The demon wasps of Green Peter

It began with a group of friends wanting to enjoy the sun in Oregon's fleeting summer. And if we caught a few fish in the process, that would make the outing that much sweeter.

We met too early in the morning, which accounted for our goofy behavior, but I feel that goofy is one of the better emotions to begin the day with. The seven of us (Myself, Jay, Kessi, Jon, Jeremiah, Megan, and Calvin) caravan-ed our two cars out to Albany where we added an eighth member (Josiah) to our crew. A quickish stop at the store and we were off!

We stopped at a little diner for breakfast right off the highway...I actually have no idea what the place was called, but it was phenomenal. We did have to wait a while for our food, but it was well worth the wait. Our portions were more than generous (I gave half of mine to the fellas I was sitting with) and the prices were more than fair. Many of us opted for the "Super Special" which consisted of two eggs, two links, and a giant (I mean GIANT) pancake (one pancake was probably the size of 4 normal ones.) for a grand total of $4.25.

We made our way to Green Peter Reservoir, passing through Lebanon and parts of Sweet Home, and ended at a place called Thistle Creek. I'll admit, I did choose the spot partially because of its name. I just really like thistles. And it didn't disappoint! I did see one thistle off the trail, and that was enough for me =)

We parked in a nearly empty parking lot - where there was no fee for the day use area! - and unloaded. My poor little sister started feeling sick so she stayed up top in the picnic area with a book. But the rest of us grabbed snacks, fishing poles, and swim suits and headed down the trail.

There is a reason the area is called "Green Peter", the water is colored a stunning emerald green and looks like sea glass from higher up the mountain. The view was terrific and I was, not for the first time this summer, struck by how lovely our state is and how incredibly glad I am to live here. We settled on a spot that we felt could have some decent fishing advantages as well as swimming space for those who weren't fishing.

Megan and I had gone back up the trail a ways to make sure that where the guys were headed was where we wanted to settle for fishing, and we decided that they were right and the place they were at would do. So we went back and began the little climb down to the water.

The park we were at was heavily wooded and although the trail was clearly marked and well maintained, the trees around it were showing signs of the warm months. The fallen trees had become mossy and rotten during the winter, but had dried up and turned brittle in the summer heat. It was messy, but definitely looked safe and harmless. I looked at where the guys had climbed down and saw a spot just barely up the trail that looked like a more gradual climb and I thought that would be better seeing as both Megan and I had our hands full.

We began to tromp through the corroded mess, excited to have a grand old time. We walked past this old fallen log and I leaned on it for support as I tried to decide where my foot should step next. This was when things took a turn.

Megan gave a short shriek and I asked, "you ok?"

"There was a bug. Oh my gosh, it bit me!"

I turned around to brush whatever was on her off, and was met by something I had not anticipated. Black wasps, so big I thought they were beetles at first, were swarming around my friend, covering her back and landing on her arms.

I reached for her to help, but she was already running back up the hill. That was when they began to come after me.  I hadn't realized we were in trouble until I felt the panic of not being able to get them off me. I dropped my things, abandoning them where Megan had hers, and ran. Megan reached the top and ran right, I ran left, both of us trying to get the nasty creatures off of our skin. My brother heard our screams from the bottom of the hill and had been hollering, asking what was wrong. Somehow, I don't know if Megan or I had screamed that there were bees, or if he had seen them chasing us, but he figured it out and began yelling instructions.

"TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF!" Came the order from the water. I was already ahead of him there and had stripped off my flannel, leaving it on the trail and running away from the mess of stingers and sharp teeth (or whatever wasps have in their mouths). I stood at the top of the hill shaking, watching the wasps swarm around our abandoned things. I'm not sure who asked what, they guys' voices were kind of mushed together in my brain at this point, and I couldn't see any of them. But someone asked if we were ok and what we wanted to do and all I could think was that I wanted my fishing pole. Which was just plain silly because there was no way I was going to venture back down there for a fishing pole and knowing how the stings felt, I was definitely not going to ask anyone else to.

It is no secret that I have a very -healthy in my opinion- fear of flying insects, especially things that can hurt me, specifically bee and wasp type creatures. I thought I was scared then, but that the worst was over and soon they'd settle and Megan and I would be able to walk down where the guys had previously stepped and it would be fine. It was right then that a few wasps began to fly around my head, landing on my arms. I ran a few steps down the trail - my scream alerting the guys (who were waiting for the wasps to settle so they could come up to us) and I heard Jeremiah say that they might have marked us. Apparently wasps and some bees are not only equipped to sting over and over without losing their stinger and dying, but they also mark their enemies so that they can find them by smell and finish off the job. I'm fairly certain I was marked as a threat because they chased me. Literally. I ran, and they flew in a straight line behind me.

When I couldn't hear them anymore, I stopped running to catch my breath and try to sort out what was happening in my brain. I can't remember the last time I've felt so terrified. You can call me a big wuss if you want, but this was horrific for me. So I stood there watching my hand shake and trying not to cry, when *Bonk!* ANOTHER ONE HIT ME. I didn't take the time to count, I just ran. I know I heard my brother yelling something, but I don't know what or if it was to me or not.

They took care of poor Megan, who got stung much more than me, and in much worse places. But she was able to stay pretty close by because I suppose they were too busy chasing me to keep bothering her. Once the guys had given her neosporin and made sure she wasn't going to have a heart attack, my brother came to find me. I was a fair distance back up the trail by the time he found me =P But he was really good at being a calming presence and telling me to buck up at the same time. We headed back down the trail where Megan met us with neosporin and deodorant (Thanks to Jeremiah! Apparently deodorant helps to hide the scent that they use to mark enemies so we weren't such a target anymore.) When we got back to the "path" to the water, we were met by Calvin risking being stung and retrieving our things. Both with his hands and long sticks =P What a guy =)

I did my best to kind of patch Megan up, she got stung up her back and a couple of places on the back of her arms that she couldn't reach. We picked up our newly rescued things and walked carefully down to the water, where Megan and I spent pretty much the entire day. We were glad for the water both because of paranoia/fear and because the cool temperature was soothing on our war wounds. We spent the day floating on a log and performing acrobatic tricks that required great skill also on said log, and watching the fellas create a raft and paddles from various logs and materials they found.

Despite the pain and fear, it really was an incredibly fun day. I am so blessed by the friendship I have with these guys (and Megan and Kessi!). It is so awesome to know that I have so many men in my life who are protective of me and care enough for me to have my back and take care of me when I'm hurt or scared.

We plan on going back to Green Peter someday, Megan wants to, in her words, "extract my revenge and kill them all!" and we also want to fish and enjoy the beauty of the place without worrying about everything we hear buzz.

Thanks for reading =)

P.S. Yes, I know we did destroy the wasps' home and they had every right to defend it - I apologized to them, but I don't speak wasp so I think my meaning got lost in translation.

Also, in case anyone is interested, we're pretty sure this is what got us. Apparently they have one of the most painful stings in the wasp family. This made us feel much less like big babies for whining about the pain just when the wind blew across our injuries =P

Extra! Extra!

I have a very dear friend, Megan, who shares my enthusiasm for thinking as well as general sillyness. Recently, we've started a joint blog that we can both write on, just because we think that collaboration is a good thing. It's always a wise thing to look at ideas from the perspective of others. So, we've started this blog, really in an effort to share our hearts and our love of Christ. We want to research and hunt and honestly  just live intentionally in the love of God. We only have one post, but we'll be adding more soon! But I wanted to post a link to our little project just to get the ball rolling. Welcome! =)

Kingdom Crux

[Untitled]

There is a trend in my generation that I'm not quite sure I understand. We are immature, we are scared, we are apathetic. And we refuse to grow up. Let's get something straight right off the bat - I'm not immune.I am 22 years old, I live with my parents [and the rest of my family which is beside the point, but somehow made me feel better =P], I hold a fairly dead end part time job, I did just complete my associates degree - but I truly have no idea how to channel my passions into a career, I sometimes make bad decisions and choose to be irresponsible, and I just can't seem to grasp some basic foundations of a healthy life. It short, this strange phenomenon afflicts me too.

But I WANT to grow up. I have no desire to identify myself to anyone as a "kid" I don't want to live my life as a twenty or even thirty something pretending that I'm really five years younger and giving myself an excuse for immaturity.

There are some mile stones that our culture identifies as part of being an adult. Things like turning 18, moving out on our own, holding down a job, paying the bills, going to college, etc. All good things, all part of becoming a growing, functioning, and mature part of society. But I don't know that I'd say that those are the things that determine adulthood. I think that, from my point of view anyhow [and perhaps this is because I fall short on many of society's standards and want to believe that I am still an adult in my own right. Or I suppose I could be on to something here. It could be some of both, it could be none of either], emotional maturity is what kind of defines adulthood for me. Am I the same person no matter who I'm with? Am I the same person when I'm alone? Am I the same person when I talk to God? When I talk to my parents? When I talk to strangers? Or do I just play a role, fill a need?

I realize that everyone has different gifts and abilities that they bring to the table. So in different combinations of people, the "role" we play might be different. But I think that my generation is just filled to the brim with floaters. We flit, just waiting for someone to tell us what to do. Why on earth is that ok? Why do we not lead, why do we not fight? What the heck happened? My parents' generation was a working one. When they wanted or needed or needed something, they worked until they got it, and then worked more. But we, gosh, we are not that disciplined. We go, "it's haaaarrrdd" or "I don't like iiitttt" and then we quit. Or we get distracted or bored, and then we quit. There is a shocking lack of focus, of direction, of perseverance.

Maybe I shouldn't way "we", maybe these are my issues alone [but to say I'm the only person struggling with something sure sounds awfully conceited and inaccurate] but I don't think so because, unless I'm just super blind, I see it in other people my age as well.

I work in a middle school and even though my contact with the students is fairly limited, it is pretty obvious that this up coming generation is feisty! They are entitled, spoiled, and often arrogant, but by golly they're fighters. 

I want to be like that. I don't want to be passive. I don't want to be immature and just kinda float around just because I don't know what else to do. I want to hunt something down, I want to pursue and chase, I want to commit. I refuse to be a statistic. I want to be a servant, I want to grow, and I want to embody the small amount of Christ's goodness that I am capable of.

I do not want to settle. I do not want to be one person with one friend, and a different person with another. I don't want my maturity to depend on what those around me are doing. I want to stand on my own feet and I want to be confident enough to not have to wait around for someone to tell me what to do. I don't want my growth to be paced by the growth of others. I want to grow as quickly or as slowly as God deems good for me.

I think that is something my generation for some reason lacks - we don't have a lot of willing leaders. We have a lot of insecure women and a lot of scared men. And our origins aren't an excuse - they might be a reason, but as soon as we can recognize it, we no longer have an excuse for not changing, for not growing. It's on us.

I've often been known to say, "I'm grown" to my family. Half in jest, half in seriousness. I am legally an adult, I've contributed to the household bills [not much, but some] since I had my first job and I've done an ok job at being responsible for my decisions and the consequences that might come from them. I have zero desire to back track or to be called [by myself or others] a "kid". I want to be responsible [that doesn't mean boring] and I want to be a good influence because I want to see others reach their full potential. But I am guilty of being selfish and lazy and at times apathetic. And I've decided that enough is enough. I don't need to wait around for someone to tell me to knock it off. I don't need to be led on a leash to truly be "grown".

By no means am I proclaiming myself to be a revolutionary leader, that idea actually terrifies me [there's that insecure women thing coming up]. But I am deciding for myself that I'm sick of complacency. I'm sick of dreaming and thinking, "if only". I want to be intentional and I want to do it without anyone telling me I should. And I think that it'd just be fabulous if other people my age would take this up as well! We have such talent and intelligence lurking under a stagnant facade. Imagine what a force we could be, imagine the good we could do- the causes we could surround, imagine the lives that could change - definitely not excluding our own. I don't want to roam, I want to search. I don't want to float, I want to explore.

And I don't want to do it solely for my benefit, and I don't want to do it alone.

I'm Netti, and I'm 22 years old. I love to write and to have adventures and stay up late and listen to stories. I love change and I love passion and the honor of helping and seeing others realize their potential.
And [regardless of how my culture defines adulthood] I'm growing up.

Our youths didn't eat so others can, we've got some pretty awesome young'uns around here =D[30 hour famine]

The youth group at my church just finished a fundraiser they were doing for an anti-hunger/poverty organization, World Vision.
The idea was that they all got sponsors to pledge a certain amount of money while they took part in the fundraiser, and then that money goes to the organization. What was the actual activity you may ask? Well a whole group of middle school and high schoolers, as well as their dedicated leaders, all fasted together for 30hours.

[Also, my lovely sister, who also blogs on occasion, posted several pictures of the event on her site, The Adventures]

They all started on their own at 12:30 Friday afternoon, and then met at church that evening to all stay the night and to spend Saturday together. I wasn't there at all on Friday, and I didn't get there until around 1pm Saturday, so I can't fill you in on everything these wonderful people did. But the parts I was there for were thought provoking. The idea was to get the students to really begin to think outside themselves and to gain a nice big window into so many places on our earth that suffer from lack of what we consider basic rights. They watched a lot of hunger/poverty oriented clips that were informative, and discussed them of course =P And, since it is youth ministry, there were games a plenty. But many of the games they played reflected what they were attempting to recognize this weekend. Each team was a part of a "tribe" named for a country known to have high rates of hunger/poverty. And each tribe learned some about the specific hardships of their country, and had to function within those hardships for a few of the games. One example being a student who had "lost a leg" due to [if I remember correctly] "lack of medical service", having to participate in a game as if she had actually lost her leg, hopping the entire way.

For one game, they had to carry water from different places around the campus with difficult vessels with which to carry the water [ladles, dixie cups, etc]. Giving us just a microscopic taste of what it could be like to have to carry your water in from another location.

But the object, as one leader pointed out, was for everyone, leaders included, to think outside of ourselves. The point was to realize that so SO many people die from Malaria, a super preventable disease. That my daily shower uses more water than some people might see for a week or more. That even though 30hours is a huge deal for our culture, and then even more so for youth within this culture, some people are forced to go for much longer without food. I mean, people die from starvation. Their bodies literally feed off themselves until there's just nothing left. And we throw a fit if our food just doesn't come as quickly as we might like.

The idea was for the group to break their fast [after communion] together with a dinner this evening. So, since I was cooking said dinner, I didn't see a lot of the students' reactions, but from what I've heard from a few of them and many of the leaders is that it was a worthwhile and fairly impacting experience. I'm just mostly so proud of them! But I'm telling you seeing a slough of middle and high schoolers to consciously choose to not eat in order to benefit others is a rare thing. They make an impact on me every time I'm with them and I just can't get over how awesome they are!

So, if you want to benefit a great cause and you need something to do with a group for a day or two, I'd definitely recommend this! How cool would it be to be in a group all supporting each other in struggles that will benefit people who need it so much more desperately? Very very very cool =)

Love is...[Part II]

^{1Corinthians 13:4- 7 "4} Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
[Found Here]

A little while ago, I kind of spoke to what love being patient means to me, and I'm thinking that I kind of want to make an exploration of love - based on these few verses - a little blog series.

So, next on the list is, "Love is kind", but I think that kind of mushes into love being patient and all of the other definitions in these verses. Kindness meaning loving in a friendly, generous, and warm hearted nature. Jeremy Taylor said once, "Love is friendship set on fire." I think that's about as accurate as I can get by what I mean by a kind love.
Since "kind" doesn't seem to have a lot of room to explore, I think we should move right along to, "It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

"Envy: A painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.

Boast: 1). To speak of or assert with excessive pride.
          2). To possess and often call attention to (something that is a source of pride) <boasts a new stadium>

Proud: Feeling or showing pride as having or displaying excessive self-esteem.
[Merriam - Webster]

So if a real, true, pure, holy love doesn't do any of these things, then what would a whole and Godly love look like? Because the love I see going around today generally doesn't fit this mold well.


What I see today doesn't last very long - actually it last exactly the same length of time as it takes for one or both halves to get bored, or hurt, or to feel unneeded, or scared, or selfish. [I'm not trying to be dramatic here, I'm trying to observe the things I see that don't quite fit right].
What it seems our culture is wading through right now is this attitude of, "When you stop making me feel good, or you hurt my feelings, or I decide you're boring, or maybe you're not filling my need anymore, or maybe I'm just tired of having to fit another person into the equation, as soon as that happens, I'll drop you."

It's heart breaking.

Remember when you were in middle school, or even high school? The relationships we saw around us, or maybe that we were involved in, typically weren't made of lasting stuff. A long relationship then was a month. That mentality appears to have somehow clung onto our heels and has followed us into adulthood. "How can this relationship serve me? What can I get out of it?"

But if real love doesn't envy, then it doesn't feel the need to be jealous of anything my significant other has. Friends, money, attention, etc. And then it has to work the other way, I shouldn't feel envy over the things they give to others either. If he's paying attention to another woman, and I know he loves me, it shouldn't matter. It shouldn't spark that deep insecurity, that gnawing at our cores. [I know there is something to be said for intuition, sometimes that gut feeling is right and maybe what seemed to be a simple conversation doesn't turn out as innocently as it appeared. But then that wouldn't be a pure love anyhow. And I know we ALL have our struggles. Sometimes the smallest things can set a flame to an insecurity we thought we buried long ago, I get that. But if it's a pure, honest love, then those things shouldn't, ideally, be the first things that jump to mind]
Love doesn't look for what it doesn't give me, it looks for what I can give.



"It does not boast", it doesn't flaunt, it doesn't say, "Look at me! I have a boyfriend!" It doesn't say that I have worth because I have a guy looking at me. I don't think this means that we're not supposed to be happy about it and share our joy with others. If it is truly a selfless love, then, in my experience, people tend to want to know about it. I know that there's nosy people who always want to know everyone's business, and then there's that "mushy" stuff that I don't think anyone outside of the relationship actually wants to hear/see =P. But I think that if it's a solid love, other people kind of glean some joy from the others' happiness. I think that might be what not boasting your love means. That we don't have to shout it from the rooftops for attention or for validation, but that we simply enjoy it. We just love it =P.

Anyone who thinks their relationship is perfect is just so out of the loop. No one person is perfect, then put two people together trying to know each other more than any one else, that's a recipe for a whole lot of mess. Anyone who thinks their significant other is perfect is probably in for a nasty surprise. BUT together, the two should make something beautiful, something powerful. I think that to be confident in this is so different than to be proud! Pride says, "I can, I am, I will". Confidence says, "We can, God is, We will" There is that ordained thing, that blessing I guess, that gives married couples after the heart of God just so much authority. That union, when used the way [I think] it way created to be, is something to reckon with.


Like I mentioned in my first entry about this, I'm 22. Never had a boyfriend, never been in a relationship. I know nothing - but I see a lot. I see what works and I see what fails. I think that's actually what took me so long to decide to write this, the fact that I really have little to no experience in the matter. But the heart doesn't need to be broken to know how to love. My heart breaks for the kids I see every day who are growing up with one parent, for some that's lucky. Some live with uncles or grandparents, or are in the foster system. That's not to demean those relatives or foster families at all! Anyone who is willing to step up and raise a child well is pretty awesome in my book. But kids NEED their parents. We all need that, and to grow up and develop without them alters our entire lives.

I think that's mainly where my interest in this whole thing is coming from. I'm not in a rush to get married, not even to jump into a relationship, but I am in a rush to see the family dynamic restored in the lives of kids. I am in a rush to see the institution of marriage return to what it was meant to be - safe and strong. That is what I want to be to my kids and for them to be to theirs. I want to continue the chain through the generations, and I want it to be an epidemic. I want to see families flourish. And THAT is why I want to know the breakdown [as much as one can] of love. I just want to give it my best shot, because I want to be able to give my marriage and my children their best shot. And I want to see my generation and the ones following try and do the same.

<3

 

Youth Retreat

Ok, so I wrote most of this right after the retreat, but haven't quite finished it until now.  So please excuse the time lapses =P

This weekend was just so good =)
When I was in youth group, you always knew before hand who would cause drama, who the worst issues would be between, what girl(s) you wanted to avoid, and so on.
These girls though, just wow. Even when they were annoyed by each other, they resolved it. That was a total and complete, and very pleasant, surprise for me.

There was a challenge proposed for all of us, and that was to abstain from wearing makeup the entire weekend. Which, although a few girls had a pretty difficult time with it, we all managed to do. And gosh, they are so beautiful! All of them, so lovely.

And that's just the outside, each and every girl on this trip has something precious in them that is specific to their individual selves. I can't get over how they loved each other and were really vulnerable with one another. They all actually WANTED to learn. They all WANTED to be there and to get something out of it. Incredible. I never showed that initiative when I was their age. I am just super impressed with all of them =)

It was so beautiful to watch them open up and really be honest with God and themselves and the leaders, as well as the other students. And oh lordy the leaders! What women of faith! Seriously, the ladies leading this thing are steadfast and passionate and loving. They are so committed to these students. They all pray for them and invest so much in all of their lives. The huge thing for me to see, and I think probably for the students as well, was the leaders, most of them anyway, tell their stories. Hearing about the lives of these women, what they've come from, and where they're at now was so powerful. It was like their openness and honesty gave the girls permission to do the same, to be vulnerable as well.

Purity is a huge thing in this generation. It's like everything that is popularized is out to destroy innocence. It's sick, and actually really pisses me off. How dare anyone even think about impressing on any girl that she is somehow below some standard. And I'm going to full out rant if I keep going here.

The Men's retreat was awesome too - I mean, that's what I hear anyhow, I wasn't there after all =P
What the guys focused on was asking the two questions, "is it wise?" and "is it loving?" when thinking about how they relate to girls. They did a lot of...well, guy stuff. You know, paintball, beating on each other a little, male bonding...I'm sure it was fun for them =)

Really what I feel like this generation is SO in need of is people who will stick it out with them. People who are willing to be there for them and be willing to be a good role model for them. Which I guess is really what everyone wants/needs, but I think this group of middle/high schoolers needs it especially. There's a whole generation that comes from brokenness, and there's this desperation for acceptance. I love their openness =)

Really, what I think it comes down to, is the beauty that is born from pain. The redemption that comes from seeing a broken heart turn into a healing heart is stunning. And that is just a little what I think God had in mind for this retreat, to start some healing. To mend some trust. He is so good =)

Introducing - Meandering Ramble =)

Everyone, I want to introduce you to a suuuper talented person today. Her name is Laurie and she just so happens to be my much loved Aunt. She writes beautifully and this poem of hers is one of my favorites. I'm going with the girls from my church's youth group on a retreat this weekend and I am SO excited. I really want to do a post with some feedback on it, and maybe even from some of the guys [who are also having a retreat this weekend]. I think listening to what God is doing in our youth is incredibly important so I'm excited to be a part of it =)

Anyhow, to tide me over getting to write about all that, I'm reading This. Seriously folks, this woman could write life into a rock - give it a read =)

See ya in a few days <3