CJoyWIT's Xanga

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Sun, 27 May 2007 10:26:50 GMT

Well, I must say, its been a memorable month.

Out of the gates it was exciting, when, on the first day of the month, Logan and I recieved first place at the debate tournement and qualified for nationals, in so doing both entering the ranks of the Iron Men/Women (hehe). Something else funny happened at that tournment: I got first place speaker (and I never get speaker awards). My mom had been nervous about the tournament. Afterall, it presented a strict situation. It would either be my last debate tournament ever, or, after several years of working hard, multiple disappointments and even embarassments, I would qualify. However, she believed that God, through prayer and through His Word, was giving her the message to "just trust" Him (those specific words, "just trust Me"). Then, the last California tournament was a blessing, above what I ever expected when I imagined qualifying at the beginning of the year, getting first place, qualifying, and getting first place speaker. It was like God was sort of laughing and saying "I told you to just trust me! See, I will bless you beyond what you hope for!"

A few weeks after that tournament, I joined another elite group of people: those who hold a driver's license. I feel so grown up calling out as I slip out the door, "Bye mom...I'll be back in a bit. Give me a call if you need anything." Then, I shuffle through my purse to find my key (note: singular "key", because I don't have a house key ). I turn on the car and turn to my favorite radio station. I adjust the seat, because I'm short and if my parents have been driving before me the seat is way too far back. I check my mirrors, like a good girl, and then I can fly! Running errands has never given me such a thrill.

If driving didn't make me feel like I was growing up fast, yesterday certainly did. I graduated from high school. The graduation was perfect. Perfect, perfect, perfect. The Schuberts did a WONDERFUL job with all the planning and preparation, and their good friend Suzy volunteered to host the party (at the Schuberts house), cooking for a hundred and fifty people, decorating, etc...My family was grateful for all the work put in by them, which made it easy for us family to relax, enjoy the experience, and see the lovely hordes of people who came. It was delightful how many people showed up, even from far away, to see Jessica and I graduate; NCFCA people like the Morenos, the Bowmans, the Herches, the Beaches, the Heflins, and old friends and family members (my Uncle came from L.A.!). I tried to profusely thank everyone who came, but I don't know if the guests could really grasp how their presence made the day perfect. The ceremony too was terrific. I said I wouldn't cry. In fact, I made fun of the people who said they would. But when my baby picture popped up on the screen and "Heather's song" (a song my pretend "big sis" recorded when she was 17) started to play, I did. And, for some odd reason, I cried during my speech...grrr. So much for being a heartless stoic. I wanted a lot of details to go right in the ceremony. I wanted people to laugh in my speech (I got two audience-wide chuckles. Yay!). I wanted Mr. Schubert and my dad to not forget to present us as the class of 2007 and not forget to tell us to turn our tassels. I wanted the music to sound great (and, thanks, to Matt and Drea, it did). Most of all though I wanted to ceremony to be Christ exalting, because that's what He deserves and that's going to impact people the most. I hope it was.

So...busy month. And the next one promises to be exciting as well, as I head to Texas for nationals (I'll see you soon Halye...)

Monday, May 21, 2007

Mon, 21 May 2007 12:28:38 GMT

Announcing the High School Graduation of Courtney Joy Martin

From the Adonai Academy

Commencement ceremonies will be held on Saturday, May 26th at 11 o' clock a.m.

(e-mail me if you're interested in coming...)

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 01:01:06 GMT

Today, I drove a mustang convertible with the top down. It warm and and the sun made the delta look like shiny silver. The hills are still beautifully green, and I felt pretty good in that car. When I drive, I feel like I'm in control. The woman who facilitated my driver's training lesson's (this was the last of three) was named Jodi. She's a Christian. Jodi has done a lot of things in her life, and had a lot of things happen to her. For instance, today she told me about the time, when she was nine, she fell off a house. She had been flying a kite on the roof, and, while she was reeling it in, she back off the house. She was unconscious for several days, and then had amnesia for three weeks. I asked her what it was like to start remembering things again, and she explained that one day her mom walked in the room and suddenly Jodi knew who she was.

Any way, Jodi has had many jobs, and now, she is a mail lady and does driving instruction. She completely loves what she does. In fact, she sees it as a sort of calling. I think she believes that when she teaches kids to drive safely, she is keeping them safe. Also, her six hours in a car with the students gives her a platform to encourage them and be a testimony for Christ. When she was trying to open the driver’s education school, she watched how God worked out the right location for her, protected her financially, and guided her through the beraucratic obstacles of the DMV. She figured that if God wanted her to do the driving school, He would provide the means.

They say, that if you can make money doing something that you enjoy, you’re a very fortunate person. Sometimes, I wonder what it is I would really love to do. I have some ideas, but I don’t really know for sure. But, Jodi has inspired me. Thinking about her reminds me that if a Christians are serving God, they will love it because they love Him.

“Fear not tomorrows child of the King.

Trust them with Jesus do the next thing.”

Friday, March 09, 2007

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:11:19 GMT

Yesterday, my mom and Lauren and I went on a "field trip" to Davis. Lauren wanted to go to the music store for sheet music; I wanted to go to the gorgeous used bookstore; Mom wanted to visit the new knitting shop. Lauren found the music for 'Mission Impossible'. I discovered (when you find a book in a used bookstore it is a "discovery") an interesting little book by Soren Kierkegaard and we did indeed go to the knitting shop.

The woman who owns the 'Knitter's Playground' has a little boy who plays in the shop while she works. While my mom was looking around, he was sitting at a table, staging a battle between a monkey and shark. I smiled at him in a friendly way, hoping I'd be invited to play. He smiled back and asked me what my name was. I told him it was Courtney.

"Would you like to be the monkey?" he asked, offering it up to me.

"Sure," I replied.

He liked to see the animals get knocked off the table, and every time they were, he laughed delightedly (he wasn't a violent child, though...you can tell when they are, and he wasn't), and every time he laughed, he made me laugh. I showed him all sort of ways that the monkey, who, I explained, was at a disadvantage, because he didn't have teeth like the shark, could defeat the shark, and pretty soon he decided it would more fun to be the monkey so he could try these new techniques. Then, I showed him how the shark could use his powerful tail to swipe the monkey away. Immediately, he asked to be the shark again. We decided that the carpet could be the water (conveniently, it was blue).

“The monkey can’t swim,” I told him, “But the shark can.”

In the next attack from the shark, the monkey was thrown into the water, and failed its long, spindly arms about, calling for help.

Forgetting, their former enmity, the shark rescued the monkey and plopped him back on the table.

The adventure got my friend so excited that he fell off his chair and lay on the floor, wondering momentarily if he was alright. When I could tell he was, I cried,

“You’re in the water! Swim! Swim!"

Then, I had to go.

“Why?” asked my friend.

“My mom is leaving."

I said good-bye, and waved as I walked away. He waved back.

He was just like Christopher Robin.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 22:59:30 GMT

I'm oh-so-vain.

http://kevan.org/johari?name=Courtney+Joy

Monday, December 18, 2006

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 21:30:33 GMT

So, I don't know if anyone reads this anymore. I'm being VERY, VERY lazy at the moment, though, and I'll give a little update on the life of Miss Courtney Joy Martin, in case some one in interested.

...Actually, I just remembered, nothing is really going on (in a sweet, calm-before-the-storm kind of way). Really, I'm teetering at the edge of Becoming An Adult and Taking Responsibilty and all that jazz, but for now things are pleasantly quiet.

I plan next year to go to the Santa Rosa JC, and live with my grandparents. Community college...such a conventional, poor white girl I am. I'm glad people take an interest in what I'm doing, but I'm tired of explaining, because I can't just say "going to community college"; that sounds unmotivated...like I'm just going to twiddling my thumbs. I will not be a twiddler!!!!

School is going pretty well. I like science (human body). Its nifty to memorize everything, because I just point to it and say "latissimus dorsi"..."sternocleidomastiod", and then the information slips into a nice, neat place in my head.

My last year of speech and debate...its been lovely so far. Its sad when I think of things like, "I'll never be as good of a debater as I want to be, or probably even as good as I could be if I had more years of debate". It feels like I'll leave something unfinished when its all done this spring. But, debate has taught me a lot about thinking and working hard and doing a bunch at once and working with all sorts of different people, and, of course, the experience of speech and debate (tournaments) has taught me "life lessons" (nerdy cliche). Hehe...doing forensics tournaments is like commercials I've seen of tennis players practicing. You know...there's a machine shooting tennis balls at the player, so the player has to respond to them in quick succession. The real game will be slower paced, but practicing at that fast rate prepares the player thoroughly. Tournaments simulate what "life will through at you" (excitement, nervousness, happiness, sadness, disappointment for yourself, disappointment for others, jealousy, stress, social challenges, etc...), but all at once! And you have to take a whack at all of them! For me also, tournaments are a time of learning to make time for God. They're SO BUSY. You go from thinking about NATO expansion to quickly rehearsing bits of your speech and your mind to "get in the zone" to trying to find mom so you can eat! It takes an extra effort to meditate on God and pray. That's also more like "real life" than the "average day in the life of a homeschooler" (at least, this homeschooler ). I've thought through all this because, I have at the very most, six or seven months left of speech and debate...so, what is there to motivate me? What am I going to learn and how much am I going to change in the next few months that makes it worth doing? A part (probably rather small part) of it is expressed above. Throughout high school, speech and debate has been a catalyst that God has used to grow me, and I have confidence that that will continue, as I begin The Last Leg. Moreover, I was thinking about some things that I wrote on my way back from nationals in 2005 (the Point Loma one). After that particularly nationals, I was overwhelmed by and so thankful for the people who I spent time with. They were examples of graciousness, that challenged deeper than just intellectually. Maybe, God will use me to be that for some one else (not because of my own piousness, but by His mercy).

Wow....that was A LONG section on the random topic of "what the speech and debate subculture means to me", and if you're past NCFCA you'll probably patronizingly think its "cute" (which is okay...I'll be patronizing when I grow up too ) and if you've never been near NCFCA you won't understand at all, and if you're currently in NCFCA....eh, I don't know what you'll think. Heh.

Um...sooo....::thinks of a way to close::....Merry Christmas!

Monday, August 21, 2006

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:41:55 GMT

So, Kyler and I have been playing "the history game" lately, where one of us choose a historical figure and the other guesses. A couple days ago we were doing this, and I had figured out that, according to Kyler, the person he was thinking of was sort of half theologian and a pilgrim sort. I guessed away...William Brewster, William Bradford, etc...

"Alright, Kyler," I said at last, "I give up. Who is this pilgrim I can't think of?"

"Hello...how could you forget Winston Churchhill!"

Lol...its a good thing Kyler is a great athlete, and doesn't claim to be an intellect.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 11:42:06 GMT

So, what's been up with ol' C-Dog (that's me) this summer?

Weeeell, I got a job at Eddie Bauer. My first *real* job. Going to work, I feel deliciously independent...I can't help but swagger a little bit, when I walk into the store. I like it when there's lots of go-backs (from the dressing room), because that keeps me busy. All the clothes are bright and clean and soft; they're nice to hold and look at while I'm hanging them or folding them.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Tennessee with my friend Katie Nafzigger. We're visiting her Aunt, who lives out in the country, and helping with her hooooorses! I've always wanted to learn to ride a horse, just like in a book. And I'll be flying across the country--Katie and I; by ourselves. Alone. That will give me a thrill of independence too, I think.

Speaking of independence...college. One year away. Wow. I don't think I'll be lonely when I leave (Katie and I both want to go to Master's, so we'll be together, and I'll know other people down there, probably), but I'll be homesick. Buuuut, my mom and I talk about EVERYTHING. What will it be like to be so far away from her? To not be able to cuddle up next to her, while she knits and we watch movies? Oh dear...I suppose I must just be very brave, and bear through it. ::sniff::

Yesterday, I saw a car, and the back was plastered with very emphatic bumper stickers. It made met think...I sort of want to have a car with a lot of bumper stickers, but then I'll really starting having to play the eccentric, corky character in groups, and I don't know yet if I want that. Oh, and don't be all upty about "being yourself", because everyone plays a character in groups, even if you're being yourself at the same time. If I do have bumper stickers, I don't think they'll be serious, because that always seems kind of snotty.

Now, that's about it. Summer has been beautiful.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 22:01:38 GMT

National pictures...

http://community.webshots.com/user/corner_for_echoes

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 11:41:14 GMT

I have two weeks of school left (::dies::) but it feels like summer has started, with nats over. Nats.over.

Virginia is like a lush heaven, but, as I flew over California last night into Oakland airport, I thought, "Yes, this burnished, stark countryside is definitely home." I missed my Kyler (and his "rapping"). I missed Lareem and our excited conversations about Adventures in Odyssey. I missed Heather and her enthusiasm over all the things I find exciting. I missed April (I so want to talk about God with you April! There wasn't really anyone to talk about God with at the tournament). I missed music (tournaments are so music-less).

By some miracle, PHC pulled off the tournament. We can call this miracle "the multiplying of the rooms and seats".

Some of the best parts of the tournament were...

predicting a thunderstorm by the smell (I've always wanted to do that)!

teasing and practical jokes ::grin::

becoming more experienced...you see, how will ever write my masterpiece until I become more experienced?

copying Cody as we all listened to him read his 1AC for the umpteenth time

"maybe"...lol

The best part of the being a tourist was...

having my parents all to my self...hehe

the Library of Congress (including...CHARLES DICKENS walking stick. I was a foot from the something that touched the hand that described Sydney Carton! He might have strolled along with that walking stick and thought "it is the best of times, it is the worst of times")! AAAHHH!