tararehrig.com

i just can’t seem to get the thought out of my head.  could what they said be true?

i’ve been laying here in my bed for hours.  trying to be still.  not disturb my sisters.  or my parents.  trying to fall asleep.  think of something else.  clear my head.  have things go back to normal.

i haven’t been very successful.

the sun is about to come up.  the day is about to start.  i know i have long hours of field work ahead of me.  of picking leaves.  and tending to the family.  a long day.  that requires the sleep i’m not getting.  that i haven’t gotten for months.

but i just can’t stop thinking about i heard.

i remember it perfectly.  i can replay  the day in my mind like it’s happening all again.

i’d been in the field.  with my sisters.

like all the times before, we were laughing at something funny our brother had just said.  some story he was retelling.

i’d just bent down to work on another tree.  determined to pick the tea leaves off every last inch.  when my friend’s face appeared over the ridge.

the wind kept me from hearing her words.  but i could see she was excited.  she gestured for us to come up.  and quickly.

we had visitors at my house, she said.  foreign visitors.

i didn’t know what this meant.  i live in a tiny village.  the same one i’ve lived in my whole life.  the one my parents and their parents and their parent’s parents have lived in as well.

i’d never seen a foreigner.  until that day.

with my sisters in tow, i ran up the hill and all the way to my home.  paused to catch my breath.  and slowly made my way up the stairs.

i could hear talking.  in my people’s language.  in my country’s language.  and then something else.  some other tongue that i wasn’t familiar with.  and honestly didn’t quite care for.

i crept to the top of the landing and sat down.  tucked my legs up under me.  and listened.

before me sat my mom.  my dad.  and four strangers.  two men.  and two girls.  cross legged around our fire pit.  drinking our tea.  eating our candy.  smiling.  dressed in strange clothes.  and looking hot and sweaty.

i was fascinated.

the girls were beautiful.  light skin.  light hair.  like angel’s dust.

the men.  one older.  like my father.  one younger.  with incredibly long legs.  which he humorously tried to fold under him like a grasshopper.

i could tell they were all unaccustomed to sitting on the floor.  they fidgeted a lot.

soon my attention turned to the conversation.  the younger man was speaking in our country’s language.  telling us what the others were saying.  mostly asking questions about our life.  our people.  our home.  our tea.  our family.

and telling us about their’s.  they were from america, he said.  and wanted to learn about us.

at one point, they started asking us questions about our beliefs.  i heard my mom and my dad explain our religion to them.  explain that we are three things:  our belief.  our people.  and our tea.  you cannot undo the trio.

they were interested.  i could tell.  and asked a lot of questions.  i wondered why they didn’t know about this belief of ours.  it’s the only one i had ever heard of.  and it never crossed my mind that others hadn’t.

i turned my attention back to watching the girls.  imagining them as my friends.  wondering if they were married.  admiring their pretty hair.

but then i heard the question.  the one that has been keeping me awake.

they asked if we knew where we came from.  like, where do all people come from?  and the earth too.

the thing is, i’d been asking this question my whole life.  vocally, as a child.  and in my heart, as i’ve gotten older.  once, my grandfather told me some story about the earth and a dragon and the people that were born from them.  it was a wive’s tale.  a child’s story.

but the only explanation i’d been given.

after the question was asked, i glanced around nervously.  my brother and two of my sisters were sitting in doorways, listening to the conversation at our fire pit.

everyone looked blank.  i knew, as a people, we didn’t have an answer.  and i wondered how we would handle this.   my parents simply said they didn’t know.

our foreign guests asked if they could tell us what they believed.

as i sat there, crouched on the top step, my heart jumped.  something inside me told me i’d finally get an answer.  something that was true.

and what i heard was amazing.

that there is a God.  a God who created us.  loves us.  desires a relationship with us.  but we have done wrong.  separated ourselves from him.  but this God wants us back.  and he sent his son from heaven to earth.  to bring us back to our God.  so we could be in a relationship with Him again.

i’d never heard this before.  but now that i had.  it made sense.

perfect sense.

our belief told us to worship a man.  a man who was dead.  but they said we should worship a God.  who is still alive.

they told us more.  gave us a book.  and answered some questions.

i watched them from my window as they walked away.  i could see them laughing with each other.  see them meet up with more foreigners at the corner.  see them pass around their water bottle and wipe sweat from their faces.

see that they didn’t know they had changed my life forever.

because now.  even months later.  i can’t stop thinking about what they said.  and i can’t stop hoping that it’s true.

it’s the year of the… rabbit.  ok.  it doesn’t have quite the same ring as the badly drawn boys’ song,  Year Of The Rat.  but you get the idea.

it’s chinese new years, yo.  well, tomorrow is.  technically.  but tomorrow is already today.  or today is already tomorrow.  in china.  so here we go.

first, a history lesson:

the origin of the chinese new year is itself centuries old – in fact, too old to actually be traced.

days before the new year, a huge clean-up gets underway and chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom, sweeping away any traces of bad luck.  door and windows are given a coat of paint, usually red, and decorated with paper cuts and couplets with themes of happiness, wealth, and longevity.

the eve is perhaps the most exciting, as anticipation creeps in.  traditions and rituals are carefully observed.  dinner is usually a feast of seafood and dumplings, signifying good wishes.

at midnight, the sky is lit up by fireworks.

on the day itself, an ancient custom called hong bao, meaning red packet, takes place.  this involves married couples giving children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes.

then the family begins to greet from door to door, first to their relatives and then their neighbors.

the underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family and friends.

thank you, internets.

and now on to something more exciting.  in honor of the holiday, i bring you a collection of my chinar moments.  lessons i learned along the way.  in snap shot form.

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chinese babies are the cutest.  with their 20 layers of mismatched clothes, their spiky black hair,and their split pants.

who can resist?

the locals know the best food joints.  this is syd, bady, and cathy.  and some yummy, yummy grub.

when foreigners try the point and order technique, they sometimes end up with bugs for lunch.

the forbidden city really isn’t forbidden anymore…

… to us, or the rest of china’s population.

students are students….

… and friends are friends.  no matter what country you come from.

sometimes you’re asked to do really embarrassing things for the sake of those relationships.

but it’s those things that build trust.  and give you an opportunity to speak Truth into their lives.

happy chinese new year to you all!

新年快樂!

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a few months ago, i went on a spending freeze.  cutting out all non-essential money sucking conveniences.  coffee was not one of them.  and neither were little chocolate waxy donuts.  i have my limits.

i do, however, decide i was wasting money on cable tv.  not that i wasn’t watching it.  oh i was. the food network and i were so close, i started asking myself what would racheal do.  and screaming “ala cuisine” each time i opened the refrigerator.

but a necessity, it was not.

the problem with canceling cable was that i had not upgraded my television set to the magnum HD 368 low glare high volume ultimate watching machine.  or whatever the names of those things are.  i just have a silly little normal tv set.  embarrassing, i know.

without the cable, my set is as worthless as a bloodhound with a sinus infection.  (i like similes.)

i tried the magic box.  you know, the one they told us for months and months and months.  and then extended for another couple months.  to get.  without which our world as we know it would fall apart.

it didn’t work.

maybe i hooked it up wrong.

so my tv sits idling in my living room.  looking normal.  taunting me to turn it on.  and not doing a dang thing.

at first, i thought it wouldn’t matter.  i mean, who needs tv when you have the internets.  hulu anyone?  netflik anyone?  illegally downloaded pirated sitcom episodes anyone?  uh… just kidding on that last one…

but it does matter.  i miss my tv.

for three reasons:  weather, news, and quality of life.  especially weather.

it’s in an oklahoman’s blood to sit and watch the weatherman for hours on end.

oh.  i have the internets.  the information is at my finger tips.  i watch the weather radar.  and know the seven day forecast.

but i miss the drama.  the passion.  the off the cuff commentary.  gary england’s famous quotes.

all those things i hated.  and took for granted.

the goods?  the data?  the info?  it’s all there.  just in a boring.  one sided.  and disconnected kind of way.

but i have to tell you, it takes the joy out of a big storm.  and if i feel this way now, you can only imagine what it will be like come tornado season.  i may have to move back to my parent’s.

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before i go on, i must interrupt this post with a little background.  for those of you not in my school/life bubble.  here you go:

in order to raise the quality of education my school offers, they have committed themselves to teacher education.  you’re only as good as your teacher.  or so the saying goes.  …that’s scary…

to provide the opportunity to train the teachers, our students are dismissed at 12:25 on wednesdays.  and the remainder of the day is devoted to teachers.  meetings.  meetings.  meetings.  oh.  and lesson planning.  unless another meeting has been scheduled.

it’s actually pretty cool.  and i applaud and appreciate the time.  even if most days i want to run home at noon like the kiddos.

sigh.  alas.  i am a grownup.

end of background information.  continuation of what i came here to tell you:

today.  after, yes, a meeting.  i hopped in my ghetto mobile to secure myself some lunch.  i drove across the street and pulled into the mcdonald’s drive through.

i was running short on time.  i had to be back for a… you guessed it… meeting.

pulling up to the ordering machine. (what are those called?)  the following conversation ensued.

mcd: *static squawk* (you know how it is) order when you’re ready.  (what ever happened to “how are you?  what can i get for you today, kind ma’am?”)

me: hi.  do you still have the homestyle burger?  (i ask because they don’t list everything on their menu. why?)

mcd: no, we don’t.

me:  oh ok. do you have the all american burger?  (they had this burger last time i was there – just a simple burger with lettuce and tomatoes.)

mcd:  yes we do.  the all american burger meal?  hamburger?  or cheeseburger?

me:  hamburger please.  and with a dr.pepper.

mcd:  pull forward. (again.  where’s the please?  or thank you?)

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next scene at paying window.

mcd:  that’ll be $1.92.

me:  oh.  for the meal?  i ordered the all american burger meal.

mcd:  no. we have you down for two cheeseburgers.

me:  what?  no.  that’s not what i ordered.  can you change my order?

mcd:  no, we can’t.  (and then he motioned like i should go back around through the drive through again.)

me:  um.  well, can you get that lady (the lady who took my order) to change my meal?

mcd:  (rounds the corner and brings back a manager)

me:  hi.  i didn’t order that.  i wanted the all american burger meal.

mcd manager: we don’t have that.  we have hamburgers.

me:  yeah, i know.  i want a hamburger.  but i wanted the one that has lettuce and tomatoes on it.

mcd manager: um.  this is mcdonalds.

me:  yeah, i know.  that’s why i ordered…. nevermind….

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i pulled away and went next door to wendy’s.  should have gone to burger king.  they’ll do it my way.

balboa.  the boxer.  not bullwinkle.  the cartoon.  seriously.

this summer, i’m going to be spending some time in southeast asia.  (insert gigantic happy smile right here!)  a big portion of that trip will be spent trekking through the “jungles” and ministering to remote indigenous tribes.  (more on that later.)

while in the planning stages of this trip, i overheard someone say that really only guys should venture it.  that it was going to be too rough.  too hard.  too macho macho man.  for a girl to attempt.

well, ladies and gentlemen.  them’s fightin’ words.

(not that that is why i’m going.  but still…)

it seems during our treks through the jungles.  five or so days worth.  we’ll be encountering terrains such as this:

and this:

and quite possibly, even this:

pretty, huh?  and it looks simple enough.  but i know from experience.  from a two day thailand trek experience, to be exact.  which i chronicled here.  that walking for days and day on a trail is harder than it looks.

and i have my name as an athlete to uphold.  bygoneit.

i always like to fall back on the fact that i’m a runner.  but lets face it.  runner or not.  the rest of my team (high schoolers) could quite possibly skip circles around me at my peak.  oh to be young again.

so i’ve made a plan.  cause i’m danged to be last!  i will not be stricken bed ridden for three days after our journey.  not that i *cough* know anything about that….

i will thrive!  jungle beware!  for tara is on the move!

to prepare i’ve started running the stairs at my school.  every morning.  and every afternoon.  five reps of three flights.  man.  it’s hard.  and my calves are on fire!

(side story:  when i was in college, i overdid it on the leg exercises one day and had to spend the while night lying on my stomach with bags of frozen peas strapped to the backs of my legs.  i almost had to call in sick to work the next day; i could barely walk.  sad.  i know.)

so, if you ever make it over to my neck of the woods at say, 7:15 in the morning.  or 3:30 in the afternoon.  use the front stairwells.  because the back one has become my training ground.  my domain.

or if you want a laugh.  poke your head into my workout room.  you’ll see me.  huffing and puffing up and down those stairs.  shoeless.  and in my skirt.

because when summer rolls around.  that mountain will have nothin’ on me.

now if you’ll excuse me.  i need to see if i have any frozen peas on hand.

merry christmas every day!  to you.  and you.  and you.  and yours.

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in celebration of the eve of christmas.  and because i’ve been cooking.  and cleaning.  and wrapping.  all.  day.  and because my postage stamp house is full of siblings who are spending the night.

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and because i used to be famous.  (i promise)

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i bring you this.  may your night be filled with jingle bell times.  and swell times.  as you rock the night away.

oh, one more thing.  christmas came early for my dear friend debbie.  who, all the way from ukraine, has won these hair accessories.  with her comment, “Your beautiful bright flowers would be perfect to add some color and cheer to a drab, grey, snow and slush-covered Ukrainian winter. You did say you’ll ship this time?”

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yes, debbie!  message me your addy and they’ll be shipped your way!  i hope they DO brighten up your drab colored winter!

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and to all a good night to the rest of you!

for the last two days, the campus of OU has been home to this justice for all exhibit.  situated in the common area, right in front of the library.  on the walk between the dorms and the classrooms.  the informative banners with graphic, detailed pictures attracted the crowds.

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and if the banners didn’t catch their eye, the noise of blowing kazoos and yelling protesters certainly brought the attention.

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justice for all’s intention. in portraying these hard to see images of aborted babies.  is to do just that.  grab some attention.  and to bring to light the atrocity that faces our nation ~ the systematic genocide of our unborn children.

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fifty or so high school students.  well trained.  full equipped.  but with bellies full of nerves.  entered their battle field.  armed with the truth.  and desire to make it known.

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“i’m nervous.  are you?”  a strong, senior football player saddled up beside me just before starting and whispered his question.

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“yeah.  i’m nervous too.”

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“i’m afraid i’m going to say something that will sway them in the other direction.”  he admitted.

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“i know what you mean.  i thought about that too.  but then i remembered that i don’t have that much power.  and God is the one in control.”

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“yeah.  good point.”

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we asked questions.  and listened to responses.  asked more questions.  strove to understand their concerns.  and brought them back to truth.  all the while praying the right words would come to our lips and our listener would have an open heart.

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as the day went on.  as the opposition arose.  as the students gained confidence.  and boldness.  more and more conversations were struck.  and more truth was shared.

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“miss rehrig!  i spoke to someone all on my own!”  one sophomore student exclaimed.  she was so excited.  so passionate.  so empowered.

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by the end of the day, that nervous senior that’d been afraid to say something wrong, couldn’t be pulled away from his conversations.  as we left, i heard him say, “that was awesome!  the best day i’ve ever had!”

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if you’d like more information on how you can be a part of something like this, contact justice for all.

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will you overcome your fears?  step out of your comfort zone?  and take a stand?

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did you know:

• one baby is aborted every 26 seconds.
• 137 babies are aborted every hour.
• 3,304 babies are aborted every day.
• 23,196 babies are aborted every week.
• 100,516 babies are aborted every month.

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last week.  as a coach for my school’s student leadership group, salt and light.  i had the opportunity to sit through training with the pro-life organization, justice for all.

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over the next two days (monday and tuesday), members of our group (high schoolers and teachers) will be hanging out on the campus of the university of oklahoma.  alongside the justice for all exhibit and their mentors.  we will do our best to interact with the students that pass by.  engage in conversations.  share the TRUTH.  and ultimately save the lives of countless unborn children.

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perhaps you would like to be equipped to do the same.  in your home.  at your job.  in daily life.  with your friends.  and family.  and coworkers.

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i’d like to share with you some of the training we received.  broken up into small installments for better understanding.

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feel free to refer to the justice for all virtual exhibit as you proceed.

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as with any situation that may get “sticky”, the first thing you want to do is establish common ground.  don’t be quick to jump to the argument or differences in your beliefs.  set the stage for a relationship.  so that you may be heard when you speak the truth (in love).

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“he who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him.” proverbs 18:13

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just start a conversation.  listen.  and ask questions.

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(as you go through the virtual exhibit) ask:  ”what do you think about this?”

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this question itself could lead you in so many different directions.  you may hear one of these responses somewhere along the lines.  before you can address the real issue of abortion, you need to deal with the person’s concern. make sure they know they are being heard.

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if you can’t hear them, will they hear you?

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1.  woman have the right to choose.

~ i agree that woman should have the right to choose many things, but….

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2.  abortion should be legal because woman have a right to privacy.

~ i believe in privacy. i think privacy is important.  but….

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3.  don’t you care about woman’s liberty?

~ sure i do.  i love liberty.  but….

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4.  the world is overpopulated.

~ for the sake of the discussion, i agree about your concern for overpopulation.  however….

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next, we’ll fill in what comes after the but…

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in the meantime, pray for us – the students and teachers and mentors.  pray for the those who will see the exhibit and hear the words – the students of OU.  and pray for you – for wisdom and insight in addressing this issue with those you love.

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and check out the following sites for more information:

justice for all

abortionNO

abort73

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“all the is good for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  edmond burke.

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most afternoons, following work, you can find me lacing on the sneakers and hitting the running trails for an hour or two.

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today brought me to a different kind of trail.  the campaign trail.

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i joined a few of my high school students.  along with this hooligan:

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and canvased the neighborhoods surrounding our school.

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promoting an excellent candidate for state representative.

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election day is right around the corner.  and i don’t know about you.  but i will be making it to the polls.

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voting.  it’s a gift.  won with the blood of our forefathers.

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don’t waste it.

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“Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption.” ~ James Garfield

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“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

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“If we can vote for the best performer on the TV show “American Idol,” we should certainly vote in elections that profoundly affect our future.” ~ Queens College Student
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and now.  for the very first (and quit possibly, the only) edition of:  name that 1999 celebrity!

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are you excited?  i feel like you should be excited.

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all celebrity shots brought to you courtesy of this book:

i found this jewel on my bookshelf the other day.  it belongs to my roommate.  which is odd for several reasons:  she doesn’t know squat about celebrityhood.  she doesn’t care squat that she doesn’t know squat.  also.  she doesn’t know why she has it.  squat.

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side note:  she thinks it must have been providential since it is providing material for my blog.  and an opportunity to procrastinate.

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and back to the game.

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here’s how it will work:  i’ll post the picture.  you identify the celebrity.

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easy as pie.  or a sunday morning.  either way.  exciting stuff.

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alrighty then… there’s a lion in your pocket.  and it’s ready to dance.

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so here goes.

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celebrity #1:

celebrity(s) #2:

celebrity #3:

celebrity #4:

celebrity #5:

celebrity #6:

celebrity #7:

celebrity #8:

celebrity #9:

celebrity #10:

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now, pull on those leggings.  cut your hair into the “rachel”.  and pierce that belly button.

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you’re ready to party like it’s 1999.

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and hey, if you win.  i’ll send you the book.  i’m sure my roommate won’t mind.

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