Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Thank you for taking place, snow day, so that I could write this and not go to school.

The man in the photo above was Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, born in 1906 and executed by the Nazi party on April 9, 1945. My brother Oliver and I were just talking about this man last night--how he struggled, among many other things, with what to put first: God or his country.

He was born and raised in Germany, a country full of nationalism and patriotism. If you were German but against your country, something was terribly wrong with you. But as the Nazi party and Hitler took over the country before WWII, Bonhoeffer realized that he would have to choose between his country, and God, both of which he deeply loved.

 In the end, he abandoned his country for his faith. He knew what the Nazi party was doing to the Jews was wrong, and he was one of the few bold enough Christians to say so. By 1941 the Nazis did not allow him to publish or print anything. So he instead turned to the Abwehr, an anti-Hitler resistance that attempted to assassinate Hitler. On April 5, 1945, he was arrested, and killed that same month on the 9th.

To me, Bonhoeffer is one of the world's unsung heroes. No, he did not manage to assissinate Hitler, but he was one of the few Christians left in Germany that stood up, and put God first, which cost him his life.  I hope that if it comes down to it in this country, someday, I will react as he did, and put my God and my faith above everything, including my life.

~Kathy
P.S. Focus on the Family made a 3 hour audio drama on his life, and his struggle with God. I highly encourage you to find it and listen to it; it is moving and eye-opening.

Mc. Donald's Issues

For privacy reasons, names are being changed. xD

Mc. Donald's-yes, I still work there- requires that if I need time off I give them notice two weeks in advance. My family and I are going on a weekend trip to Las Cruces this weekend, since we all have a 4-day weekend (!), but I turned my information into Mc. Donald's a few days late. Thus, I had a fun time getting it off (sense the sarcasm here). In the end, I talked to Justin, the manager in charge of schedules, and he told me he would cover Friday and Saturday this weekend. I thanked him and walked out of the store this last Monday afternoon feeling free, and I immediately told my aunt Janine that I actually could come on the vacation. I was so excited.

            Today, Thursday, I was finishing up some Spanish homework before the vacation when the phone rang. It was Mc. Donald's. Cautiously, I picked it up.

            "Hey, Kathy, this is Abbey from Mc. Donald's," said Abbey, a manager-in-training at work. She's pretty nice and I get along with her for the most part. "Did you know you're working today?"

            My heart stopped. I had been hoping something like this wouldn't happen.

            "...No..." I replied.

            "Sue said you needed Saturday off, so she switched you and Nicki," Abbey replied. I heard her tell an employee to put two mcdoubles with no pickles in the bag, and I stifled a laugh. She's definitely new at the whole manager thing.

            "...Well, I need Friday and Saturday off, and I talked to Justin and he said he'd cover both of the days," I said. "Thursday was never mentioned."

            "I'll talk to Amelia (head manager) and get back to you in a few minutes," she said, obviously flustered with the drive-thru and front counter and me at the same time, and she hung up. As promised, she called a few minutes later.

            "I phoned Justin, and he said you're fine and he forgot to mention Thursday."

            "...Okay...so I'm good?"

            "Put a small fry in the bag and hand it out. Yeah, you're good Kathy."

            We hung up again and I went back to doing my homework. A few minutes later, my job called again.

            "Sorry, Kathy," Abbey apologized. "Amelia says that we need to write you up since you aren't coming in today."

            "Do you want me to come in?" I asked, wondering if I still had time to find a way to get to work.

            "Well you were scheduled to work at 2:15 today and you're thirty minutes late, so you'd still be written up even if you did come in. We don't really need you today." She told an employee to add a medium fry, and I thought, 'Sure you don't need me,' as my brain went back into panic mode.

            "...So I'll be written up, even though I didn't know about coming in today?" I asked in a small voice, and she confirmed this before she quickly hung up.

            Instantly, I began to cry. I called Dad to vent, 'cause really, I don't deserve to get in trouble for something I didn't do. When I got off the phone with Dad a minute later, Mc Donald's called again. Wiping my eyes and taking a deep breath, I wondered what they could possibly have to say now as I picked up and greeted Abbey.

            "Sorry Kathy," she apologized yet again. "I just talked to Ben (yet another manager) and he said we wouldn't write you up 'cause it's not your fault. We'll talk to Sue when she comes back. So you're good, and you won't get written up. I just wanted to call so you don't get stressed." Too late for that, but, whateve.

            ...So, two things have been learned from this experience. One: Next time I MUST turn in vacation requests on time. Kickin' myself for that, so I'm soooo glad God allowed me to have the time off. Two: I already knew this, but today it was more confirmed; my job is a mess. I need a new one. 

Anyway, that is all! Later!

~Kathy

2012

This here journal entry is what kids my age know as a "meme"- basically, questions are asked and you're supposed to answer 'em. :) The theme of this meme is how the year 2012 went for me. Yeah, I know it's a few days late, heh...but here ya go!

1. What did you do in 2012 that you've never done before?
I got people in my church! BOO-YA! :D 

I also took my first ACT and did pretty well on it :)

 2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Not as well as I'd hoped. The first half of 'em I really didn't devote much time to, 'cause I knew it wouldn't happen (like 5 push-ups a day. THAT didn't last long). Reading my Bible every night with few exceptions lasted pretty long though--until maybe the last month or two...heh...and no, no resolutions this year-at least not new ones. The one's from last year are still kinda in affect, so.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin-in-law, Jessica, had Josiah!! :D He is SO adorable! Now I just have to meet him...

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Paul Zeller (dad's old boss) and Tom Givens. Although I wasn't particularly close to either of them.

5. What countries did you visit?
None :(

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Better grades

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
  I will remember the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado and the Elementary school shooting somewhere in the east. :( And then my Las Vegas trip I think I'll remember for a long time to come, too.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting people into my church! Dude, I can't get over that! :D

9. What was your biggest failure?

HA, a lot of things xD

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I am made of steel, baby! Pretty much stayed healthy except for some odd allergies and other, random stuff.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
  buying mi music :)

12. What was the worst thing you bought?
umm...idk. I'm sure I bought something pretty pointless sometime this last year

13. Did you spend or save money this year?
Well this was my first year with a job (!), so...both

14. Where did most of your money go?
Probably music and Christmas gifts 

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My summer activities--New Mexico visit with the Smith's, Branson band trip, Las Vegas mission's trip... :) I miss them days.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Haha... Gonna Get Over You by Sara Bareilles xD ... I also really like the song All Fall Down ...And Come Thou Long Expected Jesus now has an emotional connection with me.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
a) About the same

b) About the same
c) Richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Focusing on school 

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

PFT xD A lot

20. How did you spend Christmas?
It was on the 23rd this year with my grandparents for lunch, and then my immediate family and I opened gifts later that night when we got home. Great day! :)

21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
PFT! xD HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Na, I think you would call it infatuation, not love

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Doctor Who, of course!

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, I don't believe so

24. What was the best book you read?
Probably the book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. I had to read it over the summer. Very informative and interesting, believe it or not :)

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Maybe Imagine Dragons, but they're in the last month only, so. Idk, I explored around and got a lot of new favorite songs, but not many favorite bands 'cept for the one already mentioned.

26. What did you want and get?
Haha....hair dryer, sock monkey (X2), blanket, and the movies Brave and The Lorax

27. What did you want and not get?
...Actually, things went very well this year, and I am content. :)

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Wreck-it-Ralph!

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 17. :D We opened gifts, went to the Sellke's for a bit, and then Oliver and I watched the epic movie, Wreck-it-Ralph! Overall it was a great day :)


30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I had gotten more work done 

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Casual. Still love T-shirts and pants. xD

32. What kept you sane?
God, friends, brother, music

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
David Tennant and Matt Smith xD

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Presidential election

35. Who did you miss?
Extended family members and after we left Las Vegas I really missed the kids

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Everyone involved in the Las Vegas mission's trip :)

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.

God is in control of people and their salvation, not me. I 'learned' this in two different, major situations this year. Oh, and that it's okay to not be a leader and embrace my feminine side a bit.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I honestly don't know. Most songs don't have a wide variety of emotions in them, unless they're like soundtrack or somethin', so I can't really choose, 'cause like most years this past year had plenty of ups and downs, twists and turns, and surprises. It was a pretty good year, though, don't get me wrong.

Ok, caught up! I should get to bed now--work in 6 hours -_-