I read this a couple weeks ago while I was studying, and somehow, it has just managed to get inside my head and my heart.
I'll just let you read it for yourselves!

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Do not hesitate to love and to love deeply. You might be afraid of the pain that deep love can cause. When those you love deeply reject you, leave you, or die, your heart will be broken. But that should not hold you back from loving deeply. The pain that comes from deep love makes your love ever more fruitful. It is like a plow that breaks the ground to allow the send to take root and grow into a strong plant. Every time you experience the pain of rejection, absence, or death, you are faced with a choice. You can become bitter and decide not to love again, or you can stand straight in your pain and let the soil on which you stand become richer and more able to give life to new seeds.

The more you have loved and have allowed yourself to suffer because of your love, the more you will be able to let your heart grow wider and deeper. When your love is truly giving and receiving, those whom you love will not leave your heart even when they depart from you. They will become part of your self and thus gradually build a community within you.

Those you have loved deeply become part of you. The longer you live, there will always be more people to be loved by you and to become part of your inner community. The wider your inner community becomes, the more easily you will recognize your own brothers and sisters in the strangers around you. Those who are alive within you will recognize those who are alive around you. The wider community fo your heart, the wider the community around you. Thus the pain of rejection, absence, and death can become fruitful. Yes, as you love deeply the ground of your heart will be broken more and more, but you will rejoice in the abundance of fruit it will bear.

Henri Nouwen. The Inner Voice of Love

Quote of the week:
"The reason that I lie is because I’m just stupid. It’s not because I want to." -Olivia

Followed up by the runner up for the quote of the week:
"Maybe lying is making me smarter." -Genius Olivia

[Edit]. So I apparently quoted her wrong, which Olivia so kindly pointed out...
olivia: wanna know what i actually said?
karen: what
olivia: i said, "the reason i DON'T lie is because I'm just stoopid-- not because i don't want to"
olivia: she made me sound better than i really am

Maria, Jen, and I. Jen's birthday dinner...

The flowers that Jason had sent to me. The beautiful flowers I've ever received. I *heart* happy flowers.

SNOW! The view from my room...(I know, it's not as much as the northeast, but it's still snow!)

It's snowing (for the 2nd time this winter!) Jen and I were talking about how we haven't had our fair share of snow yet since we moved out here from California. I'll post some pictures later of the snow. It's kinda cool. I feel like I'm really living on the East Coast. I'm sure I'd get tired of it in due time. But for now, I'm enjoying it.

So, let's see. What else can I ramble about today? So, I got picked up on at Barnes and Noble on Saturday night. That was an unexpected event. I was impressed and alarmed at the same time because I only had a 45 second conversation with the guy before he said, "So, you seem really friendly and you're cute. Would you like to get together sometime?" WOW! Props to guys who can take initiative and just lay it out there. Granted, I didn't accept. But, I tried to be really gracious. "Thanks for taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with me. I'm really flattered. But, I'm not interested. Thanks!" Guys, you don't really need to have too much game. Just balls. Ok, I dunno if that's true, and I'm not sure if I want to start a whole commentary about guys hitting on girls and real world game versus church-circle game, etc. So, we'll just leave this topic be.

I have to say, Jason is awesome. I like him. That's my little gush for today.

11 weeks of school left. That's crazy. I need to find a job. I can't believe that the 11 months has blown by so so so so fast. Where did it go? A lot has happened since June. ok. enough with the stream of consciousness writing.

Great cheese comes from happy cows. Happy cows come from where? from California.
That's right. =)

I'm homesick. I didn't think I would be. And then it hit me. Like the truck that hit my car over break. I heard that the weather has been great. People are hanging out together. Tri-Tip, Lost, and Alias. Home was refreshing and soul feeding. Wish I could've seen Jason more. But, he's coming to visit in 10 days! =) Hopefully he can bring my best friends, the sunny weather, my running pants, boba, chinese food, not needing to mapquest to get around, my papa, and my flipflops.

ok, the ode to sam will occur on a different day...boring post.