these things always work...

You Should Date A Swede!

You're a romantic, albeit an understated and practical one. It's more about a steady partnership for you, not unrestrained falling Your Swede will give you the unwavering love you crave While making up some mean pancakes and meatballs on the side!

Which Foreign Guy Should You Date?

guess who is a quarter swede?

no surprise....

INTP - "Architect". Greatest precision in thought and language. Can readily discern contradictions and inconsistencies. The world exists primarily to be understood. 3.3% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

Introverted (I) 75.76% Extroverted (E) 24.24%
Intuitive (N) 69.44% Sensing (S) 30.56%
Thinking (T) 64.86% Feeling (F) 35.14%
Perceiving (P) 56.41% Judging (J) 43.59%

and i know how surprised you are that Mark was similar...

Beloved

I was reading the last few verses in the book of Jude this morning:

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

I've read these verses before. I even had them underlined in my Bible. Except for one word. Guess which word i did not underline.
Beloved.
Why? Did i not think it necessary? But it's there for a reason...look at verse 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Love is apparently important-and we only love him because he first loved us. Did i not think myself beloved the last time i read this? i wish i could remember when that was. i found strength in these verses apparently, they told me something to do. But i saw them more as an order from a general than a gentle command from a loving Father who asks this because he loves me. i am stunned that i never realized this before. of course i thought God loved me. He loves everybody, it's not that hard to learn that in Sunday School. but me? really, personally, me? have i ever felt it this way before? i can remember times i have felt overwhelmed by his love - but again, it was only love as a big, universal thing - now, i feel as though it is entirely directed at me. as though i am the sole object of his love. through experiences in my life, i can understand it better now than when i first read this. i am humbled and in awe. i am beloved.

After a few days stateside...

I flew into New York City last Monday, and had fun with Brian and Pam touring the city, going to Conan O'Brian live, climbing to the top of the Empire State Building...then arrived in Chicago on Friday to visit Mark. Stories and pics will come later, probably! But after a few days stateside, i have arrived at a few over-arching generalizations about Americans and Europeans.

(Just as a disclaimer, especially to certain people who may read this, i know it's cynical and i don't hate americans. i am one, and can't help it. i won't justify myself any more, that's a whole different discussion!)
Europeans are like cats. They're cool, they're well-groomed. They're cosmopolitan, smart, know their place in the world (and yours may very well be under theirs...till you earn their trust).
Americans are like dogs. Yeah, they're loud, they're annoying, dirty. They might be a bit fat. Or maybe really fat. They're not always the smartest. But like dogs, you kinda start missing them...maybe they need a little help, so you stick with them a little longer.