An add in

I just thought I should add in a very important bit to what I was saying before about homosexuality. I mentioned how there is physical evidence for it not being a choice, but I forgot to mention one very important thing; it shouldn't matter! What I wrote about before was in many ways wrong (I just found it to be very interesting information) but defending the the idea that it's not a choice is like condoning it at the same time, making excuses for people because it's "wrong". It shouldn't matter if someone is or isn't a homosexual (choosing to be or not), because they are human too and God loves all people! I just really needed to say that, and I just hope that someday somewhere, whether I know about it or not, I can help someone else to see that.

Speaking about having impacts, my freshman year of college I had a discussion with a friend of mine about faith and God. She told me about how her dad had lost faith in God because of his father dying. I told her about how I grew in my faith and relationship with God through the death of my mom (which makes interesting perspectives, don't you think?). Anyway, I am, and have never been, the best at describing my feelings or thoughts, so when I was reading bits of Seth's blog (or should I say a conversation between him and a commenter), I felt like it summed up how I felt about how God deals with the world and how God doesn't punish people for things by giving them cancer for example. Anyway, I felt the need to send this to her and I got an email back telling me that she was very thankful for it, that it couldn't have come at a better time, and that she really needed that. I felt really good about that and felt like God really was working through me/Seth to reach out to someone who needed it.

I have been thinking a lot lately about God and how "he" works in the world. None of my previous beliefs have changed (I feel I established those a while ago) but I definitely feel as if they have been growing recently. I am very glad for that because I have been feeling a lack of spiritual growth lately. That's one thing that I really enjoy about being with David (there is a huge list there) but the fact that David is still experimental in his faith has led us into some really interesting conversations about faith and God, which have helped me grow more in my faith, and in different ways of looking at it and at God. I would like to think that our conversations have been good for him too. I don't actively want to change him, I love his beliefs, but I like being a part of his spiritual growth process, no matter what rode that leads to. :) I have been watching a lot of Joan of Arcadia lately on Youtube, it might sound funny, but that show brings up some really good/neat issues dealing with God, and it makes me think, even if it just makes me rethink about a topic.

I have noticed something lately about my spiritual inspiration, as many of you may know I am not the best at reading my Bible, in fact, that bit of me is pretty much nonexistent. I have always wished that I could be one of those people who carry around their Bible a lot and get inspired from it, but it doesn't have that effect. I think what's in the Bible is really important, and I am very grateful for its existence, but for some reason, unless I'm in a Bible study I just don't get much out of the messages. I think I read too literally into it sometimes (not that I take what it's saying literally, the outcome is that I just get stories and don't always get the bigger picture... the ones I do get I have heard a million times and have had explained to me in church). Anyway, to the point, what I have found out about myself recently is that I may not be so good at reading the Bible, but I get my inspiration by those who did/do! I find incredible inspiration and beauty from stories!! Stories like A Tale of Two Cities (one of most beautiful stories of self sacrifice apart from Jesus' in my opinion), The Chronicles of Narnia, and one can't forget the best of them all, Les Miserables. Even though I can't even force myself through a few pages in the Bible, I still find my spiritual growth and learning in the amazing stories that have been created by others who did get the message. I used to feel a bit bad in certain company (and sometimes still do I guess, subconsciously) because I don't read the Bible, but I know now that it's ok, everyone has their own way of growing in God, and for one reason or another, even though I am an avid reader, the Bible just doesn't do it for me. Thanks for "listening" (reading) my little thought tree here, but it feels good to write it. :) Haha, I feel like I'm sneaking into Seth's "theme" here. :P

Estrogen and heterosexuality?!

I've been busy studying for my finals, which I had two of today and one on Friday. Whilst studying for physiology I came across some information that I thought very interesting. It is common knowledge that there have been and still are many people out there who think that homosexuals are unnatural and that think it's BS that they don't choose to be the way they are. Now, I found something interesting in my physiology book, and I quote, "Estrogen receptors have been identified in the testes, prostate, bone, and elsewhere in males. Recent findings suggest that estrogen plays an essential role in male reproductive health; for example, it is important in spermatogenesis and surprisingly contributes to male heterosexuality" (Human Physiology 6th edition, Lauralee Sherwood). This is just a bit of what estrogen does in the male system, but I find it interesting that there is physical evidence that homosexuality isn't necessarily a choice. I don't know, maybe there are some people that choose it, one can't rule out the possibility, but I think that this is a very interesting point. Of course I think it's cruel and unchristian (that's important to mention because so many of the people who discriminate call themselves Christian) to discriminate against anyone for any difference they may see in someone else; who are these people to say whether God loves someone or not? Doesn't God love everyone? I think he does. Anyway, I just had to put that bit of information out there. :) Other than that, studying is going good, but I can't wait to be done on Friday!

Pic of Monterey Dve house

YAY!! I can add pics again!! I think it was my internet connection before. Anyway, here's a look at where I was living before I moved. :) I will get pics of my new place up at some point. :)

smaller living room outside my room

laundry room

big living room attached to kitchen

bathroom and toilet (separate)

Terrorist in backyard

front of house

One of Heath's vans for his work

My room

the kitchen taken from living room


Terrorist, silly dog

Moving and studying

Here are some pics of my trip to Melbourne
A possum came right up to me in the park, so close I thought it was going to claw at my leg! It seemed very friendly ;P Later the next day, while walking at night with Loretta one came up and clawed at my finger! They're like the squirrels of Australia (since Australia doesn't have squirrels ;P)
Southern Cross train station in Melbourne, I love the architecture here!!
Loretta eating her pizza
Anne and Mina with their breakfast meals and my yummy feticcini (sp?) in front of me.
Loretta and Anne with their hot chocolates, this is neat they serve you frothed warm milk with a thing of chocolate that you pour into it. Very yummy!!!
Now, for a little update and the rest of the Melbourne story.

So, I moved on the 17th, it was a bit hectic cause we're in the middle of study week, but it went ok. It is kid of weird to not be in the other house anymore. This is supposably a newer house, but it doesn't really seem like it, mainly cause it's dirtier. :) It's nice to have central air now, although my first night here it got WAY too warm in my room and I had to get up and turn off the heat at like 3 AM. What was the worst part about that (that was the night I moved it) was that I had to get up early to go to work (my first time opening) the next day. I didn't sleep well between my mind running a lot (cause of all of the change) and the heat waking me up. It wasn't too bad. I have been studying in spurts, I think I'll be ok for my tests, I have two on Monday the 23rd of June and one on Friday the 27th, then I'm done. Here they have the last day of classes then a week off for a study break then two weeks of exams, all of my exams worked out to be all in the second week though. It's been nice having a longer amount of time to study, but it'll also be a relief to get them over with. Loretta and I stayed the night at Irene's house in Geelong on Wednesday night cause we took an early train into Melbourne to meet up with Anne and Mina (who we became friends with in Lorne but who we don't see much of cause they go to school on the Burwood campus... Anne Loretta and I all went to Tassie together). It was a really good day, we mostly shopped at op shops all day (like salvation army...) I got a few really good deals! That night Loretta and I went to go see Gaelic Storm (Loretta's favorite band, an Irish band, and the same band who played in the steerage party scene in Titanic) at this hotel. We walked there and the hotel was a lot further than we thought; it didn't help that we missed the street we were supposed to turn on and walked about 5 minutes in the wrong direction. We ended up making it just after their first song. They were really awesome!! Other than the music, the best thing was that they were just great entertainers, very funny! They mingled with the crowd during intermission and at the end as well, we talked a bit to the lead singer (the only one from Ireland) as well as the violinist, from England but who lives in Colorado; she was really excited to hear I was from the US. ;P It was just really great to see that they were normal, really nice, fun people. The lead singer was really funny, when I told him I was from Montana he said he was in Yellowstone and they saw the sign for Montana and he just stepped over the border so he could say he'd been there. ;P Anyway, we got a few autographs before we left, then we found that we had just missed the last tram so we walked quickly back to the city. We thought the last train was at 1:00 AM, we got to the train station in time and found that it was closed. We had to spend the night in one of the 24-hour waiting rooms, you're not allowed to lay down or sleep in them, but people do anyway, but a guard will come in now and then and wake people up. Anyway, it was a bit of a pain in the butt but it was worth it! We took the 5:55 AM train into Geelong then went back to Irene's and slept for 3 hours. I had a study day when I got back with some friends, so the lack of sleep didn't help much in that area, but oh well. ;P I'll write more later about stuff when more of it happens. Gotta study now.

New address:
2-4 Spedding Link
Highton 3216, VIC
Australia

Study week 1

On Monday Loretta came over and we watched Edward Scissorhands together, that was nice. Tuesday me and the church group I hang out with went to see Prince Caspian, which I loved! There were a few significant differences from the book, but I thought they had them in there for purposeful reasons. Also, I thought this funny, anyone that knows the past Organic Chemistry prof at U of I, Davico... well, Miraz reminded me of Davico in many ways. ;P Wednesday was a day full of drama, I had an appointment that I had payment issues with, but it all worked out in the end, then I got a message from Amanda, the girl who's room I'll be moving into, saying that she wasn't sure if she was going to be moving out after all. This was a problem cause Heath is already having his brother and friend moving in when I leave, so I need to move out. I was talking to her on my phone and we got cut off because my credit was low, so I had to bike back home (I was at Deakin at the time) and put money on my phone online before I could call her back. Luckily it'll be ok, apparently she is still moving but said it would be a slow move and she might not be able to get all of her stuff out. So, I'll either have to live with some of her stuff for a bit, or take a different room (there's another one available in the same house). So, it's all ok, but needless to say that day was a bit stressful. My internet has been acting up, it keeps going in and out, but only really with Skype. Only a few times has it interfered with my actual internet, but it'll say I'm not connected when I am and then I disconnect, unplug the modem, reconnect it and then log back on and it might work. It's getting annoying. Other than that I am doing ok, I have been studying a bit, it's actually quite awesome the stuff I'm learning! I absolutely love physiology, it is one of my new passions! I had to laugh today cause I had just been studying the liver and when I went to go to the bathroom I heard on the tv (it was a dog race) the name Billy Rubin. For those of you who don't know bilirubin is made up of dead red blood cells and is a constituent of the bile, it's what makes up the yellow color of urine and the brown color of feces. Anyway, that was my little joke to myself for the day. Even though I have been having fun learning this stuff I have also been bored. I really feel the need to get out of Geelong, but that's not really possible with me having to save for the Uluru trip as well as working. I am actually really looking forward to coming home, I kind of wish that I had only come for one semester, but I know that I wouldn't have had a lot of the experiences I have had or will have if I had only come for one semester, so I guess it's good. I think it would be better if I had a car, but that's too expensive, but it would have given me a lot more freedom, oh well. :) As far as work goes they haven't scheduled me for any more time even though I can work 40 hours/week now. There's just too many people working there to justify it right now. I think I'm going to look into another casual job for when I'm not in school. Well, that's about all for now, I am just going to be studying and doing nothing for the next week.

Moving!

So, I will be moving! Big news I know. :) It all sort of started when I got an email from the international office about a room to rent in a shared house across from Deakin (these emails get sent out to all international students). This place sounded like a great deal, and was cheaper than what I am paying now, but I didn't think too much on it. Then Heath went to Perth again and one day Sam says to me "I guess Heath's going to stay in Perth." He also mentioned that he might move out as well. Well, this got me thinking, if everything is going to be changing, and now that Heath is gone I most likely will never get a wall built around my door and the mouse problem will continue and the heater won't get fixed, then I might as well move out. So, I called up this girl, Amanda (Amandim from India), and we scheduled to have me come look at the place today, which I did. So, I have decided to move out. The place is $78/week (I'm paying $100 here) and she is leaving her desk, dresser, bed, mattress in the room. The house also has central heating, so that will be nice, and internet is included in the price, but I would need to get a cable. Apparently the land lord is really nice and if you need anything just ask her and she'll get it for you. The place was a bit messy, but that's ok. :) What do you expect when you're living with 8 other people. There's quite a few from India, a girl from Shri lanka, one from China, and a boy from China from my understanding. I met one of the other housemates while I was there, Sid (India) who is sort of in charge of the house, he's nice. I will have to find someone to move into the house when I move out (cause the lease is until February and if I just move out the price goes up for everyone), but that's not a problem. It is literally just across the street from Deakin too, which is really nice! When I got home just a bit ago I messaged Heath to let him know that I'll be moving out and that I need my bond back, he called me just now and said he thinks he'll sell the house anyway, so that's good that I was moving. He's kind of unreliable if you couldn't tell. I just feel bad for Sachi, as far as I know she knows nothing about all of this yet, I don't know what she's going to have to do if he sells the house. Anyway, overall it looks like I've made a very wise choice. Also, utilities are more like $30-40 every 3 months at this new place as opposed to $90 here. Anyway, so after the 25th ish of June my new address will be:

2-4 Stedding Link
Highton 3216 (I think the post code is the same but I'll let you know if it's not)
Australia