goodbye blogger

it has come time for me to say, "KWAHERI!" to my dear old blogger account and, "JAMBO!" to wordpress.
yes, yes, yes i have finally switched over. so take a moment to change my link in your blogroll or on your netvibes to THIS instead!

wahhhhh, ADIOS AMIGOS

www.leahfriedrichs.wordpress.com

about time!

bless my lucky stars, never thought i would see the day!!
Yes my friends, Andrew's teeth are bare and brace-free. That boy and I got braces on at the same time- the summer of 2003, and he has FINALLY gotten them off.
hallelujah

x-ray uh-oh

I had to go to the doctor yesterday because my nose had been bothering me. so they checked it out and decided that i needed an x-ray. well in order to do an x-ray you really aren't supposed to have any metal on your face. . . since i got my nose pierced I am really not supposed to take it out for 6 weeks and im not about to just pop that sucker out.

Instead they just took an x-ray with it in. the doc was not pleased, but hey, c'est la vie.

wahhh! can you see it?!

so this one time when i was a nun. . .

i found this picture the other day. I was in "The Importance of Being Earnest" in high school (had to change Rev. Chausible to MOTHER Chausible, if you catch my drift).

yep. a nun. Tori's dream job. plus i had a butterfly net. ahh, quite enjoyable.

i had some pretty nifty other costumes. whats the snazziest costume you've ever sported?

colorado rocky mountain high

just busting out a little john denver, one of the greats. well i am in the be-a-utiful state of Colorado right now enjoying the fresh mountain air and amazing aspen trees. we are up skiing for a few days, but the roads were closed today because of strong wind so we couldnt. Visiting Dad and Elizabeth, always an experience thats for sure.
But, alas we shall return on the 4th.

waiting in line at breck to hop on the lift a hat i found in REI, thought it provoked this weird face? andrew enjoying the snow storm when we first got to denver

anyway, i hope everybody has a teriffic New Years, catch ya'll on the flip side

the way i see it #284

got this on my starbucks cup up here in Denver and i absolutely LOVE IT-

"You can't lead the people, if you don't love the people. You can't save the people, if you don't serve the people."- Cornel West (a professor from Princeton)

speak the truth Cornel, that is the way I see it as well

Newman

apparently nobody understood the Brittney Spears picture from my last post, but the reasoning was the fact that it said she had a NEWMAN.

see, Newman is my middle name and i thought thats what i read when i first saw the magazine.

yes, thats a random middle name.
yes, im aware its a guy in seinfeld. indeed.
but its a family name [great grandmother's maiden] and i love it. nobody else has it.

so, there you go all you poor tortured friends who were tormented by that. i didnt post that picture because of shiny teeth or pointy elf ears (?) but simply because of her new man

so if it is december, why does it feel like july?

yes, it IS December. i know that there has been debate due to the terribly humid and stuffy weather. but, yes welcome to a Louisiana winter. anyhow, here are some pictures from recent happenings in my world. . .

that is definitely the sports section of the newspaper and alyssa in pointing to an article about a chess tourney. i had NO idea that chess was a sport, but hey thats great news for andrew.
you may be thinking, "leah, why in the world do you have a random magazine with Britney Spears on the cover?!" well, no i do not really care for our dear friend here, but if you can tell me what is significant about this cover. . . ill get you a venti ice water from Starbucks.
This is Matt. Matt is a hard worker. last wednesday he helped with Just for Jesus all day then came to Refuge that night. take a close look at his shoes. . .that is correct, they are two different shoes. poor hombre was so pooped he didnt even realize it.
So what had happened was. . . our lovely youth pastors Jason and Jennifer came over to watch the LSU-Tenn game. Jenn and I decided it would be a splendid idea to go roll Jason's car. so we did. His payback was the trashbags on my car. . . then Andrew, Shana, and Alyssa rolled mine
some of my FAVORITE people came over and we decorated for Christmas. lacey and Shana are ah-may-zing.
setting up for TWISTED last night at the annex. Kristin and Josh have both done an INCREDIBLE job planning and working on this event. and you cant tell but Kristin is definitely on top of the coke machine, wahhh
talk about service. i walked into Starbucks with Tori yesterday and sat down at my table and one of the baristas just walked over and handed me a venti ice water. Thats pretty much the drink i always get because its free and i like aqua, so its pretty great i dont even have to ask for it.

FINALly. . . (pun intended) this is my perspective right now. FINALS. this was right before my history final. they are almost over. one more tomorrow and essays due friday, then im FIN.
thats what been haddnenin

broken

" i earnestly long for more of you in my life. Im getting to a place to be broken before you, honestly i dont think im quite there yet- but its where im headed and i think it is where you want me to be. you need to break me more. That is how i would like my entire life to be- broken- uncapable of doing it on my own, but trusting entirely in you for everythig. Im pretty aware this may be painful and tough at times, but the joy and peace you will provide will be more glorious, and the intimacy it produces with you would be greater than any hardship i could endure. Break me of myself. i want to be an unardorned clay vessel filled with the light that shines through."

thats something i wrote in my journal this past wednesday, and you know what the crazy thing is? He continues to break me. He began to break me that day, and it has truely blown my mind that He listened that quickly. i know when i wrote that i believed He would, but at the same time it always catches me by surprise.
its so funny because different things have happened and i get so uncomfortable, frustrated, or upset and then i just keep flipping back to that page and its as if He is saying, "see! its right here boo! im just doing what you asked, dont you get upset with me." and i just break down and am so overwhelmed with his love. He has truely been breaking me of comforts that i did not want to have to deal with. But while at the same time its weird or uncomfortable, i feel His intimate peace overwhelm me and I am beginning to see Him in a different way.

He is just amazing. im loving it.

lets go for a ride. . .

oh wait.

i was walking to class today and stumbled upon quite a sight, this bike was definitely up in a tree outside Lockett Hall. . .
maybe they decided this was a better option than using the handy bike-racks. or maybe. . .

i dont know. i cant think of anything else.
just thought i'd share.

NITAKUJA!

just thought I'd let everyone know that if you are looking for me this summer. . .you might have a travel a little far. you know, just right over there in. . . TANZANIA. Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to be exact

yup. that is right, my friends. it is looking like i shall be spending my summer right here:



AHHHHHHHHHH.

as many of you know, i go to LSU. duh. and i study swahili as my language. Well LSU has a study abroad program to theUniversity of Dar Es Salaam where i will be able to go and spend 6 weeks- finishing my last level of swahili and then taking an International Studies course focused on swahili culture and such. I'll be able to get 8 hours credit, so its a pretty nifty deal. PLUS. . .ill be THERE learning the language WITH THE PEOPLE. oh my dreams.
We spend 2 weeks in a resort on the coast- beach on the Indian Ocean. indeed.
then, 4 weeks in a HOST FAMILY. ahhh, living with PEOPLE. SWAHILI PEOPLE.
like this guy:
(my friend who went last summer took this picture. im pretty sure this snazzy old man and i could be friends)

im so pumped about this, its hard to contain myself.
its not definite yet. i have a hard time talking about things that aren't definite because im scared that if it doesnt work out then i look silly. But i truely believe that this is what God has for me this summer. Its the oppurtunity of a lifetime and i dont want to pass it up.

Now, just need to figure out delightful financial details, which is pretty much the major thing.
my parents are accepting it. its all good. i plan on spendng alot more time than this overseas, so they should probably just go ahead and get used to it.

well, thats my current adventure. if you think about it, please just pray that God would guide me and open up doors financially if this is His will!

NITAKUJA TANZANIA KUHIBIRI NJILI, KUSOMA KISWAHILI, NA KUPENDA WATU WENGI!!
it really doesnt get any better

going up?

a cute little house that Tori and I saw at the Saint Joseph's Abbey in Covington. i really like the porch.

thats all.

fully committed.

Alyssa Williams, faithful to the end

this, my friends, is what i call dedication.
Alyssa is pretty much amazing and a ginormo help all the time. Well, every week Alyssa makes lemonade. . .or kool aid before Refuge to serve.
This week we had blue kool aid.
Alyssa coudnt find a spoon.
DID THAT STOP HER?!?!
the answer is: NOPE.
that girl plunged her hand (after being washed) into that pitcher and got the job done, and now has a smurf hand because of her dedication!

so, here's to you Alyssa, thanks for all you do

my worst nightmare

join in on the soccer fun?!. . . no thanks
i have this really large fear of having kids and becoming a soccer mom. people make fun of me, but i cant help it. i shall avoid mini vans, soccer uniforms, grass stains, and tide-to-go at all costs!

NOOOO

indeed

i would dare say, yes sir. indeed we can.

it's beginning to look alot like. . .Christmas?

its pretty insane that Christmas has already begun.
November 1st - Christmas music on 103.3 begins NONSTOP until December 26th, Halloween candy was rotated out for Christmas candy, and TV and radio ads are all Christmas-geared. its ridiculous

Is it just me or has Christmas begun freakishly EARLY this year? usually all of that jazz really kicks off the day after Thanksgiving. . . but i guess big corporations just really want to cash in on the birth of Christ.

TIA- this is america. gotta love it.

lacey and i were at Wal Mart and saw these delightful Christmas decorations set-up. . . really got me to pondering on this conundrum of this early Christmas. . . but i must admit, Santa is wearing some snazzy shades


I LOVE CHRISTMAS, but i just feel like this is REALLY early. its so much more exciting when you turn on the radio the day after Thanksgiving and hear your favorite holiday tune. now its just going to get old.

but hey, go ahead. drink a glass of eggnog and get ready for the season. its going to be a long one!

notable quotable

i apologize for my brief hiatus, but here is a teriffic little quote found in a fantastic book i like to call the Bible-

"I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, REJOICING IN HIS WHOLE WORLD AND DELIGHTING IN MANKIND."
-proverbs 8:30-31

i just really enjoy this scripture. just take a moment.

read it.

let it marinate.

hmm, what do you think?

yeah. . . i know. its good, right? rejoicing in his WHOLE WORLD and DELIGHTING IN MANKIND. ohhhh i want to delight in mankind and in all that he created within this world.

this leads me to a leah-thought.
if God created us in His image. . . then different cultures and peoples are different facets of who God is, different aspects of his heart. They illustrate his deeply rooted creativity. ahhh. i love people.
i want to just learn to experience life with all kinds of people, rejoicing with them in this whole world God created for us and experiencing and living this life in love.

thats all.

victoria "Mwinjilisti" ohlerking

happpyy birttthdaayyyy to one of my favorite people ever.
go by her blog and wish her a tremendously HAPPY day!
or if you really love her go buy her a box of mini wheats and a plane ticket to africa. you know, its the little things that count.
whooop whooooop

don't trust burt bacharach

im just sitting here jamming out to some good ole' burt bacharach and i had an epiphany. . .

my compadre, that talented old crooner is a hypocrite! yes.
In one song, "What the World Needs Now" he says, "What the world needs now,
Is love, sweet love,
It's the only thing that there's just too little of."

okay. and so then, in "I'll Never Fall in Love" he ventures to say,
"Don't tell me what is all about,
'Cause I've been there and I'm glad I'm out,
Out of those chains, those chains that bind you
That is why I'm here to remind you
What do you get when you fall in love?
You get enough tears to fill an ocean
That's what you get for your devotion.
I'll never fall in love again."

ouch, burt. ouch.
thats quite distant from what the whole world needs, i'd say.
basically, don't take what my pal burt says seriously.
he is a little wishy-washy

see what had happened was. . .

oops.
yes. diet coke explosion.

lesson learned.