souls saved by Christ), does that make it correct and/or a method to be replicated?
*************************************

The word of the semester for me is: Consistency. "Reliability; uniformity; the quality of being consistent" (yay wiktionary). My amazing roommate/friend and I have been working through various aspects of our daily lives (yes cliche, but true) and figuring out practically the areas that need work. My general list has mostly to do with time-management and habitual devotions. I was not raised to keep a consistent schedule, though I'm sure my parents would have loved it :) I was the wild child when it came to being responsible and unfortunately I am paying the price. I STINK at making/maintaining habits. One of my favorite pastors preached a sermon series on creating/maintaining godly habits. Talk about conviction! Living a godly life is so interconnected between physical/spiritual! Think about it--more rested means more alert and aware while reading/living out principles of Scripture. It's almost one of those "DUH" moments. You'd think we'd learn after a while! SO...if you think of it, pray for me and Tiffany this semester that we would be consistent in good habits and godly lifestyle. Thanks :)

Alright--I need to get off my blog and get back to work/hw. :) Too many thoughts and not enough getting accomplished.

A great many blessings to you today and hopes of a beautiful evening for you. (PS--it's snowing here. My roommate's happy) ;)

Em

To see your face in glory

My father posted this on our family web-page. I wanted to share it--he words it best.

My Dearest Children:

My Mother, Grandmother Marjorie, leaped into glory this morning at 5:50. She had struggled with breathing all night and during my time with her the Lord called her home.

Our hearts are heavy with loss but as Pms 166:15 states "precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." We rejoice that her battle is over...she fought the good fight and finished the course, she kept the faith.

I'll let you know further information soon.

We covet your prayers today for strength to complete the necessary arrangements.

All My Love
Dad Cohoon



Pray for us--pray for my father. We praise God grandma is not suffering--but we miss her.

We are not meant from this world. :)

Resilient

A young man arrives in Chicago--Midway airport at 1am. He settles himself in a chair and, though exhausted, is so excited about finally coming to the one place nobody thought he could get to. He sleeps for a few hours before bursting awake and taking the first train into the city. Thirty minutes on the El train, and four heavy suitcases later, Chris arrives at Moody ready to settle in and get started. After experiencing a little of SDR's (Student Dining Room) home cookin', he starts the process of signing into residency at school only to reach a dead end. Fine print from acceptance letters is all the sudden bold, 36 type print and staring him in the face.

$2,000 TODAY, $5,000 BY APRIL

There was no way he could afford that and no way the school could or would budge to work it out. At 4:00pm this evening, Chris had to go back to Midway airport and take the last flight home to Sacramento.

Talk about discouragement.

The first time I met Chris was when I picked him up to take him back to the airport. I didn't hate my job until that moment in time when I wished I had a million dollars to pay for his tuition. The 45 minutes back to the airport as we waded through traffic, he told me that he was the first and only Christian currently in his family. No family members supported his decision to study the Bible and prepare for Islamic evangelism and church-planting. He was a strong young man, covering his disappointment with humor, but with exhaustion and sadness written on his forehead nonetheless. By the end of our drive, I wanted to hug him and cry. I can't wait for all of you to meet him in eternity and hear the testimony he shared with me.

Needless to say, I came home with renewed gratitude for the grace on me to be here. God forbid I take this for granted.

If at first you don't succeed...

Just give up and go back to bed. :)

It was my evil plan to stay home a few more days over Christmas break by getting the flu. YES! Best thing EVER! HA! It came quickly and solidly knocked me off my feet, making my dear father postpone my flight to Chicago 2 days. Extra rest was much appreciated despite the coughing, wheezing, headaches, and fevers. When I was a child, the only time mom would buy gateroade was when we were sick. I used to want to get sick JUST so she'd buy it. "Mom, I'm sick. GET THE GATEROADE!!!!" Well no gateroade this time :(

I am, once again, in the windy city. It's hard to believe this is becoming a home to me. A year and a half gone by and a frightening look at the next half. Oh boy. I'm excited. Perhaps not ready, but excited.

I am reconciled to the fact that I will never KNOW what will take place next. Though I have planned a class schedule and a job, who knows if God will have me complete that before moving me elsewhere. Thus far, I plan to work myself to the ground with 19 hrs of class, a part-time job, and a significant amount of college-experience time :) I have so much preparation to do for the summer as well.

I keep intending to send out emails and updates, but alas I am negligent. To those unknowing--I will be going to Ghana for (approx.) 8 weeks during the summer months. Oh my word, I'm so excited! Life-dreams coming true--but incredibly scary at the same time. I'll be shadowing a Ghanaian woman, Judith, as she makes her rounds to the homes of liberated Trokosi women. I'll be assisting in counseling them and writing their stories as they share with us. These stories will be compiled and used to begin a sponsor ministry similar to that of Compassion Child or World Vision. There is a small potential we'll also get a few opportunities to go into the shrines (where the Trokosi are freed from) and share the gospel with the priests there. Amazing opportunity!!! Praise God! Please pray that I would be diligent to prepare for it well and not procrastinate. I'm so good at last minute. :-P

That's all for now, folks. Be blessed and encouraged by His goodness. Be amazed that He remembers us when we forget Him.

Em

Christmas at the Cohoon/Bruckart House

Josh's new beard.

The brunch table on Christmas day ("kids" table)

Emily on Christmas morning...hiding.

Michelle and Josh after stockings.

Dad turned into a reindeer? hm.


Aren't you jealous of our family? ;) I hope your celebrations were as much fun and craziness as ours. Blessings :)

The Debt Every Man Must Pay

One of my dear friend's experienced the passing of a parent while we were in our senior year of high school. Her father had battled MS for many years and the Lord finally saw fit to take him home.

Weeks and months following the funeral, I found myself driving out to the cemetery where he was buried. The silence provided a calm and appropriate place to pray. Needless to say, Chicago is not quite as quiet as that cemetery, so it is a favorite piece of any Texas visit to go back to that silent place and hear peace and rest.

My last visit, just a few days ago, there was a fresh grave--that of one who must have been a beautiful and wonderful woman. Among the mass of flowers and farewell gifts was a small cross that had this favorite prayer inscribed on it. Read it slowly.

Lord Yahweh,
Make me an instrument of Thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; and
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much
Seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
(written by Saint Francis of Assisi)