I love it when friendships are renewed.  I took my own advice from earlier in the week and a couple of my formerly faded friendships have regained some of the luster they once had.  Exciting!  And an answer to my prayers!  I'm amazed at how much a lack of communication can hinder a relationship; communication of how you feel, communication of what you like and don't like, etc.  If you don't tell people when they hurt you, and you get upset when they don't figure it out and apologize, can you really blame them?  The answer is no.  No, you can't blame them, because you're not playing fair.  Now, if they were to knowingly hurt you, and not do anything about it, that's a different story.

    So, for future reference, tell me when I do something that bothers you.  Tell me when I hurt you.  TELL ME!  That way, we don't have to spend months apart because you're worried about how I'll react to you telling me the truth.  The truth sets us free.  We can't be free if we can't speak truth to each other.

This tongue was made for lickin'...er talkin'....

    Today was another long class.  Six and a half hours and we didn't get out early this week.  We had a test, some lecture and then it was off to lunch.  After lunch and trying, unsuccessfully, to nap in my car (apparently, I'm taller now than when I was eight), it was back to class for more lecture (which I ended up leaving to crash on a gross old couch in a nearby sky bridge).  For lab this afternoon, we had to use our spit in a starch compound mixed with iodine to demonstrate how the enzymes function at different pH levels.
   
    So I'm sitting there, spitting into a not-so-sterilized glass beaker, trying to work up 5 mL of saliva and I got to thinking; what if my spit could dissolve things?  That would be so freaking cool!  It could be like a super power that I would vow to use only for good.  I've spent the last few hours pondering this and there was just something about the idea that wouldn't let me forget about it.  I came to two conclusions and I didn't look good in my superheroine spandex and cape outfit, so we'll go with the other one...

    What if it's not about dissolving inanimate objects?  I know, I know, what kind of a super power would that be, right?=)  I mean, your saliva does "dissolve" some stuff.  In fact, simple carbohydrates are 5-10% digested by the time you're done chewing (all the more reason to chew well, like mama taught you and not swallow your food whole, like a penguin or snake).  Then a picture of a tongue popped into my head.  Big, bulky and generally unimpressive at first sight, the tongue is actually quite amazing.  It's strong enough to not become tired after eating a Thanksgiving Day dinner big enough to feed a small country for a week, yet this mass of muscle is agile enough to maneuver food into chewing position without getting in the way of the teeth (usually).  It can be manipulating a mouthful of food and still feel that single hair from the waiter you were rude to.  But still, this is not the main point.

    Tongue-lashing.  We've all heard of it and many have been the victims of it.  The way we use our tongues can directly impact whether people live or die, whether they want to live or die.  Would it sound silly if I told you, "Tongue and I are here to save you!" ??? Silly, yes, but true none the less.  The way in which I speak should make people want to live, desire to do the same for others and inspire them to action.  Lately, my speech has been seriously lacking in these ways.  I think I know why.  It's hard for me to open up to people in certain ways, having been hurt before (I know, welcome to Earth, third rock from the Sun, right?).  It takes me a long time to trust, as I'm sure it does you.  As close friendships shrivel up and die around me, I can't help but shrink back into my cave, my safe haven. 

    The thought comes to mind, that maybe it's not my friends, fading away.  Maybe it's me.  Maybe I'm the one who fades away.  Maybe I made the first hurting comment "jokingly" so it wouldn't sting so much when they returned the favor.  Ouch.  Well, I guess I don't really have a reason to be bitter about that anymore then, since it's my own doing.  In my own insecurities and past hurts, I've done just what I promised myself I wouldn't.  Luckily, I have people around me who will call me out should this get any worse.  I'm just glad the Doctor caught it first =)  Get out there and lick somebody!

'Cause You're a Big Kid Now?

So you're a big kid now
You're an adult, you're grown
You got your big kid panties on
'Cause you're a big kid now

So you're a big kid now
You can do what you want
You can stay out late
'Cause you're a big kid now

So you're a big kid now
No one tells you what to do
You don't have to listen to anyone
'Cause you're a big kid now

So you're a big kid now
You can drink
You can smoke
'Cause you're a big kid now

So you're a big kid now
You can mess around with whoever
You don't worry-you're invincible
'Cause you're a big kid now

So you're a big kid now
You don't care about what others think
You don't care to think about others
'Cause you're a big kid now

So you're a big kid now
You don't need to think about
the little kids that might follow you
'Cause you're a big kid now

You're just a big kid now.

Inspiration

So, last week in class, we talked about the respiratory system.  I was going over it today and came across this: "Breathing, or pulmonary ventilation, consists of a repetitive cycle of inspiration (inhaling) and expiration (exhaling).  One complete inspiration and expiration is called a respiratory cycle."

Each breath we take requires inspiration.  Without it we can no longer breath; without it, we die.

Even more striking than that though, is the fact that once we've inspired, we have to expire.  All inspiration expires. 

This is true of more than just our physiological beings...it's true of our everyday lives.  Yes, to live full and healthy lives, we need inspiration; but that inspiration also has to pass eventually-maybe not in the space of one breath, but eventually-in order to make room for new inspiration.

Letting go of our inspiration can be hard, to say the very least.  God calls us to let go of our own good ideas so He can take us to a new level of inspiration.  There are even times when He asks us to let go of some inspiration that He gave us so He can give us even bigger and better inspiration.

In order to survive spiritually, we must live in a continual cycle of receiving inspiration and allowing God to tell us when it's ready to expire. 

I like breathing but if I only breath in, it won't be too long before either my lungs explode or I die from carbon monoxide poisoning...